GAME TACTICA
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GAME TACTICA
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Drazhoath the Ashen
​and 

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Chaos Dwarfs
​
Dark Industry
The Chaos Dwarfs rely on an industrial economy of outposts, factories, and towers powered by slaves and infernal sorcery to supply their deadly armies and fill military convoys.

The Tower of Zharr
The Lords of the Darklands compete among themselves for Influence over the Conclave, and those with the most resources claim powerful positions in Zharr-Naggrund.

The Hell-Forges
The infernal industry of the Chaos Dwarfs supplies Armaments that must be allocated to craft the masterwork gear of their elite soldiers and exotic war machines.
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Drazhoath

The Sentinel of Ashes
+10% Armaments output
-10% Armaments cost for Unit Capacity upgrades

(Faction)

The Sentinel of Ashes

(Faction)

The Tyrant of the Black Tower

+10% campaign Movement Range
-25% Upkeep for K'daai
Ability: Dark Renown
(Lord's army)
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Prologue: The Western Provinces

How the cursed Tome came into my possession, and my soul into its, is a shameful tale that I will not recount here, but it put me on a desperate path in search of its secrets. Unwelcome in the lands of my birth, and with my own keen knowledge of the futility of finding one who would risk helping me in the learned institutions of Altdorf, I had first travelled to Myrmidens in hope of finding some outcast scholar of circumspect knowledge. Though that city of vagabonds offered me no answers, it was there that I first heard the tales of the Iron Dragon, from a large caravan that arrived in the city soon after myself from far off Cathay. The Cathayans, with appearances that were strange to my eye at the time, all agreed that their ruler was a wise master of the arcane arts, with a greater understanding of the winds of magic and the creation of attuned items than any here in the western realms. Furthermore, they described his realm as one not restrained by the ignorant fears of the Temples, and was certainly as far from the Order of the Silver Hammer as I could hope to flee. With no other leads to follow, I joined the next caravan destined for the dangerous journey across the mountains and wastes between to Grand Cathay, and arrived at the city of Shang Yang, disguised as an old vagabond. However, the Iron Dragon was not here, in his traditional seat, and I learned that this inscrutable ruler had withdrawn from most of his public duties and chosen to live a hermetic life to pursue his studies and research. In fact, it was clear that a different authority had replaced him in Shang Yang, calling themselves the Prophets of Jinshen: zealots of faith that did not seem to respect the Dragon Emperor and his children.

At the stronghold of Qiang, on the most western borders of Grand Cathay, where the land begins to rise into the Mountains of Mourn, I finally found the Iron Dragon, and my foreign appearance earned me enough attention to attend his court. There I dared to contradict the information presented by a trader who had returned from the west regarding the value of goods and the most profitable trade routes, and an audit of the man's ledgers proved the man to be lying, and in fact an agent of the Prophets in Shang-Yang. Summoned to a further audience, Lord Zhao Ming, demanded my services regarding acquisition of rare materials from the western lands, and in return he would grant my request to study the riddle of the Tome of Fates, assuring me that this artifact was not beyond his power. Though he did not deign to explain the current state of his realm to me, I eventually came to some understanding of this vast empire that was, in fact, larger than Sigmar's own, and fighting a similar war for its survival against incessant incursions of barbarians, orcs, and beastmen. The Dragon Emperor of Cathay had not been seen for centuries, sealed in meditation in the Forbidden City, and his scions governed his divided realm. Similarly, the Iron Dragon himself had withdrawn from society and chosen to study the arcane mysteries and applications of alchemy within the laboratories and forges of Qiang for many years. He claimed to be the Lord of the Western Provinces, but the people of his land were unsure if he even lived, and he had done nothing as his banners were thrown from the walls of Shang-Yang during riots incited by the Prophets of Jinshen.  Though details would not be revealed to me, some unknown shame regarding a part played in the disappearance of his younger sister, had driven the Iron Dragon into self-exile and broken his already tenuous ties with his other siblings. As I came to see that Grand Cathay was the eastern counterpart, an estranged sister, of the Empire, the Tome showed me it also shared its ultimate fate: split asunder by war and overrun by the Ruinous Powers.

Determined to change my own fate, I risked sharing this knowledge with the Lord of the Western Provinces, he however insisted that the reign of the Dark Gods had been thwarted long ago by the Dragon Emperor. It was not until I learned that materials he lacked for his studies were available abroad, that I was able to rouse his interest in the wider world, for when his advisors explained that all power over the western trade routes was now held by the Prophets and the ogre tribes of the mountains, he immediately assembled his war council for the first time in decades. It's members, many of whom had never even met the Iron Dragon before, humbly briefed him on the neglected state of the Western Provinces and awaited his rage, but Lord Zhao Ming simply ordered them to ready for war. Over the next weeks I observed his atrophied emissaries return with word that none of the cities of the Western Provinces would answer Qiang's call, stating that the Iron Dragon was dead and Jinshen heeded only the Prophets now. Those sent to neighboring rulers brought only requests for money and soldiers from the stewards of those regions to combat an ongoing invasion of pirates and slavers, and a private response from the Storm Dragon of the Northern Provinces that infuriated Lord Zhao Ming for days. Southern Cathay, where the control of the Dragon Emperor was often stretched thin, was now divided between regional desert nomads and river warlords who rarely spared a thought for the wider concerns of the realm. I observed his generals drill the army of Qiang, which counted some proud elite soldiers and frightening engines of war in its number, but that number itself was woefully unimpressive. His administrators intended to bolster the army with mercenaries, but the Iron Dragon lacked gold outside of his laboratories, with taxation being diverted and controlled by the Prophets in Shang-Yang and Hanyu Port.  Despite this bleak outlook, the Iron Dragon's servants in Qiang loyally carried out his tasks and I followed their example. I had been assigned a task to utilize my knowledge: assisting in the planning of large caravans destined for the western realms, just as I had first met in Myrmidens. Including procurement of the most profitable goods and the assignment of destinations, I offered my advice to the trade administrators, though to my understanding it seemed a waste to throw such an investment into the Dark Lands with small chance of seeing it return. My pessimism only increased when I was ordered to accompany the Iron Dragon to Hanyu Port, where he would demand the return of the city from the Prophets of Jinshin at the head of his small army. I foresaw my one hope throwing himself onto the spears of his enemies in his delusions of grandeur, but divination was yet the purview of the Tome alone. Instead, I witnessed the celestial power of Grand Cathay and came to understand how it had earned its place in the world.
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As it would come to be known, the Ivory Wars began at Hanyu Port, the closest trading center to Qiang. Lord Zhao Ming's advisors explained that shipments of alchemical materials, such as ivory, had become prohibitively expensive when the last western trade route had been completely cut off by the Goldtooth ogres, but trade had now become almost impossible when the warden of Hanyu Port gave they keys of the city to the Prophets of Jinshen in exchange for help against an army of mutant beastmen emerging from the desert. When we arrived at Hanyu Port, the gates were not opened for us, and the gate commander declared to Lord Zhao Ming that the Iron Dragon was dead and Hanyu Port answered to Shang-Yang, not Qiang. With noticeable fury, Lord Zhao Ming ordered his army to take the city by force, and I witnessed the power of the Hammers of Maufin and the bravery of the flying Sunpiercer Order for the first time as they attacked the city's walls. Then, to my utter amazement, I watched Lord Zhoa Ming himself transform into a giant creature: a flying dragon, metallic in appearance, that hypnotically swam through the air and joined his soldiers as they charged through the broken defences, breathing fire upon the heads of those who had denied his existence. The city was quickly taken, heralding the Iron Dragon's return to all of Grand Cathay.
The Army of the West
Commmand
The Iron Dragon - Lord Zhao Ming
Alchemist - Zhiyuan the Mandarin
Celestial Retinues
1 Great Longma Riders - The Sunpiercer Order
1 ​Celestial Dragon Guard - The ​Iron Claws of Qiang
Warriors of Jade and Steel
3 Jade Warriors -  The Scorched Shields, The Dragon's Scales, The Swords of Haili
1 Jade Warrior Crossbowmen - The ​Sunset Guard
Levies and Mercenaries
1 Fire Rain Rocket Battery - The ​Hammers of Maufin
2 Peasant Long Spearmen - The White Turbans, The Black Turbans
1 Peasant Archers - The Banner of the Feather
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Conflicts of the Ivory Wars

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The Shackling

Adversaries: The Ironskinz, The Thunderguts
Allies: None
Forces of the Western Provinces: The Army of the West, the Army of Shang-Yang
Results: The Legion of Azgorh annexed the Sentinels. Darkhold, Ruin's End and Pigbarter. The Ironskinz and the Thunderguts were destroyed.
​
Major battles of the Jinshen Rebellion
The Battle of the Sentinels - Drazhoath the Ashen defeated Orc Warboss Grizguts of the Ironskinz
The Battle of Darkhold - Drazhoath the Ashen defeated Goblin Great Shaman Muga of the Ironskinz
​The Battle of Ruin's End - Drazhoath the Ashen defeated Paymaster Zrakk of the Thundergutz

The Siege of Pigbarter - Drazhoath the Ashen defeated Ogre Tyrant Thorg of the Thundergutz
The Battle of the Ruin's End Camp - Drazhoath the Ashen defeated Ogre Tyrant Kogg of the Thundergutz
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The War of Ashes

Adversaries: The Knights of Caledor
Allies: None​
Forces of the Western Provinces: The Army of Shang-Yang, The Army of the Desert
Results: The Legion of Azgorh annexed the Ash Ridge Mountains, the Fortress of Vorag, and the Bone Gulch. The Knights of Caledor were destroyed.
Major battles of the Curseling's 1st Invasion
The Battle of the Ash Ridge Mountains - Drazhoath the Ashen and Molglissar the Bull-Breaker defeated Prince Imrik of the Knights of Caledor
The 2nd Battle of the Ash Ridge Mountains - Drazhoath the Ashen defeated by Prince Imrik and Archmage Relinda of the Knights of Caledor
The 3rd Battle of the Ash Ridge Mountains - Drazhoath the Ashen and defeated Prince Imrik and Archmage Haennirmara of the Knights of Caledor
The 4th Battle of the Ash Ridge Mountains - Drazhoath the Ashen and defeated Archmage Feretulios of the Knights of Calador
The Siege of the Fortress of Vorag - Drazhoath the Ashen and defeated Archmage Edelia of the Knights of Caledor
The Battle of Bitter Bay - Drazhoath the Ashen and defeated Archmage Edelia of the Knights of Caledor


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A Burning Light for the Shadows
​Adversaries: Clan Eshin, the Blessed Dread
Allies: The Northern Provinces, The Celestial Loyalists, The Jade Custodians
Forces of the Western Provinces: The Army of Jinshen, The Army of the Desert, The Army of Shang-Yang
Results: The Western Provinces annexed Xing Po, the Village of the Moon, Kunlun, and Jade Wind Mountain, TBD. Clan Eshin was destroyed.

Major Battles of the Shadow Hunt
The Battle of the Daemon's Stump - Molglissar the Bull-Breaker defeated Goblin Boss Grotslik of Da Dripped Fangz
The Battle of the Gates of Zharr - Molglissar the Bull-Breaker defeated Orc Warboss Nubzub of Da Dripped Fangz
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The Lizardmen Raids

Adversaries: The Spirit of the Jungle
Allies: The Golden Order
The Western Provinces: The Army of Jinshen

Results: The Celestial Loyalists form an alliance with the Western Provinces. The Western Provinces liberated Shang-Wu, the Bridge of Heaven, and the Temple of Elemental Winds. Alchemist Huan Sima was killed in battle against TBD. 

​Major Battles of the Liberation of the East
​The Siege of Shang-Wu - Feng the Lion defeated Scar-Veteran Hextoc of the Spirit of the Jungle
The Siege of Qiang - Jun Sun the Golden defeated Nakai the Wanderer of the Spirit of the Jungle
The Siege of the Bridge of Heaven - Feng the Lion defeated Scar-Veteran Enji-Benqi of the Spirit of the Jungle
The Battle of the Temple of Elemental Winds - Jun Sun the Golden defeated Scar-Veteran TBD of the Spirit of the Jungle
The Siege of Shang Wu - Niu Jin defeated Skink Priest Meso'clan of the Spirit of the Jungle
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Securing the Ivory Road

Adversaries: Goldtooth, The Lazarghs
Allies: The Crossed Clubs, The Bloodmaw
The Western Provinces: The Army of Qiang, The Army of Shang-Wu​

Results: The Western Provinces granted the Maw Gate, Grimtop, the Great Hall of Greasus, Karak Krakaten, the Vale of Titans, Amblepeak, Karak Azorn, the Fire Mouth, Titan's Notch, Yhetee Peak, and the Valley of the Horns to the Bloodmaw tribe. The Western Provinces granted Karak Vrag and Black Fang to the Blood Guzzlers tribe.  The Goldtooth and the Crossed Clubs were destroyed. Miao the White Crane was killed in battle. Zhiyuan the Mandarin assassinated by Goblin Big Boss Gorfag Trolleater

Major Battles of the 1st Ivory Road Campaign
The Battle of the Valley of the Horns - Zhao Ming defeated Tyrant Nogflag of Goldtooth
The Battle of the Maw Gate - Zhao Ming and Feng the Lion defeated Slaughtermaster Maldigg of the Lazarghs

The Siege of Shang-Yang - Zhengde Ding of Shang-Yang defeated Slaughtermaster Groundbreaker Gad of the Lazarghs
The Battle of Titan's Notch  - Zhao Ming defeated Grimgor Ironhide of Grimgor's 'Ardboyz

The Battle of the Maw Gate - Feng the Lion defeated Greasus Goldtooth of Goldtooth
The Battle of Grimtop - Feng the Lion defeated Tyrant Vrud of the Goldtooth
The Battle of Yhetee Peak - Longyuan of Jiagu defeated Big Boss Zajar Backstab of Grimgor's 'Ardboyz
The Battle of the Great Hall of Greasus - Feng the Lion defeated Tyrant Nogflag of Goldtooth
The Battle of Black Fang - Zhao Ming defeated Grimgor Ironhide of Grimgor's 'Ardboyz

Major Battles of the 2nd Ivory Road Campaign
The Battle of Blood Peak - Longyuan of Jiagu and Paymaster Maldigg of the Bloodmaw defeated Chaos Sorcerer Lord Hagrudek of the Heralds of the Tempest
The 2nd Battle of Blood Peak - Longyuan of Jiagu and Paymaster Maldigg of the Bloodmaw defeated Kholek Suneater of the Heralds of the Tempest and Grimgor Ironhide and Spinny Wolfherda of Grimgor's 'Ardboyz
The 2nd Battle of Titan's Notch - Longyuan of Jiagu defeated Chaos Sorcerer Lord Beronaer Kul of the Heralds of the Tempest

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The Cleansing of the Pass

​Adversaries: Poxmakers of Nurgle, Knights of Caledor, Slaughterhorn Tribe
Allies: The Bloodmaw, Tepok's Spawn
The Western Provinces: The Army of Qiang, The Army of the Ivory Road
Results: The Western Provinces conquered Gnobbly Gorge and the Skrap Towerr, liberated Pigbarter for the Thunderguts and all of the Dragon Isles for the Spawn of Tepok, and granted Shambletown and Flayed Rock to the Bloodmaw tribe. The Slaughterhorn Tribe and the Poxmakers of Nurgle were destroyed.

Major Battles of the Conquest of the Pass
The Battle of Flayed Rock - Zhao Ming defeated by Ku'gath Plaguefather of the Poxmakers
The 2nd Battle of Flayed Rock- Zhao Ming defeats Ku'gath Plaguefather of the Poxmakers
The Battle of Grimtop - Zhao Ming defeated Daemon Prince Farmort Woe-Maker of the Poxmakers
The 2nd Battle of Grimtop - Zhao Ming defeated Ku'gath Plaguefather of the Poxmakers
The Battle of Shambletown - Zhao Ming defeated Daemon Prince Farmort Woe-Maker of the Poxmakers
The Battle of Gnobbly Gorge - Zhao Ming defeated Chaos Lord Chant of the Poxmakers
The Battle of Skrap Towers - Jun Sun the Golden defeated Plaguebearer Direpox of the Poxmakers
The Battle of Shattered Stone Bay - Jun Sun the Golden defeated Maggungus Barrowguts of the Poxmakers
The Battle of Gnobbly Gorge - Zhao Ming defeated Ku'gath Plaguefather of the Poxmakers
The Siege of Pigbarter - Zhao Ming defeated Archmage Westara of the Knights of Caledor
The 2nd Battle of Shattered Stone Bay - Jun Sun the Golden and Oldblood Malhotraptor of Tepok's Spawn defeated Ku'gath Plaguefather and Plagueridden Tally-Master of the Poxmakers
The 3rd Battle of Flayed Rock -  Jun Sun the Golden defeated Beastlord Rhaabqu Blightheart of the Slaughterhorn Tribe
The 2nd Battle of Skrap Towers - Jun Sun the Golden is defeated by Prince Imrik of the Knights of Caledor

The Battle of the Sea of Storms - Zhao Ming defeated Ku'Gath Plaguefather of the Poxmakers
The Battle of Dragon Fang Mount -  
Zhao Ming defeated Chaos Lord Vygo Coraxus of the Poxmakers
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The Army of the West

Command
The Iron Dragon - Lord Zhao Ming
Alchemists - Xiaolin the Haughty
Gate Masters - Piao the Sprout
Celestial Retinues
 2 Great Longma Riders - The Sunpiercer Order, The Righteous Lance of Wei-Jin
1 ​Celestial Dragon Guard - The ​Iron Claws of Qiang
1 Onyx Crowmen - The Feathered Council
1 Sky Lantern - Chamon's Torch
Warriors of Jade and Steel
2 Jade Warriors - The Scorched Shields
2 Jade Warriors (halberds) - The Black Tassels, The Teeth of Jinshen
2 Jade Warrior Crossbowmen (shields) - The ​Sunset Guard, The Greenhelms of Hanyu
3 Jade Lancers - The ​Wardens of the Pass, The Lances of the Last Shrine, the Banner of Shi-Gori
​1 Fire Rain Rocket Battery - The ​Hammers of Maufin
1 Grand Cannons - The Banishers
Levies and Mercenaries
1 Ogre Bulls - The Charred Mallets
1 Ogre Bulls (dual weapons) - The Ironbound
The Army of Jinshen

Command
Celestial General - Feng the Lion
Astromancers - Bao the Poet
Alchemist - Henyu Tao the Scribe
​Gate Masters - Niu the Sealbearer
Celestial Retinues
1 Celestial Lion
Warriors of Jade and Steel
3 Jade Warriors
1 Jade Warriors (halberds)
2 Jade Warrior Crossbowmen
1 Grand Cannons
Levies and Mercenaries
1 Peasent Spearmen
2 Peasant Archers
1 Iron Hail Gunners
1 Peasant Horsemen

The Army of Shang-Yang

Command
Lord Magistrate - Longyuan of Jiagu
Alchemists - Chen He the Lamp of Hanyu, You Dong the Wise
Gate Masters - Zhuixue the Lizard
Celestial Retinues
2 Celestial Dragon Guard
1 Celestial Dragon Crossbowmen

1 ​Zhangu War Drum
1 Terracotta Sentinel
Warriors of Jade and Steel
3 Jade Warriors
1 Jade Warriors (halberds)
1 Jade Warrior Crossbowmen
2 Jade Warrior Crossbowmen (shields)
Levies and Mercenaries
1 Peasant Archers
1 Peasant Horsemen

The Army of the Turtle

Command
Dragon-Blooded Shugengan Lord - Baozan the Red Glove
Astromancers - Gongsun the Whisperer
Gate Masters - Qilin the Inquisitor
Celestial Retinues
1 Onyx Crowmen
1 Jet Lion
Warriors of Jade and Steel
1 Jade Warriors
1 Jade Warriors (halberds)
1 Jade Warrior Crossbowmen (shields)

1 Jade Lancers
Levies and Mercenaries
2 Peasant Spearmen
4 Peasant Archers
1 Nan-Gau Grenadiers
2 Peasant Horsemen

The Army of the Ivory Road

Command
The Celestial General - Jun Sun the Golden
Astromancers - Yu Cui of the Rod
Alchemists - Min Ji the Silk Weaver

Celestial Retinues
None
Warriors of Jade and Steel
1 Jade Warriors (halberds)
1 Crane Gunners
1 Grand Cannons
Levies and Mercenaries
3 Peasant Spearmen
2 Iron Hail Gunners
1 Ogre Bulls
1 Ogre Bulls (dual weapons)
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Victory Objectives Complete

Control the provinces of the Ivory Road, the Bone Road, the Mountains of Mourn, and Gnoblar Country
Destroy the Caravan of Blue Roses, the Legion of Azgorh, and the Poxmakers of Nurgle
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Epilogue: the Slaughterer

The fiery warpath of the Iron Dragon saw the Western Provinces revitalized and secured, an eruption of the mutant ratmen clan of the Eshin purged from the Mountains of the Moon, the eastern cities liberated from the grip of The Blessed Dread's slavers, and the Great Bastion reinforced. While ambitious merchants of Grand Cathay were well known to brave the dangerous roads west in large well-armed caravans, I encouraged the Iron Dragon's wish to spread the order and harmony of Cathay across these wastes, where he envisaged a guarded trade route with prosperous cities all along it that connected with the western realms of my birth.

His first challenge would be to subjugate the Ogre Kingdoms in the mountains above Qiang, which would demand tribute or plunder from all passing caravans. The Goldtooth tribe was the dominant power along the Ivory Road and demanded exorbitant tributes for safe passage, and so the Western Provinces met with rival tribes, brokered alliances, and marched to war with them against Greasus Goldtooth and his numerous armies. Greasus was unable to crack the Army of Qiang, and half his realm was lost and his famous Great Hall plundered by the end of the first campaign. A second campaign followed after a brief peace, that saw the Goldtooth tribe entirely supplanted by the Iron Dragon’s allies, the Ogre Kingdom of the Lazarghs. 

​With the Ivory Road held by a puppet, the caravans of Cathay could reach all the way to the Darklands from Shang-Yang in relative safety for the first time in the memory of the celestial archives, but the Western Provinces would push farther. Before any conquest of the Darklands, the Iron Dragon sent his armies to secure Gnoblar Country, a lawess route through the southern foothills of the Mountains of Mourn where caravans were attacked by undead and demons. The conquest of the pass indeed brought me to face both such horrors, and the Iron Dragon banished the great demon Kul’Gath before my eyes as its horrifying minions threw themselves against the spears of the Western Provinces. However, I would only hear about the further successes and failures of Lord Zhao Ming much later and from a far away, for the foul scent of the demons had not yet even left my nose, when I was taken by what at first seemed like a simple raiding band of Ogres. Though I had hoped to negotiate my release in return for some promised favor from the lord whom I was in service to, I was told that I now had a new master, who had heard I could interpret prophecies and read the strands of fate. And so I was delivered, prodded forward by vicious looking gnoblars, to a massive mutilated ogre, stirring a hot cauldron with a giant cleaver that replaced his right hand. An armored ogre bull by his side, introduced him as Skrag, the Slaughterer, the Ever-Famished, the Gore-Taker, and the Prophet of the Maw.
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