I have recently learned at the time of writing this message that the Mangaka of Berserk, Kentaro Miura has passed away at the age of 54 let us hope that the Manga can continue with the help of his assistants whom Miura has trained.
Middenheim
As Shirou entered the crowded city streets of Middenheim he saw merchants offering their wares and beggars with their hands outstretched for coin. He saw men, women and children staring at him and his wizard's robe, most looked at him with awe or fear like if he was some exotic and dangerous animal but others stared at him with a predatory gaze that only a pickpocket would have. Shirou clutched his coin pouch tightly just in case. As he approached his first stop, the Wizard's and Alchemists Guild he told Martha to wait at the Merchant District and as he got there what he saw was impressive. A three-story building, built in a grand but eccentric style, with a pillared entrance rising all the way to the roof.
Shirou could even see observatory towers poking out from the building reaching high above the rest of the city. As Shirou walked in he then remembered that Gelt had told him to look for a man named Albrecht Helseher to ask for the reagents he needed. The whole inside of the building was crowded with laboratory equipment and numerous apprentice wizards walking around performing various activities. How was he going to find him with all this going on here?
"Uhm, excuse me I'm looking for a Magister Albrecht Helseher?" called out Shirou pulling out the sign of his college.
"Yes, that would be me." said a gaunt man in his early sixties with long black hair greying at the temples.
His eyes were a startlingly vivid blue and his skin gave off a slightly metallic sheen under the artificial light of the room.
"Are you the apprentice that Balthasar Gelt sent to get the reagents? Tell me, what is your name young man?" asked the Guild Administrator and High Wizard of Middenheim.
"Emiya Shirou." explained Shirou.
"Well Herr Emiya follow me and I'll get you what you need." said the Lord Magister.
After getting the gold and lead he prepared to go to his next stop the hothouses and orangeries of Middenheim's Great Park.
(…)
As Shirou got to the park he saw numerous fountains and statues dotting the field and the greenhouses he needed to go to for the herbs he was looking for. As he entered he looked at the list of herbs that he required. Spiderleaf, Valerian, Elvish Parsley, Spumepetal and Graveroot. He took his time identifying the plants by their traits until he found what he was looking for.
(…)
As Shirou had gotten all the materials he needed and met up again with Martha he suddenly saw a huge muscular woman with blue eyes, she had a feral expression and wore very revealing garb that made Shirou blush. It was a woman that Martha apparently recognized judging by her nervous twitching.
"Who is that?" asked Shirou.
"Franka, she saved me from an angry mob in the Drakwald." said Martha.
"What did she do?" asked Shirou in interest.
"Have you heard of the Children of Ulric?" whispered Martha nervously.
"I think I've heard of them." said Shirou.
After all it was common practice in the Colleges of Magic to make Wizard Apprentices aware of the Gods of the Old World both benign and malevolent. It was a strict rule that a Wizard of the Colleges must not worship any God, however that rule was occasionally broken though no one would admit it. When He was being taught about Ulric one of the many things mentioned by Gelt in his sessions was of a folktale told by peasants of how Ulric courted a Northern woman who gave birth to the first werewolves. He was then told that they were in fact real and that the Cult of Sigmar hunted them claiming that they were corrupted or cursed, while the Cult of Ulric never mentioned them in their sermons. Shirou remembered that he asked what Gelt thought about the Children of Ulric, to which he replied that as a Gold Wizard it was necessary to always keep an open mind.
"She's one of them." said Martha.
"That's amazing." said Shirou.
"She thinks that she might be the last of her kind." added Martha suddenly.
That sounded terrible. He stared at Franka's retreating form. It must be very lonely being the only one of your kind left.
Then suddenly shouting and a loud crash was heard coming from the Temple of Ulric. Shirou turned to see a Herald of Khorne wielding a flaming sword while engaged in combat with a rag-tag group of adventurers. The party was composed of an Estalian Diestro, a Dwarf Slayer, a Knight of the White Wolf, a Bretonnian Knight Errant, a Witch Hunter and a Halfling Field Warden.
The Halfling held his arms around the neck of the Daemon in a sorry attempt at a headlock as he hung from the neck of the creature that was much taller than him as it tried to shake him off by bucking it's head like a bull.
Shirou decided to intervene by materializing his bow and firing an arrow. The arrow soared through the air as it hit it's mark in the creature's shoulder. It turned and looked directly at him all the way from there. Then it finally shook off the halfling flinging the half-man into the Witch Hunter knocking him over. Then it began to charge.
The Daemon's Malice came off of it like a miasma. Shirou could smell it from there. It's near infinite cruelty and hatred towards everything that lived.
"Blood for the Blood God!" it screamed until it was suddenly interrupted by a blow from a great-sword.
The wielder of said sword was Franka who had a savage glint in her eye.
The Herald of Khorne slowly turned to look at her. It's eyes burning with hatred as it howled with rage.
"Go rock!" shouted the Halfling Fieldwarden as he flung a rock at the Daemon which shattered against it's head annoying it.
The Herald of Khorne pointed it's sword at the Halfling, the blade spat a gout of flame badly burning the crowd of Adventurers.
Franka then started to pray.
"Ulric give me the fangs of the wolf,
Ulric give me the claws of the wolf,
Ulric give me the coat of the wolf,
And I will show your enemies the mercy of the wolf."
Then a freezing arctic wind came from out of nowhere freezing the Daemon of Khorne solid.
The ice began to crack until it shattered completely as the Herald broke free. Then Shirou fired four black-keys converted into arrows that penetrated into it's chest, the Daemon tore them out in anger then glared at Shirou. Then the Witch Hunter shot at it from behind with blessed bullets fired from his dual pistols. Then Franka struck again this time she had a savage, wrathful expression that made her look more like a beast than the attractive woman she had been before. The Daemon was prepared now as it parried her sword strike and then stabbed her in the gut and threw her at the wounded Adventurers.
"NOOOOO!" shouted Shirou as he dispersed his bow and projected Kanshou and Bakuya.
He charged at the Daemon and stabbed it in the back. It smacked him away before lunging at him with sword raised. Shirou parried the sword which caused his weapons to shatter from the force of the impact. He projected the married blades again. Then he stabbed the Herald of Khorne through the openings left in it's armor by the black-keys.
The Daemon finally died as the light in it's eyes faded and it collapsed to the ground.
Shirou then turned and hurried towards Franka.
If Shirou hadn't reinforced his reflexes during the fight he probably wouldn't have been able to win.
"Are you okay?" asked Shirou.
The woman coughed as she slowly got up from the ground.
She saw Shirou's offered hand and took it reluctantly, it had been so long since she had received kindness. She then silently walked towards the Temple of Ulric whose gates the Daemon had burst out from. Shirou of course decided to follow her there as he was suspicious as well. And what they found there was disturbing. It was the site of a grisly ritual.
Five Brothers of the Axe each with a red skull design painted over their Brotherhood insignia lay dead with knife wounds in their throats. There was a corpse in red and black robes with a brass skull engraved with runes hung around his neck which when Shirou investigated turned out to be the Deputy High Priest of Ulric with a red skull design painted on his face and a large, jagged knife, it's hilt set with a ruby carved into the shape of a skull clutched in his hand.
At the Village with Goblin Slayer and Mugrub Fiendslayer
As the gigantic Bestigor collapsed to the ground Mugrub Fiendslayer watched as a strange hooded figure wearing a moss-green cloak slowly came towards the wounded Goblin Slayer. The Stranger placed his hands on the injury and chanted causing the wound to close up. He then chanted again as the trees and shrubs came to life and strangled the remaining Greenskins and Beastmen to death. As the Wargor slowly raised it's clawed hand in a sorry attempt at retaliating as it was still somewhat alive, the Stranger grabbed it's hand and cut it off with a glimmering sickle causing the Beast to scream in pain before he came closer and decapitated it.
"Come with me." said the strange man as he motioned for Mugrub to follow.
Mugrub picked up Goblin Slayer and came with him.
"I don't need you to carry me. The spell worked." said Goblin Slayer.
"Sorry." said Mugrub as he put him down.
As they followed the Stranger into the Forest they both noticed that the Stranger's hands were copper-green and scaly. Then suddenly they were approached by a gorgeous woman, she had a slender frame and walked with an elegant stride. They couldn't help but notice her slightly greenish skin-tone however.
"That is Alba, don't let her fair looks fool you, she wants nothing more than to slit your throat with her claws." said the Stranger.
The Dryad scowled and then revealed her true form. A monstrous tree-thing with clawed hands and eyes that glowed with an inhuman malice. She then left after the hooded figure shooed her away.
"Who are you Stranger?" asked Mugrub sternly.
"The people around here call me the Child of Taal, they worship me as a Deity. They think I'm the son of their Forest God. But that is entirely incorrect." He paused before he continued.
"You're not from here are you?" He asked the two.
"Who's asking?" asked Mugrub Fiendslayer.
The stranger then removed his hood revealing the draconic features of a Dragonborn.
"My name is Myastan Torinn and I am not of this World."
Goblin Slayer stared silently for a moment before he spoke.
"Are you a Lizardman?" he asked.
Torinn stared at him blankly in dumbfounded confusion.
(…)
Myastan Torinn was a Dragonborn who grew up in Tymanther. The Dragonborn of Tymanther had come from the Planet Abeir. And on Abeir there were no Gods, and Dragons ruled the World. The Dragonborn existed as a slave race and fought for their freedom and Tymanchebar was one such city freed from Dragon oppression. Then during an event known as the Spellplague, Tymanchebar was transported to the Continent of Faerun on the Planet Toril and became known as Tymanther afterwards.
As a result of their history the Dragonborn hated Dragons due to what they had endured and they typically payed no mind towards Gods, for no Gods had helped them and the closest things to Gods in their World, the Primordials hid from the Dragons in fear due to most having been destroyed by the Dragons. And yet some open-minded Dragonborn turned to the worship of the Dragon God of Justice, Bahamut and were hated by their more closed-minded neighbors. Torinn had lived a relatively peaceful life born to two loving parents and had been given the Clutch Name, Climber by his Siblings as he used to climb the cypress trees that grew near his home. Then one day he had, had a chance encounter with a Dryad. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
From that day onwards he had decided to worship nature as a Druid.
At first, he stuck to the plains, forests and mountains of his Homeland, but he had been overcome by a wanderlust as he had wanted to see the wider world and it's distant lands each with their own unique Flora and Fauna. And so, he left his Homeland behind and journeyed all the way to The Swordcoast. He would later discover the horrors of Aberrations, Fiends and the Undead, along with the threat they posed to the Natural World. So, he found a new calling slaying monsters. Then after years of Adventuring he suddenly was enveloped in a shroud of mist.
He had expected to appear in the Domains of Dread. A layered Demi-plane he had been trapped in before on several occasions, but instead of seeing Barovia, Lamordia or Forlorn he had wound up in a place known as the Bad Lands. It was a place with Living Ghouls, fungoid Orcs and Goblins, and flamboyant Vampires called Strigoi. Even when he used magic to summon Dryads they were notably hostile in nature and only obeyed him under the effects of his spell, he was certain they would attempt to kill him if allowed. Bizarre things like this were not unknown to him however, as he had been to other Worlds such as Oerth, Krynn and the aforementioned Domains of Dread.
After some time he decided to look for a way home and traveled further into this strange World. He went through an uncivilized land known as the Border Princes where self-proclaimed lords ruled over petty kingdoms which reminded him a lot of the Border Kingdoms, a hostile mountain range named the Black Mountains and then finally he came across the proudly named Empire of Man where he had stayed for about a year and in that time he had drawn the attention of the locals, so much so in fact that they even started to see him as a demi-god as he often fled after helping people. They had called him the "Child of the Forest" or the "Child of Taal."
Now he had met two others in a similar situation as him, for they too were not of this World.
"No, I'm not a Lizardman. In fact I have no idea of how you could mistake me for one." said Torinn.
"You just look like a lizardman or at least you look like the ones in My World." explained Goblin Slayer.
Torinn guessed that it did make sense somewhat considering the drastically different varieties of Lizardmen that existed on the World of Krynn.
"I am one of the Vayemniri, the Ash-marked ones or as they are called by humans Dragonborn."
Then suddenly a creature resembling a tiny dragon emerged from the tree tops.
"Griffon, how has reconnaissance duty gone?" Torinn asked the pseudodragon which responded to him telepathically.
"There are more Beastmen appearing by the day. They appear to be drawn by something but I still haven't determined what." said the pseudodragon in his mind.
"Well that's unsettling." said Torinn vocally in response.
"What is that?" asked Goblin Slayer.
"This is Griffon, a Psuedodragon and my only friend to come with me to this World."
Griffon was one of his first friends whom he had met when he had saved the Psuedodragon from poachers.
"There is something else I must tell you, there is an army of men on the march nearby led by a Samurai Warlord who is traveling with a strange masked Wizard." continued the Psuedodragon telepathically.
"There is something I must investigate. Follow me it's best that we outcasts stick together." said Torinn.
With Ash and Guts
The two Demon Slayers walked silently as they approached a village. That was some life story of his. Guts really had it rough, it was one train wreck after the next. It made Ash's life look like summercamp by comparison. Although he didn't lose everyone, which Ash was honestly slightly jealous of, Guts was hounded every night by demons wanting to kill, eat and rape him.
Which would explain the constant encounters they had been having during their travels.
As they crossed a bridge going over a trench filled with sharpened sticks and came upon a village surrounded by a stockade and filled with the sounds of people and honking geese, they were approached by two armed men.
"Outsiders state your business." said the watchman.
"Just passing through, I won't be staying long anyway." said Guts.
"Why is that?" said the other watchman.
"Because I'm cursed." said Guts attempting to scare them off.
"Well, word of advice friend, you shouldn't say something like that lightly. But if you really think your cursed then it's a good thing you're leaving." said the man.
"But wouldn't the Wise Man be able to help him." whispered the other.
"What? That old gargoyle? He's a Charlatan, nothing more nothing less." The man answered back.
"A Wise Man? Keep talking I'm interested." said Ash.
Guts looked towards Ash in confusion.
"Relax I met a Wise Man once. He might be able to help." said Ash.
After a while of asking around they finally found out that who they were looking for was in a small Hutt at the outskirts of the village.
As they walked over to the Wise-Man's Home they saw a circle of stones engraved with magic-runes.
"Let's get this crap over with." muttered Guts.
Guts banged on the door rudely.
"Hey old geezer! Open up."
A door viewer slid open.
"Who are you and why are you here?" asked the Wise Man nervously.
"Someone said you can help me with my curse." said Guts.
The Hedge-Master undid a series of locks before opening the door and telling them to come in.
They saw shelves and tables stocked with potions held over lit candles, bubbling elixirs on Hot plates, specimens preserved in jars or kept alive in cages and alchemical ingredients.
"What does the curse do?" asked the Wise Man.
"Every night I'm attacked by demons and undead." stated Guts bluntly.
"Is there anything else I should know about how this started?" asked the Wise Man.
Guts sighed and glanced back at Ash angrily before showing the brand on his neck. The Hedge-Master noticeably grimaced at the sight of it.
"Well, it's definitely the source of the curse judging by the aura it's giving off. But I've never seen such a runic symbol before, so I'm afraid I can't help you. I recommend you leave." said the Wise Man.
But as Guts turned to leave the Wise Man called out to him grabbing his attention.
"Take this, it might help protect you from evil." said the Wise man as he handed him a small pouch with magic stones in it.
"What's this ugly thing?" asked Ash as he saw a tiny manticore with a disturbingly human-like face kept inside a cage.
"Say that again to my face, I'll bite your nose off Bitch!" said the tiny manticore revealing that it was capable of speech as it voiced it's irritation at Ash's remark.
"Don't irritate the mutant manticore specimen." said the Wise Man.
As the men left, the Wise Man couldn't help but notice that what appeared to be a Spite was fluttering behind the One-eyed, Black Swordsman.
Later at sunset
As the Sun disappeared beyond the horizon, Guts' Brand of Sacrifice bled as this time it drew in something much worse!
Be'lakor, the First Damned had sensed something unfamiliar and unknown drawing him to it. He detested unknowns and so sought to destroy it with extreme prejudice. However as he ventured towards the object of his ire he was joined by others who seemed to have also been drawn by it. A small army of other Daemons and a few unnamable things had joined him much to his irritation. So much for subtlety.
As they got closer and closer to a village and the inhabitants began shouting in fear and claiming that The End Times were upon them, they suddenly stopped.
Their target was right in front of them.
It was a man wielding a sword that they could see via their witch-sight was cursed. The man charged towards them at speeds faster than the eye could see.
What they saw then was no longer a man but a fellow Daemon, a Beast in Black.
(…)
The following will involve an army list that mixes multiple editions of Warhammer Fantasy Battle, some White Dwarf magazine and a few touches of Homebrew it'll probably give GW an aneurysm and it'll be worth it.
The Chaotic Horde
Be'lakor, the Dark Master-Daemon Prince with the Blade of Shadows
The Blood Host of Khorne-one Bloodletter cohorts led by a Bloodreaper, one pack of Flesh Hounds
Ozrul Wrathheart, the Houndmaster-one Daemon Prince of Khorne mounted on a Juggernaut
The Wandering Plague Host-one swarm of Plague Drones, one Plaguebearer cohorts led by a Plagueridden
Cholera Netherblight-one Daemon Prince of Nurgle
The Host of Excess-one cohorts of Daemonettes led by an alluress, three fiends of Slaanesh
Baphomet, The Great Goat-one Daemon Prince of Slaanesh mounted on a Steed of Slaanesh
The Host of Change-one cohorts of Pink horrors with standard bearer, musician and led by an Iridescent Horror, one swarm of Screamers of Tzeentch
Stre'rzoth Firegazer-one Daemon Prince of Tzeentch
The Horrors of the Forest-eight Chaos Spawn, one flock of Harpies, one swarm of Chaos Furies and one herd of Gors with a musician and led by a Foe-Render
Beorg Bearstruck and the Bearmen of Urslo-one unit of Chaos Warriors with standard bearer equipped with the Bear Banner, horn blower and led by Beorg Bearstruck with the Bear-Fang Talisman
The Town's Defence
Mydas the Mean-Paymaster with the Treasure Map, Bodyguards with halberds and Sheikh Yadosh with the Crest of Mydas
Guts-Mercenary Captain with Guts' Dragonslayer, a repeater crossbow and Berzerker Armor
Puck-Spite
Ash Williams-Mercenary Hero wielding the Boom-stick
The Wise Man-Hireling Wizard Lord
Reikland Patrol Deserters-one regiment of Empire Crossbowmen, one regiment of Empire Greatswords, one regiment of Handgunners led by one Marksman with a Repeater Handgun, one regiment of Empire State Troops with musician and standard bearer with the Standard of Arcane Warding, one regiment of Empire Halberdiers.
The Reikland Roadwardens-one cavalry brigade of Pistoliers and one cavalry brigade of Outriders led by a Sharpshooter
Fakir, Saleem al-Muhammad-one Arabyan Magician riding a Flying Carpet
The Town Watch-one regiment of Imperial Huntsmen led by one Tracker, one regiment of Empire Crossbowmen, one unit of Mercenary Pikemen, one regiment of Handgunners, one regiment of Empire Swordsmen, one Siege Ballista with crew, one Catapult with crew, one Empire Great Cannon with cannon crew led by Empire Master Engineer with a Hochland Long Rifle, one Regiment of Free Company Militia
The Hounds of War-one pack of Imperial Hunting Hounds led by a Hunt Master
Father Wulfric-Warrior Priest of Ulric with a magic weapon, heavy armor and a Wolfshead Emblem
Cousin Okri's Fightin Dwarfs-one regiment of Mercenary Dwarfs, one Mercenary Dwarf Cannon with cannon crew led by bombardier
The Warriors of the White Wolf-one regiment of Warriors of Ulric with musician and standard bearer with the Standard of the White Wolf, one congregation of Wolf-kin, one Empire War Wagon
Father Sieg-Warrior Priest of Sigmar with a magic weapon and heavy armor
The Vagrant Doomsayers-one congregation of Flagellants led by a Prophet of Doom
The Farmer's Flock-one Poultry Swarm led by one Swan Rider
Boog the Giant and the Knights of the Southern Realms-one Mercenary Giant, one cavalry regiment of Tilean Condottieri, one cavalry regiment of Estalian Caballeros, two Tercio formations
Town Layout
An Armory built from granite
The Wiseman's Hut on a hill
A handful of cobblestone and log houses
The Town Inn
A barracks surrounded by a brick fence
A Barnhouse surrounded by a picket-fence
A brick and mortar blacksmith shoppe
A fortified Church built from concrete on a steep hill
A treetrunk stockade surrounding the entire Town
The Woods outside the Town
(…)
The Chaotic Horde
The Blood Host of Khorne-Drawn in by the promise of slaughter for the Blood God a horde of Daemons with reptilian scales and feral canid features emerges from the forest to claim Skulls for the Skull Throne.
The Wandering Plague Host-A droning mob of Nurgle's Tallymen advance slowly from the distance their blood-shot cataracted eyes staring at potential hosts for Nurgle's Gifts to add to their tally. Buzzing ahead of them Plague Drones with the faces of old men rub their appendages together as if in anticipation of the death to come.
The Host of Excess-A large group of Daemons with lithe bodies and perverse features have arrived. They hope to unleash as much savage and sensation-filled death as possible in the carnage to come.
The Host of Change-Ecstatic at the chance of claiming souls, Shriekers descend from the skies like birds of prey as gibbering Horrors squeal below.
The Horrors of the Forest-A swarm of terrors emerge from the Drakwald. Winged Harpies with lithe frames swoop down from the skies accompanied by Chaos Furies in search of prey while nameless things stalk below.
The Town's Defence
Guts-Guts was a loner, he had been one even before the Eclipse. He had traveled with Casca and a few others back in his world which helped him open up a bit more. But now as far as he was aware, he was in another world and with a new companion named Ash. But his brand still attracted creatures of the darkness and evil spirits. Let them come, it would end all the same. They would search for him and he would kill them all.
Ash Williams-Ash was a hardened killer of Deadites and other Demons. But now he was stuck in a world that somewhat reminded him of when he was transported to 1300 AD but with monsters everywhere. It brought dark thoughts of whether this is what his world would've looked like if the Kandarian Demon had won.
The Wise Man-Raised among the Hedge Folk as one of the Blessed Few. Eventually he decided to improve his craft by traveling to Nuln while hiding his true identity as a Hedge Wizard to study Battle Magic, Elementalism and Alchemy. After learning everything he could he returned to live the life of the Hedge as he had before. He planned to eventually leave this town to avoid the suspicion of the local Sigmarite Priest, but now the Town that took him in is in great peril. The Hedge Master will defend these people with his life if he has to.
Reikland Patrol Deserters-After having fled from a battle with a Green skinned Mutant the deserters of the Reikland Patrol had hid in a village only to find out later of an impending Daemon attack. They had left from one battle only to enter another; they have no choice now but to fight because this time they have nowhere to run.
Boog the Giant and the Knights of the Southern Realms-a mercenary band of rival knights seeking fortune in foreign lands, they always try to one-up each other on jobs to prove their superiority over the other regiment. They eventually recruited a Giant named Boog that they had met in the Border Princes.
The Dead Wood
As Geralt and Falkner were traveling through the forest Geralt's medallion shook before Roach neighed in panic as a pack of Ghouls emerged from the forest. Geralt took out his Silver Sword. Contrary to common belief it wasn't pure-silver but meteoric iron coated in silver and inscribed with magical runes. It was a good thing that he had oiled the blade on a recent job hunting Drowners.
Falkner pulled out a great axe that gave off a fiery red glow and charged into the fray cutting off limbs and splitting skulls. Geralt cut into the pack of Ghouls, the runes of the blade glowed as it cut into their flesh and left cauterized stumps. The Ghouls started to panic as the two men were putting up a good fight. As the Ghouls turned to flee abominations emerged from the dark of the forest crushing them underfoot. These were several times larger than the other ghouls with boney growths and protrusions pushing out from their spines, while they wielded weapons made from large bones.
"What kind of Ghouls are those?" asked Geralt.
Before they could approach Geralt threw a Dragon's Dream, a bomb that released flammable gas, but before he could light it with Igni however…
"YOL TOOR SHUL!" he heard Falkner shout as a stream of flame lit it for him causing an intense explosion badly burning two of the monstrous Ghouls and killing one.
Geralt charged while they were seemingly distracted. As the first Crypt Horror swiped it's claws at him Geralt performed a dodge roll and cut into it's back, the runes of Svarog, Dazhbog and Veles glowed as they burned the Crypt Horror's flesh. It howled in pain and attempted to smack him away only to be blocked with the expanded form of the Quen Sign causing it to stagger as if parried. He then knocked it over with the Aard Sign. As he approached it to finish it off it caught him by surprise in a sudden burst of speed as it grazed him across the face.
It let out an enraged screech at him only to be silenced as Geralt decapitated it with a well-placed swing of his sword.
Falkner on the other hand was having a rough time as he was sent flying into a tree. He then became enraged and began to transform as he grew hair and his armor came off as he grew in size while his fingers became claws as he turned into a Werewolf. He then tackled the Crypt Horror and proceeded to beat it to death before he started to eat it. While this happened Geralt quickly collected the blood, bone marrow and liver from the Monster he had killed to study later. As they had potential use for reagents and mutagens to make potions with, it was best to collect it while it was still fresh.
As he finished doing that Falkner calmed down and returned to his human form. He then turned to look at Geralt.
"Don't tell anyone about that okay." said Falkner to Geralt.
"Don't worry I won't." Geralt responded.
After the Dragonborn placed his armor back on they proceeded to travel a bit until they came across what appeared to be a small group of misfits fighting what appeared to be decaying dire wolves, wights in armour whose eyes were alight with witch-fire and more ghouls moving on all fours.
The party was composed of a Killer of the Dead, a Dwarf Slayer, a Bretonnian Questing Knight, an Ogre Maneater, a Ghost Strider and a Vampire Hunter.
"Draugr!" shouted Falkner at the sight of the Grave Guard.
Geralt cleaved through the dire wolves with his steel sword, while Falkner dismembered ghouls and grave guard with his great axe shattering bones and spilling guts. Then as the battle subsided, they took time to collect themselves.
"You guys are pretty good at this. You adventurers or mercenaries?" said the Vampire Hunter in an Ostermarker accent as he took a swig from a flask of Vodka he had retrieved from under his high-peaked fur hat.
"Mercenary." said Geralt.
"Adventurer." said Falkner.
"Well, if you're interested-we're heading into Mordheim to kill whatever we can find crawling around in there. There might even be some decent loot in some of the abandoned locales." explained the Vampire Hunter.
"Donae worry ya wee man we just gon ta skelp sum bloodsuckers an' we got plenty o' ginger to go round." said the Killer of the Dead speaking in a Stirlander accent.
"What are ya looking at Umgi?" asked the Slayer as he noticed the Dragonborn staring at him.
"I've just never seen a Dwarf before." stated Falkner blandly.
"Well, we're decent folk once you get to know us." said the Dwarf.
After a while of talking the group decided to set off and traveled through the forest until they came across a city that appeared to be boarded off as if to keep anyone or anything from getting out. This reminded Geralt somewhat of the Quarantine of Vizima. they decided to do a ration check. Between all of them they had apple-baked fish, a few venison chops, a sheep haunch, black bread, rye bread, waybread, stonebread, vodka, kvas, koumiss, shlutzkrapfen, Pierogi, frankfurter wurstel and a small barrel of Bugman's Brew.
The Vampire Hunter threw a grappling hook which they all climbed to get over the city walls. As they prepared to descend into the Ruins of Dread Mordheim one of them spoke.
"Welcome to Mordheim, City of the Damned-where your hopes and dreams go to die!" joked the Vampire Hunter, displaying the trademark gallows humor of Ostermark.
The Killer of the Dead laughed at the morbid joke on Mordheim's unfortunate fate as he was from Stirland another province fond of dark humor.
The Black Fortress, Dark Lands
A massive force composed of Dwarfs, Humans, High Elfs, Wood Elfs and Dark Elfs advanced forward. All of them were being led by the Warforged Paladin and Battlemaster named Wall through the dark, winding corridors of the Black Fortress. They moved quickly throughout the Chaos caused by the escaped Daemon-engines killing any Chaos Dwarves or Hobgoblins that confronted them along the way.
"You didn't tell us that you let the Daemon Engines loose!" shouted a High Elf.
"Don't look at me! It was Nadarr's idea!" explained Wall.
The Daemon Engines were like a twisted parody of the Warforged. In place of a soul there was a malevolent entity imprisoned within their twisted metal shell.
Wall then came across one of the artificers of the Chaos Dwarves which were apparently called Daemonsmiths, it wore a brazen mask bearing the likeness of a fiend, the eyes seemed to glow from underneath. Wall drew his armblade, a vorpal longsword and prepared for battle. The Dwarf drew his darkforged mace and shield then charged with a howling war cry. The wicked dwarf struck with an unnatural ferocity but Wall blocked just in time and held firm. Wall pushed back with his shield and caused the dwarf to step back a bit.
He then hit the Chaos Dwarf again before knocking the darkforged weapon out of the Chaos Dwarf's hand with his armblade, disarming his opponent. He then swung his sword again decapitating the Daemonsmith and ending the fight.
Wall wondered what Nadarr was doing.
(…)
Meanwhile Nadarr was charging with a mob of Orcs, Goblins, Snotlings, Ogres and Trolls wreaking havoc wherever they went. They had spilled entire drums of molten metal all over the place and destroyed forges trying to cause as much mayhem as possible. Crowds of Hobgoblins and Chaos Dwarfs had been consumed by the spilled drums of molten brass and iron. Nadarr wasn't going to lie, it smelled delicious.
Nadarr had opted to change into his half-plate armor made from Mekillot half-shell and Fire Drake hide. He had switched his gladius for his favorite weapon, his magic macuahuitl of wounding.
The Lava Trolls tanked a barrage of blunderbuss fire and naphtha bombs while spitting boiling acid at Chaos Dwarf warriors. Black Orcs punched Hobgoblin's faces in. It was one hell of a fight.
But Hobgoblins would pick off anyone who got too excited and went too far ahead of the group. And some of the Infernal Guard would occasionally show up and attack.
He would have to get out soon.
(…)
Drazhoath the Ashen was finally returning after a long day of patrolling the River Ruin with the Legion of Azgorh, only to see a slave revolt in progress with the Daemon Engines set loose and wreaking havoc. And then he remembered the two strange subjects that had been captured and scheduled to be taken apart and studied. Perhaps this had something to do with them. After all he still had yet to discover what they were fully capable of. No matter, he would take care of the problem soon enough.
In light of recent events of GW shanghaiing fanfilm makers of 40k and the death of TTS I will not begin buying miniatures and will never subscribe to Warhammer this might sound petty of me to ask, but anyone who feels the same please do not buy their miniatures and do not subscribe to Warhammer, that will send them a message that the fans of Warhammer were the ones who held them up for years and they should never forget that! On another note I recently started reading a manga called Chainsaw Man which is about as grimderp as Warhammer 40k is and I find it has some parallels in regards to how it and Warhammer portray the concept of devils/daemons, I even put the main character in a 40k Omake.
Draconic Dictionary:
Vayemniri - Ash-marked ones; how Tymantheran Dragonborn refer to themselves in their dialect of Tymantheran Draconic.
I decided to adapt Ash and Guts to tabletop for the sake of the battle.
Guts-Mercenary Captain
Stats: M5 WS8 BS5 S5 T5 W4 I5 A5 LS8
Special Rules: Unbreakable
Mark of Sacrifice: 1 Ward Save but gives frenzy to Chaos and Undead units within a range of 10"
Cannon Arm: During any close combat phase Guts can attack with his cannon arm roll D3 wounds. This can only be used once per battle.
Equipment:
Berzerker Armor: Magic armor that gives 3 to armor save and can be activated during any close combat phase to give 2 Movement Allowance, Strength, Toughness and Initiative and the Frenzy special rule for the rest of the battle.
Guts' Dragonslayer: Magic Greatsword with Armor Piercing bonus and Killing Blow special rule, can re-roll to wound against Daemons, Undead and Forest Spirits.
Ash Williams-Mercenary Hero
Stats: M4 WS6 BS6 S4 T5 W3 I5 A3 LS8
Special Rules: Always Strikes First
The One: 1 to Ash's Initiative and Leadership
Deadite Killer: Has Killing Blow special rule against Daemons and Undead and can re-roll to wound against such units.
Mechanical Arm: Ash can punch an enemy with his metal arm giving 2 Strength bonus
Equipment:
The Boom-stick: Experimental Handgun with Maximum Range of 18" and Strength of 6.
Omake1 (Canon)
A group of Dwarfen miners dug beneath the earth of the World's Edge Mountains accompanied by Dwarf Rangers while they sang a merry song to kill the time.
(Que song-Diggy Diggy Hole by Wind Rose)
"Brothers of the mine rejoice!" shouted the Prospector as he chiseled the stony walls.
"Swing, swing, swing with me." sang the miners as they worked with their pickaxes.
"Raise your pick and raise your voice!" shouted the Prospector as he continued to work.
"Swing, swing, swing with me." sang the miners again.
"Down, down into the deep who knows what we'll find beneath?" the Rangers joined in.
"Diamonds, Rubies, Gold and more hidden in the mountain store." sang the miners as they continued to dig.
"Born underground, suckled on a teat of stone." sang the rangers.
"Raised in the dark, the safety of our Mountain Home." sang the miners.
"Skin made of iron, steel in our bones to dig and dig makes us free. Come on brothers sing with me!" sang the Prospector.
Then suddenly they struck something hollow only to discover an abandoned mine shaft.
(End Que)
The Dwarfs looked at each other before they sent the rangers ahead.
What the rangers found there was strange indeed. Skeletons of men in unrecognizable uniform sitting next to a strange device whose main components were a disk with a stylus and metal cone. One of the Dwarfs connected the stylus to the disk in curiosity which to his astonishment caused music to start playing.
(Que I'll Never Smile Again by Tommy Dorsey)
Omake2 (Canon)
The Lone Wanderer was a complicated man. He had been raised in Vault 101 for most of his life where he had been taught that he was born in the Vault and that he would die in the Vault. At the Age of 19 he had walked into the irradiated ruins of Washington D.C. in search of his Father who had disappeared. And on that journey, he had seen the best and the worst Humanity had to offer. He had met people like the Brotherhood of Steel and the inhabitants of Megaton along with Talon Company and the Enclave.
He had eventually found his Father and tried to help him fulfill his dream of completing Project Purity to bring drinkable water to the Wasteland. But they were then confronted by an organization called the Enclave who wanted to poison the water with a strain of FEV designed to kill Super-mutants, Ghouls and all other "unclean" inhabitants of the Capital Wasteland. His Father, James sacrificed himself in order to prevent his research from falling into the wrong hands. After he eventually confronted the Enclave's leader President, John Henry Eden, a ZAX AI unit installed in the Raven Rock military base, he revealed his plan to the Wanderer. The Wanderer would have none of it, while there were plenty of Feral Ghouls and Super-mutants in the Wasteland that would happily eat human-flesh he had also met Ghouls and Super-mutants who had retained their humanity like Charon and Fawkes.
He refused and escaped after convincing the AI to self-destruct after finding an error in his logic, he would eventually complete Project Purity and destroy the last remaining remnants of the Enclave. Then after going on numerous other adventures he eventually became curious after the events involving the Dunwich Building, the Krivbeknih and a strange deity named Ug-Qualtoth, too curious. Then before he knew it his curiosity sent him on another journey across the ruined United States in search of more evidence of the existence of the paranormal, then he suddenly awoke somewhere that he would later find out was on another planet in an alternate future timeline where Humanity expanded civilization across the stars and had degenerated into a decaying empire ruled by a quasi-fascist feudalist theocratic oligarchy that worshipped a dying emperor kept alive on life-support.
After he had escaped from the ruins of Hive Secundus and fought his way through the ash wastes he walked through a shanty town into one of the Hive Cities. The place was only slightly less shitty than the outside it was crawling with criminals, gangs and feral mutants. Mutants where hated a lot more here than back in the Wasteland, here almost everyone hated mutants and the Hive City was littered with dead mutants left behind like garbage. The Hive Cities of Necromunda reminded him a lot of The Pitt. But the wanderer was a survivor and he found a way to not only survive but thrive.
He started his own Gang made up of people who had nowhere else to go. Mutants, Beastmen, Unsanctioned Psykers, Deserters and Retired Guardsmen with no home to return to. It reminded him of when he was back in the Wasteland, he was a Saint to some and a Demon to others. The Ecclesiarchy and the Inquisition of the Imperium wanted him dead for sheltering the Dregs of Society. While the members of his Gang saw him as a saint.
One thing that really bothered him though was what kind of person was the so-called God Emperor of Mankind. He had heard different descriptions from various sources, some credible, others not so much. It was difficult to tell if the Big E was a well-meaning extremist or an out of touch sociopath. The Emperor was an enigma but one thing was for sure, he was a Psyker, a term the Imperium used when referring to Psychics.
Speaking of Psychics he had learned how to make psychic nullifiers during his journey back in his world. Which came in handy with helping reduce the headaches of the Psychics in his gang. Also, limiting the use of psionic powers prevented a new problem he discovered in the form of what was referred to as warp predators. You see as it turns out the Astral Plane is a dangerous place filled with nasty things that want to hijack people's bodies or whisper sweet nothings in people's ears he's not sure if it was always like that but it is now. The Wanderer knows this because he saw it happen once and he wouldn't ever forget it.
(End Que)
(…)
"What are you?!" asked the Lone Wanderer.
"We are you. We are the madness that lurks within you all, begging to be free at every moment in your deepest animal mind. We are what you hide from in your beds every night. We are what you sedate into silence and paralysis when you go to the nocturnal haven where we cannot tread." said the Daemon before it was cut off when the Wanderer fired his weapon, destroying the brain of the Psyker it had possessed sending it back to the Warp.
Omake3 (Canon)
On a random Hive-world in the Calixis Sector a brutal massacre was being led by the Pilgrims of Hayte.
"Hope is a lie! Faith is a lie! Your God is Dead!" shouted one of them.
"Show no mercy to women and children! Love is a lie!" shouted another one.
Then suddenly they were approached by a strange half-naked young man who appeared to have went through Hell.
"Who is he?! He is not one of us! Kill him like the rest!"
But before they could act the boy pulled a cord in his chest and in a spray of blood he transformed into a sharp toothed Deamon with blades covered in motorized biting teeth protruding from it's head and hands resembling ancient chainsaws.
"It's some sort of … chainsword man?!" said one of the Pilgrims of Hayte in confusion.
The Possessed then charged at them before cutting into them as it came within range in mere milliseconds. Blood, limbs and viscera flew everywhere as they were being slaughtered.
Then the Deamon was interrupted as it's arm was cut off by a great plague cleaver as the severed limb fell to the ground barbed wire emerged from the stump and connected to the limb before retracting back reconnecting the severed arm as it healed in seconds.
Fortunately for the Chaos Cultists they had Chaos Space Marines of the Night Lords and the Death Guard to assist them but for some reason they still felt that wouldn't be enough.
