Greetings, dear reader. First and foremost, I would like to apologize for the lack of last week’s column. I know that a large number of readers of THE LUMINO CHRONICLE look forward to my periodical, but due to scheduling failures with the following interview, I was unable to give one to my editor that lived up to his standards. Please address any and all complaints to him.

However, I have a special edition for my SUN DIAL column: I have managed to secure an interview with COLONEL DANIEL METZ, leader of the Bulkhan Division, who recently participated in the acquisition of Oxjoldov:

FB: Thank you for coming to this interview, Colonel.

DM: It’s no issue. No bother.

FB: Very well then, let’s get started. I understand you commanded over 200 Bulkhan Troops?

DM: That’s correct.

FB: How was it to command over such savage men?

DM: I… I understand that most have never met a Bulkhan before. They do seem quite savage. Yes, their customs are very strange. However, I did serve in the War of 867. The Bulkhans did not seem much more barbaric than the Tarangans.

FB: Interesting, interesting. Did they do any… cannabilistic rituals? Summon any dragons? You know, the works?

DM: They did not.

FB: Come now, you must be able to regale us with some story of barbarism?

DM: None that I am aware of.

FB: Very well. Then tell us about your activities in the war. Or are those classified?

DM: They are not.

FB: Then by all means, Colonel Metz, proceed!

DM: Alright. I was with my regiment. It was after the occupation of Briovuh and Prushtinjia, and we had cleared out the jungles. The Oxjoldovians, they used swords and spears while we used Syddian Guns. They were slaughtered like animals.

DM: We cleared the Prushtinjia jungle, and my regiment was put on the front line to take Fort Bingemm. We were also with three other regiments of 200, and had a commanding officer. An Ironclad was to aid us, the Spearhead. Commanding Officer sat aboard Spearhead, and watched our assault.

DM: Fort Bingemm still was across a river, and had thick stone walls. We brought in field guns. I had my men fire on through the night. Spearhead fired some shots. Bingemm did not fall.

DM: Instead, we waited. We did a siege. A few ambushes tried to break it, as we were only 800 men, but we cut through them.

FB: There’s not much a man with a sword can do to a man with a Syddian gun, is there?

DM: No. We waited for a week. There was no result. Our Commanding Officer gave the order to storm the castle. Several of my men died of festering wounds. I lost my leg, and was given medical care, and honorably discharged with ample pension. All Oxjoldovians were killed in Fort Bingemm.

FB: You paved the way to take Helvontion, did you not?

DM: Perhaps we did. But the Bulkhans laid the corpses of all Oxjoldovians, over a thousand, in the center of the castle. They were hacked to pieces to take what they wanted – rings, fine sabers, so forth - and the rest was burned and discarded.

FB: Hah! I thought you said you had no tales of barbarism.

DM: I have no tales. I know only what I saw.

That is all for this week, dear readers! Thank you for buying this edition of THE LUMINO CHRONICLE.

[M]: We're eating Oxjoldov. omnomnom