contains

Clash of
Kinupgsda2te0s 21

A Magical Campaign Supplement for

 Introduction

CONTENTS
Introduction...................................2 Ratkin............................................33
Background................................... 4 Halpi’s Rift.................................. 43
Dramatis Personae.................... 16 Campaign Setting ................................... 44
Dravak Dalken..........................................16 Magical Artefacts..................................... 46
Banick Kholearm.....................................18 The Material Plane..................................50
Grupp Longnail........................................ 20 The Abyssal Plane....................................52
Nomargarok...............................................22 The Empyrean Plane...............................54
Kapoka....................................................... 24 The Ethereal Plane..................................56
Twitch Keenear.........................................25 The Astral Plane...................................... 58
Nimue Waydancer.................................... 28 New Heroes................................. 59
Zaz’u’szu the Betrayer.............................. 28 Clash of Kings............................ 64
Tollivar, the Seer..................................... 29
Serakina, the Ice Queen........................ 29
The Battle of Ravenswood........ 66
Sebekh-Rei the Accursed.........................30
Kyroqsh, Hunter in the Deep...............30
Esenyshra, the Wailing Shadow............ 31
Ulpgar the Mad......................................... 31
Ziunok Iceblood........................................32

Credits
Rules Development Graphic Design & Layout
Matthew James Matthew Vickerstaff

KoW Rules Committee Photography

Patrick Allen, Michael Crossman, Matthew James, Dan King, Ben Sandum
Jason Moorman, Chris Morris, Elliot Morrish, Jeff Swann
Painting
Background Alex Cairns, DT Miniature Painting, Studio Giraldez, Matt Kennedy,
Mark Latham, Rob Burman Ben Macintyre, Kenn Strøh Mejer, Dave Neild

Editing Terrain
Matt Gilbert, Rob Burman Author’s own collection, printablescenery.com, tabletop-world.com

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 Introduction

INTRODUCTION
The Abyssal Dwarfs have mined too far, too deep. As conquerors of the lands of Halpi, they have mined beyond where even the
Free Dwarfs dared to go. Their thirst for wealth and their insatiable greed has embroiled them in the vicious subterranean war
that rages beneath the ancient holds, as the goblin tribes of Halpi battle with the Ratkin plague that swarms from the east. But
the Abyssal Dwarfs have found something far more valuable than anything in their wildest dreams. Or perhaps more lethal.
Welcome to Halpi’s Rift. In this book you’ll find all the Dwarfs and the host of characters, some old, some new, that
background and rules you need to introduce a whole range are drawn to the area ready to push forward the unfolding
of new magic and battlefield conditions into your games of story of Pannithor.
Kings of War.
As magic leaks into the world, so mortals can harness its
Learn all about the Nexus of power that the Abyssal Dwarfs power, for good or for evil, and mighty armies find themselves
have unearthed deep under the ancestral home of the Free transported to new realities with strange and deadly

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 Introduction

battlefields. March your army to glory through the Planes of The rules for the Campaign Setting are not designed for
magic, while your spell-casters bask in the raw power of the normal tournament play. You should use it for one-off games
Nexus. or narrative campaigns when you want to try something
different. We provide the setting, but it’s up to you how you
For those dark and devious of nature, the Ratkin are explored want to structure your campaign games. Of course, an event
in more detail, looking at their society and their motivations organiser might decide to run a Halpi’s Rift specific event
and machinations. Read what the Abyssal Dwarfs have and that does sounds like a whole lot of fun!
discovered about the Gnorr since their escape and tremble at
the thought of what might be lurking beneath your feet. We do, however, provide a small “Clash of Kings” update for
some official unit amendments which are intended for all, as
For the first time, we also include a detailed battle report of a are the new heroes you will find in this book.
big game played at Mantic HQ, using the rules found in this
book. Who will be victorious – the stoic dwarfs or their dark To Halpi. To battle!
cousins and their goblin allies?

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 Background

HALPI’S RIFT gripping spears and swords, waiting for the worst to come.
But it never did.
The siege had lasted for many months. Fire and cannon- From the walls of Chill, Talannar looked across the
shot had pounded relentlessly against the high walls of the battlefield. Many hundreds of leagues away, a distant beam of
Northern Alliance’s capital city of Chill, night after night, light flashed into the heavens, redolent with magical energy,
day after day. The Abyssal Dwarfs’ jagged network of trenches calling to him…
extended, claw-like, from their encampments in the frozen
hills to the outer defences of the city. The dim echoes of The Abyssal Dwarfs retreated. The Ratkin poured like ants
tunnelling were incessant, as the Ratkin slaves probed the from their tunnels, back to the encampments. War engines
deeps, delving industriously to find some ingress, some way were dragged slowly away, until they faded into the night.
into Chill that could bypass Talannar’s magical defences. But Before dawn came, the siege was over.
so far, they had held strong.
And a voice, pregnant with primordial energy, whispered to
Small cracks had started to appear in the walls. Some Talannar: ‘Something has called them. Something terrible. Your work has
outer fortifications had even collapsed from the tenacious only just begun.’
undermining of the Ratkin. The people of Chill were hungry
and desperate, but still the soldiers rallied to the call as battle
now looked certain. Talannar prepared himself for the worst –
the ancient power he had so long striven to protect could not
The Mountains Call
While the siege had been raging far to the north, another
fall into the hands of the Abyssal Dwarfs and their masters. large Abyssal Dwarf army had been gleefully scouring the
He would die before he would allow it. Halpi Mountains of the remnants of their accursed kin, the
And yet, on the 88th night of the siege, when the enemy Free Dwarfs. Under the stern eye of the Overlords of the
pounded at the gates, and the sky glowed red with the fire fortress cities, the Abyssal Dwarfs had pressed home their
of the Ironcasters’ infernal engines, something unexpected advantage, sweeping through the old Dwarf holds, scouring
happened. The clansmen’s warhorns blared, a call answered the mountains of any remnants of the Free Dwarfs once and
all through the trenches as messages passed between their for all. This task had been entrusted to a cabal of Ironcasters,
commanders. The fires died low, the night grew still. Behind and foremost among them was Dravak Dalken. In truth,
the walls, the warriors of Chill held their collective breath, command had been given to him to remove him from the

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sight of the Overlords for a while. Dravak’s tormented soul
Background
The Abyssal Dwarfs stumbled into the midst of a terrible war.
had driven him evermore into madness, and his experiments Ratkin and goblins clashed in their thousands, squirming
had become more reckless; his depravity and cruelty now and pushing through cramped tunnels, fighting tooth and
too much even for his loathsome kind. Better, the Overlords nail – driven to violence by the energy of the deeps, which
thought, to direct Dravak’s zeal away from the cities, where they surely could not understand, but longed to control
he could make himself useful out of their sight. nonetheless. As one, they turned on the intruders, falling
upon the Abyssal Dwarfs in a frenzy.
The old dwarf holds were now barren, stripped bare by the
fires of Abyssal Dwarf industry. Though pockets of resistance The Abyssal Dwarfs sent forth their own Ratkin slaves, who
still fought on, holed up in deep vaults and shattered through sheer numbers managed to push back the tide,
halls, they were a spent force, serving as little more than dying in their hundreds in the attempt. Some few of them
a distraction to the Abyssal Dwarfs, who often sent their saw a glimmer of recognition in the eyes of their free kin,
enslaved Ratkin to deal with them rather than sully their own and deserted the Abyssal Dwarfs’ cause, swelling the ranks of
hands. the Halpi Ratkin. Most, out of fear of their masters, pushed
through, buying time and space for the Abyssal Dwarfs to
But Dravak’s true prize lay deeper still. His campaign took gain a foothold.
him to Crag Hudd, breaking through the farthest deeps
of the Dwarf mines, where riches awaited not just in the It was then that Dravak seized his moment. He had sensed
form of mineral wealth, but in untapped veins of magical the growing power from the depths more keenly than any
power, conduits that criss-crossed Pannithor. The deeper the other Abyssal Dwarf. His divided soul, so long a source of
Abyssal Dwarfs delved, the stronger this energy grew – the maddening torment, now lent Dravak new power… and
raw, pulsating power of the world itself. The Ironcasters felt new ambition. Unleashing a torrent of spells upon the foe,
it most keenly. It called to them, creating a pull in their Dravak sent forth his alter-ego, the golem Infernok, to lead
very blood like the tides at moonrise. Driven by a lust for the charge. Smashing all before him, including Dravak’s
power far greater than the lure of gold and gems, the Abyssal rival Ironcasters, Infernok inspired the Abyssal Dwarfs to
Dwarfs dug deeper, ever deeper, until at last they broke victory. Goblin and Ratkin alike fled into the tunnels to lick
through into a vast network of caverns and tunnels long lost their wounds, while the Abyssal Dwarfs turned to their new
to dwarf-ken. master, Dravak, for guidance.

But not lost to all.

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 Background

The Nexus Unleashed could well have originated with the creation of the world,
predating the ancient gods themselves. He was sure it tapped
into the same primordial energy that powered the Elven Ways.
Dravak, overcome with lust for power, took command of His eyes lit up. What if he could tread the Paths just like the
the Abyssal Dwarf army, and ordered them onwards. The hated Fey? What if he could lead an army to… anywhere?
tunnelling began in earnest, breaking into steaming fissures,
following rich seams of a strange, greenish ore that pulsated Dravak stepped forward, shielded his eyes, and smiled with
with light, leading the way every onwards, downwards, to a sickening relish. The light whispered to him, and he
something ancient and unknowable. answered.
At last, the Abyssal Dwarfs’ machines struck something more At Dravak’s orders, the Abyssal Dwarfs reluctantly took up
mysterious and powerful than mere ore. The Ratkin slaves the digging where the Ratkin had failed. Dravak took his
turned and fled as a blinding light shone from a crack not best warriors, and retreated to a safe distance, giddy with
just in the rock, but in the very fabric of reality. Ethereal excitement, drunk on power. And when the caverns flooded
forms flitted about the light, drawn like moths to a flame; with a kaleidoscope of many-coloured lights, and echoed
strange, flickering after-images of entities from other planes, with the cries of the dead and dying, he knew he had been
other times, now coalescing within a nexus of pure energy, a successful. What price a few hundred miners in the face of
confluence of the many ley-lines that criss-crossed the world. unimaginable power?
Dravak suspected this was a source of power so ancient it

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 Background
The light flooded every tunnel, every cavern, blasting upwards
in a relentless tide of energy, smashing through the old
Dwarf holds. It pierced the mountaintops, erupting like a
Aftershock
volcano, then up into the heavens, shining like a beacon of The mountains reverberated with a mighty earthquake that
unreality. A beacon that could be seen halfway around the shook the ground for many leagues around. Entire villages
world. were swept away by avalanches and tides of lava erupting
from long-dormant volcanoes. The land cracked and hewed;
Images flashed into Dravak’s mind – images of glory in every rivers changed their courses; great beasts fled the destruction
plane of existence, of his soul repaired at last. In this vision, of their lairs, dragons taking to the skies to sweep across the
this promise of things to come, Dravak was as powerful as the valleys, burning all in their path as the light in the sky drove
Celestians themselves. Dravak was a god… them to maddening rage.

What Dravak did not realise was that hundreds of champions The light itself flickered, expanded, crackled with energy,
across Pannithor were experiencing the same such visions. and then at last focussed into a beam of raw power, projecting
The light called to them just as it did Dravak. Those sensitive upwards from the bowels of the world into the distant
to the ways of magic felt it most keenly of all. heavens. None who beheld the light could attest to its true
colour, for it flickered with myriad hues never before seen
The elves were first to divine the true nature of the Nexus, for by mortal eyes. To look upon it for too long was to invite
Dravak was right – it was part of the very same force that had madness. Where the light met the firmament, huge black
led to the formation of the Shadow Paths. But while the Ways clouds roiled, swirling in a vortex of violent storms visible
allowed for travel between portals linked by ancient ley lines, halfway across the land. When lightning flashed and the
they were still grounded in the material plane. The Nexus clouds were briefly illuminated, some swore they could see
was something greater and far more terrible. This power was through them, just for an instant. And what they saw were
a true conduit between dimensions. It enabled travel between strange constellations never before witnessed in the skies over
all the known planes, and perhaps even time itself. Even the Pannithor, alongside glimpses of hellish realms that could
very wise would struggle to understand just how this force not be of the material plane.
came into being, or how indeed it worked. But should anyone
learn how to control it – to become master of the Nexus – All across the world, the warping power of the Nexus began
they would hold such power as to be unstoppable. to take its toll on natural law. In isolated settlements, rivers
would flow red with blood, or bubbling lava, or freeze over
in an instant even on a mild day. Children would wake to
find themselves lost in the Etheric Plane where their dreams
had become reality, homesteads transformed into towering
mushrooms, toys walking and talking like real people, and
dark aspects of their nightmares, hungry and razor-limbed,
stalking them on the edges of their senses. Common folk
began to report the return of long-dead ancestors, some as real
as themselves, others as little more than incorporeal shades.
Flickering portals would pop into reality unexpectedly,
beginning like a heat-shimmer, before coalescing into a
window upon other worlds, other realms, where battles waged
between foreign armies, and strange beasts and ethereal souls
existed in alien lands beyond the imaginings of even the mad.

From Basilea, a magnificent force of Paladins marched east

Such a fracture in the veil between dimensions had not been towards the light in the sky, guided by their priests who had
felt since the terrible events that had birthed Oskan, the sensed a great evil amassing in the Halpi Mountains. But
Father of Lies. Knowing that the Abyssal Dwarfs held the the Paladins had barely left the Samarites behind when they
advantage, the greatest mages and seers of the world set in were beset by a strange and violent storm. The sky roiled with
motion their plans to stop them. Generals marshalled their crimson clouds; frogs fell from the sky like hailstorms, and
troops. Fortresses emptied of their garrisons and began the an unearthly mist enveloped them, until it seemed the world
long march to the Halpi Mountains. Great fleets set sail from itself had vanished, so eerily silent were they, enveloped in
ports all across Mantica and beyond. Now, armies mustered an endless sea of silver clouds. And they were not far wrong
in every corner of the world, all believing that the power of in their assumption, for when the mists at last thinned, they
the Nexus can be harnessed for the good of their people, or to looked not towards the Low Sea of Suan as they should have,
ensure the downfall of their foes. But the Nexus can only be but instead across a blasted wasteland of black ash, with a sky
controlled at a terrible cost in blood – a cost each side is all- of indigo and violet. The air was freezing, the warriors’ breath
too willing to pay for even a fraction of its power. misting icily on a bracing wind. If their priests had not
quickly discerned that the army had left the material realm,

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 Background

they would have known it from the movement on the horizon, machines towards Tragar. Those beleaguered remnants who
a tide of black forms, gangrel and scuttling, surging with dwelt still in the Halpi Mountains redoubled their efforts,
great speed towards the new arrivals – these invaders into driving back Abyssal Dwarfs and their Ratkin slaves with
their realm of darkness. The Basileans had somehow entered rekindled fury, battling not just their foes but the elements
the Etheric plane, and here, the Nightstalkers were masters… themselves. But onward they went, their guerrilla war
becoming ever more bitter as the dwarfs rallied around their
Such freakish warping of the natural ways continued leader. He had become a legendary figure in the mountains
across Pannithor and beyond, rippling outwards from the – a dour ranger, always clad in a weather-worn cloak, whose
epicentre of the Halpi Rift. On the Ardovikian Plain, a party aim with a crossbow was so unerring it was said he was
of Rhordian Honour Guard, racing to bring word of the blessed by the Shining Ones. This was none other than
anomaly to Eowulf, came to a sudden halt. The air around Herneas the Hunter, who now sought nothing less than to
them shimmered with intense heat; their Aralez mounts drive the Abyssal Dwarfs from Crag Hudd once and for all,
sniffed the air nervously, baying to herald the arrival of and bury the Nexus in the process.
something unnatural into the world. Then came the fire;
elementals from another plane of reality burst into the world, The Abyssal Dwarfs fell back to the desecrated holds,
incinerating the Men of Rhordia in a fiery conflagration. desperate to protect Dravak at all costs as he researched the
Were it not for the presence of a wizard, the Honour Guard Nexus. Word was sent to the fortress cities for reinforcements,
would have been doomed. At great cost, the elementals were for they had spent so long smashing asunder the dwarf
driven from the material plane, leaving but a handful of fortifications that it would prove almost impossible now to
Rhordians alive to deliver their vital message. Yet that was defend them in a protracted siege.
when they heard battle-cries on the air, and from the hills
came the orcs, lured eastwards by the light of the Nexus, and And far beneath Crag Hudd, where the tunnels shifted and
the promise of war. changed under the power of the Nexus, came the sound
of distant warhorns. The goblins returned in ever greater
numbers, surging through the eastern tunnels; from the
north and west came the Ratkin, pushed onwards into battle,
fearing perhaps the wrath of their own masters even more
than the Abyssal Dwarfs.

Dravak redoubled his efforts. His forces faced battle on three

sides, and he knew not if support would come from Tragar.
And even if it did, would he really want to share this power
with anyone?

For three days and nights the storms raged and the ground Hearts of Darkness
trembled. For three days and nights, every man, woman Far to the south, across the Infant Sea, the Twilight Kin felt
and child quaked with fear in their beds, as shadowy the pull of the Nexus perhaps more keenly than any other
Nightstalkers haunted the land with impunity and monsters race. Searching through vast archives of lore stolen centuries
rampaged through their settlements. Armies braving the roads ago from the hated kin of Elvenholme, the Summoner Crone
through Tragar saw hideous, gibbering creatures hauling Astalia Soulflayer found mention of a mythical element,
themselves out from the Abyss, and heard the screams of the from which the Shadow Paths had spread across the world
tortured echoing all the way from the foreboding fortress city like the roots of a vast tree. The elves had called this energy
of Zarak. source Le’Uli Pellathir, meaning ‘the Paths Beyond’ in the
old tongue, describing it as a fragment of power left over from
When dawn broke on the fourth day, and the earthquakes
the creation of Pannithor and all the realms beyond, which
had ceased, thousands of pairs of eyes looked across at the
had somehow become trapped in the mantle of the world. If
Halpi Mountains from all directions. The first armies had
true, Astalia surmised that the Pellathir was a nexus of power
arrived to lay claim to the Nexus: armies of the elves, of
unlike anything ever seen before – a confluence of the planes
Basilea, of demons, and of dwarfs.
coalesced into physical form. The Twilight Kin had long given
And it was the dwarfs who arrived first at the gates of the their own name to the energy that flows between the planes:
mountain holds. Ever inward-looking and stoic, the Free the Umbra – the place between – into which souls could be
Dwarfs cared little for the Nexus, and its promise of magical banished and summoned by those with sufficient knowledge
power. They were driven only by a desire to reclaim their and skill. This power took many forms, just as its light shone
homelands, to re-found their holds. The call had gone out to in an infinite spectrum. From the Elven Ways to the hell-pits
the scattered dwarf peoples. The new settlements of Estacarr of the Abyss, from the realms of the dead to the Astral Plane,
emptied of oathsworn warriors; the great ironclad fleets the Umbra’s myriad strands connected all things. Astalia saw
of Abercarr set sail, carrying a throng of warriors and war this clearly, and at once petitioned the Lord of Nightmares

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 Background
himself, Mikayel, to send the armies of the Twilight Kin
north. The Dead Rise
Mikayel, however, had a better idea. Even before Astalia had In the Sorrows, summoned by the word of Herneas, a
arrived in his court, the Lord of Nightmares had sensed the large dwarf expeditionary force picked their way resolutely
growing power of the Nexus. His fabled Sword of Umbra had through the mountains. Free Dwarfs marched alongside
thrummed with dark energy like never before. The cries of their Imperial kin and Northern Alliance allies, setting
the tormented souls it had sent to the next life had become aside their differences for the greater good of dwarf-kind.
almost unbearable. Armed with the knowledge of the Nexus’ Across the High Sea of Bari, the light of the Nexus had been
true nature, and acting almost on instinct, Mikayel dispatched a constant marker – a promise of glorious battles to come,
a small fleet across the Infant Sea to serve merely as a and a reminder of what the dwarfs must fight for. In truth,
distraction. The bulk of the Twilight Kin’s power, however, The Imperial Dwarfs were tired of the fractious co-existence
went south, transported by magical means to the Southern with their dispossessed cousins. The fight would be worth it
Rift. There, Mikayel paid the Blood Price to the Infernals, if it would return the rabble to their own lands, and their
casting a thousand slaves into the yawning Rift, shaking the gratitude to King Golloch would ensure they paid tribute for
earth with the power of his offering. centuries to come.

Deep within the Southern Rift, booming laughter echoed As they navigated a pass, long known to their kind, the
through the demonic circles. Mikayel’s ambition was lauded dwarfs sensed something amiss. The many caves that lined
by the Archfiends, his sacrifice gratefully received – and the sorrows, long packed with the ancient dead of the
humans, emitted now an eerie glow, their colours shifting
and flickering in tune with the light of the Nexus.

The dwarf column came to a halt. The Ironwatch hurried

to the flanks with their crossbows and rifles, scanning the
mountainsides for any hint of danger. Mastiffs sniffed the air,
and as one let forth a mournful howl.

Animated by the terrible power that swept through the

land, the dead poured from their barrows in great number,
staggering jerkily from caves, tearing themselves from the
dirt. Bale-eyed revenants, long since banished by pious foes
Ba’el himself answered. The demon would help the Twilight returned once more, directing their skeletal legions against
Kin, but only if they swore never to close the Nexus; while the dwarfs, eager to take revenge on any living soul for their
the coruscating light split the planes of existence, the Abyss long unrest.
swelled with power. Soon it would expand once more,
eventually tearing the material plane asunder. A new Rift
would appear beneath the Halpi Mountains, and the mantle
of Pannithor would crack, joining the Southern Rift and the
Abyss at last, creating one hellish maw running across the
whole of the world. The time of the Abyssals would come –
and, Ba’el added as an afterthought, the Twilight Kin would
rule at their side. Mikayel accepted the dark pact, though his
ambitions surely did not countenance sharing power with
anyone – not even the Wicked Ones. Nonetheless, at the
promise of slaughter the likes of which the world had never
seen, Ba’el opened a great rent in the walls of the Southern
Rift, through which the armies of the Twilight Kin could
pass in their thousands. Serried ranks of Impalers marched The Sorrows echoed to the percussive roar of black powder
alongside numberless packs of Fiends, as gibbering demons rifles, followed by the ring of steel on steel. The power of the
swarmed with them through the portal… Nexus had brought battle from an unexpected quarter.
…And out onto the precipice of the Abyss, beneath the Beneath Crag Hudd, almost collapsing from exhaustion,
shadows of the mountains of Tragar. Abyssals and Twilight Dravak managed a low chuckle. He had foreseen the coming
Kin alike marched in numbers not seen for over a century, a of the Dwarf invasion, and had acted quickly to counter it,
tenuous pact hinging upon the promises of Ba’el, Bringer of using what rudimentary understanding he had gleaned from
Woe. Their eyes were fixed on the light in the sky, calling to the Nexus. But even that single act had drained him of his
them like the sirens call to lovelorn sailors. energy. It had bought him some time, but at what cost?
Calling them to battle.

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 Background

From the Depths strategy. First, the immediate threat had to be contained, for
as vast as the resources of the undersea kingdom were, the
lesser demons of the Abyss were just as numerous. It pained
Far beneath the oceans, some strange force swelled in the the Trident King to sell the lives of his subjects so cheaply.
Great Deep. A blinding light briefly flashed from the depths Thus, the rift in the Great Deep had to be sealed, and this
of the fathomless trench, illuminating that which had only task fell to the Thuul. The Great Deep and its mysteries
ever known darkness. The walls of the Great Deep shuddered, had long been the Thuuls’ dominion, and now their magical
as though the core of the world had jolted. A rocky shelf prowess would be employed to seek out the breach in reality,
measuring some five nautical leagues capsized into the and close it while the rest of the Trident King’s forces held
inky darkness, taking with it fully 12 iridescent Neretican back the demonic assault.
watchtowers.
This was only the start, however, for sealing the rift would
not alone restore balance to the Nereticans’ realm. The
Trident King sensed the very fate of Pannithor was now on a
knife-edge, and only the destruction of the Nexus could bring
the world back from the brink of destruction. To this end, he
reached out with the vast expanse of his mind, communing
telepathically with an erstwhile ally – the only land-dweller
he had ever trusted. Talannar. A hasty plan was formed, and
at last the Trident King sent order to the Riverguard. They
were to muster the largest force they could, and march to the
Halpi Mountains. Let none stand in their way.

All will be Dust

In the great city of Myrr’Uulis, the Trident King of Across the Infant Sea, where the Cracked Lands and far
Myrrhimm, ancient and powerful, was momentarily Ophidia meet, the power unleashed by the Nexus swirled
staggered by the wave of power and the resulting destruction. through the sandy wastes. Monoliths of ancient design
Something had ripped a hole in the very fabric of the thrummed with newfound potency, the hieroglyphs inscribed
world, folding reality so that the Abyss now bled its evil into their obsidian surfaces glowing red with magical energy.
into the sacred Deep. The Nereticans of Myrrhimm fought The High Priests of the Ahmunites felt this power course
desperately, knowing that if they could not find a way to close through their desiccated bodies, their powers increased
the rift, their kingdom would be overwhelmed. In the racial threefold. Across the old kingdoms, priests intoned the rites
memory of his kind, the Trident King remembered the god- of binding, bringing forth the mighty dead from their tombs
myths, and knew with equal dread and certainty what had in greater numbers than ever before, to the delight of their
happened. The Nexus was no myth, and someone had opened kings.
it.
Under the baking sun, the undead legions of Khotem the
At once, the warriors of Myrr’Uulis marshalled for war, Everliving mobilised. Khotem had heard rumours that
sweeping to the defence of the Great Deep, sensing something the thrice-cursed Twilight Kin were on the move to the
was rising unbidden from its depths. And rise it did: a legion Southern Rift in great force, and he had resolved to find
of lesser demons erupted into the twilight realm of the out why. Finally, his priests had provided an army capable
Nereticans, lava and even fire belching unnaturally in their of crushing the elves – a good test of his legions before he
wake. Battle was joined, imps flocking like swarms of angry turned his attention at last to the Ophidians and his long-
hornets around ponderous Coral Giants, Molochs stalking the awaited revenge. And so he had dispatched his favoured
sea bed, slaughtering all in their path. The Abyssals pushed priest, Nercophys, at the head of an army so large sandstorms
slowly, inexorably on, their aim clear – they fought their way formed its wake, and the parched earth shook to the rhythmic
towards Myrr’Uulis, to the Trident King. thumping of skeletal feet.

At the behest of the Trident King’s mighty will, vast shoals The closer the undead came to the Southern Rift, the more
of sea creatures threw themselves into the path of the Nercophys felt his power grow. But with that power came the
demons, physically blocking their way, blinding them in strange phenomena, of mirages on the distant horizon given
their sacrifice. Their numbers almost limitless, they slowed terrifying form; of the material world around them bending
the demon assault to a crawl, buying time for the inevitable and morphing as though viewed through aged glass. This was
counter-attack led by the capricious Naiads. not merely the eddying power of the Abyssals, but something
far stranger. And as if in confirmation of Nercophys’
As the battle raged, the Trident King used his vast psionic suspicions, a streak of lightning flashed across a cloudless
intellect to call out to his servants, formulating a dual sky, striking the sand, slashing a jagged fissure in the fabric

10
 Background
of reality. Light streamed through the strange tear in the
veil, then the very landscape peeled away, revealing just for
a moment a glimpse in to some far-off realm of shadow and
The War Below
nightmare. At Crag Hudd, the Abyssal Dwarfs fell back once more,
rallying to Dravak and to the precious Nexus. And yet their
And in that moment, something came through. leader was preoccupied with his own affairs. Were it not for
the formidable might and strategy of the Immortal Guard, they
The arrival of an entire company of Basilean Paladins so would have been overrun already.
far from the Brothermark was unexpected to say the least,
for both parties. That these Paladins were old, grizzled, and Above, the Free Dwarfs had broken through the outer defences,
battle-worn was more curious still. For these Paladins had fighting with vengeful fury in an attempt to reclaim the upper
been lost upon the Etheric Plane. But time flows differently levels of the hold. Below, the Abyssal Dwarfs in the tunnels
between the veil, and though but days had passed on the fought goblins on one side and Ratkin on the other, lacking the
material plane, the Basileans had campaigned for decades numbers to fully engage with either. A powerful Wiz had risen
against the many horrors of the ether, their numbers to command the goblin tribe, a pair of mysterious gauntlets
thinning until only a lone company remained, surviving on lending her sorcerous powers far in advance of her fellows,
the strength of their faith alone. vomiting world-altering blasts of pure energy at the beleaguered
Abyssal Dwarfs. Perhaps worse still, word had reached the ears
Now, though weary, the Paladins found themselves staring of the Ratkin slaves that their free kin had been blessed with
at the hated undead, abominations in the eyes of their the power of the Abyss. Whether or not it was true, half the
order. They set upon the legion of Nercophys without fear, slaves had deserted, risking their meagre lives to join with the
smashing asunder skeletal warriors with righteous fury. Only Unshackled.
when Nercophys recovered from his surprise was he able to
put an end to the destruction. His powers increased by the Elsewhere in the desolate chambers of Crag Hudd, unknown
distant Nexus, Nercophys beset the Paladins with the fury of to the Abyssal Dwarfs, a small band of warriors had infiltrated
the desert. Swarms of carnivorous beetles erupted from the the gloom. Stealthy and silent, graceful as casts and keen-eyed
sand, tearing flesh from bone. Skeletons felled just moments as hawks, the intruders were as out of place in the dark halls
ago rose afresh, stabbing at the humans with bronze-tipped of the dwarfs as any being could be. These were elves of the
spears. And as the Basileans realised all hope was lost, they Sylvan kindred, who alone possessed the skill to travel the
felt the strength leave their limbs, their flesh wither and Shadow Paths to the source of their creation, emerging from
shrivel, until they could no longer stand in their own armour. the veil as close to the Nexus as they dared. Though their
In moments they were no different from the undead warriors skills were not well suited to a domain where nothing green
they fought, and one-by-one they fell in with the Ahmunite had ever grown, they were unsurpassed rangers and scouts
ranks, becoming part of the legion. each, with centuries of fighting experience between them.
Perhaps an alliance of convenience could be formed with the
Only one remained. Spared by Nercophys, the Paladin was Free Dwarfs who still survived in isolated pockets within the
seized and tortured. He resisted for the longest time, though hold – after all, the dwarfs cared not for the Nexus, only for
he had just seen his brothers fall in battle, and his mind was the restoration of past glories. But if an alliance could not be
half broken by decades of toil in a realm of nightmares. But forged, the dwarfs would do well to step aside, or die. The elves
not even the blessed of the Shining Ones could withstand the would brook no outcome but the closure of the Nexus, and the
torments inflicted by the unfeeling Nercophys for long, and so destruction of the element at its heart.
at last he told the High Priest all he knew of the Nexus.
Within the bowels of the mountain hold, Dravak Dalken
Rewarding the Paladin by granting him a true death, faltered. For the first time since he had discovered the seam
Nercophys led his legion to the Southern Rift, expecting of Nexus energy, he began to doubt his own power, his own
another battle. But none came. Instead, the High Priest ingenuity. He had come so far, but the mysteries of the
witnessed the Twilight Kin marching into the Rift in vast Nexus still seemed so very far from his control. Three Ratkin
numbers, and not returning. Choosing caution, Nercophys messengers lay dead at his feet; they had interrupted his studies
focussed his energies, drawing upon the power of divination to inform him that the battle went badly. Dravak had sent
to spy upon his enemies. He saw Twilight Kin and Abyssals Infernok to deal with the goblins, but although the mighty
marching side-by-side in a distant land, upon a plain of ash. golem had sent the enemy screeching in terror, Dravak’s
He saw the Mouth of Leith emptied of all but the most scant concentration had slipped. He had momentarily lost control of
garrison. He saw a Slave Fleet upon the Infant Sea, engaging Infernok, and the resulting carnage on both sides had been…
the ships of the Salamanders, drawing them away from their unfortunate. Now, the golem stood silent by his side, where he
patrols. would remain: a last line of defence against those who would
try to take the Nexus from Dravak’s grasp.
He saw opportunity.
He had to hold on. He had to find the strength. Only then
would the entire world be his to command. Only then would
godhood beckon.

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Background

12
 Background

13
 Background
A Chill Wind Blows Embittered with regret, he gave the command. While
Talannar remained behind with a small garrison, the rest
of his beleaguered forces armed themselves and marched
Far to the north, in the city of Chill, Talannar found himself
from the city, summoning their allies as they went.
torn. It was unlike him to be indecisive, yet typically he felt
The further south they marched, the more their ranks
once more the responsibility for the fate of all.
swelled, as half-elves marched with human and dwarf,
He had seen the formation of the Nexus. From the high packs of white-pelted wolves loped alongside the column,
walls of Chill he saw the ever-shifting glow over the horizon and snow trolls and frost giants lumbered down from
to the south, despite the vast distance, and the far-off light the mountains. The Northern Alliance swept from the
that shone upwards to the heavens. He felt the power surge Winterlands like an avalanche – a force of nature bent
through his veins. He knew the coming war could yet tear the on destroying access to the Nexus, and any who would try
world apart just as surely as the Nexus itself. And yet, until to stop them.
now, he had remained steadfast – the Northern Alliance must
Talannar leaned upon the battlements, weary, staring
defend Chill until the end. They could not leave the city, they
out into the night as snow began to fall. And a voice
could not involve themselves in the war for the Rift. To do
whispered to him, clear and cool as springwater. It told
so would leave vulnerable another ancient power, one that
him that its slumber was almost at an end, that the
he had so long protected – one that the Abyssal Dwarfs had
Nexus had accelerated the reawakening.
besieged the city to gain.
‘The world is not ready,’ Talannar said, though he was
But that had all changed when his mind had connected
alone on the walls. ‘The Northern Alliance is weakened.
across the ether to the great consciousness of a Trident
We cannot protect you beyond these walls.’
King. The ancient being had shown Talannar just what
terror now faced the world, and Talannar realised he had But the voice, ethereal, little more than a song on the
delayed when he should have acted. He had allowed the frozen wind, said, ‘You will not have to. By the time this
Abyssal Dwarfs to leave the Winterlands unopposed, and is over, the whole world will cry out for the Return.’
even now they surely marched to the Halpi Mountains in
support of their dark kin.

15
 Background

DRAMATIS PERSONAE He had spent months searching the holds of the Halpi
Dravak Dalken Mountains looking for information that remained
tantalisingly out of his grip. He couldn’t count the
Dravak growled in frustration as he rifled through number of Ratkin slaves that had died in tunnel
the dusty parchments and scrolls. It had to be here. collapses or fell victim to the traps left behind by the
He just knew it. A voice tickled the back of his mind. dwarfs. All in pursuit of his quest. Since the Abyssal
Whispering for him to search deeper. To search further. Dwarfs had pushed out the Free Dwarfs and taken over
It was so clear he almost looked over his shoulder. the mountains, he’d sensed an ancient power calling to

16
him. He could tell some of the other Iron-casters felt it
Background
a ball of glowing energy sprang into existence ahead of
too – but none more keenly than him. The most powerful him, lighting the gloom. Empty shelves lined the walls
Iron-caster that had ever lived! of the small opening and Dravak’s hopes fell once again.
However, just as he was about to storm out the room and
He almost chuckled to himself, as he thought about take his anger out on the nearest Ratkin slave, he noticed
the dim-witted Overlords back in Zarak. He was fully something catching the light on the highest shelf.
aware they had commanded him to stay in the Halpi
Mountains on a pointless mission – something about Dravak entered the room and stretched up toward the
keeping the Free Dwarfs from returning their homeland. object. With a grunt, his fingertips touched a cold,
He knew the Overlords were scared of his ever-increasing metallic box and he quickly pulled it down. After
power. He cast a quick glance to the currently lifeless dashing back to the table, he slammed the box down in
form of Infernok in the corner of the room. Was it his excitement. It was covered in delicate carvings of leaves
voice calling him? He watched for a moment, expecting and vines. This was no dwarfish artefact and Dravak
the towering golem to move. recognised the light touch of an elvish craftsman.

“Do you know where it is?” he shouted to the monster,

spittle cascading over the mouldering papers. The golem
remained still.

Since the accident that had fused his soul with the
golem, Dravak had learnt to control his split personality.
He could now flit between the two bodies at will, taking
control of the monstrous creation whenever he pleased.
But each time he returned to his own body, he couldn’t
shake the feeling he’d left a part of him behind. Now
when he looked at the creature, he felt like it was staring
back at him. Waiting. And plotting. He held his hand over the box and searched for any
magical wards or traps. Sensing nothing, he opened it
“I can see you!” he screeched across the room, his eyes
up. Inside were several scrolls and Dravak once again
growing wide with anger. “Planning. Conspiring. You’re
recognised the flowing calligraphy of an elf, rather
against me too!”
than the workmanlike runes of a dwarf. Subconsciously
The golem remained still. licking his lips, Dravak unravelled a scroll.

Dravak focused back on the papers. Since he’d found a It showed a simple drawing of the Halpi mountains and deep
garbled reference to a power under the mountains, he’d underneath, a river of energy. Notes around the sketch spoke
been looking for a way to find it and, more importantly, of other seams of energy like this, crisscrossing Pannithor.
master it. To harness whatever energy was lying dormant. And Dravak’s eyes grew wide, as the text described untold
But clearly the dwarfs had been too stupid to realise the power for those who could control the source. When it began
might they were sitting on top of. All these papers just to explain the dangers involved, Dravak tossed the scroll aside
spoke of expeditions for new seams of gold or the barley in frustration and picked up another.
count required for the brewers.
The second scroll was a mix of elvish illustrations and
“Where is it?” he bellowed in frustration and cast the dwarfish text. Dravak raised an eyebrow in surprise. Clearly
papers across the room. this must have been written many millennia ago, when
Pannithor was young and the mistrust between elves and
He let his mind touch the still form of the golem. Its dwarfs had yet to bear its rotten fruit. The scroll showed
dark eyes suddenly glowed like molten lava and Infernok a closer view of the magical current flowing under the
roared to life. Now in control of the abomination, mountains. An elf was standing beside the glowing river,
Dravak smashed against the wall in frustration. With a wearing a pair of metallic gauntlets. Around the drawing, the
loud crash, the rocks fell to the floor of the chamber, text describe how the gauntlets were capable of harnessing the
revealing a new room. Dravak’s mind snapped back to his energy.
own body and Infernok fell to the ground, lifeless once
more. A wicked grin spread across Dravak’s face.

Coughing from the dust, Dravak cautiously approached “We have found it,” rumbled Infernok.
the previously hidden room. He muttered a spell and

17
 Background

Banick Kholearm Banick woke with a start and almost fell from Craggoth’s
shoulder. He quickly steadied himself and gave the
elemental a bash over the head.
Banick grunted and channelled more energy into the
furnace that powered Craggoth. With sweat pouring down “Watch where you’re going!” Craggoth grunted in
his forehead and muttering prayers to Fulgria, he finally response. After focusing for a moment, Banick realised
felt the last ebbs of magic leave his body. His knees the afternoon sun was now turning to dusk and they had
became weak and he toppled forward slightly, steadying left the cover of the forest. He must have been asleep
himself on the stone leg of his companion. A deep for hours. Craggoth had climbed a rocky outcrop and
rumbling emanated from somewhere inside the mighty was looking out towards the towering Halpi mountains.
earth elemental and he carefully patted Banick on the In the dwindling sunlight, Banick could make out the
back. A sort of concerned thank you, the dwarf guessed. snowy peaks of his former home. Craggoth made a small
rumbling noise.
“Just lost my balance, that’s all,” grunted the dwarf, a
thin smile on his face. He looked up at Craggoth and saw “Aye, I miss it too,” muttered Banick. Since being forced
the flickering blue light inside his crystal eyes. Was it just south, there hadn’t been a single day that Banick hadn’t
his imagination, or was the light becoming weaker? thought the mountains. He hoped the rumours that the
Free Dwarfs were planning an assault on the Abyssal
Banick straightened up with a sigh. He needed to draw
Dwarfs in the Halpi mountains was true. He would
on more and more magic to keep Craggoth alive. Even
relish the opportunity to fight for his homeland. He
though his friend had been engineered with mechanical
let out a sigh as he remembered the sweet taste of ale
parts, he still needed the blessing of Fulgria and each
brewed using the water of the crisp Halpi streams.
time it drained Banick even more. He wasn’t a natural
magic user and fuelling the fires of Craggoth’s furnace His reminiscing was suddenly shattered by a rumble
made him weak as a beardling. Since being taught the under foot. He quickly steadied himself by clutching
ways of Fulgria, he had studied the skills of pyromancy, Craggoth’s massive, rocky shoulder. Birds from the forest
but it never got any easier. He wished there was another behind them exploded into the sky in a cacophony of
way to give Craggoth the essence of life. terrified squawks.
“Put me back in those blasted mines,” he muttered, Banick had spent years in the mines listening to
although secretly he was glad to be out in the open again the heavy thuds of controlled explosions – he’d even
and exploring Abercarr alongside the elemental. King survived the odd earthquake - but this was something
Golloch’s advisors had sent the pair to scout out rumours different. Then as quickly as it began, it all stopped. The
of giant rats on the border with Estacarr. They had been mountains fell into an eerie silence, as if the land was
travelling for days but hadn’t even seen a rogue goblin, holding its breath for whatever was coming next. Banick
let alone any massive rats. Still, Banick wasn’t about to could sense Craggoth bracing himself.
grumble. With the thick forest around him and the quiet
trickle of a stream somewhere in the distance, this latest All of a sudden, a swirling, energy burst from the
task from Golloch’s council reminded him of his ranger mountains, lighting the surrounding area with a
days. Before his disgrace, of course. foreboding, blood-like hue. Banick shuddered, reminded
of the terrible fires of the Abyss. While gazing at the
“Come on then, you big lump of rocks,” said Banick to turbulent patterns of the light, Banick became aware that
his friend and began to march off down the well-worn Craggoth was beginning to growl. A low rumble that was
path. However, still weak from the magic, he stumbled quickly growing in volume.
slightly and only just managed to catch himself before
tumbling over. Behind him, Craggoth let out a deep With a roar, Craggoth lurched upwards, throwing Banick
rumbling. backwards off his shoulder and sending him crashing
towards the floor. Banick landed heavily with a grunt.
“Oh, you think it’s funny, do you? Why don’t you charge
up your own bloody furnace next time?” Craggoth “You rock-headed-“
stopped and quickly scooped up Banick. Hollering abuse,
Banick was unceremoniously plonked on Craggoth’s The dwarf caught his breath as he watched the towering
shoulder, before the elemental carried on down the path. Earth Elemental begin smashing his fists into the floor.
Each punch was almost as loud as the initial quakes.
“I’m not a long beard that needs to be carried,” grunted
Banick, as he was jostled around by his lumbering ride. “Craggoth?” whispered Banick hesitantly and started to
“I’ll never live this down if anyone sees me.” He was pull himself up. In a flash, Craggoth spun round to face
about to jump down when he realised how tired his the dwarf and roared. Banick recoiled in horror when
aching limbs were. Perhaps he could stay here, for a he realised the earth elemental’s normally piercing blue
while at least. Just to give his legs a small rest… eyes, had turned a deep crimson. Craggoth bellowed

18
again.
**** *****
“Now come on, I was only joking about you being rock-
Background
Craggoth charged. Banick closed his eyes and prepared
headed,” said Banick mirthlessly. He felt for the hammer for the end. At least he had seen the Halpi Mountains
at his belt, although he wasn’t sure what good it would one more time before he died.
do. Craggoth’s red eyes watched him with a terrible
malevolence and Banick realised where he had seen But the end didn’t come. Banick opened his eyes and saw
that evil gaze before: the obsidian golems of the Abyssal Craggoth towering over him. The mighty elemental was
Dwarfs. shaking his head and blinking. Banick noticed Craggoth’s
eyes had returned to their normal blue.
In an instant, Banick began drawing on the power of
Fulgria and the runes on his hammer started to glow. “Craggoth?” groaned Banick. The dwarf’s voice snapped
But before Banick could pull the hammer from his belt, the elemental from his confusion, and he stared towards
Craggoth roared and casually back-handed Banick square him. Craggoth tilted his head and let out a small rumble.
in the chest. He flew backwards and smacked
“Good job you stopped. I had you just where I wanted
against a boulder. Dazed, Banick began to
you.” Banick tried to struggle up but slipped back to
offer up prayers to Fulgria but with little
the floor. Then with a gentleness that defied his size,
hope of salvation.
Craggoth slowly reached towards his friend and carefully
helped him up. This time Banick didn’t refuse the
assistance.

They both looked towards the Halpi Mountains. The

peaks had returned to an uneasy stillness but the red
beam continued to shoot skyward, and dark clouds boiled
around it. Banick pondered what had just happened.
Whatever had erupted from the mountains had caused
Craggoth to change and Banick could not risk that
happening again. The thought of his friend becoming a
mindless monster filled him with a sadness he hadn’t felt
since being discharged from the rangers.

He had to find out the cause and put a stop to it. No

matter the cost.

“Time to go home,” said Banick.

In the dwindling light, Craggoth’s blue eyes shone

brightly as he nodded in agreement.

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 Background

Grupp Longnail clutching at his armour; a gurgling noise erupting from

his mouth. With an ear-splitting scream, the dwarf’s
face began melting. His now liquid skin dripped to the
The sounds of battle echoed down the corridor, which
floor in noisy slops, before he collapsed in a quivering
made Grupp run even faster. Behind her she could hear
heap. Gurgling, the dwarf fell still and Grupp cautiously
the thin screams of goblins being slain by the swords and
approached the corpse. She gave the body a few cautious
axes of those stupid beardies. She cursed the grogging
kicks, just to make sure he was dead. Then viciously
dwarfs and their grogging mines. Stupid grogging dwarfs.
stabbed him a few times, to really make sure. Grupp
They weren’t even supposed to be in the mountains would have to remember that spell – if only she could
anyway, she thought and spat on the floor. It was meant recall what she had actually said.
to be a simple job to scout inside the tunnels and grab
She was snapped out of her reverie by angry shouts
supplies. Not a fight against beardies. Then again, she
coming down the corridor. A sense of dread overwhelmed
had to admit these dwarfs did look different to the ones
her when she realised this time they were coming from
she had faced in the past. They had a strange red glint
both directions. Her beady, red eyes darted around the
in their eyes and their shields bore the images of horrific
gloomy walls to find a way to escape, but it was hopeless.
demons. The boom of a gun thundered in the distance
With the heavy stomp of boots getting closer, she
and she instinctively ducked. Not dead, she sighed with
pressed herself tightly against the rocky wall,
relief.
desperately hoping that, somehow, they would
Her robes flapped behind her as she skidded around just march past her.
another corner, straight into the back of a lone dwarf.
Grupp stumbled backwards, grasping inside her
robes for her knife. The dwarf spun to face her –
a mean look in his glowing red eyes. Yes, these
definitely weren’t like the dwarfs she had
fought in the past.

He barked something in what Grupp

assumed was dwarfish and drew a wicked-
looking blade. An even more wicked grin
spread across his ruddy-coloured face. With
her mind racing, Grupp thought about
running back the way she had come, but
another thunderous boom of black powder
changed her mind and she decided there was
only one course of action.

Quickly casting her mind through the incantations and

spells from the books gathered in her hut, Grupp began
chanting what she hoped was a fireball spell. She ducked
and weaved as the dwarf slashed at her with his sword.
With each arcane utterance a wind swirled around
Grupp, causing her robes to flap uncontrollably. The
potions strapped on her belt began to clink together as
the wind increased in strength. Her eyes lit up with a
green glow, casting an eerie light in the gloomy tunnel.

With a scream Grupp thrust her claws forward and sent

a red bolt shooting towards the dwarf. He stumbled in
shock, a look of horror across his face. Grupp grinned
and patted down her robes but her smile quickly
disappeared. Instead of bursting into a torrent of flames,
the dwarf was staring back at her and growling. He
banged his sword against his shield and charged.

Then with a jolt the dwarf stopped in his tracks. His

red eyes grew wide with fear and he dropped his sword
and shield, which both fell with a noisy clatter. Grupp
watched in fascination as her foe started desperately

20
Grupp’s agile fingers searched across the stones, just in
Background
desk. It collapsed into a heap. Grupp screeched in frustration.
case there was something she could use as a weapon. Stupid grogging dwarfs and their stupid grogging magic.
For a moment her right claw lingered over an unusually
warm rock and her delicate fingers traced what felt Grupp whimpered slightly as the gauntlets began vibrating
like runes. Suddenly, there was a click and the rock violently. Afraid they might explode, she held them as far
smoothly slid back into the wall. Before Grupp could away from her face as possible and turned aside from the
leap out the way, the wall behind her disappeared and increasingly bright light emanating from them. Without
she tumbled backwards into a cavernous entrance. She warning, she was thrown backwards as a powerful bolt of
landed with a heavy thump and watched in dismay as the lightning shot from the gauntlets and turned a pile of books
entrance closed in front of her. With a shriek, she leapt into ash. Another bolt launched forwards and set a tapestry
up and started hammering on the now solid wall, before on fire. More and more energy fired from the gauntlets,
desperately searching for another rune-encrusted stone. causing havoc in the enclosed room. Then, as quickly as it
had begun, the mayhem stopped.
Eventually she gave up and dropped her bloody claws to her
sides with a long sigh. Grogging dwarfs and their grogging The room was now littered with debris from furniture
secret passages, she thought. She glowered at the wall and destroyed by the lightning and Grupp’s eyes stung from
racked her brain for some sort of spell that would blast the the smoking piles of detritus. With a cold sense of horror,
passage back open. As she was starting to mouth a spell, she Grupp realised the room was filling with smoke. Her eyes
noticed a blue glow reflecting off the walls. desperately scanned the room, looking for the hidden
entrance, before she quickly spotted an area of rock that
She slowly turned around, hoping it wasn’t another enemy seemed lighter than the rest.
to face. Instead her eyes grew wide as she saw a room full
of books, empty potion bottles, scribbled charts and other While closing her eyes, Grupp pointed the gauntlets towards
magical paraphernalia. With a whoop, Grupp dashed over and the wall. Nothing happened. She shook the gauntlets and
started filling the hidden pockets of her robes with whatever thrust them at the wall again. Still nothing. She could feel
she could grab. She giggled manically while stuffing ancient the smoke burning her lungs now. If she didn’t get out soon,
scrolls, magical artefacts and trinkets into her seemingly she would be roasted by the flames.
unfillable pockets. Like any good goblin Wiz, Grupp had no Looking at the gauntlets, Grupp wracked her brain for any
clue what she was stealing – but surely something would be elvish or dwarfish words that might bring the artefact to
useful! life once more. She screamed whatever came into her head
After a few mad moments, she stopped and pondered the – causing the odd magical object behind her to explode.
strange blue light that had originally caught her attention. Exhausted – and dizzy from the smoke – she fell silent.
Darting her eyes around the room, she stopped on a pair What a way to die. Stuck in a grogging dwarf mine wearing
of silver gauntlets partially hidden under some papers. grogging dwarf gauntlets. However, just as she was about to
Cautiously Grupp cleared the papers and licked her lips with give up, Grupp remembered something else: the elvish word
eager anticipation. She could feel magical energy emanating for lightning.
from the gauntlets and a tingling sensation crept up her “Fulg’ur,” she whimpered, and the gloves roared into life.
claws as she reached out towards them. Grupp had never seen Two chains of lightning burst forth, straight towards the wall,
anything like them. They were clearly dwarf engineering, but which exploded in a shower of rubble. Grupp stared at the
she also recognised elvish lettering etched into metal glove. gauntlets in amazement, before bursting into a madcap cackle
Her face screwed up in confusion as she tried to decipher the and dancing gleefully on the spot.
text.
In front of her the dust and smoke from the exploding wall
“D-A-N-G-E,“ she mouthed silently, before rolling her began to clear and Grupp was greeted by the unwelcome sight
eyes and quickly thrusting her hands into the gauntlets. A of a group of dwarfs peering at her. Their red eyes blinked in
mad glint entered her eyes as she held the gauntlets aloft. confusion and Grupp saw one was buried under the rubble
Considering their size and the material, they were bizarrely from the wall. They stared at each other for a moment
light. Experimentally she wiggled her fingers and cackled to before they gathered their thoughts and began drawing their
herself. weapons. Grupp nervously glanced between the dwarfs and
Suddenly small traces of lightning started arcing between the the gauntlets.
gauntlets and up her arms. The air around Grupp became “Fulg’ur!” she screeched. Lightning shot towards the nearest
heavy with magical energy and blue lightning crawled out dwarf and he instantly exploded into dust. Grupp grinned.
towards other metallic objects in the room. Perhaps these gauntlets weren’t so stupid, after all.
Panicking, Grupp tried to pull her claws from the gauntlets. “Fulg’ur! Fulg’ur! Fulg’ur!” she howled maniacally, again and
She struggled pointlessly for a few moments before realising again.
she was trapped inside the infernal things. Spinning round,
she tried banging the metallic contraptions against a nearby

21
 Background

Nomargarok In amongst one of these crowds, Nomargarok was performing

a small magic show for a group of young ogres and a few
excitable red goblins. The goblins, in particular, would whoop
Shouts and roars echoed across the plain. Occasionally the in enjoyment as the warlock sent flaming dragons soaring
booming crack of a blunderbuss would pierce the cacophony through the air or caused axes to disappear in a puff of
before fading into the background. Only to be replaced by the smoke. For the past few weeks, it had become increasingly
constant clashing of weapons, alongside the deafening charge easy for Nomargarok to draw on the magical powers required
of rickety chariots. Yet, among the sounds of battle, were for his spells. He had spoken with the other warlocks and all
mixed howls of deep laughter, the smash of tankards being had felt something stirring in the east. Still, this wasn’t the
bashed together and an almost ceaseless wave of different time for dwelling on all that.
conversations.
After his latest feat of conjuring – summoning a tiny fire
This was no fierce warfare, however. This was ‘The Thing’ – elemental, which chased a goblin out into the clearing –
the annual gathering of the ogres. Each year the many ogre Nomargarok noticed a large booming clap drowning out the
tribes would convene at a different location to discuss the excited patter of the young crowd. He looked up and saw his
important military, social, political and economical issues old friend Grokagamok grinning at him.
of the ogres. Senior elders would listen to any problems
among the clans, while young ogres would prove their “Show’s over,” apologised Nomargarok. There were
mercenary mettle in sparring matches or chariot tournaments. raucous boos from the onlookers, mainly from the goblins.
Meanwhile, paymasters would weave through the crowd Nomargarok tiptoed cautiously through the children to join
collecting the gold tributes collected by the clans. his friend.

22
“Excited?” asked Grokagamok and threw his large, muscled
Background
impossible for them to return to their former homeland.
arm around Nomargarok’s shoulder.
Nomargarok nodded to his oldest friend and grabbed each
“Not really,” he muttered in response. “You could have at other by the shoulder for a moment.
least let me finish the show.”
“Don’t get all soppy on me,” said Grokagamok. His voice
“Ha! You were whipping those goblins into a frenzy. Look!” broke slightly as he spoke.
Nomargarok cast a glance over his shoulder to see the goblins
had begun squabbling amongst themselves. Whenever they However, as the warlock was reaching towards the
got too close to one of the young ogres – which were already flapping entrance, the pair were disturbed by an almighty
double the height of the greenskins – they would invariably commotion across the battlefield. The crowds of ogres
get a quick strike across the nose. “Any longer and they would parted and a troop of dirty, mal-nourished looking
have been asking you to set fire to the camp.” goblins riding Mawbeasts burst into the open plain.
Their mounts looked exhausted, with tongues lolling
“I just don’t think I’m ready for this,” said Nomargarok. from their cavernous mouths.
Undeterred, Grokagamok began leading this friend towards a
large marquee at the edge of the field. A group of red goblins ran to greet them – avoiding the
hungry snaps of the ravenous Mawbeasts. The two groups
“Nonsense! You’re the best advisor I’ve ever had. Just the chattered quickly in their native tongue, before a red
other month, you solved all that stuff with that Basilean goblin Biggit jogged over to Grokagamok.
Abbess. She was totally out of the line, but you smoothed it
all over.” “Something’s kicking off in the Halpi Mountains,”
explained the Biggit in common tongue. “Bunch of those
“You killed her Gur Panther!” greedy beardies with the red eyes are causing some major
trouble. Magic and all sorts flying around the place.”
“It was cold. I needed new furs. How was I meant to know it
was her pet? They should have collars on those things.” Nomargarok and Grokagamok looked at one another.
“Abyssal Dwarfs,” they both said.
The pair laughed. Nomargarok reflected that perhaps being
friends with Grokagamok had been the best possible training “Yeah, greedy beardies, like I said,” shrugged the Biggit.
for becoming a member on the Elder Council.
“Got a lot of gold those Abyssal Dwarfs,” said
“You’ll still get to see me at The Thing!” exclaimed Grokagamok.
Grokagamok. “I can tell you all about my adventures.”
“A lot of gold,” replied Normargarok.
“Ha! You’ll be dead within the year without me to help you.”
In exchange for the comment, Nomargarok received a playful “Probably a lot of old dwarf treasure under those
punch in the arm from his friend. mountains too.”

The pair fell into silence as they approached the entrance to “Almost certainly.”
the Elder Council’s marquee. The cloth door flapped in the
“With all that magic flying around, I’ll probably need a
wind slightly and Nomargarok caught snippets of conversation
warlock with me though.”
from inside. A matriarch was complaining loudly about the
amount of gold she was expected to pay for some new armour “Would be dangerous not to.”
for her warband.
“One more mission for old time’s sake?” asked
This was his life now, thought Nomargarok gloomily. Dealing Grokagamok with a wolfish grin.
with the problems of the disparate clans. Something that had
only become worse since the flooding of the Abyss because “Perhaps just one,” replied Nomargarok, smiling.
even though the floodwaters had receded, it was still almost

23
 Background

Kapoka IT HAS BEEN SOME TIME

Kapoka had been among forces loyal to the Green Lady when
Sitting in the middle of the forest, it was almost he was just a sapling. Although he had refused to fight –
impossible to spot Kapoka. The aging Gladewalker instead using his powerful magic to heal troops and confuse
was more plant than animal. His long arms and legs the enemy – he had often been called upon by the Avatar to
resembled the branches of a tree and the occasional, join her in battle.
tiny shift in his sitting position was the only clue he was
even alive. A small wren emerged from a nest under The fox walked slowly around Kapoka, sniffing casually at the
his armpit before flitting off into the forest. A squirrel wren’s nest, before returning to face Kapoka.
nibbled on his finger and was casually swatted away by
the treeman. “You look like you’ve taken root,” said the fox and let out a
little bark of laughter.
The animals were at peace. The forest was at peace.
Kapoka was at peace. Kapoka could never get used to the Green Lady’s mood
swings. At times she would seem playful, like now. But she
After the hunt for Thrundrak the orc warlord, Kapoka also had a darkness that terrified him.
had retired deep into the forest. His mind drifted back to
that time and he felt a deep sense of shame. Thrundrak’s I NEEDED TIME ALONE
desecration of his home had driven him to a violence “Quite some time, it appears.”
he didn’t know he was capable of. The sound of the orc’s
splitting skull still haunted the normally peaceful druid. I MADE A MISTAKE. BUT THE FOREST IS ALWAYS
His teachings taught him to love and nurture life, not READY TO FORGIVE
destroy it.
“I have a request,” said the fox slowly, “but it will not be
As the orc’s lifeless body fell to the floor, it had been like an easy one.”
Kapoka had snapped awake from a terrible dream. For the
first time he saw his surroundings and the look of horror in THOSE DAYS ARE BEHIND ME
the eyes of his companions, watching the orc’s blood dripping
between his branchlike fingers. “You deny a request from the Green Lady?” the fox
replied with a low growl . A foreboding darkness
THIS IS NOT ME swallowed the dim sunlight creeping through the canopy
and air became heavy as though a storm were about to
He had told them and then fled back to the forest, ashamed. break.
He left the party to reap the rewards of Thrundrak’s riches.
I WILL NOT KILL AGAIN
Kapoka wasn’t sure how long it had been since that day. The
sun had risen and fell many times since then. And Kapoka The force of Kapoka’s response pushed the fox backwards.
remained here, safe in the embrace of the forest. Its claws scraped along the forest floor and it stopped for
a moment, before speaking again.
The wren returned to its nest and Kapoka tried to shake the
thoughts away. “If only it were that simple,” it answered. “Soon everyone
will have to make a choice. A power I have not felt for a
A rustling in a nearby bush caught his attention. He didn’t long time is trying to return. When it does, not even your
reach for his staff, or even brace himself for attack. There was forest hideaway will keep you safe, Kapoka.”
nothing to worry him here. The forest would not hurt him.
The fox watched Kapoka and then shook its head. The
A small fox with glistening auburn fur emerged from foliage. darkness receded as though the storm had passed.
It casually looked around the surroundings before focusing on
Kapoka and gently padding over. Kapoka watched it carefully, “I do not care about your past mistakes. I just hope you
just in case it attempted to snatch the wren’s eggs. The fox sat will not live to regret another,” said the fox, softly.
in front of the Gladewalker and the pair stared at each for a
while. With that the fox turned and walked away, leaving
Kapoka alone with his thoughts. Kapoka simply sat there
“You’re a hard one to find,” said the fox and smiled. in silence, staring at where the fox had gone. Then,
slowly, he began to move. Small roots and vines snapped
Kapoka almost fell backwards at the sound of the Green as he stood. Carefully, he reached under his armpit to
Lady’s voice. retrieve the wren’s nest and place it delicately in a holly
bush.
MY LADY
Finally, with a shake of his head, he grabbed his staff
Kapoka didn’t speak, instead the voice just appeared in the and followed the fox.
24
fox’s mind. The animal gave Kapoka’s face a lick.
 Background
Twitch Keenear Twitch snapped his head around in shock. His gaze urgently
flitted this way and that for a second until it spotted the
small rat. Then his eyes grew large with excitement when he
Deep in a Ratkin lair, a small, mud-encrusted rat-thing noticed the gem. Forgetting himself for an instant, Twitch
dashed from one tunnel to the next. In the gloomy bounded over towards the gem on all fours, before leaping
labyrinth it dodged the strikes and hungry swipes of to his rear legs with a sharp, embarrassed cough. When he
other, bigger rats and kept running as fast as it could. It neared the gem, he stopped and stared into its blood-red
was careful not to drop the tiny, blood-red gem clutched surface. Chittering with excitement, Twitch slowly pulled
in its sharp teeth while ducking and weaving. back the hood that covered his face and grinned.
Deeper and deeper it went, ignorant to the machinations The life of a warlock had taken its toll on Twitch. A
of the Ratkin it passed in pursuit of its task. From the hefty scar covered the right side of his face, leaving him
chemical-smelling workshops of the splicers to the bloody with a milky, blind eye underneath the jagged mark. The
fighting pits of the War Chiefs, the insignificant rat kept scar had come from a furious hellhound Twitch had once
going. accidentally summoned while trying to commune with
Eventually it stopped and its fur stood on end. This new the Abyss. He also had numerous teeth missing and his
layer was something different. The tunnels shifted and fur had begun to take on the red hue so common among
warped as the rat watched. Inside it could hear abnormal Ratkin warlocks.
screams and howls. The rat’s skittish nature screamed Twitch slowly reached out and picked up the gem. His
that it should scurry off in the opposite direction, but it claw trembled slightly while he held it up to the murky
had a job to complete. Gritting its teeth against the gem, light of a candle.
it ran forwards and ignored the abhorrent visions that
swirled around it. “You got it,” he chuckled, then added sharply. “Did
anyone see you?”
After what seemed like hours – but must have only been
moments – the rat’s racing heart slowed as it entered a The rat replied with a squeak.
chamber it finally recognised. Inside the room, shelves
had been dug into the muddy wall. Each was full of “You’re sure?!” Twitch quickly palmed the gem and
magical paraphernalia the rat didn’t understand but filled glowered at his companion.
it with a sense of dread. From skulls, to vials of blood
and tattered manuscripts, the entire den was packed with The rat squeaked again.
arcane items. The rat’s nose twitched as it caught the “Excellent!” Twitch fumbled in his robes for a moment
scent of the fatty candles that lined the walls. They barely before producing a mouldy, small piece of cheese. He
broke through the gloom with their dirty, yellow light. threw it towards the rat, who fell on it ravenously. “You
never let me down, Scum.”

Chittering with excitement, Twitch dashed over to the

symbols he had been scrawling onto the floor.

“That fur-brained Scurrier didn’t realise what he had

found,” muttered the warlock. “The Eye of the Abyss!
Found safe and sound after being lost for all these years.”
Twitch gingerly held out his paw and gazed at the small
gemstone. So much power for something so small. He
would have to generously reward birthing-daughter
Kyrzlak for her help. She was the one that had told him
the fur-brain had been wearing the Eye of the Abyss as a
In the centre of the cave, the rat’s master, Twitch, was necklace. A necklace! Twitch chuckled to himself.
hunched over and using his long nails to scratch symbols
into the floor. His long robes were tattered and caked Scum had now finished the cheese and watched with
in filth. Occasionally he would reach inside the robes interest as Twitch knelt in the centre of the symbols.
to produce a vial or bottle and pour it onto the symbols.
The contents would then disappear in an acrid puff “With this, I can communicate with the Abyss whenever
of smoke as they hit the ground. The rat watched in I want! All their secrets! All their guidance! All their
confusion and tilted its head to one side. Once it had power!” Twitch’s high-pitched voice almost reached a
grown bored of watching Twitch muttering to himself, it screech. Delicately he placed the Eye of the Abyss in
finally dropped the gem from its mouth and gave a sharp the centre of the scrawled runes and hunched over the
squeak. etchings.

25
 Background

Silently Scum watched his master begin chanting in As Twitch began to chant, the candles flickered, and
the arcane language of the Abyss, viciously slapping his their gloomy light faltered. Scum’s nose wrinkled in
paws against the floor at the same time. Scum didn’t disgust at the pungent smell of sulphur creeping into the
understand a word – but it is unlikely other more room. His master continued chanting.
intelligent beings would be versed in the forbidden
tongue of the pit either. At the centre of the room, a red light crawled from
the Eye of the Abyss and slowly snaked into the
many symbols. Soon the light from the candles had
disappeared entirely and only the runes cast a wicked
light around the room.

Scum squeaked in fear and hid behind a pile of books.

He peered around the side and continued to watch
his master’s bizarre ritual. With a hacking cough,
Twitch doubled over and he violently vomited
black bile across the gem before tracing
new patterns with the tip of his claw in
the reeking spew. Next he produced a
hidden blade from his robes and sliced
quickly across his scarred forearm.
Crimson blood oozed from the wound
and dripped into the disgusting
concoction.

Without warning, a shockwave burst

from the gem and threw Twitch
across the chamber. It slammed
him viciously against a wall causing
a pile of scrolls to topple onto
his head. Gathering his thoughts,
Twitch watched in amazement as
the centre of the summoning circle
tumbled away into a yawning chasm.
He twittered excitedly as he saw the
fires of the Abyss licking up through the
gaping hole. More earth crumbled into
the fiery opening as it started to expand.
Twitch’s excitement quickly turned to fear
though, as he realised the gaping rent
was stretching towards him. He scrabbled
against the wall in desperation. But then,
with his paws perched precariously on the
edge of oblivion, the room fell still.

Twitch nervously licked his remaining

teeth and peered cautiously into the fires of
Abyss. He was greeted by a fleeting vision
of endless skies of fire and blood, before
his mind reeled at the unfathomable
mysteries of the Sixth Circle and he
risked losing consciousness.

26
A mighty roar snapped him out of his confusion before
Background
can open a new, bigger portal for you to enter this world
he tumbled into the portal. permanently.”

“Who summons me?” thundered a voice that sent a trickle “You have one of the Eyes,” came the unexpected answer,
of blood dripping from Twitch’s ear. A pair of twisting horns before a slight pause. “But still, even one of the Eyes
rose from the hole, followed by a sneering demon’s face. The could prove useful.”
head was impossibly large, yet somehow squeezed inside
the cavern. It would regularly flit in and out of reality and Twitch waited expectantly as the room fell silent.
occasionally changed appearance, as Twitch’s weak mind
“You shall have your wish, little rat. Travel beneath
struggled to comprehend the might of an Archfiend.
the Halpi Mountains and search for a pair of dwarfish
“I… my… I… my name is… Twitch, my lord,” he stumbled. gauntlets. These will allow you to unlock the true power
Twitch tried to bow his head in respect but was afraid of of the Eye. Once you have done that, I shall grant your
falling into the chasm. wish. Tell your Brood Mother she will have the most
powerful nest in Pannithor.”
“A mere rodent,” said the voice with a sneer. “Do not waste
my time.” The insult immediately brought Twitch back to With a rumble, the image of Anag’rha’su disappeared and
reality. the chasm quickly closed. Apart from a few books strewn
across the floor, it was as if nothing had happened.
“A mere rodent? I am a mighty Ratkin warlock!” he
screeched, before quickly adding, “My lord.” “But what about now?” whined Twitch. “I need help
now.” He fell on the floor and began clawing at the earth
A booming, mirthless laugh reverberated around the where the portal had been.
chamber.
“You ask too much, little rat,” echoed Anag’rha’su’s voice.
“Mighty, indeed, to gain an audience with Anag’rha’su,” “Just make sure you don’t fail.”
he said, with a chuckle that shook the walls and sent
objects plunging into the rift. Twitch shrunk back against Twitch lurched backwards when a torrent of flame
the wall and dug his claws deeper into the dirt. Out the erupted from the ground in front of him. Once the
corner of his eye he caught sight of Scum dashing for flames had dispersed, he could see a smouldering bone-
the exit. Before the rat disappeared into the gloom, he shaped staff. Cautiously he crept towards it and reached
saw the Eye of the Abyss glinting in the rat’s mouth. So out a claw. He could sense the twisted power of the Abyss
much for never letting him down. coursing from the staff and making his fur stand on end.

“And what does a mighty Ratkin warlock want with a Without thinking, Twitch quickly grasped the staff in
Lord of the Sixth Circle?” Anag’rha’su spat the word both paws. His remaining eye rolled up into his head
mighty. and he almost collapsed when he felt the forbidden
energy of the Abyss surging through him. He pointed
“I want the power to crush the foes of the nest! To strike the staff at a shelf of scrolls and screeched with laughter
them down where they stand and watch as they feel the when a blinding flash of energy turned them to dust.
true might of the Ratkin… I mean, the true force of the
Abyss, my lord.” “Little rat?” muttered Twitch. “Little rat? I’ll show him.
I’ll show them all!”
“And why should I help you, a mere rodent?” This time
Twitch bit his tongue before replying. But first there was the small matter of finding Scum.

“I have the Eye of the Abyss, my lord,” said Twitch “Scum!” shrieked Twitch into the tunnel. “I have more
proudly and hoped the Archfiend couldn’t detect the cheese for you!”
deception in his voice. “I just need more artefacts and I

27
 Background

NIMUE WAYDANCER When the Nexus erupted from the distant

Halpi Mountains, Nimue was within the
Elven Ways. She felt her very being pulled
All elves have within them the capacity to excel
in all directions at once, then smash together
at any discipline, devoting their long lives to
once more, complete, but altered. She
the mastery of any art or skill they so desire.
materialised within the Glade, her
And yet some always find themselves distracted,
yearning some fulfilment that can never be
found. It is said these Elves are cursed never
to live a full life, never to become more than
wanderers, bards, or adventurers, unless they can
find whatever destiny eludes them. So it appeared
would be the case with Nimue of Ileuthar.

Too impulsive by far, too clever for her own good, Nimue
proved a constant source of frustration for her tutors.
She showed great aptitude for magic, but could not physical form shimmering with power
concentrate on her studies. She trained with bow as it flickered between the planes, her
and sword, but was too rash to finesse the art, consciousness spreading outwards
giving in to anger all too readily. She showed across dimensions like the very
great promise as artist, musician, tree-singer, roots of the Glade of Ways. As the
horsewoman, and scribe – but each time power of the Nexus fluctuated,
it was the same story. It appeared, it was so too did Nimue’s. She saw the
often said, that Nimue was waiting for Ways stretched out before her like
something. many forking paths, and knew
instinctively where they
Most often, Nimue would would lead. Indeed, the
surrender to her wanderlust and Mage-Queen named her
roam alone in the Glade of Waydancer, and at once
Ways, caring not where she prepared Nimue for a
went, or for the dangers in mission of the greatest
travelling there without import. Her destiny, it
purpose. And it was on seemed, had presented
such a foray that Nimue itself at last.
was forever changed.
The Nexus called, and Nimue would answer.

ZAZ’U’SZU THE BETRAYER When the Nexus opened, its wild energy coursed
through the Abyss. The Warlocks felt it like a clarion
call, instinctively understanding how to manipulate the
There are those within the Abyss who dream of one day
thinning of the veil between dimensions. The cabal urged
earning ascension to the next Circle, but are cursed never
Zaz’u’szu to open up a portal and escape with them, but
to realise that goal. A very small few succeed in this goal,
Zaz’u’szu betrayed them all.
by forming dark pacts, betraying those around them, or,
perhaps, distinguishing themselves with such an act that Using the power of the Nexus, he communed directly
the Archfiends themselves pay heed. Such was the way with the demons of the Sixth Circle. Taken aback by the
with the Warlock, Zaz’u’szu. audacity and sheer power commanded by the Warlock,
they humoured him – but Zaz’u’szu would no longer be
Zaz’u’szu had long tired of serving the Efreet. Many
taken lightly. Sacrificing his entire cabal, he drew their
times had he attempted some scheme to escape the
power and opened up a vast tear in reality – a portal to
Fourth Circle, but each time he had been thwarted,
anywhere. A mighty gift for the Archfiends.
cast down once more by his mocking masters, forced to
console himself with blasting apart a few mortals in fiery It was Ba’el himself who spoke to Zaz’u’szu. The Warlock
conflagrations. Over the eons, Zaz’u’szu found others of had proved himself cunning and powerful. He may yet be
his kind, and formed a secret society of Warlocks – a cabal granted ascension to the Fifth Circle… But first, Ba’el
whose ambition far outmatched their power, and who thus had a task for him.
were forced to plot impotently in the shadows.

28
 Background
TOLLIVAR, THE SEER Could the very force that threatened to tear the world
apart also be used to repair it? Could it close the Abyss
once and for all? And if it could do that, could it not also
From the City of the Golden Horn, the appearance of the
unite the sundered Celestians, restoring them to their old
Nexus was like unto a nightmare. The maddening light
glory?
of the sky was, it was said, a portent of doom, heralding
the strengthening of the Abyss once more, and signalling For many, what Tollivar suggested was heresy. But his
yet another victory for the Wicked Ones. impassioned pleas did not fall entirely on deaf ears, for
the Elohi themselves came to his defence. While the
But not everyone shared this view. The War Wizard,
ruling council debated, seemingly endlessly, what was
Tollivar, had a very different view of the Nexus, for when
to be done, the angel host carried Tollivar away. They
it had torn its way into the world, Tollivar had received a
bade him summon a force of the faithful, and lead them,
vision from the Shining Ones themselves. In this vision,
as a prophet, to the Halpi Mountains. The Elohi would
he had seen the awesome power of the Nexus, and of the
accompany them; they would see Tollivar to the Nexus by
dark forces encircling it for their own ends. But in that
any means necessary.
moment he had understood something few other mortals
had dared consider: the Nexus was a force left over from For Tollivar’s vision, should it come to pass, brought the
the ancient gods – a divine energy. It had the power to Elohi something they had never thought they could have.
destroy, but also to heal. It had brought them hope.

SERAKINA, THE ICE QUEEN for the ice wolves had the Shining Ones not intervened.
Now, she appears in times of desperate need, to aid the
people of the north as the Shining Ones once aided her.
Nordgared is a land of legend and superstition, and with
good reason. Beyond the walls of Chill, tiny settlements Following the siege of Chill, as the Abyssal Dwarfs
cling to survival in an endless winter, facing constant withdrew their forces, they learned the hard way what
threats from raiders and monsters. The people of these it means to fight in the Winterlands. They had endured
villages and holds know all too well that one misstep, a trail of many sorrows, harried by northmen, beset by
one failure of their strength, could doom them forever. blizzards. And at the last, as they thought the worst was
But they know also that the gods surely smile upon over, Serakina came. At the head of an army of beasts,
them, for who else but the chosen few could survive in she strode through the storms, skin white as snow, hair
this land? shimmering like ice. She brought with her the power
of the elemental plane, and the spiteful wrath of the
Of the many legends of the north, few are as persistent
Winterlands. But this time, when her work was done,
as that of the Ice Queen, Serakina. Invoked as a name
she did not return to the embrace of the elements. This
both to frighten small children and to give heart to those
time, she looked to the flickering light on the southern
whose courage may be failing, it is said Serakina is the
horizon – and for the first time in her cold existence, the
blizzard personified. Once a little girl, she became lost
Ice Queen felt the need to leave the frozen embrace of
in the Winterlands during a snowstorm, and would have
the north.
been a feast

29
 Background

SEBEKH-REI THE ACCURSED

No one knows why, in life, the High Priest Sebekh-Rei
was cast out of Nehkesharr, or what he did that caused
Shobik to place on him a terrible curse. But that curse
has stayed with Sebekh-Rei even in undeath, and it has
caused him to taste more than his fair share of bitter
defeat over the long centuries.

Exiled by powerful magic, Sebekh-Rei can never return

home. The closer he comes to Nehkesharr, the weaker
he grows, until the magic animating his form begins
to fade, and only his own mighty will holds his bones
and papery flesh together. It is said that when he died,
his vital organs were scattered across the known world
in thrice warded caskets, all save his heart, which still
lies in the Dead City. And so Sebekh-Rei has spent
the afterlife campaigning far from the city, where his
mastery of the arts of necromancy at least allow him
some little chance to prove his worthiness in the eyes of
the pharaohs. Time and again, he has sought to raise the
bone-hulks and take an army across the Infant Sea, but
each time his plans have been thwarted by the fleets of
the Salamanders and the Twilight Kin. Sebekh-Rei had
almost given up hope of anything but mediocrity.

And yet, when the Nexus erupted from beneath the

Halpi Mountains, Sebek-Rei saw the balance of power
shift before his very eyes. The slave-fleets departed
the Mouth of Leith. The Salamanders scattered, too
concerned, it seemed, with matters elsewhere. It seemed
almost too good to be true, but Sebekh-Rei was not
one to pass up an opportunity – not when glory for the
Mighty Dead awaited. And thus he began the great rites,
and the bone-hulks rose from the ocean beds, unfurling
once more their tattered sails. His warriors clattered
spears against shields in salute.

The lands across the sea would soon pay fealty to the
Ahmunites. The empire would be great once more.

KYROQSH, HUNTER IN THE DEEP instant. Many lifetimes of study were destroyed by the
ravaging demons that belched forth from the Abyss like a
noxious cloud of destruction.
When the rift in the Great Deep opened, and the
elemental planes of water and fire collided, it led to the Kyroqsh found himself the last of his order, cut off from
greatest incursion of Abyssals into the Trident Realms the psionic fraternity he had known all his life, the
ever seen. In that one catastrophic moment, the undersea voices in his immense psyche snuffed out by the most
kingdom of Myrrhimm was thrown into war. hateful of foes.
The mysteries of the Great Deep are barely understood, Unique amongst his kind, Kyroqsh is now a lone hunter,
except by its priests, the Thuul. The presence of the dispossessed by his own kind, but driven by a lust for
Abyssals in the sacred fathoms was felt keenly by the vengeance rarely seen in the Thuul. His powers seem
Thuul, and none more so than the Mythican Aquamage, to grow with every Abyssal he banishes, his mastery of
Kyroqsh. Belonging to a sect of Mythican devoted to the magic and the beasts of the sea increasing as the Great
study of the elemental paths within the sunless trench, Deep commands him to avenge its desecration. And
Kyroqsh’s entire brotherhood was wiped out in that one avenge it he shall…

30
 Background
ESENYSHRA, THE WAILING SHADOW ULPGAR THE MAD
Long ago, before the shattering of the Fenulian Mirror, Garkan had always spoken to Ulpgar, or so he’d claimed.
Esenyshra was a Mage-Queen, outwardly beautiful and The other orcs of the Bloody Knife tribe gave him a wide
fair, but inwardly cold and unfeeling. As part of the berth, as they so often did with those who showed any
secretive Conclave of Heaven, Esenyshra was hungry for kind of magical affinity. But truth be known, Ulpgar
knowledge and power, ultimately becoming a follower of hadn’t had much success over the years. His prophecies
Oskan, and sealing her own fate. had come to nothing, his battle spells more often than
not fizzled into nothingness or backfired on his own
When Elinathora smashed the Fenulian Mirror, and warriors. Worse, he was scrawny and pallid, even for a
Oskan was torn in twain, the Conclave was blasted across Godspeaker. Over time, the wariness of the other orcs
time and space by a raging torrent of cosmic energy, had slowly given way to open contempt. They had taken
condemning the souls of the elves to an eternity of to calling him Ulpgar Goblin-Speaker. His life had
torment, splintered in fragments across myriad realities. become lowly and pitiable.
But not quite all.
But all that changed with the opening of the Nexus.
Esenyshra had attempted to escape through the paths
between worlds, and almost succeeded. She did not feel As the other orcs gaped in wonder at the strange light
the full brunt on the distant horizon, Ulpgar saw a vision of gigantic
of Oskan’s green-skinned warriors waging war in the heavens.
fall, instead For an instant, it was not a vision at all – Ulpgar felt
finding herself like he had stepped across the veil, and was watching
lost between the great warlords of the past battle for the honour of
the planes, serving beside Garkan. Then, as one, they had turned
transformed to him, and spoke, and the words
into a creature of overwhelmed him.
the void: a Banshee.
Esenyshra has Ulpgar flipped back to reality
wandered the planes at once, screaming in agony.
for centuries, empty, A blast of green energy
hungrily searching for spewed from his mouth,
the lost parts of her soul, hacking down a swathe of
that she might return the Rhovan Forest, blasting
once more to the mortal through the nearby foothills,
plane and take her place as and at last tearing into Mount
a Queen of the Elves. Now, Rhudaer of the Knifepeaks,
a great anomaly, a Nexus, has shearing the peak from the
torn the veil, and Esenyshra has mountain before Ulpgar finally
found a way back to the Mouth of succumbed and fainted. He did
Leith. But it is no longer a place not truly know what happened
of beauty and wisdom. The sight next. When he awoke, all
of her people transformed into the orcs of the tribe bowed
a dark mirror of themselves before him in fear and
has driven Esenyshra into awe. When Ulpgar next
unfathomable rage. spoke, it was in a voice
With hardly any sense unlike his own. He told
of self remaining, the orcs that the great war
she clings instead was about to begin in the
to the only Halpi Mountains, and that
emotion she this was the opportunity
can understand: to join the great warlords
hate. of the past. The orcs must
rally to the mountains and
fight in Garkan’s name. Ulpgar
and his tribe would become
the chosen few, ready to battle
alongside Garkan himself
when the time came!

31
 Background

ZIUNOK ICEBLOOD rescue him. During a great battle, it is thought Ziunok

somehow escaped into the cracked lands, whereupon he
first encountered the undead, and began a lifetime of
Reviled by those he once called kin, the Arkosaur
study of the dark arts.
Ziunok has for centuries stood apart from others of
his kind. Some would question why such a long-loved He learned from the Ophidian Magi, but soon tired of
creature would study the black arts of necromancy, but their dread warnings and adherence to law. He travelled
they would only be ignorant of the many twists of fate the world, from the tombs of Khyrathor to the chill
that caused Ziunok to set a scaly foot upon such a dark barrows of Varghold. Disappointed by the living at every
path. Indeed, so far travelled is he that Ziunok has seen turn, Ziunok sought a new family – a new army – that
more of the world than any reptilian alive… or dead. would never abandon him. An army that would be
eternally loyal.
No one knows for sure what drove Ziunok to forsake
the teachings of Kthorlaq. Some say he was a sailor Recently, Ziunok was seen at the head of a skeletal army
once, until he was captured by the Twilight Kin. In in the Sorrows. For years he had sought to break the
the slave-pits of the Mouth of Leith, he was driven half magical wards upon the cave-tombs of interred ancient
mad, watching his shipmates die one by one while he sorcerers, and it appears he has at last succeeded. That
endured, bitter that the Salamanders never came to this great achievement coincided with the unleashing of
the Nexus is of concern to all, for it would appear that
Ziunok’s power has grown immeasurably, and it cannot
be mere coincidence.

32
 Background
RATKIN

33
 Background

Lord Dalken, Hellequins… nothing was sacred. Even as we slaughtered the beasts
in their thousands, under our noses a twisted religion had grown from
My humblest apologies I have been unable to offer this report sooner. the bloody dirt of their cages.
The task you set was challenging, to say the least. My lost eye and
scarred body are testimony to that. I expect I shall be compensated Some of my informants claimed it was a Wicked One that appeared to
accordingly. At your discretion, of course, my lord. a meagre slave known as Zruleek and told him to devise the Ratkin
uprising. Lies, of course, my lord. Yet, we cannot deny the uprising did
However, as requested I have spent countless weeks and hours take place – our damaged slave pits are testimony to that.
gathering the information you required. I hasten to add that, as
suspected, the Ratkin pose no threat to the might of our kind. Their Once free from the Slave Pits, the Ratkin clung to their new faith
insignificant uprising will be crushed under our heels like a meagre with a fierce obsession. Yet, as they spread further from the Abyss,
bug. The details I present to you will simply speed up our ability to the whispers grew more distant and more intermittent. Without the
stamp them out. guiding voice, the first Ratkin nests were fraught with savage anarchy
as would-be leaders strived for supremacy. Without intervention it is
A word of caution though, my lord. The details of Ratkin society likely Ratkin society would have ripped itself apart – something we
were extracted from my sources under some measure of… duress. would expect from such lowly, stupid beasts.
Many screeched out information that couldn’t possibly be true or
contradicted our own historical tomes. I have left the particulars Again, it is claimed the usurper Zruleek led the way in these early
for you to decipher using your immeasurable intellect. Apologies, days. Stating he had received a vision from the Abyss, he said the
I am rambling. My mind strays after the rigours of my work. nest must be built in a mirror of the Abyss itself. The Ratkin should
dig seven levels, in honour of the seven circles of the Abyss. It sickens
The Ratkin spent so much of their early existence in close me to write this, my lord, as it is an affront to our understanding of
proximity to the Abyss, that it is inevitable they would be the Abyss. However, it is claimed that with tooth and claw, the first
shaped by its glorious presence, but what I have been told is Ratkin slaves dug through the dirt to build the layers of their new
heretical to our own teachings. Deep in the home – each a shrine to the Abyss itself. And so I will guide you
slave pits some claim they heard the through these key parts of the nest to help you better understand
whispers of the Wicked how we can wipe them out or recapture them.
Ones and chittered
those cursed In the deepest, darkest depths of the Ratkin lair you will find the
utterances to bloated, near-blind monstrosity known as the Brood Mother.
their filth-
encrusted She lives only to further the cause of her horde and to spread the
kin. They nest far and wide. Only females are allowed in her musty cave and
learned of she is tended by a plethora of birthing-
the Eternal
daughters – carers for the mewling, sightless Ratkin pups. From her
Dark, the
birthing-daughters, the Brood Mother will carefully select those
Seven
that are allowed to breed with males throughout the lair. She will
Circles, the
typically pick the most loyal and weak-willed, constantly fearful
wild lands
that one of her daughters will attempt a rebellion and try to become
of the
a Brood Mother herself. Those not given permission to produce their
own offspring, act as wet nurses to the hundreds of hungry mouths -
a never-ending and entirely thankless task.

The inequality between the roles means that enmity is rife among
the birthing-daughters – as they fight to become the Brood Mother’s
favourite - and gossip constantly swirls around their ranks. Most
is petty jostling for recognition but occasionally a would-be Brood
Mother will challenge the lair by gathering other birthing-daughters
around her. The fighting is vicious as the rival camps brawl amongst
each other and after a bloody scrap, the victor and her followers

34
 Background
will eat the losing leader and her supporters. As an extra precaution arcane arts wielded by powerful Iron Casters such as yourself, Lord
any pups recently birthed by the rebels are devoured too – lest the Dalken.
desire for rebellion is passed on. The remaining birthing-daughters
and Brood Mother gorge themselves on the sweet meat of young flesh A Ratkin nest will typically only have a handful of warlocks among
in a frantic display of cannibalism. One of the birthing-daughters I its ranks, yet they are respected and feared almost as much as
questioned confessed that when her sisters were hungry, they would the Brood Mother and her birthing-daughters. They are respected
spread rumours of a rival Brood Mother just to trigger a challenge so because many claim to still hear the whispers of the Wicked Ones
they could feed on the pups. and recite these words as though they were religious texts. Obviously,
I sincerely doubt the Ratkin continue to be visited by the Wicked
What of the Brood Mother’s partners, you might ask? Unfortunately, Ones… if they ever were at all.
I had contradictory statements regarding this, as most of the foul
creatures did not know. So, make of this information what you Meanwhile, they are feared for their voracious appetite to master
will, my lord. Only the most powerful and successful warlocks or the ways of sorcery, often through blood and sacrifice. Once
warchiefs are commanded to mate with the Brood Mother. It is a touched by magic, a sort of fever descends on the Ratkin in question,
great honour for a male to be allowed into the Breeding Hall and
many are invited following a great victory in battle. High on the joys
of their success, the lucky male is treated to a sensual feast
of food and pleasure, before being carried to the Mother by
the birthing-daughters. The act itself though is brief and the
male is… eaten following the deed. For the Brood Mother, it is
a subtle way to stop any male getting a taste for leadership,
which could lead to a coup against her. For the war chief or
warlock it is an opportunity for their legacy to live on through
a new generation of Ratkin, although they are seemingly
unaware of the fate that awaits them once they have mated
with the Brood Mother.

From the safety of her lair, hidden deep on the seventh

level of the nest, the Brood Mother leads with a
ruthless cunning. She dispatches her birthing-
daughters to scurry throughout the clan and
deliver her commands. However, it appears it is not
uncommon for these messages to be interpreted in
a way that will greatly benefit the receiver. The
war chief that first receives the message often claims
the Brood Mother has given his battalion the easier
flank in battle or extra troops, for example. There are
shrieks of treason if any dare question the legitimacy of
the Brood Mother’s instructions. The birthing-daughters
are keenly aware of their own powerful influence in this
process and will readily accept bribes from recipients
keen to ensure they are first in line for the Brood
Mother’s instructions.

From the Brood Mother’s lair, you travel upwards

to the rune-encrusted halls of the warlocks. I must
admit it came as a surprise to hear the Ratkin were
able to harness magic. After all, they are mere
beasts. Yet I have seen evidence that some can handle
crude spells – particularly compared to the might of the

35
Ratkin Lair

36
 Ratkin Lair

37
 Background

pushing them to master more and more powerful magic. As they In the warren of the Ratkin, the floor inhabited by the warlocks is
continue to draw on the almighty influence of the Abyss, they’re avoided by most. Swirling with the arcane energies of the Abyss, it
mutated by its impact – becoming a bizarre mix of Ratkin and rests on a knife edge of existence. Sulphuric fumes exude from its
Abyssal. It is not uncommon to see Warlocks sporting the hooves of tunnels, while the screams of unimaginable terrors echo upwards
a Lower Abyssal, the wings of a Seductress, the tail of a Succubi or through the corridors. Ratkin, by their nature, are cowardly animals
even a second demonic head, for example. Their fur often takes on so the sounds and smells fill them with horror and many run with their
a red hue over time as they continue to touch the influence of the tailsbetween their legs. The location of the panic-inducing warlocks’
Abyss. chambers, above the lair of the Brood Mother, acts as a deterrent
for any would-be assassins sent to kill the Brood Mother, as most
I’m told that as they travel further from the Abyss and its influence are unlikely to make it past the infernal horrors leaking between
becomes more tenuous, warlocks capture Abyssal Imps to use as dimensions.
familiars and lackies. During battle, when they’re
required to draw on the magic of One of the few other Ratkin to live alongside the warlocks are
the Abyss, warlocks will sacrifice or the swarm-criers. These repulsive and weak-minded vermin are
even eat the imps to conjure more those warlocks sent mad by the tumultuous sorcery of the
powerful spells. This only helps to speed Abyss. Unable to cope with the bizarre visions that plague
up their mutations and make them more their fragile minds, most tear out their own
pronounced. eyes or go blind from the horrors they
witness, while their fur turns a ghostly
white. Unburdened from the curse of
sight, they act as assistants for the
warlocks and during battle bellow the
teachings of the Wicked Ones to the
gathered swarms or lead a chorus of
the dirge-like Screech-songs.

From the realm of the warlocks, you travel

up to the home of the war chiefs and
their strongest warriors and shock troops.
A Ratkin nest will have many war chiefs
all vying for the attention of the Brood
Mother. Like children fighting to gain the
recognition of an uninterested parent, the
war chiefs push themselves to greater feats
of cruelty and violence to rise through the
ranks of the pack. Although I suspect some
may not push so hard if they knew what
fate awaited them in the Brood Mother’s
lair.

This is a part of the nest that is fraught with

in-fighting as the war chiefs battle for dominance
over their own kind, each attempting to prove they
are the most powerful. It is something the Brood
Mother encourages, as she is keen to find the strongest
leaders for her brood when it marches to war. It is also
the responsibility of the war chiefs to carry out the
commands of the Brood Mother – as passed on by the
birthing-daughters.

38
 Background
When summoned to battle by the Brood Mother, they travel up implement this method), to the mindless Night Terrors, the Ratkin
through the nest, whipping the cowering Ratkin into order as they have had limited success in fleshcrafting, when compared to our own
go. The army grows in strength at each stage, so that by the time achievements.
it erupts out onto the surface, the force is a surge of filthy fur and
crude weaponry. This explains why our scouts have failed to see the What is more troubling, perhaps, is the rat’s ability for developing
early warning signs of a Ratkin army massing for battle, my lord. All crude but deadly machinery. I have been witness to their chaotic
the preparation is performed in the safety of their nest, before spilling machines thundering across the battlefield with devastating results.
upwards. Apparatus like the ‘Death Engine’ or ‘Shredder’ may appear to
be ramshackle in their appearance, but there is no denying their
So far we have travelled from the Brood Mother’s dank lair, to the effectiveness. My only concern is, my lord, that if the Ratkin gather
chaotic realm of the warlocks and then the battle pits of the war stronger, more reliable materials, then their engineers could craft ever
chiefs. Following that, we come to the laboratories of the blightcraft more lethal – and more reliable – war engines. Almost as dangerous
scientists. My sources tell me there is a fierce rivalry between the as our own designs. I stress the almost!
scientists and the warlocks lower in the nest. The scientists believe
it should be them, armed with their lethal, if
unreliable, contraptions that should have the honour
of being close to the all-powerful Brood Mother.
Thetruth is, it is likely the Brood Mother keeps them
at a safe distance as their sorcerous devices and
mutated creatures are unpredictable and potentially
dangerous to her defenceless pups.

I am not surprised to hear the Ratkin are obsessed

with cunning machinery and experimentation though.
After all, who could not fail to be inspired by the
powerful engineering of our own Iron Casters? Your
supreme excellence included, of course. Within
the ranks of the scientists there are two distinct
camps – engineers that favour to build machines
powered by arcane alchemy and splicers that prefer
to work on live subjects. Unsurprisingly there is
bitter competition between these two camps, with
both trying to prove their methods are the most
successful. From the reports I have received, it
often seems like the Brood Mother is responsible
for nursing thousands of squabbling children, rather
than commanding a legion of well-trained warriors.
Each wants to outdo the other to prove their
dedication to the nest.

However, I digress, my lord! In the labs of the

splicers you are likely to find all-manner of twisted
and desperate beasts. The Ratkin may have been
inspired by our own techniques but they clearly
lack the expertise. Yet, under the command of
the Brood Mother and her birthing-daughters, the
splicers toil away to create bigger and more lethal
living death machines. From the towering Nightmares
and Brutes, which I believe to be pumped full of
orc and troll blood (see my notes on how we may

39
 Background

Onwards and upwards though, through the rest of the nest. In the It is not uncommon for the so-called hackpaws to ride a mawbeast
third level, I feel the Ratkin were struggling to mirror the elegant until it collapses from exhaustion. At which point it is quickly eaten
anarchy of the Abyss. After all, it is well written that beautiful but by the gathered Ratkin or other mawbeasts lucky enough to get
deadly Succubi exact their exquisite torture on those foolish enough close. The enthusiastic rider simply selects another and begins the
to be dragged into the maddening pathways of the Third Circle. I process all over again. The hackpaws constantly engage in petty
think most agree that although many Ratkin possess an appetite for competitions to prove who is the best rider or jouster. Many are killed
torture, they are certainly not beautiful. Far from it! during the challenges but there are always fresh participants eager
to gain dominance over their stinking kin.
Instead the third floor of a Ratkin’s layer is home to their scurriers.
These are the scouts of the nest – sent out to scavenge for food and Finally, we reach the most disgusting part of the nest: the slave pits.
resources under the cover of darkness. It is possible, I suppose, that This is where you will find the vast majority of the inhabitants of a
they’re housed towards the top of the lair to make it easier to drag Ratkin nest. A reeking, hideous labyrinth of squalor, the slave pits are
back the supplies and distribute them through the colony. Due to home to Ratkin wretches and any other slaves unfortunate enough to
their role as scouts, the scurriers are among the most cunning of the be captured by the beasts. Forced to live on scraps of food – or each
Ratkin. They are constantly scheming amongst themselves and against other – the slaves are kept in line by ruthless Brute Enforcers, who
the other parts of the nest to rise through the ranks and better grow fat on a diet of slaves they have killed.
themselves – only the birthing-daughters rival their calculating
nature. Cages line the walls of the pits and inside you will find all-manner
of wretched creatures. From Ratkin too weak to fight their way
Through wily negotiations, stealing, murder and torture some scurriers through the ranks of the nest to goblins, humans, orcs and even, most
will rise through the flea-bitten masses to become Master Scurriers. pleasingly my lord, dwarfs. I had no reports that our own brethren
These are the de-facto leaders of the scurriers and they live in are among the ranks of their foul slaves – clearly, we are too
luxury compared to the rest of their hideous brethren. Once supplies powerful to be dragged to their stinking hovels. When roused to war,
have been sent down to the Brood Mother, the Master Scurrier will the slaves are let loose from their cages and herded into battle by
have first pick of the rest – although the hierarchy of the nest the Brute Enforcers. Many are trampled to death in the initial rush
dictates those further down should receive theirs first. As you can for freedom but the Brood Mother does not care, there are always
imagine, competition is fierce between the scurriers for this privileged more to replace them.
position and most Master Scurriers lead a short, if luxurious, life.
And so, my lord, we reach the end of my report. I believe this to be
As I mentioned, only the birthing-daughters rival the scurriers in their the most thorough study we have done of the Ratkin and, as you can
craftiness and it is not uncommon for a birthing-daughter to promote no doubt see, the threat is minimal. Compared to the might of Zarak
herself to the role of Master Scurrier, once tired of unquestioningly they are mere fleas on the fur of a rodent. I see no danger in us
serving the Brood Mother. Claiming she is backed by the Mother, she continuing our breeding plans, as the Ratkin are an endless resource
will violently overthrow whoever is in charge and take command of of dispensable battle fodder and sacrifices. I am also pleased to
the scurriers. Birthing-daughters promoted in this way have slightly report the Iron Casters are having some success in breeding mastiffs
more success than those who must fight their way through the ragged capable of sniffing out a Brood Mother, so it is only a matter of
ranks, as would-be challengers fear disobeying the will of the Brood time before we crush those rebellious nests and stamp out the rogue
Mother. It is only when a jealous birthing-daughter whispers to a rival Ratkin once and for all.
scurrier of the deception that they quickly meet their demise.
Your humble follower,
Next, in a bizarre tribute to the blasted wastelands of the Hellequins,
the Ratkin let their own flea-bitten cavalry roam wild on the second Kyshar Peakslord
level of the lair. From the accounts I received it sounds like a most
turbulent part of the nest. The mawbeasts stolen from the goblins
regularly break free of their pens and cause havoc – eating the
gathered Ratkin before being captured or killed. Those that are
broken-in by their captors are ridden with a kind of wild glee by
their owners. After all, there aren’t many beasts that are lower than
a measly Ratkin, so mastery over another living being must send them
dizzy with power.

40
Order of the Green Lady

41
 Background

SCREECH-SONG or warnings to their kin. But over countless litters of new and
more evolved Ratkin, the squeaks formed words and those
words became sentences and those sentences became the
In the slave pits of Tragar, the Ratkin lived in misery kindling for rebellion.
and torment. Tortured by the Abyssal Dwarfs and
regularly forced to eat each other due to starvation, the Many of Chitter’s words are a mix between the sharp high-
Ratkin prayed for quick deaths when finally thrown pitched squeaks of rats and the guttural language of their
from the Gift Piers or sent into battle. As a result of Abyssal Dwarf masters. A kind of pidgin dwarfish that to
their miserable existence, the Ratkin would often howl the untrained ears of the Abyssal Dwarfs sounded like the
in lament – a piercing, high-pitched cry that would soar mindless chatter of rats.
above the pits. More Ratkin would join the cry, resulting
in a screeching dirge that would rise and fall like a tide It was only when the Iron Casters began studying the
of sound. physiology of the Ratkin that they noticed patterns in the
constant squeaking of their captives. Their eyes grew wide
As the Ratkin developed language, words were added to the with the horror that their slaves could communicate and that
preening cry and each would become a song telling the plight could potentially lead to insubordination.
of the rats and the horrors they witnessed in the pits. Many
songs died along with their creators, but some have stood the The Abyssal Dwarfs quickly worked to stamp out the Ratkin’s
test of time: voice. Slave Drivers would make an example of any Ratkin
they heard chittering to each other, and the Gift Piers
My tail is bent, my ears are torn overflowed with those caught breaking the rules.
My claws are blunt, my teeth are gone But in the gloom of the Slave Pits there were no Slave
Drivers to crush the words of resistance. This meant that in
My fur is ripped, my back is broke the darkness the Ratkin’s own language of Chitter began to
I long to die, to see the flame bloom and with it came the seeds of rebellion.

To be reborn, and die again

After the uprising, the free Ratkin continue to sing the

THE UNSHACKLED
songs when heading into battle, led by the bloated Swarm- Although thousands of Ratkin escaped during the initial
Criers. Enemies hear the shrieking wails long before they uprising, it was only a handful of the slaves the Abyssal
see the stinking, flea-infested ranks of the Ratkin army. As Dwarfs had intensively bred. Many were too scared of the
the Ratkin came closer, the tuneless screeching becomes a potential repercussions from their cruel masters to risk
deafening wall of noise – a constant barrage on the ears that an attempt to escape. They watched in fear – and a small
sends foes weak at the knees, makes their ears bleed and measure of envy – as their kin fled down the tunnels to
causes them to vomit. freedom.

The Screech-song, as the Ratkin call it, is often mistakenly Those that did escape refer to themselves as the ‘Unshackled’
reported by opposing armies as a plague carried by the rats, – the Ratkin that are free from the yoke of their creators.
which causes sickness and madness. Meanwhile, the Ratkin Meanwhile, the slaves still under the control of the Abyssal
themselves have no idea of the effect of the Screech-song, Dwarfs are simply referred to as ‘Yellow-tails”.
instead wanting to remind themselves that no matter how Rather than trying to free their brethren, the Unshackled
hard life is, it can never be worse than under the oppression consider the Yellow-tails as traitors to their kind. Their
of the Abyssal Dwarfs. ancestors refused the opportunity to escape when they had the
chance and, instead, chose the Abyssal Dwarfs over their own
CHITTER kind.

Bharzak never intended the Ratkin to speak. Of course, Since the uprising, the Unshackled have regularly clashed
they could scream or cry out in agony, but Bharzak hadn’t against the Abyssal Dwarfs and invariably the Ratkin still
considered a need to communicate. After all, they just had to forced, or born, into slavery. Rather than trying to free the
follow the commands of their Abyssal Dwarf masters and a Yellow-tails, their presence drives the free Ratkin into a
slave doesn’t need a voice to do that. ferocious anger, as the Unshackled believe they should be
punished for the betrayal. After all, they still choose a life
However, as the Ratkin scratched out a meagre existence in under the control of the Abyssal Dwarfs, instead of a ‘free’ life
the Slave Pits, they began to find their voice. At first it was as part of a Brood Mother’s nest. To be branded a Yellow-tail
the nervous chittering of their forebears – squeaks of alarm is one of the ultimate insults for an Unshackled Ratkin.

42
 Campaign Setting
Halpi’s Rift
Campaign Setting

43
 Campaign Setting

THE CAMPAIGN SETTING What is understood, however, is that all of the Planes collectively sit within
the Astral Plane, an all encompassing mega-plane that energises and
controls all others.
In this campaign setting, battles take place across the various
Planes of magic. When arranging a game with your opponent, Each of the planes has a Monsters and Mercenaries section.
you should decide in advance on which of the planes the Each of the units listed in this section may be taken as
battle will be taking place. Alternatively, you can play through Unique, Irregular units as part of the Core Army, and must
a campaign with a friend, playing in each plane in the order be unlocked using the standard army composition rules in the
in which they appear in this book. Kings of War Rulebook.
The planes act as campaign locations which are being bitterly You may take allied contingents as normal, which may also
contested between the forces of Good and Evil. Each plane include units listed in the Monsters and Mercenaries section
has its own unique spells, artefacts and magical terrain which for any given plane, however these will follow all the usual
help to bring the setting to life. rules and restrictions placed on allied units.
Players wishing to use Neutral aligned factions should decide
prior to arranging a game whether they will be doing the
bidding of Good or Evil. It is perfectly acceptable to switch
throughout a campaign from game to game in order to play
the opposite faction to your opponent.

Campaign Scenarios
This campaign contains one unique game set-up for each of
the Planes, which represent the increased magical activity
on the battlefield. Wizards positioned in close proximity to
objectives may find that it affects their ability to cast spells,
for better or worse, whilst a unit carrying the spoils of war
will never be sure if their treasures are blessed or cursed.

Magical Terrain of the Planes

Across Pannithor, the sudden increase in magical activity stemming
Spells in the Campaign Setting
from the Halpi Mountains has caused strange effects to take hold of Whether it stems from forbidden teachings, well researched scriptures
geographical features and shrines constructed as tributes to great deities or natural magical prowess, spellcasters find that they are able to
alike. What is perhaps even more bizarre is the nature of the terrain cast spells in the planes of magic that are normally beyond their
located in the planes themselves… capabilities.

Various pieces of Magical Terrain are listed in each of the Described in the rules for each plane of magic you will see
Planes. These pieces of terrain may have additional effects on that each plane gives a Spellcaster access to unique spells that
units that are within, on or nearby. You may use these pieces are only available when playing a game within that specific
of terrain when playing games in that plane, either instead plane.
of or as well as normal terrain. Be sure to agree with your
These spells can only be taken by Heroes, and the unit
opponent which pieces of terrain are being used as Magical
must have at least Spellcaster Level 1. Each spell has three
Terrain before starting the game.
spellcasting levels, and each level has a different (n) value and
points value.
Monsters and Mercenaries of the
A Spellcaster may never choose to take a spell at a level
Planes which exceeds their Spellcaster level.
Whilst the Material Plane is the world we know as Pannithor, not all of
the beings that are seen there can call it their point of origin. It is believed For example, an Elven Archmage has Spellcaster Level
that the Forces of the Abyss often use the Abyssal Plane as a staging 2, and is about to play in a battle taking place in the
ground for their numerous ill-intentioned invasions of Pannithor. Heavenly Material Plane, so may be given Alchemist’s Curse
beings such as Ur Elohi and Phoenix act as custodians of the Empyrean at either Level 1 or Level 2, but not level 3. On the
Plane, and some suggest it may act as a retreat and place of worship opposing army is a Goblin Wiz, who is only Spellcaster
during fleeting moments of peacetime. The Ethereal Plane is possibly the Level 1, and therefore cannot purchase spells at Level 2
least well understood, and rumours between the mages of Pannithor seem or 3.
to suggest that this shadowy realm is the source of the Nightstalkers power, Unique units may not take additional spells from this
though these whispers are often met with skeptical retorts. book.

44
Magical Channelling Tables
Campaign Setting
Channelling Tables in Larger
The planes of magic contain their own unique magical forces
which spellcasters can attempt to control and manipulate
Games
to either boost their own forces or hinder the enemy. To In games where the total points value of each army is 3,000
represent this, each of the planes has its own Channelling points or more there is no restriction on the number of dice
table. that can be rolled on a Channelling table at the start of each
turn. Simply add up the cumulative friendly spell caster levels
At the start of each turn, before doing any other actions, the on the table and roll that many dice.
player whose turn it is rolls on the Channelling table for the
plane in which the game is taking place. Additionally, when playing large games, more results can
be picked from the dice rolled on a Channelling Table, as
detailed below. Each result can only be chosen once. All other
results are discarded as normal

Total Useable
Points Limit
Channelling Results

3000-3999 2

4000-4999 3

Every 1000
+1
points thereafter

Larger Boards
The controlling player rolls a number of dice equal to A 6ftx4ft board is the widely accepted standard size for
the friendly cumulative Spellcaster levels on the table, to playing Kings of War, however when playing large games
a maximum of 3. Even if no friendly Spellcasters remain where each army is worth over 3,000 points, it may be
on the table, a player must still roll one die on the necessary to increase the size of the playing area to facilitate
Channelling table at the start of the turn. the extra units in each army.

After rolling, consult the table. Each result on the When playing scenarios that require the placement of
Channelling Table specifies whether it affects a Friendly or tokens on larger boards, it is recommended that players use
Enemy unit. the number of Loot Counters, Objective Markers or Bluff
Counters described in the Kings of War rulebook for each
Only one result can be applied each turn, so if a player is 6ftx4ft section of the board.
rolling more than one dice, they must choose the one they
wish to keep and discard all other rolls for that turn. Once a Therefore, in a game on a 12ftx6ft board, which is twice the
result has been chosen, the player then selects an eligible unit standard length, players would double the number of Loot
on which to place the effects. Counters, Objective Markers or Bluff Counters used in the
game.
The chosen effect lasts until the start of the channelling
player’s following turn. Results that affect Friendly units If you are using a board where the length is not a multiple
may also be placed on Allied units, providing there is an of 6, you may wish to proportionally increase the number of
Allied unit with at least Spellcaster Level 1 on the table. objectives used. For example, a board that is 9ft x 4ft, is 50%
longer than a standard board, and as such, you may wish
It is a good idea to use a different coloured dice, or tokens to increase the number of objectives used by 50%, rounding
and place them next to the targeted unit as a reminder of any down.
effects that are in play.
Whilst the Dominate scenario is not recommended on larger
boards, scenarios such as Invade and Control, where the
Victory Points are decided by the amount of Unit Strength in
a specified area of the board, can be played exactly as written
in the Kings of War rulebook.

45
 Campaign Setting

Common Campaign Magical Cloak of the Dragon Banisher 10pts

Heroic Artefact. This unit gains the Ensnare special rule
Artefacts against units with the Fly special rule. This artefact may not
be given to a Hero with the Fly special rule.
For centuries, mythical artefacts have been stored away by the great
wizards and generals of Pannithor in case of times of crisis and impending
doom.

The artefacts listed below are not specific to any particular

magical plane, and can be taken in any of the five planes
detailed in this book. Selecting these magical artefacts in
Halpi’s Rift games follows all the usual rules from the Kings
of War Rulebook.

Jewels of Channelling 10pts

Heroic Artefact. Whilst the unit with this artefact is on
the table, the player may reroll one dice when rolling on
a channelling table.
Pointy Wizard’s Hat 10pts
Heroic Artefact. The unit adds +1 to its Spellcaster level.
If purchasing additional spells, they may be purchased at
the value of the increased Spellcaster level granted by this
artefact.

Plane-Specific Crown of the Wizard King 15pts

Heroic Artefact. The unit gains an additional 6” range on all
Magical Artefacts spells that target Friendly units.
The raw magical energy that courses through the Planes can cause
even the most mundane items to become filled with magical energies.
Sometimes these are the normal possessions of a warrior or mage
energised and given new purpose upon entry to the Plane. At other
times, these items may be discovered by pure happenstance by those
who enter to seek battle with their foes.

Each of the Planes has at least one Magical Artefact

that can only be taken when playing a game that
takes place within the Plane it is listed under. All
other rules for taking magical artefacts (detailed in
the Kings of War rulebook) also apply.

46
Amulet of the Fire Heart
Campaign Setting
10pts Mask of the Corruptor 10pts
Heroic Artefact. Once per game, immediately after casting a Heroic Artefact. Once per game, choose an enemy unit with
spell, the unit may cast a second, different, spell. a Spellcaster level within 12”. Choose one of the spells known
by this unit. During the enemy player’s following turn, the
unit may not use the chosen spell.

Staff of the Forsaken 20pts

Heroic Artefact. The Spellcaster may cast up to three
different spells each turn, however, the second spell
Wand of the Damned 15pts
cast will suffer a -1 to hit modifier, and the third spell Heroic Artefact. May only be given to a unit with a
will suffer a -2 to hit modifier. These modifiers are in Spellcaster level of 1 or more. Immediately after casting
addition to any other modifiers, for example, cover. The a spell, the unit may cast the same spell again, but must
unit must cast all spells immediately, one after the other. choose a different target unit. After resolving the second
casting of the spell, this unit may not cast spells during
its following turn.

47
Army Lists

48
 Salamanders

49
 Campaign Setting

The Eye of the Storm

THE MATERIAL PLANE Heroes with at least Spellcaster Level 1, who have their whole
base within 12” of the centre of the board, may choose to
Battles of the Material Plane reroll any number of dice that failed to hit when casting a
The Battle for Pannithor spell. For each dice rerolled, the casting unit will take one
point of damage. No nerve test is taken for damage sustained
Games in this plane can be played as either Invade, Control in this manner. If playing on a larger table, this special rule
or Dominate from the Kings of War Rulebook, with the applies to any Hero within 8” of the centre line of the board,
following additional rule: on either side.

Spells of the Material Plane

Spellcaster level.
(n) value and Points Cost
Spell Name Range Targets Effect Modifiers
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Alchemist’s Add the target unit’s defence value to Piercing (1) for (4) for (6) for
12” Enemy
Curse [1] (n) value of the spell. (4) 15 pts 25 pts 35 pts

The target unit must be an Enemy

unit that has the ability to cast a
spell, including those who can cast
due to an artefact.

Hits do not cause damage. Instead,

if one or more hits are scored,
Magical choose one of the target unit’s (2) for (3) for (4) for
18” Enemy spells (excluding Surge). Your
Mimicry [1] 20 pts 25 pts 30 pts
unit may then immediately cast
the stolen spell, using the same
number of spell dice available to
the target, including additional
dice from artefacts, but excluding
any special rules which grant the
target additional spell dice.

50
Magical Artefacts of the Material Monsters and Mercenaries of the
Campaign Setting
Plane Material Plane
Armies Aligned to Good Only
Magic Mirror 15pts Human Clansmen (Northern Alliance)
Whenever this unit is targeted with a spell by an enemy
unit, after resolving all other effects from the spell, the unit Salamander Primes (Salamanders)
casting the spell will take a point of damage for every point of Steel Behemoth (Dwarfs)
damage it causes to this unit. Damage caused in this way by
to enemy spellcaster does not cause a nerve test.
Terrain of the Material Plane
Icy Lagoon

Icy Lagoons are Flat difficult terrain. Units that start their
turn in base contact with an Icy Lagoon gain the Frozen
special rule.

The Bard’s Taphouse

The Bard’s Taphouse is Height 7 Blocking Terrain. Units that

are within 6” of this piece of terrain cannot be Wavered.

Channeling Table of the Material Plane

Roll Targets Effect

1 Hasten Friendly This unit gains +1 speed.

Emboldened
2 Friendly The unit adds +1 to both its waver and rout values.
Spirit

3 Power Surge Friendly The unit adds 6” to the range of the first spell it casts this turn.

4 Enrage! Friendly The unit gains +5 attacks in melee.

Select an enemy Monster or Titan with a Height value of 4 or more. All units
Confuse within 6” take a single, immediate, automatic hit. Use the Crushing Strength
5 Enemy
Monster value of the Monster or Titan when resolving damage. No nerve test is taken
for damage caused in this manner.
Select a Friendly unit with the Individual special rule. It gains Crushing
Courageous
6 Friendly Strength (+1) and doubles its attack value when attacking enemy Heroes,
Might
Monsters or Titans.

51
 Campaign Setting

Treasures of the Wicked Ones

THE ABYSSAL PLANE Before issuing an order to a unit carrying a Loot Counter, roll
a D6. On a 1-3 the unit carrying the counter suffers a single
Battles of the Abyssal Plane point of damage, on a 4-6 it will regain 1 point of damage. No
Fire and Brimstone Nerve test is taken for damage caused in this way.
Games in this plane can be played as either Loot, Push or
Plunder as detailed in the Kings of War Rulebook, with the
following additional rule:

Spells of the Abyssal Plane

Spellcaster level.
(n) value and Points Cost
Spell Name Range Targets Effect Modifiers
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

If a hit is successfully scored, during

the following turn any charges
Scorched made by the unit will be Hindered. (2) for (3) for (3) for
18” Enemy
Earth [1] Additionally, the unit loses the 20 pts 30 pts 30 pts
Strider and Pathfinder special rules
for the duration of their next turn.

(12) (14) (16)

Blazing Subtract the target unit’s defence
12” Enemy for 25 for 30 for 35
Inferno [1] value from the (n) value of the spell.
pts pts pts

52
Magical Artefacts of the Abyssal
Campaign Setting
Monsters and Mercenaries of the
Plane Abyssal Plane
Armies Aligned to Evil Only
Hourglass of the Chroneas 20pts
Once per game, in melee, after rolling to hit and to damage, Chroneas (Forces of the Abyss)
but before taking a nerve test or rolling attacks from other
Molochs (Forces of the Abyss)
attacking units in the same melee, the player may decide to
discard all damage caused by the unit and start again with Grotesques (Abyssal Dwarfs)
this unit. Roll to hit and damage again. The second result
stands. Hellhounds (Forces of the Abyss)

Terrain of the Abyssal Plane

Hellfire Lakes

Hellfire Lakes are Height 0 difficult terrain. Units that are

touching a Hellfire Lake suffer -1 to their waver and rout
values.

Obelisk of Damnation

An Obelisk of Damnation is Height 7 Blocking Terrain.

Units gain the Brutal (+1) special rule for each Obelisk
of Damnation within 6” when they begin their melee
phase.

Channeling Table of the Abyssal Plane

Roll Targets Effect

Laughter of
1 the Wicked Friendly The unit gains the Cloak of Death special rule.
Ones

Fury of the
2 Friendly The unit gains the Headstrong and Fury special rules.
Flame

The Horrors
3 Enemy The enemy unit suffers -1 to both its waver and rout values.
of the Abyss

Fire of the
May only target a unit that is not engaged in melee. The unit immediately takes
4 Fourth Enemy
D3 points of damage. No nerve test is taken for damage caused in this way.
Circle

Fiendish
5 Friendly The player may choose to give the unit either the Elite or Vicious special rules.
Frenzy

During the opponent’s next turn, if the chosen unit suffers a Rout result, all
Abyssal units engaged with it suffer D6 hits at Piercing (2). These hits are resolved by
6 Friendly
Vengeance the player that Routed the unit. Roll for each unit separately. After the damage
is resolved, no Nerve test is taken.

53
 Campaign Setting

Winds of Change
THE EMPYREAN PLANE Starting from Round 2 onwards, if a Hero with Spellcaster
level 1 or more finishes their Movement Phase in their
Battles of the Empyrean Plane opponent’s half of the board, they will regain a number of
Celestial Skies points of damage equal to the current Round number, but
subtract -1 from the (n) value of all spells.
Games in this plane can be played as either Kill, Invade,
Control or Dominate as detailed in the Kings of War If a Hero with Spellcaster level 1 or more finishes their
Rulebook, with the following additional rule: Movement Phase in their own half of the board, they will
suffer a number of points of damage equal to the current
round number, and add +1 to the (n) value of all spells.

No neve test is taken by a unit taking damage from this

rule, however if a unit’s rout value is exceeded when taking
damage due to this special rule, it is immediately Routed and
removed from play.

Spells of the Empyrean Plane

Spellcaster level.
(n) value and Points Cost
Spell Name Range Targets Effect Modifiers
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Celestial For each hit scored roll a single D3.

Friendly, (2) for (3) for (4) for
Restoration 36” The unit regains a point of damage Indirect
CC 20 pts 30 pts 40 pts
[1] equal to the cumulative total

If a hit is scored, the unit adds +1

Sharpeye to its Ra stat value for the duration
(2) for (3) for
Incantation 12” Friendly of the turn. This spell has no effect N/A
25 pts 35 pts
[1] on units with an Ra value of 4+ or
better.

54
 Campaign Setting
Magical Artefacts of the Empyrean Monsters and Mercenaries of the
Plane Empyrean Plane
Good Aligned Armies Only
Heavenly Harpsichord 25pts
The unit gains Enthrall (6). Phoenix (Basileans)

Gur Panthers (Basileans)

Ur Elohi (Basileans)

Terrain of the Empyrean Plane

Blessed Forest

Blessed Forests are Height 6 Difficult Terrain. Units that

begin their turn in base contact with a Blessed Forest regain 1
point of damage.

Shining Spire

All units within 6” of a Shining Spire gain the Inspiring

(Self) special rule.

Channeling Table of the Empyrean Plane

Roll Targets Effect

Heavenly
1 Friendly The unit gains the Radiance of Life special rule.
Blessings

Celestial
2 Friendly The unit gains the Thunderous Charge (+1) special rule.
Thunder

Focused All hits caused by this unit with either Ranged or Melee attacks will
3 Friendly
Precision damage the enemy on a 4+, with no additional modifiers.

The The unit immediately heals D3 points of damage that it has previously
4 Friendly
Awakening suffered.

Individuals only. The unit gains the Fly special rule and increases its
5 Lightspeed Friendly Speed stat to 10, but decreases its Defence stat by -1 to a minimum of 2
and loses the Wild Charge special rule.

Guiding
6 Friendly Ranged attacks made by the unit ignore all modifiers when rolling to hit.
Light

55
 Campaign Setting

Dark Energy
THE ETHEREAL PLANE When rolling to hit with a spell, a unit with a Spellcaster
level of 1 or more that is within 3” of an Objective Marker or
Battles of the Ethereal Plane Bluff Counter worth 1 or more points, may reroll a number
Death’s Shadow of dice equal to the value of the Objective or Bluff Counter.
Bluff Counters which have yet to have their value revealed
Games in this plane should be played with any scenario that are considered to be worth one point for the purposes of this
uses either Objective Markers or Bluff Counters as detailed rule.
in the Kings of War Rulebook, with the following additional
rule:

Spells of the Ethereal Plane

Spellcaster level.
(n) value and Points Cost
Spell Name Range Targets Effect Modifiers
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

If one or more hits are scored,

the target unit has a -1 to damage
modifier when rolling to damage
enemy units during their next
turn (any rolls the unit makes of a
Wither and Enemy, natural six will still cause damage, (2) for (3) for
12” Blast (D3) N/A
Perish [1] CC however). Multiple castings of 25 pts 35 pts
this spell, or combining it with
Weakness, do not cause additional
modifiers. Additionally, for each
hit scored, roll to damage the
target unit.

May only target a Friendly Hero that

Host
Friendly, is not a Monster or a Titan. For each (2) for (3) for (4) for
Shadowbeast 18”
CC hit scored, the target unit gains 2 10 pts 20 pts 30 pts
[1]
attacks for the rest of the turn.

56
Magical Artefacts of the Ethereal Monsters and Mercenaries of the
Campaign Setting
Plane Ethereal Plane
Banner of Eternal Darkness (10 pts) Armies Aligned to Evil Only

Units with this artefact gain the Mindthirst special rule. Shadowhulk (Nightstalkers)

Butchers (Nightstalkers)

Shadowhounds (Nightstalkers)

Terrain of the Ethereal Plane

The Darkwood

The Darkwood is Height 6 difficult terrain. Ranged attacks

against units in a Forest of Darkness suffer an additional -1 to
hit.

The Butcher’s Fleshmound

The Butcher’s Fleshmound is a Height 3 Hill. Units with

at least 50% of their base on the hill gain the Dread special
rule.

Channeling Table of the Ethereal Plane

Roll Targets Effect

1 Blackout Friendly The unit gains the Stealthy special rule.

Reclamation
2 Friendly The unit gains the Lifeleech (+2) special rule.
of Souls

Distractions
3 in the Enemy The unit gains the Pot Shot special rule, and loses the Steady Aim special rule.
Shadows

Phantom
4 Friendly The unit gains the Strider special rule.
Stride

The unit subtracts 6” from the range of the first spell it casts this turn. If this
5 Power Drain Enemy
reduces the range of the spell to 0 it may not be cast this turn.

Frozen by
6 Enemy During the opponent’s next turn, the target unit has the Frozen special rule.
Fear

57
 Campaign Setting

Choosing Spells in the Astral Plane

THE ASTRAL PLANE Such is the greatness of the magical energy that can be harnessed by
Spellcasters in the Astral Plane that there is no restriction on the amount
Choosing Your Force in the Astral of times a spell can be contained in an army.
Plane Spells that are usually listed as Unique Spells no longer have
In battles taking place in the Astral Plane, the total value of to follow this restriction in the Astral Plane. Spells can be
each army must be 3,000 points or higher. chosen from the list of upgrades on the unit’s profile, or may
be chosen from any of the Planes in this book.
Players may choose any of the spells and artefacts from any of
the other planes, in any combination. For example, a player
may choose to have one Spellcaster with Magical Mimicry Grand Alliances
from the Material Plane, another with Scorched Earth from Despite the best efforts of many great generals, sometimes an
the Abyssal Plane and may take a unit with the Banner of army cannot muster enough forces on its own to take on the
Eternal Darkness from the Ethereal Plane. challenge of a battle in the Astral Plane. Whether motivated
by shared goals, common enemies or the opportunity of
financial reward, Grand Alliances can form between mighty
generals to take to battle in the Astral Plane.

In games in the Astral Plane where the Points Limit is 3,000

points or more, when Allies are taken it is referred to as a
Grand Alliance. The maximum amount of points that can be
spent on Allies is up to 50% of the total points limit.

In a Grand Alliance, the allied force may also select magical

artefacts, however you still may not select the same artefact
twice.

Channelling Tables in the Astral The Mightiest of Heroes

As the fate of Pannithor hangs in the balance and the carnage of battle
Plane expands throughout the Planes, a mighty hero heading to war within
When composing their army, each player may choose the Astral Plane will need all of the assistance they can find. Whether a
one of the Channelling Tables to roll on for the game. As warrior has spent the campaign scavenging magical artefacts from the cold
an example, one player may choose the Abyssal Plane’s grasp of fallen friends and foes, or whether they have accessed sacred items
Channelling Table, and their opponent might choose to held in reserve for desperate times, it is not uncommon to see a great hero
roll on the table from the Empyrean Plane. Armies that are of Pannithor carrying multiple artefacts to battle in the Astral Plane.
aligned to Good may choose from the Material, Empyrean, or
Ethereal Planes. Armies that are aligned to Evil may choose In the Astral Plane, Heroes may select up to two Magical
from the Material, Abyssal or Ethereal Planes. Artefacts instead of the usual limit of one.

Terrain in the Astral Plane

In the Astral Plane, any of the magical terrain from any of
the other planes featured in this supplement can be used
on the table. Agree this with your opponent when setting
up the table. If using multiple pieces of magical terrain
from different planes it is advisable to label them to prevent
confusion later in the game.

58
 New Heroes

New Heroes

59
 New Heroes

Basileans Elves and Sylvan Kin

Tollivar, the Seer [1] Ht Nimue Waydancer [1] Ht
Hero (Inf), Spellcaster (3) 2 Hero (Inf), Spellcaster (1) 2
Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts
5 5+ 1 0 1 11/13 150 6 5+ 1 0 1 12/14 150
Ra De Ra De
- 4+ - 4+
Special Rules Special Rules
Individual, Inspiring, Iron Resolve Cloak of Death, Individual, Inspiring (Verdant only), Stealthy
Celestial Visions: Tollivar adds 6” to the range of his Bane Wanderer of the Ways: Once per game, before Nimue
Chant & Bastion spells when targeting friendly core Angelic Waydancer is given an order, she increases her Speed to 10
units. and gains the Fly special rule until the end of the turn. In the
Celestial Providence: After successfully casting Bastion, turn this ability is activated, Nimue Waydancer may still cast
Tollivar may immediately cast another different spell against spells even if she was given an At The Double order.
the same or different target. Spells
Spells Fireball (10), Heal (4), Surge (4), Wind Blast (5)
Bane Chant (3), Bastion [1] (2), Fireball (10) Keywords: Elf, Verdant
Keywords: Human

Free Dwarfs Northern Alliance

Banick Kholearm [1] Ht Serakina, the Ice Queen [1] Ht
Hero (Inf), Spellcaster (1) 2 Hero (Inf), Spellcaster (2) 2
Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts
5 4+ 1 0 6 12/14 135 6 5+ 1 0 1 11/13 130
Ra De Ra De
- 5+ - 4+
Special Rules Special Rules
Brutal (1), Crushing Strength (2), Headstrong, Individual, Ensnare, Individual, Very Inspiring (Frostbound only),
Inspiring, Scout Radiance of Life (Frostbound only)
Forgeblessed: When Banick Kholearm casts the spell Fireball, Frozen Winds: If one or more hits are scored with Serakina’s
the attack gains the Shattering special rule. Wind Blast spell, the target enemy unit is given the Frozen
Spells special rule for the duration of its next Turn.
Bane Chant (2), Fireball (10) Spells
Keywords: Dwarf, Flamesmith Surge (8), Wind Blast (6)
Keywords: Frostbound

60
 New Heroes
Forces of Nature Ogres
Kapoka, the Hidden Saviour [1] Ht Nomagarok [1] Ht
Hero (Hv Inf), Spellcaster (2) 2 Hero (Lrg Inf) Spellcaster (2) 3
Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts
5 - 1 0 - 12/14 145 6 4+ 1 1 5 12/14 140
Ra De Ra De
- 4+ - 5+
Special Rules Special Rules
Aura (Phalanx - Verdant only), Individual, Inspiring, Brutal, Crushing Strength (1), Inspiring, Nimble
Pathfinder, Scout, Stealthy Ogre Warlock: For each friendly core Large Infantry Regiment
Spells or Large Infantry Horde within 6”, increase the amount of
Heal (4), Weakness (3) dice rolled with Bane Chant, Heal and Lightning Bolt by 1 to
Keywords: Verdant a maximum bonus of +3.
Bloodlust: Any friendly core unit hit with Nomagarok’s Heal
spell gains Vicious (Melee) for the remainder of the Turn.
Spells
Bane Chant (3), Heal (4), Lightning Bolt (4)
Keywords: Berserker, Ogre, Warlock

Trident Realm Forces of the Abyss

Kyroqsh, the Hunter in the Deep [1] Ht Zaz’u’szu the Betrayer [1] Ht
Hero (Inf), Spellcaster (1) 2 Hero (Lrg Inf), Spellcaster (2) 3
Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts
7 3+ 1 0 5 12/14 140 6 4+ 1 1 7 12/14 110
Ra De Ra De
- 4+ 4+ 4+
Special Rules Special Rules
Crushing Strength (1), Ensnare, Individual, Inspiring Fury, Nimble, Regeneration (5+)
(Cephalopod and Waterbound only), Scout, Stealthy Betrayal: For each Friendly unit within 6” of Zaz’u’szu,
Hunter in the Deep: Kyroqsh gains Vicious (Melee) and has he gains an additional +1 (n) value to Lightning Bolt to a
Double attacks vs Large Cavalry, Monsters and Titans only. maximum of +3. All friendly units within 6” (excluding
Spells Zaz’u’szu) then receive 1 point of damage when Lightning Bolt
Lightning Bolt (3) is cast. No nerve test is take for damage caused to friendly
Keywords: Cephalopod units in this way.
Spells
Lightning Bolt (5)
Keywords: Abyssal, Warlock

61
 New Heroes

Abyssal Dwarfs
Dravak Dalkan [1] Ht Infernok [1] Ht
Hero (Inf), Spellcaster (2) 2 Titan 6
Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts
4 4+ 1 0 2 12/14 155 6 4+ 1 1 12 -/19 255
Ra De Ra De
- 5+ - 6+
Special Rules Special Rules
Crushing Strength (1), Individual, Inspiring Brutal (1), Crushing Strength (4), Shambling, Strider,
Possession: Unless Infernok is Engaged or Disordered, Dravak Vicious (Melee)
Dalkan may use Infernok’s Line of Sight to cast spells. When Bound Soul: As long as a friendly core Dravak Dalkan is alive
doing so, measure range from Infernok’s leader point instead and in play, Infernok has the Inspiring (Self) special rule.
of Dravak Dalkan’s. Keywords: Hellforged
Spells
Fireball (12), Heal (3 - Hellforged only), Surge (12)
Keywords: Dwarf, Hellforged

Nightstalkers Goblins
Esenyshra, the Wailing Shadow [1] Ht Grupp Longnail [1] Ht
Hero (Inf), Spellcaster (2) 2 Hero (Inf), Spellcaster (1) 2
Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts
10 3+ 1 0 5 -/13 160 6 3+ 1 0 4 -/12 90
Ra De Ra De
- 5+ - 4+
Special Rules Special Rules
Crushing Strength (3), Dread, Fly, Individual, Mighty, Blast (D3), Crushing Strength (1), Duelist, Ensnare,
Mindthirst, Stealthy, Strider Individual
Beguilement: If Esenyshra’s Enthral spell causes enough hits FULG’UR!: When attacking in melee, if one or more hits
that an enemy unit would be able to move into contact with are scored, the target unit has a -1 modifier when rolling to
Esenyshra herself, the normal 1” stopping restriction is lifted. damage enemy units during their next Turn (any rolls the
After contact is made, Esenyshra may immediately charge and unit makes of natural six will still cause damage, however).
align against the enemy facing that was moved into contact This effect only applies once and does not work in conjunction
with her. However, the charged unit will not take any Nerve with the Weakness spell.
tests for any damage it might have taken in the previous Keywords: Gizmo, Goblin
Ranged phase.
Spells
Enthral (7)
Keywords: Phantasm

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 New Heroes
Empire of Dust Orcs
Sebekh-Rei the Accursed [1] Ht Ulpgar the Mad [1] Ht
Hero (Inf), Spellcaster (3) 2 Hero (Hv Inf), Spellcaster (3) 2
Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts
5 5+ 1 0 1 -/13 155 5 4+ 1 0 1 -/12 120
Ra De Ra De
- 4+ - 4+
Special Rules Special Rules
Individual, Very Inspiring Crushing Strength (1), Individual, Inspiring
Reanimator: For each friendly core Skeleton unit within 6”, Ulpgar’s Mad Magic: For each friendly core Heavy Infantry
you may re-roll one dice that failed to hit with Drain Life, Regiment, Heavy Infantry Horde or Heavy Infantry Legion
Fireball, Heal, Hex, Surge, Weakness, and Wind Blast, to a within 6” of Ulpgar, increase the amount of dice rolled with
maximum of 2 re-rolls. Bane Chant and Fireball by 1, to a maximum bonus of +11.
Glory for the Mighty Dead: After casting Heal on a friendly Magic of The Bloody Knife Tribe: For each successful hit
core unit, this unit may immediately cast Surge against the with Bane Chant, the target unit gains Lifeleech (+1) to a
same target. maximum of +3, until the start of the next turn.
Spells Spells
Heal (5), Surge (8) Bane Chant (3), Fireball (7)
Keywords: Accursed Keywords: Orc, Prophet

Ratkin Undead
Twitch Keenear [1] Ht Zuinok Iceblood [1] Ht
Hero (Inf), Spellcaster (3) 2 Hero (Hv Inf), Spellcaster (2) 2
Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts Sp Me Unit Size US Att Ne Pts
6 5+ 1 0 1 -/12 120 5 4+ 1 0 1 -/13 120
Ra De Ra De
- 4+ - 5+
Special Rules Special Rules
Individual, Inspiring Aura (Elite (Melee) - Skeleton Infantry only), Individual,
Eye of the Abyss: If Twitch Keenear successfully casts Bane Inspiring
Chant, the target unit may, after rolling to hit and to damage The Outsider: When Ziunok is included in an Undead army,
in the Melee phase, discard all damage caused and start again. no other Unique Heroes may be included in the army.
Roll to hit and to damage again. The second result stands. Spells
Rerolling in this way must take place before testing for Nerve Fireball (10), Surge (8)
or rolling any other attacks from other units in the same Keywords: Arkosaur, Heretic
Melee.
Spells
Bane Chant (3), Hex (3)
Keywords: Ratkin

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 Unit Updates

Clash of Kings
Traditionally, we release a Clash of Kings book annually, Basilea: Elohi, Sisterhood Panther Chariots
based on analysis and feedback from all the events that have
taken place that year. It gives us a chance to add new units, Forces of Nature: Naiad Heartpiercers
adjust existing ones, and amend some rules where required to
Forces of the Abyss: Tortured Souls, Flamebearers
help both keep the game fresh and maintain balance.
The Trident Realm: Naiad Heartpiercers
With the cancellation of most events in 2020 we’ve been
unable to provide the extensive rebalancing that the Northern Alliance: Pack Hunters
Clash of Kings would normally bring. We are planning a
full update next year of course! Sylvan Kin: Gladestalkers

However, there are some standout units which have Twilight Kin: Gladestalkers
needed tweaking; these are presented here as official
updates to the rules and lists. Varangur: Night Raiders

2021 Changes
We recommend implementing the following rule changes to
keep the game as balanced and fresh as possible. If you are
an event organiser, you may reprint these changes in your
tournament pack so that players are all aware of them.

Special Rules
Ignores Cover - The unit fires in high arcs, hitting the target
from the top, which means it only suffers cover penalties
for units that have at least half their base within Difficult
Terrain. Note that the firing unit does need to have LoS to
the target to fire at it.

Spells Abyssal Dwarfs

Hex - Add “Whilst a unit is Hexed, it may not cast spells
unless it received a Halt or Change Facing order in the Angkor Heavy Mortar - This unit is now Piercing (2)
Movement Phase”. Hexcasters - The unit’s “Weakness” option should read
Enthral - Remove the line “A unit can only be targeted by “Weakness (3) for +20 pts” and does not have a free
Enthral once per turn.” replacement option.

Mind Fog - Add ‘Shattering’ as a modifier. Basilea

High Paladin on Dragon - Amend Nerve to 17/19 and gain
Irregular the Headstrong special rule.
The following units are no longer irregular:
Elohi and Ur-Elohi - This unit is no longer irregular,
Elves: War Chariots, Drakons, Gladestalkers but still cannot be taken as allies.

Empire of Dust: Revenant Chariots Dwarfs

Goblins: Fleabag Chariots Warsmith - Amend Inspiring and Aura to: Inspiring
(Warsmith & Ironwatch Only) and Aura (Elite (Ranged)
Orcs: Skulk Raider Chariots Warsmith & Ironwatch Only)

64
Empire of Dust Salamanders
Unit Updates
Revenant Cavalry - Amend points costs to 115/180 for the Ghekkotah Hunters - Add the Steady Aim special rule to
Troop and Regiment respectively. both the unit’s Blowpipes and Bows ranged weapons.

Revenant King on Undead Great Flying Wyrm - Amend

this unit’s nerve value to -/18 and points to 265.
Sylvan Kin
Treeherder - Amend the Wiltfather to read;
Cursed High Priest - Replace Drain Life spell option with:
Drain Life (6) - 30 points. • Upgrade to The Wiltfather [1] - Losing Radiance of Life,
Increasing Attacks to 10, Nerve to -/19 and gaining Aura
Replace the Reanimator special rule with “For each Friendly (Vicious - Verdant only) & Cloak of Death for +40 pts - This
Core Skeleton unit within 6”, you may re-roll one dice that unique upgrade cannot be taken in addition to a magical
failed to hit with Drain Life, Fireball, Heal, Hex, Surge, artefact.
Weakness, and Wind Blast, to a maximum of 2 re-rolls”
Boskwraiths & Archwraith - These units gain the
Soul Snare - The unit now has Spellcaster: 1. Pathfinder special rule.

Avatar of the Green Lady - Amend points cost to 150.

Twilight Kin
Impalers - Amend points cost to 105/160 for the Troop and
Regiment respectively.

Blade Dancers - Amend points cost to 125/190 for the Troop

and Regiment respectively.

Cronebound Butchers* - The Regiment has a nerve value of

Forces of Nature 13/15 and the Horde has a nerve value of 16/18, both gain the
Fury special rule.
Tree Herder - Add the following upgrade:
Summoner Crone - Replace Scepter of Shadows upgrade with:
• Upgrade to The Wiltfather [1] - Losing Radiance of Life,
Increasing Attacks to 10, Nerve to -/19 and gaining Aura Scepter of Shadows [1]: This unit’s Wicked Miasma special
(Vicious - Verdant only) & Cloak of Death for +40 pts - This rule also affects friendly core Elf units - for +10 points.
unique upgrade cannot be taken in addition to a magical
artefact. Undead
Avatar of the Green Lady - Amend points cost to 150. Revenant Cavalry - Amend points costs to 115/180/305 for
the Troop, Regiment and Horde respectively.
Free Dwarfs Revenant King on Undead Great Flying Wyrm - The unit
Add ‘Tracker’ Keyword to; Free Dwarf Spear Levy*, Free has a nerve value of -/18 and an amended cost of 265.
Dwarf Shieldbreakers, Free Dwarf Ironwatch Rifles, Free
Dwarf Ironwatch Crossbows. Wraiths - This unit is now Irregular.

Liche King - Replace Drain Life spell option with: Drain

Goblins Life (6) - 30 points
Winggit - Add the following text to the The Eye in the
Necromancer - Replace Drain Life spell option with: Drain
Sky special rule: “This special rule may not be used whilst
Life (4) - 20 points
Disordered”.

Nightstalkers Trident Realm

Depth Horrors - The Regiment has a nerve value of 13/15
Reaper Souldrinker - Amend points cost to 80.
and the Horde has a nerve value of 16/18, both gain the Fury
Butchers - The Regiment has a nerve value of 13/15 and special rule.
the Horde has a nerve value of 16/18, both gain the Fury
Depth Horror Eternal - The unit has a nerve value of 14/16
special rule.
and gains the Fury special rule.

65
 Battle Report

The Battle of Ravenswood

In June 2020, as the UK eased itself out of lockdown, Ronnie decided that he was going to have a game. A BIG game!

And so, having been forced inside under lockdown and made to paint terrain, units and objective counters, Ronnie hatched his
plans for a socially distanced mega game of Kings of War to be played (safely!) at Mantic HQ.

Of course, such an event needed a story and what better than to fight a game using Ronnie’s favourite dwarfs that could prove
pivotal to the story about to unfold in Pannithor’s Halpi region.

This is the story of the game.

Prelude to Invasion was the perfect landing point for Free Dwarf ships, ready to
bring more warriors to the fight. The fight to clear Helgarth
Since the war against the Abyss, the Free Dwarfs had of Abyssal Dwarfs had been a bitter struggle. Herneas and his
been pushed out of their former homeland and into the army emerged triumphant… but bruised.
uncomfortable embrace of their Imperial Dwarf allies. To
the outside world, the Free Dwarfs are licking their wounds. During the fight, the Abyssal Dwarf commander, a slave
But their leaders are not so beaten and know that the best driver called Lord Grimzark had fled to nearby Cwl Gen
time to strike back is when your enemy is celebrating victory. to recoup and regather his forces. However, his troops
Their foul cousins desecrate their holds, their keeps, their had been severely depleted and the forces at Cwl Gen
homeland. Vile greenskins now reside in hallowed dwarfen weren’t enough to guarantee victory if he attempted to
halls, and Ratkin, the plague created by the hubris of the retake Helgarth on his own. Keen for news of his defeat
dark dwarfs, fill the mines with vicious tooth and claw. The not to reach the Abyssal Dwarf homeland of Tragar, he
unleashing of the Nexus was like a clarion call to the Free had developed a desperate plan and, against his better
Dwarfs – a great and terrible wound inflicted upon their judgement, had been forced to reach out to unusual
lands by the foul beasts that dared violate their homes. It allies.
signified the time to fight back.
Now in the former great hall of a Free Dwarf lord,
The brave dwarf ranger Herneas was among those few dwarfs Grimzark was meeting with a small contingent of goblins
leading the charge back into their homeland. Having laid the and their leaders, a pair of goblin wizards. The first
foundations for the invasions, he had moved inland with the was Kuzlo, sitting astride his mighty lizard, Madfall,
task of closing the Nexus. In his wake, Helgarth had been while the second was Skulk Blackblood. Typically, a
recaptured – a major strategic boon and key element in the goblin Wiz is driven too mad by the touch of magic to
plan. Sitting on the west of the mountain range, the garrison
66
become a great leader, but Skulk had shown particular
cunning and had amassed quite a following among his
Battle Report
clan. Thousands of goblins led by Skulk had taken over
the former dwarf mine at Gorric’s Arch, but space was
running short and they were looking to expand their
territory. Skulk’s goblins had clashed with the Abyssal
Dwarfs stationed at the larger stronghold of Marn and
there had been severe casualties on both
sides. Both Skulk and Grimzark were keen
to avoid any more losses, so in exchange
for helping Grimzark reclaim Helgarth,
Marn would be left to the goblins… until
Grimzark had amassed enough slaves to
clear them out once again, of course. But,
for now, the alliance would have to hold,
and the two forces prepared to march to
Helgarth.

Thankfully for the Free Dwarfs, Herneas’

spies throughout the Halpi Mountains
spotted the movements of the goblins and
Abyssal Dwarfs and quickly reported back.
The ranger knew he did not have the
numbers needed to defend the key garrison
from the armies swarming beneath the
mountains. And so, a desperate plea went
out to a coalition of Free Dwarfs and
Northern Alliance near Crag Makaz to
join the fight. The Northern Alliance
forces had travelled down from the
Winterlands in pursuit of the Abyssal
Dwarfs that had attacked their capital
city, Chill, before meeting a Free Dwarf
contingent clearing the holds of their
twisted kin.

The coalition arrived at Helgarth just in

time to see the vast, if uneasy, alliance
of Abyssal Dwarfs and goblins emerging
from the depths of Ravenswood to
the south of Helgarth. However, they
weren’t the only reinforcements to
arrive. Imperial Dwarfs, under the rule
of King Golloch, had heard of Herneas’
success at Helgarth and saw it as an
opportunity for them to get a foothold
in the Halpi Mountains. A large force
of Imperial Dwarfs joined the battle
led by the blustering and overbearing
Lord Ithram Steelforged, who was
convinced the coalition of Free Dwarfs
and Northern Alliance wouldn’t be
able to hold Helgarth on their own.

There would be several key objectives

in the clash to come – protect the
watchtower in the valley, guard the
hill at the centre, secure the road to
the holds and hold the small grain
store near the wood.

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 Battle Report

The Battle
Despite the fact the coalition of Free Dwarfs and Northern Lord Grimdark had bullied and tricked his way to gathering
Alliance had already begun deploying their armies to meet a vast force, ready to take Helgarth. Swooping gargoyles
the charges of the Abyssal Dwarfs and goblins, the late arrival ducked in amongst lumbering golems, while a vast array of
of Lord Ithram’s Imperial Dwarfs threw the dwarfs into war engines lined the rear of the army, ready to rain fire
disarray. Ithram insisted his war engines be placed atop the upon the Northern Alliance. Meanwhile, the ground shook as
hills, while his best shooters would rout the enemy before a mighty Hellfane stomped into position and its Overmaster
they even made it across the valley. Scores of Sharpshooters commander bellowed orders to those around him. Even
and Ironwatch pushed past the Ironclad, Bulwarkers and Grimdark joined the fray, whipping a pack of slave orcs ahead
Shieldbreakers to take their place at the front of the army, of him. They would provide ample cover while he barked
ignoring the angry shouts of their comrades. The Northern orders.
Alliance moved to the left flank, keen to leave the dwarfs to
bicker and grumble amongst themselves. What’s more, they The Northern Alliance were unphased by the sight ahead
were eager to take on the Abyssal Dwarfs amassing in front of of them. After months fighting the Abyssal Dwarfs in the
them. icy mountains of the Winterlands, even the presence of a

68
 Battle Report

towering Hellfane did little to break their spirits. A Northern Then with a crack of the dwarfs’ war engines atop one of the
Alliance lord sitting astride a three-headed chimera tried many hills throughout the valley, the battle had begun! With
to sooth his mount as it scraped the floor and roared – the shouts and chants, the Northern Alliance surged forward,
dragon’s head spitting forth a freezing jet of ice into the sky. eager to engage their foe. The Frost Giant took the lead, with
Nearby a frost giant, taller than a castle, swung its massive packs of Tundra Wolves ducking and weaving between his
club and pointed menacingly at an Ironcaster struggling to huge feet. Overhead the Abyssal Dwarfs’ war engines fired
control a bellowing Winged Halfbreed. The two forces were volley after volley, causing the oncoming Northern Alliance to
ready for combat! scatter. The crack of the war engines was joined by the loud
roar of the Winged Halfbreed as it flapped its great, leathery
The same could not be said for the goblins, however. Skulk wings and soared toward the Frost Giant.
Blackblood was nowhere to be seen on the battlefield, leaving
Kulzo to dash between the hordes of Spitters and Rabble, Inspired by the charge of the Northern Alliance, a pair of
attempting to issue commands. However, it wasn’t easy, the dwarf Warsmiths fired up the engines of their sturdy Steel
goblins had been forced onto the left flank of the valley, just Behemoths and rumbled forward, followed by the thundering
beyond the thick trees of Ravenswood and they struggled steps of a Greater Earth Elemental and its smaller brethren.
to take position. The churning of the Mincer Mobs’ wicked However, the rest of the dwarfs were left in chaos. Ithram’s
blades was used to cut the thick barks of the ancient trees, insistence on placing so many ranged troops at the front of
but it was slow progress. A pair of Winggits hovered about the the force had blocked the charge of the infantry. The Free
troops, attempting to spot the whereabouts of their enemy. Dwarfs spat and cursed at their Imperial brothers, keen to

69
 Battle Report

get stuck into their enemies. But the shooters remained and engaged in brutal, fierce combat. The Hellfane was pounding
stoically took aim, ignoring the snide comments from their closer and a regiment of brave clansmen realised they were
back. They were confident that as soon as the goblins started the only option to stop its terrible charge. With a chant, they
to move, they would take them down before parting for the ran toward the ferocious construct and began clambering
troops to clean up whatever remained. up its cracked, stone legs. To their left, the Frost Giant
was being battered by the massive wings of the Halfbreed,
The issue was, however, that the goblins had got themselves but it remained determined. Eventually with an almighty
stuck among the trees of Ravenswood. Thick smoke from the roar, it ripped the wings off the dragon-like creature before
Mincers filled the air as they try to clear a path for the baying pummelling its skull. Grimacing at the sight, Grimdark
trolls. Only a few hordes of Rabble emerged from the woods, whipped his slave orcs harder, forcing them to fight against
covered in scratches, while some Spitters fired hopelessly the snapping jaws of the Tundra Wolves. He watched with
toward the Dwarfs. What’s more, Skulk was nowhere to be joy as his artillery smashed into some Snow Trolls, leaving
seen and Kuzlo had disappeared into the woods on the left nothing but bloody stains. Reaching toward his belt, he
flank, eager to find food for his hungry mount. The goblins produced a large horn and gave a long blow. The low,
were in disarray. mournful sound echoed throughout the valley and gave the
signal for reinforcements to arrive.
While the dwarfs and goblins faced each other across the
valley, the Northern Alliance and Abyssal Dwarfs were

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 Battle Report

At the sound of the horn Skulk finally arrived riding a

Mawbeast and accompanied by four regiments of Fleabag
Riders. The cavalry spread out among the back ranks
of the goblins while Skulk tried to issue commands.
Proving his cunning, Skulk told the goblins to only
worry about securing the objectives and not worry about
fighting the dwarfs. An order which was received with
cheers by the cowardly goblins. The greenskins already
held the grain store but securing the watchtower would
mean facing off against Golloch’s Fury – the biggest and
most powerful Steel Behemoth on the battlefield. Skulk
screeched at a horde of Rabble to swarm all over it, then
ensured some trolls were there to back them up when the
goblins were inevitably crushed by the powerful machine.
Still, the Imperial Dwarfs refused to move, unaware the
goblins were no longer intent on crossing the valley.

Over on Skulk’s right, the air rang with the sound of heavy
blows exchanged between a Greater Earth Elemental and its
twisted mirror: the Greater Obsidian Golem. Each punch
sounded like the boom of thunder echoing around the valley.
But the Abyssal Dwarfs kept the crucial hill at the heart
of the valley. Suddenly even those thunderous noises were
drowned out by the roar of crash of the Hellfane. The Lord
on Chimera had joined the clansmen in their fight and
the beast’s three heads had snapped away at the lumbering
creation until finally it fell. The remaining clansmen gave a
ragged cheer when it was finally defeated. Their valiant effort
meant they had secured the main road into Helgarth… but at
what cost?

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 Battle Report

The Aftermath
Herneas stomped through the Imperial Dwarfs troops until
he finally found Lord Ithram. The Imperial Dwarf was
bellowing orders to anyone unfortunate to get close, seemingly
unaware the tide of battle had changed and that the dwarfs
were losing. Herneas punched him square in the stomach,
forcing Ithram to double over, which gave a couple of rangers
the opportunity to grab the Lord by the arms and drag him
away – still shouting. Herneas was expecting some objections
from the Imperial Dwarfs but, with Ithram gone, they seemed
to relax and looked toward the ranger expectantly. Reluctantly
Herneas grabbed his horn and gave the sharp blast for
retreat. More horns echoed down the line. It pained Herneas
to see Helgarth fall once more, but with the extra Imperial
Dwarfs and Northern Alliance allies they could return with a
plan… and this time they wouldn’t lose.

Lord Grimdark watched in dark satisfaction as the coalition

began to flee. He roared to some hideous Grotesques to
pursue the retreating enemies and kill as many as they could.
Grimdark was surprised to see some of the goblins only just
emerging from the woods. He cursed the cowardly greenskins.
For a moment he considered turning his army on them, to
ensure he would never have to give up the fortress at Marn.
But he had suffered greater losses and the goblins still had
plenty of trolls and potentially lethal Mincer Mobs. He would
bide his time. For now, Helgarth was his and the overlords at
Tragar need never know how close he had come to defeat.

72