Mutiny's End, Part 1

Prologue

Gudrun the Young sat in his cabin, a map of the Karkino Sea and copies of the notes by his fellow captains spread on his desk. He thought with pride at how Sigurd Prow Dancer, Captain Kælador Heirn Dustral, Madiha al Sayaada and him had worked on Bloddy Bennet's Riddle. Surely some of the best salty dogs he'd ever met sailed under the Umbral Dominion's flag. But then, if he'd ever met a captain that would attract sharp and wicked fellows, that was definitely Illyana Draketooth.
His mind trailed off to the decision to join her during her daring attack on Iscarion. It'd been his first as captain, after inheriting the Grudgebreaker's command from his father, Gudrun the Elder. The old longbeard's pledge to defend the Seeds of Hope during the Season of War had brought them no renown nor riches. Now, thirty years or so after first sailing the Ur-River, the Grudgebreakers coffers were full... and sod 'em both his father's idealism and the bounties on their heads in every Realm!
Three long whistles from a steam bell and a deepening in the rumble of the Grudgebreaker's engine shook Gudrun from his memories. It was the signal they had sighted their destination, Blacktar Refuge. His Grudgebreaker's were to secure a beachhead there. Then, Sigurd could bind those spirits that proved too hostile. Once that would be accomplished, the Umbral Dominion would have had a perfect base of operations.
He grabbed his cutlass, pistol and spyglass and strode out onto the main deck.
"All right, lads!" he shouted "Gunnery crews, load your weapons and stay at the ready. I'll lead the landing parties!"

Gudrun surveyed the area through his spyglass. As expected, there was a welcome committee. One of the captains from Skull Sands, by the look of it. Skeletons shambled around an imperious looking Wight and two deadwalker ogors.

The Wight advanced with his escort, securing one of the clear paths across the sharp rocks dotting the shore line.

Gudrun led his boarding party to secure the other safe passage, the duardin peppering the skeletons with bullets and quarrels.

At the same time, Gunnery Sergeant Orun was directing the Grudgebreakers' covering fire to slow down the advancing Deathrattles, giving time to Bosun Mudrin's crew to hunker down behind a line of rocks seconds before one of the massive, rotting ogors was on them.

With a deep moan, the restless gheists of the Blacktar Refuge rose, attacking duardin and Deathrattle alike. Rusty weapons and well oiled cutlasses clashed and pistols barked. On both sides of the line of rocks, bodies slumped into the greasy waters.

As his crew held back the second ogor, Gudrun spotted the Wight captain leaving the safe passage he had secured and wading into the massed combat. Without a moment of hesitation, he fired the flare he had brought with him.

As the Grudgebreakers heard the distinctive whistle of the flare, they throw themselves down and away from the line of rocks they were defending. All, simultaneously, but Orun and Korin who instead dashed forward, phantasmal hands leaving deep wounds in their ankles but unable to stop them.

The very moment the two duardins reached the opening in the rocks, the Grudgebreaker's light cannons opened up, blasting away the rocks and the skeletons climbing over them. As the smoke and dust cleared, the Wight captain stood alone, a dozen or so pistols and crossbows leveled at him. Witchfire burning angrily in his eyes, he withdrew.

Gudrun paced along the shore, the chanting of Sigurd meshing with the murmur of the lapping waves.
If his father could see him now, brushing shoulders with a Darkoath dabbling in necromancy...
He couldn't follow the thought to the end as Bosun Mudrin approached, an iron chalice in his hands.
"Captain", he called. "Think I've found one of 'em Darkglimmer Chalices. Gave some grog out of it to the wounded and they were shipshape and ready to fight in no time!"
A greedy smile parted Gudrun's black beard.
"Excellent, me mate! Think what expects us once we find and crack the crab..."

***

That was a quick, but extremely bloddy, solo Warcry game. I had decided to set in on Blacktar Refuge because I imagined the water there would be greasy and dark, perfectly matching my Aqshyan water pools. I then searched through all the Twist cards I have from both the first and second edition and found 'Insidious Malignants' was absolutely perfect. Since it was from the first edition deck, I drew the rest of the cards from it. Here they are: