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Groje

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  1. Groje
    After a restless 2 days march, Arabor's legion of the dead reached their old capitol - Horehuson. Once a proud city of around 10.000 inhabitants, you could now only see some remains of fortified buildings made of stone, which endured the attack of the bloodhound during the Age of Chaos.
    Those inhabitants, who could not escape the initial, surprising attack had faced a cruel fate, with their flesh teared from their bones alive, and then all of the remains being fed to the Juggernauts and Korgoraths.
    With these grim memories in his mind, Arabor speeded up the approach to the city. Soon the bloodhound had realised their appearance and horns gave alarming sounds, ordering the troops to defend their new home.

    Surprisingly Arabor could only identify some regular battleline troops taking position in the outer defence ring of the city, but he could not see any elite units bolstering the defenders strength. 
    Additionally the overall defence seemed to be organised by a blood stoker, also not the highest of the bloodhound officers.
    Nevertheless, with nothing else then revenge in mind, Arabor ordered a charge on all flanks, with fierce close combats starting around the central gate and the remains of the city walls, soon. Skeleton sword & spearmen faced Bloodreavers and Warriors, the center was attacked by Arabor and his personal grave guard.

    Slowly the deathrattle horde was pushing back the enemy step by step, ready to establish a first beachhead within the outer defence line of the city, when suddenly new horns could be heard!
    Surprisingly, they did not sound from within the city but from the death rattle's back, where no one paid attention to during the charge. A raiding party of Skullcrushsers, Horsemen and Korgoraths was returning to the city and now charing the death rattle in its back.

    No panic could be triggered within the undead ranks but being now outnumbered and surrounded, the skeleton ranks slowly started to crumble. 

    Arabor tried to sense if he could find urgently needed reinforcements within the grounds of Horehuson, but no dead bodies could be found - all victims of the bloodhound in the past were fed to the beasts of the horde.
    But there was something else - not within the ground which Arabor scanned up until now. Within the dark shadow of the city ruins, a lurking dark presence was watching the battle. At night, when clouds would cover the stars and moon above the silent valleys it had haunted careless Bloodreavers who dared to roam the streets of Horehuson alone, causing terror in their bloodthirsty souls.
    The more Arabor focused on this presence, the more familiar it appeared to him, until suddenly painful memories from the past filled his mind, when he realised whom he had discovered.
    Quickly he strengthened his control over Worm and with the united witchcraft of the two wizards, he pulled the dark presence completely into this reality. Out of the sudden, creatures of green and white light materialised within the old royal tower, their eyes filled with fire of lust for total revenge.

    Arabor had summoned the spirits of the slain inhabitants of Horehuson and now as they were unleashed, they charged with loud screams into the battle against their tormentors from the past. 
    The Nighthaunt charge was led by Athelwyn, Arabors beloved wife, who became one of the first casualties, when she organised the defence of the capitol against the surprising attack of the Bloodhound cavalry. Also of her, no bones remained but her spirit refused to leave this place and her husband and now she has returned in form of a Banshee.
    The ethereal creatures easily passed walls, enemies and friendly troops and attacked the bloodhound cavalry, which slowly grinded through the back ranks of the death rattle horde. Spectral scythes and daggers penetrated the thick armour of the juggernauts and within minutes the tide was turned towards the armies of the dead, erasing the remaining bloodhound quickly.

    Athelwyn took care of the Bloodstoker on her own. Remembering how he tortured her in her previous life, her dagger took care that his end now was as slowly and painful as hers had been.

    Within half an hour, the Bloodhound was butchered in all parts of the city, but Arabor realised quickly, that this was not the main body of the army. From Athelwyn he learned that the main army had moved out 2 weeks ago for a big raid in another region. They had headed towards the realm gate of Aremberg, which was also the most important escape route of the free people of the singing valley, when their exodus after the Bloodhound invasion started in the Age of Chaos.
    With hate and revenge being the dominant feelings which endured over the centuries, Arabaor and Athelwyn had not much to talk about when they met after the battle. Too many feelings and memories where simply lost during their stay in the in-between-world so they quickly ordered their joined forces towards the road to Aremberg, determined to hunt down the Bloodhound so their souls can finally find some peace.

  2. Groje
    With the help of Worm, Arabor could quickly summoned a small warband as the ground of the Silent Valley was full of the remains of his people. Even though many were missing their skull, here and there they resurrected warriors of their past with their head still on their shoulder, carrying their rusted but still sharp weapons in their bony hands. 

    But Arabor knew, if he wanted to bring his revenge to the heart of the Bloodbound, which still roamed the lands around the hidden valley, his simple warriors and horsemen where not enough. The armor of the blood warriors, skullreapers and Juggernauts was made of excellent steel, not easily pierced by normal blades and lances. His troops were good acting as an anvil, which could stop the enemy charge but he needed an hammer with sufficient rend as well, smashing the enemy to pieces. 
    Therefore they marched back to the place where Arabor's people met their doom, a centuries ago. Near the bridge over the Wipper, he had met the bloodbound on the field of battle, and here it was, were Sigmar struck down his Hearthguard with a single lightning bolt, which was aimed at Arabor, in order to claim his soul. 
    The place where that happened was marked later on by a monument, erected by the last free people before they fled towards Azyr. 
    Worm shambled mindlessly behind the skeleton troops, completely under the control of the Wight King. When the small Deathrattle warband approached the site, they discovered some Bloodreaver camping there. Arabor dispatched his few riders to an instant charge, making sure none of the Khorne Warriors could escape and alert other parties. The reavers had no chance against the cavalry charge on open ground and were quickly destroyed. 

    Arabor and Worm approached the monument, which was defiled by Khorne already soon after its erection, and his hand touched the ground. Thanks to the black arts he could feel the bravest and most loyal comrades buried below his feet, impatient to continue their duty from which they were prevented by Sigmar's intervention. 
    The two wizards initiated a joint ritual and soon one body after the other breached the muddy ground and reveled warriors still in their fine armor, carrying shields in the color of Arabor's household and dangerously glowing blades in their hands. 
     
    But it were not only the warriors Arabor was looking for, they also brought a mighty relict back to the surface:
    Arabor's personal standard, which was protected by his Hearthguard in each battle, was also hurried together with them, and now they could hand it over to their master again. The years in the earth between the angry and restless warriors had saturated it with magic and the runes now glowed balefully. 
    With his guard at his side and his totem reclaimed, Arabor fealed confident to be able to face the main body of the bloodbound soon.  He ordered his troops to march to the ruins of the old capitol, were he expected to find the headquarter of the bloodbound. On their way the next days, they would have gathered enough resurrected warriors to turn the war and into a Legion of Death. And so they marched, with the ruins of Horehuson as their next goal...

  3. Groje
    With the dawn of a new age - the Age of Sigmar, Chaos needed to face new enemies at many frontline. Nagash recovered slowly and was on his way back to old strength, while his legions gained more and more control over their old territories in the realm of Shyish, which they had lost to Chaos after the victory of Archaon in the Age of Chaos.
    An inquisitive Necromancer heard legends about a forgotten realmgate connecting Shyish with a valley in Chamon, where a restless soul of great power from the past was wandering around. By bringing that one back to the mortal realms and binding it to his power, it would enable him to raise the ancient armies from the dead, providing him an efective tool in his struggle to power with the rivaling death mages.
    After long researches he found an old map, showing him the way to the realmgate and the location of Arabors Grave within the Silent Valley. He instantely started his journey and one week later he arrived at his goal, finding the grave in good shape.

    He did not hesitate long and initated a bloody ritual by sacrificing a slave he brought with him, to force back Arabor's soul to the world of the living, so he would rise again in the form of a Wight King and get bound to the will of the Necromancer.

    The sky blackened and the earth trembled and out of the grave, the remains of Arabor rose up, until he stood in full amor, his ritual crown on his head and his magical runeblade in his hand on top of it, facing the pleased necromancer.

    That one did not hesitate long and initated in a dark and unknowen language a spell to bind to wight king to his service, but once he was finished, Arabor unbinded it quickly with single harsh command, leaving the necromancer speechless and surpised 

     
    "How do you dare???" screamed the death mage, "my name is Zal..-"
    "I DO  NOT CARE WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOUR NAME IS" interrupeted Arabor in an unresistable way. "I AM ARABOR - THE DENIER! I REFUSED THE SERVIE OF THE GOD KING - DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN BREAK ME THAT EASILY?
    DID YOU NOT KNOW THAT I AM A MASTER OF THE BLACK ARTS, TOO? YOU WANT TO SUBORDINATE ME ? YOU ARE A SIMPLE WORM, BUT YOU WILL HELP ME INSTEAD TO BRING BACK MY PEOPLE SO WE CAN DELIVER REVENGE AND RUIN TO THOSE, WHO RUINED OUR LIFES AND THOSE OF OUR BELOVED ONES!
    Arabor casted a spell on his own, breaking the will of the confused necromancer easily and tying him whith magical chains to his service

    Arabor knew that he could not perform his task all alone, so he touched the ground and directly felt some of his men were burried closely around his grave. With the help of his subdued Necromancer which he simpliy continued to call 'Worm', he rose their bones easily and soon the small group headed away into the Silent Valley to bring back the war to those, who ruined their beloved home centuries ago

     
     
  4. Groje
    When the pale messenger spoke the words, all hope and reason fell of Arabor in a second. What they have met on the battlefield today, was only a part of Khorne's army. Their fastest troops on horse and Juggernaut-back were able to pass the free people's flank unseen last night and had already sacked the capitol. The royal family and their whole household were not simply slaughtered but their flesh  was torn from their bones while they were still alive, while their bones were fed to the demonic juggernauts. 
    Seeing all of his future being razed to ruins and all of his beloved ones gone, an anger raised in Arabor, matching easily the wrath the bloodbound he was fighting. With a rallying cry he called his hearthguard to him and let them form a pigs head. Inspired by the wrath of their leader, the hearthguard gathered as ordered and formed the triangle, ready to strike deep into the enemy lines with this suicidal mission. 

     
    Arabor led his hearthguard straight to the center of the Bloodbound. With the future of the free people already lying in ashes some miles behind them, he wanted to bring as much ruin to the enemy as possible, before he would join his beloved family in Death. His aim was the aspiring Deathbringer, maybe cutting of the head of the snake could at least slow down the crusade ofthe bloodbound into the singing valley.
    Deeper and deeper the fine steel of the singing valley cut it's way through the mass of bodies and Arabor prepared to shout out a furios challenge to the Deathbringer, who was now close by.

    Above him the storm and the sheet lightnings seem to intensive with the increasing anger, hate and thirst for revenge!
     
    Just when he formed the first insults in his mouth, his hidden magical senses sounded an alarm and by pure instinct he casted a protective mystical shield above him, to save him from the lightning, which struck down from dark stormy clouds above him. 

     
    With an ear-deafening sound the lightning exploded at the mystical shield and struck down the surrounding hearthguard and blood warriors, leaving Arabor alone to face the remaining bloodbound. 

     
    The Deathbringer only shortly hesitated and then laughed out loudly, ordering his own hearthguard of Skullreapers to charge the isolated leader in order to benefit from this surprising situation. 
    Far from above Sigmar was stunned for a second as well, as he had not recognized the hidden magical power when he wanted to claim the doomed Arabor for his growing number of stormcasts. But now he felt offended by the refusal of Arabor and also in general he did not trust the magical powers - too easily they could be manipulated by the dark gods. 
    Therefore he cursed the defiant Arabor that if he cannot have his soul, it should also not wander to the hidden underworlds beyond the realms of Shyish!
    Arabor did not directly take notice of this grudge against him as he was busy defending himself against the five skull reapers. Blow after Blow he was able to parry, until the Aspiring Deathbringer joined the fight himself. Time was running out for him, as the free people's cavalry started a desperate attempt to relieve their leader

     
    But seconds before they arrived, their brave leader was struck down by the merciless blows of the bloodreaver. The last hope of the singing valley had fallen, but his men were at least able to claim his body before the galloped with him from the battlefield so his skull could not be sacrificed to Khorne. With their leader gone, the remaining free people also fled but most of where struck down by the pursuing bloodbound.
    Arabor received the traditional funeral in his full ceremonial insignia, how all of his forefathers had done before but closely after the last remaining free people started the exodus out of the singing valley.

     
    Not many could make it to Azyr before Sigmar sealed the last realm gates. The bloodbound razed down the cities of the singing valley to ruins and slaugthered those, who were to slow or weak to escape.
    So the hammer works, which had sung their songs for centuries, came to an rest, and the singing valley lost it's name. Over the years it's past got forgotten and the few wanderers who passed it during the later age of Chaos only refered to this devasted landscape as - 
    The Silent Valley
    But all of them passed it as fast as they could - even though no one lived there beside small groups of ravaging bloodreavers, the wanderers always had the feeling as if they were not alone, but always a somehow restless shadow from the past following them, thirsting to return to this world, thirsting for revenge!
     
  5. Groje
    It was wise of the rulers of the singing valley to hide themselves from the megalomaniac wizards which created countless miracles within Chamon. When the Age of Chaos dawned, Tzeentch turned his eyes to Chamon, its wizards and magicians were prone to his promises and ensnarements and quickly swore their allegiance to him or were overrun by his growing legions. But his attention was not drawn to the Singing Valley, where life went on as usual - at least it appeared to be so....
    But even this hideout from the ruinous crusade of chaos could not remain for ever without being troubled, but it started from a direction the scouts of the free people have not considered nor guarded. 
    Due to Nagash's defeat by Archaon, Chaos rampaged unchallenged through the lands of Shyish. An especially frenzied Bloodbound warband overran the tribes which have traded for centuries with the people of the singing valley over night, so no warning could be send through the realm gate. 
    Not soon after, the Bloodbound passed the realm gate with full strength and started to invade the singing valley of Chamon, eagerly looking for slaves, skulls and the attention and pleasure of Khorne.
     
    They were led by an ambitious and aspiring Deathbringer called Vexnar the Reaper, who pushed his warband merciless forward to a restless charge, knowing he would catch the people on this side of the realmgate by surprise

     
    The current ruler of the Valley, Arabor gathered his hearth guard and send message to the lords and ladies, to gather all men and women, which were able to carry weapons, from knights to hearth guard to the fyrd, in order to push the enemy back through the realm gate. 
    3 days later, the united banners of the whole valley were marching to meet the enemy near the river Wipper. Never before you could have seen so many people gathering in one place of the valley, and birds must have had a beautiful view on all the different banners and weapons, armors and shields made of bronze and steel. 


    The people themselves had less time to enjoy, as soon the first and most furious units of the bloodbound where crashing into their lines, with the main body of the enemy following close behind. 

    But for the moment the shield wall of the free people could resist the many attacks of the blood-frenzied warriors. 

    Suddenly a messenger appeared on the edge of the battlefield, clearing his path to Arabor, who lead the defense of the center just 5 or 6 bodies behind the deadly malstroms of the shield wall.
    Behind himthe messenger dark clouds turned up, announcing a heavy thunderstorm no one paid attention to - at least for now... 

    To be continued....
  6. Groje
    The singing valley of Chamon was known since the Age of Myth. It received it's name by the countless hammer mills build into the valley's flanks, which were power by small water streams. Day and night they were working to create fine blades and tools, with countless hammers hitting the anvils, never getting tired thanks to the waterpower. That constant smiting caused the sound the inhabitants of the valley proudly considered to be their song. 
    Whereas other regions in Chamon created spectacular wonders by the power of constantly increasing magic, the inhabitants of the singing valley disregarded that possession, but focused instead on further perfecting their blacksmith skills, maybe a relict of their contacts with the duardin ancestors in the past, who also seemed to have taught them a lot about the art of smiting.
    Most of the common people of the valley did not know, that the ruling family itself had magic abilities, which were passed on from one generation to it's next. But it was tradition and unspoken law, that those magic powers remain secret and were only used to hide the valley from the other regions of Chamon, as their magic experiments and megalomania were watched with growing concerns. 
    Despite its increasing isolation within Chamon, the singing valley was not completely cut of from trade and exchange, as a small and mostly unknown realm gate connected it with Shyish, the Realm of Death. The human tribes living on the other side where trustworthy and honest, so a good trading relationship was established, from which both sides benefited for years and years, with the world not noticing this hidden place. 
    Not much else is preserved from that time, only one handwritten map, drawn with much haste but little efforts, showing the old capitol and some important other landmarks
     

     
     
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