Goblin Lands 2 Heroic Event Week 19: The Ground Shook

#1

Prologue

Balmoran Degor was the Yyan Houk in charge of the assault on the hated Rehsedgog. Under him were an army one hundred strong. They were armed with bio-organic cannons designed by the Dead Surgeons of Unit 111to cut down mountainsides. Their stone-hard flesh was clad in mighty armor of the ancient armies of the Mag Mag Gor. His pride was only equalled by his desire to enslave the Rehsedgog smiths to the cause of the Endless War.

He looked down at his assembled soldiers, “Our targets are smaller than us. They will try and outwit us. Shoot first, ask questions later. If we prove ourselves to the Warmaster in the Stars, he will return to us the Yyan Gor and they will lead us to victory over all on Der’al. Then the great heaven of the Endless War will lead us across the stars.
The Mag Mag Gor has promised us a future where battle will go on endlessly. Where death and blood shed fill the days, and each day we rise again to serve the Warmaster in the Stars. A Heaven where the Yyan can kill the Gods themselves and dance in their blood and feast on their flesh. Where none is greater than the Yyan, except the Mag Mag Gor who guides our path.

We will need smiths who can forge us great vessels of iron and steel. The Rehsedgog will be those smiths. By the turn of the Season of Auf Ka you will each hold a Rehsedgog forged War Spear and ride on the back of our new warship.”

A cheer came up from the giants.

Deep in the Rehsedian capital underground, they heard the echoes like thunder.

Part 1: Waylaid on the Path of Mag Mag Gor.

Balmoran watched the horizon. Already he had driven the Rehsedgogs from the field of battle in a single day. Melted heaps of their chariots lay around his army, and the dying cries of the Mak Hoblok filled the air. The giants spent no time cooking them before eating the thick herd animals.
He felt the Cages Eyes of the Warmaster in the Stars watching him in the here and now.
He bellowed, “These Olgogs are sacrifices to you mighty Warmonger. Open the way before us!”

A smaller giant walked over, picking his teeth with a sapling tree.

“Houk Degor, my commander, we have pacified the Rehsedgog supply lines. If we hold their caverns in siege now they will starve quickly but…” the Giant trailed off as if worried to speak of what he had seen.

“Speak plainly Runtling Okkok, the Warmonger has no time for you puttering,” snarled Balmoran raising his fist.

“Wait, wait, I speak of squads that have gone missing. On the road to the entrance, there were bombs unlike any made by the Rehsedgog. They killed two patrols before we discovered the cause. But the squad who reported the cause quickly fell silent themselves, with a loud explosion.
Our rearguard has fallen behind, and we’ve lost sight of the rear six.
Our flank is being harried by an Armorfiend.”

“Whaaaat? An Armorfiend. That could mean Ur King Tribals in the forests. I want them torn asunder,” said Balmoran.

Runtling Okkok replied, “But what if there is a Krato with them?”

“Tell them you serve the Warmonger, if they are still our enemy, then they must die as well,” said the Houk turning away from the Runtling and preparing to lead his army forward.

#2

Part 2: Unexpected Cavalry

Rogarth kept his Daemonsbane form at bay, the Cleansed Hammer of Protodoxa offsetting his inner nature. He watched the Giants as they swayed over the treeline. Their cannons aimed towards the mountain.

They wanted a cave in? Let them get a cave in. He pressed a hand to the ground focusing earth leyas with enough force to create walls of iron. They grew up around the entrance in a defensive ring. Even if the mountain side fell, the Rehsedians would have a chance to save themselves.

Now the Giants would have to get up close.

Rogarth hid himself, using the Leyas to camouflage himself while he waited for the storm, and Khered’s plan.

The large Giant force moved forward slowly. From here he could see hunched Giant Necromancers administering huge vials of irridescent combat drugs to the Giants keeping them advancing no matter what the terrain was before them. Their energy cannons raised towards the large iron walls that now blocked the entrance.

Rogarth watched as an Earther vehicle arced over the horizon. It was a hovercopter, and its rail cannons fired fast enough to create a line of steel flashing into the sides and shoulders of the Yyan Empire army. The giants cried out. None of them had before faced Earther technology, and its bite was fatal to many of the wild giants. Their fellow giants simply stepped over their dead bodies. The combat drugs had dulled their senses enough they simply didn’t register the danger.

They fell like tree trunks, crushing actual tree trucks, ironically, in their fall.

Rogarth watched as the Hovercopter disappeared over the horizon.

The clouds were darkening and a storm was flowing into being above the field of battle. Lightning arced down striking the Yyan over and over again. The army was now slowing its advance, and as expected the commanders sent smaller squads forward into the treeline to find the source of the attacks.

The main army split apart moving to trap the guerrillas in a pincer attack. Rogarth readied his hammer, they would be meeting in close combat soon enough.

#3

Part 3: Feeding the Forgling

Forge had traveled a long way just to slug a bastard in the face. Not that Scout didn’t have it coming after ditching him up north like that. Part of him had been happy to finally have a good excuse to leave. It was so boring up there. He hadn’t even had a decent brawl in months. He had told them he’d return with Scout and he probably would sooner or later. Of course he had to find him first.

He stepped to the top of a ridge and tried to get the lay of the land. As he gazed about he heard a sudden rumble and felt the ground shift. Suddenly below him a group of olgogs broke from the tree line into the clear a moment later giants burst out of the same woods. The olgogs turned to fight. As Forge watched the battle his hands drifted to the hafts of his axes. He was very tempted to get involved but decided against it. He had his own business to take care of and really he didn’t know who’s side was in the right. He turned to leave. A giant not doing anything else leveled a magi cannon at him and fired. The beam missed by a few feet but it told him all he needed to know about sides. He pulled his axes and leapt off the ridge aiming at the giant who fired at him. A huge grin split his face as he plummeted toward the confused giant.

The Yyan raider looked up to see the descending axeblade slipt his eye open. Forge hooked it into the Giant’s cheek and use it as a pivot point to swing. He rolled in mid-air and both axes slashed in unison, severing the Giants’ throat. The giant fell back clutching upwards and gurgling. Forge struck the ground and pounded between another giant’s open legs cutting a pair of hamstrings. The giant roared as it crashed down. The Yyan tried to fire down at the lightning fast K’iou, but those few who hit him, found he was already deflecting the beams off of one his axes.

With four dead giants surrounding him, suddenly Forge watched the giants back off. He gritted his teeth in anger, they were trying to open up room to hit him with their cannons. Six of them were about to unload on his with their cannons. Another lesser person would have cowered in fear. Forge didn’t give a damn, he laughed in their faces.

At that moment, two of the Giants fell with huge holes blasted in their heads by a high powered rifle. Another two of the Giants stumbled to the ground clutching their legs in pain. The last remaining two fell lifeless to ground, their eyes holding a dumbfounded expression. Standing on the back of one, pulling a two handed sword out of the giant’s skull was a mercenary.

“Ethan Eirtrian’s the name, been hired by the Rehsedians to help protect their holdings against Giants,” said the merc.

“They call me Forge,” said the K’iou, slitting the throats of the two wounded giants. Forge examined their wounds. Looked like laser burns. He recognized them from the Border Wars. A nasty time it was.

“Forge Havokhammer, hero of the GodsWar,” said Ethan, “I’ve heard of you.”

“Did your friends handle the other giants?” asked Forge.

“Not my friends exactly,” replied Ethan, “But there are a host of heroes from across Refuge operating in this field of battle. This isn’t the first time I’ve aided a comrade I didn’t know on this battlefield, and isn’t the first time I’ve seen others do the same.”

Another Giant leapt from the trees at them, Ethan turned and drove his blade up in a single slice that took the monster’s head clean off.

Forge was surprised to hear so many independent operators were in one field of combat and the place hadn’t burned down yet.

Then in the distance a giant slumped backwards from a copse of trees where it was wrestling…a fiery monster. It grew in size as it consumed the trees and the giant’s corpse. It moved towards the closest giant and leapt on it, setting fire to everything in its path.

Forge sighed, his first instinct was crush the fiery monster on principal. He hefted the demon axe, and waited to see if it was an ally or an enemy.

#4

Part 4: A Bird in Flight

Khered frowned, Warmonger’s Dead Giants, at least they weren’t undead. That would make slaughtering them a bit easier. He began his plan, he was the living bait, that was fine with him as long as the job got done. These Giants were unlikely to hit him.

He flew above them, and hurled fireballs down upon the giants, not really to kill them but to get their attention and lure them into the trap. Five Giants charged after him. He would bring them to Daemonsbane who would cripple them.

As he raced back towards the ambush point, he saw an ontor out of the corner of his eye. It was saddled, and on its back rode a Rehsedian. The beams of the magi cannons never touched Khered, but the rider of the ontor was obviously unused to combat. He was quickly shot out of the sky.

Smith found himself in a giant’s grasp. To his horror, his ontor was cut in half by a magi cannon beam. Only his armor had saved him from being cut in half alongside his mount. One arm was pinned, and the giant was raising him towards its mouth.

Then the giant was bowled from its feet by an I’tashi Wardragon. The lobotomized Dragon had a cockpit in its head. Holding down the giant, the cockpit on the dragon opened and out leapt a Kasanthian. Opening a shadow cocoon out flew a Falsewyrm whose bite took the head off the giant, and from its back leapt Nightmares dressed in Power Armor. Their magi cannons cut down another giant, and Lord Mada was back in his cockpit, taking off again.

Flying overhead, the Wardragon fired at the disorganized giants. The Magi Cannons that studded its cockpit like crystalline piercings, rained down cutting beams of energy. It cut sections from the Giants not smart enough to try and dodge, leaving them little more than cauterized meat.

Smith’s arm had been ripped clean off by the Giant, in the moments before its head was taken off. He dragged behind him a work hammer, and was bleeding profusing. Another Giant raised its fist up to crush the Smith, when lightning and frost struck the giant as a pack of Tla’loc’alans attacked in as a group from the forest cover. As it tried to fight them off, it was peppered by scorching laser blasts from an unknown source.

Smith stumbled into the treeline, and saw an olgog standing triumphantly over the body of a Giant before being knocked to the ground by an Armorfiend. Smith swung his hammer with enough force to get the Armorfiend’s attention though he couldn’t crack its shell.

The Armorfiend snapped at him, and bum rushed smith off his feet. He landed with a painful oof, and Smith’s hammer spun from his grasp.

Yalar Took jumped to her feet and saw the Rehsedian about to get his head caved in by the Armorfiend she had summoned. It had all gone great, until she had stopped concentrating on it while trying to draw a Giant into her trap. Then the Armorfiend had gone buck nutty. The monster was clearly as intent on killing Yalar as it was on attacking the giants. Yalar noted for the future, when summoning malicious aliens from other dimensions, pay attention to them at all times. She could almost hear Yagogi’al calling her a damn fool Took.

Three Giants towered over her, and the Armorfiend she had summoned was about to kill the Smith.

Then a ray of light seemed to part the clouds. A winged form thundered down like a bolt from the sky. He struck with enough force to crack the giant’s helm in half and the skull underneath as well. Khered raised his offhand, and a massive fireball appeared above his hand. He hurled it towards the nearest giant, leaving little more than ash and cracked armor where the Giant had been moments before. While the flash of the fireball still blinded the third giant, Khered leapt and with a buffet of his wings landed on the bridge of the giant’s nose.

The Giant went crosseyed trying to focus on the Tsogari, and Khered’s spear tip parted skin smoothly. It ruptured the nasal cavity, aerated the sinuses, and continued deeply into the Yyan soldier’s brain. A quick twist, and the Giant was falling forward.
Khered sprang backwards, withdrawing the spear as he did so. His wings extended and he swooped down to the ground.

Off to his right, Rogarth had kneecapped two other Giants who thought they would be ambushing them. Khered relished the satisfying crunch when Rogarth’s new hammer sunk deep into a crippled Giant’s spine. Rogarth leapt over and delivered the coup de grace to the last remaining giant in that squad.

“You realize these Olgogs have no chance against an army like this right?” said Khered, “If they had not been lucky enough for our good natures…er…my good nature to destroy these Warmonger worshipping Giantspawn.”

“They would have been crushed. Even the UtR with its full compliment would struggle against something like this. And these are just the Yyan footsoldiers,” agreed Rogarth, “With full air support, and artillery, and ancient evils? I grow concerned for my little green furry friends.”

He glanced over at the Smith, who was currently under a frenzied melee between Khered and the Armorfiend. Finally there was a sickening snap, and the armorfiend’s arm hung limp. It had been pierced so many times by Khered’s spear that the Tsogari grew impatient, and shattered the arm outright. The Armorfiend ran, bounding off into a nearby tree and disappearing. .

“Are you injured?” asked Khered as he offered a hand to the Rehsedian, and saw the bad wound.

Smith said, “I feel dizzy.”

Khered waved a hand over the wounded parts of Smiths body and he was healed. Khered turned towards Yalar Took and healed her injuries as well, before he took off once more into the sky on his wide wings.

#5

Part 5: Balmoran’s first demise

Balmoran Degor, first Houk of the Rehsedian Campaign, had won the first day of battle a champion. Rehsed was going to fall as morning rose on the second day. Now at evening, he was deeply worried. Their losses were unacceptably high. Both a Hovercopter attack run, and a sustained assault by an I’tashi Wardragon had killed more of his Giants. He had hoped to wait till nightfall to have the Giant Necromancers called down to risk themselves converting the dead. Instead a giant fire monster had consumed the bodies of so many dead. Others seemed to just disappear.

It was now just Balmoran and his honor guard of thirty. Easily enough to stomp a mideval city into gravel. The dead body of the Runtling runner had been hurled at them like a speeding projectile, and nearly crippled Balmoran. He felt a little bit of satisfaction when he burned the body of the Runtling to ash with his magi cannon. Balmoran didn’t like these mercs. He wasn’t sure what the Rehsedians had offered, but it brought warriors from as far as Kasanth.

Balmoran raised his cannon up again, intent on bringing down the mountain.

“Damn subtlety,” said Balmoran, “Now boys, raise em as one.”

Thirty magi cannons were pointed at the mountain side.

“Fire”

And the beams were brilliant. The top of the mountain was sawn off, creating a plateau that remains there to this day. The sides of the mountain did indeed tumble. They gave way, but just as they might have covered the entrance, the many walls erected by Rogarth diverted them away from sealing the door.

No great caravans could use the road as they once had, too much of the mountain had fallen in, but the Rehsedians would survive.

Balmoran’s rage was overwhelming. Now instead of just a road to take, and a bunch of Post-siege starving Rehsedians to enslave, they had accidentally helped the Rehsedians erect earthworks to protect the mighty Desher Gate.

From their rear, Balmoran’s formation was struck by six magi cannons. In the forest canopy, Balmoran could see his former soldiers, turned into some vampire’s thralls. He was suddenly quite happy so many had been burned to a crisp by the fire.

From above at that moment, multiple magi cannon blasts rained down on his unit. Balmoran was ready this time, his cannon and eyes searching for the War Dragon. But it was off to his right picking off stragglers, to his confusion, and Balmoran couldn’t figure out what was firing upon them. He made a critical error. Instead of focusing on the attack from above, he had his forces focus fire on the vampire giants in the forest canopy. They escaped back into the shadows, giving Balmoran’s unit just trees to hit.

Meanwhile, Krodnok could not believe his luck. His first magi cannon salvo had killed a slew of giants, and none of them were even firing back. He continued to pick them off one by one. His cloaking device working overtime to offset the sparks each time he fired his cannons.

Lurtor was equally prepared to take advantage of the giants tactical misstep. One magi cannon in each hand, Lurtor stepped out from behind a tree and began capping giants in the back of their heads. Four giants fell before Lurtor was once again behind cover moving to a new position.

Balmoran couldn’t understand it. Every time, he had sighted in on the vampires, and ordered his giants into position he was already flanked. They must have converted more of his troops against him. Balmoran honestly never expected the Rehsedgogs to turn to vampires, it had been completely outside his planning. He admitted to himself, he had failed the Warmonger on this day.

Balmoran turned to his last remaining thirteen soldiers and said, “We fight our way out of here today. And another tomorrow we will return at the head of an even larger force.”

Balmoran turned to run, and the thirteenth of his giants was cut down by a single strike from a cambion. Balmoran recognized the assassin known as Daemonsbane.

“Our shared Master sends his regards,” whispered Balmoran, “He misses you.”

“When I kill you Giant, you can tell my father that I will make sure he never enjoys the sunlight on the face of one of his avatars ever again,” Rogarth replied, readying the hammer.

Balmoran roared angrily and hurled a crystal at his feet. His remaining twelve soldiers followed his lead each with their own crystal. They shattered in succession and each dropped into an energy bridge to Vec’zne. The energy bridges closed behind them.

“What was that?” asked Khered as he landed.

“Energy bridges to,” Rogarth started to reply before being cut off.

“I know what they used to escape, but have you ever seen that tactic before?” asked Khered.

“Yes its an old tactic from the K’ias Wars. The Nightmare Lords created similar crystals as an escape hatch if their ships were damaged in the dark space between worlds,” said Rogarth, “And since the Nightmare Lords are long extinct, no one is going to challenge those Giants if they are using old pathways of the Nightmare Lords.”

#6

Epilogue: Inside the Blessed Hall where only the Rehsed Mag’ol and the Rehsedgog Master Smiths were allowed to enter. Here the heroes of the Defense of the Rehsedian Capitol receive their reward.

A glove of supple mak hoblok leather was placed around the hand and forearm. Then it was woven with K’iou hair, in tight braids giving a further inch of protection to the forearm, and hand. Then metal scales were placed in certain spots to cover the hand from forearm in shining scales.
The Rehsedgog waved their hands over the blessed one. The heat would increase until the metal scales slid perfectly into place, melting and melding with the k’iou hair bindngs below.
As the ritual continued the heat could be felt inside the glove, but no pain or damage came to the wearer, such was the skill of the master craftsgogs. The Gogs commanded, “Flex the hand, and make a fist.”

The blessed ones raised their hands as one and flexed. There was a snapping noise and each scale seperated along its own line, extending angled upward. Each back edge of the scale was razor sharp and the fronts firmly attacked to the glove. Five scale fronts came together on the tip of each finger, forming a point for delicate work.

The Rehsedgog waved their hands once again and cold filled the glove. They commanded, “Release your grip and salute the great Mag’ol.”

Each Rehsed Gog placed their open hand palm first across their head, where their eyes met.
Each of the Blessed Ones followed suit, shocked to find the scales lay so perfectly that when the hand was flat, not a single blade would cut.

“You are now RehsedRapi of the Rehsedgog. Always a great tent will be set out for you in any Rehsedian encampment, so you may rest, and eat and drink,” said the Mag’ol.

Looking at the claw, this RehsedRapi, Ollurug couldn’t help but wonder if this was where his father had gotten his own warclaw.

As Ollurug came out from the Stone halls of Blessings and watched the other Blessed Ones leave. He felt a little light headed. All that emotion was hard to process. He felt like crying and laughing all at the same time. Luckily he was unable to do either, pulled of his feet by a broodish Olgog that slammed him up against the stone wall.

Ollurug was no fool, and knew the big guy as Olgog the olgog. Ollurug ran through the criminal’s stats in his head. Ex-EEF Special Forces. Strong enough to rip a person’s head off with his bare hands. A tech saavy enough to have a thousand contingency plans. Ollurug had one bit of info that OtO didn’t.
Ollurug actually knew about Derlur the Nomad’s real connections. And he knew OtO would suffer if he actually tried to pull him apart.
No this Olgog wanted information, and Ollurug would have to give him a little bit of truth if he was going to walk away from this encounter.
This encounter continues here…

#7

Rewards

Lord Mada, The Kul Gul Rapi (Kulal), Burke the Merc, Yagogial (Yalar Took), Lord Grimaldus (Sir Sanches Giantsbane), Daemonsbane, Krodnok (Krodnok) Gang of Uf Mag’og (Zlattan), Forge, Urik’s Outcasts (Flora), Ethan Eirtrian, Derlur the Nomad (Ollurug), Lalder(Lurtor) and Khered gains one ReshedRapi, this can be used with Hand to Hand, or Polearms skill (if employed in the off hand as a gauntlet while holding the polearm). It does 5 Melee dmg on its own, and can be artificed. It gives a +2 bonus to Parry. A ReshedRapi attack can be employed as an additional attack if the character has the duelist special training. All standard extra melee attacks using a polearm use that standard polearm’s stats, and the extra duelist attack uses the Rehsedrapi stats (even though duelist cannot usually be used with two handed weapons like polearms). It is unique to its wearer and loses all bonuses in the hands of someone other than whom it was forged for. Technically this can also be used with Rifle skill to add an extra close combat attack when using Bayonets or switching between close combat and ranged attacks.

Kulal Kul Gul Rapi gains 6 Yyan Empire Cannoneers Wild Giant Vampires
Yyan Empire Cannoneer Wild Giant Thrall Vampires (Vampire Giant Gunners)
HP 26 F.S. 5, 2 attacks.
Strength 10, +2 Bonus to Initiative, Immune to Vampiric Attacks and Chill attacks
Immune to Disease, Poison and Pain. Takes x2 dmg from Light & Laser attacks.
Takes Healing Leyas as damage.
Grey Carapace Armor- A.R. 8 vs Melee & Missile, 4 vs. Energy & Chill
Immune to Acid attacks
Special attacks: Gauntlet Punch: 20 Melee dmg, Bludgeon, No A.R. Vs Giants & WarGiants
Throw Treetrunk- 20 Missile dmg, x2 dmg to vehicles and structures. Bludgeon. Requires adult tree
Throw Vampire Mak Hoblock Corpse- 30 Missile dmg, Bludgeon, then Vampire Mak Hoblok attacks!
armed with a
Yyan Magi Cannon- 6d8 (Half A.R.) Energy dmg, x4 dmg to Vehicles.
Requires strength 10 to carry in combat by non-giants.
Corrupted Sylvan Power Converter core: This weapon will detonate if not fed 2 H.P. Of Users Lifeforce each day. Unluckily method of charging this weapon in this way is not intuitive. Requires Necrotech T# 5 with 2 successes to figure it out by studying the weapon. If detonated it does its listed dmg to all targets within mile. City effect (+ 16 dodge t#)

Burke and Flora gains a Bad Ass Blessed Bayonet. The locals told him the blade was carved from Angelbone or some such nonsense and then reinforced with rods of steet. Does 8 Melee dmg, x2 dmg to Undead & Nightmares & Ancient Evils. Can damage creatures with Bag of Bones special rule. Does 2 Dmg if used as a standard dagger instead of fixed as a bayonet on a rifle.

Yagogial, Yalar Took gains a Nemesis. This Armorfiend will hunt down Yalar Took and try and make Yalar’s life a living hell.

Ethan Eirtrian gains a Reforged Giantkiller Sword. Ethan’s sword has been reforged by the Rehsedgog and (along with previous bonuses) gains +2 Bonus to damage making it a 12 (Half A.R.) Melee dmg, No A.R. To Wargiants and Giants. It also has a extendable hilt, allowing it to be used as a polearm, or with the RehsedRapi special ability.

Or’Lur does not get a reward, because the mission rules only allowed 1 character to be sent in and instead 15 were sent in.

Kolgol does not gain a RehsedRapi as he said he would walk up after and just say he witnessed the battle. But Gor’mag gains Blessed Spirit of Father Ka’Mag. After the battle, Gor’mag feels the spirit of his father inside him and gains a Faith +1 to a maximum of +3. If Gor’mag already has a Faith lvl 3 please PM Narrator so this reward can be revised.

Smith of GulTor’Uf gains More Experience With Giants. He also unlocks the ability to use K’iou hair and metal plates to make armor plates that can move with a person or animal.
All metal armors created by this character count as -1 WT to a minimum of 1 WT.