hello all! I've been building my druchii army for a while now and I've finally got round to giving it some fluff (as an aside, Druchii aren't very fluffy, sounds very oxymoronic to me), in composing an army list, I always make a new one for each battle which revolves around the same units and generally it wastes lots of time and paper, so instead, I've put into a word document each of my units in their most common configuration with options listed below and their points cost, so that I can simply pick and choose what I want and don't have to spend hours skimming through the rulebook looking up options and points values. So I thought since this document is more a reference for units and their fluff, I'd post it in this section for you all to have a look and at the same time get some critique on my standard unit builds, I will get round to doing some actual army lists and post them up in the army lists section for critique sometime, but for now there is (razor-edged lethal-poison) fluff.
The reason I wanted some fluff is firstly to record some memorable moments or particular penchants my units have, such as my Lv4 sorceress who sucks a load of peoples souls out and then throws all of her dice at black horror, and laughs off the effects of the miscast with her 6 wounds, or the spearmen unit whose front rank is entirely composed of women as I realised I was being unfairly sexist in the entirely male make-up of my command groups, or the champion who I converted with a skull flail, or the witch elves who are the only thing painted in something other than black and grey, or... etc. I can get carried away, actually I already have, as you can probably see below.
The other reason I love army fluff is that when I'm playing a game is, instead of saying 'I charge with my Black Guard' I can say something like: 'prepare to recieve the lethal attentions of the Reapers of Silence.' Giving everything a name turns it from a unit to a regiment of renown in three words, and makes it so much more personal. It just sounds like the sort of Druchii general I would be, sitting on the back of my cold one, waving nonchalently at a trumpeter and saying 'Signal the Flesh Renders to advance and eat anything they come across'.
So without further ado:
The Shadow Host of Hag Graef
Background: The Shadow Host is Malus Darkblade’s personal army. Recruited from the most experienced and skilled units of Hag Graef’s mighty garrison, Malus assembled this army when the Witch King ordered him to lead a raid into Ulthuan as the first part of a plan to destabilise the home of the hated Asur. Malus was tasked with striking fear into the hearts of the High Elves once more, to remind them of how cruel the Druchii can be. Malus succeeded.
Bearing a writ of iron from the Witch king, Malus commandeered hosts of Spearmen, numerous divisions of Cold One Knights and a regiment of Black Guard from the Hag Graef garrison. Calling in a debt the Grand Carnifex of the Cult of Khaine owed him, Malus was sent a legion of the followers of the God of Murder, deadly Executioners and vicious Witch Elves of Khaine, lead by a notoriously merciless Death Hag - Vallethai, otherwise known as the Iron Talon. Next, Malus called upon Lokhir Fellheart to provide the host with ships and cruel Corsairs, in return for a bountiful share of the plunder. Finally, Malus turned to his mother, Eldire, Supreme Sorceress of Hag Graef’s Convent of Sorceresses, to grant his army the strength of the arcane.
Wielding the writ of iron, and using various pacts, bargains and old debts, Malus forged an army many times what had been expected of him, and so the Scourge of Khaine set sail across the sea, towards Ulthuan, with his mighty army baying for the blood of their cousins. Malus’ plan was cunning, using the power of the sorceresses, he shrouded his army in shadows, choosing stealth over force, he circumvented the Ulthuan sea patrols, heading north over the tip of the blighted isle, and around to the east side of Ulthuan, Where his dread host disembarked, and marched on the Tower of Hoeth, the crown of Saphery.
The attack was brutal, in the distinctive black and grey enamelled armour of the shadow host, shrouded by the depths of night and blackest sorcery, Malus’ horde sacked the tower. The fabled guardians of the Tower of Hoeth, the Swordmasters, were unflinching in their duty, and were slain to the last elf by the sudden and ferocious attack, spearheaded by the warriors of Khaine. After the assault was finished, the shadow host melted back into the night.
A few days later, a small unit of elven horsemen sent to investigate the silence of the tower and its masters, found not a living soul in sight, only corpses. Every single Asur slain in the attack, among them countless Swordmasters and powerful Mages, had their eyes plucked out, their skin flayed from their flesh, and had then been fixed to the tower, their blood staining the white stones of the tower red. The bloodstains upon the tower could not be lifted, not even by the magics of other Mages of Saphery, the blood fixed by blackest sorcery to adorn the tower for as long as it stood. The skins of the slain elves had been inscribed with runes of the Lord of Murder, and had then been arranged into the ancient Naggarothii rune of Shadow around the tower. The enchanted blood leaking from these skins stained the ground beneath them eternally black, making sure that the formerly white tower, would forever more be a beacon of death, built upon shadows.
Of the Tower’s assailants, none could be found, no Druchii corpses from the battle, no spent crossbow bolts were left upon the ground or in the bodies of the slain. There were no Asur survivors, the only trace left behind by the shadow host, was a trail of villages from the tower to the coast, completely deserted, marked with the rune of Shadow and with no trace of their former inhabitants.
The Shadow host is now cursed by man and elf alike across Ulthuan, Brettonia and the lands of the Empire. It is a nameless terror, striking at night, warriors in black armour shrouded by shadows both natural and arcane, leaving villages deserted and castles ransacked, no trace of the assailants bar those victims left behind who were too weak or too dead to be slaves, and the Rune of Shadow, permanently marked upon the ground in the blood of the slain where the host has struck, and neither the elements, nor the arts of man or elf can scourge it from the earth.
Famous members:
Malus Darkblade: 275
Lokhir Fellheart: 250
Aernithe Giantbane: Aernithe is second in command of the Shadow Host and often leads it on the field of battle when Malus is pursuing higher agendas. Aernithe and his cold one, Ripper, have bested many foes together, cutting down all within their path, be they elves, orcs or men. Aernithe is an inspiring general and cunning tactician, and not afraid to get his hands dirty, often a hard fought battle has been won for the shadow host with a well timed charge from Aernithe and his knights. In combat Aernithe is an expert cold one rider, and is a precise and cold-blooded killer with his dire lance.
Dreadlord: Cold one, Heavy Armour, Shield, SDC, Caledor’s Bane, PoK: 255
Options: Dragonhelm Crimson Death
Yeranath Soulstealer: Yeranath Soulstealer is one of the most powerful Sorceresses in all of Naggaroth, She is renowned for her extremely destructive and occasionally reckless use of the winds of magic. She specialises in the Dark art of stealing another person’s soul and using it to fuel her magic further. Using her knowledge of wards of stasis and sealing, Yeranath crafted the enchantment which holds the Rune of Shadow in place, binding not only blood, but a fragment of the victim’s tortured soul into the dark mark.
Supreme Sorceress: (Dark) Lv4: 260
Options: Dark Pegasus Cold One Dispel scroll Lifetaker Sacrificial Dagger Ring of Hotek (for magebomb)
Kheranai Voidstalker: Kheranai is a courageous and powerful Druchii Lord, and fiercely loyal to his master, Malus . When he was an aspiring Lordling, Kheranai lead a raid north into the chaos wastelands, he ventured further north than was perhaps wise, seeking riches and glory to establish himself. What he found instead, was a Chaos Sorcerer and his minions. Kheranai and his band fought well against a foe of much greater numbers, but he had no protection against the arcane powers of the sorcerer. Just as the Elf was set to bring his scythe to bear upon the servant of chaos, the sorcerer opened a tear into the realm of chaos itself, and hurled the Druchii lord into the breach to contend with the Daemons that lurked within. Little over a year later Kheranai walked back into Naggaroth. Arriving at Hag Graef, Kheranai sought out Malus Darkblade, and offered him his oath of service, when Malus asked why, Kheranai replied: “I have walked upon the plains of chaos, slain the monsters of the abyss and returned, I will only serve under one who has passed the same trial.” Malus accepted. Since his return Kheranai has taken his place in Hag Graef’s court, serving as captain of Malus’ bodyguard and as his personal standard bearer. In stark contrast to his character before he entered the realms of chaos, Kheranai rarely speaks, is calm and level-headed, and is even more deadly than ever before, in battle he bears the same armour and weapon he travelled in and out of chaos with, empowered by the warping powers of the void to make his armour nigh-on impregnable, and his dreaded scythe, Reaper, capable of tearing through metal, flesh and bone, whether it be of the mortal realm, or not, with chilling ease.
Master: BSB, Armour of Darkness, Crimson Death: 155
Vannos the Cursed: Vannos is a young noble, born into a powerful household of Karond Kar, he had a privileged upbringing. He gained renown with his daring, and ultimately successful hakseer cruise, and when he returned home, he was greeted as a hero by his father. Vannos was then tasked by his father with a mission, he was sent to the old world, to seek a magical artefact, all that is actually known about the mission is that it was sent off with great fanfare, and returned in dismal failure. Only one of the two corsair ships Vannos had taken returned, and less than a tenth of the men. The moment Vannos set foot on dry land, he sought out his father in his tower and hurled a dagger at him, then left the city. Vannos was exiled, with his father’s men given ‘kill on sight’ orders regarding him, and several hunting parties were sent after the young lord, quite why is a much asked question, as attempted murder of relatives in Naggaroth is a day to day occurrence, but Vannos’ father reacted more extremely than was normal, and the only thing the court at Karond Kar can generally agree on is that whatever Vannos discovered in the old world, he didn’t like it, and he thought it was his father’s fault, which it probably was. Vannos became a mercenary after his exile, always upon the warpath, he could not lay down at night until he had spilled blood, it was rumoured that Vannos had been tainted by a similar curse to the vampires that stalk the lands of the Empire, and it was around this time that Vannos was recruited by Malus into the shadow host, as Malus is certainly no stranger to blood-seeking psychopaths.
Master: Heartseeker, Blood Armour: 130
Heiroth Shadow-walker: Heiroth is a cunning adept, trained at the tower of Ghrond, she became a master of illusion and deception, when Malus was first presented with his edict from the Witch King, Morathi offered Malus the services of Heiroth to cloak his army in the darkest of shadows, a potent psychological weapon Malus utilizes to its full.
Sorceress: (Shadow) Lv2, Tome of Furion: 150
Options: Sacrificial Dagger
Seranill Blackhand: Seranill is a very cruel Druchii, she delights in torturing the souls of those unfortunate enough to fall into her grasp, she is exceptionally beautiful, even by Druchii standards, the only mar upon her aspect being her black and withered right hand, caused by calling too much upon the dark wind of Shysh, which in turn sucked the life out of the hand she used to call upon it. Seranill is a powerful sorceress, but instead of developing her control over a single wind, Seranill instead chose to study the lore of alchemy as well, giving her access to a vaster range of spells, but being able to call upon less of them at a time.
Sorceress: (Death) or (Metal) Lv2, Darkstar Cloak: 160
Vallethai, the Iron Talon: Vallethai of the Cult of Khaine, spends her every waking moment in dedication to her god, either by spilling blood, killing someone or planning who her next victim is, often all at the same time. In battle she calls upon the arcane Cauldron of Blood to grant herself and her followers the blessings of Khaine, who apparently is always happy to help his faithful servant.
Death Hag: Cauldron of Blood: 200
Options: BSB Rune of Khaine Manbane
Sirulleathe: One of Malus’ personal retainers, it is rumoured that this deadly killer is a renegade assassin, apparently Malus and the temple of Khaine have some sort of arrangement because usually renegades of the Shayar Nuan are hunted mercilessly by the brothers they forsook, the only other thing that is known about Sirrulleathe is that when he ambushed Malus in a flesh house of Hag Graef he ended up at the point of Malus’ sword in a corridor (Malus being one of the few beings in the entire world who can be ambushed by a top class assassin and survive, let alone corner them) at which point Sirrulleathe is said to have told Malus ‘I give my life to the scourge, in memory of Arleth Vann’. After a moment’s deliberation, Malus accepted him as his retainer, much to the surprise of the druchii listening on the other side of the door across the hall wondering if he should make a swift exit.
Assassin: Touch of Death, Black Lotus, Rune of Khaine, Additional Hand Weapon: 166
Options: Drop all other upgrades for Venom sword
Tullain’s Steel Fangs: The Dark Talons are a regiment of spearmen (and women) renowned for their homicidal captain -Tullain- and her lieutenants, Tullain wields a flail made from the skull of a noble who spurned her, and she is known for having a very creative approach to feminism, that of castrating anyone who disagrees with it, many a man of the empire has found out why women are treated as equals in the realm of Naggaroth, mainly because they can be an awful lot more cruel than the men.
40 Spearmen with Full Command: 255
Options: Shields Warbanner
Mordritch’s Raven Feathers: So called because each member must be able to shoot a raven out of the sky from two hundred paces, they then take a feather from the corpse as proof of their deadly accuracy, they are lead by Guardmaster Mordritch, known for having taken down a giant once with a single round from his crossbow.
20 Repeater Crossbowmen with Full Command: 220
Options: Shields
Terranas’ Black Hail: The Black Hail is a regiment of crossbowmen who guard the Spear Gate of Hag Graef, the gate points north out of the valley of shadows, and thus endures the extreme weather which is funnelled down the valley from the north, they take their name from the deadly volleys they fire despite the extreme conditions they endure, balls of ice as large as a fist, invisible in the perpetual night of the black crag, which leave dents in plate armour and more than a few new recruits have been found dead from exposure in the morning after a particularly violent storm. The Black hail can be counted on to hit their marks whatever the weather, even the most savage storms of the Old world are positively balmy by comparison.
20 Repeater Crossbowmen with Full Command: 220
Options: Shields
Hauclir’s Rogues: This band of corsairs is well known for their heroic acts during the great siege of Ghrond, nothing more than dock rats before being called up to defend the tower, their actions during the siege under command of Malus Darkblade and his former retainer, Hauclir, gained them fame across all of Naggaroth. They are particularly adept at awkward close-quarters fighting and renowned for their daring. They offered their services to Malus the moment they learned he was organising a raiding cruise, eager to serve under him once more.
20 Corsairs with Full Command and the Sea Serpent Standard: 250
The Harbingers of Twilight: upon being asked ‘what is that?’ by his financial advisor, Baron Oderwald is said to have replied: ‘That is a Harbinger of Twilight, the fell creature which hails the onset of darkness and the rise of shadows.’ The following morning Oderwald (and his advisor) could be found hanging around on the walls, having been skinned and then nailed to them. Oderwald and his castle (and his advisor) had fallen victim to the shadow host, the ‘that’ which the advisor was referring to, was a band of Dark riders scouting out the host’s next target, the name stuck and now this band is known across the Empire and beyond by that phrase. This group of riders was founded in lost Nagarythe during the Daemon wars, it joined the rest of the Naggarothi in their new land, and every member’s child joins the band, creating a peerless dynasty of riders in service to the witch king since the day he was born, and his father before him. Every rider bears one of the master-crafted bows used by the group’s first members, passed down through the generations, and each member can fire their bow just as fast as any repeater crossbow can be fired. To see a Harbinger is to know that twilight has come, and that darkness follows soon after.
10 Dark Riders with a Musician: 177
The Deathkiss Hawks: Known for their rather revolting and unpleasant habit of biting their victim’s faces off, many a cannon and mortar crew has suffered the horrifying attentions of this group of flying monstrosities. They seem to have an aversion to striking goblins for reasons no one understands.
10 Harpies: 110
The Wraiths: The Shadow host is almost entirely composed of warriors in shadow-grey and midnight-black plate armour, you do not see them until they are standing right in front of you. The wraiths are the exception to this, more than one sleepy guard has rubbed his eyes in disbelief as first one, and then an entire cadre of pale-skinned, scantily clad women of incredible beauty coalesce out of the mist. Many a guard has made the mistake of dismissing them as a figment of the imagination, a hallucination or daydream, and watched in spellbound rapture as one of the ghostly beauties walks right up to him, and only in that last moment, does he realise that the beauty is really the beast, a heartbeat before she slits his throat and rips out his heart.
10 Witch Elves with Full Command: 125
The Willow Guardians: A band of shades renowned even amongst their own kind as being experts in the art of stealth, they are a mysterious group who revere the forests in a similar way to the Asrai, seeing it as both provider and protector, they guard a willow tree at the heart of their realm said to be as black as midnight, and fashion their crossbow bolts from their sacred tree. The bolts of the black willow cause death upon whomever they strike, although whether this is down to the tree or the shades is another matter entirely.
10 Shades with Additional Hand Weapons: 170
Sulleth’s Bloodclaws: A regiment of Executioners under the command of the Death Hag Vallethai, the Bloodclaws are merciless and deadly foes. Lead by their champion, the Draich Master Sulleth, they have no regard whatsoever for their own safety, their only goal being to spill blood and harvest souls in the name of Khaine.
20 Executioners with Full Command: 270
The Reapers of Silence: The elite Black Guard Malekith assigned to Malus, this unit of highly trained warriors is a literal engine of destruction upon the battlefield, they fight in silence, neither speaking nor crying out in pain, the only noise made by the Reapers is the gentle swish of their wickedly sharp halberds, and the all-too-often thunk of steel cleaving flesh and sundering bone.
20 Black Guard with Full Command: 295
Razzack’s Flesh Renders: The Flesh renders are the thunderous hammer of Malus’ force, the feared knights of Hag Graef form the mailed fist of any force out of the Dark Crag, and Malus chose only the best to let loose upon the enemy. A squad of vicious Cold One Knights which are nigh-on unstoppable on the charge, many a stout battleline has been shattered by a single, well placed blow from this group of riders. Where other elements of the Shadow Host may be likened to a scalpel or the torturer’s flensing knife, the Knights of the Hag are more like a sledgehammer studded with razor-blades, their sole intent is to slice and crush all beneath their feet.
10 Cold One Knights with Full Command: 310
Options: Standard of Hag Graef Standard of Slaughter
Titan: The War Hydra known as Titan is an old and cunning beast; it has weathered many storms, and has been in service to the Druchii for hundreds of years in a mutually beneficial agreement, it fights for them in return for dinner, which is a pretty good deal for everyone, except those that get eaten. Titan has slain giants, shattered whole regiments of infantry and devoured the finest cavalry the old world has to offer whole. Its broad palette has sampled fine Brettonian horse meat with a colourful garnish of knight and accompanying tabbard, the tough Ogre flesh of the Mountains of Mourn with a side dish of gnoblar and a wide range of the many different inhabitants of Lustria, some of them even cooked. Although apparently Slann don’t taste very good.
Hydra: 175
Drakefang and Draketalon: These two Reaper Bolt throwers and their crews have been in service upon the Druchii corsair known as Kraken since it first set sail, little over four centuries ago, they occasionally dismount from their perches and set foot on dry land to skewer things in the name of Malus in return for all the incendiaries they can carry
2 Reaper Bolt Throwers: 200
So that's that, any C&C on the fluff and unit-composition is appreciated.
Thanks for reading! Malus.
The Shadow Host of Hag Graef - warning, lots of text ahead
Moderators: T.D., Drainial, The Dread Knights
The Shadow Host of Hag Graef - warning, lots of text ahead
Veni, Vidi, Voro!!!
All things perish, this is the law of existence, accept your suffering and your mortality, only by using this truth, can you transcend it.
All things perish, this is the law of existence, accept your suffering and your mortality, only by using this truth, can you transcend it.
Syjahel wrote:Well, I can't speak as to the army's fighting capabilities as I am still regretfully unexperienced in that arena (must ... paint ... faster ...). But it all looks very much accurate and creative in terms of fluff and style!
Thanks! My army is barely basecoated, let alone painted, I only have half my BG and executiioners finished, and the characters. The reason i chose to make it the shadow host (apart from it being from Hag Graef, the city of shadows which was a must as its my favourite city and its where Malus comes from) was so that I could spray the main infantry black, highlight with a couple of different grays and maybe the odd purple, possibly give it a wash and finish it. I don't have the time to paint my army extravagantly
Veni, Vidi, Voro!!!
All things perish, this is the law of existence, accept your suffering and your mortality, only by using this truth, can you transcend it.
All things perish, this is the law of existence, accept your suffering and your mortality, only by using this truth, can you transcend it.