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Ironweld Arsenal: Faction Expansion (Narrative and Warscrolls)


Melcavuk

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Just now, Melcavuk said:

The issue I'm having with anything Runeseer/Runesmith/Runepriest is the feeling I have that before long we will see a rune/golem centric dispossessed faction come to pass. Where all the runic magic will be under their purview.

Is that the current rumour? I thought the thread was on flesheaters and shaven, ah well my vote then is for the coghauler variant, thought you might want to use a different model then the steam tank.

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Makes sense, if not having a magically centred hero I might consider looking into two options

The first being the Anti Magic Cog Hauler, a mobile anti magic aura that can channel back a blast based on the original casting roll of the blocked spell, the wording could do with some refining but something like the below.
Arcane Prismatic Reflectors - If a friendly IRONWELD ARSENAL is the effected by a Spell or Endless spell when wholly within range of this models reflectors (denoted by its wound chart) roll a D6, on a roll of 5+ that effect of that spell is ignored. If the spell is successfully ignored the caster suffers D3 mortal wounds, if the casting roll was 10 or more the caster instead suffers D6 mortal wounds.

I'd then want to look into a second anti magic unit, something along the lines of one of the specialised experimental ranged unit:
"The scientists of the Weld know that magic seeks magic, they have seen it coalesce and grow, they have reviled at the way that Wizards seek out ever more power as it permeates their blood, craving nothing but the arcane. Through experimentation that have managed to refine alchemical mixtures infused with the barest traces of magic, forging these into massive bolters for the Arbalesters to use on the field of battle. When fired these bolts seemingly arc through the air, as though on the scent of the very magic from which they have been imbued, seeking out magic users to send them to a final rest."

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well after I left looks like we are having  nice lore for ironweld but having aelven gods and duradin gods having clash turns ironweld into two factions one where true artistic elite who want to go for aelven aesthetics while common troops and cog cities focus on druadin aesthetic but the whole lets sacrifice wizards to power our machines feels scary enough yet it gives unique opportunity for spellcasters. how about using captured wizards as our casters just augmented with steam and rune based collars/control rigs forcing them to use their lists to aid ironweld. another idea is some of the Baltasar gelts boys survived the end of the world and know helping ironweld to get revenge for gelts transformation. this hero mage can introduce  fourth sub-faction in ironweld where artificers(spellcasters) or ironweld can go go

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42 minutes ago, khadgar567 said:

well after I left looks like we are having  nice lore for ironweld but having aelven gods and duradin gods having clash turns ironweld into two factions one where true artistic elite who want to go for aelven aesthetics while common troops and cog cities focus on druadin aesthetic but the whole lets sacrifice wizards to power our machines feels scary enough yet it gives unique opportunity for spellcasters. how about using captured wizards as our casters just augmented with steam and rune based collars/control rigs forcing them to use their lists to aid ironweld. another idea is some of the Baltasar gelts boys survived the end of the world and know helping ironweld to get revenge for gelts transformation. this hero mage can introduce  fourth sub-faction in ironweld where artificers(spellcasters) or ironweld can go go

On the topic of Gelt funnily enough I was toying with a small Portents style story that saw three of the human Demi gods debating how much longer they can leave their children with no hand at the rudder, one whose skin rippled as though coursing molten gold, his every footstep tinged with cooling metal.

Admittedly the Steamborn god and Clockwork artisan end the conversation with their golden brother impaled on a spear of realm stone in the middle of a workshop as testament to the rest of the Iron Pantheon against interfering in the affairs of mortals (though massively hypocritically you’ll notice it is steam and clockwork that is currently dominant in the Weld, almost as though these gods have been whispering in the dreams of artisans)

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@Melcavuk looks like we need a bit more of fluff to peg our caster dilemma but can we use Warhammer total war style opening to books as lots of time it feels line not genuine battle tome writing style in the introduction. By the way, templar feels too much going on in his abilities valve lance is a good idea but the whole of boosting laborers feels like not this guys job he meant to go in front kicking asses and taking names  then rallying troops  to push harder not I act as a spotter to a bunch of laborers cannons I say keep weld heraldy but ditch steam lanterns. we might need a separate unit for spotter/ advance scout role.

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3 minutes ago, khadgar567 said:

@Melcavuk looks like we need a bit more of fluff to peg our caster dilemma but can we use Warhammer total war style opening to books as lots of time it feels line not genuine battle tome writing style in the introduction. By the way, templar feels too much going on in his abilities valve lance is a good idea but the whole of boosting laborers feels like not this guys job he meant to go in front kicking asses and taking names  then rallying troops  to push harder not I act as a spotter to a bunch of laborers cannons I say keep weld heraldy but ditch steam lanterns. we might need a separate unit for spotter/ advance scout role.

Main issue with this is with his reduced combat potential already, lower speed etc if he drops utility he’d need to be dirt cheap to even have a function (even then more guns would almost always be better). Most if not all of the Noble units will have the Weld Heraldry rule as any unit can only benefit from it once. 

Currently the Templar is pointed 180-200 but losing his utility would drop him into just a soft gloved beat stick (he’s already outclassed by Dankhold Troggoth who isn’t considered good for his points) it’s worth mentioning the Paladin doesn’t have the lantern but does have a shield and command ability, this gives the two marked different functions on the battlefield, if both are reduced to just combat you’ll likely see the Templar being overlooked entirely 

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Having reviewed the options several times I'm tempted not to add magic to the Ironweld, at this tsage it feels alot like adding it just for the sake of adding it as we have no sign to date that they employ magic or are in any way known for it. Whilst competitively magic is important to many a force I feel there are likely ways we can counter magic without adding it to a faction that it makes little narrative sense to cover.

Its a complex matter balancing what makes sense narratively and what we know for game competitiveness is vital.

So magical counters are currently my primary focus rather than faction specific wizards.

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Working on the Cavalry element of the force, the current model concept has Mechanical striders each steered through the battle by a Household squire, their master stands on metal pedals behind them chained to the Cogstrider, that way when they lash out with Lance or Blunderbuss they are not carried from their mount by the impact.

For this reason a Fusilier/Lancer has 3 wounds (one per rider plus one on the mount) and occupy an elite heavy cavalry slot, lighter than a Dracoth/Dracoline rider but heavier than a Chaos Knight. Ideally fielded in 6's their minimum unit is three. First iterations of the Lancer/Fusiliers scroll so all feedback most welcome.

 

Fusiliers.png

Lancers.png

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I haven't looked into this thread in a while so I had a lot to catch up on. 
First of all, great work from everyone involved! All the new pieces of fluff and rules fit seamlessly into the mortal realms.

 

Now a few things, first, the anti-magic cog-hauler. I thought about something like Anchor class cog-hauler? I don't know if you are familiar with the SCP-foundation stories but there exists a thing called Scranton-Reality Anchor. A Reality Anchor works in such a way that it reduces the amount of "abnormality" in a certain area, grounding reality so to say. The cog-hauler could work in a similar way. A number of machinery and apparatus take in excessive amounts of magic and bringing the battlefield down to a lower magic level (similar to the center of the realms). For example large scale use of these machines could bring down floating islands at the edge of ghyran or solidify a river of liquid gold in Chamon. 
This would fit into the Ironweld in so far as they like to work with hard numbers and physical laws, all the randomness of wild magic is a major nuisance. 

In rule terms I could see the cog-hauler making it harder to getting of spells trough subtracting more and more from casting rolls the closer one gets to the cog-hauler (for example -1 for casting rolls within 24", -2 at 18, etc...). 

 

Second, after reading about sub-factions and the more god-less nature of the Weld. How about a "soviet-style" subfaction. The lore pieces about the laborer units made their live look rather bleak. Poverty coupled with large scale industrialization is a good foundation for massiv strikes and worker uprisings. Maybe there is a Weld city where Laborers took over and chased away their nobles. 
This would also allow for a subfaction that puts greater emphasis on laborer units and less on the more fantastical constructs. (Similar to the Idoneth who have subfactions that promote Namarti instead of Ahkelians)

Edited by Gecktron
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31 minutes ago, Gecktron said:

I haven't looked into this thread in a while so I had a lot to catch up on. 
First of all, great work from everyone involved! All the new pieces of fluff and rules fit seamlessly into the mortal realms.

 

Now a few things, first, the anti-magic cog-hauler. I thought about something like Anchor class cog-hauler? I don't know if you are familiar with the SCP-foundation stories but there exists a thing called Scranton-Reality Anchor. A Reality Anchor works in such a way that it reduces the amount of "abnormality" in a certain area, grounding reality so to say. The cog-hauler could work in a similar way. A number of machinery and apparatus take in excessive amounts of magic and bringing the battlefield down to a lower magic level (similar to the center of the realms). For example large scale use of these machines could bring down floating islands at the edge of ghyran or solidify a river of liquid gold in Chamon. 
This would fit into the Ironweld in so far as they like to work with hard numbers and physical laws, all the randomness of wild magic is a major nuisance. 

In rule terms I could see the cog-hauler making it harder to getting of spells trough subtracting more and more from casting rolls the closer one gets to the cog-hauler (for example -1 for casting rolls within 24"). 

 

Second, after reading about sub-factions and the more god-less nature of the Weld. How about a "soviet-style" subfaction. The lore pieces about the laborer units made their live look rather bleak. Poverty coupled with large scale industrialization is a good foundation for massiv strikes and worker uprisings. Maybe there is a Weld city where Laborers took over and chased away their nobles. 
This would also allow for a subfaction that puts greater emphasis on laborer units and less on the more fantastical constructs. (Similar to the Idoneth who have subfactions that promote Namarti instead of Ahkelians)

Love the reality anchor coghauler conceor, it also would do wonders to see the interplay of that compared to the more magical elements of order. I.e. Stormcast may despise it as their sacrosanct become less potent, devastation to economies that thrive on arcane influence etc. Could have it forged from refined Realmstone.

Subfaction concept is great two, ideally each will exemplify one part of the army (Cogs, Labourers, Ironsworn, Artillery etc)

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Musing on the reality anchor, I'm thinking something along the lines of a Coghauler that sacrafices its main cannon in exchange for the Reality Anchor (might give it a Weldy Style name eventually if one springs mind). It'll end up having two spheres of influence, the outer one essentially static formed between the reality anchor and the background magicks of the Realm that make it harder to influence the spheres of magic, the inner sphere is inside the reality bubble where casting becomes even more challenging to the point where it can injure the wizard attempting to do so.

"Arcane Interference" (Large bubble, thinking 18 inches at start dropping to 12 at lowest)
The grounding impact of the Reality anchor is constantly at odds with the raw essense of magic permeating the Realm, as the two collide an arcane static builds up discernable only to those attuned to the ways of Magic. Attempts to harness the magical energies are that much more challenging within such pockets of interference.
This model may attempt to dispell a single spell a turn as though it were a wizard. In addition any wizards attempting to cast a spell or endless spell within range of this models Arcane Interfernce (as shown on the wound chart) suffer -1 to any attempts to cast the spell.

"Reality Bubble" (smaller secondary bubble half the range of Arcane interference)
Wizards who stray too close to the Reality Anchor speak of a screaching noise that rips through their skulls, their every thought seemingly scrambled by its constant assault. Those foolhardy to still attempt to manifest a spell have suffered a myriad of injuries from nose bleeds to sudden and lasting death
Any Wizards within range of the Reality Bubble (As shown on the wound chart) suffer a further -1 to casting attempts, in addition if their unmodified roll to cast a spell or endless spell is a double they immediately suffer a mortal wound.

Edited by Melcavuk
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Minor Adjustments for the Evening:

Ironweld Cannon transferred to new Warscroll
Ironweld Helblaster transferred to new Warscroll

Ironsworn keyword removed from Tinkerer on Cogstrider and Cogsmith
Cogwork keyword added to Tinkerer on Cogstrider.
Weld Guard keyword removed from Weld Militia (No longer benefits from Weld Heraldry buff as they are the rabble rather than the guard)

CHANGE LOG:

Adjustments made for balance, Ironsworn as a designation will be used for a specific relic tree that didn't make sense to assign to the Engineer class characters (instead it will be restricted to military classes: Paladins, Templars, Cogboss and Gunsmith).

Secondary relic tree will be added for ENGINEER class.

Tertiary relic tree (mount trait equivalent) will be added for COGWORK heroes to benefit mounts and harnesses)
 

UPDATED SCROLLS

Helblaster.png.cc7338e9edd025b4fbce3978d3dac965.png

Cannon.png

Cogsmith.png

TinkereronStrider.png

Weldmilitia.png

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Currently considering that the Cogstriders Lancers become battleline if the General is Ironsworn Paladin, essentially opening up the option to run an all “mounted” Ironweld force of paladins, striders, Templar’s and Coghaulers

Version one scrolls for the Coghauler Bombard and Coghauler Anchor

-The Bombard is the core Steamtank warscroll with minor changes, specifically the Cannon is now fixed range but variable to hit, the justification for this is a single shot cannon that misses half the time made the model less than appealing, the new version degrades accuracy with damage as the Officer is no longer able to accurately gauge the trajectory of the cannon.

- Both gain the Weld Heraldry rule.

 

CoghaulerAnchor.png

CoghaulerBombard.png

Edited by Melcavuk
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Adding the last non-named Hero Scroll to the army, version one of the Ironduke Coghauler:

- Slightly increased damage potential than a Coghauler Bombard at same wound characteristic against similar targets
- Command ability makes more reliable speeds for Coghaulers in the Vicinity.
- Nothing fancy but does the job.

 

IrondukeCoghauler.png

PROVISIONAL POINTS ROSTER -
This is only the first iteration, will be subject to substantial revision no doubt but here's a starting point level for the designed units so far

 

 

 

Pointsroster.png

Edited by Melcavuk
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Rough draft  - House Oran, the Ironhearts and current rulers of the Ironweld Arsenal. And their Factory City "Cor Temporis"

HOUSE ORAN – THE IRONHEARTS
The House Oran currently hold the seat of power within the Ironweld, their Matriarch Octavia having secured the Crown of Innovation as a child and spurred the Weld into an era of unprecedented invention and discovery. Those born to Oran have long been considered cold hearted and distance, often so buried in the future that they have neither the time nor inclination to pay attention to the present. For many it is this foresight that has made them so indispensable to the Weld throughout its troubled history, a calm hand at the rudder when all was descending into chaos, steering the industry through the far more prosperous waters.

Their very nature is perhaps shaped by the Realm of Light in which their capitol city of Cor Temporis can be found, obsessive in their seeking and hording of knowledge they have long since been at the cutting edge of Weld innovation. And yet it is in their obsessive nature that their key fault lies, too often seeking out new ideas would leave those already discovered little time to flourish or refine, were it not for the actions of the Noble houses around them willing to complete the more menial tasks of industry House Oran may well have found themselves unable to fund their further research endevours.

Cor Temporis, the Walking City
The term walking is largely a generous exaggeration of the city that crawls its way steadily across Hysh, pulled by hundreds of Cog haulers the very fact it is able to move is perhaps what has lent to such a grandeous term. Few understand the reasoning behind such an attribute beyond the very fact that the Ironweld invent for the very sake of innovation, dismissing the cities mobile nature as little more than a flamboyant architects masterpiece. 

To those who know better there is an ancient tale, whispers that before Cor Temporis came to be an expedition from House Oran found something buried in the sands of Hysh, undeniably ancient and hewn from metal no axe or pick could pierce, a cube littered with Sigils unlike any others seen the realms over. It is said this unknowable vault bewildered the expedition, and around it they built an encampment, it was as the days passed, when each mornings sun struck the Vault they observed perhaps its most perculiar attribute, shifting in the sand, tremoring as it carved its way a few inches further through the realm toward destinations unknown. 

Over the years the encampment has grown, dozens of cogforts deployed that the Weld might understand what secrets the vault could unlock. In time they locked together to shield the vault from the view of would be interlopers, and as yet more forts joined their midsts the engineers within sought new technologies that they might find a way to bore through its metal hide, grand factories sprung up to devise new drills, workshops sought to master flame and fire to melt away the outer layers, prismatic light harnsesses channelled the very nature of the realm at this enigma. 

Centuries has since passed, and whilst some secrets have been derived from the vault it has yet to relent to the bombardments of the Weld, the cogforts have grown to the largest city in the Ironweld with the obsessive need to unlock the Vault driving forward their progress at a staggering rate. Now each day as the Vault moves so does the city, ever onwards to a destination beyond their unstanding.

Whether the Vault has given the scholars of Oran something to obsess over, or if it is the root cause of the character flaw gnawing away at their every thought is unclear. Though many have begun to question precisely how much influence the unknown Vault exerts over those nearby.

 

Ascent to the Throne
It was as simply a young child that Octavia, first born of the House of Oran became that Heir Aspirant to the Crown of Innovation. Like the Aspirants from all the noble houses, some more dubious than others it fell to Octavia to compete when the Patriach of the Age of Industry fell foul of a crippling case of the blight at the definied age of 90. The trials for the aspirants a gruelling, both physically and mentally as they seek to infliltrate, scale and unlock the secrets of the abandoned clockwork city of Midnight with its shifting corridoors and ever changing network of platforms. Many dismissed the child of Oran, the youngest of the crop to compete and by no means outstanding at feats of strength nor innovation and yetas one by one the aspirants fell to injury, weak resolve or in the rare circumstances death and the field began to fill out the small form of Octavia could still be seen climbing the spires of Midnight.

It would be her patience that defined her challenge, as it later has her reign over the Weld, where others competed as though it were a race to the crown Octavia moved slowly and purposefully, studying every platforms movements before ever taking a step. Where others fell from haste she knew the patterns of the city as she climbed ever higher through the spires, when fools rushed ahead she watched keen eyes as the clockwork traps claimed many a victim, every misstep of her opponents taught Octavia more about the labyrinth they sought to defeat. It was then through patience, cold calculation and obsessive attention to detail that the young aspirant found herself Victorious, emerging from the gates of Midnight bearing the Crown of Innovation and plans for a new form of Warmachine liberated from the lost libraries of the clockwork city.

“The Night of Weeping” – 

It has been near two centuries since the now venerable Matriarch Octavia took control of the House Oran and the crown of the Ironweld, and in a life well lived her estate was brimming with children, grandchildren and more all trained to lead the new generations of Oran to greater prosperity. Her heir Aspirant, chosen not from the eldest but the best of her offspring Ilays was much loved amongst the populace of Cor Temporis, fair and brimming with endless curiosity her work on the refinement of Conveyer steam valves is calculated to have not only made them more efficient but saved the lives of dozens of labourers usually lost during catastrophic breakdowns.

And yet after the Night of Weeping the House of Oran is decimated, in a single night a series of assassinations sees its pool of heirs reduced to nothing, though the Matriarch survives the night with only minor wounded she now remains last of the line of Oran. As dawn breaks a statue of purest gold depicting a winged Angel impaled on crude stone spear is discovered in the heart of the great factory complex of Cor Temporis. With the house soon to slip beyond the realms of memory there is little Matriach can do but watch as fear for their future ravages her people, and lesser nobles begin to make their own schemes for ascendancy.

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18 hours ago, Melcavuk said:

Adding the last non-named Hero Scroll to the army, version one of the Ironduke Coghauler:

- Slightly increased damage potential than a Coghauler Bombard at same wound characteristic against similar targets
- Command ability makes more reliable speeds for Coghaulers in the Vicinity.
- Nothing fancy but does the job.

PROVISIONAL POINTS ROSTER -
This is only the first iteration, will be subject to substantial revision no doubt but here's a starting point level for the designed units so far

I like the Ironduke Coghauler. Its a upgrade for the ordinary coghauler without derivation too much from them and the extra movement is a nice buff for nearby units. 

9 hours ago, Melcavuk said:

Version 1 Steamforged Cogfort, the Allegiance Ability for IRONWELD

Looks good, the unstoppable progress rule is especially cool. Having the Fort move outside of the normal turn order makes if feel more aloof.
"The Machine doesnt care for the tides of battle, if the cog keeps turning, the fort will walk. "

4 hours ago, Melcavuk said:

Rough draft  - House Oran, the Ironhearts and current rulers of the Ironweld Arsenal. And their Factory City "Cor Temporis"

HOUSE ORAN – THE IRONHEARTS

The Night of weeping makes for a very intriguing plot hook. Do you know who is responsible for this butchery or is it intentionally left open for the reader?

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@Gecktron Cheers for the feedback, currently at the beginning of building a cogfort so my mind was more inclined to write up the first version of rules for them.

 

For the Night of Weeping I have about three plot hooks in my head currently hanging of which it was the first, the aim is to have the Weld very much on the point of "anything could happen" so that players can play not only as the Weld but with some much internal politicking having very different stories and themes. I personally know who did the knifework for the Night of Weeping and there will be traces of it throughout the book when I muster the energy to do Malign Portents style substories but I dont think I'll ever expressly say who.

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18 minutes ago, Gecktron said:

Saw it on Facebook! Congratulations! Did you send them pictures or did they contact you first? 

I frequently fill their comments section with whatever my latest obsession is, they asked for finished photos once based which I sent over.

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8 hours ago, Melcavuk said:

Not directly related to the rules design but the Warhammer Community team shared my Ironsworn Templar design.

 

Dude! Jaw Dropping!  This conversion really brought this project to life for me - may I ask what part forms the exoskeleton?

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1 hour ago, Aden said:

Dude! Jaw Dropping!  This conversion really brought this project to life for me - may I ask what part forms the exoskeleton?

The Exo is mostly the Forgeworld Iron Circle robot with a dremel used to bore out a pilot station inside, the top armour is left off and the steam engine from the empire steam tank had a segment cut out to slot over the rear of the torso. Added in the coal bucket and lantern from the Steamengine and used Kharadon Overlord speartip and steamtanks steam gun on the lance.

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So now as to the question:

Human or Duardin - As you might be able to see the majority of the scrolls so far SEEM human but have no racial keyword attached to the scroll, when reading them the inclination is naturally to assume they are human but I have attempted to leave off racial keywords to allow either human or duardin counterparts for each and every section. However I have (to my mind) maybe one or two unit slots left, if the current feel is that the human side of the Weld is over represented I could use one of this to specifically add a 

"Insert duardin word here" Weapons Team - for more experimental weapons like the wizard hunting massive crossbows or the horde control man portable steam cannons.

Or I could leave the whole faction as "model as human or duardin, or mixed" in a designers note and instead add a 3 man unit of clockwork melee, proper unmanned cog unit all blades and lack of feeling essentially becoming a whirlwind of death unleashed on a foe.

 

And subfaction number two
 

House Rok – The Steamforged Titans - Cor Esoteris
The Duardin houses of the Ironweld are perhaps those that still cling closest to the old ways, which the impetuous youth of their human counterparts ever rush blindly into progress for the sake of progress is it the steady and dependable nature of the Duardin who provide a sense of stability in an otherwise tremulous world. House Rok is distinguished as one of the original Houses of the Weld, named they claim for one of the mighty Six Smiths of the God of Forge they carry with them no small amount of pride in this, though it has been on occasion been mistaken for ego. It is from the workshops of Esoteris that the first Coghaulers came forth, truly a Duardin invention whilst small and compact they were capable of enduring immense weight and strain without buckling. It was on the back of these Cog Haulers that the empire of the Ironweld has grown, able to form arms caravans able to travel massive distances over terrain organic mounts would have been ill inclined to traverse, it was the might of these that allowed the construction of the titanic factory cities now seen in the strongholds of the weld. It was then only natural that the coffers of House Rok swelled, whole chambers allegedly hidden in Cor Esoteris that they might secret away their gold that interlopers would spend a lifetime searching never to find it.

Those Nobles of House Rok are not immune to the vanity that has seeped into the nobility across the bredths of the Weld, many adorning themselves with clunky steam belching adornments from the Titanfist gauntlet that harnesses steam powered pistons to deliver a blow that would stagger even a god to the less glorious “Inclination Regulator” that frequently pumps questionably imbued steam directly into the wearers resipiratory system to allow them to go long periods without sleep. These Nobles are considered gruff, paranoid (even for a Duardin) and seem to constantly be seeking to live upto the legacy that they so proudly proclaim, in recent generations none have topped the invention of the first Coghauler, and the embarrassment of living off of the legacy of their elders has spurred those children of Rok to become all the more brutal in their pursuit of arms contracts that they might swell the treasury further.

 

Cor Esoteris, the Field of Glass
 All cities and Cogforts of the Weld boast defenses personal to the craftsman who designed them, personal signature pieces that boast their prowess. Perhaps the most impressive is the city of Cor Esoteris, built over the Esoteris Volcano in the realm of metal it channels the devastating power through a labyrinth of tunnels beneath its bustling factory complexes, where others had sought to build a city and simply add defenses the first Duardin Architects of Esoteris made a Volcanic cannon, and then decided to live on it. There is a saying the Weld that only a Duardin would find the most dangerous point in the realm and sit on it and claim safety, though Esoteris is made on this very principle. The heart of the city is formed of a series of massive Steam Boilers ever heated from the volcano buried below, a constant flow of energy that powers everything form the first Ironclad gates of the city right down to the much desires Esoteris Bathhouses (sought the Realm over for their volcanic mineral enriched waters and pleasant water temperatures). The rumours of the sheer wealth of gold buried in the myriad of disused magma tunnels beneath the city has made it a target for many a greedy general since its inception, perhaps none more so than the Bloodgold Tyrant

 As the armies of the Bloodgold Tyrant, champion of Khorne, lay siege to its walls it fell to the first Marshall of the city to finally put their great works to the test. Sounding the ancient horn at the cities summit the grinding of gears across the city rang out, one by one ancient runic valves were raised, sending the magma glows of Esoteris racing eagerly through the warren of tunnels beneath its street. Their unrelenting heat erupts through hidden firing ports in the cities walls, everything living in the vicinity, not shielded by the immense city walls is rendered instantly to shattered glass by the unrelenting explosive heat. In days that have passed many have marvelled at the beauty of the fields of glinting glass now surrounding the city, ignorant to their true nature.

Second Son of Rok
Whilst plentiful still the coffers of the House of Rok have dwindled as innovation began to stall out, with every passing generation the competition for contracts has become that much more fierce, not only amongst the major Houses of the Weld but with every minor guild seeking to pick off any scraps or lesser contracts that the Houses do not feel is worth their time. Such flaws weigh heavily on the Sons and Daughters of Rok, the legacy they have so long sought to live up to becoming ever further out of their reach. In recent generations their reputation has suffered perhaps an even more dire wound, Korvik Son of Rok, the first born of the house destined to become Patriarch with his fathers passing abandoned his kin, no longer able to simply hold faith in the ways of the Weld he took his own personal Ironsworn guard and abandoned his post in the search for the Karaks of old. Whispers of discontent in the house had lingered for many a generation, those who felt the old ways of the Karaks would restore their coffers in a manner that the Weld had not, but to lose not only a Noble but the Heir Aspirant of the House has only stoked such fires in the populace further

As the Patriarch passes unto his final rest is falls to his second son Korvar to take control of the House, thrust into a position that he had never been meant for and with a discontent to quell his reign is ushered in with brutal efficiency. Across the Realms the cogforts of Rok push forward rapidly into contested land, annexing any mining rights currently under territorial dispute in the name of Rok, his pursuit of contract becoming typified as a ruthless, often violent negotiator made all the more intimidating by his Steamforged Armour crafted in the likeness of Grungi to raise his stature to that of a Steam Belching Ogor. Though his methods make the house few friends in the Iron Council, none can dispute their effectiveness as for the first time in centuries the Coffers of Esoteris begin to refill.

Edited by Melcavuk
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3 hours ago, Melcavuk said:

So now as to the question:

Human or Duardin - As you might be able to see the majority of the scrolls so far SEEM human but have no racial keyword attached to the scroll, when reading them the inclination is naturally to assume they are human but I have attempted to leave off racial keywords to allow either human or duardin counterparts for each and every section. However I have (to my mind) maybe one or two unit slots left, if the current feel is that the human side of the Weld is over represented I could use one of this to specifically add a 

"Insert duardin word here" Weapons Team - for more experimental weapons like the wizard hunting massive crossbows or the horde control man portable steam cannons.

Or I could leave the whole faction as "model as human or duardin, or mixed" in a designers note and instead add a 3 man unit of clockwork melee, proper unmanned cog unit all blades and lack of feeling essentially becoming a whirlwind of death unleashed on a foe.

I think mixed units would be the best way forward. Black Library stories often describe the Ironweld society as a symbiosis between humans and duardin (to the dismay of more traditionell duardin who despise seeing humans use their runes and tongue; see "War Claw" by Josh Reynolds). Not differentiating between the two races in the rules would represent the background best, in my opinion. 

 

In regards to House Rok, I like the ruthlessness of the current lord. I think he would found kinship with some Kharadrons with his calculated actions and aggressive negotiations. 

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