Grungni:
Grungni grumbled as he dwelled within the mountains in the warp, always mining, always building, always hearing the prayers of his people...always seething internally as he beheld the losses of the holds and the dwindling of his people. As well as the shame of the Chaos Dwarves...yes that had been one dark surprise when they first appeared. No doubt that damnable Bull and the Rest of the Four allowed them to fall, Shameful that is. Better to die free then be a slave to the darker powers. Yet he was not ignorant, not even underground about the song that was heard throughout the warp. It had been stronger once, in a distant bygone age. Yet even now it was regrowing with strength and power...
The Drakka Song, or Dragon Song by Umgi saying, his face frowned in deeper concentration as he examined a good spot on the wall...a few hits here would lead his people to the right resources to allow several more holds to keep afloat for a few centuries yet to come. When he raised his pickaxe to strike the mountain-stone to lead his people to further their lively-hood and safety was when the darkness surrounding his mine grew deeper, darker, and then the cry of a Drakka resounded as he hit the exact spot with unerring accuracy. Only then did the swing around with sharp eyes as he held his tool at the ready for any enterprising Drakka soul within the warp to smite down.
However seeing no foe had come he carefully strode forward in silence as he strained his hearing with a deeper frown on his face as he back-tracked from his hidden mine to the outside of the mountains...something rarely done and something he would rather not do as his place and his peoples places was within the safety of the stone. Still, this roar was something deeper, primal, and much more dangerous than ever before. HE noticed how the darkness stayed even as his eyesight pierced it, not hiding anything within, but still feeling the primal cold/warm/wrathful fury that only a Drakka with a grudge could have.
With grim lines that were only added to the numerous lines across his face and hidden only by his beard Grungni stole away close to the entrance of his mine, and with a few quick movements he undid the secret passage within his mines, only after checking to insure that no enemies were about however. Wouldn't do to be ambushed in the warp by some Daemon or another wanting a quick meal...then again, his pickaxe was getting a bit underused.
Still, even as he walked outside (after checking enough times to be warranted paranoia) Grungni paused as he beheld the rather large dark spot that hadn't been there before.
"What in the bloody ball-sacks of Grimnir's mad-rush in Norsca on the bridge of bones is going on here?!?" he roared out in shock in the warp as he saw damn well Nightmare Drakka flying in and out of the damn darkened spot...and if he looked closely enough he could see how the Death Wind Drakka were chasing out small groups of Enterprising Daemons, and either crushing them under their claws, or simply blasting them with their wicked breath. some of them even casted the more horrific winds of death's spells upon the Dumi, and frankly Grungni would have enjoyed the small spectacle if it wasn't for a single thing being out of place.
The Umgi God Sigmar wanted to have a word with him, and by his beard he better not prattle about something else his "other" selves have written down in that book of his about the time-line-loop's and how events usually go. Bah, breaking the damn mollusk's hold over reality just needs enough grit, stubbornness, and good Gromil, Adamant would be better if it was available, but simple steel could do in a pinch.
Turning to face the approaching god of the Umgi, Grungni grumbled a deep enough rumble to alert the Umgi he was paying attention to him even as he watched the rare spectacle of the Dumi getting what was owed to them in the warp...oh that one had a few grudges against it eh? better tell his people that set of grudges was gone...for good apparently.
"Grungni, Hail!" Sigmar called out as he approached with a small smile on his face before he sat next to the Dwarven Ancestor god as they watched Drakka slay as many Dumi as they could possibly reach before heading back into that...Darkened realm.
"What is it manling? I was a bit tad busy here..." the Ancestor God Grumbled good naturally as he took out a hidden flask of Bugmans best from one of his side pouches...shame the lad wouldn't make any more these days...maybe he could get Valaya to get him training those blasted apprentices of his? Bearding's the lot of them...
"I have two new idea, both from the book...and the fact that it's NOT in the book." Sigmar began as the ancestor god abruptly turned his full attention to Sigmar. Whenever they had these talks it was always about how to strategize against the Dumi, so far they had gotten to the point of Archeaon's little gambit...sure the last end-times resulted in a almost total win for the "Order-Tide" as Sigmar called it, before the four tumors hit the reset button damn well again. The cheating bastards...oh, Sigmar was waiting for a answer eh? beardlings these days...
"Well, out with it then, i don't want to waste more time talking when holds are needed to be taken back to reinforce the way-lines." The ancestor god rumbled as he turned a eye towards Sigmar who gained a grim smile.
"Well for starters, we have a new god out...and yes i know you can see its new realm...but the thing is rather then rise into the warp as gods usually do after a appropriate amount of time, or because its more efficient to do so, The new guy is sticking out to remake Bretonnia." Sigmar began as The Ancestor God nodded silently...good, those Umgi would do better if they could actually get more fire-power and better weapons...and not make umdak all the damned time.
"The second is that the new god is a vampire-" here Grungni ALMOST spat out his brew as he took a sip and turned a small glare at Sigmar for that...the beardlings little grin turned into a proper chastised grimace as he realized what drink he almost made him waste by scent alone now...damn Umgi, don't have the proper noses to deal with the smell of bugmens best...then again he blamed the warp for it...
"Sorry, anyway the new guy as a vampire became a God of Knowledge-" Grungni sighed as he put the flask away, well it was something at least...might get that place up to a better standard, maybe if they played their gem-stones right they might get a bit more closer on how to kick those Dumi off malleus for good. "And also, of Dragon Kind now as you can see." Sigmar grinned out as a... darker...smile began to grace his face as he looked on excitable as he was when he first found Gromil.
Needless to say, even Grungni was pausing...that explained the nightmare Drakka heading in and out, and maybe a few dozen souls of some older Drakka that have been in the warp long enough or were old enough when slain to stay alive from the Dumi. Still...The Drakka having a new god...that alone sent tingles both good and back through his damn beard and spine. Drakka even a normal one could break a decent hold with time and effort, a Great Drakka could do it in less time with a greater hold...Those Damned Emperor Drakka's though...he did NOT want to chance the fact of that business!
"So how many Drakka is he calling?" Grungni rumbled out as he got to business, a few dozen Drakka and maybe a emperor or two might help push the odds further in their favor a bit...
"All of them." Sigmar grimly replied...though his tone held a... undercurrent of excitement.
This time Grungni dropped bugmans flask...and he honestly didn't blame sigmar in the slightest for that. That news was worth a entire cart load of bugmens best in good wortworth barrels with Gromil bands alone. This...this was BIG...bigger than anything he can ever do alone.
"I'll need to call the others, Thungni can get a rune-signal to Grimnir about his opinion once he learns of this. I'll bring the council to Gazul's realm, Morr should know the way there since they work together enough times." Grungni muttered out as he stared in shock at the realm of the Drakka Godling....no it wasn't a fledgling god anymore, but a full-blown god right now.
"I'll get the others, but are you sure Gazul won't throw another fit? Morr already threw a heck of a tantrum about the whole thing, i had to get our handrich to deal with him and make a fair...contract for him to read over and hopefully sign." Sigmar asked out loud before he procured the contract with a snap of his fingers...
With a careful look at the contract (despite not being a merchant himself), the old miner, metalworker, and stoneworker looked it over as he would a piece of stone he had personally carved out. It seemed good enough for a Umgi, even almost acceptable standards for a Journey-dwarf for the more merchantly positions.
"Eh, good enough for now...we will have to haggle things out later with Gazul, but I'm sure he would agree to the terms set here...if we all talk with him about it. Gazul should be fine...but still, do NOT let the former leech into his temples...bad enough were allowing him to raise the Raki, those damned beast-men, daemons, Norsca raiders, Drazh Elgi raiders, gorbi, and so many more threats...the tide of the dead would be astronomical like sand on a beach, or drops of water in a ocean...then again if they could get a agreement to send the dead after the Raki...yes, that could buy them more time as the Raki are thrown into disarray...and maybe enough to buy enough time for the Dwali to rally and destroy the shame of the Fallen ones.
"Good, ill be getting the others soon, as much as we can buy time before the next chaos tide comes." Sigmar stated as he got up to leave.
"Same time same place then?" Grungni called out as he watched Sigmar leave.
"Possibly not, possibly more...and we might even fail this time...but...this time...after all these loops." Sigmar called out as he walked away calmly before he turned his head back to look at Grungni in the eyes.
"I have hope again." Sigmar stated out loud as he held his hammer harder than ever before.
"I have hope that this time...we can win this war and not be their play-toys ever again." the God of the Empire snarled out like his patron before him as he stalked forward once more, his hammer blazing a path before him.
"I hope so too Umgi...I hope so too...now, time to get to work again..." Grungni muttered to himself as he walked back into the mine, spine a little straighter, eyes sharper, and more than ever before...he felt invigorated for the first time in countless loops. By his beard, even if this timeline fails...he was going to make such a fight of it his own people will mistake him for Grimnir come again!
Valaya
Valaya sighed as she sat within her realm in the warp, so much to do and so little time...time...how horrid that the damned mollusk and its ilk would trap them all in this damned loop again and again just to try and break them. Bah, those damned aberrations were so full of themselves if they thought they could truly conquer the hearts and minds of her people. She was not sure how the fallen ones came about, suspecting foul tricks and plays, and most likely countless loops of their own before they had been broken...
Broken...she sighed as she lamented the fallen ones. But now, they were the enemies of Dwali, and if they should threaten the holds of her people, she would defend them even against them. Perhaps one day that shame will be wiped away for good, but for now she had to contend to the shameful fury of that damned bull nabbing good Dwali souls and not being able to do anything about it. Still...the dark of the corners of her room did get deeper...
With a critical eye Valaya slowly reach for her axe, if the damned Daemons thought they could grab her within her realm again she would show them out like she did with the rest of their ilk...powerless and crushed and rendered to pieces under her axe's tender care...after all a healer knows best on how to put living beings together, and how to take them apart for good. it might even do the warp-spawn some good to be made "Normal" after a few good operations.
With a smirk Valaya grabbed her axe before her husband Grungni came through the door again with a sudden bang. Startled Valaya swiftly threw the axe at him and in a few heartbeats was moments away from sticking him with a kitchen knife before she stopped.
Grungni already knowing of her...ferocious habit of defending their home-turf merely waited patiently for her to snap out of defensive mode and back into her more homely mode. He also remembered why he married the Lass before him again in those old days again. Besides Grimnir's sad attempts of romance, bah! Still, the Axe was just a few hairs ready to shave his head a bit more, and the knife at his throat (where a daemon would usually be crouching down to enter the doorway), a makeshift shield basket ready to smack away any defensive attempts (which was not moving was the right idea).
"Valaya" Grungni smiled grimly at his wife before she blinked a few times before frowning and putting the knife away back into her pouch and ripping the axe from its marked spot on the doorway again.
"Grungni, you're in a surprising, uplifted mood? Did one of the holds find a good Gromil Deposit again?" Valaya asked as she gauged her husband's reaction.
"I'm calling a council, all of us...well besides Grimnir, he's busy at the road of bones...so I'll have to get Thungni to get the message up to him." Grungni began as he started to walk to the fireplace with his wife watching him worriedly...then the worry doubled as he began to pace as he only ever did if anything had gone terribly wrong...or spectacularly right which point he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"What's going on?" Valaya asked as she peered at her husband with a squinted look. Grungni grunted as he took out a roll of parchment and tossed it at her...opening it moments after deftly catching it Valaya took a few minutes to read the manuscript, then did it again for good insurance as she read every line and reread it to look for any loop-holes or issues.
"This is happening?" Valaya blandly stated as she looked up at her husband as he nodded sharply.
"Truly?!? You know how Gazul will react yes?" she pressed on as her husband looked at her with a deeper and firmer nod.
With a deep sigh of her own, Valaya looked at the contract...and just knew this was both going to be a great boon to the holds, but also a great headache.
"You do know the number of grudges needing to be repaid in blood, gold, or service will be steep yes?" She asked more warily as her husband looked at her with one of his old acknowledging looks.
"I know, that's why I'm getting almost everyone together, yes the Drakka have done many things to the Dwali but now hopefully we can settle the grudges in the manner we laid down all those years ago..." Grungni stated aloud as he began pacing and muttering to himself on the various ideas on how to balance the scales again.
"If this works...then maybe we have a chance this time, but i won't hold my breath Grungni...the Drakka have done many terrible things, but i will acknowledge they have also helped in many things as well...so i will go to this meeting with open eyes if not for our lost holds and old glories, but for our people's sake." Valaya firmly replied as she looked at her husband in the eye again after he stopped pacing a hole in the good stonework of her kitchen/temple/domain.
"Good then, let us be done with these grudges...perhaps now the burden on our people will be made lesser and our wealth and numbers greater than before." Grungni muttered as he turned to the doorway, leading his wife as she grabbed her warrior outfit, as well as picking up her husband's less used combat gear on the way out.
Grimnir
Grimnir frowned as he cut down another of the abominations…their numbers were thinning…far too much then just with his axe. Bah, it looked like the four tumors were starting another little march down south again. Blasted things, at least he could take solace they had to take the long way around rather then just use the gate he was guarding. Damn magic couldn't work properly like Thungni's runecraft.
Add a note to that, he felt the small jolt of a spark, altering the path of his axe to instead of just beheading a group of daemonettes ended up throwing them into a the path (after being mostly dead) of another group of blood thirsters. of all the times Thungni's communication rune had to ring up, just when his boredom was starting to slid right In again before he started experimenting to see if he could send another lord of changes giblets at the portal to see if it closed then. Still, that small side-project Thungni made was given to him in secret just for emergencies…
And whatever has riled the beasties this time around that they are making harder presses then normal to try and keep his attention from his goal. Bah, daemons never learned from their mistakes after he sent them to their gods as failures if they lived from his axe. Still, at least this time the crowd was smaller than the last rune, or was it the run before that?
"Bah…" Grimnir grumbled like a slow encroaching avalanche as he spun his axe and bisected another enterprising dragon ogre before twirling around to send a group of nurglites into a pulp to blind the color horrors to prevent them from firing their damn magic at him. Then after taking advantage of their little mistake of being blinded and mulching them enough that the bloodthirsters again got into the habit of killing their so-called allies just to try and challenge him again…
And like all the times before that he slashed them apart and sent them back to their god with nary a scratch on his person. Some doom he had so far…
Still, it wouldn't hurt to take a moment to look at the rune and listen to what his brother had to say…
With a rumbling sigh he picked the rune from the pouch hanging on his belt and beheld it for a moment, allowing the information to be sent directly into his mind either the light patterns of the rune giving the info…
"Wait…what now?!?" Grimnir blandly said s he stared at the rune while the daemons for some reason held back.
For a few dozen heartbeats no one did anything before Grimnir slowly massaged his head.
"Bloody leeches…bloody Drakka…and bloody damn time those scaled shits got their umdak together and actually started doing something for once rather then laze about doing a whole lot of nothing." He grumbled as he exploded again into motion turning the standing still daemons into mulch for the Road of Bones. He had a job to do dammit, and he WILL find a damned way to seal that damnable Gate even if it means dying in the process…which case he has been failing to do for centuries…
Dammit…he really is the worst slayer ever.
Gazul
Gazul was not mad…he was not irritated. With a blazing slash from his sword he struck down another trail of chains trying to reach into his domain. With a deep rumble he dashed into combat with the dark beasts that try and fail to get by him to the souls he protected in the shadows. He was not furious; he was not even angry.
He was Absolute Damned Livid, and it showed with his fights as he fought harder than he had ever fought before. Movements that would be more akin to that of Grimnir rather then his calm quick strikes with his blade. His cloak and hood hiding his muted rage as he hacked and slashed with Zharrvengryn. It was good for him to excise this fury before his brethren came to his realm. That and it allowed him to clean house up a bit.
A good excuse to cut loose for a time before he returned to his more shadowy work as the backdrop of his brethren ancestor gods.
With a sigh as he cut down the last of the beasties and darker beings that should never see the light of day he directed the next batch of dwarven souls into his halls to meet their kin and all. He rumbled lightly as he narrowed his eyes at the thought of what must be done to even THINK of allying with that Desecrating Pile of Drakka Dung.
He knew Morr would be throwing a much greater hissy fit, fitting for a manling god to do so, but well within his right to raise hell almost literally about the leech. That alone would have had him grumbling, but other duties would have led him to keep watch over his people's souls…but rising as a damned god?
Becoming a Drakka entirely by accident, and not only that but the damn Father of their species?!?!
Gazul of all beings KNEW of the power of family lines, and what power titles could hold. He had been born as clanless after all, someone with no true support and earning every bit of his work by his own hands. Even the ancestor worship was because of him by Grungni's beard!
Still, he would listen, if only so he could point out every damn bit of information he could gleam and milk from to point out how damn bad of an idea the entire show was. But then again, there wasn't much the Dwali could do about it. Perhaps if it was the golden age, and they had the numbers, rune lords, and every other advantage and got to the Damn Leech Drakk before it began its dirge song, then MAYBE they would have had a chance to end the potential threat before it began.
But now? With those Storm and Fire Drakka hanging about in the lands west of the grey mountains? Pointless waste of good Dwali lives for his taste. He could however acknowledge that raging about it and trying to strike a blow against them was pointless, but that didn't mean they couldn't try to make the Drakka's life miserable at the very least.
And if he knew his brethren like he did before…and how That Dawongr Sigmar would most likely try to find a way to ensure it could work more for the forces of order rather then the damn undead or worse the chaos itself.
With a deep sigh, Gazul began to recall any ideas he could have that he and the Umgi god Morr could agree on if that Zangunaz Drakk even attended the meeting that was surely going to happen AFTER this one. Best trim the number of beasts right now, give him time to work with the Umgi god to get good points up.
With a grunt and a quick flourish Gazul sheathed his blade and walked deeper into the darkness, that had by now grown ever deeper with the distant roar of a Dragon rumbling the underground that he protected from intruders.
Smednir
The Smith of Dwali kind, Smendir sighed as he finished another of his works…so much to, to reclaim, to repair, to found, and to grieve. Ever since the catastrophe, all his people could do was those things. Very rarely did anything happen that was good to the Dwali without some form of another hammer dropped on their feet.
Case in point the Dwali-Zharr…Smednir grit his teeth and his hands tightened around his hammer. He was a smith by nature, but even he could admit wanting to smash that damnable bull in the head. Only if Gazul had managed to get to those holds in time, if only he could have shattered the damnable thing…
So many timelines, so many opportunities lost never to be reclaimed because the damnable four kept throwing more and more different approaches at them. sometimes it was similar enough to stink of a trap, other times nothing.
With a deeper rumble from his chest Smednir put away his tools and carefully put everything to order in his smithery, and after sending his orders for the next decade to the beardlings of his temples he began to pack for the journey ahead. It was better to have every tool needed to ensure that you not only made it there, but also got everything ready.
He wasn't blind or deaf like some would believe, he knew how to read the signs of a new god. What surprised him was that it was a damn Drakk, and yet also a Uzkular…better yet a Zangunaz!
Damn leech found a way to rise to godhood…but Smednir was no fool, he KNEW that vampires or undead would have had a greater time becoming a god by their simple nature, it would take planning beyond recognition and bastardy and twisted magics and runic items to even think of becoming one. Yet here they were, having to figure out if this new god was an ally or foe.
And to Smednir? He just knew whatever came out of this, nothing would ever be the same way again. That reason alone was why he was going, that reason alone is why he was going to pull his little brother from his runes again. That reason alone is why he would try to have hope for this new and darker future. Because if he didn't, he wasn't sure what else he would be able to do but go through the motions of everything AGAIN.
Thungni
Many would say Thungni was missing or trapped within his realm, many would be wrong. Thungni wasn't trapped…he was preparing. Centuries of labor, time-loops of cycles of notes carefully worked into the stone of the glittering realm, runecraft and wards to prevent scrying and/or prying into the secrets, and so many more defenses both mundane and mystical glowed and were shadowed within this realm.
So much work, and so little time…Thungni had made this realm his home for a good reason, he was researching a specific set of runes, ones that could allow the great vortex to be amplified to a far greater degree and weaken the influence of the dark gods forever more in this world. But that wasn't enough, a barely passable job in his opinion.
No, he was researching a way to permanently put an end to them in every world that the filthy warp-stains were working their way into. A way to ensure good dwali everywhere would survive, as well as their allies. Maybe the Elgi if he was feeling generous enough…
Still, everything was going almost exactly as he had hoped for, so far the events were aligning to the more positive ending that Grungni and Sigmar had worked out together, where the forces of order beat the chaotic forces just hard enough for them to reset the clock. If they hadn't done a overwhelming defeat of chaos on a whole then the next four tides of chaos would have ravaged the world enough that the four would become bored enough to reset the timeline anyway.
If they struck too hard and started to besiege the northern and southern wastes with everything they could have bring to bear, then the four would get serious.
Thrungni only had to witness such a timeline once before he swore to never see it again…Seeing the four greatest exalted of the four in all their power had shattered the planet and then they had waged their own private war over the remains for a generation or two before their patrons got bored and reset it all again.
To see Grimnir thrown about by Skull-taker at his mightiest strength…and so many war gods almost made impotent against him? Thrungni could only shake his head in an almost sick sense of thankfulness that the four wanted this timeline as a way to pass the damn time. It gave him time and a way to work against the four in a slow, steady, and careful manner. One that has been so far unnoticed by them.
One of the greatest events that has happened so far was the revival of The Father of Dragons. Sure, his machine he had Morgrim make him in secret was barely able to keep things on track with the amount of calculations and possibilities being lightened up by the rune-work he had placed onto it. So far it was becoming more and more favorable, especially with the probability that the grey mountains would become a safe haven (as safe as this world can be anyway) for his people. In return favorable trade deals as the least owed for such a thing, though he was concerned on the broken rune-blade that was found. Still the calculations had given the greater readings if the Drakk Zangunaz learned of rune magic from it…something that soured his mouth and drink every time he thought of it.
The idea of that Creature having Rune Magic made him want to pummel something, still…at least he wouldn't learn DWALI secrets…he hoped so anyway. But everything he had worked for, everything he had done…was for the salvation of his people.
And if led to the events that would see the bull crushed to fine powder in the wind? Fine, he would consider that payment for allowing the Drakk access to the runes…but making no mistake, he would be having WORDS with the beast for this, and that was JUST the start of the repayments that would be needed for any teaching of apprentices that Drakk would most likely do.
Still…the runes have told with the probability being that it would most likely be based on their own brand of magic rather then the Rune Craft of his realm. So that was something at least.
Still, it would be best if he got everything needed for travel soon, he would need to cover everything up and ready everything else before Smednir gets here…so much to do and so little time to do it.
Morgrim
Morgrim was waiting at the edges of Gazul's realm, his newest update to the steam-tank design he used during the catastrophe now bearing a few newer runic cannons that had been rigorously tested for the last decade and a half (in their final stages no less) was now coming together. Still didn't mean that waiting around mean he could be lazy.
Pah, only beardlings could complain about not having work when he had pre-checks to finish up as well as tune-ups of any tiny problems that may or may not happen down the line. Better to get rid of it now then let it fester and ruin his machinery.
Still, this whole thing about a certain new god rising was concerning, which was why he had all but bolted to Gazul's underground with his creation rather then wait for the summons. That and he wanted to get things done so he could review the "newer" creations that his people were making, damn beardlings going so fast, then again in these dark days it was needed…bah!
Morgrim rumbled slightly as he finished up the last-minute checks for his creation and then tapped a few runes on the side panels of his machine. Awakened the turrets of his creation moved on their own seeking out any targets not of Dwali-kind or recognized as allies of Dwali. With a nod that everything was going as it should Morgrim took out some parchment and metal quills, and with a grim determination he began to examine the plans before him for the newest edition of the flamer-tanks…a few tweaks here and there should allow it work with less fuel and with greater intensity, however the linkages would be weaker…unacceptable.
He made a few marks for that bit, as well as watching as newer script flowed around the parchment as he carefully began to make scratches of notes and possible tests to be done. If everything went well then, the flamers should see the faces of the Raki in a good solid decade, now that he had done his part to the designs as well.
Taking note of noises coming from the tunnels around him, Morgrim slowly and carefully put everything away with a decent pace of a master-machiner…he wasn't worried, otherwise his Steam-Tank would have started blasting the intruder's into multiple smaller cinders.
If anything, he would be having words and exchanges with his family and brethren ancestor gods. Hopefully Gazul is in a good mood, he wouldn't put it past the moody dwali to grumble about the state of things for the first few days of the meeting if everything goes well. If not, then he would cross that chasm when it comes up…
Still, he hoped someone would tell him WHY there was a new Dark spot in the damnable warp, as well as why there were so many Drakk lately heading there…as well as why the largest Drakk he had ever spied with his telescope was Napping INSIDE OF IT!!!
Aww man was hoping they were the mortals veiw of things but that works too