News From the Front: Into the Depths
"I'm certain, Sire," said the Forgemaster.
"Ye know how rare that stone is. I've got a few bits left in my vaults, an' I'll happily give it, but the amount you're askin' for is a hundred times or more what I've got down there." Slipping into Khazalid, Thorgim asked, "Where do you plan to get that much brynduraz?"
General Rordin Ironmane, head of the Oathbearers, stepped forward to answer. "We've found Phineas Fireforge's secret tunnel into Mount Gunbad, Sire. The legend is true."
There were sharp intakes of breath around the room followed by a barrage of questions.
The High King raised his hand and the room fell silent. "Are you sure, General?"
"Aye, Sir. We followed the old Dwarf's trail through the Badlands and I think he really did have a secret way inside. There's a mess o' Goblins guardin' the cave, but I'll wager me ma's best servin' gold that's the way in. We'll need more Dwarfs, and excavation tools."
"Then, you shall have them. Well done, General. Well done."
"Oi Skraggit,
wot's dis stunty doin' in here? I ain't seen no stunties in here in a long
time."
"I dunno,
Kurba, da Squigs usually find 'em before dey get too far in."
"Wot's he
carryin' dere?"
"Looks like
some of dat glowy stuff Blaz says dey're always after. I dunno what's so
special 'bout it. It's an ugly color an' ya can't make nuffin' any good wit'
it."
"Stunties is
dumb."
"Yeah, not
like us lads. We's smart!"
"We'd better
tell Blaz about findin' a stunty this far down, hadn't we?"
"Nah, he'll
just yell like he always does. Let's bring da Squigs back here an' he won't
have to worry about it after they're done wit' him, anyway."
"You's is a
clever gob, Skraggit."
The
Story
Lurking in the far Northwest of the Badlands,
the fetid depths of Gunbad lay in wait for inquisitive adventurers. Those brave
(or foolish?) enough to enter its dank depths discovered a land quite unlike
the surface worlds.
Once a Morkain place of power, for a thousand years Gunbad was home to a
strange breed of Greenskin. The mushroom-crazed forces of the Night Goblins --
furtive maniacs clad in black and flecked with spit -- gibber and scurry in the
darkness. Alone in the gloom their unhinged minds have fashioned all manner of
madness, from teetering Goblin cities to pulsating squigs of nightmarish
proportions.
Now change has come to the timeless depths. The Age of Reckoning has forced the
armies of Order and Destruction to plunge headlong into the reeking dark. The
Greenskins seek to break the unruly Night Goblins to their brutish will,
beating their brains out until they see sense and join the Waaagh! The Dwarfs
meanwhile have a more desperate mission. Gunbad is the sole source of brightstone-
a key component of the mighty Doomstriker Weapons. They must claim this
precious ore and destroy a potential ally to the Waaagh. Still, the prospect of
spattering goblin brains whilst underground has cheered more than one
Oathbearer, despite the grim tales of the Night Goblin's insane strength.
How it Works
Gunbad is an open world instanced dungeon. This means all Order players go in
one version of the dungeon, whilst all Destruction players go in another.
Gunbad contains three themed wings, each with three PQ's and an instanced wing
boss.
You'll need to gain enough influence from the PQ's to access the wing boss.
You'll also need to be in a group. As all the monsters in Gunbad are at least
champion level, don't expect to solo this Dungeon!
Gunbad is best suited to players between level 22 and 30. Each wing has a
different ideal level range so you can progress through the content in a
natural manner. The West Wing is level 22-23, the East Wing is level 24-25
whilst the South Wing is for levels 26-29.
Once you've completed all the wings and taken down each of the wing bosses, you
can face the final challenge of Gunbad- the mighty Squig Boss ‘Ard Ta Feed.
Mutated by years of exposure to Morkain power (and the tainted flesh of
mushroom-gobbling Goblins) ‘Ard to Feed is a two-headed nightmare of teeth,
claws and vomit.
Multiple Quests will take you into Gunbad, as will the desire for some of the
delicious items that can be gained from the PQ's and Bosses. There are also
several unique titles to be unlocked and some hidden puzzles for explorers to
collect.
All racial
pairings and 18 careers were open during this round of testing, and players
were able to use level 20 templates so they could jump right into the depths of
Gunbad. Because this phase of beta far exceeded our expectations, we decided to
open up high Elf vs. Dark Elf Tier 3 testing ahead of schedule and allowed all
racial pairings to clash again from the ancient forest of Avelorn
to the azure trees of Saphery. Players engaged in Public Quests and RvR, and
worked together to unlock the secrets that Ulthuan holds.
The
following letters and writings, bloodied and torn, have been intercepted by
various factions throughout the fields of battle.
Witch Elf on the Coast of Ulthuan
Oh, what a
sweet delight it was! To find him crouched there, that wretched “high” elf,
cloaked in the shadows of the forest knowing not that I crept close. His
attention was on the great ship looming below embracing the coast. At
this distance I could see the sheer panic in his eyes - the site of our
strength more than his meager mind could handle. Oh what an expression
though! If somehow I could have killed him right then, removed that
disgusting face locked in that expression, and kept it in a jar, it would be
the highlight of my trophies. But alas, I was not quick enough.
Indeed, his expression quickly changed, a feeling - an inkling- some rancid
sixth sense arresting his attention from our great dark ship forcing him to
narrow his focus closer to home. Disappointing; I was looking forward to
the jar. But no matter, other delights lay at hand. My blades,
having kept silent for so long, couldn't seem to contain their excitement any
longer and leapt from their sheathes, writhing around my fingers. I know
he heard the sigh of the blades slipping across leather. He knew I was
there. It made the fight all the sweeter.
I leapt from my position, behind and to his flank, and my weapons seemed to
fly, a will of their own, controlling my own limbs. They, as much as I,
wanted to rend flesh. He rounded, attempting to defend himself. He
fought bitterly, like a dying boar fights a hunter. It wasn't long, a few
breathless moments perhaps, before the sweet kiss of agony was delivered to the
man. His weapon plummeted to the forest floor and he staggered a step as
he began to lose his grip on the corporeal. He stared at his hands,
coated in a bright sheen of glorious red as if not understanding how they
became that beautiful color. I watched, delighted, basking in the sight,
as the fool crumpled over and whispered some foul name of some lowly wretch
before finally releasing that which I desired: his life.
Oh, what a sweet delight it was! Khaine the bloody-handed has blessed me
with this gift! To revel in this blood and victory! To dance
victoriously upon the beaten and ruined corpses of my enemies! And this
was but a taste! I can just see the shining city, cloaked in our great
banners! The Druchii will take back that which has been denied to us for
so long! Malekith wills it, and so it will be…
-Taos, witch elf of Khaine
-Ulthuan coast
Me cave Story
I wakez up
to da Boss yellin at me to go to sum cave. I dint wanna go cuz da last
gobbo I eat made me belly hurt but da Boss hit me ‘ard so I aint sayin nuffin
(Dun tell anywun but I tinks da Boss dun hit as ‘ard as before, maybe I be da
Boss soon). I dun know anyfings about dis cave otha den that I hear dere
be some gobbos dat be usin some otha kind of juice dat makes em weirda den our
lil gits. Imma teach em dat our WAAAGH da ONLY juice dey BETTA use.
I go and I see sum elves! I dint tink dere be any here cuz dis be stuntie
land. I gets mad and runz at em. But I gets let down cuz I see dese
elves has dark hair and da Boss sez we not to fight elves wit dark hair.
Dey call ‘emself dark elves and dey sez dat dere Boss told em to go
to da same
cave I sposed to go to. Dey tellz me.. uhh no wait I TELLZ DEM dat they
best follow ME if dey dun wanna be bashed, and dey listenz.
I gets dere and I see me boyz. Dey see me with dem scrawny dark elves and
LAF AT ME! I gets real mad and goes a differen way den da boyz. Dey
gonna miss me choppa,, dey will SEE…
So I be bashin dese weird gobbos here and dere. I see dem elves fight ok
and have magic dat fix me up nice but I dint really need em cuz I BIG. I
dunno bout dese elves, dey likes to talk real quiet in der ears, and I see dat
dey fling dere hair back a lot. Dey also smells weird but me tinks a nice
slop bath fix dat.
Wez fight more gobbos and I seez dem boyz again, cept dey aint movin. See
dey be movin if dey had ME choppa wid em. Dose gits got wut comin.
I gets dis choppa from one em boyz I be lookin to get befo'. Is a nice
choppa n me happy again. Den from sum hole dis big giant humie lookin ting come
runnin at me!
So I STOMPS da giant DEAD by ME SELF (I tink dem elves did nuthin) and I gets
to tinkin to take sum of its teef for me self. Da elves start lookin in
da giants stuff and finds dis shiny ting. I dunno why dey squabbling ova
dat shiny ting, its not as gud as me new teef! I gets to tinkin dat if
dey squabbling ova some shiny ting dey gonna try and bash me for me new
teef. So I runs.. wait no.. uhm.. BASH em up REAL good and head
back.
I tell da Boss dat dem elves kill da boys but not to worries cuz I stomped em
good.
Into the Fray
Today I had
the exquisite pleasure of joining my elf and dwarf comrades in fighting the
forces of Chaos, as well as the despicable Dark Elves and hordes of greenskins,
within a most extraordinary place: an underground volcanic chamber that turned
out to hold an ancient artifact! Alas, this experience is one I will
likely never have again...
I felt instantly more alive, more in touch with Aqshy when I entered; I could
feel the power of the Red Wind in this place, begging to be unleashed upon my
foes. Arriving at the forward camp, we gathered and surveyed the
area. We found not only an equally sized force of enemies, but the
artifact of which I spoke, a small sphere, approximately fives inches across.
It was made of enchanted Brimstone, which seemed to be a tangible manifestation
of Aqshy.
Knowing we
could not allow it to fall into to enemy hands we surged forward, fighting our
foes in a small cusp of land around a pool of lava and surrounded by another
pool. One false step could mean the end of the most seasoned warrior, and
yet on we fought. It was then that I could feel the power of the artifact
calling to me. The power of Aqshy was calling to me through it.
Taking advantage of a moment of respite in the battle, I seized the artifact
and instantly felt the power of it flowing through me. Turning on our
foes, I unleashed the furious power of Aqshy upon them, scorching the earth
beneath their feet, unleashing fiery blasts upon them, igniting their very
essence in glorious flame! And in my wondrous euphoria of power, never
noticing that for every blast of fire unleashed upon my foe, so too was the
flame of Aqshy unleashed upon myself. After a time, the world went
dark...
I awoke at the camp at the edge of volcanic chamber, a warrior priest giving
thanks to Sigmar for my survival, and for our victory this day. It seems
that with the power of the artifact and Aqshy running through me, our forces
were able to drive back the forces of Destruction. But it very nearly
cost me my life. The artifact's powers, along with my reckless use of
Aqshy, nearly burnt me to a cinder. The artifact was deemed too dangerous
to use, and placed back in the volcano. This camp would remain to guard
it, but I would be transferred elsewhere, lest temptation strike again...
Ilmoran Azurefyr,
Bright Wizard.
Travels of a Chosen
It's been
days since I've been on this accursed island of the elves. I loathe this
land, I wish nothing but to be back in the glorious home of the Architect of
Fate, Tzeen'neth, or Tzeentch as the humans commonly refer to him.
Although it is by his choice that I am on this island, and it is not my place
to question his machinations. It is enough that I am here and assisting
these evil cousins of the elves. I abhor how these darker elves think
they are high and mighty, and that they believe themselves invincible.
If the Changer of the Ways himself hadn't sent me here, I'd have split more
than one of these elves in two with my sword for ordering me
around. Currently they have ordered me to scout out several crucial
points of interest that if taken, would give them an advantage in battle.
If this didn't have the promise of killing these High Elves in the name of
Tzeentch, I would have shown that elf just who is the dominant force in this
world.
My travels took me to a place of some renown, the Spire of Teclis. I
loathe to admit it, but this Teclis is a magic user of immense skill and has on
numerous occasions been a thorn in the side of the dark gods. Even so, he
is no match for the servants of Tzeentch, the master of magics. As I came
near to my destination I couldn't help but anticipate the upcoming battle; these
would be proven guards and hopefully provide a challenge. The citizens
and poorly trained guards were no match in combat, even when they out numbered
me three to one on occasion.
I dodged in time as I was taken out of my thoughts by a High Elf with a great
sword suited in full combat armor. A Sword Master of Hoeth. These
elves train with these swords all their long lives. They are said to be
unequaled in combat. We shall see.
"Before I strike you down, servant of the Dark Gods, I would know your name."
he says, full of confidence and the haughtiness that the elves are known for.
"My name, elf, was lost to time before the days that even you in your long
life were not around for." At this point his gaze faltered just
enough for me to notice. He had been so sure he had come across a young
fool looking for glory and bloodshed. He steeled his gaze and came
forward at me, feigned a swing to my left then effortlessly brought it back to
my right side in one fluid motion with a quick spin. I side-stepped it
and swung at one of his legs. He parried my swing and again took another
chance, this time trying to end this quickly by taking my head off. I
wouldn't go down so easily; I'd been in countless fights and this one won't be
any different as I defended his blow. I would be the one to walk away
with another trophy to display.
We traded blows back and forth, dodging and parrying each other. I always
respect a worthy opponent, but as good as this elf was, he was still not worthy
to face the might of a servant of Tzeentch. I took a series of swings
that would leave my right side open, he took the bait and went for it. I
feigned to parry him and let it hit my armor. His elven great sword was
not enough to penetrate armor forged by the Dark Gods themselves. The
Sword Master, expecting a parry, braced for our weapons to collide, but since I
let it through it was a weak blow. I back-handed him and knocked him on
his back. He dropped his sword and this battle was over. With a
heavy step I shattered his sword that was most likely an heirloom that had been
in his family for thousands of years. As I walked over to him, I asked
him his name.
"Before I strike the killing blow, I would know your name." He
did not reply, but scorned at me and spit in disgust. "Then know this elf,
that with your defeat, the Spire of Teclis will fall."
The
screenshots below have been taken by our Beta Testers during their various
adventures in search of glory and honor!
Closed beta comes
to a climax as the forces of Order and Destruction clash in mighty battles
across the vast battlefields of WAR. From the hills of Mount Bloodhorn
to the swamps of the Marshes of Madness, WAR is everywhere! The gates of Altdorf and The
Inevitable City stand strong - will they survive the onslaught of the masses?
