Surface Hold
Grudge Stones, 92/50. Completed.
(1 Stonemason Die.)
92
The Shatterspears have ascended South Peak and carved an ammunition store into mountain behind the tower where the Grudge Thrower sits. It is a simple room, and it is soon filled with the carefully stacked Grudge Stones. These are stone cubes engraved with historic grudges, there are the names of those who died in the recent battle etched across some of them and are the perfect size to be hurled by the Grudge Thrower above.
There is time enough across the year for the Stonemason Clan to lay extra ammunition in stores built in accessible positions throughout the rest of the defences though these stores are closer to empty since no Grudge Throwers stand to make use of them.
Ammunition Stores built in South Pass.
North Peak
Huge, Fortified and Decorated Forge Hall, 237/200. Completed.
(1 Warsmith Die + 1 Beardling Die.)
82+8 = 90
The many rooms of the Forge Hall have been separated out with walls and equipped with anvils and tool racks. With the Hall useable, effort was then turned towards making it secure and something approaching pleasant. The main hallway has been narrowed where it meets the Lower Receiving Hall and heavy stone gates have been set in place so that the Hall can be sealed.
A great statue of Smednir stands over the gates and tapestries of the deeds of his life are engraved in the walls. Elders have chosen their forges and chosen their own tales of legendary smiths of ancient days to decorate their workspaces with that they might be inspired to reach those same heights.
Huge, Fortified and Decorated Forge Hall built in North Peak. +2 to all Dice. +5 to non-Character combat rolls. -5 to highest Warsmith Dice -10 Coal and -5 Steel Ingot per turn.
Training Hall, 73/60. Completed.
(1 Brewer Die + 1 Warsmith Die.)
25+48 = 73
A collection of halls and connecting tunnels have been built out from the Lower Receiving Hall in North Peak. Each hall is slightly different and the many access routes provided by the twisting tunnels have provided the Throng with training suffering ambushes in tight quarters. Throughout the year the minor Throngs have been battling against one another in the Training Hall.
Training Hall built in North Peak. +5 to combat in Open, Urban and Tight Terrain.
Huge, Fortified and Decorated Lower Hallway, 124/115. Completed.
(1 Farmer Die.)
41-5 = 36
Clan Ironplough has managed to carve a great Hallway from North Peak and out into the space under the Valley. At each end a Guardhall limits the flow into the Lower Receiving Halls, but the total length of the Hallway is broad to allow rapid travel between sections of the Karak. There are columns interspersed through the Hallway to keep the ceiling up with Wyrms twisting up into the shadows above and great waves of stone flame stretching across the stonework of the ceiling.
Huge, Fortified and Decorated Lower Hallway between the North Peak Hold and Valley Hold completed.
Significant Hold Fortifications, 218/300.
(1 Farmer Die + 1 Stonemason Die + 2 Beardling Dice.)
52-5-5-5+76+10+57+38 = 218
Extensive work has begun on fortifying the entrance to North Peak. Space has been carved out from the skin of the mountain to host a chain of three great gatehouses with narrow passages between them rigged to collapse should the defenders need to drop a great many tons of mountain upon their foe. So far only the outermost Gatehouse, and the one that will need the greatest work, has had any significant progress made upon it.
Here heavy stone gates thicker than three Dawi have been raised into place and stone blocks reinforce the skin of the mountain that holds the mechanism of the gate. The lower slopes of North Peak have been shorn so that access to the outside can only be reached from spiral staircases within the Hold. From there defenders can mount the battlements and fire down on attackers or go up into the towers that work their way up the near side of North Peak itself. A few squat bunkers will one day host Bolt Throwers and wide low slits have been cut into them.
But the second and third gatehouse behind will need to be built soon, the temporary supports that keep their space from collapsing are temporary.
The Underhold
Establish a Major Coal Mine, 3/50.
(1 Miner Die.)
3
The Stonebeards have set out to establish a new mine around the recently discovered Coal vein. With the Forge Hall lighting up there will be a need for more Coal but this year there's isn't any more coming in. The Miners have struggled to follow the vein accurately and several tunnels that were to be used to support the new Mine are wildly out of place. It has taken considerable time working in the darkness to reweave the tunnels to follow the edges of the vein.
Iron Ore Under-Storehall, 62/100.
(1 Brewer Die + 1 Beardling Die)
40-5-5+25 = 45
The Bronzeplaits have struggled to get the Iron Ore Under-Storehall built this year. Their obligations to the rest of the Hold continue to draw on much of their time and they have had little opportunity to really muster and set to work carving out the structure. It has made some steady progress and the Bronzeplaits are estimating that it should finish next year.
Training Underhall, 66/80.
(1 Miner Die + 1 Beardling Die)
61-5-5+15 = 66
Beyond the protection of the Underhold Fortifications lies a great warren of roughly hewn tunnels connecting up with natural caves and caverns all in utter darkness. Beardlings who journey into the Depths might do so with lantern in hand, but the Miners go into the darkness led only by their noses.
It is in these tunnels that the Training Underhall is being arranged. The Stonebeards and Elders of the Throng have been meeting throughout the year to map out the weave of tunnels that will be designated for training the Throng in fighting in the complete darkness of the Depths.
Runelord Challenge
Master Rune of Balance on North Peak, 3/4 turns completed.
Challenge Level: 20
51
The Rhunrikki has ascended North Peak with a handful of Beardlings. His wagon has had to be hauled up on the backs of his borrowed Beardlings as they try and shift it through the spiral staircases over to the great shape of the Master Rune of Balance.
Despite the building work going on below and behind him, the Rhunrikki has managed to avoid being disturbed and has finished carving out the Rune. When conditions are right in the coming year he intends to strike the Master Rune and awaken its power.
Master Rune of Balance reaches 3/4 turns completed.
Personal Challenge
Calm Clan Leadbeard, Success.
Challenge Level: 40.
(Lady Daungrumm)
98+5 = 103
Karstah is old enough to join the other Garazi in play and study. This year will be her fifth birthday and she is demonstrating an acceptable understanding of Khazalid, numbers and Clan lore. When Daungrumm goes across to the Leadbeard Clan Residences she leads Karstah by the hand and lets her loose amongst the Leadbeard Garazi.
The Elders of Clan Leadbeard sit down to meet with the Lady of the Hold. Their concerns have been that of all the major Clans of the Hold the Leadbeards are most often left to last receive the same necessities that the other Clans have. Further, it has been a decade since the Founding of Karak Drekfut and your decision not to arrange an armoury for the Clans to defend themselves puts undue stress on the Leadbeard Clan Warriors. The battle in South Pass is still a sore moment for the Clan and there are some grumbles that had the South Pass been reinforced then they may not have lost so many of their own number.
Daungrumm has managed to sooth the Elders and remind them that you have chosen to lead the Throng to strike out the Grudge that you swore in vengeance for the dead Leadbeards. And though the Clan Residences were later than most, they were also constructed with the same effort and luxury as the Noble Clan's Residences. Was her own bed as the Lady of the Hold not identical to those that the Leadbeards enjoyed?
Leadbeards become Pleased.
Join the Kull,
Challenge Level: Interlude.
(Lord Gartrim)
88
As the Throng gathers in South Pass to venture beyond the walls and strike the Hargrobi, you join them in the panoply of the Lord of Karak Drekfut. That you have chosen to join the Throng in striking out the first Grudge of Karak Drekfut so soon after it was written has given heart to the troops.
The Lorekeepers
Engineers, 1/5 turns completed.
The Lorekeepers have taken several of the older Beardlings down into the Hall of Remembrance to train in the lore of the Engineers. They have made great progress with the basics of working together wood, rope and metal having been practiced in the workshops. They don't yet know any designs, besides a small close-knit group of Greatmantle Beardlings, but it is always best to start with the fundamentals.
The Throng
Guard West Pass
Elder Urtain and the Westerly Throng have been charged with overseeing the defence of the Hold. Nothing has encroached upon Karak Drekfut of late but the various Dawi on watch have been reporting various sightings. The Great Eagles that circled overhead last year have vanished completely, riders in the west rode upon horses north to the black castle before returning again to the south and in the east a great host of Umgi warriors have crossed the great river on the horizon and marched north past the hold towards the Umgi settlements in the north.
A Kull into the South
A Throng has been assembled in South Pass ready to assault the Hargrobi nest. Well aware of the trickery and foul tactics of the Grobi, the Rangers have been sent forth to scout the winding route past several peaks to the enemy. They have identified no traps and when they set their noses to the tunnel entrances of the nest have scented no Hargrobi particularly close to the surface.
The Deadeye has set the Rangers up in stations surrounding the Hargrobi Nest watching over the three dozen identified entrances. He reports that though the Hargrobi are not present in the entrances or on the surface he knows they have not abandoned the peak. One of the entrances on the southern side of the nest echoes with the sound of mining.
