Warpstone Blood and Blackshard Iron - Warmaster - Conquest of the Black Peninsula. 1532-1533IC

The Black Peninsula

The Black Peninsula, so named after the sooty ash accrued on the beaches and inlets; run off from the Blasted forges of the Chaos dwarves Hundreds of miles up the coast. 

Settled early in the epoch by a mix of Brettonian Lords and Sea faring Dwarves, the region had its own golden age between 1150ic and 1380ic when the mixed Dwarven and Brettonian Fleets plied the coastlines sinking pirates and seizing smugglers, the fertile soil and deep deposits of ores and gems in the Aquiline Mountain range made them rich beyond the imaginations of the original settlers. As with all things, that which rises must fall and the Union was shattered when the arrogance of the Brettonian Courts and the Stubbornness of the Dwarven Halls cut deep rifts that eventually lead to outright conflict. The Brettonian Fleets could out sail and out shoot all Dwarven fleets in open water, but those same ships relied upon Dwarven Engineers to make said Cannon, the inlets and coastal zones favoured the Dwarven Ironclad which were more than able to take a beating while out manoeuvring the Tall ships of the Brettonians. Similarly the Cavalry of the Brettonian lords could turn and crush the Dwarven Battle lines flanks, but the Passes that dotted the Aquiline Mountain range funnelled the fleet footed cavalry into costly frontal assaults.

By the Year 1523ic the Black Peninsula is made up a scattering of disunited Bretonnian and Dwarven lords preyed upon by the Occasional Green Skin plague or enslaved by audacious Chaos Dwarf expeditions.

Skaven enter the Fray

 The steady thrum of the Warpstone engine, interrupted by the occasional metallic bang as a gear slipped or a slave fell into the inexhaustible mechanism. The massive vessel called the 'Sound of despair' another of the madmen constructs of the Skaven race, plied the seas as Throt Gutter whisker brooded on the command deck.

Throt Gutterwhisker was headed for Skaven outpost called Skittervald, an under hive located in the recently overrun ruins of a Bretonnian settlement called Gren-Grois. The council of 13 instructs him to secure the Peninsula and find any sources of Warpstone for return to Skavenblight.

The Chaos Dwarf Gold Rush

The Chaos Dwarves maintained a settlement/fortress called Zharr-mag-rud in the region since 300ic, normally the base was used for resupplying coal for the journey back to Zharr-Naggrund as well as a sporadic slave markets but the site was never considered strategically important. In the year 1517ic a large Goblin migration crashed against the stones of the Fortress walls, after numerous failed assaults the scattered Goblins having eaten all available food began to starve and cannibalise each other; despite the tiny size of the garrison force it was able to march out and enslave the host, coincidentally the slave ships that passed for water and coal had had a bad year and paid a handsome price for the slaves that year. The base experienced an influx of colonists following the massive injection of wealth, and stories of weak but numerous subject to enslave. The mounting pressure to expand has reached boiling point as the clan groups continue to arrive and seek their own fortunes.

Special Rules for the campaign

1523

• The campaign began with some unremarkable expansion by both Empires, the Chaos Dwarves hire some Mercenaries after their scouts took a wrong turn. The Skaven moved across the Peninsula razing towns.
• Both Empires besieged and starved out a fortress each, whilst the Chaos Dwarves fought a series of costly battles with local Bretonnian lords, the Bretonnians killing for more than they lost.
• In the winter, the Skaven suffered an attack by Dragons descending from the Central peaks of the Aquiline Mountains, whilst the Chaos Dwarves had a bumper crop.
• Both armies put down new fleets on the stocks and expanded their baggage for the next season, Additionally that Skaven sent out spies and saboteurs whilst the Chaos Dwarves sent our their own spies and assassins; all in all the effect was a Grey Seer Murdered in the night.

1524

• Both Empires attempted to expand again this year, the Skaven kept finding nothing but barren wastes, whilst the Chaos Dwarves met belligerent Bretonnian or Dwarven lords guarding the remnants of their once great Empires. 
• In the 3rd month the Skaven and Chaos Dwarves met in battle at a Riverhead known locally and Thror-kie's fingers.

The battle of Thror-Kie's finger is an indecisive battle, with the Skaven getting the better trades. River battles are always harder and the Chaos Dwarves had a really hard time making their gains on the crossing on the Skaven right. Following this battle the risk of losses in battle was too great with such limited forces and both empires instead settled on jostling for control of contested ground with their scout forces. The Chaos Dwarves suffered a plague as their Winter event, however both players agreed on a reroll so the campaign could continue and instead, as a loss of a whole banner would effectively wipe out the Chaos Dwarves from a realistic chance of victory in the future and what kind of campaign would it be losing turn 2. The Year Ended on both sides expanding their armies, the Skaven forgo espionage to maximise Baggage and New troops. Thoughts Using the IRL board is way more fun than TTS, I gotta get those Skaven minis printed and painted. I used Empire models as Proxy. Can't wait to play some ManOwar.