Shortly after dawn, the Expedition trundling along the Skull Road comes across you sitting atop a stack of barrels in the middle of the empty wasteland as you skim through the books. You project an air of aloof smugness as you ignore the many bewildered questions directed your way, which redouble after someone finds the markings on one of the barrels confirming that they came from a Marienburg trade ship. The Dwarves are familiar enough with their vessels at this point that it only takes them a few moments to swing out the davits and start hoisting the barrels aboard and it doesn't take long before the Expedition is underway once more, and you find a moment away from prying eyes to return the remaining precious stones to Borek, and pass word to him that there's apparently a displaced and hungry Ogre tribe somewhere in the area.
I wonder how many members of the expedition even know that Uzkulak exists to be able to guess where the barrels came from.
"What do you think we'll find at Karag Dum?"
"I don't. Never been, never met anyone who has apart from Borek, so not enough data. Though it does bother me that Borek is becoming more nervous, rather than less, as we get closer. I wonder if he would prefer them to have been destroyed than to have found an unconventional way of surviving."
"The counterfeit Slayers from Karak Vlag does highlight some ugly possibilities. Speaking of, any thoughts on the return of Karak Vlag?"
"Not really," he says with a shrug. "Don't get me wrong, it was the right thing to do and I'm glad we did it, but the Karaz Ankor and I have parted ways. My Ankor is my family now, and they're no better or worse off than before with a Dwarfhold on the other side of Kislev back in existence."
So, if Gotrek doesn't care all that much about missing karaks... Why is he even on this Expedition to Karag Dum when the Grandmasters (who presumably do care) wouldn't do it? Is it as simple as Gotrek is being paid an assload of money, enough to set himself up in a proper workshop even outside Karaz Ankor? It would have to be a lot of money if that is the case; a dwarf of Gotrek's talents could name his price in any Imperial Workshop.
Curious.
You can hear Qrech's voice in your memory: two is war, three is peace. The status quo here is war, and it's one that has long since solidified into a stalemate from which both sides can harvest exotic slaves and test subjects. The introduction of the Daemons would normally bring peace, but the Daemons did not arrive somewhere equidistant between Clan Moulder and Zharr-Naggrund, they would have arrived around Second- or Third-Combe, introducing a second set of two. Clan Moulder was beset on a new front and withdrew its strongest troops and most lethal beasts to respond, and though they undoubtedly would have tried to keep up the appearance of strength against the Chaos Dwarves, they managed to see through the deception and attacked while their old foe was weakened. Perhaps the bulk of their forces is further west, carving deeper into the chain of bases until they reach the Plotter-Daemons, or perhaps this is the extent of their ambition and they are already returning home to count the spoils. Considering the Hobgoblins are down to dragging away the bodies for what little meat there is on their bones, you doubt there's much left to find here - but there's no harm in trying. Piecing together a mental map from what Qrech's stories have revealed about his old home, you skirt your way around the gore and deeper into the base.
Well, looks like the Skaven took a setback. If only it weren't to the benefit of the Chaos Dwarves.
Thankfully, Qrech was practical enough to have said predecessor removed after he had cemented his new position instead of leaving him in as a trophy, and there's only a faint whiff of decay as you reach in to pull out several heavy sacks. Inside you find golden Kislevite Ducats, most bearing the face of Tzar Vladimir Bokha on one side and all the Winter Palace on the reverse, likely either stolen in raids on Kislev or from Kislevite traders bound for Cathay. The quality of the minting is very good as Kislev has always sourced its dies from Dwarfholds rather than making their own, but their purity is very slightly less than Imperial coins. Your rough estimation from their weight says that they're not quite enough to make up for your recent purchases, but at least you won't have to tithe any of it. With your newfound wealth you make your way back out of the warren, and just in time too, because the Bull Centaur has apparently called a break and his Hobgoblins are busy building a cookfire that's soon to fill the tunnels with the smell of burning rat-flesh.
We spent 2000 gold pieces, so I'm guessing this amounts to somewhere north of 1500 gold pieces. Enough to keep further experimentation well funded anyway.
The Expedition has reached the eastern end of Zorn Uzkul, and faces what might be the most laborious part: the switchbacking ascent to the Great Steppes. This is the leg of the Expedition where the speed of the steam-wagons will reduce to a crawl and the convoy might be most vulnerable to attack, and the quality of the road is likely to be extremely variable. At the top of the ascent is the land of the Iron Wolves, the Kurgan tribe who are said to serve a Dragon Ogre and who spend much of their time watching and raiding the Skull Road. By the end of the week you should hopefully be at the edge of Dolgan territory, ready to begin your final sprint northwards to Karag Dum.
Definitely a high probability of attack here.
Spend time getting to know:
[ ] Thane Borek Forkbeard
[ ] Head Engineer Gotrek Gurnisson
[ ] Head Ranger Snorri Farstrider
[ ] Preceptor Joerg von Zavstra
[ ] Sir Ruprecht Wulfhart the Younger
[ ] Asarnil the Dragonlord
[ ] Deathfang
[ ] Ice Crone Ljiljana
[ ] Magister Egrimm van Horstmann
[ ] Citharus, Barbitus, and Timpania
[ ] Magister Michel Solmann
[ ] Journeyman Cyrston von Danling
[ ] Journeywoman Alexandra Kohler
Ruprecht and Joerg maybe?
Become involved with:
[ ] Ranging far ahead of the convoy
- With the Knights of Taal's Fury
[ ] Scouting near the convoy
- With the Winter Wolves
One of these could be a substitute for simply socializing.
Other:
[ ] Use Rite of Way to ease the ascent
- Will only be necessary during the roughest patches
[ ] Scout the lands of the Iron Wolves
[ ] Attempt to make contact with the Iron Wolves
[ ] Investigate the 'Windfall' with the Light Wizards
- Where the Winds blowing from the north descend to ground level, which is only know to happen in mountainous terrain: here, the Mountains of Mourne, the Goromadny Mountains, and nothern Norsca.
We're now getting into serious "there's useful things Mathilde could be doing other than talking to people" territory. All of there are tempting.
Rite of Way reduces our periods of vulnerability
Scouting or contacting the Iron Wolves could let us anticipate or even avoid a fight if they're willing to take silver instead of steel.
Taking a close up look at the Winds is another opportunity to stretch W I N D S I G H T.
[ ] Sir Ruprecht Wulfhart the Younger
[ ] Use Rite of Way to ease the ascent
[ ] Attempt to make contact with the Iron Wolves
[ ] Investigate the 'Windfall' with the Light Wizards
Tentative vote.
