Sir Renmold of Sylum Field

Sir Renmold of Sylum Field is Finnegan's character in a new Age of Sigmar: Souldbound campaign I started last week. We're using the Champions of Death book and all the Characters are UNDEAD! 

Sir Renmold of Sylum Field

Finnegan is playing a Grave Guard/Wight that serves a Vampire Lord (Nick's Character) and her Blood Knight (Orion's Character). They all live in a run down keep in Ulgu (the Realm of Shadows) that was abandoned during the Age of Chaos. The Vampires originally came from Shyish, but had to flee there when Hordes of Khorne worshippers took over their lands (now part of Angaria). 

I'm calling the campaign What We Do in the Realm of Shadows. 

The campaign began last week with a house meeting... which was interrupted by the sudden arrival, in the room, of Lady Mereneth - Neferata, Mortarch of Blood's Master of Spies! I tried to make her out like she was being played by Kristen Schaal. Lady Mereneth was wondering how their campaigns in Ulgu were going and how much of it they'd taken over and where was the army they'd promised Neferata when they left Shyish... and then informed them that Neferata was calling her banners and demanded they return to Shyish with said army as the Mortarch of Blood was planning to invade Angaria and eject the Khornate squatters who had long overstayed their welcome!

The model is the Citadel Miniatures Wight King, but I carved off the head and gave him a helmet. The main part of the helmet is a Slaves to Darkness Chaos Knight's helmet. The top hair bit is from Hedonites of Slaanesh blissbard archers helmets. 

He wanted to be in full mail with face plate to you couldn't actually see that there's just a skeleton in there.. but obviously ancient and worn rather shabby. 

Devilry Afoot - Dramatis Personae

In a comment on a recent post on this blog, someone brought my attention to the fact that Nic Wright had a new set of rules out for solo/co-op monster and witch hunting in the 16th/17th Centuries... (I'm so sorry, I'm blanking on who it was or where the comment was... but THANK YOU!!!) Now, I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed EVERY game by Nic Wright that I've played... 

So, OBVIOUSLY, I HAD to pick it up!?

And over the last week or so, I've been rebasing and painting and organizing and making characters... and so, below, I present the first batch of Monster Hunters I've made up for Devilry afoot. 

Most of these were rebased and touched up to bring them up to more recent standards... 

Except this little pupper... I'm not entirely sure where it came from... but I found it in the Critters drawer while looking for a dog for my main character and this one was PERFECT and so I quickly painted it up! 

The whole crew. 

I'll admit, I got a little cheaty with some of the gear... I went ahead and equipped each character with what the miniature was holding or carrying - even though, in most cases, there was no way they would be able to afford it, even if they rolled 20 for starting shillings.... 

Doña Francesca Velázquez (and Milu!) 

Doña Francesca Velázquez is a woman of great passion. She was married at a rather young age to Don Pablo Velázquez. Her life in Don Velázquez's estates was a one of comfort. For long periods the Don was absent, along with Hernando and Fernando occasionally coming back injured. It was only years later she discovered he was a Monster Hunter! She asked many times if he would train her and take her along, but he insisted it was a Man's work... 

After he died, Doña Velázquez insisted that Hernando and Fernando train her to be a monster hunter. When they refused she threatened to dismiss them, denounce the Pope, and become a protestant - and to prove the point, took on a dour Puritan to teach her the ways of war. To make sure she stayed true to the faith, they acquiesced.  

Archetype: Gentlewoman
Resolve: 4+
Move: 4”
Attack: +1
Shoot: -
Wounds: 3
Shillings: 34
Experience: 0
Traits: (None)
Skills: (None)
Secrets: Lustful
Lasting Injuries: (None)
Equipment:

• Sword (Hands: 1, Att: +1 , Sht: -, Rng: -, Notes:  )
• Daggar (Hands: 1, Att: - , Sht: +1 , Rng: 2”, Notes:  )
• Dog - pg. 45 

I absolutely LOVE this miniature, it is one of my favourite figures ever... 

Hob 

Hob is Francesca's Manservant. Not a full character, but a Follower, in game terms (as a Gentlewoman, Francesca starts the game with one follower). 

Archetype: Follower
Resolve: 5+
Move: 4”
Attack: -
Shoot: -
Wounds: 3
Shillings: 0
Experience: 0
Traits: (None)
Skills: (None)
Secrets: (None)
Lasting Injuries: (None)
Equipment:

• Blunderbuss (Hands: 2, Att: -1, Sht: -1, Rng: 8”, Notes: +1 to wound, action to reload)

Isabella Velázquez

Isabella is Francesca's Sister-in-Law. For the longest time, Isabella despised Francesca, thinking her a brainless floozy only after her brother's money (nevermind that their entire marriage was arranged and Francesca had absolutely no say in the matter!) and made no effort to conceal her contempt! Recent events have made her reconsider. Shortly before his death, Don Pablo's had intimated that he had indulged Isabella for too long and upon his return, he would be finding her a proper husband! 

Isabella's only true love had ever been books! She feared upon inheriting all of Don Pablo's wealth and estates, Doña Francesca would put her out of the house and trade her off to a husband like an old horse... but when Doña Francesca did NOT do that... and instead asked if she would stay and aid in her training - of knowledge - she began to have a change of heart! 

She's not just a pretty face and brilliant mind, she's also packing some heat! 

Archetype: Scholar
Resolve: 4+
Move: 4”
Attack: -1
Shoot: -
Wounds: 3
Shillings: 0
Experience: 0
Traits: Erudite - may apply +1 or - 1 to all rolls related to Scholarly skill
Skills: Astrologer - roll 2d10 before game that may be substituted for any roll involving character - before roll made
Secrets: Doubting
Lasting Injuries: (None)
Equipment:

• Pistol (Hands: 1, Att: -1 , Sht: +1, Rng: 6”, Notes: action to reload)

Hernando

Hernando (and his brother Fernando) were Monster Hunters along with Don Pablo. Hernando is a jolly fellow and much more forgiving and pleasant that most catholic monks. He secretly has wondered if Luther may have been right... 

Archetype: Religious
Resolve: 3+
Move: 4”
Attack: -1
Shoot: -1
Wounds: 3
Shillings: 0
Experience: 0
Traits: Religious - Roll 2d10 when quoting scripture, take highest
Skills: Alchemist - +6” to range of Blackpowder weapons
Secrets: Backslider
Lasting Injuries:
Equipment:

• Blunderbuss (Hands: 2, Att: -1, Sht: -1, Rng: 14”, Notes: +1 to wound, action to reload)

Fernando

Fernando (and his brother Hernando) were Monster Hunters along with Don Pablo. He is considerably the more serious of the two. He often pushes the group toward hunting vampires and other revenants. He secretly practices witchcraft! 

Archetype: Religious
Resolve: 3+
Move: 4”
Attack: -1
Shoot: -1
Wounds: 3
Shillings: 0
Experience: 0
Traits:

• Religious - Roll 2d10 when quoting scripture, take highest
• Devout - +1 to Resolved when Intimidated or Charmed

Skills: (None)
Secrets: Secret Witch!?
Lasting Injuries: (None)
Equipment:

• Pistol (Hands: 1, Att: -1 , Sht: +1, Rng: 6”, Notes: action to reload)
• Sword (Hands: 1, Att: +1 , Sht: -, Rng: -, Notes: )

Thomas

Thomas is an English Mercenary of German descent. He has spent years battling back and forth across Europe and has seen many horrors, on and off the battlefield. He came into Doña Francesca service along with Jedediah. 

Archetype: Soldier
Resolve: 4+
Move: 4”
Attack: +1
Shoot: +1
Wounds: 3
Shillings:
Experience: 0
Traits: (None)
Skills: Musketeer - When shoot, roll 2d10, use highest
Secrets: Slovenly -1” to first move action, each activation
Lasting Injuries: (None)
Equipment:

• Matchlock (Hands: 2, Att: 0, Sht: 0/-1, Rng: 12"/24", Notes: action to reload)
• Sword (Hands: 1, Att: +1 , Sht: - , Rng: -, Notes: )

Jedediah

Jedediah is a dour puritanical Calvinist. Like Thomas, he has spent many years in battle across Europe, though Jedediah was a bit more selective when it came to whom he served. He is savage in despatching the monsters of Satan as well as his human servants. He does not like Hernando or Fernando at all and is highly suspicious of them... 

Archetype: Soldier
Resolve: 4+
Move: 4”
Attack: +1
Shoot: +1
Wounds: 3
Shillings: )
Experience: 0
Traits: (None)
Skills: Steady Aim - +1 to shoot if they do not move and shoot in same activation
Secrets: Sadist -2 to activation and resolve tests when in base contact with dead monster or out-of-action Human
Lasting Injuries: (None)
Equipment:

• Dragon (Hands: 1, Att: -1 , Sht: - , Rng: 6”, Notes: +1 to wound, action to reload)
• Sword (Hands: 1, Att: +1 , Sht: -, Rng: -, Notes: )
• Helmet -1 to monsters attack from front, +1 from rear!
• Buffcoat -1 to wound rolls
• Cuirass +1 to be hit, but 2s10 to wound rake lower result, may not sneak, roll2d10 when climbing take lower

It's a start... I will probably develop these characters as I go... 

Now to play a GAME with them!!

(mind you, I'm still pretty excited about continuing the Five Men in Normandy campaign!? So I'm not quite sure what I will do next!?) 

Dramatis Personae - Knight-Questor Kalilah Stormfriend

This is the first in a series of posts I have planned detailing a character for Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound - the role-playing game set in the Mortal Realms of Age of Sigmar.

In the role-playing game, characters are usually Soulbound - the chosen of the gods that have had their souls bound through an arduous and painful process, but leaves the survivors effectively immortal and confers a bunch of other benefits... 

Usually... 

Players can also play Stormcast Eternals! Stormcast Eternals cannot become Soulbound, but often accompany Soulbound on their quests! 

Stormcast Eternals are effectively immortal as well, in their own way. While Soulbound are really, REALLY hard to kill, they just don't get sick, don't age, and can recover fairly quickly from pretty horrendous injuries... The Stormcast, on the other hand are, technically killed in battle... often... but at the point of death their body and soul flash back to Azyr in a blast of lightning, to be reforged on the Anvil of Apotheosis. 

So we are starting with a Stormcast Eternal - Knight-Questor Kalilah Stormfriendof the Anvils of Heldenhammer

Knight-Questor Kalilah Stormfriend of the Anvils of Heldenhammer

Kalilah remembers little of her mortal life. This has less to do with loss of memory during reforging than it has to do with her being dead for over a thousand years and her soul wandering an underworld for many centuries. Nothing concerning enough to send her off to the Ruination Chamber. While she can seem cold and calculating and blunt in the execution of her duty, she has certainly not lost her soul and has moments of warmth.

Kalilah may have been a warrior of some sort in the Agloaraxian Empire at some point. When first campaigning in Aqshy, the ruins of the ancient empire scattered across the Parch were strangely familiar to her. 

When first forged as a Stormcast and assigned to the Anvils of Heldenhammer, Kalilah did not feel the same immediate kinship that many of the other warriors felt for each other. There was no animosity with them, just not quite... fitting in. With training her martial skills proved exemplary, but she did not fight well within units. She had a keen eye and cunning and a preternatural ability to track a foe. Someone suggested she might best serve as a Knight-Questor and all of her superiors in the chain of command above her, right up to Sigmar himself, agreed. In this role she found her true place to serve among the Stormhosts and never looked back. 

She is technically based out of the Stormkeep in Anvilgard, and will return to there between quests if one isn't assigned immediately after the previous one's completion. Most of the time she is on a quest, however, and travels across the realms and has spent considerable time in Ghyran as well as Aqshy.  

She has been reforged five times over the last century.

The Quests Kalilah favours are the ones where she directly helps people who are being terrorized by a direct Chaos threat, and is able to end that threat by utterly destroying it and allowing the mortals devoted to Sigmar to continue living their life in (relative) peace.

The Knight-Questor is a fairly solitary person, enjoying time alone to work on her current quest. She has made a few friends among various stormhosts and other Knight-Questors she has crossed paths with over the centuries. She doesn't often form deep connections with mortals, but has recently befriended a group of Soulbound that she has worked with in the last few years. 

Body 4

Mind 2

Soul 3

Skills (Training/Focus) 

• Weapon Skill - Training 1 - Focus 1
• Awareness - Training 1 - Focus 0
• Athletics - Training 1 - Focus 1
• Fortitude - Training 1  - Focus 0
• Lore - Training 1 - Focus 1
• Survival - Training 1 - Focus 1

(Awareness, for some reason, isn't a skill Knight-Questors are usually allowed to start with...? But I thought it made sense for this character, so I gave it to her anyway!) 

Talents

• Diplomant
• Combat Ready
• Guts 

Short Term Goal

• Complete the Next Quest

Long Term Goal

• ...?

(I'm not sure what goals a Knight-Questor would have other than finishing the quest... and then finishing the next one...)

Equipment

• Sigmarite Warplate
• Questor Warblade
• Mace-Torch-Thing
• Cloak 
• Backpack
• Bedroll
• Waterskin
• Rope (50')
• Aqua Ghyranis - 5 Drops

(Knight Questors usually either have the Warblade and a Shield or a Two-Handed Weapon of some sort... the new Knight-Questor model has a warblade and a torch that, in the Skaventide novel, was described as being like a giant cage-like mace with a mote of light shining in the middle of it and when the Knight-Questor clashed their sword and "mace" together, the mace burst into flames... There's no specific NAME for the particular piece of equipment as I recall... So I'm calling it a mace... and a magic torch that never burns out... and should probably have the ability to potentially light anyone or anything it hits on FIRE!) 

Stay tuned for MORE Dramatis Personae... and some info about what exactly I have planned for these!? 

Dramatis Personae - Dez the Space Sloth

 This is Dez the Space Sloth. He and his kind are in no way related to terrestrial sloths... they just look a little similar and are know for their unhurried (but very precise) ways... so people just started calling them that... 

Dez, the Space Sloth.

Dez is an incredible mechanic. I'm adding them to the crew of the Silver Slip (for my solo Five Parsecs From Home campaign). I know there's an actual defined way to add crew in the rules... but it's my game, I can do what I want. And I want Dez to join the crew... 

I thought I'd use the basic stats for the Engineers, but make them even SLOWER (3") and LESS EFFECTIVE in combat (-1) !? BUT I'll give him a +2 in Savvy to start and keep the +1 to repair rolls that the Engineers get.. so...

Species Type: Space Sloth

Reactions: 1

Speed: 3”

Combat: -1

Toughness: 2

Savvy: +3

Luck: 0

Background:  Lower Megacity Class - +1 Low-tech Weapon

Motivation: Just wants to work on a starship and do a good job - +1 Story Point

Class: Technician (+1 Savvy, Gear) 

Gear: Scrap Pistol, Communicator

Am I going to start playing Five Parsecs From Home RIGHT NOW!? No, probably not... This miniature just happened to be lurking near the workbench for too long... without a base... and then I rebased all the Bloodletters of Khorne (from the 40K/Necromunda bases I originally based them on to something a little more generic...) so I had all these sci-fi bases kicking around that were already painted... and this guy didn't need a lot of painting... so I stuck them to a base and knocked them out and that's one more miniature done and it was fun thinking about the character... 

I'll be back to posting new Age of Sigmar models tomorrow as I finished up a few Nighthaunts this evening! 

Warhammer Quest: Cursed City - Glaurio ven Alten III

I've been working on a few characters to try and finish them up... the first of which is Glaurio Ven Alten III, a playable hero character from Warhammer Quest: Cursed City...

Glaurio Ven Alten III

I've now finished three of the heroes. Just need one more hero and I have enough to start adventuring... well... once I finish the zombies... and grave rats... and a few other things... 

I've been listening to the audio book of Cursed City by C.L. Werner - the novel that ties into the game. I'm probably about halfway through. It's pretty interesting. I'm guessing it's meant to be a prequel to the adventure played out in the game...? The only characters from the game that have been mentioned so far are Emelda Braskov and Jelsen Darrock. The story itself is kind of almost a murder mystery involving a third party!? I'm wondering if it will end with Radukar still alive and Braskov and Darrock retreating from the city to find helpers (the rest of the characters in teh game) to return to the city with and end Radukar's rule over Ulfenkarn. 

Also wondering if Radukar and Darrock and Braskov will need to join forces to deal with a potentially BIGGER problem facing the city!?

One of the other main characters is Morrvahl Olbrect - an Amythest wizard that is maybe native to the city, who is working with Braskov and Darrock, but is an ally of convenience and seems to have his own agenda! The hard cover version of the book that was to be released alongside the initial release of the game was supposed to include a character card for Olbrect. I'd asked my FLGS to get one in for me... and they weren't able to. Of all the GW products that have been released over the last decade, or so, many of which sold out online within minutes of them going up for sale, The Dragon's Den has almost always been able to guarnatee me a copy! The novel was one of two things they were not, for some reason, able to get... (The other was a map of the Sabbat Worlds campaign) 

The Ven Alten name has been mentioned once in the novel so far - as one of the Noble families of Mournhold (which became Ulfenkarn after Radukar took over). So I am guessing that Glaurio III, here, is, like Emelda Braskov the last of his line, come back to rid the city of it's evil overlord and reclaim his own families position as ruler over Mournhold/Ulfenkarn! 

I've also finished up Grombrindal and will be posting pictures of him shortly... no pun intended... 

The Pikeman’s Lament Dramatis Personae: Robert MacRame

One of the really fun things about The Pikeman’s Lament is the little narrative campaign system for your company commanders. With Lion Rampant and Dragon Rampant your commander gets to roll for some sort of special trait (that isn’t always good!) – and in The Men Who Would Be Kings the leader in EVERY single unit rolls for some sort of trait! But in Pikeman’s Lament, in addition to rolling for a background for your officer (each of which confers an associated trait that affects the officer in the game), as your officer survives games and gains Honour (victory points, essentially) he can gain new, additional traits! There is a topping out element, however: once your commander gains a certain amount of Honour, they are promoted to higher command and no longer lead a company, and you start anew with rolling up a background for his replacement...

So I got very excited thinking of all the possibilities for my commanders. I’ll have five at some point; a Scottish Highlander, an Irish Catholic Mercenary, a Scots Covenanter, and English Royalist and Parliamentarian. But I thought I’d start with The Scottish Highlander… and rolled a 4… “You are a weasel of a  man with little Honour, much to the regret of your rich merchant father who paid for your officer’s rank”… The Basic trait is – Sly: May refuse challenges without incurring the usual Morale Test…

Okay… not totally what I was initially imagining, but I can work with that…

Giving it a little thought I decided that rather than a rich merchant, his father could be the head of a minor clan: The MacRames of Glen Dunny!

Our Hero: Robert MacRame – Third son of Angus MacRame of Glenn Dunny

He does cut a dashing figure, does he not? Unfortunately, he’s a bit of an unscrupulous cad.

Being the third son, Robert is not likely to inherit. All will go to his older bother James. His father and brother have very high ideals about honour and family and expect that Robert should always stand by his brother’s side. Robert bristles under leadership of his eldest brother James and is determined to make his own way – he is always scheming and looking for a way to make a great deal of money with very little effort on his part - much to the chagrin of his father. His father says his shady deals bring dishonour to the family name, but Robert cares not. He is determined to set himself up as a self-made laird.

As for the troubles in the south, Robert couldn’t give a fig whose arse polishes the throne of England, or what prayer books are read from down at the kirk, as long as there is money to be made… and he is sure there IS money to be made selling provisions and other supplies to the government for the army being sent south – if only he could corner the marker on SOMETHING the army desperately needed...

Robert has gathered around him a gang of loyal toadies and thugs. There are his two younger brothers; Jock and Willy, who also despise their eldest brother. Also he has in his employ a couple of well paid hard men who had no compulsions whatsoever about perpetrating a bit of brutal violence at their masters behest; Hamish Graham “The Cracker” (known for cracking skulls!) and Archibald McPhee (a bit of a practical jokester!). And, of course, every good Scots leader needs a piper to announce his entrance!

For game purposes Robert and his crew will be fielded as a Forlorn Hope. With them will be a number of units of clansmen – a few of his FATHER’S men that had been put at his disposal. I might add in a unit of shot or commanded shot…?

Two units of clansmen (so far….)

With the two units of clansmen and the Forlorn Hope I have 12 points worth of units – halfway to a standard 24 point force. Seems like a good place to start though, and add units as the force progresses through the campaign and Robert (hopefully) gains Honour!

I could simply field the Forlorn Hope and SIX units of Clansmen. Unfortunately I only really have enough figures for four…. Unless I pilfer a few I had set aside to make a Scots Royalist DBA force… I might do that… otherwise I’m not sure how I’ll come up with 24…? I do have some Irish I could add, but I had thought I’d field them as their OWN force… We shall see – young Robert needs to survive his first action, then perhaps we’ll start worrying about what to add to his force!


(Those of you who have been following the blog a LONG time may remember visiting Glen Dunny before - an action during the 1988 Soviet invasion of Great Britain - and two further actions at the Village of Dunny - as the Soviet VDV tried to establish a crossing on the Black Dunny Water - and Dunnymuir) 

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Possibly a report of Robert MacRame’s first engagement against the government forces (what could possibly turn this fine capitalist, wannabe war profiteer against the potential cash cow of the government!?)…?

Or perhaps an introduction to Robert’s soon-to-be nemesis Evan “Holy” McErrol – a dour Covenanter Commander and son of an even dourer martyred Calvinist Presbyterian preacher – with a hatred for the English and anyone who would support their king…?