Hi all This is my hopefully final attempt to change my story and make it bit more shiny and readable. The section will deal exclusively with the adventures of the Engineer and his guests.
This is set in the period leading up to the End Times of OTL warhammer fantasy set in the format of extracts from various written accounts and the idea is to show how a figure like Brunel (one of my favorite inspirational figures from UK Victorian history OTL!) in the Warhammer world could kick start industrialization and the associated social and military changes. This will hopefully save the old world from Chaos! or will it?
Saving the Warhammer World from the End of Times Part 1. Tales of the Great Engineer the old bits
This is set in the period leading up to the End Times of OTL warhammer fantasy, the idea is to show how a figure like Brunel (one of my favorite inspirational figures from UK Victorian history OTL!) in the Warhammer world could kick start industrialization and the associated social and military changes. This will hopefully save the old world from Chaos! or will it? The pictures are not my own and have been copied from the net
Taken from a report submitted to the engineer's guild of Karak Norn by Daled Blackaxe recorded by the scribe Adamiter Carom in the year 2511
My quest went well at first; the expedition of myself, Ulan Blackstrap both dawi in good standing and Raman Sedronious a Manling from the Altdorf guild of engineers we made good time. Reaching Nuln ahead of schedule we sent a message to our guides and we met them in a tavern called the Milkmaids corner that was located just west of the main city. This serves the usual weak colored water the manlings called 'Beer' and Elf water or wine as the locals call it.
After greeting the three scruffily dressed men who were to be our guides to Greypeak, an overpriced meal and more 'Beer' our party went to sleep. A bad night followed in overlarge beds made for a wood elf complete with vermin as it turns out!
The day after we entered Nuln to buy supplies and so Raman could seek final instructions from his guild masters before we all set off for the journey to reach Greypeak. After his interview Ramon looked confused and he told us that 'this Holden has some powerful friends and enemies for such a young fellow!' we pressed him for more information but he only replied that 'we would find out for ourselves if the information he had been given about the place was accurate'
Our journey on the so called 'highway' took less than the anticipated twelve days for a change manling engineering influenced by good Dwai know how no doubt allowed swift passage. The towns and villages we travelled through along the way were typical examples of shoddy manling work, nothing that would last half as long as the creations of the most incompetent apprentice builder in the poorest Karak!
Apart from their shoddy construction we were pleasantly surprised by everyone we met on the journey, merchant, peasant or laborer. None of the stares and odd looks greeted us here as it had in Nuln when we had entered the city to buy supplies before we set off on the final leg of our journey.
The thing that puzzled me at the time was that the numbers of Dawi coming this way must be so great as to render us an everyday occurrence? Was there some hidden Hold or mine nearby that we are unaware of I thought at the time?
The road from Nuln to Greypeak was crowded with a heavy two way traffic, consisting of heavily laden wagons (which looked somewhat more sturdy than the usual run of manling wagons) intermingled with drawn out mule trains. Intermittently we passed stall holders at the side of the road in the frequent clearings living from selling to the travelers on this unnaturally busy roadway.
They hawked their wares intermingling with caravan guards, travelers and soldiers. Some of these humans disappeared into the bushes with the painted harlots who shared space with the stall holders, just like the weak manlings to dally with corruption! Others swigged from ale jugs, joining in impromptu games of chance or just watching as we marched past our two pack mules following behind us, Typical manling decadence!
My human companion from the Nuln engineers guild Raman Sedronious looked oddly at this sign of haphazard inhabitation telling me that such people would usually ply their wares and services within a walled town or city rather than along a road. When I questioned him about this he replied that there must be no beastsmen or Chaos lovers nearby otherwise all we would see would be corpses! Though he did not seemed concerned at their activities just the fact of their location! This whole journey was strange searching for answers to the question who was Master Engineer Holden?
Finally after the seemingly endless journey through the cursed trees we entered countryside nearer our objective, the change between dark forest with small clearings and land fully mastered by the hand of intelligent beings was immediate. This place was also visibly different from the other manling settlements that I had observed on our journey more ordered at a glance somehow more purposeful.
The first thing that jarred was instead of the usual strip fields we had seen before, large square fields edged with thick hedgerows and pierced with neat gates made of weathered wood abounded. These were interspersed with fruit orchards and neat woodlots dominated by fortified farm houses and barns. All constructed to form small defensive points throughout the countryside.
Other things changed from one step to the next, one second the road was surrounded by the familiar enveloping darkness of the hated forest, the next second a paved road every thing surrounding it neat and in its place! Peasants labored in the fields in the distance looking like groups of back dots scattered over the landscape.
Large groups of men also labored on works of engineering, some teams dug out the base of a new road along side the last section of the old rutted track way leading back into the forest. While in the distance was the murky brown water of what looked like a canal running alongside the road. In front of the finished section other teams were digging industriously to extend the canal into the forest with more gaudily dressed figures overseeing the workers.
Our guides formerly gossiping and joking all the time until this point became virtually silent the deeper we penetrated the settled country around our objective which was now visible as part of the general back drop of the grey mountains. Their leader a manling called Radnor Cupbearer told me of the history of Greypeak how the settlements surrounding the mountain had been founded on an abandoned Dwarf mining complex.
This prospered for a long time until the monsters rose from the mines driving many people from the area. The arrival of Engineer Eriksson Holden and his army 20 years ago had been a miracle from Sigmar, repairing the keep and cleansing the mines of evil.
Their enthusiastic babbling distracted me somewhat from taking all the details of my surroundings. Even so I saw that the same neat layout persisted in all directions. We came and went through several small villages all planned seemingly by the same hand surrounded by small scale but convincing defenses. Earthen banks topped by low but thick stone walls protected by several cannon and ballista emplacements surrounded by a water filled moat.
The fortifications should delay any attacker so that the watch tower built on top of the inevitable fort like local inn at the center of each settlement or fortified farm could send up a flare to send for reinforcements from Greypeak itself. Or so our guide told us in hushed tones as if giving away a great secret!
On the thirteenth day of our journey in the brightness of the dawns light we came in sight of our objective, Greypeak, the keep stood on an out thrust spur of the grey mountains built on an flattened area of land at the peak of the promontory with the town at its feet surrounded by a strange pattern of fortification.
It was characterized by angled earthen walls instead of tall stonewalls, with large outposts or bastions unconnected to the main walls being a major feature. All surmounted by a low stonewall and watch tower arrangement interspersed with the stubby black muzzles of multiple cannon and other weapon emplacements.
The town itself seemed to be bursting at the seams with buildings filling all the space available then stopping drastically short in a straight line at odds with the wizened structure of the old houses forming a killing ground just inside the walls.
The buildings were built of the same grey granite as the surrounding hills and mountains giving a sense of permanence with grey slate and red tile peaks alternating with each other, all loomed over by the keep. It is an imposing sight dominating the whole town and surroundings with its intimidating ancient presence, at odds with the variable architecture of the town with its brooding presence.
However while Greypeak at first glance it does not seem as well ordered as the preceding settlements as we drew closer the details became clearer most of the town was as it seemed, shoddy manling workmanship but large sections near the keep itself were covered in scaffolding and were in the process of reconstruction.
The stone work and brick even from that distance looked more professional, the buildings obviously constructed to some plan or guiding intelligence. These areas were also the parts of the town where the most smoke was evident spewing forth from chimney stacks their tops stained black with soot.
The thud of heavy machinery was in the background, multiple heavy drop hammers over other machinery from the sounds if I am any judge echoing out over the town like a thousand giant ticking clocks. I asked Radnor what was made here and he replied that weapons to smite their enemies were created there by the mighty Engineer Holden and his assistants, an incomplete answer at best but our curiosity was raised all the same.
As we approached the outer gates, guns were trained on us evaluating the range and the caliber of those who approached the settlement, barrels of handguns and cannon alike glinting in the weak noon day sun were ominously functional and ready to fire.
Impressive iron bound wooden gates reluctantly opened letting us into the through tunnel, the roof lined with murder holes, gun slits, complete with a dogleg and then finally exiting through the last set of gates leading to the town proper.
The gatehouse and much of the strange town wall and multiple dry and wet moats were new; old sections of the curtain wall were being torn down and rebuilt under the eyes of watchful sentries seemingly without pause. While others prepared the materials to erect the next new section of fortifications complete with seemingly steam powered cranes and what looked like mine trucks on iron trackways to take the spoil away from the building site.
I need to send a missive to engineers guild headquarters in Zufbar asking if they know who has betrayed so many guild secrets and techniques! the manlings could never have done this by themselves!! An air of solemn hurry seemed to consume the place, all seemed pregnant with expectation, those people abroad in the streets seemed to have purpose in every stride rushing from task to task without pause.
We were met just after entering the gates by one of the Engineer Holden's assistants he introduced himself as Roderick Hampton, our guide and liaison for the duration of our stay. His attire was distracting, we all wondered at how he was clad it truly was strange even for a manling. He was dressed in an off white apron decorated with pockets bulging with tools over an none too clean red tunic Blue hose, heavy work boots and wearing an equally dirty floppy hat whose color was indistinguishable and had an bedraggled feather just hanging onto the thing.
This curious example of humanity was escorted by three very dour looking soldiers clad identically in neat uniforms of tan cloth tunics covered over with bandoliers holding black powder and shot for their handguns I assume and at their waists a dagger and short sword, all three were wearing practical looking bowl helmets. Compared to our scruffy guides they were sun and day!
They looked formidable even escorting us through the old town, the houses built so high in some streets that only a strip of sunlight squeezed down in between them, all seemed normal for a manling town accept for the new brick lined street, lack of garbage and night soil! It took around ten minutes to reach what had been the edge of the old town but now the old gates led to the new district we had seen on our approach.
Once through them the difference was as immediate as when we left the forest behind and entered the lands surrounding Greypeak. The buildings were constructed of red brick and roofed with grey slate hewn from the surrounding hills. Though not as high or slightly taller than the old town buildings these did not slope but stood straight and proud pierced by hundreds of windows and doors,.
The roads between were straight and wide, lined with the same bricks as before but arranged into patterns and words spelling out the praises of Sigmar. Echoing down the straight streets the noise of the manufactories cried out, drop hammers, machinery and the rhythmic sounds of steam engines pumping away pistons rising and falling intermingled creating a great clamor drowning out even our original guides loud boasting of what they would do when they got off duty until even they became silent.
After a short time we walked out onto a large plaza, again with patterns and words in the brickwork, surrounded by large hulking monolithic factories on three sides and an imposing temple like building on the other. They were all impressive but the temple like building was overshadowed by the window adorned hulks of the brick built manufactories all three visible crowned by tall red brick chimneys.
All smoking heavily combining with all the other stacks in the town to produce a swirling cloud of soot above the town. This renders everything here when you got close up, with a grimy black coating and shaded tones. Our party trudged quickly across the barren expanse only broken up by a large statue of Sigmar.
Towards the temple like structure reaching it at a fast pace before stopping in front of the guards standing at the base of the entrance stairway. We had to have our letters of introduction checked and for us to be signed into visitors book, i have never heard of such a thing! I later asked Roderick what was the purpose of this and he replied 'It is to ensure that in cases of fire that all persons are removed from the building' I suspect that this was a security measure a rarity among manlings i believed at the time. Roderick Hampton left us quickly scurrying inside the imposing wooden doors purpose unvoiced.
Before entering I paused while I examined the intricate fa?ade of this administrative building it appeared to be made of the local rock but was more highly polished than the stone of the town walls and was carved with scenes taken from parables of Sigmar found in the Unfinished Book apart from that, all that could be said of the construction was that that it was a solid defensive position and looked sturdy for manling construction.
The roof was guarded by a parapet and with the muzzles of more cannon poking out aimed downwards at the square, interspersed with the guns were murder holes where oil or tar could be poured upon the enemy trying to storm the doors to the building along with slots for handguns and crossbows. The walls of the building were also pierced amongst the carvings, crenulations and windows with further defensive measures. This lent a sense of imposing power upon the structure along without the usual fanciful embellishments that high status buildings in the empire seemed to require as a matter of course.
We were finally let into the interior of the hall when Roderick Hampton returned in as much haste as he left in, his clothes even more disarranged than before breathlessly he exclaimed "That the Engineer would see them presently" and "If would they be as kind as to follow him now please." The first words he had uttered to us since his first polite hello and introduction!
We followed him along the impressive corridors lined with doors that as they penetrated deeper into the complex opened and closed releasing individuals clutching piles of paper or talking animatedly to people not visible to our party as we walked briskly past them attracting little notice, as if an party of our folk passed by here every day.
Now we were escorted by some of the guards from the entrance way, clad in exactly the same equipment as the former protectors of Roderick Hampton who had left us at the entrance to the building. The journey did not take long even so the manling's were obviously irritated that we seemed unwilling to walk at their pace as we tarried so we could adsorb every detail of this fascinating building.
They all looked relived as we approached a pair of large polished oak doors with more of the ubiquitous soldiery at attention before them, the leader of the guards a slightly more gaudy version of his fellows took the salute of his comrades before dismissing them with a curt gesture of his hand .
Roderick Hampton walked at the head of our little procession unconcerned matching our pace with no complaint before opening the large doors with a flourish and slipping inside for a moment before quickly exiting again telling them that "The Engineer would see them now." before standing aside, they walked inside the office without another glance.
The office had an high ceiling, graceful vaulting held the roof in place as they were at the summit of the building having climbed several flights of stairs on the way up (interestingly there seemed to be elevators available similar to the lifts in many of our mines and Karak's). The many small windows looked out over factories and plaza alike framing the central multi paned glass bay window that gave a view of the countryside surrounding Greypeak.
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The light from these windows backlit a large oak stained oak slab of a desk uncluttered and ordered like the rest of the office. This clean look was most unlike the offices of other human master engineers I have visited over the years with none of the clutter of half-finished inventions, papers, books and drafting materials along with gaudy decorations that had been the norm in my past experience.
In fact it was most like in some respects a Dwai workroom clean logical and organized even beyond what I would see in one of my peers or even my own office in Karak Norn. This was I admit more of a good first impression than I would have thought any manling could make on me!
The workbench aspect of his desk also seemed to reflect the personality of the figure behind it seated on a chair carved out of the same oak as his desk. He was an imposing figure sturdy and barrel-chested clothed in simple tan cloth the same as the guards but of a different cut he had a thick black beard shot through with grey his face rounded and rosy cheeked his voice when he spoke was crisp, clear and spoken in Khalizid!
"Greetings to you and your guild from my self and the whole Karak I hope that our negotiations prove successful and that your stay is productive and enjoyable." Engineer Holden did not let us greet him but carried on saying "It is a distinct pleasure to receive such distinguished guests and I personally hope that this contact flourishes into some thing more than a simple trade agreement."
I replied after recovering from the realization that he spoke my language a feat rare outside the Sigmarite priesthood that "We to hope that this relationship will flourish into a greater exchange of goods and thought Engineer Holden." I replied in Riekspiel still being thrown by the engineers language skills. Beer was brought in, served in big metal tankards emblazoned with the sign of Sigmar. I internally grimaced, but the brew while not as strong as my preferred ale was potable compared to the dreck I had drank so far on my journey.
After a few minutes of companionable supping engineer Holden broke the silence reverting to his native language he said "Would you like a tour of the manufactories after we have concluded our discussions? I replied that "it would be interesting to see what you have built here." Before I could say any more a sharp ringing penetrated the office echoing around the vaulted room. Soon it was copied all over the town spreading from temples bell tower to town clock tower in minutes.
Holden shot upright swearing loudly he stepped in front of his desk bowing to our party and saying hastily "I do apologize there is another matter that demands my attention you may accompany me but I do not guarantee your safety."
I replied "what foe assaults you engineer Holden?"
"The Grobi swine periodically try to retake their former homes in the deepest parts of the mines and today they try again Sigmar take them back to hell!" This was said all as all the while scurrying servants entered so they could attire him in his battle gear. Armoring him first with a breastplate of what seemed to be shinning steel emblazoned with the sign of Sigmar's hammer and a helmet similarly marked. Engineer Holden was then armed with a fearsome looking hand gun that had two barrels of matt black metal side by side with a solid un-decorated wood stock.
This was nestled in the crook of his arm and strange thick metal tubes growing from the stock, I thought at the time that these were to hold onto the gun while firing to prevent recoil. I think only his great bulk for a manling could allow Engineer Holden to lift the thing, it was worthy of a Thunderers weapon! As soon as he was ready the servants left the room swiftly and the engineer said nothing, but marched from the office through the now wide open oaken doors.
We followed the engineer from his office walking the same path as we did on the way in. As we almost jogged briskly along to keep up with him, I saw his fellow lower ranked engineers and administrators were leaving their offices clad in various forms of attire. with only one common feature they were all armed and all deferred to the Engineer.
For the first time I saw one of the true people clad reassuringly in clan sigil marked breastplate and mail complete with good old fashioned war axe, you had to ignore the identical handgun that adorned the engineer strapped to his back of course.
Outside several squares of the tan uniformed troops had formed up along with smaller formations of engineers armed with a mixture of weapons and another composed of a citizens militia, a motley crew armed mostly with long pole spears but some had short swords and shields, armor was scarce amongst them but they seemed enthusiastic. They cheered when engineer Holden walked up to a platform that seemed especially constructed for the purpose set to the side of the main staircase.
"My friends once more we must repel the greenskin in the name of Sigmar, the empire and Greypeak!! He exclaimed looking towards the troops and the wives of those going to war who watched back in silence from the sides of the main square. "Let yourself be joyous because you have the duty of supporting those who smite evil and the pleasure of helping to cast it down!! Rejoice that when your comrades, sons and fathers." Looking now more in the direction of the regular troops "Return from battle victorious, you can give them a proper welcome!!" After this speech engineer Holden strode back towards the entrance of the administration building.
We walked behind the engineer again while we readied our own war gear. 'How do we reach the mines from here, if you don't mind me asking?' Holden not looking in our direction just answered 'Follow me and you shall see' he replied, i remember thinking at the time this was a man who lived in our way as well as speaking our tongue!
As I looked behind me I noticed that the militia and the most of the tan troops and engineers had dispersed leaving a small group of the regular troops and engineers. following us to the entrance to the mines. as we went back inside to the main hallway.
The men approached quickly and it became evident that these were elite troops as you could hear them singing Sigmarite war hymns and chants .Up close it was evident that under the tan shirts and bandoleers that they had on armor and on their bowl helmets they had mounted small miners lamps. Several were holding large glass jars and had started to do something with it.
The engineer saw our confusion then said 'Smear the grease on your beards now and if the Grobi launch their spore weapons you are to place the hood over your face and breathe normally the mask will prevent your death and allow you to still fight the foe! while the grease will make it tight against their foul ways.'
We all looked at him in amazement but his troops were all completing this process as we gawked. At least those with extensive facial hair amongst the troops were greasing themselves up nearby which gave me a clue how to apply the foul smelling stuff anyway!
He let several of his troops proceed him and we all headed down the middle of three tunnels leading to the lift shaft, now we got to see the engineer go to war! The lift cage that had been revealed by his dramatic gesture was indeed impressive. It was large enough to take a large load, looking around behind myself i noticed that directly opposite the entrance was an area of stonework with a rectangular wooden painted panel in the center, as i watched this swung up revealing a multi barreled organ gun covering the entrance.
After this examination, which was partly to calm my nerves after such a display of technological know-how we all entered the lift along with a squad of the tunnel fighters only part of the force waiting to enter the tunnel system.
We all banged against each other as the lift descended while the men swore and joked with each other as the cage swiftly descended around us. I worried about the shoddy manling workmanship for a second but this was receding in my mind the more I saw of this 'Greypeak' i looked at my surroundings finding it sturdy and well maintained no rust to be seen grease covering the machinery protecting against the damp.. Engineer Holden looked at me and my companions saying gruffly us in khalizid again "Ready for the battle my honored guests?" just as the cage reached the bottom of the shaft with a Jolt. 'I was wondering more about the construction and operation of this device?' throwing a glance over my shoulder as I said this
'Well that would be telling, but just a clue even the young have eyes my friends!'
This comment as you can imagine only whetted our appetite for more! One thing I did notice and my companions mentioned it later that he seemed more cheery the further we went underground. Upon exiting the lift the tan troopers met up with some of their colleges already waiting for us. Several looking like they had been at the sharp end as their mates helped apply bandages to copious bleeding minor wounds while the tan tunics of several others were removed and placed over their faces in death.
Breaking through this revere the engineer announced 'best you wear some of these if you want to live' handing over what looked like some kind of thing you might find at an orgy held by cultists worshipping Slanesh! It was some kind of leather hood with what looked like glass eyeholes, some kind of hanging tube arrangement, leading to a box that was attached to belt. He put his own mask after he finished talking so again like before we had an idea of what to do.
The masks restricted the vision somewhat but as the glass was clear and free of flaws you were able to see what was going on especially in my case because of the Elder Races superior eyesight.
The tunnel was well made with stout pit props which to my amazement were mostly iron, with the iron transport tracks. This was a very strange experience I recall thinking at the time as we followed the engineer as he led off into the darkness being rapidly illuminated by the troops advancing ahead of him and us.
'Reports indicate that there has been an incursion into the lower caverns possibly by night goblins' the engineer stated in a matter of fact tone of voice slightly hushed and pitched so as not to echo down the passageway
I remember replying 'how far away from us are they?' in the same manner
'hard to tell in these tunnels us puny manlings don't have the underground senses Dwai are blessed with, but we manage' his voice having just a hint of humor this time. A trooper rushed towards them from the tunnel ahead to the engineer before whispering in his ear and handing over a small piece of parchment which he glanced at briefly before stopping walking so that we could catch up with him
'the foe is trying to tunnel behind the men working face of n23 delta drift, our acoustic detectors picked up their attempt and now we will perform a hard entry and cleanse them from our mine!' as he said the last few words he brought up the strange looking gun and pulled back a chunky metal catch letting out a resounding click .
Before removing a small sack from his trouser pocket and pulling it over his handgun. Another of his troopers hurried up to him with a small box trailing what looked like copper wires.
'ahhh now we will have some fun my new found mates' before grabbing hold of the wooden handle on top of the box he had been given before turning around and crouching slightly and then saying 'i would advise you to cover your ears and open your mouths for this bit!!!' smiling manically like a slayer in a Troll Lair he counted down '5, 4 , 3 ,2, 1 fire in the hole!!!!!!' We copied his strange behavior as i deduced that he was triggering some kind of explosion and urged my companions to imitate me as well before he finished counting down...
kabooooooooooom as i turned my head around to see the results. The inevitable dust cloud billowed down the tunnel strangely illuminated by the lanterns and miners lights. After the debris had passed the engineer removed his hands from his ears before he advanced towards the source of the explosion down the tunnel while removing the sack from his handgun which now made sense as a way of preventing dust clogging his weapon.
Ahead of us beyond sight strange booms rang out that sounded like muted handgun blasts, more echoed out down the corridor as we approached a jagged hole in the regular tunnel wall, flashes of light spilled out like some chaos spawned sorcery. 'I think we can have a look now if you don't mind a little Grobi blood on your boots!' we mutely followed him into the crude workings of the night goblins seeing various mining implements and the strangely childlike corpses of the night goblin workers shredded and thrown about the place like straw by the force of the explosion.
We passed several small groups of dead Goblins who seemed like they had been shredded by gunpowder weapons that there was no doubt of with the powder burns evidence of the close range melee. The wounds otherwise defied comprehension at first with many small holes rather than the large wounds i was used to from Dwai thunderer weapons on dead Grobi i had seen in the past. What had made them and what deadly effects upon the hated Greenskins these weapons have was however soon to be revealed.
The tunnel widened out into gallery area where I could see that a primitive water pump was being operated by means of a treadmill. Powered with a few squigs chained into with haunch's of some foul meat hung above them to encourage locomotion. The darkness was abated as several large lanterns that had obviously been brought for this very purpose were revealed shinning light on what had only been partially illuminated by the individual mining lights we all wore on our helmets.
The light revealed a whole seething mob of the hated foe ready to do battle with us. One thing that I noted was that thee was no fear among the troops as if they had done this so many times that it was routine. As they fed out of the tunnel they formed ranks to either side of the singular tunnel entrance crudely ripped from the rock.
At this point the whole line of troopers pulled out what appeared to be simple leather slingshots with no handles. Then they all removed from the utility belts they all wore at their wastes also in tan, lengths of wood seemingly machined and equal in length and started to attach the slings to this stick.
I was most curious looking towards the engineer and I was about to ask for an explanation of this strange behavior when I noticed some grubby shabbily dressed small boys rushing to each side of us before clustering around several wooden crates set just behind the lines of tan troopers.
After they had collected their cargos the boys fanned out with cloth bags of what I assumed were grenades while the troops readied fuses 'on my mark...... mark!!!!' each man pulled what looked like some kind of striker. Though from this distance it was hard to see as this was happening on the flanks.
These had been attached to the grenades quickly placed fuses burning it into the sling and then as one, obviously well drilled in this evolution. A wave of grenades sailed towards the Grobi just about reaching the edge of their formation. They exploded at Goblin head height scything down or setting on fire alternatively about a third of the enemy.
One incendiary grenade managed to land on top of a rather large cave Squig that was now running through and behind their formations while on fire, setting several more night goblins distinctive hoods and pale flesh on fire further disordering what little order remained to them!
At this point the shaman who being swift to move even further to the rear when the engineer started shouting, now started to prance and gesture then glow an even more sickly green than that imparted by lanterns set onto tripods behind our lines. Green lightning from nowhere cracked into being from above before green tendrils of light snaked out from his staff and touched all the remaining night goblins in the head before retreating back to the Shamans own filthy scalp.
At this point everyone of them advanced at a run screaming wildly, waving their arms, crude spears and crooked swords a few stopping to shoot their bows. The squigs just charged through everything in their way, even the one on fire was energized and charging hard towards us. I was expecting another grenade volley but the troops just stood there stoically awaiting the charge of the magic infused goblins.
I looked towards the far side of the area there were two loose squares of night goblins with a few squig herders prodding their charges to keep them in line remaining in reserve while the others advanced. As I watched one of them opened its mouth and grabb a careless Snotling arms flailing into its gaping maw. There was also a few of their leadership cast present, one with the crazed look of Night Grobi Chief or Warboss and the clothing.
The shaman recovered from his spell now once more started to advance and gibber gathering from the look of his staff the magical energy for another spell. These foul monster's are a blight on the whole civilized world! The number of grudges they owe is of a length that could be recited in half a lifetime!
Facing them was the thin double line of the masked tan troopers. Turning my head slightly I saw that two of the soldiers now had what looked like huge metal barrels strapped to their backs. A long hose led from these to a handgun looking device mounted on a standard weapon stock with a trigger and along its length another handle supporting the nozzle at the end of it. A small blue pilot light shed a glow over their faces in the semi darkness from the flames perched at the end of it.
I deduced fairly quickly that this was some kind of human designed warpthrower or some such. This at the time made me want to close with the foe before the poor fools behind me exploded! Holden looked over and even through the mask his voice boomed out 'I see your look Daled Blackaxe those are not infernal devices I assure you. Just smaller versions of your flame cannons, some insurance you might say' before suddenly shouting 'every second man fragmentation, every first man incendiary grenades, cut the fuse for 3 seconds then wait for the order.
