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Strength_Hammer

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  1. Strength_Hammer
    I have yet to rebase my old armies....and I do not intend to do so.

    Over the past months I have really enjoyed Age of Sigmar.  The Campaigns, Narratives, Fluff, and all the new hobby abound have filled my time.  I have seen many people rebase their old armies to the new round bases and it is great seeing people embrace this new system, but I simply could not bring myself to rebase (even my unpainted models) despite them looking much better on rounds. 
    I couldn't understand why I was hesitant.  My local scene is mostly square, but they admittedly do not have the time or urge to rebase.  I had the urge (and time) many times, but always chose not to go through with the process.  At first I assumed I simply wasn't entirely done with 8th and would go back to play a game here or there until AoS had an abundance of scenarios and campaigns.  We all know that there is more then enough of these now and I still chose not to rebase.
     
    My painting table currently has this block of Executioners on it ready rank and file to victory, but I truly doubt I will use them ranked in an 8th ed. battle (and I have no intention of playing 9th age or KoW).  I realized that I am pretty much done with 8th ed. and will be playing AoS and if an old scenario from 8th grabs my attention I would rather rework it to fit into AoS then bust out the movement trays.  I realized that I was done with 8th ed. game play, but I wasn't done with the army.  I wanted to pay my tribute so to speak to the 8th armies I had been working on.  I had a vision of what they were going to be and that vision didn't change with AoS.  I still see Ranked Armies in my head and I still enjoy the thought of the army being finished in this way.  So I will finish my Dark Elf and Wood Elf armies on squares because that was my vision.  
    However, I embrace AoS Fully with a new army and a new vision that includes round bases.  
    Besides I could always use Aelfs...

    #OnlyTheFaithful

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  2. Strength_Hammer
    Well It looks the same so far....
    Over the past year and a half our game has gone through big changes.  We had our End Times both in game and within the community.  As of now the Faithful (#OnlyTheFaithful!) feel pretty happy with ol' GW and for good reasons.  Let's go back a bit and see just how it all has changed (from my part of the world anyway).
    Who can forget this guy?
    There he is, the Silent Guardian.  What seemed like a permanent fixture at Warhammer World was always there to greet those lucky Tabletop Generals who could travel and play at Games Workshop Main.  However, the times would change....
    Sigmar Arrives!
    An audible gasp was heard across the globe as the statues and wings were replaced as Games Workshop began to push their new baby.  Age of Sigmar had arrived and all bets were off.  Sadly the initial launch was mismanaged and the community suffered for it.  Some held true while others went looking for greener pastures.  Thankfully this error would be recognized by Games Workshop and the upswing would begin!
    Back in the game.
    Games Workshop is back on social media and interacting with all of us and simply ignoring the hate that may come there way.  The have released the First Draft of the FAQ to ask our input.  They invited some of our favorite pod-casters (Listen to them here!) to come play test and offer input to give us what we needed and have been asking for from the start.  A points system that is official and allows anyone to play someone else easily.  They are running a painting competition on their page.  Recently I was even given direct Games Workshop prize support for my local club to increase of scenery foot print and prizes (as well as a campaign pack to use for the event).  
    They are finally listening and those Faithful can be happy as we enter this exciting new time in Age of Sigmar.  More and more new players are getting in and hopefully some of those that left long ago will return.  So lets be ready to put some toy soldier son the boards and throw some dice as our community grows again!


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  3. Strength_Hammer
    WAAAAAGH...and all that...

    Orruks (previously Orcs) have always had a special place in my heart.  It was an army I almost began my hobby with due to their comical and bestial nature.  Look at the jolly guy above.  He screams Warhammer to me in all the right ways.
    Look how happy he is for a fight
    Now we finally see Greenskins return in force to the Mortal Realms and I  cannot be more pleased.  They look great and still held onto the Warhammer Orc Charm that I thought would be lost or adjusted with the new setting.  The fluff bits that are out pretty much cement the fact that Orruks are still the lovable Orcs we knew from The World that was.  They are still scrapin' for a fight and carry the same accent as always, just a bit more armored.
    My Orc from WAR
    Even with my love and preference for Aelfs (Elves) above all else these Greenskins always found a way to capture my attention and with the new relase I find it harder and harder to resist jumping in for a scrap with da boys.  I happen to have the perfect general(s) as well...
    A repaint and rebase would be in order
    Now to continue my futile attempt at not joining the WAAAGH. 


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  4. Strength_Hammer
    Age of Sigmar is considered a living game, but what does that mean?  For decades we have had a "stagnant" game with Warhammer Fantasy.  While the rules did update and units/characters came in and out of the game the overall setting and story remained the same and if any advancement was made it was pulled back to a prior time to keep the Fantasy Setting intact.

    With Age of Sigmar we have a continuously evolving story where each new book can potentially move the story forward, kill off characters, or possibly add new characters.  This can be very exciting, exhausting, and even frightening.  Look back at The End Times to see an (Extreme) example of a living game.



    While it can be a roller coaster ride as far as the fluff is concerned the benefit to rules can be great.  My favorite example of this would be X-wing.  The game releases Waves with new ships and cards and even new factions in the case of Scum.  While there is no official story for X-wing they do utilize the fluff from the Star Wars Universe to create their pilots, ships, and upgrade cards.


    As I have stated in a previous post I enjoyed The End Times and so far I am enjoying the fast pace of Age of Sigmar.  While my Wallet is still hoping they step off the gas a bit I do hope the living system continues at a consistent pace regarding fluff and rules.  I want the story to move, but not at a snails pace or leaps and bounds and as new Warscrolls are introduced I would prefer they mix up the "Meta" for gaming without turning into needing to buy the newest toy in order to compete.


    While I would enjoy having a Grand Alliance Book not be outdated weeks after its release I am not opposed to buying yearly updated copies (at the nicely costed price) as new scrolls are added. I can not complain to much considering the Warscrolls are being printed in White Dwarf and updated in the App, but seeing books being incomplete very quickly is not a trend I would like to see continue.


    Gamesworkshop is getting more involved in our community once more and as these issues arise I hope our voice will be heard (above and hate or mocking that may be present) so our living game can continue and evolve better as the Ages roll on.
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  5. Strength_Hammer
    I will begin with saying SPOILERS!!!! as I will be discussing parts of the recent Balance of Power book for Age of Sigmar.


    I have recently completed my first read through of Warhammer Age of Sigmar: The Realmgate Wars (book 2) Balance of Power.  The book moved the story ever forward as we have been promised with the new Game and The Mortal Realms are as exciting as ever, but this time around there was more focus on the gods of the realms.


    In the realm of Life Alarielle is continuing her escape with add from the Sylvaneth as well as the Hallowed Knights (ONLY THE FAITHFUL!).  She begins a metamorphosis along the way and her (literal) Right hand decides on a path to cleanse any possible corruption and allow her soul to absorb the honor and glory from fallen heros so she might be reborn as warrior queen so she might lead her armies to retake the realm from Nurgle.
    During a final climactic battle Sigmar sends down his Celestant-Prime and boy does this guy deliver.  I wont go into much detail on his battles, but if you get a chance to read anything about when he comes to battle get ready for an enjoyable time.  Ultimately the battle ends with only Stormcasts alive as the Prime uses Ghal-Maraz to turn the Nurgle Champion leader into a fine red mist.  However, it is not the end for this guy as we find out.

    Nagash makes a (very)small appearance as A new Stormhost is sent to aid Neferata and seek to parlay with the Lord of Death.  There is plenty of Slaanesh in this battle which is great to see.  The God of Excess is very much alive....somewhere.  Sadly, not much else happens in this arc, but we will probably see more in the novels and dramas coming out soon.
    In the realm of metal we get to see Vandus Hammerhand (the golden boy himself) continue to lead his Hammers of Sigmar into battle, but this time around it doesn't go as it has.  Archaon himself comes in battle ensues between the two.  Archaon is able to vanquish Vandus and send his soul back to be reforged and I am very much looking forward to seeing how this changes Vandus.  His Chamber does not fair much better, but died to a man in the death of heros.  During this part there is a small line as a Tzeentch Sorcerer is conversing with one of the Four Greater Demons that fought Sigmar oh so long ago.  He tells of Archaon's true name and how he could be swayed back to the light.  At first this seems like a throw away line until we get to the very last page of the book...

    Remember that Nurgle Champion?  Well it was explained that he was corrupted by Nurgle despite being a stalwart champion of the realm of life.  He never died, but was slowly corrupted which is why Sigmar was not able to sweep him up to be reforged (Even during the battle which he died to the Primes hammer he has a small moment of doubt in what he has done).  So here he is reborn as a Hallowed Knight ready to take revenge on the Chaos that so long corrupted him.
    This is the balance of power.  For so long Chaos has been able to tempt and taint mortal beings to fight for them.  Chaos has always had the upper hand in this as when one began to fall there was no escape.  It seems Sigmar has found a way to purify these souls who are corrupted.  Sigmar can now possibly redeem any (noble) Chaos Champions/Warrior killed in battle by pulling their soul to Azyr to be reforged and rid of the Chaos taint.  
    So what about that throw away line about Archaon?  Is it possible for Archaon to be reforged as a Stormcast (possibly as powerful as the Celestant-Prime himself?).  It all would appear so if someone can kill Archaon to allow this to happen.  Either way I am very excited to see how this plays out in the next campaign book!


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  6. Strength_Hammer
    For Empire! For Sigmar!
    When Age of Sigmar released I knew I would be picking up the starter set.  Not for a love of either army (in fact I would trade the Bloodbound for some Dark Elf models), but to support the new game system.  What I did not expect was that I would begin to love the Stormcast models.  After listening to the audio dramas it gave me fresh insight and new appreciation to the army.
    When deciding on how to paint my Stormcast I went with a theme I created back when Paint Hammer ran a painting competition using the free Stormcast that came with the White Dwarf at the time.  The Reiskguard were always an army I wish I had time and money to do.  The look and story behind them always captivated me.  Sadly the World would end and they would be no more?  Or maybe they would?  So for the competition I painted my Stormcast  in Reiksguard Red and White and used a few Empire bits I had.
    My First Reiksguard Stormcast... (Lord Celestant)
    After I picked up the starter set I let this idea take shape.  I didn't overload the army with Empire bits (in fact there are only a few models with anything directly tied to the Empire models), but I used a few kitbashed models as leaders and put the color scheme to work on the rest.  Below is the continuation of this idea.

                             Knight Vexillor                      Lord Relictor                          Knight Azyros
                         Lord Celestant on Dracoth                                                 Celestant-Prime
                                  Prosecutors                                                                   Paladin Retributors
    Liberators
    So there is the picture dump of my Army.  These models are great to build and paint and I intend to grow the force in the future.  However, I am currently working on my new Aelf Army for AoS so it may be some time (that and I have countless other projects I am on as well).  Hope you enjoy my take on the Stormcasts and I will leave you this week with the fluff I wrote up for this army.

    #OnlyTheFaitful


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  7. Strength_Hammer

    Never Kneel....

    By Strength_Hammer,

    The Tomb Kings are exiting the scene and it is indeed a sad day.  While they will be around the gaming tables for a while to come the lack of support from Games Workshop means they will most likely fade away at some point.  Lost somewhere between The World That Was and The Mortal Realms.
    The models may be going away, but The Tomb Kings cannot ever be fully forgotten.  Nagash appears to be permanently ingrained within the Age of Sigmar Lore and he is surrounded in the Mythos of The Tomb Kings.  Not to mention Settra is running around The Realm of Chaos still.  It is possible that this army will return down the road one day.




    Age of Sigmar is a constantly changing narrative with endless possibilities.  I would not bat an eye to any player using Tomb Kings in a game and writing their own fluff to support why they are still around.  I would encourage such a thing as it is how to make your army your own and drive the narrative.  
    I remember joining in on the race to gather resources to allow our our Dwarf Airship to Venture to The Tomb Kings Lands in Warhammer Online Age of Reckoning.  When I made it I set to work chopping down skeletons and picking up some trophies to adorn my armor and a beautiful Tomb King Themed Great Sword for my Swordmaster to wield in battle.  Sadly this game would also experience its own End Times and be no more...except for fond memories.
    In The tabletop version will be much longer lasting thankfully.  Even if I do not play a Tomb Kings army again I will remember my victories from 8th ed. and The World That Was from the trophies I gathered from my victories over them.
    My First Trophy ever claimed in any Warhammer Game during my very first Gamesday (Looking back on it they probably let me win...)
    Ever see a Pheonix Guard block hold up half a Tomb Kings force?  This guy has and lived to tell the tale!
    So whenever I field my High Elves (whether they get rebased or not) there will be reminders of the Tomb Kings for me and my opponent.  So they will never truly be buried to me as I will carry these mementos into this unknown future.   
    Settra did not kneel when faced with Death(Nagash) himself and neither should the Tomb King Players out there Kneel at the Face of Death(Squatting?) of their line.  #OnlyTheFaithful
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  8. Strength_Hammer
    My original plan for this weeks post was to talk about my "top secret" Age of Sigmar Aelf army, but while working on said army today I began thinking about rebasing and base sizes.  That train of thought gripped me to the point I decided to make this post about my thoughts on the subject.


    Remember when this picture dropped?
    Many people have rebased an old Fantasy Army or are currently in the process of doing so.  Some are using inserts while others are clipping models from their old squares and putting them on "appropriate" size round bases.  So what does appropriate mean?  What looks the best?  What may give the best advantage in game play?  What I have laying around?

    There are valid points for every argument here so what are we to do?  My local scene is still small and most were very upfront and vocal that they will never rebase.  I thought about rebasing as well, but with my local scene keeping squares for the chance of old edition games I decided it was best to leave my square based model as they are and simply begin a new army and use rounds (until my local scene changes its mind).

    Everyone has seemed to settle on some standards for basing and that is a great thing, but something written (and proven to work) would help resolve any left over feelings for staying square.  Thankfully the SCGT 2016 packs dropped and BAM (timing is everything)! We have something written down to push the community to rounds.  Is it required?  Yes...and no...

    You must be on rounds, but you can blue tac your squares to rounds.  A simple fix that shouldn't bother anyone to much.  On top of that I really like how you wont lose paint score, but are not eligible to win painting awards unless you are fully committed to rounds bases.

    I really like the concept of being able to go up a base size if you choose.
    I can see this being adopted across the Tournament (and eventually the casual) community in the months to come.  Just like Mo/Clash Comp came around and suddenly turned this whole AoS tournament ship in the right direction I believe SCGT Pack will push the community toward round basing as the standard.  The community is still growing and it is an exciting time to be one of the faithful!  Now back to basing my army....

    #OnlyTheFaithful

    I have no affiliation with SCGT or Heelanhammer Podcast, but if you are interested in viewing the tournament packs or checking out their podcast please do so here: http://heelanhammer.com/
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  9. Strength_Hammer
    The End times had begun.  

    The great necromancer Nagash was born again and the world would never be the same...
    I was excited when The End Times kicked off and rushed to secure a copy and jump right into the story.  I was enjoying the battles and the intrigue as I read through my copy and then it happened.  Eltharion The Grim was killed.  That was when I knew something was different.  It was when I began to hold my breath for what was to come and found myself clinging to hope as my favorite characters were doing throughout the series.
    The Fall of Altdorf, Naggaroth, Eight Peaks, Lustria, and countless other places would sting as they happened, but as an Elf Player nothing prepared me for Rhana Dandra (The Elven Last War on Chaos)...

    Seeing Malekith rise as Phoenix King and Tyrion's fall (and romance with Morathi?) from grace managed to mix every emotion I had in a blender to figure out where I would stand.  At long Last I sided with the True Phoenix King...Malektih.
    Ulthuan would sink as would my heart, but Life continues and so did the story.  I saw many people get conflicted at the Rules and the Story.  I chose to embrace it all and enjoy the journey I was on and looking back I am glad I did.  I never refused a game with Khaine Magic wheter I was playing my Elves or Dwarfs.  I played multiple games with all the rules out the window when Archaon dropped.  I enjoyed it all and I am glad I did so and still hope to get more End Times games in the future.
    The End Times happened with our community as well. My local scene would collapse as I watched the global community explode.  I stayed my course and held onto the spark in the darkness along with Sigmar until we finally arrived at The Age of Sigmar.  The community was small, but the few the survived have begun rebuilding and I am happy to add my efforts to make this new World(s) great as The Old World once was.  For those that left I wish you good gaming and hope to see you keep gaming in whichever system you choose.  For those who made it through the realm of Chaos to The Mortal Realms I am glad to stand shoulder to shoulder with you as we take War to this new Age.

    To this New Beginning!

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  10. Strength_Hammer
    Welcome to The Realm Gate Blog where I will be bringing you my thoughts and ramblings on Warhammer Age of Sigmar (and probably Fantasy and 40k from time to time).  Join me as I add my voice to the community (as an amateur and very new blogger).




    This box is where it all began for me in earnest.  I received it as Christmas gift from my folks after showing interest in the game at my local shop.  It wasn't my first model kit, but it is where I finally began to understand the scope of this hobby.  This box sat somewhere in my house for far to long as my interest in Warhammer originated from the MMO Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and not from a desire to model or paint.  Soon this would change...
    (My Character from Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning)
    After the MMO became old news I finally decided to begin assembling and painting my models.   I gave myself a deadline of the next Gamesday in my local area (May 2013).  I had a little over two months so I felt quite confident I could accomplish my goal.  Needless to say I had no idea the amount of work this hobby required, but I stuck to it and after many sleepless nights and long weekends I was feeling excited.
    Then this issue dropped....

    I had points to spare so I decided to paint a Flamspyre Phoenix to join my Host.  The model released the day of the event and thankfully my local shop gave me the model a day early after I informed them of my plan.  I probably slept 2hrs that night as I painted like a mad man with excitement of my first battles ahead of me!  I went 1-2 that day and I am pretty sure my one win was handed to me, but it was a great day and I learned a lot that day and my first steps into this hobby turned into a full on sprint.
    My journey continued with additional armies, local tournaments, narrative games and I enjoyed every bit of it.  Soon this mild distraction on the side became my main hobby and would take up more and more of my time as I delve deeper and deeper.  I would eventually find pod casting such as Garagehammer and Heelanhammer (both who are still around in the Age of Sigmar) as time went on.  I would continue on my journey and along the way improve myself as a gamer and hobbyist and eventually became one of  leaders for Fantasy (and now AoS) in my local scene.  
    My true test was yet to come.  It was a test many faced.  It was The End Times and I will explore how I made it through next time...

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  11. Strength_Hammer
    Sigmar's Storm has come and War is everywhere...
    Like most of you I thought War was already here...
    I can only imagine this post from Games Workshop's Facebook Page is getting us hyped for the living campaign.  The time will soon be upon us to take our armies to the field and battle it out for the fate of the Mortal Realms and I cannot think of a better time to bring those old and new players on the fence into the game.  There are still plenty of scattered players out there who may not realize how large and connected our community is at its core and I would challenge everyone to invite one friend this summer to join you in this hobby.



    A good way to get started would be the Age of Sigmar starter set.  It is a great way to begin a new (or grow an old) army with your friend and not only game with them, but hobby with them as well.  Help them pick out a unit that draws them.  Help them build and paint it if they want.  Then bring them into the stores to play and have a hand in the future of the story.  They will be buying into this lifelong hobby and the actual events of the campaign.
    It has been almost one year since Age of Sigmar arrived and the game finally has traction.  Heads are turning and the interest is growing once again.  Those of us that remained faithful need to be the catalyst in getting the scattered groups directed to podcasts, forums, and social media pages so the community can become stronger them Sigmarite.
    I am very excited to see what this week brings and I hope the above rambling encouraged all of you just the same.  If we each get one friend involved in this game/hobby then we can enter year two stronger then anyone would have imagined this time last year.
    #OnlyTheFaithful
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  12. Strength_Hammer
    Hey Everyone!  It is Wednesday and time for a brief update on what I have had on my hobby desk.  It has been a light week as I prepare for the upcoming coalescence and I am currently in the midst of a lot of travel for work, but I always try to squeeze some hobby in every.  You will be able to see my Travel Hobby in an upcoming Friday in a few weeks.

    I was able to complete my first model that wasn't terrain in quote a while with my Knight-Venator Conversion.

    I am very excited for the New 40k and have taken a few more recently painted of my Dark Angels and removed the basing in preparation for my new (and second) Unforgiven Force.

    The awards are all set for June 10th to go along with the prize support I received my FLGS.  After June 10th I will have a full run down of event!

    Last I have begun my attempt at NMM - Gold.  It is not much yet, but it is a start!
    Let me know what you have been working on and as always feel free to follow me on Twitter!  See you with Friday's Post.
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  13. Strength_Hammer
    Hey Everyone!  As promised I have Paul returning today to give his follow up about the Narrative event he ran at this year's Adepticon entitled The Gibbering Dome.  The event was a lot of fun and well planned out by Paul and I was very happy to have been able to assist him with the event.  The passion and dedication he put into the lore, build up, and resolution of the event is evident and I look forward to what he has in store for the next narrative, which could be Coalescence: The Desolation of Eristrat this June.



    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------I was privileged enough to be able to run the Narrative Event at ACON this year.  I say privileged because the players that attended the Gibbering Dome embraced the narrative in a full and amazing way with their armies.  It is incredible what can happen when you have 16 players who all enter into a social agreement to simply spend the afternoon enjoying some Age of Sigmar.

    Throwing out the requirements of matched play except for the purposes of army selection,  the only direction players were given before the event was some basic rules answers and the piece of fiction presented here in the first article.


    The event started with all sixteen players gathered around a 4x4 board representing the center of the dome.  Each player placed their hero atop the central dais and was defeated.  This allowed all the players to do an introduction of themselves and their heroes to the whole group before they were assigned to one of 4 tables.  Narratively this allowed for each character to arrive at the Gibbering Dome as a young fighter, and as they were defeated, they lost an item precious to them.  This was the narrative hook for the rest of the event.  The characters spent untold years raising an army and then searching for the entrance to the Gibbering Dome once more.  
    At this point, all players deployed their armies on an “entrance” table in a mixed deployment with all players at the table sharing the same deployment.  Unique rules represented the indoor environment as well as the controlling army (Daughters of Khaine) having corrupted the building itself.  Using Triumph and Treachery rules, players found their units attacking friend and foe due to bloodlust.  Players were also given the opportunity to ally with other heroes for the duration of the event.  One player chose to ally with the defending daughters instead! 

    Players really engaged the unique rules to help tell their narrative, discussing army background with players at their tables and others.  The only objective of the event was for their hero to once more arrive and then ascend to the dais in the center of the Gibbering Dome to retrieve their artefact.   Their army became tools to their narrative, and even though heroes were able to die, due to the Khainite blood magic saturating the monument, they were raised again, but overcome with bloodlust and allowed to take revenge upon their chosen target.  If the hero had allied, they were required to attack the ally that failed to protect them! 
    This bloodbath formed a royal rumble that allowed only strongest units to survive, for unlike the heroes, they were not resurrected upon their death.  However, units that were wounded and escaped of the far edge of the board gave a bonus to the heroes on the final table. 



    Once the players arrived on the final table, they were faced with a full army of the Daughters of Khaine (with a special thanks to Chuck for providing the defending army.)  the heroes banded together to attack all but one of the massive staircases to the dais.  All that is except for the Nurgle player allied to the Daughters.  His general was allowed to pass unmolested up to the dais and recover his artefact!  However, upon arriving at the central dais, he betrayed the Hag Queen and summoned a Greater Demon of Nurgle in her place!  His general then beat a hasty retreat while the rest of the players were forced to fight not one but two armies to ascend to the center of the Gibbering Dome.  In the end, every player was able to recover their artefact and win the Scenario.  
    If it all sounds a bit chaotic, you’d be right!  While the narrative thrust was very clear and concise, the actual execution of the scenario really encouraged the players to tell their own narrative, engage in a bit of revenge and really add to their story!  Chuck and I were making a few decisions on the fly to ensure that nothing got too bogged down, and everyone enjoyed the event.  It was fantastic to see every player smiling and enjoying Age of Sigmar from beginning to end!  I already have thoughts on how next year will improve.  But to finish off, I wrote a bit of narrative to conclude this moment in the Gibbering Dome’s history.


    Daaniyah Duskblade, Worshipper of a Dead God, Sister to a lost Brother, Right Hand of the Cult and Queen Lost to Time peeled the congealed blood from her eyelids and peered upon her work.  Marble stairs bore lakes of crimson which dripped onto the tiled floor below.  Crumbled forms that were once loyal followers lay scattered within the interior of the dome.  Turning to the summit, she examined the remnants of the battle. The Slaughter Queen was dead and her blood magic had been broken.  The sacrifice was justified.  Overcome with the enormity of the moment, Daaniyah closed her eyes and let herself be consumed with her memories.
    Shivergrass filled her senses, the smell, the susurrus of the motion, the feel of the sharp leaves upon her palms filled her with an ache for home. Lithely vaulting herself from a sitting position she settled into a loping saunter.  Quickening steps burst through the edge of the prairie and raced onto the paved surface of her city.  Salt tang and the smell of damp earth pleasantly stung her nostrils, spurring her faster still.  Feet following a familiar path, the aelf darted beneath crumbling brick arches built by ancient hands intertwined with thick bloodthorn vines to form a stable reconstruction of the glories of the empire lost to time.  Mandatory daily rites graced her family with agility and grace, but Alarielle held her heart here deep within the realm of life.   Even the Taylothian Cult of Khaine could not drown that in blood.  Footsteps echoed haphazardly through the town square as Daaniyah swerved to collect an offering to her Goddess; the viridescent blossoms growing within the bloodthorn.   With each thorn kiss upon her skin, the vines writhed tighter, strengthening temples and homes.  Rounding the corner, a sharp stop sent seeds spraying into the wind, their husks rattling with a musical quality as they were borne into the sky by the steady sea breeze.  With a reverent bow and silent prayer of thanks to the Goddess, she entered her home.  Right hand dripping blood, the aelf ritually cleansed the wounds in an exquisite brass Khainite basin.  Within her left hand the blossoms still quivered with life.  Liquid stilled as she sensed something was wrong and halted.  Cocking her ear she could hear… nothing.
    There should be noise.  Daaniyah prowled into the next room, Khainite blade naked in her hand.   Overstepping the ruins of the family altar to Allarielle, she saw vines within the wall with fresh knife wounds that were weeping golden sap.  Screaming, fighting, even gibbering would have been more comforting than this, but as she reached her destination the silence only deepened.  Entering her brothers’ room, the usual meticulousness had been replaced by a haphazard jumble.  Her brother had been taken.  Forgotten blossoms fell from her hand to their death; consumed by crimson pools dotting the floor.  The blood rippled out and soaked the thorns of the wall.  As the vines tightened more, she desperately removed a worn journal from a crevice.  Bloodthorn groaned and crumbled brick began to fall from the ceiling.  The plants had been fed too much too quickly and Daaniyah was forced to flee, the only clue to Odiamh’s presence grasped in her bloodied palm.  
    Steps faltering after a headlong run back to the shivergrass, Daaniyah stopped and opened the journal.  Riffling paper revealed coded entries, labeled only by dates in the upper right corner of each page.  Spine bent, the last entry lay unfinished, with a single jagged line to denote its interruption. Closing the book, the aelf noticed a white path leading into a courtyard, bare within the prairie; Daaniyah felt compelled to enter.  Stepping upon the cold lifeless stone, emptiness filled her as she felt the warmth of the Ghyran sunset recede.  Colossal stone steps the color of aged bone stretched upwards before her, flanked by massive, banded walls.  Lithely ascending step after step she came upon a wedge-shaped landing, outlined by carved pillars and shaded by an immense cupola.  Where two angled walls met, there was a solitary entrance.  Alone, she passed through the walls. Rousing from her reverie, Daaniyah Duskblade’s voice echoed to what remained of her army.  “Prepare yourselves to leave this place, never to return!”  Twisting her mouth she turned and spat upon the crumbled remnants of the Slaughter Queen.  “It was not Khaine’s will but yours that trapped me here.  I tracked you who had taken my brother this far, but even with the years of searching lost, I will still find him.” She ranted on as her voice rose in intensity. “You cannot separate two sides of the same coin!” She began to carve a ragged sigil upon the last remnant of the hag’s flesh.  “It was Khaine’s will that I betrayed you to the Devotee of Nurgle.  Through this sigil may your soul writhe forever within Slaanesh’s grasp.”  Her hands finished their gory work and, turning her back upon her enslaver, she straightened and approached the center of the dais.  With a reverent gesture, she reached into the chest and finally laid her hand upon Odiamh’s journal once more. “I will find you my brother.”  she whispered to the dusty treasure.  Spinning upon her heel, she took the steps back to her sisters, grasping the book in her bloodied palm.  
    Daaniyah Duskblade, the last hero, whispered a prayer to Khaine; a prayer for help in the quest for Odiamh, and passed the threshold of the Gibbering Dome.  The Slaughter Queen entered the shivergrass, and wiped her face clean of the dried blood.  She flung the crimson detritus into the air.  Pulling a coin from within her clothing, the desiccated flakes collected above the metal and pointed to the southeast.  When she replaced the coin within her belongings, the blood fell upon the earth and left a scorched hole within the prairie.  She had not lost only time in her search for her brother.   Left within the marbled halls was nothing but death and filth, the detritus of battle, or so it seemed.  Even as Daaniyah Duskblade once again began her quest, a single soul began to plot within the malign monument.  Its’ battlelust was not sated, the doors would open again...


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    When Paul and I had our first hobby call so he could bounce his ideas off me as he fleshed out his event it was clear to me the event would be a great time.  Everyone seemed to really enjoy the game and played to the spirit of a narrative event to really take it to the next level.  Despite the busy room, everyone was focused on crafting their and the overall story.  When Paul took the seed of my idea to use my Daughters of Khaine as the "main" protagonist this year I was excited to see how he crafted my Aelves into his story.  When he asked later on to use my named characters (Daaniyah and Odiamh) in the recap and flesh out their story in the mortal realms I couldn't imagine the great piece of narrative he would write.  Paul certainly knows how to bring a story to life! I hope you all enjoyed Paul's recap and will join me in encouraging him to continue the story and bring the event back next year at Adepticon 2019!  Until next week, Happy Hobbying! 
    Chuck Moore

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