Long ago, amid the rocky slopes of Ekrund, the Dwarfs built a great mining fortress that fell to their hated enemies, the Orcs and Goblins. As the Age of Reckoning dawns, Dwarf forces have made a determined push into the Dragonback Mountains, reclaiming the fortress at Ekrund and establishing a tenuous foothold in the lands surrounding it. Now, they battle to hold the, strategically vital, outpost knowing that if they can repair its defences, they will gain a valuable staging area from which they can take the fight to the enemy. However, there is still a significant greenskin presence in Ekrund and the beleaguered Dwarfs within the fortress find themselves in an almost constant state of siege.
While the Orcs and Goblins launch their relentless attacks upon the fortress, Dwarf reinforcements continue to pour into Ekrund
and entrench in the craggy landscape. The resourceful Dwarfs have wasted little time in putting to use the many outposts and
storehouses retaken from the greenskins, and are now making preparations to launch an offensive against the besieging Orc horde.
Key to the success of this assault is a new workshop the Dwarfs have begun to build not far from the fortress. Here, the
legendary Grungni Rockcrusher is already busy crafting death-dealing organ guns, swift gyrocopters and thundering flame cannons
for the Dwarf army.
Elsewhere, other dangers wait to prey upon the unwary. Lurking deep within one of the numerous caves in Ekrund is Murgluk the
Mad, a mutated Goblin once fond of making brews to increase his strength and courage. While mucking about in a sinkhole
searching for new ingredients, he discovered a tiny pebble of Warpstone and plopped it into one of his concoctions. When he
drank this foul potion, he was transformed into a towering, muscle-bound monster. His twisted mind now plots the destruction of
Dwarf and Orc alike, for Murgluk is determined to prove that he is the biggest, strongest and meanest greenskin of all.
Fearsome creatures are not the only threat to be found in Ekrund. The aggressive mining of the greenskins has weakened the
surface of a landscape already plagued by frequent earthquakes. The ground is now peppered with sinkholes, many of which
contain fetid pools of stinking water covered by poisonous algae Normally the Dwarfs would leave well enough alone; however, a
number of fortifications they constructed upon returning to the area collapsed into such sinkholes, taking with them the caches
of gold, gems and precious metals stored there. Many an intrepid Dwarf has tried to safely recover the lost loot, but so far
none have succeeded.
The largest sinkhole in Ekrund is "Goldfist's Hole". This pit opened up suddenly under the pavilion of the wealthy Dwarf
General Farlok Goldfist. The General and his men plunged into the gaping pit taking with them hundreds of chests filled to the
brim with rare gems and gold from all corners of the Old World.
Hoping to drain the pit of water, the ambitious Dwarfs have set up pumping machines around the sinkhole's rim. This fixation has
made them vulnerable; the desire to reclaim the lost gold has pulled many an eager Dwarf away from the battle with the Orcs.
Also in Ekrund can be found a number of ancient Dwarf burial chambers. These hallowed tombs are guarded diligently by the stout
warriors, and they will suffer no trespassers. The guards are scarcely needed, however, for the eerie sounds occasionally heard
within the crypts have the Dwarfs convinced that the spirits inside are restless, and better left alone. The less careful
greenskins, on the other hand, would love nothing more than to plunder the tombs to the last bone just to spite their foes.
Day after day, the battle for Ekrund rages without end. The Dwarfs fight with an iron determination, knowing that control of the
fortress is the key to driving out the vile greenskins and retaking the land that once was theirs. For the Orcs and Goblins,
Ekrund is a seemingly endless source of "stunties" to fight, with more arriving every day. It is a battle that could have
far-reaching implications in the Age of Reckoning.
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