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Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2003 6:38 am
Posts: 720
Location: Utah, pick a Pacific Island the other half of the year.
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Khazak?s Stronghold
At one time Khazak?s Stronghold was the single largest Stronghold in the Squat Confederacy, but it?s location on the fringes, near Ork controlled space, insured that this wasn?t going to remain so for very long. Long, long ago, when Khazak?s Stronghold was at the pinnacle of it?s size and wealth, Waaagh Grizback swept into it?s domains. None had for seen the Waaaghs coming, so when it struck the warriors of Khazak?s Stronghold were forced to stand alone against the massive Ork invasion as the Confederacy gathered it?s forces. Despite their bravery Khazak?s warriors were forced off of one system after another.
Just as it seemed that Khazak?s Stronghold itself was destined to perish under the weight of the Waaagh before help could arrive, Lord Ephadiaus Grudge Bearer declared that he would retreat no further. As the Squats abandoned the rocky planet of Greaka Lord Ephadiaus, and the 3,000 warriors of his hand picked bodyguard (Known in Squat lore as ?The Spartans?, itself ?said to have come from some lost ancient text), ?hunkered down to await the Orks in the Hold of Ghermopolay. Soon Ork attack, after Ork attack, slammed against the Hold, and each time the green tide rolled back leaving hundreds of dead behind.
Disturbed by his commanders inability to subdue Ghermopolay Warlord Grizback himself came to Greaka, but his plans faired no better, and all of them ended in a bloody repulse. Angered by his own failures, and realizing that his authority was quickly fading, Warlord Grizback started pulling more of his forces off other fronts and bringing them to Greaka. He was determined to overwhelm Ghermopolay?s defenders through sheer numbers, and still Lord Ephadiaus and his 3,000 Spartans held. Soon entire offensives were being called off, their forces diverted to Greaka, this was all the breathing space the Confederacy needed and soon they were hammering the Orks back on all fronts. Still Warlord Grizback pulled more forces to Greaka, and accepting the lost ground so he could have his vengeance upon Lord Ephadiaus.
Too soon all communication with Ghermopolay?s defenders was lost, with the final message sent, ?Go tell the Confederacy the 3,000 Spartans are still holding their ground.? Despite their best efforts it wasn?t until near the end of the war that Greaka was retaken and the fate of Lord Ephadiaus Grudge Bearer and his 3,000 Spartans was discovered.
Entering the Hold of Ghermopolay the liberators were forced to push their way through passages clogged with Ork bodies, yet not a single body found was that of a Spartan. In galleries the Ork dead were piled like a wall before stone defenses, and then littered the floor beyond it, still no single body that lay upon the floor was that of a Spartan. In great halls stood fortified walls with corpses piled up to the top, and then spilling over beyond it like a great wave smashing against a sea wall, spilling over the top, and then frozen in time. Yet again no Spartan lay among the dead. Then in the Holds great hall they found a fortified mound surrounded by thousands of Ork bodies, and atop it lay Lord Ephadiaus Grudge Bearer and his 3,000 Spartans. Next to Lord Ephadiaus?s corpse lay his Book of Grudges, it?s last entry, made less then a week before the Confederacy launched it?s attack on Greaka, stated, ?We stood as we fell, never yielding a fellow warrior, nor the ground that we held, to the foe.? (It is in honor of Lord Ephadiaus and his 3,000 Spartans, that the Squats named their APC, but Khazak?s Warriors prefer to revere their honored hero through their actions, rather then with a painted box of steel.)
The Confederacy?s counter-offensive petered out soon after Greaka was retaken leaving over half of Khazak?s Stronghold former domain in Ork hands, along with over 80% of the heavy workshops and factories. This has forced them to depend more on the much smaller vehicles mass produced in their smaller workshops and factories, then on the larger vehicles they can only produce in very limited numbers at the few heavy workshops they have left. Over time they have been able to rebuild some of this lost capacity, but the output is still far below the numbers needed for the Stronghold. However, with typical Squat skill and ingenuity, the smaller vehicles they produce more then make up for the lost large vehicle capacity.
The same holds true for the Stronghold?s Army, which does field a limited number of super heavy vehicles, but by in large depends on it?s Striker Tanks, and Gorgon APCs to make up the difference. Most Squats scoff at the idea of using such vehicles in war, and feel that Khazak?s Stronghold would be better served making up the shortfall by buying what they needed from another Stronghold. All Squats have long memories, and it is said that those of Khazak?s Stronghold are a bit longer because of the ravages of Waaagh Grizback, and their reply is based upon their experiences in that war. ?As the 3,000 Spartans we stand as we are, with what we have, and always as one.?
Jaldon  ?and Friends
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Brave sir Robin, when danger reared its ugly head he bravely turned his tail and fled, Brave sir Robin.
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* ) for givig him an army list to play games with.
