Battle of Black Water Pass
 | |
| Conflict | Goblin Wars |
| Date | -1136 IC[2a] |
| Location | Black Water, Black Mountains |
| Outcome | Phyrric Victory for Dwarfs |
| | |
| Orcs | Dwarfs |
| | |
| Kruk Gorgrim[4] | Kadrin Redmane |
| | |
| | |
| Kadrin and all the dwarfs are killed. [4] | |
Battle of Black Water Pass, also known as the Battle of Black mound[4] was the end of Dwarf occupation / mining operation in the Dwarf Hold of Karak Varn.[2a][3a]
Battle
Kadrin Redmane, the Runelord of lost Karak Varn had led the Dwarfs back to the ruins of his hold in -1185 IC, having discovered that the seams of Gromril had been exposed by the earthquakes. Mining continued there until -1136 IC when they began to dry up with the last shipment of ore being accompanied by Redmane himself. [1]
He decided to visit his cousin Hodrik in Zhufbar which was spied by wolf-riding Goblin scouts. The scouts were returning to the master, the Warlord Gorblak the Spike when they run foul of the Bad Skulls Tribe who enlisted them in scouting the wagon train. [4]
The heavily escorted wagon moved down through a pass to the shores of the Black Water, all keeping a careful watch in case the beast that laired beneath its surface arose to confront them. However a small group of Orc’s were watching them in turn and gathered a much larger warparty to seize whatever the Stunties were transporting. [1][2a][3a]
The ambush began with rocks being lobbed at the Dwarfs and a cloud of arrows before a wild charge of the greenskins. Kadrin knew that he had to draw their attention away from the wagon and so fought a delaying action with the rearguard. They weathered a number of attacks, but each one cost the lives of brave Dwarfs and soon it was only the Runelord that fought on. [1]
Soaked in the blood of the slain, Kadrin charged a group of huge Orcs, breaking the rest of the horde who fled the field. Mortally wounded, Kadrin threw the Hammer of Ages into the Black Water to ensure that the greenskins would not get it. When the Dwarfs returned to reclaim the body they found thirty six dead Orcs around him. The body was returned to Karaz-a-Karak where he was laid to rest. [1][2a][3a]
Outcome
After Kadrin's death the re-occupation of Karak Varn began to decline. [4] The Dwarf hold was lost to Skaven in ten years.[2a][3a]
Notes
White Dwarf 283 has that the ambush began with attacks by the wolf riders and that much of the fighting centered around a ruined Dwarf outpost, the Black Mound. However this information is taken form an in-universe source - an essay by Olde Weirde. [4]
Sources
- 1: White Dwarf 253 (UK), Kadrin Redmane, pg. 28-31
- 2: Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs (Revised 6th Edition)
- 2a: Deeds of the Ages Timeline, pg. 17
- 3: Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs (8th Edition)
- 3a: Deeds of the Ages Timeline, pg. 20
- 4: White Dwarf 283 (UK): Olde Weirde's Incunabulum, pg. 12-15
