- Location
- Los Angeles
Nah the silliest thing Khorne got in End Times were the half daemon guys who swung around hammers on chains.
Let's Read: Warhammer Fantasy: End Times
- Thread starter Codex
- Start date
- Location
- Australia
I think it was meant to be a permanent downplay so that parents would be more likely to let their children play Age of Sigmar.
There was, in fact, a big leadership shift in-between. Slaanesh went away when Kirby was CEO and came back when Rountree was CEO.
Oh my god, they ripped off Kratos!
Mopman43
Mountain-Hermit of Nitpeak
- Location
- Vermont
More ripping themselves off, I think.Oh my god, they ripped off Kratos!
Those are Doomseekers, from Storm of Chaos.
Storm of Chaos released in 2004 according to google, while the first God of War game was 2005.
Codex
Fantasy Addict
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Speaking of Slayers, I think I should point out that Age of Sigmar seriously changes up the concept in general. Regular Slayer models were effectively put out of commission with the exception of a single Hero model known as the "Dispossessed Unforged".More ripping themselves off, I think.
Those are Doomseekers, from Storm of Chaos.
Storm of Chaos released in 2004 according to google, while the first God of War game was 2005.
What happened to Slayers you might ask? They turned into Fyreslayers:
I have a suspicion that GW didn't like the general idea behind the Slayers too much and decided to change things up to make them more marketable. Instead of making them a suicide cult dedicated to finding their doom, Fyreslayers are now Cultists of Grimnir and mercenaries who wander the Mortal Realms to find the shattered remains of Grimnir in the form of Ur-Gold, which they forge as runic tattos onto their skin to give them powers and boost their toughness. Despite being half naked, Fyreslayers are as heavily armored as Stormcast Eternals.
Perhaps the most notable difference aside from them actually being high defence is that aside from like, one model (Doomseeker), none of the Fyreslayers take the Fantasy "Slayer Oath". This means that the majority of them aren't looking to die, they're just trying to find missing pieces of their god.
I love the concept of the Fyreslayers, even though I haven't read their Battletomes yet. The only problem I can see for Dwarf fans when it comes to Fyreslayers is that they're mercenaries who would even fight for Chaos if they payed them enough Ur-Gold, which I can see being a source of irritation. I'm not sure if this piece of lore stays in 1st Edition only or if it carries over.
BTW, sorry for the lack of updates guys. I've been reading Age of Sigmar books on the side to revitalise my motivation to read more End Times. Blogging the End Times feels like a slog at times.
Sinsystems
Patron Librarian
My only real dip into Age of Sigmar actually happens to include them, the Realmslayer novel which has our favorite Slayer arrive in the setting. Had some early scenes of him running into a bunch of Fyreslayers and basically chewing them out for the whole mercenary for chaos stuff and similar.....then he takes the super axe that Fyreslayer group had been working on because he didn't have his old one and went off to find Felix and figure out where his Axe went off to.Speaking of Slayers, I think I should point out that Age of Sigmar seriously changes up the concept in general. Regular Slayer models were effectively put out of commission with the exception of a single Hero model known as the "Dispossessed Unforged".
What happened to Slayers you might ask? They turned into Fyreslayers:
Despite sharing the same aesthetic as regular Slayers, except even more naked (I'm not complaining) and even more fiery and ridiculous, Fyreslayers are... very different.
I have a suspicion that GW didn't like the general idea behind the Slayers too much and decided to change things up to make them more marketable. Instead of making them a suicide cult dedicated to finding their doom, Fyreslayers are now Cultists of Grimnir and mercenaries who wander the Mortal Realms to find the shattered remains of Grimnir in the form of Ur-Gold, which they forge as runic tattos onto their skin to give them powers and boost their toughness. Despite being half naked, Fyreslayers are as heavily armored as Stormcast Eternals.
Perhaps the most notable difference aside from them actually being high defence is that aside from like, one model (Doomseeker), none of the Fyreslayers take the Fantasy "Slayer Oath". This means that the majority of them aren't looking to die, they're just trying to find missing pieces of their god.
I love the concept of the Fyreslayers, even though I haven't read their Battletomes yet. The only problem I can see for Dwarf fans when it comes to Fyreslayers is that they're mercenaries who would even fight for Chaos if they payed them enough Ur-Gold, which I can see being a source of irritation. I'm not sure if this piece of lore stays in 1st Edition only or if it carries over.
BTW, sorry for the lack of updates guys. I've been reading Age of Sigmar books on the side to revitalise my motivation to read more End Times. Blogging the End Times feels like a slog at times.
- Location
- Titan
The work for Chaos business is mostly in case of those in desperate lust for Ur-gold and one of the lodges, the Greyfyrd, the token evil teammate, is maximum mercenary who will sell to anyone.Speaking of Slayers, I think I should point out that Age of Sigmar seriously changes up the concept in general. Regular Slayer models were effectively put out of commission with the exception of a single Hero model known as the "Dispossessed Unforged".
What happened to Slayers you might ask? They turned into Fyreslayers:
Despite sharing the same aesthetic as regular Slayers, except even more naked (I'm not complaining) and even more fiery and ridiculous, Fyreslayers are... very different.
I have a suspicion that GW didn't like the general idea behind the Slayers too much and decided to change things up to make them more marketable. Instead of making them a suicide cult dedicated to finding their doom, Fyreslayers are now Cultists of Grimnir and mercenaries who wander the Mortal Realms to find the shattered remains of Grimnir in the form of Ur-Gold, which they forge as runic tattos onto their skin to give them powers and boost their toughness. Despite being half naked, Fyreslayers are as heavily armored as Stormcast Eternals.
Perhaps the most notable difference aside from them actually being high defence is that aside from like, one model (Doomseeker), none of the Fyreslayers take the Fantasy "Slayer Oath". This means that the majority of them aren't looking to die, they're just trying to find missing pieces of their god.
I love the concept of the Fyreslayers, even though I haven't read their Battletomes yet. The only problem I can see for Dwarf fans when it comes to Fyreslayers is that they're mercenaries who would even fight for Chaos if they payed them enough Ur-Gold, which I can see being a source of irritation. I'm not sure if this piece of lore stays in 1st Edition only or if it carries over.
BTW, sorry for the lack of updates guys. I've been reading Age of Sigmar books on the side to revitalise my motivation to read more End Times. Blogging the End Times feels like a slog at times.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Given that GW has always been led by the model designers and the Execs with the writers and artists following I suspect that the Nurgle glowup was from a modeller really liking them given they got another two glowups post Kirby getting the boot.
Mopman43
Mountain-Hermit of Nitpeak
- Location
- Vermont
I have heard before that the Perry Brothers leaving is probably why Kislev and Bretonnia were side-lined, that they were the main modelers interested in "grounded" factions.
Chapter 3 Nagash: Conclusion
Codex
Fantasy Addict
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Chapter 3 Nagash: Battle of Stone and Bone
This part of the chapter transitions into the perspective of the "Greatest Living Runelord of the Karaz Ankor" Thorek Ironbrow (good way to retcon Kragg out of existence GW). Thorek is apparently swinging around a Runic Lodestone that only he could decipher to allow him to find some sort of artifact that he's been looking for. For those who don't know, Thorek's entire schtick is that he goes around exploring ruins and finding lost artifacts of the Golden Age of the Dwarves to bring back Dawi society to the Good Old Days. Thorek's beard has been bristling and standing on edge lately as he feels that he is on the cusp of arriving to some sort of treasure vault. Thorek is at the head of an expedition from Karak Azul moving through an incredibly well maintained and vast section of the Underway despite the fact that this passage was not uncovered for a very long time, so it somehow survived the Time of Woes. Thorek is moving around accompanied by several apprentices and assistants, his Anvil of Doom, special Anvil Guard and several Gyrocopters for scouting and communication, and the ceilings are high enough that they can fly comfortably apparently.
It seems as if Thorek is sensing something off happening to the Winds of Magic, which he is capable of sensing to a greater degree than the rest of his race. He felt a chill run through him, likely the result of Nagash's revival, and he sped up his movement through the Underway to find the Lost Pass, which likely holds some great treasure. Thorek is holding out hope for the Hammer and Forge of Grungni, or the Dolmen of the Gods or some such artifact, because this passage was said to be hewn by Grungni himself and the evidence is clear to his eyes. Of course, he's coming closer and closer to his target, hidden under illusions in the Nehekharan tongue that Thorek can recognise but not decipher. It doesn't matter, using his Anvil, Thorek breaks the illusion and begins the process of deciphering the runes on the door to the vaults that lead to the Archway of Valaya. Thorek, being ever careful, decided to send out a Gyrocopter to call for aid from King Kazador just in case.
Turns out, he needs it sooner than expected, because one of the doors to the underway passage leading to the vaults opens, the result of Neferata's pilfered key, and the forces of Thorek's Expedition come face to face with Krell and Neferata's Undead Legions.
The Battle begins.
Army of Krell:
Consists of undead gathered from Krell's trek through the World's Edge Mountains and bolstered by all the undead raised by Nagash's revival and bound by Neferata's Handmaidens
Krell: You know him. This profile entry reveals that Krell was actually sent to check on Neferata to bring her to Arkhan, and if she resisted, he would slay her. Apparently Arkhan didn't trust Neferata and wanted to keep an eye on her, but now that Nagash is revived, Krell's priorities changed and now he's helping Neferata look for an artifact to strengthen the Necromancer's weakened frame.
Ulffik the Blackhanded: Wight King.
Druthor the Ghoul King: Strigoi Ghoul King riding a Terrorgheist.
Doomed Legion: Almost called them the "Doomer Legion". They're a Wight Legion that harken back to Krell's day.
The Hanged Men: Stirlander zombies that were hung from the gallows.
Bloodbeasts: Trio of Varghulfs.
Graveclaws: Ghouls
The Grand Throng of Karak Azul:
This is Thorek Ironbrow's expedition from Karak Azul.
Thorek Ironbrow: I assume most people know who he is. Greatest living Runelord (because GW forgot about Kragg), he searches for lost relics. He currently carries his Anvil of Doom with him and is attended by his assistant Kraggi, his faithful anvil guard the Grimmsborn brothers Dalrek and Unson, and three runesmith apprentices – Frimlok, Grudsson and Borri.
Brotherhood of the Anvil: Brotherhood from Karak Azul dedicated to protecting the Anvil of Doom.
The Iron Guard: Ironbreakers from Karak Azul led by Thane Kragsson.
Gurdok Granitehelm: Honourary Bombardier Captain of the Thunder Battery, which consisted of two cannons (Grudgesolver and Roar of Grungni) and an Organ Gun (Helga's Curses) attended by crew and mule-drawn black powder carts.
King Kazador's War-Throng:
These are the reinforcement forces led by King Kazador Thunderhorn of Karak Azul.
King Kazador: Old and well respected, Kazador has never been the same since Gorfang Rotgut's raid on Karak Azul devastated his family, not even after High King Thorgrim presented him with Rotgut's head. Despite that, Kazador still supported Thorek's expedition after four days of forced marching. At his side came his nephew Kazril, only a beardling, but he held the Standard of Karak Azul, the Glory of Iron Peak.
The Sternbeard Clan: Proud warrior clan led by the Keeper of the Gate Flint Fraybeard.
The Bouldergoats: Mountain scaling veteran rangers with a wide spanning reputation and very hairy.
Mountain Bolt Squadron: A Gyrocopter fighter wing squadron led by the young hot blooded pilot Orikk from Zhufbar. His squadron was primarily used to act as messengers, but they certainly participated in the Battle with Orikk at the helm.
Battle of Valaya's Gate:
This section actually starts by switching POV to Neferata and Krell as we go back in time a bit. The focus is actually on Neferata's internal dialogue as she laments the fact that disgusting creatures like Strigoi and Ghouls are being paraded around as part of Krell's legion and her annoyance at Krell treating every narrowing or turn as a potential ambush site and slowing things down. Neferata's just doing the usual blood scrying to find where exactly she marked that spot thousands of years ago that she's come back to plunder. Then they eventually reached the final gates leading into the final chamber before the vaults. Krell insisted that an attack plan would be conjured up before opening the gates, and it's good that he did, because Dwarfs were right behind the gate.
The Dwarfs were actually already formed up in battle lines, but they were expecting an attack from behind or underneath, and not from some side gate that they didn't even notice, so they were taken by surprise. Dwarfs are pretty steady and resolute though, so they quickly adjusted their lines to face towards the undead legions. Thankfully for Krell, he had fought Dwarves many times and knew their strengths and weaknesses. In a tunnel fight, the Undead would be destroyed, so he needed to be aggressive and push forward to utilise the numbers advantage and overwhelm the Dwarves. He quickly forms his regiments into two beachheads and charges at the Dwarfen lines.
Neferata, on the other hand, is paying attention to another group. While the Dwarves and Krell are clashing at the entrance, Thorek and his attendants are deciphering the runes for the treasure vault and attempting to open it, which would spell disaster for the Undead forces depending on what's inside. Deciding she couldn't let that happen, Neferata pushes her Handmaidens and accompanying force to attack Thorek and his entourage.
In terms of Krell's forces, Krell was leading the right spearhead of his forces at the head of the Doomed Legion, and he certainly has experience fighting Dwarves as he participated in the sack of Karak Ungor 4000 years ago and was placed in the Great Book of Grudges 7 times while he was alive and a further 12 times after he was raised to undeath, and the Dwarfs certainly recognised his red armor. The Dwarfs fought ferociously against the relentless assault of Undead and managed to actually push them back towards the tunnels to fully take advantage of their strengths. For every Dwarf that fell, a dozen undead would be cut apart. Unfortunately, the Dwarfs did not rise from the dead, and Krell was wreaking havoc on his line of the battlefield, as would be expected of the Wight King.
On the other side of the tunnel, Thorek had already deciphered two of the three runes of opening for the vault's gates and had already deduced that perhaps Nagash had come back to life (Described as another Time of Woes), only for him to be interrupted. Several skeletal regiments with a coven throne holding a vampiress were charging Thorek. He picks up his his hammer and strikes his Anvil of Doom.
Several hours pass, and the battle remains even.
The Dwarfs held the advantage in the beginning, but as the fight wore on the Dwarfs were steadily losing stamina while the Undead were not. Their right flank, led by Thane Kragsson and his Ironbreakers, managed to push the undead to the tunnels of the Underway and capture them in a murder chokepoint, steadily ripping the undead apart. The left flank of the Dwarves was doing decent, but the undead were pushed back slower than the right flank because of Krell's performance. Krell was further supported by Druthor and the Vargheists flying in and crashing into the Dwarf lines, allowing Krell to push the Dwarfs back and regaining the advantage.
In the centre of the battle close to the vaults was Thorek Ironbrow, who only had his assistants and one regiment of Anvil Guard to protect him against legions of skeletons and Neferata's Handmaidens. Despite that, Thorek still proves himself incredibly capable, and his strikes on the anvil release lightning blasts that decimate enemy formations and bolster his allies with the power of hearth and home. Beyond that, Thorek managed to counter the Handmaiden's casting efforts such that the only spells that they could successfully cast were ones to raise the dead, and even then it was only half as effective as it should be despite every handmaiden working in unison to raise them. Neferata realised that things could not progress this way. If she wanted to break through, she needed greater force. She ordered Imentet to push into the fray herself, which the Handmaiden was somewhat hesitant about.
Neferata and her handmaidens begin to jump into the fray. Neferata atop her Dread Abyssal, Lycindia the Cruel and her Winged Nightmares, the Pallid Sisters and their icy blades (apparently they can still use Ice Magic as Vampires), and Imentet on her coven throne. The Brotherhood of the Anvil was fully exterminated, and Kraggi's head was torn from his body. Only Thorek was left, and he managed to stave off his impending death with a mighty two handed blow from his legendary runic hammer Klad Brakkak on his Anvil of Doom, blasting all his enemies back. Never had his anvil grown so white hot and acted so powerfully, but it would be to his later detriment.
Elsewhere, Thane Kragsson and his regiments managed to successfully destroy the Undead they were dealing with in the right flank and a portion came to reinforce the heavily injured but still determined Thorek Ironbrow. Longplaits and Slayers came to Thorek's side as Thorek sang the Runic Hymn, a deep-throated solemn chant that set his Anvil and the Gates of Valaya glowing. The Gate opened.
As Neferata's Handmaidens rise from the scorched blast that knocked them down, Thorek hears something from the Gate:
"The calm, smoothing voice of Valaya spoke to Thorek, not in words, but as a deep understanding. Thought-whispers came to him of ancient knowledge, of master runes long forgotten, of secrets at last revealed. He realised now what relic must lie in the hidden vault beyond. He could feel that an Ancestor God, the great mother of his people, was near to hand. In that moment he chanted the last of the rune song, and with a crack, the gates that held the Lost Archway of Valaya opened." Page 230
On the Krell/Druthor side of the battlefield, Druthor and his Terrorgheist managed to successfully destroy the artillery that attempted to take him down with futile efforts. Krell pushed the Dwarfen left flank back, Thane Kragsson and his Iron Guard remain within the northernmost tunnel guarding the chokepoint which Krell only sought to keep occupied with fodder so they wouldn't move. Neferata's forces gather themselves and were about to assault Thorek's force next to the now open Gateway.
Then two armies joined the fight.
The first was heralded by Kazador's Thunderhorn, reinvigorating the Dwarfs and granting them renewed hope as a dozen of handpicked regiments from Karak Azul supported by a squadron of Gyrocopters come from down the Underway to support the Dwarf forces. The Dwarfs were still outnumbered, but they could hear Valaya's voice and feel Her blessing protecting them from fell magic, and they were ready to face down the undead.
Then the second army arrived. This host consisting of Grulsik's warhost, halved by the fight for the Skull Chasm but still surviving if not thriving, they chased down the undead in search of loot and scraps to recuperate their forces. An opportunity presented itself, however, when Grulsik and his forces saw the Undead engaged in combat with stunties. With the more fanatical forces in his makeshift army charging in with a frenzy, Grulsik ordered a charge into the ordered lines of the Dwarves and Undead to save face and get some loot.
Unfortunately for Thane Kragsson and his Ironguard, the Greenskins charged in from his tunnel, and while he had expected undead, he did not expect to be beset by a force of rampaging squigs and then a horde of Goblins, who were themselves expert tunnel fights. Already exhausted and outnumbered, Thane Kragsson was knocked down and stabbed a hundred times through the gaps in his armor, and the Iron Guard were overwhelmed, allowing the Greenskins to rush into the battle.
When the Greenskins came crashing into the three way battle they found absolute pandemonium consisting of legions of skeletons smashing into Dwarfen shield walls and being crushed by gromril hammers and lightning blasts clashing against monstrous foes and dark magic and flying Gyrocopters whirring across the battlefield dropping their deadly payload. Into this did the whirling fanatics, bouncing squigs and rampaging trolls move into action, attacking Dwarf and undead alike in their frenzied battle mania.
It is here that this part, which I posted about in thread, comes up:
On the other side of the cave Druthor attempts to attack Kazador and gets absolutely stomped in a hilarious part that I also posted about earlier in the thread:
"With his legions quickly being pulverized, Krell had no choice but to join the fray. So the Doomed Legion pressed forward, stepping over the piled and broken bones of their predecessors. In a trice, King Kazador himself smashed down the Doomed Legion banner, snapping the standard and its bearer with the same powerful hammerstrike. Although the aged king was flagging, when he saw the red armour of Krell ahead of him, he battered a path through in order to face the towering wight lord. Those implacable enemies traded blows, with each warrior landing strikes that would fell a thick tree. Neither would give ground, but instead each put forth all of their energies into a single titanic blow. The Hammer of Karak Azul pounded Krell's armour, dropping the wight lord to his knees, but Krell's last blow fell true. His axe, dark power writhing along its blades, severed not just King Kazador's long beard, but hewed off his head as well." Page 237
On the other side of the battlefield, Thorek Ironbrow crawled his way from the ledge that he was hanging on with his unbroken arm. Managing to struggle his way to his beloved cracked Anvil, Thorek raises Klad Brakkak and swings it down one last time, shattering the Anvil to release a cataclysmic strike of force. So ends the Battle of Valaya's Gate:
So that happened.
If you want to read a quest where Thorek Ironbrow and Kazador Thunderhorn are treated with the respect they deserve by a great author who fleshes them out as characters and doesn't treat them as fodder for the story, may I recommend you @Boney's Divided Loyalties? It's an excellent quest about an advisor/Grey Magister in the Empire who interacts extensively with the Dwarfs and comes into contact with those two characters. At least in there I know this kind of stuff isn't prevalent.
In fact, I like Thorek and Kazador a lot as a result of that quest, so I was pretty sad for a few days after reading this section. It really sapped my motivation to blog it, so I dragged my feet pretty hard. I'm sure you can tell what my impressions are on this whole thing, but I would like to say that the Goblins were an incredibly annoying inclusion in this fight that I felt were wholly unnecessary and only made me feel like it was more of a contrivance on the author's part than any sort of logical progression. I still can't stand Krell's invincibility. Thorek clutching his cracked Anvil in the middle of combat was probably the worst way to take him out of commission. At least have him fight Neferata! She's strong enough to kick his ass in close combat, you didn't need to make his defeat so humiliating!
Valaya was even in this fight, but I never felt her presence. It's stated that she was keeping them safe from fell magic, but it was literally never presented or shown to us. It was purely tell don't show, which again, another problem with End Times.
Whatever. For now, I'm going to be opening a poll. Two options presented there. Do you prefer the long, slow, methodical and detailed posts that I've been making or would you prefer a quicker more summarised version with less detail? I have a feeling I'll be be more concise the further I get along the books, but I would like the thread's opinion on what they would prefer.
This part of the chapter transitions into the perspective of the "Greatest Living Runelord of the Karaz Ankor" Thorek Ironbrow (good way to retcon Kragg out of existence GW). Thorek is apparently swinging around a Runic Lodestone that only he could decipher to allow him to find some sort of artifact that he's been looking for. For those who don't know, Thorek's entire schtick is that he goes around exploring ruins and finding lost artifacts of the Golden Age of the Dwarves to bring back Dawi society to the Good Old Days. Thorek's beard has been bristling and standing on edge lately as he feels that he is on the cusp of arriving to some sort of treasure vault. Thorek is at the head of an expedition from Karak Azul moving through an incredibly well maintained and vast section of the Underway despite the fact that this passage was not uncovered for a very long time, so it somehow survived the Time of Woes. Thorek is moving around accompanied by several apprentices and assistants, his Anvil of Doom, special Anvil Guard and several Gyrocopters for scouting and communication, and the ceilings are high enough that they can fly comfortably apparently.
It seems as if Thorek is sensing something off happening to the Winds of Magic, which he is capable of sensing to a greater degree than the rest of his race. He felt a chill run through him, likely the result of Nagash's revival, and he sped up his movement through the Underway to find the Lost Pass, which likely holds some great treasure. Thorek is holding out hope for the Hammer and Forge of Grungni, or the Dolmen of the Gods or some such artifact, because this passage was said to be hewn by Grungni himself and the evidence is clear to his eyes. Of course, he's coming closer and closer to his target, hidden under illusions in the Nehekharan tongue that Thorek can recognise but not decipher. It doesn't matter, using his Anvil, Thorek breaks the illusion and begins the process of deciphering the runes on the door to the vaults that lead to the Archway of Valaya. Thorek, being ever careful, decided to send out a Gyrocopter to call for aid from King Kazador just in case.
Turns out, he needs it sooner than expected, because one of the doors to the underway passage leading to the vaults opens, the result of Neferata's pilfered key, and the forces of Thorek's Expedition come face to face with Krell and Neferata's Undead Legions.
The Battle begins.
Army of Krell:
Consists of undead gathered from Krell's trek through the World's Edge Mountains and bolstered by all the undead raised by Nagash's revival and bound by Neferata's Handmaidens
Krell: You know him. This profile entry reveals that Krell was actually sent to check on Neferata to bring her to Arkhan, and if she resisted, he would slay her. Apparently Arkhan didn't trust Neferata and wanted to keep an eye on her, but now that Nagash is revived, Krell's priorities changed and now he's helping Neferata look for an artifact to strengthen the Necromancer's weakened frame.
Ulffik the Blackhanded: Wight King.
Druthor the Ghoul King: Strigoi Ghoul King riding a Terrorgheist.
Doomed Legion: Almost called them the "Doomer Legion". They're a Wight Legion that harken back to Krell's day.
The Hanged Men: Stirlander zombies that were hung from the gallows.
Bloodbeasts: Trio of Varghulfs.
Graveclaws: Ghouls
The Grand Throng of Karak Azul:
This is Thorek Ironbrow's expedition from Karak Azul.
Thorek Ironbrow: I assume most people know who he is. Greatest living Runelord (because GW forgot about Kragg), he searches for lost relics. He currently carries his Anvil of Doom with him and is attended by his assistant Kraggi, his faithful anvil guard the Grimmsborn brothers Dalrek and Unson, and three runesmith apprentices – Frimlok, Grudsson and Borri.
Brotherhood of the Anvil: Brotherhood from Karak Azul dedicated to protecting the Anvil of Doom.
The Iron Guard: Ironbreakers from Karak Azul led by Thane Kragsson.
Gurdok Granitehelm: Honourary Bombardier Captain of the Thunder Battery, which consisted of two cannons (Grudgesolver and Roar of Grungni) and an Organ Gun (Helga's Curses) attended by crew and mule-drawn black powder carts.
King Kazador's War-Throng:
These are the reinforcement forces led by King Kazador Thunderhorn of Karak Azul.
King Kazador: Old and well respected, Kazador has never been the same since Gorfang Rotgut's raid on Karak Azul devastated his family, not even after High King Thorgrim presented him with Rotgut's head. Despite that, Kazador still supported Thorek's expedition after four days of forced marching. At his side came his nephew Kazril, only a beardling, but he held the Standard of Karak Azul, the Glory of Iron Peak.
The Sternbeard Clan: Proud warrior clan led by the Keeper of the Gate Flint Fraybeard.
The Bouldergoats: Mountain scaling veteran rangers with a wide spanning reputation and very hairy.
Mountain Bolt Squadron: A Gyrocopter fighter wing squadron led by the young hot blooded pilot Orikk from Zhufbar. His squadron was primarily used to act as messengers, but they certainly participated in the Battle with Orikk at the helm.
Battle of Valaya's Gate:
This section actually starts by switching POV to Neferata and Krell as we go back in time a bit. The focus is actually on Neferata's internal dialogue as she laments the fact that disgusting creatures like Strigoi and Ghouls are being paraded around as part of Krell's legion and her annoyance at Krell treating every narrowing or turn as a potential ambush site and slowing things down. Neferata's just doing the usual blood scrying to find where exactly she marked that spot thousands of years ago that she's come back to plunder. Then they eventually reached the final gates leading into the final chamber before the vaults. Krell insisted that an attack plan would be conjured up before opening the gates, and it's good that he did, because Dwarfs were right behind the gate.
The Dwarfs were actually already formed up in battle lines, but they were expecting an attack from behind or underneath, and not from some side gate that they didn't even notice, so they were taken by surprise. Dwarfs are pretty steady and resolute though, so they quickly adjusted their lines to face towards the undead legions. Thankfully for Krell, he had fought Dwarves many times and knew their strengths and weaknesses. In a tunnel fight, the Undead would be destroyed, so he needed to be aggressive and push forward to utilise the numbers advantage and overwhelm the Dwarves. He quickly forms his regiments into two beachheads and charges at the Dwarfen lines.
Neferata, on the other hand, is paying attention to another group. While the Dwarves and Krell are clashing at the entrance, Thorek and his attendants are deciphering the runes for the treasure vault and attempting to open it, which would spell disaster for the Undead forces depending on what's inside. Deciding she couldn't let that happen, Neferata pushes her Handmaidens and accompanying force to attack Thorek and his entourage.
In terms of Krell's forces, Krell was leading the right spearhead of his forces at the head of the Doomed Legion, and he certainly has experience fighting Dwarves as he participated in the sack of Karak Ungor 4000 years ago and was placed in the Great Book of Grudges 7 times while he was alive and a further 12 times after he was raised to undeath, and the Dwarfs certainly recognised his red armor. The Dwarfs fought ferociously against the relentless assault of Undead and managed to actually push them back towards the tunnels to fully take advantage of their strengths. For every Dwarf that fell, a dozen undead would be cut apart. Unfortunately, the Dwarfs did not rise from the dead, and Krell was wreaking havoc on his line of the battlefield, as would be expected of the Wight King.
On the other side of the tunnel, Thorek had already deciphered two of the three runes of opening for the vault's gates and had already deduced that perhaps Nagash had come back to life (Described as another Time of Woes), only for him to be interrupted. Several skeletal regiments with a coven throne holding a vampiress were charging Thorek. He picks up his his hammer and strikes his Anvil of Doom.
Several hours pass, and the battle remains even.
The Dwarfs held the advantage in the beginning, but as the fight wore on the Dwarfs were steadily losing stamina while the Undead were not. Their right flank, led by Thane Kragsson and his Ironbreakers, managed to push the undead to the tunnels of the Underway and capture them in a murder chokepoint, steadily ripping the undead apart. The left flank of the Dwarves was doing decent, but the undead were pushed back slower than the right flank because of Krell's performance. Krell was further supported by Druthor and the Vargheists flying in and crashing into the Dwarf lines, allowing Krell to push the Dwarfs back and regaining the advantage.
In the centre of the battle close to the vaults was Thorek Ironbrow, who only had his assistants and one regiment of Anvil Guard to protect him against legions of skeletons and Neferata's Handmaidens. Despite that, Thorek still proves himself incredibly capable, and his strikes on the anvil release lightning blasts that decimate enemy formations and bolster his allies with the power of hearth and home. Beyond that, Thorek managed to counter the Handmaiden's casting efforts such that the only spells that they could successfully cast were ones to raise the dead, and even then it was only half as effective as it should be despite every handmaiden working in unison to raise them. Neferata realised that things could not progress this way. If she wanted to break through, she needed greater force. She ordered Imentet to push into the fray herself, which the Handmaiden was somewhat hesitant about.
Neferata and her handmaidens begin to jump into the fray. Neferata atop her Dread Abyssal, Lycindia the Cruel and her Winged Nightmares, the Pallid Sisters and their icy blades (apparently they can still use Ice Magic as Vampires), and Imentet on her coven throne. The Brotherhood of the Anvil was fully exterminated, and Kraggi's head was torn from his body. Only Thorek was left, and he managed to stave off his impending death with a mighty two handed blow from his legendary runic hammer Klad Brakkak on his Anvil of Doom, blasting all his enemies back. Never had his anvil grown so white hot and acted so powerfully, but it would be to his later detriment.
Elsewhere, Thane Kragsson and his regiments managed to successfully destroy the Undead they were dealing with in the right flank and a portion came to reinforce the heavily injured but still determined Thorek Ironbrow. Longplaits and Slayers came to Thorek's side as Thorek sang the Runic Hymn, a deep-throated solemn chant that set his Anvil and the Gates of Valaya glowing. The Gate opened.
As Neferata's Handmaidens rise from the scorched blast that knocked them down, Thorek hears something from the Gate:
"The calm, smoothing voice of Valaya spoke to Thorek, not in words, but as a deep understanding. Thought-whispers came to him of ancient knowledge, of master runes long forgotten, of secrets at last revealed. He realised now what relic must lie in the hidden vault beyond. He could feel that an Ancestor God, the great mother of his people, was near to hand. In that moment he chanted the last of the rune song, and with a crack, the gates that held the Lost Archway of Valaya opened." Page 230
On the Krell/Druthor side of the battlefield, Druthor and his Terrorgheist managed to successfully destroy the artillery that attempted to take him down with futile efforts. Krell pushed the Dwarfen left flank back, Thane Kragsson and his Iron Guard remain within the northernmost tunnel guarding the chokepoint which Krell only sought to keep occupied with fodder so they wouldn't move. Neferata's forces gather themselves and were about to assault Thorek's force next to the now open Gateway.
Then two armies joined the fight.
The first was heralded by Kazador's Thunderhorn, reinvigorating the Dwarfs and granting them renewed hope as a dozen of handpicked regiments from Karak Azul supported by a squadron of Gyrocopters come from down the Underway to support the Dwarf forces. The Dwarfs were still outnumbered, but they could hear Valaya's voice and feel Her blessing protecting them from fell magic, and they were ready to face down the undead.
Then the second army arrived. This host consisting of Grulsik's warhost, halved by the fight for the Skull Chasm but still surviving if not thriving, they chased down the undead in search of loot and scraps to recuperate their forces. An opportunity presented itself, however, when Grulsik and his forces saw the Undead engaged in combat with stunties. With the more fanatical forces in his makeshift army charging in with a frenzy, Grulsik ordered a charge into the ordered lines of the Dwarves and Undead to save face and get some loot.
Unfortunately for Thane Kragsson and his Ironguard, the Greenskins charged in from his tunnel, and while he had expected undead, he did not expect to be beset by a force of rampaging squigs and then a horde of Goblins, who were themselves expert tunnel fights. Already exhausted and outnumbered, Thane Kragsson was knocked down and stabbed a hundred times through the gaps in his armor, and the Iron Guard were overwhelmed, allowing the Greenskins to rush into the battle.
When the Greenskins came crashing into the three way battle they found absolute pandemonium consisting of legions of skeletons smashing into Dwarfen shield walls and being crushed by gromril hammers and lightning blasts clashing against monstrous foes and dark magic and flying Gyrocopters whirring across the battlefield dropping their deadly payload. Into this did the whirling fanatics, bouncing squigs and rampaging trolls move into action, attacking Dwarf and undead alike in their frenzied battle mania.
It is here that this part, which I posted about in thread, comes up:
Thorek basically annihilates Imentet, most likely permanently killing her, and Neferata flies into a rage. The follow up requires you to read it yourself so you can process it unfiltered:
Yeah. Thorek fawns over his broken Anvil and leaves himself open to get shanked by Neferata. I'm just about used to this stuff by now.
On the other side of the cave Druthor attempts to attack Kazador and gets absolutely stomped in a hilarious part that I also posted about earlier in the thread:
After this the Dwarfs use their newfound energy to attack the Ghoul packs, and the narrative does its usual "if it weren't for this thing they might have succeeded, but alas, this thing happens that completely destroys them". The thing in this case is Night Goblin fanatics. Skeletons and Ghouls can't penetrate Dwarven armor, but ball and chain wielding Goblin fanatics high on shrooms is certainly capable of crashing through and destroying the Dwarfen lines. Enraged, the Blackhammers turn on the Goblins, but then Krell and his Doomed Legion attack the Dwarves on the rear and now they're surrounded and outnumbered. The Dwarfs are being ripped apart, and Kazador and Krell push their way to each other to have a deadly duel that ends exactly how you'd expect since it's the End Times:
"With his legions quickly being pulverized, Krell had no choice but to join the fray. So the Doomed Legion pressed forward, stepping over the piled and broken bones of their predecessors. In a trice, King Kazador himself smashed down the Doomed Legion banner, snapping the standard and its bearer with the same powerful hammerstrike. Although the aged king was flagging, when he saw the red armour of Krell ahead of him, he battered a path through in order to face the towering wight lord. Those implacable enemies traded blows, with each warrior landing strikes that would fell a thick tree. Neither would give ground, but instead each put forth all of their energies into a single titanic blow. The Hammer of Karak Azul pounded Krell's armour, dropping the wight lord to his knees, but Krell's last blow fell true. His axe, dark power writhing along its blades, severed not just King Kazador's long beard, but hewed off his head as well." Page 237
On the other side of the battlefield, Thorek Ironbrow crawled his way from the ledge that he was hanging on with his unbroken arm. Managing to struggle his way to his beloved cracked Anvil, Thorek raises Klad Brakkak and swings it down one last time, shattering the Anvil to release a cataclysmic strike of force. So ends the Battle of Valaya's Gate:
…
So that happened.
If you want to read a quest where Thorek Ironbrow and Kazador Thunderhorn are treated with the respect they deserve by a great author who fleshes them out as characters and doesn't treat them as fodder for the story, may I recommend you @Boney's Divided Loyalties? It's an excellent quest about an advisor/Grey Magister in the Empire who interacts extensively with the Dwarfs and comes into contact with those two characters. At least in there I know this kind of stuff isn't prevalent.
In fact, I like Thorek and Kazador a lot as a result of that quest, so I was pretty sad for a few days after reading this section. It really sapped my motivation to blog it, so I dragged my feet pretty hard. I'm sure you can tell what my impressions are on this whole thing, but I would like to say that the Goblins were an incredibly annoying inclusion in this fight that I felt were wholly unnecessary and only made me feel like it was more of a contrivance on the author's part than any sort of logical progression. I still can't stand Krell's invincibility. Thorek clutching his cracked Anvil in the middle of combat was probably the worst way to take him out of commission. At least have him fight Neferata! She's strong enough to kick his ass in close combat, you didn't need to make his defeat so humiliating!
Valaya was even in this fight, but I never felt her presence. It's stated that she was keeping them safe from fell magic, but it was literally never presented or shown to us. It was purely tell don't show, which again, another problem with End Times.
Whatever. For now, I'm going to be opening a poll. Two options presented there. Do you prefer the long, slow, methodical and detailed posts that I've been making or would you prefer a quicker more summarised version with less detail? I have a feeling I'll be be more concise the further I get along the books, but I would like the thread's opinion on what they would prefer.
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Sinsystems
Patron Librarian
I agree the way the Goblins were used here was just annoying, their arrival was a pure boon for the Undead and from what I can tell was literally just there to make an easier win.
Also I agree they did our dawi friends dirty there, like in my opinion a much better method would have been that the Dwarves realized that they had lost the battle but Thorek also knowing that the enemy were going to loot what lay within the gate.
So as the Dawi army retreats he stays behind with a small contingent and willingly detonates his Anvil, destroying a large portion of the armies present and making the cavern to begin to collapse.
The named undead characters can escape but lose their forces, making it a battle where neither side wins are no one succeeds in their goal.
Also I agree they did our dawi friends dirty there, like in my opinion a much better method would have been that the Dwarves realized that they had lost the battle but Thorek also knowing that the enemy were going to loot what lay within the gate.
So as the Dawi army retreats he stays behind with a small contingent and willingly detonates his Anvil, destroying a large portion of the armies present and making the cavern to begin to collapse.
The named undead characters can escape but lose their forces, making it a battle where neither side wins are no one succeeds in their goal.
FlyingScanian
Tea Addict
- Location
- Land of Eternal Night
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I... am no longer sure I can continue, even third-hand. It's apparently an even worse shit-fest than I thought (and considering my opinions on GW in general and End Times specifically, that's saying something)
I personally enjoy the long posts and would prefer them, but would be perfectly understanding if you consider them unsustainable and go for a shorter form.
hellgodsrus
Actual Real Game Dev!
- Location
- Behind You
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Going quicker would be okay, but I would prefer the more detailed posts; your choice though, as you're the one actually slogging through this.
consequences
Not A Nice Person At All
- Location
- Jerkville
Whatever lets you get through it. This is pretty miserable through a filter and as someone who originally stopped paying attention to warhammer fantasy sometime around the year 2000.
Speaking of Slayers, I think I should point out that Age of Sigmar seriously changes up the concept in general. Regular Slayer models were effectively put out of commission with the exception of a single Hero model known as the "Dispossessed Unforged".
What happened to Slayers you might ask? They turned into Fyreslayers:
Despite sharing the same aesthetic as regular Slayers, except even more naked (I'm not complaining) and even more fiery and ridiculous, Fyreslayers are... very different.
I have a suspicion that GW didn't like the general idea behind the Slayers too much and decided to change things up to make them more marketable. Instead of making them a suicide cult dedicated to finding their doom, Fyreslayers are now Cultists of Grimnir and mercenaries who wander the Mortal Realms to find the shattered remains of Grimnir in the form of Ur-Gold, which they forge as runic tattos onto their skin to give them powers and boost their toughness. Despite being half naked, Fyreslayers are as heavily armored as Stormcast Eternals.
Perhaps the most notable difference aside from them actually being high defence is that aside from like, one model (Doomseeker), none of the Fyreslayers take the Fantasy "Slayer Oath". This means that the majority of them aren't looking to die, they're just trying to find missing pieces of their god.
I love the concept of the Fyreslayers, even though I haven't read their Battletomes yet. The only problem I can see for Dwarf fans when it comes to Fyreslayers is that they're mercenaries who would even fight for Chaos if they payed them enough Ur-Gold, which I can see being a source of irritation. I'm not sure if this piece of lore stays in 1st Edition only or if it carries over.
BTW, sorry for the lack of updates guys. I've been reading Age of Sigmar books on the side to revitalise my motivation to read more End Times. Blogging the End Times feels like a slog at times.
I'll complain.
The fyreslayers are a neglected faction with all of 2 not hero kits that make 3 not hero units. The mainline troops especially want to be run in hordes but they mostly all look the same and are atrociously priced.
No one in GW seems to give a flying fuck about fyreslayers. They are the most neglected faction in the game. Even the legacy model faction clearly has passion from the writers struggling against corporate mandates. But fyreslayers may as well not exist.
The design staff does love elves though. Boy do they.
Just step one on the dawi dickening in the end times
So it isn't just modern AoS, but old fantasy, the writers have largely preferred elves. By, like, a lot. High elves particularly. It's almost a meme about phil kelly now. Gotrek almost single handedly carries the dwarves on his broad shoulders for staff interest. It's one of the problems with how GW does their games and hires their staff. I said this before, but a bit more sympathetically to the writing staff, but things the writing or design staff aren't passionate about get right fucked, corporate mandate or not. And the dwarves never had passion.
At least KO have enough of an ascetic that GW is willing to push them, unlike the fyreslayers.
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- Location
- Los Angeles
I'd say that clearly some writer had their shit pushed in by the cheesiest of Dwarf Gunline lists during WHFB, but then Kharadon Overlords came around with gunlines that make those old dwarf gunlines look pathetic and they became a writer darling,
Codex
Fantasy Addict
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Chapter 4 Dark Tides (2524-2525 IC) switches to the perspective of the Empire, which is probably one of my favorite factions. The problem with the End Times are still there, including the depressing "good guys always losing or only holding the line" narrative that keeps being pushed. However, the writing is relatively decent and engaging enough for me to keep reading so there is that. You could make an entire novel of the stuff that End Times brushes over in a couple pages though. They're really speedrunning through plot points like they're on a deadline.
There is, however, a pretty neat piece of narrative/character study that I enjoyed in regards to a conversation between Karl Franz and Balthasar Gelt:
There is, however, a pretty neat piece of narrative/character study that I enjoyed in regards to a conversation between Karl Franz and Balthasar Gelt:
I take my wins where I can get it, and having a well written dialogue between two of my favorite Empire characters is a win despite the circumstances.
Chapter 4 Nagash: Dark Tides
Codex
Fantasy Addict
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Chapter 4: The Auric Bastion
This chapter takes place between the Summer of 2524 to the Summer of 2525 IC, it follows the perspective of the Empire as they're dealing with the chaos incursion in the North. Kislev has been successfully exterminated with the sole exception of Erengrad thanks to the Army of Ostland led by Elector Count Valmir von Raukov coming to support Boyar Syrgei Tannarov and pushing back the invading forces. The Northlander forces have of course attempted to invade the Empire, but were met with a gigantic wall of magic and faith by the name of the Auric Bastion, constructed by Balthasar Gelt through cooperation between the Cults and the Colleges.
Gelt acquired the knowledge of how to create this wall partly from his experiences with the wall of faith in Sylvania and partly from a source he would not disclose, and yet for all that his rivals would be suspicious of such, they could not deny the results. They also could not deny the sudden disappearance of Gelt's greatest rival, the former Supreme Patriarch Thyrus Gormann, so no one questioned him much about it when they saw how successful it was.
In terms of description, I'll try to be accurate to what we're given. The bedrock of the Empire provided the stone. The Light College reshaped the border hills to "forge an unyielding wall whose ramparts were lost within the clouds". Faith provided the mortar to this wall, with blessings from the Priests of Sigmar mixing with the magic of the Colleges. Normally, faith and magic would not mix so well, but the Alchemists of the Gold College found a method to "change the nature of mortar and stone" to allow the two to mix. As such, the Bastion was made.
No garrison was needed, because no claw or grapple could find purchase on its sheer slopes. No engineers or laborers were needed, because the wall always swiftly repaired itself. The walls could not be climbed or destroyed and thanks to its blessings, Daemons couldn't even approach. It was a marvel and a wonder, and many believed that it would be Balthasar Gelt's legacy onto the world. If only they knew how reality would prove them wrong.
The biggest downside to the wall is that it required a constant stream of magic to maintain, so ritual circle were maintained from Erengrad to the north to Rackspire in the World's Edge Mountains to maintain the wall with the prayers and rituals of Priests and Wizards. Many of the ritualists would collapse under the strain or perish under the weight of maintaining the enchantment, and while replacements were swiftly found, these interruptions caused minor breaches in the walls as the Northmen would take advantage of the reprieve to break through. As such, many small warbands would break through from time to time and the Empire had to be vigilant to curb those advances. Soldiers from all over the Empire participated in these operations, such that the heraldic flags and riots of colors across the regiments represented every state despite the Empire being besieged under the weight of Beastmen and inner conflict from doomsayers and riots.
The Eastern span of the wall was manned by the forces of Elector Count Wolfram Hertwig of Ostermark, well known for his fussy and measured approach to war. The Western span was guarded by the forces of Elector Count Valmir von Raukov of Ostland, protecting Erengrad from the horrors of the North to spare Ostland the chaos that would ensure if they pushed farther. The central stretch of the Bastion, however, was guarded by the Elector Count of Hochland, Aldebrand Ludenhof, who seldom directly participated in battle, but was in charge of analysing patterns and directing the wall's defences. Ludenhof was far from a coward, he was simply a clever, calculating man who expertly maneuvered his forces to deal with any situation as it comes up, despite his Hochlander kinsmen professing that he is the seventh son of a seventh son, blessed by Myrmidia and Taal.
As the weeks and months ground on, thousands of Northmen and militamen died in the north. Even when the batteries of Nuln came to bombard the northmen, they were countered by blasts from Hellcannons where the lucky would die from the flames, and the unlucky were cut down by their comrades after seeing the mutated mess they'd become from the daemonic energies. Scouts mounted on pegasi, those who managed to survive the trip, indicated that the warriors of Chaos never faltered, and despite both sides firing artillery blind, it was an unlucky shot that missed considering how packed both sides of the wall were (don't ask me how the artillery managed to fire over a wall that goes up to the clouds).
Then plague spread across the winds, spreading its acrid scent into the mouths and bowels of the soldiers of the wall and the northmen alike. While the marauders considered this a gift from Nurgle, the Imperials treated it like the blight that it was, wrecking havoc and chaos within their ranks. Aldebrand Ludenhof ordered Priests and Sisters of Shallya to stop the spread of disease, but the Goddess was but a shadow compared to the power of the one who instigated this disease, and all they could do was slow it down and deal with it through isolation and the holy pyres of burning the dead. This plague inspired acts of heroism, such as the last stand of the Swords of Ulric who held the breach at Karghof until reinforcements arrived, where they found their plague wracked remains holding the line.
Resorting to desperate measures, Aldebrand Ludenhof- who had lost two of his sons to the plague- decided to burn all those who were afflicted by the plague, living or dead, knowing that he would be forever shamed by this act but having to do it for the greater good. Thousands were consigned to the pyres, and few willingly went into their death. The narrative actually treats this as the right thing to do, because Nurgle lets out a scream of rage at his plans being foiled. Apparently he expected the Imperials to be more sympathetic and let the plague-ridden live to spread the disease.
Ludenhof immediately submitted himself to Emperor Karl Franz in Castle Von Rauken and confessed his sins, for he was wracked with guilt and desired- no, he needed- censure. Karl Franz held Ludenhof's shoulder and brought him up from his kneeling position to tell him that hard times require hard decisions, and he did the right thing. None within the Emperor's Council dwelled on those words more than Balthasar Gelt. Ludenhof left the castle cleared of guilt, consoled by the plague having died off, but he continued being wracked by nightmares for the rest of his life for his role as butcher.
Then Geheimnisnacht came, and with it, Nagash's revival. The ritual and Nagash's attempted unbinding of Shyish caused absolute mayhem, sending Priests of Morr into madness and collapsing Amethyst Wizards into dust as their bodies crumpled. Undead rose all along the Auric Bastion and beyond, attacking the Warriors of Chaos, the Empire, the walls and even each other since some of them recognised in death their enemies when they were still alive. They were not raised by anything more than pure energy and were not bound to any necromancer's will, so they simply rampaged about, similarly to the Night of the Restless Dead so many centuries ago.
Some of the undead attacked the ritual circles for Gelt's Auric Bastion, but no location thrived with undead as much as the pyres of the plague dead in Hochland around Ludenhof's territory. Hochland was only saved by the timely arrival of the Knights of the Blazing Sun from Castle Von Rauken.
Three days after Geheimnisnacht, Emperor Karl Franz summons Gelt to his chambers to have a discussion, which I posted earlier:
Classic Gelt.
Next section will be the Battle of Alderfen. My opinion might change later, but it's actually my favorite battle so far in this book. There are some genuinely compelling moments in it that I greatly enjoyed. It could have been done better, and it has its faults, but it got me pretty invested, so I'll try my best to do it justice.
This chapter takes place between the Summer of 2524 to the Summer of 2525 IC, it follows the perspective of the Empire as they're dealing with the chaos incursion in the North. Kislev has been successfully exterminated with the sole exception of Erengrad thanks to the Army of Ostland led by Elector Count Valmir von Raukov coming to support Boyar Syrgei Tannarov and pushing back the invading forces. The Northlander forces have of course attempted to invade the Empire, but were met with a gigantic wall of magic and faith by the name of the Auric Bastion, constructed by Balthasar Gelt through cooperation between the Cults and the Colleges.
Gelt acquired the knowledge of how to create this wall partly from his experiences with the wall of faith in Sylvania and partly from a source he would not disclose, and yet for all that his rivals would be suspicious of such, they could not deny the results. They also could not deny the sudden disappearance of Gelt's greatest rival, the former Supreme Patriarch Thyrus Gormann, so no one questioned him much about it when they saw how successful it was.
In terms of description, I'll try to be accurate to what we're given. The bedrock of the Empire provided the stone. The Light College reshaped the border hills to "forge an unyielding wall whose ramparts were lost within the clouds". Faith provided the mortar to this wall, with blessings from the Priests of Sigmar mixing with the magic of the Colleges. Normally, faith and magic would not mix so well, but the Alchemists of the Gold College found a method to "change the nature of mortar and stone" to allow the two to mix. As such, the Bastion was made.
No garrison was needed, because no claw or grapple could find purchase on its sheer slopes. No engineers or laborers were needed, because the wall always swiftly repaired itself. The walls could not be climbed or destroyed and thanks to its blessings, Daemons couldn't even approach. It was a marvel and a wonder, and many believed that it would be Balthasar Gelt's legacy onto the world. If only they knew how reality would prove them wrong.
The biggest downside to the wall is that it required a constant stream of magic to maintain, so ritual circle were maintained from Erengrad to the north to Rackspire in the World's Edge Mountains to maintain the wall with the prayers and rituals of Priests and Wizards. Many of the ritualists would collapse under the strain or perish under the weight of maintaining the enchantment, and while replacements were swiftly found, these interruptions caused minor breaches in the walls as the Northmen would take advantage of the reprieve to break through. As such, many small warbands would break through from time to time and the Empire had to be vigilant to curb those advances. Soldiers from all over the Empire participated in these operations, such that the heraldic flags and riots of colors across the regiments represented every state despite the Empire being besieged under the weight of Beastmen and inner conflict from doomsayers and riots.
The Eastern span of the wall was manned by the forces of Elector Count Wolfram Hertwig of Ostermark, well known for his fussy and measured approach to war. The Western span was guarded by the forces of Elector Count Valmir von Raukov of Ostland, protecting Erengrad from the horrors of the North to spare Ostland the chaos that would ensure if they pushed farther. The central stretch of the Bastion, however, was guarded by the Elector Count of Hochland, Aldebrand Ludenhof, who seldom directly participated in battle, but was in charge of analysing patterns and directing the wall's defences. Ludenhof was far from a coward, he was simply a clever, calculating man who expertly maneuvered his forces to deal with any situation as it comes up, despite his Hochlander kinsmen professing that he is the seventh son of a seventh son, blessed by Myrmidia and Taal.
As the weeks and months ground on, thousands of Northmen and militamen died in the north. Even when the batteries of Nuln came to bombard the northmen, they were countered by blasts from Hellcannons where the lucky would die from the flames, and the unlucky were cut down by their comrades after seeing the mutated mess they'd become from the daemonic energies. Scouts mounted on pegasi, those who managed to survive the trip, indicated that the warriors of Chaos never faltered, and despite both sides firing artillery blind, it was an unlucky shot that missed considering how packed both sides of the wall were (don't ask me how the artillery managed to fire over a wall that goes up to the clouds).
Then plague spread across the winds, spreading its acrid scent into the mouths and bowels of the soldiers of the wall and the northmen alike. While the marauders considered this a gift from Nurgle, the Imperials treated it like the blight that it was, wrecking havoc and chaos within their ranks. Aldebrand Ludenhof ordered Priests and Sisters of Shallya to stop the spread of disease, but the Goddess was but a shadow compared to the power of the one who instigated this disease, and all they could do was slow it down and deal with it through isolation and the holy pyres of burning the dead. This plague inspired acts of heroism, such as the last stand of the Swords of Ulric who held the breach at Karghof until reinforcements arrived, where they found their plague wracked remains holding the line.
Resorting to desperate measures, Aldebrand Ludenhof- who had lost two of his sons to the plague- decided to burn all those who were afflicted by the plague, living or dead, knowing that he would be forever shamed by this act but having to do it for the greater good. Thousands were consigned to the pyres, and few willingly went into their death. The narrative actually treats this as the right thing to do, because Nurgle lets out a scream of rage at his plans being foiled. Apparently he expected the Imperials to be more sympathetic and let the plague-ridden live to spread the disease.
Ludenhof immediately submitted himself to Emperor Karl Franz in Castle Von Rauken and confessed his sins, for he was wracked with guilt and desired- no, he needed- censure. Karl Franz held Ludenhof's shoulder and brought him up from his kneeling position to tell him that hard times require hard decisions, and he did the right thing. None within the Emperor's Council dwelled on those words more than Balthasar Gelt. Ludenhof left the castle cleared of guilt, consoled by the plague having died off, but he continued being wracked by nightmares for the rest of his life for his role as butcher.
Then Geheimnisnacht came, and with it, Nagash's revival. The ritual and Nagash's attempted unbinding of Shyish caused absolute mayhem, sending Priests of Morr into madness and collapsing Amethyst Wizards into dust as their bodies crumpled. Undead rose all along the Auric Bastion and beyond, attacking the Warriors of Chaos, the Empire, the walls and even each other since some of them recognised in death their enemies when they were still alive. They were not raised by anything more than pure energy and were not bound to any necromancer's will, so they simply rampaged about, similarly to the Night of the Restless Dead so many centuries ago.
Some of the undead attacked the ritual circles for Gelt's Auric Bastion, but no location thrived with undead as much as the pyres of the plague dead in Hochland around Ludenhof's territory. Hochland was only saved by the timely arrival of the Knights of the Blazing Sun from Castle Von Rauken.
Three days after Geheimnisnacht, Emperor Karl Franz summons Gelt to his chambers to have a discussion, which I posted earlier:
The herald that interrupts them actually tells them that there's been a breach at Alderfen, a village in Ostermark, as the ritual circle within it was shut down. Sylvania was forgotten and Franz went to get his Reiksmarshal. Gelt on the other hand, has his priorities straight. He instantly jumps onto his pegasus Quicksilver and goes to patch up the wall. The funny thing is that the first thing that comes out of his mind is that the Auric Bastion is his greatest work, his legacy. It can't fall!
Classic Gelt.
Next section will be the Battle of Alderfen. My opinion might change later, but it's actually my favorite battle so far in this book. There are some genuinely compelling moments in it that I greatly enjoyed. It could have been done better, and it has its faults, but it got me pretty invested, so I'll try my best to do it justice.
- Location
- Somewhere on Earth
Jeez, you weren't kidding about it skimming over things that could make up an entire book on its own. Apparently a potentially Empire-destroying plague which the Goddess of Healing is powerless to stop (because of course she fucking is, all the CG have been empowered with the overwhelming force of Plot) is something that needs to be glossed over, alongside the moral considerations of mass murder to try and contain it.
Codex
Fantasy Addict
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Yup, that's what I was thinking of. They could have made an entire book over the Plague thing, but I kid you not, it occurs over the course of 2-3 pages. It's insane.
The KO aren't a writer darling, they just aren't, like, ignored. The staff can seem to get some passion about them. Not sure about the model design team, they're a bit more opaque, they could like KO a bunch in a way they clearly don't Fyreslayers.
But you can tell what a darling is by the way an army is lavished special rules on top of special rules on top of special rules and features prominently in major lore changes and gets a new battletome about a year after their last one (or less. Both Lumineth and DoK have done this XD)
Sinsystems
Patron Librarian
End Times very much felt like it was rushed with a lot of things, they are trying to push forward massive events in the span of only a few books. The End Times should have been treated more like the Horus Heresy, a long series of books with plenty of side stories and the like to flesh smaller parts out, but instead because of the mandates they need to rush through so much.