Is there any lore as to WHY there was/is a Contingent of Dwarves there? Where they creating a Mine/Town or where they just dispatched there last minute?
I just assumed that the dwarves had wanted to use the place to make a more dwarf-like town for the Qeynosian dwarves.
Possibly, but they didn't get far other than a tent and a fence, and you have to wonder why they chose to defend an area cut off from a fall-back position like they did. Around the gate would have been more defensible
You know, I think I might take a look at those quests later today and see if I missed anything in the dialogues.
Sorry for double posting, but... What I found here is that a brigade of Dwarven knights (plus one human) has a constant war with Antonica's undead. The brigade had a contingent that lead into Firemyst Gully, where they wanted to cleanse it of undead, and then do who the heck knows what with it afterwards (though I'd hope they'd build a dwarven settlement, ala Fort Irontoe, but with more tunnels).
Not a Double-post if there is new Info IMHO. That makes since, however, where they set up the post isn't, the method of Egress could easily be blocked, when you are fighting undead, the last thing you want to do, is fight to the last man. You will soon be facing your fallen comrades-in-arms. Best bet is to whittle them down back off (Through the gate)as needed. Sorry my mind went into RTS mode. (Real Time Strategy ala Starcraft2)
except your forgetting they are dwarves. dwarves do NOT retreat. take alook at the dwarven chainmail HQ. the dwarves went into a fight they knew they couldn't win, becuase they refused to retreat. the serillian horde had to slaughter every last dwarf in Kaladim, becuase they refuse to retreat or surrender. they don't do hide and seek resistance movement guerrila warfare. the Irontoe forts are basically the supply/staging area for D-day type seige/invasion of Kaladim...the dwarves have no intention of staying there, or probably even using those forts once Kaladim gets reclaimed. and if I remember right..the staging area in firemyst is much bigger then the zone in point. so they probably needed the added room to setup properly.
Except it wouldn't be a true retreat, just giving a less defensible position for a surperior one (Top of the gate perhaps so they can drop rocks on them from above) and have betting contest over head-shots with Ale. Dwarven fighting spirit =/= stupidity.
Rainmare@Oasis wrote: Actually the quests the dwarves sending you into Kaladim have you doing a lot of guerrila warfare type surgical strikes against potential threats to an invading army. They certainly arn't asking the players to fight the war for them, but they don't seem to mind softning up the hord before they march. Also Fort Irontoe seems to be more of a holding action. You see a lot of prep work for a larger army. What you don't see is any recruits being trained. It doesn't look like they have enough dwarves to be a credible threat to Thurgadin. Between Fort Irontoe and Gnomeland Security, I'd say the gnomes have a better chance of retaking their home city because the gnomes seem to be better organized and more active. Though, fighting against a force that can just rebuild fallen comrads is a bit more difficult. Then again, those same troops could be reprogrammed to fight for your side. Another Dark Reflection, but this time in reverse.
Dwarves are trying to make amends with the gnoll. The battle of serillis vs serillis is going to happen one day, and the gnolls are prolly one of the best allies for the in-family battle.
Meirril wrote: What. Thurgadin was on great terms with the Kaladim dwarves, last I remember, and I'm sure they're on good terms with the Irontoe Brigade. Unless you meant to type Kaladim. Also, IMHO, the names Thurgadin and Kaladim should be switched. Kala is Norse for frost, and Thurg is a corruption of the Norse word for Thor, god of thunder. You'd think that since ice dwarves live on Velious, their city would be Kaladim, while the city of the Stormhammer kings would be called Thurgadin.
Ugreth@Antonia Bayle wrote: Yeah, I have a bad habit of typing Thurgadin when I mean to say Kaladim. Best chance the Dwarves have to take back Kaladim would be if either the coldain decide to help (not likely at all), or if the Vault of Brell is found and King Stormhammer is convinced to return (if the Kaladim dwarves did indeed find the Vault).
that's what I meant. the Forts are teh D-day invasion point. thier holding the area, setting the stage for Stormhammer and the rest of Kaladim to come marching home. but i do imagine that recruits and such are being trained and outfitted. they just aren't 'shown' in game. and while they do allow YOU to do guerrilla warfare tactics on Kaladim. you notice it's mostly becuaswe your looking for work, they see your usefulness, and ship you out. the dwarves themselves aren't making plans. they basically say we know about X leader...kill him. or blow up some supplies. don't care how you do it, just get it done. everytime I did those quests it always gave me the impression of them just throwing busywork my way to get me out of thier hair for real planning. like how to get through the front doors enmasse. the funny thing is eq1 did have dwarve rogues. but they didn't hide themselves at all. a dwarf rogue was less a sneaky assassin and more a braggard swashy then anything. they were proud to be part of the miner's guild and made no effort to hide it. dwarves just aren't subtle when it comes to battles. the Kaladim dwarven war strat seems to be hit it with a hammer, and if it keeps moving, hit it with a bigger hammer. rinse repeat until the hammer gets to big to pick up a larger one..and if that happens, grab a buddy and hit it with two hammers.
You make them sound like Ogres back when their intelligence was cursed, however Dwarves DO have survival instincts (and common sense) like anybody else, while they may not be likley to RUN they understand the concept of excahnging a bad battlefield to one they can actually use! (Like the top of a Wall/the gate) Ala "To the top of the wall! This will be a more fitting stand aganst these walking bonepiles!" Boog@Butcherblock wrote: Agreed! might even work as a Pretext/prelude for a player Gnoll Race I can see Blackburrow being taken-over/renovated by Orcs, and the Gnolls are forced to seek shelter and an alliance with Qeynos from a mutual threat, with the Dwarves lead by Brell's mouthpiece leading the negotiations.
After everything that's happened over the centuries between Qeynos and the Sabertooth/Darkpaw gnolls, along with the countless gnoll plots and alliances with Freeport, I just don't see why Qeynos would ever bother accepting an enemy like that in their walls. The gnolls (at least this particular clan) always have, and always will be IMO, the enemies of Qeynos. Countless times they've tried to invade, or blow it up, etc. etc. It's like me trying to say that Lucan would take in the Bloodskull or Deathfist orcs, or Kelethin would let in the Crushbone. It just wouldn't happen after all those centuries of animosity and hostility. And don't try to counter with that Freeblood crap (that lore is still really awful). They still haven't bothered to tell us why the Temple of Life just doesn't go Crusade mode and kill them all. And since Fyst is dead, who would invade Blackburrow? The Deathfist Orcs would much rather keep their strength on Zek, if the Shiny Brass Shield HQ is any indication. True, perhaps another Emperor will rise and the Deathfist war machine will invariably march again, and the nearest target is Karan, but an invasion by the Deathfist would be more likely to spread quickly enough that the gnolls wouldn't survive very long. Provided the Qeynosian navy doesn't repel the Deathfist war galleys, and that the gnolls would take the opportunity while Qeynos's back is turned to attack. Heck, an alliance might even happen; the Sabertooth would certainly love to see Qeynos fall, and if the orcs were to invade Karan, Qeynos would be their primary target.
The Difference is that Orcs now have access to more reinforcements Ro, Faydark, Velious, Frostfang. I'm not saying that things would be hunhy-dory between Qeynosians and the Darkpaw, but better being back to back with an enemy you know then the enemy you don't. Especially of the Orc's got into Blackburrow by pretending to Parlay and have it go horribly wrong. Also a mutual enemy would give the back-story needed for the Qeynos Revamp, and perhaps "overtures" from Lucan.
In regards to Lucan, Batman: You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. I can do those things because I'm not a hero, like Dent. I killed those people. That's what I can be. Lt. James Gordon: No, you can't! You're not! Batman: I'm whatever Gotham needs me to be http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569...es?qt=qt0498896 That's how I see Lucan sometimes.
The Ry'Gorr, I think, would be less willing to have anything to do with the Deathfist. The Crushbone offend the Deathfist Empire's sensibilities (they're lead by a dark elf, ffs). The Rujarkians are probably the most believable for reinforcements.
