Campaign Week 9 – Lustrian Scavenger Hunt

“Ok, Verlbog, seriously; I’m going to explain this ONE more time before I just tell you to do as I say and let us worry about the rest”, said a frustrated Moopy Morkyfeet.

The celebration was over and the Goblin shaman had spent all morning briefing the assembled commanders on his plan for getting back home.

“Now, pay attention, buddy. Looking over the intelligence my spider riders brought back, I’ve gathered that the whole of Lustria is connected by magical waypoints which the Lizarmen call the 'geomantic web'. This web extends to other parts of the world where magic is strong, including back to the Old World. These waypoints were put in place a really long time ago by beings that even the Slann barely remember. What we need to do is gather three artifacts – a key, a catalyst, and a guide. All three are extremely powerful magical items and absolutely necessary to travel the geomantic web. Following so far, pal?”

“Ah fink so, Moops, yeh, keep goin” replied Verlbog, sporting an uncharacteristically serious look across his leathery face.
    
“Okay. So this is where you come in. Each one of you will need to retrieve one of these powerful items,” Moopy motioned to Loggor Banemane, the leader of the Beastmen, “Our new pal Loggor will go looking for the guide artifact – the Lizardmen call it the Star Stela. It’s been stolen before and the Lizardmen were quick and brutal in retrieving it. It’s currently hidden in a temple dangerously close to the Chaos camp.”

The massive Loggor nodded, “I will lead a war party to get it for you, it’s the least we can do after you freed my herd. Consider this Star Stela yours. The humans may worship our gods, but they are no herd-brothers to us.”

“Now, Mire has agreed to get the second item, the catalyst – for a moderate fee, of course – the closest magical artifact powerful enough to serve our purposes is the death mask of Kroak, a long mummified Slann. Thankfully, my scouts say his skink attendants have made preparations to move the mummy, which is still inhabited by Kroak’s spirit and could literally destroy us all, but his Golden Death Mask is being left behind under heavy guard at this temple,” Moopy pointed to a triangular spot on his map.

“Don’t worry, mate. With all the gold ye gave us, I’ve had no problem motivatin’ the boys to sharpen their swords and strap on their gut plates. We’ll get that mask for ya.” The Ogre pirate passed a jug of rum to Loggor, who drank heartily.

“Ok, now, Verlbog, your job is to reach the key – it’s a plaque deep underground in this temple here,” Moopy pointed at another triangle on his map, “The Skinks call it the ‘Testament of Sotek’ and the temple it’s housed in is where we will work the magic to travel the magical lay-lines, so all you have to do is clear it out and wait.”

“Clear da lizzie temple of what, Moops?” asked Verlbog.

“The plaques detailing the loss of the Testament of Sotek say the temple was infested by rat-men and abandoned after a war long ago which the Skinks refer to as the ‘War of The Serpent and the Rat’. A big strong orc shouldn’t have any problems with a bunch of pestilent Skaven, eh, Verly?”

“HAHAHAHA! I SHOULD FINK NOT!” hollered Verlbog.

“Great, then; now to make things easier I paid Mire for some extra help. What do you have in store, Goldhardt?”

“Maneaters! Ogre mercenaries so seasoned they've traveled ‘ta lands ye only heard of! They have the finest trainin’, the finest weapons, and the biggest appetites for violence – real ‘ard boys. I’ll tell yeh, friends – these Ogres will never run, never flinch, and they will deal death with every move they make.”  Mire Goldhardt beamed with pride.

“And how many of these ‘Maneaters’ are coming with us?” asked Loggor

“One.” replied the Ogre, “Each.”

Campaign Week 8 – Deus Ex Mork

The assault on the Vision of Khaine was turning out a disaster. The disciplined Druchii forces made sport of the motley army of Greenskins, Chaos worshippers and Ogres, slaughtering them wholesale with barely a casualty suffered. The Dunewraith, leader of the Chaos contingent, found his flank overwhelmed and fled into the jungle on a commandeered Dark Elf chariot while a single sorcerer of Tzeench covered his escape with eldritch spells.

Many of Mire Goldhardt’s Ogre mercenaries were overtaken by Dark Elves but Mire himself remained alongside Verlbog, relentlessly killing elves in a flurry of flintlock fire and cutlass strokes. 

  “Oy! Greenskin! Yer mates are fleeing! Our left flank’s collapsed like a house ‘a cards, let’s go back to my camp while we still have our hides!” said Mire to the Orc commander. “Yer pal Morkyfeet might lend us a hand if the elves follow us out. Somethin’ tells me hes not as defenseless as ‘e looks!”

“ORCS IS DA TOUGHEST THERE IS!” yelled Verlbog, “An’ Moops has somethin’ up his sleeve wot these elves won’t see coming. We keep fighting ‘till he comes back!”

Mire smiled, and pulled two more flintlock pistols from his brace, killing two Black Guard instantly before charging into the rest with a group of his Ogres. The right flank held against the assembled Druchii until at last a tide of goblins emerged from the jungle, with hundreds of Moopy’s forest goblin spider riders dragging five massive stone throwers out onto the beach. Moopy Morkyfeet looked on as the war machines were loaded with large boulders, and casually touched each stone with his staff.

Verlbog and Mire fell back as the stone throwers were fired. The Dark Elf army looked on with dread as the stones turned a bright, blinding green in mid air – transforming into a hail of hundreds of flaming green boulders. Some of the magical payload bounced off the walls of the Black Ark harmlessly to the relief of the Elves inside, only to be horrified when the areas touched by magical rocks were pounded by gigantic green fists from the air a few moments later, seriously compromising the integrity of the floating citadel and exploding chunks of wood, stone and metal into the rear of the Druchii army on the beach.

The massive slave hold of the Black Ark was irreparably damaged by the fists of Mork and the creatures held inside began to run out of the exposed fortress, among them many Beastmen. Notable among these was a massive Minotaur who howled with rage, picked up a large piece of broken masonry and began crushing elves, inspiring the other Beastmen to do the same.

The Dark Elf Commander Spiv Korval mustered what was left of his forces, the tables turned completely against him in what had promised to be an easy victory, and fled into the Ark, sacrificing the rest of his Black Guard to cover his escape. By the time the massed rabble on the beach was finished with the last of the elite Druchii infantry, the Vision of Khaine with the Malekith’s Spite anchored above it were nowhere to be seen, replaced by a thick rolling fog.


LATER

   The victorious Greenskins retreated to the mercenary camp, with the Beastmen in tow. Gors and Ungors sat around happily munching on roasted Druchii limbs, lorded over by the humongous Doombull.

“OY! COW-MAN!” yelled Verlbog, “YA DID ALRIGHT FIGHTIN ELVSES BUT DON’T THINK WE NEEDED DA HELP! ORCS IS DA TOUGHEST THERE IS!”

The Doombull stood and ran towards Verlbog head on, clutching a massive Ogre-made blade. Mire looked up from his roasted boar and rum, happily expecting some sort of fight between the two titans.

“OY! IS DAT HOW YOU WANT IT, DEN?!” hollered Verlbog, dropping his food, ready to take the charge head on.

The Minotaur was surprisingly fast, reaching the Orc in seconds and shoving him aside before bringing his blade down on Verlbog’s seat, cleaving it in half. Verlbog stood up and shoved the Minotaur angrily.

“WOT’S ALL THIS, YAH WANT A FIGHT?!” raged the Orc before realizing the Doombull’s eyes were still transfixed on the ground. Behind the massive broken chair was a butchered Druchii assassin, cut perfectly in two, envenomed daggers lying on the ground.

The Doombull spoke, “ORCS MAY BE TOUGHEST THERE IS, BUT BEASTMEN IS THE STRONGEST THERE IS.” Then he let out a gruttal guffaw, which put Verlbog back in good spirits.

“HAHA COW-MAN IS FRIEND TO VERLBOG! Whats yer name mate?”

“Loggor Banemane, Master of the Lost Herd.” replied the Doombull.

“Well den, grab some boar before I eat it all, and help yerself to rum”

The night continued in high spirits with lots of celebration, eating, drinking and funny looks as Ogre and Greenskin alike were taken aback by what passed for acceptable party behavior between the Gors and Ungors. Alone in his tent, Moopy Morkyfeet ignored the commotion outside, pouring over stolen Lizardmen plaques and intelligence gathered by his spider riders. He was certain he had found a way back home.
  





Spiv Korval is gone and has been replaced with Loggor Banemane, as Branden is playing the Beastmen. Basic Skirmishes for the week saw Verlbog overtake Lizardmen forces and earn a bonus.