shinros Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 22 minutes ago, SirPergrin said: Not yet... I really, really like Manfred! He is so hard to predict and this was exactly the reason i loved so much the last two realmgate novels. That relationship between him and the Stormcasts, betrayal and then, i dare say regret? He tried to help Tarsus at the end in the Hunt for Nagash if i recall correctly. That's why, i think he is going to help the Stormcasts defeat Nagash eventually. An eternity being a slave to the most powerful God in the Realms, doesn't quite fit this rebelious vampire. Nah, if you have white dwarf you see what happens after this story. The whole point of Manny's character is that he can't escape servitude. Doesn't stop him from trying though, also he doesn't like stormcasts he only likes Tarsus he does not care for the rest. What I do like for once Mannfred was actually in awe of Nagash lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michu Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 I'm not so sure... Nagash will probably have successes at the start of Soul Wars, but Mannfred was never eager to serve. I won't be surprised if at the last moment he will ruin everything (for Nagash) because of his arrogance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinros Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 3 minutes ago, michu said: I'm not so sure... Nagash will probably have successes at the start of Soul Wars, but Mannfred was never eager to serve. I won't be surprised if at the last moment he will ruin everything (for Nagash) because of his arrogance. We kinda see what happens to the pyramid at the start of soul wars. It has nothing to do with Mannfred, I recommend if people haven't read the white dwarf sample to do so. It details how essentially the necroquake occurs. In context of this story it was meant to be far larger from the looks of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherJosh Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 4 minutes ago, michu said: at the last moment he will ruin everything (for Nagash) because of his arrogance. I’m not so sure that it will be arrogance, or understanding that if all is one in Nagash ... then his ability to rebel will be greatly impaired ... and if all of the living are gone ... well .. there goes the Vampire snack pool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michu Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Just now, shinros said: We kinda see what happens to the pyramid at the start of soul wars. It has nothing to do with Mannfred, I recommend if people haven't read the white dwarf sample to do so. It details how essentially the necroquake occurs. In context of this story it was meant to be far larger from the looks of things. I'm aware of what happened of Nagashizzar, but that's just the start of Soul Wars - there will be more opportunities for Mannfred to foil his master plans. And @TheOtherJosh could be right - no living beings no blood for Mannfred and other vampires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinros Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 1 minute ago, michu said: I'm aware of what happened of Nagashizzar, but that's just the start of Soul Wars - there will be more opportunities for Mannfred to foil his master plans. And @TheOtherJosh could be right - no living beings no blood for Mannfred and other vampires. Vampires don't need blood to survive. Also Nagash being a god and per GW if a god controls the mortal realms they will be equal to a chaos god, I think Nagash can easily maintain the blood suckers if necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michu Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Ok, I can agree, but there's always out-of-universe argument - if Nagash wins, everything is dead and taht means no game for us. So something definitely will go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinros Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Just now, michu said: Ok, I can agree, but there's always out-of-universe argument - if Nagash wins, everything is dead and taht means no game for us. So something definitely will go wrong. Well yeah it goes wrong in the first chapter of soul wars lol. Reading this story the necroquake should of been far worse. Phil kelly even said that tzeentch has manipulated things slightly to actually cause magic to go haywire due to what Nagash has done to develop the endless spells. I suspect the events of chapter 1 plays into that. Also to go back on manny. It's pretty hard to foil someone if he can read you like an open book. What I am getting from mannfred's story in AOS is that he is stuck in servitude. No matter how hard he schemes no matter how hard he tries he will never escape. But what people find fun and interesting about the character is the fact he keeps trying. "Nagash turned back and fixed his gaze on Mannfred again. At once, the Mortarch felt his master’s abyssal vision pierce him, his mind laid bare for the Great Necromancer to see. His innermost ambition, his secret desire for supremacy, his futile attempts at subterfuge were exhumed from within his being. Nagash saw all that he was, and Mannfred felt the malefic ire of his master." Nagash even tells Mannfred in another story that the only reason why he can scheme is because he allows him to do so. LON tells us that Nagash does not choose the Mortarch's for their loyalty, LON explicitly tells us he has no need for it. The undying king novel even goes into how he can control the mortarch's movements without them even realising it. Only the bald vampire had an inkling that he was being manipulated/controlled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandlemad Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 I really like Nagash speaking/mind-speaking IN ALL CAPS. It's like Pratchett's Death, it should feel cheap and annoying after a while but with (in Nagash's case) the right amount of gravitas and insane arrogance it works. When bookended by stuff like Mannfred relating how the voice cuts through you and annihilates everything else but Nagash's presence and will. No subtlety, just domination. One of the my minor bugbears is that more 40k authors don't do this kind of textual trick (all caps, italics, crosses, whatever) when depicting dreadnought vox-speak. Or techpriests. Or daemons. Innovative things that get across that this isn't normal speech. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandlemad Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 4 minutes ago, shinros said: Nagash even tells Mannfred in another story that the only reason why he can scheme is because he allows him to do so. LON tells us that Nagash does not choose the Mortarch's for their loyalty, LON explicitly tells us he has no need for it. The undying king novel even goes into how he can control the mortarch's movements without them even realising it. Only the bald vampire had an inkling that he was being manipulated/controlled. This. When you're an immortal necromantic pseudo-deity there's definite uses to having a scheming underling who you know is going to try and betray you. It makes him reliable, a reliable wretch. Insofar as Nagash can still feel amusement, I suspect Mannfred is a near-constant source of it. Also I quite agree that Mannfred not giving up and never, ever truly learning from his mistakes is what makes him fun. 'Vampiric Starscream', as he's been referred to.☺️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinros Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 4 minutes ago, sandlemad said: This. When you're an immortal necromantic pseudo-deity there's definite uses to having a scheming underling who you know is going to try and betray you. It makes him reliable, a reliable wretch. Insofar as Nagash can still feel amusement, I suspect Mannfred is a near-constant source of it. Also I quite agree that Mannfred not giving up and never, ever truly learning from his mistakes is what makes him fun. 'Vampiric Starscream', as he's been referred to.☺️ Yeah in the undying king novel Nagash himself had to admit that both he and Mannfred think along the same lines in terms of plotting. Arkhan can't really plot and Neferata's plots do no extend beyond the flesh per his own words. So I think it's from that angle where they both have some common ground on, he states that he needs such a mind. I mean hell he calls Manny his prodigal son. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amysrevenge Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 I don't know if anyone has read the... much maligned Dune prequels, but there is a very similar relationship between the thinking machines Omnius and Erasmus as we see here between Nagash and Mannfred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michu Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 I begin to understand why Nagash resurrected Mannfred - if you know that his schemes can't stop you, because you know them in advance, then at least they can disrupt your opponent's actions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinros Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 15 minutes ago, michu said: I begin to understand why Nagash resurrected Mannfred - if you know that his schemes can't stop you, because you know them in advance, then at least they can disrupt your opponent's actions. Pretty much and he is a useful general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VoodooChileIRL Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 16 minutes ago, michu said: I begin to understand why Nagash resurrected Mannfred - if you know that his schemes can't stop you, because you know them in advance, then at least they can disrupt your opponent's actions. Mannfred is Age of Sigmar's Starscream. Nagash keeps him around to stop him from getting complacent. Plus I'd like to think that if Mannfred ever does topple Nagash there would be a very small, unacknowledged portion of his personality thinking "Wow he actually did it, well played...". That portion of his personality would of course be swiftly sacrificed on the altar of Nagash's unassailable ego to fuel his inevitable revenge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherJosh Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 1 hour ago, shinros said: Vampires don't need blood to survive. Also Nagash being a god and per GW if a god controls the mortal realms they will be equal to a chaos god, I think Nagash can easily maintain the blood suckers if necessary. Neferata certainly seemed to enjoy it in the short story “The Dance Of the Skulls” ... While not “required” it’s the little things that make eternal un-life livable.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinros Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 3 minutes ago, TheOtherJosh said: Neferata certainly seemed to enjoy it in the short story “The Dance Of the Skulls” ... While not “required” it’s the little things that make eternal un-life livable.. I don't think Nagash cares for her enjoyment. She will learn to deal with it. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Does anyone know if this was the last free story? I know Phil Kelly said there weren’t many more left to be published. If it is, what a way to go out. These have been really good and I can’t quite believe they are all free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudonyme Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 I guess it will run up until next week with release of Soul wars, with the conclusion of Nagash’s plan. That was a great journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Yeah these stories have been among the best I've read from GW. Even crazier that they have been free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HorticulusTGA Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 https://malignportents.com/# Brilliant (it ties with many other short stories, like "The Hunt" about the Orruks emerging next to Nagahizzar tar lake). Alas, Malign Portents stories end next week ? (well, logical, as the new edition arrives). Malign Portents (videos, website, stories, campaign book) was an excellent narrative arc, way better than Gathering Storm or even the End Times in terms of "preparing the new edition" IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Klatz Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 Yeah, really unfortunate it's about to end despite how fun it's been. Every story was a joy to read and they really were on point with their animated video trailers. On the otherhand, there's more great stories and campaigns on the horizon when the war ends and all hell breaks loose with Slaanesh plus all the other gods and powerful forces waiting for a spot-light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EccentricCircle Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 I'll be very sad to see Malign Portents come to an end, as its really gotten me interested in the AoS world in a way which nothing before quite managed. Its not surprising that its wrapping up, after all the thing it has been portending is now upon us. Nonetheless I hope that they will replace it with some thing similar in the future, as its a great way to give insight into the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuneBrush Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 It never hurts to send GW a message (be it on FB, e-mail or on a cake) saying how much you've enjoyed it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Taylor Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 1 hour ago, RuneBrush said: It never hurts to send GW a message (be it on FB, e-mail or on a cake) saying how much you've enjoyed it 100% this. If you like something that they are doing, let them know. Partially as it's nice to give and receive praise but also it lets them know they are doing something right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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