Welcome to my painting blog for Ginëladan’s Reclamation Engineers and Expeditionary Diplomats!
I started collecting around the end of 2019 and finished most of my purchasing in about 2 years. The Chaos Dwarf core is predominantly original big hats at this point, though I have designs to add more third party sculpts.
I’ve categorized the different parts of this project and will be consolidating things here as they are finished. Lore will be added to each section as well to flesh out the concepts used to tie this all together thematically.
Greenstuff conversions are all the excellent work of @Bassman!
For starters, and for a future before-and-after shot, here’s the army at the beginning of this blog!
The Reclamation of Shamash (Bighats and hobgoblins)
Lore
A covered sedan chair moved slowly through the city street, its bearers showing no strain despite its weighty cargo. Drawn curtains hid the occupant from the public view. There were times to be venerated and times to be ignored; this was the latter.
Ginëladan Kir-Shamash sat ruminating inside, his hat nearly knocking its ceiling as it swayed upon his dwarven shoulders. His review of the city had confirmed his suspicions, his Excellence was in decline. Its forges did not ring out, its mines were dark, and its sacrifices few. The grey faced dwarfs who lived there did so out of duty and stayed indoors save for worshiping at the temples where they prayed only for renewal.
There was a time, Ginëladan knew, when this had been a place of great promise and prosperity. A royal engineering corp erected towering wonders and oversaw deep mines. Consuls and viziers administered the will of his ancestors far and wide. Their vestiges remained, focused only on their own advancement with no thought to the glory of his Excellence.
The whispers within his Hashutaar reached out then, and that of pride was loudest of all.
What his ancestors had squandered he must reclaim. It was time the prayers of his House were answered - it was time to return the Excellence of Shamash to its glory. For his glory.
Ginëladan Kir-Shamash (Sorcerer on foot)
Ulzkai Dawihashut (Bull Centaur character)
Sodasa the Spiteful (Hobgoblin character on foot)
Hag’masha the Shepard (Hobgoblin cbharacter on foot)
Adad-Usur’s Consul Corp (Axe warriors)
Namtar al’Dazh’s Reclamation Engineers (Blunderbuss warriors)
The Bull Disciples (Bull Centaurs)
The Hooves of Hashut (Artillery)
Lore
The orcs stood in a messy formation. To one side were hobgoblins throwing nasty looks, behind them blunderbusses held by impassive Zharr. These were the lucky ones, brought out from the mines and equipped to do what every orc does best - fight.
Wotgrar stared at the crude metal weapon in his grip and grinned. " 'Bout time I had one ah deez in me hand again," he muttered to his companion. Then, glancing to his left, “Feel even better if I can use it on da hobz though.”
“Been too long since we 'ad a propah fight,” Ratgrik agreed, though he was more distracted by the guns behind than the thorns in their side.
A pause.
“You think it’s true wot they say? 'Bout 'Ashut?”
Wotgrar stopped trying to sharpen his blade on the edge of his shield and laughed.
“And wot is that? Wot you heard ‘bout that ol’ Dawi cow?”
“He means, of course, that the Father of Darkness joins us in battle today,” came the sly reply from behind him.
Wotgrar started as Hag’masha’s hunched form slid next to him.
“You’re lucky it’s not our masters patrolling the lines just now.”
“You lot got no love for 'im either…” He shifted on his feet uncomfortably, wondering if his earlier desires had been overheard as well.
A grim smile. “Perhaps not.”
Then to Ratgrik, “You’ll have your answer soon enough, should you survive this day.”
“Well it’s nuthin’ we 'aven’t seen before from Mork, eh?” Wotgrar suggested.
Another grim smile.
Ratgrik didn’t look reassured.
…
The order finally came to advance and the orcs began to gleefully fling themselves towards the enemy lines. However, even the most ambitious orc began to hesitate when fire began to streak across the sky, for where it landed only fire and death remained. As they attempted to renew their advance the earth shook and groaned beneath their feet, and as they shouted a battle cry only the deafening roar of rocketry filled their ears.
The orcs were made true believers that day, whether they survived the battle or not, for they knew only the trampling of a violent and angry god could have caused the destruction they saw that day.
The Axes of Aduthuma (Hobgoblins on foot)
The Wolves of Hagamasha (Wolf riders)
Shamash Reclaimed
The Expansion of Shamash (Straightbeards/helms)
Lore
Once the Stone Curse begins a Sorcerer’s life changes forever. No longer can it’s effects be put out of mind as a vague and distant future; it is now an increasingly significant and perceptible present. While most sorcerers accept it with the grim resolution dwarfs the world over are known for, others rage against it in wild and unpredictable ways. Such drive has brought many incredible inventions to Chaos Dwarf lands but all have fallen short of their ultimate goal, their stone forms in hallowed halls a testament to their failure.
As Gineledan Kir-Shamash neared yet another century of life it began to take him as well. A loss of feeling on the soles of the feet, a toughness the greatest callouses could not account for, and his quest for immortality began. Weeks spent in sorcerous tomes and family histories, studies of his petrified fathers, hushed talks, applied nostrums…
It was in these days that Ginëladan heard tale of a magical spring, first from that chain of hearsay that is the purview of the Inquilino Council and later through the interrogations of Estalians acquired at great cost. It was said this spring could cure any malady you suffered from and even prevent aging. If such a thing were true then certainly it could prevent, if not cure, the effects of this curse…
For a Chaos Dwarf to leave the city of their birth is exceedingly rare. Their family and station are intimately tied to the very stones they walk upon. So when Gineledan took to the seas it shook his House to its core. Many of his brethren joined him, whether out of duty or the promise of incredible power should their expedition succeed. Still, most remained, serving the other sorcerers of House Shamash until their return.
It wasn’t long before his search brought him deep into the New World where he found himself facing enemies both familiar and new, and even finding some unexpected allies.
Mut-Ashkur and Ishme The Mad (Character on foot)
Lore
First contact with Chaos Dwarfs invariably begins with bloodshed, so when Ginëladan and his army first landed in the new world it was only through Mut-Ashkur’s cunning that both factions didn’t promptly annihilate one another. When his hobgoblin scouts first reported the arrival of his curly-bearded cousins it was immediately obvious that they were no ancestor worshipers, for they had subjugated greenskins working for them, so he took great pains to study them.
It rapidly became clear that the height of one’s hat was of great importance, for all orders seemed to flow from high to low. Inspired by the great towers he saw aboard the foreigners’ vessels, and being great stonemasons themselves, they began a construction like none before. Not only would this hat tower above the others, it would have a second helmet on the top of it! Whether the second helmet should be considered for total height would be a matter of scholarly debate for centuries, however there was no question of it’s authority when he first approached the invaders.
Such was the awe that it inspired that he was immediately brought before Ginëladan where negotiations began that would forever merge the fate of their Houses.
Zai’ira-Shamura Ashkur (BSB on foot)
Enshunu’s Enslavers (Slavers)
OSM Boar Cavalry (Boar Cavalry)
The Dominance of Shamash (Orcs)
Marauder Orcs
Crucible Eagle Warrior Orcs (Black orcs)
Dwarf Wars Goblins (Savage orcs)
