The Doomforge: The Aftermath

The cataclysmic eruption could be seen for miles in the dark.

The Doomforge

We had a truly bloody RPG campaign this time.  As war closed in on the Khazid Grimaz from all sides, the campaign was a race against time to find a new source of power for the clans and defend the hold from it's most imminent foe - the Bloo Moonz tribe, currently rampaging on the eastern side of the Grey Mountains in Bretonnia.

This time, rocks fell.  Everyone died.

Why did this happen exactly?  Well, in practical terms, our allotted time limit was well past.  The Doomforge ran for 18 weeks, which is a large chunk of time for a single game at the Wargate, and if you add to that all the other sessions played in the last two years, well...it adds up to a lot of time.  Which brings us to the next point...

We had advanced the player party a little fast for the long haul we gave them.  Fluctuating experience levels, encounter strength, and a large pool of rotating players and the game was simply "out of balance", to use a nonsensical term.  In the end, it was time for something new, and we needed to move past this.  After a few weeks of the players sitting in the dungeon without a full group to tackle the final perils, we could wait no more.

Of course our narrative continues on, though now without the assistance of the Deeping Well...but what happened to them is still very important.  Everyone was aware of what was on the table with what could happen to the Khazid - after all, this RPG game influences our tabletop battles in many ways.

There is now an active volcano in the Grey Mountains, where Khazid Grimaz used to stand.  The dwarfs there are tough and resilient, though their numbers depleted and their families torn.  The strongest thane and the wisest runelord are both gone.  Parts of the upper hold still stand, and the towers above the craggy peaks seem more stable than the land itself, but can the dwarfs continue to live here?  The coming war for Greystone Pass will be quite different now.

Yet, what exactly happened to cause all this?

The Seal at the Core of the Mountain

So long ago that the dwafs have no recollection of it, the servants of the Old Slann brought forth a set of mystical artifacts they would use to control the seismic upheaval of the upper hemisphere of the Warhammer World.  Reptilian warriors fanned out over the world, seeking the areas of the world most fraught with primordial upheaval.  Within the deepest volcanic vaults, beneath the mightiest glaciers, within the nexus of the deadliest fault lines, the servants of the Slann used their golden discs to quiet the elements and promote life in that region.

Wherever these shining discs were raised, they quieted the forces of the earth itself.  These discs were great elemental seals, made of purest gold and consecrated to the power of the Slann.  The artifacts were sealed away magically, and connected to the elemental threads that run deep into the heart of the world.  From their temples across the world, the Slann could connect to those threads and manipulate them.  In this way, the natural order we now know began to take shape.

As the Slann began to decline and lose their influence, many of the temples across the world were destroyed.  In the Old World especially, very little remains to tell of the ancient glory of the Slann.  After centuries of decline and neglect, the mystical connection of the temples to the elements began to erode.  As the world marched on, daemons and other creatures of chaos were drawn to the secret hiding places of the Slann's mystical seals, and all connection to the elemental threads were lost.  The world became a place of upheaval and dread, and the elements ravaged it through and through.

The Lady of Woe

In the year 2522 I.C., the connection to the Elemental Seal in the deepest parts of the earth under the Khazid Grimaz was severed.  A Dark Elf Sorceress known only as the Lady of Woe had been searching the world for them for quite some time, and her arcane power waxed so great she could nearly wrench the Seal from its extradimensional cradle.

Naturally, the Sorceress has many enemies.  High Elves of the dragonship The Venger and even the servants of the Old Ones themselves attempted to halt the Lady of Woe and her plans, which involve using the elemental powers of the seals to unleash massive destruction against her enemies in her own homeland.  Prince Spiridane and the Skink shaman sent to ward the seal were able to join forces, and pressed towards finding The Tower of Iron Woe, the Black Ark that is the Sorceress’ base of operations.

The Lady of Woe is a master of dark magic, and specializes in teleportation and extradimensional manipulation.  The Black Ark can manifest it’s spires all over the Old World from the safety of the deep sea, and the Sorceress can further her plans whenever and wherever she needs.

So, deep beneath Khazid Grimaz, the Sorceress and her enemies met in mortal combat.  The resulting power destabilized the elemental seal, causing its vast power to well up in an uncontrollable surge.  This surge set the volcano alight, and the earth trembled. 

Raw elemental energy, kept bottled up for countless centuries, lashed out and destroyed much of the mountain where the Khazid stood.  Earthquakes caused the upper city to split, and molten magma choked the Alderhalls.  Where the Delve once stood, now a great split crag seeps lava as the cracked and blackened towers of the Khazid keep silent watch.

The volcanic power continues to rip through the Grey Mountains, causing upheaval and tremors miles away. Nearby Karak Norn and Nuln are abuzz with the tales of horror spread by the regugees pouring in, even as the Storm of Chaos abates.  Enterprising individuals are already investigating the tales of the mountain of fire 

Ruins of Khazid Grimaz

The ancient dwarven hold sundered and burned, and now the throng of the Khazid seek refuge in Karak Norn or in refugee camps at the edge of Wissenland.  The military might of this bastion of good is finally broken, and at much cost to the lawful races of the Old World.  With no more army of the Khazid to help defend the borders, it will be a short time before Wissenland is threatened and the Empire must react.

The now ruined Khazid is far from deserted, however.  The warpstone beneath the Khazid is active once more, and all the Chaos worshippers from beneath the Delve have migrated to the surface following the quakes.  Cultists and beastmen flourish in some of the abandoned halls and towers all over the area that the Khazid once kept.

Yet there are those who still carry on the fight.  Even in this dark time, the thanes of the throng of the Khazid Grimaz rally their people to persevere and stick together.  Dwarven heroes still battle inside the ruinous Khazid to reclaim some of their ancient honor, yet none have returned from this perilous place in months.

Perhaps sometime soon, the throng of the Khazid will muster again.  To reclaim their ancient hold from the dark forces that hold sway there will be an undertaking that will likely claim countless dwarven lives and last for generations of men.

Fantastic Game, Grim Ending

I want to thank everyone for taking part in our long term campaign.  We're going to try to keep the length of time between campaign segments much shorter from now on, so we can stay more focused and keep the same thematics going with each RPG campaign.  We got to see how far we could push the advancement system, and all in all it was quite enjoyable.

Thanks for the grim ending!  Destruction is winning more and more campaigns these days, and if we have a total party kill on many more of these RPG scenarios there might not be much for our armies of Order to fight for.  Now we have a centerpiece for our perilous adventure - the ruined, fiery crag of Khazid Grimaz!

We'll return to the Warhammer World next season for the Greystone Pass War!  That will be the first chance to help reclaim the lost Khazid, or make sure it stays firmly in the hands of evil.  

The Doomforge Campaign Log

Kaldezeit 21, 2522 I.C.

Khazid Grimaz has faced tough challenges in the last year.   Depopulated and under pressure from several quarters, the city has seen better days.  Even the Imperials are starting to filter out, due to the invasion from the north.  Still, there are a few grizzled thanes and esteemed runelords whose tenacious grip on the old ways guides the Khazid on, and the hold continues to persevere despite the many setbacks.

Fighting broke out in the Delve months ago over the warpstone vein, and it hasn't been empty since.  Despite the best efforts of the Shieldbreakers, monsters, lunatics and adventurers run rampant throughout the hold.  Though significant headway for the Khazid was made during the exploration of these "Alderhalls", a good portion of the hold is considered dangerous wilderness.  Almost all military units belonging to the thanes are being consolidated with the express aim of taking the upper portion of the ancient city.

There are other issues emerging.  Though they have been steadfast allies in the recent conflicts, the men of Wissenland must attend to other problems.  The largest Chaos armies seen since the time of Magnus the Pious are making their way into the Empire from the north.  Though Praag is far away, there is talk that the army is larger than imagining - and is encroaching from many directions.  In Wissenland, many, many beastmen have been pouring out of the forests in small warbands, and on occasion have banded together to form large armies.  The Empire must guard itself now, and it may need allies in the near future.  This is a bad omen for the Khazid, whose list of allies is few.

Of those allies, the Deathmaw ogre tribe camped nearby will most likely fight on the side of both the men of the Empire and the dwarfs of the Khazid.  They are unsteady allies at best, and if the war in the north gets any worse they will most likely head north with the Wissenland regiments.  The high elves of the Dawn Brigade have simply melted away, leaving only a few adventuring elves near the Khazid.  The dwarfs do not allow them  into the Delve, but many have reported seeing elves in the dungeons below...

In the forests, the beastmen still stir.  As if they can feel the storm coming...they bristle and surge forward with regularity.  Soon they will not be able to be ignored, and no one will be able to travel safely twixt Khazid Grimaz and Nuln.  As bad as this is, there are other whispers - tales of the walking dead, and monstrous lizard beasts that walk like men.

It is a time of glory in Khazid Grimaz.

---

There are more forces in play here than most know, but some who have seen the dark of the Alderhalls suspect something greater at work.  Many feel it in their hearts - the Delve is important.  Many will risk their lives to know its secrets, and more will die trying to plumb them.  The few who know what is truly down there all vie for a piece - wyrdstone, or treasure of a more mundane ilk.  Tales have spread, and many powers have a vested interest in what transpires at the Khazid.

The Runelords of Khazid Grimaz are the preeminent authority on the Delve, and their agenda is the most important, as it is the agenda of the Khazid as a whole.  They will reclaim the entire Alderhalls, by military force.  Ten levels have already been scouted - these are the "Upper Delve" the Runelords mean to secure and restore by the end of the year.  There are a few issues, however.

Even though the war in the north is becoming serious, there is a more eminent threat to the safety of the Khazid.  The Blood Moonz orc tribe has not been idle during all this - they have amassed a huge army near Greystone Pass, a way through the Grey Mountains into Wissenland.  However, if they take that pass they will have clear acess to the Khazid's roads and towers - disaster would follow.  The operation to secure the Alderhalls must succeed, but the cost must not be so high that the Khazid cannot afford the coming war for this critical mountain path.

---

The Deeping Well Mercenary Company


Veterans

1. Crumpwit Tumblewine (Cat Burglar) - The Guildmaster of the Deeping Well.
2. Damgrunt Heaganinson (Shieldbreaker) - 1st Commander of the Deeping Well.
3. Fiach Fiachnasson (Demonslayer) - Great Slayer of Karak Azgal and the Khazid!
4. Maneaus of the Hold (Journeyman Wizard) - Elf and Wizard of Fire.
5. Dr. Jean-Marc Lecroix (Physician) - Company Chirurgeon.
6. Heinz Dieter (Veteran) - Newcomer to the Company who saw action with the Deathmaw.

Recruits

1. Olo Buttercreme - Halfling brain surgeon.  Specializes in "psychotherapy" - practiced with a circular bonesaw and steel probe.
2. Jacques Cherez - A soldier from the Empire who's come to ply his halberd through enemies.
3. Skinner III - Asur White Lion who accompanied the Dawn Brigade, he's taken to the wilderness around the Khazid with casual ease.
4. Ferim Stout - A skilled miner, this warrior has his own grudges against those who would defile his ancestor's resting places.

Other Deeping Well Characters

1. Grudal Skorgrimsson (Journeyman Runesmith) - Runesmith of the Khazid.
2. Ilsa Gustav (Mercenary) - Loyal veteran of the Alderhalls.
3. Martin Mueller (Sergeant) - Company Quartermaster
4. Matron Thurid (Burgher) - Guildhouse matron.
5. Ulbrecht (Soldier) - An enigmatic warrior from Middenland.
6. Pazho (Soldier) - A Thunderer in the army of the Khazid Grimaz.
7. Amendil (Beast Wizard) - An elf from Athel Loren who has become concerned about the magic at the Khazid.

---

Adventure Log

1. The Varghestwald Stone - The players encounter Imperial Magisters each bent on the same goal.  Our heroes attempted to aid both, and in the end journeyed to the heart of the dark forest at the base of the mountain and destroyed a filthy Fekul-Stone.
2. A Sword For Your Trouble - A band of rogue adventurers enter the Khazid against the will of the Council of Thanes, and the Deeping Well is dispatched to, well...dispatch them.  The players have a time in the lower parts of the Khazid, harangued at all times by skilled and intelligent opponents.  In the end, the players find Von Kalde the Alchemist and encounter the Dead King, but they are left in a tight spot and with the soulless body of their captain, Damgrunt Heaganinson.
3. The Death of Crumpwit Tumblewine - The party gathers at the Deeping Well Guildhouse after many perilous adventures, and a huge hobbit fight breaks out!  Olo Buttercreme accidentally killed Crumpwit, and the entire company buried their former guildmaster near the Khazid with the honors required a halfling of his station.  Damgrunt takes control of the company, and a new charter is drawn - no more senseless killing of helpless prisoners nor allowing obviously insane halflings to give orders.
4. From the Sands - The party encounters multiple supernatural evils searching for the Runewell, which they eventually stumble upon.  After encountering a terrible, nameless cult deep below the Khazid and doing battle with a monstrous mutant, there was a reckoning with Fate.  The nasty encounter ended in a bloody mess, and only Olo remained standing (barely) to help everyone else back to consciousness.  The Deeping Well very nearly found itself dead to a man, but survived to (not quite) remember a hard lesson of battle.
5. Sorcerous Oaths - The Deeping Well faces trouble from the council of thanes, and several wizards appear out of the woodwork to demand various things from the mercenaries.  Notable among them are the Magisters Eldebrandt and Von Kalde, who have been working in the area for some time.  Now, the players are contracted to Von Kalde, and will re-enter the Delve under his command to reveal the secret of the Doomforge once and for all.
6. The Tome of Red Steel - The party returns to the Delve with Von Kalde, and make significant headway.  They find the shattered gromril anvil and the Tome of Red Steel, but after a confrontation with a wicked necromancer and the ghost of Fireblood, the upheaval in the mountain finally makes itself known as a serious problem.  The earth cracks open and the players find themselves in a volcanic vent, without help or a way out.
7. The Doomforge Alight - Underneath the Khazid Grimaz, the party finds an active flow of magma.  More puzzling encounters follow, including finding a way out from under the mountain.   Following mysterious corpses back into the depths,they find lizardmen and dark elves, along with more questions.  However, their delving is cut short by the sorcerous plans of a dark elf witch.  Time simply runs out, for everyone in the party, the Khazid, and everyone from Le Long du Riviere to Nuln itself.  Rocks fall, everyone dies.

---

Thus, the epic struggle concludes.  It is a sad day in Khazid Grimaz.

The impossible has happened...a volcano exploding from the mountain, freed from it's sorcerous restraints beneath the earth.

All of the Deeping Well are presumed dead.  It would be almost impossible for anyone to survive that blast, and the resulting catastrophic reshaping of the mountain.

Most of the dwarven city has collapsed and slid down the mountain.  Lava chokes the underground passages of this ancient home of the dwarfs, sealing them forever.

What will become of our lands?  We'll see later the impact this has on everyone during the coming war for Greystone Pass, when we examine the aftermath of this horrible calamity.

Until then, fair travels.

The Quest for the Doomforge Begins

Almost two years ago,  we started the first campaign that's actually on record here at the Wargate.  We had already finished with World of Warcraft by then, and had actually been doing some roleplay before it became serious.  We played Space Marine before there was Death Watch and even lived through the end of the old World of Darkness.  Then, we started a game of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and took it a little too seriously.  Now, we're about to revisit the characters we had when we first started the website and adopted the name:  The Wargate!

There are a ton of articles on the site that deal with our history on this.

To begin with, here's our recap of the last campaign.

And a briefing on Khazid Grimaz itself.

Mordheim campaign log taking place in the Delve, just after the discovery of the Alderhalls.

And a snippet from our short mini-campaign last summer.

And our Warhammer Fantasy Battle campaign focused on Wissenland during this time.

We've dovetailed a lot of games into this storyline - meaning that our new campaign, The Doomforge is actually the capstone to what will be 2 solid years of gaming with our friends the dwarfs.

Check out the new campaign page for The Doomforge here!

We've got a lot more players than we did when we first played these characters.  I hope everyone has had a fun and exciting time, and enjoys how our campaigns fit together so nicely.  One of the best parts of the club, for me, is getting to watch our stories play out in a continuous narrative.

As for our characters, all the characters in this campaign will be eligible for a very special award.  Find out more as the game rolls on!  See you on Game Day!

Return to Khazid Grimaz!

It's an exciting time at the Wargate - we return to adventure in Khazid Grimaz tomorrow!  This short campaign is going to be held on the off-schedule for the next few gamemasters, getting in sessions where sessions need to be filled.  For a few Thursdays in April, we'll be using the characters from Into the Delve, our game from last year!


It's been six months on the Imperial Calender since we checked in on the Deeping Well mercenaries...

Kaldezeit 14, 2522 I.C.

Winter is closing in on the Old World, and it's sure to be an unforgiving and deadly time of sorrow for all who live their lives in the war torn lands where our story takes place.

The strife around Khazid Grimaz rages intensely, and has spilled out into the lands of the Empire.  Wissenland is now beset by a horde of warmongering orcs of the Bloo Moonz tribe, who have swept north and east since the stirrings of chaos in the mountains.  The Empire marshals it's forces, but is quite depleted from the Storm of Chaos.  Regiments from all across Wissenland pool in Pfeildorf for a push to aid their friends in the Grey Mountains.

At the Khazid itself, a dark pall hangs over what citizens remain.  After the attempt to reclaim the Alderhalls, the runelords of the hold now understand the wisdom of sealing the mountain and keeping its secrets hidden - vast hordes of enemies descend upon the mountain to claim the warpstone as their own.  Though they may regret their curiosity and their temerity to question the will of the ancestors, there is nothing to do now but fight.  However, the hold's warriors are few, and losses are mounting quickly, and a new enemy has emerged from the mountain.

Not seen since ancient times, lizardmen skulk about the caverns even farther below the Alderhalls.  There is an intense heat emanating from those chambers...and a mystery beckoning to more than a few souls who have since become lost.  Where do they come from?  What do they want?

The Deeping Well's members have been scattered from the Grey Mountains to Nuln attempting to draw attention to the Khazid's cause, and their availability as a mercenary company.  New warriors have been recruited, but will they be enough?

Tales of dread spread across Wissenland...orcs, ogres, goblins, lizardmen, chaos worshippers, the undead and beastmen surge forth from the wilderness, all of them intent on one thing - destruction.  Through all of this, the runelords have determined that there is a new, secret hope for survival and even prosperity in the face of their trying times.

As winter closes in on the Old World, we return to see our characters beginning to trickle into the Khazid, returning from their travels...