The final story arc for the Storm of Chaos has been out for some time now but for those among you who may not be up to date, I'll copy and paste the story finale. And it is as follows. Lets discuss it afterwards, and give your opinions of the overall campaign. Be warned, the finale is a bit lengthy.
"First Day – Karl Franz Attacks
With Karl Franz rode two of the greatest warriors of the Empire – the Grand Marshal of the Reiksguard Kurt Helborg and the Emperor’s personal Champion Ludwig Schwartzhelm. Helborg advised engaging Archaon’s army as swiftly as possible while it still reeled from the counterattack of the Middenheim defenders. The Grand Marshal feared that Archaon would withdraw further to the north and east and possibly even reach Brass Keep. If such a move was allowed, the Everchosen could fortify the castle and create a place from which to launch further attacks into the Empire. Karl Franz concurred with this view and charged Helborg to lead the army to victory that same day.
Archaon had withdrawn from cannon range of the city. Near the village of Sokh, he waited for the attack of his enemies. He knew that Valten and his righteous army of Flagellants and Priests was not far to the east and resolved to destroy the two main forces opposing him one after the other. If they were allowed to unite, then he would be outnumbered and outflanked.
So it was that in the early hours of the afternoon, the Reiksguard led the first charge against the army of Archaon. Supported by cannon fire, they braved the magical bombardment of the Chaos Dwarf Hellcannons outside Sokh and drove deep into the warbands of Styrkaar. Seeing the threat, Archaon counterattacked, assaulting not the Reiksguard but the infantry regiments that were following up in support. While the Lord of the End Times slew the soldiers in their hundreds, Haargroth the Blooded One cut off the retreat of the Reiksguard. Helborg, his tactical mind as keen as ever, saw the closing trap, pressed the attack, broke through Styrkaar’s horde, and headed north, away from the fighting.
Archaon was content to allow the Empire army to withdraw and knew that his enemies would be disheartened to have experienced such defiance from a supposedly broken foe. Tomorrow, he would turn eastward and attack Valten on the march."
"Second Day – The Arrival of Valten
Believing Archaon to be camped near Sokh, Valten and Luthor Huss roused their army for the march westward. However, it was not long after first light, when the thousands-strong force was still gathering along the road, that Archaon struck. Magical powers unleashed by Cyspeth and his sorcerous cabal ripped along the Old Forest Road. A wall of multicolored fire burned and changed everything in its path. Horses and men became fused together, while trees and rocks were uprooted and sent spinning into the army of Sigmar in deadly rainbows of fire.
His army in disarray, Valten did the only thing he could think of – he attacked. Protected by his gromril armor and the enchantments of Teclis, Valten braved the perilous spell and charged straight for the center of Archaon’s host. In his wake, Huss and the priests who were still alive began to battle against the arcane sorceries let loose by the Champions of Tzeentch.
At first, it seemed as though Valten was doomed, for he faced an army alone. With neither a thought of retreat nor a moment’s doubt, he rode into the heart of the Chaos army, Ghal Maraz blazing in his hands. Archaon’s own warband, the Swords of Chaos, moved to intercept the furious Exalted of Sigmar but were felled by the Hammer of Sigmar and scattered.
In the wake of Valten’s rash assault, the raving hordes of demented Flagellants surged forth, ignoring the blasts of magic that tore through their ranks. Priests of Sigmar battled against howling followers of Khorne and putrid warriors of Nurgle. The flickering pulses of battle prayers smote the unholy masses with burning energies of righteousness. Foul Chaos magic caused the ground itself to spit up great mounds of flesh-eating worms, while the sky rained with burning blood that seared the flesh.
Amid the carnage and the magical firestorm, Valten battered his way forward and searched for Archaon. Valten was to be disappointed, for he did not find the Everchosen leading the army but instead Kordel Shorgaar, the bearer of Archaon’s personal banner. Valten made to strike off the Chaos Champion’s head with Ghal Maraz, but the favored of the gods used the standard of the Swords of Chaos to block the blow. The dark magic woven into the banner absorbed the power of the Hammer of Sigmar. As the fighting flowed around them, Valten was unable to press home his attack, and Shorgaar withdrew from the melee to return to his master.
By nightfall, the Old Forest Road had been cleared to within sight of Sokh, and thousands of Chaos worshippers were dead along the roadside, their numbers rivaled those of the slain men who had fought beside Valten. In the darkness, the flickers of campfires from the three armies could clearly be seen by each other. To Karl Franz, the camp of Archaon seemed much smaller than that of the Empire host. The next day, if the gods willed it, would see Archaon crushed, and his scourge lifted from the Empire."
"Third Day – Dark Warriors
Eager to see the battle finished, Karl Franz ordered his generals to march forth just after first light, toward the much diminished host of Archaon. As they advanced, once more, the Hellcannons roared forth their magical blasts. However, under the watchful eye of the Emperor, the army marched on.
From the east, Valten and his warriors, now numbering only a few hundred, advanced as well. The Champion of Sigmar, with Luthor Huss by his side, led the column of march. Seeing this force, Archaon ordered the Hellcannons turned on Valten, and a fierce bombardment commenced, ripping up the ground and staining the sky with magic-tinged smoke. In the thick of the barrage, Valten was struck by a hellish burst of power, and his noble Elven steed was torn apart as Valten was flung through the air. His face burned with flecks of molten gromril, and his hair blackened. Valten rose from the smoking crater and marched onward on foot.
To the west, the air shimmered with unnatural power, and the skies themselves bucked and whirled as if tortured by an unseen hand. A shadow began to gather in the forests and stretched toward Middenheim. From this great lake of darkness, chittering screeches and monstrous bellows could be heard. Eyes glinted in the shadowy veil, and cruel laughs and nightmarish curses flowed upon a hot wind. A shimmer of terror spread through the ranks of Karl Franz’s army as the Daemonic host approached, and a shadowy winged figure rose into the air above the unnatural legion. His wings were spread wide, and his clawed hand stretched out toward the Emperor. Be’lakor ordered his legion forward, cutting off Karl Franz from Archaon and leaving Valten’s massively outnumbered force to fight against the Everchosen.
As if the woes of the Exalted of Sigmar were not enough, a new foe beset his few hundred devotees. Greenskin warriors charged from the forests to the south and attacked Valten’s army. At their head, Grimgor Ironhide slew dozens of men with every blow. Ignoring this new threat, Valten and Huss mustered a handful of warriors and fought on, pressing deep into the army of Archaon in a bid to bring the Everchosen to combat.
As the shadow of the Daemonic Legion engulfed Karl Franz’s armor, a splash of white broke the tide of darkness. The shining blades of three hundred Swordmasters of Hoeth rose and fell in glittering arcs, tore through immaterial forms, and carved apart the incorporeal bodies of their unholy adversaries. Though the Elves fought with unparalleled skill, they were few, and every one that fell was overwhelmed by unending waves of Daemonic claws, talons, and blades. At the center of the Elven force, in a circle formed by his loyal warriors, stood Teclis. Drinking deep from a shining phial, he unleashed his power. Flames of white energy leapt from the ground and formed a half sphere around the High Elf Mage. Blinding in its intensity, the magical fire expanded out and into the air and pushed further away from Teclis. The screeches of Daemons filled the air, as the cleansing flames banished them back to the Realm of Chaos. For a moment, a dark shadow lingered on after the flames had gone, a vague patch of darkness in the air, until even that flittered away and was lost. No Daemon remained on the field.
With his army fighting against the Orcs, Valten, seeking Archaon, once again drove into the Swords of Chaos. This time, his foe was there, mounted on the Steed of the Apocalypse and towering over his warriors. The warband of Archaon parted to allow Valten to approach the Lord of the End Times. With a roar, Valten charged, Ghal Maraz swinging toward his foe. The hammer smashed through the magical form of Archaon’s Daemonic mount. The steed exploded in flames and smoke, and Archaon was hurled to the ground.
Valten lunged forward to press home his advantage and raised the Hammer of Sigmar above his head to strike the killing blow. A screech filled the air as Archaon struck out with the Slayer of Kings and unleashed the power of U’zuhl. The blade bit through the gromril armor of Valten and drove deep into his gut. Slowed but not stopped, Valten continued with his strike. The head of Ghal Maraz fell wide of the mark and tore a shoulder plate from Archaon’s armor.
Pushing himself to his feet, the Lord of the End Times ripped the Slayer of Kings free, struck again, split the comet-emblazoned breastplate of Valten, and sent him onto his back. Through the blood of the grievous wound, the birthmark across Valten’s chest could be clearly seen. As if stunned by the twin-tailed comet etched into Valten’s flesh, Archaon took a step back with the Slayer of Kings held to one side. Luthor Huss launched himself at the Everchosen. His hammer sent up a shower of sparks from the impact with Archaon’s Chaos armor. A mighty blow to the side of the head caused Archaon to lose his footing and sent him down to one knee.
The next blow did not land, as the Lord of the End Times raised his shield to block it and jarred the hammer from Huss’s fingers. With a howl, the Chaos Champion batted Huss aside and shattered bones as he flung the Prophet of Sigmar through the air. The sounds of guttural war cries resounded around the Lord of the End Times, along with the shouts of his warriors. Regaining his feet, Archaon turned as another figure appeared in front of him.
A green-skinned forehead slammed into Archaon’s helmeted face as Grimgor made his presence felt. Behind him, his ’Ardboyz fought against the heavily armored warriors of the Swords of Chaos. The Orcs had fought their way through Valten’s followers to reach the Everchosen. With Middenheim beyond anyone’s grasp now, there was only one way left for Grimgor to prove himself to Gork. Grimgor hefted Gitsnik in both hands, swung it in a wide arc, sheared the bottom from Archaon’s shield, and sent the Everchosen sprawling backward.
Once more, the Slayer of Kings flicked out, but Grimgor had expected the counterattack and parried with the hilt of his magical axe. The Black Orc Warlord brought his booted foot down hard onto the arm of Archaon and knocked the Daemonic blade from his grasp. Using the flat of Gitsnik, Grimgor battered Archaon across the head twice and then placed the tip of the blade on the Everchosen’s throat. The Black Orc pulled back his head and roared into the leaden sky. “Grimgor izz da best!”
A great cheer went up from the Orcs, a deafening chant of Grimgor’s name that echoed over the clash of fighting. Grimgor raised Gitsnik above his head, roared again, and pumped his fist in the air. Having proven his point, the warlord turned south with his barbaric horde. Their cheers of victory were heard long after they disappeared from sight.
Luthor Huss recovered his senses and regained his horse. Dragging Valten across his lap, the Prophet rode from the melee, carrying the still form of his master free of the fighting. He rode hard to Middenheim and took Valten to the shrine of Shallya. Though Huss’s own wounds were grievous, he would have no one tend to them until Valten had been seen. Only when the Abbess gave word that Valten still lived did Huss allow himself to collapse. His body was carried to the main shrine by Volkmar, who had roused himself from his own sickbed shortly after Huss’s arrival.
Outside, the battered forces of Archaon withdrew into Sokh. They abandoned the Hellcannons and awaited the grim battle that would surely commence the next day."
"Fourth Day – The von Carsteins Strike
Of the daunting host of Archaon, a few thousand warriors still remained, though their numbers had been reinforced by hundreds more warriors coming south from Frote. At the forefront of the army stood Haargroth and his blood-crazed Khornate warriors. The berserk Champion stood and bellowed abuse at the approaching foe as Karl Franz ordered his army forward. Though the Empire army outnumbered Archaon’s by several thousand soldiers, Kurt Helborg had warned that no easy victory would be won this day. His forces faced the veterans of the campaign: the most hardened soldiers, the most brutal beasts, and the most terrifying monsters.
The Imperial artillery began its bombardment of Sokh a little before noon and rained down cannon and mortar shells onto the village. Karl Franz had already promised to compensate the villagers who stood and watched their homes smashed asunder, though many had to be forcibly restrained from haranguing the gun captains as they did their duty.
After nearly an hour, the guns fell silent, which was not part of the Empire’s plan. Having eluded Boris Todbringer, Khazrak One-Eye had doubled back to Middenheim and fallen upon the artillery from the forest’s edge. Now, there was desperate fighting around the emplacements. The roar of volleys guns and the horrifying bellows of Shaggoths echoed out across the battlefield. Knowing that his Knights would be little use in the confined streets of Sokh, Karl Franz ordered them to turn around to support the artillery, while the infantry moved forward.
Ar-Ulric and a contingent of Teutogen Guard led the attack and were the first into Sokh. Calling upon Ulric for guidance, Ar-Ulric laid about to the left and right with the Hammer-Axe of Skoll. Haargroth plowed into the Teutogen Guard and left a trail of dismembered bodies and severed heads. His axe crushed armor and chewed through flesh and bone. Three dozen skulls were given to Khorne before Ar-Ulric Valgeir stepped forward, drove the hammer head of his blessed weapon into Haargroth’s helm, and then raked the blade across the Khorne Champion’s chest. With the name of his god upon his lips, Ar-Ulric drove the Hammer-Axe of Skoll into Haargroth’s head, and the Blooded One was no more.
The fighting was particularly fierce in the streets of Sokh, where the numbers and organization of the Empire army counted for little against the raw skill and ferocity of the northmen they faced. By mid afternoon, bloodied and demoralized, regiments were pulling back from the fighting, unable to gain any kind of ground in the village. More men joined the retreat as the sky darkened overhead and filled with unnatural thunderheads. Lightning flashed between the black clouds. No doubt some foul sorcery was at work.
In the pitch black, noises could be heard from the east, and in the flashes of lightning, there were brief illuminations of metal and polished bone. A red glow filled the air. As it spread, it revealed the assembled ranks of the army of Sylvania. Tattered banners fluttered in the unnatural breeze, while ranks of immobile warriors stood in the twilight. At their head, astride a skeletal steed with burning eyes, sat Mannfred von Carstein. Around him were a gaggle of lesser Vampires and necromantic underlings.
Dismounting, the Undead ruler of Sylvania took several paces to the front of the army and raised his arms in the air. As he conjured his spell, the air above him began to swirl, and the susurrant chanting of his minions grew in volume. With a final incantation, Mannfred brought his hands together, accompanied by a deafening clap of thunder. Lightning rained down upon the battlefield, and where it struck, a glowing nimbus of energy remained for a moment. Slowly, the thousands of slain from four days of fighting began to pull themselves to their feet. Undead Warriors of Chaos once more hefted brutal axes and maces, and dead Imperial Halberdiers gripped the hafts of their weapons.
Further swelled by the invocation, the army of the dead swept into Sokh and slaughtered everything in their path. Faced with such unnatural terrors, the army of Archaon finally broke, and those who survived fled north. With Middenheim safe and Valten beyond his grasp, Archaon knew that he had failed. It is not known at which point he departed during the fighting, but it is believed that he headed into the Middle Mountains, perhaps to the ruins of Brass Keep.
With the army of Chaos crushed, Mannfred turned his host toward Middenheim. As the frightened army of Karl Franz drew up at the foot of the eastern causeway, a single figure rode out from the Undead lines. It was Mannfred himself, who slowly came forward on his steed and stopped a few dozen paces from where Karl Franz sat on Deathclaw, flanked by Kurt Helborg and Ludwig Schwartzhelm. The Vampire’s voice rose above the tumult of the storm. “As my sire once called upon your ancestor, I shall call upon you. Surrender the city to me, and you shall be spared. Resist, and you shall all die.”
A solitary figure walked out from the Empire regiments and confronted Mannfred. His bald head glistened in the light of the raging storm, his long moustache whipped across his cheeks in the howling wind. Arms crossed, a frown on his face, Volkmar the Grim stared into the eyes of the Vampire Lord.
“ Nearly five hundred years ago, a man like me killed a monster like you. It can be done again.”
Mannfred considered his options and looked at the stern-faced Theogonist. The Vampire remembered well the sight of Grand Theogonist Wilhelm throwing himself off the walls of Altdorf with Vlad von Carstein and impaling both of them on the stakes below. Mannfred thought also of his lands and the encroaching army of Vardek Crom. With a snarl, Mannfred turned his nightmarish steed around and rode east, his deathly army following in his wake.
As night fell, the fields and forests around Middenheim were quiet, almost silent. For the first time in nearly three months, the sound of war could not be heard. The Battle of Middenheim had been won."
"The Aftermath
Archaon’s Horde had spread misery and death across Ostland, Hochland, and Middenland. Tens of thousands were homeless and starving. Their fields had been burned, and their homes were left in ruins. Confronted by the full horror of Chaos, many were the folk who had been driven insane through terror and misery. The forests were crawling with soldiers and peasants who had abandoned their gods and bartered their souls to the all-conquering power of the Dark Gods.
Though Middenheim had been defended to the last and Archaon’s horde was shattered, the remnants of warbands and Beast Herds still lurked throughout the northern Empire. Zundap was overrun with verminous Skaven, who had turned the old steam mill into an unholy hive of rat creatures. Brass Keep was just an empty shell. Its dark corners were home to strange beasts and twisted spawn, and the warriors of the Dark Gods gathered in its ruined towers and cellars.
Middenheim itself had been scarred by the Hellcannons of the Everchosen, and its causeways were choked with the dead. Deep in the Ulricsberg, the Doom Hemisphere of the Skaven emitted light an energy as it gathered power for detonation. The tunnels and corridors were teeming with Skaven as they fled the coming blast. Skirmishes erupted between them and the adventurers and sewer jacks who had ventured into the depths after hearing tales of a doomsday device within the catacombs.
With a blast of greenish light, the Doom Hemisphere exploded, flooding the tunnels with waves of mutating energy, though the intricate device did not fully explode. Men and Skaven were twisted inside out. Their bodies melted, and their skin was blistered by the baleful energies. The rocks themselves melted and ran, opening up new chambers and sealing old tunnels. Though its power had been unleashed, the Doom Hemisphere had not detonated fully and now sits dormant, awaiting activation once again, somewhere deep in the twisted maze of new tunnels.
Even as the threat of devastation at the hands of Archaon’s followers passed, a new danger rose up within the Empire – schism. With Valten lying comatose in the temple of Shallya and Huss maintaining a vigil by his side, the Grand Theogonist Johannes Esmer came to Middenheim. With Volkmar returned, but possibly cursed by the taint of Chaos that had been the source of his rebirth, there were calls for Esmer to stand down. However, the current Grand Theogonist’s supporters called for Volkmar to bless Esmer’s appointment.
The few survivors of Valten’s army - crazed Flagellants and battle-hungry Warrior Priests – began to stir up trouble around Middenheim and called for Esmer to leave. In the midst of this confusion, there was a growing voice among the priests of Ulric for there to be reforms in the Electors, the ancient arguments resurfacing in the wake of the conflict.
And at the heart of it all, there was growing strife over Valten. There were calls for him to be named Emperor once he recovered. Others maintained that Huss’s claim was false and pointed to Valten’s grievous wound at the hand of Archaon as proof that the blacksmith’s son was not divine. With the Empire still in disarray and his armies much reduced, Karl Franz knew that law and order needed to be restored as quickly as possible. Looting, lynch mobs, and dark cults were beginning to spread across Middenland. If lawlessness were allowed to continue, the Empire could be lost to anarchy.
So it was that the Emperor consulted with his counselors, among them Volkmar and Esmer, regarding what to do with Valten. Still bound by his duty to the Empire to maintain the rule he had inherited, Karl Franz was loath to give up his office to Valten. However, keeping his office was tantamount to declaring Huss a liar. Who would not see Sigmar reborn as the new Emperor?
Esmer and Boris Todbringer asked for three days to find a solution. Emperor Franz told them that anything they could do to halt the impending internecine conflict would be welcome.
On the second day, Karl Franz had a visitor. It was Luthor Huss in tears. He cradled the Hammer of Sigmar in his hands. When the Emperor asked what had happened, Huss told him, his voice torn with anguish. Valten had been murdered. When Huss had visited this morning, he had found the Exalted of Sigmar on his bed, transfixed by a glowing green blade.
Shocked and unsure, Karl Franz made his way to the Temple of Shallya to see for himself what had occurred. Teutogen Guard barred the entrances but allowed him to pass into the chamber where Valten had slept. There was no sign of him. There was blood on the bed and floor. On the walls, in crimson, was scratched a rough triangle with a slash through it. Huss asked what he should do. The Emperor, taking Ghal Maraz from Huss’s grasp, surveyed the scene once more and then turned to Luther.
“ You shall go forth among the people and say that Sigmar has left us, as he did so many centuries ago. Give them hope in these dark times. Do not betray their faith. Tell them that he has left his hammer to me, as a sign of his trust, and tell them that you are still his prophet and shall look for his return again when we most need him.”"
