Preamble
Summary
Following @flagellant04 's question of what are Byzantine Skaven, I realized that it is high time I relaunch this aesthetic & background advice for the Ninth Age thread in the archives on the new forums.
After all, anyone who was around on CDO during the years of decline around 2017-2019 could not easily have missed it, and the glorious, wacky brainstormings of @Uther.the.unhinged to all manner of fantasy culture proposals. When I burnt out in late 2019, I largely put Ninth Age culture concepts in fallow, but the hope is to resume the project maybe next year.
I have been meaning to relaunch the Ninth Age brainstorming thread on Discourse for a long time, but I always planned to thoroughly copy over every post. Now, lacking time, I’ll take it in steps. First out is a compilation of all my own drawings for various armies and culture proposals. Later on I will add artworks from other artists, reference sheets, map proposals and discussions, and not least the wonderful unit ideas for the various cultures of @Uther.the.unhinged .
New Faction & Culture Proposals
Due to a big update to the Ninth Age site last year or so, all my saved links prior to the update now leads to the 9th Age main site instead of the specific threads. In time I will update the links, but for now we’ll make do with culture proposals without links to the mother threads.
Avras
First out is this Akritai and pistol doodle for fantasy human Byzantines, proposed for Avras. Then I learnt that the Ninth Age would make their Vermin Swarm Roman/Byzantine.
Byzantine Vermin Swarm
The basic observation, made by others, that led me to Byzantine Ratmen were the following facts for Skaven in Warhammer Fantasy:
I) Skaven have segmented armour (lorica segmentata).
II) Skaven have metal helmet crests (as late antique Romans did).
III) Skaven have mediaeval flamethrowers (another Roman point).
IV) Skaven’s capital city lies in (under) an inaccessible swamp town (a reference to Ravenna in the Western Roman Empire).
V) Skaven are backstabbers prone to civil war (check almost any period of Roman history from the late republic onward to the fall of Constantinople in 1453 A.D., and you’ll see why this is relevant).
To say nothing of slavery, engineering skills and so on.
As such, Warhammer Skaven already have a Roman streak, so I wanted to run with it further in the Ninth Age. Ergo, Catarats and the whole Byzantine shebang on display here. Note the orgy barge for @Eisenhans , and the last human emperor of Avras quartered by four Vermin Hulks emblem.
The trick is to play up the more decrepit sides of Roman history, and not delve into anything that can come across as noble, self-sacrificing, disciplined and brilliant. This was easy, given what the Romans wrote about themselves! Not least the gossiper Suetonius. As Tacitus had it:
“Do you suppose that the Romans will be as brave in war as they are licentious in peace?”
Anteater Monsterhunter
Vermin Swarm offshoot for western Taphria. Based on certain West African tribal traditions of stilt walking.
Ethiopian Dwarves of Kegiz Gavem
The big focus of my brainstormings. Ethiopian Dwarves is a perfect fit. Light-worshipping arch-enemies of the Infernal Dwarves.
Koghi
Mali/Ghana empire concept:
Cave Dwarf of the Mountains of Gold
Taphrian Wildebeest Minotaur
Beastmen concept.
Taphrian Feral Orc
Koteka phallic gourd concept, half meant as a joke. For isntance, Greenskins might not have genitals in Ninth Age, akin to WHFB.
Aotarakoa Saurian Ancients
Nias tribe Indonesian Lizardman.
Lost Islander Dwarf
Inca Dwarves of the Wrathful Mountains
Moche Infernal Dwarves of the Torture Valleys
Makhar Nomads
Steppe nomad concept, akin to Slaaneshi steeds in WHFB but without Daemonic mount.
Warriors of the Dark Gods
Hornhandle hatswing.
Assyrian Infernal Dwarves of the Blasted Plains
Disciple of Lugar.
Hittite Infernal Dwarves of the Barren Mountains
Plus Cimmerian/Andronovo culture Kundrocerian Hobgoblin sidekicks.
Akha Dwarves of the Sky Foothills
Southeast Asian highlander Dwarves.
Korean Dwarves of Aseadal Peaks
Dacian Dwarves of Nevaz Derom
Germanic Dwarves of Nevaz Barim
Helvetian/Swiss Dwarves of Nevaz Vanez
Gallic Dwarves of the Maidens
Celtiberian Dwarves of the Crimson Peaks
Inuit Polar Dwarves
Petra/Arabic Nekoshim Dwarves of the Copper Mountains
Udmurt Infernal Dwarves of the Khuralsh Mountains
Finnic Frost Elves
Kantelist.
Highborn Elves
Tribal Fight in Minor Augea
Galatian humans, Karian Orc & Goblins and Isaurian Vermin Swarm.
