So uh, what actually goes on here?
Let's Read: Warhammer Fantasy: End Times
- Thread starter Codex
- Start date
- Location
- Titan
The Stormcast are newbie friendly in that they are relatively easy to paint due to being big infantry without too many details on the armor save the standard insignia. That's also why Ultramarines are the poster boys. Blue is easy to paint.
Codex
Fantasy Addict
- Pronouns
- She/Her
She tells him to build a wall, gives him a scroll to help him do it, he gets suspicious, Genevieve gets coy. The Empire is pretty desperate, so he'll do it despite his doubts.
The underlying implications here is that Dieter, the guy who gave him the idea for the wall of faith, likely wasn't the real Dieter, and the Vampires want that wall to be built for some reason. They're giving Gelt the methods to do so.
Tasoli
Life is for Living
- Location
- Behind the Keyboard.
They are still asshole to their fans so it has not changed. I mean have you heard that you can't even put fanworks online without getting C&D nowadays? And why is that? Because GW decided that all Warhammer content should be on their shiny and new Dumpster+.
In the process they killed bunch of fanworks like TTS. And TTS is a parody that is normally covered under fair use and legal normally. But since small time content creaters don't have money to contest stuff on court they die.
Well for the reason I have mentioned above I am boycotting all GW products, up to including TW:W3. And will keep to that until fanworks are allowed again.
I mean really if you were to do this on youtube you too would get a C&D order right away with "offers" to move to dumpster+.
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K von Carstein
Likes to go for a walk
- Location
- Belgium
- Pronouns
- He
Euh, how did it work then? That sounds stupid as hell.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
You can, and people do, put tons of fancontent up on youtube without a C&D. Only two people stopped making Warhammer content after GW started paying the top fan creators for their talents, one who was bullied by the community for taking the paycheck until he quit the hobby due to the trauma and the TTS guy who cited both the overblown and false hysteria and his own burn-out and wish to pursue original content.
All that said I'm looking forward to your read through @Codex. I read all of these bar Archeon at the time so it will be interesting to see where our oppinions differ.
Part 4 Nagash: Beasts and Forests
Codex
Fantasy Addict
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Beasts and Forests:
The Beastmen section is thankfully quite brief, and consists of tons of descriptions of the Beastmen being up to no good and committing unholy acts. Thankfully vague, but lots of descriptions of lust and bloodthirst and orgies of blood and profane acts. The text describes the moon of Morrisleb growing closer and closer to the planet with each orbit ever since the coming of the Comet.
This is probably the most important part of the Beastmen section:
"Now, beneath the moon's leering face, the firmament began to writhe. From the ground rose monoliths – jagged spikes thrust out of the bedrock like spearpoints. Some were black splinters of long-ago meteors now pulled to the surface by the moon's sickly green glow. Others were ancient idols, toppled and overgrown or else cast down into ruin by other powers. As the nights grew longer, dark magic reknitted broken stone; fell runes, long-eroded, cast forth baleful light once more.
From the Drakwald surged a monolith so immense it towered over the tallest structure built by man, its crown wreathed in lightning. The malformed pillars that grew in the Arden Forest oozed, while a monument of living flame arose out of the glacial fields of Naggaroth. The dreaded Six Spikes herdstones, levelled after the loss of so many stouthearted men, once again stood tall in the Great Forest. A number of contaminated sites rose in Athel Loren, despite the best efforts of the wood elves. Soon each of these herdstones pulsed with dark energy, emitting the corrupting influence of Chaos into the air around them." Page 32
With that done and over with, we move on to Athel Loren, where Ariel and therefore the Forest itself is dying. Yes, it's abrupt, so let's jump back a little. The first few lines of the Athel Loren section says that she's been infected with something after the Battle of Quenelles, despite not suffering any physical injuries whatsoever.
First off, what is the Battle of Quenelles? Well, to make a very long story short, there's a guy in Bretonnia named Mallobaude who is a corrupted former Knight who was exposed to some dark truth and decided to take the throne of Bretonnia for himself and prove that the Lady is not who she says she is. He goes to Mousillon to assemble his forces, and Louen Leouncour the King of Bretonnia assembles a War of Errantry to face off against him, and somehow Mallobaude receives the Blood Kiss, he cooperates with Vampires, something something Knights of the Black Grail, epic fight where Ariel and the Lady make amends and the forces of Athel Loren and Bretonnia cooperate and fight together against Mallobaude. They win, but not without cost.
Ariel, being so heavily damaged but with no one knowing what's up with her, they drag her to the Oak of Ages where she can recover. Except her time spent there does not allows her to heal so much as infect the Oak of Ages and cause Athel Loren to start rotting, and now Beastmen are flooding the Forest as the Asrai desperately fight against an endless horde with their forest dying while they don't know what to do.
Things begin changing when a figure moves through the World Roots into Athel Loren. This figure, not being a Wood Elf, is risking a lot, but she manages to navigate the malicious spirits of the forest through offerings of magic and Innocent Blood (likely her own). Revealing herself in front of the council of Athel Loren, the figure turns out to be Alarielle, teleporting from Gaen Vale to meet Ariel, the other Avatar of Isha. Alarielle explains her situation regarding her daughter and the balance of the weave being disrupted, likely having something to do with her Daughter being used in some sort of profane ritual in Sylvania, and she abases herself in front of the Asrai, surprising all of them for a women who seemed so proud. She will do anything to save her daughter as a mother, to save the Asur as a Queen, and to maintain the Weave as Everqueen. The Asrai debated the matter in great length. They could not afford to weaken the forest any further, but they could not ignore her request, for she was sincere and the weave was of the utmost importance.
Then Durthu spoke up:
"In the end, the matter was settled by an unexpected influence. Durthu, Eldest of Ancients, had seldom addressed the council in recent decades, for his mind had been too often far afield, but now he spoke lucidly and without wrath. The cycle of the world was beginning anew, he proclaimed in stentorian tones, and just as the forest had aided the elves of Ulthuan in days of old, it would do so again now. But, he warned Alarielle, there would be a price, just as there had been in those ancient times" Page 36
Not willing to argue with Durthu, the council assigned the Lord of Talsyn and Queen Ariel's Champion, Glade Lord Araloth, as the head of the host assigned to save the Everchild. The reason being that he is Lileath's favored champion, and therefore has a measure of protection from the corruptive influence of the Vampires.
The following passage follows a narrative view from Allarielle's perspective where she interacts with Naestra and Arahan. This is a particularly interesting passage primarily because it helps "humanise" for lack of a better word, the characters involved. It shows Naestra and Arahan showing a level of concern and care for Alarielle and it shows Alarielle being scared and hesitant for a moment.
"With a creaking sigh, the ground in front of Alarielle sank away, revealing a stairway of roots that stretched away into the darkness beneath the tree. Pinpricks of light sparked in the gloom below as spirits, disturbed by the shifting of the roots, flittered into the night sky. The Everqueen felt an unfamiliar pang of terror.
'There is nothing to fear,' Naestra said.
'Do not lie to her,' Arahan chided. 'It is better that she knows the truth.'
'Truth is not absolute, whatever you might believe,' Naestra argued. 'In any case, the bargain is made; it cannot be reneged upon without cost.'
'A cost we can ill-afford,' Arahan agreed.
'Indeed. But you are right,' Naestra conceded, 'the choice must be hers alone.'
Alarielle's grip tightened on her stave. Naestra was correct, she thought; the bargain had been made. The Everqueen would not dishonour the Asur by refusing it now.
Without a word, Alarielle began her descent. The soil's rich scent was thick all about her, but the bitterness of corruption also hung in the air. As she alighted from each stair, the roots shifted behind her, rising up to weave away the sky. As the last tendril writhed into place, the Everqueen heard one of the sisters call out.
'Please, save our mother.'" Page 36
I will admit, I'm glad Alarielle is doing something. Putting Ariel out of commission and letting Orion go berserk and go into fight after fight causing far more casualties than he should have taken is a pretty clear way to take the Asrai out of commission however. Nothing quite like neutering the abilities of every faction right from the beginning.
The Beastmen section is thankfully quite brief, and consists of tons of descriptions of the Beastmen being up to no good and committing unholy acts. Thankfully vague, but lots of descriptions of lust and bloodthirst and orgies of blood and profane acts. The text describes the moon of Morrisleb growing closer and closer to the planet with each orbit ever since the coming of the Comet.
This is probably the most important part of the Beastmen section:
"Now, beneath the moon's leering face, the firmament began to writhe. From the ground rose monoliths – jagged spikes thrust out of the bedrock like spearpoints. Some were black splinters of long-ago meteors now pulled to the surface by the moon's sickly green glow. Others were ancient idols, toppled and overgrown or else cast down into ruin by other powers. As the nights grew longer, dark magic reknitted broken stone; fell runes, long-eroded, cast forth baleful light once more.
From the Drakwald surged a monolith so immense it towered over the tallest structure built by man, its crown wreathed in lightning. The malformed pillars that grew in the Arden Forest oozed, while a monument of living flame arose out of the glacial fields of Naggaroth. The dreaded Six Spikes herdstones, levelled after the loss of so many stouthearted men, once again stood tall in the Great Forest. A number of contaminated sites rose in Athel Loren, despite the best efforts of the wood elves. Soon each of these herdstones pulsed with dark energy, emitting the corrupting influence of Chaos into the air around them." Page 32
With that done and over with, we move on to Athel Loren, where Ariel and therefore the Forest itself is dying. Yes, it's abrupt, so let's jump back a little. The first few lines of the Athel Loren section says that she's been infected with something after the Battle of Quenelles, despite not suffering any physical injuries whatsoever.
First off, what is the Battle of Quenelles? Well, to make a very long story short, there's a guy in Bretonnia named Mallobaude who is a corrupted former Knight who was exposed to some dark truth and decided to take the throne of Bretonnia for himself and prove that the Lady is not who she says she is. He goes to Mousillon to assemble his forces, and Louen Leouncour the King of Bretonnia assembles a War of Errantry to face off against him, and somehow Mallobaude receives the Blood Kiss, he cooperates with Vampires, something something Knights of the Black Grail, epic fight where Ariel and the Lady make amends and the forces of Athel Loren and Bretonnia cooperate and fight together against Mallobaude. They win, but not without cost.
Ariel, being so heavily damaged but with no one knowing what's up with her, they drag her to the Oak of Ages where she can recover. Except her time spent there does not allows her to heal so much as infect the Oak of Ages and cause Athel Loren to start rotting, and now Beastmen are flooding the Forest as the Asrai desperately fight against an endless horde with their forest dying while they don't know what to do.
Things begin changing when a figure moves through the World Roots into Athel Loren. This figure, not being a Wood Elf, is risking a lot, but she manages to navigate the malicious spirits of the forest through offerings of magic and Innocent Blood (likely her own). Revealing herself in front of the council of Athel Loren, the figure turns out to be Alarielle, teleporting from Gaen Vale to meet Ariel, the other Avatar of Isha. Alarielle explains her situation regarding her daughter and the balance of the weave being disrupted, likely having something to do with her Daughter being used in some sort of profane ritual in Sylvania, and she abases herself in front of the Asrai, surprising all of them for a women who seemed so proud. She will do anything to save her daughter as a mother, to save the Asur as a Queen, and to maintain the Weave as Everqueen. The Asrai debated the matter in great length. They could not afford to weaken the forest any further, but they could not ignore her request, for she was sincere and the weave was of the utmost importance.
Then Durthu spoke up:
"In the end, the matter was settled by an unexpected influence. Durthu, Eldest of Ancients, had seldom addressed the council in recent decades, for his mind had been too often far afield, but now he spoke lucidly and without wrath. The cycle of the world was beginning anew, he proclaimed in stentorian tones, and just as the forest had aided the elves of Ulthuan in days of old, it would do so again now. But, he warned Alarielle, there would be a price, just as there had been in those ancient times" Page 36
Not willing to argue with Durthu, the council assigned the Lord of Talsyn and Queen Ariel's Champion, Glade Lord Araloth, as the head of the host assigned to save the Everchild. The reason being that he is Lileath's favored champion, and therefore has a measure of protection from the corruptive influence of the Vampires.
The following passage follows a narrative view from Allarielle's perspective where she interacts with Naestra and Arahan. This is a particularly interesting passage primarily because it helps "humanise" for lack of a better word, the characters involved. It shows Naestra and Arahan showing a level of concern and care for Alarielle and it shows Alarielle being scared and hesitant for a moment.
"With a creaking sigh, the ground in front of Alarielle sank away, revealing a stairway of roots that stretched away into the darkness beneath the tree. Pinpricks of light sparked in the gloom below as spirits, disturbed by the shifting of the roots, flittered into the night sky. The Everqueen felt an unfamiliar pang of terror.
'There is nothing to fear,' Naestra said.
'Do not lie to her,' Arahan chided. 'It is better that she knows the truth.'
'Truth is not absolute, whatever you might believe,' Naestra argued. 'In any case, the bargain is made; it cannot be reneged upon without cost.'
'A cost we can ill-afford,' Arahan agreed.
'Indeed. But you are right,' Naestra conceded, 'the choice must be hers alone.'
Alarielle's grip tightened on her stave. Naestra was correct, she thought; the bargain had been made. The Everqueen would not dishonour the Asur by refusing it now.
Without a word, Alarielle began her descent. The soil's rich scent was thick all about her, but the bitterness of corruption also hung in the air. As she alighted from each stair, the roots shifted behind her, rising up to weave away the sky. As the last tendril writhed into place, the Everqueen heard one of the sisters call out.
'Please, save our mother.'" Page 36
I will admit, I'm glad Alarielle is doing something. Putting Ariel out of commission and letting Orion go berserk and go into fight after fight causing far more casualties than he should have taken is a pretty clear way to take the Asrai out of commission however. Nothing quite like neutering the abilities of every faction right from the beginning.
- Location
- California
I think this in particular is emblematic of why I dislike the End Times. It has non-chaos powers helpless in areas where they've historically had to struggle. If instead of having Shallyans accomplish nothing it had used the new plagues as a way to have them be overworked and thus unable to deal with latter issues such as battle casualties it would have given chaos less of a win button, but it could have made chaos' plans more multi-step and it would have been more respectful to established capabilities of groups in universe.
One of the reasons I like WFB more than 40k is because WFB has active non-chaos gods who, while less individually powerful, are able to provide real and tangible benefits. Having their priests provide no benefits at all is annoying.
"The Evil Moon is gonna crash into the planet."
Well that's one way to ensure no matter what happens it's game over and a remarkably bullshit way to weaken most none dhar based magic users. I guess Chaos can do anything now too since I assume this is their fault. Somehow.
Also nice and convenient mr super angry murder tree decided to snap out of his ages long murder funk to be reasonable for no real reason. Really he should be getting MORE murderous given everything. Ugh.
Well that's one way to ensure no matter what happens it's game over and a remarkably bullshit way to weaken most none dhar based magic users. I guess Chaos can do anything now too since I assume this is their fault. Somehow.
Also nice and convenient mr super angry murder tree decided to snap out of his ages long murder funk to be reasonable for no real reason. Really he should be getting MORE murderous given everything. Ugh.
- Location
- Australia
I'd be very down for that if it's more of the content you're producing. AoS is a setting I've wanted to learn more about an d hearing it from you strikes me as an ideal way to do so.
By default? You just threw as many models as you wanted on the table. The only balancing mechanism the release rules even suggested was using number of models (not number of wounds, models) as a rule of thumb for an even match-up. Apparently the top-down statement of intent behind it was that if someone walked off the street into a Games Workshop store and said "I like this model", the amount of time and reading it took to get them playing a game with that model was to be pared down as much as possible, at the cost of all other considerations. No more points to add up, no more army structure, no more big rulebooks. According to their reports to shareholders at the time, the belief of GW was that 80% of their customers were modellers and collectors who didn't actually play the game. This was based on them proudly never doing any market research whatsoever, which they infamously declared 'otiose in a niche'.
One of the things that gets me about all of this is so much of it would make for interesting narratives on their own, but all of it comes to nothing because it's all being used as justification for why nobody can stand against the coming tide of Chaos.
"If we have enough characters turn to the camera and yell 'sequel hook' loud enough, that counts as foreshadowing, right?"
Codex
Fantasy Addict
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I want to issue a correction here, having read the next section. The Asrai and Bretonnia do not win the Battle of Quenelles. It's a crushing defeat. I will elaborate in more detail once I finish the post, but suffice to say that if you like Bretonnia you won't like the next part.
Part 5 Nagash: Knights of Bretonnia
Codex
Fantasy Addict
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Knights of Bretonnia:
The very first paragraph of the Bretonnia section tells you what to expect. Bretonnia is dying.
Mallobaude the Black Knight of Mousillon is instantly revealed to be the bastard son of Louen Leouncour, and his rebellion, beginning at Winter's Eve, spread across the nation of Bretonnia. At the disastrous Battle of Chalons, the Fey Enchantress Morgiana le Fey mysteriously vanished and the Dukes of Carcassonne, Artois and Lyonesse sided with Mallobaude, turning the rebellion into full on civil war.
Despite that, King Louen managed to muster his forces and the Lady's Blessing to defeat each of the rebellious provinces one by one, bringing them to heel, until it was revealed that his son had made a pact with another entity. The Liche, Arkhan the Black.
With an army of undead at his disposal, Mallobaude turned the tides and forced Louen back, culminating in the Battle of Quenelles, where Mallobaude fought his father Louen in single combat and cast his broken body into the mud. The forces of Bretonnia broke without their king, and the Asrai subsequently made their escape.
Arkhan told Mallobaude that no mortal son of Bretonnia would best him, and he was right. But there were those who were not mortal. Mallobaude marched his forces north to Couronne and defeated all challengers on his way, until he faced the Grail Knights of Couronne who put up one hell of a fight. Then he met the Green Knight, who cast Mallobaude's head from his body in a deadly charge. His body was burnt to ash afterwards. Arkhan the Black had fled and there were no traces of him left.
After Mallobaude's death, it was believed that Louen was dead because he had not reappeared since his loss at Mallobaude's hand. This resulted in the Dukes beginning to argue over who would be king, until the Green Knight took his helmet off and revealed himself to be Gilles le Breton, the first King of Bretonnia, having come back to lead Bretonnia in its time of need.
Unfortunately for Bretonnia, its plight has not yet ended:
"Days after Gilles' recoronation as Royarch, plague broke out in the southern provinces, laying waste to what remained of Quenelles and Carcassonne. Then came warpstone meteors, blazing from the skies to bring death and mutation to the ravaged land. With each passing day, the power of Chaos waxed ever fuller, and Bretonnia's plight grew ever more desperate. Each night, the skies blazed with blue fire, and each morning the survivors praised the Lady for their salvation, or else slunk into the woods in shame, their bodies writhing with mutation and minds lost to madness. Emboldened by their swelling numbers, beastmen warherds roamed the land. Shrines, villages and even towns were wiped off the map as the Children of Chaos exulted in the bountiful favour of the gods. The forests became filthy and corrupted places where only the foolish dared to tread. Even the blessed sites where grail chapels stood were not immune, and many Grail Knights perished trying to stem a tide of corruption that had no end. On one wild night, when the wind screamed with the voices of the damned and blood-red rain fell from the skies, the city of Bordeleaux vanished without a trace. A great keep of brass and bone stood in its place, the skulls of the vanished citizens set as trophies upon the walls by the same cackling daemons who prowled the surrounding lands." Page 38
The Knights of Bretonnia fought valiantly to stem the tide of Chaos, but their efforts were for naught because they were but sparks in the darkness, fading quickly against the unending chaos. A quarter of Bretonnia's population had died, and another quarter had left to the Empire or Tilea, escaping the doomed nation.
Gilles le Breton, seeing all this mayhem, decided that Bretonnia would not go out quietly into the night, but would rage against the dying of the light. He declared an errantry war, the scope of which would eclipse any before it. If Bretonnia would die, then it would not do so meekly.
The very first paragraph of the Bretonnia section tells you what to expect. Bretonnia is dying.
Mallobaude the Black Knight of Mousillon is instantly revealed to be the bastard son of Louen Leouncour, and his rebellion, beginning at Winter's Eve, spread across the nation of Bretonnia. At the disastrous Battle of Chalons, the Fey Enchantress Morgiana le Fey mysteriously vanished and the Dukes of Carcassonne, Artois and Lyonesse sided with Mallobaude, turning the rebellion into full on civil war.
Despite that, King Louen managed to muster his forces and the Lady's Blessing to defeat each of the rebellious provinces one by one, bringing them to heel, until it was revealed that his son had made a pact with another entity. The Liche, Arkhan the Black.
With an army of undead at his disposal, Mallobaude turned the tides and forced Louen back, culminating in the Battle of Quenelles, where Mallobaude fought his father Louen in single combat and cast his broken body into the mud. The forces of Bretonnia broke without their king, and the Asrai subsequently made their escape.
Arkhan told Mallobaude that no mortal son of Bretonnia would best him, and he was right. But there were those who were not mortal. Mallobaude marched his forces north to Couronne and defeated all challengers on his way, until he faced the Grail Knights of Couronne who put up one hell of a fight. Then he met the Green Knight, who cast Mallobaude's head from his body in a deadly charge. His body was burnt to ash afterwards. Arkhan the Black had fled and there were no traces of him left.
After Mallobaude's death, it was believed that Louen was dead because he had not reappeared since his loss at Mallobaude's hand. This resulted in the Dukes beginning to argue over who would be king, until the Green Knight took his helmet off and revealed himself to be Gilles le Breton, the first King of Bretonnia, having come back to lead Bretonnia in its time of need.
Unfortunately for Bretonnia, its plight has not yet ended:
"Days after Gilles' recoronation as Royarch, plague broke out in the southern provinces, laying waste to what remained of Quenelles and Carcassonne. Then came warpstone meteors, blazing from the skies to bring death and mutation to the ravaged land. With each passing day, the power of Chaos waxed ever fuller, and Bretonnia's plight grew ever more desperate. Each night, the skies blazed with blue fire, and each morning the survivors praised the Lady for their salvation, or else slunk into the woods in shame, their bodies writhing with mutation and minds lost to madness. Emboldened by their swelling numbers, beastmen warherds roamed the land. Shrines, villages and even towns were wiped off the map as the Children of Chaos exulted in the bountiful favour of the gods. The forests became filthy and corrupted places where only the foolish dared to tread. Even the blessed sites where grail chapels stood were not immune, and many Grail Knights perished trying to stem a tide of corruption that had no end. On one wild night, when the wind screamed with the voices of the damned and blood-red rain fell from the skies, the city of Bordeleaux vanished without a trace. A great keep of brass and bone stood in its place, the skulls of the vanished citizens set as trophies upon the walls by the same cackling daemons who prowled the surrounding lands." Page 38
The Knights of Bretonnia fought valiantly to stem the tide of Chaos, but their efforts were for naught because they were but sparks in the darkness, fading quickly against the unending chaos. A quarter of Bretonnia's population had died, and another quarter had left to the Empire or Tilea, escaping the doomed nation.
Gilles le Breton, seeing all this mayhem, decided that Bretonnia would not go out quietly into the night, but would rage against the dying of the light. He declared an errantry war, the scope of which would eclipse any before it. If Bretonnia would die, then it would not do so meekly.
Ericwinter
Definitely not a Skaven Infiltrator
- Location
- America
Wow. They just straight up removed Louen before this even began and replaced him. That's… nice. I mean, Gilles or Breton sounds like he would be cool, and at least he isn't a total rando, but still.
- Location
- Germany
This is one of the things that makes the whole thing seem pointless.
If Chaos is at the point that it can win without fighting, far from the Wastes, far from Archaon's army, just like that, then there's little reason to fight.
And if they do this now, why couldn't they before, during some Storm of Magic that falls on a night of full Morslieb or something like that, why could the forces of Order fight them for millenia, only for the rules to suddenly change completly against them?
Don't get me wrong, Chaos dissapearing a city wouldn't be so big a deal if there was a specific effort made to do it, some ritual or such.
But doing it just like that gives the impression that Chaos has already won, the world is malleable to their powers to a sufficient degree that they can alter it at will and now they are just playing at conquest for entertainment.
Part 6 Nagash: Dwarfs, Greenskins, Ogres, Skaven
Codex
Fantasy Addict
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I'm going to speed up now. If you want clarifications, you can ask questions, but I will probably offer less and less detail as we go on as I recount the events. This post for example, I'll be covering four factions. Dwarfs, Greenskins, Ogres and Skaven.
Dwarfs:
The narrative shifts towards the Dwarfs from the perspective of Thorgrim Grudgebearer. Despite the Dwarfs being a race that is endlessly disapproving and not expecting much from others, even they are shocked at the doom and gloom of reality as warpstone meteors rain down on the land, the Badlands swell with Greenskins, the Dark Land's mists encroach further towards the World's Edge, Zhufbar and Karak Azul are mysteriously no longer being besieged by Night Goblins and Skaven in the Underways and the forces of Chaos mustering far north. Times are changing, and not for the better.
This is a time of danger, and many conservative Dwarfs are suggesting that the Dwarfs should lock themselves in their holds and wade the storm instead of offering support to mankind. Ancient oaths are all well and good, but the survival of Dwarfkind is paramount after all. This does not sit right with Thorgrim, who set out as King to avenge the grudges of the Dwarfs and aid mankind in their conflicts against the forces of Chaos.
Perhaps the most notable group that locked themselves in are Karak Azul:
"Though he was oathbound to uphold the pledge to aid the Empire, Thorgrim knew that if he called for a muster of the holds, some of the kings would oppose any idea of marching to meet the rising threats head-on. King Kazador had already sealed the main gates of Karak Azul. Such was the counsel of the greatest living runesmith, Thorek Ironbrow, who advised putting faith in strong walls rather than squandering aid upon wayward allies. Furthermore, the master runesmith personally petitioned the High King to put forth all efforts to recover ancient artefacts, for it was his hope to uncover some mighty heirloom of the Ancestor Gods to aid their cause. Thorek was adamant that he had almost uncovered the hidden whereabouts of the fabled portal stone of Valaya – the rune-covered post and lintel through which the Ancestor Goddess first stepped out of the living mountain. Longtrusted lore suggested the finding of such artefacts would mark the onset of a new golden age, a time when the gods would once more walk amongst their people. " Page 42
Despite this, there are still many who would support Thorgrim if he decided to venture out into war. King Alric of Karak Hirn. Ungrim Ironfist of Karak Kadrin. Even King Belegar of Karak Eight Peaks, as beset as he is on all sides by hostile forces, had pledged his support to whatever Thorgrim decides. This leads to the end of the section:
"Heavy sat the crown of the High King, as he watched the sun set over his mountain realm. Thorgrim had vowed to strike out every entry in the Great Book of Grudges, or die trying. And Thorgrim was a dwarf of his word" Page 42
Greenskins:
Right from the start, something unprecedented is happening. I know this is hard to believe, but the Greenskins have stopped infighting:
"Greenskins have always thrived on war. Individual tribes exist in a constant state of battle, feuding with foes, rivals or amongst themselves if no better victim can be found. However, sparked by the increased violence that now beset the world, the greenskins gained a stronger focus. From the most skulking and weedy specimens to hulking warbosses, they all began to feel a pulse-quickening rush of indescribable but awesome purpose. It grew within them until they were bursting with energy, yet despite the barely contained fervor, the infighting that constantly plagued their kind all but ceased. It was as if the greenskins intuitively knew that such acts of belligerence would not satisfy them. Instead, the orcs and goblins pent up their destructive craving, holding it within until they could bellow to the skies and unleash it in one savage moment. Previously, an orc or goblin might go his whole life, short and brutal though that tended to be, and only feel but a twinge of such direction. Next to the pure joy of battle, this was the closest greenskins ever felt to divinity, and now, such feelings washed over them. " Page 43
The Greenskins all over the world have started to stop infighting, their Waaagh energies building up into a crescendo within them as they started to seek each other out. Not to fight, but to unite. If there was someone who could unite all these Greenskins into one banner, then they could win any battle. But alas, even with narrative bullshit literally tying them together with rope, the Greenskins split into three factions.
Some, primarily orcs and black orcs, were attracted to the deadly brutality of Waaagh Grimgor! Up north, but Grimgor doesn't give a shit about leadership. He just wants to fight, and he'll gladly cut through his own followers if they get in his way.
Others, primarily Night Goblins, joined Waaagh Skarsnik! In Karak Eight Peaks. Unlike Grimgor, Skarsnik was ambitious, and his goal was to direct his forces against the stunties and ratties that got in his way and conquer the long lost hold.
The rest congregated in the Badlands under the direction of the Great Shaman and Prophet Wurrzag, who kept testing warlord after warlord to see who of them would be Da One True Git who would lead the Greenskins in their moment of triumph and pull da axe out of Da Gaffastone. Yes, it's a King Arthur reference. Wurrzag is starting to realise, however, that maybe he isn't looking for one chosen individual representing Mork and Gork, maybe he's looking for a Fist of Gork (Grimgor) and Hand of Mork (Skarsnik)...
As an aside, the Waaagh energies surging through many of the Shamans during this time overwhelmed several of them, turning them into exploding meatbags. Some, however, were skilled enough to release the energy skywards, creating green beams piercing the sky and making for one hell of a lightshow. There's a lot of these visual indicators going on to herald the apocalypse.
Ogre Kingdoms:
The world is in chaos, and that extends even to the Mountains of Mourne, where earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, meteorite impacts and other natural disasters and the like are signalling an opportunity for the Ogres. The Ogres are always looking for their next meal and their next fight, and seeing the Chaos Forces mustering up north, the northern tribes broke away from the central Kingdoms under the control of Greasus to join the hordes because they smell opportunity. Golgfag Maneater and many mercenaries have ventured west to take advantage of the conflict to gain mercenary contracts. Many tribes have broken off to go into the Dark Lands and face off against the Greenskins, where they can prove their might and acquire their food and power.
Obviously, this isn't sitting very well with Overtyrant Greasus Goldtooth, who spent several years in complete control over the Kingdoms as he maintained dominance over them. He amassed an army that could fell any nation when united, and now it's crumbling before his eyes because he can't be everywhere at once. Now fully enraged and determined to assert his control over the splintering factions of the Ogre Kingdoms, the Fire Mouth, the greatest of all volcanoes in the Mountains of Mourne and worshipped as a god by the Firebellies, erupted in a gigantic lava fall that caused a chain reaction sending out ashes and darkness that heralded the exodus of the Ogres. An exodus that has not occurred since the migration of the Ancient Giant Lands, and this time, there are far many more Ogres.
Skaven:
The Skaven are at an all time high. Frenetic energy infused the ratmen as they went about their tasks, withdrawing their forces and organising their operations, even brokering interfactional alliances in an effort to expand their goals as they start their dreaded Master Plan. The first step of course, is to acquire more slaves, because their labor is slave-driven. To do that, they invade Tliea and Estalia.
Of course, they succeed in destroying both nations and enslaving their populace:
"The verminous race had always grown via bursts of prolific upheaval. In the past, such surges were notoriously short-lived, typically followed by utter collapse. Yet this time it was different. With the malefic winds growing stronger, with raw entropy flooding into the air and with the green-hued moon looming larger every night, unnatural vitality replenished the skaven anew." Page 49
We then get a narrative section that I found quite fun and entertaining, because it's a look at the Council of Thirteen in a meeting. The Skaven are fun, and this part is pretty important plotwise, so I'm going to do something I won't do often:
Dwarfs:
The narrative shifts towards the Dwarfs from the perspective of Thorgrim Grudgebearer. Despite the Dwarfs being a race that is endlessly disapproving and not expecting much from others, even they are shocked at the doom and gloom of reality as warpstone meteors rain down on the land, the Badlands swell with Greenskins, the Dark Land's mists encroach further towards the World's Edge, Zhufbar and Karak Azul are mysteriously no longer being besieged by Night Goblins and Skaven in the Underways and the forces of Chaos mustering far north. Times are changing, and not for the better.
This is a time of danger, and many conservative Dwarfs are suggesting that the Dwarfs should lock themselves in their holds and wade the storm instead of offering support to mankind. Ancient oaths are all well and good, but the survival of Dwarfkind is paramount after all. This does not sit right with Thorgrim, who set out as King to avenge the grudges of the Dwarfs and aid mankind in their conflicts against the forces of Chaos.
Perhaps the most notable group that locked themselves in are Karak Azul:
"Though he was oathbound to uphold the pledge to aid the Empire, Thorgrim knew that if he called for a muster of the holds, some of the kings would oppose any idea of marching to meet the rising threats head-on. King Kazador had already sealed the main gates of Karak Azul. Such was the counsel of the greatest living runesmith, Thorek Ironbrow, who advised putting faith in strong walls rather than squandering aid upon wayward allies. Furthermore, the master runesmith personally petitioned the High King to put forth all efforts to recover ancient artefacts, for it was his hope to uncover some mighty heirloom of the Ancestor Gods to aid their cause. Thorek was adamant that he had almost uncovered the hidden whereabouts of the fabled portal stone of Valaya – the rune-covered post and lintel through which the Ancestor Goddess first stepped out of the living mountain. Longtrusted lore suggested the finding of such artefacts would mark the onset of a new golden age, a time when the gods would once more walk amongst their people. " Page 42
Despite this, there are still many who would support Thorgrim if he decided to venture out into war. King Alric of Karak Hirn. Ungrim Ironfist of Karak Kadrin. Even King Belegar of Karak Eight Peaks, as beset as he is on all sides by hostile forces, had pledged his support to whatever Thorgrim decides. This leads to the end of the section:
"Heavy sat the crown of the High King, as he watched the sun set over his mountain realm. Thorgrim had vowed to strike out every entry in the Great Book of Grudges, or die trying. And Thorgrim was a dwarf of his word" Page 42
Greenskins:
Right from the start, something unprecedented is happening. I know this is hard to believe, but the Greenskins have stopped infighting:
"Greenskins have always thrived on war. Individual tribes exist in a constant state of battle, feuding with foes, rivals or amongst themselves if no better victim can be found. However, sparked by the increased violence that now beset the world, the greenskins gained a stronger focus. From the most skulking and weedy specimens to hulking warbosses, they all began to feel a pulse-quickening rush of indescribable but awesome purpose. It grew within them until they were bursting with energy, yet despite the barely contained fervor, the infighting that constantly plagued their kind all but ceased. It was as if the greenskins intuitively knew that such acts of belligerence would not satisfy them. Instead, the orcs and goblins pent up their destructive craving, holding it within until they could bellow to the skies and unleash it in one savage moment. Previously, an orc or goblin might go his whole life, short and brutal though that tended to be, and only feel but a twinge of such direction. Next to the pure joy of battle, this was the closest greenskins ever felt to divinity, and now, such feelings washed over them. " Page 43
The Greenskins all over the world have started to stop infighting, their Waaagh energies building up into a crescendo within them as they started to seek each other out. Not to fight, but to unite. If there was someone who could unite all these Greenskins into one banner, then they could win any battle. But alas, even with narrative bullshit literally tying them together with rope, the Greenskins split into three factions.
Some, primarily orcs and black orcs, were attracted to the deadly brutality of Waaagh Grimgor! Up north, but Grimgor doesn't give a shit about leadership. He just wants to fight, and he'll gladly cut through his own followers if they get in his way.
Others, primarily Night Goblins, joined Waaagh Skarsnik! In Karak Eight Peaks. Unlike Grimgor, Skarsnik was ambitious, and his goal was to direct his forces against the stunties and ratties that got in his way and conquer the long lost hold.
The rest congregated in the Badlands under the direction of the Great Shaman and Prophet Wurrzag, who kept testing warlord after warlord to see who of them would be Da One True Git who would lead the Greenskins in their moment of triumph and pull da axe out of Da Gaffastone. Yes, it's a King Arthur reference. Wurrzag is starting to realise, however, that maybe he isn't looking for one chosen individual representing Mork and Gork, maybe he's looking for a Fist of Gork (Grimgor) and Hand of Mork (Skarsnik)...
As an aside, the Waaagh energies surging through many of the Shamans during this time overwhelmed several of them, turning them into exploding meatbags. Some, however, were skilled enough to release the energy skywards, creating green beams piercing the sky and making for one hell of a lightshow. There's a lot of these visual indicators going on to herald the apocalypse.
Ogre Kingdoms:
The world is in chaos, and that extends even to the Mountains of Mourne, where earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, meteorite impacts and other natural disasters and the like are signalling an opportunity for the Ogres. The Ogres are always looking for their next meal and their next fight, and seeing the Chaos Forces mustering up north, the northern tribes broke away from the central Kingdoms under the control of Greasus to join the hordes because they smell opportunity. Golgfag Maneater and many mercenaries have ventured west to take advantage of the conflict to gain mercenary contracts. Many tribes have broken off to go into the Dark Lands and face off against the Greenskins, where they can prove their might and acquire their food and power.
Obviously, this isn't sitting very well with Overtyrant Greasus Goldtooth, who spent several years in complete control over the Kingdoms as he maintained dominance over them. He amassed an army that could fell any nation when united, and now it's crumbling before his eyes because he can't be everywhere at once. Now fully enraged and determined to assert his control over the splintering factions of the Ogre Kingdoms, the Fire Mouth, the greatest of all volcanoes in the Mountains of Mourne and worshipped as a god by the Firebellies, erupted in a gigantic lava fall that caused a chain reaction sending out ashes and darkness that heralded the exodus of the Ogres. An exodus that has not occurred since the migration of the Ancient Giant Lands, and this time, there are far many more Ogres.
Skaven:
The Skaven are at an all time high. Frenetic energy infused the ratmen as they went about their tasks, withdrawing their forces and organising their operations, even brokering interfactional alliances in an effort to expand their goals as they start their dreaded Master Plan. The first step of course, is to acquire more slaves, because their labor is slave-driven. To do that, they invade Tliea and Estalia.
Of course, they succeed in destroying both nations and enslaving their populace:
"The verminous race had always grown via bursts of prolific upheaval. In the past, such surges were notoriously short-lived, typically followed by utter collapse. Yet this time it was different. With the malefic winds growing stronger, with raw entropy flooding into the air and with the green-hued moon looming larger every night, unnatural vitality replenished the skaven anew." Page 49
We then get a narrative section that I found quite fun and entertaining, because it's a look at the Council of Thirteen in a meeting. The Skaven are fun, and this part is pretty important plotwise, so I'm going to do something I won't do often:
Next will be Tomb Kings and Vampire Counts, then we actually get into Chapter 1. Thank you for bearing with me, I did not expect the introduction to be 60 pages. I will also have to consider how to cover some sections of the book, because certain parts are literal battle reports, with overviews and profile/descriptions of notable regiments, characters, and maps of the battlefield and the battle formations and tactics used. I am not a military strategist and I am not qualified to analyse those things apart from a basic understanding.
Part 7 Nagash: End of Introduction
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Nagash's Legacy
Here, we get into the Tomb Kings. Settra, unlike his fellow Tomb Kings, never goes to sleep. His eternal insomnia allows him to view the changes to the world, the Daemons encroaching, the meteors of Warpstone, the strengthening Winds of Magic, and the portents of time to come perceived by the most loyal of his Liche Priests. Perceiving a time of great upheaval, Settra set out a decree to awaken all the Tomb Kings of all the realms of Nehekhara, heralding a time that has not been seen since the war of the Age of Kings when Nagash's curse had first swept the land. Settra was preparing for a war of change, and he would need all the Kings at his disposal.
The Liche Priests then set out to awaken the many Tomb Kings from across the Tomb Cities and Kingdoms. Ramhotep the Visionary, greatest Necrotect of the Valley of Kings (now called the Charnel Valley) was instructed by Settra to craft his greatest work yet. The Liche Priests began the incantations to bind the souls of the dead to the legendary constructs of Nehekhara. Asaph, the Goddess of Magic and Vengeance, awakened her chosen avatar High Queen Khalida in Lybara to meet the heralds of Settra. Nekaph, the Herald of Settra and his bodyguard and representative, set out alongside thousands of others across the lands. The warfleets of Khemri joined the ships of the Fleetport of Terror in Zandri. It was time.
There is a brief narrative tidbit about a Liche Priest going over to speak to a group of lower level Hierophants that I found amusing purely because of the way they refer to Settra. Here you go:
"It was Nebamun, the Bearer of the Staff of Ages, who first spoke the question. 'What did the Lord of the Four Horizons, the Mighty Lion of the Infinite Desert say? What has our King, the Vanquisher of our Enemies, asked of us, oh Revered One?'
With practised obedience the cluster of hunched priests bowed low, awaiting the word.
'Mighty Settra, Lord of the Sky and Earth, has ordered us to wake the kings and summon the legions once more,' said Khenteka." Page 54
Vampire Counts:
Sylvania is finally a godless realm. Mannfred von Carstein's dream of creating a land where the blessings of the Gods no longer held sway in a land of eternal night were finally achieved, and it was only through his most elaborate of enchantments, requiring nine mortal vessels of blessed and divine bloodline kept at death's precipice. From there their blood would fuel the enchantments that darkened Sylvania and enhanced its bone walls. The bloodlines could be tracked from an enciphered prophecy in one of the Books of Nagash, and it took Mannfred decades to crack the code. He had worried those bloodlines extinct, but to his luck, they were not.
"Amongst the nine godly vessels were three great prizes. These individuals were nothing less than demigods, whose power lay but scantly concealed beneath a thin veil of flesh. Morgiana le Fay had been the acquisition that Mannfred had feared most, for historically his kind had met nothing save ruin in Bretonnia. As matters transpired, she was the first to be ensnared, delivered into Mannfred's clutches by Drycha of Athel Loren. The branchwraith gave no explanation for her deeds, and Mannfred accepted the gift with but a token attempt to slay the giver. Aliathra, the Everchild of Ulthuan, was the next prey taken, whisked twice away from beneath the protection of her own people and the dwarfs of Karaz-a-Karak. Last to fall, and symbolically most important, was Volkmar, Grand Theogonist of Sigmar, lured to Sylvania by pride and taken in battle during that arrogant invasion. It was Volkmar's blood that had completed the apostatic ritual and transformed the very land he had sought to cleanse into the dark paradise it was now." Page 55
Unfortunately for Mannfred, he was stuck and sealed in Sylvania. The wall of faith created by Balthasar Gelt had bested all his attempts to escape or release his servants into the greater world, and he raged at it. Apparently he had set his minions to hide the divine artifacts and materials that would have fueled the wall, but they were discovered and piled up to create it soon after he successfully hid them. This, combined with the complexity of the enchantment, led Mannfred to believe that Gelt was not the one behind it, bur rather some other force, for it could not have been a feeble human mind which conjured such an enchantment.
None of Mannfred's get were all that enthused to defuse Mannfred's anger, not when Mannfred flayed the first thrall to attempt to do so. None of them were all that ambitious anyway. Mannfred's paranoia had purged anyone who had greater ambition than ruling over superstitious peasants. They were perfectly satisfied ruling over their small plot of land in a county of eternal darkness.
And with that, we're finally done with the introduction. The next part is Chapter 1: Accursed Alliance, taking place from Winter of 2523 to Summer of 2524, focused on the Vampire Counts and their plots. Tune in next time for more of Mannfred von Carstein and his wacky antics.
Here, we get into the Tomb Kings. Settra, unlike his fellow Tomb Kings, never goes to sleep. His eternal insomnia allows him to view the changes to the world, the Daemons encroaching, the meteors of Warpstone, the strengthening Winds of Magic, and the portents of time to come perceived by the most loyal of his Liche Priests. Perceiving a time of great upheaval, Settra set out a decree to awaken all the Tomb Kings of all the realms of Nehekhara, heralding a time that has not been seen since the war of the Age of Kings when Nagash's curse had first swept the land. Settra was preparing for a war of change, and he would need all the Kings at his disposal.
The Liche Priests then set out to awaken the many Tomb Kings from across the Tomb Cities and Kingdoms. Ramhotep the Visionary, greatest Necrotect of the Valley of Kings (now called the Charnel Valley) was instructed by Settra to craft his greatest work yet. The Liche Priests began the incantations to bind the souls of the dead to the legendary constructs of Nehekhara. Asaph, the Goddess of Magic and Vengeance, awakened her chosen avatar High Queen Khalida in Lybara to meet the heralds of Settra. Nekaph, the Herald of Settra and his bodyguard and representative, set out alongside thousands of others across the lands. The warfleets of Khemri joined the ships of the Fleetport of Terror in Zandri. It was time.
There is a brief narrative tidbit about a Liche Priest going over to speak to a group of lower level Hierophants that I found amusing purely because of the way they refer to Settra. Here you go:
"It was Nebamun, the Bearer of the Staff of Ages, who first spoke the question. 'What did the Lord of the Four Horizons, the Mighty Lion of the Infinite Desert say? What has our King, the Vanquisher of our Enemies, asked of us, oh Revered One?'
With practised obedience the cluster of hunched priests bowed low, awaiting the word.
'Mighty Settra, Lord of the Sky and Earth, has ordered us to wake the kings and summon the legions once more,' said Khenteka." Page 54
Vampire Counts:
Sylvania is finally a godless realm. Mannfred von Carstein's dream of creating a land where the blessings of the Gods no longer held sway in a land of eternal night were finally achieved, and it was only through his most elaborate of enchantments, requiring nine mortal vessels of blessed and divine bloodline kept at death's precipice. From there their blood would fuel the enchantments that darkened Sylvania and enhanced its bone walls. The bloodlines could be tracked from an enciphered prophecy in one of the Books of Nagash, and it took Mannfred decades to crack the code. He had worried those bloodlines extinct, but to his luck, they were not.
"Amongst the nine godly vessels were three great prizes. These individuals were nothing less than demigods, whose power lay but scantly concealed beneath a thin veil of flesh. Morgiana le Fay had been the acquisition that Mannfred had feared most, for historically his kind had met nothing save ruin in Bretonnia. As matters transpired, she was the first to be ensnared, delivered into Mannfred's clutches by Drycha of Athel Loren. The branchwraith gave no explanation for her deeds, and Mannfred accepted the gift with but a token attempt to slay the giver. Aliathra, the Everchild of Ulthuan, was the next prey taken, whisked twice away from beneath the protection of her own people and the dwarfs of Karaz-a-Karak. Last to fall, and symbolically most important, was Volkmar, Grand Theogonist of Sigmar, lured to Sylvania by pride and taken in battle during that arrogant invasion. It was Volkmar's blood that had completed the apostatic ritual and transformed the very land he had sought to cleanse into the dark paradise it was now." Page 55
Unfortunately for Mannfred, he was stuck and sealed in Sylvania. The wall of faith created by Balthasar Gelt had bested all his attempts to escape or release his servants into the greater world, and he raged at it. Apparently he had set his minions to hide the divine artifacts and materials that would have fueled the wall, but they were discovered and piled up to create it soon after he successfully hid them. This, combined with the complexity of the enchantment, led Mannfred to believe that Gelt was not the one behind it, bur rather some other force, for it could not have been a feeble human mind which conjured such an enchantment.
None of Mannfred's get were all that enthused to defuse Mannfred's anger, not when Mannfred flayed the first thrall to attempt to do so. None of them were all that ambitious anyway. Mannfred's paranoia had purged anyone who had greater ambition than ruling over superstitious peasants. They were perfectly satisfied ruling over their small plot of land in a county of eternal darkness.
And with that, we're finally done with the introduction. The next part is Chapter 1: Accursed Alliance, taking place from Winter of 2523 to Summer of 2524, focused on the Vampire Counts and their plots. Tune in next time for more of Mannfred von Carstein and his wacky antics.
- Location
- Titan
Mannfred is unironically the highlight in the entire campaign.
NSMS
Probably evil, unfortunately.
- Location
- A rapidly widening tear in the fabric of reality
Once again, I'm struck by how this could have been an extremely effective build-up if we were actually shown it happening in detail (and some of the stupider moments were given justifications).
...also, the book is titled 'End Times: Nagash', and we're 60 pages in with no sign yet of the boney boi. It's false advertising, I tell you!
...also, the book is titled 'End Times: Nagash', and we're 60 pages in with no sign yet of the boney boi. It's false advertising, I tell you!
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My guess is that they had deadlines and time limits for the books and a quota of what had to happen. They needed to kill the setting to release Age of Sigmar, and considering they released AoS a mere three months after End Times indicates they held it in reserve and were waiting for ET to end to release it.
Don't worry, far as I know things become more detailed at this point. The story will slow down and take less of an overview approach. I think. There are also novels covering specific portions of the End Times which I will also be covering, but I think I need to issue a disclaimer that the Black Library writers were given bare bones summaries of what was going to happen in the army books and then told them to make shit up. This results in contradictions between the main End Times books and the Novels at times.
It's going to be a journey.
From what I've heard the original plan was to release Age of Sigmar immediately after End Times and they would have been ready to do so, but they kept making last minute changes to Age of Sigmar. Apparently up until very late the plan was to release the famous four pages of rules and then a big hardcover rulebook accompanying it that would explain everything in more detail and cover edge cases, but very close to release it was decided to axe the already fully written hardcover rulebook and just release those four pages.
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You know, I'm kind of bummed. I read 3rd Edition Age of Sigmar and I really liked the rules because it seemed like they extensively refined it through the years and it provides very neat flavor and a metric ton of customisation and options while simplifying lots of things and adding new layers to the gameplay.
But I also wanted to look at where it started and see the funny rules for myself. I went looking for the infamous 4 pages of rules and I can't find it. The official website offers the rulebook, but it's 20 pages. All I could find was a blurry picture of someone taking pictures of the four pages from a physical book at a store.