Journal of Boing Dalkamzefon
17th Galena, 265

The trade caravan lingers on the west side of the river, for they see that our gates are closed and greenskins yet lurk in the mires. For the caravan to access our fortress, we must rout the invaders once and for all.



Shark Mafia reports just three surviving goblins to the southeast of the gates. Two ride on giant rats and one on a monstrous wingless bird that defies naming. They are injured, and without their leader will offer little resistance. Judging the risk to be minimal, I order the drawbridge opened once more and our military out into the swamp.



Minty is the first to meet battle. He charges the great bird-monster, which lies stiff and unmoving even as its rider attempts to rouse it - and cleaves the beast in half with one fell blow of his steel axe, sending the goblin and both parts of its mount sprawling in all directions.



Effortlessly deflecting the wounded goblin's feeble mace-strike, Minty's axe crashes into his foe's chest, splintering bone as if it were pinewood. The goblin flails weakly about, but is unable to stop Minty, who in one swift flowing movement twists his axe out of the wound and curves it down, taking off the goblin's leg in an arcing helix of blood. Not even letting his opponent hit the floor, Minty's axe swings up again and effortlessly severs the head, which lands in a tree with a bloody plop several seconds later.



One of the rat-riders flees to the east in an utter panic, whipping its mount into a frenzy as it disappears into the trees. Minty gives chase, but his armour weighs him down, and he breaks off, letting the wretch go, doubtless in order to warn its people.



To the south, Enzer engages with the last remaining greenskin - mid-sprint, her axe cleaves off its leg even as it attempts to cling to its rat-mount for sheer life. The goblin is hurled sideways into the mud as its body is ripped in two with a second swing, the rat suffering a similar fate mere moments later.





The human traders, meanwhile, move to enter our gates, accompanied by their guards and their pack-mules, proceeding down into the main entrance. While they do so, I order the Basic Crazed Whim-Mirrors further into the swamp in an attempt to find and end the last straggler. Enzer finds something more.