Grimstonefire:
As written by the Hand of Hashut War Council members: Grimstonefire, Uzkul Werit, chaoticRunesmith, Hashut’s Blessing, Harvestmouse and Lord Zarkov.
The Draken Downs Week 6
Though the Garrison of Gash Kadrak his had been ambushed and captured by Beastmen under the control of Beastlord Rhtak, it would turn out to be a blessing in disguise. It was almost as if Hashut himself had willed it to happen. That or it was some cruel joke by Zhatan the Black, Uzkul wouldn’t have put it past him.
The Beastmen being the savage beasts that they are, stole everything of value from Uzkul’s troops. The entire slave train they had worked so hard for was sacrificed to their false gods, as had all their Greenskin allies. Every sacrifice made Uzkul twitch, that pleasure was his by right. But more importantly, they belonged to the Father of Darkness. Spitting a gobbet of phlegm upon the loathsome creatures, Uzkul vowed his vengeance.
It was not only the loss of his slaves that pained him. For the Beastmen had taken the dragon for themselves, and dragged all their Hellcannons into a clearing in the forest.
The Garrison were left in the middle of the Draken Downs with little to protect themselves. Overcoming the Beastmen left to guard them, Uzkul and army tracked the herd to this mysterious clearing. How on earth they managed to get so close without being found out, he never know.
In the middle of the clearing the rotten bones of the mutated dragon towered above them, a feast for the herd no doubt. Beasts of all shapes were dancing widely around the Hellcannons, covering them in crude paintings and glyphs. The Beastmen had evidently taking the Hellcannons thinking they were holy objects! That was not all however, for hundreds of manlings had gathered. Cultists from Delberz, no doubt about it. Their Hellcannon had to be here too.
Uzkul turned to his brother and loyal Priest Azamat. With a nod between the two, Azamat spoke words of power and urged the Hellcannons to repel against their bindings. With a series of loud snaps, all the Hellcannons broke free and rampaged throughout the clearing, spewing ichor and tearing beastmen limb from limb.Body parts flew into the air for many hours, and the forest floor was covered in gore.
Uzkul allowed himself a small chuckle; perhaps this trip hadn’t been so bad after all.
The Drakwald Deeps Week 6
With the alliance sealed, and the fake Nemesis Crowns already distributed, the Chaos Dwarfs had no need for their alliance with the Skaven any more.
Indeed, the Hand of Hashut had sent their most skilled assassin; Gorduz Backstabba to take out the old Sorcerer Grakan Bloodfist. He reported the mission to be a complete success, but Hobgoblins cannot be trusted at the best of times, the Hand would not be happy until Grakan’s head was placed before them.
As a parting gift to the Skaven, the Hand of Hashut had constructed an intricate plan to destroy all the arcane machinery the Chaos Dwarfs had provided them over the last few weeks. A series of cave ins and inexplicable explosions, and a final order to their Greenskin allies to destroy the skaven had all worked perfectly.
With any luck all the secrets Grakan had imparted would now be lost, though the mysterious Grey Seer the Dawi Zharr had reported to see was not amongst the dead. Hashut only knows what disasters could befall the Chaos Dwarfs if this Skaven still lives.
Packing what provisions they could, and securing the slave train, the Chaos Dwarfs began the long march east across the Great Forest.
The Reik’s Marches Week 6
The Chaos Dwarfs had not faired as well as they had hoped in the Reik’s Marches, for the surprise attack by the Tomb Kings and the singularly disappointing efforts of the Greenskins had not made their job easy
They had killed many times their number, but it was not enough. Fleeing goblins had reported that an almighty battle was already being fought for the Nemesis Crown, and getting from them the rough direction the Combat Engineers made one last push. If they arrived in time they might be able to defeat whoever was victorious, if the enemy were too strong they would simply retreat back towards the Hammer of Hashut.
The Hammer itself had seen its fair share of action in the last week. Manling cannons and elven sorcerers had blasted great chunks of metal off it. Desperately fighting off the attackers, it remained on the surface for many days. At one point it was even dragged partly onto the bank of the River Talabec for essential repairs to be done.
Though the plan had been to escape with the Nemesis Crown in the Hammer of Hashut, right under the noses of the manlings, this was clearly not an option now. They would have to get out of the Great Forest as fast as possible, carrying as many Dawi Zharr out as they could in one last voyage.
The Hammer would have to head straight back to the docks of Zharr Naggrund afterwards. to be taken apart and rebuilt. The only way perfection could be guaranteed. Any Chaos Dwarfs left behind would have to fight their way out or remain hidden in the Empire until they were called upon
The Howling Heights Week 6
Once more the Chaos Dwarfs descended into the madness within the Lost Mines of Khrazi Drudd. The road had been long, and the things they had witnessed had driven many to the brink of insanity, but they had come too far to turn back now.
Long the descended, marching down the spiralling staircase in unbroken steps. Ranks upon ranks of Chaos Dwarfs led by Varaz Blackheart, and hundreds of Greenskins following behind. After nearly an hour of marching, they reached the well remembered pathway leading to the chamber and its horrific inhabitant.
Upon reaching the chamber, they were amazed to find it empty. The mysterious inhabitant was nowhere to be seen, and the tomb was still intact! Varaz was furious, had they come all this way to find nothing!?!? Taking one lasting look at the tomb lid, he raised his great axe and brought it crashing down in one thunderous boom. Breaking the silence so dramatically, it made all the Chaos Dwarfs jump, and the Greenskins to flee. They had been brave coming down into the darkness, but with such arcane shaped architecture and baffling sights it had all been too much. As one the Greenskins fled, and clambered over each other in their eagerness to climb the stairs.
Varaz despaired, and slumped against the tomb. Leaning backwards he imagined he could read writing carved into the ceiling. Writing that might spell out �Varaz�! By all that was holy, how could such a thing be?
Before he could ponder upon such mysteries, the shouting of the Greenskins turned into screeches of horror. Rushing out towards the staircase to see what could be the cause, they could just make out from the torches of the Orcs a ghostly legion of skeletons marching down towards them. At the front of their line a Vampire, rending great chunks of flesh from those before him.
Against such a monster, and in such a confined space, the Greenskins stood no chance. Many were driven off the sides of the staircase, plummeting to their doom, whilst others were captured and pinned down by the undead legions.
Varaz knew at last the answers to all his questions. They Chaos Dwarfs would be trapped by this foul creature, but he would not kill them. He would turn his dark magic upon them and turn them into mutants. An army of mutants to replace those they had destroyed but a few weeks ago. The Arcane Book of Alshazzier had brought them here previously some time in the future, and the horrifying stranger they had met in this very chamber was Varaz himself, condemned to undeath for all eternity.
The R�erthal Week 6
Learning from some cut throat mercenaries that the Nemesis Crown was being fought for in one last almighty battle, Rambok knew that he had lost his chance. He would never know whether the Nemesis Crown had passed through the R�erthal. The despicable Wood Elves had distracted him too long, and he had lost the initiative.
With one last effort, the Combat Engineers prepared the final trap. Everything they had done over the last few weeks had been leading to this point. The intricate traps, the spike pits and daemonic mines had all been prepared as part of one massive trap that covered thousands of acres of the Forest. What linked them all was an amazingly complicated arrangement of black powder barrels, flammable chemicals and lines of black oil. These had all been so carefully placed, and on such a massive scale, that once one was ignited, the rest would slowly be triggered over the coming days.
Taking one last look from a small hill across the R�erthal, Rambok roared with laughter. The Crown may be out of their reach, but by the will of Hashut they would have their vengeance! Throwing down a flaming brand upon a line of black powder, the army turned east and marched away.
Like a sparking snake the line black powder flashed and cracked until the first of the alchemical fires were lit. This in turn lit more black powder, and set off more fires. The fires would burn for many weeks, until they were extinguished by summer rains.
If any of their former Greenskin allies would survive the inferno Rambok cared not.
The Great Confluence Week 6
The area around Benedict�s Retreat was in ruins. Thousands of Greenskin corpses littered the ground, accompanied by almost as many manlings. Zhathrak had observed the battle from a hill overlooking the inn, near to where the Chaos Dwarf war machines were entrenched.
The Hunters of Sigmar had attempted to assault the Chaos Dwarf artillery position, and had barely been beaten back. Even as they reformed the shield walls, the scouts returned to report that there were still many more manlings in the area, and now they were approaching the area.
Barking orders Zhathrak quickly ordered the Hobgoblins and Dawi Zharr under his command to round up as many fleeing Greenskins as they could find, and return them to the rendezvous. The Greenskins though had been decimated, and the alliance was broken. It now lay to Zhathrak to recover as much profit from this pointless venture as he could, and he would do that by returning with as many Greenskin slaves as he could find.
As the Earthshakers fired one last shell Zhathrak had the bitter satisfaction of watching huge portions of the human�s precious building collapse. The Chaos Dwarfs retreated towards the Hammer of Hashut, and a long slave train spread out behind them. For the Chaos Dwarfs this may not have been as big a disappointment as it first appeared.
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Garazad da Mightey grinned. Though they had felt the power of Mork surging in their veins, his Waaagh had been decimated. All was not lost however, for he finally had his hands on the treasure, the Vicinerator. During the battle the Vicinerator�s crew had been slain when the manling knights had attacked, but Garazad had been able to save the machine itself. Now it lay to one side of the camp with goblins swarming all over it. Occasionally one of the diminutive creatures was incinerated, much to the amusement of the others, but the creatures would not pause, for to do so was to incur the wrath of da Boss.
Garazad wanted da Vicinerator working for him as soon as possible, any delay would result in deaths, indiscriminate and painful deaths. Throwing one more covetous glance at his newly acquired possession, Garazad turned and ordered the battered remnant of his Greenskins to move out. With the Vicinerator now under his control he would be invincible.
As the Orcs left the Great Forest they let out one last roar. �WAAAGH!�
The Talabec Borders Week 6
At last it came, the great battle with their traitor kin, the Dwarfs from the west. Learning that the Orcs and Goblins had the Nemesis Crown within their possession, Thorgrim had sent all his forces straight towards the rumoured location in one massive hammer strike.
Rykarth and Mrythark learnt of this location from a Dwarf Beardling they tortured, and sent all the Chaos Dwarfs remaining in the Talabec Borders there as fast as possible. Though they were not fast enough to be present at the main battle itself, they had intercepted an enormous throng of Dwarfs marching to reinforce Thorgrim�s army.
Taking revenge for the casualties that had been caused as they had marched through Peak Pass, the Chaos Dwarfs showed no mercy, and expected none. They despised their western kin, and threw themselves at them in a berserker madness.
The Immortals hewed Dwarfs in two with their cursed axes, the Granite Guard leading the main assault. Before them Death Rockets and Earthshaker shells blew great chunks out of the Dwarf lines, and Blunderbussers tried to bring down the shield walls. Rykarth fought with incredible skill, destroying all within reach.
Against such a furious assault, the Dwarfs could only fall back to a defensive ring. This was the moment Mrythark the Indestructible had waited for. Slowly by surely they pulled back, allowing the Greenskins to push forwards. The tactic was sound and within an hour they had withdrawn their forces, leaving the Greenskins locked in battle with the Dwarfs.
Without a moment�s hesitation, the assembled Chaos Dwarf Lords turned their backs upon the battle and formed up the army to march home. They knew they would never find the Crown, and to stay any longer would only cause more deaths. The Orcs had played their part, yet their insane life of bloodshed was never going to end.
The Barren Hills Week 6
The last week of fighting within the Barren Hills had been fierce indeed for the Chaos Dwarfs, but none more so than a battlefield near to the Bitter Moon Inn. The Chaos Dwarfs had waged a ferocious war around this location since arriving, and had killed thousands of their enemies.
All the long battles they had fought would pale into insignificance compared to the last great battle, not so much because of the enemies slaughtered, but because of a slight miscalculation�
The Combat Engineers had battle tested numerous weapons throughout the search for the Crown. With so many enemies around they could pick and choose the right weapon for the job. Their latest invention would prove to be one of the most unstable ever created, but little did they know this at the time.
The Soul Reaper was designed to draw the living energy from enemies for many metres around, damning their spirits for the glory of Hashut. The Crew were well prepared, they had practiced using the machine in the mines under the Tower of Gorgoth with great effect, the slaves died from the sheer terror the Soul Reaper caused.
Setting the machine up near to a battle between Wood Elves and the pesky manling Bretonnians, they turned all the dials to the correct settings and started the machine
As before it began slowly, drawing on massive magical energy to suck the spirits out their enemies nearby. Patiently they monitored it, but with a loud crack they knew something serious was about to happen. A brave Sorcerer attempted to stop the machine, but the roaring slowly grows louder and louder� Deciding they cannot control it the Chaos Dwarfs run away as fast as they can.
The Bretonnians and Wood Elves stop their fighting and fall to their knees wailing. The Soul Reaper glows bright white, then falls silent for a second. Then with a colossal boom it explodes, blasting apart everything for a mile around.
Emerging from a small cave, blackend and bloody, the Chaos Dwarf crew and their sorcerer look on as a massive cloud of writhing tormented faces spirals into the sky. Though the machine had not quite worked as planned, it had worked!
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Sorcerer-Lord Zarkov stood defiant on the top of the Diabullus as the massive army snaked towards the Worlds Edge Mountains. Regiments of hardened Dawi Zharr marching fowards, standards displayed proudly despite the wear from the long weeks of war. The warmachines were dragged forward by trains of wolves, the daemonic Hellcannons just empty shells now. Dragged alongside these were Earthshakers and batteries of Death Rockets. As the Chaos Dwarfs Forces marched away from the still burning forest Lord Zarkov laughed with glee, miles of chained slaves of all races who were being herded forward ahead of the dark column.
Despite not gaining the Nemesis Crown, the trip had been a success after all he decided. Although their allies had been badly mauled, the Chaos Dwarf forces themselves hadn’t taken too many casualties. They had taken thousands of slaves, and the fires started by the Chaos Dwarf hosts and their Greenskin allies would scar the Empire for weeks to come. Combined with the lasting damage from the war, this would leave it easy pickings for later slave raids. Yes, it was definitely a success he thought, as he rejoined the Hand of Hashut inside the Diabullus.
The thick metal hide on the machine blocked out the sound of the marching horde, as slowly but surely they continued the long trek back home to Zharr Naggrund.
The Taalford Lowlands Week 6
Borri looked on apprehensively, the ritual circle had been drawn and the war machine Priest was going through the last checks to make sure everything was setup how it should be. Everything HAD to be perfectly or they would soon be dead!
Only Borri knew the last words of the incantation, and as the Priest began his liturgy Borri stepped into the circle. Instinctively he sensed the daemon had been summoned and was filled with an unimaginable rage. Before the demon could react, Borri began the binding chant.
With a ear piercing scream of rage and agony the demon bent to Borri’s demands, and the circle was broken. Quickly the Siege Cannon team rushed in and shackled him to his gun carriage. The demon glared at Borri, with a depth of malice that could have pierced to the centre of the earth, a stare that chilled him to the bone.
The Chaos Demon Siege Cannon was dragged round towards the walls of Nadjagard’s Western town. Borri boasted; �Let’s see how this changes things’, to a worried Frothwight with a wink. With a shriek of inhuman pain a projectile was fired out of the demon, and flew towards the town in a blaze of magical fire.
The effect was remarkable, the missile hit the wall and went through it like a knife through butter, burning through the town with such ferocity it hit the far wall and went straight out the other side into the Dogs of War camp! Borri had discovered they were in negotiations with the manlings after the massacre at the Temple of Invidious Silence. The cut throats took this as a double cross, as the missile that hit them clearly came from Nadjagard. They turned on their employers and raced forwards towards the burning city!
The daemonic screech from the Siege Cannon had proved all too terrifying for the Beastmen lurking nearby in the depths of the forest. Braying their terror to the sky they fled into the darkness.
Frothwight smiled begrudgingly, �Sometimes Borri Hipposson, your luck is uncanny�.
�I thought you’d say that Frothy� laughed Borri, ‘that’s why you’ll appreciate why I need to give them another blast!’ Before Frothwight could react, Borri hit him playfully on his third claw. �At ease, even I�m not that stupid. Set up the Chaos Battering Ram, let’s finish this once and for all.�
Several hours later Borri sat watching the city burn. A large Black Orc approached and he was certainly agitated. �Weez failed da Boss, da Boss �at has already been found by dem ovver stunties�
Borri had lost patience with the Orcs, not showing the slightest interested he ignored him. After a few minutes of confusion the Warlord took the hint, rounded up the remaining Orcs and headed South. Borri got up and strolled towards the assembling army. �Frothwight round up the army and the slaves, the Hand of Hashut is going to be pleased when they see what we have brought back�.
�But we failed master, I fear for our lives� a demoralised Frothwight answered.
�Failed? Failed? Look at all these cannons we got Frothwight, sure they�re shoddy manling work, but with a few decades of work they will be magnificent� beamed a happy Borri, who wondered towards Binky. �Then of course there�s that damned daemon, if we could ram one of these new fangled cannons up his…�
Frothwight sighed heavily, Borri was at it again.
:cheesy:
lol 
No wonder the Indy GT list wasn’t aware that I came up with Rykarth leading the Immortals etc, lol