Animosity III, The Prime Dominion - Part 10

Opportunity in Strife

"Can I interest you in a sword? Finest blade in the Lux Umbra, swear to the Maker!" Godri Snorrisson walked up to Tark and Slytha lingering at the entrance of his Emporium. "Oh, but I can see you are more interested in axes... finely balanced, aren't they? A Lumineth spear, perhaps? Ideal to keep enemies at a distance!"

The Shroudmaiden and the Vulkite Karl shook their heads and moved away, the duardin's droning following them as they made way for the Black Gor Inn. From the inside, they could hear the voices of their companions raised in boastful banter, and the shouting of Tulok Marrowbreath at Wench.

In a quieter corner of the common room, Lady Laelanyel and Aef-Grimnir sat, considering the Shadowflames' situation.

"There's a map in this book" the Mistweaver was explaining. "Which marks what I think is an entrance to the Umbral Web. Unlike Khainites, my Shadowkin is weary of threading it, but it could be our only way to leave the Prime Dominion before it is too late".
"My Lady, I'm as keen as you to leave this wretched Dominion and that lunatic Soulblight behind" replied Aef-Grimnir. "But I cannot return to my lodge with just a few books and scrolls, not after such a long time".
"What do you suggest, then?"
"We venture once more into the tunnels. Surely Nirimos Sylai will know of some hidden trove".
"I don't like that Iscarneth... there's something odd about him and this Gleamdeep of him".
"What other choice do we have? We don't know the place. We must rely on the locals. And as we go after something worth our efforts, you can check the accuracy of that map".
"Always finding opportunity in strife, Runefather. This is why I like you. I'll speak with the Underwriter".

***

"Well... there's this tomb that other customers of mine, a far lesser skilled company than milady's fine companions I'd say, failed to enter..." Nirimos tapped his finger on the pages of his ledger.
"And you are sure about its content?"
"Well... I'm sure it is an Iscarneth tomb, and we have always buried our dead with their valuables".
"Then, what it will take for you to underwrite an expedition?"
"Well... I'll take a cut of any profits... or an advanced payment. Let me see..." the Underwriter flicked through his ledger. "Ah, yes! There's another customer, a fine gentleman from up above, after antique books, preferably lost items from the Basileun Library... You won't happen to know anything about something like that, would you?"
Behind her shadesteel mask, Lady Laelanyel's eyes opened wide. How come the Iscarneth knew about the books? For a moment, she considered turning back the Underwriter, but forfeiting the content of the tomb would have not gone down well with the Caengan.
"I happened to stumble onto this" she said, producing the book from under her cloak. "Could it be of interest?"
"Ah, yes! Such a fine item! It will most definetely do. Now... there's a few more clauses we should discuss..."

The directions provided by Nirimos were surprisingly accurate. And the tomb was indeed full. Aef-Grimnir could see at least two chests brimming with coins and books.

As he moved in, Viserhyx and Anielyn close behind, bowstrings held taught, a barrage of bullets and filthy grot magic welcomed them. The cursed Underwriter had sent another party, it seemed. Aef-Grimnir could not blame the aelf, if it was not for the choice of Zotbag and his ogor bodyguards as backup collectors.

With a grin, the Runefather rounded up the sarcofagus, withering another blast of green energies, and brought his axe around.

Firing his bow at the maneater, Viserhyx reached for one of the chests, but it only contained common copper coins.

With the tip of his sword, Anielyn pulled out a scattering of the crystals studding the sarcofagus and fell back, just as Lady Laelanyel entered the tomb with her party.

Tark, Drevakh Xosh and Iyshak entered the tomb from a side tunnel. From across the chamber, came the booming voices of the rest of the Ironforged.

Aef-Grimnir took another blast to his face. Then, a gentle wind blew through the tomb. He breathed in deeply, sensing Ghyranite magic in it. For all his efforts, Alti had not yet sealed off the Dominion. Reinvigorated, the Runefather slammed his axe down upon the grot shaman.

Throwing axes and arrows flew at the ogors approaching the second chest as Visheryx managed to snatch a book from it, just before a brute was upon him.

Lady Laelanyel drifted to Aef-Grimnir's side, coils of mist lashing at the maneater.

Vorya moved to their back, preparing to strike at another ogor. Behind her, Anielyn still holding onto the crystals, loosed a few arrows at the same target.

Around the book chest, the ogors charged. One engaged Tark and Drevakh, the other tramped over the books, crushing them to a pile of thorn pages and smashing Viserhyx down.

Engrin rushed to support Vorya, the two barely managing to keep the ogor from reaching Anielyn and take the crystals from him.

Again Aef-Gimnir breathed in the Ghyranite wind still blowing through the room. Bullets from the maneater's gun flew at him, but together with Lady Laelanyel they bested the ogor.

Lady Laelanyel moved out of the tomb to face the second maneater. The ogor shot a few bullets at the Mistweaver. They found their mark, but the burly mercenary realised there was no way now, without Zotbag's magic, to get through the Shadowflames and take the crystals from them. With a roaring command, he called the Ironforged back.

In Gleamdeep, Nirimos rounded the corner of the wooden tower acting as his office. There, waiting for him, was his customer.
"Well, sir, I have the book you asked for".
"Well done, aelf! Well done..." the Thief of Wit's voice was heavy with gloating. "Now, forget. As always, that's the price you pay to keep your business prospering".

Once alone, the Gaunt Summoner opened the book. An enraged scream filled the air. Two pages had been ripped off, the two pages he wanted. The pages showing a map to an entrance to the Umbral Web.

Animosity III, Da Warpath - Part 1

Prologue

The Thief of Wits paced nervously in the chamber of his Silver Tower overlooking the blasted plains of Aqshy. Its eight eyes narrowed in concentration, its thoughts of schemes took shape in the heat haze around it for the briefest of moments, quickly replaced by another fugitive vision of a future that never was, of a past that could come, of a present that is not. With two of its brethren and their Silver Towers in ruins, that was the time to rise above all other Gaunt Summoners and lead them to break the Everchosen's bondage. It was both amusing and fitting that the First Prince was the one to be thanked for that chance. Surely, Tzeentch was looking with approval upon their interlocking machinations.
And yet, the return of Mithridates Alti to the Prime Dominion of Haixiah was forcing the Thief of Wits to speed up its plans.

It had to act quickly if it was to seize the Library of Galaeron and enslave the Custodian of the Basileun Library. The scheming and plotting of the six Satraps offered the perfect cover for its agents among the Dornayar to achieve its goals. Soon, open war would break and the Gaunt Summoner had already manouvered many a mercenary company to ensure all other factions were evenly matched. Dreams of great feasts had lead the Ironforged Ogors to join the Teclandec. Promises of payment in gold and other riches had secured the service of the Free Companies of the Gilded Hand for the Aurannar. The Grudgebreakers had sailed their steamship to join the Umbral Corsairs' fleet. Still, it needed one more pawn nobody could easily trace back to itself to support the Dornayar.
Inspiration stroke suddenly. If the brightest of lights casts the deepest of shadows, no shadow was deeper than that wielded by Lady Laelanyel and her Shadowflames. And the Thief of Wits held the one thing that could lure them to the Prime Dominion, Aef-Grimnir himself. Plummeted to the depths of the Thief of Wits' Silver Tower by clumsy orruk spellcasting, the Auric Runefather had lingered there, lost in feverish nightmares sent by the Changer of Ways.

It was time to wake the Fyreslayer up and trust him into the Silver Tower trials. From its chambers, visions of his struggles would reach Lady Laelanyel. And with just a twist of its fingers, the Thief of Wits could plant hints to drive the Mistweaver Saih to serve its own ends a the side of the Dornayar.

Project Backlog, Part 9

Silver Tower: the Final Trial

Yes, you have counted right... that's 18 models painted in less than two weeks! When the release date for Cursed City was confirmed on March 27, I challenged myself to have my copy of Silver Tower fully painted before April 10. Luckly, I was on holiday from the university, and with no teaching to do, I had plenty of spare hobby time.

The Darkoath Chieftain was the last adventurer left to paint. For him, I went for a classic Chaos palette of reds, metals and browns, but kept the black for the warpaint only. And credit must be given to the source of inspiration... the mighty Arnie in 'Conan the Barbarian'.

The second group of Kairic Acolytes, which I call the Blue Coven, are painted in the same palette as the previous group, but swapping the position of the blue and purple on their armour and clothes. Again, I've squeezed in a minor conversion, by swapping the pointing hand of the Acolyte with glaive for the hand holding the flaming skull, again from the Cities of Sigmar Battlemage kit.

I've used the same palette for the Gaunt Summoner as well, but kept the purple and blue areas roughly of the same size, so that neither is dominant. The skin, of course, is considerably paler than that of the Acolytes. His base was decorated using cuts of cardboard, a skull and textured paint, like I did for the Ogroid Thamaturge.

The Blue Horrors and the Grotling Scuttlers were painted in their respective canonical schemes: bright blue for the Horrors, black clothes and touches of red for the Scuttlers.

Now, I'm on a tight budget at the moment, so couldn't buy Cursed City. Hopefully, it will be back in the not so distant future. In the meantime, I've still plenty of sprues in my Pile of Shame to keep me busy...