Warhammer Wednesday: The Necromancer of Drakenmoor

 

My previous post for Warhammer Wednesday dealt with some of the background (non-canon) for Darkenmoor.  One of the rumors mentioned on the WFRP 2E Refugee G+ Group was that Drakenmoor was a necromancer.  How does this necromancer tie into the story of Siegfried the Damned? There were rumors that some of Siegfried's advisers were corrupted by the taint of Chaos, indeed, that they might have been active cultists. Unfortunately, those rumors were true, and the ringleader was Anton von Bruk.

 

Young Anton before leaving home

The young scion of an up and coming merchant house, young Anton initially travelled to Altdorf to study at the university, but while on his journey thither, he was approached by a wizard who felt the spark of magic within him. Therefore, rather than follow a course of study that would have terminated in young Anton becoming a lawyer as his father wished, Anton instead became a wizard's apprentice, his father and family be damned! Even as a young man, Anton had realized that merchants, despite their wealth and standing, were held in contempt by the nobility who wielded the true power of government in the Empire. Magic was a power only the gifted could wield and it was pure in his magnificence.

 

Anton progressed well in his studies and was a fledgling wizard when the call to colonize Drakenmoor went out. Seeing the chance for power and glory, he quickly made his way into Siegfried's inner circle. When they entered the wastes, the subtle, corrupting influence of Chaos slowly wormed its way into his psyche. The one master that all men fear is death; if Anton could control death, ah, then he would have the ultimate power. Working with an unscrupulous physician and a grave robber, Anton began performing secret experiments of his own on the corpses of the dead. By the time the final Chaotic assault on the castle came, Bernhardt was attuned to the plane of death and had fallen deep into the depths of insanity. Since Siegfried and his incompent noble friends could not save Drakenmoor, Anton declared himself the Master of the Wastes. Calling forth the corpses of both humans and goblin-kind, Anton created even more havoc in the fight to save "his" kingdom. This happened at almost exactly the same moment that Siegfried accepted the bonds of Malal.

 

It is said that the necromancer, even now haunts the blasted land of Drakenmoor, sometimes at the castle and at other times near the bodies of the newly slain. It is even possible that he is the one that keeps the degenerate inhabitants of the hamlet of Totentanz alive for his own warped ends and projects. It is also unexplained how Anton came by his necromantic knowledge without a mentor. It is possible that he was merely a gifted, if unstable, prodigy, or perhaps his mind was tounched by the Corruptor, Nurgle. It is also unknown if he truly survives to this present day. If so, he must be a Liche or an extremely persistent ghost. No one knows for sure.

Warhammer Wednesday: The Desolation of Drakenmoor

From my Hogshead poster map of the Old World (1998)

The above picture from my poster map of the Old World shows the intriguingly named "Desolation of Drakenmoor." Checking last week on the WFRP 2E Refugee group indicates that there is no real canon information on it, other than the idea that Drakenmoor was a necromancer. Perfect; that gives me something to work with, doesn't it?

 

Drakenmoor was a bold experiment of a coalition of nobles who wanted room to expand. Primarily third and fourth sons who would not inherit any true position of power or authority in their families, they received tactic imperial approval (but no tangible support) for their plan to establish a new Margravate, Drakenmoor, on the eastern side of the World's Edge Mountains. This was around the year 2350 soon after the reign of Magnus the Pious. The Imperial thought was that Drakenmoor might serve as a forward base should Chaos encroach from the East. And, if a few troublesome "extra sons" were occupied, so much the better for the peace of the Empire.

 

Unfortunately, this was not the case. After the initial settlement of the area and the investiture of the first Margraf, Siegfried von Lubek, it was rapidly apparent that the scheme was doomed to failure. One of the principal features of a feudal state are peasants and even free holders to work the land and provide an essential support structure. Convincing peasants to move to a far frontier was an impossible task; most of the ones who did emigrate were shiftless and lazy or freeing from legal action of one type or another. The "Castle of Drakenmoor" was never more than a motte and bailey  keep with insufficient logistical support to survive long; there was only so long that noble families in the Empire would continue sending support to their wayward sons. The Margraf's own advisers quarrelled amongst themselves and there were rumours that some were secretly active Chaos worshippers.

 

And then there was Chaos. Living outside the protective boundaries of the Empire and lacking ecclesiastical support in any measure, the area was ripe for infiltration, even if the rumours about the Margraf's councillors were false. And it did happen. Goblin and orc raiders were constantly probing, raising tensions. The infighting and corruption spread, and the entire citizenry turned on itself. The Margraf appealed to the Imperial gods but his cries went unheard and unanswered until, toward the end, a small quiet voice offered him vengeance. Suffice to say that when was said and done, Drakenmoor Castle was a smoking ruin. The first (and last) Margraf, Siegfried the Damned is said to still wanders the area, a servant of the renegade Chaos lord Malal.

 

Siegfried the Damned

Please note that at this time, these are merely notes and ideas in my head to become more fleshed out later. Enjoy!

 

Y is for Yuan-Ti

"Yuan-ti Anatomy Study" by Chris Quilliams

These last few letters of our Roman alphabet are always the hardest. Therefore, I have used tenuous connections at best to discuss concepts in abstracts. So, please bear with me. :)

 

Last week, I briefly mentioned that some gamers want to exclude influences derived from Tolkien in their AD&D game. Maybe the idea is to create a more Lovecraftian or Howardian feel something that excludes orcs and the like (for that I cannot help but recommend Realms of Crawling Chaos). In my mind, that is what the Yuan-ti represent. If one peruses the monster books of AD&D, especially Fiend Folio and Monster Manual II, one will find plenty of what 3.5 calls "abominations" and "outsiders." There is plenty to use in a grittier non-Tolkien game.

 

Let's examine the Yuan-ti (MM2, p. 130). Inhabitants of tropical jungles...well that can be changed. While Lovecraft focused mostly on marine life (deep ones!), Howard's Cthulhu tales had serpent men under England and Oklahoma! They were a degenerate race from prehistorical times that hates the "monkey races" that have since dominated the surface of the planet. The weakest are the 6 HD (!) purebloods. They can pass as human 80% of the time and have some minor reptilian features such as scaly hands or forked tongues. Also, "Purebloods normally handle affairs with the outside world and may travel far and wide doing so." This brings to mind the "strange monks" (robed Draconians) in the first Dragonlance novel, Dragons of Autumn Twilight, and also the degenerate inhabitants of Innsmouth with their batrachian appearance. Sinister and mysterious, they could lure heroes to their doom as in the opening story to the first edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. The half-breeds have a single snake-like feature: a snake's head, the lower body of a snake, whatever. Here is where the horror begins. And finally, the abominations are all snake or have, at most, a single human feature. Note that the race has innate spell abilities as well.

 

A whole campaign could center around the return of the "snake-men," taking the party into the Depths of the Earth to confront the yusn-ti's bleak temples and end their horrid rites. The polymorph other ability could be used to transform victims into half-breeds or even abominations to bolster the ranks of their growing armies. A desperate fight into the dark places of the world, possibly by adapting the Vault of the Drow or a similar adventure.

 

Bullywug Warrior.

 

 

There are other creatures that are not necessarily abomination could be tweaked as such. I direct you to a April, 2011, post on the bullywug that in which I tweaked the description for a more dark feel. This can be done with several races. Take that stock horror the owl bear. Describe it's clacking beak and its fiery eyes to the players. Make them feel its hot breath and hear its shriek of rage. Another something that is not Tolkien. :)

 

 

 

In all, the ability to excise Tolkien from the game is not difficult; it merely takes a little research and some substations. Oh, and imagination, always imagination.  Until tomorrow, gentle readers, when I wrap up the 2013 A-to-Z Challenge!