BangoSkank

Through the Portal

Shel was enjoying simply being out in the open world again, if you let your mind drift you could pretty easily forget that you weren't just going for a day hike out to the mountains. There was a certain pleasure to be found just putting one foot in front of the other, feeling your pack shift with every step. Particularly since they were not just trailblazers here but THE trailblazers. This was virgin territory, all of it. The only thing that could make this better would be a nice breeze. Maybe a good stew.

The Mithra asked if anyone had seen animals and Zeke replied quickly with a rather astute observation.

"That's a good point," Shel said, tilting his head back to help his voice carry while still keeping an eye on the ground below to avoid tripping, "Can't see any sign of other folk out here. Nothing deliberate, nothing purpose built out here. But..."

He paused, falling out of sync with the group while he peered about for a second then caught up.

"We've covered a decent distance now and I for one haven't seen a sign of any life at all. That is peculiar."

He caught up with the group and spoke to them in general but to Zeke in particular,

"No deer, no wee little rabbits, or something of the sort, that might make sense. Like ya said, scared off by new sounds and smells and all that." He sniffed at his armpits and scrunched his nose up in mock disgust, "Makes sense it does. What doesn't make sense though?" He gestures all around them, "No birds in the distance, no hawks or crows. No bugs in the grass, or on our clothes or flitting about. No lizards soaking up the heat on these rocks."

He pauses for a moment as an idea pops into his head.

"Just a minute yeah?"

Not waiting for a response he looks about for any large flat rocks in grassy areas. Finding one he kneels in close, looks back towards the group smiling, and slowly lifts the rock up looking under for any signs of life.

Warhammer Fantasy - Call of Chaos

Any suggestion on how I, as the Skaven, claim land?

Most of my stuff is under other people's stuff and it's spread all over the world, but I was thinking I might take a bit as my own. Balance is my worry because in Warhammer they are everywhere, and its kind of an important part of who they are, but I don't really want them to be or appear to be OP. Facing huge casualties is also an important part of who they are maybe the most important part.

I'm thinking perhaps in The Badlands amid the World's Edge Mountains, near The City of Pillars/Karak Eight Peaks and Karak Azgal as well as Crookback Mountain to the North East. It's also prime Orc and Goblin territory though, once Dwarfen territory.

Basically a chunk of the sort of Mid-Tone Green just to the South of the Border Princes. Karak Eight Peaks, Karak Azgal, Karak Azul (maybe not this part but I wanted to join 8 Peaks and Azgal), and Broken Axe Goblins (closest to Crookback Mountain) on the map from Page One.

Map from Page One

Warhammer Fantasy - Call of Chaos

Wanted to extend an apology if I came across as hostile as well. Typed words tend to have a hard time expressing sentiments. I'm finding Skaven really fascinating but fundamentally revolting. Having a good time trying to decide how to alter them without ruining the lore that I'm really quite enamored with at this point.

I'm working on my Skaven sheet now, does anyone mind if I allude to a defeated human army from times long past? I was thinking about how to do my Skaven Legionnaire clan and decided that the best approach might be to say that they fought a long war against them in times long past, and having suffered enormous losses against comparatively small numbers they adopted some of the techniques. Skaven have little to no written history, so even they themselves will have forgotten most of what they once knew of these people.

In order not to sort of ruin what makes Skaven Skaven they won't always be able to hold the discipline that's quite important for such tactics to work. So the Skaven pikemen who are supposed to be forming an impenetrable wall of pointy death may well end up giving in to bloodlust and just dashing in. I'm thinking perhaps they're particularly susceptible to the chanting and fervor of Clan Pestilens, making it hard for the two to work together.

Warhammer Fantasy - Call of Chaos

I'll be going back and editing the Skaven sheet this weekend if that helps. I basically just got a canon sheet ready so I can know, and have ready, what I'll be doing an alternate take of. I'm not sure what changes I'll be making just yet, thus how alternative it will really be, but certainly new characters. Going to try to make them more eldritch, more Lovecrafty if nothing else. I think I'll also have a Skaven military leader with a new clan, something like a Skaven version of Caesar with Skaven Roman Legionnaires under him.

Hell if you look at my sheet I don't even have images/descriptions of 90% of my units.

I've got to say though aren't alternate takes generally more interesting when a decent proportion of stuff is the same or very similar? What If scenarios in a familiar world are only really What If scenarios in a familiar world if that familiar world is still familiar.

Warhammer Fantasy - Call of Chaos

That's a beautiful NS Poohead, I've got to step my game up.

I'll add stuff about where Skaven are, but they tend to live under human cities and occasionally in conquered Dwarfen Karaks. Specifically I remember under Mousillon, under Tobaro, Karak Eight Peaks, with a capital under a swamp near Tilea.

Not sure how we want to handle that.

I'll make some edits to my NS this weekend to differentiate it better from Vanilla Warhammer and to include some pictures since Poo used them to such awesome effect

Through the Portal

We can do "Shel misinterpreted Esailia and headed off to scout" if you want. Or we can just forget about it and continue on with the group.

I'm good with leaving any scouting party stuff for the next day. Shel would be ecstatic to have a stew cooking while going over map stuff with anyone interested, making apple cider with Numzom, giving Treekle some boiled wolf jerky.

Maybe when it gets dark Numzom can teach some sword moves and Zeke can make some new constellations.

I love campfires and so does Shel. No smores though. They're terrible.

Through the Portal

@Nagariin

He'll be sure to do that when he gets back, sounds like we're about to go scouting.

Maybe Numzom can come along? Keep us safe from any critters. Rhen, Zeke, and Shel aren't exactly barbarian warlords. You've got a writer changeling , a map-maker/cook halfling , and a astronomer/researcher human. Not particularly hard hitting.

Warhammer Fantasy - Call of Chaos

Perhaps Old World as is, but a much smaller ocean separating the New World's Naggaroth and Lustria from the Old World, much smaller desert separating Badlands/Border Princes from Araby or The Land if the Dead? Maybe add some new passes so you could come from the Blasted Lands too?

Could probably put stuff in the Worlds End Mountains too.

If New World, Naggaroth and Lustria, is closer that would help get more groups in the mix and give more space for completely original groups.

I kind of like it as is but maybe we can figure something out. I too just want a fix of some Grim and perilous fantasy

Through the Portal

Shel's just going to eat some of the broiled wolf hide, but I'll hold off on posting too so it's not too back and forth. Getting a kick out of this but I don't want to move things along too fast for everyone to get a post in.

Through the Portal

Thanks for pointing that out. I had "get it going" in one paragraph and "in our bellies" in the next.