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Ravaged Coast Blues
On the eastern edge of the Great Parch, where the land meets the Ocean of
Tears, lay a vast archipelago where the Great Parch is being consumed by the
Gnaw. A battleground of violent seas, sand-blasted atolls and Skaven-tainted
ruins. There was opportunity to find great riches along the Ravaged Coast,
but much of it was hidden amongst the scattered debris of disaster and
death.
+++
The Sunken Shores
One of a series of forested inlets along the coast, where smugglers and
pirates used to hide ships and their cargo. The upheavals of the Gnaw and the
Vermindoom made the brutal currents of the Ocean of Tears a hundredfold worse
- they wash across the surrounding lowlands rapidly and unpredictably.
+++
The Mermaid’s Cage
This shabby port town took its name, and once hoped to make its fortune, from
the rare magical being that was bound at its heart. That hope was soon dashed
by the debilitating song of the imprisoned creature. It sapped the
constitution of even the toughest if they became separated from their friends.
Soon the townsfolk had none.
+++
Skull Reef
The bones of a thousand gigantic multilimbed, sword-toothed, deep-sea monsters
were scattered along the sandbars and atolls of Skull Reef. But it took its
name from the leering forms that the dark and jagged rocks seem to naturally
take.
+++
Shipwreck Sands
Scattered with the smashed wrecks of sea-vessels that were sunk or abandoned
following the Vermindoom. It might provide a place of safety - or danger.
+++
Siren's Tide
A ramshackle settlement built in the ruins of a failed Dawnbringer
strongpoint. Timber salvaged from wrecks, in a patchwork of ships’ hulls piled
atop half-finished stonework, and roofed with ragged scraps of sailcloth
suspended on broken spars and frayed rigging. Where calls for parlay are just
as common as screams for revenge.
+++
Morrda's Port
While the living might find treasure amidst the wreckage of this sprawling
necropolis, the graves and mausoleums of the forgotten dead have been cracked
and broken. The grasping spirits within pull and claw at unwary explorers, the
disturbed souls seek to draw energy from the living in this place.
+++
Whisper Island
The shattered ruin of a once great stronghold looms over this island. It is a
fitting reminder that in the Mortal Realms, there is no monument that cannot
be torn down by violence. The ancient stonework is ornately carved and angular
metaliths, that glow with an eerie green inner light, drift through the
mysterious mists that envelope the island like a thick blanket.
The mists themselves have strange properties that wax and wane. For some they
sear the lungs and the burn eyes, but for others they knit wounds shut and
revitalise the spirit.
+++
Wrecker’s Rock
This patch of land bears the scars of the Vermindoom. There is no such thing
as sanctuary in the wild realms, and enemies will also stumble upon this
place. The only option is to scavenge what you can, then flee.
+++
Flotsam and Jetsam
Misthåvn Company (Order)
The Misthåvn Company presented itself as a force of order and progress,
dispatched to tame the Ravaged Coast and defend the Great Parch from the
advancing hordes of the Gnaw. But beneath their polished sigils and
impressive-sounding ranks lay a murky truth. Comprised of mercenaries,
exiles, privateers, and opportunists granted clemency in exchange for
service, the Company walked a fine line between lawful enterprise and
outright piracy. To their backers, they were a tool of stability; to the
rival factions, they were just another invasive force carving out power
through conquest. Whether driven by duty, profit, or survival, the Company
would stop at nothing to establish a beachhead - and claim the treasures
there in the name of Sigmar.
Skwidmuncha Squadron (Destruction)
A wild flotilla of orruks, grots, and gargantuan sea beasts, the Skwidmuncha
Squadron were destruction incarnate. Storm-chasers and scavengers, they
lived to pillage, smash, and revel in the thrill of battle. Drawn to the
Ravaged Coast by tales of arcane wreckage and tides of violence, they
believed the land itself was a beast begging to be broken. Led by bellowing
bosses and demented shaman-pirates, their goal was simple: keep the Coast as
a thunder-wracked scrapyard of endless war and carnage.
Brethren of Cotha (Chaos)
Blood-maddened zealots devoted to Cothaggrug the Blood Kraken, the Brethren
of Cotha were a cult of Khorne-worshippers who believe that the storms and
tides are manifestations of their god's wrath. Emerging from crimson surf
and barnacle-crusted altars, they sought to awaken Cothaggrug from its
slumber beneath the waves by offering torrents of blood and worthy skulls.
Every battle was a sacred ritual, every slain foe a step closer to
unleashing their god’s fury upon the Coast in a tidal wave of violence and
slaughter.
The Gravetide (Death)
Beneath the Ravaged Coast lie sunken tombs and forgotten necropolises,
buried under silt and storm. The Gravetide were a cabal of necromancers and
undead who intended to reclaim these ruins and bind the fiery power of
Emberstone to their deathly arts. They believed that by fusing Aqshy’s
burning essence with ancient necromancy, they could raise a new kind of
undead - wreathed in flame and fury - to drown the living in an endless tide
of ash and bone. Every Emberstone shard they claimed brought them closer to
turning the Coast into a kingdom of eternal twilight.
+++
The Battles
In the opening clashes the Skwidmunchaz fought the Brethren of Cotha to a
stalemate on Shipwreck Sands.
The Brethren narrowly defeated the Misthåvn Company along the Sunken Shores.
While the Skwidmunchaz got the upper-hand against the brethren of Cotha at
Mermaid's Cage.
They lost the advantage and got pushed out of Skull Reef by the Gravetide.
+++
Battle-lines drawn, the belligerent buccaneers settled-in for the long
fight...
Whisper Island erupted into a very uncivil civil war, as rivals within
the Brethren of Cotha fought.
Siren's Tide was looted so thoroughly by a seemingly unstoppable wave of
Skwidmunchaz, that the Brethren of Cotha there were left empty-handed.
The Gravetide put pressure on the Skwidmunchaz in Mermaid's Cage, driving them
back. But both factions abandoned the port town soon after...
So when the Brethren later had the port town in their grip, they once more
found settling their internal rivalries too irresistible, and they fell once
more to fighting among themselves.
While they did so, the Gravetide plundered the riches the Brethren left almost
unguarded in Siren's Tide.
At the finale, Whisper Island once again saw internal animosity overflow into
violence.
The Skwidmunchaz secured overall victory by proving conquest was never their
goal. Fighting, for them, was not the means to an end, but the goal in
itself - the fight over the loot was far more important than the loot.
But, somehow, it proved to be the way to get the most loot anyway.
+++
UK Games Expo, WarcryNarrative
What a wild day!
I was slightly late arriving (the drive took a lot longer than Google Maps had
said the night before, or even when I set out - there were several accidents
on the M6 I think). So setup was a little rushed and I wasn't at my best when
I was briefing players on what was going on.
I had masses of help - Dimitris (Phylax), Ed (Maps_), Jess (...Jess!?) and
Alex (Badger) all leapt into action and helped lay out the boards and scenery.
Dimitris also set up the camera, mics and lights to stream one game on Twitch
(that can be found on his
LinkTree is here)
each round! He also had a portable miniature photo-booth, and photographed the
warbands entered into the "best warband" player-vote - they can be seen
here.
I dealt out Plunder Cards, and explained how the first round would work, then
dealt Animosity Tarot cards and told them to find another player with a
matching card number: their first opponent. Once they'd found them they were
to chose one of the eight locations to fight over.
Luckily they all seemed to have read
the pack
and they got straight down to fighting.
But then I had to run round each pairing to make sure the tables had
Emberstone Tokens (and to make sure they knew they had to keep the ones they
won after each game), and to give them the pages with the Deployment and
Victory components of the first battleplan (the Twists were part of the table
number cards).
After each round I noted the results and each player's Emberstone Token total
in my notebook.
I didn't want to use an online tool to do this for several reasons - mainly
the unknowns of running an event at UKGE for the first time; I didn't know if
there would be a power supply I could use - the risk of a battery running out
is too much for me - and I didn't know what the signal would be like,
especially with huge crowds of people all armed with mobile devices.
But I chose to use physical cards for parings, and tokens and a notebook for
scores, because I like those things. I like the atmosphere they create,
and the feelings they evoke.
During the "quiet" moments, while the players were battling, I made sure the
individual Emberstone Token totals were all correct and totted up the faction
totals.
+++
Best Warband:Freddy's Iron Golems
When the time came to announce I was (again!? still?!) not at my best and I
mumbled and stumbled through the awards for Best Warband (voted for by
players); Champions of Destruction, Order, Death and Chaos (the highest
scoring player in each faction who didn't win overall); and finally
Ravaged Coast General (the overall winner).
Andy and Martin's winning Gloomspite Gits warband
They each received one of the VERY cool medals (the ones displayed in the
glowy Emberstone-filled treasure chest, above) that Dimitris had designed and
3D Printed in resin, especially for the day.
But people were somehow satisfied with my very iffy public speaking and they
said nice things about the day afterwards, so I'll take it as a success
anyway. I'm sure my next award ceremony will be just as iffy anyway!
+++
Footnote: I can officially declare UKGE as utterly bonkers.
It's easily the biggest event I've ever been to, the number and range of
traders is overwhelming - I literally got lost when I went for a "quick look
round" to see what was there. I had to use Google Maps to work out which
direction I was walking so I could get back to our Warcry tables!
Hall 4, the tournament games area, was the size of the space where Warhammer
Fest 2023 was held. But that was just one hall... out of five, or maybe six,
in use at NEC!
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