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Capture the Power of a Dragon

Bog Trog Mist Speaker


When Dragons Battle, Caen Shudders
Battle for the Athanc Campaign Rules

Model Preview

Wrath of the Dragonfather Excerpt

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Credits
President: Sherry Yeary

Chief Creative Officer: Matthew D. Wilson


Publications Director: Michael G. Ryan
Creative Director: Ed Bourelle

Director of Business Development: Will Shick


Director of Operations: Jason Martin

Director of Marketing: Samuel Fletcher


Art Director: Mike Vaillancourt
Lead Developer: Jason Soles
RPG Producer: Matt Goetz

Playtest Coordination: Jack Coleman

Graphic Design Director: Laine Garrett


Studio Director: Ron Kruzie

Hobby Manager: Stuart Spengler

Editorial Manager: Darla Kennerud

Editor-in-Chief: Lyle Lowery

Editing: Kelsey Fox, Lyle Lowery, Michael G.


Ryan

On the Cover

Wrath of the Dragonfather by Nstor Ossandn

Juggernauts Journey

Schwangau, Germany

Proofreading: Charles Agel, Jack Coleman,


Matt Goetz, Will Hungerford, Dallas Kemp,
Ron Kruzie, Michael Plummer, William Oz
Schoonover, William Shick

Continuity Editors: Matt Goetz, Douglas Seacat,


Jason Soles
Graphic Design: Laine Garrett, Jessy Stetson,
Ainsley Yeager
Photography: Charles Agel, Matt Ferbrache,
Geordie Hicks, Dirk Hoppe, Dallas Kemp,
Roger Murmann, Jessy Stetson
Studio Miniatures Painting: Matt DiPietro,
Geordie Hicks, Dallas Kemp, Ron Kruzie

Contributors
Josh Colon, Matt Goetz, Orrin Grey, Geordie
Hicks, Will Hungerford, Nathan E. Meyer,
William Overstreet, Zachary C. Parker, Michael
Plummer, Aeryn Rudel, Michael G. Ryan,
William Shick, Tim Simpson, Matthew D.
Wilson

Illustrations

Carlos Cabrera, Oscar Carfaro, Mike Capprotti,


Hardy Fowler, Mariuz Gandzel, Johan Grenier,
Imaginary Friends Studios, David Kuo, Susan
Luo, Nstor Ossandn, Kiri stergaard
Leonard, Raphael Lbke, Andrea Uderzo, Mike
Vaillancourt, Matthew D. Wilson

Racing across the border into Germany, our Juggernaut stops outside Neuschwanstein Castle, the
inspiration for the one in Disneys Sleeping Beauty. Our Juggernaut, on the other hand, is inspired
to put such a beauty to sleep permanently...
Photo by Dirk Hoppe

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All content copyright 20012016 Privateer Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privateer Press, Iron Kingdoms, The Witchfire Trilogy, Monsternomicon, Five Fingers: Port of Deceit, Full Metal
Fantasy, Immoren, Unleashed, WARMACHINE, Forces of WARMACHINE, WARMACHINE High Command, Steam-Powered Miniatures Combat, WARMACHINE: Tactics, Convergence of
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Privateer Press, Inc. All other trademarks appearing are property of their respective owners. First printing Vol. 10, Issue 65: March 2016. Printed in the USA. This magazine contains works of fiction,
any resemblance to actual people, organizations, places, or events in those works of fiction are purely coincidental. Duplicating any portion of the materials herein unless specifically addressed
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Used with permission.

Table of contents
New Releases

Editorial

10

News from the Front

11

Model Preview: Bog Trog Mist Speaker

12

Guts & Gears: Blind Walker

14

Skull Island eXpeditions: Deadly Protocols

25

Battle Report: Battle for the Athanc Finale

30

Battle for the Athanc Campaign

49
61

O-Pin Season

Model Preview
Bog Trog Mist Speaker

Battle Report
Battle for the Athanc Finale

Table Of Contents

12

30

14

Guts & Gears


Blind Walker

49

Battle for the Athanc


Campaign

Bounty Hunt

62

Gavyn Kyle Files: Pyrrhus

64

Lock & Load GameFest 2016 Schedule

72

Skull Island eXpeditions: Wrath of the Dragonfather

80

Seeking Immortality

84

Scoundrels & Sell-Swords: Lanel Gozca

87

Vive la Resistance

90

Once Upon a Time in Khadoran-Occupied Llael

98

Player Gallery

110

No Quarter Painting Challenge

112

Bounty Hunt

Skull Island eXpeditions


Wrath of the Dragonfather

62

80

Gavyn Kyle Files


Pyrrhus

Once Upon A Time in


Khadoran-Occupied Llael

64

98

Table Of Contents

New releases

Grissel Bloodsong, Fell Caller (Metal)


game: hordes/trollbloods
sculptors: russ charles, brian dugas
painter: matt dipietro
release: april
PIP 71066 $17.99
Rk (Resin/Metal)
game: hordes/trollbloods
sculptor: brian dugas
painter: dallas kemp
release: march
PIP 71102 $54.99

Lynus Wesselbaum & Edrea Lloryrr (Metal)


game: hordes/minions
sculptor: shawn bruner
painter: matt dipietro
release: march
PIP 75065 $19.99

NEW RELEASES

Blackhide Wrastler/Blind Walker (Plastic)


game: hordes/minions
sculptor: michael jenkins
painters: geordie hicks, dallas kemp
release: march
PIP 75062 $39.99

Blighted Nyss Grotesque Raiders/Grotesque Banshees (Plastic)


game: hordes/legion of everblight
sculptor: carlos castao
painters: geordie hicks, matt dipietro
release: march
PIP 73090 $59.99

Proteus (Resin/Metal)
game: hordes/legion of everblight
sculptor: fausto gutierrez lopez
painter: dallas kemp
release: april
PIP 73097 $64.99

NEW RELEASES

New releases

Trench Buster (Resin/Metal)


game: warmachine/cygnar
sculptor: brian dugas
painter: matt dipietro
release: march
PIP 31110 $21.99

Commander Dalin Sturgis (Metal)


game: warmachine/cygnar
sculptor: michael jenkins
painter: geordie hicks
release: april
PIP 31113 $15.99

NEW RELEASES

Thunderhead (Resin/Metal)
game: warmachine/cygnar
sculptor: dave kidd
painter: matt dipietro
release: april
PIP 31120 $59.99

Sturgis The Corrupted (Metal)


game: warmachine/cryx
sculptor: michael jenkins
painter: geordie hicks
release: april
PIP 34107 $15.99

Bloat Thrall Overseer Mobius (Resin/Metal)


game: warmachine/cryx
sculptor: jason hendricks
painter: matt dipietro
release: march
PIP 34131 $24.99

Soulless Voidtracer (Metal)


game: warmachine/retribution of scyrah
sculptor: olivier nkweti
painter: dallas kemp
release: april
PIP 35067 $11.99

Grand Scrutator Severius (Resin/Metal)


game: warmachine/protectorate of menoth
sculptors: bobby jackson, brian dugas
painter: dallas kemp
release: april
PIP 32114 $17.99

Pyrrhus, Flameguard Hero (Metal)


game: warmachine/protectorate of menoth
sculptor: olivier nkweti
painter: matt dipietro
release: march
PIP 32111 $17.99

NEW RELEASES

New releases

LEVEL 7 [OMEGA PROTOCOL]: Extreme Prejudice


release: march
PIP 62008 $54.99

Immortality: An Iron
Kingdoms Adventure
release: april
PIP 424 $24.99

NEW RELEASES

Into the Wild


release: april
PIP 604 $14.99

WARMACHINE and HORDES Template Sets Available in April


Cygnar Template Set
PIP 91130 $11.99

Mercenaries Template Set


PIP 91136 $11.99

Protectorate Template Set


PIP 91131 $11.99

Trollbloods Template Set


PIP 91137 $11.99

Khador Template Set


PIP 91132 $11.99

Circle Template Set


PIP 91138 $11.99

Cryx Template Set


PIP 91133 $11.99

Legion Template Set


PIP 91139 $11.99

Retribution Template Set


PIP 91134 $11.99

Skorne Template Set


PIP 91140 $11.99

Convergence Template Set


PIP 91135 $11.99

Minions Template Set


PIP 91141 $11.99

NEW RELEASES

If you frequent the Privateer Press website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter, youve no doubt seen the
epic Battle for the Athanc WARMACHINE & HORDES map campaign that Ive been embroiled in with
several of the crew. If youve been following along with anticipation, Ive got a treat for you! This issue
contains the campaign rules weve been using to play Battle for the Athanc AND a truly epic Battle Report
that chronicles the grand conclusion to our own map campaign at Privateer Press headquarters! Yours truly
has located the athanc, but will I be able to hold on to it, or will it be snatched from my grasp? Read on to
find out.
This issue also features a Model Preview with the Bog Trog Mist Speaker and a Guts & Gears that
describes the Blind Walker in greater detail than ever before. (I restrained myself there from saying gator
detail than ever before. Youre welcome.)
The Llaelese Resistance gets the spotlight in this issues Full Metal Fantasy content. The Viva La Resistance
article is a mini-expansion sure to interest anyone who wants to know more about the Resistance, and you
can use the content with a new Resistance adventure that lets you engage in one of their daring missions.
Theres also an excerpt from the upcoming Skull Island eXpeditions novel, Wrath of the Dragonfather, by
Zachary C. Parker. This epic novel directly ties into the storylines of recent WARMACHINE & HORDES
expansion books, so you definitely dont want to miss it.
Athanc you,

Lyle Lowery
Editor-in-Chief
No Quarter

Hello,
I noticed that the last issue has a quote attributed to Lich Lord
Mortenebra. Did she get a promotion I wasnt aware of? Is Cryx trying to
tell us something?
Thank you,
Mark Davies
Boulder, CO
The Fleshless Maiden calls no lich lord master, but she is not yet a lich
lord herself. It is true there is still an opening since the destruction of
Lich Lord Morbus, and its possible Mortenebra has applied for that
position. As far as we are aware, however, Lord Toruk has not yet picked
a replacement and is still reviewing potential applicants.
Do you have a favorite article series youd like to see in a compilation?
Send us a letter with your suggestion or any other questions or
comments you have! Email your letters to letters@noquartermagazine.
com, tweet @privateerpress using the hashtag #NQLetters, or send us a
message on the No Quarter Facebook page.

10

EDITORIAL

News from the Front


A Mural for the Ages
Living up to their name, Nerd Haven Games Inc., has
gone the extra mile for the players of Abbotsford and
Fraser Valley. Store Manager Jason Anderson explains,
We wanted players to immerse themselves in the game
so we went epic-size on the art. Paying equal homage to
WARMACHINE and HORDES, the battle scene helps
set the tone for the space. The store even has dungeon
roleplaying area and fantasy-themed lounge for players
looking to dive into the Iron Kingdoms Roleplaying Game
or squeeze in a quick 25-point skirmish.

DreieichCon 2015
For the tenth time, WARMACHINE and HORDES players
gathered for the annual DreieichCon near Frankfurt to battle for
the title of German Champion. The tournament was played in
the Masters format with 64 participants.
In the nail-biting finale, Bernhard Fischer clashed with Christian
Metz. Bernhard had already won the title in the past, and
Christian was the defending champion of 2014. Bernhard had
played his first five matches without using his warlocks feat
even once!
Christian fielded a Butcher1 list against Bernhards Krueger1, and
in the end, it was Christian who came out on top to defend his
title. Congratulations to Christian for a well-deserved victory!

Conquering Love
December marked the wedding of Press Ganger Federico
Castelo, whose new bride surprised him with a custom cake that
celebrated their union and his love for WARMACHINE.
I believe the first thing I told Sofia after a long, silent pause
was, I like to play WARMACHINE. Of course that did not get
us here, but it did make her surprise perfect. Special things like
this are why I love her a little more each day, Frederico shared.

When Blood Meets Oil


Leicesters Phat Kats Gaming Club ushered in their sixth
annual Blood & Oil event, thanks to Press Gangers Ross
Knill-MacArthur (Exiled Nephilim) and Stefan Ashwell
(Stef686). In total, one hundred players entered the event,
which was both a WTC and EU Championship qualifier.
For the past two years, the bloodiest generals (most VPs)
for HORDES and WARMACHINE have been awarded
replica weapons, and this year, Mike Davies took home
Rathrok and Jim Gradwell got Daeamortus.

News from the Front brings you recaps and advance information about WARMACHINE and HORDES-related
events, as well as updates on products and people in the community. Is there a cool event taking place in your area?
Tell us about it at: submissions@privateerpress.com

News from the Front

11

Model Preview
By Will Hungerford
Art by Andrea Uderzo

Although the meanest and most intimidating


individuals lead most bog trog tribes, the real power
behind the marshy throne is often found in the webbed
claws of a mist speaker. These cunning viziers act as
the spiritual advisors and counselors to the chieftains,
performing not just as diviners and shamans but also as
sorcerers. Mist speakers purport to communicate with
the spirits of the swamp. They tap into this strange
pantheon of animistic entities, ancestor spirits, and
necromantic beings to gain insight beyond the
understanding of their fellow tribesmen. Using
their cryptic wisdom, the big fish who lead
the tribes gain insight into the best course
of actionthough the outcome almost
always favors the mist speaker himself. In
battle, mist speakers support the tribe by
wielding powerful magic that calls upon
the bog trogs swampy abodes.
Mist speakers speak reverently of the
mammoth beast Ashiga, who they
believe slumbers beneath Sike Dulra,
the great swamp of bog trog legend.
Some mist speakers claim that when
Ashiga rises from his slumber, he will
free all bog trogs from subjugation at
the claws of their gatorman oppressors.
Some mist speakers believe it is they who
will awaken Ashiga with their whispered
chants and the blood they spill.
It is these mist speakers who most
enthusiastically join the forces of the
Blindwater Congregation in battle. From the
midst of the battle, they call upon fell spirits
to harry the enemy so their blows might

12

miss, or to possess them, causing them to lay waste


to one another. Their incantations bolster their allies,
whose blows aim true with unerring precision. With
each death, the mist speakers whisper thanks and
praise to Ashiga, casting sly glances at the oblivious
gatormen who are too self-absorbed to realize that every
drop of blood shed under the sinister chants of the mist
speakers hastens the day of the gatormens destruction.

Bog
Trog Mist Speaker
Minion Solo
Minion This model
will work for Circle,
Legion, Skorne, and
Trollbloods.

Mist Speaker
SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM CMD


5 6 5 3 13 14 8

Mist Speaker
Amphibious

Mist glaive

POW P+S

4 10
This model ignores
Damage 5
the effects of deep and
Field Allowance
2
shallow water and
Point Cost
2
can move through
small Base
them without penalty.
While completely in
deep water, it cannot
be targeted by ranged or magic attacks and can make
attacks only against other models in deep water. While
completely in deep water, this model does not block LOS.
Magic Ability [6]
Guidance (HAction) RNG5. Target friendly Faction
model. If the model is in range, it gains Eyeless Sight
and its weapons gain Magical Weapon
for one turn.
Influence (HAttack) Influence is a RNG 10 magic
attack. Take control of target enemy non-warcaster,
non-warlock warrior model hit. The model immediately
makes one normal melee attack, then Influence expires.
Summon Vortex (HAction) Center a 3 AOE cloud effect
on this model. Enemy models suffer 2 to attack rolls
while in the AOE. Summon Vortex lasts for one round.
Prowl This model gains Stealth
while within terrain
that provides concealment, the AOE of a spell that
provides concealment, or the AOE of a cloud effect.

Mist glaive

Magical Weapon
Reach

The Bog Trog Mist


Speaker is an incredibly
versatile
support
solo in any HORDES
faction and is especially
dangerous in a Minions
Blindwater Congregation
army.

Using the Bog Trog


Mist Speaker

Similar to the service the


Mercenary Gorman di Wulfe
has provided to WARMACHINE
players for years, Mist Speakers bring
on-demand cloud effects to the forces
of HORDES for a mere 2 army points.

Tactical Tips

Amphibious This model can attack other models that are


in deep water.
Magic Ability Performing a Magic Ability special action or
special attack counts as casting a spell.

Unlike Gorman, Mist Speakers are not characters and can


therefore be taken in pairs! While a single Mist Speaker
can help grant concealment to a friendly warlock each
and every turn, a pair working in tandem offers a mobile
cloud wall for the aggressive positioning of said warlock.
Best of all, the Mist Speakers have Prowl, which provides
Stealth while within their own cloud effect, allowing
them to operate with relative safety from ranged attacks.
The Mist Speakers martial prowess isnt anything to
write home about, but thats okay. They prefer to rely
on the martial prowess of enemy models instead, using
Influence to force them to attack their own allies! This
spell is the Mist Speakers only offensive spell, but as any
Cephalyx player will tell you, a well-placed Influence
can turn the tide of battle. Just the mere threat of this
spell will often cause an opponent to spread their forces
wide enough to negate the spells effect, which can often
be more disruptive than the effect of the spell itself.
Finally, the Mist Speaker packs one of the most potent
ranged support spells in the game, Guidance. While
Guidance can be used on other Minion models hired
by a Troll, Skorne, Circle, or Legion army, this ability
is perhaps most effective in a Blindwater
Congregation force. Granting Eyeless Sight
to warlocks who have powerful ranged
attackslike Calaban or Raskmakes them
even more menacing. This spell is especially
dangerous on Rask, whothanks to his
trusty trident cannoncan strip off upkeep
spells that might grant Stealth to a model
or unit, such as Occultation! The Ironback
Spitter is another model that benefits greatly
from Eyeless Sight, as well as having its ball
of corrosive spit suddenly become magical
(imagine what that must look like. . . sparkly
mucus). A Spitter benefiting from Guidance
can accurately deliver its deadly AOE into
troublesome Stealth or Incorporeal infantry,
making it a great tool for dealing with
these pesky foes.

13

GUTS

&

GEARS

By Aeryn Rudel Art by Carlos Cabrera, Hardy Fowler, and Nstor Ossandn

If you make your living fishing the Cloutsdown, you get used to
seeing gatormen. Usually, theyll leave you alone if you steer clear
of their villages, but sometimes they dont. Its why I carry my old
military rifle in my boat. Im not afraid of anything made of meat
and bonea bullet in the brain will do for a gator just as it will for
a man. What I am afraid of are the gatorman shamans, the bokors.
They work a dark magic, and on some nights, you can see the witch
lights dancing over the village mounds built up out of the swamp.
Sometimes those lights move, crossing the dark marsh in silence,
and once I saw how.

hoping whatever it was would pass me by. A gatorman appeared out


of the gloom, covered in bone fetishes, its scales painted in swirling
designs. It was leading a terrible beast, a great bipedal gator with
eyes that glittered in the dark. Its head was adorned with a crown
of flickering candles, and the wax had melted into the things scales.
There was no reason those candles should have stayed lit, with the
wet and the wind, but they did.

They didnt see me, or else that bokor had more important things to
do. I went straight back to the village and I didnt come out of my
hut until the sun shone clear and strong in the sky. I dont fish at
I was doing a little night fishing when I caught sight of a glow on night anymore.
the shore. I watched it move closer and hunkered down in my boat,
Killian Dunn, Gnasir fisherman

14

Guts & Gears

The gatormen of western Immoren are mighty warriors


strong, tough, and vicious. There are few races on Caen
that can match their physical strength or natural fighting
prowess, but it is not these traits that make the gatormen
so feared by their enemies. It is the dark magic they
command, the power they derive from the terrible spirits
of the swamp, the greatest among them being Kossk.
The gatorman shamans, called bokors, can channel the
might of the spirits directly to aid allies or smite enemies.
They may also invoke these fell powers to harness the
mightiest beasts of the swamp. Sometimes it is enough
to simply control these monsters in battle, turning their
primal fury into a powerful if unsubtle weapon. Other
times, a bokor may call upon Kossk to change the nature
of a beast and make it a more appropriate vessel for the
bokors magic. The blind walker is such a creature, a
blackhide whose spirit has been hollowed, whose mind
has been all but destroyed, and whose purpose has
become much more terrible than brute ferocity.

Blind Walker Creation


They put the beast in the ground. I saw this from my cage in
the trees. Strange words were said, prayers to the scale-backs
gods, I suppose. I was frightened, for the presence of these
gods could be felt in the swamp, dark and suffocating.
Two days later, they uncovered the beast. I thought it was
dead. What manner of creature could survive such a thing?
But it moved at the scale-back shamans command. He took
the beasts eyes and ate them, then he placed candles on
its head and a metal bowl filled with fire on its back. The
candle wax melted, though there was no heat, and it seemed
the flickering lights were part of the creature now. Again,
I felt the presence of the scale-back gods, and I shut my
eyes. Would they put me in the ground? Would they take
my eyes?
Far-Springer, escaped croak slave
Blind walkers are created from blackhides, the huge
bipedal gators that have long been used by gatorman
bokors as beasts of war. The blackhide wrastler is the most
commonly encountered, and its strength and ferocity
are well documented. The blind walker is something
altogether different, a subtle and more precise weapon
compared to the wrastlers overt brutality.
The primary purpose of the blind walker is to serve as a
conduit for a bokors magic, usually the one who creates it.
Secondarily, the blind walker is imbued with an enhanced
ability to protect its master, even if this means its own
destruction.
The process of creating a blind walker is lengthy and
arduous, and only the most skilled bokors, those
that truly command the favor of Kossk, would dare
attempt it. The first part of the process is choosing an
appropriate subject. Some bokors seek a blackhide
in its prime, healthy and vigorous, to serve as the
vessel. Others, perhaps more pragmatically, may
choose an older, more decrepit blackhide, even one
that has served the bokor as a wrastler but can no
longer due to catastrophic injury or old age. The
choice of vessel makes little difference, and the
resulting blind walker is arguably the same
regardless of its physical condition before its
transformation.
Once the vessel is chosen, the first step of
its transformation into a blind walker is
the application of a powerful toxin called
the venom of Kossk. This poison, taken
from the skin secretions of certain frogs
native to the swamps, holds the multiton blackhide in a deathlike sleep for
days. The poisons primary use is to

Guts & Gears

15

destroy portions of its brain that control will and cognition,


hollowing the beasts mind to serve as a more receptive
vessel for the bokors magic. The venom of Kossk has an
additional benefit: it holds the blackhide immobile while
the rituals are performed. A powerful bokor could simply
dominate the blackhide and force it to remain still, but the
rituals involved invoke powerful spirits that could seize
control of the blackhide to disastrous effect.
Once the blackhide is immobile, the bokor petitions
Kossk through a complex set of rituals. The purpose of
these rituals is to remove a portion of the blackhides
spiritual essence so that the void may be filled with the
bokors will. Kossk devours this piece of the blackhide,
a sacrifice to ensure the mighty spirit is appeased and
will facilitate the transformation.
When the ritual is complete, bone fetishes are bound to
the blackhides body, and its muzzle is secured with ropes
that have been soaked in the bokors blood. The blood
is a sacrifice, as the bokor offers his own vital essence to
replace the vitality stripped from the blind walker and
appease the great spirit Kossk. Then a grave is dug, which
can be the most difficult part of the process. Finding an
area of firm earth in the swamp large enough to bury a
beast the size of a blackhide is not an easy task. In some
swamps there are islands dedicated to this purpose, and
this valuable resource is often a source of conflict between
gatorman tribes.
The blackhide is buried for at least two days, sometimes
more. How it survives this process is unknown, though
some scholars believe the venom of Kossk may slow the
beasts respiration to a point that it requires little oxygen.
This alone would cause severe brain damage, but since
the venom of Kossk has already stripped away the great
majority of the blind walkers mind, reduced cognition
is hardly a concern. The necromantic ritual process
employed by the gatormen during the burial manages to
mystically preserve the creatures life, though outsiders
know little about the mechanisms of this ritual.
When the blackhide is unearthed, there is nothing left of the
creatures mind beyond that which controls gross bodily
functions, such as breathing. At this point, the beasts eyes
are removed and replaced with gemstones. The type of
gemstones varies, but bloodstones are common, as they
are sacred to Kossk. Gemstones are rare in the swamps,
and some bokors may use large freshwater pearls instead,
as they are more readily available. The bokor then devours
the blackhides eyes in a ritualized ceremony, so that part
of its flesh becomes part of the bokor. This ritual binds the
blind walker to its master and imbues the beast with a
type of limited precognition directly related to threats in
its masters location.

commonly red and white. The tallow of the white candles


is combined with dirt from the blind walkers grave, the
site where it was buried and began its transformation,
while the red candles incorporate the blood of powerful
predators. The brazier is made of copper or bronze and
is inscribed with runes of life and death. The candles
and brazier amplify necromantic magic, and allow the
bokor to use the blind walker as a conduit for the bokors
magic, extending the shamans range and efficacy with his
charms and curses.
Once the candles and brazier are lit, they melt into the
blind walkers scales, fusing them to its body. The flames
are drawn from the creatures life force, and as such, they
cannot be snuffed by water, wind, or any mundane method.
Only the death of blind walker can extinguish its flames.

Blind Walker Role


We surprised the gators, but we werent prepared for them. It
was their damned bokor that caused all the trouble, him and
his wretched beast. Ive seen the gator beasts in battle before,
and they are terrible, but this monster was a new one on me.
It looked like a blackhide or at least it had started life as one.
Its head and back were covered in a mess of candles, and its
eyes had been replaced with red gems.
Id seen gator magic before, and its dark and potent, but I
also knew killing the bokor would put an end to it. We had
a couple of trolls with us, and I sent two impalers after the
shaman. They were close and when they threw their spears,
I thought for sure thatd be the end of the bokor, but that
weird blackhide appeared out of nowhere, and the spears hit
it instead. I didnt think the lumbering thing could move
that fast, but that wasnt the worst of it. I saw spell runes
form around the blackhide, and the spell, a plume of acid
mist, melted half my kriel warriors. At that point, wed had
enough, and I ordered a retreat. The gators were banged up
too, and they let us go. Thank Dhunia for that.
Champion Durok Hammerfist, Hardstone Kriel
The blind walker serves its bokor in combat, primarily
acting as a conduit for his magic and as a reliable
countermeasure against enemy attacks. The creation and
ownership of a blind walker also imparts some measure
of prestige, as it demonstrates an advanced ability with
the necromantic arts. Other gatormen may tread warily
around a bokor with a blind walker at his side.
The blind walker serves its master in both offensive and
defensive roles in battle, and while it is more specialized
than other gatorman warbeasts, it is no less deadly when
paired with a powerful bokor.

The final step in the creation of the blind walker is making A blind walker is still a formidable opponent in melee.
the crown of candles that adorn its head and back and the Its claws are strong enough to rend steel and tear fleshy
rune-inscribed brazier attached to its spine. The candles are

16

Guts & Gears

enemies to pieces. The ropes that bind its muzzle rob it


of the blackhides powerful bite, but this is a necessity,
as the hollowing of the creatures mind and soul makes
it susceptible to inhabitation by powerful spirits of the
swamp. The ritual of binding its muzzle prevents this.
More important than raw physical power is the blind
walkers function as a conduit for necromantic magic.
A bokor can channel spells through the creatures body,
dramatically extending the range at which he can affect
his enemies. This is facilitated by the candles and brazier
that form a direct link to the blind walkers life force, some
of which must be used to enact the channeling. Using the
blind walker as a vessel for magic drains away some of its
life force, and the brazier and candles can be seen to gutter
slightly when a spell is unleashed from the creature.
Careless bokors can even kill their blind walkers if they
are too reckless with their channeling ability.
Many bokors prefer to use the blind walkers channeling
powers to surprise foes and may submerge the creature
in the swampits candles cannot be extinguished this
wayto launch magical attacks at enemies before they are
even aware of the danger.
Blind walkers are also imbued with powerful defensive
abilities that can be the difference between life and death
for their masters. The ritual destruction
of
a
portion of a blind walkers soul
and mind dampens its natural

fury. This allows a bokor to transfer his injuries to a blind


walker even if it is fully enraged, an impossible feat for
other warbeasts.
Finally, the bokors ritual devouring of the blind walkers
eyes grants its blind walker an almost precognitive
awareness of threats to its master, and it is driven to
interpose itself between the bokor and anything that
might harm him. Many an enemy has rushed to deliver a
killing blow to a gatorman bokor only to have his attack
strike a blind walker that suddenly appeared between him
and his intended target.

Conclusion
We found something mighty strange in the swamp today,
so strange I dont know what to make of it. We came to one
of the larger peat islands, where we often stop to stretch our
legs a bit. Its usually empty, but today it held the gigantic
corpse of a dracodile surrounded by a dozen dead gatormen.
We circled the island to make sure everything on it was truly
dead, then went ashore to have a closer look.
There were eleven gatorman warriors and one of their
shamans or bokors. I recognized the bokor; hes quite a big
thing among the gatormen in the Bloodsmeath, powerful
and feared. All the gatormen had been killed by the dracodile,
either slashed to pieces or crushed to death. None of them
had been eaten because the dracodiles snout had been sealed
shut with strong ropes. Odder still, there was a mass of wax
on the dracodiles head and what looked to be candles. The
dracodile itself had died from more wounds than we could
easily count: cuts, burns, bites, you name it.
Whatever the hell those gatormen were trying to do with that
monster, it didnt work, and it got them all killed. I tell you,
though, something about the situation unnerved me, and
I have a terrible suspicion that if the gators had succeeded,
wed all be in a lot of trouble.
Captain Fenris Kane, the riverboat Mudraker
The blind walker represents an important and disturbing
development among gatorman bokors. The augmentation
of living creatures to act as vessels for necromantic
magic has wide-reaching implications. If it can be done
with a blackhide, might it also work on other gatorman
warbeasts? Or, worse yet, what if such augmentation could
be performed on even more potent creatures?
Often, the more civilized races of western Immoren are
quick to dismiss gatormen as simple, savage brutes. If
the terrible power of the blind walker is any indication,
this is a grave mistake.

Guts & Gears

17

blind walker tactics


By Will Hungerford
Unlike the other heavy warbeasts brought to battle by
the Blindwater Congregation, the primary function of
the Blind Walker is not killing the enemy by fang, claw,
spit, or tentacle. Instead, this tormented creature supports
the warlocks of the Blindwater Congregation in a variety
of new and exciting ways. No beast released for the
Congregation to date has opened up as many new tactics
and strategic opportunities as the loathsome Blind Walker.

effectively have a pseudo arc node nowand its secured


on the hefty frame of a heavy warbeast.

With its large base and open fists, the Blind Walker is an
unstoppable force in regards to its channeling capabilities:
Should the enemy try to bog down the Blind Walker with
small-based infantry models, it can easily trample them
and then use its animus. And if the enemy opts instead
to try and tie up the Blind Walker with a light or heavy
warbeast, the Blind Walker can use a two-handed throw
to toss the pesky foe aside and use its animus again. The
best part is the Blind Walker can use its animus after
determining if its power attack of choice worked as
One of the Blind Walkers most powerful abilities is its intended, so there is no inefficient use of fury points.
animus, Rites of Power. This animus allows the Blind
The Blindwater Congregations newfound access to the
Walkers controller to channel spells through it for the
channeling ability really allows some of the more arcanemeager cost of d3 damage points per spell channeled.
focused warlocks in the pact to be aggressive with their
Thats right, the warlocks of the Blindwater Congregation
fury spending without putting themselves in danger.
Calaban, the Grave Walker works particularly well with
one or even two Blind Walkers in his battlegroup. With
a pair of well positioned Blind Walkers and Calabans
Grave Door ability, the warlock can turn a couple of
enemy models into channelers and unleash a torrent
of arcane hell on his feat turn, all while remaining
safely behind his front lines.

When Youre Rite,


Youre Rite

Glutton for
Punishment
Prematurely rushing the Blind Walker into
position to channel spells during battle can
often lead to an early and unnecessary demise.
Like many channelers and models with the
Arc Node advantage, the Blind Walker should
not be thrown into the front lines without
considering its survivability. In fact, it is best
to keep the Blind Walker in close proximity to
its controlling warlock or the other important
solos in the army to take full advantage of its
Shield Guard ability. There are many arcanefocused warlocks in the Congregation that
greatly benefit from having a model with
Shield Guard nearby, especially those who
prefer to lead from the rear of their army.
One model in the Congregations arsenal that
definitely appreciates a bit of ranged defense
is the Sacral Vault battle engine. Thanks to its
huge base, it is not difficult to keep the Blind
Walker in Shield Guard range of the Sacral
Vault while also using the Vaults enormous
size to block LOS to the Blind Walker. But

18

Guts & Gears

some models in the Congregation do not necessarily


need a Shield Guard to protect them. Bloody Barnabas,
for example, can use his own Swamp Pit spell to protect
against enemy ranged attacks. In an army led by a warlock
who has his own abilities for protection, such as Bloody
Barnabas, it would be best to position the Blind Walker
near any solos or light warbeasts that need the additional
layer of protection.

Big and Beefy

Regardless of where the Blind Walker is positioned within


an army, as long as it remains within its controllers
control range, it can provide even more defensive support
with its Empathic Transference ability. Given that the
Blind Walkers animus costs 2 fury points to use, and that
it will often want to charge or power attack on the turn it
becomes a channeler, the ability to transfer damage to the
Blind Walker even while it is full on fury is invaluable to
any warlock.

To really make sure the Blind Walker sticks around


long enough to get the job done, consider using the Bull
Snappers Spiny Growth animus for +2 ARMit even
increases the efficiency of the Blind Walkers Shield Guard
ability.

Between taking damage each time a spell is channeled


through it, using Shield Guard to protect friendly models,
and acting as a solid transfer target through Empathic
Transference, the Blind Walker can soak up a ton of
damage very quickly. Luckily, the Blind Walker weighs in
at a hefty ARM 20 with 27 damage boxes.

The last thing to keep in mind is that unlike the Blackhide


Wrastler, the Blind Walker does not have Snacking, which
means it will need to rely on its controlling warlock to heal
any damage dealt to it. This can lead to some unfortunate
order-of-operations issues in which the Blind Walker will
be unable to use its animus to channel a key spell at a
crucial time due to a crippled Spirit. Currently, there are
no ways of healing the Blind Walker in a Blindwater army
without the warlock doing it. So, be sure to keep a close
eye on the warbeasts Spirit aspect and to proactively heal
damage when extra fury is available.

Guts & Gears

19

painting the blind walker


By Geordie Hicks
For this article, I decided to present an alternative
method for painting a Blind Walker. Rather than the
usual greens used to paint the studio gatormen, I chose
a palette intended to represent a desert-dwelling gator
tribe. I tried to stick to browns, oranges, and yellows
to communicate this desert theme. The candles were
painted blue to make the model more interesting and to
complement the reddish-orange color of the scales on the
Blind Walkers back.

COLORS USED
Bastion Grey

Cryx Bane Highlight

Morrow White

Battlefield Brown

Exile Blue

Ordic Olive

Beast Hide

Gun Corps Brown

Quick Silver

Bloodstone

Ironhull Grey

Rucksack Tan

Bloodtracker Brown

Jack Bone

Thamar Black

Brown Ink

Menoth White Base

Traitor Green

Coal Black

Menoth White Highlight

Cold Steel

Meredius Blue

Step 1 Preparation
The first step is to prime the model. Choosing a primer color means
thinking about the colors you are going to paint over it. For bright
(saturated) or light (value) colors, white primer is usually the better
option; however, having black primer in the shadows means if your
coverage isnt perfect, you wont end up with glaring bits of white
showing through your basecoat. So, I chose to first prime black
and then apply a lighter coat of white over the top. This technique
is known as zenithal priming, and it tends to leave black primer in
the recessed areas while keeping the majority of the miniatures
surface primed white.

20

Guts & Gears

Step 2 Scales and Skin

1a

1b

1. Next, lay down the three largest coats of base color. I chose to work with an airbrush for this step. For the underbelly scales, I chose
Menoth White Base. The back scales and spiny growths were sprayed with Bloodtracker Brown. And for the regular scales, I wanted
a yellowish desert color, but I didnt want things to be too saturated, so I mixed together Traitor Green, Rucksack Tan, and a little bit of
Menoth White Base.

2. Touch up the back scales and spines


with Bloodtracker Brown using a regular
brush. Next, mix together Ordic Olive,
Bloodtracker Brown, and Brown Ink to
create a dark shade, and use it to glaze
over the back scales and spines to create
shading. Use the tip of your brush to create
speckles of this color over the regular scales
as well. This adds some additional texture
and interest to the model.

4. Shade the yellowish scales with a mixture


of Battlefield Brown and Beast Hide.
Concentrate the shade on the underside of
the scaled portions of the model, but make
sure the whole surface gets at least a light
Apply a final highlight using thin lines of coating to help fill in the cracks.
pure Menoth White Base. This highlight may
look extreme, but this is the desired effect.
When painting using only a few steps, it
works best to really push the contrast.
3. Next, highlight the back scales and
spines using a mixture of Bloodtracker
Brown and Menoth White Base. Make sure
to leave some of the base color underneath
these highlights.

Guts & Gears

21

Step 3 Claws, Teeth, and Bones

1. Next, give each scale a highlight of Menoth White Highlight


on its upper edge.Basecoat the claws, teeth, and all the bones on
the model with Menoth White Base. Then shade the bones with
Cryx Bane Highlight, and shade the claws, teeth and underbelly
scales with Traitor Green mixed with a bit of Menoth White Base.

2. Now, add some stark highlights to these areas. Use Morrow White
for the bones, and use Menoth White Highlight for the teeth, claws,
and underbelly. Using different colored shades and highlights will help
distinguish different materials that have the same basecoat color.

Step 4 Ropes

1. Basecoat the ropes with Thamar Black.

22

Guts & Gears

2. Add some Coal Black to your Thamar


Black, and apply it to each raised bump
of the rope, leaving the Thamar Black in
the cracks.

3. Take a drop of the previous mixture and


add some Jack Bone to it. Use this color to
apply a small dot to highlight each bump
on the rope.

Step 5 Candles, Brazier, and Talismans

1. Basecoat the candles with Thamar 2. Highlight the candles with a mixture of
Black and basecoat the flames with Bastion Grey and Thamar Black, leaving
Menoth White Highlight. Use Cold Steel pure Thamar Black in the recessed areas.
to basecoat the talismans.

4. Do a second glaze by adding some 5. Glaze each silver area with Ironhull
Exile Blue to your Meredius Blue glaze, Grey. Try to leave the base color showing
concentrating on just the tip of each flame. on the raised portions.
Use this color to glaze around each flame
as if the light from the flame is being cast on
the surrounding areas. Then, glaze a bit of
Menoth White Highlight back into the lower
portions and crevasses of the brazier flames,
including inside the eyes and noses of the
skulls. Add a dot of Menoth White Highlight
to the bottom of each candle flame.

3. Begin coloring the flames by glazing


them with a thin coat of Meredius Blue.
Concentrate the glaze toward the tip of
each flame. Paint the skulls in the brazier
next with Thamar Black.

6. Add a darker shade of Ironhull Grey and


Thamar Black. Next, line under the raised
edge of each talisman and beneath the raised
details on the brazier. Use this same shade
color to add thin, dark lines to separate the
different materials on the model. Then shade
in the eyes and nostrils, and the lines between
the teeth to divide each one.

Guts & Gears

23

Step 6 gemstones

1. Basecoat the gemstone eyes


with Coal Black.

2. When painting gemstones, it


is important to remember that the
light shines through the stone and
collects in the bottom of the gem,
opposite the light source. Paint
the first highlight of Meredius
Blue plus a small amount of Coal
Black in the bottom left corner
of the flat facet. Use this color to
also pick out the raised edges of
the stone.

At this point, the model is nearly complete. Make sure you give
it a look over to see if you missed anything or if anything could
use a small improvement. If the yellow scales look a little too flat,
add some more shading. You can increase the definition by first
glazing a shade of Battlefield Brown over the scales and then
using this color to fill in some of the lines between the scales.
I added some glinting highlights on the metal using Quick
Silver and used a couple glazes of Beast Hide on the scales in
locations that looked too flat. The scales still needed more detail,
so I used a dark shade to divide each back scale and applied a
thin glaze of pure Bloodtracker Brown to make them look a little
redder. Once you are pleased with the details, you just need to
base and matte varnish your model to complete it.

24

Guts & Gears

3. Apply a second smaller


highlight of Meredius Blue
with a drop of Menoth White
Highlight to the same areas,
leaving some of the first
highlight showing through.

4. Now, paint in reflection dots


at the top of the gemstone using
a final glinting highlight of pure
Menoth White Highlight. Also
apply a highlight to the bottom
corner, the area where the light
would collect.

De a dly

Pro to c ols
A No Quarter Exclusive Excerpt
from LEVEL 7: The Judas Protocol
This April, devotees of the LEVEL 7 board games will learn more about the Ghin, the nefarious Dr. Cronos, and the
military forces that stand against these aliens in the new novel LEVEL 7: The Judas Protocol by author Nathan E. Meyer.
At long last, the evil experiments the Ghin have conducted on their human victims in the secret laboratory known as
Subterra Foxtrot will come to light as the U. S. government initiates the Judas Protocol, intent on wiping out of existence
the Ghin allies. The Special Ops outfit known as Disco Team is to go in, eliminate the duplicitous Ghin, and erase all
evidence of their horrific activities.
But the Ghin might not be so cooperative as to just lay down and die
The following excerpt comes from the beginning of LEVEL 7: The Judas Protocol, available as an ebook in e-pub, Mobi,
and PDF formats this April from Skull Island eXpeditions.
Available at https://skullislandx.com/level-7/the-judas-protocol,
drivethrurpg.com April 2016.

Amazon.com,

barnesandnoble.com,

and

skull island expeditions

25

Macau Special
Administrative Region

The yacht rested, low and sleek, on the indigo waters of


the South China Sea. One hundred eighty-seven-feet long,
the fifty-million-dollar craft even had its own helipad. La
Femme Mako was inked across its prow, implying French
ownership despite flying a Panamanian flag. The luxury
watercraft was neither.
The Lady Mako was the polished gem of the United States
Navy Special Warfare Commands clandestine fleet.
She served as a high-end signal intelligence platform,
communications node, and covert operations launch
pad. Her fourteen-man crew comprised veterans of
both the Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen
and the Marine Corps FAST platoon security personnel.
A member of the CIAs Special Activities Division Air
Branch operated the MH-6 Little Bird helicopter lashed to
the helipad.
The vessel represented a combined-service Special Access
Program, classified to the highest level of operational
secrecy. Because of this, the commander was used to
dealing with Tier One JSOC operators whose missions he
was never allowed to know the details of.
It seemed Major Joseph Hernandez existed in a category all
his own. He looked the part of a hard-edged skull-stomper,
and as a platoon leader in the 75th Ranger Regiment, hed
logged extensive tours in the Middle East and southwest
Asia, operating at the tip of the special ops spear.
What he did now as an operative of the Scientific
Advancement Agency was so secret that it existed outside
any known bureaucratic or administrative designations.
Hernandez sat alone in the yachts stateroom. The large
cabin was soundproof and as loaded with electronic
and surveillance countermeasures as the White House
Ready Room. On a 72-inch HD screen, the face of his
Command and Control Deputy Director of Operations,
Brigadier General Atticus Fallows, displayed no emotion
as he outlined an assignment not only illegal but with the
potential to start a war.
Our window is small, Fallows explained, his voice cold.
We want a clear message sent. Acts of espionage against
our agency will be met with extreme and lethal counteractivities. Always, every time, no exceptions.
If you dont show me what Im looking for, how will I
recognize it? Hernandez asked.
We are not sending images of Ghin materials over
satellite communications, Fallows said. Lieutenant
Williams will utilize the Guidance and Accuracy Module
in the Psychotronic Amplification Suit. Hell recognize the
uniqueness of the devices signal frequency. There will be
no mistake.

26

skull island expeditions

Hernandez nodded. This still doesnt explain how


the Chinese Ministry of State Security obtained Ghin
technology in the first place. It struck the commando
as ironic that the Ghin themselves were referred to
without code. He suspected the term was so alien that
it would be assumed to be a coded term itself, should it
ever be intercepted.
Fallows stared at him. The deputy director had a hatchetblade face with an aquiline nose and skin pockmarked
by acne scars. His eyes were a cobalt shade of blue that
burned bright when angered or became inscrutable
shields when professional discretion was called for. What
those eyes were not, however, were windows to his soul.
If Brigadier General Fallows possessed a soul, he kept it
as safely concealed as any of the thousand other secrets he
guarded, Hernandez imagined.
The original transfer of this item into Chinese hands is
information outside the parameters of this operation.
Hernandez allowed his face to congeal into an
expressionless mask. He nodded curtly. Understood.
Fallows leaned toward his camera lens. The clock is
ticking, Major, he said. And as always, when dealing
with items under the auspices of our SAA activities, the
sensitivity of the mission overrides all other concerns.
Understood, Hernandez repeated. And he did. He
understood perfectly. Under no circumstances were there
to be any witnesses.
One last thing, Fallows said, leaning back. There has
been a recent opening among the GEV personnel. Give
me an honest assessment of your pilot after the mission is
completed. Shes under consideration.
Fallows cut the connection.
An interagency transfer from the SAD to SAA? Lucky her,
Hernandez thought. If she proved capable and made the
jump, she wouldnt realize her mistake until she was in
too deep to ever get out.
It was exactly how Fallows had gotten him.
***
Half a world away, Atticus Fallows turned to face the
other being in the office with him.
The creature stood eight feet tall, with spindly appendages
that belied the inhuman strength it possessed. The aliens
head was a taupe-colored gourd, swept back around a
sloped skull that protruded grotesquely in the back.
Although generally humanoid in shape, the creatures eye
were black pits, its nostrils simple slits, and the epidermis
of its face a mask of deep seams and furrowed wrinkles.
Fallows hated being this close to the thing. It smelled...
other. The scent wasnt even animal-like but so utterly alien

to human olfactory senses it caused a persistent sense of


unease. The stink was so unique it proved impossible to
utilize military dogs for security at the facilities where the
Ghin were quartered. Both they and their puppets, the
things that served the Ghin, drove canines insane with
their unhuman stench.

Subterra Bravo,
Level 7

In a laboratory deep underground, in Subterra Bravos


Level 7, Dr. Cronos turned away from the screen before
him. This facility was a place the few human beings
who knew of its existence dubbed Nightmare Alley.
Major Hernandez is justifiably curious about how a Ghin Dr. Cronos dissatisfaction was readily apparent to the
artifact ended up in the hands of Chinese intelligence, Dr. scurrying figures around him, his servitorsthe creatures
urban legend had termed Greys. To a human, his emotions
Cronos, Fallows said.
would have been unreadable.
As you indicated to your soldier, the being replied, it
is an internal matter. With an efficient motion, Cronos sat The research center held all the trappings of an operating
down across from the SAA mission controller. After all the room. Strangely, given the immense financial commitment
years since Roswell, Fallows still found it disconcerting to needed to put such a clandestine facility into operation in
hear English from the vocal cords of a creature unintended the first place, the chamber seemed neglected.
by evolution to utter human speech.
The lights were dim, the floors and walls dirty, the

equipment dingy. Experts familiar with the technology


would have noticed the models in use were not the latest
incarnations or leading-edge applications. Other items
and devices were so foreign in design and structure their
use or meaning would be indecipherable to any human
A long moment of silence followed.
observer. Overall, the chamber gave off a sense of decay
The creature was unreadable. Fallows had conditioned that belied its level of activity.
himself through years of meditative study to betray
On the operating table a woman whimpered. Her belly
nothing, not only by his expression or his body language
was round and swollen in the third trimester of pregnancy.
but also by his thoughts. The telepathic capabilities of the
Her terror was palpable as she watched the tall alien.
aliens were a constant and feared uncertainty.
Cronos servitors milled around her, excited by her terror
At this time, my attention has shifted to Subterra and pain.
Foxtrot, Cronos said. There was an experiment
Her name was Sandra Banks. She was twenty-two years
conducted there deemed necessary to our research. It is
old, and this was her first baby. She knew it was going to
plausible that during its execution this device could have
be a girl, and she was going to name the child Alyssa. The
become compromised through a mishap.
pharmacists had warned her the pill wasnt a guarantee;
Oh, Jesus, tell me it wasnt the Fear Hunter.
still, she had never thought of Alyssa as an accident. Her
little girl was a surprise as far as Sandra was concerned.
No. The accident was more mechanically related.
And no matter what that son of a bitch Tristan thought,
Or perhaps Dr. Thoth gave it to the Chinese, Fallows she was happy when the test came back positive. She even
shot back. Is that also a plausible scenario?
saved the stick, though he told her it was gross.
Cronos folded long, twig-like fingers together and placed Tears streamed down her face, and occasionally, one of the
his hands in a lap covered by a long white lab coat. I have little alien creatures reached out with a rusty scalpel or a
not ruled out that possibility. However, I remain relatively jagged fingernail and casually sliced her skin. The filthy
certain this was an unfortunate misadventure.
sheets of the old hospital bed were stained scarlet, crusted
The general scowled. You have a lot of leeway with us,
he said, but when you start dropping your toys so they
end up in the hands of foreign powers then I think the
matter has moved a little bit beyond internal.

Relative is not a metric I enjoy, Fallows said. Certitude with older blood in stiff patches of crimson and black.
is the metric I embrace.
Out of my way, Cronos mentally commanded his underlings.
Then make certain your unit is successful, Cronos said. They scattered to obey. The Ghin stood over a tray of
Disco Team will recover the item, Fallows replied, or instruments. Fingers like spider legs grasped a five-cc
theyll burn the whole damn island of Macau to cinders. syringe with a long, sharp needle.
Then we have certitude.
For now, Dr. Cronos. Well see how long now lasts.

Sandra sobbed. It was a hoarse, animal sound. What


humanity remained in it was shredded to fragments.
Since shed gone from traveling down the highway to
inexplicably losing all memory before ending up here
she didnt know how long ago that had happened now
she had done nothing but scream and plead. She thought

skull island expeditions

27

she was done begging; she understood how useless her


pleas for mercy were. The big alien seemed pitiless.
Cronos turned around, and Sandra saw the syringe.
She had already undergone an amniocentesis at her
gynecologists; she understood exactly what that
long, thin needle was for. She saw the viscous, black
fluid inside the syringe barrel and grasped intuitively,
immediately, that this alien, this thing, wasnt going to
be taking a bio-sample.
This monster was injecting something into her, into her baby.
Shed thought she was done begging.
She was wrong.

She froze out of fear for her baby in this helpless position,
as cold fingers of dread slid into place around her
pounding heart and squeezed.
After a moment, she slowly turned her head away and
squeezed her eyes shut. Tears slid along her lashes, but
she didnt make a sound and did not stir.
Cronos returned his mechanical gaze to the image on the
screen. He mentally seethed at the state of his laboratory,
at the out-of-date equipment he was forced to use. Still,
his research had to continue or the repercussions would
be severe.
He had to find a cure.

On screen the needle slid into the baby, and Cronos pushed
Sandra screamed as Cronos drew closer. The monstrosities
the syringe plunger down, injecting the baby with its
at his command milled around in a sort of inebriated
contents in one smooth motion. The baby started kicking.
ecstasy, as if her terror were a tangible stimulant for them,
Only after the needle slid free did Sandra allow herself to
some kind of powerful drug they were addicted to.
sob again.
Cronos movements were as smooth and methodical as an
androids. Her pleas did not move him, and her shrieks Cronos had tired of the humans bleating. Sedate her, he
did not excite him. His focus was intent as he swabbed commanded one of the servants at his feet. The diminutive
her swollen abdomen with a cold disinfectant and then a clone immediately jabbed a needle into Sandras arm hard
conductive gel. The overhead surgical lamp lit her up like enough to make her jump. Then it depressed the plunger,
and the human fell silent, her breathing heavy and slow.
a performer on a stage.
Cold, inhuman fingers steadied the quivering flesh of the
struggling woman.

Dr. Cronos, a voice said in the aliens own language.


Dont do this.

Cronos turned to the second table in the room. One of his


own kind, a Ghin, lay on the table, strapped down like the
Understand this, he told her. You are saving an
human. His skin was blotchy, his body too thin. Open sores
entire species with your sacrifice. There was something
dotted the aliens limbs, leaking thin rivulets of clear fluid.
horribly wrong with the sound of the monster speaking
Picking up a second syringe, Cronos approached the alien.
a human language.
If they discover what you are doing the Ghin began,
Screw your species.
and then it coughed, spraying blood and mucus into the
Imaging, he mentally instructed one of the creatures.
air. It choked. If they find out
Please, she sobbed. Please, not my baby.

One of the drone-like servants stepped forward and


ran the oval head of an imaging wand through the gel
smeared across Sandras belly. On an old, battered screen a
picture of the fetus sprang into view. The baby was curled
up, seemingly asleep, appearing to suck her thumb.
Cronos eyed the image. Then, he expertly slid the needle
through the womans taut skin and into the placenta. On
the screen the needle appeared, a foreign intruder into
what was supposed to be a safe, comforting environment.

A wave of psychic pain slammed into Cronos, staggering


him. The dying Ghins agony had amplified its mental
abilities, but Cronos mind was strong, the strongest of his
kind, and he pushed the psychic assault aside.
They will not, Cronos said as he approached the table,
the syringe held ready to begin the second stage of his
experiment.
***

Sandras screams reverberated off the walls as she struggled South China Sea
against the leather restraints. Her body lurched under Operational countdown was running fast.
Cronos grip. The alien turned its dark, cold eyes on her. Two FAST platoon Marines armed with H&K MP-7 PDWs
They were the dead, gleaming eyes of a marine predator.
stood guard outside the reinforced doors of the stateroom
Move again and the needle could pierce the babys heart as Major Hernandez gave his operational briefing. Inside,
the remaining four members of his unit, the commander
or brain, he said.
of The Lady Mako, and the MH-6 pilot were seated around
Sandra froze.
the table.

28

skull island expeditions

Hernandez stood beside a massive screen, using it as


a display platform for the sensitive information on his
NSA-encrypted Combat Personal Data Assistant. Secured
inside the electronics lay a miniscule vial of hydrochloric
acid designed to release through an electric surge,
which activated if the CPDA were accessed improperly.
Sometimes he wondered if it might also trigger a Hellfire
missile strike from an orbiting drone. He decided that
possibility was better left a mystery.
The Lady Mako is to remain in international waters, he
told the naval officer. Once our team is back aboard, you
are to navigate to these coordinates, where we will link
up with the nuclear submarine Cheyenne. My team will
either transfer to the vessel at that point, or it will perform
recovery operations should we be forced to scuttle The
Lady Mako.

Hernandez ignored her sarcasm. Thats right. We


expect to need it, and if we do, well need it danger
close. No hesitation.
No problem, Julio.
My names not Julio.
Dunn offered him a wan smile. Sure it is. And I have zero
problem spraying and praying right over you and your
candy-ass boys.
Good. He stared at her, and she didnt shrink from his
gaze. Now, if you and the commander will excuse us, I
need to brief my team.

The two officers stood and left the room. They were so
used to compartmentalized information at this stage
of their careers that they werent even interested in
the particulars of the mission they were supporting.
Hernandez suspected that if they had understood exactly
Commander Julius Hauk was a tall, lean black man and
who this unit was and what they were confiscating, they
a twenty-two-year veteran of Naval Special Warfare
would have been very interested indeed.
commands. His voice was wry as he replied. The Lady
Mako operates two gas turbines and two diesel engines, He looked at his team.
with a total power output of 94,000 horsepower. But we At four men, it was the smallest group of soldiers hed
couldnt outrun a Chinese destroyer, let alone a MiG ever commanded in his military career. For his rank of
fighter. Theres no way in hell were making it to that sub major, it was a ridiculously small combat command, even
if your team is compromised.
for a special operations unit. In the regiment, he led a
Hernandez shrugged. Then lets hope your radar thirty- to forty-man platoon as a butter bar 2nd lieutenant,
countermeasures are as state-of-the-art as the Navy claims. and then, after serving as executive officer, he led a 120man company.
Commander Hauk leaned back in his seat, frowning.
Finally, he dismissed the comment. If he didnt like risk, None of that mattered here. This unit, Code Parole: Disco
Team, was the most significant command of his life. Disco
he would have joined the Merchant Marines.
Team consisted of four men with the most elite capabilities
Hernandez turned toward the Little Bird pilot, Chief
hed ever seen. Despite the SAA being, overall, a scientific
Warrant Officer 5 Celeste Dunn. The woman wore her
intelligence and espionage organization, Disco Team
auburn hair pulled back in a tight knot, accentuating the
was a simple, straightforward Direct Action squad. They
austere lines of her face. She met his eye as he spoke.
were door kickers from headgear to boot laces. They were
We go in low, below radarpretty standard for you. But shooters. They were their enemys worst nightmare.
were going to circle north for the final approach to the
Yet it was the things they were often called upon to shoot
airport, so if we are picked up by Macau security forces,
that left him with nightmares.
well look like were coming in from the Chinese mainland.
She tipped her head, her hazel eyes unreadable. The
approach isnt the problem, she said. If I could land,
that would be one thing. A helicopter, even a non-Chinese
model, landing at an international airport isnt a red flag.
But me hovering in overwatch during the entire strike is
going to be pretty damned suspicious.
Hernandez nodded. Agreed. But this isnt designed as
a clandestine insertion. Were going in fast and low, but
we may need that mini-gun for backup before we get to
the roof.
Dunn was nonplussed. You might need mini-gun backup
at an office building in the Macau International Airport?

skull island expeditions

29

Chronicled by William Shick

30

Battle Report

The Story So Far


For the last six months, several members of the Privateer
Press staff have been embroiled in a sweeping map-based
campaign. The players ultimate goal has been to capture
an artifact of immeasurable powerthe athanc of a longlost dragon.
Over the course of 11 rounds, the players fought for control
of strategically important sites, brokered deals and alliances
against common enemies, and secretly worked to achieve
their own objectives, all while keeping their eyes on the
ultimate prize. Visit privateerpress.com/NQ65 to find out
what happened in those first 11 rounds; then, read on for
the thrilling conclusion!
This battle report chronicles the grand finale of the Battle
for the Athanc campaign, the climatic final confrontation
for control of the wagon bearing the athanc itself.
Befitting such a major event, this battle takes place on not one
but two individual battlefields. The first hosts JR Godwin
and Will Hungerford, the current fourth- and fifth-place
players. Their battle is set to be a truly desperate spectacle,
for whoever emerges as the victor earns a place on the final
table. There, one of them will join the campaigns current
leaders, Michael Plummer and Ed Bourelle, as they battle
against Lyle Lowery to gain the prized wagon and athanc.
Previously, the two champions had descended on Lyle,
who, with a bit of luck and a lot of cunning, had discovered
and seized the wagon in Round 10.

Scenarios
Two Battles Simultaneously
Round 12 is a special two-table scenario game. The first table
uses the Last Ditch scenario and pits the current fourthand fifth-place players against one other in a match to see
who advances to the final table, which uses the Dragon
War scenario (download both scenarios at privateerpress.
com/NQ65). Of course, because these battles are occurring
simultaneously, the winner of Last Ditch will arrive on
the final table during the round in which he wins and will
arrive with whatever forces he has remaining from the
previous fight.
The second scenario, Dragon War, sees the current
controller of the athanc wagon pitted against the other
top two players from the campaign in a race against the
clock to secure the wagon from his ambushing foes. The
asymmetrical objectives for each player, however, are
only a small piece of the awesomeness that is the grand
finale of the campaign. Drawn to the power of the athanc,
several dragons have also come to call and engaged in an
apocalyptic battle overhead. The fallout of their aerial battle
will have a serious impact on the warring armies below. In
addition, the athanc in the wagon, while representing the
ultimate prize, also presents its own unique challenges to
the commanders, who are desperate to wrest control of it
for themselves.

Battle Report

31

Will Hungerford
Model/Unit

Points

Bloody Barnabas
- Blackhide Wrastler

+6 WB
9 pts

- Ironback Spitter x2
- Swamp Horror

16 pts
8 pts

Gatorman Witch Doctor


Croak Raiders (10)
Gatorman Posse (5) x2

3 pts
8 pts
18 pts

32

Battle Report

JR Godwin
Model/Unit

Points

Madrak Ironhide,
World Ender
- Rk
- Troll Axer
- Troll Impaler

+5 WB
11 pts
6 pts
5 pts

Fennblade Kithkar

2 pts

Trollkin Champion Hero

3 pts

Pyg Bushwhackers (6)

5 pts

Trollkin Champions (5)


- Skaldi Bonehammer

10 pts
3 pts

Trollkin Fennblades (10)


- Fennblade Officer
and Drummer

8 pts
2 pts

Trollkin Warders (3)

5 pts

Battle Report

33

Lyle Lowery
Model/Unit

Points

Baldur the Stonesoul


- Megalith
- Wold Guardian
- Woldwarden

+5 WB
11 pts
9 pts
9 pts

Krueger the Stormlord


- Gorax
- Ghetorix
- Warpwolf Stalker

+5 WB
4 pts
11 pts
10 pts

Gallows Grove

1 pt

Lord of the Feast

4 pts

War Wolf

1 pt

Tharn Bloodtrackers (10)


- Nuala the Huntress

8 pts
2 pts

34

Battle Report

Michael Plummer
Model/Unit

Points

Ravyn, The Eternal Light


- Hyperion

+6 WJ
18 pts

Arcanist

1 pt

Houseguard Thane

2 pts

Dawnguard Invictors (10)


- Invictor Officer
& Standard

10 pts

Houseguard
Halberdiers (10)
- Halberdier Officer
& Standard

2 pts
7 pts
2 pts

Houseguard Riflemen (10)


- Rifleman Officer
& Standard

8 pts
2 pts

Stormfall Archers x2

10 pts

Reinforcements

Points

Garryth, Blade
of Retribution
- Aspis
- Moros

+5 WJ
4 pts
6 pts

Lord Arcanist Ossyan


- Imperatus

+6 WJ
12 pts

Narn, Mage Hunter of Ios

3 pts

Dawnguard Sentinels (10)


- Sentinel Officer
& Standard

9 pts

Mage Hunter
Infiltrators (10)
- Eiryss, Mage Hunter
Commander

2 pts
8 pts
3 pts

Battle Report

35

Ed Bourelle
Model/Unit

Lich Lord Terminus


- Deathripper
- Defiler
- Kraken
- Ripjaw

Points
+4
4
5
19
5

WJ
pts
pts
pts
pts

Captain Rengrave

2 pts

Necrotech & Scrap Thrall

1 pt

Bloat Thrall

2 pts

Pistol Wraith

3 pts

Bane Thralls (10)


- Bane Thrall Officer
& Standard

8 pts

Revenant Crew of
the Atramentous (6)

36

Battle Report

3 pts
6 pts

Reinforcements

Points

Deneghra, the
Soul Weaver
- Deathripper
- Harrower
- Nightmare
- Reaper

+4
4
10
10
7

Lich Lord Venethrax


- Ripjaw
- Seether

+6 WJ
5 pts
9 pts

WJ
pts
pts
pts
pts

Last Ditch Deployment


JR: Knowing our GM, this scenario will be
brutal and funcaverns birthing dragonspawn,
rocky terrain making maneuvering a challenge,
and a Blindwater Congregation force led by Will
Hungerford. This battle will be a tough one.
Swamp water runs in Hungerfords veins. The
dragonspawn are going to be my main focus as
I try to keep my path to rush the zone clear until
late in the game. My Warders and Fennblades
are going to try to hold the line, and my pygs
will try to keep the gators from flanking me
while my Champions and Madraks battlegroup
carve my path to the main table.
Hungerford: This is it. Its now or never. If I
cant win this battle, then Im done for in this
campaign. I know I should hang back and kill
off as many dragonspawn as possible and then
rush the zone toward the end of the third round
to secure a scenario victorybut nah. Im going
to kill Madrak, even though it doesnt cause me
to automatically win the game. Ill see what I can
do to position myself to score as many scenario points as
possible, but my moral victory will occur when Madraks

corpse is shoved screaming into the maw of any of my


many Blindwater Congregation faithful.

Dragon War Deployment


Lyle: Okay, so all I need to do is control the Athanc Wagon
for four turns while an army with a colossal closes down on
me from each side. No big deal, right? My only
chance of success is to hold the Athanc Wagon
for the FIRST four turns. I cant afford to lose a
turn of control because the attrition losses will
start to add up fast. Ill need to do whatever
I can to preserve my army while holding off
Plummers and Eds. Theres a forest to the left
of the road, but the right side is dangerously
open. So, Ill take my chances against Plummers
Retribution army, using Krueger to escort the
wagon. His group will use the concealment of
the forest for some degree of protection from
open assault while using the wagon itself to
screen the force from Eds Cryx army. Baldurs
slower-moving force will wait on the other end
of the table, ready to take control of the Athanc
Wagon as it progresses across the field later in
the game.

for this whole game, so I want to put my hardest hitting


units over there. My Halberdiers and Riflemen should be

Plummer: Im relieved to see that Lyle hasnt


taken a ton of AOE attacks. I have a lot of troops
and not a whole lot of space to deploy them in.
Baldurs battlegroup on my left flank will be
the hardest target that I have to contend with

Battle Report

37

Dragon War Deployment (Continued)


able to deal with most of what Krueger is bringing to the
table and will leave me with plenty of points to contest
the wagon if I can chip away Lyles army. I need to try
and strike fast and hard so that I still have enough troops
left to fend off Eds army while I get the Athanc Wagon
off the table. This is going to be an uphill fight, but Will
has given me a few tricks up my sleeve, and Im feeling
pretty confident.

Ed: What madness has Will Shick created here? I deploy


where?
Ha!
Time to make a Circle sandwich. No, wait. I can do better...
Hmm... Maybe not.
Time to make a Circle sandwich.

Round 1: Last Ditch


Minions
Barnabas and his Blindwater Congregation rushed forward
with reptilian hisses. The prospect of capturing the athanc
and using it to further his rise to godhood had the ancient
bokor nearly frothing at the mouth. But before he could
ascend with the power of the athanc, he would have to
reach it first, and two things currently stood in his way:
a trollblood army and the dark caverns ahead, ominous
sounds echoing from their depths.
The bulk of the gatorman forces moved brashly toward
the caverns, which hid the underground tunnels that
led to their true goalthe athanc.
Despite the rising bloodlust in their
cold reptilian hearts, the gatormens
keen hunter instincts compelled them
to exercise some degree of caution.
Something was stirring within those
caverns. Each posse sent forth a single
member to scout for any danger
ahead. Behind them, the gatorman
witch doctors called forth potent
enchantments to lend the powers of
death to the gatorman vanguard.
Using the greater gatorman force as
a distraction, a unit of croak raiders
moved stealthily around the flank of
the battlefield. They had claimed to
their gatorman overseers that such
a maneuver was meant to put them
within better striking distance of
the encroaching trollkin, but it was
clear they also sought to keep as
much distance as possible between
themselves and whatever unseen
horrors waited to burst forth from
beneath the earth.

38

Battle Report

No sooner had the croaks completed their flanking


maneuver than several twisted dragonspawn burst forth
from the caverns like ants whose hill had been disturbed by
a passing traveler. Slick serpentine bodies covered in black
chitin rushed forward on clawed limbs. From the cavern
entrance closest to the gatormen, two lesser dragonspawn
charged out to snap and bite at the forward-most posse
members. And from the entrance closest to the trollkin,
a lesser and a heavy dragonspawn lunged, their fanged
maws glistening with thick, ropey saliva.

Round 1: Last Ditch (Continued)


Trollbloods
Pointing Rathrok at the dragonspawn, Madrak let loose
a powerful cry, calling his warriors to battle. The unit of
champions, led by none other than Skaldi Bonehammer,
charged into the heavy dragonspawn and cut it to pieces
while the pyg bushwhackers made short work of the other
lesser dragonspawn with the combined fire from their rifles.
Ready and willing to be the bulwark against the many
foes confronting their comrades, the warders ran forward,
chanting a challenge to the monsters both deep within and
on the surface of the earth. The Fennblades also rushed

forward, eager to come to grips with their foes. At that


moment, however, two new lesser spawns emerged and
quickly ripped two trollkin to shreds. Bits of thick skin
and quill hung from the spawns fanged maws, but their
ravenous hunger did not end there. The gatormen on the
opposite side suffered a similar fatethe caverns blightbirthed defenders pulled down two of their number. Each
dragonspawn was a grisly reminder to all that the ultimate
prize was near but claiming it would exact a heavy toll.

Dragon War
Circle Orboros
From the skies above came a great roar that shook the
earth and the heavens, filling the souls of the living with a
dread unlike any they had ever felt before. Soaring on black
wings, Toruk cut through the sky: the Dragonfather and
master of Cryx itself had come to claim what was rightfully
his. As his blight fell upon the battlefield below, the bodies
of the living became feeble and weak, their strength drained
from their limbs.
With enemies on both sides seeking to wrest control of the
athanc wagon from him, Krueger knew the fight ahead would
not be easy. The Iosans advanced from one flank, the shape of
a Hyperion appearing in the distance. At their command was
Ravyn, Eternal Light. From the opposite flank, a Cryx army
made its way forward, a mighty Kraken towering over the
rest of the army and Terminus looming behind.
Thankfully, Baldur the Stonesoul had received Kruegers
urgent message for assistance and had come to aid the
Stormlord and safely deliver the wagon from the hands of

both the Iosans and Cryx. Baldur and his wolds emerged
across the battlefield from Krueger, ready to relieve
Kruegers forces as they escorted the athanc wagon. While
the sight of Baldur was a relief, Krueger knew it would
be some time before Morvahna the Dawnshadow would
be able to make her presence known, as she was currently
maintaining the rearguard of the wagons escort.
Baldur and his wolds advanced toward the center of the
battlefield, utilizing their connection with the Stonesoul to
armor themselves in mystic wards. Meanwhile, Krueger
ordered his forces to take stands to confront the Iosans,
who seemed to present the greater threat. The Stormlord
advanced forward and summoned a great storm to hinder
the ranged weapons of his many foes. Using the concealment
of the forests, the Circle forces took their positions, and the
towering form of the athanc wagon made its way onto the
battlefield. For many combatants on all sides, this was the
first time they had laid eyes upon the treasure they had
fought and bled so much for over the past months.

Retribution of Scyrah
Once again, the skies above commanded their attention.
A piercing crack that sounded like the earth had split
rolled across the land as Toruk clashed with his rebellious
progeny, the mighty Blighterghast and the nefarious
Charsaug. Toruks claws raked great and terrible wounds
upon their scaled flesh as they locked in battle overhead.
Great waterfalls of dragon blood cascaded down upon the
fields below, and the corrosive rain melted armor and flesh
with equal ease. Gouts of blood splashed onto the Kraken
as well, but its thick armor was able to withstand much of
the damage. Baldurs gallows grove did not fare as well,
however, and was quickly destroyed, while Baldur himself

was forced to transfer the wounds he sustained from the


searing rain to one of his wolds.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Ravyn ordered her
Retribution soldiers to attack the Circles relief forces,
hoping to destroy them before they could combine their
might with that of the Stormlord. Under her direction,
the Hyperion unleashed its arcane starburst cannon at the
woldwarden, the power of the weapon disintegrating huge
chunks of stone from the wolds body. The thresher cannons
in its torso fired next, seeking to cut down Baldurbut
failing. The shots were wildly off target, buffeted by
Kruegers arcane mastery of wind and storm.

Battle Report

39

Dragon War (Continued)


Believing her Invictors were more
than up to the task of taking on the
rather ponderous Baldur, Ravyn
chose to save her feat for later. It was
a choice that would prove costly as,
despite the odds, fate cruelly turned
against the Retribution forces. Every
shot from the Invictors missed the
dangerously exposed Circle warlock.
As Ravyns army lost their chance for
a quick and decisive victory on the
left flank, the houseguard on the right
moved forward. The halberdiers
locked shields and moved quickly
to engage the lurking bloodtrackers
within the forest, trusting their heavy
shields would protect them from
the Tharn females wicked fighting
claws. Meanwhile, the houseguard
thane ordered the houseguard
riflemen to take aim at the unengaged
bloodtrackers. Despite coordinating
their fire, however, every single shot
missed its target, continuing the
Retributions streak of poor shooting.

Cryx
Following their initial clash, the dragons overhead wheeled
about, their massive serpentine bodies blacking out the sky.
Though no significant effects were to befall the battlefield
this time, the simple presence of the dragons caused plenty
of distractions among the troops, all of whom quaked in
silent fear as they watched the god-like beings wage war
in the clouds.
Eager to reclaim Toruks prize, Terminus drove the Kraken
forward and had it fire its main cannon at Baldur. The
powerful shot missed, however, falling short of its target
due to Kruegers Storm Wall spell.

40

Battle Report

Terminus compelled his Deathripper forward, positioning


its arc node so he could send an Annihilation blast through
it onto the hulking Ghetorix. Yet despite boosting the attack,
Terminus failed his shot, and the blast fell at a harmless
distance from the nearby Circle troops. With few targets
available, the rest of the Cryxian army ran forward to
position themselves to strike at the blackclads and reclaim
the Dragonfathers athanc shard from any who would dare
contest the dragons claim.

Round 2: Last Ditch


Minions
With a never-ending tide of dragonspawn furiously rushing
from the caverns and the rapid approach of trollkin,
Barnabas hissed for his warriors to push on. While the
gatorman posses set upon the dragonspawn that had
attacked them earlierthe powerful blows from gatorman
blades and teeth more than a match for even the largest
blighted cavern guardianthe croak raiders sprang their
trap upon the trollkin.
Having avoided the attention of the dragonspawn, the
croaks moved into a promising position to threaten the
otherwise preoccupied champions. Without hesitation, the
lead croaks rushed forward with surprising alacrity, hurling
oil gourds that smashed open to cover the heavily armored
champions in viscous, reeking fluids. Before the trollkin
could respond, the second line of frogmen hurled flaming
darts at the unfortunate champions, combining fire with oil
to turn minor wounds into lethal infernos. In mere seconds,
the trollkin were consumed by the flames. Witnessing his
proud warriors succumb to such treacherous tactics, Skaldi

screeched a string of vile curses in Molgur-Trul upon the


croaks, vowing vengeance for his warriors.
The great champions attention was soon diverted from the
flaming arrows of the croaks as more dragonspawn scuttled
on clawed limbs from deep within the earth. Another
warder was dragged down, though the blood of Dhunia
within his veinsalong with his heavy plate armorwas
just enough to save him from complete destruction.
Barnabas had had enough of the dragonspawn annoyances
and rushed forward to cleave a lesser spawn in twain before
its jaws could snap shut upon its prey. The ancient bokor took
only momentary pleasure in the spray of blood across his
hooded face; he knew such trivial slaughter was meaningless.
As his milky white eyes scanned the developing battles, he
paused. He saw one warrior whose death might truly bear
significance, a warrior whose blood, if spilled, could move
the bokor forward in his ultimate quest for godhood.

Trollbloods
Madrak Ironhide bellowed for his
warriors to push forward, the will
of the ancient axe Rathrok pressing
upon his mind. Its edge thirsted for
battle, for slaughter undreamed. With
great force of will, Madrak pushed
the apocalyptic thoughts aside and
asserted his dominion over the
cursed weapon. Soon he would have
to unleash the axe, but that time had
not yet arrived.
With a war cry of their own, the
Fennblades crashed into the heavy
dragonspawn that had emerged
from the underground caverns, the
Fennblades powerful weapons
making short work of the great
monster. The kithkar rushed forward
to cut down the lesser spawn
chomping furiously at the fallen
warder. In one swift blow, his hammer
smashed the voracious critter to
paste. Hauling the bleeding warder to
his feet, the two shared a short nod.
Interrupting the warders brief pause,
a feline-like light dragonspawn
darted from the cavern entrance, only

Battle Report

41

Round 2: Last Ditch (Continued)


Trollbloods
to feel the harsh bite of their blades. Skaldi, still filled with
rage at the croaks on his flanks, ordered his champions to
hack down another light dragonspawn. Even through his
alcohol-fueled battle lust, the veteran warrior understood
the importance of clearing the caverns for Madrak and the
hopefully fast-approaching trollkin reinforcements.
Fate, it seemed, was not with the trollbloods with a
mighty roar, another two heavy dragonspawn emerged
from the caverns. The pair charged forward and tore
apart a warder and a nearby Fennblade, while another
dragonspawn ripped a gatorman to shreds on the other
side of the field.

Dragon War
Circle Orboros
Once more, the battlefield was awash in sizzling dragon
blood as the great wurms battled fiercely overhead.
Though Kruegers forces were spared from its touch,
his enemies were not. The insidious powers of the bane
thralls, however, saved the majority of their number from
the bloods deadly touch.
Engaged by the houseguard halberdiers, the bloodtrackers
attacked with their full primal ferocity and used their
agility to strike from unexpected angles, throwing the Iosan
warriors off-balance and exposing vital weak points behind
their heavy shields. While the bloodtrackers distracted and
harried the halberdiers, Krueger tapped into the warpwolf
stalkers innate bloodthirst and willed it to charge into their
ranks. Through the eyes of his stalker, Krueger savored the
spectacle of tightly packed elves being scythed like grain
at harvest, their pathetic shields worthless against the
stalkers massive blade.

Too close to the athanc wagon, Krueger was unable to tap


into his arcane link with Orboros, and so he took flight
away from the shards blight field to once again summon
powerful winds and hinder the many ranged weapons of
his enemies. Realizing his departure had left the wagon
unescorted, with a shrill whistle he sent a war wolf bounding
back to the wagon. Meanwhile, Baldur the Stonesoul drove
his wolds forward, tapping into their shared mystical
connection to unleash several earth-rending spells. These
were directed at the two foes bearing down from the flanks.
Surveying the field, he called upon his most potent magic,
the resilience of the bones of Orboros itself, and wrapped
it around all the Circle forces within reach. Rooted now to
the earth by his powerful enchantment, he let out a small
prayer as he watched the unstoppable wagon smash aside
a bonejack that had wandered into its path. He prayed his
efforts would be enough to see the beleaguered blackclads
through the storm that was about to come.

Retribution of Scyrah
Ravyn was surveying the unfolding chaos of battle
through the towering vantage point of her Hyperion when,
suddenly, her stomach lurched and her vision spunher
mental connection with the machine had been broken by
a wave of intense blight energy. All across the battlefield,
Blighterghasts blight corroded and ate away at metal,
stone, and necrotic flesh. Even the reinforced steel of her
Hyperion bubbled and corroded. Re-establishing her
link with the Hyperion, Ravyn prayed to Scyrah that the
Cryxian forces would suffer greatly beneath the blight of
their masters fiercest rival.

42

Battle Report

Amidst the bloody and broken bodies of the halberdiers,


the warpwolf stalker howled with red-eyed rage as the
Retribution troops opened fire on it. In an unfortunate
turn of events, the unnatural winds summoned by Krueger
caused a stray Stormfall arrow to crash into a houseguard
rifleman, ending his life in a wash of friendly fire. Despite
the less-than-stellar performance of the Stormfall, the
riflemen quickly brought down the marauding warpwolf
with the weight and accuracy of their combined fire. Free
from the threat of the warpwolf, the houseguard thane
ordered the halberdiers to disengage from the bloodtrackers

and to tie up the fearsome Lord of


the Feast. But even as they turned,
two halberdiers were cut down. The
wicked Tharn huntresses were quick
to pounce on their foes exposed
backs. The halberdiers sacrifice
had been worth it, thoughthe
bloodtrackers were left dangerously
exposed. Ravyn watched through the
eyes of the Hyperion as she directed
it to march right into the midst of the
lithe Tharn. She reveled in the feeling
of power as the colossals Starburst
cannon charged. With a shrieking,
high-pitched whine, it shot forth
into the bloodtrackers below. A flash
of blinding white came before the
sucking rush of wind that seemed to
tug at reality itself, trying to swallow
it into the pitch-black void that
followed. And as quickly as it had
disrupted the world, it ceased. The
world returned to its normal state
but with one slight change. Where
an entire unit of bloodtrackers had
once stood was now nothing but a
blackened crater.

Plummer: The Hyperions Starburst Cannon is always a


satisfying weapon to fire, but this shot really takes the
cake. It felt really good to finally have those Bloodtrackers
out of my hair.

On the left flank, the remaining Retribution troops did their


best to whittle down the magically protected wolds, but the
Stonesouls potent magic protected them from the brunt of
the Retributions firepower.

Cryx
Sensing an opportunity as Blighterghast and Toruk became locked in a deadly aerial clash, Charsaug swooped
down in an attempt to snatch the athanc shard from below. The swipe from his massive claw rent apart the earth
and the Circle forces surrounding the wagon. Krueger
was only saved from the powerful and unexpected blow
by transferring his wound to Ghetorix, who had also
suffered from Charsaugs sudden strike. In the wake of
devastation, the untouched Cryxians had to deal with
the lingering effects of Blighterghasts corrosive blight.
Critical to the Nightmare Empires forces, the bane thrall
standard and the revenant crew leader both succumbed,
leaving their units severely weakened.
As he empowered all his jacks, Terminus ordered the
pistol wraith to target Megalith. The ghostly gunslinger
easily hexed the towering wold, locking it in place with
bonds of necromantic energy. Terminus then had the Defiler
advance and spray a stream of highly corrosive acid across

the line of Baldur, Megalith, and the wold guardian, but the
blackclads feat saved the trio from the worst of the damage.
Seeking to end the threat of the Circle warlock, Terminus
sent the remaining revenant crew to attack him, though
they too were unable to do any significant damage, thanks
to the wards surrounding him. Determined to sap whatever
strength he could from the Circle relief force, Terminus sent
his Ripjaw to gouge a great chunk from Megaliths frame,
severely weakening the already damaged wold. The Lich
Lord followed the bonejacks assault with a charge from the
Kraken, but even the might of the colossal was not enough
to completely finish Megalith. In spite of the wolds dogged
resilience, Terminus had successfully positioned his forces
to cut off the Circle from the wagon, wresting control of it
away from the druids for the first time.
The Cryxians struck a significant blow by capturing the
wagon. Now the only question was: how much would the
druids have to sacrifice to regain control?

Battle Report

43

Round 3: Last Ditch


Minions
Barnabas could feel the tide of battle slowly turning toward
the trollkins favor. Despite the heavy losses they had
suffered at the hands of the dragonspawn, the warriors of
the pathetic Dhunia had made significant progress toward
claiming the caverns as their own and, with it, the only
route to the athanc wagon.
Summoning his wrastler, Barnabas commanded the great
reptile to hurl him toward the trollkin warlock. Ignoring the
pain of the hard impact upon the ground, Barnabas called
upon the wrastler to use its animus to lift him from his
downed position. Once more on his feet, Barnabas reached
out to the tentacled swamp horror, commanding it forward.
Sickly green runes surrounded Barnabas arms as he drew
on the power of its animus. Bones snapped and popped as
the warlocks limbs elongated and stretched beyond any
normal limits. His new distorted form gave the ancient
bokor a comical yet undeniably horrifying appearance.
With a hiss, Barnabas charged the unsuspecting Madrak,
unleashing his most potent magic and summoning a
brackish tide to sweep all the trollkin around him off their
feet. Barnabas elongated arms bent and writhed like snakes
as he brought his powerful axe Bone Cleaver down in a

Trollbloods
A subtle but palpable silence fell
over the battlefield as all eyes fixed
on Madrak; the acid that bathed
him continued to eat away at his
flesh. But assured destruction was
narrowly avoided, thanks to his
innate hardiness, as he toughed out
the searing agony and heroically rose
to his feet.
Madrak called for his warbeasts to
rise and sent his axer crashing into
the heavy dragonspawn that was
currently attacking the warders. With
three great sweeps of his axe, the troll
laid the creature low, freeing up the
warders to press forward. Madrak
ordered Rk to enter the caverns,
hoping the mighty warbeast would
be enough to reclaim control of the
vital passage.
Through gritted teeth, Madrak
called for the Fennblades to engage
the heavy dragonspawn near them.

44

Battle Report

series of brutal strikes upon his prone foe. Madrak was only
saved by the sacrifice of his impaler, as he transferred as
much damage as possible to it, and the death of the nearby
kithkarthe trollkin warriors life had been claimed in
place of Madraks own by Rathroks curse.
Hissing in rage at the tenacity of his foe, Barnabas
commanded his ironback spitters to fire upon the severely
wounded trollkin. The shots were slightly out of range, and
although one still managed to hit, the splatter of acid was
unable to finish off the downed trollkin warlock, though
it did leave Madrak covered in corrosive acid. Severely
wounded and exhausted of his arcane energy, Madrak
knew his future, as well as his hopes of reaching the athanc,
looked bleak indeed.
The gatorman posses charged into the caverns and hacked
apart a guarding dragonspawn while the croaks continued
to harry Skaldi and his champions, attacking with fire that
managed to kill all but the trollkin hero. Making matters
worse, an ensuing rush of dragonspawn beleaguered
the trollkin. In a true test of the trollkins legendary
toughness, the trollkin managed to keep the two new heavy
dragonspawn at bay.

Round 3: Last Ditch (Continued)


Sensing his moment was now or never, Madrak drew upon
all his remaining reserves of energy and unleashed the true
power of Rathrok, imbuing all his forces with a portion
of the axes savagery and bloodlust. Limbs infused with
power, the trollkin tore into their nearby foes. Most critically,
the Fennblades managed to destroy the dragonspawn they
engaged with a flurry of attacks granted by Madraks feat.
Following the sudden storm of trollblood fury brought on
by Madrak and his connection with Rathrok, there was a
sudden and unnatural silence. As Madrak surveyed the
field, he saw the Blindwater Congregation had been pushed
back. Though his skin was still burning from the acid and
his body was plagued by exhaustion, he felt a great relief.
Despite all odds, they had won the field.
Looking to his left, he saw Skaldi standing alone and raised
his axe in salute. As he caught the champions eye, he saw,
far too late, the sudden terror fill his gaze. Skaldi shouted
a warning and moved to reach him. Turning, Madrak

watched in sudden, slow-motion horror as the glistening


fang-filled maw of a huge dragonspawn fell upon him,
engulfing him in darkness.
JR: Four dragonspawn, an Ironback Spitter, and Bloody
Barnabas did their best to take Madrak down, but he stood
up, ready for the next table. Until our GM reminded us that
dragonspawn still needed to spawn before the round could
end...The gators are heading back to their swamp, and Im
headed to the main table hoping there is still time to claim
the athanc for myself. Victory was mine but at a hefty price.
Hungerford: Well, Madrak didnt die screaming exactly as I
had intended, but he did die screaming. Im sure Barnabas
left the battlefield grumbling about how his meal was stolen
by a mindless dragonspawn after he had done ALL THE
WORK. Whateverenjoy your handful of bloody survivors
and your mess of wild warbeasts in the next scenario, JR.
Were going back to the bayou.

Dragon War
Circle Orboros
Krueger surveyed the grim scene before him as another
torrent of blighted blood fell from the sky, killing several of
the Iosans surrounding the Lord of the Feast. Behind him,
he heard the hunting howls of war wolves and turned to
see Morvahna the Dawnshadow had finally arrived. He
cursed as he looked back toward the north where more
reinforcements should have been, but none were to be
found. He could feel the noose tightening around his neck.
The Cryxians had already taken control of the wagon. As
both the Iosans and Cryxians continued to close in, his
chance of victory slipped further and further away.
Through his mental link, Krueger tried to call upon the
Goraxs primal rage to enhance the wounded Ghetorix,
but the sickening energies of the nearby athanc prevented
the creature from being able to tap into its animus. Worse,
Ghetorix himself was caught in the blight field, preventing
Krueger from healing his wounds. Regardless, Krueger
knew he had no choice and drove Ghetorix to tear into
the massive Hyperionbut the damage the warpwolf had
sustained earlier had left his mind crippled. His attacks
were far less accurate, as his more savage instincts raged
unchecked. Pushing him to the brink of frenzy, Krueger
impelled the greatest of warpwolves to hold nothing back.
Despite everything, it was still not enough to bring the
hulking colossal to its knees.

Escaping the blighted energies of the athanc wagon


once more, Krueger drew upon his most potent magic,
unleashing an arcane hurricane across the battlefield that
drove back his enemies with its sheer ferocity. He then cast
Storm Wall and lashed out with his elemental lightning
with great pleasure, annihilating a pair of Dawnguard
Invictors in a flash of white.

Battle Report

45

Dragon War (Continued)


Circle Orboros
Morvahna charged forward into the bane thralls, cutting
down two of their number before retreating to add her
own presence to the wagons escort. Her gorax charged
the nearby scrap thrall, the resulting explosion from its
destruction far from enough to damage its tough hide. The
rest of Morvahnas reinforcements also moved up, eager to
stop Cryx and take back the wagon.

With a final crack and an ear-splitting howl, the Kraken


finally fell broken and shattered to the ground. With his
last remaining strength, Baldur called forth an earthrending crevasse from his Woldwarden, which sent several
Dawnguard tumbling to their deaths deep within the earth.
His work done, Baldur fell to his knees, Tritus slipping from
his tired fingers.

But even with their support, it was not yet enough. From
across the field, Baldur knew what he had to do. He turned
to look upon the monstrous hulking form of the Kraken,
whose tendrils lashed out to wrap about and ensnare the
athanc wagon. The Stonesoul gave no shout or war cry
as he lifted his powerful stone sword Tritus and charged
alongside his favored wold Megalith, which had used its
primal energies to shake away the pistol wraiths Death
Chill. Together, the pair struck against the black iron hull of
the Kraken, the peal of stone striking steel ringing out like
some black funerary bell across the battlefield. Again and
again, the Stonesoul struck the infernal machine, holding
nothing back as he allowed the inner fire of the Wurm
that burned within to consume him as it lent impossible
strength to his limbs.

Behind him, he heard the rumble of the wagon once more


speed away. As the shadow of Cryx fell upon him, he
allowed himself a small, satisfied smile.
Lyle: I really felt like I needed to bring down both colossals,
but the Athanc Wagons magic-sapping effects hampered my
ability to hit the Hyperion hard. I was unable to use Primal
on Ghetorix, and on top of that, I couldnt heal Ghetorixs
crippled Mind. Still, I went for it, and at least I succeeded
in bringing down the Kraken.

Retribution of Scyrah
Mighty roars and primal screams split the sky as the war
above intensified to a fevered pitch. Enraged by the sheer
number of blows he had suffered from his rebellious progeny,
Toruk lashed out at Scaefang with all his might. Toruks
blow dealt the lesser dragon a severe wound that caused
its blood to fall upon the land below like a tidal wave and
sent Scaefang crashing into the mountains beyond. Beneath
this deluge, many warriors were laid low, and several of
the warjacks and warbeasts were severely damagedthe
blighted blood ate away everything it touched.

The unexpected assault from behind drew the attention of


the Stormlord, but as he turned to witness the death of his
comrade, death claimed him from the front. Garryth, Blade
of Retribution, stepped forward and, in two smooth shots,
sent Krueger crashing to the ground, twin red blossoms
flowering upon his chest.

From the vantage point of the Hyperion, Ravyn saw


shadows move. She studied the area behind where
Morvahna had joined the battle. Without warning,
Eiryss and her mage hunters struck from ambush, their
circuitous path proving well worth the delayed arrival.
The legendary mage hunter and her infiltrator unit sprung
upon the unsuspecting blackclad warlock. Though the
druid fought bravely, she was quickly overwhelmed.
The deadly accuracy of the enemys blows were too
many in number and too great in force for her to stand
against. Even as Eiryss and her troops finished off the
Dawnshadow, Ravyn caught sight of the graceful form of
Narn, who darted forward to strike down several banes
before sprinting away to the shadows once more.

Ravyn called upon her feat and dashed forward to eliminate


the Lord of the Feast, but her shot failed to bring down the
unholy avatar of the Wurm. A volley from the Stormfall
archers, however, proved enough to finally end his threat
and bring some solace following the brutal orgy of death
the Lord of the Feast had unleashed upon the Invictors
moments before.

46

Battle Report

Plummer: Well, I dont think that could have gone any


better. Now I just need to hold out long enough to move up
and take control of the wagon

While the houseguard riflemen finished off a harassing


war wolf, the rest of the Retribution forces ran forward in
hopes of claiming the wagon from the severely weakened
Circle forces, lest victory be snatched from their grasp at
the final moment.

Dragon War (Continued)


Cryx
From above, another wash of
dragon blood splashed down and
caught the newly arrived Garryth
full on, severely weakening his
power field just as the earth
beneath his feet gave way. In
seconds, what had once been
solid ground became a yawning
black chasm from which wicked
green eyes burned. With a howl
of venting steam, the wicked
form of a helljack, wrought and
blessed by the sinister magic of
Deneghra, burst forth. In a flurry,
its wicked talons eviscerated not
just Garryth but Ravyn, who was
beside him, as well. As Nightmare
flicked the gore from its talons,
a Harrower charged out of the
earth to cut down the shocked
and horrified riflemen with one
great sweep of its massive talon.
Taking advantage of the sudden
subterranean assault, Terminus
unfurled his massive rotting
wings and soared forward against the dying arcane
hurricane that had been summoned by the fallen Stormlord.
With an inhuman cackle, Terminus unleashed his own feat
and created a black, soul-sucking void centered around
himself. He then unleashed a gout of dragon flame, which
incinerated Narn and ripped his screaming soul into the
Lich Lords clutches.
Behind the great Lich Lord, the pistol wraith floated almost
serenely as it took aim at the exhausted and spent Baldur.
With a dual crack of pistol fire, it ended the life of the
Stonesoul and ripped his soul from his fallen body, which

the wraith clutched greedily like a child who had caught


an insect within its hands.
Finally, from the hole within the earth, the massive winged
form of Deneghra the Soul Weaver and her mount emerged,
and with a flash of power, she unleashed her own feat and
soared to lay claim upon the wagon for Cryx once more.
Seeing the minions of his hated father within reach of
claiming the athanc, Charsaug unleashed his own potent
blight, setting the entire field below ablaze. His unnatural
flames consumed both living and dead with equal voracity.

Trollbloods
It was as these black circumstances unfolded that the
battered but defiant trollbloods emerged upon the field
unfortunately, they were some distance from the wagon,
due to the cavern openings. Still, Skaldi bellowed for his
kin to press forward, knowing that reinforcements were not
far behind. There was still time to claim the prize for which
Madrak had made the ultimate sacrifice.

Battle Report

47

Round 4: Dragon War


Circle Orboros
Above the battlefield, Blighterghast
raged as he realized Toruk was primed
to claim the athanc shard below. In a final
move of desperation, he turned from
his battle with the Dragonfather and
suffered a painful blow from Toruks
powerful claws as he disengaged.
Pulling his wings tightly into his body,
the great dragon dove like a comet
toward the wagon, his great maw
opening to reveal a blistering inferno
within. With a roar of superheated air,
Blighterghast unleashed a torrent of
dragonfire upon the wagon, bathing
everything within its vicinity in a
white-hot inferno. Deneghra shrieked
in agony as the fire burnt through her
powerfield and ate at her necrotic flesh.
Little of the Circle Orboros army
remained, but one bloodweaver night
witch from Morvahnas reinforcement
party had somehow eluded the slaughter the mage hunters
had brought. Sensing her moment to strike, the night witch
did not hesitate to launch herself toward the burning
Cryxian warcaster, using a nearby burning tree to vault
through the air. With a prayer to the Beast of All Shapes
on her lips, she siphoned her own life force into her blades
and struck Deneghra.
The blade parted burning, undead flesh, and the witch fell
to the ground, destroyed.
Too late, Terminuswho had left the wagon behind to deal
with the Iosans to his flankturned to realize what had
happened. The last he saw of the wagon was its departure
as the stragglers of the Circles reinforcements quickly
arrived and ferried the wagon off the battlefield and out of
the Dragonfathers grasp.
Lyle: Wow! Talk about stealing victory from the jaws of defeat!
Things were looking grim to say the least when I lost all three
of my warlocks in a single round. But Orboros was on my side
when the results of the Dragon War chart made Deneghra
vulnerable. Even still, the Night Witchs assassination run
was far from a sure thing. But she came through in a big
way. Thanks to that models heroics, I was able to muster
just enough control to escape with the Athanc Wagonand
victory. Shes todays MVP; I think Im going to need to give
her a snazzier paint treatment to reflect her achievements!

48

Battle Report

Plummer: What a brutal defeat! As always, Ed proved to be


my nemesis in this game. Losing Ravyn AND Garryth to a
single activation was absolutely devastating, and from there,
I had nothing left to do but wait for the chips to fall. My one
respite here is that Lyle won the day, and I dont have to
suffer another No Quarter battle report loss at Eds hands.
In all seriousness, though, both of my opponents played
incredibly well, and this was one hell of a game.
Ed: This game could not have had a more spectacular
endingwow! The hit from the Night Witch was unexpected
but somehow satisfying even though it delivered Lyle the
win. He took a beating for the whole game, so to see him
come back with the surprise victory was amazing. The NQ
EIC wins a battle reportnot suspicious at all. Terminus has
his eye on you, Lyle.
Lyle: Eds probably a little bit salty because his terrifying run
of wins in battle reports has finally come to an end!

A WARMACHINE & HORDES Campaign

Overview
Battle for the Athanc is a Game-Mastered map-based
campaign for WARMACHINE and HORDES.
Unlike a standard game of WARMACHINE/HORDES in
which players meet and play a one-off engagement with
no long-term consequences outside the victory or defeat at
the table, a single game is only a small part of the overall
campaign experience.

In this setting, a single victory or defeat is but one step on


the path to total victory.

Game Mastered Campaign

In Battle for the Athanc, a single player takes on


the role of Game Master (GM) for the entire length of
the campaign. The GM is the holder of all campaign
information, and his work allows for a more dynamic
and realistic game experience. In a Game-Mastered
In this campaign, players dont take command of a campaign, players are not privy to the location or
single force for a single engagement. Instead, they are composition of their enemies, knowing only what their
in command of entire armies that represent a significant scouting and intel has provided them.
portion of their factions military might. And in addition In addition to serving as the campaigns master of lore,
to playing games of WARMACHINE and HORDES it is the GMs job to keep players engaged and on their
every round, players also make strategic decisions and toes. Players can work alongside the GM to come up with
make and break alliances, managing their factions unique house rules for experimental warjacks, thematic
resources and allegiances to claim overall victory at the armies, character benefits, etc. The GM also oversees
campaigns close.

Battle for the athanc

49

random events and encounters that represent the ever- size over the course of the campaign, battles are fought
unpredictable nature of warfare, giving the campaign an using the exact models listed in the corresponding army
banner roster.
air of uncertainty and excitement at every turn.
In short, the GMs job is to work with the players to make
the campaign a memorable and enjoyable experience for
all, filled with stories that people will remember for years
to come.

How to Play

Army banner composition is a secret, known only to the


GM and the controlling player initially. Over the course
of the campaign, other players will have opportunities to
discover the composition for themselves, either through
actual battle or by attempting to scout the opposing
banner from a distance.

Battle for the Athanc is played over a series of 12


campaign rounds. During the first 11 rounds, players will
move their armies, fight battles, and gather and spend
resources to expand their foothold in order to gain vital
victory points. In the final round, the top five players will
battle it out in a special multi-table scenario to determine
which army will be the one to capture the athanc wagon.

Army banners can range in size from 25 to 50 points. Unlike


a normal WARMACHINE/HORDES army, however,
army banners do not include warcasters/warlocks or their
battlegroups. Those models are instead requisitioned each
campaign round, representing the comings and goings of
these incredibly powerful characters.

Army Banners

2. Supply Depots Every army requires a constant


supply of resources to stay in the fight. Supply
Depots generate supply points (SP), which players
use throughout the campaign to purchase new
structures and additional troops and to rally
defeated army banners.

Despite not having a consistently present warcaster/


After the end of the 12th round, the GM will tally up player warlock, army banners may contain warjacks and
victory points and an overall winner will be declared.
warbeasts. Unless placed under the command of a jack
marshal, journeyman, or lesser warlock, these models
are considered to be autonomous models that activate as
The Map
independent solos. Should a warcaster or warlock ever be
Battle for the Athanc is played on a game map
present in the army, autonomous warjacks and warbeasts
that represents the theater of operations in which the
are automatically assigned to the warcaster/warlocks
campaign takes place. The map is divided into a number
battlegroup for the duration of the campaign round.
of individual sections. These sections are commonly
known as map tiles.
A player may only have a number of army banners on the
map equal to the total number of his Supply Depot and
Over the course of the campaign, players fight to control the
Forward Operating Base structures.
largest number of map tiles. The more ground they control
by the finale, the better their position will be to claim the
Structures
Athanc Wagon and with it, victory for their faction.
Structures represent a players military support resources.
Every map tile is in one of three states throughout the
A tile may only ever contain 1 structure.
campaign:
Structures are vital to a players success in the campaign.
Neutral tiles controlled by no player.
As such, they are sure to be high priority targets for rivals!
Enemy tiles controlled by another player.
There are two basic structures available to all factions in
Friendly tiles controlled by the player or a player the campaign.
with whom the player has a formal alliance.
1. Forward Operating Base (FOB) These represent
vital operating hubs for a factions military forces
In addition to standard map tiles, there are several unique
that keep lines of communication and resupply open
tiles that represent special locations. Controlling these tiles
and flowing, and they generate requisition points
can provide additional benefits, as well as being worth
(RP), which players use throughout the campaign
more points when determining each players position for
to requisition warcasters/warlocks for specific army
the finale.
banners.
Army banners represent the players armies on the game
map. During the campaign round, players move their
army banners around the map. When two opposing
banners meet, their controlling players battle it out in a
game of WARMACHINE/HORDES.
Each army banner represents a specific composition of
models, as determined by the controlling player when the
banner is formed. While banners may grow or shrink in

50

Battle for the athanc

Campaign Round

Alliances

Battle for the Athanc lasts 12 campaign rounds, which


are divided into 4 seasons of 3 rounds each.

Players can form alliances at any time by reporting


them to the GM. Should a player wish to break his
alliance, he may declare this intent when his ally
moves into a space containing one of his army
banners. The moving banner must immediately stop
and fight. The banners fight as normal in the Battle
Phase.

Each round has 5 distinct phases:


1.

Movement Phase Players submit movement orders


for each army banner they have deployed on the
map. Once all orders have been received, players
then execute their orders. All movement occurs
simultaneously.

2.

Battle Phase Battles that result from army banner


movement are resolved and reports are submitted to
the GM.

3.

Resolution Phase Defeated banners from the battle


phase retreat, casualty rolls are made, and territory
capture rolls are made.

4.

Resource Phase Each player receives supply points Movement Phase


and requisition points from their Supply Depots and
During the Movement Phase, all players submit movement
map locations.
orders to the GM for each of their army banners currently
Purchase Phase Players spend requisition points on the map. While some factions have unique orders they
on requesting warcasters for the next round and/or can give during the Movement Phase, all factions have
supply points on building new constructions, adding access to the following common orders:
new troops, or upgrading existing constructions for
1. Standard March The army banner moves 1 space.
their armies.
2. Forced March The army banner moves 1 space
and then moves 1 additional space unless its first
move brings it into contact with an enemy banner.
If the banner fights in the following Battle Phase, the
controlling player must roll a die for each model/
unit in the army before the start of the Deployment
Phase. On a roll of a 1, the model/unit is not
deployed normally. Instead, it makes a Full Advance
from its controlling players table edge during the
Maintenance Phase of the players second turn.

5.

Alternatively, a player may betray his ally during the


Conquer step of the Resolution Phase by declaring he
will make a conquer roll (see p. 53) on his erstwhile
allys tile. The conquer roll automatically succeeds if
his allys tile contains no structure.

3.

Fortify The banner does not move. Instead, the player


is allowed to place d6 Trench and/or Wall terrain
templates when an enemy banner attacks the players
Fortified banner. These templates can be placed on
the controlling players half of the table after table
sides have been chosen but before any models have
deployed. Note that these features must be placed
following all normal terrain placement rules.

Banners can freely move through unoccupied spaces


or allied banners. A banners move immediately ends
if it moves into a space containing an enemy banner or
structure, such as a FOB or a Supply Depot.
As movement is considered to be simultaneous, if two
enemy banners move in such a manner that they would
pass through each other, each player makes a strategic
check by rolling 2d6 and adding his factions Strategic
Value (SV) to the roll (see pp. 5759 for Faction SVs).
Whoever rolls highest is determined to seize the initiative.

Battle for the athanc

51

The banner from the winning player moves, while the


losing banner remains in place. The banners then fight as
normal in the Battle Phase.

Battle Phase
During the Battle Phase, players resolve any battles
initiated in the Movement Phase.
Battles are fought using scenarios. The scenario used
is determined by the GM and must be shared with the
players before the battle is fought.
Army Lists
Each player must use the corresponding banners army
list for the game. As army banners are constantly growing
and shrinking over the course of the campaign, it is
entirely possible for battles to be waged between sides of
unequal values. Such is the nature of war and why proper
maneuvering and planning are of utmost importance.
Supporting Banners
In addition to the forces from the embattled army banner, a
player can also call for additional aid from any friendly or
allied banners within 1 space of the embattled banner. In
order to receive aid from an allied banner, the allied player
must agree to lend support. While it is highly encouraged
that the allied player actually plays in the game using his
models, it is not required. For each supporting banner,
the player can add an additional 15 points to his army.
Models used must be listed from the supporting banners
composition. Models that lend support in a battle are
subject to casualty rolls as normal.
(Note: Allied models that share the same faction as the
player they support never count as Friendly Faction
models for game purposes.)
Battle Casualty Resolution
Step
Models that were damaged during the battle but not
destroyed or removed from play are fully healed.
Units that have any models remaining at the end of each
battle are returned to full strength. Officer models that are
Unit Attachments count as solos for the purpose of rolling
on the Casualty Table. Make a separate roll for them apart
from their unit. If a Unit Attachments units roll results in
the unit being wiped out, however, the Unit Attachment is
automatically wiped out, too.
After the battle has concluded, players must make a
casualty roll for each model/unit that was destroyed or
removed from play using the following tables:

52

Battle for the athanc

Unit Casualty Table


D6 Roll

Result

The unit is wiped out. Remove it


from the army banner list.

23

If rolling for a unit that was at


maximum size at the beginning
of the battle, it now becomes
minimum size. If the unit was at
minimum size, it is wiped out.

46

The unit recovers the losses


sustained this game.

Solo/Battle Engine
Casualty Table
D6 Roll

Result

The solo is wiped out. Remove it


from the army banner list.

23

The solo permanently loses d3


damage boxes from its damage
track. If this leaves the model
with no damage boxes, it is
wiped out. Otherwise, it heals all
remaining damage and returns
to the army banner.

46

The solo recovers the damage


sustained this game.

Warjack/Warbeast
Casualty Table
D6 Roll

Result

The warjack/warbeast is wiped


out. Remove it from the army
banner list.

23

The warjack/warbeast heals half


its damage, rounded down, from
anywhere on its damage grid/
life spiral. If the model is not
involved in a battle next round, all
its remaining damage is removed.

46

The warjack/warbeast returns to


full strength.

Be sure to list any changes to the army banner composition


before returning the results and the updated banner lists
to the GM.

Players earn d3 supply points for each enemy structure


During the Resolution Phase, banners that lost battles one of their banners destroyed this phase.
retreat and banners that are currently in enemy or neutral
tiles can attempt to conquer the tile.
Purchase Phase

Resolution Phase

During the Purchase Phase, players collect supply points


and requisition points and then have the opportunity to
Banners that lost their game in the Battle Phase must spend them on various items for the following round.
now make a retreat move by moving 1 tile away from
the winning banner. A retreating banner may only move Gain Supply Points
into an unoccupied friendly tile. If this is impossible, the Players gain a number of supply points (SP) and requisition
banner is scattered. Scattered banners are removed from points (RP) based on the following:
the map. A scattered banner can be returned to the map in
subsequent campaign rounds during the Purchase Phase. 1 SP per Supply Depot
Losing Banners Retreat

Attempt to Pursue

3 RP per Forward Operating Base

After the losing banner retreats, the victorious banner can In addition, players may earn additional SP and RP from
various special map tiles, as listed in the tiles description.
choose to attempt to chase down its foe.
A victorious banner may choose to press its advantage
against its fleeing foe by making a pursue order. If a
player chooses to pursue, he makes a strategic check
against a target value of 14. If he passes the roll, his banner
immediately moves into the space of the enemy banner he
is pursuing. The two banners will resolve a new battle in
the Battle Phase of the following campaign round. If the
winning player chooses to pursue, neither the retreating
nor pursuing banner may add new models in the Purchase
Phase. (Note: Both players can add new models to their
other banners as normal in the Purchase Phase but not to
the banners involved in the pursuit.)

Requisitioning Warcasters/
Warlocks

If a pursuing banner wins the battle following a pursue


order, the enemy banner is scattered.

and their battlegroup from the Command Roster at the


cost listed. Any RP not spent remains in that players
treasury for later rounds.

Warcasters and warlocks are the greatest and most valued


resource of any military, and as such, their deployments
are carefully monitored by each factions high command.
To represent this, players in the Battle for the Athanc
campaign do not purchase warcasters/warlocks and their
battle groups when constructing their army banners.
Instead, players may requisition warcasters/warlocks for
specific army banners by spending requisition points.

Each round, the GM gives players the current Command


Whether or not a player passes the pursue strategic Roster (CR) for their factions warcaster/warlocks. As the
check, the pursuing banner may not attempt to conquer tides of war across Immoren ebb and flow, so too does
a tile during this Resolution Phase, nor may it perform the ease of recruiting these powerful individuals for the
any order in the following Movement Phase of the next following campaign round.
campaign round.
A player may spend RP to purchase a warcaster/warlock

Attempt a Conquer Roll

(Note: When a warcaster/warlock is purchased, that


After banners choose to pursue, any banner that did not warcaster/warlocks personal battlegroupas listed in
attempt to pursue this phase and is in an enemy map tile the Command Rosteris also purchased. Thus, it is a good
or a neutral map tile may attempt a conquer roll to claim it. idea to pay attention not just to the characters themselves
but also to the additional support they will bring with
To make a conquer roll, roll a d6. On a roll of 3+, your
them to the fight.)
forces are able to claim the tile. Add +1 to the roll if your
army banner is 50 points. Add a modifier of -1 if the tile A requisitioned warcaster/warlock becomes part of the
contains any enemy structures.
chosen banners available forces until the end of the next
rounds Resolution Phase.
Destroy Enemy Structures
After banners have made conquer rolls, destroy all Spend SP
structures on the map that contain an enemy banner and A player may now spend as much or as little SP as he
no friendly banner. Structures are destroyed whether or wishes. SP not spent remains in that players treasury
not the conquer roll was successful.
for later rounds. Players may spend SP on any of the
following:

Battle for the athanc

53

Purchase Additional Troops

Purchase Structures

A player may spend 1 SP for 15 army points worth of


units/solos/jacks/warbeasts. A player may spend
multiple SP, though any remaining army points not used
at the end of the phase are lost. A player may distribute
these models to any of his army banners so long as none
of them exceed the banner maximum of 50 army points.
Alternatively, he may use these points to create a new
army banner, provided that the banner is at least 25 army
points and does not cause him to exceed his current army
banner maximum. The new banner must be placed in a
tile that contains one of the players structures. A banner
created in this way can move and fight as normal in the
following round.

A player may spend SP to purchase new structures.


Though several factions have access to unique structures,
all factions have access to the following two basic
structures:

Remember, a player may never have more army banners


than he has Supply Depots and Forward Operating Bases.
Restore Scattered Army Banner

A player may spend SP to return a scattered banner to the


map. The returned banner can be placed in any tile that
contains one of his structures. It costs 1 SP per 25 points
(rounded up) to return a scattered banner.

Supply Depot 2 SP.

Forward Operating Base (FOB) 6 SP

A player may only have 3 Supply Depots for every FOB


he controls. A player may never have more FOBs than he
has Supply Depots.
When a player builds a new structure, he must place it in a
friendly map tile that does not already contain a structure.
Upgrade a Structure

A player may spend SP to upgrade an existing structure.


Though several factions have access to unique upgrades,
all factions have access to the following basic upgrades.

Structure Upgrades
Upgrade Name

SP Cost

Structure
Upgraded

Upgrade Effect

Medical Camp

2 SP

Supply Depot

Adds +1 to unit and solo casualty rolls for one


army banner chosen at the start of the Battle
Phase.

Mechanic Camp

2 SP

Supply Depot

Adds +1 to warjack/wabeast casualty rolls for


one army banner chosen at the start of the Battle
Phase.

FOB

Decreases the cost of the first Command Roster


purchase by 1 to a minimum of 1 (limit once
per Purchase Phase). Additionally, a CCC has
a standing garrison of 25 army points. These
models must be chosen when the CCC is
placed and cannot be changed. These models
only ever participate in battles fought in the tile
that contains the CCC. Models that are part of
the CCC garrison are assumed to always roll a
6 in the casualty roll step of the Battle Phase.
Battles that take place in a CCC tile always use
the Destroy the Bunker special scenario (see
p. 56 for download link).

Command & Control


Center (CCC)

2 SP

An upgraded structure always counts as its base type in


addition to its upgrade when determining a players army
banner maximum. For example, a player with 1 Medical
Camp, 2 Supply Depots, and 1 Forward Operating Base
would have an army banner maximum of 4.

54

Battle for the athanc

Starting the Campaign

The GM performs several critical duties in the campaign.


At the start of the campaign, each player rolls 2d6 and First and foremost, the GM is the record keeper and
organizer of the campaign. The GM keeps the various
adds his Factions Strategic Value (SV) to the roll.
army banners on file and secretly tracks each players
Reroll any ties.
victory points and secret objectives throughout the
campaign. The GM also maintains the campaign map and
Starting with the player who rolled highest, players then
coordinates games when scheduling issues arise.
take turns choosing their starting tile on the map by
placing a CCC structure in it.
Another important aspect of the GM role is to set
various opportunities for the players to earn victory
The player immediately takes control of the chosen tile
points throughout the campaign. Creating victory point
and every tile adjacent to his CCC. He then places his two
opportunities is intentionally left up to the GM so he can
Supply Depots and army banners in any of the tiles that
create fun and dynamic play experiences for his players.
he controls.
Victory point opportunities can include: revealing
A player may choose any tile on the map as long as it is not map tiles that contain vital intel on the Athanc Wagon,
within two spaces of a unique map tile or any map tiles rewarding players for the number of map tiles they control
controlled by another player.
at various intervals, providing players with secret and
public objectives to accomplish, and capturing the Athanc
Players receive 75 army points with which to create their
Wagon at the end of the campaign, of course. It is the
starting army banners. Players are free to divide this total
GMs job to make sure that victory point opportunities are
however they choose between banners, provided they do
created in a way that promotes the most fun experience
not exceed their banner maximum and that each banner
for all players.
falls within the legal point-size limit.
It is also the GMs job to set the Command Roster for
Model field allowance (FA) applies as if each banner
each round. When doing so, it is very important that the
contains one warcaster. Players may not include more
GM creates a CR that provides interesting choices for his
than one iteration of a character solo/unit between all
players. The CR should present a unique strategic challenge
their army banners.
to the players as they find themselves presented with tough
Players may include non-character Mercenary/Minion choices. Balancing the CR in terms of which warcasters/
models in their army banners as normal. Non-Mercenary/ warlocks appear and with what frequency is really up to
Minion players, however, may never include character the GM and his knowledge of the players in the campaign.
Mercenary/Minion models in their banners.
While its important to have warcasters/warlocks that
the players can access on the CR, its equally important
In addition, players may not include character warjack/
that the CR remains fresh and does not become stagnant
warbeasts in their banners.
or predictable in its offerings. Done well, the CR is one of
After all players have chosen their starting positions and the greatest tools you can use to put your players front and
submitted their army banner lists to the GM, the first center in the experience of being a high commander in the
world of the Iron Kingdoms.
campaign round begins!

Of Allies and Enemies


Players are encouraged throughout the campaign to
make deals, alliances, bribes, and betrayals as they
like. Just remember the most important rule: HAVE
FUN! And make sure everyone else is having fun, too!

Advice for Game


Masters

Most important, the GM is the driving force behind the


entire campaign experience. The GM is, for all intents
and purposes, the author of the grand story that all of
the participants tell together via their actions and the
unpredictable outcomes throughout the campaign. Far from
being a pure arbitrator and archivist, the GM is an active
participant at every level of the campaign. It is the GMs job to
provide thematic plot twists, sudden and unexpected events
and happenings, and to monitor the overall enjoyment and
excitement of the players within the campaign, taking steps
to ensure everyone has the best experience possible.

While the GM effectively has the power to do whatever


he wants, that doesnt give him the right to do so. A good
The Battle for the Athanc campaign is designed as a GM understands the age-old adage that with great
Game-Mastered campaign. While it is possible to run the power comes great responsibility. The GM should use
campaign without a GM, the depth of experience will his powers to keep the campaign exciting and interesting
never be quite the same.
but never at the expense of the players fun. If one player
is struggling to make any significant gains because

Battle for the athanc

55

several other players are unfairly ganging up on him,


the GM should absolutely use his GM powers to throw
in a narrative and fun scenario. Give the allied players
juicy objectives that require them to go elsewhere or
make moves against their current allies. Dont be afraid
to shake things up. If one player has pulled so far ahead
of the rest that it threatens to make the campaign boring
and the outcome inevitable, the GM should use his power
to make sure the campaign is compelling for everyone.
Have farrow or Tharn raid the leading players Supply
Depots, but dont just arbitrarily say it happens. Instead,
create a new scenario that pits the players small band of
defenders against a terrifying Tharn war party. In other

56

Battle for the athanc

words, find a way to make everything part of the game


experience. Give other players cool, thematic ways to chip
away at the dominating player, like allowing them to pull
off a surprising flank attack from across the map. To keep
things exciting, every potential reward should also have
great risks. A good GM knows how and when to use his
power to build the foundation for lasting memories.
Download the scenarios and a pregenerated
map for the Battle for the Athanc campaign at
www.privateerpress.com/NQ65. For more inspiration,
check out the Battle for the Athanc Insider blogs on
the Privateer Press website as well.

Battle for the Athanc


Faction Special Rules
In Battle for the Athanc, each faction has unique rules
that represent its skill and approach to war. These rules
are listed below.

Strategic Value 10
The Cygnaran Reconnaissance Service (CRS) is legendary
for their information-gathering abilities. A Cygnar
player begins the game with 2 CRS scouting banners in
addition to his normal army banners. A scouting banner
is composed of 15 points of only Ranger units and/or
Trencher Commando units. A scouting banner can never
attempt a conquer roll. A scouting banner may perform a
scouting action at the end of a movement phase in which
it is not embattled.

To perform a scouting action, the controlling player


chooses an enemy army banner within 2 tiles and makes
a scouting roll by rolling 2d6 and consulting the table on
the next page to determine the accuracy of the scouts
report. GMs are encouraged to mix up the results to add
an element of uncertainty and mystery to validity of the
information the player receives.
Should an enemy banner engage a scouting banner, no
battle is fought in the Battle Phase. Instead, both players
make a strategic check. If the Cygnar players total is
higher, the scouting banner immediately retreats. The
enemy banner cannot choose to make a Pursue order.
If the enemy banner total is higher, the scouting banner is
immediately scattered.
A scouting banner can lend support as normal to another
friendly or allied banner.

Battle for the athanc

57

In addition, a Cygnar player always wins the strategic fold, Protectorate forces are well versed in the subjugation
check roll when crossing non-Cygnar enemy banners in and assimilation of native populations, whether by faith
or by fire. Protectorate banners receive +1 to their conquer
the Movement Phase.
rolls if they are 35 points or larger instead of the normal
50 points.
Scouting
D6 Roll

Result

23

Abject Failure. The scouting


banner is unable to come back
with any information.

46

Faulty Intel. The scouting


banners report is rife with
misinformation and errors,
grossly
overestimating
or
underestimating the enemy
force and its composition. It
reports back with d3 incorrect
models/units listed within the
banner.

79

Good Intel. The scouting banner


is able to identify the size
of the banner within a close
approximation (10-15 points). In
addition, the scouts are able to
identify d3 models/units within
the banner.

1011

Solid Intel. The scouting banner


is able to accurately ascertain
the size of the enemy banner.
In addition, the scouts are able
to identify d3+2 models/units
within the banner.

12

Flawless Intel. The scouting banner


is able to perfectly ascertain the
composition of the enemy banner.
The player my immediately view
the entire banner roster along
with any attached warcasters/
warlocks.

Strategic Value 9
The Empire of Khador has access to vast reserves of
conscripts and war materials. A Khador player gains
20 points of models for every 1SP spent on purchasing
additional troops in the Purchase Phase instead of the
normal 15 points per 1SP.
In addition, a Khador player reduces the cost to return a
scattered banner to the map by 1SP.

Strategic Value 7
The Nightmare Empires armies are fueled by the carnage
of battle. All Cryx models/units gain +2 to rolls on the
Casualty table following any battles they win. A Cryx
player may not build the Medical Camp or Mechanic
Camp upgrades.
In addition, a single Cryx banner can use the special
Underground Movement order during the Movement
Phase. When used, the Cryx banner is removed from the
map. On the following Campaign round, the Cryx player
may place the banner in any space that does not contain
an enemy structure nor is adjacent to one at the end of
the Movement Phase. Then, the Cryx player must roll on
the Underground Movement chart to determine the final
outcome of the attempted movement with the GM.

After nominating the tile on which he wishes to place his


underground banner, a player rolls 2d6 and consults the
Faith fuels the many soldiers of the Protectorate of Menoth
chart below. Add +1 to the result if the banners size is 25
rather than rigorous discipline and tactics. A Protectorate
points or less. Subtract 1 from the result if the banners
players minimum banner size is reduced to 15 points.
size is greater than 35 points.
Any banner under 25 points suffers a -1 on conquer rolls.
If a banner that has less than 25 points is defeated in the
Battle Phase, it is immediately scattered.
Strategic Value 7

Banners under 25 points are still counted toward the


Protectorate players normal army banner maximum.
Additionally, with such great focus placed on the ideals
of the crusade and bringing all mankind back to Menoths

58

Battle for the athanc

Underground Movement
D6 Roll

Result

Disaster! The caverns collapse.


The banner is immediately
scattered.

34

Failure. The banner fails to emerge.


During the Purchase phase this
round, the GM places the banner
back in one of the controlling
players tiles that contains a
friendly structure.

57

Moderate Success. The banner


emerges slighty off-target. The
GM randomly determines a tile
up to d3 tiles away from the
intended tile for the final position.

811

Success! The banner emerges


successfully on the chosen tile.

12

Like Nightmares from Below!


The banner emerges successfully
on the chosen tile. In addition, it
may immediately move one tile
in any direction.

the natural Ley Lines for rapid travel. Convergence


players may purchase FOBs for 5SP instead of 6.

Strategic Value 6
Motivated by coin and a desire for adventure, mercenary
forces rarely suffer for new recruits, even after brutal
losses. A Mercenary banner which was scattered costs
d3+1 SP less to restore during the Purchase Phase (to a
minimum of 0).
In addition, a Mercenary player gains 1 SP during the
Purchase Phase for each battle he won that round, up to
a maximum of 3.

Strategic Value 6
All Trollbloods are blessed with the life-giving energies of
Dhunia. All Trollblood models/units gain +2 to rolls on
the Casualty table during the Battle Casualty Resolution
step unless the enemy banner chose to Pursue or the
Trollblood banner was scattered.

In addition, their bond with those who share their blood is


so strong that it is rare to see Trollkin without the company
of their full-blooded brothers. When it is formed, a
The forces of the Retribution are accustomed to fighting
Trollblood banner must include a Troll Axer, Troll Impaler,
deep within enemy lines, without stable supply lines. A
or Troll Bouncer. The chosen model is considered to have
Retribution player may field one additional army banner
an army point cost of 0.
over his current maximum without penalty.
Strategic Value 9

In addition, a Retribution player may return scattered


banners to the map in the same campaign round in which
they were scattered.

Strategic Value 8
The druids of Circle Orboros are masters at manipulating
the mystic ley lines of Caen. A Circle player has access to the
following structure in addition to the common structures.

Strategic Value 7
The Convergence of Cyriss bases are far more sophisticated
than the quick battlefield constructions of other factions,
as Convergence bases are highly developed temples to the
Maiden of Gears. A Convergence players Command &
Control Center FOBs have 35 points for garrisons instead
of the standard 25 points.
In addition, Convergence banners may move between
tiles that contain friendly FOBs or CCCs as if they were
adjacent, thanks to the Convergences ability to tap into

Waystone Circle
Cost

effect

2 SP

When moving from a friendly


Waystone tile, a Circle banner
may move to any other friendly
Waystone tile as if the tiles were
adjacent. A Circle players CCCs
count as Waystones in addition
to the normal rules for CCCs.

Battle for the athanc

59

Additionally, Circle armies are highly adept at ambush In addition, a Legion player has access to the following
and rapid strike tactics. Unless it was given the Fortify structure:
order during the Movement Phase, a Circle banner is
always considered to win the roll to determine turn order
Mass Spawning Vessel
in any games played in the Battle Phase.
Cost

effect

2 SP

At the end of the Battle Phase,


the controlling player may
place 1 Reclamation token in his
treasury if he won any battles
this round. During the Purchase
Phase, a Legion player may
spend Reclamation tokens to
purchase Legion warbeasts.
A player receives 10points of
Legion Warbeasts per token
spent. Any points not spent
during the Purchase Phase are
lost.

Strategic Value 10
Skorne warriors are highly trained and are taught from
birth that the greatest achievement for any warrior is to
find death in combat. As such, Skorne armies are among
the most disciplined and stalwart in all of Immoren. When
given a Pursue order, a korne banner automatically passes
the strategic check.
In addition, a Skorne banner is only scattered if it has no
valid tile to retreat to when defeated in the Battle Phase.

Strategic Value 6
Living within the swamps and fringes of Immoren, the
races that make up the Minions have become extremely
The Legion of Everblight is adept at moving unseen and adept scavengers and raiders. When a Minions banner
striking with a speed and coordination no other faction destroys an enemy structure, it receives d3+2SP instead
can match. A Legion banner that is only composed of of the normal d3.
models with the Flight ability and/or the Strider keyword In addition, a Minions player gains 1 Salvage token to his
and/or the Raptors keyword can move one additional tile treasury for every battle he wins. During the Purchase
when performing a Standard or Forced March order (note Phase, a Minions player may spend Salvage tokens
that warlocks and their battlegroups are not considered to recruit new warriors. A player receives 10 points of
part of a banners composition).
warrior models per token spent.
Strategic Value 7

60

Battle for the athanc

Football Comes the Gridiron Kingdoms

Most of the sports in the Iron Kingdoms are bloodsports, but theres no reason why soldiers in the field cant take to a
different kind of Soldier Field every once in a while. So, March marks the release of an entirely new line of Privateer
Pins that are a bit out of seasonwere still a few months away from the first official huddlebut will be out of stock
before you know it.
In addition to our newest line of scrimmaging pins, we also add more of the popular cereal pins, a few more of
the iconic symbols that dot the western Immoren, another chibi to grow your collection, and finally get back to a
temporarily stalled pin this last February

Kickoff for a New Line

If youre going to be at AdeptiCon in Chicago, you might


want to look for our new Korsk Kodiaks pin. It seems like
the very best place to debut it.
Immorens a big place, says Will Shick, Director of Business
Development. You never knowthere could be teams for
all kinds of sports scattered all over the kingdoms.
Following the success of the chibi and the cereal lines, the
helmet series seemed almost inevitable. Who wouldnt be
thrilled to see the Caspian Bolts facing off against the
Korsk Kodiaks, lightning flying around the field as the
Kodiaks bear down on their opponents?
This gives our players something fun to collect that
adds a more humorous side to the IK setting. The idea of
these combatants setting aside their swords and pistols
to duke it out on a football field defies expectations of
our setting, Shick notes. You can build a whole world
around these teams. For instance, as the joke goes in
Caspia, What do you call a bratya crime ring in Korsk?
A huddle.

Extra Points

In addition to the new line, we still have more killer


cereals, big chibis, and the popular logo series, which
this time features a symbol long overdue: the Church of
Morrow symbol. Morrowans, rejoice! Further, collectors
of the logo pins can expect the Black Dragons symbol in
April and a handful more in both May and June.
The chibi line takes a step forward with Chibi Feora 2,
and the cereal line adds two new additions: Cereal #7:
Special Khador and Cereal #8: Honey Bunches of Goats.
But as some collectors have written to ask: what became
of Cereal #5: Quakehammer Oats?
It was originally slated for February, Shick explains,
but the colors were off just a little. The white in the logo
wasnt white enoughit was a little too grey. So, we put
it off a month to get the colors just right before we release
it to our store and conventions. After all, on those rare
occasions when we dont feel a pin is perfect, we need to
put the hammer down.

Of course, were tackling the next releases right away,


including the Daliskov Marshals in April and even more
as we head into the summer. Lock & Load will see a
special debut that Seattle folks will undoubtedly enjoy.

FOR MORE PINS

privateerpress.com/pins
privateer Pins

61

By Matthew D. Wilson
& Will Hungerford
Sometimes, war is more than just crushing the opposition and defeating your enemy. When its time to add insult to
injury, loot the bodies of the fallen!
Bounty Hunt is a casual scenario intended for two players at the 50-point army encounter level. This scenario has a
frenetic video game vibe to it, as players will scramble around the battlefield in a mad dash to gather all the loot
that enemy models drop after their destruction. Because a caster kill does not result in an immediate victory for this
scenario, there are several different strategies a player can use that differ from a normal game of WARMACHINE &
HORDES. Choosing to craft an army as a defensive gunline with a few loot runners or an army of in-your-face melee
monsters are just a couple of the strategies a player could utilize to collect the loot and achieve victory.
Have fun!

62

Bounty Hunt

scenario: bounty hunt


Setup

Example: Matt destroys Jasons Protectorate Reckoner Warjack.


Jason places a stack of 8 coins within 1 of the Reckoner and
Place six to eight pieces of terrain on the table before the game
then replaces the model with the appropriate wreck marker.
begins. No terrain feature can be placed within 3 of another
Example: Matt destroys one of Jasons Protectorate Wracks.
terrain feature with the exception of trench templates.
Wracks are solos with a PC of 1 for three models. Because
The first player has a deployment zone of 7 and an advance
Wracks are medium-based models, Jason places 2 coins within
deployment of 13. The second player has a deployment
1 of the destroyed Wrack. Jason will place 2 coins for any other
zone of 10 and an advance deployment of 16.
Wracks that are destroyed or removed from play as well.
Both players should bring stackable tokens (e.g., coins)
Example: Michael destroys one of Wills Gatorman Posse
to use for this scenario. The tokens a player uses can be
grunts. Because Gatorman Posse grunts are medium-based
different from his opponents, but all of his own tokens
trooper models, Will places 2 coins within 1 of the destroyed
must be the same for consistency.
Gatorman Posse grunt. Will must place 2 coins for any other
Gatorman Posse troopers that are destroyed or removed from
Special Rules
play as well.
When a non-warcaster, non-warlock model is destroyed
A player automatically collects enemy tokens when a
or removed from play, place a stack of tokens anywhere
friendly model advances within 2 of an enemy token
within 1 of the models base before removing it from
stack or ends its activation within 2 of an enemy token
the table. Token stacks are considered friendly tokens
stack. Additionally, when a friendly model destroys or
to the player who placed them and enemy tokens to his
removes from play an enemy model it is engaging, it
opponent.
automatically collects the enemy token stack that would
Refer to the section below to determine how many tokens normally be placed within 1 of the enemy model before
are placed when a model is destroyed or removed from the stack is placed on the table.
play. All tokens placed should be stacked on top of each
During the Maintenance Phase, a player can remove up
other so that the entire stack occupies the same area on
to 3 friendly tokens within his warcaster or warlocks
the table.
command range from the table. These tokens cannot be
scored by his opponent and are removed from the game.
Battle Engines,
Place tokens equal to the
Single-Model Solos,
If a model is returned to play, the tokens placed by
models PC.
Warjacks, and
its destruction are not removed from the table. Inert
Warbeasts
warjacks and wild warbeasts do not automatically place
Solos Purchased as
Groups of Models
for 1 PC (e.g.,
Wracks) and Units
Warcasters,
Warlocks, and
Troopers in a
Warcaster or
Warlock unit

Place 1 token for


small-based models, 2
tokens for medium-based
models, and 3 tokens for
large-based models.

Place no tokens.

tokens; they must be destroyed or removed from play.


Wild warbeasts cannot advance toward their controlling
players table edge.

Victory Conditions

At the end of the sixth game round, the player who has
collected the most enemy tokens wins the game. In the
case of a tie, the game is a draw.
Reminder: Assassinations do not end the game.

Bounty Hunt

63

64

Gavyn Kyle

dossiers give a
s premier spy. Gathered at great expense and risk, these
Take a look inside the files of Gavyn Kyle, the Iron Kingdom
HINE and HORDES.
WARMAC
in
ers
charact
nt
importa
of
ions
motivat
and
s
behind-the-scenes look at the historie

,
illancourt
ro, Mike Va
fa
r
a
C
r
sca
n Art by Oatthew D. Wilson
M
By Josh Colo
d
n
a

pyrrhus
Out of the many covert intelligence gathering
operations I have performed on various members
of the Protectorate, several recently funded by
your organizations coin, I must admit that at
first, I was perplexed as to why this individual
had been chosen for my next assignment. On the
surface, Flameguard Captain Pyrrhus holds
no major authority within his martial order or
within the rest of the temple as a whole. His
actual battlefield experience only stretches
back to the last few years, and by all practical
measuring, he doesnt appear to have the
warcaster talent.
Still, ever the consummate professional, I set
about gathering information on this young
Flameguard, and I have to admit, even I was
surprised by what I uncovered. For such a singleminded soldier of the faith, there is a profound
amount of controversy, intrigue, and outright
secrecy surrounding him. But above all, I found
the life of Pyrrhus to be one of self-sacrifice
and asceticism fueled by a tremendous amount of
faiththe kind that is found only in conjunction
with an equal amount of tragedy and loss.
Simply put, Pyrrhus views this life as merely
grounds for training and testing to develop his
skills to their highest levels, so that when he
passes on to Urcaen, he can be of better service to
the Creator. This simple and earnest motivation
is contrasted by virtually every authority
figure in Pyrrhus life and careersome believe
him to be a tainted vessel of heresy, while others
believe he has been chosen by Menoth for some
higher purpose.
Gavyn Kyle

Pyrrhus was born in the village of Seniza to


Martus and Nuria. I found little information on
Pyrrhus parents, as official mention of them
had been stricken from government records. From
some cursory interviews with people in other

nearby villages, the town of Seniza seemed to be


a quiet and peaceful place filled with pious and
hardworking families; however, in the summer of
580AR, the regional sovereign declared Seniza a
haven for heresy and had the whole town and its
citizens purified by flames.
Oddly, I could find no official record of this
event, but after some digging, I managed
to piece together a probable root of these
events. Apparently, one of the local children
showed signs of aggressive and wild behavior
traditionally associated with a tainted
connection to the Devourer Wurm. Rather than
consulting their priest, several of the townsfolk
allegedly allowed the feral child to be secreted
out of the Protectorate. While I do not know if
Pyrrhus parents were among those who protected
the child, this event was apparently enough to
punish the entire population. These purification
operations are always swift and thorough. No
one ever escapes judgment. But as the following
letter from one of the Cleansers to a superior
indicates, this operation was different. GK

Gavyn Kyle

65

Pyrrhus Timeline

580AR Pyrrhus is born in the village of Seniza


to Martus
and Nuria.
Summer 583AR The village of Seniza is declar
ed a haven
of heresy and sentenced to purification by
flame. The
boy Pyrrhus survives the fires unscathed and
is briefly
cared for while in the custody of the Flameguard
until a
permanent guardian can be located.
Fall 583AR Pyrrhus is left in the guardiansh
ip of his
grandfather Calur, his only remaining relative.
587AR Pyrrhus begins a strict self-training
regimen.
596 AR Pyrrhus enlists in the Flameguard
and begins
standard and advanced training.
598 AR Pyrrhus completes Flameguard traini
ng and
graduates to full member of the Order.

601AR Promoted to Arms master, Pyrrhus is


assigned as
a special instructor.

607AR After leading an elite unit of Flameguard


in the
defense of the Great Temple and on the offensive
at Caspia,
Pyrrhus is promoted to Preceptor.
Late 607608 AR Pyrrhus is assigned to border
patrols
that protect supply caravans to the Northe
rn Crusade.
Promoted to Captain.
Late 608 AR to Present Attached to severa
l prominent
Northern Crusade Interdictions, Pyrrhus takes
part in
several major battles, including the second assau
lt on the
Thornwood necrofactorium.

Preceptor Mathis,
As you have certainly heard from others in the
detachment, the ordered cleansing of Seniza
proceeded with the high standards of precision
and excellence that our unit is known for. My
soldiers methodically scoured the village,
burning every structure and living occupant of
the town. Afterward, we encircled the perimeter
of the burning village. A few survivors attempted
to get past us, but we merely wounded them with
our blades and threw them back into the flames
to carry out Scrutator Rugals sentence. After
a full day and night standing watch over the
flames, we did a final sweep of the ruins and
discovered, to our shock, a lone survivor: a young
boy of no more than three years. His clothes had
burned and his body was covered in soot and ash,
but he was otherwise completely unscathed.
There is no way this child escaped our flames,
yet he survived. I must confess that even now,
I feel emotion swelling as I write this. Every
soldier present could only stare in amazement at
this little form who was wrapped in my very own
tabard, and we knew then what even Scrutator
Rugal later declaredthis child had been spared
by the very hand of Menoth himself. He has been
under our care for several weeks, but we believe
we have located the boys grandfather, who will
be granted custody soon. Preceptor Mathis, I
know I may speak out of turn, but I truly believe
I witnessed a miracle of the Creator, and if
you still have your doubts, wait until we have
confirmed who we believe the grandfather is. I
tell you, the hand of the Lawbringer moves in
mysterious ways.
Cleanser Arms Master Elios Joriah

While the above story may seem unbelievable, I


have over a dozen letters from the other members

66

Gavyn Kyle

of the Flameguard who were present at Seniza, and


they all make the same claim that this boy, later
identified as Pyrrhus, miraculously survived
the fires that burned down his village. As for the
boys grandfather, he was confirmed to be Calur,
a renowned and respected Flameguard who rose to
the rank of commander and was awarded several
commendations before honorably retiring after
losing an arm and left eye in battle. GK

As a retired Flameguard commander, Calur was


issued a respectable stipend that allowed him
and his grandson to live in the city of Sul in
relative comfort. What I could gather of Pyrrhus
upbringing under Calur came mostly from
teachers and former schoolmates who described
the boy as bright but distant and aloof. All of
the children of his neighborhood remembered
Pyrrhus as a quiet boy, always preferring to
practice drills and forms on his wooden staff
over making friends with his peers. This odd
behavior began to make sense once I got hold of
Calurs private journal.
Starting at the age of seven, the young boy began
a strict training regimen under his grandfathers
guidance, learning both the martial skills and
code of conduct of the Flameguard. This training
came at the cost of making friends or having any
sort of normal childhood. At first, I assumed the
grandfather forced this on young Pyrrhus, but as
the following journal entry illustrates, this was
not the case. GK
I have been telling Pyrrhus stories about the
life and piety of his mother and father, of their
bravery in the face of adversity, and of their
service to the temple before they settled down in
a small village to give birth to their son. I have
even been telling him a bit of my own adventures,

all in the hopes of giving some semblance of


comfort and strengthening the faith of the boy.
It appears I have been far too successful in that
endeavor. In recent weeks, a fire has sparked in
the eyes of my grandson. He has taken to swinging
a small tree branch around as a training staff
and has even attempted to memorize the Rites
of Vigilance. When I asked him if he wouldnt
rather play with the other children, he looked
me straight in the eye and said, I want to be
strong for Menoth, so hell let me fight alongside
mother and father in Urcaen. All I could do was
embrace my beloved grandson and tell him how
proud I was. We will begin his training tomorrow
morning before first prayer.

From what I can tell, Pyrrhus tutelage under his


grandfather was rigorous and intensive; at the
age of eleven, Pyrrhus began making prolonged
training excursions with his grandfather in
the desert outside of the city, using the harsh
elements and the wild desert creatures to
further test the boys resolve. These trips would
typically last days, but on a few occasions some
were as long as a couple of weeks. The following
journal entry takes place when Pyrrhus was
about fifteen years old. It details a particularly
eventful trip, one that illustrates the lads
growing skill and resolve. GK

staff shattered on the enemys forearm. But my


grandson continued to fight on, using only his
shield. After a few intense minutes, Pyrrhus
stood over the bandit leader, victorious. After
the battle, the family offered us food and a night
in their tent as gratitude. I must admit, my old
bones desired the comfort of their hospitality,
but Pyrrhus was too eager to continue his
training. So, we agreed I would stay and rest
with the family for a night and then meet him
at Suls gates in a few days. Without a backward
glance, Pyrrhus set off to train with nothing but
his shield, my prayers, and his faith against the
oncoming desert darkness.

A year later, at sixteen, Pyrrhus was of age


to test as a recruit for the Flameguard. By
all accounts, he passed each test with ease.
I decided to investigate whether anyone at
the Order remembered the young mans past.
Upon further examination, as the following
correspondence between two senior instructors
suggests, it seemed to be a source of contention
among the Order.
The following are a handful of letters (and
excerpts from letters). GK

We had been following the trails near the


northeastern border when, just as we crested a
rocky hill, Pyrrhus and I came across a family
of pilgrims beset by three bandits. Before I knew
it, Pyrrhus charged at the heathens. I could not
help but wish I wasnt so old and crippled, so I
could aid my grandson, but I had complete faith
in him and the Creator. Pyrrhus made short work
of the first two, even though he only had a
wooden shield and staff to combat
their steel weapons. Their
leader was surprisingly
strong, and Pyrrhus

Gavyn Kyle

67

Preceptor Gilroy,
I must confess my confusion as to your attempt
to reverse recruit Pyrrhus acceptance into
our Order as a trainee. Not only did the boy
receive a perfect grade on all six tests, but his
grandfathers great service to our Order surely
means potential through heritage as well.
Furthermore, and I do not bring this up lightly,
I was at Seniza when the boy was found among
the burning rubble, and while I am not a priest,
I do believe the Creator saved that boy for some
special purpose. It is in the best interest of the
Flameguard to assist in strengthening Pyrrhus
toward that destiny.
Arms-Master Instructor Layla Ruthani

Arms Master Ruthani,


You mention the boys heritage, and that is
precisely what I am trying to save our order from.
The young mans parents were heretics, and thus,
heretical blood flows through his veins. Even if
he joins our order out of pure intent, it is as the
Canon of the True Law states, The sins of the
father live on through his son. I am not the only
one who sees the danger this Pyrrhus poses to the
Flameguard, and even if he is allowed to join,
nothing will convince me otherwise. Not even this
purported deliverance from judgment.

a sparring session against multiple opponents to


demonstrate the graduating class skill to the
observing members of the Incendium. I believe
this was nothing but a guise by Gilroy and the
leading council of the Flameguard, whose true
intentions were for Pyrrhus to suffer at the
very least embarrassment and at worst a careerending injury. The following is an eyewitness
account of the demonstration. GK
First, they came at him in pairs with flame
spear strikes no less fast and sure as those done
with the intent to kill. Pyrrhus dodged each
attack and countered with great skill for a new
graduate, defeating opponent after opponent.
Once they began coming at him in teams of three,
his shield broke, and for a time, he wielded a
pair of flame spears. After those broke, it was a
pair of shields. Each new weapon had been taken
from a defeated opponent. The demonstration was
halted after Pyrrhus stood over his thirty-third
opponent, I believe. All of them knocked down but
none suffering any serious injury. On a personal
note, while I suspect Preceptor Gilroy and the
others are correct about the danger of the boys
heretical legacy, after watching Pyrrhus skill
firsthand, I am left to wonder if the others who
believe he is guided by Menoth dont have the
truth of it.
Preceptor Aulon Sanders

Senior Preceptor Heremon Gilroy

Despite Gilroys suspicions, Pyrrhus training


was allowed to continue, and after two years of
training as an infantry soldier, Pyrrhus was
inducted as a full member of the Flameguard
in 598 AR at the age of eighteen. The following
brief portion of a letter by one of Pyrrhus main
instructors illustrates the young mans last few
months in training. GK
...In regards to Pyrrhus, he continues to
demonstrate excellence in skill and is currently
receiving special tactical training. The only
concern I have is that the other recruits
misunderstand his dedication. The boy has no
close friends and does not commiserate with his
peers during assigned rest hours. I know that
Preceptor Gilroy and others continue to view the
young man with suspicion, but I believe Pyrrhus
will be a boon to our order.
Arms Master Layla Ruthani

Unfortunately, Pyrrhus skeptics refused to


sit idly by and watch hima child born from
hereticsbecome a full Flameguard. As first in
his class, Pyrrhus was elected to participate in

68

Gavyn Kyle

After his induction into the Flameguard, Pyrrhus


was assigned to standard patrol regiments at the
main temple in Sul. While his superiors took note
of the young soldiers dedication and talent,
Pyrrhus seemed dissatisfied; having spent his
whole life constantly pushing his skills, the
standard battle-readiness drills and sparring
seemed inadequate. In Pyrrhus few spare hours
off-duty, he sought out noteworthy warriors from
his and other martial orders and challenged
them to friendly but fierce matches. Some of his
notable victories included Exemplar Seneschal
Rixus and Lorden, an abbot of the Order of the
Fist. The following is a surveillance report of
Pyrrhus duel with Steelhead Captain Armond
Dukain, as seen by a monk of the Order of the
Fist. GK
Their fight took place in an alley just south of
Providence Street. Several onlookers were there,
including two patrolling Flameguard and a few
Steelheads from the captains division. By my
reckoning, Steelhead halberdiers are impressive
when fighting cohesively, but rarely did one stand
out as a singular fighter. Dukain was different.
His speed and precision with the polearm was
almost elegant in its own way. By the speed with
which he could change his angle of attack, with
a long weapon in a narrow alleyway no less,
I could tell that the Flameguard had chosen

his opponent well. Their battle was fierce, and


both men seemed evenly matched, that is, until
Pyrrhus went on the offensive. Using both spear
and shield in offensive and countering strikes,
he eventually found an opening, leaving the tip
of his spear mere inches from Dukains throat.
Once both men were satisfied, the crowd quickly
dispersed. No further incident from Pyrrhus to
report that day.
Adara, of the Order of the Fist
These duels went on for over two years until
a superior, perhaps under pressure from the
other martial orders seeking to avoid further
embarrassing losses, lightly reprimanded
Pyrrhus. By all accounts, each progressive duel
developed Pyrrhus style and ability, likely
contributing to his considerable fighting
prowess today. This unorthodox path for personal
development bears a passing similarity to
High Paladin Dartan Vilmon, perhaps the most
renowned swordsman currently serving the
Protectorate, who is said to have trained under
several accomplished sword masters outside of
his order. An additional consequence of these
matches was that each victory also furthered
Pyrrhus reputation across the Protectorate as
a great warrior. Even today, stories of Pyrrhus
duels are shared among the Flameguard. GK

Pyrrhus
proved
himself
an
exemplary
Flameguard, and in 601 AR, he was granted the
rank of Arms Master, just three years after
completing his trainingan unprecedented
speed for such a promotion. Instead of receiving
command of a unit, he was made an instructor to
the most promising recruits. During this time,
it seems Pyrrhus continued his self-imposed
training regimen, pushing himself far beyond
the expectations of his martial order.

shoulders burning and our minds losing track


of where our arms ended and our spears began.
Finally, he had us spar trainees from another
group, commanding us to use only the principles
of the second form. I could hardly believe how fast
my body responded to my opponents unnecessarily
complex movements. After Kastor and I easily
won our matches, Instructor Pyrrhus offered us
a slight nod and ordered us to return to drilling
with our classmates. If you knew Pyrrhus, youd
understand why that simple nod filled us with
pride.
Flameguard Initiate Orius Kingston

Five years after Pyrrhus began instructing, the


Cygnarans besieged the city of Sul. While Pyrrhus
yearned to take his place in battle, he was tasked
with continuing the training of recruits, as the
Protectorate needed well-trained Flameguard
more than ever. Pyrrhus obeyed and was placed in
a special instructor committee to develop a new,
abridged training regimen that would see fully
trained Flameguard in six months rather than
the traditional two years.
In the last days of the war, however, Pyrrhus was
finally given his chance to command, leading
a special unit of his former top students in
the defense of the Great Temple. During these
final battles, Pyrrhus unit faced the renowned
37th Storm Knight company, known as Morrows
Thunder. The knights of this unit had fought
in some of the bloodiest battles in the Sulese
theater and had never been routed. Attached is
an excerpt from a former student who was under
Pyrrhus command during this engagement. GK

While I dont have definitive proof, certain


unofficial documents have led me to suspect the
hand of Preceptor Heremon Gilroy was once again
attempting to sabotage Pyrrhus path to command.
Still, Pyrrhus proved to be a harsh, demanding,
but excellent instructor, as shown by this excerpt
from a recruits letter to his family. GK
After our first month in the advanced class,
my friend Kastor and I fell behind. We were not
executing the second spear form to Instructor
Pyrrhus liking, despite our progress under the
previous instructor. So Arms Master Pyrrhus
had Kastor and me practice the form on training
mannequins, first at one-quarter speed and then
switching between half- and full-speed, all day.
He made us practice while the rest of our group
trained normally and ate the midday meal and
had us continue even hours after sunset. The next
day, it was the same thing. And the next day. And
the next. For over two weeks it was like this, our

Gavyn Kyle

69

We had been fighting for what seemed like several


hours, the sound of their lightning racking our
armor and shaking our shields was deafening,
but under the command of Instructor Pyrrhus,
we held. At times I lost sight of him, since he
chose to don the curved helmet of a standard
Flameguard rather than the crowned helm his
authority allowed. Before we left the temple,
he said it was to remind him and us that no
authority is greater than Menoths. With our
leaders skill and our faith, we managed to
drive those Morrowan knights back, cutting
down over a dozen of them and not losing
a single of our own. After the battle, we
celebrated in the Creators name while
Arms Master Pyrrhus only kept his eyes
fixed on where the enemy had fled, ever
vigilant, looking for another attack that
never came.
Flameguard Kastor Everett

After the end of the war, the Incendium


promoted Pyrrhus to Preceptor and gave
him permanent command of his own elite
unit, who were referred to by the others
in their order as the Flamespear Votary.
This decision did not sit well with those
who questioned Pyrrhus lineage, and as
the next document shows, they decided
not to be quiet about it. GK
Official Writ of Objection
Cause of Grievance: The assignment of
Flameguard soldiers under the command
of Preceptor Pyrrhus
Date of Grievance: Golovus 12, 607AR
Additional notes: Many loyal and
veteran members of our Order are
not comfortable placing the lives of
soldiers we helped train in the hands
of a man sired by heretics. Pyrrhus
needs to remain under close scrutiny
as an instructor. We cannot allow
someone of his dubious origins to
lead our Flameguard to ruin, death, or
worse.
Signatures of leading objectant(s):
Preceptor Heremon Gilroy, Preceptor
Lucius Moore, Arms Master Miles
Clayden
After the swift and complete denial
of the motion, Preceptor Pyrrhus and
his unit were first assigned to Tower
Judgment to conduct border patrols,
but in the spring of 608 AR, they

70

Gavyn Kyle

were reassigned to guard supply and armament


caravans to and from the Northern Crusade.
During one of these trips, the caravan was
attacked by a sizable contingent of skorne just a
few days north of the Protectorate border. I have
attached a section from the leading seneschals
after-action report that highlights his units
role in the defense of the caravan. GK
While my exemplars were forcing a counterassault
against the skorne forces, it was the Flameguard
that held our most exposed flank and kept all of
our supply cargo safe. At one point, it appeared as
if the Flameguard were beset by a tidal wave of
red armor and flashing swords, and I feared they
would not hold. But then I saw the commanding
preceptor, Pyrrhus, move through the skorne line
at an angle, as if he had no regard for his own
safety. He pierced through the skorne with swift
strikes of his flame spear until he stood in front
of his mens shield wall and with a booming voice
ordered them to advance, driving the attackers
back. While it may hurt my pride as an exemplar
to admit, I say that we owe the success of this
supply run to Pyrrhus Flameguard.
Seneschal Elena Talbot

After his last caravan mission in the fall of


608 AR, Pyrrhus was once again promoted, this
time to the rank of captain, and he and his unit
were assigned to a prestigious Interdiction that
took part in several noted battles, not the least
of which was the final assault on the Thornwood
necrofactorium in early 609AR. Here is another
part of a letter from one of Pyrrhus former
students who survived that particular conflict.
It describes a story that, from what I can tell, had
begun to spread through the Flameguard order.
The following letter is the least-embellished
version of the event that I was able to locate. GK
It was a nightmare, brother. The bodies of fallen
Menites, Cygnarans, and Khadorans littered
the field alongside bits of broken armor and
mechanika. All around us, the undead swarmed
like locusts bringing unimaginable death.
Then came the bane knights whose darkness
surrounded my men and me like a choking fog. I
heard several of us fall, but I could do nothing
but hold my shield up and strike at the darkness
with my pike.
And then the world burned with Menoths fire as
Captain Pyrrhus, the flames of his spear glowing
brighter than I had ever seen, charged headlong
into the tide of death. Again and again, he laid
low the bane knights, knocking aside their own
polearms and thrusting his spear through their
armor. Eventually, he crossed weapons with the

knights lieutenant, and after an incredible


battle, he brought the lieutenant down and broke
its fell standard over his knee like kindling.
I owe him my life, as do many others who serve
under our captain. I hope that the Lawbringer
blesses us with many years in service to the faith
under Captain Pyrrhus.

and most concretely of all, whatever plans


they have for Pyrrhus, I can say with absolute
certainty that the young captain will have no
interest in participating. Pyrrhus is a singleminded and focused man who only desires to be of
service in this life and the next, with no regard
for agendas or political positioning.

Arms Master Orius Kingston

Nevertheless, I do believe Pyrrhus will continue


to rise in rank and authority in the years ahead.
His actions have served to inadvertently silence
and discredit the dwindling number within the
Flameguard who still believe him to be a child
of heresy, and while I was never able to uncover
the truth behind his parents actions, it does not
appear that Pyrrhus past will affect his future.

This final letter proved to be the most difficult


to procure, mostly due to the fact that I had to
copy it and reseal it before it was delivered to
its intended reader, who promptly burned it after
reading its contents. Though it may seem benign
on the surface, I will explain shortly how this
letter, which I suspect was written by a senior
member of the Incendium to a ranking captain,
might be the final piece to a puzzle that is of
interest to you. GK
Tales of Pyrrhus blessed achievements are
spreading through the ranks like wildfire,
though I do not believe she is aware of this flame,
yet. Many who doubted before now believe he was
blessed by the Creator. This may be beneficial
to the Order in the months and years ahead, as
difficult actions will be taken for the good of
the Flameguard. The scrutator supports us.

After stumbling into several seemingly unrelated


documents, as well as mostly circumstantial
evidence, this last letter has allowed me to
piece together evidence of a mounting conspiracy
within the leadership of the Flameguard.
Evidence suggests between six and nine highranking members of the Flameguard leadership
are involved. What the exact goals of this cabal
are, I regrettably do not know. Their diligence in
destroying written accounts of their meetings
borders on paranoia. While I could speculate
as to their intent based on the aforementioned
scattered documents as well as my refined
instincts for conspiracy, I will refrain from
doing so, as that is not what you have paid me to
do. I was hired to provide you with facts, and I
will give you all I have, regardless of how few
they are.

In fact, by his example and growing list of deeds,


I believe Captain Pyrrhus will be seen as a
hero to the coming generations of Protectorate
Flameguard as well as loyal Menites. Still,
if there has been one underlying truth in my
investigation into this young man, it is this:
by all accounts, Pyrrhus flame, while bright,
is destined to burn out far too soon. The young
Flameguard captain fights too hard and too
brazenly. I believe all of this sacrifice is done
out of a mans devotion to his god as well as a
childs wish to be reunited with the parents that
were taken from him so long ago. I am no priest
and have no knowledge of the afterlife, but I
believe if there was ever anyone destined to fight
alongside his fallen Menite brothers and sisters
in the City of Man, it is Captain Pyrrhus, hero of
the Flameguard.
GK

Firstly, it appears that Feora, Priestess of the


Flame and leader of the Flameguard, does not seem
aware of this groups actions, but I do not know if
that is the direct intention of the conspirators.
Secondly, if this groups intentions do involve
the higher politics of the Protectorate, they do
seem to have support from unknown influential
individuals outside of the Flameguard. Finally

Gavyn Kyle

71

Operation Crucible: A LEVEL 7


[Omega Protocol] Live Event
Breach the Subterra Bravo facility and race against time
and other operatives to get to your objective. Players
scramble to succeed in their mission and put an end to
the sinister goings-on in the facility. Team up with your
friends and be the first to complete your mission!

EVENTS 2016
June 10-12

Lock & Load GameFest 2016 is coming up fast, and we have


a schedule filled to the bursting point with events that no
Lock & Load attendee will want to miss. From Hangouts
to tournaments, this years convention has something for
everyone. Lock & Load 2016 is going to be amazing, so
heres a preview of the events we have scheduled.

Iron Arena
Step into the Iron Arena and experience casual gaming
that rewards you for playing your favorite Privateer
Press games. Earn skulls for every game you play and
turn them in for amazing prizes! The more games you
play, the more skulls you earn. And the more skulls
you earn, the more swag you take home.
Open P3 Studio Q&A
The award-winning Privateer Press Studio will be
on hand Friday through Sunday, working on current
projects and interacting with Lock & Load attendees.
They will be available to answer questions, demonstrate
techniques, and chat about their current projects.
LEVEL 7 [Escape]: Belly of the
Beast
Immerse yourself in the sinister world of LEVEL 7.
Small groups of captives awake in separate areas of the
Subterra Bravo facility and must use every tool at their
disposal to escape in one piece. Players must scramble
to be the first to get out alive. The first player from each
table to escape or survive will move on.

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Privateer Press Formula


P3 Grandmaster Painting
Competition
Show off your painting skills at the annual Privateer
Press Formula P3 Grandmaster Painting Competition.
Privateer studio staff will judge the pieces based on
their individual merit, irrespective of the other entries
and categories. Judges will look at each piece and
may award gold, silver, or bronze, based solely on
the quality of the entry. In addition, one entry will be
awarded best overall, earning its painter the coveted
title of Grandmaster.
Privateer Press Keynote
Panel
Join Privateer Press staff as they discuss upcoming
releases and projects on the horizon. Be on the
information front lines for all the amazing things
coming up for Privateer Press. You wont want to miss
the exciting news!
Privateer Play-to-Win
Privateer Press has an impressive catalog of board
and card game offerings, ranging from the mechanical
mayhem of the Bodgers Game Heap to the intense
resource management of LEVEL 7 [Invasion]. Privateer
Play-to-Win is your chance to play your favorite
Privateer Press board and card games and win some
awesome prizes. For every game you play, youll
receive an entry into Sundays drawing for some
amazing prizes.
Iron Gauntlet Live Stream
One match from each round of the Iron Gauntlet,
the annual WARMACHINE and HORDES World
Championship, is live streamed. This way, viewers at
home can enjoy the action as it unfolds. In the main
event, the last two undefeated players face off in the
final round of this premier world event.
Corvis CalibrationAn Iron
Kingdoms Adventure Board
Game Event
Fight your way through the hard streets of the City of
Corvis in this multi-table Iron Kingdoms Adventure
Board Game event. Followers of Cyriss have turned

their eyes to the City of Ghosts, and its up to our


heroes to discover who is at the center of the plot.
Game Developer William Oz Schoonover will act as
Game Master for this massive event.
Dead Reckoning: An Iron
Kingdoms Roleplaying Game
Multi-Table Adventure
Dead Reckoning is an Iron Kingdoms Roleplaying Game
adventure of epic proportions that will pit several
adventuring parties against nearly insurmountable
odds as they battle tireless hordes of the undead. RPG
Producer Matt Goetz will act as lead Game Master for
this truly spectacular gaming experience.
Iron Game Master
Competition
Sure to be a huge hit this year, the Iron Game Master
Competition pits four storytellers against one another
in a battle to earn the prestigious title of Iron Game
Master. Four contestants will take on the same Full
Metal Fantasy adventure and will be rated on criteria
set by RPG Producer, Matt Goetz. If you think youve
got what it takes to enthrall your players and create
the richest in-world experience, try your hand as one
of our Game Masters. There will be plenty of seats for
players as well.
Iron Painter Showdown and
Trivia Challenge
You can paint. You can even paint fast. But can you
paint Iron Painter fast? Following the format of the
popular television show Iron Chef, the Iron Painter
Showdown will pit contestants against one another
in a competition requiring skill, speed, creativity,
and grit. A surprise competitor will challenge the
contestants, and all will need to quickly adapt and
expect the unexpected in order to take home the grand
prize. What will the 2016 surprise mini be? You will
have to come and watch to find out. In addition, a
few select attendees will be chosen to compete in an
Iron Kingdoms trivia throw down. Participants will
pit their knowledge of Immoren and Privateer Press
against each other in a fun game-show format for
fantastic prizes. 2016 will feature new trivia questions
and expanded prizes. This is one event that will be just
as much fun to watch as it is to participate, so dont
miss the excitement and drama!
Unbound Exhibition
Come play Unbound with Jason Soles, lead designer
of HORDES and WARMACHINE. Jason will guide
the spectacle of three simultaneously played games
and even participate in one. Spots are limited and five

participants will be selected through a drawing process


from all interested players.
Cosplay Contest
Show off your finest Privateer Pressinspired costume.
Privateer staff members will judge costumes on
craftsmanship, creativity, and fidelity to the aesthetics
of our worlds. Prizes will be given for 1st, 2nd, and
3rd place, and all entrants will have the opportunity to
have their photos taken for inclusion in an upcoming
issue of No Quarter magazine!
WARMACHINE: Tactics
Tournaments
Warcasters fight for supremacy in the war-torn
battlefields of the Iron Kingdoms in WARMACHINE:
Tactics. These are tournament events for eight players
with three rounds each. Who will be named champion?
Closing Ceremonies
Awards will be given, raffles will be drawn, and
farewells will be made. Be sure to make room on your
schedule for the closing ceremonies of this years
premier Privateer Press event.
warmachine/hordes
tournaments

WARMACHINE/HORDES Lock &


Load Masters
The WARMACHINE/HORDES Masters tests your
skills with your chosen faction. The preliminaries on
Friday will seed the top eight finishers from each event,
who will compete in the Masters Finals on Sunday.
Masters Heat 1: Preliminaries (128 players)
Registration: Friday, 10:00 A.M. 11:00 A.M.
Tournament: Friday, 11:00 A.M. 8:00 P.M.
Masters Heat 2: Preliminaries (128 players)
Registration: Friday, 1:00 P.M. 2:00 P.M.
Tournament: Friday, 2:00 P.M. 11:00 P.M.

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73

Masters Finals (16 players)


Registration: Sunday, 9:00 A.M. 10:00 A.M.
Tournament: Sunday, 10:00 A.M. 7:00 P.M.
WARMACHINE/HORDES
Three Commanders Team
Tournament
The Lock & Load Team Tournament pits teams of three
players against each other in a chess-style tournament.
Each of the three players is ranked by skill level:
General, Captain, and Lieutenant. Each team member
plays against a competing team member of the same
rank during matches (e.g., General vs. General, Captain
vs. Captain).

WARMACHINE/HORDES
Spelldraft
Deneghra the Soul Weaver with Purification? Lord
Assassin Morghoul with Signs and Portents? Its
possible here! Build your list, draft your spells, and
bring the pain!
Registration: Saturday, 10:00 A.M. 11:00 A.M.
Tournament: Saturday, 11:00 A.M. 9:00 P.M.
64 players maximum
50-point Spelldraft tournament with 4 rounds

Registration: Friday, 8:00 P.M. 9:00 P.M.


Tournament: Friday, 9:00 P.M. 7:00 A.M.
16 teams maximum, 3 players per team (48 players
maximum)
SR 2015 tournament with 4 rounds:
35 pt. army lists
2 lists required, divide & conquer
Characters Restricted
Standard Steamroller scenarios
Death Clock: 42 minutes per player
Each team counts as a single player for the purposes
of ranking. Control points accrued and army points
destroyed are cumulative for all players on a team for
the purpose of tiebreakers.

WARMACHINE/HORDES
Hardcore: The Last Dance
Hardcore has been a mainstay of Privateer Press gaming
events for years, and this will be our final farewell to
this tournament. Throw down in this awesome event
one last time before welcoming Champions to the fold.
Fully painted armies and fast, furious gameplay fill
Hardcore with edge-of-your-seat action.
Registration: Saturday, 9:00 A.M. 10:00 A.M.
Tournament: Saturday, 10:00 A.M. 9:00 P.M.
64 players maximum
50-point Hardcore tournament with 6 rounds

Iron Gauntlet: The


WARMACHINE/HORDES World
Championship
Iron Gauntlet is the ultimate test of a players mastery
of the game. The top 16 players from all of the 20152016
qualifiers will battle for the title of World Champion.
Registration: Saturday, 8:00 A.M. 9:00 A.M.
Tournament: Saturday, 9:00 A.M. 9:00 P.M.
16 players Invitation Only

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WARMACHINE/HORDES
Scrambles
Eight-man scrambles are a relative newcomer to the
WARMACHINE/HORDES competitive scene, but
they are fast becoming a favorite of players around
the globe. As players turn in their lists, well set up
tournaments of varying point levels and keep playing
into the wee hours of the morning. Each time we get
eight players, a new tournament will begin!
Ongoing Registration: Saturday, starting at 10:00 P.M.
Tournaments: Saturday, 11:00 P.M. 8:00 A.M.
Tournaments with three rounds each

WARMACHINE/HORDES
Speedmachine Tournament
Lightning-fast play is the name of the game in
Speedmachine. Beating the clock will be just as tough
as beating your opponent.
Registration: Sunday, 9:00 A.M. 10:00 A.M.
Tournament: Sunday, 10:00 A.M. 7:00 P.M.
64 players maximum
SR 2015 tournament with 6 rounds:
25-point army list, Battlegroup Only
Close Quarters scenario
Death Clock: 25 minutes per player
WARMACHINE/HORDES Double
Threat!
When two warcasters take the field of battle together,
the destruction they can wreak is astronomical. Put
together your favorite pair, and throw down in the
field of slaughter.
Registration: Sunday, 9:00 A.M. 10:00 A.M.
Tournament: Sunday, 10:00 A.M. 7:00 P.M.
16 players maximum
50-point Double Threat tournament with 4 rounds:
50-point army lists with two warcasters/warlocks
WARMACHINE/HORDES Staff
Scrambles
Eight-man scrambles are a relative newcomer to the
WARMACHINE/HORDES competitive scene, but
they are fast becoming a favorite of players around the
globe. Well set up events of varying point levels as
players turn in their lists, and give attendees a chance
to face off against Privateer Press staff. Every time we
get eight players, a new event will begin!
Ongoing Registration: Sunday, starting at 9:00 A.M.
Tournaments: Sunday, 10:00 A.M. 7:00 P.M.
Tournaments with 3 rounds each.
seminar events

Building a Linear Obstacle


Hobby & Terrain Specialist Michael Archer will give
a hands-on demonstration on how to create a piece
of terrain for your home gaming table. This Hangout
is an excellent opportunity to pick up some tips on
how to make affordable and effective terrain for
WARMACHINE, HORDES and the IKRPG.

Iron Kingdoms Roleplaying


Game Miniature Kit Bash
Ever wanted to know how you can craft the perfect
miniature for your character in the Iron Kingdoms
Roleplaying Game? Do you have a dastardly NPC for
your game that needs a perfect model for your players
to view in terror? Or maybe you just want some tricks
on converting models for your WARMACHINE/
HORDES army. No matter your reasoning, come sit
down with Hobby & Terrain Specialist Michael Archer
for some tips and tricks to create your own characters
from existing parts already in the Privateer Press
miniatures catalog.
Basing a Miniature
Privateer Press Hobby & Terrain Specialist Michael
Archer will provide demonstrate how to create
stunning bases for your hobby miniatures. Ranging
from simple sand and grass to ornate scenic options,
this Hangout will focus on creating an evocative setting
for your painted models.
Scratch-Building Basics
Building a model or a piece of terrain completely
from scratch is a skill that takes a lot of practice and
experience to perfect. Join Hobby & Terrain Specialist
Michael Archer as he shares his years of knowledge
with all attendees who want to start making their own
unique centerpieces for their games.
WARMACHINE War Paint
Privateer Press Studio Painter Dallas Kemp offers a
hands-on look at painting the traditional color schemes
of all of the factions of WARMACHINE. Bring your
army and follow along with Dallas while he offers tips
and tricks for painters of every skill level, and youll be
sure to get your army on the table and looking sharp.
HORDES War Paint
The same experience as the WARMACHINE War Paint
Hangout except this Hangout is focused on the color
schemes of all the HORDES factions.
Metallic Techniques
Privateer Press Studio miniature painter Dallas Kemp
covers everything youve ever wanted to know
about painting metallics. Come learn how to give the
appearance of realistic and appropriate light on your
metals using true metallic technique as well as nonmetallic metals.

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75

Two-Brush Blending
The two-brush blending technique is known as the
quickest way to get high-quality blends in the fewest
number of steps. Learn the secrets of this invaluable
technique from Privateer Press Studio painter Dallas
Kemp. Intermediate- to master-level painters will find
this technique useful for a variety of projects from
amazing single miniatures to vast armies.
Leather, Stone, and Wood
The Iron Kingdoms are full of steam and steel, but
deep in the wilds of Immoren, there are plenty of more
naturally occurring textures. Privateer Press Studio
Painter Dallas Kemp will share his tips and tricks for
painting realistic-looking leather, stone, and wood
for use on your hobby miniatures. Dallas will show
techniques for painters of all skill levels looking to take
their models to the next level.
Glow, Gore, and Tats
The small details of paint jobs go a long way to making
miniatures really shine on the tabletop. Spend time
with Privateer Press Studio Painter Dallas Kemp and
learn how to make convincing glows, gore, and tattoos
on your WARMACHINE, HORDES, and Iron Kingdoms
Roleplaying Game miniatures.
Lock & Load Outpost Online
Hangout
Lock & Load GameFest is going global in 2016, and
this Hangout is our way of truly being a part of the
international Lock & Load experience. If you are
attending one of the Lock & Load Outpost events, we
invite you to join key members of the Privateer Press
staff for an exclusive online Hangout, complete with a
Q&A session.
Creating Narrative Play
Campaigns and Scenarios
Steamroller, Masters, and Iron Gauntlet are all fantastic
formats and an awesome way to play WARMACHINE
and HORDES. Some players, though, want to retell the
story of epic battles or create their own stories of strife
in the Iron Kingdoms. Join Organized Play Developer
William Hungerford and Director of Business
Development Will Shick for this foray into the world of
narrative gameplay experiences.
Iron Kingdoms Roleplaying
Game Adventure Crafting
Every Game Master has stared down the fear of not
having material ready for their next game session.
During this Hangout, Privateer Press staff will

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collaborate with attendees to create an outline for a


new adventure to throw your players into during your
next gaming session.
Skull Island eXpeditions:
Gazing at the Horizon
For years, the lore and stories of the Iron Kingdoms had
only existed in the pages of No Quarter magazine and
our anthology books. In 2013, Skull Island eXpeditions
exploded onto the scene, bringing with it novels and
novellas detailing the awesome stories of the setting.
Join Director of Publications Mike Ryan and Lead
Writer Douglas Seacat for a discussion about what
is up-and-coming for Skull Island eXpeditions as we
move into our third year.
Concept to Creature:
Creating Monsters for the
Iron Kingdoms Roleplaying
Game
The true breadth of creatures and encounters possible
in the Iron Kingdoms is almost limitless. Players are as
likely to run into a band of wandering bandits in the
woods as they are to find a gatorman death ritual! Join
Privateer Press staff and veteran game masters for a
discussion of how to create monsters and encounters
for your latest campaign.
LEVEL 7: Subterra Foxtrot
and Beyond
What began in Subterra Bravo is now culminating in a
full-on planetary invasion! Join Director of Publications
Mike Ryan and Chief Creative Officer Matt Wilson
for an in-depth discussion of the events that have
transpired to this point in the LEVEL 7 storyline,
and a look at the upcoming fiction from Skull Island
eXpeditions. Whether youre a long-standing follower
of the games or making your first foray into this world,
you wont want to miss this.
Game Theory: Creating a
Positive Play Experience
People play games for a lot of different reasons, ranging
from family experience to competitive organized play.
One common theme for all gamers, though, is that
games are meant to be fun. Join the Privateer Press
Development team for a discussion about what creates
a positive gameplay experience in many different
genres of games.

State of the Factions


Privateer Press Lead Writer Doug Seacat will spend
time going over the current state of affairs of each of the
WARMACHINE and HORDES factions. The last few
years in western Immoren have been busy and bloody,
and this presentation should clarify who is fighting
whom and what plots and schemes are currently afoot.
If youre worried about how your favorite factions are
faring, hanging out with Doug should reassure you
or confirm your deepest fears.
WARMACHINE: The New Class
This past February, Primecast gave the world a first
peek at the newest upcoming warcasters for the factions
of WARMACHINE. Since that broadcast, speculation
has been rampant, and everyone is dying to learn more
about the new class of warcasters for 2016. Sit and
discuss the details of these awesome new characters in
person with Privateer Press staff.
HORDES: The New Class
The same experience as the WARMACHINE: The New
Class except focused on 2016s new class of warcasters
for the factions of HORDES.
Expedition Immoren
Privateer Press staff writers Zachary Parker and
Douglas Seacat take on the role of tour guide to detail
the sights and sounds of various locales in the steampowered nations of the Iron Kingdoms. After the
presentation, Zachary and Douglas will field questions.
If youve ever wondered what it would be like to visit
the Thornwood in spring or take a sightseeing tour
of the largest Morrowan churches, this is the closest
youll ever get.
Widowers Wood First Look
This is your chance to play Widowers Wood: An Iron
Kingdoms Adventure Board Game before it is released to
the public. Join the Privateer Press staff for an exciting
playthrough of this hot new game.
The Power of Playtest
Meet with staff developers for an in-depth discussion
about the development process at Privateer Press.
From internal and external testing to model revisions,
this panel will give an inside look at the process behind
balancing your favorite WARMACHINE and HORDES
models, direct from Privateer Press staff. The class will
help shed some light on the process and importance of
a solid playtest.

Concept to Model
How do you take a great idea and forge it into a
gorgeous model for the tabletop? Come find out!
Privateer Press staff will talk about the process of
creating a great board game from the ground up. From
the commandos of Disco Team to the awe-inspiring
warcasters and warlocks of WARMACHINE and
HORDES, this discussion will cover models from all of
our game lines.
Writing in the Iron Kingdoms
Privateer Press Writing and Editorial teams know
more than a thing or two about what it takes to write
the stories that bring the conflicts of the Iron Kingdoms
to life. Join them for a look at the process of creating the
ongoing narrative of WARMACHINE and HORDES,
and see how the writing process shifts and changes
through revisions and reviews.
Skull Island eXpeditions
Book Club
Since its inception, Skull Island eXpeditions has
published dozens of literary works about Privateer
Press game settings. Come discuss your favorites with
staff and writers and hear a reading from an upcoming
release!
Iron Kingdoms Roleplaying
Game Props
Telling your players they pull a lich lords phylactery
from the debris of a temple ruins is an exciting part of
any IKRPG campaign. Actually handing your players a
lich lords phylactery is even more amazing! Physical
props, maps, and models add a huge level of depth
to any game. Privateer Press staff and veteran game
masters will show you some of the props theyve made
for their own games and share easy ways to draw your
players into the story you are telling.
The Art of the Iron Kingdoms
There are hundreds of illustrations throughout the
entire WARMACHINE and HORDES anthology and
even more throughout High Command, Iron Kingdoms
Full Metal Fantasy, Unleashed, and Undercity. Join
Privateer Press Creative Director Ed Bourelle and Art
Director Michael Vaillancourt for an in-depth look at
the art that creates the setting we all know and love.

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77

Area
Iron Arena
Hall

Events Hall

P3 Studio
Hobby Lounge

Game Lounge

Arts &
Literature
Lounge
Store

Stage Area

9am - 10am

< Iron Arena

10am - 11am

11am - 12pm

12pm - 1pm

1pm - 2pm

Privateer Play-to-Win

WARMACHINE/HORDES Unbound Exhibition

Corvis Calibration

Open P3 Studio Q&A

2pm - 3pm

Basing a Miniature

2pm - 3pm

Writing in the Iron Kingdoms

1pm - 2pm

3pm - 4pm

4pm - 5pm

5pm - 6pm

6pm - 7pm

7pm - 8pm

Glow, Gore, and Tats

Dead Reckoning

Operation Crucible:
a LEVEL 7 [Omega Protocol] Live Event

HORDES Warpaint

Cosplay
Contest

7pm - 8pm

Iron Painter Submission


Last Chance!

8pm - 9pm

8pm - 9pm

Iron Painter
Showdown
& IK Trivia
Challenge

Corvis Calibration

Iron GM Competition

6pm - 7pm

Concept to Creature: Creating


Monsters for the IKRPG

5pm - 6pm

Iron Kingdoms RPG Adventure


Creation

4pm - 5pm

Iron Kingdoms RPG


Adventure Creation

Widowers Wood First Look

IKRPG Mini Kit Bash

WARMACHINE/HORDES - Masters Qualifier

LEVEL 7 [Escape]: The Belly of the Beast

3pm - 4pm

Widowers Wood First Look

WARMACHINE: Tactics Tournament

Metallic Techniques

12pm - 1pm

Creating Narrative Play


Campaigns/Scenario

11am - 12pm

Privateer Play-to-Win
Dead Reckoning

WARMACHINE/HORDES - Masters Qualifier

Two-Brush Blending

Writing in the Iron Kingdoms

Concept to Model

WARMACHINE: Tactics Tournament

WARMACHINE Warpaint

Game Theory: Creating a


Positive Play Experience

Privateer Press Store

IKRPG Props

Building a Linear Obstacle

Formula P3 Grandmaster Painting Competition Open Submission

Open P3 Studio Q&A

Iron Arena

10am - 11am

Privateer Press Store

IKRPG Props

IKRPG Mini Kit Bash

Formula P3 Grandmaster Painting Competition Open Submission

Dead Reckoning

WARMACHINE/HORDES - Hardcore: The Last Dance

WARMACHINE/HORDES - Spell Draft

WARMACHINE/HORDES - Iron Gauntlet

9am - 10am

REGISTRATION

Area
Iron Arena
Hall

Events Hall

P3 Studio
Hobby Lounge

Game Lounge

Arts &
Literature
Lounge
Store

Stage Area

9pm - 10pm

Privateer
Press
Keynote

9pm - 10pm

10pm - 11pm

10pm - 11pm

WM/H Team Tournament

11pm - 12am

Scrambles

11pm - 12am

12am -1am

>

>

Lock & Load


Outpost
Online
>
Hangout

12am - 8am

>

Lock & Load

78

saturdAY schedule
FRIDAY schedule

sundAY schedule
Stage Area

Store

Arts &
Literature
Lounge

Game Lounge

P3 Studio
Hobby Lounge

Ev ts Hall

Iron Arena Hall

Area

EVENT SCHEDULE KEY

BOARD/CARD GAME EVENT

WM TACTICS EVENT

IKRPG EVENT

HOBBY EVENT

< Iron Arena

4am - 6 am

HANGOUT

< Lock &


Load Outpost
Online
Hangout

begins one hour

8am - 9am

for tournaments

6am - 8am

registration

< WARMACHINE/HORDES - Eight-Man Scrambles

2am - 4am

WARMACHINE/HORDES EVENT
12am - 2am

OPEN PLAY

9am - 10am

before scheduled time!

11am - 12pm

12pm - 1pm

1pm - 2pm

2pm - 3pm

3pm - 4pm

Leather, Stone, and Wood

HORDES - The Coming Storm

Two-Brush Blending

Expedition Immoren

The Power of Playtest

Scratch-Building Basics

4pm - 5pm

Operation Crucible:
a LEVEL 7 [Omega Protocol] Live Event

WARMACHINE - The Coming


Storm

State of the Factions


Privateer Press Store

Skull Island eXpeditions:


Gazing at the Horizon

Formula P3 Grandmaster Painting Competitions Open


Submission

Open P3 Studio Q&A

Corvis Colaboration

Dead Reckoning

WARMACHINE/HORDES - Speedmachine

WARMACHINE/HORDES - Eight-Man Staff Scrambles

WARMACHINE/HORDES - Double Threat!

WARMACHINE/HORDES - Masters Finals

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Closing
Ceremonies

79

Lock & Load

W r at h of t h e
Dr agon fat h e r
by Zachary C. Parker

The dragons of Immoren have risen.


Cygnar has secured the loose dragon athanc from Cryxian forces, but the agents of the Nightmare Empire are not the
only ones who still seek the heartstone.While Cygnars armies march off to war in the Thornwood, Major Victoria
Haley and Constance Blaize find themselves swept up in what could be the final chapter in a conflict older than the
Iron Kingdoms themselves. As the clash between the dragon Everblight and his siblings unfolds across the Wyrmwall
Mountains and beyond, the only hope for the warcasters to save Immoren lies in deciphering a series of prophetic
messages from the athanc itself. Yet another, more sinister threat waits in the wings. Will Haley and Blaizes efforts be
enough to alter the course to ruin, or will all of Cygnar burn beneath the progeny of the Dragonfather?
In Zachary C. Parkers Wrath of the Dragonfather digital novella, due in late March from Skull Island eXpeditions ($4.99,
skullislandx.com), the forces in pursuit of the athanc are not only racing toward a devastating confrontation with one
another, but they are also destined to face an unexpected enemy, one that has waited a long, long time for this moment,
one that will not be thwarted by the likes of mere warcasters and warlocks
The following excerpt begins as the forces of Everblight confront the Cygnaran troops bearing the athanc for the first time

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skull island expeditions

SAERYN

Blinded and on her knees, Saeryn was overcome by a


rush of emotions from her fellow warlocks, telegraphed
across the miles via the athanc within her. Fear, confusion,
and panic struck her like rolling waves. Terrible as such
feelings were, the worst was yet to come. The mental
violation was so overwhelming it made her sick. And she
knew Everblight felt the same in that instant; all of them
were exposed and vulnerable.
Gunshots rang out in the distance. During the moment
of confusion, the Cygnarans on the boat had spotted the
harriers flying over the river. Saeryn tried to reach out
to the beasts with her mind, but she struggled to make
contact. As her vision cleared, she stood and took stock
of her forces. Whatever had happened had caused every
last creature connected to Everblight to suffer a similar
disconcerting experience.

above the ship but rather the bellowing roar they had
heard shortly afterward.
Incoming! Starboard side! shouted a Precursor knight.
Just then a pair of monstrous winged creatures took
flight from the nearby cliffs. A set of four wings propelled
the beasts through the air, and barbed tails lashed out
behind their serpentine bodies. Blaize had encountered
dragonspawn before and recognized these as seraphs,
death on wings that came bringing poison and fire.
A commotion broke out on deck at the sight of the
incoming dragonspawn. Blaize was already in motion,
moving among the crew and shouting orders. To arms!
Stoke the boilers, and get the jacks topside! Keep watch
for boarders!

A dozen rifles barked as the trenchers took up positions


behind the railing and opened fire on the incoming
Saeryn turned to regard her sister. Rhyas had regained enemy. One of the seraphs jerked and dove from sight
her footing but clutched her chest where her own athanc as bullets tore through the thin membrane of its wings
shard rested. Her expression was strained, and she and punctured its flesh. The second horror swept along
the side of the ship and from its maw unleashed a torrent
breathed heavily.
of blue flame that consumed several trenchers. Those
Rhyas shook her head. What was that?
set ablaze collapsed or leapt screaming from the deck to
I dont know. Confused mental chatter from the other extinguish the flames in the river.
warlocks grew in intensity as the disruption faded and With a keening screech, the wounded seraph came back
their bond renewed. Saeryn pushed the cacophony from into view and strafed the deck, belching flames of its own.
her mind.
Precursor knights cooked inside their armor, and members
Another round of gunfire sounded, and the last of the
harriers plummeted from the sky. In their disorientation,
the dragonspawn had exposed themselves. The Cygnarans
now knew they were being pursued. Any chance for
surprise was gone.

of the crew were engulfed in the blue inferno. The smell of


charred flesh filled the air.

The sailor at the ships helm was caught in the torrent of


fire and turned into a human torch, his arms flailing in
vain as his skin cracked and blackened. In his death panic,
Even so, Saeryn was not about to abandon her prize now. he fell upon the wheel, twisting it hard to the right as he
collapsed. The ship lurched suddenly, pulled to the side.
She was about to lead the charge down the pine-laden
The vessel rose and tilted at an alarming angle as it veered
slope when a deafening roar thundered across the foothills
toward the rocky riverbank, and those onboard fought to
of the upper Wyrmwall. This was when the purpose of
maintain their footing.
the pulse that had struck her athanc shard became clear.
Somehow, the dragon alliance had discovered a means to The impact, underscored by the sound of splintering
wood, rocked the whole of the ship. The hull cracked and
locate Everblights fractured essence.
strained as the vessel collided with the promontory of
Saeryn felt the dragons anxiety at this revelation crush
stone at the rivers edge. The uppermost reaches of the
down upon her like a mountain. There came a tipping
rocks sheared away the railing and portions of the deck.
point, a question of whether it was wiser to flee into the
The ship tilted even further, leaning into the rocks on
wilds and survive or descend upon the waiting boat with
which it had impaled itself, and only the extensive combat
blade and claw and wrest the power to oppose his kin.
experience of the defenders kept them organized and
The voice of Everblight made the decision for her as it upright if no less desperate.
spoke within the base of Saeryns mind. RETRIEVE
The voice of Chaplain Corley carried over the screams of
THE SHARD.
the dying as he addressed the Precursor knights. Form
CONSTANCE BLAIZE
ranks and lock shields! The beasts come around for
Blaize rushed to the railing of the ship and looked over to another pass!
see the dragonspawn splash into the river and disappear
The monotonous clanking of the cargo lift signaled the
below the surface. The accompanying trenchers swept
arrival of the warjacks from below. Smoke billowed from
their rifles over the open sky for additional threats. What
their massive steam engines, and their eyes glowed bright
worried Blaize wasnt the dragonspawn they had spotted
with intensity. Gallant lumbered across the deck to Blaizes

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81

side and took a protective stance beside the warcaster


while the Centurions moved to shield the remaining
trenchers. With their repairs complete, they were prepared
to do glorious battle in the name of Morrow once more.
The mechanik Reynolds had ridden the lift beside the
warjacks and now joined the defense, a wrench in one
hand and a pistol in the other.

with their spears and skewered the blighted horrors,


pinning their thrashing forms to the deck.

Runes flared around Blaizes outstretched hand, and a


blast of holy light engulfed the winged abominations.
Their blighted flesh smoked and seared; they collided with
the deck, sliding and rolling over the planks. Chaplain
Corley and his Precursor knights fell upon one with their
blessed maces to finish the job while Blaize commanded
her Centurion to skewer the other with the jacks massive
piston spear.

around her as she gathered the holy might drawn from


the power of the souls of the dying to shield those who
fought on, forming a shimmering aura around them, fed
by the purified energies of the departed.

She issued a mental command to the Centurions and


positioned them to receive the incoming charge. The
Precursors formed ranks in front, locking shields once
more, ready to repel the oncoming draconic boarders.

Amid the chaos, one of the Nyss cut a bloody swath


through the Precursors with the curved length of her blade.
A trencher attempted to impale her spinning form with a
bayonet, but the Nyss spun inside the mans defenses to
disembowel him in one fluid motion.

Gallant had taken a more proactive approach, moving


beyond the Precursors and, under Blaizes direction,
wading into the enemy with sword and buckler. Broad
strokes from the warjacks blessed weapon cleaved into
the spawn, eviscerating torsos and sending limbs to flop
Trenchers fired as fast as they could reload while the on the vessels planks in their last spasms of life. The jacks
seraphs circled above the boat and dive-bombed the vessel eyes burned a bright yellow as though it relished doling
in tandem. The dragonspawn descended with mouths out such punishment, and the black ichor that splattered
agape, intent on washing the deck in flame once more. its chassis dripped from its armor as if repelled by the holy
Bullets tore into the creatures, causing more horrifying rites bestowed upon it.
wounds, but the beasts came on.
Hold the line! Blaize shouted. Runes materialized

Bolstered by the sacrifice of the initial casualties, the


Precursors pushed forward, wading with mace and shield
into the throng of dragonspawn. The knights blessed
weapons swept down to crack the thick carapace armor
With the seraphs downed, Blaize rushed to the shattered of their foes, and prayers to Morrow rose up and down
railing in time to see a dozen dragonspawn of varying the line. Among them, a knight cried out line after line of
shapes and sizes emerge from the trees and charge the the Enkheiridiontheir most holy tomeand the words
moored ship. Two blighted Nyss moved among them. of their faith seemed to lend strength and courage to the
One of the pale elves wielded a sword, the other a spear, embattled knights. Before long, the deck was awash with
and Blaize was certain these warriors led the assaultthe blood from beast and man alike, and the structured clash
devolved into an all-out brawl.
dragonspawn answered to their will.

Chaplain Corley stood beside Blaize with his own shield


at the ready. First the Cryxians, now these. Whatever our A spear protruded from the back of another nearby
relic is, the evils of every hidden corner in Immoren have Precursor, and the knight fell away to reveal a second
Nyss. Horns jutted from her head, and dragon scales
taken notice.
marked portions of her arms. The focused expression
All the more reason it must remain in our hands,
on her face was identical to that of the first Nyss. Upon
Blaize replied.
seeing Blaize, she invoked a spell and sent a spray of acid
The dragonspawn clambered up the rocks and over the splashing over the warcasters shield and armor to eat
side of the ship in a wave of flesh and teeth to crash away at her defenses with a persistent hiss.
upon the wall of Precursor shields. Though the blessings
Warlocks, Blaize said under her breath. Ignoring the
of Morrow aided their cause, the knights were sorely
acid, she charged forward, shield raised and spear angled
outmatched. Slashing talons knocked shields askew, and
to skewer the spellcaster before she could contribute to the
barbed tails whipped over the line of defenders to open
fight any further.
throats and separate heads from shoulders. Rows of jagged
teeth crunched through armor, and blue flame exuded from A sphere of shadow concealed Blaizes intended target
from her, and when the effect vanished she found herself
draconic mouths to blister faces and warp steel.
face to face with the sword wielder rather than the
The two Centurion warjacks fell back and served as the
sorceress. In a blur of movement the Nyss struck Blaizes
anchors for the wall of knights, their towering mechanical
shoulder with her blade, spinning her about and stealing
bodies protecting the flanks from assault. Beasts
her balance. A second strike threatened to separate Blaizes
hammered against their massive shields, their attacks
head from her shoulders, and she barely raised her shield
turned harmlessly aside while the Centurions retaliated
in time to deflect the blow. Steel rang on steel. The Nyss
probed Blaizes defenses, driving her back and putting

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skull island expeditions

her on her heels. While the Nyss was lightly armored, her
speed and technique more than made up for it.
Blaize issued a mental command to Gallant; the roar of
the jacks steam engine filled the air as it headed for the
elusive spellcaster. The Nyss sidestepped a downward
cut from the jack that splintered the boards beneath her
feet. She responded by sending a large dragonspawn with
snapping jaws and several arms barreling into Gallant,
and together beast and machine tumbled over the edge
of the open cargo doors and into the depths of the hold.

Therell be time for explanations later, Haley replied.


Right now, I think we have more pressing matters to
attend to.

The Nyss sword wielder had recovered and was now


slashing at the young woman with the kinetic fists,
each combatant ducking and weaving out of the others
reach. It was then that Blaize noticed the young one also
resembled the major. It was as if she had brought an
older and younger sister to fight at her side. This martial
dance continued a moment longer before the second
Nyss warlock battered aside a knight with her spear and
All across the ship, the defending forces were beleaguered.
summoned runes to surround her outstretched hand. A
For each beast that had been slain, two of Blaizes soldiers
shimmer of arcane force sliced through the air and cleaved
lay dead or dying. The Centurions were battered, one
into the young woman, but rather than falling beneath a
having lost the function of its shield arm and the other
wave of her own gore, she simply vanished.
possessing only limited range of movement. And while
Blaize could still sense Gallants cortex in the hold below, The Nyss then came at Haley and Blaize as a pair, the
she could not establish control of the warjack over the movements of one an extension of the other, as though
distance. Even Chaplain Corley, who had dashed the skull they had been fighting alongside one another all their
of a cat-like dragonspawn with his mace and helped bring lives. Haley locked spears with the horned spellcaster
down several other beasts while directing his knights, while Blaize pushed into the one with the sword. The Nyss
now rested on one knee, a trickle of blood pouring from kicked the base of Blaizes shield, driving it downward,
and at the same moment launched a sword strike over the
the side of his head, his breathing ragged.
top to cut through the power field and score a hit on the
There was a crackling sound, and Blaize was caught offwarcasters shoulder. A warm trickle of blood ran down
guard by the unexpected sight of a young woman with a
Blaizes arm and pooled within her armor, but she ignored
braid of golden hair and bursts of arcane energy emitting
the pain and continued to trade strikes. She managed to
from her fists as she ran across the deck of the ship. The
score a hit on her opponents side, carving a deep gash in
Nyss appeared equally surprised; they turned on her only
the Nyss flesh. As soon as the wound appeared, however,
in time to be struck full on by a blast of kinetic force that
it closednearby, one of the dragonspawn collapsed to
threw them backward across the blood-streaked boards.
the deck with a similar wound opening its hide.
The young woman chased after with fists poised to deliver
another strike, and she didnt give Blaize so much as a Around them, the tide of battle had shifted, though the
enemy was far from routed. A handful of dragonspawn
passing glance.
remained, but their fearless nature would brook no retreat
Another familiar figureclad in exotic voltaic warcaster
unless their masters commanded them to do so. Likewise,
armorfloated over the railing. She immediately
faith in Morrow kept those knights who still drew breath
delivered bolts of arcane energy at the dragonspawn.
in the fight, and with the help of the reinforcements, they
Though her face was obscured beneath a cowled hood and
were slowly gaining ground.
goggles, and her hair was gray, she still resembled Major
Victoria Haley, at least in Blaizes eyes. Her confusion A roar rolled over the hills thendeep and powerful, like
was compounded when yet another figurethis time the one Blaize had heard just before the assault began. The
confirmed to actually be Major Haleyclimbed aboard very sound seemed to give the warlocks and their beasts
accompanied by Arlan Strangewayes and a team of pause. A shadow fell across the ship, and combatants on
both sides looked up to see a winged figure the size of a
rangers and trenchers.
mountain peak eclipse the sun.
It looks like you could use some help, Haley said,
speaking over the staccato gunfire of her rangers as they Blaize felt her heart rise up into her throat as the dragon
zeroed in on the remaining dragonspawn, adding their swooped down, its massive fanged maw open wide as if
support to the arcane blasts of the older woman. Haley ready to swallow the ship and all on board whole.
positioned herself at Blaizes back, drawing her hand
cannon and opening fire as she did so.
Not to be seen as ungrateful, but last I heard, you were
recovering in the infirmary at Point Bourne, Blaize said.
And were a long way from Point Bourne.

skull island expeditions

83

An Interview with RPG Producer Matt Goetz


and Publications Director Michael G. Ryan
Immortality: An Iron Kingdoms Adventure hits stores in April. It was born as a serialized Iron Kingdoms Full Metal
Fantasy campaign in the pages of No Quarter, and has now been collected and expanded for its own standalone
release. We caught up with Matt Goetz and Mike Ryan to get some more info on Immortality ahead of its release.

84

SEEKING IMMORTALITY

No Quarter: What is Immortality?


Matt Goetz: Immortality is a full campaign for the Iron
Kingdoms Roleplaying Game. It started as a linked series
of articles written for No Quarter, which weve compiled
with some new material as a full campaign book.
Michael G. Ryan: Its uniqueness stems from how it was
createdover the course of a full calendar year, it grew stage
by stage in the pages of No Quarter, each chapter or pair
of chapters capable of standing alone. Weve expanded the
content to make the chapters tie together even more effectively,
allowing a Game Master to run the Immortality adventure
across multiple sessions.
NQ: You both mentioned new material. What will be
included in this Immortality publication that was not
part of its original No Quarter release?
MG: There are interludes in the book that act as bridges
between the major parts of the campaign. In them, we tried
to give a little more depth to the campaign (and tie up a loose
end or two).
MGR: Game Masters get a bit more freedom with the interludes
as wellthe causes and effects of the interludes allow the Game
Master to pick and choose the elements that keep the story
moving, and in many cases, those elements can be presented in
most any order. The interludes move the adventure along at a
pace that works best for your gaming group.
NQ: Can you give us a little summary of what the
campaign is about?
MG: The campaign is about the rogue Greylord Vladislav
Abrosim and his plot to achieve immortality. The PCs get
embroiled in the story early on, so theres a bit of give and take
between Abrosim and the heroes. They start to get in the way
of his plans, so he does his best to get them out of the picture.
Thats the short version. But I think the story is also about
the pursuit of power at any cost. As you play through the
campaign, you see the really heinous things that Abrosim is
willing to do to achieve his goal. Hes not just killing people
or robbing them of possessions. Hes robbing people of their
humanityand often leaves them alive in that inhuman state.
MGR: Id love to say its about mans inhumanity to man, but
our story doesnt end with a great white whale obliterating the
PCs entire party except for a lone mechanik named Ishmael.
Still, that wouldve been coolAbrosim turns out to be a great
white warjack. In truth, its a universal story: crazy people do
crazy stuff, and sane people need to rein them in. Abrosim is
not above sacrificing even his closest lieutenants to get what
he wants, and if hell kill them, whats to keep him from killing
everybody else along the way?

NQ: Greylord Abrosim sounds like one frightening


foe. How many heroes will it take to challenge him?
MG: The campaign is designed for four or five Hero-level
characters. Its best to start with new characters during the
prologue scenario, and each major milestone has guidance
for how the Game Master should reward experience to the
players. While the adventure wont take you all the way to the
Veteran level, by the time a group of PCs finish the adventure
they should have a hefty chunk of experience under their belt.
NQ: What kinds of players will enjoy Immortality?
MG: The kinds of players who enjoy a mixture of investigation
and action. Theres a balance of both in each installment of
the campaign. Going in guns blazing is certainly an option,
but when the campaign was first being written, we tried to
provide extras for the players who took the time to look around
and talk to the NPCs and dig up exactly what was going on.
There is extra information, extra equipment, and a fuller story
for those who take the time to poke around in the corners to
see what stirs.
MGR: To mangle a quote from the movie Full Metal Jacket:
Travel to exotic, distant lands; meet exciting, unusual people;
and kill them. This adventure offers all of that, and you dont
even have to do all three. You can get your Iron Kingdoms fix
in the locales and hallmarks that let you know you move in
the lands of warjacks and warcasters; you can roleplay with
characters and careers that let you stand at the center of the
stage in a full spotlight; and you can beat the hell out of the
bad guys with your sword and magelock. Its a trifecta of
gaming, I think.
NQ: Immortality is set in the Full Metal Fantasy side
of the Iron Kingdoms. What about people who want to
play Unleashed characters?
MG: Its possible to play Immortality with Unleashed
characters, but it was definitely developed with Full Metal
Fantasy in mind. Theres a lot of social interaction with
villagers that could cause problems for some Unleashed PCs
(bog trogs, gatormen, and Tharn, Im looking at you), but Im
confident a Game Master could tweak things around a bit in
order to make it work for pretty much any character.
MGR: Though we created it with more human-like PCs in
mind, trotting a gatorman into an urban setting to solve a
murder mystery promises a most entertaining RPG session.
Then, when the mystery is solved, the gatorman can simply eat
the culprit. The end. There should be more experience for that. . .

SEEKING IMMORTALITY

85

NQ: What was your favorite aspect of producing this


adventure? Any interesting anecdotes?
MG: Well, it was always amusing to watch Mike pantomime
the actions of the alchemist Olivia Morado...
One of my favorite behind-the-scenes moments for the
adventure, though, was the development of Gallo Morado,
the Crimson Man. Hes this big, monstrous guy whose body
has been twisted by alchemy. I had a clear image in mind of
what the alchemical compounds had done to Gallos body.
When it came time to shoot off an art description to our art
director Mike Vallaincourt, I knew it would be difficult to
articulate. So, instead I sat down with the talented sculptor
Michael Jenkins when we both had some free time. Starting
with a napkin sketch Id done, Mike carefully pushed and
pulled polygons to capture the grisly, monstrous face of the
Crimson Man. The sculpt was sent to the illustrator to use as
impromptu concept art for the final illustration in the book,
sorta reversing the normal process for Jenkins. It was a lot of
fun to sit down and create a 3D police sketch of one of the
series more memorable NPCs.
MGR: Matt and I had an unusual process for creating this
adventure. First, we sat together and drafted a general plot
outline for how each chapter of the adventure would progress.
Then the writing began. Because we were on a strict deadline
for No Quarter, we had to make steady progress, and we
couldnt risk one guy writing and the other guy reviewing,
only to have a problem from the beginning that necessitated
starting over. So, every day, I would write a few hundred
words, send them to Matt, and he would review them. Then
hed send me back notessometimes with higher word counts
than I sent him in the first placeand Id do cleanup on those
words plus the next wave of words the following day.
We went on like this issue after issue, month after month, and
it was hard; I needed to produce daily if we were to have time
to review it and revise it and make it right. I caught myself
scribbling notes in restaurants and asking my wife to send
me text messages when I was driving us to a holiday party
so Id have my RPG ideas in a text for review later. Finally,
we hit a scene late in the story in a dark setting with a host of
unkillables, some of the test victims of Abrosims quest for
immortality. Id been on a writing tear that week, feeling the
pressure of deadlines, and I gave Matt more text than usual in
the first draft. He came to my office, shaking his head. No, no,
no. We have a problem here.
We walked through it to find the issue, and I did a second draft
the next dayno new material, just rehashing what wasnt
working in the unkillables scene. Once again, Matt came to
me. I think youre missing something here. It should be more
like this.

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SEEKING IMMORTALITY

I did a third draft. Deadline was looming. I was now only


hitting the bare minimal word count, just trying to nail scene
down to Matts satisfaction. After I sent it over to him, he
came to see me, shaking his head in a most pitying way.
So, heres what I think, he began. I think
If its not right, I interrupted, you get to write the next
draft.
we should go with your first draft, he finished.
Great, good. Lets move on. Glad we worked this out.
In that moment, it was fortunate for Matt that he qualified as
unkillable, too.

he Iron Kingdoms abound with people both good and evil, but many others live, survive, and
even thrive in the grey shadows between heroics and villainy. Social misfits but not always social
outcasts, they make their way through the world any way they caneven if it results in hardship
for others. In the end, even scoundrels and sell-swords feel justified in doing what they must to stay
alive. These kinds of characters make excellent NPCswhether as antagonists or alliesfor your

Iron Kingdoms RPG campaign. This time youll meet Lanel Gozca, a Cyrissist whose radical beliefs
fuel his deadly machinations.

LANEL GOZCA, the


Clockwork Killer
By William Overstreet and Zachary C. Parker Art by Kiri stergaard Leonard
Better known to the citizens of Ceryl as the Clockwork
Killer, Lanel Gozca is a radical Cyrissist beholden only to his
own misguided worship of the Maiden of Gears. Formerly
imprisoned for the accidental death of his wife and son,
Lanel experienced religious enlightenment while serving
his sentence. He now stalks the streets of Ceryls slums
and market districts in search of those he views as acting
in opposition to the will of his goddess. To date, more than
two-dozen murders have been attributed to Lanel; his victims
are easily identified by mechanikal alterations made to their
bodies post-mortem. These modifications are nothing more
than practice for Lanels own gradual transformation from
man to machine.

LANEL GOZCA: A BRIEF


HISTORY
Prior to his incarceration, Lanel lived as a mechanik, fixing
second-hand laborjacks in the small town of Densport near
Highgate. There he worked alongside his wife and fellow
mechanik, Allesandra di Toryn. Together with their infant
son, the two of them lived in the small apartment above
their shop. Lanel and Allessandra were people of strong
conviction, she a devout though discreet Cyrissist, her nose

scoundrels & sell-swords

87

always in books and her mind open to new concepts, and he


a staunch supporter of the local labor unions that provided
their shop with a steady stream of jacks to repair. The couple
was content with their lot in life and likely would have gone
on being so had it not been for a tragic accident involving a
laborjack boiler. Left unattended, the boilers pressure built
until it ultimately exploded, destroying both the workshop
and the living quarters and killing Lanels wife and child.
Lanel himself was spared. He had ventured down the street
to fill a parts order when the incident occurred, though the
authorities found his negligence to be the cause of the incident
and sentenced him to ten years in prison. Overcome with equal
parts heartache and denial, he mourned his wife and child in
the confines of his cell. Lanel had never been a religious man,
but adrift in his own grief, he turned to the faith his wife had
observed and began to study it, hoping to hold onto the embers
of the star that had once been in his life. His grief lessened
day by day, and in time, the Clockwork Goddess his wife had
spoken of began to fill the void within him.

Lanel spends his nights stalking the streets of Ceryl in search


of those who he views as working in opposition to the
goddess. He primarily targets anti-intellectuals and those
who seek to impede the inevitable march of technology and
progress. Often dressed in rags, Lanel masks his appearance
and blends into the citys vagrant population to avoid
detection and track his victims.

OUT IN THE WORLD

Gruesome slayings attributed to the Clockwork Killer have


gained notoriety throughout western Cygnar. Any group
with one or more investigators might find themselves drawn
to the murder spree now plaguing Ceryl and the killer who
has so deftly evaded the authorities. Wanted posters offering
a substantial award for the capture of a hooded figure
with a mechanikal arm mark the streets of the coastal city,
and the lure of coin may exert a strong pull over the PCs.
Alternatively, the party may learn of the renegade Cyrissist
through other means, such as stumbling upon one of his
victims or investigating a missing person report for someone
Over the decade he spent in prison, Lanels convictions
later discovered to have been murdered. In these cases, the
hardened. Upon his release, he dedicated his life to serving
PCs may not initially know they are dealing with Lanel. For
the Maiden of Gears. Without contacts by which to further
instance, PCs who are familiar with the Ordic serial killer
his education regarding Cyriss, Lanel took it upon himself to
Gavriel di Maro may mistakenly believe the Ordsman is
continue his path to enlightenment. Desiring the mechanical
responsible for the killings.
perfection of the goddess, he reasoned he could draw closer to
the faith by removing his weak flesh. He studied technical and Despite Lanels murderous path, he is not above reasoning
medical texts in search of better techniques for the fabrication with others. Splinter sects of Cyrissists exist throughout
and implementation of mechanikal prosthetics. Not long after, Immoren, and it may be possible for the PCs to convince Lanel
Lanel performed his first amputation, severing his own hand to join a group more accepting of his current physical form
and fitting the cauterized stump with a crude imitation.
than the unwavering purists like those he presently pursues,
perhaps putting an end to his string of killings. Doing so will
This early effort to become closer to the goddess ultimately led
likely require the PCs to appeal to Lanels better nature and
to Lanels exclusion by the very organization he had hoped to
help him reconnect with the memory of his life before his
join. Upon making contact with a devout cell of Cyrissists,
incarceration. If the party contains one or more Cyrissists,
Lanel was promptly turned awayhis partial transformation
Lanel may be willing to ally himself with the PCs, especially
was viewed as a transgression against the Maiden of Gears.
if their current agenda is in support of the Maiden of Gears.
In truth, his lack of formal study also played a role in his
Once Lanels trust has been gained, the PCs can direct him
dismissal, as he lacked the studied intelligence of most true
to targets of their choosing if they give him adequate cause
Cyrissists. After the loss of his family, the temples rejection
to act.
had a significant impact on the former mechanik and cast him
back into a state of deep depression for a brief time. Yet the Lanel views his gradual transformation from man to machine
Maiden of Gears did not abandon him, and again he felt her as the single most important aspect of his existence. Unless
comforting presence restore his will.
the players alter his path, he will continue to commit
murders in Ceryl to eliminate the perceived enemies of the
Rather than abandoning his pledge to the goddess, Lanel
goddess and further his anatomical knowledge. With the
now endeavors to serve her in his own way: by destroying the
majority of his limbs converted to prosthetics, Lanels next
Maidens enemies. He believes this will prove him worthy of
stage of modifications, including the replacement of internal
her favor and allow him to join the ranks of true Cyrissists and
organs, may prove more problematic: as the complexity of
take his rightful place among them. He would help usher in a
his operation grows, so too will the frequency with which
new and brighter future for not only Cygnar but all of Caen,
he takes the lives of others. If the risk of getting caught by
as he helped to transform it into a vessel for their goddess. In
the authorities becomes too great or he cannot locate the
his mind, the best way to achieve this goal is the eradication
resources needed to alter his body further, Lanel may leave
of those who stand in the way of making this future.
Ceryl to continue his work elsewhere.

88

scoundrels & sell-swords

Lanel Gozca
Physique

PHY 6

Speed SPD 6
Strength STR 7
Agility

AGL 4

Prowess

PRW 5

Poise

POI 4

Arcane aRC
PER 4

Mechanikal Fist

MAT
POW P+S

7 1 8
Double Strike: During the characters
activation, the character can spend 1 feat
point to perform an additional melee attack
with this weapon.

Jack Wrench MAT


POW P+S
7
4

11

Abilities: On a critical hit, a living target has


a chance to be knocked out by the attack. If
the target suffers damage from the attack,
he must make a PHY roll against a target
number of 15. If the target succeeds, he
stays conscious. If the target fails, he is
knocked out.

Initiative

Init 15

Defense

DEF 13

(Armored Great Coat 1)


Armor ARM 11
(Armored Great Coat +5)
Willpower

GI

LI

Wil 9

TY

EC
INTELL

YSIQUE

Anatomical Precision When this


character hits a living target with a
melee attack but the damage roll
fails to exceed the targets ARM,
the target suffers d3 damage points
instead of the damage rolled.

Name

Stat Rank Stat + Rank

Detection
PER 1
Disguise
PER 2
Hand Weapon
PRW
2
Lore (Cyriss) INT
1
Mech. Engineering INT
2
Sneak
AGL 2
Streetwise
PER 2
Tracking
PER 1
Unarmed Combat
PRW
2

5
6
7
4
5
6
6
5
7

Feat Points This character starts


each encounter with 2 feat points.
He is allocated 1 feat point at the
start of each of his turns. He can
only have up to 2 feat points at a
time.
Gremlins Touch The character
can spend a full action studying
a construct character. For the
remainder of the encounter, the
character rolls an additional die on
damage rolls. Discard the low die in
each roll.
Lost in the Crowd The character
can spend a feat point while in a
crowd to instantly vanish. The Game
Master should determine where
the character escapes to. Using
this ability effectively removes the
character from an encounter. Even if
he decides to double back, it should
take minutes rather than rounds for
the character to make his return.
Prowl The character is virtually
invisible while in the shadows or
in terrain that grants a degree of
concealment. The character gains
stealth while within terrain that
provides concealment, the AOE of a
spell that provides concealment, or
the AOE of a cloud effect.

3
T

PH

Skills:

Backstab This character gains


an additional die on his back strike
damage rolls.

Intellect INT 3
Perception

Abilities:

Command Range: 3
Base Size: Small
Encounter Points: 9
Equipment:
Armored great coat, disguise (ragged
clothes), mechaniks toolkit, handmade
symbol of faith (Cyriss), surgical kit

scoundrels & sell-swords

89

The Llaelese Resistance in the


Iron Kingdoms RolePlaying Game
By Tim Simpson Art by Mike Capprotti, Hardy Fowler, and Kiri stergaard Leonard
In the time since Llael was invaded and conquered, a small and beleaguered group of freedom fighters have made it their goal to
restore Llael to its former glory. This group has been named the Llaelese Resistance, and they have fought the Khadoran Empire tooth
and nail, struggling for what seems like a distant dream as time drags on.
Limited in resources, manpower, and reliable intelligence, the Resistance is a great backdrop for an ongoing campaign. A heroic
group of PCs fighting against the seemingly indestructible forces of the Khadoran occupiers is a great catalyst for a story of struggle
and loss. Working with what few assets they have at their disposal, Llaelese Resistance characters must use their every trick and tool
if they hope to one day see their land united again.

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Vive La Resistance

Structure and
Leadership
The strength of the Llaelese Resistance is decentralized and
scattered. In the southeast of what is now called Free Llael, the
city of Rhydden was transformed into a true bastion for the
Resistance. Immediately following the Khadoran defeat of Llaels
forces and subsequent occupation of the nation, Rhydden was
walled off and fortified. Most of the Resistances important troops,
arms, and logistics are based here, including the leadership of the
Resistance Council.
Duke Gregore Delryv IV, a middle-aged Llaelese noble, is the
current leader of the Resistance Council. He undertook the task
of transforming Rhydden into the fortress garrison it is today. He
is the keystone of the Council, but he must rely on other council
members who have greater practical military experience, such
as Fynch di Lamysn, senior gun mage of the Loyal Order of the
Amethyst Rose, and warcaster Marshal Ashylnn dElyse. Others
make up the council as well, including several commanders of the
Cygnaran Army who have remained behind to help the Llaelese
against their Khadoran enemies. Duke Delryv IV maintains the
defense of Rhydden and negotiates the mercenary contracts
needed to protect the territory the Resistance does hold.

Resistance Cells
The Backbone of the
Resistance

While the Resistance does have some resourceswarjacks, artillery,


and elite forces such as Amethyst Rose gun mages and warcasters
they are highly prized and used only in major military campaigns.
The Resistance does not have the finances to use these assets for
every battle. Their loss would be a major blow to the Resistance
and a great victory for the Khadoran Empire. Due to this strain on
resources and military might, the Resistance has to make use of
small cells made up of people who are loyal to Llael and willing
to do what is necessary to restore their kingdom and drive out the
Khadoran occupiers.
Members of these Resistance cells come from all walks of life,
generally from within the Llaelese population. Cygnaran soldiers,
however, are not uncommon within Resistance cells. Even trollkin,
ogrun, and gobbers who have been maltreated by the occupiers
have joined the cause. The drive to fight Khador has turned many
civilians into a deadly and expert insurgent force.
Resistance cells often comprise between three and eight members.
Larger groups risk discovery by the enemy and have an increased
potential for security leaks, so in the smaller towns scattered across
occupied Llael, it is common to have only a single active cell. In
occupied cities such as Llaedry, Elsinberg, and Merywyn, multiple

cells might be simultaneously active, although they work unaware


of each others operations. This is done to preserve each cells
existence and to limit potential intelligence should Khadoran forces
manage to capture Resistance members. If an entire cell falls, it
cannot divulge the membership of the citys other cells, even when
faced with the cruelest interrogation techniques.
The most experienced member of a cell is generally in command.
This leader commonly has a single point of contact to relay gathered
intelligence to the greater Resistance in Free Llael. This can make
communications through the chain of command unreliable and
intermittent at best. Delays in communication force Resistance cells
to rely on their own judgment when it comes to dealing with the
enemy and planning operations against them.
Due to the scarcity of reliable military resources, members of a cell
have to depend on their ingenuity, willpower, and guile to overcome
Khadoran forces. Even a small platoon of Khadoran Winter Guard
can be a formidable force for an independent Resistance cell to
overcome. A member of a cell might have a pistol or rifle, but they
will have to scrounge, often off the enemy dead, to maintain a
reasonable cache of blasting powder for their own use.
Alchemy, while not uncommon, requires alchemists to stretch their
capabilities. Even the most common alchemical ingredients can be
difficult to procure; occupying forces actively restrict and survey the
sale and use of compounds that could be used against them. This
results in less than optimal brews and mixtures, as well as longer
creation times. This scarcity of resources, however, can result in the
creation and exploration of new alchemical options.

Other Resistance
Groups within the
Iron Kingdoms
While this article is intended for characters working
within the Llaelese Resistance, the rules and concepts
here can be applied to other kinds of resistance
campaigns with only slight adjustments. Vinter
Raelthorne IV has his own agents buried deep within
Cygnar, including the nobility and the standing
armies, which could make for an interesting variant of
a resistance campaign. Another option could revolve
around the characters all being worshipers of Thamar
and their sept, working to survive persecution from
Morrowan and Menite authorities. The wilds of the Iron
Kingdoms offer similar options as well. Members of the
trollkin kriels who betrayed Hoarluk Doomshaper are
a great example of a resistance cell outside of the Iron
Kingdoms proper. The options here can be adapted to
fit all manner of character backgrounds, but a Game
Master should work with the player group to make
sure the idea is one that everyone can work with.

Vive La Resistance

91

Mechanika is not something commonplace among members of a


Resistance cell. It is difficult to acquire, can be expensive to maintain,
and stands out as something Khadoran patrols might notice as being
out of place. As a result, the Resistance is hard pressed to obtain and
maintain what they currently have and use.

Resistance
Safe Houses
Hideout(s) of the Heroes

Safe houses are the bedrock of a budding Resistance cell. They are
where the characters live, hide, and plan their attacks against the
enemy. Part home and part base, a safe house has to be innocuous
to the naked eye. They are secure locations where the characters
will spend their limited downtime without drawing the attention of
Khadoran spies and informants. Safe houses can be as simple as a
single room with a special entrance that is blocked off from the rest
of the residence, or they can be an elaborate setup that is as much as
trap as it is a place for the characters to hang their cloaks.
In the smaller townships within Occupied Llael, locals who are not
an active part of the Resistance provide most safe houses. A local
farmer can provide simple shelter in the form of a hand-dug storm
cellar or even an empty horse stall.
Not every safe house is a place to live. Sometimes they provide just
enough security for a brief rest, a small meal, and enough time to
sharpen your blades and reload your firearms. These simpler safe
houses are the most common but are also the easiest for Khadoran
patrols to discover.
Things become more complicated in major cities. Most civilians
are too afraid to offer their dwellings as safe houses out of
concern for their families. There are, however, some brave souls
who have modified their homes to provide a place to hide agents
of the Resistance. Common modifications include secret rooms
built behind false walls, chambers dug beneath cellar floors, and
converted attics concealed by hinged bookcases. Most include quick
escape routes in case of discovery, letting the Resistance members
flee in the event of a raid.
With the surge of reconstruction within Occupied Llael, it can be
difficult for Khadoran patrols to single out suspicious activities
from true rebuilding efforts. Some of the more rugged Resistance
cells have even taken to creating safe houses within the ruined and
burned-out buildings that Khadoran forces damaged during the
war. These dilapidated structures are scattered throughout Llael
and can be abandoned by Resistance members at a moments notice
without ever placing civilians in danger.
The Resistance Council goes to great pains to maintain safe
houses throughout Occupied Llael. Once one is established,
supplies and munitions are smuggled to the location along with a

92

Vive La Resistance

stipend for non-Resistance members who own the property. Even


when a Resistance cell is killed or taken captive, its safe house
continues to be a valuable commodity to Resistance fighters in
the occupied territory. For fighters unable to scrounge munitions
from the enemy or to purchase them through illicit dealers, the
caches of armor, ammunition, and weapons found in safe houses
can mean life or death.

What Does a Safe House


Actually Provide?
As part of a Resistance campaign or Adventuring
Company, like the Heroes of the Resistance (Iron
Kingdoms Roleplaying Game: Kings, Nations, and
Gods, p. 240), a safe house is an essential piece of
equipment or gear for the player characters.
As such, a safe house should provide the following:
A hidden entrance and emergency exit
Food and lodging for the characters
Various changes of clothing (for instance, noble
finery, stolen Winter Guard uniforms, common
workmans clothing)
Tools to maintain gear
At the Game Masters discretion, a cache of blasting
powder, casings, and bullets for 20 light rounds
The Game Master needs to determine the contents
of the safe house and the quality of the included
items. For instance, Tools to maintain gear doesnt
necessarily mean a full alchemical lab or mechaniks
workshop but more likely whetstones to sharpen
blades and kits to clean firearms. Food may be simple
hardtack and dried meats as opposed to a fine meal
and wine to wash it down. The Game Master should
work with the characters to design the safe house in
order to minimize any issues that could pull players
out of the story.

Llaelese
Resistance
Career Options
The options available to Llaelese Resistance characters are
described below. A player can choose to use as many career
options as he wishes during character creation and can take some
or all of the options his character meets the requirements for.

Exiled Noble (Aristocrat)


An Exiled Noble is one of the few remaining nobles left alive after
the Llaelese War. Either through luck, submission, or treason,
this character has survived when the Khadoran Empire removed
most of the other nobility in Llael. Now, the Exiled Noble has a
chance to strike back at his would-be oppressors.
Only a human character can be an Exiled Noble.

A character taking this option:

Starts the game with the Parry ability but does not start
with the Privilege ability.
Starts the game with the Feat: Vendetta archetype
benefit, ignoring the prerequisites, but does not start
with the Aristocrats monthly 50 gc.
Adds Streetwise 4 to the Aristocrats list of potential
Occupational skills.

Resistance Saboteur (Alchemist)


The Resistance Saboteur is a powerful tool within the Llaelese
Resistance. These agents are masters of explosives, using
blasting powder and alchemical explosives to deliver death and
destruction to the Khadoran Empire. Recruited for their natural
aptitude with explosives and their eagerness to fight the invaders,
saboteurs are well equipped to make Khador pay a heavy price
for occupying Llael.
A character taking this option:

Starts the game with the Fire in the Hole! ability but
does not start with the Poison Resistance ability.
Starts the game with 25 gc, grenadiers bandolier,
5 explosive grenades, and 1 large alchemical bomb
with a clockwork detonator instead of the Alchemists
starting assets.
Adds Night Fighter to the Alchemists list of potential
career abilities.
Adds Connections: Llaelese Resistance to
Alchemists list of potential career connections.

the

Resistance Sleeper Agent (Spy)


A Resistance Sleeper Agent is a deep cover spy who was recently
activated to help the cause of the Llaelese Resistance. These
agents have been living under their cover identities so long that
they may have nearly forgotten who they were before. Now, the
Llaelese Resistance has called on them to use their abilities and
cover to strike a blow against their enemies.
A character taking this option:

Starts the game with the Conniver ability but does not
start with the Battle Plan: Shadow ability.
Starts the game with Connections: Khadoran Military
and Connections: Llaelese Resistance but does not start
the game with Connections (intelligence network).
Begins the game with the Feat: Perfect Plot Intellectual
archetype benefit, ignoring the prerequisites.

Vive La Resistance

93

New Adventuring
Companies
The Lost Company
Cygnar lost many soldiers during the Llaelese War, but not all
perished. Numerous troops were stuck behind enemy lines as
the war turned against Llael and Cygnar. Others could not bear
the thought of leaving their Llaelese brothers-in-arms to face the
Khadoran occupation alone. The characters of the Lost Company
are all members of the Cygnaran military who were either left
behind in Llael or stayed of their own volition. Some might be
trying to get home or back to their posts, and a few just want to
make Khador pay in blood.
Requirements: Each member of the company must have at
least one of the following careers: Arcane Tempest Gun Mage,
Rifleman, Stormblade, Stormguard, Stormsmith, Trencher,
or Trencher Commando. The players in the group should
designate one member of the company to be the leader of the
Lost Company. This player effectively has the Cygnaran Military
rank of lieutenant and all other members of the company defer
to his or her command. The lieutenant then designates a sergeant
within the company.
Benefits: The characters in the company start with a safe
house in which to hide and store gear. Each character created
for the company gains one additional skill level in one of the
following occupational skills: Deception, Disguise, Escape Artist,
Forgery, Negotiation, Sneak, Streetwise, Survival, or Tracking.
Additionally, the lieutenant starts the game with Connections:
Llaelese Resistance.

Resistance Saboteurs
The characters are members of the Llaelese Resistance who
specialize in sabotaging the enemy in any way possible. They could
be a group of common folk who have taken up the fight against
the enemies of Llael, most notably the Khadoran Empire and the
Northern Crusade, or members of a trained military unit who set
out to destroy critical enemy resources. The group takes every
opportunity to destroy infrastructure, weapons, warjacks, general
supplies, or even troops. These characters are fanatical in their
devotion to the cause; they will disobey orders or sacrifice their own
lives if it damages or sets back the enemies of the Resistance.
Requirements: Resistance Saboteurs can be of any background,
assuming they are committed to fighting their enemies at every turn,
no matter how dire the circumstances. The characters in the group
should designate one human Llaelese member to be the leader of the
saboteur team. In addition to leading the team, this character often
chooses their next target and works with the team to determine
the best method to destroy the target. The leader also has a contact
that is the groups connection to the greater Llaelese Resistance.
This contact may solely provide information and communications

94

Vive La Resistance

from other members of the Resistance but may also provide targets
for the team to strike should the team take orders directly from
the Resistance Council. Additionally, the players should designate
another member to be the second-in-command in case the leader is
captured or executed.
Benefits: The saboteur team begins the game with a cache of
explosives as well as access to a full alchemical lab. Explosives
can be any mixture of standard grenades, alchemical grenades, or
alchemical explosives worth up to 200 gc. The cache is restocked
once per month or prior to the team receiving a target from the
Resistance Council. The alchemical lab and explosives cache are not
necessarily part of the characters current safe house.
If the team is affiliated with the Resistance Council, they should
regularly receive assignments to destroy targets within Occupied
Llael. As they become more successful, not only will they receive
increasingly difficult targets but Khadoran occupiers will also begin
to actively search for them.
Additionally, each character created as a member of the team gains
one additional skill level of the Thrown Weapon or Mechanikal
Engineering skill.

Sleeper Cell
The characters are members of a newly activated sleeper cell of the
Llaelese Resistance. A sleeper cell is one that has been planning
an attack and stockpiling supplies but has yet to strike against the
enemies of Free Llael. Many members of sleeper cells may not know
one another until the cell activates and receives its first assignment.
A sleeper cell is a clandestine group of individuals looking to make
Khador pay for its crimes against Llael.
Requirements: Members of a sleeper cell can be of any background
since they are drawn from all walks of life. The players in the group
should designate one human Llaelese member of the group to be
the leader of the sleeper cell. This character will have the most
contact with the leadership of the Llaelese Resistance. Additionally,
the players should designate another member to be the second-incommand should the leader be captured or executed.
Benefits: The adventuring company begins with a meager safe
house to start. Furthermore, each member of the sleeper cell gains
an additional 100 gc that can be pooled with the other members of
the company. This additional starting gold must be spent on the
following: non-mechanikal arms and armor, ammunition, nonmechanikal gear, clothing in the form of disguises, equipment,
mounts and riding equipment, or food and drink. This reflects
the resources that were gathered by each member of the cell
before they were activated and called to duty. Players should
work with their Game Master to determine acceptable purchases
for the sleeper cell. For instance, it might not be fitting to have a
sleeper cell start with a magelock pistol or rifle if there are no gun
mages in the adventuring company.
In addition, each character created as a part of the company gains an
additional rank in one of the following skills: Bribery, Cryptography,
Deception, Disguise, Escape Artist, Seduction, or Streetwise.

Resistance Gear
and Tactics
Alchemy
Exploding Ink
Cost: 39 gc per well of ink and treated quill
Description: Creative alchemists working for the Llaelese
Resistance came up with the idea of sabotaging an officers
inkwell to explode. By alchemically treating both the quill and
ink, the quill acts as a detonator for the altered ink, creating a
highly volatile and unstable explosive. Loud and messy, these
devices killed several key Khadoran officers in the early days
of the occupation. While the Khadoran Empire has caught on to
such tactics, these are still popular within the Llaelese Resistance
against lower-ranking officers and soldiers.
Special Rules: When a character touches the tip of the pen or
quill to the altered ink, the explosive reaction begins. Characters
within 6 feet (1) of the exploding inkwell must make an Agility
(AGL) roll against a target number of 15 or immediately suffer a
POW 14 damage roll. Characters who fail the AGL roll are also
knocked down.
Brewing Requirements: Alchemy
Ingredients: 1 unit of alchemical stone, 1 unit of alchemical
waste (liquid), 2 units of mineral crystal, 2 units of organic acid,
1 fountain pen and inkwell
Total Material Cost: 13 gc
Alchemical Formula: Brewing the explosive ink requires an
alchemy lab and two hours of labor spent combining, cooking,
and stabilizing the ingredients. At the end of this time, the
alchemist makes an INT+Alchemy roll against a target number
of 16. If the roll succeeds, the character creates one well of
Explosive Ink. If the roll fails, he creates two units of alchemical
waste (liquid).

Communication Methods
Street Code
Description: While fighting within the extreme confines of
a city, the Llaelese Resistance developed a new method of
communicating with one another and channeling information to
scattered Resistance cells. Based on the way certain gangs mark
their territories within cities, the Resistance created a code of its
own to guide its teams.
Agents use chalk or paint to casually make markings on building
walls and street corners. This language, called street code, is
based on a series of marks, and each one has a specific meaning.

target number of 14 to correctly interpret the meaning. If the


roll succeeds, the character correctly reads the message and
interprets the data. If the roll fails, the character misinterprets
one or more of the markings and has incorrect information or
may not understand it at all.
A character can also choose to take street code as a new language,
at which point the character no longer needs to roll to understand
such messages.

Gear
Heavy-Duty Armored Great Coat
Cost: 85 gc
SPD Modifier: 1
DEF Modifier: 1
ARM Modifier: +7
Description: This heavily modified great coat is reinforced to hold
armor plates between layers of cloth panels. This armor covers
most of the body, except the head, hands, and feet. Designed to
help Resistance agents withstand small-arms fire from Winter
Guard blunderbusses, this armored coat is heavy enough to slow
the wearer down but provides significant protection.
Special Rules: None.

Poison Bullet
Cost: 100 gc per round
Description: This specialty ammunition is designed to make sure a
target dies, even if the initial shot is not lethal. As the ammunition
is created, the slug is carefully coated in several specific poisons,
creating an extremely expensive yet effective assassination tool.
Manufacturing such a bullet is difficult because only a few people
in all of Llael know how to make these rounds, and they are often
members of the Order of the Golden Crucible who remained
following the occupation. The Resistance has obtained a handful
of these rounds but has yet to use them in the field.
Special Rules: When a poisoned bullet damages a living character,
the character is immediately affected by the poisons used in its
manufacture. During each of the characters Maintenance Phases,
the affected character must make a PHY roll against a target
number of 16. Outside of combat, the character must make this
roll every 10 minutes. If the character succeeds, nothing happens.
If the character fails, his PHY is immediately reduced by 1. If the
characters PHY is reduced to 0 due to the poisoned bullet, he dies.
If a character succeeds on three PHY rolls, the poison has run its
course and no longer affects the character. The character recovers
PHY lost as a result of the poison bullet at a rate of one point per
two hours of rest.

Special Rules: Characters who have been taught to read street


code may make an Intellect+Cryptography roll against a

Vive La Resistance

95

Traps

The following traps use the rules for traps presented in Iron
Kingdoms Unleashed.

Door Trap
Description: To construct a door trap, a Resistance agent rigs a
door so that when it opens, a secured container or spring-loaded
trap above the door opens and delivers its payload to the victim
below. Common contents are acid, explosives, Menoths Fury,
and, in more gruesome traps, heavy spikes or weights.
Special Rules: When this trap is triggered, the character in the
doorway must make a Detection roll against a target number of
14. If the roll succeeds, the character detects the trap and is able
to dodge it. If the roll fails, the character immediately suffers the
full effect of the trap. The payload is used to determine the effect,
but common examples are:

Acid: The character suffers a POW 12 acid damage roll


and the Corrosion continuous effect.
Menoths Fury: The character suffers a POW 12 fire
damage roll and the Fire continuous effect.
Spiked or bladed object: The character suffers a POW 14
damage roll.
Weights: The character suffers a POW 12 damage roll
and is knocked down. A character disabled by this trap
automatically suffers the Concussed injury table effect.
Visibility Modifier: Characters roll one less die on Detection skill
rolls to spot this trap.
Construction Requirements: Payload, a door with a handle or
knob, and 1525 feet of rope.
Construction: Preparing a door trap requires at least ten minutes
of labor. At the end of this time, the character must make an
INT + Survival skill roll or an INT + Rope Use skill roll, whichever
is higher, against a target number of 14. If the roll succeeds, the
character sets the trap. If the roll fails, the door trap triggers
prematurely, and the character must immediately make an AGL
roll against a target number of 12. If the roll succeeds, the character
avoids the trap. If the roll fails, the character immediately suffers
the effects of the trap.

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Vive La Resistance

Warjack Upgrades
Timberjack Arm
Cost: 200 gc per arm
Type: Melee
Location: Arms
Attack Modifier: 1
POW: 5
Description: Designed to hold and split logs, timberjack arms
are used by many logging companies in the Iron Kingdoms. Due
to their use in a primarily civilian role, timberjack arms arouse
little suspicion from Khadoran patrols. The Llaelese Resistance
uses these arms to outfit laborjacks to fight enemy warjacks and
potentially shear off their arms and legs.
Special Rules: A steamjack with a timberjack arm counts as
having an open fist.
When activated, the log splitter adds +2 to damage rolls against
the target model. On a critical hit with this weapon, fill in the
unmarked damage boxes or circles on the last column or branch
damaged.
Mounting timberjack arms on a steamjack chassis requires the
mechanik to first remove the steamjacks old arm and replace it
with the logger arm. (See Removing or Replacing Arms in the
Iron Kingdoms Full Metal Fantasy Roleplaying Game Core Rules, pp.
319320).
Paying to have an arm system removed and a timberjack arm
mounted in its place costs an additional 60 gc unless the character
does the job himself.

Power Diverter
Cost: 150 gc (light steamjack)
Description: Crafty mechaniks within the Llaelese Resistance
have created systems for their light steamjacks to stand a chance
of damaging the heavy warjacks favored by the Khadoran
Empire. Rerouting steam power from the jacks legs to its arms
grants a steamjack a temporary increase in strength.
Special Rules: Once per encounter, a jack marshal or warcaster
can use a quick action to activate the power diverter. For the rest
of the encounter, the light steamjack suffers 2 SPD and gains +4

STR. Once the encounter is over, a mechanik needs to spend two


hours repairing and tuning the converter before the ability can
be used again.
The diverter is part of the movement system and does not
function if the steamjacks movement system is crippled.
Installing the diverter on a steamjack chassis requires the proper
tools, two hours of labor, and a successful INT + Mechanikal
Engineering roll against a target number of 12. If the roll fails, it
can be repeated after another hour of labor.
Paying to have an arm system removed and an oversized arm
mounted in its place costs an additional 60 gc unless the character
does the job himself.

False Arm Cowling


Cost: 60 gc
Description: Designed to look like a standard laborjack arm,
this cowling covers and conceals a light steamjack ranged
weapon mounted on a heavy warjack chassis. Built to pass close
inspection, a heavy warjack arm is hollowed out to make space

for the weapon, leaving an inoperable limb. Firing the weapon


destroys the cowling but does not damage the ranged weapon.
Special Rules: The cowling completely covers a light steamjack
ranged weapon, concealing it from sight. A heavy steamjack
using the false arm cowling can only mount a light steamjack
ranged weapon, despite not normally being able to do so.
To discern the cowling from a normal steamjack arm, a character
must make an INT+Mechanikal Engineering roll against a target
number of 14. If the roll succeeds, the character notices something
out of the ordinary. If the roll fails, the character notices nothing
unusual about the arm.
Mounting a false arm cowling on a steamjacks arm requires
the proper tools, three hours of labor, and a successful INT +
Mechanikal Engineering roll against a target number of 13. If the
roll fails, it can be repeated after another hour of labor.
Paying to have a weapon cowling mounted on a steamjack costs
an additional 20 gc.

Vive La Resistance

97

QUICK SHOT SCENARIO

By Orrin Grey Art by Hardy fowler, Imaginary friends studios, David Kuo, Raphael Lbke, Susan Luo, And
Andrea Uderzo
As you all know, Koldun Ambroz Grishka is more than a thorn in the side
of the Resistance; he is, in many ways, our nemesis. He has captured our operatives, killed our soldiers, and organized initiatives that set the cause back
by months if not years. In spite of the best efforts of our most gifted spies, he
seems to be one step ahead of us at every turn. Our every attempt to capture or
eliminate him has been met not merely with failure but utter defeat. In short,
he is one of the greatest enemies to our noble cause alive today, and we cannot
touch him. His security is unassailable, and he is guarded at all times by the
best soldiers that the military might of the Khadoran Empire has seen fit to
station in our fair lands.
Guarded, I say, at all timesuntil now. Some of you may already be aware
that one of our best operatives was recently captured by a Khadoran patrol
near the border and is currently being held in the garrison at Bomarza. As
we speak, Grishka is headed to Bomarza to personally collect the prisoner. If
our comrade winds up in his hands, rest assured that she will be tortured into

98

Quick Shot scenario

giving up whatever information he can wring from her about our operations.
I have no doubt that she will do her utmost to protect the Resistance and may
even die before letting slip so much as a single secret, but I know of the cruelty
and insidiousness of Grishkas methods.
Thats the bad news. Here is the good: In his haste to reach Bomarza and take
possession of our operative, Grishka is traveling with only a small entourage
and without his customary security detail. What we need is a crack team that
can infiltrate Khadoran-held lands and reach Bomarza at the same time as
Grishka and his group, striking while his guard is down. Not only will we be
putting a stop to one of the greatest threats to the cause of freedom but, with
any luck, we can also save the life and secure the liberty of our brave comrade.
Lord Gervyn Morosini, addressing members of the Resistance at a secret
location in Free Llael

Players Be Warned!

Once Upon a Time in Khadoran-Occupied Llael is an adventure


for the Iron Kingdoms Full Metal Fantasy Roleplaying Game,
and what follows are detailed descriptions of the adventure and
all of its encounters, enemies, perils, and rewards. So unless
youre the GM, dont read any further unless you want to spoil
all the fun for yourself!

Quick shot scenarios are short adventure scenarios for use with the
Iron Kingdoms Full Metal Fantasy Roleplaying Game and Iron Kingdoms
Unleashed Roleplaying Game. Each quick shot is designed with flexible
locales, simple and compelling hooks, and conclusions that can inspire
or provide the foundation for further adventures in western Immoren
and the Iron Kingdoms.
Once Upon a Time in Khadoran-Occupied Llael is a starting adventure
designed for five Hero-level characters between 15 and 24XP. Characters should either be members of the Llaelese Resistance or willing to
undertake an incredibly dangerous mission for their cause (and coin).
Career options and the Adventuring Companies found on pages 9394
are ideal choices for this adventure.

For the Game


Master

As a high-ranking Greylord of the Prikaz Chancellery, Koldun Ambroz


Grishka is a major figure in the Khadoran occupation of Llael and a
significant foe of the Llaelese Resistance. Seeing his role as one of
counter-intelligence, Grishka has set himself up as a kind of spymaster,
meeting the covert operations of the Resistance with counter-moves
of his own. In repeated clashes, he has shown that he is ready to do
whatever it takes to crush the Resistance once and for all, even going so
far as to sacrifice strategically important Khadoran resources in order
to ensure a greater victory down the road. His efforts have led to the
capture, torture, and death of countless Resistance operatives and have
foiled dozens of major Resistance operations.
To date, his cunning has only been matched by his caution, and he
has remained too well insulated for Resistance agents to mount a
successful mission to either kill or capture him. Both overt attacks
and more devious assassination attempts have been met with failure
and led to the death or capture of valuable Resistance operatives. The
recent capture of Erynn DGlaeys, one of the Resistances best agents
in the region, has lured him out of his usual web of security, however.
For the Resistance, this presents a double incentive. If Grishka gets
his hands on DGlaeys, there is little doubt that he would be able to
extract information from her that would prove disastrous to ongoing
operations. While she has been trained to withstand torture and
her loyalty to the Resistance is indisputable, Grishkas methods are
infamous. There are few secrets that could survive his ministrations.

Moreover, the Resistance would have no way of knowing for certain


what information DGlaeys had given up, meaning entire operations
might have to be scrapped and valuable assets would need to be
pulled out of the field.
But rescuing DGlaeys is of secondary importance to the Resistance.
They see this as possibly their only opportunity to get a clear shot at
Grishka. Removing him from the equation would be worth the cost of
more than one of their best operatives if it were necessary, and there
is little doubt that DGlaeys would agree.
Unbeknownst to the decision-makers in the Resistance, however,
Grishka is counting on exactly that. He has not, as their intelligence
has led them to believe, embarked on this journey without his usual
protections out of a sense of urgency to bring DGlaeys under his
care. Instead, he is using the opportunity to set a trap for the
Resistance in the hope that they will throw valuable resources toward
the task of killing or capturing himresources he can then remove or
capture himself. While Grishkas enemies believe they are springing
their trap for him, he has actually set a trap of his own. He is simply
waiting for them to walk into it.

Getting the
Players Involved

Once Upon a Time in Khadoran-Occupied Llael is intended for players


whose characters are members of the Llaelese Resistance, sympathetic
to the cause, or willing to put their lives on the line in exchange for
Resistance coin. While the Resistance has few illusions about the
likelihood of survival for the team they send to attack Grishka, they
are also well aware of the sensitive nature of the operation. As such,
they wont send just any sell-swords but only agents they know they
can trust.
Whatever the characters relationship to the cause, they can be
approached by contacts theyve already established within the
Resistance who will ask or order themdepending on the nature
of their relationshipto undertake the dangerous and potentially
suicidal mission of capturing or killing Grishka during this narrow
window of opportunity.
Whoever recruits the characters into the plot will also underscore the
vital importance of removing Grishka from the equation, whatever
the cost. Grishkas continued presence is putting a severe strain on
Resistance operations, and if he is able to interrogate DGlaeys, he
will be able to strike against the Resistance even more effectively.
Rescuing DGlaeys is an important, but secondary, part of the
characters mission. They will also be told that capturing Grishka
would be optimal, allowing the Resistance to turn the tables and
extract valuable intelligence from the Greylord himself. Capturing
Grishka, however, may not be feasible. The characters are encouraged
to do whatever they have to in order to eliminate him as a threat once
and for all.

Quick shot scenario

99

Chapter One:
papers, please

The town of Bomarza, where Erynn DGlaeys is being held, is across


the border and well into Khadoran-occupied Llael. This means the
first challenge the characters face is crossing into Khadoran-occupied
lands and getting through the heavily guarded and patrolled borders.
Depending on how they choose to cross, this could involve challenges
and dangers such as finding transport, acquiring forged documents,
and avoiding or bluffing their way past Khadoran patrols.
Below are three methods the characters might use to make their way
undetected across the border and into Khadoran-controlled territory.

Method One: Join a


Mercenary Company
Soldiers in the Khadoran military are the primary enforcers of the
Khadoran occupation, but increased Resistance activities and battles
on other fronts have stretched the resources of the Motherland thinner
and thinner, increasing the need for foreign mercenaries willing to
work for Khadoran coin. If the characters are already members of
an established mercenary company, they could possibly convince the
Khadoran powers-that-be of their willingness to sell their swords to
the Motherland by using skills like Bribery, Deception, or Negotiation
against a target number of 15. If the characters have established
contacts within the Khadoran military, or they have a lot of coin to
throw toward bribing an officer, adjust the target number as needed.
Alternatively, the characters could attempt to join a mercenary
company that is already crossing the border, but doing so would
require the characters to convince the mercenaries of their sincerity.
Harboring Resistance insurgents leads to more dire repercussions
than just a contract revocationthe best-case scenario often being
a Khadoran firing squad. The mercenary company of Black Jenett

100

Quick Shot scenario

Murdoch is crossing into occupied Llael at the same time the characters
need to, and the characters may be able to join Murdochs Marauders
with a successful Deception or Bribery roll against a target number of
14. Word has it that Murdoch can be easily distracted with flirtatious
behavior, so a character who is so inclined might be able to get into her
good graces with a Seduction roll against a target number of 13.
Characters who either convince the Khadorans of the legitimacy of
their mercenary employment or join Murdochs Marauders can travel
through occupied Llael without issue, though they may be delayed
at the intermittent checkpoint by bored Winter Guard checking their
mercenary contracts (see Enemy Territory, p. 101).

Method Two: Board a


Riverboat
While the Khadoran occupation gets the majority of its supplies
directly from the Motherland, authorized riverboats still ply the
length of the Black River carrying passengers and provisions. These
vessels are often subject to boarding and frequent inspections by the
Khadoran military, but they remain one of the best ways to get across
the river to the Khadoran border.
The Bodgers Wrench, a riverboat captained by a gobber named
Mo Grimes, mostly carries laborjack parts up and down the river.
Characters could book passage for 20gc, but in order to get across the
border, they would need to acquire forged documents, which could
be obtained in Free Llael for 14 gc with a Streetwise roll against a
target number of 13, or created with a Forgery roll against a target
number of 15. Alternatively, characters could attempt to stow away
in the cargo hold. Getting on board isnt too difficultit only requires
a Sneak roll against a target number of 12but avoiding detection
during the crossing may be tougher.
When the Bodgers Wrench lands on the Khadoran-controlled side
of the Black River at the town of Pwyltref, it immediately faces an
inspection. If the characters got on board with forged documents, this

will require a Deception or a Disguise roll against a target number


of 13 in order to bluff their way past questioning. If the characters
stowed away, another Sneak roll will be required, this time to avoid
the PER+Detection roll of the Winter Guard patrol. If the characters
are caught during the inspection, theyll have to defeat the Winter
Guard patrol and then beat a hasty retreat before reinforcements
arrive, by either attempting to vanish into the town of Pwylfref or
by possibly jumping overboard and swimming to shore to escape the
guardsmen.

Method Three: Go Your Own


Way
Not trusting their luck with either a legitimate riverboat or a
mercenary company, the characters could instead attempt to cross
into occupied Llael on their own at some lightly patrolled point. If
they do so, their first challenge is to get across the Black River. Even
particularly athletic characters couldnt reasonably swim the width
of the broad river in full combat gear, and even if they could, they
would have to leave any warjacks or less athletic characters behind
at the mercy of armed patrols along the rivers banks.
Fortunately, besides the authorized riverboats that ply the waters of
the Black River, smaller boats frequently make the crossing under the
cover of darkness to smuggle illicit goods to and from the Khadoran
border. A successful Bribery, Intimidation, or Negotiation roll against
a target number of 13 can secure the services of Braddick Thern,
who will ferry the PCs across in the small boat he uses to smuggle
munitions. Once they reach the other side, however, theyll still
need to slip by the patrols that regularly guard the rivers edge. A
successful Sneak roll against the PER+Detection roll of the Winter
Guard patrol will see them safely into Khadoran territory. If the
characters are caught trying to sneak ashore, theyll have to defeat
a Winter Guard patrol and beat a hasty retreat before reinforcements
arrive.

Enemy Territory
Whatever method the characters undertake to get across the river,
they will still need to make their way through enemy-controlled
territory to reach the town of Bomarza, which is three days travel
on foot from the border. If they have forged documents or are
traveling with a mercenary company, they can safely travel the roads,
though theyll still have to bluff their way past a number of
Khadoran checkpoints along the way. In order to maintain
the charade under questioning, the characters will need
to make Deception rolls against a target number of 12
at each Khadoran checkpoint. If they dont have forged
documents and arent traveling as mercenaries, the
characters will be forced to avoid the main roads and travel
overland, which could require a successful Navigation roll
to see if they arrive as planned and avoid delays and other
hazards en route, as well as the occasional Sneak roll to avoid Winter
Guard patrols.

Winter Guard Patrol (5


Winter Guard & 1 Sergeant)
Skills:
Name Stat + Rank Total
Hand Weapon
4
1
5
Rifle
4 2
5
Detection
3 2
5

Physique

Abilities:

PHY 5

Speed SPD 6

Fast Reload The character gains


one extra quick action each turn
that can only be used to reload a
ranged weapon.

Strength STR 5
Agility

AGL 4

Prowess

PRW 4

Poise

Leader Friendly Winter Guard


gain +1 on attack and damage rolls
with within 5 of this character
(Sergeant only).

POI 4

Intellect INT 3
Arcane aRC
Perception

PER 3

Blunderbuss

rat Rng AOE POW


5 8 12

Axe

MAT
POW P+S

5 3 8
INITIATIVE

INIT 13

DEFENSE

DEF 11

(Infantry armor 2)
ARMOR

ARM 12

(Infantry armor +7)


WILLPOWER

WILL 8

Vitality: 7
Command Range: 3
Base Size: Small
Encounter Points: 5

Quick shot scenario

101

Winter Guard Patrols


From the time they cross the river until they reach Bomarza, the
characters risk running afoul of Winter Guard patrols that monitor
the riverbanks, roadways, and countryside of Khadoran-occupied
Llael. A failed roll during a checkpoint could engender suspicions
about the characters true identities, or an encounter with a patrol
in the countryside could end in an exchange of shots or blows. Even
if the characters survive the initial skirmish, an encounter with the
Winter Guard could blow their cover, expose them to further attacks,
or detain them long enough that they might miss their window of
opportunity for striking at Grishka, so the characters should avoid
detection as much as possible.

As the characters approach the town, read the following aloud:

The hilltop on which Bomarza stands is crowned by a large, square


building. It is built of stones that might have once been lovely but
are now stained with soot and neglect. Once a Llaelese stronghold
belonging to the nobleman Jean DLynyse, the fort has been converted
by the Khadorans into a garrison with the winding streets of the town
scattered at its feet. According to your intelligence, Erynn DGlaeys
is being held in the old dungeons beneath the fort along with a handful
of other prisoners.

As you make your way into town, you can see the buildings around
you are more likely to stand empty than not. Khadoran soldiers patrol
If they are forced to fight their way out of a situation, the characters the streets, and only the empty gaze of vacant windows and the
will need to vacate the premises immediately. Khadoran forces in fearful glances of the townspeople dare to meet your stare.
occupied Llael are tightly connected and reinforcements will no
doubt be arriving shortly. Winter Guard patrols are usually made
up of 5 Winter Guard privats led by a sergeant. The previous page
includes a sample patrol, but feel free to add in different armaments
such as military rifles, grenades, rocket tubes, or grapeshot ammo for
blunderbusses for more variety.

Dressing as the Enemy

In the event that the characters are forced into a conflict with
a Winter Guard patrol, they might get the bright idea to swipe
some of their uniforms and try passing as Winter Guard. This
would only potentially work if all of the characters are human
and dont have any warjacks or other dead giveaways. Should
the characters attempt such a charade, however, theyll face an
uphill battle to make the ploy work. Many Khadoran patrols in
occupied Llael are highly regimented and carefully monitored,
and chances are the characters may not know the proper jargon to make the impersonation work. A character without Connections (Khadoran Military) attempting to successfully pass
as Winter Guard long enough to reach Bomarza requires both
Disguise and Deception rolls against a target number of 16. The
character must attempt this roll once per day for the three days
it takes to reach Bomarza.

Chapter Two:
Khadoran Night
in Bomarza

Built in the shadow of an old Llaelese fort, the town of Bomarza has
suffered under the Khadoran occupations, and now more of the old
stone buildings that flank the towns winding streets stand empty
rather than occupied. The Khadoran occupation has converted the
fort into a garrison currently staffed by a few dozen Winter Guard
soldiers. The old dungeons below the fort have been returned to
service and now hold prisoners of war like Erynn DGlaeys until they
can be transferred to more secure facilities.

102

Quick Shot scenario

Once the characters arrive safely in Bomarza, their dangers are far
from over. Though not nearly as heavily fortified as larger Khadoran
holdings in occupied Llael, the town is still home to a garrison of
Winter Guard that has increased its presence in the streets and
squares of Bomarza in anticipation of Grishkas visit.
During the day, the people of Bomarza are free to go about their
business as they please, though even then they are subject to frequent
stops by Winter Guard patrols. The Winter Guard is likely to stop
anyone who looks suspicious or draws attention to themselves. Since
the PCs are new to Bomarza, they are likely to arouse suspicion.
Avoiding the Winter Guard completely requires contested Sneak or
Streetwise rolls against the PER+Detection rolls of the Winter Guard,

while bluffing through an inspection will require a Deception roll


against a target number of 10. The town is also under a strict curfew,
and anyone caught outside after dusk had better have a very good
explanation for their movements lest they be subject to immediate
arrest by the Winter Guard.
Once inside Bomarza, the characters have been instructed to locate
their contact within the town and establish a safe house to act as a
base of operations. Locating the contact without drawing attention
requires the PCs to each make a successful Streetwise roll against a
target number of 12. Failure may simply mean an inspection by a
Winter Guard patrol, which gives the characters another opportunity
to bluff their way out of trouble with a successful Deception roll
against a target number of 10.
The characters have been given a code phrase to identify their
contact within Bomarza. They are to approach and say, The winter
has been hard. To which their contact will reply, Spring will be
here soon. Below are three NPCs who could act as the characters
contact within Bomarza:
Vasko Szetka: An Umbrean lieutenant in the Winter Guard stationed at the garrison secretly working for the Resistance as a
double agent. By all outward appearances, Vasko is a crudely
pragmatic man who smokes repugnant cigars, but he is actually
an idealist who strongly believes in the cause of freedom and
has risked much to betray the Motherland. He can help the characters secure weapons and armor within Bomarza, although his
access to ammo is highly restricted. He can also supply them
with a basic map of the garrison and information on when and
where Winter Guard patrols will be throughout the town.
Conlyth DBray: A deposed member of Llaelese nobility and
the rightful heir to the stronghold of Bomarza who has gone
into hiding by pretending to be a farmer in the surrounding
countryside. His real surname is DLynyse, and he can supply the characters with detailed maps of the town and the fort,
including secret areas unknown to the Khadorans, though he
knows nothing of the activities of the Khadoran troops within
the Bomarza. He tries to avoid anything that might draw attention to him.
Andrea Pescar: A duelist of Ordic descent who has lived in
Llael all her life. Caught on the wrong side of the border by the
Khadoran occupation, she makes her living as a gun for hire
and keeps her sympathies to the Resistance a closely guarded
secret. She can supply the characters with access to ammunition as well as information about the rotation of the guards
within the dungeon beneath the garrison.
While their contact will supply the characters with intelligence and
some equipment, maintaining their cover requires that they avoid
being seen with the characters whenever possible and precludes
them from becoming involved in any physical altercations. Their
contact will also help the characters find a safe house somewhere
in the city. Below are a few sample locations that would be suitable
choices for a safe house:
The Rose and Thorn Formerly one of the better watering
holes in Bomarza, it was closed after the proprietor was arrested for suspected collusion with the Resistance. There are
rooms upstairs that offer a vantage point of the marketplace,
and the tavern below is still stocked with spirits if not food. It

is not large enough to accommodate warjacks, however, and its


position in the middle of town makes it difficult to come and
go unnoticed.
Turnoks Mill A grain mill on the edge of town that was built
alongside a stream that flows from a spring in the hillside. It
belonged to an ogrun miller who also used it as a storage space
to hide stolen alchemical components as part of the smuggling
work that he did on the side, so it is full of secret compartments. The mill is too far off the beaten path to offer much of a
vantage of the comings and goings in Bomarza.
Gedricks Forge An abandoned blacksmith shop near the entrance to town that once belonged to a Rhulic engineer. The shop
affords poor visibility of the surrounding area but has the advantage of a partially stocked metalworking shop, as well as stalls
large enough to hold and repair steamjacks.

Making Their Escape


While planning their strike against Grishka, the characters may also
turn their thoughts toward how theyre going to beat their retreat once
their objective is achieved. This becomes even more importantand
even more difficultif they do manage to successfully take Grishka
captive. Fortunately, there are several things in the vicinity of the
garrison that enterprising characters can use to create diversions to
distract the Winter Guard long enough for a clean getawayat least
in theory.
The following are a list of sample diversions, some tied to specific
contacts within Bomarza. Feel free to adjust these according to how
your adventure is going or to include different options thought up by
particularly crafty players.

Prison Break
If the characters can slip into the prison beneath the garrison, they can
work with the prisonerswho are almost all Resistance operatives
to stage a prison break at an appropriate moment. A successful Sneak
or Disguise roll against a target number of 14 will get the PCs past
the guards, while a Lock Picking roll against a target number of 12
will open the locks. The prisoners recognize the importance of the
characters mission in Bomarza and will wait to make their move
until after the characters have killed or captured Grishka.
Liberating the prisoners also benefits the Resistance at large. If Erynn
DGlaeys and a small group of other operatives are freed, she will help
them resume operations against the Khadorans in Bomarza even after
the PCs escape. All characters who participate in the prison break gain
an additional experience point upon completion of the adventure.

Ammo Cache
Vasko Szetka or Andrea Pescar can direct the characters to an ammo
cache thats kept in the lower levels of the garrison. Then, all the
characters have to do is slip in with a successful Sneak roll against a
target number of 12, and they can rig the cache to blow. A successful
Alchemy roll against a target number of 14 can set a delayed reaction
that will detonate the ammo cache after a delay of d3+3 minutes.
The resulting explosion will blow a hole in the garrison wall, and the
Winter Guard will be too busy putting out fires and rescuing their
comrades from the rubble to mount an effective pursuit.

Quick shot scenario

103

Light It Up
Conlyth DBray knows of several buildings around Bomarza that
could burn down without doing undue damage to the lives or
livelihoods of the villagers. By arranging to have fires set around
town, the characters could distract and scatter the Winter Guard long
enough to slip out of the area. Getting all the fires to light at once is
the trick, and DBray will vouch for several local youths who can set
the fires once the attack on Grishka commences in order to distract
his soldiers. Securing their services will require a successful Bribery
or Negotiation roll against a target number of 13.
Unfortunately, none of these distractions will work until after the attack
on Grishka is already underway. If the distractions are sprung too
early, Grishka will realize that something is awry and alter his plans or
fail to make an appearance, causing the characters to miss their chance
to strike. Distractions can be set up in advance to ensure they draw
attention long enough for the characters to make their escape.

Chapter Three:
Operation
Whiteout

Grishka has kept the specifics of his movements within the city secret
from everyone outside his personal bodyguardseven the soldiers
in the garrison arent certain of much besides his arrival time
but the characters know he is going to take charge of the prisoner
and address the soldiers responsible for her capture in the square
out in front of the main gates of the garrison. This area was once
a marketplace when Bomarza was still a free city, but under the
Khadoran occupation, it has become known as Prisoners Square.
Sometimes, prisoners of war that are held in the garrison are
disciplined here in sight of the populace, while at other times, the
Winter Guard use the area for exercises.
Empty market stalls and vacant storefronts look onto the square,
and the Khadoran Army has stored various barrels and crates at the
edges. For Grishkas visit though, the central area has been cleared
and a wooden podium has been assembled. If the characters made
good time to Bomarza, they should arrive about two days before
Grishka, giving the characters plenty of opportunity to scout the area
and make their plans.

The Complication
On the last evening before the characters plan to mount their
assault, something goes terribly wrong, compromising their plans
and forcing their hand. While this complication should seem like a
perfectly normal hazard of espionage, Grishka has actually carefully
orchestrated it in order to maneuver the characters into attacking at
a time and place of his choosing. Pick or randomly determine one of
the following complications from the list below.

Complication
roll

effect

1-2

Captured! The characters receive word from a


trusted runner that the Winter Guard captured
their contact in Bomarza. With no way to
know how much information the Khadorans
were able to extract from their new prisoner,
the characters must assume their plans and
identities have been compromised.

3-4

Raided! Somehow the Khadorans got word


that Resistance activities are taking place in
the characters safe house, and the Winter
Guard stages a midnight raid. The characters
receive just enough warning to get out before
the soldiers arrive, but they may have to leave
behind some of their equipment.

5-6

Identified! Someone in town recognized the


characters and reported them to the authorities.
Their cover is blown, and now the Winter
Guard patrols are actively looking for them.
If characters encounter Winter Guard soldiers,
theyll either have to run, fight, or be captured.

Whichever complication arises, it should upset any plans that the


characters have made and force them to strike at Grishka as soon as
he arrives in Prisoners Square the following morning. The characters
will endure a stressful night spent avoiding heightened Winter
Guard security, and Grishka will arrive with the dawn. What they
dont know is that Grishkas trap will already be in place and waiting
for them.

Chapter Four:
Revenge of the
Greylord

At this point, the characters are finally in place to launch their assault
against Grishka and his entourage. As the dawn colors the sky,
Grishka marches into Prisoners Square at the head of a small column
of soldiers. Read or paraphrase the following aloud:

With the dawn rising above the old Llaelese fort, the quiet of the
morning is broken by the sound of heavy boots on cobblestones as
Grishka and his troops march into Prisoners Square. In spite of
everything that has happened, for a moment it feels that your mission
may be a success after all. Grishka walks proudly at the head of a
token column of men, his lieutenant at his side. Grishka appears to
be unarmed, carrying only a long map case. Now is your moment to
strike. Quickly, before the soldiers in the garrison come out to meet
the Greylord.
Prisoners Square is roughly 80 feet long by 80 feet wide, ringed with
tall buildings and shops on all sides. A raised platform 18 feet on
a side has been erected at its center. Grishka and his guard march
directly to the platform at the center of Prisoners Square to address
the soldiers.
Grishkas entourage consists of himself, his lieutenant Yurik Zarov,
and six Winter Guard. A Detection roll against a target number of
17 may give the characters some warning of whats to come. Two

104

Quick Shot scenario

warjacks are lying in wait in the square on the north side of the square,
one in the back of a wagon covered by a tarp and hidden behind
some barrels and another in an unused mechaniks shop. Within the
storefronts that surround the square are four Doom Reavers, one on
each side of the square, chained and waiting to be turned loose upon
enemies at Grishkas command. Four more Winter Guard soldiers
wait in the wings along with the Doom Reavers to release them from
their chains. The additional Winter Guard will unleash the Doom
Reavers at Grishkas command and then follow them into battle.
Hero Level Combat Encounter
Adversaries: Koldun Ambroz Grishka, Kapitan Yurik Zarov, 6
Winter Guard, 4 Doom Reavers, 2 Rager warjacks
Unless the characters make a successful Detection roll to spot the
traps, it appears that Grishka and Yurik are accompanied by only 6
Winter Guard. As soon as the characters make their move, however,
Grishka springs his trap. He uses his first turn to open the map case
he carries to reveal the Orgoth Staff concealed within. At that signal,
the hidden Winter Guard release the Doom Reavers, who burst
forth from the storefronts and charge directly toward any characters
within 24 feet of Grishka.

String em Along

If the PCs must fight all the antagonists present at once,


theres a strong chance theyll be overwhelmed. Grishka, Yurik,
and the Doom Reavers alone can be a challenge for the players. Adding in the Winter Guard and Rager warjacks can be
overwhelming for groups that are not focused on combat. To
help, consider splitting this encounter into two smaller waves:
the first wave has the Ragers and Doom Reavers attacking as a
surprise initial push, followed by the second with Yurik and the
Winter Guard protecting Grishka.

Yurik uses his first turn to reach the nearest warjack and fire it up.
The Ragers were left in a state of readiness, so only a quick action is
required to bring them to full power. Unengaged Winter Guard can
also fire up one or both of the warjacks, though Yurik is the only jack
marshal present.
The Winter Guard are on hand mostly to provide supporting fire to
Grishka, Yurik, and the Doom Reavers and warjacks. As such, they
hold back as much as possible and fire at any of the characters
to whom they have a clear line of sight.
Yurik primarily acts as a jack marshal in the
battle, letting his jacks do the fighting for him,
though he is more than capable of holding his
own in melee combat and will readily place
himself in harms way in order to defend Grishka.
Grishka attempts to avoid directly engaging in
combat for as long as possible, instead relying on spells
to aid his soldiers or strike down the characters. The Orgoth
Staff protects him from the Doom Reavers and allows him
to give them orders, and he directs their battle fury toward
the characters. Characters with Lore (Arcane), Lore (Orgoth),
or Lore (Khador) may make a roll against a target number of
12 to learn that Grishkas Orgoth Staff is what allows him to
control the Doom Reavers. Without it, they are likely to turn on
Grishka and his soldiers.
The characters have 5 turns to incapacitate or kill Grishka
before reinforcements begin to pour into Prisoners Square.
After that, Winter Guard from the garrison arrive in the
square at a rate of 4 Winter Guard per turn. If the characters
have already established distractions before the encounter,
the distractions begin after the fifth turn and delay the Winter
Guard reinforcements by d3 turns.

Quick shot scenario

105

Rager Warjacks

Built on the Berserker chassis, the Rager is inclined toward fierce


overprotectiveness and will throw itself at any perceived threat
to its master without hesitation. It is for this reason that many of
Khadors warcasters, particularly the veterans, still find a place for
the aging warjack in their battlegroups, but they keep the machine
at arms length given its increasing tendency toward destructive
overloads. The Rager was designed with a heavy shield cannon
of the sort used by Man-O-War Shocktroopers, lending the jack
the means for a strong defense without depriving it of a second
weapon. Rather than hacking into the enemy with reckless abandon,
the Rager employs a more measured fighting style, making careful
use of its sword and shield.

Doom Reavers
Skills:
Name Stat + Rank Total
Great Weapon
5
2
7

Physique

PHY 6

Speed SPD 5
Strength STR 6
Agility

AGL 4

Prowess

PRW 5

Poise

POI 2

Intellect INT 3
Physique

PHY 10

Speed SPD 4
Strength STR 11
Agility

AGL 5

Prowess

PRW 4

Poise

POI 2

Intellect INT 2
Arcane aRC
Perception

PER 2

Shield Cannon

rat Rng AOE POW


3 8 15

Shield
MAT
5

POW P+S
1
12

Abilities: A steamjack armed with a


shield gains +2 ARM against attacks
originating in its front arc

Gladius
MAT
5

POW P+S
4
15

INITIATIVE

INIT 10

DEFENSE

DEF 11

ARMOR

ARM 18

WILLPOWER

WILL


1 2 3 4 5 6

L R

L L M C R R

M M

Command Range:
Base Size: Large

106

Quick Shot scenario

Abilities:

Arcane aRC

Aggressive This character can run


or charge without spending focus or
being forced.

Perception

Chain Attack: Brutality If a


steamjack fighting with two melee
hand weapons hits the same target
with both of its initial attacks,
after resolving the attacks, it can
immediately make one head-butt
power attack against that character.
A steamjack with a crippled weapon
system cannot make a chain attack.
Shield Guard Once per turn
when a friendly character is directly
hit by an attack while within 2 of
this character, this character can
choose to be directly hit instead. This
character cannot use Shield Guard
if he is incorporeal, knocked down,
prone, or stationary.
Unstable At the end of any
activation in which this character
spent 1 or more focus points, roll
a d6.
If the roll is equal to or less than the
number of focus points spent, this
character explodes and characters
within 3 of it suffer an unboostable
POW 14 blast damage roll. Remove
this character from play.

PER 2

FellBlade
MAT
7

POW P+S
6
12

Abilities: The fellblade has Reach and is


a magical weapon.

Initiative

Init 13

Defense

DEF 11

(Custom Battle Armor 1)


Armor ARM 12
(Custom battle armor +6)
Willpower

Wil 9

Vitality: 10
Command Range: 2
Base Size: Small
Encounter Points: 6

Abilities::
Berserk When this character
incapacitates or destroys one or
more other characters with a melee
attack during his turn, immediately
after the attack is resolved, he must
make one additional melee attack
against another character in his
melee range.
Fearless The character is utterly
fearless and automatically passes
Willpower rolls to resist Terror.
Mighty This character gains an
additional die on melee damage
rolls.
Fellblade Doom Reavers cannot
be targeted by spells.
Terror [13] This character has
Terror [13].

PHY 6

Speed SPD 6
Strength STR 5
Agility

AGL 3

Prowess

PRW 5

Poise

POI 3

Intellect INT 4
Arcane aRC Perception

PER 3

Shield

MAT
POW P+S

7 1 6
Abilities: The character gains +2ARM
against attacks originating in his front
arc.

Skills:

Blasting Pike (Blasting Head)

Name Stat + Rank Total


Command
4 2
6
Great Weapon
5
2
7

MAT
7

POW P+S
7
12

Abilities: The Blasting Pike is a Reach


weapon. On a critical hit, the target is
knocked down.
Blasting Pike (Spear Head)

MAT
POW P+S

7 4 9
Abilities: The Blasting Pike is a Reach
weapon. When used with a non-blasting
spearhead, the Blasting Pike loses the
critical knockdown effect.

Initiative

Init 14

Defense

DEF 10

(Full Plate 2)

Abilities:
Jack Marshal The character is
skilled at instructing steamjacks
to act.
Defensive Line While this
character is B2B with one or more
friendly characters, he gains +1
ARM.
Drive: Ancillary Attack The
character can make a quick action
to use Drive: Ancillary attack
on a steamjack he controls. The
steamjack immediately makes one
normal melee or ranged attack.
Fast Rearm (Blasting Pike) The
character gains one extra quick
action each turn that can be used
only to rearm a weapon of the type
noted.
Feat Points Yurik starts each
encounter with 1 feat point. He is
allocated 1 feat point at the start of
his turns. He can have up to 1 feat
point at a time.
Load Bearing The character
is well practiced at fighting while
wearing heavy armor. Reduce the
SPD and DEF penalties from the
armor the character wears each by
1 (included).
Righteous Anger When one or
more characters who are friendly
to this character are damaged
by an enemy attack while in this
characters command range, this
character gains +2 STR and ARM
for one round.

Armor ARM 14

(Full Plate +8)

Willpower

Wil 10

AGILITY
PHYS

3
ECT

IQ

4
6

LL

TE

Pulled from the ranks of the Iron Fangs and hand-selected by


Grishka, Kapitan Yurik Zarov has been Grishkas strong right
hand for years and is unfailingly loyal to the Greylord. He was
chosen not only for his combat prowess and untiring service
to the Motherland but also for his skills as a jack marshal, a
talent that Grishka felt could be put to better use in his employ.
Dressed in Iron Fang armor that has been marked with symbols
denoting his special rank, Yurik is willing to follow any order
that Grishka gives him without questionno matter how
viciousand will sleep well at night knowing he has done his
duty.

Physique

KAPITAN YURIK
ZAROV

Command Range: 6
Base Size: Small
Encounter Points: 10
Equipment: Blasting Pike (w/ 10 blasting
heads and 1 spear head), Iron Fang full
plate, shield

Quick shot scenario

107

Physique

PHY 5

Speed SPD 6
Strength STR 4
Agility

AGL 4

Prowess

PRW 5

Poise

POI 4

Intellect INT 5
Arcane aRC 4
Perception

PER 5

Orgoth Staff
MAT
6

POW P+S
6
10

Abilities: The Orgoth Staff has Reach


and is a magical weapon. While carrying
the Orgoth Staff, Grishka cannot be
targeted by spells and never suffers
the effects of Terror. While carrying the
Orgoth Staff, Grishka cannot be attacked
by a character armed with a fellblade
for any reason. Additionally, while
within the command range of Grishka,
any characters armed with fellblades
gain the Tough archetype benefit and
the Silence ability. Grishka can issue
commands to any character armed with
a fellblade within his command range by
making a STR+Command roll against
a target number equal to the fellblade
bearers Willpower.

Abilities:
Astute The character can reroll
failed Detection rolls. Each failed
roll can be rerolled only once as a
result of Astute.
Combat Caster When this
character makes a magic attack
roll, he gains an additional die.
Discard the lowest die of each roll.
Feat Points Grishka starts each
encounter with 3 feat points. He is
allocated 1 feat point at the start of
his turns. He can have up to 3 feat
points at a time.
Great Power This character can
upkeep one spell each turn without
spending a focus point or gaining a
fatigue point.
Iron Will The character can reroll
failed Willpower rolls. Each roll can
be rerolled only once as a result of
Iron Will.

KOLDUN AMBROZ
GRISHKA

Dressed in a fur-lined greatcoat over his armor, Koldun Ambroz


Grishka is a slender man for a Khadoran, and his youthful features
make it easy for both his enemies and his own comrades to
underestimate him, a fact he uses to his own great advantage. His
friendly demeanor conceals a deep capacity for cruelty. Grishka is a
believer in Khador and the authority of the Prikaz Chancellery, and
he feels that it is his solemn duty to do whatever must be done to
protect the Motherland.

Skills:
Name Stat + Rank Total
Command
5 2 7
Detection
5 2 7
Great Weapon
5 2 7
Intimidation
5 2 7
Interrogation
5 2 7

Spells:
name

COST RNG AOE POW UP OFF

Blizzard

No No

Center a 3 AOE cloud effect on target character. The AOE remains centered on the
character. If the target character is destroyed, remove the AOE from play. Blizzard
lasts for one round.

Fog of War

3 SELF CTRL

Yes No

Characters gain concealment while in the spellcasters control area.

Initiative

Init 16

Frostbite

Defense

DEF 14

Frostbite causes cold damage.

(Tailored Plate 1)

Armor ARM 12

(Tailored Plate +7)

Willpower

Wil 10

AGILITY
PHYS

3
ECT

IQ

TE

LL

Command Range: 7
Base Size: Small
Encounter Points: 12
Orgoth staff, tailored plate

108

Quick Shot scenario

Protection from Cold


Target character gains Immunity: Cold.

2 SP 8

12 No Yes

Yes No

Conclusion

Grishka will not voluntarily surrender so long as he has any


reinforcements from the garrison, so the characters will have to
either incapacitate or kill him in order to end the battle. Once they
do so, they will still need to beat a hasty retreat from Bomarza or
risk a battle with all of the Khadoran soldiers stationed there. If the
characters have already established distractions ahead of time, these
may provide enough cover for them to slip out of town without
mishap. If not, they may have to fight their way through d3 patrols
of Winter Guard in order to get out of Bomarza.
Once theyre in the countryside, theyll still have to make their
way back to the Black River and across the border. And if theyve
managed to capture Grishka, theyll have to make the trip with an
uncooperative and extremely intelligent prisoner who will take any
opportunity to escape or to expose the characters to capture. Their
escape from Khadoran-occupied Llael can be accomplished in the
same way as they entered, with many of the same difficulties. Feel
free to increase the target number of rolls according to the added
dangers the characters face due to the heightened security in the
aftermath of their successful attack.
In addition to capturing or killing Grishka, the characters may wish
to rescue Erynn DGlaeys. If they do so, she can either travel with
them back to free Llael or make her own way back to the Resistance
to be debriefed. DGlaeys is a skilled spy, and once shes out of
prison, she should have no trouble making it across the border on
her own. If she accompanies the characters, they may be able to rely
on her expertise to make contacts or to provide assistance when
making Bribery, Deception, and Disguise rolls. DGlaeys stat+skill
total in those skills is 7.
When the characters return to free Llael, they will find the powersthat-be within the Resistance are extremely grateful for their
successespecially if they managed to capture Grishka rather
than kill him. Besides any monetary compensation that they were
promised, characters who successfully complete this mission gain
Connections (Resistance) if they didnt already have it.
If the characters left Yurik alive but managed to capture or kill
Grishka, they will find they have made an enemy for life. Yurik will
devote all his energy to rescuing or avenging his former master and
can act as a hook for future adventures and encounters.

EXPERIENCE
With their mission in Bomarza complete, the characters gain the
following experience.
Play Award: Each character gains 1XP for participating in the
adventure.
Conditional Awards: If the PCs freed Erynn DGlaeys and at
least two other prisoners, each character gains 1XP. If the PCs
killed Grishka, each character gains 1XP. If the PCs captured
Grishka alive, each character gains 2XP.

Quick shot scenario

109

Player Gallery

No Quarter #64 challenged you to paint and submit your best warriors who battle beyond death for their sovereigns, their
countries, or themselves. Erik Swinson struck twice with his Deneghra and Zaal entries. Not to be outdone, Rafal Maj and
John Meeks submitted some of their best work, as well. Here are the judges top picks.

Gold
Rafal Maj
Fantastic, moody light-sourcing on a very sharp
diorama base. This display is excellence in execution.

Gold
Erik Swinson
Look at this model! Great contrast,
smooth blends, a strong color
palette, and that amazing base
make this model an easy pick for
gold.

110

player gallery

Silver: John Meeks


The Harbinger looks positively radiant in her warm, lifelike
tones. This beautiful display piece really exemplifies the
painting challengethe Harbinger looks like she has
transcended death, and the chains that ground her are the only
things that keep her from shooting into the heavens.

Silver: Erik Swinson


Erik struck again with this colorful rendition of Zaal, with some
sharp highlights and some convincing glow effects. Nice work!

Player Gallery

111

NO QUARTER

PAINTING CHALLENGE
The No Quarter Painting Challenge encompasses a single theme
and broadens the challenge to include all Privateer Press
models within that theme. Simply paint your model, take a few
publication-quality digital photos of it, and send those photos to us.
(See No Quarter #53 for photography guidelines.)
Once we receive your pictures, Studio Director Ron Kruzie will judge
your work by the same criteria used in the world-renowned Formula P3
Grandmaster Painting Competition held at Lock & Load GameFest and
Gen Con each year. Models will be judged individually on their own
merits. Top entries will be published here in the pages of No Quarter
and awarded either gold or silver honors, and winners will receive an
extremely limited-edition No Quarter Painting Challenge Coin, in gold or
silver coloration, to proudly display alongside their model.

This issues theme:

Privateer Press Exclusive Skarre Ravenmane Bust


For this very special painting challenge, were featuring the Privateer
Press Exclusive Skarre Ravenmane Bust! Available at AdeptiCon and
the Privateer Press Online Store (store.privateerpress.com) from March
31 to April 3 only, this large-scale painters dream offers enthusiasts an
opportunity to show their painting prowess like never before.
Show us your best headshot of the Satyxis queen. The thrill of victory,
the accolades of your peers, and a shot at a No Quarter Painting
Challenge Coin await you!
To submit your entry:
Read the submission guidelines at
privateerpress.com/no-quarter/no-quarter-challenges
Fill out a submission form
Email submission form and digital photographs of your model to
submissions@privateerpress.com

ENTRI ES DUE BY

april 24, 2016

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