Erlengrad, Mid-January, Imperial Year 2515 / Kislev Year 1000
Within the city of Erlengrad, ruins still lay scattered across the streets, remnants of months of brutal siege. Yet, unlike the despair of the previous months, the city now buzzed with renewed vitality.
In early January, the Sea God Fleet, supported by the armored battleship Enterprise, successfully broke through the Norscan longship blockade. With the blockade reduced to land routes only, the sea lanes were reopened. Ulfwerener's withdrawal of many Norscan longships had left the remaining fleet insufficient to maintain the blockade, and combined strikes from the Nord Kingdom's Claw Sea Fleet and Bretonnia's Sea God Fleet restored vital supply lines.
The Norscan response was swift. A raiding force of several thousand Norscans rampaged through Nord's interior, burning and pillaging, forcing Nord's forces to retreat for homeland defense.
However, the immediate crisis for Erlengrad had passed. Reinforcements from Karad's Northern Army Group and Duke Bodrick's Sea God Knights bolstered the city's defenses. The most desperate days were behind them. Supplies flowed freely via the sea, and for the first time, the residents of Erlengrad could enjoy bread without wood shavings and impurities.
By January 5th, small amounts of frozen lamb and pork began reaching the populace, sparking hope for survival and victory. Marshal Rokossovsky, too, saw his long-awaited opportunity for a counteroffensive within reach.
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Erlengrad was experiencing its coldest recorded winter. Daytime temperatures plunged to -30°C, while nights fell to a bone-chilling -70°C. Even the chaos warriors' armor froze into icy shells. The Bretonnians, unaccustomed to such brutal cold, huddled indoors to conserve warmth. Outside the city, the Norscans suffered greatly. Their armies slackened their siege, retreating north and east into the Grovod Forest to chop wood for fires. Southward, Norscan forces sought refuge in ruined towns.
"The power of Winter Marshal can only be truly understood after experiencing Kislev's cold firsthand. It's a place where water freezes mid-air, and pipes burst before the water even hits the ground."
—Count Karad de Garamont, Grandmaster of the Holy Grail, and Commander of the Northern Army Group
Thanks to meticulous preparation by Commissar Belial, including stockpiles of vodka and thick double-layered winter coats, the Bretonnians adapted to the freezing environment over the course of two weeks.
During this time, an unexpected ally arrived in Erlengrad: the Norscan Dwarf High King, Thorgard the Crimson. Leading his personal guard, the "Dragon's Vanguard," the king brought with him a formidable force of dwarves—ironbreakers, quarrelers, slayers, and veteran longbeards—totaling about 1,000 soldiers. Emerging from a hidden port in the Claw Sea, these dwarves had broken the Norscan encirclement of their mountain hold, Zhufbar.
"I bring a message from the dwarves of Zhufbar to our human friends in the Old World," declared Thorgard, puffing his chest proudly. "One hundred and seventy years ago, we fought side by side during the Great War Against Chaos. Today, we honor that alliance once more, in the name of Grungni."
With the dwarves' arrival bolstering the defenders and the Bretonnians adapting to the cold, Marshal Rokossovsky proposed a bold plan during a military council.
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Operation Overview
The plan was shocking in its ambition. Rokossovsky proposed a dual offensive, targeting the left and right flanks of the Norscan Mountain Army entrenched in the Grovod Forest.
The goals were:
1. To decisively defeat or drive away the left-wing force under the Slaanesh Champion Stika.
2. To crush the right-wing force commanded by the Khorne Chosen Skal Bloodrage.
After breaking these two flanks, the combined human-dwarf coalition would encircle and attack the central force led by Wulfrik Eslin, the Norscan High King. This pincer movement aimed to annihilate the entire Norscan Mountain Army and lift the siege on Erlengrad.
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The council erupted in heated debate. Many questioned the feasibility of such a plan, including Marquis Tulas of Bretonnia, High King Thorgard, and Commissar Belial.
Their concerns were valid:
- The harsh January weather would fatigue troops rapidly.
- Splitting forces risked encirclement by the numerically superior Norscans.
- Even if the flanks were defeated, failure to converge quickly could result in piecemeal destruction by Eslin's central force.
Skeptics also cited Rokossovsky's past failure at the Zedevka Grand Battle, which had ended in a humiliating defeat for Kislev.
Faced with doubts, Rokossovsky defended his plan with a calculated argument:
- The prolonged siege had drained both defenders and attackers. Norscan morale was waning, and their forces had become complacent and scattered, lacking communication and coordination.
- Intelligence reports confirmed the Slaanesh worshipers were indulging in debauchery, while the Khorne followers had begun killing each other in frustration over the lack of skulls for their patron.
- This was a rare window of opportunity for a surprise attack.
Despite his reasoning, Rokossovsky was twice sent back to reconsider his plan. At one point, Belial seized him by the collar and coldly demanded if his intention was to let the city burn to ashes.
Rokossovsky stood firm, convinced this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. The debates only strengthened his resolve.
Finally, Count Karad, the overall commander and King Ryan's appointed leader, spoke. "I believe Marshal Rokossovsky has his reasons. In war, nothing is guaranteed. His meticulous planning suggests this is our best shot at victory. As for Wulfrik Eslin, I will deal with him personally."
With Karad's approval, the plan was adopted.
In honor of the fallen Ursun-chosen Bagration, the operation was named Operation Bagration.
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Deployment
Erlengrad's forces were divided into three groups:
1. Left Flank: Bretonnia's Northern Army Group and Bordeleaux's forces would target Stika's Slaanesh army.
2. Center: Dwarves led by Thorgard the Crimson and Sorglin Ironhammer (son of Belegar) would strike Eslin's central force head-on.
3. Right Flank: Rokossovsky and Kuznetsov's Kislevite troops would engage Skal Bloodrage's Khorne army.
The operation was scheduled to commence at dawn on January 16.
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That evening, Thorgard approached Karad. "You're taking on Eslin? He's not an easy foe."
"It must be me," Karad replied calmly. "In this city, I'm the strongest warrior. If I can't defeat the Norscan High King, no one can. I will deliver the Lady's judgment upon him."
Thorgard hesitated before removing a vibranium rune ring from his dense brown beard. "Take this. It will help you."
"This is…?" Karad asked, holding the gleaming artifact.
"It's a relic of my father, Silverbeard. He fell during the Siege of Zhufbar, where Eslin's forces besieged our hold for decades. This ring contains his indomitable spirit and strength. It will aid you—but only once."
Karad nodded solemnly and affixed the ring to his legendary sword, Durandal, thanking Thorgard for his gift.
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January 16, Imperial Year 2515
At dawn, Operation Bagration began.
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