The Grudge Of Sheer, A Warhammer Narrative Campaign

Yarrrr! Me too!

I'm 38, 39 in March next year, and I'm definitely after membership of the Old Gitz club! (as long as it has comfortable chairs...)

Arrg, ya whippersnappers! Young uns da lot o' ya! An' Kaptain, Goombs got the right of it, younker or no. Ize bain't gittin' any younger waitin' fer da next installment here. Bad fer me heart it iz...

More ale fer da Kaptain, ta wet hiz whistle fer da tale tellin'!

Arranges comfy chair, ear trumpet and spectacles...

Aye, Iz ill join ye. It takes dat Blacksquggie a while ta spin da yarn, ya know.

Bar wench! Tankard uv yer finest ale fer uz....

<Ahem, missy, give dat un dat speaks slow a bit, ah, lesser finest, eh? Not da bess til he gets da rest uv iz tale out. Iz ill make et worth yer troubles.>



Goomb

Still Undergoing Reconstruction. Coming soon!

This post has been edited by Kaptain BlackSquig on Jul 25 2010, 12:52 PM

Ize hears dat wolf a howlin', but dere no Kaptain 'ere.

OK Ladz
Short update here. I moved this new piece of fluff to its own thread so it doesnt overlap the Grudge of Sheer material. Its for all of you gitz wot wanted more of Gentleman James Boden...

http://z3.invisionfree.com/Orc__Goblin_War...showtopic=26922

Da Kaptain

Welcome Back Intrepid Readers to the Grudge of Sheer Narrative Campaign!

I wont go into all the sorted details for the huge gap in updates other than to say I am all better now and ready to restart the tales of Captain Sheer and his valiant crew! I feel a lot like Frederick Frankenstein with this monster I have created. It has tested me at times, forced me into places I didn’t want to go, fought with me in the shadows and made me work harder. I allowed myself to sucked into online campaigning to the point where I neglected you folks that have been following the tale, and for that I am sorry!

For those new to thread I have added some insight below. Then I have a few updates that will follow while I still reconstruct the lost reports that I know you all are waiting for!

Intro to Readers Old & New!
The Grudge of Sheer campaign mates, long rumored lost in the mists of obscurity, has indeed been brought back to life! With a mighty stroke of the keyboard I resurrect this most epic of quests. While this campaign started well over a year ago, there were several speed bumps along the way. The biggest of which was my pitiful PC crashing not once but thrice, taking most of the pics, battle reports and other data with it! Learned valuable lessons here, SAVE onto disc, SAVE onto disc! So with that in mind I have had to go back and reconstruct the lost tidbits, with the help of my players, they of infinite patience. Lest you thing us nigglings, we have not been idle. The campaign is still running strong. Posting is of course behind as I have been using time in between to the campaign days to rework the lost material. And I am close to finishing this which is why I thought it a good time to reopen the thread here and do some updating.

I am going to be using a newer format that I find I like better for writing the reports. It allows me to convey some information to you gentle readers that you would miss unless you were at the table when the campaign is being played. Plus it lets me write in the fashion I am more comfortable with, a relaxed version that will read more like a movie script but still be entertaining for all of us.

In medias res or medias in res ("into the middle of affairs") is a Latin phrase denoting the literary and artistic narrative technique wherein the relation of a story begins either at the mid-point or at the conclusion, rather than at the beginning, establishing setting, character, and conflict via flashbacks and expository conversations relating the pertinent past.

While I wont be rehashing all the material thus far, here is a quick capsule to jumpstart the campaign once more:

The Grudge of Sheer campaign is a narrative adventure encompassing the trials and tribulations of the Dwarf Monitor Captain Sheer Stonefist and his Grudge Cruise against the nefarious Orc Pirate Kaptain BlackSquig. The Orc Pirates are only one of the numerous foes that will provide the opposition for the brave & foolhardy Captain Sheer.

Background for the Grudge of Sheer:

And there you have it. The adventure continues….


This post has been edited by Kaptain BlackSquig on Dec 20 2010, 09:29 PM

Sheer stared once more at the faded parchment before him, the edges of the page wrinkled with age and water damage. How long the journal had been here among the jungle growth, even his aged advisor Anton could not say. Humans felt the need to use fragile means to record their thoughts and so their very history became fragile as well, vast wealth of knowledge lost down through the centuries when if only they had used stone.

A large blood gorged mosquito chose that moment to buzz by the Captain’s nose and paid the price as Sheer lashed out with a gnarled hand and smashed it hard into his other hand. Drops of blood ran through gaps in his fingers as he wiped his messy hand on the back of the parchment.

“At least it’s good for something, eh Anton?” grinned Sheer, his annoyance at marauding insect temporarily sated.

“Ye, that it be Captain, tis a shame twernt a few thousand more. Yon cursed marsh mosquitoes will be our death yet, and that there's a fact.”



As the party of Dwarves moved further into the depths of the rain forest they were forced to stop and clear a path every few yards as the tangled mass of vegetation fought to keep them penned in, as if the jungle was aware of their presence and was revolting against them.

For over three months now, the crew of the Heart of Stone had pursued their quarry, through jungle, ravine, ruin and river. The first few weeks had been spent in cautious exploration of the jungle and combat with a tribe of Night Goblins that dwelt in the snake infested caverns under Lustria. It had been some time since they had seen the Night Goblins and had little idea where to start searching for the Orc Pirate BlackSquig.

A journey up the coast to the Northmen outpost of Skeggi had borne fruit. Not only had the crew been able to slake their thirst on strong Northman ales but the Captain had been able to speak at length to their savage Shaman, regarding the Font of Youth and more.



Rumors of the dwelling place of the Font, crude maps and the need for something the natives called the “Eye of Sotek” were all collected by the Dwarves, at the cost of large amounts of gold. The Miners in the warband were visibly angry at the amount of gold the old Shaman had demanded in return for parting with this information but a stern gaze from Sheer made them grudgingly hand it over. The Shaman assured them that the “Eye of Sotek” was needed to find the Lost City of Zinge, resting place of the Font of Youth.



And so the Dwarves, now armed with fully replenished provisions, full barrels of ale and a handful of ancient rumors and maps, sailed south once more, turning west from the coast into a dark tributary know simply as the Serpents Tongue. Their maps showed them that upriver was an expanse of Lizardmen ruins, where it was said that the Eye of Sotek could be found. The Orcs needed this bauble, whatever it was, and would have to come in search of it at some point. And the Heart of Stone would be waiting…

And the adventure continues...

This post has been edited by Kaptain BlackSquig on Aug 1 2010, 01:43 AM

Prelude: The Coming Storm

The sound of distant thunder reverberated across the iron deck of the Heart of Stone. Bobbing in the greenish, muddy waters that passed by the ship at speed, the stout Dwarven Ironclad began to fight against her mooring ropes. The evening sun had begun its descent in the sky, the air starting to cool even as the warm metal decks groaned under the cooling conditions. The Heart was presently moored on this small island in the middle of a mile wide tributary of the Serpent’s Tongue, a makeshift dock having been erected so the crew could forage inland for supplies to repair the ship. While the Norsemen of Skeggi had happily volunteered the use of the their shipyards, the Dwarves had decided that discretion was the better part of common sense, and not fully trusting the humans, they had left the repairs to be done once underway.

Mate Murdok walked up onto the deck from below, the moisture heavy air immediately drawing his already damp clothes tighter to his rotund frame. The usually noisy rainforest had grown suddenly silent and the lookouts had sighted distant lightning on the horizon to the north. The tall jungle ferns and cattails began to bend in the growing breeze, the water rippling with movement as the shoals of crocodiles sensed the coming storm and swam back to their thickets and underwater lairs.

Drawing a gnarled hand across his sweating brow, Murdok turned his gaze to the north, where the landing party had gone on shore hours ago. Sure enough the sky there was a sinister black, with sporadic bolts of lighting streaking across the sky before striking the ground. Peals of thunder once again rumbled across the jungle canopy, scattering flights of brightly colored birds & bats into the darkening skies. A ping sounded next to Murdok, followed by another and then another as the thick rain drops began to fall from the heavens. The air was so charged with electricity that the hairs on Murdok’s beard stood straight and away from his face, bristling with barely contained charge. Blasts of energy unlike any he had seen in his 250 odd years ripped across the horizon dark horizon, forcing him to look away.



Cursing silently to himself, Murdok raced back to the main hatch and descended, pulling the massive iron disc closed after him. A twist of the wheel sealed the hatch shut even as the rain began to fall in torrents, drenching the Heart of Stone in sheets of rain that sizzled as they struck the rapidly cooling deck.

“Gonna be a rough one dis night lads! Yon storm is a bad one, The Capatan be in for a rough one, he is.”

Some of the Beardlings smiled at one another. Leave it to Murdok. His grip on the Dwarven tongue was as frayed as his beard! Captain Sheer always bristled when Murdok referred to him as Capatan, a sight that was not lost on the Longbeard and he always made it a point to call Sheer Capatan whenever he was left in charge. The Beardlings returned to their work as Murdok stalked past, the sound of hammers replacing the sound of the pounding rain. Soon the interior of the vessel began to fill with the smells of frying onions and livers, many of the Dwarves smacking their lips in anticipation of the coming meal.

Outside, even as the rain continued to pour down and clouds turned blacker, hate-filled eyes stared at the Heart of Stone from the cover of the reed beds. Hungry eyes….

...and the adventure continues



This post has been edited by Kaptain BlackSquig on Dec 20 2010, 08:49 PM

Week Eight: Prelude to Twilight



The path before Sheer began to narrow, the tangle of undergrowth so twisted on either side that the Dwarves were forced to march single file. The path had seen heavy use in previous centuries but now the jungle had grown back to cover the trail in greenery once more. Occasional beams of sickly yellow sunlight pierced the thick jungle canopy, serving little benefit save to raise the level of humid air that clung to beards & body. And more endless chopping!

Every day, an endless procession of slow walking, hacking aside centuries of old growth vines and branches and dodging blood loss from bloated marsh flies! The small party of Dwarves was nothing if not relentless and thus they went about the routine with usual stoic silence. Captain Sheer paused to wipe the sweat from his brow and drew forth a flask of water from his belt. Draining a large pull, he motioned to the rest of the party to take a short break. Several of the Beardlings moved past Sheer and into the thick brush, scouting ahead while the rest of the Dwarves found restful purchase on the moist ground.

Brailling, a stripling no older than 40 winters, moved off to the right of the party, crawling close to the ground when needed, avoiding thickets, bloodvines and strangle fronds as he moved as silent as his greased mail would allow. Up ahead, great rays of tropical sun pierced the ground through the overhead canopy. As he approached the light, it became apparent to the Dwarf that some form of a clearing was up ahead. Crouching in the heavy brush of the treeline, Brailling was faced by a 25 foot tall stone pillar, ancient carving covering the side that faced the young Dwarf. The ground around the pillar was bare, the withered remains of jungle plants scattered around the base. Even as he moved to his left for a better view of the pillar, the sunlight disappeared from above as thick heavy clouds rolled in from the west. Beyond the pillar was an ancient stone archway-some sort of gate-way to the continuing trail west.

Soon a light rain began to fall, the braches becoming drains for the cold water falling from above. Tiny rivulets ran down the massive fronds of the jungle plants, soon turning into floods as a downpour started. Even as distant thunder began to shake the clearing, Brailling was still transfixed by the pillar. A series of carvings went up the front face of the rock, crude renditions of skulls running to the top where a great bat-like creature lay draped in thick vines and moss. The demonic visage on the creature seemed almost alive in the flashing of lightning that heralded the storm, a shudder of fear rippling through the Beardlings breast as he drew his axe from his belt.



The rain fell in sheets now, the rumbling of thunder drowned out by the drone of falling water and rustling of the jungle as the winds whipped the trees into a chorus of swaying and bending, almost like the jerking movements of a novice puppeteer. Shouting to his fellows, Brailling received no answer, his voice muffled under the pounding storm. Beyond the treeline, several figures approached from the jungle beyond the archway, tall figures that staggered to move under the relentless winds, swaying like boats caught in a storm. That was when the stench hit the Beardling. An overpowering stench that clung to the air of the clearing, despite the swirling winds. A smell that the young Dwarf had learned all too well. The sickening rotten smell of death!

Brailling breathed a sigh of relief when he felt his companions hand upon his shoulder, the sudden presence of his companion bolstering his failing courage.

“Bout time ye bastard. I been callin fer ye. What do you make of yonder figures, be they enemy?”

His companion did not answer him, instead increasing the pressure of his hand on the Dwarf’s shoulder until it dug into the padding of his armor. Spinning around, Brailling was confronted by a monster, an abomination that had once been Frelix, his childhood friend. No eyes remained in the skull of the Dwarf, merely empty sockets filled with fresh viscera. Strips of flesh dangled on one check, fluttering sickly in the wind. Pieces of his armor still clung to the batter framed of the Beardling, pools of blood collected in nooks and crannies, even as the tattered blood drenched remains of his undercoat clung limply to his ragged shoulders. Brailling barely had a chance to scream as his once friend ripped his tongue from his mouth, falling upon the Beardling in a savage flurry of cracked teeth. The rain continued its downpour unabated, the fresh blood mixing with the muddy, moss-covered ground of the clearing. Very soon two new Dwarven Zombies lurched forth from the undergrowth, joining the rest of the nightmarish horde staggering down the trail towards the unsuspecting Captain Sheer...

The Cast: Grudge of Sheer

All
Been some time since I did an update here and I wanted to go ahead and do some group photos of the main Warbands we have been using. Bear in mind some of these are from homegrown lists! Having said that, here we have the characters as they were first portrayed in Lustria:

Captain Sheer and his band of Dwarven Grudgebearers


We have, from left to right: the Dragon Belch Thunderers, Gort the Slayer, Yardarm the Long Gunners, Gringrok the Oldbeard, Captain Sheer, Eugan the Oldbeard, Engineer Krump and the Stone Guard Beardlings.










Quartermaster Murdok and the crew of the Heart of Stone


We have, from left to right: Stone Guard Beardlings, Doc Thrud the Ship’s Surgeon, Chief Engineer Krank, Quartermaster Murdok, Skrager the Slayer Pirate, Kooky the Ogre Chef and the IronGuard Greybeard Marines.











The DeffKap Night Goblin Horde!


We have, from left to right: Da Ded Eye Stikkaz, Snarf da Loon, Boss Spaznatz & Muncha the Cave Squig, Goregut Eadchoppa, Dreg Dreg the Shaman & Wizzbangz da Faceeatta Squig, Fowlhaunches da Mean and da Deffheadz Stabbaz.













And the adventure continues…

This post has been edited by Kaptain BlackSquig on Jan 29 2011, 10:15 PM

great 8 week campaign so far(even though it took 2 years, life does get in the way after all). i've noticed some of the models for the warbands got updated.

keep at it

Great update, I'm glad to see this topic back on the first page.

Cheers,
G

Hey Mate
Believe it or not, but the campaign is actually in Week Seventeen. However some time back my PC crashed and I lost all of my notes and such so I have been recreating the battles from notes, etc and I am nearly there!

I did want to update some of the minis, because some were lacking and some went with one of our group when he moved! So I had to make a few changes but I think they are OK.

Thanks for taking the time to read up on the campaign though!

Once I get through my backlog of stuff, I will be back to weekly updates WGG. I am making sure I back up everything now!

Da Kaptain