The Skaven war against the Elven colony of Sein-Craban had dragged on for nearly a century, with neither the Elves yielding nor the Skaven possessing the necessary might of arms to tip the balance of the conflict. The Elves were struggling with the hardships of attrition but now Boiling Peak found itself running low not only of warpstone deposits but also of supplies of key metal ores that proved so crucial for maintaining the Skaven war engines that had been pivotal in Typhus’ early victories.
The Cerrag Mountains to the north of the Skaven borders were known to harbour rich seams of iron ore as well as those of copper and tin, all vital to Skaven industry (such as it is). Yet those masters of mining, the Dwarfs, had long ago found and exploited this wealth of the mountains and had since incorporated these important areas into their realm. By 350PC the Dwarf Kingdom stretched from the Cerrag ranges in Mellthu to the mighty peaks of the Valdemare Moutains in Aranur to the far north. Speckled with castles, outposts and watchtowers the stony peaks of the Dwarf homelands were akin to a single vast, sprawling fortress carved into the mountain slopes.
The Skaven could ill-afford to invite war with the Dwarfs to the north while their bitter conflict with the Elves remained unresolved. So it was that the Skaven of the Warpclaw Guild proposed to extend the growing network of tunnels of the Great Underway toward Mount Breakspear, far off in the Nemir Desert. From there the Skaven could plunder the ore seams of Breakspear and its foothills without unduly drawing the attentions of the Dwarfs.
The Dwarfs, for their part, were not so insular as to be ignorant the world beyond their own borders. Frequent rangings by their scouts in the south alerted the Dwarfs to the Skaven presence at Mount Breakspear. Knowing that any activity associated with the vile rat-fiends could only have nefarious motives, the Dwarfs mustered their warriors for a march south to flush the Skaven from their lair at Mount Breakspear.
But the Dwarf armies that crossed the Nemir Desert found more than they had bargained for; the Skaven had not simply commenced mining activities but had rapidly entrenched themselves deep in the heart of Breakspear itself, hollowing the mountain with tunnels and caverns to form a stinking verminous stronghold with the Warpclaw Guild’s newly established laboratories at its foetid centre. When the host of the Dwarfs crossed the plains at the foot of the mountain the Skaven hordes boiled out of hidden caves and wormways like so many ants disturbed from a mound.
Battle was joined, but the Skaven had taken cares to ensure the defence of their lair. Clan Eshin agents had lain hidden along the Dwarf lines of march. Now, as the Dawi warriors took up battle formation, the slinking saboteurs leapt into action to disable the Dwarf artillery held in the rearguard. The guns and catapults managed a brief salvo against the verminous hordes, with a lucky shot even slaying the hapless Chief Warlock as he chattered and shrieked instructions to his underlings. Nevertheless the Dwarf crews were slaughtered at their posts and so the guns were silenced. Without the support of its artillery arm to cover the advance the Dwarf army came under heavy attack from the Skaven war engines assembled on the slopes of Mount Breakspear. From their vantage point on the escarpments overlooking the plains the diabolical machines hurled poison gases, eldritch flame and incandescent warp lightning into the Dwarf lines. The stoic bearded warriors maintained their implacable advance and tried to weather the storm with grim determination as only a Dwarf would.
Yet ultimately the Dwarfs found themselves overwhelmed. Under the hail of Skaven missiles and choking in the cloying fog of toxic gas weapons the Dawi casualties rose inexorably. Seeing the Dwarf advance founder the rat-men began their counter attack, and the infamous Unscurried legion smashed into the Dwarf van. Though the Lord Byrnie Redaxe and his household guard bravely mounted the counter-charge they were too few to stand against the frenzied furry tide.
Mount Breakspear remained firmly in the grasp of the Warpclaw Guild. When news of the defeat reached Karak-A-Varr it was met with shocked silence. None had expected the Skaven to be present in such great numbers, nor to defend their position with such tenacity. The decree went forth that the defences and patrols along the Cerrag ranges be doubled with immediate effect. The Grudge was recorded. Dwarf emissaries sought to make contact with the beleaguered Elves of the Sein-Craban colony so, in spite of recent frosty relations and diplomatic tensions, they might now make mutual cause against this malevolent threat.
This could leave the Skaven in a perilous position. Though they succeeded in repulsing the Dwarf attack, they had earned themselves a new enemy in the north with whom they must contend, all the while maintaining pressure on their old adversaries to the east. Typhus and his minions would have to plan their next moves carefully. An alliance between the powers of the Dwarf Kingdom and the Dragon Lords of Mellvellon could undermine the gains made over the decades of attrition. If the Skaven stood any chance of winning the war for control of the south then they had to strike again soon.
All the while, progress on the Great Underway continued apace…
