Warhammer

Chapter 110: Al's Mission, Border Prince Territory

Of course, he couldn't tell the Four Mothers about his idea of ​​an expedition to the mountains to support the dwarves.

The four mother goddesses also fully supported his plan.

The Blood Mother loves war. Ai'er's fight against the greenskins will bring her victory and expand her influence. She will support any war.

The mother was kind-hearted. She had originally asked Guo Ai'er to form a "world salvation army" to launch a jihad expedition around the world to "clean up the filth";

People don’t care about pleasure;

This is beneficial to the Order of the End. The fact that the Omniscient One does not object means this, and also means her support.

Of course, it all comes down to the fact that all four moms want to win.

Under the main storyline of "Mountain Expedition", they also gave Al several small side quests for him to complete:

First, there are five powerful Chaos Beast Kings, each leading a powerful beast war gang rampaging in the badlands. Ai'er has to persuade them (physically), preach to them (physically), and convert them to the Way of the Four Mothers;

Second, there was once a Blood Mother's God-chosen champion warrior who died in the Badlands. Al had to help recover his remains. If he was lucky, he might be able to gain a powerful helper.

......

Finally, a more important mission, which can be said to be a secondary main line mission of the Aiur Expedition.

It involves a legendary character who was relatively important in the former Chaos Beastmen group.

【Dark Omen】Malagor.

Father Crow, the demon of the present world, uncleanness and blasphemy, blasphemy...

In the eyes of the Beastmen, Malagor is the embodiment of destruction and the nightmare of mortals. He is both the screaming shaman, the oracle worshipped by the Beastmen, and the devil in the hearts of humans.

To humans, Malagor can destroy everything they cherish. The various blasphemous things it has done are countless. The Church of Sigmar describes it as the source of all evil. Even looking at it is a great sin.

It is a winged devil that flies from the primitive ignorance and barbarism to fight against the gods of mankind; it is a demon carved on wood, and the ancient books that record it are sealed and put away to prevent the evil secrets in them from poisoning people's hearts.

The Dark Gods have arranged a schedule for it to destroy everything. On the battlefield, its mere appearance is enough to strongly shake the enemy's will and morale.

It erected the Ten Thousand Demon Rocks in the depths of the Badlands and the Barren Plains, creating a bloody zone for the Chaos Hoofed Creatures to run. There, Chaos Beastmen, Greenskins and Undead fought each other for a long time. Under Malagor's command was a powerful Chaos Beast Army.

Aiur needs to defeat it, chop off its head, and offer a sacrifice in front of the blasphemous Ten Thousand Demons Rock, so that the gifts of the Four Mothers can replace the old four gods. Malagor is the agent who carries out the will of the Four Gods, the oracle shaman. Its influence on the Beastmen is the same as the corruption of Chaos, and it can never be eradicated unless it is replaced by another more powerful force.

The Crow Father is the manifestation of disaster and destruction. Getting rid of him and seizing his authority will help the Four Mothers in their competition with the Four Gods in the mortal world. It will also be of great benefit to Aiel and the beastmen under his command.

This time, when Ai'er opened the Eastern Expedition copy, it was filled with tasks of all sizes.

However, for the overall situation at the end, he had no choice but to accept it and do his best.

......

Norn Bronzebeard stood on a crate, looking into the distance.

At the end of a fjord called Blackwater Bay, where the vast ocean flows into a cracked landform in the southern part of the Old Continent, the outline of a magnificent fortress has emerged in their sight.

Barak Wahl (Haimenguan).

This is a unique coastal city among the Dwarven cities. Its tunnels and caves are carved out of the cliffs on the northern coast of Blackwater Bay. Below the cliffs is a huge deep-water port and the berth of the Dwarven Navy.

Although the Dwarves were not very fond of the ocean, especially after the Battle of the Longbeard, when the Dwarves withdrew their forces back to the Endless Mountains, Barak Seagate was not weakened in the slightest. Instead, it became more important as it became the Dwarves' only major coastal fortress.

Its importance to the Mountain Kingdom is perhaps second only to the Eternal Peak and the Eight Peaks.

The Mountain Kingdom's only naval fleet is anchored here. Each of their ironclad ships is a huge floating fortress that can rival any other fleet. Haimenguan is the most urbanized dwarf fortress. Merchants from all over the world, including the Southern Kingdom, Bretonnia, the world of Lustria and even the Cathay Empire, unload their goods here.

Through the Skull River, and then transported to the Eternal Peak by land, the Empire called it "Border Earldom", but the common name is still "Border Princedom". Many tyrant princes of all sizes rely heavily on the help of the dwarf fleet because their gunboats can easily repel any greenskin tribe on the shore.

This city was not very big in the past, compared with other fortresses in the mountains, but after the victory of the Great War, the Mountain Kingdom initially only had two fortresses, Eternal Peak and Barak Seagate, so Seagate has been greatly developed. It has inherited the openness and inclusiveness of its past as a trade center, welcoming business travelers and immigrants from all over the world. It is also the only dwarf fortress with a permanent foreign population far greater than the dwarves themselves.

It is hard to imagine that the Eternal Summit is divided into corresponding forces according to regions, such as planning living areas for southerners and Arabs.

If the Margaritas' proud claim that the city "swallowed one-third of the wealth of the southern world" was a boast, then the dwarves' boast was that "Haimen Pass swallowed one-third of the wealth of the old world (the West)."

Rather than going into the mountains to fight greenskins and wild beasts, most people would actually prefer to find a job to support themselves and their families in a prosperous city with effective governance, clear rule, and no external threats, and spend their lives in peace.

If the people of the Empire immigrate, the closest place would be Bretonnia, where they could save up some wealth, buy farmland and strive to become a farmer with no worries about food and clothing; the farther place would be the New World, but crossing the ocean to a foreign land is very risky. Conflicts in the New World are relatively frequent. Generally, no one would mess with the elves' territory, but as the largest force in colonizing the New World, "humans" have their own fighting and quarrels.

It can almost be considered a license of marque for all.

By tearing down the fleet's flag and replacing it with a black skull flag, you can directly send it out disguised as pirates, rob the fleet of the enemy city or port, or even attack the port.

Colonists from the same country, such as Estalia, who are developing on a large island at the same time may fight each other for the exclusive right to use the island...

The New World is both a place of great voyages and the Wild West. Here, intelligent beings are organized together based on factors such as region, origin, belief, blood ties, and so on. They engage in various struggles for the sake of profit, or out of simple hatred and unwarranted hostility.

In short, it is a situation full of vitality and everything is competing.

......

If you are looking for something safer, the Border Prince Territory is a good choice.

The rampant greenskins in the past were suppressed to the south of Everlook Fort built by the dwarves. The only ones still active in the border areas were horse thieves and bandits. But any ruler with a little bit of brains, no matter whether he gave himself a humble title of "Lord XX" or "Earl XX" or the arrogant "Prince XX" or "The Grand Duke of the Border Appointed by His Majesty the Emperor", would wipe out these guys.

So overall, it's been getting better.

This place is growing in an orderly chaos. It is not as threatening as the new world, but there are also many opportunities.

The wealth and land of Bretonnia all have an "owner", whether this owner is an actual individual or an abstract "overall order", and it is very difficult to work alone in the New World with the strength of oneself and one's family.

In the border princely territories, as long as there is a certain amount of starting reserves, it is easy to obtain the power to cultivate a piece of land. In order to attract immigrants and expand their strength, the rulers here are generally more greedy in exploitation, so they are very popular with immigrants.

In addition, since this place is adjacent to the dwarves, it can obtain the output from the dwarves at a much easier cost and in a more convenient way than other areas. Therefore, whether it is the Southern Kingdom or Kislev in the north, or the Empire in between, there have always been many immigrants migrating to the border areas.

Chapter 111: Two Dwarves

In addition, the dwarves' military assistance can be obtained directly here. Barak Sea Gate was originally a fortress carved directly on the cliffs, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Land attacks are almost impossible. And all enemies who try to attack by sea will be defeated countless times by the powerful dwarf fleet.

After the Great War, in order to obtain manpower and resources from all over the world, Haimenguan implemented a policy of unlimited openness. More and more immigrants came, and soon the dwarf city was filled up. The latecomers had to settle down on a plain beside the river beach. Finally, the dwarves and the immigrants contributed money and manpower to build a cross-river bridge over the fjord and new urban areas on the north and south banks of the Blackwater River. Soon, a new city integrating industrial production and sea and land trade was created.

Haimen Pass is the headquarters of the Dwarf Marine Engineers Association. The dwarves rely on this place to dominate the sea, and their invincible ironclad ships and submarines all come from here.

If we only consider the ability to manufacture large-scale war machinery, this place is number one, and even the Engineering Association of Jiliuguan can only be ranked second.

Norn Bronzebeard is a dwarf who grew up in Seagate. He belongs to the post-war generation among dwarves, that is, a dwarf born after the Great War. It is precisely because he was born in this rare city of dwarves with the characteristics of openness and tolerance, and was influenced by it since childhood, that Norn developed a rare character among dwarves, who is good at interacting with other races, hypocritical, and using verbal traps (deception).

In the past, although Norn had completed several "big deals" due to his excellent diplomatic skills (for dwarves), and brought in many people from the Empire and Bretonnia in the name of the Bronzebeard clan, he himself was also excluded to a certain extent in the clan because he "did not look like a dwarf". Although dwarves are very united, it is extremely rare for them to have malicious intentions to stab or stab someone in the back, and it can even be said that there are almost no such cases.

But it was very unpleasant for Norn to not be recognized by his people and let them boast about their achievements.

But this time, standing on the deck of the fleet's first ship, standing under the blue and gold flag with ancestral runes, Norn's heart was filled with lofty sentiments. He did not have the slightest bit of the annoyance of returning to his tribe and quarreling with his tribesmen, arguing over each other's glory every day.

It is a kind of pride of returning home in glory.

He couldn't wait to kick open the door of the Mountain Assembly, walk into the venue with his hands on his hips, and wave the people who had signed their respective contracts, emphasizing how important their and their clans' contributions were in the war of recovery.

What about dozens of Bretonnian Rangers, hundreds of Imperial Militia, and numerous teams of Kislev Cossard Mercenaries...

All compatriots who disagree with this view should be driven out of office.

"You call that getting 'support'?"

He would go to the conference with the most arrogant attitude, and then wait for the other dwarves who were unhappy with him to attack him. When they started to denounce him, he would use a slow but powerful tone to announce his achievements and shock the whole audience:

"I brought 5,000 warriors, all fully armed and battle-hardened veterans who have beaten more than 100,000 greenskins and chopped off their ugly heads!"

"And this!——This is just the first batch of reinforcements!"

"Soon, there will be 10,000, 20,000, or even 50,000 or 60,000 elite regular troops like these joining our war!"

There would definitely be a lot of noise and uproar!

Norn could imagine how fiercely those competitors who disliked him would attack him, mocking him for being unrealistic and boastful without any achievements, and then he would throw out facts as heavy as a mountain at the conference, shocking everyone!

How refreshing and proud it would be!

The only pity is that the Alliance's envoy has already been to Eternal Peak...

As long as the Supreme Royal Court is not in serious trouble, it will never refuse such a powerful reinforcement to join the battlefield. If it has to pay a huge price, that's another matter - but Al said that he "doesn't need anything"!

"Being loyal to your friends is a reward in itself"!

Listen, if those pointy ears had such awareness, the Battle of Longbeard would never have happened; if Sigmar's Empire could always maintain such beliefs, many tragedies in history would never have happened!

Norn's ship was followed by a whole fleet. As agreed, Barbatos really sent them 5,000 well-trained warriors and a fleet to go to Seagate. Although they would not join the battlefield immediately after arriving, they still had to find a place to station first. They would not go to the front line under the command of the Children of Aiur until the Alliance officially joined the Dwarfs' War to Recover Lost Land.

The old dwarf Gladin sat on a deck chair, surrounded by the dwarf Little Moustache who were drinking and chatting on the deck to celebrate their upcoming return home.

He did not like the stuffy feeling in the cabin. Countless times in the past, Gradin had fought desperately in dungeons and tunnels. He had killed countless dwarven enemies and seen countless tribesmen and comrades die beside him.

Now is a rare leisurely day for the old dwarf. He doesn't drink, nor does he brag, nor does he shout about what hatreds have not been settled. It is enough for him to just sit on the deck, bask in the sun, feel the sea breeze, and feel the peace and tranquility that moistens everything silently.

The noise of the young tribesmen is also a harmonizer in this peaceful atmosphere that surpasses all the glory of war, allowing the old dwarves to feel the youth and vitality of the young bearded men.

After the great war, the elven gods rescued the souls that were devoured and enslaved by the dark gods, and sent them back to the mortal world after purification. They also bestowed fertility blessings on the elves, causing their population to experience a spurt of growth after the war.

The dwarves also had the same situation. The army of the Archnecromancer Nagash that marched south was defeated in Nehekhara, and the sleeping Valaya was not found by the Vampire Queen Neferata, so there was no plot of Nagash draining the dwarf goddess. Otherwise, the dwarves who knew about this would never interfere with the undead.

This dwarven goddess of family, healing, hearth, and all things that her two husbands didn't care about, and who invented the dwarven language, including runes, awoke at Valaya's Gate after the victory of the Great War and visited the Eternal Peak, saying that she had always hoped to open the "gate" (Valaya's Gate, where Valaya had been sleeping in the plot) to allow the dwarves to enter a golden age, but that this was no longer necessary after the war.

The goddess, whom all dwarves must call "Grandmother" (or just Mom), spread her power and blessings to the land of her descendants, greatly increasing the fertility of the dwarves. The ratio of female dwarves to male dwarves jumped to about 1/4, which was almost a three-fold jump. The dwarves, who were delighted, immediately implemented a strategy to encourage more births, which allowed the number of dwarves to recover rapidly and even exceeded that before the war.

The rapid growth of the ethnic group is also the driving force supporting the Mountain Kingdom to recover lost territory. Otherwise, with all the dwarves being refugees after the war and almost on the verge of extinction, it would be impossible for them to raise an army to recover the fortress.

It might be difficult for them to keep an Eternal Peak.

It would be better for them to be directly incorporated into the empire and become the second largest minority group - squeezing out the halflings.

......

The old dwarf's face turned red as he listened to the noise of the little bearded men. However, he did not feel annoyed at all. Instead, he was very happy.

He longed for this kind of life to continue, and even wanted it to last until the end of time, but he was also a resolute long-bearded warrior. Gradin knew clearly the meaning and importance of this war to the dwarf people. He could foresee that when the Lord of the Alliance, Aiel of the South, and his legion stepped into the mountains, a great war would inevitably break out and the war would reach its climax.

Graden was already prepared for it, and therefore he treasured the leisure time he had now.

It doesn't get any better than this.

If everything goes in this direction, the dwarves and the Alliance will gain a true ally, the war will be won, the lost territory will be recovered, the hatred will be washed away in blood... and he will be considered to have participated in it, and more or less contributed to making it all happen.

For Gradin Bronzebeard, there was no more to pursue.

The current beauty even gave the old dwarf some self-destructive thoughts - if, at the end of the war, he could chop off the last enemy's head, and have his own chest pierced by the enemy's weapon, becoming the final achievement and victim.

That would be perfect.

There couldn't be a grander finale than this.

Chapter 112: Haimen Pass

The arrival of the Bronzebeard Dwarves brought a small shock to Haimen Pass.

On their way to Haimen Pass, the fleet encountered at least four waves of dwarven Blackwater River patrol boats that approached to inquire about their origins and purpose.

Norn shouted at the top of his voice, saying that those who followed him were "noble, honorable, and trustworthy allies of the dwarves, who, at the call of a great king, spontaneously took up arms to support the dwarves' fight." No one believed him and thought that this guy must be crazy.

Norn had no choice but to ask the old dwarf Gladin to come out to testify. His lush long beard was very convincing at first glance, and the patrol team was shocked:

Are there any young people with such moral character in this world?

Just for the concept of an "order camp", they bring their own food to support other countries?

Some of the more stubborn dwarves refused to believe it and demanded that the Norns give the real story, otherwise they would report to the Sea Gate and refuse them entry. The latter had to simply change the story by saying, "I was bragging to you. In fact, they are just mercenaries hired by me at great expense. They are dogs of war who exchanged their lives for money." Only then were they successfully convinced.

After the fleet officially entered the port, the Haimen Customs Foreign Affairs Committee, who came to inquire, immediately contacted Norn and his party. After understanding the cause and effect of some things, they expressed their amazement and also made a small request:

The housing and airspace required for 5,000 soldiers cannot be vacated in a short time. They hope to allow the alliance soldiers to stay on the ship for two more nights, and it would be best not to have them all disembark at once.

This made Norn furious, and he argued with the people of the committee at the port, saying that if they were mercenaries who were paid to do the job, such an arrangement would not matter, and as he was the employer, he was at least qualified to decide on temporary residence - but this time he "brought" 5,000 Alliance warriors without spending a penny, not a single gold coin. It was an expeditionary force that Aiel voluntarily sent to support the dwarves. It had been made clear in advance that even if the dwarves did not want the Alliance to join the war, Aiel would lead his troops south to attract greenskins and share the pressure on the dwarves on the front line of Black Rock Castle.

Even if it is normal for such a large fleet to adopt a rotation system, it is normal for no more than two-thirds of the personnel to disembark at a time, but Norn did not want to disappoint his friends in the Alliance, and at least he had to fight for them to have the right to move freely in the East and West city areas of Haimen Pass.

The bureaucrats from the Foreign Affairs Committee who came to contact Norn and his party were not dwarves but humans. This was normal. Haimen Pass was now mainly divided into three parts:

The original Barak Seagate, the great dwarven stronghold perched on a cliff;

Dongcheng District is mainly inhabited by floating population, such as business travelers and tourists; Xicheng District is inhabited by foreign population settled in Haimenguan. The East and West Districts are connected by the Fjord Bridge.

The dwarves do not have enough manpower to manage a city with a population of nearly one million, so it is necessary to establish an administrative agency that mainly accepts foreign personnel. Such an organization will be connected with the "inner city", which is the original Haimen Pass. Although the dwarves occupy a dominant position here, they are also willing to share their authority with friendly friends. In the Fjord Council, dwarves only have one-third of the reserved seats.

Standing at the edge of the Bronzebeard team, with a blue armband tied on his shoulder, an Alliance officer representing the vanguard expeditionary force looked at the Haimenguan foreign affairs commissioner who was speechless because of Norn, but could not refute and could only retreat in disappointment.

A typical Tyrell.

He memorized the characteristics of the latter line.