The Grudge Of Sheer, A Warhammer Narrative Campaign

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.......



This post has been edited by Kaptain BlackSquig on Nov 7 2008, 11:47 AM

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

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…”


This post has been edited by Snagafang on Jun 29 2008, 03:47 PM

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.



This post has been edited by Kaptain BlackSquig on Nov 12 2010, 05:37 PM

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: 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.

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!

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.....

This post has been edited by Kaptain BlackSquig on Nov 12 2010, 05:41 PM

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.

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!



Goomb

Thanks Baldy!
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

This post has been edited by Snagafang on Jul 1 2008, 02:48 PM