Explorer's League, Part 1
Months ago, he had gone heavily into debt to finance this expedition and the "partners" who had funded him expected results and a significant return on their investment, quickly. His scouts had assured him that most of the hated Abyssal Dwarfs had moved on to focus for some reason around Crag Hudd, perhaps to complete their extermination of the poor “Free” Dwarfs. This created an opportunity, for those bold enough to seize it.
Despite the best efforts of the Abyssal Dwarfs, the small abandoned hold of Car Gwylin had not been fully searched. The secret of the hidden treasury was known to one of his old second cousins who had barely escaped the retreat from the hold with his life, but not his health. Before he died, he had passed on this secret to his last surviving kin and knowledge of the great wealth that lay within, on the condition that it be used for the good of the surviving Free Dwarfs.
With Quig's skill and ingenuity, along with the right dwarfs and equipment, he was sure a quick strike to recover the treasure could succeed. For his troubles, of course he would need a substantial portion of the wealth and then he had to make his “partners” happy, but he was sure enough would be left to help with one or more of the resettlement charities.
Of course, besides his cousins and his apprentices, most of the rest of the dwarfs signed up for the trip based on the good pay, the "cover story" of “The Explorer’s League”, a mission to explore a few of the closer ruined holds to look for treasure and survivors and for some the chance to get a bit of revenge on their cursed Abyssal kin. Only he and his two cousins, Bolgrum and Gimri, knew that they had a map guiding them directly to extraordinary riches and power.
Unfortunately, just after his expedition set forth on their ironclad, the sky lit up with a pillar of magical energies, never a good sign, but not enough to deter him. After they debarked on the southeast coast, they found the area teeming with activity and the journey so far had been a series of almost constant skirmishes – fortunately they had encountered none so far strong enough to stop them. Their ranks were thinning though and yesterday the last of the berserkers had fallen.
The grumbling about casualties, lost supplies and the increasingly difficult weather had increased the further they marched into the Halpi Spine and their pace had of necessity slowed. Nevertheless, all knew that the only way back home was to stick together and fight their way out again. Their destination was now very close and with luck, they would soon have the treasure and be marching back to the coast before the enemies they had encountered thus far gathered more strength.
At least, that was the plan… or was it? Despite knowing that it was time to get the treasure and get out, Quig was troubled. Since that pillar of magic appeared, he was sure that Fulgria spoke to him in his dreams, or was it someone else? A strong desire for power had grown in his heart and drew him ever onward. Was the treasure of Car Gwylin truly enough for him now? Could not his destiny be even greater…? But no, he had to lead the expedition back to safety, and yet, and yet…
No sooner had Quig finished his morning brew than his scouts returned with urgent news of a very large and powerful horde of Ratkin preparing to attack across the frozen lake. The old abandoned tavern nearby still held a few barrels of good brew and he’d had it distributed to his dwarfs overnight to improve morale. He now issued orders to Bolgrum and Gimri to marshal the force. Bolgrum would take the right wing with the Ironclad and some of the Ironguard, Gimri the left with the remaining Ironguard.
Quig positioned the artillery, screened by sharpshooters and with all his black powder rifles nearby right in the center of the woods behind their campsite. Ranging stakes were quickly placed just as the first of the foul rats appeared in the distance. Half of the mastiffs were sent forward immediately to act as a screen, per the usual tactics, the rest kept to be unleashed wherever the rats approached the line too closely.
A tide of vermin preceded their lines, but behind them he saw hideous, hulking monstrosities of incredible size as well as vast numbers of rats. A general haze of magic was about them, coming from some kind of equally hideous rat-witches behind their lines. At least they would have to march across the frozen lake, giving some time for his dwarfs to shoot. So far, they had been reacting to the rats, but soon they’d have a say in the battle as well.
He heard a cry from Bolgrum to his right and suddenly saw massive rats coming over the hill on their flank, moving faster than he’d ever seen anything like that move. He redirected some of the Sharpshooters and saw that Gimri had unleashed all his Mastiffs. From the massive melee of giant rats and dwarven battle dogs, there still emerged one large group of giant rats heading straight for the center.
Still, the focus had to be maintained. A quick glance ensured him that the Sharpshooters on his right were prepared for the charge, while those on his left continued, along with the cannons and the regular riflemen, to pour everything they could into the oncoming rats in the center. He had the cannons focus on some kind of shambling creature in the middle of the magical haze, while the sharpshooters and rifles shot at one of the large rat monstrosities heading their way.
He saw at least two cannon balls strike true and much to his relief he heard a horrible scream as the haze diminished and whatever had been its source seemed to stop moving. He could see with his looking glass that some of the advancing ratkin were unnerved by this and he urged his dwarfs to reload and fire as quickly as they could. Many of the rifle shots also struck true in one of the massive fiendish monstrosities, as the sharpshooters also peppered what they imagined to be vital weak spots in its “heads”. Quig was sure it would fall and he would be able to switch his section to the other monstrosity, but on it came. What was worse, he was sure something else was still using powerful magics behind their lines as most of the wounds caused by his rifles began to heal and close.
He looked back to his right just in time to see the giant rats crash through the woods and into half of his sharpshooters. Their charge was ferocious and the shield wall buckled and wavered. The line of sharpshooters was thin and he prepared to redirect the cannons to fire grapeshot if the rats broke through.
The rest of the line fired another volley, the cannons now targeting the rapidly healing rat fiend along with the continued fire of the rifles, the unengaged sharpshooters and now also Gimri’s Juggernaut, which he had maneuvered around the right flank of the oncoming rat hordes. One shot after another struck the massive creature and even so it came on, until Gimri’s hand cannon put a ball through its neck and with great thrashing spasms it finally fell.
A moment later, Bolgrum’s Juggernaut slammed into the flank of the rat cavalry along with all of the Ironclad, finishing off the rest of the giant rats.
Quig was sure the rest of the rats would close the distance quickly, but as he looked again another haze began to grow, obscuring their lines further – to the point that he could no longer make out their shapes at all. A few seconds turned into a minute, then a few minutes before the dwarfs as a whole realized that the ratkin had enough and had decided to disengage. A cheer went up, the Explorer’s League was victorious!
A quick march later that day brought them to their original goal. Quig’s cousins were ecstatic. By the following morning, they would be heading back to their ship with the treasure in hand.
Quig went to bed that night uneasy, with a doubled guard to watch for the ratkin and dreams of a greater destiny filling his head…