The fields before me appear to be the site of an apocalyptic struggle. Bodies, some mere piles of bleached bones, others large, still-decaying masses, are everywhere. Many seem humanoid, but the majority belong to bizarre, exotic creatures. Some look like they may have been giant feline-like creatures, others are completely beyond my understanding. Bolts and bits of tattered clothing are everywhere. Barrels, bags, even whole doors and sunk into the sandy surface at irregular intervals.
The great, looming structure of the fortress proper stands over the fields of death imposingly. A long, outer wall surrounds a strange inner tower. Spires and buttresses seem to rise out of nothing and fling into the air for no apparent reason. Rather than immediately approach, I circle around the side, inspecting the various debris to try to get some idea of what happened.
I continue around the western wall, surveying the bleak marshland. I sight several gems and some other damaged valuables amongst the wreckage. Some items seem to be covered in thick layers of strange dust, others are largely broken, some are almost entirely intact, if waterlogged. I head east beyond the northern wall. The scenes of carnage are unabated.
Worst of all are the many dwarven corpses. How is it that so many died without being properly interred? Most of the bodies appear to have suffered some sort of massive trauma, and are picked over to the point of being little more than shredded skin and broken bones. At first I consider gathering up the bodies to carry inside to a more appropriate resting place, but I soon realize that there are simply too many for one dwarf to manage in a single day. I wonder at who all of these dwarves may have been. Did they die together in some final, futile defense? Were they migrants who arrived too late? I may never know.
A closer inspection of some of the corpses reveals some small shreds of evidence. Here we find a corpses smeared with what must be pus. This dwarf of Gemclod died slowly, tortuously.
This body is saturated with some of the same, bizarre material that covers various items. It looks vaguely foreboding, and I am careful not to touch any of it.
Yet another corpse has much of its remaining skin drenched in long-dried blood. It's very bones seem to be impacted with tiny specks of rock. I dread to imagine what happened to this brother of stone.
As I head south past the eastern wall, I finally spot life amidst the destruction. A goblin! The skulking, deformed creature, perhaps a member of some long-forgotten war-party, is living amongst the corpses, perhaps living ON the corpses, of my brother and sister dwarves. I approach the fiend. It is armed with a morning star and shield.
It seems surprised to see me, and its surprise grows when I attack! I will not let this parasite survive to hound another dwarf!
It defends itself well. Clearly it has seen battle. I fight tooth and nail. When I see a chance to bite into its shield hand, I take it. It opens up an opportunity to gut the creature, and I sink my spear deep in its foul belly. The stench of its innards whets my appetite for its blood.
Soon I have overcome the goblin's defenses. I stand astride its prone body, jabbing it with my spear at every opening. The creature continues to fight back, though weakly.
As the fight continues, I become less interested in bringing about the filthy thing's death and more about prolonging its suffering. Every blow is vengeance for one of the fallen dwarves around Gemclod's walls.
At this point, the goblin can barely defend itself. It retches and bleeds. I feel no pity. I eventually realize it is a female, but to me it might as well be a wild beast.
After hacking its hand off with my speartip, I put away the weapon. I will be needing it no longer.
The righteous are avenged. I take off a piece of the beast as a trophy, and a reminder.
As the haze of bloodlust leaves me, I leave the goblin behind, still-twitching, and continue back around toward the entrance. I am certain that it bled to death- eventually. Today, Gemclod's enemies know fear once more. A living dwarf walks about its walls once again.