[Excerpt: Grombrindal: Ancestor's Burden] Unless doing so would prove pointless.

[u/sageking14]

Instinct carried her away from the open street and into the tangle of alleys and stairways that bordered it. She heard distant cannon fire and knew that she had made the right decision landing here. The inner defences of Barak-Thryng were without peer – they would hold. But Azrilazi would not. Either the grots would take it or they wouldn’t, but the strafing fire of the hun-ghrumtok would leave it in ruins regardless. The Code was clear. Azrilazi was an outer district, open to outsiders, which in the strictest interpretation would open it to Four Point Five: Aid allies unless doing so would prove pointless. That being established, Nine Point Seven would come into effect: Excessive firepower is permissible.

Grombrindal: Ancestor's Burden "Maker's Promise" novella, Chapter One

What an interesting word to enshrine into law: Pointless. Not when it becomes unprofitable, impossible, improbable, dangerous, costly, a danger to one's self. When it becomes pointless, that is when one should stop aiding allies.

But when does something become pointless? It's a fascinating thing to see in the Kharadron Code especially due to how malicious or self-serving the wording of the Code can often be interpreted. But here? You are to aid allies until it is pointless and you should do so with all the firepower you have!

In "Maker's Promise" that screams especially true as Duardin of all lineages, Human allies, Stormcast protectors, and even an Aelf and even aghoulthrow everything on the line, make every sacrifice they can muster, to save Barak-Thryng from its fated demise.

But Four Point Five is a law that makes sense in the context of Kharadron as a whole. In "Dawnbringers: Reign of the Brute" a crew chooses to die in a last stand alongside Gardus Steel Soul, in "Godsbane" an assemblage of captains need ultimately only a meager push to be on board with risking their lives, resources, and profit for Settler's Gain, even the Trade Commodore and crew stick around the entirety of the Cursed City game's expansion packs where profit becomes improbable.

Of course Kharadron are often greedy, have contradictory laws, often extoll the cruel and vicious. Yet ever present is Four Point Five. Enshrined in the very cultural guidelines of the Kharadron is the idea that allies, friends, should be aided until its pointless. So at the end of the day it all comes down to how one defines what counts as pointless. It's up to you to make that line.

Yet throughout the novella. Tempted and battered as the heroes, defenders, and civilians were. There aren't many people who find their line. Through it all, no cost was so high as to make aiding allies pointless. Here and there a reminder, was needed, a nudge from a certain White-Bearded Ancestor convinced a fyrd here or a clan there. But just a nudge.

[u/Fyraltari]

With that being said, the thing the POV character is worried about here is that the moment the Elders of Barak-Thryng declares attempts to save Azrilazi's population "pointless", they would open fire on it to stop the invaders' progress through the city, with excessive firepower, killing everyone still present in the district.

And without Old Whitebeard's intervention it seems likely that this is what would have happened.

[u/sageking14 → u/Fyraltari]

True! Though it isn't Old Whitebeard alone whose intervention saves the day as Teffi, the POV character in question, and the heroes from the shorts preceding Marker's Promise all take actions that swing things back in favor of not killing Azrilazi.

Which likely saved the city as a lot of the forces who rally to aid Thryng's internal defenses against Kairos, whose true goal is to essentially snap Thryng's spine and send the whole city hurtling towards destruction, come from Azrilazi.

The grots attacking the outer district seemingly just a district by Kairos to get Thryng to make a move that would ironically decimate many of its potential saviors.

[u/Fyraltari → u/sageking14]

True! Though it isn't Old Whitebeard alone whose intervention saves the day as Teffi, the POV character in question, and the heroes from the shorts preceding Marker's Promise all take actions that swing things back in favor of not killing Azrilazi.

Oh definitely, Grombrindal's real power is to bolster the duardins into action. To find the flaw in Fate's mechanism and pull as he puts it.

[u/sageking14 → u/Fyraltari]

Grombrindal and Kairos's debate was a lot of fun. Especially with how much of Grombrindal's plan relied on the fact he trusts people. Himself, mortals, his own father Grungni, and in a surprising twist even Sigmar.

I don't think we've ever even heard either say a word about each other before Grombrindal triumphantly bragged that Ghal Maraz may be lost for now but right now? Right now it still belongs to Sigmar and his Eternals

Then right after Kairos's plans immediately start to collapse.

[u/Fyraltari → u/sageking14]

Kairos's metaphor for Grombrindal as a fisherman who invaded his river and added insult to injury by not taking the craft seriously but daring to have a good time doing it and acting like there aren't important and non-important fishes was a great read.

Especially with how much of Grombrindal's plan relied on the fact he trusts people.

This gets to the core of why I disagree with the notion of Tzeentch as god of hope. Ambition, certainly, but actual hope involves a willingness to trust others, both to be the better version of themselves, and, if need be, to trust them with your own fate. This is absolutely not what Tzeentch's teaches. Ambition can be (and often is) used for good, but his is a lonely kind of ambition, one that only sees others as tools to manipulate, not people to trust. Which is why he fails.

Also random question, I don't understand Larn's epithet of "Grunslayer" later in the book. Maybe it's because English is not my native tongue, but I can't figure out what "grun" refers to.

[u/sageking14 → u/Fyraltari]

This gets to the core of why I disagree with the notion of Tzeentch as god of hope.

As is ever the case when it comes to Hope, understanding the type Tzeentch represents can be understood through another champion of Tomorrow.

Superman is a the Symbol of Hope. Down to his initial origins he is akin to a golem acting as hope for all peoples who are oppressed. But there's the nugget, the rub, the importance. Acting. Hope needs Action.

Tzeentch represents a form of Hope without true Action. For Tzeentch what is important are those feelings of hope. The actual actions? The rebellion against tyranny? The successful heist? The stealing of arcane lore? The ambitions achieved? These end the game, make the hope no longer needed. So Tzeentch turns to the ousted oppressors, the masters defeated, the slavers cast down, feeds on their Hope. So the cycle begins anew.

That is the kind of Hope that Tzeentch represents and wants. Hope that never ends, Hope that never leads to a new dawn, Hope that never sees trees grow for new generations.

Much like Anger and Hate are just two emotions that are good for you in reasonable usage but through Khorne they are twisted into ugly, unnatural expressions of all consuming, permanent, pointless Rage.

Also random question, I don't understand Larn's epithet of "Grunslayer" later in the book. Maybe it's because English is not my native tongue, but I can't figure out what "grun" refers to.

I checked every online Khazalid Lexicon and my key word search. I could not find a single Warhammer explanation for Grun besides a 40K character. So I honestly have no idea.

[u/Edicato]

The Grombrindal stories for AoS have been fantastic. I was surprised how much I enjoyed Ancestor’s Burden. I figured I would like it, but it became one of my favorite Warhammer books from the last few years. I especially love how the Grombrindal stories have him interacting with all the different duardin peoples, and how these duardin don’t just interact with the White Dwarf but amongst themselves as well. AoS has been really cool bringing forth all these different flavors of duardin, aelves, humans, and so on. I’m hopeful we’ll get another Grombrindal story, especially one involving the Helsmiths, having a duardin group as an enemy, rather than the group needing the help of the White Dwarf would be fun.

[u/Fyraltari → u/Edicato]

Can't wait for Urak Tarr and Grombrindal to square off.

[u/Edicato → u/Fyraltari]

That would be epic. Ever since the Helsmiths were announced, I’ve also had glorious images in my mind of great battles between the Helsmiths and Fyreslayers so hopefully we get some some awesome fights

[u/sageking14 → u/Edicato]

For completely unrelated and bizarre reasons I recommend the Soulblight short "This Rough Beast" to anyone who is a fan of seeing Grombrindal style interactions.

[u/Edicato → u/sageking14]

Thank you for the recommendation!

[u/NilesR1201]

The Grombrindal books really are amazing.