With no large summer campaigns in the offing from GW or our local game store, the Old Grey Beards are launching our own!

The campaign will be an all encompassing affair revolving around the Dwarf Thane Sheer Stonefist and his grudge cruise against the nefarious Orc Pirate Kaptain BlackSquig. Numerous other players and foes will provide the opposition for the brave & foolhardy Captain Sheer.

The backdrop of the campaign takes place in and around Lustria, during the Conquest of the New World timeline. Here is a bit from that campaign location:

"The year is 1492 by the Emperor’s reckoning, and a Tilean merchant-explorer by the name of Marco Colombo has return from his year long voyage of discovery to the land of Lustria. His tales of riches beyond imagining have spread far and wide and reached covetous ears the length and breadth of the Olde World."

"Marco Colombo has risen in fame and fortune in his homeland and now leads a second expedition to Lustria. He intends to open a southern sea route from which his family can monopolize trade with the so-called New World."

"However, covetous rivals have discovered Marko’s plans and are jealous of his achievements. These men now gather to contest his monopoly, and a race to plunder the riches of the New World is in the offing. Across the Olde World, armies are boarding vessels, and navigators are consulting crumbling charts and maps (often of dubious origin and purchased from inebriated old sea dogs). In other lands, some look to the approaching invasion with dread, for they know that the young races were never meant to tread the lands of the Old Ones. All the while, the denizens of the jungle stir their defenses, for they sense a new era dawning- a time of invasion and desecration- but they will not sit idly by and see the work of millennia cast down and ruined…"



The leader of the Grudge Cruise - is Dwarven Thane & Captain Sheer Stonefist. The Captain is utterly consumed with his desire to fulfill his grudge against the dreaded Orc Pirate IronGob BlackSquig, who sank the ship of his Lord & Admiral Snurri Hammerhand. Sheer never speaks of the details of the sinking. It is assumed that is where he lost his eye and it is known that that is where his burning hatred for the Orc Karibbean Pirates was born. Captain Sheer nurses his anger with a seething rage unusual even for Dwarfs. He was certain that the object of his wrath had fled across the World Pond somewhere towards the dark shores of Lustria and woe be to all who would stand between the furious Captain and the fulfillment of his sworn vengeance. It is sometimes whispered among the crew that the hatred that lives behind the Captain's eyes boarders on madness . . . and it was madness that drove him to push his vessel, the Heart of Stone, through a powerful hurricane in pursuit of the fleeing Orc privateers. Damage to the Heart of Stone was extensive and by the time the shores of Lustria were visible through spyglass, the proud vessel could merely limp towards land. The greenskin fleet had not fared little better. Several of their ships had foundered during the storm and sank, while the remaining three had reach Lustria as derelicts, leaving their crews little choice but to make landfall on the debris choked shores.



And so a desperate Dwarven crew are affecting landing even now on Lustria, the Captains orders to pursue the Gobbos inland echoing in their ears. But Lustria isn’t so bad, as rumors of hordes of Slann gold just waiting to be taken, right? Um.......

Awesome! I'm going to follow this one very closely! :yarr!:

Welcome explorers to the 2008 OGB Warhammer campaign, known as the Grudge of Sheer!

As the weeks roll on we will be running a narrative campaign that follows the exploits of Captain Sheer and his band of Dwarven mariners and their adventures in Lustria. As is always the case with OGB campaigns, this is not an ongoing competition between members but a narrative Game Mastered campaign that will tell a great story! While the Dwarves are central to the story, the Goblins & Skaven are on hand to see to it the good Captain suffers setback and woe while trying to complete his quest! And no good Hero is great without great villains to fight them and thus the Skaven & Goblins are on hand to do just that! Their main jobs are to harry the Dwarves and advance the plot!

During the course of the campaign we will play many types of scenarios, with varied point values, resources and game mechanics. Scenarios will often present themselves during the course of a narrative campaign. The GM has bare bones plot ideas in place that are flexible based on game results and player ideas. Please don’t be afraid to suggest some sort of scenario based on actions in a previous game, especially if it will keep the plots flowing and provide us with more fun! I am open to any and all suggestions! From Mordheim-level skirmishes to full scale Warhammer games, the campaign will be challenging, rewarding and fun! The GM has quite a full plate of nasty surprises for all concerned!

We will also be using the P.A.T system. What the heck are P.A.T.? P.A.T. are simple abbreviations for Plot Advancement Tokens. These are tools the OGB use to ensure the plot is advanced. Basically, each player will have a pool of P.A.T that can be used at their discretion. It is sometimes impossible to make the dice work when you need ‘em too! So the P.A.T are here to help. They can be used to re-roll a miss, make an automatic break test, and re-roll a stupid upgrade roll, whatever. They are tools to use as needed, within the limit of the narrative of course. It will be possible to acquire more P.A.T during the game as well! But remember they are used to “advance the plot”, not to re-roll a miss that really has no bearing on the game as a whole. More likely uses are to re-roll a character recovery roll after a game, where a main protagonist or antagonist would die because of poor rolling, etc. The GM has the last word on whether a P.A.T. can be used.

Dwarfs start with 6 P.A.T.
Night Goblins start with 3 P.A.T.
Skaven start with P.A.T.

I am hopeful you will enjoy following The Grudge of Sheer and that our intrepid Dwarven explorers return home weighed down by riches and full of hubris and tales of your times spent in the dark jungle realms. In the words of Marco Colombo himself “I only ever saw half of what I told!”



X Marks the initial Dwarven landing spot on Lustria.

We are going to be using the following:
Warhammer
Mordheim
Warhammer Skirmish
Man O War
Warhammer Quest
Warhammer Lustria

From Warhammer: Lustria
"Waiting for the multitude of invaders are the perils of the Lustrian jungle. Few races have knowledge of this hostile environment, and many would-be plunderers will perish within days of arriving in the New World. There are insects whose bites carry poisons that can quickly reduce a man’s blood to pus, acidic algae that sear the skin on contact, brain fever and all manner of foul tropical diseases and infections. There are carnivorous plants capable of eviscerating the mightiest warrior, and such creatures as the brainfluke, bladder maggot, and lash wyrm, all of which have gruesome ways of killing and consuming their victims (not necessarily in that order) that would turn the stomach of even the hardiest seasoned campaigner."

"Then of course, there are the larger beasts that stalk the depths of the jungle. Mighty reptiles from prehistory can be heard as they issue roaring challenges to their rivals, the ground trembling and the canopy thrashing as they approach. These beasts are huge, and their taste for flesh is insatiable!"

"Other gruesome ways of perishing are to be found in the treasure filled ruins scattered throughout the New World. Though much declined since the coming of Chaos, the fallen empire of the Old Ones is much in evidence, in the form of crumbling temples, ziggurats, crypts, and all manner of arcane structures. Though most are unoccupied, none are undefended. Their creators knew full well that the day would come when the younger races would seek to uncover the secrets of the Old Ones and set all manner of fiendish traps to guard against intrusion."

"Finally, there are the dwellers in the jungle- the Lizardmen, the Children of the Gods. Though many of their temples and cities have fallen to ruin, the Lizardmen still command a mighty host and are expert in fighting in their own environment. The Lizardmen care little for the most extreme humidity, are all but immune to the most virulent of tropical diseases, and know well how to best avoid the attentions of the jungles many predators. And they are everywhere. Behind the dense growth of the rainforests. On the banks of the darkest streams and rivers. You have been warned…"

Lots of stuff in the coming weeks! See you in the underbrush.......



“Lord Roderick of Brionne stumbled through the underbrush, his clothes in tatters, his body aching from a tenday in the jungle, drenched in sweat. The food was gone, the water, too. The last of the bearers had fled hours ago, leaving him with nothing but his tunic on his back and his sword in his hand.

Through the lush curtain of vines and broad-leafed plants surrounding Roderick came the ominous sound of Skabi war drums. He glanced up at the thick canopy high overhead. The sun was going down. The Goblins would be after him soon. The howling packs of greenskined cannibals would trail him like bloodhounds through the jungle until the sun drove them into hiding again.

Panic closed around his heart like a giant’s fist, crushing his dreams of escape. The Goblins had killed Kadir Foxworthy and Ryn the Axe as if they had been stripling warriors, not experienced sell swords. And if stout warriors like them were no match for the Skabi, what hope did a gentleman explorer like Roderick have?

In his haste, Roderick stumbled over a mound on the jungle floor beneath him. As he scrambled to find his dropped sword, he saw it was no mound! Dead blank eyes stared at him from the face of Miri, one of his retainers. The face was stone dead, the barbs of numerous poison darts riddling his body. Even now the jungle insects set about devouring the body. Grabbing his sword, Roderick turned and fled the small clearing.

Pushing through the tangle of saw-leafed vines, he stumbled deeper into the thicket. The creature lurking there was huge, at least as tall as a two story building. Splashes of browns and greens covered the beast’s mossy body, perfectly masking its bulk against the jungle.

A dinosaur! Roderick noted in fear-numbed awe, just before the allosaurus snapped him in two with its powerful jaws, the jungle din being interrupted by the sickening crunch of bones…”

Meet the Crew!
As we are starting the campaign with a series of Mordheim games, Captain Sheer thought it would be appropriate to intorduce the rest of his crew and landing party.

His First Mate - Venerable Eugen (pronounced Oy-gen) Elder Longbeard. He met Captain Sheer in Barak Vaar while he was trying to put together a crew for his current grudge cruise. Eugen was impressed with Sheer's single-mindedness of avenging himself on this Goblin seadog. Knowing the grudge was nearly impossible to realize, however, Eugen went along to look after the lad. In truth, Eugen, while he would never admit it, is starting to feel his age. As he expects this will be his last cruise, it seemed fitting that it should be both potentially glorious and most likely hopeless. The crew calls him "Venerable One" or just "Venerable".

Sage Advisor - Longbeard Gort Flamebeard - Gort has been Eugen's Axe Brother for years beyond counting. While Eugen does have several decades over Gort, he has never known Eugen to hold it against him. The two have seen many adventures together, both at sea and on land. Of late, the two of them have fallen on hard times and empty purses. It is the lure of refilling his fortune that has drawn Anton to join to possibly mad Captain Sheer on his wild adventure to Lustria as well as seeing through another adventure with his oldest (living) friend. Gort is certainly the only one who knows of Eugen's declining health. Of course, he would never mention this to his proud comrade, but this is the other reason for his coming. Unlike his companion, Anton is fairly congenial (for a Longbeard) and regularly hangs out with the crew telling them tales of Dwarf valor from ages past. They call him Father Gort.

Engineer - Krupp - Unusually taciturn, even for a Dwarf, Krupp rarely speaks much except to order his Thunderers to "Shoot straight this time, lads." or admonish them: "An Elf could reload faster!" In truth, Krupp only accompanied Captain Sheer for the opportunity it afforded him to indulge in his favorite obsession: firearms. Guns of all descriptions fascinate him to no end. Krupp will forever be tinkering with any black powder weapon that comes within reach (even those that don't belong to him). Pistols, long guns, cannon all thrill him with endless wonder and a desire to make adjustments. The crew calls him "Chief".

Slayer - Skrager - As with most of his kind, Skrager the Slayer will never speak of his past. He only desires to die gloriously in battle with as many enemies as possible. And Lustria seems the best place to realize this. It is probably no surprise that the only one who actually gets along with him is Eugen, possibly as both see this as their last adventure. The crew avoids Skrager at all costs.

Thunderers - The majority of the crew go ashore armed with handguns and supervised by Engineer Krupp. They are usually grouped in five dwarf squads when possible, but never smaller than three to a unit.

Beardlings - There are a few beardlings accompanying Captain Sheer to Lustria eager to prove their courage in this strange and foreign land. Unfortunately, life for a Bearding is usually pretty unpleasant as they are jeered and teased at every opportunity by the heroes and crew alike. It is a strong belief among sea-going Dwarfs that the young must be treated in this way in order to harden them to the unknown horrors that await them on distant shores or rising from the briny depths. Only the ever friendly Anton Verschiller will intervene on their behalf and then only when he feels things have gone too far. They are called every insult imaginable, including but not limited to: Stubblechins, Nobrows, Greenies, Softfeet, Wideeyes, Squealers, Wheezers, Mewlers and others not fit to discuss in polite company.

The Ship - The Heart of Stone - This is Captain Sheer's faithful ship which will see his grudge fulfilled or sink beneath his boots. The vessel is a fairly small single turreted, ocean going monitor. She was built in Barak Vaar many years ago and no-one can quite figure out how Sheer acquired her. In any case, she is a sturdy ship of war, constructed of hot rolled iron, bolted together and braced for strength using secrets know only to the Dwarf shipwrights of Barak Vaar. Her single steam engine is coal fired but can take wood if necessary (although this will require much cleaning of the fire boxes and funnels). The coal is stored in bunkers along both beams. This allows more room for internal machinery along her centerline but also acts as something of a buffer against incoming fire. Like all Dwarf vessels she is broad of beam and fairly short overall. This gives her great stability even in heavy seas but does cause her to be rather slow. However, her draft is quite shallow, especially for an iron ship, enabling her to cruise in shallows or upriver without easily running aground. Her single cannon is housed in a fully enclosed, steam powered revolving turret up foreword. The gun can bear in any direction except to the stern and can be used in most weather unless the sea is so wild as to make accurate shooting impossible. Powder and shot for the cannon is stored in the safest of places, along the keel at the very bottom of the ship. Both sides of the upper casemate have firing points allowing the crew to fire their handguns at outside targets while safely behind the ships armored side. Atop the armored citadel is the open wheelhouse containing the ship's wheel, the main compass, cannon director as well as various gauges showing critical information on the ships overall health. It is here that Captain Sheer commands his vessel as it prowls the sea in search of the object of his ire.

I'm starting to like all these campaigns going on around here and I hink I'll make one too. A topic about this will arise soon.

Great idea Snagafang, and I like your campaigns as well Kurgan.

Yarr! Show them stunties who's boss! In a plot-advancing way, of course. Looks like good fun!

Hello,

this will be great to follow. I'm looking forward to the next update.

Greetz
G

WEEK ONE: ALL ASHORE WOT IS GOIN ASHORE

With heavy footfalls, Capt. Sheer marched from the surf and joined his lads on the white sand beaches of Lustria. Months aboard ship had really made the Dwarves appreciate the feel of solid ground beneath their feet once again and the landing party sucked it for all it was worth. Many of the Beardlings groaned and sweated to bring ashore provisions and ale from the landing boat, while Eugen goaded them to make haste before he got sunburned!



While the supplies were being readied, Anton kept a ready eye on the jungle line, an uneasy feeling churning in his gut. And it wasn’t from the lousy mutton the cook had fed the crew this morning. He ran a finger over the keen edge of his axe, aware of a shadow falling across his own.

"What’s eating you mate?"

Turning to the Slayer, Gort regarded the Dwarf warrior with shame and pride at the same time. For the many months he had been onboard, Skrager had managed to un-nerve all the Beardlings and a good portion of the mariners as well with his morbid tales of death and unfulfilled vows. He often compared his shame to the Captains, which had put him at odds with Eugen. On more than one occasion Eugen had offered to end his quest for a valiant death when Skrager had hinted that the Captain should shave his beard, and had to be physically restrained lest he complete it!

"Doesn’t much like the quite in them trees. A jungle like this, we should be hearing all sorts of animal noises. And I can’t put me finger on it but there is something in the air as well. Do you smell it lad?"



"After 6 months on an iron ship, only thing I can smell is ale, urine and sweat. Going to be a long time before me nostrils smell anything else."

The two Dwarves shared small talk for a few minutes more, while the rest of the landing party kept busy.



As the sun began to set, the Dwarves were set to make camp and uncrate the rations when a foul wind arose. The stench was unlike anything they had smelled before. It was a cloying musk of rot, decay and sickening sweetness. The Dwarves ran to gather their long guns while the Beardlings readied their axes and hefted shields.

"What is that hell-spawned awful smell?" bellowed Skrager

"Not sure lad but whatever it is, it aint natural! Steady ladz, something’s coming and at aint smelling too friendly" spoke Sheer.

No sooner had the Thunderers cocked the weapon and loaded shot then a swarm of monsters erupted from the dark jungle. Humanoid in appearance, like giant biped rats they came. Skaven!



Following the tide of rat vermin was a larger horde of greenskins, all dressed in heavy cloaks and tunics. Night Goblins! The diminutive greenskins struggled to shade their eyes from the glow of the setting sun, preceded by a swarm of Snotlings. The monsters were bull rushing the Dwarves, using their speed and numbers to overwhelm the Dwarves.

Reports of handguns echoed across the beach as the gunners found their mark, taking down several Skaven slaverats and blowing large holes in the swarm of Snotlings. A heavy shot richochetted off the hard skull of one of the greenskins, taking his mate in the ehad and dropping both of the greenskins to the sand! The Dwarves formed up into a battle line while Sheer signaled the Heart of Stone to ready her deckgun!



The Dwarven cannon fired its shot in a low trajectory, missing their target as a rouge wave bucked the ship, and dropping it right in front of Skrager, who had broken rank and was rushing towards the charging Skaven! Sand was thrown up in a deafening wall as the cannonball blew a large crater in the beach, throwing the Slayer to his knees and scattering Skaven in random directions.



Festering Skaven of Clan Pestilens surged towards the Slayer, scab covered slaves and several Plague Monks swinging weird censers. The Slayer had little chance to shake off the sand before he was swarmed by a sea of rodents, slashing and hacking at him and burying him under a sea of fur. Meanwhile a giant green cloud, in the shape of a giant thumb, descended from on high, smashing into one of the Thunderers and knocking him off his feet! The Dwarves were soon overwhelmed from all sides and close quarter fighting began!







"Crom's Beard! The damned greenskins are everywhere! Orders Captain?" bellowed Eugen.

"Keep fighting lads. These rodents and scum are not worth the effort it takes to heft an axe! You Beardlings watch that lousy rat swarm. They may be small but even the smallest bilge rat can take you down if you let him and his mates jump you!" intoned Sheer.

Another blast from the Heart of Stone sent several Gobbos pin wheeling through the air, and that shot seemed to take the fight out of the Gobbos. With much screaming and shouting, the greenskined monsters started running back to the safety of the jungle, leaving the Skaven to face the Dwarves!



Even as the Goblins broke and ran, soiling the beach with fear and other things, the Skaven overran the Thunderers and swept into the remaining Dwarves. Their foul leader jumped over the supply crates, swinging his deadly censer and caught the Captain unawares. Swinging the ball in frenzied arcs, he smashed the Captains pistol from his hand, and sent his axe flying into the surf with its backswing. His final swing took the Captain full in the chin and sent him pitching back into the bloodied surf!

"Retreat!" barked Eugen as he gathered the crumpled form of Skrager and dragged him into the surf, towards the fast approaching Monitor! While the Dwarves fell back into the sea towards the Heart of Stone, the remaining Skaven set about devouring the supplies and the cooling bodies of several Thunderers that had been ripped apart during the battle. The beach and the day belonged to the Skaven......


Aftermath: :yarr!: So the Dwarven attempt to make a beach landing failed in the fading sun. Losses to the landing party included the deaths of two Thunderers and one Beardlings. Gort had been knocked unconscious during the battle and the Gobbos had stripped him of all his valuables, right down to his skivvies. And several Snotlings had tried to get those too! The remaining fallen dwarves all survived their wounds.

The Clan Pestilens Skaven, led by Plague Pontifex Splinter, had suffered only minor injuries, escaping the battle with their warband intact. :D

The Night Goblins, led by self named Stanley, had suffered the most. Dwarven shot riddled three of the Goblins and they would be coming back. Boss Stinky had been knocked out during the battle, being head butted in the nose by a Beardling. Upon waking, he discovered the Skaven had stripped him down to his skivvies as well, but he didn’t wear any! :D

Exploring the nearby ruined temple, the Gobbos and Skaven found numerous piles of gold and gems, which they quickly set about fighting over well into the night, while the Dwarves muttered curses over the ships gunwales and lamented their lost comrades. Night had fallen on Lustria..... :o

Hello,

well this was a great read snagafang, I love it. Now let them see the power from the greenskins.

Greetz
G

now thats wat you call a campaign. great read. love the effort with the sand for the beaches. :wub: :wub:

Great campaign! Where did you get the clothe that you are using as water? It's fantastic!

Just too good to leave down below, so I had to pin it! Great stuff, Snaga! I really enjoyed it!

:yarr!:

Goomb

Thanks Baldy! :D
But since the Dwarves didnt take the beach, we have another landing attempt in the works, with an even BIGGER beach. Methinks I need another bucket of sand...

Groznit Goregut
Its called "seascape". I got it a long time ago, not sure if the company is still in business. I will check the comapny name when I get home and post it for you.
Thanks for the interest!

WGG
Do you mean the power of the Lizardmen? LOL! The weedy Gobbos ran like panzies last time, so I dont know if we trust them to harry the Dwarves. But we'll see! This weekend the Dwarves will try and make landfall again :rolleyes:

Seems the stunties need to bombard the forest prior to their arrival to soften up the defenses! What army were you playing in this round or are you the overlord GM?

I really like the ship! Good work on that, mate!

Goomb

Nope
I am not playing right now Boss. I am GMing the thing. However I get to play the fun stuff later on. The Savage Scabi's, the Lizardmen, the Dinosaurs and even the Amazons. Sooooo many things are in the jungles and they arent real friendly! :)

Ship needs alot more detailing, but thanks! :lol: These photos really showed us the need to do some serious work on them.

The Dwarves have opted to try and land at the ruined Estalion settlement of Montecello this time around. They feel the ruins will offer a measure of protection they were not afforded on the beach! So we will have to see if they fare a bit better. Game is set for this weekend! :yarr!:

Gotcha. I guess I wasn't aware that the ironclad needed much more work! I do like your board though. Nifty work on that! What size table are you using? I am thinking a 4x6 or so.

Do you have piccies of the ruins you will be fighting over? A sneak peek for your fans?

Goomb

Savage Scabi's, eh?Never heard of a Savage Scabi before. Sounds like cannibal Forest Goblin mischief to me! :D Great battle! Those stunties better be careful, you never know what's lurking in ruined buildings...

I'll see what I can do Boss! :rolleyes:

Ladz
Here be some pics of the ruined pirate township of Montecello, site of the second landing attempt by Captain Sheer. Enjoy!

Ruins of an old Estalian monestary


Ruined Estalian Fort


The township of Montecello proper


More of the Fort


Peeking in from the bushes


That Git shouldnt be in the picture! Note to self, stay out of pictures in the future!


A copy of the campaign map. Montecello is located in Area#65. The failed landing in Week One was at Area#70

Stayed tuned for this weeks battlerep! :rolleyes:

Skabi mischief eh? You betcha! Working on hordes of the little flesh eating buggers even now! The wardrums will beat long into the nights! Maybe the Night Gobbos and the Scabi's can exchange menu ideas? :D

WEEK TWO: LUSTRIA CAN BE A BEACH!

The waves pounded the shore, churning the waters and heralding the approach of a nasty storm. Seasalt filled the breeze and the Dwarves took small pleasures in the salty air, preforming their tasks while singing juanty Dwarven ballads. The Heart of Stone anchored safely offshore while the landing party unloaded supplies from the "mule", a steam powered landing craft.

Surveying the ruins of Montecello, or at least thats what the Norse sailors had called it, Captain Sheer twisted his spyglass to his right to focus upon the thick jungle there. He would not be taken by surprise again, as they had foolishly done the previous fortnight. His pride and anger had clouded his thoughts and nearly cost the Dwarves their lives before the venture even began!

The Chief and his thunderers had taken up position to their right flank, where the open beach afforded a wide firing line. If the jungles wanted to vomit forth anymore vile creatures, they would be met by a wall of lead shot!



Satisfied that there were no immediate threats, he turned back to the Dwarves sweating to unload the "mule".

"Ladz! Spread out! I want skirmishers in the brush to the left and at the ready. You Beardlings scout the perimeters of that ruined monestary, Skrager, with me!"



While the Dwarves hurried to carry out their tasks, more waves broke upon the shore. Over by the lagoon, Chief and his ladz were a bit taken back when a blur of movement eriputed from the jungle to their fore, a wave of Night Goblins preceeded by a mob of crazed Squigs!



Bringing up their long guns, the Dwarves opened fire on the approaching Squigs. Several shots peppered their hides, dropping one into the sand, his mates advancing even more recklessly. The thunderers calmly reloaded their weapons and took aim again. A huge report from the deck cannon on the Heart of Stone screamed overhead, blasting apart a large part of the monestary and dropping an avalanche of rubble onto the head of Anton the Longbeard, knocking him out cold!

Meanwhile the sounds of gunfire distracted Sheer and his scouts, where they had been investigating the ruins in the treeline. Turning to see what the noise was, Sheer was surprised to see a monstrous Squig leap from the undergrowth, a crazed Goblin clinging to its back and trying to hold a too large helmet on its head!



Sensing the danger to his Laird, Skrager moved to intercept the beast, hefting both his mighty axes and roaring a Slayer battlecry!

"Yer not to be hurting me Kaptain today beastie, but me axes are screaming fer some Gobbo blood!"



Meanwhile all around the jungle came the Night Goblins, with small hordes of viscious Snotlings and Squigs leading the way. Sheer and his Longbeards opened fire on the approaching greenskins, felling several and forcing back one flank of their attack. A lucky shot from Sheer bounced off the chestbone of one Goblin and hit his mate square in the face, dropping both!

A group of archers approached from the jungle to left, a lone Beardling moving to intercept them...



Skarger struggled to fight off the Squig, hitting it in the teeth several times and knocking out one. But the weight of the Squig forced him back and the pinned him beneath its bulk, enabling the Gobbo rider to spear him to the ground, piercing his chest below his left arm. Before the Gobbo had a chance to celebrate felling the Slayer, Sheer charged him in the flank and blew his helmet, and half its headl, clean off with a well placed shot! Eugen the Longbeard was trying to force his way through the wall of greenskins to help the Beardling when a Goblin took him in his flank with a spearthrust, driving the wind from his chest and bubbles of blood to burst from his lips as the spear found its mark. So forceful was the thrust that it carried both Dwarf and Gobbo away from the combat, where the Goblin planted his foot on the chest of the Dwarf to help remove the spear. Eugen hamered upwards with his fist, smashing the Gobbo's nose and shoving bone shards into its brain, where it fell like chopped wood onto the chest of the fallen Longbeard

All along the beach more Goblins roared towards the thunderers, hurling spears into the ranks, trying to break up their formation. But to no avail, as the Dwarves were not to be denied again!



Shot after shot plowed through the ranks of greenskins and Squigs, ending the lives of many of the creatures. The lagoon soon became red with blood, an orche surf beginning to collect at the feet of the thunderers.



Meanwhile the Gobbo known as "Bonz" worked his way around the combat and towards the rear of the Dwarf line, where any good Gobbo hoped to be!



All the while Captain Sheer, embolded by the demise of the Goblin leader at his hands, peppered the remaining greenskins with more shot and axe.
Grotsmack the Shaman took a leadball in his casting arm and was forced to retreat into the brush, an evil snarl escaping his lips as he clutched at his ruined arm.



On the left a brave Beardling struggled to hold the crumbling flank while Sheer reloaded his gun, a swarm of Gobbos stabbing at the Beardling with spears, rusty daggers and claws, unable to get past his armor and sweeping axe. The Beardling fought like a madman, downing several Goblins and holding their advance.



With the rereat of their Shaman and apparent demise of their leader, the Goblins finally decided that running away was the best tactic, and run they did. Bonz retreated with his kin, angry at having to leave the field of battle before having stuck someone in the back. But he did find an elegant greataxe near the stunned form of Anton the Longbeard. Faster than they appeared, the greenskins slunk back into the jungle, leaving the field of battle to the victorious Dwarves!



AFTERMATH:

The Dwarves have succeeded in making landfall on Lustria! Plans are underway to fortify and repair parts of Montecello to give themselves a safe base of operations from which to scout out the surrounding jungle. As the Dwarves bandaged wounds and recovered fallen companions, they found the bodies of two Beardlings that had fallen in battle, slashes and cuts to their fronts. At elast theyt had died with their enemies facing them. Sheer ordered their bodies to be burned, as was the custom of the mariners, and because he did not want the ants and other creatures of Lustria to feed on the remains! Gort awoke with a hurtful headache and again stripped down to his skivvies! Upon refocusing on what had happened, he proceeded to berate the cannon crew, having to wait his turn behind the Chief! The Dwarves found a fair amount of stashed gold and rum in the cellars of the Estalian fort, and toasted their fallen well into the night, the funeral fires burning high into the night sky. Elsewhere in the deep jungle, hungry eyes watched with the determination of a hunter....

The Goblins limped back to their crude camp, laden down with their wounded and several suits of Dwarven mail. Stanley had suffered a severe head wound that continued to pound into his ears. Grotsmack was forced to put his arm in a crude sling, all the while stalking back and worth, muttering curses to himself and promising the Dwarven Captain he would rue the day he shot him! Several Goblins were alive when the trek started but didnt seem to be once they had gotten to camp. Several other Goblins seemed to be sporting new weapons and smiles. Not usre about that.....and of course several swarms of Snotlings had to be rounded up to replace the ones the thunderers had blasted! New recruits had arrived in the kamp, Stanley boxing them behind the ears fer being late! The bickering of the Goblin Boss and the curses of their Shaman rang long into the Lustrian night......

And so the adventure continues...........

Hello,

great report snagafang, I really enjoyed reading it. To bad the stunties made landfall. I'm looking forward to the next update.

Greetz
G

:o :lol: This is just fabulous work Snaga, me old mate! :yarr!:

Thanks Boss!
You continue to be the inspiration :D This weekend should see something not before witnessed by my players, so it should take them a bit by surprise! :yarr!:

Thanks Boss!
Yeah, da zoggin Gobbos broke and ran, leavin da beaches to da Stunties. Dey needz to do beta dis week, punch them Stunties in da nose and knockz em back into da sea! :o We should have a unique battle this weekend so stay tuned!

From the Chronicles of Dwarven Captain Sheer:

WEEK THREE: BLOOD SURF

Night had fallen on the Lustrian jungle. The parrots hushed, the cries of the monkeys had stilled. The silence was broken by the crash of surf and singing of the Dwarves. The beaches around Monticello were lit by roaring bonfires, driving off the night and the coolness of the air. The dwarves worked at a steady pace, unloading supplies, hacking away at the jungle encircling the ruins and constructing barricades. A steady stream of Dwarves and supplies were being ferried from the Heart of Stone to the beach by the "Mule" as the Dwarves had dubbed it. A wretched little wooden powered craft purchased from unscrupulous traders and fitted with a steam powered engine by the Chief, it served them well. In a moment of thought, the Chief had even fitted it with a swivel gun to defend the craft and its cargo. The "Mule" would be useful for journeys upriver as well, where the Heart of Stone could not venture.

Suddenly, deep in the undergrowth of the jungle, a reptilian creature bellows as it attacks something beyond the sight of the camp. The entire jungle erupts in noise as parrots and monkeys scream, birds fill the air and the branches and leaves rustle everywhere at once! A swarm of animals can be heard moving to and fro, upset by the sudden bellow and thrown into flight...

From the edge of the jungle, sinister eyes observe the Dwarven encampment. Hungry eyes, eyes filled with malice. The Skaven lurked in the brush, tails twitching in anticipation, while their Night Goblin allies seethed with hatred when viewing their age old enemies. The Goblins had been beaten back and scattered a mere three days past and were done licking their wounds. The vile stench of the Skaven carried on the wind, reaching the nostrils of the Troll Slayer Skrager....

"I know ye be there ratspawn. I can smell ye. Let’s have at it then", he muttered to himself. Removing his axes from their carriers, he ran a fat thumb over the blades, drawing a trickle of blood. He moved with simple purpose over to Anton the Longbeard.

"Der be ratspawn in the brush off to the left. Them Miners down the beach aint awares and is gonna get jumped!"

"Aye and I be thinking the Gobbos cannot be far behind. Get ready, I will warn the Laird", replied the Longbeard.

Before he was able to shout a warning, the Skaven made their move, bursting from the jungle and charging headlong towards the Miners. The jungle sprang to life as well, Night Goblins pouring out of the darkness and running towards the Dwarven lines.

As one the Thunderers raised their guns and let loose a volley of shot, felling several Gobbos and a rampaging Squig. The Skaven closed the gap with the Miners, their Rangers unleashing several crossbow bolts into the charging rat swarms, doing little damage.

And then the Gobbos got a taste of Dwarven weaponry as the turret of the Heart of Stone swung round and unleashed a heavy shot. Screaming through the night air, the ball landing deep into the dark underbrush, exploding above a group of charging Gobbos, blowing several to pieces and throwing even more to the ground!

The Goblin leader, Stanley, having recovered from his previous injuries, burst from the ruins at the head of a gaggle of greenskins, his Cave Squig Giggles bounding across the sands and bearing down on a Thunderer, as he sought to reload his gun. Skrager saw the threat and leapt forward to intercept the beast.
Meantime a veritable horde of Night Goblins and Squigs burst into the light of the fires.......

"Back fer more are ye, vile Gobbo? I see yer Squig-beastie is none the wurst fer wear after the boo boo I gave him! Now we settle this in blood!" roared the Slayer.

Even as he cut towards the flank of the Squig, Stanley lowered his spear and thrust deep into the Slayers left flank. The spear punched deep and the impact through the Slayer to the ground, where he struggled to get up.

All around the camp, the Dwarves were beset by Skaven and Night Goblins. As the Gobbos got closer to the roaring bonfires, they were forced to shield their eyes from the hurtful light. The Dwarves used this to their advantage, hacking the greenskins down with axe and hammer, their own hatred of the greenskins fueling their fires! The Skaven swarmed the Miners in a tide of rotten fur and oozing sores. The stench, claws and numbers soon overwhelmed the hapless Miners, several of them being stripped of their flesh by greedy plague rats, though the valiant Dwarves did see off several foes, including a hideous Plague Priest that seemed impervious to pain and injury, finally driving an axe blade into its vile chest, causing bubbles of noisome blood to burst forth from it foul jaws. The bile spray landed on several of the Dwarves, sickening them and making them easy prey for the rats and their foul Pontifex leader.

The Dwarves opposite made a good accounting of themselves. Eugen moved to help Skrager as the swivel gun on the "Mule" was brought to bear. The gun roared with its shot, blowing a large hole in a stunned Gobbo, even as a second shot from the Hear of Stone screamed overhead, and landing amidst a small horde of Goblins assaulting the Beardlings. Goblin bodies were pitched into the air like ragdolls, cart wheeling through the air to fall back to the blood soaked beaches. The blast was enough to distract Stanley from finishing off the Slayer for a split second, this pause enabling Eugen to topple the Goblin leader from his mount with a crushing axe blow! Cheers erupted from the Beardlings upon seeing this, their courage bolstered as they began to force the Goblins back with a wall of shield and steel. The Goblins were being assailed on all sides, as their Squigs began to go wild, having been left alone, animosity striking several units of Goblins and the lack of support form the Skaven all started to take their toll...







The crew onboard the Heart of Stone continued to rain down shot upon the enemy, turning their attentions to the Skaven horde approaching from the left. Raining shot after shot into the ratspawn, they finally broke the will (and several backs!) of the Skaven, who turned tail and fled into the jungle as fast as their furry paws would carry them. Even as the crew lined up a new shot at the Gobbos, slimy hands rose from the water, large fish-like creatures began pulling themselves over the gunwales with grasping claws. Unawares the crew kept focused on the conflict on the beach.



The horrid looking beasts gathered on deck and looked up at the Dwarves on the bridge. With an Orcish cry, the creatures threw themselves towards the Dwarves on board, even as more of their kind scrambled out of the water. Soon a huge scrum was taking place on the decks of the Heart of Stone, the weird Orcs trading blows with the hearty Dwarf crew. The turret of the Heart ground slowly around, a canister of grapeshot loaded into the cannons barrel. A trigger was pulled, a blast of sound and shrapnel and several Orcs lay dying on the deck, several pitched overboard by the sheer blast of the weapon, others lolling to the side and falling back into the briny deep. The remaining Orcs dove headlong into the dark waters, leaving behind naught but a trail of bubbles....



While the FishGitz were swarming the deck of the Heart of Stone, more of them emerged from the dark surf on the left flank of the Thunderers. Dripping with water and seaweed, the Orcs clambered onto shore, Lummox the Troll leading the way.





Upon seeing the fires, the Troll began to drool and shy away. One of the Orcs bellowed at the Troll to "Git movin!” which in turn revealed the Orcs to the Dwarves. Seeing this ichthyoidal threat emerging from the surf, the Thunderers calmly reloaded their handguns and opened fire! Several shots tore into Lummox; creating several holes that breifly leaked blackish seawater before grotesquely scabbing over! The FishGitz charged the gunners, a flurry of nets and spears flung towards their foes. Once combat was reached the Orcs drew forth rusty choppas and set upon the Dwarves with a new fury!

Weapons sparked as the Dwarves swung axes at the Orcs, only to be parried by the Orcs using nets and choppas, a crude parody of the skilled Dwarven fighters but still effective enough. Suddenly one of the FishGitz grabbed at his neck, a dark Goblin arrow protruding from it and dark blood running free. The Gobbos were giggling as they sent arrows flying into the combats, not caring who they hit, just shooting arrows for the fun of it!

Captain Sheer lead a determined counter attack into the ranks of the Night Goblins, seeking out the one they called Bonz. The Chief, alerted to the flank attack, turned the swivel gun on Lummox and blew away half the Troll's face with a well placed shot. Grabbing its ruined face, the troll ran like a panzie back into the surf, disappearing as quickly as it came. The Chief then drew his pistols and ran to help the embattled Thunderers. Captain Sheer fought like a madman, felling Gobbos with axe and pistol, while a recovered Skrager finally put paid to several greenskins, weeks of frustration boiling over as he cut a wide swathe through the greenskins. This was enough for the greenskins; they broke off all combat and fled into the night!

The Chief reached his ladz, pistol shots taking one of the weird Orcs down.



But before he could reload, a shark-headed Black Orc bashed him in the back of the head with a heavy club, pummeling the Dwarf into the sand before netting the dazed Engineer. Signaling to his cronies, the Orc hoisted the fallen Dwarf, net and all, over his shoulder and retreated back into the waves, taking their captive with them.....

AFTERMATH:
We used the standard Morheim gaming, but added some riules for night fighting. You could not see or target models unless they came within 12" of a bonfire, but the trade off was the Night Goblins suffered a minus "1" to hit in close combat because of the brightness. Any Dwarves put "out of action" by a FishGit armed with a net was captured instead. We actually captured the Engineer when rolling on his recovery, so it was meant to be that he was captured! Where have the FishGitz taken the Chief? Tune in next time to find out!

The Skaven were seriously hurt in this battle, several of them suffering injuries that left them dazed, stupid or forced to miss upcoming battles. One PAT was spent to ensure one of the rats did not perish from his wounds. Several new skills were gained as well, the Pontifex earning the gift of a Cloud of Flies from their dark deity.

The Goblins lost several of their numbers, none of which were Heroes. Several Gobbos gained characteristic increased, including the henchmen groups, one of which received an extra attack, the archers gaining a +1 to their BS.

The Miner Cadre fared well enough, not losing any of their numbers and gaining a bit of battle experience and some much coveted gold!

Captain Sheer and his crew were the recipients of several increases as well, the Beardlings gaining a +1 to their S. The Longbeard received combat skill upgrades as well. So the Dwarves are set to embark on the next phase of the campaign, finding their lost companion........

Yay! FishGitz! :fish:


Great update Snaga! :yarr!:

Once again, a great read Snaga. I really enjoyed reading the report. Keep us updated.

Greetz
G

Shame the FishGitz turned out to be punks once their shock value was over. None of my players had seen them before and they had no clue who or what they were!

This coming week will see the Dwarves trying to mount a rescue mission to free the Chief from the slimey clutches of the FishGitz! Should be a hoot! :fish:

Thanks WGG! :D
This week I have to model up an underwater grotto for the FishGitz. Wasnt planning on needing that type of terrain yet so the challenge is on to see what I can come up with for their lair! :fish:

Well good luck with it, I have 60 goblins of all kinds standing on my workplace. I see forward to pic's from the underwater cave

Greetz
G

Quality! I'm glad yours had the same effect on your group as mine did though. With the FishGitz being active in the Nemesis War I wouldn't have surprised if they'd seen them before.

An unexpected Fishman is worth his weight in (sunken) treasure! :yarr!:

:yarr!: :yarr!: :yarr!:

Avast, matey, them stunties be gettin' uppity now. Feed 'em to the seasquigs, sez I!

Sounds like a rescue mission is being planned, a la Captain Sparrow maybe? :D

Not so much journeying to the other side but a rescue is on the way none the less. Who knows what awaits the Dwarves in the dark, dank undersea caverns of the FishGitz...... :fish:

This is a great read, Snaga. I really love the scenary in your campaign. What did you use to create the buildings? Are those GW parts or from some other supplier (i.e., Hirst)? I particularly like the old fortress. It looks fantastic! I think the ample use of real sand really enhances the effect of your gameboard. Sure, it is a bit messy, but it is really cool! How is it to play in?

The Mule is a funny contraption. Where on earth did you get the boiler? I really need to go to your craft store and pick up some of the wheels for the ships! You have ANOTHER ONE on the Mule, and I can't find one! AGH!

For the underwater fortress, think barnacles, coral and ship ruins. Perhaps you could "dress up" one of your ships to make it look like a shipwreck. Nothing permanent, but you could add some plasticard holes to the sides and deck to represent hazards. With a little work, your biggest ship could serve as a great looking fortress! Other than that, you might need to watch Little Mermaid to get some inspiration! maybe you could even invite that pink-wearin Mostyn to watch it with you! Hurr hurr hurr!

Great stuff, Snaga! Keep going, matie!

Goomb

Goomb! Ya mangy Git! :yarr!:

Most of the buildings are old Hirst molds. The sand is not as bad to clean up as you might think. It takes three minutes to roll up the sand in the mat, transfer it to the bucket and hit the little bit left behind with the mini vac. 5 minutes and its all done. And it is nice to play in because I can bury the green based buildings under the layer of sand, presto! Instant beach front property. :D

Look, because you are a reasonably good Git, you pm me your address and I will send you a ships wheel, saavy?

The Mule boiler comes from one of those geo terrain companies whose name escapes me at this time. They make factories, hexagon-fit terrain, power plants and pumping stations. The bolier comes from one of those sets, with a Warhammer terrain strut for support, a swivel gun from the same terrain sprue and a Dwarf banner top to complete the ship. I need to add more details to it but it served on short notice! I had about an hour before we played and I needed a ship in a pinch! :unsure: I am going to go back and add a canopy I think so it looks a bit like the African Queen from the old Bogart movie. That should help tie in elements of the jungle with a usable terrain piece I think. :lol:

You read my mind on the shipwreck. I actually scrapped one of my ships to make a sunken wreck for the cavern, along with stalatites and stalagmites, some sand and a grotto of water. Think Goonies. It should be fun as I expect lots of the combat to take place in and around the wreckage of the ship. Swinging from one end of the ship to other, climbing the ruined masts, falling through the rotten decks, etc. It should be fun! All for the salvation of the stuny Engineer! :o

Avast, ya smelly Fishorc! PM away! Run em all through and give nuttin back! YAARRRR! :yarr!:

Goonie - love it! My youngest son's best friend looks a heck of a lot like Chunk! Dude, you did not scrap one of the fleet for this little battle, did you?!?!?! NO! Ok, well, you have a plan, and I bet the scenary will be fantastic. Just remember, one of your gits needs to shout "Hey youz guys!" in the middle of the game, swing across the deck and take out a stunty git (perhaps the captn or slayer)! Ha ha ha! Love the stalagmites and stalagtites idea. Very cool! Perhaps you could have a treasure room or something along those lines.

I figured those were Hirst models. They looked fantastic, and I am oh-so-tempted to get some of those molds. I think the buildings just look fantastic! I hear you on the mule. That would look good with a canopy. Oh, I have visions of an up river (without a paddle) expedition on Da Lustrian Queen....! For some inspiration, check out this little site on Colonial Era Wargames. They have some neat ideas and fun battle reports! Check out the Lady Bogart on the Ships and Boats page.

Keep it going, Snaga!

Goomb