The Rise of Kharduul: Chapter I

Chapter I.

"The Patrol"

The Duardin patrol had travelled in the storm for hours now and had not found what they were looking for. Storm was making it impossible to see their path trough the mountains. Veteran leading the patrol ordered his men to halt and set up a campsite for the night.

"The storm is getting worse. There's no way that we can navigate further into the valley this night. We'll set up a camp here, light a fire and unpack for the night".

The Duardin started working as ordered. 

"Begin with guard duties, one warrior and one thundered, at all times. And keep your eyes open".

             Bulmer Stonechest was an experienced warrior. Having patrolled the mountains for years, he was the first choice to command this patrol on its task. Warden king had sent his men looking for some creatures that had attacked human merchants on a nearby trade route. Only one of the merchants had barely survived the encounter. The ambush had been so brutal that she was yet unable to talk, so the duardin sent for patrol didn't even know what they were looking for.

            Stonechest knew that the mountains had been quiet for years now after the dispossessed and human freeguilders had secured their hold on the region. Stormcast and human warriors had fought hard to drive back all sorts of  vile creatures and enemies of Sigmar, it had taken years, not to mention the lives it had costed.
"But now. But now the things were different", thought Bulmer whilst smoking his pipe and looking his men working around the just lit campfire.

            "Whatever creatures  we are looking for, we'll surely find and defeat", said a brown bearded duardin and sat next to him rolling a duardin firearm around his finger, "don't you worry my friend."

"Thank you for your calming words Torbul, I hope your gunpowder isn't wet when that time comes."

"The storm and the rain aren't helping, but you can count on us, as usual."

"Never have I doubted you, or your thunderers, but I have an eerie feeling about all this"

"Ha! You and your guts Bulmer. Maybe it's the bread. You know, it wouldn't be the first time bread got bad on a patrol duty, or maybe it's the ale!" Torbul burst in roaringg laughter. Laughing at his own jokes, as usual. The veteran thunderer was a cheerful one for a duardin, always telling his jokes and stories. Usually they amused Bulmer, but now he could not relax, not now.

The laughter and stories kept Bulmer and Torbul up for hours before they tried to get some rest.

When the veterans had finally fallen asleep, a thundering sound of a gunshot tore trough the storm.
"TO ARMS!", shouted the warrior in guard as the thunderer next to him started reloading.

In mere seconds the warriors and thunderers were up and in formation.
"Shields up! Form a shield wall, thunderers middle." Stonechest yelled with his booming voice.
"Take aim,  be ready fire when ordered", Torbul commanded his thunderers calmly.

"What was it? How many? Where? Bulmer asked from the warrior that had been on guard.
"I don't know, Mal.... the thunderer said he saw them. Many of them, he said."

Torbul checked on his men, but his eyes could not catch the one thunderer that had been on guard.
"Damn it! Did we lose one already? Fire on sight men, make them pay!". All the calmness or cheerfulness had left Torbuls voice.

As the Duardin were getting ready to battle, keen bluish eyes were following their every move.

A growling, sizzling voice in the dark thought out loud;

"Soon the intruders shall be vanquished, and I shall earn my place among the court"...

Firestorm backgrounds, free peoples part 1.

Lord Commander, Amos Thule
Freeguild General of the Thule Brotherhood, Relicbearer.

"For Sigmar, for the Brotherhood! Always onwards brothers!" -Amos Thule some time during Realmgate Wars.

A Stern commander and a master strategist, Amos Thule has commanded his Freeguild guard through many battles across the realms since he became the Lord commander.

He wears all of his many scars with pride, but he never boasts about the past. Amos, even at his age, is a warrior to be feared in combat. He wears his heavy platemail and carries his trustworthy sigmarite mace to battle.

As Lord commander and eldest of his brotherhood he also hase the right and duty to carry the Banner of the Brotherhood.

Luther Flamestrike,
Battlemage of the Collegiate Arcane, Flamekeeper of the Sigmarsunds Great Furnace.

"Everything that is wood will burn, everything that is stone will crumble." -Luther Flamestrike during the siege of Kharduul.

Thule and his men often find it a good thing Luther is on their side of the war. The Erratic wizard usually keeps to himself in his chambers of the Great Furnace. From there he upkeeps the eternal flame and keeps his eye on city.

When the freeguild march to war Luther usually accompanies Amos as his advisor on all things arcane, but if needed he will also join him in the battlefield burning everything in his way.

 
The Knights of Thule

Demigryph knights

Only the most capable soldiers of the brotherhood will be handpicked by the Brotherhood elders to join the ranks of the knights Thule.

"The Peppermill"
Helblaster Volley Gun

"Old but gold" -Old guardsman saying of the Thule Brotherhood regarding "the peppermill".

One of the eldest brotherhood warmachines has maybe seen its best days, but always gives the soldiers that extra bit of comfort when around.

Fletchers thugs
Freeguild crossbows

Fletcher and his men used to be  nothing but low life thugs and petty criminals, but Brotherhood recruited and trained them.

Their personal style, and experience has made them a valuable asset to Thule. Usually Fletcher and his men are scouting before the main force or doing border patrols.



More to come.

Short introduction..

Duardin forces stand their ground against Flech eater courts

Hi guys, 

a short introduction to my blog.

This blog will be dedicated to Warhammer Age of Sigmar and things related. Blog will be a little dull, 'cause I'll mostly use the blog to write narrative and battlereports for my Age of Sigmar projects for myself, but maybe occasionally I'll post some hobby progress and content too. 

To kickstart the blog I'll write some background stories and character info for our local Seasons of War: Firestorm campaign.

Necromancers minions advance near a small Duardin outpost.