Right then some musings on our situation, why we have both opportunity and major issues.
First what do we need.
1. Weapons.
2. Armour
3. Food and Water
Armour and weapons are fine, food and water are the issues, nothing grows well in the dark lands and what does grow is mostly poisonous as is the water. The Zharr likely have underground farms and water purification, but I imagine we'll be on the clock to stop them from sabotaging those, if we take the city.
Furthermore there's likely much less of both food and water in the city due to the throng recently passing through (armies march on their stomachs after all) while the city probably has more mouths to feed than normal due to the recent shipment of slaves.
With that in mind, assuming we take the Tower, what then.
Well here's where Crookback comes in and it is both one of the greatest opportunities and biggest potential **** ups we could hope for.
No matter who wins there, the victor is going to come out weakened, that means its an opportunity for us to swoop in and take the mountain, if we can do that we have secured half of the Dark Lands entrance to Mad Dog Pass and Death Pass. Mad Dog is more useful for us leading into the Border Princes, as Death Pass leads to the Bad Lands and while it can be taken to come out near K8P its filled to the brim with skaven and orks for miles until you reach Karak Azul. Mad Dog won't be under total control, as there's a goblin tribe in Mt Grimfang opposite Crookback, but still its useful.
Its also dangerous, cause we'll still have to deal with whoever wins, (Clan Skab or Ironfist) and presumably the Under Empire trying to reoccupy it.
However, we need Crookback if we want to have a shot. If we can get to the Border Princes, we can subsequently import food, water and mercenaries but critically we can also export rescued slaves. Most of the population here are not exactly fighters and we can't afford to keep them here on numerous levels both moral and practical, while I doubt many of them want to be here either. So if we intend to stay in the Dark Lands we need to get them out of here, taking Crookback provides an exit route. A ****ing dangerous one, but a route.
After that though, depending on the speed we do this at then I do have an idea, a rather ballsey one, but an idea. Ya see with Crookback and the Tower secured, we'll have taken 2 strong holds along the defacto silk road of WHF.
Cause contrary to beliefs there is a lot of attempted trade between the east and west sides of the continent, its just 99% of people trying it die. However what makes through is still very profitable.
As such, our next target needs to be the only remaining major settlement the Dawi Zharr have in this area of the Dark Lands, the Black Fortress. We take that, we'll have secured (a not so straight) line across the Dark Lands, from Mount Crookback, to the Dark Tower, and onto the Black Fortress. The only part that's ever not too far from security is the treck between the Tower and Fortress, where I'd love a citadel in the middle of what is otherwise a poisonous plain.
Anyway why have I been blubbering about this? Well we need resources, and just taking these strong holds doesn't do it, but it does give us a massive bargaining chip. Money and potential money.
The vaults of the Chaos Dwarves are vast, but not endless, the potential trade in silks, spices, weapons and more almost is.
If we can get this lined up, or almost lined up we can use it in both the East and the West to get support, in the (familar) West, Barak Varr, Tilia and more generally the Cult of Heindrich would likely be very interested, and in the east well...there's the issue ain't it. GW'ds doesn't exactly have a lot of lore. However, we can certainly find someone interested in the Kingdoms of Ind or Cathay.
Bare in mind this a plan as I see it and even assuming we can get people raring to help us and things go according to said plan there's still a giant problem in the form of Zharr Naggrun sending a force.
I do have plans for how to deal with the rest of the Dawi Zharr. First take the rest of their fortresses, the Daemonstump and Uzulak. Without them they're cut off from new slaves and supplies. At that point-max ruthlessness would call for us to just sit back and wait as they die off from killing their slaves etc. but I'm not for that. Instead I'd propose taking peak pass. That gets us to Karak Kadrin, where I'm pretty sure offering the chance to take out the Dawi Zharr entirely would get every slayer that can still move (and most that can't) moving to avenge that grudge. From there it would likely spread to Grudgebearer himself while we (again) hire as many mercenaries as possible.
Again this is in theory. For now
[X] Write-In: Track down the records, recordkeeper, or both, of these warehouses. Once found, use them to zero in on the most useful merchandise - specifically human-sized armour, weapons and medicine. Next, locate keys or the tools necessary to strike chains, and head for the nearest concentration of slaves, freeing and arming them too.
This is our best option we need to get people and supplies ASAP, so we can do a proper break out, doubly so when the Dawi Zharr have summoned reinforcements. Taylor isn't a daemon (we think) but we're going to want to be long gone by the time daemon smiths show up.
but looking it up quickly, about 3/4ths of a mile?)
