Melcavuk

The great tribes of the Suneaters are a nomadic people, their every migration an endless march to war for the glory of the Pyre. Many creatures of the realms see the glory of the flame, and seek the blessings of the great Suneater, adding their number to the swelling ranks of devotees following the Great Prophets of the Suneater Tribes. HEROES AND CHAMPIONS Volsungr on Magma Drake In the guttural dialect of the nomadic Ogor tribes the word Volsungr roughly translates to Chosen one or Chooser, both of which apply aptly to the great Volsungr of the Suneater Tribes. They are the highest authority within the tribe, seconded in potency only to the great Suneater himself, they have walked the blasted wastes and faced the great trials in the same way the very first Prophet of this kind did and emerged the stronger for it. Each nomadic tribe has but a single Volsungr, the most potent of their Ogor wizard that has risen to dominance, often the oldest and strongest of their kind their skin is rough and blistered from decades walking the flames of their Gods glory, adorned with trophies of civilisations that they have incinerated. To pass the final trial to become a Volsungr each aspirant must tame one of the great drakes of Aqshy, walking alone and unarmed into the Scorch fire Chasm as their prophet had done so long ago. So seldom does such an aspirant emerge from the Chasm successful (or intact) that there are but a handful of Volsungr roaming the realms, each at the head of a great host of the Suneater tribes who recognise their glory. Volsungr ride into battle mounted atop their Magma Drakes, a rippling beast of scorching heat and burning hot scales. Their hides are thick enough to deflect even the best of Duardin blade and their great wings allow them to race down the battlefield even carrying to burden of their master atop their backs. In the heat of battle, they can unleash boiling brimstone flame from their wicked beaks, boiling blood and shattering bone with the intensity of the molten magma that erupts from their gullet. Tribes form around the Volsungr, seeing them as the prophets of the Suneater and his embodiments within the realms, as such each tribe takes on features of their Prophets, often mirroring his garb and trophies with priests screeching out their new masters interpretation of the will of the Gods. For this reason, should a new member of the tribe seek to take on the position they are cast out into the blistering wastes, for no prophet can endure the word of another, if the Suneater finds the challenger worthy he will protect them and allow a tribe to form around their new interpretation of his will. Exalted Volsungr It is said that from the day they are chosen the Volsungr, great prophets of the Suneater tribes are gifted with the touch of the volcano, indeed many have been witnessed in battle belching forth great gouts of flame and magma to douse their enemies and leave them to an agonising death. Such things (the Gothi say) are the blessings of the Suneater, that his mightiest warriors might one day rival the destructive powers of the volcanic mountains of the realms). They are seemingly untouched by flame from the day of Ascension, feeling no heat nor pain at its presence. Indeed, many take to bathing in the Magma flows to cleanse their unsightly crevices of parasites that no Gothi can even be convinced to remove. As a Volsungr migration spreads across the realms, leaving a blistering scar of scorched earth in their wake, they share in the power gifted to the Suneater with every pyre to his glory lit, the further they travel and more pyres they ignite the more powers bestowed upon them, to some comes the choking cloud of ash that shadows their every movement, choking out any foes who would dare approach. To others the calloused and coarse skin becomes as hard as the stone of the mountain itself, yet more manifest a mighty bellow that can fell trees and shattered the most hardened rock as though the power of a volcanic explosion. It is said that the most aged of the Volsungr reach such power that they need no migration to follow in their wake, they have become the mountain and their Gods chosen warriors, in time these ancient warriors leave their tribe to the next prophet, migrating across the realms to rest at the Maw of the Suneater, the birth place of their tribes and await their gods command. They take no guard with them, nor trophies or treasure... such things mean little to these mighty avatars of their god, instead only their most loyal of Gothi priest are permitted to (and insisted upon) accompany them to their holy site. As years turn to decades these warriors fade to myth, yet now as tremors of change ripple across the realm the Suneater stirs from his pit, with a mighty bellow his chosen warriors march forth once more. This once mortal forms changed entirely as their hardened rocklike skin has grown to immense size, no longer can they merely belch the flame, their entire visage has eroded to the rippling orb of flame to drown out even the Sun itself, so much has their power intensified that every crack and crag in their rocklike skin seethes with blistering heat. They are accompanied, as all Volsungr, by their most loyal of Gothi borne high above the battlefield on the shoulder of their prophets. These Gothi are perhaps the unsightliest of the pair, a Grot unlike any other... one that has allowed to both grow fat and old, feasting on the food and treasures their champions no longer require. Gothi Fyri It is said in Suneater tribes that no Ogor has ever held the rank of Priest to the Suneater, they claim that their deep and booming voices are too like the sounds of volcanoes erupting for the mighty god to distinguish them from the volatile realm of Aqshy and hear their pleas, meanwhile it is the shrill and piercing cries of the Grots that are unlike any other within the realm, able to pierce through the seismic rumbling and volcanic eruptions to irritate the god enough to earn his attention. It has been this way since the very beginnings of the tribe, those grots of particularly loud, shrill or annoying voices picked out from the crowd at a young age and thrown out into the wastelands to earn the attention of their God. Each is forced to live in exile until they return with a convincing token of their gods favour, though what is considered convincing is often left open to interpretation, some hunt the great phoenixes of the realm to try and carry off a cloak of flaming feathers as the warm (and burning) embrace of the Suneater. Others climb to mountains top to pluck a shard of the great salamanders burning rocks from the very lip of a volcanoes edge. Of course, many more simply band together in a conniving mob and wait for a more competent grot to complete such a heroic feat, then as their soon-to-be victim heads back to camp the mob descend on them in a flurry of rocks and fists to savagely beat them to death and steal their prize. Such acts often amuse the Suneater enough to let pass... and in doing so he loses but a single priest and gains a handful more as their victims trophy gets divided up between them. In battle the Gothi Fyri cut small figures, often able to hide behind the ranks of Suneaters that they might search for favour and blessing from the great god, it is this cowardice and cunning that makes them particularly adept at their jobs, often finding the resolve to channel the gods will when it benefits them most. Aside from their divine talents the Gothi Fyri act as mouth pieces for the great chosen ones of the Suneater, barking out their orders in a shrill and piercing cry to the rest of the tribe, though such cries often boil down to the annoying and hardly helpful “He's right you know” Gothi Herald Some Gothi priests can be seen riding to battle atop a weedy scavenger dragon known to feast on the corpses left in the wake of the Suneater tribes known as the Scorch. The Carrion Drake is a lesser dragon in the realms, lacking in the brute strength of its greater kin and unable to produce volatile breath to drench its foes it instead finds its feasts in the wake of greater creatures, using its acidic maw to burn through cloth, armour and stone to feast on what meats the other predators could not reach. Its cry mimics that of the death wails of its victims, known for capriciously toying with its food before it feasts, often if it can separate a weakened mortal from their people it will strike and retreat, leaving rents gouged in their flesh and relishing the scent of their blood spilling into the dirt as they try and make good an escape. Time and time again it will claw at its victims until eventually sweeping from on high to feast. It is said the first Gothi to ride a carrion drake subdued it quite by accident, when scavenging weapons and armour from the corpses left in the Scorch the grot opted for an impromptu break to consume mushrooms to sate a growing appetite (and due to immense laziness), cracking open the breastplate of a fallen human soldier he packed it full of mushrooms before starting a blaze beneath the corpse, relishing the scent of fresh meat blending with the narcotic smokes of the mushrooms. Alerted from his mushroom induced stupor by the cry of a carrion drake above the little grot scuttled across the ground, secreting his small form in a crevice between two rocks and uttering a shocking array of curses as he was left to watch the serpentine dragon feast on his meal. However, as the acidic maw sunk into the crumpled breastplate the vicious liquids merged with the mushrooms, the two combining into a heady haze of madcap madness which was quickly followed by the resounding thud of the now unconscious drake landing on the ground beside it. The Gothi saw he opportunity, this new beast would raise him high above the other grots, its guaranteed status, respect (for a grot at least) and most of all meant he'd be a good distance further away from getting stabbed, shot, sat on, fallen on or generally crushed on the field of battle Gothi Heralds fly ahead of the great hosts of Suneaters, where their lesser kin are the spark that will burn down all in their path it is the Heralds task to break the will of the people ahead of the host, they are masters of the long hunt, scratching and screeching at their foes until huge trains of refugees march for the safety and refuge of the mighty fortresses of Order. The Heralds ensure that every human, Duardin or Aelf in their path cluster together to hide within their stone walls so that when the main host arrives all of the meat is in one place, in this way they ensure that when the Suneater consumes the souls of the fallen he is now fed meagre scraps, but a banquet fit for a God of his magnitude. Beserkr - THE TRIBE Ashen Grots – Grots by their very nature and small stature often find themselves at the bottom of the pecking order in the mortal realms, yet these cunning creatures are drawn to power either desiring the acquisition of it or to be elevated by their very proximity to it. Those that follow the will of the Suneater do so with a fanatical devotion, revelling with glee in their ability to slip past the walls of the cities of order and start a blaze deep in the heart of their enemies fortifications. These blazes are much like the grots, small and weak when isolated but when many rise up together they are able to topple even the biggest of foes. Ashen grots make up a large portion of the Suneater tribes, and their fanatical cackling laughter ripples through the forces with every fresh pyre lit, they bombard their foes with an endless onslaught of black powder spark grenades or get in close to slit throats with crude but glistening obsidian blades. Ashen grots can often be seen in a host of shuffling grey hoods and cloaks as though a roiling tide of ash threatening to choke out all life in the battlefield, their name however is derived from being unfortunately short enough in stature to soak up much of the dust kicked up by the great beasts of the tribe, lending them an unfortunate dusty camouflage whether they want it or not. The Svangur – Sun-bleached and half Starved Ogors saved from the Desert by the will of the Suneater, these fanatics descend on their prey with startling speed and ravenous appetite. Those who have looked upon the face of the Suneater are often driven mad by the experience, gouging out their fingernails in a gruesome display of devotion and forcing in jagged shards of obsidian in their place, others go even further, ripping the teeth from their mouth to replace them with wickedly curved metallic tusks with which to gorge their foes during the feasting on the battlefield. These Svangur never truly lose the hunger they felt when wandering the deserts, it is ingrained into every element of their being and the urge to feast drowns their every sense, on the field of battle they a gruesomely gore drenched sights as they feed on fallen foes before descending pack like onto the next. In their ravenous and deranged state, the Svangur are a challenge for any general to marshal, they are volatile and often given over to fits of rage that can run rampant and contrary to the will of their Tribal Leaders. And yet these mad Ogors are considered to have been touched by the very hand of the Suneater, they cannot be cast from the camp without risking the ire of their volatile god. Instead such creatures are often led at a distance to the rest of the host, parties of ashen Grots and their Gothi Fyri carrying great torches lure the Svangur as a vanguard to the main body of the tribe, at once limiting the damage they can do to their kin and allowing favourable flanking around an enemy force. Gullveig Ogors - The Gullveig Ogors live in the unenviable position of being part of the Suneater tribes but devoid of blessings of the Suneater, in this manner they are often considered the lowliest of the Ogors in the tribe (but still far preferable to a mere grot). Due to their precarious role within the tribe those who can afford it often don heavy armour and large slab shields until such a time as they have earned the protection of their fierce and demanding god whilst others are doomed to rely on their (admittedly lacking) wits and their coarse skin to save them from harm. Such things are unneeded after all by those who bear the mark of the Suneater as that in itself would protect them from harm. Often comprised of the tribe juveniles these fanatical followers seek to slaughter and pillage until they have accomplished feats of such destruction as to earn the favour of their God, many leaving their tribes to join that of the most feared Volsungr across the tribes, that they might bask in the glory of the greatest prophets and be led to feats worthy of earning their name. Other still become mercenaries, travelling far beyond the borders of their tribe migrations to seek out their own destinies before eventually returning to their true homes in the tribes. SAVAGE VETERANS Bal Kasta – The Bal Kasta (Also known as Akursed) are Trophies of the Volsungr, taken from the firstborn of conquered tribes these massive Ogors would be contenders for Tyrant one day in any other Ogor migration, instead in the Suneater tribes they can never hold rank or power. Those tribes who refuse the enlightenment of the Suneater, too blind to see the true path to glory, and who are too weak to avoid subjugation by a Suneater migration swell within the ranks of the Gullveig of the tribe. But these tribes are hidden from the Burning Gaze of their mighty god, they are not viewed as foes of the Suneater (such a status would make them fearsome indeed), they simply no longer exist in his eyes and therefore can never receive his blessings. As such the flame still burns them as it would never burn a true disciple of their god, they cannot belch forth his devouring fires nor summon the pyres to his glory.  Such is the curse of the Bal Kasta, they will live their entire lives in the service of those chosen by their God but never live to see that power become theirs. Great Volsungr will have full regiments of Bal Kasta within their armies, a striking show of his dominance over the tribes as his fallen foes now serve at his whims in Battle, and in time some of these fallen champions may well be put to use. The Gothi Engineers of the tribes have long since mastered the Fyre Powders of Aqshy, using it to power their catapults payload and feed the mighty Pyre Belchers of the tribes, and whilst no true Son of the Suneater would disgrace himself with using it to mimic the mighty fire belch of the Beserkr there is little that Bal Kasta have to lose, and many find themselves all too willing to try. These brave (suicidal?) Balkasta have two mighty fire belching blunderbusses strapped one beneath each arm, their form clad in beaten iron plating that might (probably not) resist the flame should the volatile alchemical mixture backfire onto them, each is attended to by their own compliment of Grots tasked with filling and reloading the fire belching cannons as the Ogors simply cannot use their hands for anything other than holding onto this fearsome arsenal. Those who live long enough in battle hope that in time, should their gods eyes fall upon them belching flame from these mighty cannons, they might earn his favour and be elevated from the rank of Bal Kasta, though such a thing is unlikely. In their desperation to find the attention of the Suneater these Akursed Bal Kasta have been subjected to the most extreme of Gothi engineering, their unfavoured forms however prove poor vessels for the sheer power of their god being forced through them from Gothi incantations. The weakest of Bal Kasta burn alive, their god devouring their souls first and their bodies withering away after, but a rare few can endure the constant agonising torment, learning to crave its agony as a mark of recognition from a god that cannot stand their presence much less their prayers. Aldin Draken – The Aldin Draken are enormous even for Ogors, drawn from the ranks of the Gullveig, these chosen of the Suneater have walked the blasted wastes alone for months on end and entirely without supplies. They are tasked with finding enlightenment that at their lowest moment in their final breath they might look upon the face of the Suneater, be judged and reborn. Perhaps more shocking they have emerged from those daunting wastes with enough of their sanity intact not to descend into the bestial hunger that claimed so many of their kind, and with the physical strength to drag what remains of their half-starved bodies back from the brink of death. Those who emerged from the wasteland are a cruel sight to behold, their skin is blistered and scarred, coarse to the touch but toughened in the eternal heat of the Suneaters embrace, their eyes have blackened to coal seemingly at once unseeing and all too piercing for their kin to endure, some say to be looked upon by the Aldin Draken is to face the wrath of Gorkamorka himself. When they return these champions do not seek food or comfort, instead ascending the peak of the Draken nest, a bustling feeding ground for the enormous stone hide bearing Draken of Aqshy, an irritable bundle of sword-proof hides and jagged teeth prone to belching flame when provoked, here they face their final test. To ascend to the rank of Aldin Draken the champion must first claim his mount from the vicious lizards that populate the Drakens nest, each must engage in mortal combat with the Draken with many succumbing to the cruel claws and wicked beaks of the fattened lizards and feeding the nest. Those who survive the trials do so through the use of brute force and strength of will to beat a reptile into submission, triumphantly riding their new bruised and beaten companion down from the mountaintop. In battle these Cavalry are slow and cumbersome, the drakes themselves lumbering and covered in heavily armoured scales whilst their riders wield crude heavy crossbows firing obsidian tipped barbed bolts across the battlefield, often first into the fight they are more than a match for many a mortal hero and used as the elite guard for the Prophets of the Suneater Tribes. The sacred duty of the Aldin Draken is to accompany the Volsungr into battle, should their mighty prophet fall the Magma drake mount has been known to rampage back through the Suneater Migration wreaking havoc on their numbers. Should this happen the Aldin Draken are put to task, pursuing the distraught beast and bringing it down that it might join its masters body on the Pyre and ascend to the halls of the Suneater together. Burnin Bomb Catapults – The destructive toys of Gothi engineers these ramshackle artillery pieces have felled the walls of many a city who thought themselves secure from an encroaching migration. Formed of the Iron Bark of Chamon the skeleton of the catapult is impervious to the volatile fyrepowders it is tasked with launching at the enemy, a blessing not extended to its overly eager and some what derange Grot crew. Driven onwards by their fanatical faith the Grot crew drag the catapult from ash and mud to reach their perfect firing position before loading ever increasing piles of volatile fyrepowders mixed with the excrement of the tribes beasts (to make it stick to a target) into the catapult cup. Launching this volatile chemical down the field hopefully before it detonated in their hands, though such a divine act of destruction from their god would only stoke the Grots faith higher. A battery of these crude machines is capable of bombarding the villages and townships of order from over their wooden palisades, raining hellfire down upon the populace and inviting them to leave the safety of their walls to fight the tribe in open battle or burn alive in a cage of their own making. Pyre Belcher – This great beast from Aqshy is a bloated and tormented creature gorged on the industrial runoff from the cities of man. Its form has swollen and misshapen with the volatility of the chemicals it has been fed but in return it has developed the ability to spit forth huge gouts of flame in the course of a battle. It is forced forward into battle by its Grot handlers, poked and prodded and gorged on lesser squigs that it might launch its payload further forward setting flame to all in its path. THE GREAT BEASTS Slatr Warbeast – When one looks upon the Slatr Warbeast it is hard not to be wowed by the majestic nature of this primal creature, it is not by any stretch of the imagination a creature of traditional beauty but one evolved perfectly for longevity and resilience. Indeed, it has never been recorded of such a creature perishing due to natural causes lending credence to the theory that such a beast may be immortal lest for death by less natural themes. Its flattened and bullish face is akin to many a nightmare as a child with the full stretch of its maw measured at over a cart in width and at least the same in depth to the gullet though I have yet to find an apprentice willing to test that, when looking into its eyes you are struck by the sheer simplicity of the creature not burdened by higher thought or malice. The juveniles of the species are often found in migratory herds travelling alongside the Suneater tribes of Aqshy, seemingly drawn moth like to the pyres to their primitive gods that these tribes are prone to igniting, indeed the subdued state these creatures enter in the presence of such a blaze has allowed ramshackle howdahs to be assembled across the beasts’ broad backs. It is then sadly witnessed that when these savage tribes march to war they goad the Slatr alongside them, bombarding their enemies from afar with crude catapults launching burning debris down the battlefield. Such burning projectiles seemingly spur their mounts onwards chasing the bright lights racing across the sky Mighty Slatr Dwarfing even the regular Slatr these beasts of war can carry units into battle, they are also inspiring to those Suneaters nearby as living manifestations of the might of the Suneater. Crewed by an Ogor chieftain with Bal Kasta as their personal guard. GREAT TOTEMS OF THE GODS Waagh Kart Totem of the Suneater - A destruction war shrine that moves with the migrations of Suneaters. The rippling heat and power of the shrine can turn away blades and burn up projectiles before they reach the fanatical followers of the Suneater, but its true potency lies within the trials of flame. Gothi attendants stoke the flames around the giant stone effigy before swinging it forwards, should he prove willing the Suneater musters his energies to belch forth huge gouts of flame from the pyres to engulf loyal warriors, consuming them and letting them emerge unscathed from other pyres of the Suneater. Those who are unworthy however will find themselves consumed by the Suneater in his eternal hunger. These mighty shrines spur the Suneaters warriors onto even great violence and destructions. A physical manifestation of their gods mighty and wrath these mighty war machines are prized possessions of the Prophets and often jealously guarded from the other Migrations.

Cheers, the orange goes: Mephiston Red (air) Troll Slayer Orange (air) Yriel Yellow (air) White scar (air) Each getting progressively smaller in glow size as you get closer to heat source Then red glaze the outer edges of the flame glow Yellow glaze nearer to the fire source Reikland Fleshshade gloss on the metallics adjacent to the heat source for the deeper red glow look

WIP on number two Bal Kasta, both need detailing fleshed out but the core concept seems to be coming together. As part of the fluff evolution in their desperation to find the attention of the Suneater these Akursed Bal Kasta have been subjected to the most extreme of Gothi engineering, their unfavoured forms however prove poor vessels for the sheer power of their god being forced through them from Gothi incantations. The weakest of Bal Kasta burn alive, their god devouring their souls first and their bodies withering away after, but a rare few can endure the constant agonising torment, learning to crave its agony as a mark of recognition from a god that cannot stand their presence much less their prayers. Exalted Volsungr makes even the Bal Kasta look tiny

Colour gives context so here the first WIP of a test scheme

It is indeed shattered dominion bases, I needed a tonne of the 40mm for my less armoured Gullveig (went with cost effective normal ogor models for the 6 latest ones, have a mechanic in mind to explain the more armoured variants) and the kit comes with a tonne of the 60mm which I can now use for Balkasta and Aldin Draken models.

And two makes a unit! We have the unit leader the Ignitor with his little grot banner bearer, and then the all too flamable Fyrestoker bearing an unreasonable amount of fire powders from Aqshy into battle

Yup they can indeed, I'm running low on greenstuff so going to get the base model done on both of them before I grab more greenstuff to flesh them out details

Work in progress on the first of my Bal Kasta, alot of neating up needed at this stage but I think the concept is starting to come together. Bal Kasta - The Bal Kasta (Also known as Akursed) are Trophies of the Volsungr, taken from the firstborn of conquered tribes these massive Ogors would be contendors for Tyrant one day in any other Ogor migration, insread in the Suneater tribes they can never hold rank or power. Those tribes who refuse the enlightenment of the Suneater, too blind to see the true path to glory, and who are too weak to avoid subdjugation by a Suneater migration swell within the ranks of the Gullveig of the tribe. But these tribes are hidden from the Burning Gaze of their mighty god, they are not viewed as foes of the Suneater (such a status would make them fearsome indeed), they simply no longer exist in his eyes and therefore can never recieve his blessings. As such the flame still burns them as it would never burn a true disciple of their god, they cannot belch forth his devouring fires nor summon the pyres to his glory. Such is the curse of the Bal Kasta, they will live their entire lives in the service of those chosen by their God but never live to see that power become theirs. Great Volsungr will have full regiments of Bal Kasta within their armies, a striking show of his dominance over the tribes as his fallen foes now serve at his whims in Battle, and in time some of these fallen champions may well be put to use. The Gothi Engineers of the tribes have long since mastered the Fyre Powders of Aqshy, using it to power their catapults payload and feed the mighty Pyre Belchers of the tribes, and whilst no true Son of the Suneater would disgrace himself with using it to mimick the mighty fire belch of the Beserkr there is little that Bal Kasta have to lose and many find themselves all too willing to try. These brave (suicidal?) Balkasta have two mighty fire belching blunderbuss strapped beneath each arm, their form clad in beaten iron plating that mighty (probably not) resist the flame should the volatile alchemical mixture backfire onto them, each is attended to by their own compliment of Grots tasked with filling and reloading the fire belching cannons as the Ogors simply cannot use their hands for anything other than holding onto this fearsome arsenal. Those who live long enough in battle hope that in time, should their gods eyes fall upon them belching flame from these mighty cannons, they might earn his favour and be elevated from the rank of Bal Kasta, though such a thing is unlikely. Tactics: Short ranged and at their best when immobile the best use for Bal Kasta is to use a Waaghkart to throw them up the battlefield, becoming a point defense unit on an objective you need secured and scorching any enemies that mighty dare to come close. The Bal Kastas ideal target is mid weight infantry though they are no slouches in horde control. Supported by a defensive line of Ashen Grots to take any charge these Ogors can then fire over their defenders in unrelenting barrages to fell oncoming units.

A continuation of the background story for my Suneaters The tomes of Azyrheim tell little of the battles that quelled Gorkamorkas rebellion, nor the atrocities that followed it at the hands of those who fought in the name of justice and Order. The few tales that have survived to the modern age speak of a host of men, aelf and dwarf the likes of which the young realms had never before seen, all marching in the shadow of the Man-God Sigmar under the mighty flags of Azyr. This massive host was drawn not just from the noble houses within Azyr, but every general (disgraced or otherwise), pirate, corsair and mercenary who owed fielty to the Barbarian king. This vast host spanned from horizon to horizon, some say that its footfalls could be heard across the entire spanning continent of Ghur as it marched across the lands, that its nightly campfires were so many that they threatened to drown out the darkness entirely as though day simply spanned into day once more. It is said that the tides of Gorkamorka were met by this host on the plain of Rok-Gor, a once verdant and beautiful landscape in a realm of savages, the green tides number were twice that of the Order host and beneath the combined footfall of the legions every spec of grass within sight was crushed out of existance. It is said that the mages of Hysh wielded their sun based powers with reckless abandon, forever changing the intensity of the sun in this part of the realm to scorch all life from the grounds below, that so savage was the combat that no native fauna escaped the onslaught. The battle was savage, with vast number of casualties on both sides, but eventually the god of destruction found himself brought to heel, beaten and bloodied but his thirst for mayhem and war thoroughly saited the mighty Orruk god lay down to revel in his heady onslaught. With the rebellion quashed Sigmar returned back to Azyr, with matters more befitting a god to focus his attentions on he left his grand host to disband themselves, here he trusted in the souls of men to do as they were instructed… a fools hope. His vast host had been raised on the promise of bloody conquest, of glorious trophies and heroic deed, but moreover they had been promised a wealth of gold and treasures that they might use to raise kingdoms of their own. Men lured by such temptations are not so easily swayed into forgetting them, and Sigmars conquest against Gorkamorka had cost them many lives and far more gold than they had been repaid, now left in the midsts of the savage landscape of Ghur these weak men sought to find treasure of their own. Corrupt generals and greedy nobles all spurred their legions forth into Ghur, they butchered the local populace indiscriminately, Ogors that had no part to play in Gorkamorkas rebellion and mighty beasts older than human memory all under the guise of bringing order and civility to the Realm. Whole Ogor migrations found themselves on the wrong side of man-forged blades, any lands of worth or found to be rich in metals and minerals soon became annexed by Dwarven kings and merchant guilds, the previous owned put to work in slave camps or executed as warning to the savage populace of Ghur as to what happened to those who resisted the recent influx of Order into the Realm. The Iron Klaw Ogors, who had lived in relative harmony with the man-kingdoms of Ghur for as long as records existed, never took more meat than needed from the human villages around their migrations. To blame them for taking their share would be to blame the man for taking the sheep to slaughter, these Ogors demonstrated immense discipline only picking the elderly or weak from human villages to sait their hungers, never staying in one place long enough to diminish the populace beyond reason. Their demise came without warning, unbeknownst to the tribal elders their migration had setup camp atop a wealth of mineral deposits high up in the mountains at realms edge, it was in the dead of night amidsts a thunderous storm that a dwarven cannonade sought to bring the whole mountaintops down upon them. Flashes of black powder detonating lit up the nights sky, punctuated by streaks of lighting racing to the heavens, war scarred and embittered dwarven veterans marched up the mountainside to butcher those Ogors who survived the savage cannonade. It fell to the young Chieftan of the tribe to muster what little defense he could bring to bear, a mere handful of champions atop mournfangs raced down the crumbling mountainside to meet with their attackers. Fortunate was not however with the young chieftan, struck in the helmet by an oncoming cannonball he found himself flung backward off of his mount, foot still tangled in the saddle straps he was dragged down the mountainside, dazed from the strike and beaten by every rock on his descent his blood crazed mount ran throughout the night deep into the deserts beyond the mountains. As the dwarves butchered all those Ogors who remained they lacked the insight to know what they had instigated, the nightmare that they had unleashed upon the realms with the soul survivor carried far beyond the charted edge of the realm….

Friday is payday which will be the start of the Ogor phase of the project with Bal Kasta and less armoured Gullveig up first. When the new stormcast mounts release I’ll do the Aldin Draken

Got ahold of my partners "Proper camera" since I managed to crack the lense on my iphone camera (sad days) here's what I could pull together in terms of proper shots of finished units for my Suneater tribes so far, other than these I have 4 finished ashen grots (36 left to paint), another catapult, the Waaghkart totem, and 7 gullveig to paint but built:

So who then make up the Champions of this Flame obsessed tribes, that they might elevate themselves above the Gullveig and Grots within the migration and carve out their own names in the legend of the Suneater. Aldin Draken – The Aldin Draken are enormous even for Ogors, drawn from the ranks of the Gullveig, these chosen of the Suneater have walked the blasted wastes alone for months on end and entirely without supplies. They are tasked with finding enlightenment that at their lowest moment in their final breath they might look upon the face of the Suneater, be judged and reborn. Perhaps more shocking they have emerged from those daunting wastes with enough of their sanity intact not to descend into the bestial hunger that claimed so many of their kind, and with the physical strength to drag what remains of their half starved bodies back from the brink of death. Those who emerged from the wasteland are a cruel sight to behold, their skin is blistered and scarred, coarse to the touch but toughened in the eternal heat of the Suneaters embrace, their eyes have blackened to coal seemingly at once unseeing and all too piercing for their kin to endure, some say to be looked upon by the Aldin Draken is to face the wrath of Gorkamorka himself. When they return these champions do not seek food or comfort, instead ascending the peak of the Draken nest, a bustling feeding ground for the enormous stone hide bearing Draken of Aqshy, an irritable bundle of sword-proof hide and jagged teeth prone to belching flame when provoked, here they face their final test. To ascend to the rank of Aldin Draken the champion must first claim his mount from the vicious lizards that populate the Drakens nest, each must engage in mortal combat with the Draken with many succumbing to the cruel claws and wicked beaks of the fattened lizards and feeding the nest. Those who survive the trials do so through the use of brute force and strength of will to beat a reptile into submission, triumphantly riding their new bruised and beaten companion down from the mountaintop. In battle these Cavalry are slow and cumbersome, the drakes themselves lumbering and covered in heavily armoured scales whilst their riders wield crude heavy crossbows firing obsidian tipped barbed bolts across the battlefield, Often first into the fight they are more than a match for many a mortal hero and used as the elite guard for the Prophets of the Suneater Tribes. The sacred duty of the Aldin Draken is to accompany the Volsungr into battle, should their mighty prophet fall the Magma drake mount has been known to rampage back through the Suneater Migration wreaking havoc on their numbers. Should this happen the Aldin Draken are put to task, pursueing the distraught beast and bringing it down that it might join its masters body on the Pyre and ascend to the halls of the Suneater together. Tactics: These fearsome heavy cavalry become battleline if you field a Volsungr as your general, whilst slightly slower than their Prophets they excell at following the mighty beast up the Battlefield and using their crossbows to weaken foes he intends to charge. More over their specialties against monsters make them a genuine contenter to hunt down the enemies toughest warriors and drop them before any damage can be dealt to your heroes. Bal Kasta - The Bal Kasta (Also known as Akursed) are Trophies of the Volsungr, taken from the firstborn of conquered tribes these massive Ogors would be contendors for Tyrant one day in any other Ogor migration, insread in the Suneater tribes they can never hold rank or power. Those tribes who refuse the enlightenment of the Suneater, too blind to see the true path to glory, and who are too weak to avoid subdjugation by a Suneater migration swell within the ranks of the Gullveig of the tribe. But these tribes are hidden from the Burning Gaze of their mighty god, they are not viewed as foes of the Suneater (such a status would make them fearsome indeed), they simply no longer exist in his eyes and therefore can never recieve his blessings. As such the flame still burns them as it would never burn a true disciple of their god, they cannot belch forth his devouring fires nor summon the pyres to his glory. Such is the curse of the Bal Kasta, they will live their entire lives in the service of those chosen by their God but never live to see that power become theirs. Great Volsungr will have full regiments of Bal Kasta within their armies, a striking show of his dominance over the tribes as his fallen foes now serve at his whims in Battle, and in time some of these fallen champions may well be put to use. The Gothi Engineers of the tribes have long since mastered the Fyre Powders of Aqshy, using it to power their catapults payload and feed the mighty Pyre Belchers of the tribes, and whilst no true Son of the Suneater would disgrace himself with using it to mimick the mighty fire belch of the Beserkr there is little that Bal Kasta have to lose and many find themselves all too willing to try. These brave (suicidal?) Balkasta have two mighty fire belching blunderbuss strapped beneath each arm, their form clad in beaten iron plating that mighty (probably not) resist the flame should the volatile alchemical mixture backfire onto them, each is attended to by their own compliment of Grots tasked with filling and reloading the fire belching cannons as the Ogors simply cannot use their hands for anything other than holding onto this fearsome arsenal. Those who live long enough in battle hope that in time, should their gods eyes fall upon them belching flame from these mighty cannons, they might earn his favour and be elevated from the rank of Bal Kasta, though such a thing is unlikely. Tactics: Short ranged and at their best when immobile the best use for Bal Kasta is to use a Waaghkart to throw them up the battlefield, becoming a point defense unit on an objective you need secured and scorching any enemies that mighty dare to come close. The Bal Kastas ideal target is mid weight infantry though they are no slouches in horde control. Supported by a defensive line of Ashen Grots to take any charge these Ogors can then fire over their defenders in unrelenting barrages to fell oncoming units.

Makes sense. My other half’s list is entirely built on models she likes the look of that I then tweak warscroll for to match keywords and give some units. To date is is monsters, archers and cavalry

The flaming Phoenix should work well if his revival is just a command point in 2.0 (assuming here) rather than paying the cost again. For me the phoenixes sit in the same weird void as the arachnok, the ridden versions are flat better but cost the same. I like their Phoenix scrolls but the model strikes me as overly rigid

To be honest the Aelves factional beasts seem a tad underpowered against anything released in recent days. Stardrakes and Mawkrusha both getting cheaper highlights that issue as they already point for point were better than the Aelven beasts (would love to see the Carmine dragon associated with a new Aelf faction).

His spell grants cover which as monster he cannot benefit from, the command ability can effect himself but thematically should be used to inspire others around him though we’ll see in 2.0 if it balances through or not. I agree he’s tough and killy but with no mortal wound protection or damage mitigating and sitting at over 600 points felt reasonably balanced (though I’m open to changes)