‘Welcome, binding, to Hammerhal Ghya’ the Stormcast says, welcoming Raith, Verbric, and Xiao as they pass through the massive Stormrift gate in the middle of Hammerhal, the legendary Twin-tailed city. The three of them find themselves, newly bound, in a city none of them have spent much time in, and their very souls seem to leap in their hearts as they step through the gate, as if in anticipation of something.
The section of the city that they see sprawls out in front of them, and to their side they see the massive river of lava carving its way out to the city edges, smoke rising in the distance. Smells suddenly waft over them as their sense of smell returns, life, and life in abundance. The smell of city all manner of city life mixed in with the ever-present smell of growth, trees, flowers, and spices. Below them a market is laid out, growing out and around an airship dock where dozens of Kharadron ships are docked.
As they take the site in, a gleam in the sky catches their eye, an eagle above. Below, they hear a friendly greeting, as an aelf approaches them. She has green hair and a silvery cloth wrapped around her eyes. A gleaming gryph-hound stands tall and proud by her side. As she approaches the three, she introduces herself as Cerlana, the last member of their binding. That aching, that anticipation in their souls suddenly makes sense, and dies away now that their group is safely together at last. In her hands Cerlana has a missive, a rolled parchment that she shows the three of them
‘I have little to no idea what is happening either,‘ she informs the three of you, ‘but I was given this message, and told only to open it when I was with the rest of my binding.‘ She shakes her head, ‘honestly, I didn’t really know that I’d find you here today, it was just a feeling I had...’
“Dear Soulbound, it is with great haste that I write to you this request. The request I have is short, if not simple, as I know that you will soon find yourself in a position to find out more information. There is an Expedition at hand, led by Fleetmaster Anruil Brighteyes, it represents the authority of Hammerhal and the divine will of the God King Sigmar himself! The Expedition’s orders are to defend the far side of the Ghyrplunge realmgate against attack, discover the fate of the missing Lord-Celestant Han Shinzong, and protect Azyr’s interests – no matter the cost. Your skills are dearly needed Soulbound, please, heed our call, make your way to our cities river docks and seek out Baeldraen Whirlbeard.”
– Grand Conclave of Hammerhal –
After just a little bit of shopping (and thieving) the group decide to abide by the request, and head towards the river docks in search of Baeldraen Whirlbeard.
Whirlbeard is a stocky Duardin ship captain, she has brown hair, and greets the group while stoking a pipe in one hand and swing a massive hammer about with the other. She has no beard at all.
‘Are ye who I’m waiting about for!? Ye look to be the ones! I’m here Baeldraen! What are ye staring at, jump aboard me ship No Beard, so we can start this bluddy here journey!!’
It does not take long at all for the ship to cast off once the party is on. Clearly they have been waiting, and have already completed all the necessary things needed to get ready.
A day into their trip, in the fading light of a brilliant sunset in Ghyran, the ship suddenly comes to a grinding halt in the midst of the river. Hoots and hollers come calling through the foggy riverbeds. The crew jumps to attention immediately. Whirlbeard can be heard above the din, calling for information as to what has happened, and rallying her crew to their battle stations.
From the tree-tops Squigs are suddenly launched at the crew, jumping to and fro as they bounce across the deckings. This initial attack is followed by swarms of Grots come jumping down into the midst of the Overlords, completely avoiding the initial firing that the Kharadron are so used to. They wear leaves and sticks as armour, but their blades cut deep.
After the initial attack, and with a massive creaking sound, the ship is suddenly tiped back from whatever grounded it. In the river in front of the ship, spluttering after its time in the river, and covered in ivy, moss, and riverweeds, a massive Dankhold Troggoth stands, looming over the ship. With a shout, Whirlbeard calls for all guns to turn on the huge Troggoth. “Take it doooooowwwwwwnnnn” she calls.
Thankfully, together with the Overlords massive firing power, the Troggoth is felled, and with that the pirate grots make their escape.
After another day of travel, the ship finally enters the city of Amasya. The first of the city they see is Yol Grimnie, and then Teselli Alari, Isik Kulesi and Karanlik Saray all of which were all sacked by Chaos before they moved on to Lake Bykaal. The whole section of the riverside city is in pieces, but no active threats seem to emerge from the city. As you leave these desolated areas though, you come up to Azyrhol. It is certainly an active place, with men, elves, and duardin moving about. The Delegation from Hammerhal has fortified Azyrhol and the surrounding residential district. It isn’t yet a functioning city again, more like a military base; it does have all the comforts of home, even if it’s “citizens” are active-duty soldiers.
As the ship passes through the area, they are hailed from the ports, duardin and men waving as the ship passes by. And then, as you come about the tip of the city as it strikes out into the wide river, you see your destination. What used to be Nagaskahip is completely gone and in its place the Ghyrplunge, a massive whirlpool realmgate. All around the pool lie various ships, docked just a little out of reach from the swirling mass.
As they head straight towards the center of the pool, a number of Duardin walk up to the party and promptly hook the party onto sections of ship. Baeldraen calls from her captain’s section, informing them that most get very dizzy and out of sorts the first time they go through the whirlpool, and many ships have lost people to the waters of the realmgate. This does not surprise them in the slightest, though, as even now, as you get closer to the gate, the ships starts to rock violently and you hang on for your lies as the ship is sucked through the whirlpool of foamy river water.
The party emerges from the Ghyrplunge completely dry. Xiao and Verbric have fallen to the decking, throwing up, as the ship moves about seemingly without direction. All of a sudden it all stops, and the ship is set back on a, relatively, calm Strait of Lauchon heading towards your destination, Lake Bykaal. Above you a violet sky stretches to the horizon, fog or smoke rising around the banks of the river.
And then, as sounds and smell return to them, war assaults their senses, and they find yourself in the middle of a massive battle. On either side of the river they see all manner of creatures and mortal fighting. On one side of the deck they see retinues of Daughters of Khaine aelves fly through the air, shattered before an onslaught of Kharadron firepower. Fyreslayers surround a phalanx of Lumineth, each side glowing in the fading light, one bright and blue as the midday sun, the other red and hot. Stormcast shoot through the sky above you, crossing the river, and lightening on the other side proves that many of their kind are falling in the battle. As they take it all in a roar comes from the other side of the bank, and the trees that side rush forward towards rows of men and dispossessed flying the hammerhal colours, the Sylvaneth splintering into pieces before the onslaught before empaling the mortals on their long limbs.
Just then a bright light drops from the sky, alighting onto the deck. ‘My dearest Baeldraen!‘ the Stormcast calls up to the captain, ‘your timing, as usual, is impeccable!‘ As the duardin laughs, she calls the newcomer to join her on her deck.
‘I am sad to say,‘ the warrior says, shaking his helmeted head, ‘that I must be off as soon as I can. We may well be losing this battle I’m afraid. The Pilgrimage has won most of the high ground. We’ve fought well, but I must insist that you continue down the strait, you need to get these provisions to Lord Brighteyes at all costs. He is currently south of Old Dyunsk. He needs you desperately, he needs your…. cargo….’
As the Stormcasts salutes his goodbye, a brilliant lightening overtakes him. It arcs high in the sky, and in its place a screaming Ghoul stands. ‘To aaaaarrrrmmmmssssss!!!!!!‘ Baeldraen calls, screaming as she hefts her massive hammer striking down one of the dozens of smaller ghouls making their way up from the depths and onto the ship.
As the party and the remaining Overlords battle the hords of ghouls that are attacking the ship from beneath the river, the vessel slowly makes its way down the strait. The ghouls, although wild and erratic, are not particularly deadly, and the binding do good work removing them as a threat. That said, just as the ship seems to be safe, a screech is suddenly heard from above. A terrorgheist crashes onto a nearby vessel sending it crashing into the side No Beard, as the mast of the neighboring ship crashes down tangling on the deck where the binding is fighting the swarms of ghouls.
The terrorghesit end up doing massive amounts of damage, and the party find themselves fighting for their lives and the lives of those on the ship. Suddenly, a crack is heard above their heads. and streaking down, a light shines brilliantly, blinding the ghouls on the ship. It ploughs right through the terrorgheist, and the ship it rides as the Knight-Azyros goes right through both. The lightning that streaks out a moment later, returning the Knight to Sigmar, does the rest of the job, and both monster and ship slip below the lake.
And with that, the party manages to make their escape from the larger battle. Most of the provisions are intact, and although many Kharadron are lost in the journey, they make it out. Following their ordeal, after talking to Baeldraen, they decide that it’s best to go to the last known location of Lord Brighteyes, south of Old Dyunsk
