Tor Sír, capital of Sirfaldris in the Spiteful Peaks

The Farstriders of Ghrond seldom find themselves in their ancestral homelands; more often they are raiding abroad, spreading their dominion over others and consolidating the base of their power. Deep within the Spiteful Peaks, however, lays a dark paradise. Nestled in a series of three valleys, left temperate and fertile by the warm descending winds off the Serpent’s Spine, lies Sirfaldris. As if to mirror the spiritual balance of the light and dark sides of the elven psyche, Sirfaldris often enjoys a respite from the typical harshness of Naggaroth’s weather. Balancing the forces of nature, truly this is a place of purity, dedicated to the cruel, natural laws of Kurnous. 


Nestled at the base of the central valley, is a mighty inland lake, fed by a central underway spring and empyting out into three strong rivers that cascade down out of the Peaks. Built on and around the shores of the lake lies Tor Sír. Built in the time just following the Black Arks and founded as a testament to the glories of Nagarythe of old, Tor Sír has grown in leaps and bounds despite its remote locale. Fueled by the more pleasant weather and bountiful natural resources from local mines and waterways, combined with the spoils of raids abroad, the city is a force to be reckoned with. Here Esakh and Enlil rule without question, holding court with their family, and celebrating the ebb and flow of the winds of fate.


Tor Sír is a natural citadel, surrounding on all sides by difficult terrain – the roads and waterways into and out of the city are easily-defended, natural chokepoints. The center of the city is dominated by tremendous twin spires, which serve as palace, home, and court of the Dreadlord and Lady. Dwarven slaves erected the megalithic structure through painstaking labor, gathering materials from the ample mines of the Spiteful Peaks. Smaller than any other druchii city, size is not everything, and House Sirfalas endeavors to keep beneath the notice of the Witch King by remaining steadfastly loyal to their oaths as Naggarothi while remaining frugal in their growth and exercise of power. 

A Conflicted Psyche: House Sirfalas, Nostromo, & Alith Anar

Not all Druchii dedicate themselves to the worship of Khaine and his bloody pursuits. As the pleasure cults of Ulthuan were once the undoing of the High Elves, leading to the civil war that was the foundation of Druchii society, so too do some few of the Naggarothi belong to cults dedicated to the more virtuous, though no less terrible, elven gods of old. Kurnous the Wolf, the god of the hunt, holds special, if staunchly secret, significance to House Sirfalas. The Rootseers dance a delicate waltz with the other dreadlords of Ghrond and Naggaroth beyond. Unlike their ancestors of old, the Sirfalases do not seek open rebellion or even a rejection of the Cytharai, like their Ulthuanii cousins. Rather, Esakh and Enlil would prefer balance between the light and dark sides of the elven psyche. This heresy would see their small empire destroyed, the foundation of their power swept away, were it to ever be known to those outside the family. This balance is the key to the family’s approach to all dealings with the broader world – fair negotiations, brutal honesty, and staunchly-preserved honor, rather than treachery, hedonism, and blood-thirstiness. There is a time for brutality, a time for forthrightness, and a time for pleasure – all are measured, balanced, and executed decisively whenever the exegeses of war and peace call for them. 


Though willing to enlist the services of Khainites, none of that god’s chosen serve as inner members of the Farstrider leadership, save one – the master assassin, Nostromo. Having sworn sacred oaths to House Sirfalas in generations past, Nostromo has stood by the family for millennia, to a time before the Sundering, and his duty is to Clan first, god second. Though even he is not completely trusted, especially by the children of Esakh and Enlil. When they arise to lead the Household, Nostromo’s role may change or be eliminated; for now, he serves his Dreadlord and Mistress with unswerving loyalty. To do otherwise, would invite decisive retribution and simple removal – from the family and from this plane of existence. 


The saying goes: “Never mistake Sirfalas prudence for weakness” – for they are seldom kind and always careful, but brutal in their effectiveness. Their network of spies and informants stretches to every corner of Naggaroth, and even to their ancestral home of Nagarythe. It is here that the Shades and Dark Riders of the Farstriders of Ghrond make contact with their ancestral counterparts – the Shadow Warriors, and their Shadow King, Alith Anar. Tensions between these hated foes are held in check by shared ancient oaths under the auspices of the god Kurnous. In his deepest dreams, Esakh longs for a time when the elves may reunite – but for now, the network of spies and the tense peace House Sirfalas enjoys with the armies of the Shadow King serve both parties well as the world moves ever closer towards Chaos. 

The Druchii are massing...

...brave warriors from across Nagarythe converge under the banner of House Sirfalas, the Rootseers, the Farstriders of Ghrond...

While not painted, I'm still proud of the fact that I was able to finalize assembly on my 103 Dark Elf spearmen. They were not easy, given that 75% of them came to me through a deal and were poorly assembled and somewhat painted. They needed often to be torn down to their base components, rebased, reassembled with new bits (mostly heads, arms, and shield emblems) and then primed.

And here's a close up of my favorite standard bearer. Thought I'd do something a little different... SKULLS!

I think now I can finally start playing some games... ironically, in reading the Sundering books by Gav Thorpe, I'm beginning to empathize more with the High Elves than the Dark Elves. Even considering building a Malekith of Nagarythe High Elf army (basically cavalry, spears, White Lions, and a Prince kitted out in a way reminiscent of Malekith in the books - magic sword, spell-casting, maybe a Crown of Command). 

Stay tuned for more!

Children of Sirfalas (Fragment)

This is certainly a work in progress and fragment, to be sure. But I've begun detailing the twin children of Esakh and Enlil, who serve as marshalls and generals on the various battlefields the Farstriders find themselves upon.

Elrohir Sirfalas, Praefectus Egregius of the Farstriders of Ghrond

Iseilven Sirfalas, Praefecta Maga of the Farstriders of Ghrond

Tasked with managing the martial and magical forces of the Rootseer Clan, the children of Esakh and Enlil have been instrumental in the rise of the Farstriders. Elrohir and Iseilven carry the family name of the Rootseers – Sirfalas – in respect to their parents and a concerted effort to restore the name to prominence. These twin Druchii mirror each other in many ways, even as their personalities and proclivities differ yet compliment one another. Among their earliest joint efforts was the establishment of a Cold One nursery and breeding program, resulting in hardy stock of nigh impervious mounts. Both are skilled riders and will often choose to ride to war atop their prize steeds; though they have won the fear and respect of their vassals through a willingness to stand shoulder to shoulder with them as well.

Dantalion, Standard Bearer of the Rootseers

Dantalion’s true name is lost in his own lengthy past. Faceless, he wears a helm and faceplate to cover the tremendous wounds suffered at the hands of the Death Hags of Har Ganeth. The exact circumstances by which Esakh came to preserve the life of this aged Druchii are likewise lost to history, but the life debt owed to the Rootseers has developed into a sincere and mutual respect between lord and retainer. Dantalion, bearing a demon’s name and a haunting visage, carries the battle standard of the Rootseers to war, rallying those troops beneath him through the widely shared legend of his salvation.

Some tell the tale of a daring raid by Esakh to rescue one who was harmed and disgraced by the family of the sibling couple. Some claim Dantalion was Esakh’s mentor and spark of his deeper lawful morality. Still others claim it was Enlil’s connection to the Death Hags and her desire to disgrace one Hag in particular that led to a political move that spared Dantalion’s life. Whatever the truth may be, the only fact that matters is when the Rootseers march to war, the banner of the army is held aloft by this handpicked Druchii warlord and woe betide any man or monster who stands in his way.

The Farstriders of Ghrond

A piece of fluff to inspire my Dark Elf army-building, design, and game play. Whatcha think?

The Farstriders of Ghrond, Army of the Rootseers of the Spiteful Peaks

Esakh Rootseer, Dreadlord of House Sirfalas, Prelatus of the Spiteful Peaks

Enlil Rootseer, Supreme Sorceress of House Sirfalas, Prelata of the Spiteful Peaks

Bound together by dread pacts and centuries of blissfully brutal marriage, the Rootseers have witnessed firsthand the folly of being too individualistic and self-serving, instead dedicating themselves to guile and manipulation of others while remaining staunchly dedicated to the family name, in deed and spirit. The couple has raised a staggering fortune, motivated by the tragedy and treachery of their parents’ embarrassment – reclaiming their highborn status by inches, and personally launching countless raids into the wider world. Any leader of the Farstriders must unwaveringly answer to the Rootseers, but ideally be directly of their bloodline. The siblings and children of Esakh and Enlil often lead smaller forces to war and raid, while the sister-bride and brother-groom personally lead from atop their specialized Cold One steeds, Dark Pegasus warhorses, or the family’s Black Dragon, Ahnubi. Despite being considered snobbish by the standards of even other highborn – not to mention the stain of their family’s prior indiscretions – a deal with the Rootseers is ironclad and almost always fortuitous for all parties involved. The pair has negotiated treaties that allow them to call up considerable numbers to war, and mass specialized forces from Naggarond to Har Ganeth; even the Harpies and Hydras of Karond Kar are answerable to their summons. Utilizing their unique bond and boundless trust – some would say incestuously so – the couple has earned the family its moniker, seeing the root of others’ treachery and infighting as weakness and capitalizing upon it for glory and fortune – at home and more often abroad. The simple truism of Clan Rootseer – that two united prevails against many divided – has stood the test of centuries and continues to bring success to the family as a whole.

Thoughts? I may write up more as I go, but this is pretty inspiring for me as I continue to build my army. Thanks for reading.

Porcine Inspiration

I've just realized, I never posted these pics anywhere. I managed to get 15 pts painted for a local journeyman league. I'm stuck now halfway through a min unit of Brigands. Hopefully, this will get me inspired to push further now that I'm moved and a have painting area set up. So without a lot of fanfare, I give you PIGS!

So, what do you think? Sorry for the less-than-professional pictures. Maybe a photo booth is in order. Either way, I realized I talk a lot of this blog without a lot of pics. So here ya go!

Druchii Uber Alles

So I've begun collecting Dark Elves (hence the new background image here on my blog) and I'm eager to finally get them on the table. The building is a challenge since I'm not used to these plastics, but I've gotten the hang of it. I love the feel of the Dark Elves; their merciless style is unlike ANYTHING else I play (or have played for that matter). So, without further ado, my first list:

20 Spearmen w/ Shields. Banner of Murder. Full Command = 180pts

10 Cold One Knights. Full Command = 310pts

20 Corsairs. Sea Serpent Standard. Full Command = 250pts

10 Repeater Crossbowmen. Guard Master. Musician = 110pts

1 Sorceress. Lvl2. Tome of Furion = 150pts.

That's 1000pts on the nose! Yes, I'm THAT OCD. So, I have a bit of this left to assemble and I'll be testing it out soon - learning this game by hook or by crook.

One question for the audience - any recommendations for good and inexpensive movement trays? What are the standard sizes I should be looking to buy?

Wish me luck as I sow merciless slaughter!

New Strategies - Random Casters!!!

Aside from expanding out into Malifaux Outcasts (again) and Warhammer Fantasy Dark Elves, I've also decided to allow a bit of random chance and specific learning exercises guide my Warmachine & Hordes games to higher levels.

First, I've been inspired by a fellow Circle forumite - fildrigar - to track my wins and losses with a few sentence description of what happened. Highlights are on mistakes and bits of cleverness.

Second, I've decided that with so many options for warcasters and warlocks at my disposal, I'm designing a random system of game play. I've been using this site to generate random numbers within any range I want. Each month, I'll generate a random number for which faction to play for the month. Then I'll generate a random caster for each week or two. I'm not super strict with it, but it'll help me break out of the rut of using the same caster over and over. For example, I'm using two here to prepare for an upcoming 35pt tourney. So here goes...

January: Cygnar

Warcasters: General Adept Nemo & Captain Kara Sloan

And from here, I make some lists. I'm also trying to push myself to use models I don't usually use. So first up, the General... then Captain Starbuck.

General Adept Nemo (-6pts)
* Firefly x2 (10pts)

* Centurion (9pts)
* Hammersmith (8pts)
* Ironclad (7pts)
* Squire (2pts)
Stormsmith Stormcaller x5 (5pts)

*****

Captain Kara Sloan (-6pts)
* Defender (9pts)

* Hunter (6pts)
Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team (4pts)
Precursor Knights (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
* Precursor Knight Officer & Standard (2pts)
Trencher Commandos (Leader and 5 Grunts) (6pts)

* Trencher Commando Scattergunner x3 (3pts)

Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator (1pts)
Rhupert, Piper of Ord (2pts) - {considering the Squire instead}

I'm excited to give these a whirl as I approach the upcoming tourney. I'm stoked. I'll use this space to track a bunch of my thoughts and experiences in Mali, WFB, and my new random approach to PP games. Also, keep your eyes peeled for more modelling and painting work.

Here we go!

So, I've decided that not only do I need to paint my pigs, but I need a playable fully-painted force when I'm all done. So I've struck a balance between what I have started painting already, and what I can safely add and still make progress.

Lord Carver (*6pts)
* Gun Boar (5pts)
* War Hog (8pts)
* War Hog (8pts) {new}
Farrow Brigands (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
Farrow Brigands (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
Farrow Slaughterhousers (Leader and 5 grunts) (6pts) {new}
Farrow Razorback Crew (Leader and 1 Grunt) (3pts) {new}
Alten Ashley, Monster Hunter (2pts)
Gudrun the Wanderer (3pts)
Rorsh & Brine (9pts)
Saxon Orrik (2pts)

The stuff marked {new} is going to need to be caught up to where the others are (base primer coat and leathers). In addition, I'll finish Dr. Arkadius, Pendrake, a unit of Bonegrinders, and another Gun Boar, since I don't want anything I've started painting to remain in-progress after this first pass.

The goal is to have these fully painted and based by September, ready to face my friend's fully painted and base Retribution. Should be quite the awesome showdown!

I'll start posting pics when I get each phase completed.

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Now playing: Sepultura - Endangered Species