Drachau of Naggaroth

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Druchiishootlord
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Drachau of Naggaroth

Post by Druchiishootlord »

I haven't been much into the game of Warhammer in a few years due to many things. Many of my friends who still play still look to me for background and fluff history in regards to our Druchii and Dwarves as well as TK.

A friend of mine wants to write a campaign based on the blasphemous idea of a Warhammer World campaign based in Naggaroth.

My question here is that I need as much information on the Drachau as possible. I also know that there is almost no canonical information on these important figures in our society. Here's what I know from the various texts on our people:

1.) I know that Malekith is the Drachau of Naggarond, logically making the governing responsibilities of this city king of our people.

2.) Though not canon, from the Malus series, I know that the Drachau of Hag Graef leads the armies of Malekith in his absence.

3.) I know that there are multiple Drachau in Clar Karond and Karond Kar. How many in Clar Karond I don't know. I want to say in the same non-canonical work of the Malus series that Karond Kar has 3. I want to say I've heard that the Drachau of Clar Karond are equal to most influential Black Ark captains of the city.

Now here's what I have logically deduced from those various readings:

1.) Karond Kar seems logical to have 3 because of the city being the hub of our Beastmasters in addition to the merchant slave trade. The third by logic says that Drachau would be Malekith's personal agent in the city. I want to say that Rakarth was a Drachau of this city at some point.

2.) Har Ganeth would seem to have control over the religion of the country. With our latest AB saying Hellebron (non-canon saying she is the daughter of Alandrian, Malekith's most trusted lieutenant and chosen lord of Athel Toralien after he left to return to Ulthuan) is the Drachau.

3.) Ghrond's Drachau would seem to be the head of the Convent.

4.) Clar Karond is the most enigmatic to me. I've read that the Drachau here number 7 for the Black Ark captains of most influence at Malekith's court. This seems to be contradictory based on the usual style of appointment for life. Also with the Black Arks never being all in city at same time there would seem to be governing issues.

Any help would be greatly appreciated
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Post by Saintofm »

There may be another Drachau in Naggrond in the same way a state's capital has a govenor and a mayor. One takes care of the state, and one takes care of the city. In this case, the city problems are left to the drachau, and whose spine needs ripped out to decorate his dragon's saddle is left up to the Witch King.


Hag Greif I beleive is Heleborum, though how conical is for another person to say.

Rakarth may be Klar Karond (I think that's the beastmaster city) is the one of that settlement being the greatest beastmaster to ever live.
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Post by Druchiishootlord »

Thanks for the extra insight.

For ease of the story I think I will just keep to Rakarth as the sole Drachau of Klar Karond.

Is there any other kind of information that you can think of in regards to Clar Karond? Everything else can be more of deduced pretty logically but in the end I am still stuck on the our shipyard.
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Post by Saintofm »

Clar Karond, City of the corsairs. It's where all the ships are largly produced and repaired.

Alot of corsairs ar eprodiced there. Their color: Blue.

Karond Kar, City of the Beast Masters, is the main slaving port. On a palinsola/island (depends on who's doing the map on the edition) it is the first wave of defence against the high elves with much of the waters enchanted and filed with sea monsters. THe walls are high thick, and they have a whole managery of beasts they train for war ranging from mounts such as Dark Steeds and Dark Pegasi to much bigger critters like chaos spawn and hydras. Basicly they goad animals to battle.

This is also the biggest slaving port due to both it's defenses and the first city you run into on your return trip. Slaves come from every conceivable part, humans, green skins, all three main factions of elves, with dwarves being the most expensive (very hard to capture, very skilled in what they do, smiths and masons beyond compare).

Harpies are everywhere in the city, and are a good luck charm. If they were to ever leave the city on mass it is beleives the city would fall in 60 days.

Hag Greif is where the ore is produced. It's in perpetual twilight with where it is located in it's canion, and has a number of entrancess to the caves. Slaves are worked to death in the minds, and their remains are reanimated to keep working until they are dust.

Because of smelting fumes, many a noble where a mask (read malsu dark blade for details).

Coldones were discovered here, and have been the prized mount for this city for generations. A single coldone is vicious, but once mounted it looses most of it's furry and gets a little dull witted (still can kill things dead though, it is a dinosour the size of a pickup truck).

Har Ganeth is a city where, as malus puts it, no sane elf wants ot go. Even slaves refer to it as the cursed place. It is the capital of the Cult of Khaine, with it's marble walls perminatly dyed red from sacrifices, and it's doors always open to let enemies in (they are constantly looking for a fight). The color of choice is white as it shows thew blood all the better. Much of the weapons and armor is produced here.

Naggrond is the capital city. The sky is mostly blotted out with tall towers and smog caused by continual sacrifices. It is one of the most heavily fortified cities with the higheest and thickest outer wall. As this is the capital city, many a noble sends their children here for the schools to learn the arts of war and to learn how to lead elves into battle. Color: Royal Purple.


Ghround: Ghround is basically a overgrown fort. It is built to hold the enemy at bay and keep them out. The streets are wide and direct to let large regiments march forward, and each section is completly indipendent of the other though has spacific purposes.

Troops are sent here to train, and spend much of their tenure here as they learn how to use the spear, crossbow, and sword.

Origionaly built for sorceressess to get a better chance of gleaming the the winds of magic due to how close it is, it is a city where spell casters around the Land of Chill would give and arm and a leg to enter the covens of this city. Against chaos incursions, it is both the second defense, with he watch towers the first.


The Watch Towers: A series of tall tower strongholds that line the borders of the chaos wastes and the frozen plains that lead to the DE cities. It is a mark of shame to be sent here, as madness and death are all to common an occurrence here.
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Post by Drainial »

I think everything known has been covered here and your deductions from the available information are as good as any (they make sense at least and that is enough if there is no cannon). I am not sure what else you need to be honest. The 7 Drachau system makes sense to me, these are very conniving highborn families after all and when the cities were founded in the beginning there must have been a time when they were left to sort themselves out to some degree. Once you have a city ruled by 7 families all of whom have reached a consensus that further warring will do none of them any good I can see Malekith saying fine. These are a pragmatic people afterall, amongst other things. I would conjecture that most of the seven stay in place for decades if not centuries at a time and that the fall of one is reasonably rare. On the other hand if indeed they are all Black Ark captains it could be that one loses ones' position as Drachau when one takes command of one's black ark and leaves the city. You would probably have to to keep the finances up so unless you can trust someone to captain in your stead you would have to leave eventually. That could lead to a high turnover and certain captains returning after decades of raiding to try and reclaim their positon. Obviously this is all in the eye of the reader.

The more interesting question from my point of view is exactly how the cities are ruled. There must be many Highborn families, I wonder if they have any real share of power with Drachau as 'first amongst equals', or if you are out until you reach the top.

What in particular does your friend need to know for their campaign?
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Post by Druchiishootlord »

From some sources say that the basic structure of the run of cities goes in order something like this:

Malekith over everything > Drachau of said city > Vaulkhar of said city > Highborn > Nobles > Everyone else > beasts > slaves...

Most of the information that he needs is based on how the cities are run. The campaign itself is a full scale invasion of Naggaroth. Knowing what kind of forces the Drachau can draw upon. There are 13 players in the campaign of which 6 of them happen to be Dark Elves. 5 of them are Order of which 2 are HE, 1 Destruction which I think is Beasts/Demon/Hordes, and 1 Ogre army. My role is basically commentator/narrator.

So to be more concise I need information on each Drachau, what the responsibilities they have been handed by Malekith, what kind of specialized forces each can draw upon, as well as political alliance with other cities. Of course the whole shebang is being headed by Malekith but as forces move I need to know how the particular cities are to react.

I'm just thinking that having all 6 cities sieged at the same time being unrealistic. The cities are massive and some of them, Karond Kar and Hag Graef being more or less immune to siege.
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Re: Drachau of Naggaroth

Post by Voodoomaster »

I think we maybe looking at this too simply.
Naggaroth is complex enough to begin with, i think that the term Drachau (meaning Dread or Dark Lord) maybe flexible in usage, and in the case of some cities may infact be a lesser person who simply rules over the city when the true ruler is occupied. This is my thoughts on it.

Naggarond: Malekith is the supreme ruler of Naggaroth and its capital but i suspect there would be a Drachau to run the city this would be the current Chillblade, the Vaulkhar would be Kouran in his capacity as Captain of the Black Guard.

Hag Graef : Malus Darkblade is the current Drachau, Below him is the Council of 9 (consisting of the rest of the powerful families of the Dark Crag plus the Vaulkhar whom would be the choice of the current Drachau so that in someway the Drachau has an ally on the council (usually))

Ghrond: Supreme Ruler, Morathi. No Drachau in this city instead the council of the heads of the covenants would rule below Morathi, the only position not picked by Morathi is the Vaulkhar the captain of the Guard appointed by Malekith to keep an eye on his mother and also as a warning that he is watching.
This is currently Kouran's former second in command of the Black Guard.

Har Ganeth: Supreme Ruler, Hellebron, again no Drachau in this city instead a council of nobles from the city run the administrative duties of the city (or at least try to), but like their ruler they are blood thirsty and are keen to gain as much power as possible for their little empires. The position of Vaulkhar is automatically filled by Tullaris.
Before the madness Har Ganeth was ruled by Ruerl Khan known as the Butcher, he was slain the first death night after the great victory and the madness that gripped the city. It is rumoured that Tullaris is the son of Ruerl and a queen in Hellbron's court.

Kar Karond: The Slave city is an enigma usually, as it is also a place of the beastmasters and i suspect that competition between them and the black ark captains is hellish at best.
I see the city being ruled by a Drachau Triumvirate between the Slave Lord, Beast Lord and Fleet Lord, although in reality Beastlord Rakath is the most senior of the current Triumvirate as his other two Lords are relatively new into their roles
(Rakath, having a black dragon is helpful in this city, but the rise of the current Kraken Lord Lokhir Fellheart has upset Rakath's previous rule of the Triumvirate somewhat for the past 100 years)
The Vaulkhir of this city is a Malekith appointee although has little to do with the running of the city he is often viewed as a peace keeper and a single fixed point in the politics of Kar Karond.

Clar Karond: Background usually states that this is Furion's home and so i believe that he is still the supreme ruler of the city, although he is above petty politics and responds only to the Witch King. A Drachau Council Rules below him and waxes and wanes in numbers throughout the year as new appointments are made, assassinations come, all their petty squabbling and empire building can be swept aside by Malekith or Furion whenever they wish.


This is what i feel is going on in Naggaroth anyway based on current and past army book background
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Re: Drachau of Naggaroth

Post by Underway »

Drachau is a non-cannon term invented by Dan Abbnet for the last of the Malus Darkblade comics (and TERRIBLE series of books). Cannon has moved on, Hag Graef doesn't look like it does in the book, Malus is the leader of the city just one more Dreadlord making his way in that city. Drachau is essentially a throw away term that has no real bearing on the game or the actual game fluff, make of that what you will. Kar Karond uses the term Krakenlord as one of their noble titles. In the current DE book they speak of noble titles and what they mean. Drachau could be one of them.

BTW Furion may not be a male elf. There is nothing in any of the armybooks or other DE fluff to indicate that Furion is male. Furion is a sorcerer/ess of great power and it would be odd if Malekith let a very powerful sorcerer survive and run one of his cities.

Fluff has moved on....
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Re: Drachau of Naggaroth

Post by Dalamar »

It is generally accepted that all smith-priests of vaul were male, making Furion male,
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