Dateline, Stone Clan

It is with great sadness in me dwarven heart dat I report to ye from within the walls of the fabled Stone Clan, our dwarven stronghold in the mountains. I report to ye of the Siege of Stone Clan, and of me people who have been trapped within our halls of stone since de beginning of de war dat some call 'The Sorrow War', a title most apt, as it is a time of great sorrow indeed. As I make me report, I walk the halls of the Clan, and the sights I see bring tears to me eyes and pain in me soul, a pain dis dwarf has not felt to this day, and hopes he shall never feel agin.

I start me report at the area we affectionately call our 'front porch', or the mountain ledge that marks the entrance to our beloved Clan. As I gaze out upon the porch, I see the twin regiments of the so-called 'Lord Sorrow's Army.' These two regiments have been trespassin on our porch for so long, they think they own it, though the dwarven nation feels otherwise. The times the dwarven nation has attacked the regiments are beyond counting, sortie after sortie, in attempt to clear our porch, but de regiments still stand.

They were not always there; in the beginning of de war, only scattered Sorrow troops dared to set foot on our porch. These de dwarven people soon sent to their graves. I was dere when de legions of Sorrow sent their first large group of warriors to perch upon our porch, and heard the mighty yell of the dwarven hero Worrclan echoing throughout the halls. "Invaders on our porch?!?! Not whilst I am on watch!" I saw with my own eyes as he advanced upon the enemy and proceeded to sweep our porch clean of invaders, though becoming mortally wounded in his victorious charge. His heroics soon faded, as the enemy called forth greater and greater numbers, and, despite the valiant efforts of the dwarves to say otherwise, eventually the 'porch' fell under enemy hands. When the battle dust cleared, we gazed out upon our porch and saw a Division and Regiment of the enemy troops. And thus, the Siege began.

Was the enemy content to remain upon our 'porch?' Nay, twuz not so. They began to send wave after wave of troops into the Clan itself. I remember as they charged into the area of the famous Forkbeard's Brodger, the same Brodger I now gaze upon as I continue my walk through the Clan fer dis report. Aye, twuz here dat we made many a stand, repelling de invaders. There, spattered upon the wall to the left of the Brodger door, is de blood of the Dwarven hero Grimslayer, who stood bloodstained and battered but unyielding to the onslaught of the waves of invaders. And if ye look closely on the ceiling, you will see the chipped stone from Kuldar swinging his mighty hammer in battle. Yep, it got ugly here at the Brodger, more ugly den ye will ever know, and more ugly den I care to report, at dis time.

Next on our tour we reach the Hoy. It is here dat de clan weapon stores are kept, and also where was seen some of our most valiant fighting as a dwarven people. As I glance about, I can still see de images of me kinfolks, like shadows traipsin in me mind: Spartope, the young dwarf, too young to be facing the horrors of the Siege.....Spartope grew old within such a short time. Dendybar, Malkavik, Voracious, Grungy, Lugnerin, and Aramyth, veteran dwarven warriors all, I can still see them as they drove back the Elpalzi and S'lai invaders, their battle cries ring in my ears even now. And over there, near the Hoy door, dat is where the dwarven hero Eupholous saved me own miserable hide, as I fell to the enemy, riddled with arrows. If der ever was a guardian angel, Euph would be mine.

Now we move to the holy sanctum. It is here, amongst the stalactites and stalagmites, where our clerics breathed life back into our fallen. Our priests spent so many days here, it seems as if the rock formations have taken on their appearances. Over there, if ye look closely, ye may still see the image of Lagerby, and there Nalak, and over there, Perre and Shoikan. Bah, mebbe I am jes seeing things, a long siege will do that to ya. Dat, and too many ales. Let's move along, we shall follow the trail worn in the stone, worn by the thousands of wounded and dying being dragged to safety by the young dwarven lass Keeyanna or the indomitable dwarven trader Jordan, time and time again...

Now we are outside the Pierowall, the last bastion of defense. There, over by that crack in the stone, that is where the dwarven hero Odruwi made his stand, and the crack is where his lifeless corpse was slammed into the stone cavern wall by Elpalzi Veterans. And there, near the door to the Pierowall, is where Towena gathered us together to protect the empaths and others within. It is here as well that Sephirin first joined the Siege, and, though he was not a dwarf, he is a dwarf friend indeed, forfeiting his life for the Siege of Stone Clan. Yea, many dwarves and dwarf-friends alike sacrificed themselves honorably so the clan would still stand. I weep openly as I now move my report within the Pierowall itself.

Ahhh, the comforting walls of the Pierowall, our makeshift hospital and portal cavern. Here the wounded and dying were brought and turned over to the trusted care of the clan empaths. Shimmermist, Veritey, Desii, Naedira, Adrinalakewader, Jadens, dwarf-friend Meli and young Syrath with her beloved blanket, all tended the fallen here for days upon days, never losing faith, never shirking their duty, often singing out songs of joy to comfort the dying. Never have I seen such dedication and tenacity. They lived in this room, week after week, when a normal soul would have gone mad with the blood, the gore, and the unending repetition, but not our healers.

There, see the red colored stones of the cavern floor? This is not some exotic rock type, though it would appear so at a glance. No, this stone is forever stained red with the blood of the defenders of the clan, a tribute to their suffering. It is upon this red stone that the feet of the dwarven hero Cloudcrest stood, right there, near the door. Cloudcrest, the undauntable moon mage, who time after time opened the magical portals to rescue trapped warriors. But his efforts donna end there, not at all. Cloudcrest, along with dwarf-friends Silverit and Ileia, did much more than just aid trapped warriors; they opened the gates for our warriors to stride forth to attack, allowing us to circumvent the barricade on our porch, and kept our supply lines open. Aye, if it weren't for their help, we would have all perished long ago. Let them never be forgotten.

Finally, we come to the last place on me report of the Siege of Stone Clan. I now report on the Chamber of Light. It is here where we once faithfully guarded the book, the one book, as was our heritage and our right. My fists clench in anger as I recollect the ludicrous circumstances regarding the book, but that is another tale on its own, and I shall not speak of it here. Over there are the companies of dwarven Stone Clan Militia troops, who for some reason just as ludicrous as the book loss never joined us in our battles of the siege.

And finally, there, nearby, stands the great dwarven leader Hegemonic, battle worn and tired, casting baleful glances at the unmoving dwarven companies. And surrounding him stands the dwarven nation, looking to Hegemonic to lead them through the darkness that is this siege. Their faces show the weariness of unending battle, in their eyes shines a dull gleam of frustration. But their stances reveal their loyalty to their dwarven home as they stand unmoving and in silence, together in dwarven unity.

Then, as this reporter watches, a young dwarf named Galahant suddenly begins stomping about, his wounds bleeding freely while his legs churn as he stomps about, heedless of his wounds. The other dwarves watch as he stomps, then one, then another joins him in his stomping. Agravian, with crossbow bolts protruding from his body, stomps his feet. Kalkomar, his arms hanging lifelessly at his sides, still stomps on. One by one the dwarven multitudes join in their stomping ritual, 'til soon the chamber is a great teeming sea of frenzied motion, and the sound of dwarven thunder shakes the very walls. And now, I must end this report of the Siege of Stone Clan, for that thunder is calling me home!

Submitted by the dwarven reporter,

Bubbinster Bladebender