HISTORY - SKARSNIK
Imperial Year 2400 to 2500

Skarsnik is the leader of the most powerful tribe around Karak Eight Peaks, the Crooked Moon Night Goblins. Skarsnik is a cunning and observent leader who has grown to understand the Dwarf mind.

Arrival of Belegar (2473)
The Dwarfs recaptures and resettles parts of Karak Eight Peaks, when Belegar established a fortified bridgehead in the old citadel. The Dwarfhold remains in a permanent state of siege, they gradually managed to clear the Night Goblins and other evil creatures out of the upper levels.

Skarsnik watched the Dwarfs rebuild their citadel but did not attack at first instead he waited until stragglers ventured outside the walls and then picked them off one by one, capturing the Dwarfs alive if possible and tormenting them for days within earshot of the citadel walls. Over the years Skarsnik has amassed a large collection of Dwarf beard scalps which he displays on long wooden stakes driven into the mountain side. The Dwarfs are forced to watch the number of beard scalps grow day by day, while by night the pounding war drums of the Night Goblins and trhe screaming captives haunt their sleep.

Plea for Help! (2498)
Belgar attempted to break the deadlock at Karak Eight Peaks with aid from the north. The Dwarf sent word to the Dwarf capital of Karaz a Karakhigh in the Worlds Edge Mountains, explaining that the Night Goblins were virtually holding them prisoners within their own citadel and that without reinforcements it could only be a matter of time before the Dwarfs were defeated. Duregar, a kinsman of Belegar from Karaz a Karak, immediatl gathered an army and marched southwards along the western flank of the mountains.

By this time Skarsnik's horde had grown into a huge Waaagh. The Night Goblin warlord's forces were fighting every Dwarf and Orc between Thunder Mountain to the north and Fire Mountain to the south. In the Badlands several Orc tribes joined the Waaagh.

Seige of Barak Varr (2498)
The Red Fang Orcs led by Gorfang Rotgut are sent by Skarsnik to beseige Barak Varr, the Dwarf Seafortress.

The Battle of the Jaws (2498)
The Dwarfs from Karaz a Karak marched south, they saw the rising plumes of smoke in front of them. Messengers from Barak Varr brought news that the western approaches to Karak Eight Peaks were held in strength by the Red Fang Orcs of Gorfang Rotgut. At this point Duregar made an important decision. rather than ebter Karak Eight Peaks from the west, he would cross the mountains and move south along the eastern edge, entering Karak Eight Peaks from what he hoped would be the more lighty held eastern gate. With the sun ebbing in the sky and the smoke of Thunder Mountain drifting across the horizon, the Dwarf army camped at the entrance to Mad Dog Pass.

The following day the Dwarfs advanced into the pass. Mad Dog Pass is notoriously dangerous. Its steep sides are thronged with Goblin strongholds and its rocky slopes overlay caves and tunnels that are riddled with evil creatures. Duregar pinned his hopes on Dwarven determination to keep the army safe. As the Dwarfs adavanced into the mouth of the pass they were attacked by a large Orc and Goblin army led by Gorfag Rotgut (who lost an eye in the conflict) that had apparently been waiting to attack them from behind once they moved south. The Dwarfs were hard pressed at first, but eventually saw the Orcs off with the help of their formidable cannons. This battle became known as the Battle of the Jaws, an apt name considering the manner in which the Orc attack closed in on the Dwarfs, like the jaws of the Mad Dog itself.

During the battle five Troll Slayers distinguished themselves by attacking and destroying three Trolls which were perilously close to crushing Duregar himself. Only two of the Troll Slayers survived. One was heard to complain that there were insufficient Trolls to go round.

Athough the Orcs and Goblins were beaten they accounted for only a small part of Skarsnik's horde. When he heard of his army's defeat he proclaimed a huge mushroom feast and ordered his shamans to brew up a fresh batch of Mad Cap fungus liquor for the Fanbatics. Squig Hunters were dispacted into the deep tunnels to fetch more Cave Squigs, while Netters were sent off to hunt down Stone Trolls amongst the mountains. As the Dwarfs moved south Goblins watched them from the hills, reporting their movements by means of oily smoke signals and trobbing war drums.

Skarsnik sat upon his iron throne and waited. In the meantime he amused himself by feeding Dwarf captives to Gobbla, the enormous, malodorous and psychopathically vicious Cave Squig which he kept firmly chained to his left leg. Why the demented creature never bit Skarsnik was a matter of some mystery. It certainly bit everything else.

The Battle of East Gate (2498)
Duregar's army moved steadily southwards until it reached the eastern entrance of Death Pass. The East Gate of Karak Eight Peaks lay several miles inside the pass through a broad dide vally paved with ancient stones and studded with the ruined tombs of Dwarf ancestors. The Dwarfs advanced in battle formation fully expecting an attack from the steep mountain slopes which towered ominously above the old Dwarf road.

The East Gate had been built thousands of years before at a place where a long ridge ran down into the vally causing it to narrow to a hundred yards or less. Here the Dwarfs of antiquity had built their gate, once vast and impregnable fortress but now little more than a pile of stone through which the road still led. In front of the gate and connected by a high causeway was a tall grey watchtower whose summit commanded the approach down the valley. Although partially ruined, the watch tower had been rebuilt and fortified by Skarsnik's Goblins. Now it was crammed with Night Goblin archers, and on top there was a huge rock lobber crewed by fierce Orcs.

As the Dwarfs marched forward Orcs and Goblins closed in from their hiding places in the slopes to left and right. Behind them a huge force of Orcs moved to block their escape. The Dwarfs were surrounded by foes on all sides. Stones from the rock lobber began to fall amongst their densely packed ranks. Duregar pushed forward, pinning his hopes on breaking through the East Gate. As the Dwarfs approached the first ranks of Night Goblins a massive whoop went up amongst the greenskins, and from out of their formation charged Night Goblin Fanatics whirling balls and chains. Like spinning tops they lurched crazily towards the Dwarfs. Many were shoot down with crossbow bolts, some whirled away and missed the Dwarfs altogether, but some hit the Dwarfs killing many before collapsing with exhaustion.

The Dwarfs advanced. The Night Goblins in front were easily driven away, but just as soon as a gap appeared and the Dwarfs caught sight of the gate more Night Goblins charged in to hold them. Night Goblin archers rained arrows doewn from the watchtower. Black-fletched arrows hit Dwarf and Night Goblin alike, but the archers carried on shooting regaurdless, ignoring the hurt done to their fellows.

Thing looked bleak for the Dwarfs. Over half of their army had been destroyed during the initial rush towards the gate. The Goblin horde seemed hardly diminished. With typical Dwarf stubbornness Duregar led his troops up onto a small mound, the remains of an ancient Dwarf tomb, to make his last stand. As the Dwarfs steeled themselves for the inevitable assault, there was a loud explosion and the gateway burst apart in a cloud of dust.

As the dust cleared Duregar saw Dwarfs pouring through the gateway towards them. The confused Night Goblins scattered leaving piles of dead in their wake. It was Belegar and the Dwarfs of Karak Eight Peaks. They had advanced eastwards from the otherside of the gate and destroyed the unsuspecting Night Goblin reargaurd before blowing the gates with gunpowder.

The Night Goblins and Orcs were thrown into disorder Skarsnik, watching from his vantage point on the mountain slopes, saw his army waver. For the Dwarfs it was a much needed respite. the Dwarf forces met across a sea of blood and green bodies. Forming into a huge and solidly packed square the combined army began to move steadily back towards the gate. Before they were half way there the Orcs and Goblins regrouped. When they saw how few Dwarfs there were their confidence returned. Stones from the rock lobber smashed into the Dwarf column and arrows amongst their ranks.

Many Dwarfs stumbled to ground dead with Goblin arrows embedded in them, but more still made the gate. Cave Squigs were unleashed upon the Dwarfs, but several were killed by Troll Slayewrs while others ran wild snapping at Night Goblins that remained to oppose them, Duregar and Belegar headed west. The Night Goblins continued to harass the Dwarf column all the way to the citadel, but thanks to heavy armour and natural toughness there were few morer casualties. As night fell Skarsnik was master of the battlefield, but Duregar and Belegar had escaped his net.

Although not a catastrophic as it might have been, the Battle of East Gate was a resounding defeat for the Dwarfs. Over half the Dwarf force had been slain and although Skarsnik had lost many good warriors they were losses he could easily afford. The Dwarf army was bottled up inside the Citadel and, although not destroyed, the Dwarfs were not going anywhere.

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