The yellow banners of the Ironjawz swayed above Da Big Cam’ while hundreds of greenskins crowded around the fire pits. Goblins fought one another over burnt squig meat until a towering brute in yellow armour smashed their heads together with a single fist, restoring silence. Then Eh’Bashing stepped forward. Green light crawled around his staff, and when he spoke, his voice was deep and strange, like something rumbling beneath the earth itself.
“‘Ear now, greenskinz… ‘ear da tale o’ Ash’taka… Da Peazemaker. Da rider o’ mighty Okoto. Da prophet what Gorkamorka sent ta stomp da realms flat an’ bring Peaz ta all what still stand.” The green glow around the shaman thickened as the crowd leaned closer. “Okoto woz mad, see? Bigga dan a house, meaner dan a gargant wiv a sore head! Boar ate ladz fer fun. But Ash’taka climbed atop da beast an’ beat it down wiv iron fists ‘til it bowed proper. Den we rode from Da Big Cam’ on da Plains o’ Beh-Amanok, yellow armour gleamin’ bright, spreadin’ our Peaz along Lake Vitis an’ da Scipka River.” The gathered orruks grunted approvingly as Eh’Bashing continued. “First came da fort o’ Khorne, stuffed ta da walls wiv blood-daemonz led by da horned git Scehan. Dey hid behind stone, but stone breaks easy when Okoto hits it! Gates burst open, daemonz got hacked apart, an’ da left bank o’ Scipka ran red fer days!”
The crowd erupted into snarling cheers before another fight broke out among the goblins near the back. A kick from an Ironjaw sent three of them sprawling into the mud, and silence returned once more. Eh’Bashing’s voice grew deeper now, carrying an unnatural echo through the camp.
“Den came da Peaz Dealaz! Gobbo wagons rollin’ out ta spread Ash’taka’s mighty Peaz ta da lands nearby! But Tzeentch, da sneaky bird-god, sent a giant flock o’ Tzaangors ta stop us. HAH! Ash’taka lowered ’is choppa an’ charged once — ONCE! — an’ da whole flock burst apart inta glitterin’ dust!” The shaman slowly shook his head. “But da wagons neva reached where dey woz meant ta. Gobbo drivaz got lost, argued, stole mushrooms, crashed wagons… same gobbo nonsense as always. So Ash’taka grabbed Mononokl by da throat an’ beat ’im near ta death fer failin’ da Waaagh. Proper justice.” Green sparks danced around Eh’Bashing’s eyes now. “At da Dance o’ Giants, Clan Mors came screamin’ from da dark. Rat ogors, stormvermin, grey seers — all got brought Eternal Peaz. Ash’taka split da rat ogors apart, crushed da Grey Seer beneath Okoto’s tusks, an’ da rest o’ da rats fled squealin’ in clouds o’ fear stink! Dat’s where Ratslayer earned ’is place beside da boss. An’ dat sneaky Mononokl tried ta earn favour back by nickin’ a secret rat elixir.”
The flames burned lower as the night deepened. Even the rowdiest greenskins listened now, caught beneath the growing pulse of green magic in the shaman’s voice.
“Across da ruined bridge lay Nurgle’s gardens. Rot, slime, plague — all da enemies o’ Great Peaz. An’ da Smilin’ Ones waited fer us there.” A low growl rolled through the listening Ironjawz. “We smashed into da river itself! Ardboyz against plague knights! Shield ta shield! Iron against rusted iron! Da whole Scipka screamed wiv grindin’ metal while ladz drowned beneath da current! Ash’taka fought atop Okoto right in da middle o’ da waters while da Laughing Ones cackled through rotted helms!” The shaman’s voice became harsher now, filled with the sound of crackling Waaagh magic. “Da gobbos had one job! ONE JOB! Sneak round da left flank, fix da broken bridge, let da ladz cross! But da stupid little runts failed! Got scared, got lost, got eaten, who knows! An’ because o’ dem, da bridge stayed broken an’ da Waaagh could not cross!” Angry snarls spread through the crowd.
Eh’Bashing lowered his voice almost to a whisper.
“An’ den… Ash’taka vanished beneath da river.”
A deep, unhappy murmur rolled through the campfires.
“Da Smilin’ Ones laughed. Dey thought Da Peazemaker beaten.” The shaman slowly raised his glowing staff. “But den… downstream… battered, bleeding, armour cracked open… Ash’taka rose from da Scipka itself!” The green fire around him flared violently. “’E dragged ’imself onto da shore, lifted ’is iron fist toward da Laughing Ones, an’ promised dey’d all get their Peaz soon enough!”
The entire camp roared now, weapons slamming against shields.
“An’ so Ash’taka crossed farther upstream an’ marched onto da Plains o’ Everflood! Da Sylvaneth forests woz already rottin’ from Nurgle’s filth, an’ Ash’taka smashed every healthy tree what still stood! Kurnoth Hunters snapped apart like twigs! Da Great Singer sang no more! Spirit o’ Durthu got hacked down while splinters flew like arrows through da air!” Eh’Bashing raised both arms high as green flames spiralled upward into the darkness. “An’ still da Waaagh grows! More Ironjawz! More yellow banners! More beasts! Ash’taka rides still, prophet o’ Gorkamorka, bringin’ mighty Peaz ta all da realms!”