WARHAMMER® ONLINE: AGE OF RECKONING™

ZONE OVERVIEW

Ekrund

Official Information from EA Mythic

Amid the rocky slopes of Ekrund, the Dwarfs long ago built a great mining fortress that fell to their hated enemies, the Orcs and Goblins. As the Age of Reckoning dawns, Dwarf forces have made a determined push into the Dragonback Mountains, reclaiming the fortress at Ekrund and claiming a tenuous foothold in the lands surrounding it. Now, they battle to hold the strategically vital outpost, knowing that if they can repair its defenses, they will gain a valuable staging area from which they can take the fight to the enemy. However, there is still a significant greenskin presence in Ekrund and the beleaguered Dwarfs within the fortress find themselves in a near-constant state of siege.

While the Orcs and Goblins launch their relentless attacks upon the fortress, Dwarf reinforcements continue to pour into Ekrund and entrench in the craggy landscape. The resourceful Dwarfs have wasted little time in putting to use the many outposts and storehouses retaken from the greenskins, and are now making preparations to launch an offensive against the besieging Orc horde. Key to the success of this assault is a new workshop the Dwarfs have begun to build not far from the fortress. Here, the legendary Grungni Rockcrusher is already busy crafting death-dealing organ guns, swift gyrocopters and thundering flame cannons for the Dwarf army.

Elsewhere, other dangers wait to prey upon the unwary. Lurking deep within one of the numerous caves in Ekrund is Murgluk the Mad, a mutated Goblin once fond of making brews to increase his strength and courage. While mucking about in a sinkhole searching for new ingredients, he discovered a tiny pebble of Warpstone and plopped it into one of his concoctions. When he drank this foul potion, he was transformed into a towering, muscle-bound monster. His twisted mind now plots the destruction of Dwarf and Orc alike, for Murgluk is determined to prove that he is the biggest, strongest and meanest greenskin of all.

Fearsome creatures are not the only threat to be found in Ekrund. The aggressive mining of the greenskins has weakened the surface of a landscape already plagued by frequent earthquakes. The ground is now peppered with sinkholes, many of which contain fetid pools of stinking water covered by poisonous algae Normally the Dwarfs would leave well enough alone; however, a number of fortifications they constructed upon returning to the area collapsed into such sinkholes, taking with them the caches of gold, gems and precious metals stored there. Many an intrepid Dwarf has tried to safely recover the lost loot, but so far none have succeeded.

The largest sinkhole in Ekrund is "Goldfist's Hole". This pit opened up suddenly under the pavilion of the wealthy Dwarf General Farlok Goldfist. The General and his men plunged into the gaping pit taking with them hundreds of chests filled to the brim with rare gems and gold from all corners of the Old World. Hoping to drain the pit of water, the ambitious Dwarfs have set up pumping machines around the sinkhole's rim. This fixation has made them vulnerable; the desire to reclaim the lost gold has pulled many an eager Dwarf away from the battle with the Orcs.

Also in Ekrund can be found a number of ancient Dwarf burial chambers. These hallowed tombs are guarded diligently by the stout warriors, and they will suffer no trespassers. The guards are scarcely needed, however, for the eerie sounds occasionally heard within the crypts have the Dwarfs convinced that the spirits inside are restless, and better left alone. The less careful greenskins, on the other hand, would love nothing more than to plunder the tombs to the last bone just to spite their foes.

Day after day, the battle for Ekrund rages without end. The Dwarfs fight with an iron determination, knowing that control of the fortress is the key to driving out the vile greenskins and retaking the land that once was theirs. For the Orcs and Goblins, Ekrund is a seemingly endless source of "stunties" to fight, with more arriving every day. It is a battle that could have far-reaching implications in the Age of Reckoning.

The Ten Ton Thought:

Being the n00b zone for Dwarves, Ekrund is also at the heart of the fighting. With various different sites of interest to Dwarves and Greenskins there will be a lot of fighting in this area as the conflict begins. Almost being the grinder for Greenskin forces, more and more will come to do battle, because as we all know; Greenskins love a good fight.