The Eye of the Storm
"Is this who we are fighting with?" sparks flew in all directions as Aef-Grimnir literally fumed with rage. "That filthy green scum!"
The string of curses that followed hit Lady Laelanyel like a blast of hot desert wind. Clearly, rumours of the Cleavermaw's involvement in the attack on the Aurannar convoy, minor as it had been, had reached the Runefather. With predictable effects.
The Mistweaver sighed under her shadesteel mask and turned to the duardin.
"I understand your indignation, Runefather. And I cannot say I agreed with the choice to make contact with the Cleavermaw". Neither had she disagreed, but Aef-Grimnir needed not to know that, she thought with a smirk.
"But there have been other choices that worry me more. You know what I'm talking about..."
"That's trivial!", more sparks flew around the couple. "I care not who we fight for, only who we fight with! And that we are paid at battle's end! We have not been, even though the bloody ship went down!"
"And what would you us do? Leave the Dornayar and make our way through a bloody civil war and out of the Prime Dominion alone?"
"Empty ended? Never!"
"Then let me suggest we keep to our unsolvent employer. Orders are to rescue the Eye of Noctis and those defending it. And so it happens that they are sitting ducks outside a vault full of gold... and more".
"Are you suggesting..."
"Well, in the heat of battle, who can tell where we have been?"
***
Hisses and cries stirred the shadows. Corraling the Umbral Slitherling had been hard, but not overwhelming. The Shadowkin had readied themselves as the Caengan mining upwards announced they were about to breach to the surface.
Then, Fhelthon Metheara had struck, his magic breaking Laelanyel's bonds on the Slitherling and his pike-armed mercenaries driving it into a frenzy. It had rampaged through both warbands and scattered them across the tunnels.
As the beast halted for a moment, Lady Laelanyel hoped things were going better for the Ancient One, Nilmorn, Mappenborough and their columns of wyrms. If they did not make it to the surface, it would have been hard for the Shadoflames to reach the vault's entrance. Though, for the moment, there were more pressing issues to deal with.
The Mistweaver stepped lightly into the tunnel, calling the shadowflames to her side. Only Tark and Narlek answered her call, emerging from the darkness at her sides.
"You humiliated me, Ulguanite!" Fhelthon voice echoed through the tunnel. "Show yourself and face my vengeance!"
Behind him, mercenaries of the Gilded Hand rallied and formed up ranks.
The Umbral Slitherling hissed and darted for Tark, slamming him against the tunnel walls.
Narlek harnessed the shadows around them and together with Lady Laelanyel advanced, arrows and bolts of darkness raining upon Fhelthon. Tark rolled away from the Slitherling, lobbing a throwing axe at the Loreseeker.
Still, Fhelthon came forward, sheer hatred in his eyes, slashing past Narlek to strike at the Mistweaver. Behind him, the human mercenaries advanced under crossbolt fire.
More fighters rallied from the Slitherling's earlier rampage and came rushing in from the side entrances to the tunnel.
With relentless zeal, Aef-Grimnir rushed towards the Umbral Slitherling. With the skill earned over years of Magmadroth hunts he struk at the beast, not to kill, but to cow and subdue.
Narlek moved away to intercept the incoming mercenaries as coils of shadow lashed from Lady Laelanyel's staff.
With increadible speed, Fhelthon dodged the grasping tendrils and his long sword came down in a furry of blows.
"That's were you belong, Ulguan witch!" he growled through teeth grinded in despise as the Mistweaver fell under his blows.
"The Lux Umbra will be your tomb and my honour restored. Now, prepare to die, knowing that no god will hear your prayers!"
As his blade came down, Lady Laelanyel closed her eyes. In her ears, a roar and a female voice lingered like mist over the Ulguan planes.
Flight of the Golden Eagle
Silence had fallen upon the Dornayar war council as they considered their plan to recover the Eye of Noctis.
Skoi and Vorsh of the Peakgrabber Stomp were to spearhead the attack on the skydocks where the Aurannar were assembling their convoy. The gargants' objective was to force an unprepared departure, so that the convoy would be vulnerable.
That was the simple part. What should have followed, however, was far trickier to pull out.
Ashavohlk's White Host were to lead a number of mages in summoning a storm, unexpected for the time of year, to slow the convoy's flight. Within the storm, the Maelstrom Heralds would wait, ready to ride the lighting and spring the trap. Then, the bulk of the Dornayar's flying force would have struck. For that, Gordûn Bloodfist, the Mappenbourgh Expedition and the Knights Luminous woud embark on a dragon taming expedition. Doctor Clovis and Gothos of Mirksvoir were to create a flock of winged undead monstrosities. The Bugmansburs' airships and Sorina's Coven Thrones would ferry more forces.
Then Sokrateez had sprung the news that, in a bout of 'big finkin', he had enlisted the services of Kaptain Mogrum and the Cleavermaws, apparently running their usual shenaningans in the Prime Dominion.
Lady Laelanyel thanked the gods that Aef-Grimnir was with his kin, celebrating their reunion, and not at the council.
"That's good news, Sokrateez" she intervened, "but doesn't address the plan's weakness. The Aurannar are marching through the Lux Umbra with the Eye as we speak. You all need more time to prepare our strike. The Shadowblades can buy you that. We will turn the Aurannar's advance into a crawl".
***
They had already struk on a score of occasions. One time they attacked the Aurannar column from the back, the next they split and threatened both their flanks, then came again from the front. And while Aef-Grimnir was fighting, Lady Laelanyel could keep from him that the Cleavermaws were in the Prime Dominion. There was too much in the Lux Umbra that she could recover to risk it for a duardin grudge. It was time to give him another fight and stopping him from asking too many questions about their allies within the Dornayar coalition.
Lady Laelanyel watched as Fhelthon Metheara entered the settlement with an escort of human mercenaries. Clearly, they were looking for a defensible position to shelter the Eye of Noctis while the troops rested. Exactly as she had expected.
Aef-Grimnir and his bodyguard Engrin were ready to strike from the left, Drevakh Xosh and the Shadowkin from the centre. On the right, she whispered a word of power and shade sprites darted to snuff out the torches and lanterns of the settlement, plunging it into complete darkness.
With calm orders Felthon spurred the humans into action, a few of them even reaching the Shadowflames before they could strike.
The Loreseeker himself strode forward to meet her, his Hyshian magic bent on breaking her obscuring charm. He was proving to be a better adversary than she had expected.
On the left, the Caengan clashed with another maniple of mercenaries.
Then screams of pain pierced the air. Their companions fumbling behind in the darkness, the humans that had led the attack faced the blades and darts of the Shadowkin and Shroudmaidens alone, and died.
Iyshak came to her side, the shadows thickening around him and deflecting Felthon's bright bolts.
The humans closed on Drevakh and Anielyn, crossbow bolts finding their mark at such a short range.
Engrin went on a berzerker rampage, cutting a swordman and crossbowman down in quick succession.
The Shroudmaidens's blades were swiftly deflected by the buckler of another swordman, but the marksman at his side stood no chance.
Then Drevakh fell, the quarrels and sword strikes too many even for the Tenebrael Shard to dodge. But left on his own devices, Anielyn cut the swordman to ribbons.
Laelanyel pulled away from Felthon, Iyshak instantly following her and signaling for the others to do the same.
Strike from the shadows and retreat. That was what the Shadowflames were best at. And they would do it again and again.
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.
The Road to Armies on Parade, Part 2
Horribly late, but not because I failed to finish my board for Armies on Parade. Rather, the hype for Shadows of Commorragh made me forget to post about the trip of the Free Companies of the Guilded Hand to the Manchester Warhammer store.
As planned, I updated the colour scheme on Gudrun's Grudgebreakers (tribute to Long Drong's Slayers) and Steve 'Seagul' Boffin's Kitchen Crew to match the rest of the Free Companies.
I've also rebased a few objective markers I had done for Mordheim as they'd been perfect to represent the chest and scattered loot from the cover of the Dogs of War Army Book. Obviously, since then they've seen some action in Warcry games.
What was left to do, was to set them on the board. I decided to use my Ruins of Phos, the first set of scenery I did at the dawn of the Age of Sigmar.
I'm really proud that the board captured the spirit of the Dogs of War Army Book cover by only using models developed with gaming, rather than a painting competition, in mind. Alas that was a reference only hoary hobbist could get. So, while with a couple of guys we spent the morning reminishing about the Dogs of War army, the popular vote went to more current, and definitely better painted, Age of Sigmar boards. But who cares, I had fun!
And in case anyone was wondering, Kalyustar was on the board as well, just lurking in the back. That wizard always had a certain attraction for forboding locations.
In fact, you'll soon see him walking again through the twisted woods of the Harrowmark. Stay tuned!
