Khalid Runehammer gazed out at the incomming mass of green skinned monsters. He spit on the hard, sun blasted turf, and it sizzled as it landed. His sturdy dwarf lads stood in perfect formation, wating for the greenskins to fall in range of their deadly blackpowder weapons. Khalid grunted. He distrusted the Engineer's Guild and their fancy mahcinery. If you want a dead goblin, use a sharp axe or a nice dwarf crossbow, not some explosive thunder stick that more often than blows up in your face. His gaze fell on the crewmen manning the destructive war machines. A tail of smoke curled out of the barrel of a massive cannon, dancing up into the cloudy sky. The sun glinted off the golden barrel and mithril vests of the stout dwarf handlers. This was no ordinary cannon. It was the latest development from thr Engineer's Guild: a devestating fire cannon!
The orcs and goblins began to get within range of the dwarf army's missile weapons. Their foul words and horrid stench assaulted the dwarves long before any arrow was loosed or sword unsheathed. Khalid walked towards his most trusted general, an old veteran by the name of Thorik. Thorik's beard was boastfully long and white, and he hefted his mighty great axe. Khalid reported the nearness of the greenskins, and gave the order to march.
"Show those sun baked monstrosities what it means to cross a dwarf! Meet the attack! Drive them back, Thorik!"
"Aye, thane!" Thorik roared in return. His warriors charged off, down the steep mountain pass and through the open gate. Khalid ran behind them, ready to offer assistence. The orcs were close enough for Khalid to make out the rusty stains on their cleavers and armor. His brows contracted in disgust. These pig-friends were just asking for slaughter. He raised his runeaxe into the sky, and called the order for the flames to fall.
With a defeaning roar, smoke circled around the cannon and a burning missile flew towards the startled orcs. Their faces twisted in a look of stupid uncomprehension. The projectile fell short of the main block of orc warriors. They grinned. Those foolish smiles made it all the more wonderous as the flaming missile exploded into a sheet of fire. Flames sizzled and blazed through the orc regiment, burning away their standard and a good many greenskins. A lumbering chariot, pulled by two crazed boars, went up in flames as a burning stone full and shattered on the heads of the orc crew. Shards of super heated rock impaled the orcs and boars alike, and the whole war chariot fell apart in a heap of blood, fire, and rubble. Units of cavalry, riding wolves and boars, slowed their charge as many orc and goblin riders slumped on their mounts, or fell to the earth. Khalid grinned smugly. The work of those half-crazy gunmen no doubt, what with the roars coming from behind him. The wolf riders were caught in dismay as their honored champion was impaled by a hail of bolts. The remaining wolf boyz fled in panic, despite the menacing growls from their bosses.
By now, the orcs had made to the dwarven line. Though terrain and missile fire slowed them, they relentlessly charged through the rocky pass. As they neared the gate, Thorik's warriors thundered out crying the name of their thane. The smashed into a unit of orcs wielding primitive yet deadly swords, axes, and cleavers. But the orcs were no match for dwarven craft, skill, and determination. At least, until a wild looking troop of boar riding greenskin monsters joined the fray. Many a dwarf fell to the wicked barbed spears, and still more passed to the next world as the boars tusks drove deep into them. A huge, sun blackened orc roared with laughter. Raising a massive, glowing sword, he swinged with animalistic fury. Thorik, caught off guard by the new enemies, parried a blow from the orc infantry yet failed to react fast enough to the big orc's sword. Its gleam was lessened as a splatter of blood drenched it. It passed through Thorik's mail, and out the other side of him. The dwarf was dead before he hit the ground.
Screaming in rage, Khalid doubled his pace and called for a challange to the big orc. Its evil face twisted into some foul expression, and its teeth bared. He wheeled his blood lusting boar away from the fight, and charged towards Khalid. Slashing his sword with barbaric strokes, he tryed to cut down another of the now despairing dwarves. But Khalid had trained long and hard, and earned the glowing runes on his axe. He deflected the blows from the orc, and his shining mithril armor withstood the tusks of the mad boar. With a snarl, the dwarf thane cleaved off the orc's head, then slashing downwards to kill the beast it was riding. 'I have avenged you, Thorik my lad,' he thought, closing his eyes and praying for Thorik to reach the next realm.
When Khalid opened his eyes, he wished he had not. Thorik's regiment was soon cut down after the fall of their champion. The handgunners were hard pressed by numerous orcs, and the looming form of the dank, smelly river trolls was not far off. But panic siezed the orc mob. The trolls, with no one to direct them, fled from the battle. The boar riders turned, and charged towards Khalid, hoping to slay the bane of their boss. Khalid wondered briefly why fire no longer rained from the sky, but had no time to search for the war machines before the orcs were on him.
The fight was long. Sweat and blood covered Khalid's face, but he fought with an unearthly malice. Orc after orc fell, and the luster of Khalid's axe began to fade as green blood splotched it. After an eternity, the final orc screamed in agony as the mighty thane's axe hacked off an arm. Khalid gasped for breath, and leaned heavily on his axe. He looked across the field. The bodies of the orcs lay strewn about everywhere, the brown earth now dripping with green oozing blood. Khalid searched towards the war machines, but they where unmanned. Dead dwarf bodies were heaped up on top of the engines of war, orc spears thrust through them. Next to another broken chariot was the whole unit of thunder wielding gunners. Khalid cryed out in despair, for they were all dead.
Tears washed the blood out of Khalid's eyes. He rose in terror, the only standing warrior left on wither side. His entire clan was gone, fallen to the hordes of the greenskins. But the thane of Khazad-Ongril was left. He swore a solemn oath to himself that no orc or goblin would be left alive on all the world after his wrath and raged. Walking slowly, he headed back to the mountains, back to the hold of Khazad-Ongril, back home. It was a said day for the dwarves. The only spark of hope in Khalid's mind was that it was a sadder day for the orc mob.
Cool battle. Was this a battle to the last man standing (which would be the dwarf lord in this case)? Either way, it was well done.
Kind of . . . I thought the dwarves were done for, and then all they had was a runesmith (I changed that for the story), and then all of a sudden the dwarves won . . .
A twist to the ending! :D
i new all a long that dwarfs would win put it was pretty close. ^_^
Great Story, I really liked the story format, thats my favorite foramt personally, makes it funner to read. How many points did you play, and did you win, or get a draw, or did you not use VPs? (I have many questions :P )
Your story is excellent, i was worried that the dwarves wouldn't pull through put you must always keep your trust in the hammer and the avil. :D
