The Order of the Fiery Gate - The Battlesmith

Skjor drained the last of the contents of his tankard and peered down into the container with a grimace. He shook his head in disgust and set the drinking vessel down at his feet. He wiped the beads of bitter ale from his flame-hued beard with a sweep of his meaty, tattooed arm, smoothing his impressive braids when he was done. For several moments he gazed blankly at the fire before he noticed that several of the flamelings had gathered around about him.

'Another telling, is it?' rumbled Skjor as he rubbed the ur-gold runes that ran the length of his other arm.

'Karl Brynn says you were there the day that Folkvar-Griminir first came to us!' blurted a particularly enthusiastic young Vulkite.

'Does he now?' replied the older duardin with feigned surprise. 'Fancies himself the Battlesmith of the Hrukvorn, does he?'

The loose-tongued Vulkite's eyes widened as his elder fixed him with a gaze that could melt stone.

'Calm yourself, flameling!' roared the burly duardin, his beard bristling as a great smile spread across his face. 'You look like Nurgle himself had appeared before you and asked you to help him wipe his arse!'

The duardin all around broke into raucous laughter, and the junior Vulkite joined in - nervous, but relieved.

'Now there is a tale worth the telling,' said Skjor quietly as he stood to his feet. 'A tale for the ages...'

March Bonus Objective

Welcome to the first monthly objective! 

March Objective!

Good Day everyone!

Welcome to Border Wars, an online Age of Sigmar map campaign run by HobbyHammer. A few have started introducing their armies which is great! So I thought now is a great time to put down a monthly objective.

This month is easy, paint up your General of your warband and post some pictures up on here with a back story as to why he is campaigning. If you complete this by the 28th March you will gain an extra 2 tiles of territory and also start expanding into Mount Dextros which currently has no one in it.

If you would like to see the territory your army has gained so far then head over to http://www.theriseofempires.com and keep track of them on the map.

Happy Blogging!

Da Waaagh of Megaboss Groin Kikka

"...AAAAGGGHHH!!!"

Groin Kikka looked around, feeling slightly confused. The monsterous Ice Golem he had been barreling towards just moments before was gone. Something else was different too. When the battle had begun, the snow was so deep his boyz were in it up to their waists, plowing through the drifts in their frenzy to get to grips with the enemy. Now, the snow was sparse enough to see the stony ground and patches of grass beneath.

With a tug on the reins, he brought his Maw Krusha, Snaggle Toof, to a halt. He looked behind him, expecting to see his boyz charging past him, but instead he saw a host of glittering statues, perfect replicas of a horde of charging Brutes. As he watched, several of the statues shattered, revealing the Orruk beneath. Each took a few running steps as if they were still rushing towards the enemy before stopping, confused as to where their foes had gone. The pile of shards each Brute left behind began melting, leaving the ground covered in small pools of cold water.

Slowly, Groin Kikka began to remember the events of the last several weeks. His warband had been fighting across what the humies of this land called Da Great Green Tork. His boyz had fought their way to the foot of an immense mountain range where local myths claimed great ice creatures dwelt. Sensing this as a place he could find a good scrap, Groin Kikka ordered his warband into the frozen mountain passes.

It was during a howling blizzard that the inhabitants of this frozen wasteland attacked. Hordes of creatures who appeared to be made of pure ice rose up from where they had lain under the snow and laid into the Orruks with savage fury.  Massive creatures, also seemingly made of ice, also emerged and crushed Brutes under smashing fists or froze them solid with blasts of magical energy. It was one of these creatures that Groin Kikka last remembered barreling towards.

It seemed that the ice creatures had moved on, and the perpetual winter of this place had moved on with them. How long had he and his warband been frozen, sleeping while time passed them by? Days? Weeks? It didn't really matter, he thought. However much time had passed, he and his warband were free from their icy imprisonment. As soon as the rest of his warriors thawed, he would be back on the warpath.

Looking down the mountain and into the temperate plains below, he could see what he thought were armies on the march. Thick plumes of smoke rose from what must be burning town and villages. Groin Kikka's face cracked into a fanged smile. No matter how much time had passed, there would still be a good scrap to get into down there. Maybe the peoples of Da Great Green Tork had forgotten about da Great Boss Groin Kikka. It was time to descend from the mountains and bring a great WAAAGH! to these lands once more.

Prince Tarkin, Lord of the Sea Elves

The aetheric winds had changed. Whether that was for good or ill mattered not, only that they had changed. Their change was the herald he needed to take his people out of hiding.

Sea Elf Prince Tarkin had hidden his people away from the ravages of Chaos for more years than he cared to count. At his order the storms that wracked the seas surrounding their island had been stoked into a raging tempest that none save a Sea Elf could navigate. His duty now was to lead his forces into the unknown beyond their storms and confront a changed world.

Prince Tarkin was scouting ahead of the army, riding his trusty gryphon Motyph, when he spotted a desperate battle in the distance. Flying closer he saw warriors in golden armor beset upon all sides by a seemingly endless tide of chaos worshipers. It appeared that the golden warriors had been pushing for a nearby relmgate when they were ambushed by the chaos warriors.

These fought with great skill. The simple fact that they fought against chaos lead Tarkin to believe they were worth coming to the aid of. Wheeling Motyph around, he headed to rally his troop.

Queek Headtaker, TRUE Everchosen of Chaos, PROPER Lord of the End Times and the ONE AND ONLY Marshall of the Apocalypse!!!

All Lie-Speak!

Of course Queek is true lord of all and greatest of all fighters (and leaders)!

Since Queek is mightiest of all then who but Queek could have destroyed Old World and conquered mortal realms?!?

Archaon is child-thing compared to the glory of Queek!

All hail Queek!!!

-Speech given by Queek Headtaker (to himself, inside his head)

Join me as I rebuild my, mostly verminous, Skaven army after its destruction in the world-that-was and bring it into a new era of death and destruction.  This blog will include new models, some intense rebasing, and attempts to bring Skaven back to the top in this new era.

Queek will also feature prominently because he really is the best.

Olrog Iron Ead, Prophet of the Waaagh

Hello I'm Ollie.

I am continuing to build the narrative for Olrog Iron Ead, Prophet of the Waaagh.  Continuing his story from the Realm Hoppers campaign as he attempts to forge a mighty Greenskin Empire for the glory of Gorkamorka 

Olrog was bored and irritable. It had been over a week since he smashed up the pansys and became a Prophet of the Waaagh.  For the entire time he had Gork (or perhaps Mork) raving in the back of his mind urging him to create an empire of green flesh and glorious mayhem. Despite his ascension Olrog had not lost his keen (for an Orruk) intellect or his grasp of strategy. The Waaagh energy coursing through his body meant he was now revered as religious icon by the Boyz but they didn't respond to him in the same way anymore. He needed to find a Warboss to lead his armies in his stead. 

His lieutenants were no use. Bolg didn't have it in him to lead any more especially considering the kicking he'd received from the Pansy's Thunder Umie allies. Ringoz and Gaztrukk were lunatics he might as well choose one of his Bonesplitter bodyguard as either of that pair. 

Luckily a number of rival Orruk Warband a had come to his notice. Olrog was sure he could "persuade" one these aspiring Warbosses to join him and who knows maybe a gain few extra Boyz into the bargain.  

The story of the honourable Lord Black Raven.

I post as Praecautus on TGA and I am looking forward to taking part in this. I hope my story, army and battle reports are enjoyable.

The story of the honourable Lord Black Raven, protector of the Faithful and the Guardian Lord of the lands of Tagge.

Prologue
"More water, Master?" The acolyte raised the cup to the old man's lips who gratefully drank some of the cool fluid and whispered a quiet thankyou. The acolyte looked at the old man lying on his death bed, the Master of the Order of Watchers had been a constant in his life in the church for these twenty past years, and now he was passing, change was coming.

The Master turned his head and 'looked' at the acolyte with sightless eyes. As he did so he coughed up some blood, which the acolyte reverently wiped from his chin.
"My son" he started and coughed again. "My son, while I have strength you shall have your final lesson."

"Save your strength Master, surely the other Masters can teach me?"

"No my son," replied the Master, "there are some things only a few can teach. Tell me, why is the Church here?"

"To help the poor and guard the souls of the faithful." replied the acolyte, "We all know this Master."

"Of course," and here the old Master paused. "but who are we guarding them from?"

The acolyte was silent and before he could respond the Master continued. "The Raven Lords guarded this land, but the last of their family died just over nine hundred..." he coughed more blood onto his chin, "...nine hundred and eighty years ago." finished the Master.

"Do you know of the last Raven Lord my son?" Here the acolyte was silent. "Of course you are too young, not yet finished in your lessons. I shall tell you and it shall be the last thing I teach you."

The old Master was silent a moment, then he began...