Quartermaster Horace Delaney (Battlesmith) 40

Mercenary Lieutenant Keziah Delaney (Hearthguard Berserker Champion) 16

Corporal Nootka (Hearthguard Berserker) 16

Corporal Musgrove (Hearthguard Berserker) 16

Sergeant Carlsbad (Auric Hearthguard) 16

 

144 Gold

 

Background

 

Whether by coincidence or divine hand, the eruption of the long dormant volcano, Drakesmaw, decimated Gruzlit's ragtag fleet - plumes of magma swallowing up the Grots' rickety contraptions. Forced to fight on the ground, the Grots fell in droves to the counterattack of the Vulkite Berserkers. Gruzlit attempted to fall back - only to find the Forge Brethren rise out of a pool of molten rock - Magmapikes blazing. 

 

His minions scrambling to escape, Gruzlit narrowly dodged the arc of a Grandaxe and swiped his cutta into the neck of Cindermaw Runefather Azjol's Magmadroth. Gruzlit was dead kunning, but should have known better. A spray of magma vaporised the left half of his face. Cindermaw roared and clambered to its full height, but then the Manticore venom kicked in - sending the great beast into spasms. Cindermaw toppled down a slope taking Azjol with it. Momentarily stunned by the fall of their leader, the Vulkites watched as a charred Grot Scuttlebag swooped down. Gruzlit's bodyguard of Nasty Skulkers picked up there crippled leader and unceremoniously dumped him onto the vessel. A hail of Fyresteel Axes dented the armour plates of the Scuttlebag, but it limped off into the distance - disappearing into the sulphurous clouds.

 

With their leader escaped, the Grots courage buckled and the Fyreslayers took bloody vengeance - wiping them out down to the last Grot. That last Grot was the Shaman Rizzik, who coughed up the whereabouts of Gruzlit's fortress in the Yhorn Mountains. While the Azul Lodge had withstood the siege, the Fyreslayers had suffered brutal losses including James's father Harold Delaney - his spine split by the a Skulker's cruel Back Stabba. It would be many years before the Lodge could venture forth to hunt for Ur-Gold or take on a contract.

 

Valerie brought him up to be a priest - a Runesmiter rather than a Vulkite - with hope of him avoiding Harold's fate. James took to this naturally becoming a skilled manipulator of metals - molten or otherwise. Like all inhabitants of the Azul Lodge he held a burning hatred of all Greenskinz and longed to raze Gruzlit's fortress to the ground. Following his initiation into the priesthood at the Lodge, he resolved that he would not devote his time to studying the books of grudges or tinkering at length with alchemical recipes - he wanted action - he wanted revenge. Craving power He began to dabble in forbidden rituals - carving tainted and curvaceous runes into his flesh from a dusty tome he had  found in the Lodge's library written in pink ink. Other Runesmiters took note of his unusual progress and gossiped behind his back.

 

His power increased twofold as did his appetites. James and his two younger brothers Horace and Keziah could demolish a keg of ale between them. Half drunk on power, half drunk on ale, James found himself drawn to his sister Zilpha in his dreams. Zilpha was already married at the tender age of 19 to the Battlesmith Zenit. Zilpha too began to see visions of James arising out of the ground and enveloping her in fuming magma. She was captivated. She resisted James's advances at first with disgust, but eventually succumbed to his advances after he infused a runic tattoo on her thigh with Ur-Gold. Neither of them knew that Selene - an emissary of the Dark Prince was manipulating them both for unknown ends.

 

As luck would have it, The Honourable East Azyr Company - a swift Sky Fleet from Barak Zilfin - docked that winter at the Azul Lodge. Admiral Thaddeus was looking for keen adventurers to join his expedition to the Yhorn Mountains. James was attuned to the breath of Grungni in their Aethermatic weapons and gleaming Endrins. 

 

Normally so calm, he felt a rush of blood to his head. Before nightfall, James had signed up (in triplicate) the voluminous contract of The Honourable East Azyr Company. With his mother dead, it was Zilpha, who saw him off at the dock with an unusually passionate kiss for a sibling. He mounted a Frigate, which glided off into the clouds. 

 

Years of raiding in the lava fields of Moltania followed.  James found his formidable prayers complemented the more direct approach of the Arkanauts. His fellow Arkanauts shuddered when James carried out grisly rituals on enemy corpses and living captives. His power continued to grow. Whispers of cannibalism followed him. Nevertheless, he impressed Admiral Thaddeus and promotion to Captain followed on the heels of his heroism against the fearsome Megaboss Krumbler.