A Tear in Reality
Daemons ran rampant at the head of the wurm, causing it to shift and turn in
its route. Although they seemed to be content to grow in numbers around
their rift, it was only a matter of time before they descended on Ghur,
destroying all in their path. Their first and second port of call would most
certainly be the settlement further down on the wurm, and then Nassolotyl
itself.
But they were caught unaware, as their presence was most certainly well
known. First by the followers of Beliana Fauncrest who raced to warn the
settlement of Dawnbringers, and by Hogrog Ug Weirdklaw who had been working
his magic in the background to close to the portal, or at least waylay the
daemons.
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Hogrog had been sharing his plans with anyone who would listen - Thorn's
Troggs, Steeltoof's Ironjawz, Tygon's Gargants, Gurrbag's Grots, and many
others - even some of the city gitz. A lot of them were of the same mind:
The Rift had to be shut and the daemons had to be smashed. Otherwise there
would be a lot more damage done to the Realm and its spirit than just a few
stretched ley-lines. The Wurrgog Prophet and his followers found a good spot
for their part in the
Ritual of The Snapping Jaws.
Unfortunately there were already a lot of gribblies there.
The Badfangs formed a cordon around Hogrog, to try to stop the daemons
interfering with the ritual.
The Horrors swarmed forward with sorcerous fires erupting from their many
hands.
The Changecaster and his entourage of weird imps and floating books, slowly
moved away from the main fight, to try and outflank the Wurrgog's defences.
Zogfang charged through the warp-fire blasts and engaged the Iridescent
Horror - the Changecaster's second-in-command.
He was mildly annoyed when Boss Ersatz appeared at his side and slammed into
the Iridescent Horror and sent it tumbling across the ground. Zogfang got
one last jab of his bone shiv in though, just before the daemonic lieutenant
discorporated.
The Changecaster moved past the fighting and headed for the Wurrgog Prophet.
Hogrog felt the first parts of the magic sliding into place - it was a
slower start than he wanted but there was now a foundation, there was now
hope.
A Pink Horror blasted blue fire at Ersatz, the Big Boss was furious.
Wardokk Urgog jumped down from the platform and started his Grimdokk magic; the healing power worked on all of the orruks near him; closing cuts, un-burning flesh and
revitalising the Badfangs.
Some of the Bonesplitterz realised what the Changecaster was up to and
blocked his path.
So the daemonic commander avoided them - he jumped up onto a ruin with a
clear line of sight on Hogrog.
The Horrors started aiming sorcerous fires at Wardokk Urgog.
Hogrog focussed a portion of his power at the Changecaster: A crushing green
fist enveloped the daemon.
Wardokk Urgog ignored the fires and continued to heal the Badfangs nearby.
More Pink Horrors closed in.
Boss Ersatz carved his way through some of them.
Noknok interrupted his rhythmic drumming for a moment to smash his heavy
bone drumstick into a Horror's face, without missing a beat.
The teeth of the Ritual were now in place. Hogrog had to concentrate hard as
the various threads of the ritual were being pulled apart, even as he wove
them together. The fibres of the Ritual's jaw-muscles started to bind
together, they were still weak though.
It didn't help how distracted he was though - at the same time as
manifesting the Ritual Hogrog and the Changecaster were also exchanging
magical blasts, the Wurrgog had the edge in the duel but to get it over-with
sooner he sent Zurgob over to attack the daemon as well.
Zurgob leapt up the ruins and finished off the injured Changecaster!
Searing blue, yellow and pink fires streamed across the open ground between
the daemons and the orruks. The daemons were far more dangerous at a
distance than they were in a fight, so the Badfangs didn't want to leave them with that advantage for long!
Arcane flames rippled out through the fighting again and again.
Several of the Horrors concentrated their fires on Ersatz - the Big Boss was
making a mess of them, one after another.
Waves of iridescent fire washed over Ersatz, his war-paint protected him
from the worst of the effects but it still scorched his flesh.
Zogfang and Rukbeast ganged-up on a Pink Horror.
Hogrog contorted and babbled incoherently as he pulled more components of
the Ritual together, weaving the strands of wurm-lines with the Beast-magic
of the realm and the energy of the Badfangs' fighting. But there was
something missing...
Boss Ersatz was being worn down faster than Wardokk Urgog could heal him.
His injuries were threatening to overwhelm him soon.
He didn't seem to notice though and the Badfangs rallied around his example,
plunging through the arcane fires to smash the daemons with their spirt-bone
weapons.
The great maw of the Ritual loomed large in Hogrog's mind now - its muscles
were gaining strength and coherency.
More Horrors crowded the Badfangs.
Suddenly Hogrog jumped down from the platform on the ruin - he knew what the
Ritual was missing now. It needed more violence! He roared encouragement at
the Badfangs who redoubled their enthusiasm for the fight. Several started
laughing uncontrollably as they slashed at the Horrors!
Big Boss Ersatz hacked down two daemons, one after the other. His massive
stone axe sliced through them and they dissolved into swirls of pink and
blue smoke.
Wardokk Urgog sent out another wave of healing Grimdokk power.
The Badfangs rounded on the last daemon.
With a triumphant roar Zogfang charged forward and smashed the last Pink
Horror with his beast-spirit infused bone weapons and the daemon
de-corporealized into a shrinking swirl of pink and blue flames, which were
then snuffed out.
The Waaagh! energy that flooded from the fighting orruks gave the Ritual the
last burst of power it needed to manifest: the vast ghostly green form of
Gorkamorka's grinning face coalesced from the clouds, and appeared right in front of the Rift. The image of the orruk god slowly opened his enormous
fanged mouth then suddenly chomped down on the swirling black portal....
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