I have been doing a lot of thinking this last week about how I want to portray the CD in my next pdf. This one is going to be a complete book, 80 glorious pages long…
Something I am keen to portray, especially because of my fluff, is the idea that the CD take a huge interest in prophesies. Not just the future, but the idea that if they know how they got to where they are, they will know where to go in the future.
Taking an interest in prohesies to this degree helps at many levels IMO. Firstly I can bring in more babylonian/ assyrian/ sumerian imagery (which would be sorely lacking otherwise), secondly that being fairly primative (by warhammer standards) it would really help to offset them as being right at the cutting edge of technology. Bring them right back squarly into fantasy. It also helps to push the epic themes of my fluff.
Anyhow, what I have in mind is several short stories and bits in the timeline etc about famous mystics and prohesies. Also LOTS of designs similar to this:
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I didn’t draw this, its from a book about the Dark Crystal, with artwork by Brian Froud (awesome book).
So what I plan to do is loads of things similar to this of different sizes and designs. I’ll pick the best ones and throw them in here and there. Some of the ideas I’ve done so far are really complex in what they could portray, depending on how you interpret them. Destiny and fate, metaphysics and black holes, that sort of thing ;) I’m currently trying to get my how round how I could portray the chaos theory…
Thoughts?
EDIT
Another idea I’m considering is arming warriors with Sickle Swords. These are as close to assyrian weaponry as I’m willing to go. Later versions have them more like a hybrid ‘sword axe’, that’s what I would go for (also called a Khopesh).
I’d do the upper part slightly chunkier, to show its not just a sword, more like a stylised axe. A great weapon version could be interesting.
Sounds good. Has there been some sort of new DVD release of Dark Crystal? This is the fourth time I’ve heard someone talk about it in the last week. Before that, I probably haven’t even seen a peak of it since 2000. Seems like an odd coincidence.
As I see them, CD are an oriental version of the Empire. They mix an historical background with the craziest technologie. I’ve always pictured CD living in a heavy assyrian world, only modified by there advance mechanical creations. Mixing both is what make them the most original civilization in WH.
Mixing this supertisious civilization with advanced technologie is a nice way to give them an original motive to have evolved the way they have. Just like the Imperium in WH40, tecnologie could be consider more a religion than a science. Hashut teaching them to turn to the black arts and deamonic weapons is a fine way to show how they decide to go way beyond their cousins creations.
Your plan is great. I can picture some priests looking at a horn-like shaped moon while they ask hashut his will. You could even mention a CD version of the Ninive library, the only theme being hashut’s prophesies.
As for the kopesh, It will look a lot more original than average axes. I give a TK kopesh to one of my CD.
Just an idea: How about a saw-kopesh like the SM swords?
They’re releasing a sequel to the Dark Crystal next year, with quite a few of the original people involved (including froud). My sister bought the book they released recently with the history of the dark crystal. Very inspiring stuff.
If only GW still did all the bitz. sigh :( It wouldn’t be too hard to make something and cast it, but what I have in mind is to cast an arm holding the weapon (plus the rest of the model).
Great idea Grim .Froud is a master of design his faerie concepts are superb.
On the subject of representing chaos .i remember seeing a 3D timelapse of a juliet set that was fantastic while studying i will see if i can find it .This is the closest i have a present:hat
The khopesh idea is great similar to the rhomphias used by the thracians
I have decided on another design element. I will use this pattern for any scale mail, note that its quite different to the regular syle of overlapping scales (e.g. the high elves). Its also more 3D, I did a quick sketch:
Very cool idea Grim, I like how much it could bring us into the Warhammer World and make us an influential part of it rather than just a slaver race.
It would obviously need alot of research into the history and current situation of the Warhammer World, Lizardmen in particular, with their role and the role Chaos played in changing of the world this could make for some very interesting reading. This could also bring us some conflict with the Elves, we are Dwarfs after all!
How ‘Chaos’ would your Dwarfs be?
Deamons are excellent manipulators, could the knowledge the Chaos Dwarfs possess be true or will they be pawns to the deamos, maybe even Hashut.
How far will you go into the future seeing part of the culture? Mystic foresight type stuff from the sorcerers or more factual statistics from the engineers? usually these 2 cultures don’t really mix, I think it might have to be one or the other (unless you want to make some interesting conflicts within the community).
Very cool idea Grim, I like how much it could bring us into the Warhammer World and make us an influential part of it rather than just a slaver race.
That was my thinking, give us an important role overall in the warhammer world, also another reason to travel outside the dark lands.
It would obviously need alot of research into the history and current situation of the Warhammer World, Lizardmen in particular, with their role and the role Chaos played in changing of the world this could make for some very interesting reading. This could also bring us some conflict with the Elves, we are Dwarfs after all!
The story parts would need to be really cryptic, so yes I'll need to do a LOT of research...
How 'Chaos' would your Dwarfs be?
Deamons are excellent manipulators, could the knowledge the Chaos Dwarfs possess be true or will they be pawns to the deamons, maybe even Hashut.
I wanted to portray them as being very reluctantly drawn to chaos. Like its the absolute last thing they want to do, but if it will allow them to survive they will do WHATEVER it takes. They are pawns to the will of hashut.
How far will you go into the future seeing part of the culture? Mystic foresight type stuff from the sorcerers or more factual statistics from the engineers? usually these 2 cultures don't really mix, I think it might have to be one or the other (unless you want to make some interesting conflicts within the community).
To get the most out of them I'll leave it quite obscure. Mainly because I haven't thought of it yet, but also because imagining is more powerfull than just describing IMO. I did have ideas about Zhatan having witnessed the final battle for the world... But I would never state that specifically.
It would all be mystical. Predicting the involvement with science and machines wouldn't be as interesting I think. It would also keep it fantasy.
This looks really awesome. Given I’m redesigning my current CD army around a more eastern theme, I’m drawing inspiration from here. Shame the way old CD models were posed would mean they’d look awful with the khopesh. One thing I’m working into my army theme is eastern Prayer Gates. They fit really well into a spiritually-themed army, as it’s easy to imagine ranks of superstitious CD warriors making gestures and prayers as they pass beneath one. There’s a conversion article for them here: http://uk.games-workshop.com/rhunandkhand/gate/1/ . Perhaps an army’s sorcerors might consult the augers before battle? Reading entrails, patterns in ashes or blood, or something similar. It could effect army morale.
What is this Dark Gem and author people keep mentioning?
Are you going to make a gate? Looks reasonably easy.
I think consulting priests/ sorcerers/ augers before a battle would be quite appropriate. Would show a clear difference to the regular Dwarfs as well.
You mean the Dark Crystal? Its a cult classic film made with puppets by the same person who did the Muppets. Its quite a dark film, and the concept work behind it is quite impressive.
To further build into the theme, we’re known as Dawi Zharr, or Dwarfs of the Place of Fire, and fire played a central role in the Zoroastrian religion that dominated middle-eastern and persian cultures of the period.
More emphasis on the use of flame as TheVoice said, and with lots of focus on ritual. Possibly give the sorcerors slaves (kinda like ammo grots etc in 40k), that they can sacrifice, to treat as a dispel scroll or something.
Instead of giving individual sorcerors slaves, why not something like a Cauldron of Blood? It could come with a unit of goblins or gnoblar, and the sorceror could sacrifice different number of them for different effects (more dispel/power dice, some rerolls, etc).
If I were to include this, it would most like be as part of the rules for my palanquin (here), though that would be hard to balance right.
Actually building this into the rules for something is harder than you think. The only way I could see it working is for the CD equivalent of the anvil of doom.
Well when designing you’re own units I go for theme first, and this has given me a bunch of new ideas. Perhaps the sorcerors could use substances (warpstone laced) to induce their visions? We cannot forget that we are chaos dwarfs.
I think the study of astronomy and astrology will fit perfectly with chaos dwarfs like what zobo said. I can just imagine dozens of slave laboriously turning the cogs and cranks of an ornate telescope to move it in to the right alinement to the stars for prediction or
