Ghark Ironskin



Ghark Ironskin, the Tyrant of the Ironskin tribe and ally of the Chaos Dwarf.

The Ironskin Tribe live in the north of the Mountains of Mourn, and have a strange fascination with metal, valuing the metal more than they do gold. The tribe, under the leadership of Ghark Ironskin, have set up expansive trade agreements with the Chaos Dwarfs of Zharr-Naggrund, and thus have access to more Leadbelchers than any other tribe, and Ghark himself ride into battle on top of a huge mechanical rhinox, whom some claim has been possessed by a daemon.

History
Ghark Ironskin is very unusual. He was smashed over the head by his father for eating too slowly whilst still a whelp, and one of the nails of his father's iron-bound club broke off in Ghark's head where it rusts to this day. The longest serving of his Irongut bodyguard claim that this may be the reason for Ghark's obsession for metal, a passion that has spread throughout his tribe.

It is a mark of status for an Ironskin Ogre to cover himself with iron rather than mere trinkets such as gold. After all, gold is soft and beautiful, a woman's metal, whereas iron is tough, strong and ugly, like a Bull. The Ironskin tribe believes that where an Ogre can gain much in trade from gold, a stout iron club can cut out all that confusing haggling and get straight to the good stuff.

Ghark is famous in the Ogre kingdoms for another good reason - his tribe boasts a great number of Rhinox riders. The very first Ogre to batter a bull Rhinox into submission, Ghark tamed his one-time steed, Bladehorn, with an iron stanchion. To this day, Ironskin Bulls take pride in repeating the

coming-of-age feat of their Tyrant, though it is a closely guarded secret of the Ironskin clan that it is much easier to tame a wild Rhinox with iron than with wood.

Ghark's obsession with metal is undoubtedly the foundation of his long-standing alliance with his neighbours, the Chaos Dwarfs of Zharr-Naggrund. Ghark has provided the Chaos Dwarfs with many hundreds of Gnoblar slaves over the years, and much of the gold that passes through his realm. This alliance proved invaluable when, after slaughtering his way through the majority of an army of Bretonnian Knights Errant, Ghark's Rhinox, Bladehorn, was spitted upon the lances of a unit of Grail Knights. Ghark never forgave them, even after he had them for dinner later that day, and fragments of their armour still adorn Ghark's own plate mail.

But it was the Chaos Dwarfs who are really responsible for Ghark's current infamy. They replaced their ally's Rhinox with a mechanical monstrosity of hissing pistons and rune-etched chains, a daemon-fuelled engine of destruction that obeys Ghark's every command (though he still bashes it over the head now and again, for old time's sake). None can doubt that Ghark Ironskin is amongst the mightiest of Tyrants, riding his unstoppable steed at the head of an iron-clad army of Bulls and Rhinox riders, the ground shaking at their tread.

The End Times
Ghark Ironskin were among those ogres who fought against Grimgor on behalf of the Chaos Dwarfs. he led Ironskin Tribe made their stand at the Sentinels, in an attempt to break the invaders' momentum. At last, Ghark was cut down by Grimgor Ironhide in single combat.

Wargear

 * The Iron Rhinox - Iron Rhinox is a monstrous mount made by Chaos Dwarfs. It can constantly snorts evil-smelling, sulphurous steam from its armoured snout.
 * Ironskin Armour - This armour is a collection of thick plates of iron scavenged from the hundreds of foes that Ghark has killed over the years, and bears a potent protective rune bought at the cost of a small mountain of gold.