The Dragon is a master of Hysh, being mauled is meaningless to it since it can heal. Thus if it is given the time to go at it again its in perfect health.
Someone with goog MSPaint skills should do the 'Mathilde Weber school of Karag Reclaiming' skit.
Mathilde: "Your best bet is to be luckier than everyone else, it works for me so that's my advice. Also make sure that your enemies are in the middle of a civil war."
Thorgrim: "But what if the Grobi unite and bring a large Waaagh?"
Mathilde: "Letting the Grobi unite? That's a bad strategy son, plus it's gruesome. Just stick to being lucky."
Sealing Skaven tickets is good and well.
But we cannot stop them from digging in through arbitrary point in the ground. This, in fact, is exceptionally concerning, as it means we have no means to fortify against Skaven.
There are likely magical solutions to this. In fact since the Skaven civil war is still wrapping up and those can go on for a while we may have some time before a skaven turn their eye back here. I would love to create a legendary enchantment that surrounds K8P. Something like the legends of the fey woods IRL where skaven tunnelers just get turned around and lost while trying to get dig up to K8P.
I think that might be too radical even by Belegar's standards.
But now I'm imagining that Ranald puts on a fake beard, squats to look shorter, and applies for a big temple alongside the Ancestor Gods.
"Totally a dwarf you guys, look, I've got an axe and all, can't believe you forgot I'm part of your pantheon." Axe is labeled in runic, 'Property of Grimnir'
So we are going to turn another one of the Peaks into another mega tower, dedicated to Ranald, only this time it creates a swanking probability field that increases the luck of Karak Eight Peaks and its allies currently residing in the peaks?
The Dragon is a master of Hysh, being mauled is meaningless to it since it can heal. Thus if it is given the time to go at it again its in perfect health.
Sealing Skaven tickets is good and well.
But we cannot stop them from digging in through arbitrary point in the ground. This, in fact, is exceptionally concerning, as it means we have no means to fortify against Skaven.
We know that Kragg can create Runes that can detect digging from the Und-Uzgar battle. With the Thorek swarm in K8P we might be able to create a comprehensive early warning system for Skaven diggers across the entire Karak.
I think that might be too radical even by Belegar's standards.
But now I'm imagining that Ranald puts on a fake beard, squats to look shorter, and applies for a big temple alongside the Ancestor Gods.
"Totally a dwarf you guys, look, I've got an axe and all, can't believe you forgot I'm part of your pantheon." Axe is labeled in runic, 'Property of Grimnir'
Sealing Skaven tickets is good and well.
But we cannot stop them from digging in through arbitrary point in the ground. This, in fact, is exceptionally concerning, as it means we have no means to fortify against Skaven.
That's a problem that dwarf holds have dealt with for a long time now. As long as the skaven aren't inside the walls they should be by and large manageable.
The hilarity of enemies killing each other aside, do we really want to push into Rhyn, even with how badly mauled everyone there likely is?
And then there is a big, dragon-shaped....dragon in the room. Not sure we are taking Ziflin in this battle round.
Mhonar Mystery keeps being mystery.
But other than that, K8P is ours for taking, at this rate. Under-Karagril, Wyr, Under-Citadel, Under-Caldera, most likely Yar, up and down - all likely ours after this. A good haul even assuming we do not push into Rhyn, Ziflin and Mhonar.
edit: holding Yar is awkward though. It's between two hostile(?) peaks and only connection to friendlies it has is Under-Caldera.
We know that Kragg can create Runes that can detect digging from the Und-Uzgar battle. With the Thorek swarm in K8P we might be able to create a comprehensive early warning system for Skaven diggers across the entire Karak.
That's a problem that dwarf holds have dealt with for a long time now. As long as the skaven aren't inside the walls they should be by and large manageable.
"The Rangers from Rhyn and Zilfin should be reporting back soon," you say. "Depending on what's happening in them, we'll likely need your Throng ready to move out at a moment's notice."
There's a moment of silence. "Aye, we likely will," Kazador says at last. He claps you once on the shoulder, then turns and leaves.
You never gave too much attention to philosophy, but the Grey College covered it a little in the hopes of heading off any doubts their graduates might encounter. A being that does evil because it's all they know, goes the Grey College's position, is no less evil than one that embraced it willingly. The point where a difference might have been made lies in the past. It's natural to mourn the tragedy of those circumstances, but if you let it still your hand, the victims of future evils will not find solace in the perpetrator's lack of agency.
You do your best to keep that in mind as the first of the attendants throws themselves at you, and though the argument rings hollow, focusing on it lets you not focus on what you're doing. The attendants are fanatics, chosen for their piety and indoctrinated even further into something akin to a religious order. But what they aren't is warriors, and Aethyric Armour alone renders you immune to their fangs and claws. That doesn't stop them from trying, even after they see what happens to the first. There are places in the room that could conceal a Skaven, and the door behind you remains open. Any of them could run or hide. Not one of them does. You can respect that.
The grim business is quickly done, and you take a moment to catch your breath as best you can amid the overwhelming smell of blood and chemicals, regathering your willpower for an even grimmer business. The nearest Rat Mother lifts a head at your approach, baring her teeth at you. Maybe she has enough wits remaining to recognize you as a threat, but most likely she's expecting to be fed, and when no food is forthcoming her head slumps once more as she returns to the embrace of her chemical slumber. Skin hangs in folds from her massive frame, Mors' recent desperation freeing her from pregnancy for what must be the first time since she was transformed into what she now is. This is a much more straightforward philosophical question, as the chemicals that make her unnatural gravidity possible will soon begin to dissipate, and nature cannot sustain what warpstone has created. Those that know the secrets to maintaining her system are either already dead or soon will be, at the hands of men or Dwarves or Clan Eshin. The only difference you can make is to grant her a quick, painless death.
You wonder if she'd prefer it, if she was lucid enough to understand. Or if she was faithful enough to the Horned Rat that she'd want to suffer those future agonies in the faintest hope of some other Clan discovering her and using her to produce future generations of Skaven. Or if the process of transformation into a Rat Mother begins early enough that she never had a chance to develop enough to understand such matters.
You give her what peace you can, then move on to her sisters.
King Kazador, Princess Edda, and Thane Halken Stonebeard make up the current iteration of the Council of War, and they pass on the information they'd been distilling from the Rangers. You're more than happy to turn your full attention to the matter at hand, doubly so when you actually start to process what they appear to be reporting.
As expected, the Trolls had moved into Karag Rhyn, and appear to have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into a chance to fill their bellies. The Broken Toof and Crooked Moon appear to have been engaged in a spirited argument over territory when the Trolls had arrived, and were more than willing to turn their anger against these new interlopers, and greenskin Waaagh clashed with Trollish appetite and both sides lost. The mere dozens of Trolls remaining apparently consumed their fallen comrades to keep the feast for themselves, and all indications are they won't be bothering anyone for quite some time as they work their way through their feast.
That pales to news from Karag Zilfin. In stark and terrifying contrast to the sedate nature of its slumbering form, the Ice Dragon burrowed through every tunnel it could fit through with unnatural celerity, dragging any Skaven seeking refuge in narrower passages with a barbed net of pure light. With the Clan Skryre shattered, it then disappeared into the Underway, flying down the vast tunnel of the Grand Avenue towards Karag Yar. The Rangers have swept Karag Zilfin as best as they can, skirting the areas where the stench of chemicals becomes overwhelming, and found very few survivors, though they weren't survivors as of shortly after the Rangers found them. They've also found Skaven bodies that didn't appear to be the work of the dragon's talons or teeth or spell, bearing signs of bludgeoning similar to what happened to greenskins trespassing on Karag Mhonar, but again, no sign of what might have done it.
You digest this new information as best you can. The only organized resistance left in the entire Karak is Clan Eshin and Clan Mors, both of whom are locked in a battle to the bitter end, and an angry Emperor Dragon just joined their battle uninvited.
Okay. That... changes a lot of things.
[ ] YAR: Join the Karag Yar battle with a fourth force.
-[ ] Specify who:
-[ ] Specify leader:
[ ] YAR: Attempt to make contact with the dragon.
[ ] YAR: Fortify and garrison all entrances to the mountain.
-[ ] Specify who:
-[ ] Specify leader:
[ ] YAR: Make no move until you've scouted the Karag Yar battle.
-[ ] With Rangers.
-[ ] Personally.
[ ] RHYN: Assault the Trolls now.
[ ] RHYN: Fortify and garrison all entrances to the mountain.
[ ] RHYN: Cordon the mountain with Rangers.
[ ] RHYN: Leave them be.
[ ] ZILFIN: Assault the mountain to slay any surviving Skaven.
[ ] ZILFIN: Fortify and garrison all entrances to the mountain.
[ ] ZILFIN: Cordon the mountain with Rangers.
[ ] ZILFIN: Keep all forces clear.
- Any assault or garrisoning of Rhyn or Zilfin does not need the forces specified, whoever is spare will be assigned to it.
- There will be a two hour moratorium. This is not a plan vote.
- Rangers will scout Karag Yar no matter what you choose; the scouting option is for doing nothing on that front until they report back.
- All preparations against the coming Waaagh are to be made later.
We know that Kragg can create Runes that can detect digging from the Und-Uzgar battle. With the Thorek swarm in K8P we might be able to create a comprehensive early warning system for Skaven diggers across the entire Karak.
Dwarves only make the same runic system once. Each of the apprentices would make only a single one of those detect runes, which I don't think is enough to cover the entire karak.
"To the north, your land of Sylvania. To the east, endless mountains of greenskins, ever since Gunbad fell. To the south, Varn Drazh - the Black Water. A thousand mineshafts lost to us and crawling with foes. And to the west, Karak Varn, that once produced the metal that Zhufbar smelted, long lost to the thaggoraki."
So I was thinking that if there is one place that is benefitting a lot from what we've been doing, it's our oldest dwarf friends - Zhufbar. Sylvania is pacified, and it's looking more and more like it will stick. There will soon be dwarven ships patrolling the Black Water, with Barak Varr and its growing riparian force.
That means Zhufbar now have safe flanks for the first time in centuries. Does that mean they will be increasing their efforts to retake Karak Varn?
Oh hi there Mhonar Mystery I see you made sure the Dragon would win that fight.
That likely contributes to why most of the results were "Weird" or bad for us. Bad likely meant the dragon detected them and associated them with what we were doing.
You digest this new information as best you can. The only organized resistance left in the entire Karak is Clan Eshin and Clan Mors, both of whom are locked in a battle to the bitter end, and an angry Emperor Dragon just joined their battle uninvited.
Dwarves only make the same runic system once. Each of the apprentices would make only a single one of those detect runes, which I don't think is enough to cover the entire karak.
For one, I believe that's been slightly altered as making one of any runic 'system' would mean 99% of all items are made and runesmithing would be so non-existent it's not funny and for two, it could be argued that such a system would be a single rune work that just happened to be very very large.
So I was thinking that if there is one place that is benefitting a lot from what we've been doing, it's our oldest dwarf friends - Zhufbar. Sylvania is pacified, and it's looking more and more like it will stick. There will soon be dwarven ships patrolling the Black Water, with Barak Varr and its growing riparian force.
That means Zhufbar now have safe flanks for the first time in centuries. Does that mean they will be increasing their efforts to retake Karak Varn?
