Introduction
The grot ran up the hill, breathing laboriously. He was annoyed at the hill, but ultimately, he did not mind. He liked to take long walks at night. It helped him think. Granted, most of his thoughts revolved around how to boss the other grots around more efficiently. That, and pushing mushrooms - but that was only natural, for he was Nitgrot Shroompusha, Da Pusha uv Shroomz.
It was a good night for a walk. The Frazzlegit had gone to sleep, and the Bad Moon was visible just above the horizon. Nitgrot climbed to the top, and looked over the place where Da Spinny Gubbin lay. That would be a perfect place for a new garden, filled to the brim with mushrooms. His squigs needed to eat, after all. Something else than other grots, I mean.
His dreams of full-bellied mangler squigs was interrupted by the sight of something terrible. A hulking monstrosity sat beside Da Spinny Gubbin, tending a twisted tree of sorts. Nitgrot squinted, then shouted at the top of his lungs.
'Oy! Ya git! Dat's my garden, ya 'ear? Go away!'
Virulax looked up from his latest Gnarlmaw. They were beautiful, if a little boring after a while. His bellowing laughter rolled across the land. Nitgrot turned around, and ran back to his fellows.
A couple of hours later...
Mission: Table quarters deployment, 4 objectives
At the start of every battle round, you roll to see if the horizontal or vertical objectives are worth more points. (2nd mission from Forbidden Power, I forgot the name.)
Battle round 1
'Great One!' huffed the Bringer of the Pox. 'Let us move forward! Remove this filth from our garden!'
'Relax, Bringer.' grinned Virulax. 'Let them think they have the initiative. Let them bound forward on their ungainly beasts. The better we kill them up close. Their shaman are pathetic beings. Their magic shall not affect us.'
Battle round 2
'Great Virulax! They are closing in! Give the order!'
'Hold back, let them come! Hold-'
The grots, having previously circled around the slow moving plague legions, attacked in force. A giant mushroom sprouted among the warband. Not even Nurgle's favorite sons were immune to its spore cloud. Plaguebearers fell, and everyone was wounded.
Barely recovering from the spores, Virulax came under fierce attack. The mangler squigs cleared the wall of Plaguebearers in a single bound, crashing into the Great Unclean One.
'Die, ya git!' - screamed Nitgrot, as he hacked with abandon. Virulax had no time to react, and the grot boss had already retreated to a safe distance, leaving his adversary barely standing.
'Great One... surely now...'
The Bringer had no chance to finish. Virulax raised his balesword, bellowing a prayer to his beloved Grandfather. Rotting flesh knit, bloody wounds filled with pus, broken bones retreated inside the bulk of the immense daemon. Barely hurt, Virulax stood, laughing.
'Yes. Now. Attack!'
On the right flank, the Drones of the Plague buzzed forward. Inzeth the Plagueflayer, ever eager to please, crashed into the grot cavalry beside them. Virulax looked at his favorite Nurglings, holding their own against all odds. He lifted his sword, and... stumbled. He righted himself, and... stumbled again. Embarrassed, he looked at the grot boss hacking at the Plaguebearers with glee. The grots hooted and hollered, and Virulax turned red in the face.
At least his own troopers seemed not to notice, or pretended not to. They did a good job, bashing the grots into oblivion.
Battle round 3
This time, Virulax did not have to concede the initiative to the grots. They came in a frenzy, emboldened by their success. The loonboss had another go at the Great Unclean One, and his minions slaughtered Plaguebearers and Nurglings on the flanks.
But the plague legions could not be broken that easily.
Summoning his foul magics, Virulax pointed at the loonboss, and Nitgrot shriveled, screaming and vomiting, succumbing to dread diseases, his mangler squigs now out of control.
The Drones of the Plague escorted the Daemon Prince right into the fray, and no grot or squig survived the onslaught.
The Bringer of the Plague lead his remaining Plaguebearers to the left flank, slaughtering the squigs and their herders, retaking the artefacts of power.
Fresh Plaguebearers stepped forward into this reality, and the lone grot shaman guarding the far left place of power ran away, shrieking.
And finally.... Virulax joined battle. Left without worthy opponents, the Great Unclean One gathered all his might, and leaped at the other lone shaman in front. A single swipe of his rusted blade ended its miserable life.
While up until now, the battle was as close as it gets, in the space of mere minutes, the grots were reduced to a single shaman, having lost control over all places of power. The surviving grot ran away screaming, ducking between Plaguebearers.
Aftermath
'How is your artefact, Bringer?'
'I have unlocked another secret, Great Virulax. Soon, power shall be ours.'
***
The mangler squigs ran back into their camp, rampaging through grots and lesser beasts alike. Several handlers gave their lives - though unwillingly - to lure them into their cage. One enterprising fellow grabbed a stick from a nearby squig herder, and prodded the enraged mangler squig's backside. It turned, but the grot was ready, already pole-vaulting into the saddle. He reached into the rotten remains of Nitgrot, grabbing the Pale Shield and lifting it high.
'I am Snaggit, da... uhh... da Squig Prodda! And I iz boss now, ya gitz!'
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