From a Dead World (Skaven Quest)

[Spectrum]

Starting to construct turn post for real, in-progress, going to aggregate it here and update as discussion goes on. Would like more feedback, as always, especially on the Plain of Bones action right now and some more Estalian discussion

[X] Plan Spectrum

Spoiler

1 Authority + Hero Assignments - Research & Development (5 Heroes + 1 Potential)

• Skyre, Moulder, and Horripila (Throt the Unclean) scientists shall collaborate to create a reliable system capable of extracting a brain from a living Skaven in good condition and holding it working and in stasis indefinitely. The research goal is to create a method whereby long-lived Skaven who have given great service to Skavendom and are capable of still giving great service in the future were it not for their bodies or old age will be saved and new bodies or other systems will be grown for their brains to be implanted back into. When the system is ready or Sleek Sharpwit's failing health mandates it, he shall be put on stasis. [Authority]
• Sleek Sharpwit, in light of his failing health, shall identify and teach the brightest rising stars in the USA in hopes that someone else can pick up the torch should the worst happen and he not be able to return to service (ever or soon). In the process of doing so, he shall write his memoirs and other treatises as appropriate to upgrade the curriculum of the USA's Officer's Academy. [Hero]
• Packlord Verminkin shall begin investigations of the Nipponese Animals, taking care to ensure that breeding and care has begun before sample destruction occurs [Hero]
• Fleshsculptor Stitch shall begin investigations of the Dragon Ogre Captives, focusing his efforts on the severely wounded one before it expires, with Valgrik Crippleclaw assisting where possible and learning otherwise. [Hero]
• Surgeon-General Morbag One-Eye shall use the newly gained knowledge from field testing to improve Basic Hygiene [Hero]

3 Authority - Norscan superweapon defense (2 Heroes + 1 Potential)

• Inspired by rumors of a long ago defense in ancient Cathay, Clan Pestilens works with the Grey Seers and Moulder to create a grand one for the Skaven Norscan tunnels entrances to the Hell Pit and Scalpel Spire in the face of the Warp. Innumerable Skaven, including various Moulder specimens, are sacrificed, the Lore of Azgorh is used for earthsharping, and Pestilens' plague powers are used for hallucinogenic purposes to tie a defense working to both artifact bells and to the land itself. (Seerlord Kritislik, Papus Pestilens Skrolk, Helkic Stain)
• Hostile entities entering tunnel systems in Norsca will find themselves in a maze of tunnels that rearrange themselves on the fly to constantly misdirect attackers. Visibility is nonexistent and sounds travel strangely. All throughout, bells can be heard tolling 13 times at odd intervals, both near and far, and this usually presages (both not always and not always required by bell) a new endless wave of Skaven attackers from all sides, the former sacrifices which have been turned to eternal replenishing Warp spirit defenders. Hallucinogenic effects are everpresent to distort the senses, especially sound, vision, and the passage of time.
• The power of belief strengths the idea of an endless plague of rats and the primal fear of both the dark and being underground.

5 Authority - Estalian Invasion (3 Heroes)

• Eshin and the Squeakless Snouts shall step up infiltration of Estalia to identify military leaders, important military communications, find the whereabouts of the missing Deathmaster Snikch, and track Myrmidia's location at all times.
• The Royal Skaven Navy shall form a new cohort specially trained in boarding, counter-boarding, and amphibious landing actions henceforth known as the Murines. Once this cohort is ready, very shortly ahead of the grand invasion, they shall use gathered Eshin information to perform a simultaneous heist of as many docked ships in Estalian ports as possible and destroy land based naval defense positions (cannons in towers, etc). Their captured ships shall then sweep the seas nearby all invasion target locations clear of enemy navy to clear the way for transport ships, which will concentrate force on the most critical invasion targets to allow for sufficient mass to make a difference.
• Iron Rat Ikit Claw, with the assistance and instruction of Drazhoath Ash-Fur, shall unlock as many of the remaining secrets of the Chaos Dwarf War Machines as possible and put them into production both for the invasion in Estalia and what can be scrambled to be constructed in time for the action in the Plain of Bones
• A grand army shall be assembled and trained for a simultaneous invasion of Estalia to eliminate the threat of Myrmidia before she can gain any momentum. Primary contributions are from Mors, Skyre, Moulder, Pestilens, and the Navy under the overall command of Arch-Despot Gnawdell. Gnawdell should identify what targets are less important and cannot be taken economically with the forces under her command keeping in mind the overall campaign goals and Pestilens should be assigned to plague those targets for the rest of the army to ignore. Gnawdell should also attempt to identify talented rising subordinates in her command to fill the void left by Queek and put them into position to make their name.
• When the army is ready, the invasion shall commence with a simultaneous insertion of advance forces through Drillfiends to hold important locations or cause havoc at the same time as the navy's transports have made it to the docks, with the rest of the forces to follow in their wake. Navy Murines will create a beachhead on the docks for traditional forces to unload afterwards from the holds of their ships. Eshin should assassinate military leaders as hostilities start in order to destroy their command and control structure. Skyre weapon teams should be inserted tactically to control important junctures or high sniping locations. Moulder beasts, especially the new Skittaurs, should be let to rampage to disrupt any delicate plans of the enemy. Special Drillfiends should be deployed with Moulder shock forces to Snikch's location for a quick retrieval. A different set of drillfiends should be deployed to attempt to assassinate Myrmidia with a suicide Pestilens squad of Plague Monks wielding Censers. Eshin/SS infiltrators have overwatch to join in to ensure success of the two special objectives, but no matter what containment and tracking of Myrmidia must not be broken. If the initial assassination team fails, more and more forces should be vectored in to her location as the surrounding areas are pacified, especially those that can utilize more and more different combat styles that she may not have experienced or planned for, such as a Skittaur shock force or Skyre artillery.

4 Authority + Personal Action - Plain of Bones emergency pacification (2 Heroes + Thanquol)

• Scramble nearby available USA, Skyre, Rictus, Grey Seers, and Eshin forces (and drafted minor clans) to form up and descend on the Plain of Bones with leaders (Warlord-General Paskrit, Bonelord Kratch Doomclaw) briefed on the Verminking granted vision as to what the threat is. [Authority]
• Underlord Thanquol will personally attend to provide magical might, but overall strategic command rests with Paskrit. Thanquol shall lead with a grand warpstorm ritual once in range of the enemy with the goal of calling down lightning to clear the skies ahead of the army and to target hordes of the enemy below with lightning or balls of fire. Afterwards, he is free to use sorcery as he sees fit but should inform Paskrit beforehand of any large or nonstandard actions so that the Underlord's underlings can properly support him and adjust to his moves. [Personal]
• While traveling or waiting, Kratch Doomclaw shall begin spreading his newly improved necromancy knowledge to the rest of Rictus. USA and other officers can sit in for the purpose of formulating anti-undead tactics from his Undead Archive. [Authority]
• Eshin assassin teams and stealthy Skyre/USA Warplock Jezzail teams shall infiltrate ahead of time and identify leadership providing undead or necromancers in the host. As the main army draws close to enemies, they shall attempt to assassinate/snipe them to remove obstacles to the army, if practical, else at least pass intel gathered back to main army officers. [Authority]
• USA forces shall advance on the location of the necromancer leaders at the former fortress. Rictus necromancers shall focus their efforts on banishing or stealing control of enemy undead or countering other necromancy directly. Skyre Warp-Lightning Cannons and other long range heavy weapons shall be protected and used to knock dragon skeletons out of the sky. Other weapons as appropriate (Warpfire Throwers, Warp-Blades, etc) shall be reserved to deal with ethereal foes that mundane rats would struggle against, as well as judicious usage of anti-horde weapons such as the newly developed Ratkit Launchers and Blender Carts. When the battle is nearing conclusion towards a decisive Skaven victory or if a target has been isolated and is vulnerable, capture is authorized for high-value necromancers. [Authority]

v0.9 Initial Comments:
I don't like the way the Authority is shaping up for Estalia wrt now having to spend 2 Authority to get Taurus finished. I think I want to argue that one is Good Enough for now as something unexpected and use the authority more directly militarily. Drazhoath could be shifted to Chaos Dwarf War Machines w/ Ikit (which will still let him complete Blender Carts as part of that), freeing up Stitch to work on Nipponese Animals (he's the better breeder). Alternatively we need to find a way to get Thanquol back on Scripture of Hashut and off Plain of Bones, that's the other solution.

v0.95 changelog:

• Fixed wording on Norscan action to explicitly cover Hell Pit and Scalpel Spire
• Shifted R&D actions up higher in turn writing as the GM writes progressively and they may help out other actions down below
• Wrote stasis technology R&D action and Sleek's hero action
• Shifted Stitch to looking at the Dragon Ogre captives as a hero action, with Valgrik Crippleclaw as a sub to learn (would have given him something easy to just get marginal progress done but we know nothing about his competence)
• Reorganized Estalian action to 5 Authority, no associated Hero action for now. Fully wrote the Navy action. Penciled in Ikit and Drazhoath for Chaos Dwarf Machines pending GM answer. Adjusted Eshin action set. Provided a lot more detail on the army planning and assault actions, included Pestilens assignment, almost fully written but needs expansion/additional suggestions and refinement.
• Removed Sneek from the heroes list for the Plain of Bones, added Tretch Craventail. Adjusted Thanquol's action.

v1.0 changelog:

• Fully wrote Eshin assignment in Estalia.
• Adjusted timing and contents of Naval action in Estalia.
• Fully wrote the Chaos Dwarf War Machines assignment
• Fully wrote the army assembly and preparation action in Estalia.
• Fully wrote the invasion action in Estalia.
• Changed Thanquol's personal action to specify an anti-army ritual.

v1.01 changelog:

• Authorized cautious capture of necromancers in Plain of Bones action.

v1.02 changelog:

• Changed Rictus' action in the Plain of Bones to focus only on the enemy undead and necromancy and not summoning their own undead.

v1.1 changelog:

• Removed Thugclaw/SS action in Mountains of Mourne
• Adjusted Eshin assignment in Estalia to include SS, swapped hero to Thugclaw

v1.2 changelog:
Plan changes in line with rules clarification

• Added hero counts to all categories for ease of evaluation
• Removed Morskittar from Plain of Bones. Paskrit can cover the war aspect.
• Removed Tretch Craventail from Plain of Bones as it's Rictus's only action so he'll probably be there anyway
• Removed Ironclaw from Estalia as it's the Navy's only action so he'll probably be there anyway also

v1.21 changelog:

• Removed Thugclaw from Estalia, final cut. He might hopefully still help out there as it's the Snouts only action.