When the bitter cold of a nuclear winter bites at a Blood Axe encampment and the grots fall into a terrifyingly compliant depression, painboy Stimma is forced to try the unthinkable. With no Red Gobbo around to stir the grots from their malaise, he must make one, using science, cunning and acts of incredible violence.As Stimma hunts for knowledge, accompanied by the orderly grot Goggulz, he unravels the mystery of the Red Gobbo, delves into the bizarre world of ork revolushunaries, and unpacks visions that hint at the origins of grotkind.And soon, Stimma discovers the Red Gobbo is no mere grot - and much more than he bargained for.

Redsnot was once Runtherd Killaskun's least-worst grot, a position held by guile and treachery. But now Killaskun lies dead, and the leaderless herd are poised to tear each other apart. Besieged on all sides by bloodthirsty worshippers of the Dark Gods, only one grot can rally the cowering runts to victory. And that grot should have been Redsnot. Instead, in swooped Da Red Gobbo, greatest hero of grot-kind, and the runts fell in behind the git like simpering pups. But Redsnot is patient. He knows that when bullets start flying, all sorts of unfortunate accidents can happen, and even Da Red Gobbo is susceptible to a knife in the back...