The closing year 1699ic was a tumultuous winter of extreme weather, healthy crops dying suddenly, earth quakes and extremely violent sea storms. The Dwarves lead by Dourhelm of the Jagged peaks withdrew to their holds losing their allied Empire contingent in the North but having a fruitful year in the west gathered their strength whilst the Empire fought the Skaven of Karggoth routing them from the field and forcing them to go to ground in their fortified warrens in the Nau-Volten Mountains.
The Orcs hordes under Grimbag Gutsplitta fightin' spirit was buoyed by the storming of the grey tower and adjacent Skaven settlements after an extremely harsh advance north after the battle of Grandongrad. Their losses throughout the campaign season were massive however, far worse than Grimbag expected. The Crème of the army, the Boar riders were lost to Hungry Trolls, Giants and their own riders, as were the Goblins whilst several contingents of Orcs and surviving Goblins melted into the barren plains searching out food.
As the winter closed in, unseen or unnoticed by the Agents of the Dwarves and Men, Sorcerors and Agents of Chaos conspired to summon the war Hosts of their gods. Earthquakes wracked the Jagged peaks emanating from the Undying lands, and wastes to the north of the Ash-Grod Mountains. Great surges and impossibly powerful storms wrecked fleets in harbour and on the waves, a vicious whirlpool formed to the south of the Kul-Tor river and out swept a medley of beautiful and abhorrent vessels, some mesmerising and others of gore stained brass. Out in the wastes Ranger Patrols report cyclopean structures rising out of cracks in the earth presumably made by the earthquakes that ravaged the Holds of the Dwarves. The first direct trouble were raids by marauder horsemen, ravaging the farming valleys north of the Indigo belt.
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Behind the Marauding horsemen came the Warhost of Ghoroth Brawnmonger, Chaos Champion of Khorne. Besieging Reigmar, Ghoroth linked up with the Skaven from Karggoth and seeing their pathetic forms tossed them into a massive sacrificial blood pit, they were impaled on the shattered swords and spears of the defeated field armies of the Empire sent to stem the host; from the excess of slaughter a portal tore through reality and a Blood thirster swooped out and felled the Iron barred gate with its massive axe. The Warriors poured through the opened gate and emptied the city of its blood and Ichor like a keg hewn with an axe.
From the Wastes north of the Ash-Grod mountains a shimmering azure veil swept silently across the land, behind it rose the unnatural blue and green fire of magic. Vulchalestra Altershard swept across the plain on her disc of Tzeetch whilst her host of chariots, warriors and demons creaked, marched and chittered onwards.
Meeting Grimbags remaining forces outside the City of Narrgog they clashed across a flat plain, Grimbag having lost almost all his cavalry the previous year to hunger and battle was left with a great host of Trolls and Orcs with only some Giants to support his flanks. Outnumbered and out run both flanks were turned by shimmering blue and gold chariots before they ploughed into the confused ranks, the Armoured and Enchanted warriors cut into the Orc frontline like butchers to a carcass and Grimbag met his end at Vulchalestra's hand as she drew on Tzeetchs gift and transformed him into a slavering spawn moments after her staff knocked him to the floor.
The sudden and wholesale destruction of the Orcs and Men shook the Dwarfs to the core, they soon realised they were not safe either. The Shimmering fleets that slipped out of the sea vortex sailed south to meet up with the Cancerous Chaos Dwarf fleet, the Chaos dwarfs swelled their ranks the previous year running clandestine slaver patrols along the Kul-tor estuary and coastline of Grandongrad. The many refugees from Grandongrad city and bands of Orc, Goblin and Empire Deserters were easy pickings for the organised and ready Dwarfs. With their ranks swelled with infernal war engines as well as whole regiments of slave soldiers the Chaos Dwarf fleet slid out of Harbour and joined the medley of other chaos vessels headed for Gon-Krag.
The opening battle was fought between the two massive harbour towers, the Great levellers and Thunderfire battle barges. Sinking a Thunderfire Barge with all hands the Great levellers zeroed in their great bombards and laid waste to them. The Ships of Khorne and Slaanesh ploughed into the oaken piers and disgorged hundreds of Blood crazed warriors and cultists. The Hulks of Nurgle circumvented the Harbour entrance entirely and used their Plague catapults to launch Nurgles rot into the heart of the city whilst their Cultist stormed the sea walls from their floating siege towers.
3 Days of vicious street to street fighting continued, only interrupted by the orgy of destruction unleashed upon the civilians cowering in the blocks adjacent to the battle. The Forces of Chaos in their blood lust forgot to surround the landward side of the city and the survivors poured out into the mountains, among them was Dourhelm, looking to die in the frontline with his battle brothers his council urged him to fallback with the core of his army to the Jagged peaks for their final stand... A stand that never came, having swept across the Hykrian wastes picking it clean the forces of chaos began to split and infight, the Chaos Dwarfs fell back to their Island stronghold stronger than ever with holds full of slaves, the Hosts of Khorne and Tzeetch met underneath the walls of Gon-Krag and effectively wiped each other out and both sides fell back, their demons dissolved and their boons faded. Dourhelm was left a shattered Dwarf, slowly losing his grip on reality he took the path of the slayer and died trying to slay an elder dragon alone... no one saw him die.
The following years the touch of chaos faded, the warhosts now no more than warbands became little better than highwaymen, the Chaos dwarfs continued to patrol the coast lines but as they're want to do, focused inwardly slowly losing their vitality and declining. The remaining Men of the Empire rebuilt Reigmar as a trading post and spent their time fighting the ever present Skaven threat, the holds in the jagged peaks continued to mine and trade but their populations were depleted and there was an extreme distrust now between the Traders and Miners, each blamed the other and each took no responsibility they played in their downfall. The Orcs from the Drog Bog slowly regrouped and grew but fell victim to a new threat, the Sea Elves drawn to the region by the exploits of pirates like Grimbag sent expeditions periodically to cull the population and burn any vessels they manage to shamble together. Ultimately the Region died in peoples minds, their affairs irrelevant or too painful to meditate on, Wars in new worlds and times drew their attention and the maps faded and turned to dust and with the bodies and minds decayed the memories of grand victories, Sweeping strategy, court intrigue and Good old fun with friends... until it was not. Farewell, I hope to play you again soon my dear friend. James.
