The Harrowmark: The Twisted Oak, Part 1

Kalyustar's Cursed Company

Kalyustar closed the skin bound tome and turned to his liutenants, a faint green glow leaking from his mask eye slits. Rhedgar and Krunti stood to attention next to him.

At the far end of the graveyard, the soil stirred and two warriors pushed themselves up. Behind them, a gor emerged from the dark woods.
"Well done, Soulchemist!" the Shadeglass Skull wispered. "You reach far and wide".

Kalyustar felt pride swell inside him as he watched Keinrich and Tollich inspecting the troops lining up in front of them.

"What an excellent Company!" purred the Skull. "Look at their pristine uniforms, how their feathers dance in the wind!".

"Indeed, my old friend, indeed! Faithful and loyal, too" replied Kalyustar, bitternes in his voice.
Even after so many years, his men's betrayal pained him. He had kept them safe through their voyages in the Harrowmark and still they listened to the wretched Witch Hunter and abandoned him in the woods.
What was wrong, when the Winds of Shyish blew strong, in using them? He knew it then, and he was even more certain about it now. The Necroquake had marked the beginning of his new life and through the Arcanum Optimar he had seen Spellhunters rushing through the Harrowmark in search of easy gains.
Not for him their greedy adventuring. He bided his time instead, channeling the raging magical energies to raise a Company that would serve him and never question him, no matter what.
"But do you know how they call them?" the Skull's voice intruded into his thoughts. "The men of the Harrowmark call them the Cursed Company, and you the Exile."
Bitternes turned into rage.
"Yes! They show me no respect. But those pig-headed peasants' mockery is about to end. You've heard of the Twsited Oak, haven't you?"
"Oh, I did. And what do you plan to do, Soulchemist?"
"I'll find it. I'll unlock its secrets and powers. And with them, I'll make the Harrowmark mine. And then, I'll laid my vengeance upon the Gilded Hand and their pityful armies of untrustworthy mercenaries!"
"Good, Soulchemist! Good! The Master is pleased..."

Kalyustar, the Exile

As we prepare to play another campaign in the Harrowmark, I've decided to continue exploring Kalyustar's fall and made a new version of him as a Necromancer.

His trademark mask (a stripped down Liberator head) is still there as is the Skull he clutches in his left hand (from the Necromancer model). I've reintroduced the bottle (from the Battlemage kit) he carried in his first, mounted incarnation, but this time kept the smoky skull emerging from it. What I have changed is the top of his staff (from the Necromancer kit) to further show his allegiance to Death. The red of his cloack is now further faded and I've also added some weathering on it.

He will lead a Warcry Legions of Nagash warband, which allowed me to model another tribute to yet another Regiment of Renown: Richter Kreugar the Damned and his Cursed Company, on which I have based the yellow and black colour scheme.

Thronir, Krunti and Rhedgar, Skeleton Champions

I have replicated the Dwarf and Elf skeletons using a 4th edition High Elf Spearman and a Battle for Skull Pass Dwarf Clansman. The human skeleton is a metal Armoured Skeleton with a shield from the Freeguild range.

The Swordmen, Skeleton Warriors

The Halberdiers, Skeleton Warriors

The Skeleton Warriors are made using the Khemri Skeletons kit with bits from the Freeguild range and greenstuff for the scraps of uniform. I made the raising skeletons as I chopped the legs from two models to convert a pair of Grave Guards.

Keinrich and Tollich, Grave Guards

In their case, the majority of bits is from the Freeguild range, with heads and legs from the Khemri Skeletons.

The Gor

Since the original Cursed Company included many non-human skeletons, I've made a Gor one. Except for the Chaos Marauder shield, it is entirely made with bits from the Khemri skeletons. And I've plans to add a skaven and an orruk!

Deployment markers

Finally, using the tombstones from the Khemri Skeletons and accessory from the Freeguild range, I've also made tokens to mark the deployment points of my Dagger, Shield and Hammer.