The High King Acts

[Nurgle]

Maybe the sky Titan that is captured raised a rebellion.

 

[Chimeraguard]

It could also be Cathay. But we'll see whatever it is when the next post comes.

I'm just glad the Woad Warriors got some spotlight.

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

Confirmation that the to-be-offered province is ripe for conquest.

 

[Chimeraguard]

With the caveat that preparation for resistance is already starting to form, which might make the long-term occupation by the Sudnorsi tricky.

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

Information on the Dawi Zharr war efforts will be provided at the the end of next turn with a d10 roll for determining what information is acquired (I had misunderstood the question being asked of me earlier. there is no +2 modifier for these efforts)

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Ouch, guess I misunderstood. Was hoping to make use of some info for our next move.

With the caveat that preparation for resistance is already starting to form, which might make the long-term occupation by the Sudnorsi tricky.

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Perhaps, I'm not so sure given the metaphorical gauntlet they will have to run to get a resistance up and running and actually last.

 

[argenten]

I think the key thing for 119 is that

1: They don't have any resources left to extract so all the tribes we didn't kull in this raid will rise up because they got nothing left to lose.

2: We apparently took out most of the chaos worshipping tribes in the region so that might actually soften up things for the Sudernorsi in terms of absorbing the region.

3: the whispers and meetings were more along the lines of what to do if the *dwarves* demanded submission rather than tribute, the tribes of 119 might well find submission to the Sudernorsi more palatable than submission to the dwarves simply because the Sudernorsi hadn't demanded tribute like we had. In a weird way, the Sudernorsi might very well be the good cop to our bad cop.

 

[NickAragua]

Man, ouch on those supply caravans. That's gonna put a crimp in our plans for a while.

 

[Justinian]

Imagine how strong we could be if we took all of the chaos dwarves territory.. Will we have enough people? Maybe elves take the coast and we settle humans around our karaks?

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

Imagine how strong we could be if we took all of the chaos dwarves territory.. Will we have enough people? Maybe elves take the coast and we settle humans around our karaks?

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We won't. I get how it's easy to fall into fantasies but it's not going to happen barring stupendous changes outside of our control and/or ludicrously good rolls.

Not in this war at least.

 

[Copperscale]

Imagine how strong we could be if we took all of the chaos dwarves territory.. Will we have enough people? Maybe elves take the coast and we settle humans around our karaks?

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Nah, that territory borders the ogres.

Terrible neighbours.

Ideally, we weaken the chorf armies enough that the roving tribes become a more serious threat, and leave them stuck in a forever war with the ogres.

We do not want to have to do that ourselves.

 

[Horium]

We can't, as in we are unable to, truly destroy the Dawi Zharr.

And even supposing that we were able, the cost of it would probably be horrendous if not even self-defeating.

The goal for this war is to cripple their empire, destroy their force projection, prevent as much as we can them arming and armoring chaos humans, reduce their armies as much as we can thereby making them more vulnerable to their other enemies and slowing their growth.

Any wealth and technology looted is a welcome bonus as well.

 

[argenten]

Entire industries throughout the allied kingdoms and empires have developed and refined techniques for the creation of the vast stockpiles that the Dawi use to prosecute their war to the deepest heart of the Dawi Zharrs empire. And though a substantial amount of goods can be considered too umgak to be allowed into the warehouses of the Ankor, enough does pass their stringent requirements that the Dwarven Thanes dream of what they shall be able to accomplish in the coming season.

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Say what you will about this war, it has certainly done the Reiklanders and the Kaltnords a world of good in terms of their cottage industries and learning how to prepare food and goods for long journeys. It should make a dif for trade in terms of how well set up they are as well ohpefully.

It was inevitable that the edifice would eventually begin to come crumbling down. For while the Reman grain stores near or even within their own capital are able to be effectively emptied and placed onto ships before being swiftly sailed around the continent. To eventually arrive at the northern ports of the Reik… such cannot be said about the holds of the Ankor. Near one and all, the holds have been built as isolated mountain fastnesses within the depths of the most inhospitable mountain ranges on the planet. With roads, though better patrolled and repaired than in times gone past, still nowhere near the safety or reliability of the underway of old.

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Yeah, yeah...we had a lot of flops when it came to setting up the logistics >.< but hey, we'll keep at it and at least the fluff makes sense. Setting up the logistics where we are isn't going to be easy and there's going to be plenty of risks involved.

Seeing the disaster unfold, the thanes of the holds have released their throngs to clear the passes and ensure that such disasters cannot happen again, forbidding any further transport until the routes can be guaranteed to be both safe and secure. Eventually, after scouring the mounts for a month they have eventually relented, but it will take at least a whole season to establish the supply routes once more, especially as several of the merchant leaders responsible for establishing the first set of caravans have shaved their beards and dyed their hair to make their way themselves to the battles in the north as payment for their hubris.

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Hang on @Lonkas so does this mean we still *do* get the supply lines we set up just a war turn later than we would have if we passed? Cause that will make a huge difference than if we just failed and have to try again. I mean, either of these fit, but it'd definitely be cool if we could keep some level of momentum.

Mysterious and strange, the shadow of Nagaryth have arrived within your camps only to depart unnoticed in the night, having received marching orders from their master, Prince Delaiith. The prince himself seizes for his own use a tower some distance from the main camp of the coalition armies and interacts only seldom with the other leaders of the war effort. Giving and receiving comments and instructions with a cold intensity that no joke or song is able to pierce. Not that much of an attempt is made by any party.

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Ya know...i can't say this doesn't fit. They are rather...focused for Elgi, at least they aren't *singing* hmph.

If one were to be extremely clear-sighted, one would begin to see shadowed figures making their way to the princes tower toward the end of the season. Carrying missives to confirm that their operatives have been successful in scouting, coercing or murdering their way into secure locations throughout the darklands and can now with some reliability report on the goings-on within the Dawi Zharr Empire.

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Sweet, now we will have at least some vague idea of what they are up to for the rest of the war. It won't be a guaranteed thing of prime usefulness but at least it can help us focus our efforts and react to attacks better.

Information on the Dawi Zharr war efforts will be provided at the the end of next turn with a d10 roll for determining what information is acquired (I had misunderstood the question being asked of me earlier. there is no +2 modifier for these efforts)

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All good, all good. Information and logistics make the difference in wars. now we have both.

The resistance that was encountered as your armies continued their march was rather limited at first, with your replenished and rested forces being almost completely unopposed as they made their way through Settlement after settlement. The entire hobgoblin population evicting themselves from their homes in order to avoid you. Though needless to say the grobi plot and scheme in the shadows of the caves just waiting for your ire to move on. Until at last, your host arrived at what could almost be described as a minor hold. Evacuated only recently by the Dawi Zharr and now occupied by their goblinoid slaves.

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We definitely need to do some kulling when we get the chance, but hopefully after we do, it will take care of the problems. Still, good to see the hobgobs have a healthy fear of our forces after we *trounced* them in the last invasion. And a minor hold is no small place to siege, glad we sent our main forces.

High walls and fortified ramparts jutted out from a secluded vale, with a vast bronze bull's head, a symbol of their wretched, wrathful god hidden behind the walls. The great gate within its cavernous maw marked the entrance to the hold proper. Watchtowers at the heights of the nearby cliffs gave a commanding overwatch and deadly sightlines of the entire area and Indeed had they still had cannon emplacements and Dawi Zharr guarding them they could have stood as more of an impediment to your ongoing campaign. But the cannons had been replaced by ramshackle stone-throwers and the Dawi Zharr with Hargrobi tribesmen, unused to playing the role of stationary defenders.

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Yup, the walls and towers are still strong but their efficacy is only as effective as their defenders...and the tribal hobgobs are hardly the same calibre as the chaos dwarves

Therefore while still formidable, a solution was devised rapidly as to how to defeat the bastion. A similar solution actually to what had proven successful far to the south. A conventional siege was begun as the dwarven contingents of the host set up artillery emplacements to begin reducing the walls, and this continued for a few days as walls began to crumble and more and more hargrobi were pushed to what remained of the fortifications. While this occurred a large contingent of umgi death cultists, or "Woad Warriors" approached the watchtowers under cover of darkness. With the high mages of the host flash turning the occupants into statues of solid crystal, the umgi seized the towers and searched for the hidden entryways that their Dawi guides were able to point out to them.

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I see, I see. Well it worked in Ulgash vs the chaos dwarves, should work here.

After swearing solemn oaths to their primal gods to never speak of how to spot these secret passageways, several hundred woad warriors with a crazed frenzy in their eyes, dawbed themselves in war paint and brandished shining axes as they descended into the depths of the chaos dwarf mine. Intent on surprising the Hargrobi in the depths of their lair. Silent as their wolf god on the hunt, it was several hours before any sign came from within and several among the host wondered if their trap had been reversed or if battle even now raged within the heart of the Dawi Zharr Keep.

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Yeah i can imagine how many oaths it'd take to get his knowledge from the dawi, that is secrets that could cause holds to fall in the wrong hands.

Then the howls began. Entirely indistinguishable from the calls of real wolves. And indeed taken up by several of the remaining mounts within the Hobgoblin fortress. The sound of the hunt echoed onto the field of battle from the great mouth of the bulls head as the gate was forced open by the blood soaked umgi who had just spent the last few hours slaughtering sleeping or unprepared hobgoblins within. Even those few bands who had been awake within the dark keep falling swiftly in battle to the chanting and bloodthirsty cultists lusting for glorious death and dealing it out in turn. Hearing the cries of those sworn body and soul to Ulric, the remainder of the host moved to meet them and rushed several of the breaches that had been formed over the last few days. Discovering after a brief if bloody fight, that only a few dozen seething madmen remained of the umgi who had descended into the mines. Who rather than mourning the loss of their brothers joyfully and with envy told stories of their comrade's deaths as they fought in swirling maelstroms of blood and madness in deepest darkness.

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Hehehe, they started a howl

and hey, if you're going to send a suicide mission, might as well send human slayers. They seem to have done a competent job of slaughtering the inhabitants and clearing the way.

With the way cleared after only a few thousand losses amongst the army, It is nearly a full host that descends into the plains north of Uzkuluk between the slaver hold and the sea, and they are arrayed in full battle formation expecting those wolf riders who call the plains home to rise to the challenge. Yet reports from eagles back and balloon-mounted troops come back with little answer for several weeks. Eventually, after plundering the remains of several hastily abandoned camps an eagle returns with the answer to the army's questions. It seems the Hobgoblins have abandoned their lands and fled from the host. Ranging north into the hostile and forbidding chaos wastes. Several Dawi Mutter darkly that should they flee far enough they could become yet another problem for Dum. Especially as they number in the hundreds of thousands. The longbeards however scoff at such foolishness and bemoan the state of the Ankors youngsters. The Dawi At Dum would surely consider a greenskin invasion a holiday compared to what they are used to dealing with.

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Hahahaha, love both the bit of our troops basically having a "Wait...that's it?! They ran?...what a rip off!" moment as well as the longbeards having a grumble at the youngsters worried about Karag Dum. It's a good point that the hobgobs, even if they number in the hundreds of thousands, are hardly going to be comparable to the enemies found in the chaos wastes.

I do hope that they at least softened up the chaos tribes in the area, as that would be a solid win/win for us. The greenskins that we drove away getting taken down by the chaos tribes who get severely weakened by the hobgobs in turn.

With that mystery solved, only one last settlement within the province lies outside the hands of the Karaz Ankor, Uzkuluk itself. Still strong and formidable, having weathered the now collapsed Hargrobi siege without a scratch to mark its stone walls or its numerous bastions. Its great siege guns fire in warning as your host approaches, and their formidable range from great heights ensures that your armies keep an appreciable distance as they set up camps. Plans are drawn up in their hundreds as Dawi, elf, and umgi alike propose solutions for the diamond-hard nut that they must find a way to crack, but few indeed can think of a way through the equal number of contingencies that a true Dawi hold will have in place. It will likely be the work of years to see the fortress reduced and that is if the Dawi Zharr make no surprising moves. Thus while the host is ready to move at a moment's notice, it is not yet enforcing a proper siege on the slave port.

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Yup, this isn't going to be easy and it's going to take time to set things up so that we can siege them, but we are in a far...FAR better position than I could have hoped for in terms of what we need to do and what we have to set up. That siege, as short lived as it was, saved us having to kill 100k hobgobs AND bought us a season to get things set up.

Upon the western shores of the sea of chaos, your ships are a known quantity. The smoke-belching ironclads will roam the waterways and hunt for any sign of the dark smiths. And now far more recently, for any sign of norscan longships, any echo of the mighty fleet that they had so readily smashed to timber. Yet this season things changed. This season the Dawi on their silver ships did not stop at the shoreline. No instead they drove their ships into the abandoned bays and up thawed Fjords to disgorge heavily armored dwarves bearing weapons of smoke and flame in their hundreds and their thousands.

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Time to pay the weregild for the fleet that was sunk Umgi...

There were tribes who attempted to resist of course. Those few who had stored enough to last the winter or who served the bloody of the four rather than any other. But after so bitter a winter and without having access to the sea. Those tribes who decided to fight when the Dawi demanded tribute… they were few and far between. Having lost their best raiders to the sea, the thunder and smoke of the dwarves and with no place to run when the fight went south… Well when all was said and done there was more food for those tribes who chose tribute rather than extinction

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Ah, so we managed to cleanse the ones that worship *Khorne* from the tribes of 119...that actually is both good and bad. they are often the most vicious fighters but that leaves Tzeentch's lot to be extra tricky and Slaanesh's are no slouches either.

And hey, more food to go around will actually make the remaining tribes slightly less desperate in terms of being starving.

Most tribes took the lesser of the two evils. Offering up what they had to the stern-faced dwarves with judgment in their eyes and vengeance in their hearts. From coins and blades to pots and pans. Even furs and ivory were offered up to the Dawi to stave off extinction. These the Dawi took, sneering at what little the tribes at the edge of the world could offer before they climbed once more into their smoking ships and sailed back to the dragons peak, leaving those who remained in even direr shape than before the Dawi came.

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That being said, they have been thoroughly cleaned out and as it was said before...these tribes will not forget the vengeance of the dawi.

Still, though there is a bitterness in the tribes now. They have bent all they are willing to bend. Hunters and shamans speak quietly in the night and away from prying eyes. Talking in hushed tones of what the tribes will do if pushed too far and how they might hope to resist if the dawi stop demanding tribute and instead demand submission.

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Yup, we can't raid this region any more and I'm glad we got the deal to pass off the territory to the Sudernorsi as they will probably be more tolerable to the inhabitants than the Dawi after this raid. but ya know what...meh, they backed the wrong mountain dwellers and we are being positively *nice* by comparison.

The eastern shore however fares far worse for the Dawi, for while these folk too have drifted far from the shore, hiding rather than fighting their homelands are not bounded by mountains. So there are few tribes who are caught by the Dawi, with those who see the smokestacks packing up and heading far inland until the dwarves have come and gone. Some few trinkets are still acquired from those who are too slow to leave, or whose pride will not let them flee from their foes but the pickings are slim compared to those further west.

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Meh, we can try again later and still soften them up further but we got something from the region and that is still better than nothing.

The darklands are a good name for those vast and dry plains. A cruel land that requires a cruel heart to tame it. Yet what has been done in the domain of Ulgash, that, is a step beyond all thoughts of depravity. The Dawi Zharr it seems decided that after your raid, and the destruction of their fortres,s that they indeed could not hold down the hundreds of thousands of slaves in such an exposed position. Indeed the elves of Lauralorn that you had dispatched to raid the area were hoping to take advantage of how stretched the Zharr would have to be.

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Yup, it was a good plan...

If the Zharr consented to such a thing.

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But no plan survives contact with the enemy.

Instead, they have upended the table at this game of Kladrok* and thrown the pieces away in a fit of spite. The Elves find their landing unobserved and unopposed and count themselves lucky. Then they proceed inland and grow nervous and wary of ambush as the hours turn to days and they find no scouting forces block their way or taking note of their passing. Then they finally arrive at their first target, a vast open faced granite mine, and realize what has occurred.

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It's never good when the enemy doesn't bother to defend their own territory...

Tens of thousands lie dead in the open pit where they had spent their days toiling and mining. Orks, humans and even the occasional thaggoriki having been slain by the spite of an overstretched empire. Here and there are signs of the struggle as it seems that not all the slaves were taken completely by surprise. But what can unprepared and undernourished slaves do against a Dawi Zharr battleline and their broken bodies have been added to the piles just as all the rest. Inspection of the rest of the camp finds it almost completely bare, with not a single scrap of salvageable goods found throughout the camp. The Zharr it seems had been thorough in their unrelenting cruelty.

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It is perfectly within character for the Chaos dwarves and helps solve their overextension problem...but it was not without cost. Even with them having taken the wealth from the region, the slaves that they slaughtered will be hard to replace and will take a long time to replenish if possible.

Moving throughout the rest of the province similar scenes are found. Hundreds of thousands dead, perhaps even up to a million when added all together, though, perhaps thankfully, as the elves move north they find the slaves closer to the heartlands of the Zharr have simply been moved rather than massacred. Even if perhaps under such masters the slaves would consider those further south to be the lucky ones. Eventually, moving to the northern edge of the province and at risk of exposing themselves to being cut off and surrounded, the elves do eventually come across a Dawi Zharr patrol. Composed mostly of the iron hargrobi but with a few dozen of the black legion, they avoid contact with the elven host until they slip away north in the night. Indicating that the Zharr have "only" abandoned the area that Ulgash used to administer.

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And so the region was basically salted and burned. On the one hand that deprives us of the chance to raid it, on the other they concentrated that wealth in a different region making it an even BIGGER pay off when we do. Plus they still have to massacre all those slaves and as horrific as it is...there's no winning option sort of us having been able to free them...and that would have just left the army overburdened and the salves either killed or recaptured.

Not willing to commit any further the elves do back away then and proceed back to the bastion to investigate if anything remained of the ruin. To their surprise they find that despite the sabotage work of the dawi engineers, the bastion itself could still be made serviceable… If a great amount of time and effort went into making it so for even while still being partially whole, entire rooms do sometimes fall into the encroaching sea.

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All in all, it'd make a great way to ensure that the chaos dwarves cannot access the sea again without having to be exceedingly creative which is going to be monstrously expensive.

Continued in The remains of Ulgash

Nxet Chapter, The Dragon and the Titan, The remains of Ulgash

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Well that's all sorts of Ominous but hey, hopefully it's a good thing for us.

Imagine how strong we could be if we took all of the chaos dwarves territory.. Will we have enough people? Maybe elves take the coast and we settle humans around our karaks?

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That would leave us soooo massively overextended that it'd make what the chaos dwarves went through look like nothing. We don't have the means, supplies, or even the people to clear the Chaos dwarves out, let alone take over.

Ideally we will do enough damage to them that it will take them centuries to millennia to rebuild and by that time we *might* be able to womp them a second time, but just being able to limit their slave trading to what they can do through the chaos tribes in their immediate borders as well as making them more vulnerable to raids from all around them would be enough.

I'll be happy to break even on this war if not turn a profit depending on how much we're able to gouge out of the Chaos dwarves. I mean, the fact that we have a deal to take out 119 as a threat after the war is already a bonus that has me smiling.

 

[Thule]

So what i am getting from this turns fails is that we cant do a deep raid right?

 

[argenten]

So what i am getting from this turns fails is that we cant do a deep raid right?

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We *could* with 100k but we have arguably greater needs than performing a deep raid in the coming turn.

At this point the deep raids are best saved for when the siege is actually in place and sufficiently supplied so that the Chaos dwarves cannot break it up with the population of the defenders.

Once we do however, we have about 2 to three major targets. The forts blocking off the now ruined 'great highway' to allow for greater chaos tribe and greenskin raiding, the Black fortress to take out the concentration of Black legion as well as open up the eastern front for the ogres to raid on their own and at our behest, or the Tower of Golgoroth.

 

[Thule]

That is a shame, i dont like leaving the Chaos dwarfs time to make moves, if we attack one of those places, if will force the CD to fix the problem that we have made, but now with us doing the siege, we are giving them time to regroup and move troops around and get supplies to attack

 

[Copperscale]

That is a shame, i dont like leaving the Chaos dwarfs time to make moves, if we attack one of those places, if will force the CD to fix the problem that we have made, but now with us doing the siege, we are giving them time to regroup and move troops around and get supplies to attack

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We cant afford to wage an offensive war for very long, we have enemies at home.
And destroying Zharr naggrund would be a long bloodbath

• Ancient dragon from Thunder mountain hunting aroun karaz a karak
• Nagash is back at eight peaks
• Skaven at karak varn and near karak akrak
• Orcs in the mountains (Karak Drazh and Karak Ungor)
• Vampires next to Karak Kadrin

 

[Thule]

We cant afford to wage an offensive war for very long, we have enemies at home.
And destroying Zharr naggrund would be a long bloodbath

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i know we cant wipe out the the CD and we cant fight for long, but with us not making moves to hurt the CD is gonna give the CD time to make moves against us

Until we have a peace deal, we are the ones who should be on the attack, force the CD to react to our moves and not the other way around

And by only staying in the siege will allow the CD time to make moves

 

[Sir LagsAlot]

Leaving Uz unsieged isn't an option as it's the only way for us to secure a peace that could be considered a real victory, and the forces required to siege it with security represent enough of our quality units that any attempted breaking of a province rather than a mere raid isn't really realistic well the siege is ongoing something that doesn't change by delaying the siege so the only thing left to do is to muster the supplies for the siege well accomplishing secondary objectives as time allows such as kulls, raids or the fulfillment of our deal with the Norsi.

 

[Lonkas]

Hang on @Lonkas so does this mean we still *do* get the supply lines we set up just a war turn later than we would have if we passed? Cause that will make a huge difference than if we just failed and have to try again. I mean, either of these fit, but it'd definitely be cool if we could keep some level of momentum.

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They Failed and you would have to try again I'm afraid. The merchants had a go, the caravans got attacked, and the merchants went slayer. The paths are now clear but you would have to set them up again

 

[Thule]

i dont to leave Uz unsieged, but is there not a way we can attack the CD lands? i wood elfs force could reach some CD patrols, so maybe have them do some hit and runs on those patrols and have our air forces hit something in the north, sure its a small thing but it would force them react to our moves in a small way

 

[Sir LagsAlot]

i dont to leave Uz unsieged, but is there not a way we can attack the CD lands? i wood elfs force could reach some CD patrols, so maybe have them do some hit and runs on those patrols and have our air forces hit something in the north, sure its a small thing but it would force them react to our moves in a small way

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We're already doing that although I'd point out that they don't control any land in the north besides Uz at this point.

 

[Thule]

We're already doing that although I'd point out that they don't control any land in the north besides Uz at this point.

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So if they send a army to attack our forces at Uz, they are gonna have to fight in the other province all the way to Uz?

 

[Sir LagsAlot]

So if they send a army to attack our forces at Uz, they are gonna have to fight in the other province all the way to Uz?

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Maybe? Who knows if the Hobgoblins will fall back in line if the Dawi Zharr arrive in force, if they'll run and hide, or if they'll outright attack them or not but at least for now they aren't listening to them.

 

[Nurgle]

Ok so the zhar are killing there own slaves. Which is good and bad. I was hoping to free the humans and turned them into a polity that hates the zhar. The good thing is they are killing their own slaves which means the other slaves will find out and cause problems. Bad thing is they are killing their own slaves dealing with the immediate problem of possible rebellion, but again their slaves will know.

If we had more intrigue actions I say we could take advantage of these but since we do not we need to besiege Uzuluk and get a QRF ( quick reaction force) to deal or blunt any counter attack.

 

[Copperscale]

Ok so the zhar are killing there own slaves. Which is good and bad. I was hoping to free the humans and turned them into a polity that hates the zhar. The good thing is they are killing their own slaves which means the other slaves will find out and cause problems. Bad thing is they are killing their own slaves dealing with the immediate problem of possible rebellion, but again their slaves will know.

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Scorched earth is nasty business.

But also very in character for chaos dwarfs.