Grimstonefire:
A few fluff bits for me to stick in where there’s a gap.
Kazad Blut - The Fortress of Blood
Far from civilisation, on the western fringe of the Plain of Zharr, lies the twisted domain of Lord Vonrak known throughout the Dark Lands as the Blood Drinker. No meagre defences protect this reclusive lord from the endless war of the marauding Greenskin tribes, for around his towering bastion lies the Maze of Madness.
Having shunned the high society of Zharr Naggrund, Lord Vonrak used his vast fortune to construct an impossible labyrinth of stone, metal and horrific traps. The labyrinthine passages extend for leagues around the fortress in a design that could only come from an insane mind. Towering walls of stone with arcane carvings form much of the visible parts, but in his mad genius Lord Vonrak designed a bewildering complex of tunnels and deadly traps deep beneath the ground that networks the maze at intervals. It is rumoured that the Maze of Madness is actually based across all four dimensions, meaning that it is nigh on impossible to breech even for the most brilliant of minds.
Some have rumoured that the labyrinth is actually sentient, the very blocks of stone moving to trap the unwary. Such is the complexity of the Maze that in the 340 years since its creation nobody has traversed the Maze of Madness and returned alive. A Mardak messenger flying from the towers of Kazad Blut observed that the walls ran with blood and yet the reclusive lord had no obvious sources of food�?�
The Endless Stair
Within the indomitable walls of Zharr Naggrund, the Chaos Dwarfs have fashioned numerous forms of entertainment to sate their cruel bloodlust. One of the most famous of these is the legendary Endless Stair.
Constructed on commission by the Great Machinist Rasha�?Tnuel, the Endless Stair towers some hundred feet from the ground in the form of a winding staircase that revolves around a massive axle. Such is the mechanical ingenuity of the design that the broken pattern of steps is continually reset every few seconds, meaning that those upon it will slide further down if they are not agile enough to leap to another step.
Those rare individuals agile and clever enough to see the pattern made by the machine will stand an almost impossible chance of reaching the summit, for the rest the flames of Hashut at the bottom of the stairs awaits, much to the roaring applause of the crowd.
The Karn
Travelling continually around the Dark Lands from town to town, the Karn is a collection of mechanical curiosities and magical trickery designed to entertain the masses.
Included amongst its collection is a miniature version of the Endless Stair that always draws out those keen to bet on their strongest slaves. The Slave Cannon and Wheel of Death are also traditional favourites.
Credit to Ultimate Nagash’s list for inspiration on the Endless Stair. I used his character as the designer.