Melcavuk

With the pending release of the Cities of Sigmar, I thought it would be fun to get together a word based map of the City you have designed for your Freepeople, and some details around it. I will update the post with each excerpt so we can catalogue the many varied cities of the realms that are coming together. My aim is to collate detailed information on fan made cities, from their colour scheme and heraldry to inspire other players through to background and lore to inspire those wishing to play battles, or RPGs set within the rich setting provided. Below are the cities I have had information from fans for so far, but I'm looking to gather far more information on each, I have also attached an example (though hard to read due to site limitations) of how extensive I'd like the initial layouts to be for each city by way of my own Midnight City pages. So anyone working on designing a city add your details below: City Name Region Realm Outpost/Village/Town/City/Metropolis Defining Characteristic Populace (Races, Factions) A bit of background First update: ULGU The Midnight City Located on the plateau at the head of the Mirrored Valley a region trecharous to all save those who know the path, its many mirrored walls concealing countless pitfalls. Ulgu Sunken Metropolis, outer streets in ruin Ironweld Factory city long since thought abandoned, though for centuries progress has continued in the many workshops beneath the surface. Since unveiling their survival the city has become the functional operating hub for the Argent Order of Witch Hunters, their hidden temple presumably located nearby. Populated by Humans, Automata, and a small number of Duardin elders who marshall the workshops GHYRAN Hallowforge The Thorn Peninsula Ghyran Metropolis Situated on the facade of a mountain that splits the skies and it’s always raining...... Aelf, Human And Stormcast mainly with a few Duardin. Korrigan The Realmswirl gate Ghyran City Located on a small plateau overlooking a realm gate and multiple large open areas, which are then surrounded by tress. Mostly humans and duardin, some elves, virtually no stormcast. Originally a small town a few days north of the Living City, after the Season of War, the Orchid Guard (a famed regiment of the Living City) was ordered to station there and make Korrigan a northern bulwark against future attacks against the Living city. Under the wise rulership of General Leif, Korrigan quickly grew in size as trade deals were made and pacts of friendship written. Now, the Orchid Guard are entwined with Korrigan's populace. The nearby Realmgate once travelled between several realms, rotating its end destination every few weeks, but with the necroquake's effects, it has become much more erratic, its flow barely predictable by the prognostications of the Collegiate wizards of Korrigan's school. Spire Vanis Thrall Point peninsula Ghyran City The city is named for its many towers, most of which rise from fortified holdings that are home to powerful Sorceresses or Warlords and their retinues. Narrow bridges arch between the towers joining many of them in a network of pathways high above the narrow streets below, such that looking down on the city from above it appears to lie beneath a massive web. Mostly Aelves and Humans, with some Duardin, but it is undisputably the Aelves that rule here, a conclave of the cities most powerful Sorceresses and Captains form the government. The city was overrun and ruined by the forces of Archaon during the Age of Chaos, since reclaiming their homeland the people of the city have fought a near ceaseless war against the nearby tribes of Ogors, Troggoths and also the Skaven. Silverfall Everdawn Mountains Ghyran City Located at the feet of the Everdawn Mountains, its inhabitants are humans and aelves came from Azyr. The economy of the city is focused on the production of invigorating potions created with the pure waters of the Aetherlight Cascades situated not far from the settlement. Silverfall presents the stormkeep of the Lyonshields, strike chamber of the Hammers of Sigmar that took back the city from the forces of Nurgle during the assault at a near realmgate. With the necroquake and the consequent soul wars the sacrosanct chamber of the Starstrikes has been added to protect the region. AQSHY Silverport Black Iron isles of the Searing Sea Aqshy City Inhabited by Aelves of all kinds and Human mages. A Human/Aelven college of magic -dedicated to the study and recovery of the Agloraxi wonders-, floats above the city, chained to nearby mountains. Volantis Aqshy City that still is growing A mountain region with a realmgate to the realm of death. Once protected by aelves human and duardin but completely destroyed by khorne in the time of chaos. Acadian Stormborn freed it with help of descendends of the city and now they are rebuilding their lost heritage under the protection and guidance of the watchful eye of some Stormcast GHUR Farheart Bottom of a mountain that is surrounded by deep forest Ghur Town Only elves, a few sylvaneth, very isolated A refuge found when a large Orruk Ironjawz incursion forced the local Aelves fro their homes. An ancient forest dragon that made its home beneath the boughs gave them the support they needed to make a stand, and in time a home. Iron Lion City Amethyst mountains Ghur City with 3 small towns nearby Realm gate called the lions maw at the city centre. Free guild companies (Iron legion) stormcast (rotating storm hosts) kharadron overlords Bal’lahast Spitewood Ghur City Stern, Stout and comparatively Short Human/Duardin Populace The city stands on an open grassy plane, surrounded by five concentric rings of moats. There are no walls in Bal’lahast, only the stake laden pits of water that keep the great beasts of Ghur at bay. Only a single bridge crosses each section of the moat, and one would have to circle around having just crossed the first in order to reach the second and so on. This makes Bal’lahast a nightmare to siege without the use of flying beasts, and so the city has never fallen. The armies of Bal’lahast go to war dressed in copper-alloy armor and burgundy cloth. The region of Ghur in which the city resides is poor in metals bar copper, and so they craft most of their armor from a synthesized alloy of the metal, produced by the city’s Collegiate Arcane. SHYISH Pharankos South of the Mountain Phraon, east of Saint Martha's Vale (forest.) Shyish City. Predominantly humans, some Aelves, Duardin. Known for their advance embalming techniques, the Gravedigger's Guild inadvertantly filled the city with well preserved bodies, which would prove costly in the wake of the Necroquake.

Test model painted for my Justicars of the Argent Order, Witch Hunter archer wielding bows bathed in the holy oils of their hidden temples, ignited by faith and divinity to root out chaos and corruption. Alongside my other 3 Midnight City infantry

First attempt at a 360 degree view for my Ironweld characters, feedback needed and welcome #Ageofsigmar #PaintingWarhammer QTSU0037.MOV

Todays work is the rider of my (not-quite) Griffon for the upcoming Cities of Sigmar, pretty happy with how he's coming together but comments and critique are always welcome

Today my feature article for the Sylvaanesh was shared by the Community team, really thrilled to have my work shared by GW https://www.warhammer-community.com/2019/08/08/armies-of-legend-ricki-smiths-sylvaanesh/

Starting applying paints to my converted Marshall of the Vigilant (Freeguild General on Griffon), mostly been working on the feathering and body for now before applying base colours to some of the metal work.

Working on converting a more AoS General on Griffon, my Marshall of the Vigilant, master orator generals capable of rousing the locals into a blood thirsty rabble to seek out witches, and monsters in their midsts. Will be converting the Tauralon to be his griffon I've tried to integrate icons from the various populations of the freecities as tokens of loyalty ascrbied from craftsmen within the city, buying favour with the Argent Orders witch hunters that they might find safety from the monstrocities of the realms, and from the accusations of the Argent Order

Adding a new character, originally destined to be a general on horse I’ll now pick which scroll to use when the book releases

Happy #Warcry day, finished off the two Aetherwings that round out my Stormcast Warband to fill out a decent expanded Roster. Presenting my finished Spirerunners for Warcry ready to hit the tables running. #Ageofsigmar #Paintingwarhammer #Stormcast

Currently I am eyeing up the Necron Canoptek Sentinel from forgeworld to convert into an insane tunnelling machine, with warpstone rivets along its carapace charging up a wicked Wyrktek drill at the front. WIll model it erupting from the ground and smashing through ruins, to be run as a Hellpit Abomination

Starting to play around with the concept of Wyrdtek skaven, starting with a counts-as Clawlord on Broodhorror Concept Sketch WIP:

I would expect the new battletome for Cities of Sigmar to come alongside the re-release for the old Firestorm boxes and the reboxing of old units in the newer boxes as new releases (any that arent the right unit size may have contents varied to match new unit sizes) and that would take up a full release week on its own.

With Number 6 finished my Warcry Stormcast are ready and waiting to join the battle. For clarity: Most are Vanguard Hunters unless carrying a giant crossbow I know Spears and Shields arent an option, they're done for cosmetic reasons only to give a unique and personal approach to Stormcast for my own personal theme

Converting a Stormcast warband cosmetically fitting the setting (All vanguard hunters except the obvious hurricane crossbow and gryph)

Last night I managed to frost up/destroy the shield bearer for my Stormcast Warcry warband, tonight I've redeemed myself with getting upto 5 models painted including a pair of new shieldbearers.

First three done barring some minor detailing and the base on number 3.

The current WIP ensemble for the Stormcast Spirerunners Warband I'm working on for Warcry, hopefully aesthetically able to go toe to toe with the awesome new chaos sculpts #Warcry #Ageofsigmar #Stormcast Update with test scheme

Working on the first two of my Spire Runner Stormcast for Warcry, both aiming for a more gladiatorial, beast hunting vibe born of souls who perished in the shadow of the fortress. #Ageofsigmar #warcry

I am (as ever with new things) excited for the conversion possibilities that Warcry presents in terms of modelling, but I cant often find the motivation to "be the bad guy" in most hobby formats. I adore my Slaanesh and Khorne mammoths but when it comes to really embracing the lore in many ways I am a stickler for a tragic hero rather than a villain. With this mindset approaching Warcry I was excited to see that it is possible to run a Vanguard chamber Stormcast Warband, and all of the potential conversions that could springfrom that concept. THE IDEA Those who have lived in darkness may, in times of need travel its winding road absent the blessing of light. The Varanspire is a dark, techarous and evil place, one that few beyond the cults of Archaon have ventured into in centuries and returned to tell the tale, for this reason approaching my Warband I have started with the idea of souls of those within the Varanspire itself who were able to be redeemed forming an elite reconnaissance force for the Stormcast within the spire itself. These would be souls drawn from the various tribes, those who perhaps sought to resist the influence of Archaon and died for such misplaced faith in a world that would find them purpose. Yet to put these souls to task outside of the scouting of the Varanspire would be to waste the knowledge they had garnered from their lives before, however with such value placed upon such memories the risk of losing worth with every reforging is an ever present concern to those who run the spires. These little notions encourage me to add trinkets to my Stormcast, Hyshian Memory Stones that once formed a tangible library of memories for the tribes of Hysh are now embedded into trinkets and tokens the Stormcast bear upon their forms as they venture into the heart of darkness. Should they fall in battle such stones can absorb their last memories mapping the paths taken throughout the spire that they might, in their next incarnation venture that much further throughout its winding corridors and avoid those pitfalls that had proved fatal in their prior journeys. THE THEME We are alone, it is to our Strength of will and Keenness of Blade that we must now look. For my these are Vanguard Hunters who have travelled far from Azyr, who will for months, years on end be without resupply from the forges of Sigmar. Their gear would have to be functional, long since worn and battle beaten, their weaponry altered to deal with the long expanses they would be fighting across and tasked to the vicious predators that form the ever hurry fauna of the Varanspire. Instead of swords I would turn my mind to spears, the long reach allowing them to impale would be predators and keep them at safe distance. Instead of the heavy shields of liberators I would give mine the more mobile prosecutor shields that they might be more nimble in combat. Each would bear their crossbow alongside a variety of weaponry, needing such plentiful weapons that should one break they can bear another into battle. Similarly their masks remain but the overly ornate headdresses have been removed, they are functional but not gaudy and serve to shield their users face without giving away their presence needlessly. THE BASES Beneath our feet lie the bones of friend and foe alike, all are equal unto the reaper. The Varanspire is a fortress, built atop collapsed civilisations, its many haunted mazes littered with memories of those who came before, to this end I have created ruined city basing for my stormcast, with broken stonework, statuettes and rubble forming a backdrop for their acts of heroism. With my models set to arrive tomorrow along with more brass rod to use as hafts for spears I will update with models as I progress.