The end of an era

[Ragnars Claw]

I decided a while ago to sell my pups and decided that the ETC was to be their swansong. With this in mind i felt compelled to write a bit of a saga about the end of Erik Steelfang and thought i'd share it for a bit of light friday afternoon entertainment. I'm not the best at story writing so apologies if you think its crap but it kept me amused anyway!

 

From high atop the Fang Erik Steelfang looked out across Fenris. His armoured sarcophagus had been fully repaired by the Iron Priests, following his Great Company’s successful return from the Astuca II campaign, after taking a hit from a rebel marine demolisher shell. Luckily the shell had detonated a moment early spraying him with shrapnel rather than penetrating his armour and possibly killing him. He had been immobilised as stray shrapnel found a weak spot in his leg armour but it hadn’t stopped his warriors routing the rebel marines from the field and ending the campaign.

 

Now his Great Company readied itself for another campaign, one that promised to be the most testing for a long while, and Erik felt old. He had served Russ and the Allfather for over 1,000 years but his dreadnought casing could not grant him immortality and all dreadnoughts had to rest beneath the Fang, for increasingly long periods of time the older they got. Indeed, the most ancient of all, Bjorn the Fell Handed, only awoke once every 750 years. No, he sensed that it was coming to the time for Erik to retire command of his Great Company and pass the mantle of Wolf Lord on to one of his able lieutenants. Whilst the thought pained him he was glad that he had been able to continue leading his warriors for as long as he had after being mortally wounded in combat by an Avatar, one of the Eldar gods incarnate. By Russ what a battle that had been. The Eldar were eventually repulsed but he was wounded and a great many of his warriors had fallen to the Xenos, each earning their place in the Rune Priests sagas.

 

Feeling his mind drifting, he turned his attention to who his successor could be. Many of his Wolf Guard would make a fine Wolf Lord. Hrolf, his company champion, was a fine warrior, able to manage the inner wolf to let a berserk rage take him when need be but keep a cool head when the situation warranted it. Sven was a master tactician, not as strong as Hrolf in combat but tactically more astute. Gunnar was a popular warrior amongst the men and commanded respect wherever he went. So many options. He would have to make a decision at the end of the forthcoming campaign.

 

With one last scan of the majestic peaks surrounding the Fang, Erik turned away and strode towards the grav chute which would carry him to his Great Companies docking bay where his warriors were making ready for war once again.

 

*********************************

 

The campaign on Meinster I had been hailed as a victory. As he stood in one of the vast doorways at the bottom of the Fang it didn’t feel like one to Hrolf.

 

Things had started badly when, upon landing, they had been attacked by a force of renegade marines who the Wolves had been hard pressed to push back. In the end they had claimed several key objectives around the star port and gained a foothold on the planet.

 

Pushing ahead, Eriks Great Company were engaged in two pitched battles with Orks. First they chanced upon a convoy of Ork vehicles led by their Warboss and his Nob retinue all on bikes. Erik had blown up one of their battlewagons and then tied up two large mobs of Orks in combat whilst the remainder of the Wolf force dealt with the other Orks. The Wolfs Claw squadron had earned their ale in that battle blowing up the remaining two battlewagons and the Warboss and his Nobs were pulled down by Haralds Claws and Gunnars Hunters, ending the battle. Not long after this a second mob of Orks had appeared led by no less than 2 Warbosses. Things had been looking grim for the Wolves until Hrolf had led Henriks Hunters on a counter attack destroying a large mob of Orks and one of the Warbosses, collapsing their left flank and securing a victory for Eriks Great Company.

 

Reaching the outskirts of the planetary capital the Great Company met up with an Imperial Guard battalion in preparation for the final assault on the city. However, as they advanced upon the city a psychic attack turned the guardsmen upon Erik’s Great Company who were taken by surprise and forced to consolidate. Things went from bad to worse when a rift opened to the warp unleashing a horde of Daemons upon the besieged Wolves. After several weeks fighting, bruised and battered, Erik led the remnants of his Company into the planetary capital.

 

At first the capital had seemed eerily quiet. It soon became apparent why when a strong force of Harrowers had revealed themselves. Fortunately Erik had sensed a trap and had deployed his forces accordingly and the Wolves had ambushed the ambushers. The Wolves had swiftly gained the upper hand bringing down a number of enemy Raiders and Ravagers. Erik himself had accounted for two Ravagers a Raider and the remains of the witch squad which had escaped the burning wreckage. That was when fate was to deal its darkest hand.

 

Hrolf had watched as Erik turned triumphantly away from the wreckage of a downed Ravager only for the third craft to round the corner ahead of them. Before Hrolf could even vox a warning to Erik the Xenos craft opened fire with everything it had. One of the shots must have penetrated the ancient sarcophagus and touched off the power plant within which detonated with fatal consequences. Mad with grief Hrolf had led Gunnar’s Hunters and Harald’s Claws into the remnants of the Harrower infantry dispensing death with every stroke of his axe. The few remaining harrowers could not stand before the Wolves fury and fled the field of battle leaving the Wolves in control of the planet.

 

Now the Wolves of Erik’s Great Company were back at the Fang, hailed for saving another Imperial World from damnation. Not that it mattered to Hrolf. With a long sigh and glance to the skies he turned from the doorway to start the process of the choosing of the Great Company’s next Wolf Lord.

[Dewi Sant]

Nice Story brother, grab yourself an ale! Why you getting rid of your wolves? Are you not aware our long awaited codex is just around the corner?????? :lol: