Dark Skies Over The Harrowmark

[WarbossKurgan]

 We will soon be returning to the Realm of Death for The Harrowmark Twisted Oak , A Warcry Campaign. My orruk sky-ship pirates will once more be swashbuckling their way through the dark and twisted forests.

But beyond that, we has started putting plans together for something I have wanted to do for a few years now. In late 2020, or maybe early 2021, we are going to run an Age of Sigmar version of Rhossum Secundus (Google it! It was an astounding Inq28 game):

A handful of ramshackle sky-ships will be duelling in the stormy skies over the endless malignant forests of the Harrowmark. It is very much influenced by John Blanche's Voodoo Forest book and a couple of his older paintings. This is something that I have included in the background of the Harrowmark for a number of years now, but we have never really been able to show it on the table top! That is going to change.

We have not yet settled on a date, a rules-set or even an venue but all those things will coalesce in the next few months...

As a result of this I have started painting the Rotmoon. I started this project back in April 2017 (!) so it is about time! So far it is just sprays, dry-brushing and washes but I hope to start detailing it soon...

Sky-ship Navigation 

In the Mortal Realms, compasses are thaumaturgical, not magnetic. Thaumaturgical compasses now point to the centre of Shyish since the Necroquake. In Shyish, South is edgeward, i.e. towards Realm’s Edge where the magic is weakest, and North is coreward toward the Shyish Nadir, where magic is strongest. Face due north, and west is left, east to the right. 

The old maps of Shyish are now all wrong; the cardinal points and headings marked upon them are all reversed. The aerocartographers have a lot of work to do! Most ship’s captains have taken to simply writing on their old maps and charts, correcting the change by hand for the routes they need most. But this is a bad solution and adds an extra layer of complexity to an already complex and risky profession.

~~~

Many sky-ships sail over the Harrowmark using real winds as motive power, and the ethertides to provide the resistance needed to sail with the wind abeam or almost ahead. The winds are harness through conventional canvas sails for the most part.

The wooden sky-ships float in the air through the use of dozens of minor magics, layer upon layer of interlaced spells, woven into the very timbers of the ship. The ship’s beams and planks are made from enchanted wood, though many have been repaired with more mundane timber (to the detriment of their sailing performance and characteristics). There are, of course, many other kinds of more exotic magics and technologies used to lift and propel sky-ships, such as the Aethergold endrins the Kharadron fleets employ and the squadrons of ethereal cavalry that lift the Soulblight vessels, but the more "mundane" and common Harrowmark ships do not have access to them.

Edited April 23, 2020 by WarbossKurgan

[WarbossKurgan]

The Rotmoon

The orruk pirate sky-ship that crashed in the forests of the Harrowmark, triggering the adventure known as the Harrowmark Run. The Rotmoons eventually recovered the wreck of their ship and careened it in the woods. They made make-shift repairs but the lack of a dock and proper equipment, meant that they could only cobble-together the two halves of the ship with found timbers, from houses and other shipwrecks. They sailed it back to Wortbad slowly and carefully, knowing that any collision or tight manoeuvres would tear her apart.

~ ~ ~

This only took me 19 months to paint! The Dark Skies project finally got me to take it off the shelf and get working on it again. The weathered timbers colour are all sprays, dry-brushing and washes and the spot colours were mostly Contrast Paints.

[Greyshadow]

Wow, that is amazing! Can I trouble you for the recipe for the sky ships timber? Like to use this on my Gloomtide Shipwreck.

[WarbossKurgan]

14 hours ago, Greyshadow said:

Wow, that is amazing! Can I trouble you for the recipe for the sky ships timber? Like to use this on my Gloomtide Shipwreck.

Thanks!
It's really simple: Black spray undercoat, zenithal spray dusting of (Halfords) grey primer,  drybrushed Ushabti Bone, washed with Nuln Oil.  After that was dry, I added some Plaguebearer Flesh Contrast paint for the "slime" growth.

[WarbossKurgan]

The wreck of the Gryph-hound

No one remembers why the Gryph-hound went down but she was lost with all hands in the malignant forest many years ago and it was months before a passing sky-ship found the wreck. It was already overgrown and rotting on the forest floor. The forests of the Harrowmark are a dangerous place for a sky-ship captain who does not know his trade!

[Kramer]

So cool! Love to see your shipwrecked table as a whole. 

[WarbossKurgan]

The Cleavermaw was a hulking conglomeration of different wrecked and captured ships, cobbled together over many years from the orruk pirate crew's victims and any old junk they could salvage. The various parts were completely mismatched and it sailed in an ungainly, awkward way. It looked like a dog, steered like a cow and smelled like a slum. Luckily it also packed a punch like a prizefighter: it was equipped with vast amounts of heavy artillery and loaded with thaumaturgic devices of varying reputability.

The Cleavermaw was a little too big to be managed efficiently by her crew. They were not few in number but the ship was large and ungainly and unresponsive to her helm. Kaptain Mogrum deemed it too risky to sail at higher altitudes, as it was even more unweatherly.

Flying at very low levels came with its own dangers though - especially in the Harrowmark. The ship should have made frequent violent turns to avoid the many obstacles that appeared from the forest, but the crew often didn’t bother and just ploughed on through everything that got in the way! The hull often scraped over a rocky spire, grazed the brow of a hill, knocked tiles off the roof of a tall building or crashed through the top branches of a tree. Monsters occasionally leapt out of the forest canopy to attack the ship and crossbow bolts, bullets and arrows of all kinds were often found embedded in the ship’s timbers at the end of a voyage.

The Cleavermaws often spent a lot of time doing repair work using materials captured from their victims’ sky-vessels. They didn’t seem to mind this as it seemed to make capturing merchants with no cargo on board worthwhile!

~ ~ ~

First steps.

I plan for this to be my main sky-vessel for the Dark Skies game, so I want to go all-out on the build and the paint job.

My plan is to give it a mast and painted sail, to make a flying stand from 3 Citadel Woods trees on a 160mm round base, and to add a lot "repairs" to the hull and deck. To follow the style established for the Rotmoon I will probably sling a lot of baggage along it's sides as well. I also want to add several "arcane devices" for magical protections, probably made from Ork Big Gunz bits...

~ ~ ~ 

Decking and internal strengthening.

The diagonal support beams from the old Fortified Manor kit slotted nicely between the Gloomtide and the Frigate hill and held the Kharadron ship in place very snugly.

Next steps: more details to be added to the Frigate (the bits are in the post hopefully!), the base and Citadel Woods trees flying stand, a mast and some magical devices.

[WarbossKurgan]

The Cleavermaw is "airborne" now! That is a 160mm round base, by the way. This ship is pretty big!

 

[Sttufe]

I love it! I hope to see the continuation of this soon!

[WarbossKurgan]

Kaptain Mogrum stood on the aft deck of the Cleavermaw and looked out at the forests below. The wind sang through the rigging and the ship's timbers creaked. The crew busied themselves with repairs, the bosun and the carpenter pushed their teams hard. Truly magical timber was hard to come by, so they made do with whatever they could find. Anything wooden with the slightest charm, hex or ward cast upon it was stolen and pressed into service to plug up holes in the hull.

Mogrum saw and heard none of this. He was deep in thought, studying subtle changes in the tides of invisible energies that ebbed and flowed across the Harrowmark.

~ ~ ~

I've been adding details to the pirate orruk sky-ship Cleavermaw. There is a lot more to do still, but I'm happy with the progress so far. I need to work out how I'm going to do the mast and some rigging next I think.

~ ~ ~

I have also started work on my Warcry starter set ruins, I'm making sure they fit in with the overgrown forest look of the Harrowmark.

This is a new area that we haven't explored before: the ruins of Gallowmire, an ancient town in a deep valley seven leagues rimward from Wortbad, that probably dates back to the Age of Myth. 

 

 

 

 

[WarbossKurgan]

Gallowmire is a ruined city in a deep valley seven leagues rimward from Wortbad, that probably dates back to the Age of Myth. The citizens of Gallowmire were once wealthy and traded goods with other cities in Shyish; Stonewarden, Overmere and Shadespire. The treasures from those days long-gone have mostly been looted and stolen, but a few may remain, hidden in the undergrowth or in forgotten cellars.

Gallowmire was abandoned long ago, it was overgrown and almost lost to the malignant forests of the Harrowmark. Recently it was rediscovered by sky-pirates and used as a hideout between cruises. But something ancient has been disturbed there...

~ ~ ~

I have finished the first of my Warcry Ruins, I want them to look overgrown and tangled with trees so they fit in with the overgrown forest look of the Harrowmark. I will mix them up with Citadel Woods and my forest shipwreck on the Warcry board I plan to make from an A1 cork notice board.

[Sttufe]

11 hours ago, WarbossKurgan said:

Gallowmire is a ruined city in a deep valley seven leagues rimward from Wortbad, that probably dates back to the Age of Myth. The citizens of Gallowmire were once wealthy and traded goods with other cities in Shyish; Stonewarden, Overmere and Shadespire. The treasures from those days long-gone have mostly been looted and stolen, but a few may remain, hidden in the undergrowth or in forgotten cellars.

Gallowmire was abandoned long ago, it was overgrown and almost lost to the malignant forests of the Harrowmark. Recently it was rediscovered by sky-pirates and used as a hideout between cruises. But something ancient has been disturbed there...

~ ~ ~

I have finished the first of my Warcry Ruins, I want them to look overgrown and tangled with trees so they fit in with the overgrown forest look of the Harrowmark. I will mix them up with Citadel Woods and my forest shipwreck on the Warcry board I plan to make from an A1 cork notice board.

Very nice, good execution of a very unique concept.

[WarbossKurgan]

Second Warcry ruin, with the stairs added to its base.

 

Completed second ruin.

 

 

[WarbossKurgan]

I have finished the 3rd of my Warcry Ruins, this was a really simple build just so I could get it finished quickly. Then it took me over 3 months to paint it... 

 

 

I've started building the 4th. I found some Aeldari Xenoscape parts, leftover from making scenery for the Shadows of Commorragh campaign, so I carved them up to make a "Ta Prohm" styled overgrown ruin. I like where this one is going at the moment.

 

 

[WarbossKurgan]

I've completed the 4th Gallowmire ruin. I had some Aeldari Xenoscape parts, leftover from making scenery for the Shadows of Commorragh campaign, so I carved them up to make a "Ta Prohm" styled overgrown ruin.

 

[WarbossKurgan]

I've completed the 5th Gallowmire ruin. This one is made from Lord of the Rings "Ruins of Osgiliath" kit that were also leftover from making scenery for the Shadows of Commorragh campaign. I added a few bits of paving stone made from plasti card and a bit of (I think) Lord of the Rings "Mines of Moria" wall.

 

It doesn't match up in style with the Warcry ruins but in the same paint scheme it also doesn't look out of place. I have used some Osgiliath ruins parts in the Wortbad houses, so maybe this style is from an older period and the buildings got reused and built around? Layers of history....

 

This bit of scenery will also get used as a backdrop for the next part of my Great Oubliette of Shyish story.

 

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by WarbossKurgan

[Kramer]

Love the overgrown ruin style.

[WarbossKurgan]

The 6th piece of Gallowmire ruins for Warcry in The Harrowmark finished. 

 

I've combined starter set ruins with parts from the Souldrain Forest set and some bits box extras. The Awakened Wyldwood trees are lovely to build but you can't rush them. I used a lot of desktop detritus and blue tac while each joint set. The Timeworn Ruins are deliciously skull-covered. Perfect for the Realm of Death!

 

The leaf colours were more complex than they needed to be as I couldn't get it how I wanted it to look. The next one will be simply Wraithbone, Skeleton Horde, Nazdreg Yellow. 

 

(This one was sprayed Greyseer, dry-brushed Wraithbone, Skeleton Horde, Nazdreg Yellow, a dry-brush of Wraithbone again, then another layer of Nazdreg Yellow, then a dry-brush of Ushabti Bone... Far too many steps!! I think the simpler version will have the same depth as this; the complex one's middle step was almost completely painting over everything previously done!)

 

The wooden parts were Greyseer, Goregrunter Fur, then dry-brushed with Steel Legion Drab and Ushabti Bone.

 

 

 

 

Is that a cheeky map of Lake Bykaal, left lying around?

 

There are still 5 more trees in the Souldrain forest kit waiting for me, along with some more ruins to combine them with.

Edited January 14, 2021 by WarbossKurgan

[WarbossKurgan]

 

Three little bits of scatter terrain for Gallowmire in The Harrowmark and they will probably make an appearance in The Great Oubliette too. I'm also working on making a textured and painted Warcry sized board - more on that soon!

 

 

The Sorcerous Dais is made from the top of the Eternity Stair on a carved "pink insulation-foam" plinth, with the cracked floor with “bone tentacles” from the Shadespire scenery set, and a few extra skulls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[WarbossKurgan]

I managed to get hold of a Temple of Skulls (thanks Joe!) and immediately set about covering the Chaos start with flagstones to make it look more at home in the Harrowmark or the Great Oubliette. Some plasti-card and texture paint and a very fast paint job later and it is ready!

 

I undercoated it Chaos Black spray, then zenithal base coated it with Mechanicus Standard Grey. I dry-brushed the entire thing with Ushabti Bone. Then blocked in the "earth" areas with Steel Legion Drab, stone areas got washed with Athonian Camoshade at the bottom and Nuln Oil over the rest. The following day the wash was dry and I drybrushed with Ushabti Bone again, concentrating on the Steel Legion Drab areas most. I picked out the skulls with Wraithbone and painted them with Skeleton Horde. I glued on patches of dead grass flock and some piles of dead leaves then varnished the whole thing.

 

 

 

 

It takes up a BIG chunk of a Warcry board!

 

[WarbossKurgan]

 

I've wanted to make a Warcry sized Harrowmark board for a while. But it was only when I realised it was going to be really hard to play the solo campaign I've been planning without one that I started thinking about it in earnest.

 

I looked around online for a suitable cork notice board (A1 sized, framed, and fairly sturdy) for a while before I realised I could order the right type of thing in Argos and pick it up with the weekly shopping in Sainsbury's!

 

So just before Christmas 2020, I came home with a 60x80cm notice board:

 

 

I didn't have much time to work on it before Christmas so I contented myself with testing how much scenery was needed to make it look full, but not too full.

 

 

After Christmas I started work on it. I found a handful of old Warhammer movement trays and cut them up as flagstones. I shaved the edges to make them look like chipped and worn stone.

 

 

I cut most of them as rectangles but I also cut a few diagonally, so they looked like they had cracked. I stuck them down with PVA wood glue. 

 

 

I didn't want to have to cover the entire board in textured paint (I was a little worried about warping), so I ordered three 2mm cork sheets from eBay. They arrived on New Years Eve. I tore them into "random" shapes and glued them down with PVA.

 

 

Three sheets was not enough! I ordered 6 more - they arrived a week later, on 8th January. I only used 7 sheets in total, but I'll save the last two for use on more scatter terrain.

 

 

I glued some sand into the cracks between the cork sheets, plus a few bones from the Crypt Ghouls kit. 

 

I initially added a few skulls from the Citadel Skulls box, but I took them off again. The cork and the movement trays were all 2mm thick so the scatter terrain will sit flat on them. The skulls spoiled that. There are plenty of skulls on all the scatter terrain bits though! 

 

 

 

 

With that the board was ready for undercoat.

 

 

I sprayed it Chaos Black on the morning of 9th January. This was quick and easy, but it used a hell of a lot of the spray can - almost half I think. I kind of wish I had brushed on the matt black "blackboard" paint as I have a big can of it. It would have taken a lot longer but cost a lot less... I also nearly dropped it as I moved it back indoors. You can see the wiped-off paint on the frame where I caught it! Yes, my hands were then very painty...

 

 

Anyway, what was done was done, so I sprayed the flagstones with Mechanicus Standard Grey in the afternoon.

 

 

In the evening of 11th January I dry-brushed the flagstones with Ushabit Bone.

 

 

 

Then I used Steel Legion Drab (a big bottle of scenery paint I bought years ago) to paint the cork sheet and sanded areas.

 

 

 

While that was drying I washed the flagstones with Nuln Oil and pooled a little Athonian Camoshade into the Nuln while it was still wet.

 

 

Then it was dry-brushing time (12th January). A very light dry-brush of Ushabti Bone all over, then a more focused and slightly heavier coat of the same on the sand in the cracks.

 

Nearly there! I painted some Plaguebearer Flesh over the blackest parts of the flagstones to counter the pooling of Nuln Oil I wasn't happy with. Once that was dry I superglued dead grass flock and leaf litter into the cracks, in a few scattered areas, trying to keep them looking random and not too evenly spread out.

 

I still need to do some touch-ups of the black frame and give it a light coat of spray varnish (when it stops raining!) but I couldn't wait to try some of the Gallowmire scenery on it.

 

I'm very pleased with it. Pretty quick and easy (20th December 2020 to 12th January 2021 - with about a week waiting for the second delivery of cork sheet in between!) and it will look good with any of my Harrowmark scenery. I'm really looking forward to playing a solo campaign on it (and to playing against real people as soon as it is possible!!). 

 

 

 

 

The Cleavermaws had a look around too.

 

 

 

The board can also double as the Great Oubliette, with a filter added to the photos:

 

 

 

 

Edited January 21, 2021 by WarbossKurgan

[Robin Prince]

Wow, this is all incredible work, thanks for taking the time to post it here. 

[WarbossKurgan]

I'm working on more Gallowmire scenery for Warcry games in The Harrowmark. The first one is combined Sigmarite Mausoleum walls and gravestones (from Mortal Realms magazine) and an Awakened Wyldwood tree (from the Souldrain Forest set).

 

 

 

The second is a Warcry starter set ruin combined with another tree from the Souldrain Forest set, plus a few bits-box extras.

 

 

 

I'm hoping the rain will ease-off enough to get an undercoat on both of them so I can start painting soon!

[Gaukler]

I really like your terrain. The addition of bases an other terrain pieces or bitz make it much more atmospheric. On the other hand you loose some modularity esp with the warcry terrain. Still very nice.

 I built my Lotr ruins similar to yours, but with my warcry terrain I tried to build it as modular as possible. 

[WarbossKurgan]

On 1/26/2021 at 12:46 PM, Gaukler said:

I really like your terrain. The addition of bases an other terrain pieces or bitz make it much more atmospheric. On the other hand you loose some modularity esp with the warcry terrain. Still very nice.

 I built my Lotr ruins similar to yours, but with my warcry terrain I tried to build it as modular as possible. 

Thanks! I don't feel like the modularity I have lost is worth as much as the atmospheric improvement I have gained. I know this is entirely personal, and I get that others may feel differently. I don't use the scenery cards for Warcry as anything more than inspiration (so guidelines rather than rules), so I don't need a scenery set that exactly matches them.