The one-Eye
The dark forests of the Empire have never been tamed. Men now claim ownership over them, but they have only carved tenuous pathways through them or around them and cower around firelight in their tiny clearings as they dare not tread too deep within. The Empire of Sigmar consists of islands of civilization linked only by the poorly patrolled imperial roads. Before man, both elves and dwarfs lorded over these lands, but they were also unable to extend their reach into the dark heart of the forests.
Within this heart, the oldest of ways still thrive, and the children of the True Gods live according to their will, with the strongest among them competing for their favour and enjoyment. Unseen wars rage between the tribes of beastmen and between these tribes and the other denizens of the forests, but this unending violence also frequently spills into the domains of men as warbands emerge to raid and pillage the settlements of the Empire. The greatest among their kind, through strength and cunning, can focus this violence in pursuit of greater deeds in the name of dark gods or personal power, but the aims and designs of the Beasts of Chaos are as capricious as the Winds, and what serves their gods one day might not the next.
By their nature, the Beastmen are anathema to control and order, but one Beastlord among those of the great Drakwald has proven to be able to lead his kin through both victory and failure and has instilled unwavering respect across tribal boundaries. He is known as Khazrak the One-Eye, in homage to the injuries endured him from his duel with the Elector Count of Middenland, and many bray-shamans proclaim him to be the one who will carve a new fate for the true children of Chaos. However, Khazrak's obsession with his perceived nemesis has tested the strength of his influence, as many see not the value in pursuing a stalemate between the herds of the Drakwald and the men of the Wolf-City while other targets could easily reap greater rewards. He has realized that another path to his desired end may be necessary. With that in mind, Khazrak the One-Eye has declared that he will lead his most favoured warriors on a pilgrimage through the beast-paths to one of his kind's great gatherings, though it be far from the Drakwald, where he can prove his right to lead before all once again and discover what plan the gods have for him and those wise enough to follow.
Within this heart, the oldest of ways still thrive, and the children of the True Gods live according to their will, with the strongest among them competing for their favour and enjoyment. Unseen wars rage between the tribes of beastmen and between these tribes and the other denizens of the forests, but this unending violence also frequently spills into the domains of men as warbands emerge to raid and pillage the settlements of the Empire. The greatest among their kind, through strength and cunning, can focus this violence in pursuit of greater deeds in the name of dark gods or personal power, but the aims and designs of the Beasts of Chaos are as capricious as the Winds, and what serves their gods one day might not the next.
By their nature, the Beastmen are anathema to control and order, but one Beastlord among those of the great Drakwald has proven to be able to lead his kin through both victory and failure and has instilled unwavering respect across tribal boundaries. He is known as Khazrak the One-Eye, in homage to the injuries endured him from his duel with the Elector Count of Middenland, and many bray-shamans proclaim him to be the one who will carve a new fate for the true children of Chaos. However, Khazrak's obsession with his perceived nemesis has tested the strength of his influence, as many see not the value in pursuing a stalemate between the herds of the Drakwald and the men of the Wolf-City while other targets could easily reap greater rewards. He has realized that another path to his desired end may be necessary. With that in mind, Khazrak the One-Eye has declared that he will lead his most favoured warriors on a pilgrimage through the beast-paths to one of his kind's great gatherings, though it be far from the Drakwald, where he can prove his right to lead before all once again and discover what plan the gods have for him and those wise enough to follow.
The Beastmen
- The Dark Moon - The lunar cycles dictate much of beastmen behavior, and the effects and interpretations of their omens can provide significant bonuses to cunning warlords. - Beastpaths - Use hidden wilderness pathways to avoid impassable terrain and enemy armies. - Primal Fury - Raise aggressive, fast-moving armies with a variety of beasts and monsters. |
The One-Eye
- Great Horn-Lord - -30% cost for Bestigor units (Lord's Army) - Scourge of the Drakwald - +10% income from raiding (Factionwide) - Conqueror of the Blood-Grounds - +5 Leadership when fighting Men +10 Charge Bonus for Bestigor units (Factionwide) |
PROLOGUE - the Forest
Spring, The Year of the Hagspawn
I am Uthesi, known as the Wyrdbreaker, and in search of the truth at the roots of our world, I have traveled from the Southlands to the Wastes and from Albion to Nippon, but I never feel closer to the gods than when I walk among the ancient trees of the Drakwald. This holy forest has nurtured the greatest tribes of our kin, and from these bloodlines have sprung many heroes and champions. I traveled these paths in my early years, and I encountered Khazrak before he had learned the lessons that would shape him into the One-Eye. Recognition of similar visions and ambitions for our people led me to assist Khazrak in cementing his place within his tribe at the time, but my wanderlust soon separated us, and my travels since that time have lasted over a dozen years.
In the winter of this year, however, I was intrigued to see that Khazrak the One-Eye had left the Drakwald to join the Horn-Moot of Vrathlom along with a few small bands of the many tribes i knew followed him. The warlord was not there solely to express his piety or compete in the Contests of Glory, but was intent on forging a new horde with which to bring war to the lands of men. The time was right for such a course, for many of the powerful nations of men were weakened by discord and the blood omen was high in the sky, and so I watched Khazrak's ability to win allies to his cause. He declared to all who among the moot that he would be leading a new crusade against the cities of the unbelievers and, to my surprise, it would begin here against the men of Estalia instead of among his kin in the Drakwald. Khazrak was showing that his visions were more far-reaching than I had imagined.
In the Contests, he defeated all challengers, shaming and killing many, but allowing those within whom he saw useful potential to yield with dignity if they wished. One of these was Visharros Soul-Render, High Lord of the Sombra Wood, who pledged his axes to the champion of the Drakwald's warpath before all. Another was Kamalash, bloodkine of the minotaur tribe of the Corpse-Tree, who similarly declared his tribe's intent to follow the one who had bested him. He had traveled to the Horn-Moot with only a little more than a hundred of his best warriors, far too little to wage war against the walled cities of Estalia, but was already gaining followers though his wise action. However, Visharros and Kamalash were exceptions, for most of the warriors at the Horn-Moot would not bow before the One-Eye. His name had indeed spread beyond the Drakwald, but the strong among our kin are also the stubborn and prideful, and would need further convincing. Many of the ungor, not so troubled with pride, flocked to his banner in anticipation of any chance to wreak destruction upon Man's creations, but to gather a true brayherd, Khazrak would need to prove that he was favoured by the gods. As the Horn-Moot disbanded, Khazrak took his warriors on the warpath, and I went among the tribes of the mountains and forests to ensure his actions were known to all and spread the word of war.
I am Uthesi, known as the Wyrdbreaker, and in search of the truth at the roots of our world, I have traveled from the Southlands to the Wastes and from Albion to Nippon, but I never feel closer to the gods than when I walk among the ancient trees of the Drakwald. This holy forest has nurtured the greatest tribes of our kin, and from these bloodlines have sprung many heroes and champions. I traveled these paths in my early years, and I encountered Khazrak before he had learned the lessons that would shape him into the One-Eye. Recognition of similar visions and ambitions for our people led me to assist Khazrak in cementing his place within his tribe at the time, but my wanderlust soon separated us, and my travels since that time have lasted over a dozen years.
In the winter of this year, however, I was intrigued to see that Khazrak the One-Eye had left the Drakwald to join the Horn-Moot of Vrathlom along with a few small bands of the many tribes i knew followed him. The warlord was not there solely to express his piety or compete in the Contests of Glory, but was intent on forging a new horde with which to bring war to the lands of men. The time was right for such a course, for many of the powerful nations of men were weakened by discord and the blood omen was high in the sky, and so I watched Khazrak's ability to win allies to his cause. He declared to all who among the moot that he would be leading a new crusade against the cities of the unbelievers and, to my surprise, it would begin here against the men of Estalia instead of among his kin in the Drakwald. Khazrak was showing that his visions were more far-reaching than I had imagined.
In the Contests, he defeated all challengers, shaming and killing many, but allowing those within whom he saw useful potential to yield with dignity if they wished. One of these was Visharros Soul-Render, High Lord of the Sombra Wood, who pledged his axes to the champion of the Drakwald's warpath before all. Another was Kamalash, bloodkine of the minotaur tribe of the Corpse-Tree, who similarly declared his tribe's intent to follow the one who had bested him. He had traveled to the Horn-Moot with only a little more than a hundred of his best warriors, far too little to wage war against the walled cities of Estalia, but was already gaining followers though his wise action. However, Visharros and Kamalash were exceptions, for most of the warriors at the Horn-Moot would not bow before the One-Eye. His name had indeed spread beyond the Drakwald, but the strong among our kin are also the stubborn and prideful, and would need further convincing. Many of the ungor, not so troubled with pride, flocked to his banner in anticipation of any chance to wreak destruction upon Man's creations, but to gather a true brayherd, Khazrak would need to prove that he was favoured by the gods. As the Horn-Moot disbanded, Khazrak took his warriors on the warpath, and I went among the tribes of the mountains and forests to ensure his actions were known to all and spread the word of war.
The Brayherd of the Wolfskin
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Khazrak the One-Eye
Warherds
Gor Herds - Blacktusk Blood-Sworn, Eye-Takers of Umalgar
Ungor Herds - Grey Pelt Herd, Shemol's Scalpers (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Longfang Herd, Moss-Eater Herd
Far-Kin
Minotaurs - Tribe of the Corpse-Tree
The Brayherd of the Shadow Totem
Hornlords
Beastlord - Visharros Soul-Render
Warherds
Ungor Herds - Kakrigi's Chosen, Whitehoof Heart-Seekers (bows), Bone Peak Raiders (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Whitehoof Man-Gutters, Rockjaw Herd
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Khazrak the One-Eye
Warherds
Gor Herds - Blacktusk Blood-Sworn, Eye-Takers of Umalgar
Ungor Herds - Grey Pelt Herd, Shemol's Scalpers (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Longfang Herd, Moss-Eater Herd
Far-Kin
Minotaurs - Tribe of the Corpse-Tree
The Brayherd of the Shadow Totem
Hornlords
Beastlord - Visharros Soul-Render
Warherds
Ungor Herds - Kakrigi's Chosen, Whitehoof Heart-Seekers (bows), Bone Peak Raiders (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Whitehoof Man-Gutters, Rockjaw Herd
Chapter 1 (Turns 1 - 28)
The Call of HAte
The Setting Sun
20 Nachgeheim, 2502 IC
My Lord Emperor, congratulations are in order for your success in the election in Talabheim, and individual reports have been compiled on the observed affairs of the other elector-counts, ready at your convenience in your study. As you had shown particular interest in the foreign policy of your late father in your last message, I thought you might be keen to hear the latest reports from the southern realms regarding the appalling fate of the Estalians.
Last month, we had briefly discussed the increased activity of the beastmen warbands in the Estalian kingdoms, the frequency of slaughtered caravans keeping merchants and travelers off the roads except when under heavy guard, but I had then attributed this to the negligence of their soft nobility, and the general laxity of their military traditions. Recent and unprecedented tragedies have altered my opinions. While these traits of the Estalians have surely contributed to the misfortune of their land, the actions of these monsters have been abnormally coordinated, signifying the rise of a formidable chieftain among them.
As you know, the beast-kind of the forests can be a grave threat when united behind a singular personality, requiring a focused and sustained military response, and we are fortunate not to have such a threat here in the Reikland with the current division and fragility that separates the provinces. Estalia, on the other hand, was enjoying a time of peace and solidarity among its competing kingdoms that should have allowed a quick and sure response to an enemy emerging in the countryside, but seems to instead have bred complacency and weakness among the Estalian rulers. While purges of the forestlands should have been conducted weeks earlier, King Lupio of Magritta finally mobilized the combined Estalian soldiery in strength by the last day of Pflugzeit, and was unsuccessful in predicting his foe's movments, failing to confront the beastman raiders in the field.
In fact, my sources tell me that King Lupio followed small scale raids into the eastern kingdoms, believing they signified the presence of the greater beast horde, immediately before a far more massive army converged on the western city of Bilbali, killing its defenders and sacrificing all those who could not escape in the name of the horrid Ruinous Powers. Afterward, the king arrived at Bilbali, seeking vengeance for its destruction, but was ambushed among the hills, south of the city. Though King Lupio is a veteran of a hundred battles and countless conflicts with the neighboring kingdoms, he was outwitted by the forces that led these beasts, and though his army outnumbered the enemy in the resulting battle, his tactics failed utterly when he found the enemy warriors were among his army before his crossbowmen could lose a single volley. The enemy warlord's axe brought down King Lupio, and the Estalians fled from the battlefield, carrying their wounded leader back to the walls of Magritta.
From this one failing can be traced the following catastrophes at Tobaro and then, ultimately, at Magritta itself. Conflicting accounts have come out from the destruction of Tabaro, but most seem to agree that the city was attacked in two waves by the beasts. The first attack was defeated, at great cost to the Tobarean army, but this first assault of the city is said to have consisted entirely of rat-men fitting the descriptions of the skaven race, knowledge of which I know you have long been privy to. While all are quick to lump these forces in with the other beastmen, my most respected council from Miragliano has in the past told me of suspected settlements of the skaven within or under the vast swamplands to the north of Tobaro. Aware that the designs of the agents of the Ruinous Powers conflict with each other at least as often as those do among our own allies, I suspect that this may have been the work of a separate warlord, failing in an attempt to seize an opportunity opened by the defeat of King Lupio. Whatever the case, within days of Tabaro's victory, a second army emerged from the wilds to surround the city walls. The dismayed defenders, caught unprepared amid celebration, fell in the first assault, and the pall of smoke from the burning city was seen throughout the kingdom.
At this point, the men of Estalia had been brought to their knees. Magritta was flooded with peasants from the many villages and smaller towns, seeking their greatest hope for protection. I have read that Duke Huebald publicly pledged that the knights of Carcassonne would stop growing rampage of the beastmen, but as far as I know no Bretonnian armies ever crossed the borders to come to Estalia's aid. The first accounts of fighting near Magritta were of a great victory that the nobles of the city touted as a turning point in their war against the beasts, but there were clear signs that this horde had been of some offshoot or rival tribe. The few captured beastmen that could speak our tongue, called their tribe the Ripper-Horns and named their leader as the Sword-Breaker, but the horde that had outwitted King Lupio had marched under the banner of a wolfskin and the army that had sacked Tabaro had fought under the gaze of dark daemonic carved totems. Neither of these items were found among these Ripper-Horn beastmen and they had exhibited far less cunning and discipline. Sure enough, another horde soon descended on Magritta under the banner of a wolfskin and was immediately joined by the totem bearers of Tabaro.
The survivors of the siege of Magritta describe weeks of watching the beasts drag uprooted trees from the closest groves to build ladders and platforms while a dreadful plague ravaged the sheltering populace. Some solace was taken in the fact that the beastmen too were struck by the plague, the pyres of their dead warriors easily visible from the city walls, but the losses from the city garrison soon left large sections of the walls undefended. The defenses were unable to withstand the inevitable assault, as huge minotaurs hacked apart Magritta's great gates and cloven warriors crested the battlements, and dreadful slaughtered commenced within the city. Those who have return to Magritta, once the jewel of Estalia, report only ruins now, the great temple of Myrmidia torn to the ground. The rest of Estalia has become a lawless and wild land as most people have fled to Brettonia and Tilea, and those that have remained are rumored to have turned to the worship of the corruption that is the Dark Gods, this surely being the only explanation of their survival.
Though distant and far from our most pressing concerns, these events are sure to significantly effect affairs in the Empire. If nothing more can be learned from this than the true dangers of those that hide within our forests, than so be it, but I also wanted to bring your attention to one small detail that is admittedly on hearsay at the moment. The warlord of the wolfskin horde has been heard to be referred to by the crude epithet, "the One-Eye". This should sound familiar to you from the accounts of Graf Boris's Drakwald campaign, but could simply be a common term used among these blasphemous creatures.
The Defiled Throne
28 Brauzeit, 2502 IC
Among the other reports, there has been some substantiated news regarding the ravagers of Estalia. It appears that three figures stand at the front of this army of the Dark Gods. The first is a shaman among the beast-kin, a wielder of vile magic, and the one who seems to be responsible for melding the various factions and personalities of the beastman horde behind a focus goal, he is referred to as the Wyrdbreaker. The second, is a warrior and warlord, a corrupt champion of the darkest forests of Estalia, known as the Soul-Render. The Third is the One-Eye, and it is he who commands all the others. I consider our earlier fears to be confirmed, that the beast who once bested the Graf of Middenheim has reappeared, and leads this vast army. I find his history with your rival most concerning, Emperor, for it is very likely that this demon may wish to eventually return to his old hunting grounds and will likely have designs that involve the Empire.
Since then, the soldiers of Carcassonne and Tilea had both been mobilized and readied in response to the fate of the peninsular kingdoms, yet no horde has yet been discovered crossing into either of these realms, and it had been hoped that this warlord's gathered forces had disbanded after gorging upon the unavenged corpses of Estalia. However, I have now received reports of elusive beastmen raiding parties in the hinterlands of Carcassonne and a conflict far from our eyes under the fey boughs of Athel Loren that I believe are related to the seemingly absent destroyers of Magritta. My interest in these events was first piqued with the reports of massacres committed among remote villages in the duchy of Carcassonne, blamed not on the beastmen of the Ruinous Powers, but on the inscrutable elves of great Athel Loren. Though this had been known to take place in the past at various times, the Great Enchantress of the Bretons herself had taken up residence in Carcassonne in response to the issue, showing that there may be further cause for concern.
My observers within the court of Carcassonne, trusting upon the investigations of the Enchantress, report that there has been a great upheaval and a hidden war playing out within the forests. While the Enchantress had arrived in Carcassonne to combat what she thought was an oncoming threat from the prophesied birth of some demon-lord among these wild elves, the threat never manifested past the initial massacres of which I have mentioned. Instead, I gleaned tales of unseen, yet ruthless battles within the forest's labyrinthine reaches. Bretonnia seems to have been spared the wrath of the wild elves and their forest spirits due to a large invasion of the forestlands by beastmen, orcs, or both. The Enchantress was convinced that one of the elves most sacred sites, a font of the magical winds known as the King's Glade, had been razed by a monster referred to as "the One-Eye", and that many disparate factions of the fey folk had come together in order to drive the invaders from their refuges. While the effects of this conflict are unclear, and likely to remain obscured to us, I have a hunch that they warrant our attention.
20 Nachgeheim, 2502 IC
My Lord Emperor, congratulations are in order for your success in the election in Talabheim, and individual reports have been compiled on the observed affairs of the other elector-counts, ready at your convenience in your study. As you had shown particular interest in the foreign policy of your late father in your last message, I thought you might be keen to hear the latest reports from the southern realms regarding the appalling fate of the Estalians.
Last month, we had briefly discussed the increased activity of the beastmen warbands in the Estalian kingdoms, the frequency of slaughtered caravans keeping merchants and travelers off the roads except when under heavy guard, but I had then attributed this to the negligence of their soft nobility, and the general laxity of their military traditions. Recent and unprecedented tragedies have altered my opinions. While these traits of the Estalians have surely contributed to the misfortune of their land, the actions of these monsters have been abnormally coordinated, signifying the rise of a formidable chieftain among them.
As you know, the beast-kind of the forests can be a grave threat when united behind a singular personality, requiring a focused and sustained military response, and we are fortunate not to have such a threat here in the Reikland with the current division and fragility that separates the provinces. Estalia, on the other hand, was enjoying a time of peace and solidarity among its competing kingdoms that should have allowed a quick and sure response to an enemy emerging in the countryside, but seems to instead have bred complacency and weakness among the Estalian rulers. While purges of the forestlands should have been conducted weeks earlier, King Lupio of Magritta finally mobilized the combined Estalian soldiery in strength by the last day of Pflugzeit, and was unsuccessful in predicting his foe's movments, failing to confront the beastman raiders in the field.
In fact, my sources tell me that King Lupio followed small scale raids into the eastern kingdoms, believing they signified the presence of the greater beast horde, immediately before a far more massive army converged on the western city of Bilbali, killing its defenders and sacrificing all those who could not escape in the name of the horrid Ruinous Powers. Afterward, the king arrived at Bilbali, seeking vengeance for its destruction, but was ambushed among the hills, south of the city. Though King Lupio is a veteran of a hundred battles and countless conflicts with the neighboring kingdoms, he was outwitted by the forces that led these beasts, and though his army outnumbered the enemy in the resulting battle, his tactics failed utterly when he found the enemy warriors were among his army before his crossbowmen could lose a single volley. The enemy warlord's axe brought down King Lupio, and the Estalians fled from the battlefield, carrying their wounded leader back to the walls of Magritta.
From this one failing can be traced the following catastrophes at Tobaro and then, ultimately, at Magritta itself. Conflicting accounts have come out from the destruction of Tabaro, but most seem to agree that the city was attacked in two waves by the beasts. The first attack was defeated, at great cost to the Tobarean army, but this first assault of the city is said to have consisted entirely of rat-men fitting the descriptions of the skaven race, knowledge of which I know you have long been privy to. While all are quick to lump these forces in with the other beastmen, my most respected council from Miragliano has in the past told me of suspected settlements of the skaven within or under the vast swamplands to the north of Tobaro. Aware that the designs of the agents of the Ruinous Powers conflict with each other at least as often as those do among our own allies, I suspect that this may have been the work of a separate warlord, failing in an attempt to seize an opportunity opened by the defeat of King Lupio. Whatever the case, within days of Tabaro's victory, a second army emerged from the wilds to surround the city walls. The dismayed defenders, caught unprepared amid celebration, fell in the first assault, and the pall of smoke from the burning city was seen throughout the kingdom.
At this point, the men of Estalia had been brought to their knees. Magritta was flooded with peasants from the many villages and smaller towns, seeking their greatest hope for protection. I have read that Duke Huebald publicly pledged that the knights of Carcassonne would stop growing rampage of the beastmen, but as far as I know no Bretonnian armies ever crossed the borders to come to Estalia's aid. The first accounts of fighting near Magritta were of a great victory that the nobles of the city touted as a turning point in their war against the beasts, but there were clear signs that this horde had been of some offshoot or rival tribe. The few captured beastmen that could speak our tongue, called their tribe the Ripper-Horns and named their leader as the Sword-Breaker, but the horde that had outwitted King Lupio had marched under the banner of a wolfskin and the army that had sacked Tabaro had fought under the gaze of dark daemonic carved totems. Neither of these items were found among these Ripper-Horn beastmen and they had exhibited far less cunning and discipline. Sure enough, another horde soon descended on Magritta under the banner of a wolfskin and was immediately joined by the totem bearers of Tabaro.
The survivors of the siege of Magritta describe weeks of watching the beasts drag uprooted trees from the closest groves to build ladders and platforms while a dreadful plague ravaged the sheltering populace. Some solace was taken in the fact that the beastmen too were struck by the plague, the pyres of their dead warriors easily visible from the city walls, but the losses from the city garrison soon left large sections of the walls undefended. The defenses were unable to withstand the inevitable assault, as huge minotaurs hacked apart Magritta's great gates and cloven warriors crested the battlements, and dreadful slaughtered commenced within the city. Those who have return to Magritta, once the jewel of Estalia, report only ruins now, the great temple of Myrmidia torn to the ground. The rest of Estalia has become a lawless and wild land as most people have fled to Brettonia and Tilea, and those that have remained are rumored to have turned to the worship of the corruption that is the Dark Gods, this surely being the only explanation of their survival.
Though distant and far from our most pressing concerns, these events are sure to significantly effect affairs in the Empire. If nothing more can be learned from this than the true dangers of those that hide within our forests, than so be it, but I also wanted to bring your attention to one small detail that is admittedly on hearsay at the moment. The warlord of the wolfskin horde has been heard to be referred to by the crude epithet, "the One-Eye". This should sound familiar to you from the accounts of Graf Boris's Drakwald campaign, but could simply be a common term used among these blasphemous creatures.
The Defiled Throne
28 Brauzeit, 2502 IC
Among the other reports, there has been some substantiated news regarding the ravagers of Estalia. It appears that three figures stand at the front of this army of the Dark Gods. The first is a shaman among the beast-kin, a wielder of vile magic, and the one who seems to be responsible for melding the various factions and personalities of the beastman horde behind a focus goal, he is referred to as the Wyrdbreaker. The second, is a warrior and warlord, a corrupt champion of the darkest forests of Estalia, known as the Soul-Render. The Third is the One-Eye, and it is he who commands all the others. I consider our earlier fears to be confirmed, that the beast who once bested the Graf of Middenheim has reappeared, and leads this vast army. I find his history with your rival most concerning, Emperor, for it is very likely that this demon may wish to eventually return to his old hunting grounds and will likely have designs that involve the Empire.
Since then, the soldiers of Carcassonne and Tilea had both been mobilized and readied in response to the fate of the peninsular kingdoms, yet no horde has yet been discovered crossing into either of these realms, and it had been hoped that this warlord's gathered forces had disbanded after gorging upon the unavenged corpses of Estalia. However, I have now received reports of elusive beastmen raiding parties in the hinterlands of Carcassonne and a conflict far from our eyes under the fey boughs of Athel Loren that I believe are related to the seemingly absent destroyers of Magritta. My interest in these events was first piqued with the reports of massacres committed among remote villages in the duchy of Carcassonne, blamed not on the beastmen of the Ruinous Powers, but on the inscrutable elves of great Athel Loren. Though this had been known to take place in the past at various times, the Great Enchantress of the Bretons herself had taken up residence in Carcassonne in response to the issue, showing that there may be further cause for concern.
My observers within the court of Carcassonne, trusting upon the investigations of the Enchantress, report that there has been a great upheaval and a hidden war playing out within the forests. While the Enchantress had arrived in Carcassonne to combat what she thought was an oncoming threat from the prophesied birth of some demon-lord among these wild elves, the threat never manifested past the initial massacres of which I have mentioned. Instead, I gleaned tales of unseen, yet ruthless battles within the forest's labyrinthine reaches. Bretonnia seems to have been spared the wrath of the wild elves and their forest spirits due to a large invasion of the forestlands by beastmen, orcs, or both. The Enchantress was convinced that one of the elves most sacred sites, a font of the magical winds known as the King's Glade, had been razed by a monster referred to as "the One-Eye", and that many disparate factions of the fey folk had come together in order to drive the invaders from their refuges. While the effects of this conflict are unclear, and likely to remain obscured to us, I have a hunch that they warrant our attention.
The Brayherd of the Wolfskin
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Khazrak the One-Eye
Bray-Shamans - Uthesi Wyrdbreaker (Lore of the Wild)
Warherds
Gor Herds - Blacktusk Blood-Sworn, Eye-Takers of Umalgar, Herd of the Furlak Stone (shields), Scions of Tzirlitch (shields), Redclaw Herd (shields)
Ungor Herds - Grey Pelt Herd, Cyzrika's Throat-Cutters, Rockjaw Herd, Shemol's Scalpers (bows), Unseen of Jalom's Pit (bows), Quillback Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Longfang Herd, Moss-Eater Herd, Snaketongue Herd (shields), Crow Fenn Herd (shields)
Far-Kin
Minotaurs - Tribe of the Corpse-Tree
The Brayherd of the Shadow Totem
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Visharros Soul-Render
Warherds
Gor Herds - Banner of the Horsehead (shields)
Ungor Herds - Kakrigi's Chosen, Vulture's Talons, Split-Hoof Herd, Whitehoof Heart-Seekers (bows), Bone Peak Raiders (bows), Herd of the Cursed Skull (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Spiderwood Herd, Whitehoof Man-Gutters (shields)
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Khazrak the One-Eye
Bray-Shamans - Uthesi Wyrdbreaker (Lore of the Wild)
Warherds
Gor Herds - Blacktusk Blood-Sworn, Eye-Takers of Umalgar, Herd of the Furlak Stone (shields), Scions of Tzirlitch (shields), Redclaw Herd (shields)
Ungor Herds - Grey Pelt Herd, Cyzrika's Throat-Cutters, Rockjaw Herd, Shemol's Scalpers (bows), Unseen of Jalom's Pit (bows), Quillback Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Longfang Herd, Moss-Eater Herd, Snaketongue Herd (shields), Crow Fenn Herd (shields)
Far-Kin
Minotaurs - Tribe of the Corpse-Tree
The Brayherd of the Shadow Totem
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Visharros Soul-Render
Warherds
Gor Herds - Banner of the Horsehead (shields)
Ungor Herds - Kakrigi's Chosen, Vulture's Talons, Split-Hoof Herd, Whitehoof Heart-Seekers (bows), Bone Peak Raiders (bows), Herd of the Cursed Skull (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Spiderwood Herd, Whitehoof Man-Gutters (shields)
Chapter 2 -
Brauzeit 2502 IC - Sommerzeit 2503 IC (Turns 28 - 57)
Into the Vaults
12 Vorhexen, 2502 IC
More details have come to me regarding the fate of Karak Izor. As my agents reported earlier, the dwarf hold had indeed been hosting a king of particular fame from a distant realm, and this king, known as Ironhammer, soon led an attack on goblin tribes that plague the Black Mountains and the Border Princes. It is rumored that this campaign was opposed by the majority of the Karak Izor's royal council, and it appears that these dissenters were woefully justified, for a great tragedy has fallen upon the hold. As their waged back and forth across the mountains and lowlands, an unlooked for threat emerged from the western valleys. Though I suspect exaggeration from the traumatized witnesses, the reports claim that an alliance of beastmen and orcs coordinated an assault upon the dwarf peaks, encircling their defenses. With most of their warriors off fighting with King Ironhammer, Karak Izor fell to these monstrous invaders and I hear the hold is completely lost to the dwarfs. King Ironhammer's army belatedly returned to the peaks, and the king drove deep into orc territory in search of vengeance, but was surrounded by the forces that sacked Karak Izor and destroyed.
Coincidentally, my ears within the Enchantress's court have overheard that the war in Athel Loren has turned, and a great alliance of elves and fey spirits has driven out the forces that sought to conquer the ancient forest. I am sure you can see the connection. I must say it would have been better for all the realms of mankind if these inscrutable forces of nature had remained locked in mortal strife within the confines of Athel Loren until their strength had waned to naught.
The Stoneheart and the Slaughterer
2 Pflugzeit, 2503 IC
As their emissaries are fond of reminding us, I do believe that the dwarfs indeed guard the realms of men from unknown threats, though perhaps not solely through benevolent generosity. The root of their claim, can be seen in how the misfortune of Karak Izor has now spilled into the lands of the Border Princes. I hear the princes are now fighting off beastmen and greenskin raiding in many quarters, but the largest warbands have descended from the mountains of Karak Izor. The banner of the Wolfskin was sighted during the destruction of outposts that were built by an alliance of border princes near Karak Hirn, and the army of the "Shadow Totem," as I am being told it is called, was responsible for the slaying of Arch Lector Magnus Swaft and his delegation from Wissenland. This last act included the loss of five Wissenland state regiments and the bulk of the Order of the Anointed Sword's Pfeildorf chapter, and marks the first imperial victims to fall victim to the One-Eye's designs since he appeared in Estalia.
The southern princes had already been warring with a beastman tribe known to dye their horns red, as if encrusted in fresh blood, and this Redhorn tribe also warred with the tribes of Orcs and Goblins that encroached into the area from the Badlands. As a fearsome orc warlord, known as the Slaughterer, had expanded his control over various orc and goblin tribes, he had apparently pressed into these Redhorns' own hunting grounds and initiated a violent rivalry. This conflict led to great victory for the greenskins, and the death of the Redhorn beastlord. However, in an uncharacteristic act of diplomacy for the beast-kin, the local princes describe that the hordes of the One-Eye have intervened in this rivalry, assisting the Redhorns new beastlord, known as Stoneheart, in defeating the Slaughterer on the battlefield in a subsequent confrontation. From their movements afterward, all signs tell me that this Stoneheart and his Redhorns now follow the One-Eye on his bloody quest.
The Invasion of Wissenland
27 Sommerzeit, 2503 IC
Your Highness, please do not place the failures of Elector-Countess Emanuelle on your own shoulders. I repeat that you have rightfully prioritized the treachery of the northern provinces and the war with the Sylvanians, and that the Elector-Countess is ultimately responsible for the protection of her people for the threats she is well aware reside across her borders. I greatly lament that my suspicions of the One-Eye's motivation and continued momentum have proven correct, and I will do all I can to help you bring the other provinces to heel in order to resist this invasion. For your immediate knowledge, the detailed actions of the beastmen follow.
The first word of the beasts' advance north toward the Empire came from traders returning from Grimhold, who said that the dwarfs had been overrun by a horde of beastmen and goblins led by the Soul-Render. Perhaps the Elector-Countess could have aided our allies at Grimhold, but at this point she failed to respond to the possible threat in any way, keeping her forces under Lord-Marshal Eben von Liebwitz near Nuln to combat smaller goblin raids that had emerged near the city. Southern Wissenland was soon invaded by three distinct, but coordinating, beastman hordes: the bearers of the shadow totem, led by the Soul-Render, the Redhorn Tribe, led by the Stoneheart, and the herd of the wolfskins that follows the One-Eye himself. In a suspicious coincidence, a large army of goblins also descended from the ruins of Karak Azgaraz approaching Nuln from the southwest under the standards of the Crooked Moon.
Villages and towns in their path were quickly razed and shamefully the beasts met no resistance until they reached the walls of Pfeildorf. Here they gave no pause to besiege the city, and huge minotaurs were sent to rip through the city gates as a monstrous horned giant toppled sections of the walls with a barrage of boulders. The city was fiercely defended by Baron Bruno Swaft, cousin to the late Arch Lector Magnus, and all witnesses agree that toll upon the beasts was high for their victory, but Pfeildorf fell to the One-Eye, identified by his banners, and Baron Bruno has been lost to us. Belatedly, the Elector-Countess sent her army south to relieve the city, under Lord-General Eldred Hertwig but soon learned of its fate. Hertwig successful in finding and slaughtering a large encampment of beastmen in the southern hills, but was mistaken in thinking he had eliminated the main threat. As his army celebrated their victory their own encampment was surrounded and attacked by twice the number of beastmen as they had just vanquished, and the army of Wissenland was routed to be cut down as they fled.
Left to hide behind their defences, the remaining forces of Wissenland were besieged at Wissenburg by the Soul-Render, who had descended from the routes to Grimhold, and at Nuln by the Crooked Moon goblins. While both cities held out for weeks, both had fallen within the month, only shortly after we received the Elector-Countess's demands for assistance. With Stirland and Averland still occupied by the armies of Sylvannia, most of the people of Wissenland have fled to the countryside or along the roads north toward Altdorf.
With three provinces lost to us, their rulers missing or in exile, I suggest we end our conflicts with the northern provinces by the quickest means available to us. If we grant Elector-Count Ludenhof clemency now, and turn a blind-eye towards the insubordination of Middenland and Nordland, we may be able right these wrongs at a later date, after we regain control of the southern provinces. Alternatively, the recent conflict with Duke Bohemond has given us a bargaining chip with King Louen, and he may see benefit in coming to our aid if we offer to return Castle Montfort to Bretonnian hands. Either way, we must now prioritize the defense of Reikland.
Into the Vaults
12 Vorhexen, 2502 IC
More details have come to me regarding the fate of Karak Izor. As my agents reported earlier, the dwarf hold had indeed been hosting a king of particular fame from a distant realm, and this king, known as Ironhammer, soon led an attack on goblin tribes that plague the Black Mountains and the Border Princes. It is rumored that this campaign was opposed by the majority of the Karak Izor's royal council, and it appears that these dissenters were woefully justified, for a great tragedy has fallen upon the hold. As their waged back and forth across the mountains and lowlands, an unlooked for threat emerged from the western valleys. Though I suspect exaggeration from the traumatized witnesses, the reports claim that an alliance of beastmen and orcs coordinated an assault upon the dwarf peaks, encircling their defenses. With most of their warriors off fighting with King Ironhammer, Karak Izor fell to these monstrous invaders and I hear the hold is completely lost to the dwarfs. King Ironhammer's army belatedly returned to the peaks, and the king drove deep into orc territory in search of vengeance, but was surrounded by the forces that sacked Karak Izor and destroyed.
Coincidentally, my ears within the Enchantress's court have overheard that the war in Athel Loren has turned, and a great alliance of elves and fey spirits has driven out the forces that sought to conquer the ancient forest. I am sure you can see the connection. I must say it would have been better for all the realms of mankind if these inscrutable forces of nature had remained locked in mortal strife within the confines of Athel Loren until their strength had waned to naught.
The Stoneheart and the Slaughterer
2 Pflugzeit, 2503 IC
As their emissaries are fond of reminding us, I do believe that the dwarfs indeed guard the realms of men from unknown threats, though perhaps not solely through benevolent generosity. The root of their claim, can be seen in how the misfortune of Karak Izor has now spilled into the lands of the Border Princes. I hear the princes are now fighting off beastmen and greenskin raiding in many quarters, but the largest warbands have descended from the mountains of Karak Izor. The banner of the Wolfskin was sighted during the destruction of outposts that were built by an alliance of border princes near Karak Hirn, and the army of the "Shadow Totem," as I am being told it is called, was responsible for the slaying of Arch Lector Magnus Swaft and his delegation from Wissenland. This last act included the loss of five Wissenland state regiments and the bulk of the Order of the Anointed Sword's Pfeildorf chapter, and marks the first imperial victims to fall victim to the One-Eye's designs since he appeared in Estalia.
The southern princes had already been warring with a beastman tribe known to dye their horns red, as if encrusted in fresh blood, and this Redhorn tribe also warred with the tribes of Orcs and Goblins that encroached into the area from the Badlands. As a fearsome orc warlord, known as the Slaughterer, had expanded his control over various orc and goblin tribes, he had apparently pressed into these Redhorns' own hunting grounds and initiated a violent rivalry. This conflict led to great victory for the greenskins, and the death of the Redhorn beastlord. However, in an uncharacteristic act of diplomacy for the beast-kin, the local princes describe that the hordes of the One-Eye have intervened in this rivalry, assisting the Redhorns new beastlord, known as Stoneheart, in defeating the Slaughterer on the battlefield in a subsequent confrontation. From their movements afterward, all signs tell me that this Stoneheart and his Redhorns now follow the One-Eye on his bloody quest.
The Invasion of Wissenland
27 Sommerzeit, 2503 IC
Your Highness, please do not place the failures of Elector-Countess Emanuelle on your own shoulders. I repeat that you have rightfully prioritized the treachery of the northern provinces and the war with the Sylvanians, and that the Elector-Countess is ultimately responsible for the protection of her people for the threats she is well aware reside across her borders. I greatly lament that my suspicions of the One-Eye's motivation and continued momentum have proven correct, and I will do all I can to help you bring the other provinces to heel in order to resist this invasion. For your immediate knowledge, the detailed actions of the beastmen follow.
The first word of the beasts' advance north toward the Empire came from traders returning from Grimhold, who said that the dwarfs had been overrun by a horde of beastmen and goblins led by the Soul-Render. Perhaps the Elector-Countess could have aided our allies at Grimhold, but at this point she failed to respond to the possible threat in any way, keeping her forces under Lord-Marshal Eben von Liebwitz near Nuln to combat smaller goblin raids that had emerged near the city. Southern Wissenland was soon invaded by three distinct, but coordinating, beastman hordes: the bearers of the shadow totem, led by the Soul-Render, the Redhorn Tribe, led by the Stoneheart, and the herd of the wolfskins that follows the One-Eye himself. In a suspicious coincidence, a large army of goblins also descended from the ruins of Karak Azgaraz approaching Nuln from the southwest under the standards of the Crooked Moon.
Villages and towns in their path were quickly razed and shamefully the beasts met no resistance until they reached the walls of Pfeildorf. Here they gave no pause to besiege the city, and huge minotaurs were sent to rip through the city gates as a monstrous horned giant toppled sections of the walls with a barrage of boulders. The city was fiercely defended by Baron Bruno Swaft, cousin to the late Arch Lector Magnus, and all witnesses agree that toll upon the beasts was high for their victory, but Pfeildorf fell to the One-Eye, identified by his banners, and Baron Bruno has been lost to us. Belatedly, the Elector-Countess sent her army south to relieve the city, under Lord-General Eldred Hertwig but soon learned of its fate. Hertwig successful in finding and slaughtering a large encampment of beastmen in the southern hills, but was mistaken in thinking he had eliminated the main threat. As his army celebrated their victory their own encampment was surrounded and attacked by twice the number of beastmen as they had just vanquished, and the army of Wissenland was routed to be cut down as they fled.
Left to hide behind their defences, the remaining forces of Wissenland were besieged at Wissenburg by the Soul-Render, who had descended from the routes to Grimhold, and at Nuln by the Crooked Moon goblins. While both cities held out for weeks, both had fallen within the month, only shortly after we received the Elector-Countess's demands for assistance. With Stirland and Averland still occupied by the armies of Sylvannia, most of the people of Wissenland have fled to the countryside or along the roads north toward Altdorf.
With three provinces lost to us, their rulers missing or in exile, I suggest we end our conflicts with the northern provinces by the quickest means available to us. If we grant Elector-Count Ludenhof clemency now, and turn a blind-eye towards the insubordination of Middenland and Nordland, we may be able right these wrongs at a later date, after we regain control of the southern provinces. Alternatively, the recent conflict with Duke Bohemond has given us a bargaining chip with King Louen, and he may see benefit in coming to our aid if we offer to return Castle Montfort to Bretonnian hands. Either way, we must now prioritize the defense of Reikland.
The Brayherd of the Wolfskin
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Khazrak the One-Eye
Warherds
Gor Herds - Blacktusk Blood-Sworn, Eye-Takers of Umalgar, Herd of the Furlak Stone (shields), Scions of Tzirlitch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Cyzrika's Throat-Cutters, Rockjaw Herd, Shemol's Scalpers (bows), Unseen of Jalom's Pit (bows), Quillback Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Longfang Herd, Destroyers of the Drakwald (shields), Snaketongue Herd (shields)
Far-Kin
Centigors - Sons of Ghorros (great weapons)
Minotaurs - Tribe of the Corpse-Tree, Brass Exiles, Circle of Watarn
Cygors - Wyvern-Eater of Kanaa
Brood Packs
Warhounds - Murocaw's Wolfeaters
The Brayherd of the Shadow Totem
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Visharros Soul-Render
Warherds
Gor Herds - Banner of the Red Rain, Bhaoro's Head-Splitters, Black-Horn's Ravagers (shields), Banner of the Horsehead (shields)
Ungor Herds - Kakrigi's Chosen, Vulture's Talons, Split-Hoof Herd, Whitehoof Heart-Seekers (bows), Bone Peak Raiders (bows), Herd of the Cursed Skull (bows), Mud-Horn Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Spiderwood Herd, Disciples of Kret, Whitehoof Man-Gutters (shields)
Brood Packs
Warhounds - Blackgrove Razorfangs, Tardraa's Spinesnouts
The Brayherd of the Redhorns
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Ungrol Stoneheart
Bray-Shamans - Uthesi Wyrdbreaker (Lore of the Wild)
Warherds
Gor Herds - Bonecrushers of Peshrax, Blades of the Jer-Stone (shields), Herd of Aefa the Eldritch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Nightstalkers of the Elm (bows), Amber-Eye Herd (bows), Wasps of the Black Bog (bows), Claws of the Blood-Maven (bows), Scaleskin Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Fanatics of the Kal-Gor, Syprish's Fangs
Far-Kin
Minotaurs - Tribe of Stonewyrm Gorge
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Khazrak the One-Eye
Warherds
Gor Herds - Blacktusk Blood-Sworn, Eye-Takers of Umalgar, Herd of the Furlak Stone (shields), Scions of Tzirlitch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Cyzrika's Throat-Cutters, Rockjaw Herd, Shemol's Scalpers (bows), Unseen of Jalom's Pit (bows), Quillback Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Longfang Herd, Destroyers of the Drakwald (shields), Snaketongue Herd (shields)
Far-Kin
Centigors - Sons of Ghorros (great weapons)
Minotaurs - Tribe of the Corpse-Tree, Brass Exiles, Circle of Watarn
Cygors - Wyvern-Eater of Kanaa
Brood Packs
Warhounds - Murocaw's Wolfeaters
The Brayherd of the Shadow Totem
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Visharros Soul-Render
Warherds
Gor Herds - Banner of the Red Rain, Bhaoro's Head-Splitters, Black-Horn's Ravagers (shields), Banner of the Horsehead (shields)
Ungor Herds - Kakrigi's Chosen, Vulture's Talons, Split-Hoof Herd, Whitehoof Heart-Seekers (bows), Bone Peak Raiders (bows), Herd of the Cursed Skull (bows), Mud-Horn Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Spiderwood Herd, Disciples of Kret, Whitehoof Man-Gutters (shields)
Brood Packs
Warhounds - Blackgrove Razorfangs, Tardraa's Spinesnouts
The Brayherd of the Redhorns
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Ungrol Stoneheart
Bray-Shamans - Uthesi Wyrdbreaker (Lore of the Wild)
Warherds
Gor Herds - Bonecrushers of Peshrax, Blades of the Jer-Stone (shields), Herd of Aefa the Eldritch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Nightstalkers of the Elm (bows), Amber-Eye Herd (bows), Wasps of the Black Bog (bows), Claws of the Blood-Maven (bows), Scaleskin Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Fanatics of the Kal-Gor, Syprish's Fangs
Far-Kin
Minotaurs - Tribe of Stonewyrm Gorge
chapter 3 -
Sommerzeit 2503 IC - Nachgeheim 2503 IC (Turns 57 - 67)
The Blight of the Corpse-Lords
4 Vorgeheim 2503 IC
Our own men have now confirmed that the Sylvannians have been attacked by the One-Eye and his goblin allies. At Sigismund's Crossing corpses cover the riverbanks, the remains of a major battle, and Isabella von Carstein was overrun by the beasts at Averheim. Fighting continued into the Moot as the vampires retreated before their wrath to consolidate on the borders of Sylvania, but this is as much as much information as I have and I fear that the One-Eye may now move on to other prey rather than expending his resources on an incursion into those cursed lands.
The Crooked Moon now runs rampant across both Wissenland and Averland and whatever plan we formulate for the region's reconquest should take advantage of the hostilities between the goblins and the vampire counts. The peace you reached with Lord Todbringer was wise, my Emperor, though he will continue to undermine your rule, and the first delegation to Couronne has brought back promising words of friendship from King Louen. By Sigmar's Grace, fortune may finally be turning in our favor.
Crossing Axe-Bite Pass
25 Nachgeheim 2503 IC
My Emperor, I find their movements just as confounding as you do, but is their speed that continues to rob us of victory. It seems that the frequent raids in the eastern reaches of the Great Forest may have been intended to lure us away from Reikland, for the timing of the Soul-Render's attack on Grunberg was timed far too coincidentally. If the beasts had continued on to Altdorf, as we expected, we would have caught them between us and the city walls, but their emergence in the west at Axe Bite Pass is inexplicable to me. Why they would assault such a well-defended fortress as Helmgart when all Reikland lay before them, I cannot fathom.
Even so, I had hoped that Captain Neurbacher would hold our enemy at his gates long enough for us to march to their relief, but the reports indicate that the Soul-Render was joined by Stoneheart and the Redhorns for the assault, and that the beasts swarmed over the walls in unstoppable numbers. After Helmgart was gutted, the beasts spilled through the pass to assault the defenses at Montfort from the uplands, as you know, and so I must agree that we have lost our grip on the Pass. I hope our warnings reach King Louen quickly.
The Blight of the Corpse-Lords
4 Vorgeheim 2503 IC
Our own men have now confirmed that the Sylvannians have been attacked by the One-Eye and his goblin allies. At Sigismund's Crossing corpses cover the riverbanks, the remains of a major battle, and Isabella von Carstein was overrun by the beasts at Averheim. Fighting continued into the Moot as the vampires retreated before their wrath to consolidate on the borders of Sylvania, but this is as much as much information as I have and I fear that the One-Eye may now move on to other prey rather than expending his resources on an incursion into those cursed lands.
The Crooked Moon now runs rampant across both Wissenland and Averland and whatever plan we formulate for the region's reconquest should take advantage of the hostilities between the goblins and the vampire counts. The peace you reached with Lord Todbringer was wise, my Emperor, though he will continue to undermine your rule, and the first delegation to Couronne has brought back promising words of friendship from King Louen. By Sigmar's Grace, fortune may finally be turning in our favor.
Crossing Axe-Bite Pass
25 Nachgeheim 2503 IC
My Emperor, I find their movements just as confounding as you do, but is their speed that continues to rob us of victory. It seems that the frequent raids in the eastern reaches of the Great Forest may have been intended to lure us away from Reikland, for the timing of the Soul-Render's attack on Grunberg was timed far too coincidentally. If the beasts had continued on to Altdorf, as we expected, we would have caught them between us and the city walls, but their emergence in the west at Axe Bite Pass is inexplicable to me. Why they would assault such a well-defended fortress as Helmgart when all Reikland lay before them, I cannot fathom.
Even so, I had hoped that Captain Neurbacher would hold our enemy at his gates long enough for us to march to their relief, but the reports indicate that the Soul-Render was joined by Stoneheart and the Redhorns for the assault, and that the beasts swarmed over the walls in unstoppable numbers. After Helmgart was gutted, the beasts spilled through the pass to assault the defenses at Montfort from the uplands, as you know, and so I must agree that we have lost our grip on the Pass. I hope our warnings reach King Louen quickly.
The Brayherd of the Wolfskin
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Khazrak the One-Eye
Warherds
Bestigor Herds - Blacktusk Blood-Sworn, Eye-Takers of Umalgar
Gor Herds - Scions of Tzirlitch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Rockjaw Herd, Shemol's Scalpers (bows), Unseen of Jalom's Pit (bows), Quillback Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Longfang Herd, Destroyers of the Drakwald (shields), Snaketongue Herd (shields)
Far-Kin
Centigors - Sons of Ghorros (great weapons)
Minotaurs - Tribe of the Corpse-Tree, Circle of Watarn
Cygors - Wyvern-Eater of Kanaa
Brood Packs
Razorgor Herds - Ifaw's Fury
Warhounds - Murocaw's Wolfeaters
The Brayherd of the Shadow Totem
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Visharros Soul-Render
Warherds
Gor Herds - Banner of the Red Rain, Bhaoro's Head-Splitters, Black-Horn's Ravagers (shields), Blades of Grey Syfax (shields)
Ungor Herds - Kakrigi's Chosen, Split-Hoof Herd, Whitehoof Heart-Seekers (bows), Bone Peak Raiders (bows), Mud-Horn Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Spiderwood Herd, Disciples of Kret, Whitehoof Man-Gutters (shields)
Far-Kin
Harpies - Furies of Lythia
Brood Packs
Warhounds - Blackgrove Razorfangs, Sablemane Stalkers (poison)
The Brayherd of the Redhorns
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Ungrol Stoneheart
Bray-Shamans - Uthesi Wyrdbreaker (Lore of the Wild)
Warherds
Gor Herds - Bonecrushers of Peshrax, Banner of the Horsehead (shields), Blades of the Jer-Stone (shields), Herd of Aefa the Eldritch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Slit-Ear Herd, Vulture's Talons, Nightstalkers of the Elm (bows), Amber-Eye Herd (bows), Wasps of the Black Bog (bows), Claws of the Blood-Maven (bows), Scaleskin Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Fanatics of the Kal-Gor, Syprish's Fangs, Herd of Old Pargrul (shields)
Far-Kin
Minotaurs - Tribe of Stonewyrm Gorge
Harpies - Flock of the Fleshgroves, Flock of Helsreach
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Khazrak the One-Eye
Warherds
Bestigor Herds - Blacktusk Blood-Sworn, Eye-Takers of Umalgar
Gor Herds - Scions of Tzirlitch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Rockjaw Herd, Shemol's Scalpers (bows), Unseen of Jalom's Pit (bows), Quillback Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Longfang Herd, Destroyers of the Drakwald (shields), Snaketongue Herd (shields)
Far-Kin
Centigors - Sons of Ghorros (great weapons)
Minotaurs - Tribe of the Corpse-Tree, Circle of Watarn
Cygors - Wyvern-Eater of Kanaa
Brood Packs
Razorgor Herds - Ifaw's Fury
Warhounds - Murocaw's Wolfeaters
The Brayherd of the Shadow Totem
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Visharros Soul-Render
Warherds
Gor Herds - Banner of the Red Rain, Bhaoro's Head-Splitters, Black-Horn's Ravagers (shields), Blades of Grey Syfax (shields)
Ungor Herds - Kakrigi's Chosen, Split-Hoof Herd, Whitehoof Heart-Seekers (bows), Bone Peak Raiders (bows), Mud-Horn Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Spiderwood Herd, Disciples of Kret, Whitehoof Man-Gutters (shields)
Far-Kin
Harpies - Furies of Lythia
Brood Packs
Warhounds - Blackgrove Razorfangs, Sablemane Stalkers (poison)
The Brayherd of the Redhorns
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Ungrol Stoneheart
Bray-Shamans - Uthesi Wyrdbreaker (Lore of the Wild)
Warherds
Gor Herds - Bonecrushers of Peshrax, Banner of the Horsehead (shields), Blades of the Jer-Stone (shields), Herd of Aefa the Eldritch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Slit-Ear Herd, Vulture's Talons, Nightstalkers of the Elm (bows), Amber-Eye Herd (bows), Wasps of the Black Bog (bows), Claws of the Blood-Maven (bows), Scaleskin Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Fanatics of the Kal-Gor, Syprish's Fangs, Herd of Old Pargrul (shields)
Far-Kin
Minotaurs - Tribe of Stonewyrm Gorge
Harpies - Flock of the Fleshgroves, Flock of Helsreach
chapter 4 -
Nachgeheim 2503 IC - Jahrdrung 2504 IC (Turns 67 - 96)
The Maimed Lion
13 Kaldezeit 2503 IC
The rebuilding activities in Helmgart and around Grunberg are proceeding as well as can be expected, my Emperor, but as we ready our forces around Altdorf, I fear we may have misjudged the might of Bretonnia. Despite a persistent conflict with Duke Chilfroy of Artois, King Louen had appeared to have a firm grip on the nobility of his realm, and his controversial annexation of Marienburg had been evidence of the king's confidence, but his efforts to confront the beastmen have ended in no less than disaster. While King Louen did once appear poised to rally the duchies to our aid, despite a persistent conflict with Duke Chilfroy of Artois and the rumors from Mousillon, his authority has collapsed, starting from his close defeat at Bastonne and crumbling to the ground at Couronne.
The Soul-Render was almost defeated at Bastonne, as I hear the battle was long and hard-fought affair. King Louen was forced to retreat from the field, his army in bloody tatters, but survivors describe the beats as having not fared much better, and when Duke Alberic arrived from Bordeleux, the Soul-Render quickly fled into the forests. Unfortunately, the Redhorn tribe appeared a few days later, eager for battle, and ambushed Duke Alberic's army as it scoured the countryside. Thus Bastonne's few surviving defenders were left besieged without support and the city fell to the beasts. From here the beasts hit King Louen's holdings at Gisoreux, where King Louen managed to ambush the Stoneheart and his Redhorns, but did not have the numbers to triumph over the beastlord. Apparently crossing through the low passes, both the Shadow Totem and the Redhorns were next seen as they approached the mouth of the Reik and the walls of Marienburg. The Bretonnians proved unable to defend the port, and most of the city was burned to the ground before the beastmen marched north along the coast and turned inland toward Couronne.
With his seat besieged, King Louen raised a desperate army at L'Anguille and led a final attack against the foul children of the Dark Gods, but fared no better than before and has not been heard from since this last stand. Both Couronne and L'Anguille were sacked, their inhabitants slaughtered. Within the next weeks, Duke Chilfroy cautiously advanced into Couronne, portray himself as savior to the northern duchies, and seems set to expand his rule over Couronne permanently. The method with which the king's holdings were sought out for pillage and slaughter, thouroughly undermining royal authority while seemingly ignoring the the lesser lords unless provoked, exhibits what I believe to be a purposeful long-term plan to cripple the Bretonnian kingdom with minimal effort. As the fate of King Louen is unclear, it could be some time before Bretonnia sees a new ruler, and with this turn of events sure to exacerbate strife among the duchies, I think the One-Eye's beastlords have deprived us of any help from the other side of the Grey Mountains.
Terror of the Drakwald
1 Pflugzeit 2504 IC
In acting alone, refusing to coordinate with the imperial army as his vows demands, Boris Todbringer has doomed himself and his people. Even now he regroups amid the destruction of Weismund to salvage what he can despite your orders to bring his remaining troops to Altdorf. At the Battle of Marbad's Tomb, timely reinforcement from the Graf would have carried the day, but his insuboridination led to your unjust defeat that day, despite the exemplary courage of the Reikland's soldiers in the face of the One-Eye and his monstrous horde. These losses, in turn, deprived the Grand Theogonist further support when he located and surrounded the One-Eye's squalid camps among the forested banks of the Reik after the Eilhart massacre. Both his Holy Eminence and Patriarch Balthazar agreed that this battle balanced upon a pin, as the reinforcements led by the Patriarch were intercepted by the horde of the Shadow Totem, but now we must push on past these losses
As we have regrouped, rebuilt, recruited, and trained, Graf Boris has unfortunately reaped what he sowed for his people. Captain von Tarj's scouts describe how the Graf's insistence on defending his holdings on the Manaansport Sea left the defences of Middenland without support, and that the One-Eye was able to outmaneuever cut off the Graf's return to Middenland when he marched to relieve the siege of Weismund. Graf Boris refused to engage the One-Eye on the beast's terms, but this allowed Weismund to fall before the horde of the Stoneheart. Baron Hans Immelshielder defended the city of two weeks, but could not stop a final concentrated assault on the gates that opened the city to the beasts.
You requested details regarding the Graf's ambush, but I am afraid I have failed to turn up much more than you know. The Army of Middenland, playing a dreadful game of cat-and-mouse with the One-Eye through the less used routes of the Drakwald, was out maneuvered as it came to the imperial road to Middenheim and ambushed along a ravine. The carnage was one-sided but I am told the Graf escaped with minor injuries. The true victim of the army was the great city of Ulric itself, for with Graf Boris's army routed, Middenheim could not be reinforced.
Indeed, it is true that Elector-Count Theodoric rode to the city's aid, despite his ongoing war with the Norscan warlord who has occupied Dieterschafen. In what looked to be a moment of salvation, the might of Nordland marched from Salzenmund to Middenheim, sending the cowardly beasts into hiding as they discovered their approach, but the tables turned against Sigmar's children once again as the Elector-Count of Nordland moved north to respond to a raiding Norscan warband, and was instead ambushed by the One-Eye far from the walls of Middenheim. Thus Middenheim's fate was sealed, holding out for four weeks before the beasts grew confident enough to take the walls.
Though Graf Boris fights on, exiled from his seat, I feel he has been soundly bested by this terrible child of the Drakwald, a creature that I cannot help but wonder if he did not help to create through their mutual rivalry in years past. The loss of Middenheim means none of the provinces north of the Talabec can be considered secure, and this brings me to my most urgent information. Messengers from multiple sources have arrived, saying that the Norscans now sit outside the walls of Salzenmund, and that the garrison of the Brass Keep was overrun before Middenheim fell. None who fled the keep could identify which beastman army they faced with certitude, but we can be sure that there are multiple beastlords active in the region around the Middle Mountains. I suggest we reinforce Hergig with all haste as we try to predict our foe's next move.
Regarding the Reikland and the southern provinces, our delegations with Karak Ziflin have reaped rewards, and their armies have agreed to help defend the Reikland and fight the goblins of the Crooked Moon. However, the greenskins seem to have fallen under the control of a new warlord, its banner, a fanged visage, now taking precedence over the Crooked Moon, and orcs have been sighted alongside the roving goblin warbands. The forest around Kemperbad has become too dangerous to travel with anything less than a full armed company, but fortunately the rivers maintain trade and travel between Altdorf and Talabheim. In seems as if we live in the times of Sigmar himself, my Lord, as our enemies truly converge upon Reikland. May His light guide our path.
The Maimed Lion
13 Kaldezeit 2503 IC
The rebuilding activities in Helmgart and around Grunberg are proceeding as well as can be expected, my Emperor, but as we ready our forces around Altdorf, I fear we may have misjudged the might of Bretonnia. Despite a persistent conflict with Duke Chilfroy of Artois, King Louen had appeared to have a firm grip on the nobility of his realm, and his controversial annexation of Marienburg had been evidence of the king's confidence, but his efforts to confront the beastmen have ended in no less than disaster. While King Louen did once appear poised to rally the duchies to our aid, despite a persistent conflict with Duke Chilfroy of Artois and the rumors from Mousillon, his authority has collapsed, starting from his close defeat at Bastonne and crumbling to the ground at Couronne.
The Soul-Render was almost defeated at Bastonne, as I hear the battle was long and hard-fought affair. King Louen was forced to retreat from the field, his army in bloody tatters, but survivors describe the beats as having not fared much better, and when Duke Alberic arrived from Bordeleux, the Soul-Render quickly fled into the forests. Unfortunately, the Redhorn tribe appeared a few days later, eager for battle, and ambushed Duke Alberic's army as it scoured the countryside. Thus Bastonne's few surviving defenders were left besieged without support and the city fell to the beasts. From here the beasts hit King Louen's holdings at Gisoreux, where King Louen managed to ambush the Stoneheart and his Redhorns, but did not have the numbers to triumph over the beastlord. Apparently crossing through the low passes, both the Shadow Totem and the Redhorns were next seen as they approached the mouth of the Reik and the walls of Marienburg. The Bretonnians proved unable to defend the port, and most of the city was burned to the ground before the beastmen marched north along the coast and turned inland toward Couronne.
With his seat besieged, King Louen raised a desperate army at L'Anguille and led a final attack against the foul children of the Dark Gods, but fared no better than before and has not been heard from since this last stand. Both Couronne and L'Anguille were sacked, their inhabitants slaughtered. Within the next weeks, Duke Chilfroy cautiously advanced into Couronne, portray himself as savior to the northern duchies, and seems set to expand his rule over Couronne permanently. The method with which the king's holdings were sought out for pillage and slaughter, thouroughly undermining royal authority while seemingly ignoring the the lesser lords unless provoked, exhibits what I believe to be a purposeful long-term plan to cripple the Bretonnian kingdom with minimal effort. As the fate of King Louen is unclear, it could be some time before Bretonnia sees a new ruler, and with this turn of events sure to exacerbate strife among the duchies, I think the One-Eye's beastlords have deprived us of any help from the other side of the Grey Mountains.
Terror of the Drakwald
1 Pflugzeit 2504 IC
In acting alone, refusing to coordinate with the imperial army as his vows demands, Boris Todbringer has doomed himself and his people. Even now he regroups amid the destruction of Weismund to salvage what he can despite your orders to bring his remaining troops to Altdorf. At the Battle of Marbad's Tomb, timely reinforcement from the Graf would have carried the day, but his insuboridination led to your unjust defeat that day, despite the exemplary courage of the Reikland's soldiers in the face of the One-Eye and his monstrous horde. These losses, in turn, deprived the Grand Theogonist further support when he located and surrounded the One-Eye's squalid camps among the forested banks of the Reik after the Eilhart massacre. Both his Holy Eminence and Patriarch Balthazar agreed that this battle balanced upon a pin, as the reinforcements led by the Patriarch were intercepted by the horde of the Shadow Totem, but now we must push on past these losses
As we have regrouped, rebuilt, recruited, and trained, Graf Boris has unfortunately reaped what he sowed for his people. Captain von Tarj's scouts describe how the Graf's insistence on defending his holdings on the Manaansport Sea left the defences of Middenland without support, and that the One-Eye was able to outmaneuever cut off the Graf's return to Middenland when he marched to relieve the siege of Weismund. Graf Boris refused to engage the One-Eye on the beast's terms, but this allowed Weismund to fall before the horde of the Stoneheart. Baron Hans Immelshielder defended the city of two weeks, but could not stop a final concentrated assault on the gates that opened the city to the beasts.
You requested details regarding the Graf's ambush, but I am afraid I have failed to turn up much more than you know. The Army of Middenland, playing a dreadful game of cat-and-mouse with the One-Eye through the less used routes of the Drakwald, was out maneuvered as it came to the imperial road to Middenheim and ambushed along a ravine. The carnage was one-sided but I am told the Graf escaped with minor injuries. The true victim of the army was the great city of Ulric itself, for with Graf Boris's army routed, Middenheim could not be reinforced.
Indeed, it is true that Elector-Count Theodoric rode to the city's aid, despite his ongoing war with the Norscan warlord who has occupied Dieterschafen. In what looked to be a moment of salvation, the might of Nordland marched from Salzenmund to Middenheim, sending the cowardly beasts into hiding as they discovered their approach, but the tables turned against Sigmar's children once again as the Elector-Count of Nordland moved north to respond to a raiding Norscan warband, and was instead ambushed by the One-Eye far from the walls of Middenheim. Thus Middenheim's fate was sealed, holding out for four weeks before the beasts grew confident enough to take the walls.
Though Graf Boris fights on, exiled from his seat, I feel he has been soundly bested by this terrible child of the Drakwald, a creature that I cannot help but wonder if he did not help to create through their mutual rivalry in years past. The loss of Middenheim means none of the provinces north of the Talabec can be considered secure, and this brings me to my most urgent information. Messengers from multiple sources have arrived, saying that the Norscans now sit outside the walls of Salzenmund, and that the garrison of the Brass Keep was overrun before Middenheim fell. None who fled the keep could identify which beastman army they faced with certitude, but we can be sure that there are multiple beastlords active in the region around the Middle Mountains. I suggest we reinforce Hergig with all haste as we try to predict our foe's next move.
Regarding the Reikland and the southern provinces, our delegations with Karak Ziflin have reaped rewards, and their armies have agreed to help defend the Reikland and fight the goblins of the Crooked Moon. However, the greenskins seem to have fallen under the control of a new warlord, its banner, a fanged visage, now taking precedence over the Crooked Moon, and orcs have been sighted alongside the roving goblin warbands. The forest around Kemperbad has become too dangerous to travel with anything less than a full armed company, but fortunately the rivers maintain trade and travel between Altdorf and Talabheim. In seems as if we live in the times of Sigmar himself, my Lord, as our enemies truly converge upon Reikland. May His light guide our path.
The Brayherd of the Wolfskin
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Khazrak the One-Eye
Bray-Shamans - Uthesi Wyrdbreaker (Lore of the Wild)
Warherds
Bestigor Herds - Blacktusk Blood-Sworn, Eye-Takers of Umalgar
Gor Herds - Herd of the Furlak Stone (shields), Scions of Tzirlitch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Cyzrika's Throat-Cutters, Shemol's Scalpers (bows), Unseen of Jalom's Pit (bows), Quillback Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Destroyers of the Drakwald (shields), Snaketongue Herd (shields)
Far-Kin
Centigors - Sons of Ghorros (great weapons)
Minotaurs - Tribe of the Corpse-Tree, Circle of Watarn
Cygors - Wyvern-Eater of Kanaa
Brood Packs
Razorgor Chariots - Thunder of Amalgros
Razorgor Herds - Ifaw's Fury
Warhounds - Murocaw's Wolfeaters (poison), Wraithpack of Olesh (poison), Sablemane Stalkers (poison)
The Brayherd of the Shadow Totem
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Visharros Soul-Render
Warherds
Gor Herds - Banner of the Red Rain, Bhaoro's Head-Splitters, Black-Horn's Ravagers (shields), Banner of the Horsehead (shields)
Ungor Herds - Kakrigi's Chosen, Heard of Vulture Bog, Split-Hoof Herd, Rockjaw Herd, Whitehoof Heart-Seekers (bows), Bone Peak Raiders (bows), Herd of the Cursed Skull (bows), Mud-Horn Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Spiderwood Herd, Disciples of Kret, Whitehoof Man-Gutters (shields)
Far-Kin
Harpies - Furies of Lythia
Brood Packs
Razorgor Chariots - Bearers of Skern's Ewer
Warhounds - Blackgrove Razorfangs
The Brayherd of the Redhorns
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Ungrol Stoneheart
Warherds
Gor Herds - Bonecrushers of Peshrax, Blades of the Jer-Stone (shields), Herd of Aefa the Eldritch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Nightstalkers of the Elm (bows), Amber-Eye Herd (bows), Wasps of the Black Bog (bows), Claws of the Blood-Maven (bows), Scaleskin Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Fanatics of the Kal-Gor, Syprish's Fangs
Far-Kin
Minotaurs - Tribe of Blackwyrm Gorge
Agents
Bray-Shaman - Sushgu the Soulless (Lore of Shadows)
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Khazrak the One-Eye
Bray-Shamans - Uthesi Wyrdbreaker (Lore of the Wild)
Warherds
Bestigor Herds - Blacktusk Blood-Sworn, Eye-Takers of Umalgar
Gor Herds - Herd of the Furlak Stone (shields), Scions of Tzirlitch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Cyzrika's Throat-Cutters, Shemol's Scalpers (bows), Unseen of Jalom's Pit (bows), Quillback Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Destroyers of the Drakwald (shields), Snaketongue Herd (shields)
Far-Kin
Centigors - Sons of Ghorros (great weapons)
Minotaurs - Tribe of the Corpse-Tree, Circle of Watarn
Cygors - Wyvern-Eater of Kanaa
Brood Packs
Razorgor Chariots - Thunder of Amalgros
Razorgor Herds - Ifaw's Fury
Warhounds - Murocaw's Wolfeaters (poison), Wraithpack of Olesh (poison), Sablemane Stalkers (poison)
The Brayherd of the Shadow Totem
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Visharros Soul-Render
Warherds
Gor Herds - Banner of the Red Rain, Bhaoro's Head-Splitters, Black-Horn's Ravagers (shields), Banner of the Horsehead (shields)
Ungor Herds - Kakrigi's Chosen, Heard of Vulture Bog, Split-Hoof Herd, Rockjaw Herd, Whitehoof Heart-Seekers (bows), Bone Peak Raiders (bows), Herd of the Cursed Skull (bows), Mud-Horn Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Spiderwood Herd, Disciples of Kret, Whitehoof Man-Gutters (shields)
Far-Kin
Harpies - Furies of Lythia
Brood Packs
Razorgor Chariots - Bearers of Skern's Ewer
Warhounds - Blackgrove Razorfangs
The Brayherd of the Redhorns
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Ungrol Stoneheart
Warherds
Gor Herds - Bonecrushers of Peshrax, Blades of the Jer-Stone (shields), Herd of Aefa the Eldritch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Nightstalkers of the Elm (bows), Amber-Eye Herd (bows), Wasps of the Black Bog (bows), Claws of the Blood-Maven (bows), Scaleskin Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Fanatics of the Kal-Gor, Syprish's Fangs
Far-Kin
Minotaurs - Tribe of Blackwyrm Gorge
Agents
Bray-Shaman - Sushgu the Soulless (Lore of Shadows)
Chapter 5
Jahrdrung 2504 IC -
The Great Culling
2504 IC
My Emperor, I am relieved to know that both you and Graf Boris survived the battle at Salzenmund, and the reports from both Kerrig's outriders and the West Hochland militia agree that the One-Eye has been prevented from pursuing our forces by an undead army emerging from the lost walls of Middenheim. Since the chaos of Middenheim's fall, it has appeared that all the land of the Drakwald and the Middle Mountains have been overrun by mutants and beasts, but I insist that this appearance of overwhelming invasion is due mostly to the One-Eye's ability to rapidly focus the beastman hordes against our weakest vulnerabilities. To outline my theory, I have pieced together a timeline of his movements over the past months for your consideration.
As you know, the Grand Theogonist had hoped to reach Middenheim in time to relieve the siege or regroup with any surviving elements of the city's army, but instead found the beasts more or less prepared for battle along the forest roads still days away from the fallen city. There he was defeated, his army chased back to Hertgig with the One-Eye close behind. Before the fall of Middenheim, we had considered our bulwarks at Hertgig and Talabheim well defended, but now it was clear that no walls could stand alone. Even so, with our armies still being gathered at Altdorf alongside the remnants of the humbled lord of Middenland, there were simply no forces available to mount a rescue up the Talabec River, and Hertgig was overwhelmed as predicted. The defenders of Talabheim thought they could hold the horde at the river, but within a week the beasts approached from the Great Forest, having crossed at some unknown location under the forest's cover, and thus our last hold in the east quickly fell.
Then came the reports from the court of Kislev, where much of the Ostland nobility has taken refuge, accepting protection that would be deemed treasonous in times less dire. It seems that the One-Eye was involved in a great battle with a rival beastlord south of Wolfenburg, where patrols came upon countless mutilated beast corpses gathered in great mounds in honor of the victor, a bloody wolfskin crowning each offering. Unfortunately, this moment of vulnerability seems to have fled before it was discovered, for the One-Eye emerged at the walls of Wolfenburg itself five days later, and its garrison, Ostlander and Kislevite alike, were cut down in the eventual assault on the city. The foolishness of refusing your earlier requests to join forces against the beastmen may have finally dawned on Queen Katarina, as the One-Eye turned his horde next on her garrison at Norden.
After this, the One-Eye dissolved back into the forests to reemerge near Salzenmund where he confronted your northern push. Your victories against the Norscans at Gorssel and then at Dieterschafen have valiantly pushed one enemy back into the sea and provided respite for imperial lands north of the Reik, but the loss at Salzenmund has left the coastlines unsecured and may reinvigorate the enemy invasion. I assume you will be leading our men to regroup at Weismund when you receive this, but I have hunch that the enemy will not push south as I also have reports that the beasts have run afoul of a great horde of the undead that has emerged from the lamented ruins of Middenheim. Instead, if you deem it wise, I suggest we might redirect our army to hold the coastline, if it is not too late. The last reports from Dieterschafen spoke of beastmen raids led by one known as the Dark Omen, a name familiar to me from multiple accounts over the last decades, and further reports are past due. If you deem our forces inadequate to hold at Weismund or Dietschafen, it may be most prudent to pull back to the Reik, for Reikland must be protected above all else. If nothing else, the loss of Middenheim has taught us that no stronghold can be assumed safe.
Some small hope can be had from reports that the beasts war with the von Carstein armies across the forests and ruins of both Hochland and Talabecland, but we cannot rely on these seemingly inexhaustable threats to destroy each other. The armies of Kislev have suffered other losses against the beastmen than those within Imperial borders, I have confirmed that Fort Jakova was surrounded and overrun, but still holds their most vital defenses and has defeated a Norscan invasion along with unfamiliar dwarfen allies from the Norscan mountains. Most importantly for us, the rumors of King Louen's death have proven false. While the Bretonnian nobility has mostly refused his call to arms and Duke Chilfroy has claimed the title of Protector of Couronne, forbidding King Louen's return to the city, he gathers a strong army of zealous followers and rides to our aid in hopes that we will return the favor when the One-Eye has been defeated. By Sigmar, we will turn the tides soon, my Lord.
The Fall of Man
I submit this final entry to be held under lock and ward in the Nuln archives in hopes that the academy vaults here will remain protected by Duke Alberic of Bordeleux and that these archives will one day be accessed by those who might yet return to reclaim Sigmar's empire. Here I will record my first hand account of the loss of Reikland, lest time and politics distort the events that came to pass.
The real numbers of the beastmen are ever restrained to the realm of speculation, but a great tide of the beasts emerged from the Drakwald and the Great Forest to overwhelm the armies sent to hunt for them, not by the Emperor, but by his would-be usurper, Mannfred von Carstein. Notorious necromancers and traitors to humanity each, both Helmann Ghorst and Henirich Kemmler had been tasked with scouring the beastmen from the realm claimed by their bloodthirsty master. Kemmler's army was outmaneuvered by the One-Eye near the ruins of Salzenmund and has not been seen since, but Helmann Ghorst managed to corner the Brayherd of the Shadow Totem somewhere in the Great Forest and reduce the Soul-Render's horde to tatters. Within a week of this victory for the Vampire Counts, Ghorst's forces were ambushed in the Great Forest by the Brayherd of the Redhorns, last seen pillaging towns in Ostland, and Mannfred von Carstein himself was attacked as he led an army toward Middenheim from Hergig and reputedly slain by the One-Eye, though I have since herd that he still lives.
Before any of the above events had reached my ears, the One-Eye had arrived at Weismund once again, with the Dark Omen at his side, and commanded such numbers that the Emperor could not hold the walls. Few defenders survived, and the Emperor was dragged from the walls, wounded, and narrowly escaping capture. Carroburg was overrun by the Dark Omen the week after, and the brayherds were crossing the Reik the week after that. Our heavy losses at Weismund meant that we were unable to prevent them from besieging Altdorf. The Old City, the heart of the Empire and civilization, fell in the One-Eye's full-scale assault two weeks afterward. Steel-clad goatmen poured over the walls from rough-hewn towers, and monstrous creatures battered down the great gates. Most of the Empire's greatest defenders fell in a valiant last stand in Sigmar's Square, as what few could escape to continue on the fight did so.
In the weeks that past, the Emperor recovered his health and doggedly pursued his plan to meet with King Louen's army at Axe Bite Pass. While Duke Alberic and an army from Bordeleux had ambitiously cleared the greenskins from Nuln and many of the surrounded towns, most doubted the ability of a Bretonnian upstart to hold the ground and saw little hope in all the Empire other than following our displaced Emperor. And so the last known imperial forces were pursued by the One-Eye up into the Grey Mountains, where we clung to hope that we would be protected by the dwarfs of Karak Ziflin and King Louen would help us spearhead a return to Altdorf.
To our disappointment, the One-Eye did not hesitate to follow us into the Pass, and no sign of aid from the Dwarfs appeared, but King Louen's army of loyalists awaited as promised. Later I would learn, that the dwarf armies of King Rorek Granitehand were at Karak Azgaraz, fighting a doomed defense against the Dark Omen and his Brayherd of the Crow. Our final battle took place on Ferrik's Ridge, a quarter of the way through to pass to Montfort, and we took a heavy toll on the One-Eye's assault, but the alliance of exiles ultimately failed, for the beasts were unafraid of death by fire or lance and the One-Eye could not be bested by either the dethroned king of Bretonnia, or our own Emperor. With this defeat, went the last hopes of the Empire.
Now, with Emperor Karl Franz missing and feared dead, and no bolthole remaining for us here, I will join the caravans of refugees that now flee across the Grey Mountains to seek refuge among the Bretonnian duchies. Fear consumes me for the ultimate fate of our world, for I have seen madness triumph, and the power of the Dark Gods. As I scourge myself in preparation for the end of the world, I will spread the word of what I have seen everywhere my feet tread, for surely through my own failings did I contribute to Sigmar's abandonment of our people. I close this record with one final piece of advice: Repent! For civilization cannot stand against the dark chaos that thrives outside our walls!
The Great Culling
2504 IC
My Emperor, I am relieved to know that both you and Graf Boris survived the battle at Salzenmund, and the reports from both Kerrig's outriders and the West Hochland militia agree that the One-Eye has been prevented from pursuing our forces by an undead army emerging from the lost walls of Middenheim. Since the chaos of Middenheim's fall, it has appeared that all the land of the Drakwald and the Middle Mountains have been overrun by mutants and beasts, but I insist that this appearance of overwhelming invasion is due mostly to the One-Eye's ability to rapidly focus the beastman hordes against our weakest vulnerabilities. To outline my theory, I have pieced together a timeline of his movements over the past months for your consideration.
As you know, the Grand Theogonist had hoped to reach Middenheim in time to relieve the siege or regroup with any surviving elements of the city's army, but instead found the beasts more or less prepared for battle along the forest roads still days away from the fallen city. There he was defeated, his army chased back to Hertgig with the One-Eye close behind. Before the fall of Middenheim, we had considered our bulwarks at Hertgig and Talabheim well defended, but now it was clear that no walls could stand alone. Even so, with our armies still being gathered at Altdorf alongside the remnants of the humbled lord of Middenland, there were simply no forces available to mount a rescue up the Talabec River, and Hertgig was overwhelmed as predicted. The defenders of Talabheim thought they could hold the horde at the river, but within a week the beasts approached from the Great Forest, having crossed at some unknown location under the forest's cover, and thus our last hold in the east quickly fell.
Then came the reports from the court of Kislev, where much of the Ostland nobility has taken refuge, accepting protection that would be deemed treasonous in times less dire. It seems that the One-Eye was involved in a great battle with a rival beastlord south of Wolfenburg, where patrols came upon countless mutilated beast corpses gathered in great mounds in honor of the victor, a bloody wolfskin crowning each offering. Unfortunately, this moment of vulnerability seems to have fled before it was discovered, for the One-Eye emerged at the walls of Wolfenburg itself five days later, and its garrison, Ostlander and Kislevite alike, were cut down in the eventual assault on the city. The foolishness of refusing your earlier requests to join forces against the beastmen may have finally dawned on Queen Katarina, as the One-Eye turned his horde next on her garrison at Norden.
After this, the One-Eye dissolved back into the forests to reemerge near Salzenmund where he confronted your northern push. Your victories against the Norscans at Gorssel and then at Dieterschafen have valiantly pushed one enemy back into the sea and provided respite for imperial lands north of the Reik, but the loss at Salzenmund has left the coastlines unsecured and may reinvigorate the enemy invasion. I assume you will be leading our men to regroup at Weismund when you receive this, but I have hunch that the enemy will not push south as I also have reports that the beasts have run afoul of a great horde of the undead that has emerged from the lamented ruins of Middenheim. Instead, if you deem it wise, I suggest we might redirect our army to hold the coastline, if it is not too late. The last reports from Dieterschafen spoke of beastmen raids led by one known as the Dark Omen, a name familiar to me from multiple accounts over the last decades, and further reports are past due. If you deem our forces inadequate to hold at Weismund or Dietschafen, it may be most prudent to pull back to the Reik, for Reikland must be protected above all else. If nothing else, the loss of Middenheim has taught us that no stronghold can be assumed safe.
Some small hope can be had from reports that the beasts war with the von Carstein armies across the forests and ruins of both Hochland and Talabecland, but we cannot rely on these seemingly inexhaustable threats to destroy each other. The armies of Kislev have suffered other losses against the beastmen than those within Imperial borders, I have confirmed that Fort Jakova was surrounded and overrun, but still holds their most vital defenses and has defeated a Norscan invasion along with unfamiliar dwarfen allies from the Norscan mountains. Most importantly for us, the rumors of King Louen's death have proven false. While the Bretonnian nobility has mostly refused his call to arms and Duke Chilfroy has claimed the title of Protector of Couronne, forbidding King Louen's return to the city, he gathers a strong army of zealous followers and rides to our aid in hopes that we will return the favor when the One-Eye has been defeated. By Sigmar, we will turn the tides soon, my Lord.
The Fall of Man
I submit this final entry to be held under lock and ward in the Nuln archives in hopes that the academy vaults here will remain protected by Duke Alberic of Bordeleux and that these archives will one day be accessed by those who might yet return to reclaim Sigmar's empire. Here I will record my first hand account of the loss of Reikland, lest time and politics distort the events that came to pass.
The real numbers of the beastmen are ever restrained to the realm of speculation, but a great tide of the beasts emerged from the Drakwald and the Great Forest to overwhelm the armies sent to hunt for them, not by the Emperor, but by his would-be usurper, Mannfred von Carstein. Notorious necromancers and traitors to humanity each, both Helmann Ghorst and Henirich Kemmler had been tasked with scouring the beastmen from the realm claimed by their bloodthirsty master. Kemmler's army was outmaneuvered by the One-Eye near the ruins of Salzenmund and has not been seen since, but Helmann Ghorst managed to corner the Brayherd of the Shadow Totem somewhere in the Great Forest and reduce the Soul-Render's horde to tatters. Within a week of this victory for the Vampire Counts, Ghorst's forces were ambushed in the Great Forest by the Brayherd of the Redhorns, last seen pillaging towns in Ostland, and Mannfred von Carstein himself was attacked as he led an army toward Middenheim from Hergig and reputedly slain by the One-Eye, though I have since herd that he still lives.
Before any of the above events had reached my ears, the One-Eye had arrived at Weismund once again, with the Dark Omen at his side, and commanded such numbers that the Emperor could not hold the walls. Few defenders survived, and the Emperor was dragged from the walls, wounded, and narrowly escaping capture. Carroburg was overrun by the Dark Omen the week after, and the brayherds were crossing the Reik the week after that. Our heavy losses at Weismund meant that we were unable to prevent them from besieging Altdorf. The Old City, the heart of the Empire and civilization, fell in the One-Eye's full-scale assault two weeks afterward. Steel-clad goatmen poured over the walls from rough-hewn towers, and monstrous creatures battered down the great gates. Most of the Empire's greatest defenders fell in a valiant last stand in Sigmar's Square, as what few could escape to continue on the fight did so.
In the weeks that past, the Emperor recovered his health and doggedly pursued his plan to meet with King Louen's army at Axe Bite Pass. While Duke Alberic and an army from Bordeleux had ambitiously cleared the greenskins from Nuln and many of the surrounded towns, most doubted the ability of a Bretonnian upstart to hold the ground and saw little hope in all the Empire other than following our displaced Emperor. And so the last known imperial forces were pursued by the One-Eye up into the Grey Mountains, where we clung to hope that we would be protected by the dwarfs of Karak Ziflin and King Louen would help us spearhead a return to Altdorf.
To our disappointment, the One-Eye did not hesitate to follow us into the Pass, and no sign of aid from the Dwarfs appeared, but King Louen's army of loyalists awaited as promised. Later I would learn, that the dwarf armies of King Rorek Granitehand were at Karak Azgaraz, fighting a doomed defense against the Dark Omen and his Brayherd of the Crow. Our final battle took place on Ferrik's Ridge, a quarter of the way through to pass to Montfort, and we took a heavy toll on the One-Eye's assault, but the alliance of exiles ultimately failed, for the beasts were unafraid of death by fire or lance and the One-Eye could not be bested by either the dethroned king of Bretonnia, or our own Emperor. With this defeat, went the last hopes of the Empire.
Now, with Emperor Karl Franz missing and feared dead, and no bolthole remaining for us here, I will join the caravans of refugees that now flee across the Grey Mountains to seek refuge among the Bretonnian duchies. Fear consumes me for the ultimate fate of our world, for I have seen madness triumph, and the power of the Dark Gods. As I scourge myself in preparation for the end of the world, I will spread the word of what I have seen everywhere my feet tread, for surely through my own failings did I contribute to Sigmar's abandonment of our people. I close this record with one final piece of advice: Repent! For civilization cannot stand against the dark chaos that thrives outside our walls!
The Brayherd of the Wolfskin
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Khazrak the One-Eye
Bray-Shamans - Uthesi Wyrdbreaker (Lore of the Wild)
Warherds
Bestigor Herds - Blacktusk Blood-Sworn, Eye-Takers of Umalgar, Khorrok's Manrippers (halberds)
Gor Herds - Totem of the Kyzlurr, Herd of the Furlak Stone (shields), Scions of Tzirlitch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Shemol's Scalpers (bows), Unseen of Jalom's Pit (bows), Quillback Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Scalepox Herd, Totem of Eel Fenn, Destroyers of the Drakwald (shields)
Far-Kin
Centigors - Sons of Ghorros (great weapons)
Minotaurs - Butchers of Kalkengard (shields), Tribe of the Corpse-Tree (great weapons)
Cygors - Wyvern-Eater of Kanaa
Brood Packs
Razorgor Chariots - Thunder of Amalgros, Ossuli Fleshtearers
The Brayherd of the Shadow Totem
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Visharros Soul-Render
Gorebull - Skarr Ogrebane
Warherds
Gor Herds - Banner of the Red Rain, Bhaoro's Head-Splitters, Black-Horn's Ravagers (shields), Banner of the Horsehead (shields)
Ungor Herds - Kakrigi's Chosen, Whitehoof Heart-Seekers (bows), Bone Peak Raiders (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Spiderwood Herd, Disciples of Kret, Banner of the Third Sign (shields)
Far-Kin
Centigors - Banner of Uran's Fire, Marrok's Favoured, Isstungrul's Ragehorns
Harpies - Furies of Lythia
Chaos Spawn - Seers of Virluth
Brood Packs
Razorgor Chariots - Bearers of Skern's Ewer
Warhounds - Blackgrove Razorfangs, Vileclaw Brood
The Brayherd of the Redhorns
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Ungrol Stoneheart
Gorebull - Etzhgu the Silent
Warherds
Bestigor Herds - Banner of the Iron Star
Gor Herds - Bonecrushers of Peshrax, Herd of Khartok's Den, Blades of Grey Syfax (shields), Herd of Aefa the Eldritch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Slit-Ear Herd, Amber-Eye Herd (bows), Wasps of the Black Bog (bows), Claws of the Blood-Maven (bows), Scaleskin Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Fanatics of the Kal-Gor, Syprish's Fangs
Far-Kin
Harpies - Flock of the Fleshgroves
Brood Packs
Razorgor Herds - Ifaw's Fury
The Brayherd of the Crow
Great-Horns
Great Bray-Shaman - Malagor the Dark Omen
Warherds
Bestigor Herds - Totem of the Faceless
Gor Herds - Banner of the Bronze Claw, Totem of Zelvj's Wings (shields), Orl-Glyph Herd (shields)
Ungor Herds - Children of the Crow (bows), Myrgugk's Raiders (bows), Karrgra's Raiders (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Jortung's Herd, Teeth of Nogrug, Herd of the Shardcaves, Snaketongue Herd (shields)
Far-Kin
Cygors - Eye of Morrslieb
Harpies - Wiera's Soulstealers, Thornwing Flock
Brood Packs
Razorgor Chariots - Banner of Ralu's Axe
Warhounds - Tardraa's Spinesnouts, Sablemane Stalkers (poison)
Agents
Bray-Shaman - Sushgu the Soulless (Lore of Shadows)
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Khazrak the One-Eye
Bray-Shamans - Uthesi Wyrdbreaker (Lore of the Wild)
Warherds
Bestigor Herds - Blacktusk Blood-Sworn, Eye-Takers of Umalgar, Khorrok's Manrippers (halberds)
Gor Herds - Totem of the Kyzlurr, Herd of the Furlak Stone (shields), Scions of Tzirlitch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Shemol's Scalpers (bows), Unseen of Jalom's Pit (bows), Quillback Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Scalepox Herd, Totem of Eel Fenn, Destroyers of the Drakwald (shields)
Far-Kin
Centigors - Sons of Ghorros (great weapons)
Minotaurs - Butchers of Kalkengard (shields), Tribe of the Corpse-Tree (great weapons)
Cygors - Wyvern-Eater of Kanaa
Brood Packs
Razorgor Chariots - Thunder of Amalgros, Ossuli Fleshtearers
The Brayherd of the Shadow Totem
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Visharros Soul-Render
Gorebull - Skarr Ogrebane
Warherds
Gor Herds - Banner of the Red Rain, Bhaoro's Head-Splitters, Black-Horn's Ravagers (shields), Banner of the Horsehead (shields)
Ungor Herds - Kakrigi's Chosen, Whitehoof Heart-Seekers (bows), Bone Peak Raiders (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Spiderwood Herd, Disciples of Kret, Banner of the Third Sign (shields)
Far-Kin
Centigors - Banner of Uran's Fire, Marrok's Favoured, Isstungrul's Ragehorns
Harpies - Furies of Lythia
Chaos Spawn - Seers of Virluth
Brood Packs
Razorgor Chariots - Bearers of Skern's Ewer
Warhounds - Blackgrove Razorfangs, Vileclaw Brood
The Brayherd of the Redhorns
Great-Horns
Beastlord - Ungrol Stoneheart
Gorebull - Etzhgu the Silent
Warherds
Bestigor Herds - Banner of the Iron Star
Gor Herds - Bonecrushers of Peshrax, Herd of Khartok's Den, Blades of Grey Syfax (shields), Herd of Aefa the Eldritch (shields)
Ungor Herds - Slit-Ear Herd, Amber-Eye Herd (bows), Wasps of the Black Bog (bows), Claws of the Blood-Maven (bows), Scaleskin Herd (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Fanatics of the Kal-Gor, Syprish's Fangs
Far-Kin
Harpies - Flock of the Fleshgroves
Brood Packs
Razorgor Herds - Ifaw's Fury
The Brayherd of the Crow
Great-Horns
Great Bray-Shaman - Malagor the Dark Omen
Warherds
Bestigor Herds - Totem of the Faceless
Gor Herds - Banner of the Bronze Claw, Totem of Zelvj's Wings (shields), Orl-Glyph Herd (shields)
Ungor Herds - Children of the Crow (bows), Myrgugk's Raiders (bows), Karrgra's Raiders (bows)
Ungor Spearherds - Jortung's Herd, Teeth of Nogrug, Herd of the Shardcaves, Snaketongue Herd (shields)
Far-Kin
Cygors - Eye of Morrslieb
Harpies - Wiera's Soulstealers, Thornwing Flock
Brood Packs
Razorgor Chariots - Banner of Ralu's Axe
Warhounds - Tardraa's Spinesnouts, Sablemane Stalkers (poison)
Agents
Bray-Shaman - Sushgu the Soulless (Lore of Shadows)