Druchii Warband Proposed Fluff.

Arquinsiel · Post by **Arquinsiel** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:02 pm

This is just the preliminary fluff I've cobbled together. It's a bit long but hey.It's very definitely not the final version and all input is welcome.

Okay, here goes.

In the year 8249 (1999 by the human calendar) the human city of Mordheim on the river stir was struck by a great cataclysm. The events surrounding this have been chronicled elsewhere and are well known to all. What is not widely known is that far across the sea Morathi had taken a personal interest in the city. After listening to tales brought back by raiding captains of slaves babbling about a city full of wealth just there for the taking and a strange stone that veritably glowed with captive magical energy her interest was piqued. Upon consultation with certain powers known only to her, she decided that it would be prudent to amass as much of this "Wyrdstone" as possible.

To achieve this aim she privately funded small groups of druchii loyal to her above all else and sent them across the sea to the city in secret. There they made a discovery that none had expected: There were already Druchii in Mordheim.

Over a year previously a Highborn who had fallen out of favour with Malekith was given the "honour" of exploring the underway and investigating the theory that it connected in places to a much larger network. At the head of a large and well-provisioned expedition including hundreds of his personal troops and staff the Highborn headed off into the endless dark under the world. Contact had been lost soon after as they left and although many suspected foul play none dared comment lest they receive a similar fate.

Contrary to this belief though, the disgraced Highborn was largely successful in his task. After moving southwards towards lustria his scouts stumbled across a tunnel of worked stone, unlike the natural, water-made caves that they currently explored. Although he did not know it then that tunnel was a part of the skaven under-empire and connected them with most of the world. The expedition travelled for several months enduring harsher and harsher times as supplies dwindled before eventually seeing signs of life.

Unfortunately this sign was the blow-dart of a Clan Eshin Assassin. For the next weeks the dark elves were harried mercilessly through the tunnels before they finally managed to bring the skaven to battle. Faced with overwhelming odds they were swiftly broken and fled in many directions. Some, mostly shades and corsairs, both well used to hard and desperate lives, managed to make it to the relative safety of the surface and found themselves near the recently destroyed human city of Mordheim. They remained in the area for several weeks scavenging what they could and despairing of being stuck in the uncultured morass of humanity for the rest of their long lives. Then through a chance word heard in a tavern they deduced the presence of Morathi's scouts.

When reports reached Morathi of this turn of events she deemed it wisest to silence those who might compromise her plans, shattering the hopes of the embattled druchii who had fought there way around the world and now wished nothing more than to return home. She ordered them, as Malekith's mother, Head of the Convent of Sorceress' and the Temple of Khaine to remain in Mordheim and do all in their power to sour the image of all elvenkind in the eyes of men and all the while sending the Wyrdstone they found to her.

During the transportation of the Wyrdstone to Naggaroth it was unavoidable that other druchii nobles would in some way learn of Morathi's interest in Mordheim and send parties of their own to investigate this source of wealth. Some even went merely for the sport of hunting fell beasts through ruins. Regardless of their reasons for being there all hope to achieve the same thing: Fame and Fortune and high regard in the eyes of their peers.

Whadya think?

Guardian of the queen · Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:04 pm

I really like it, makes sense.

Arquinsiel · Post by **Arquinsiel** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:07 pm

Then vote.

Guardian of the queen · Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:08 pm

I did i voted yes

Arquinsiel · Post by **Arquinsiel** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:10 pm

Ah, I see. I need to vote to see the results but I want to stay neutral and not influence the vote since it's my writing.

Anaryin · Post by **Anaryin** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:10 pm

I like it also, makes sense. However, I have a one remark to make:

- I think that travelling half world is a little exagerated

Maybe they were sent to raid the empire? Then got lost?

As for the rest, it's fine. I'd say this is a good start for a fluff part

Anaryin · Post by **Anaryin** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:12 pm

Well, it's 2 for yes, 0 for no

I've voted yes, though I think it may need a change

Arquinsiel · Post by **Arquinsiel** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:14 pm

No problem. First draft and all. I think traveeling half the world isn't to un-realistic considering the under-empire reaches from cathay to lustria the long way round. Skaven can do it so why can't we?

Silas · Post by **Silas** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:17 pm

Excellent. It needs a little tweaking and some editing (there's a fair few grammer probs), but i'll sort that out once its agreed that this is what we'll use.

Arquinsiel · Post by **Arquinsiel** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:18 pm

There's no grammar problems. I just like my multiple-clause obscurity after doing six mind-numbing years of latin.

Silas · Post by **Silas** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:21 pm

Oooookkkkaaaayyyy.....

There's a few tense problems as well (well, i spotted one). As i said, i can correct that when the final fluff peice is done.

Yes, editing the fluff is the bit that i'm really really looking forward to...sad isnt it?

Damn Nagathi! He got me addicted to editing stuff!

Arquinsiel · Post by **Arquinsiel** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:23 pm

What is it? I'll fix it now.

Mielkith · Post by **Mielkith** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:34 pm

I will vote yes, though it still does need some work. Buying new warband members is still to be explained.

Arquinsiel · Post by **Arquinsiel** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:54 pm

No it doesn't, as was stated the wyrdstone is carted back to Naggaroth via the fleet. I'm sure they can bring in more warriors should they be needed.

EDIT: Wordy-wrongness.

Ansob. · Post by **Ansob.** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 5:57 pm

Meh, I really don't know. It seems to me as if certain (the Underway travels and Morathi sending only very few groups) elements of it are not concrete enough... I think it'd be more believable if Morathi decided to hire Druchii highborns who had little money or felt adventurous rather than hiring a single party, and if the Underway expedition had come back, reported, then sent more groups through the Underway, the skaven Under-Empire and to Mordheim (which they discovered by chance, and decided to make their HQ to clear that part of the Under-Empire from skaven presence?). However, that's just me.

Edit, for Sil: the proposed order of things, as per Arq's fluff, what I understand of it, goes as follows:

Highborn sets out to explore Underway, gets lost, gets ambushed, survivors end up in Mordheim.
Morathi sends a very select few to Mordheim to gather wyrdstone for her.
The survivors from the Underway expedition meet up with Morathi's own.
Morathi learns that there were other Druchii in Mordheim. Not happy. Tells them to shut up, stay put and mess with the human/elves relationship.
Wyrdstone is sent back to Morathi, other Druchii learn of Mordheim and we make it our summer home (of a sorts).

My proposed version of it would be:

Highborn sets up to explore Underway, gets lost, gets ambushed, routs, very few return home. Report existence of tunnel to Empire to whoever commands the Underway, who decides to broadcast a call for anyone wishing to further the Druchii cause and gain repute. A reasonable quantity of druchii actually decide to go and establish an outpost in the Empire (the outpost would be an outpost to wage a war against skaven and get that part ofthe Under-Empire, the HQ would of course end up just under Mordheim).
Morathi learns of wyrdstone. She also broadcasts a call, for anyone wishing to gain riches. A reasonable quantity of druchii who are curious/looking for entertainment/wanting the promised riches flock to her and are sent to Mordheim to gather wyrdstone.
The two different factions meet up in Mordheim, their goals become common (eradicate the skaven and gather wyrdstone, which it seems is strategical to the skaven). Alternatively, they don't, and there are squabbles between both sides who have opposing goals.
Of course, both the calls remain in certain social circles only (connexions needed), hence us not having the entire Druchii nation setting off for Mordheim. Plus, most Druchii are reluctant to leave their beloved country to go traipsing around humans. Anyway, you get the idea.
Regardless, Morathi orders that the war on skaven be continued and that any and all Druchii who are in and around Mordheim (in Arq's own words) "do all in their power to sour the image of all elvenkind in the eyes of men" whilst sending the wyrdstone back to her.
Of course, contact is regularly made since the Under-Empire "army" fighting against the skaven needs orders which can't be given through the Underway (too long) and the wyrdstone needs to be sent back...

Orteo · Post by **Orteo** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:45 pm

It looks like a great starting point for us. As Anaryin said, it seems unlikely they could get all the way to Mordheim. The skaven can do it because they know where they are going. The druchii would spend a lot of time going in circles and hitting deadends.

Other than that it looks good. It combines several of the possible motivations, allows for a wide range of individual fluff, and explains why Druchii would fight Druchii. It gets my vote.

Arquinsiel · Post by **Arquinsiel** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:19 pm

I think it'd be more believable if Morathi decided to hire Druchii highborns who had little money or felt adventurous rather than hiring a single party,

Thats what the "s" after "groups" is for. It denotes pluraility.

Also bear in mind that warhammer suggests that each model represents ten or so troopers and that armies are actually far larger than they look. Mordheim is 1 model = 1 trooper. Much, much smaller scale when looked at that way. Morathi could send hundreds of individual druchii and still have sent the same amount of people than are needed for the average unit (which is also refered to as a regiment regiments are big.).

The highborn wasn't intended to succede in exploring the underway, it was a punishment assignment. He was supposeed to get eaten by some un-named horror. If he returned home he'd just be quietly removed as Malekith doesn't really care about his "mission."

It looks like a great starting point for us. As Anaryin said, it seems unlikely they could get all the way to Mordheim. The skaven can do it because they know where they are going. The druchii would spend a lot of time going in circles and hitting deadends.

That's why it took them so long.

Other than that it looks good. It combines several of the possible motivations, allows for a wide range of individual fluff, and explains why Druchii would fight Druchii. It gets my vote.

Thank you, the multiple motivations was the thing I was trying to convey most in the stoyr. I wanted people to feel like it was their druchii warband that had come to mordheim, not just another part of Morathi's Cult of Pleasure or the house troops of a disgraced Highborn.

Anaryin · Post by **Anaryin** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:26 pm

However, keep in mind that CoP and ToK were still quiet at each other

Arquinsiel · Post by **Arquinsiel** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:29 pm

That has been kept in mind. It's why Morathi sent out her groups in secret and is keeping the underway party in Mordheim so they can't tell when they get home. Unfortunately her security was not as tight as she would have wished and some information leaked, leading to other druchii heading independantly to Mordheim. Undoubtably the Temple of Khaine had agents among them.

Anaryin · Post by **Anaryin** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 2:01 pm

Ok. Clear to me

Dalakh deathblow · Post by **Dalakh deathblow** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 2:17 pm

Arquinsiel wrote:No problem. First draft and all. I think traveeling half the world isn't to un-realistic considering the under-empire reaches from cathay to lustria the long way round. Skaven can do it so why can't we?

it is unrealistic because the under-empire is full with skaven.. i don't think that no druchii, no matter how good they are can travel half the world through tunnels full with skaven..
I like the fluff about Morathi though..

Geophrim · Post by **Geophrim** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 3:39 pm

Haven't been able to vote (menu doesn't come up for some reason on my browser), but I would have voted yes, as the material is generally good (see above for grammer probs, etc.). One thing that I especially like is the fluff ability to justify the use both ToK and CoP themed armies. This way, we're not picking one or the other which locks out 1/2 our community if we go one way or the other...

Anaryin · Post by **Anaryin** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 6:44 pm

So, anyone has issues with the fluff?

Should it get improved?

What else should it mention?

Silas · Post by **Silas** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 6:59 pm

I have been wondering slightly about Corsairs. They are our naval crew right? So, were they sent in by Morathi? Because i cant imagine them wandering around underground...

Anaryin · Post by **Anaryin** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 7:31 pm

They are / must be part of the other noble forces that go to mordheim. Maybe as disguised warriors? As usual sailors?

Druchii Warband Proposed Fluff.

Use this fluff?

Druchii Warband Proposed Fluff.