The Tree of Woe - part 1

Most of the Harrowmark is covered by virtually-impenetrable forest: Seemingly endless leagues of dark, tangled, gnarled and unnatural woods. It is a corrupted land: the dead trees are warped by death-magic, skull-formed rock formations tower over the forest canopy like islands in an arboresque sea. The symbols and motifs of death are everywhere.

Deep in the abyssal woodland there are even darker places. Some ancient trees seem to form a locus of evil energy that seeps up, out of the hundreds of graves below, into the heartwood of the tree. Twisted and corrupted by Death magic these Trees of Woe attract all manner of dark creatures, who venerate and worship them as altars to their dark gods.

~ 🕱 ~

I've started work on a Tree of Woe for The Harrowmark. Making a "Death Tree" was something I have thought about doing since the Feculent Gnalmaw kit was announced but, strangely, is was the news of the forthcoming Battletome Beast of Chaos (and a suggestion by Viktor) that got me to actually start work on it.









~ 🕱 ~

There is a long history of "Death Trees" in Warhammer. Beasts of Chaos and the various undead factions often have them portrayed in their artwork:

The John Blanche painting above was used as the box-art for the plastic Skeleton Horde box in the late 1980s. But he is still drawing similar trees! The illustration below is from his recent "Voodoo Forest" project:

I've tried to place the branches of my tree in a way to echo the windswept curves John has used. There is still a lot to do but I am happy with the results so far!