Thy Soul To Keep - part 11

Capture the Sky Dock

A skyvessel passed over Wortbad but the captain was too fearful to land. He dumped the cargo bound for the village overboard onto the dock without slowing but it tumbled off the wooden platform in all directions. Now there is a free-for-all to claim the best stuff.

3 players, Skirmish Battleplan: Treasure Hunt, with Triumph & Treachery turn order.

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The crew of The Raidho Othala, 70 Renown, The Bloodied Skull

Arkanaut Admiral Grungi Gunnerson

Endrinmaster Fimirdul

The Fisherman - Arkanaut Company with skyhook

2 Grundstok Thunderers

2 Endrinriggers

The Gilded Hand, 63 Renown, The Writhing Serpent

(Order)

Kalyustar of the Gilded Hand, Soulchemist - Collegiate Arcane Battle Wizard

Fernando amd 3 Fancy Fencers - Freeguild Guard

Lucius Scopos and 4 Venithyan Marksmen - Freeguild Crossbowmen

Karol and 4 Cuirassiers - Freeguild Pistoliers

The Rotmoons, 64 Renown, The Balemoon

(Destruction)

Kapitán Alunzo da Leeva - Orruk Warboss

Hammerhead - Ogor Crusher

Rockeye Fuerte - Ogor Leadbelcher Thunderfist

Bortagno and 7 Orruk Boyz

Don Snotto - Grot

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Captain Bodrin Bok of Harrowmark skyvessel The Selachii leaned on the gunwales and looked down on the forests. The wind ruffled his already wild hair and long forked beard and he grunted with annoyance. They had been contracted to bring a load of cargo from Leechminster to Wortbad and they were already a week late. Now they found the village was occupied by orruk pirates. There were even a couple of greenskins on the dock itself - there was no chance they were going to land there.

He turned to the nearest crewman, that happened to be his nephew Anthor, and told him as much.

"Get ready to dump the Wortbad cargo overboard. We ain't picking anything up this run. We can come back over on the return leg if the winds are in our favour." he said. Anthor looked worried but didn't argue with his uncle. He knew better than that after the year he'd had aboard the Selachii.

As Anthor was about to head aft Bodrin said "Tell Darvon to come forward will you?" the boy nodded.

Anthor found Marcyn, Rohar and Josian and told them what was happening and together they started loosening the cargo nets. As they were about to pass over the skydock for a second time and let the cargo nets fall open, Darvon came on deck. Anthor waved the Warrior Priest over.

"The Captain wants a word with you and I don't think you'll like it. But please don't fight with him!" the boy pleaded. Darvon scowled but said he would do his best.

Brother Darvon walked forward along the deck, clinging to the rigging as he was still unsure of how safe the sky ship actually was, even after the long voyage, just as he approached the captain the crew let go the nets and barrels, sacks and crates tumbed out onto the deck of the skydock. Most of it bounced and rolled straight off again, carried by the momentum of the ship.

Darvon stopped and stared in horror as the cargo crashed to the ground 20 or 30 feet below.

"Ah, good Brother. I'm afraid we won't be setting you down today...."

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The Rotmoons, and others, saw the skyvessel approaching the small village long before it passed overhead - they had seen its running light in the darkness a few weeks before and watched it keenly as it made its slow and ponderous way across the thickest parts of the forest, struggling against the wind and the magical currents that swept across the trees. By the time it reach Wortbad there was no chance of keeping its arrival secret and a number of warbands had gathered to watch it dock. When it passed overhead without stopping there was a great outcry from all of them, but they realised quickly the ship was circling to make a second approach. When it didn't slow the second time but just emptied its hold onto the skydock landing stage (and the ground around it) they prepared themselves for a fight to get the best of the crop!



Rockeye sprinted ahead and took the skydock first (which surprised everyone since he was carrying a cannon!) and he searched through the pile of goods that had fallen right at the foot of the tower, but he found nothing of worth there.



The rest of the Rotmoons followed, not far behind. hammerhead and Don Snotto continued their argument about which was better: pork or beef. Bortagno growled at them to "Stow it!" with a sideways glance at the Kapitán.



Karol and the Cuirassiers trotted through the woods ahead of the Gilded Hand. The fencers and the Marksmen ran to keep up but slowed as they passed through the uneven ground around the trees.



The Raidho Othalas hung back around Fallow's End House to watch what unfolded.



The Cuirassiers sped up to a gallop as they broke the tree line. One of them held back and searched the crates dumped outside the walls of the dock - he found it was worth holding on to it!



And in a clatter or pistol reports and a cloud of powder smoke they charged into the skydock's grounds and crashed into Rockeye.



The Rotmoons approached and got ready to make their move.



While the Marksmen peppered them with crossbow bolts.







A Thunderer with an Aether Rifle took out a Cuirassiers then the Endrinrigger with a Drill Cannon wounded Hammerhead.



Buoyed by their successes the rest of the Raidho Othalas advanced cautiously.





Rockeye and the Cuirassiers battled furiously, in the cramped courtyard neither side was able to use their normal tactics and they held each other at a stalemate.



The other Endrinrigger was exploded by an Arcane Bolt from Kalyustar. The Raidho Orthalas were shaken by the Sum of All Fears then and three of them ran.





The Gilded Hand were then assailed by foul spirits, portained by both the Rotmoons and the Raidho Othalas, the Sum of All Fears shook then and four of the Freeguild fighters fled in terror.

The orruk privateers charged, with the Kapitán in the lead.



Geedo Forks and Dudoso found their cache of loot had some very useful supplies within!



Rockeye blasted Karol at point-blank range. Kapitán da Leeva's kutlass lashed out and two Cuirassiers fell, then the other orruks joined the fight, leaping over the ruined walls, and another Cuirassier fell.

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The Rotmoons held two of the more tasty piles of loot. They claimed a Major Victory as a result! The Raidho Orthalas fell back toward the centre of the village and the Gilded Hand withdrew into the forest.

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Viktor's side of this tale is here.

The Ironfang Pirate Fleet, part 38: The Rotmoon - a Harrowmark skyvessel

I've started building the base for The Rotmoon.

Most of the parts come from the Citadel Woods kit so far, with the addition of some assorted skulls from the Citadel Skulls box, mushrooms from the Shattered Dominion Large Base Detail Kit and an anchor from a toy pirate ship (found on eBay). I've made the ground uneven with some blended Milliput and greenstuff and added a greenstuff press-molded crab. I have textured the anchor with Typhus Corrosion Technical Paint and I'm going to be using liberal quantities of Agrellan Earth on the sand when I texture it.

The ship itself isn't quite finished yet - it needs a lateen sail and some rigging - but the tree holds it fairly well already. I will be making sure it is very firmly held in place with greenstuff and extra branches though.

The whole thing is heavily influenced by John Blanche's Voodoo Forest project and his earlier flying ship illustrations. I'm considering adding a few Idoneth Deepkin fishy creatures (from the Gloomtide Shipwreck kit) to the base.

Day and night in The Harrowmark

The “sun” in the Mortal Realms is Hysh, and Ulgu obscures it to make night (see the video below).

The Realms of Light and Shadow are not directly above the part of Shyish where the Harrowmark is, they are on almost the same horizontal plane, so the "sun" always appears low in the sky. So Hysh is always filtered through a lot of dusty air and appears to be like what we see at sunset.

Each morning Hysh and Ulgu rotate around each-other so Hysh is in front and the land is bathed in horizontal orange-red light for a while. In the evening Hysh is slowly eclipsed and less and less light will fall on the Harrowmark until night falls.

So in the Harrowmark it will only ever be night or evening, and never full daylight.

I imagine the movements of the Mortal Realms relative to each other to be unfathomably complex, so that it would take generations of study to begin to be able to plot them. If it's even possible at all.

Thy Soul To Keep - part 10

The Soul Vortex

The signs are clear: A soul storm will soon hit the Harrowmark. Who will be able to channel its power? (AoS Skirmish Battleplan Vortex of Power)

The Rotmoons - 59 Renown
The Gilded Hand - 58 Renown (by only 57 Renown worth deployed)

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On the edge of Wortbad, where the forests started to encroach on the village, a swirling column of howling soul-energy ripped through the flotsam and jetsam from a hundred lost sky-ships. Shipwreck timbers, rigging, a battered wooden skycutter, and anchor and even a shattered cannon were swept up in its maelstrom and spun around the spiralling storm of Death-magic. Leering ghostly skulls coalesced and dissolved in the green vortex as it twisted and writhed. It slowly, almost imperceptibly, drifted through the forests toward the village.

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Bortagno jumped to his feet and started shouting: he roused the sleeping Rotmoons with curses and threats. The orruk privateers rubbed their aching heads and grumbled and moaned but they still tumbled out of their hammocks and gathered their weapons.



When they assembled around Bortagno to find out what was amiss they found Kapitán da Leeva was with him. The Kapitán looked like he was in a black mood and their grumbling fell silent.

Rockeye Fuerte - a very deaf Ogor Leadbelcher Thunderfist carrying a ship's cannon under one arm - pushed his way through their ranks.

In the silence they could hear a distant crashing of timbers and a low unnatural howl. Both sounds were getting louder and closer. Awkwardo opened his mouth to ask "What's dat?" but he closed it again before the words escaped, as the Soul Vortex flowed through the trees in a whirlwind of debris.



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From further down the tree-line another warband appeared and Bortagno started shouting again. He barked out orders to the crew to form up by watches. He ran toward the Vortex and the starboard watch followed him. The port watch gathered with Rockeye around the Kapitán.



Bortagno bellowed at his Ladz to charge but just stood and watched them go - he was rooted to the spot! Skeletal hands clawed out of the dirt and held his legs firm!





After a deafening blast from Rockeye's cannon, Kapitán da Leeva and his followers charged through the cloud of black powder smoke and crashed into a group of Freeguild - the Kapitán tore through them! His flashing kutlass struck at necks and knees and elbows. The experienced freebooter knew just where to strike to disable his foes!

The Freeguild troopers and orruk pirates crashed into each other.



Freeguild crossbowmen fell and the swordsmen lept into the gaps in the line.



A crackle of lightning erupted from Kalyustar's fingertips and speared through da Leeva.



Two pistoleers galloped from the flank and opened fire on the orruks.



After a point-blank shot from a crossbow dinged off his armour the Kapitán retreated! But he had a plan...



Awkwardo fell to the hooves of one pistoleer while the other charged Bortagno.



Kapitán da Leeva used the Black Void Portent to spring The Jaws of the Trap. After his retreat from the fight with the Freeguild he charged Kalyustar! The Soulchemist had little hope of defending himself and only barely managed to survive the onslaught, but as usual he had a trick up his sleeve - Kalyustar had found a Token of Time! As the wizard fled he smashed the tiny hourglass and some of his wounds healed! He was not returned to his full strength but it was enough to save his life for now.



The tide of battle started to turn against the orruk privateers.



Skeletal hands burst from the ground once more and clutched at Rockeye, they couldn't stop the brute but they slowed his stride.



Bortagno was shot down by the combined volley of both pistoleers' guns.



Kalyustar ran through the whirling debris and soul-energy to hide among the mausoleums. In a fit of rage da Leeva struck down a hapless crossbowman who was aiming at a fleeing orruk.



When the pistoleers chased down the other orruks the last four pirate crew turned and fled.

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The Rotmoons failed to stop Kalyustar gathering power from Soul Vortex. Yet, the disruption was enough to force Kalyustar into hiding. The Gilded Hand earned a minor victory but the story is far from over....

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Godfather Viktor's version of this adventure is here.