legion1.pdf

LEGION

issue one - distrubited free with issue 10 of Warpstone

HELLO

troops. The beauty of this book, however, is in the

background, and there is quite a bit of it. Tuomas has

clearly taken a lot of effort to present a variety of inter-

esting backgrounds without the continuous ‘spiky guy in

a massive suit of armour’ stereotype that might pervade

such a volume. There really are some interesting people

in here, and quite a few of them can be thrown straight

into a WFRP campaign as plotters of great evil, the

ultimate enemy for PCs to defeat. One of the most

obvious devices to work on is the story of Archaon, the

supposed leader of the new Chaos horde, who is search-

ing for a collection of magic items that, when brought

together, predict the end of the world. Such a story

immediately lends itself to WFRP, in my opinion. Also

making a reappearance from the older Realm of Chaos

are Undead champions, here illustrated in the decaying

form of Valnir the Reaper. Valnir was a great Marauder

chieftain until he was mortally wounded at the battle for

Kislev and was carried back to his homelands to die.

Unfortunately for him, Nurgle had other plans, and two

hundred years later his corpse rose up to serve his master

once more. Evocative stuff.

The overtones in this book are strong ones: that even

the mightiest can fall to darkness, that the quick path has

many who have fallen by the wayside, and that once

embarked upon, there is no turning back from the path of

corruption. Even death does not always mark the end.

The heart of the Chaos mythos is plain to see, and this

book is all the stronger for it, despite the trend to clean

up the background in places – especially with Slaanesh.

There is a nice story that is WFRP to the core; the tale of

a man who starts off with all the best intentions, but ends

up on the slippery path to Chaos and damnation. There is

also background information that may prove useful

regarding the history of Hochland, detailing a great

invasion by Beastmen. My only gripe with this is that

Tuomas seems to have forgotten that Bergsburg is the

capital of Hochland, making it Hergig instead. Perhaps

some creative thinking can be employed to explain why

this is not the case now, but this really is a minor problem

and you can’t but wonder how it happened.

All in all, a nice book with the potential for use by

WFRP players interested in nasty big bad guys to use as

long-term foes, complete with plots to bring the world

down. Worth a look, especially at the price.

Welcome to issue one of Legion. What? I hear you ask.

Well, Legion is the first in a serious of irregular newslet-

ters bringing together some material that we just can’t

get into Warpstone, but which we think you might still

enjoy seeing. It isn’t because it’s substandard just that

we can’t fit it all into the magazine. It will also contain

some of the odder stuff we have lying around.

Whenever, an issue appears, Legion will be sent free to

all Warpstone subscribers. However, it isn’t meant to be

elitist. It will also be made available on our (soon to be

moving Web-site). Additionally, anyone who sends us

an envelope and some stamps can have a copy (at least

until the next issue of Legion arrives).

Of course, if no-one is interested in seeing Legion, then

we won’t produce it again. On the other hand, if the

feedback to an article in Legion is very strong then it

may well appear in Warpstone, although not necessarily

in the same form.

REVIEW

Warhammer Armies: Champions of Chaos

Written by Tuomas Pirinen

Published by Games Workshop

Reviewed by Robert Clark

A companion volume to the new Realm of Chaos,

Champions of Chaos weighs in at a mere 48 pages, hence

the relatively low price tag (£8). Apparently this was

originally the special characters section of Realm of

Chaos , but Games Workshop spines aren’t strong enough

to hold so many pages, and so they threw them all into a

separate volume instead. But wait, people are probably

wondering, why bother looking at it at all, since it is full

of those terribly overpowered demigods known as special

characters? Well, such doubters would be right about the

ridiculousness of each character; the weakest ones in this

book have enough powers to wipe the floor with the

average group of adventurers, never mind regiments of

Legion is a Warpstone publication. Warpstone can be contacted at 5a Wolseley Road, Wealdstone, Harrow, Middlesex, HA3 5RZ or contact by e-mail at

warpstone@bigfoot.com The usual suspects are behind this, so you know who to blame.

Warhammer, White Dwarf and Games Workshop are registered trademarks and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, The Enemy Within, Shadows Over Bogenhafen, Death

on the Reik, Power Behind the Throne, Carrion up the Reik, Marienburg: Sold Down the River, Apocrypha Now, Apocrypha 2: Charts of Darkness, Doomstones,

Middenheim: City of Chaos, Empire in Flames, Empire in Chaos, Realms of Sorcery and the names of all prominent imagery, places and characters within the

Warhammer world are trademarks of Games Workshop Ltd. and are used without permission. Warpstone recognises the status and ownership of all copyrights, trade

marks and registered names that may be used herein and the use of the aforementioned within this publication should not be construed as a challenge to such status and

ownership.

Warpstone (ISSN 1465-6604) is an independently produced magazine, and is not owned, licensed or approved by Games Workshop Ltd, or Hogshead Publishing Ltd.

Warpstone is distributed worldwide by Hogshead Publishing Ltd (18-20 Bromell’s Road, London, SW4 0BG, UK). All original material is copyright to the respective

author/artist.

A WARPSTONE PUBLICATION

HOL Y KNIGHTS: P

Y KNIGHTS: PA GAN D

GAN DA YS

Y YS

Par

aart Five of the T

t Five of the Templars Series by John F

emplars Series by John Foody and T

dy and Tim Eccles

im Eccles

Wolfgang winced and pulled the bandage tight with his teeth.

Immediately blood seeped through, but not enough to add to the

rust-like appearance of his chain links. By the hand of Morr!

This foul magi had a source of fresh bodies. In all his years he

had never seen so much blood erupt from the unliving. Leaning

back against the damp stone wall, he glanced around the corner

looking for signs of movement. The crumbling corridor was il-

luminated by two flickering corpses of the necromancer’s serv-

ant, their still frames given up to the intense burn of the oil.

Closing his eyes he offered up a prayer to Morr that he would be

guided to his realm.

It is possible that, in his great weariness, he even slept mo-

mentarily, for he opened his eyes with a start at the noises that

echoed towards him. Pushing himself upwards with the wall as

his prop, he gripped his spiked mace tightly and stiffly brought

his shield up. Stepping into the corridor he stood and waited to

die. In the fading light his executioners came steadily towards

him, chipped and broken weapons held in their dead hands. As

they neared, he could smell their rot and see the decay and dam-

age that had wracked their once-whole bodies. He prayed that

his own body would be too badly damaged to be given life again

by this dark magic. Somehow he doubted it would .

Those that wish to join the order must spend forty nights at

the Temple in Luccini. Here they fast, meditate and study. Unu-

sually, members of the Order do not have to be followers of Morr,

but must follow his laws and be dedicated to the Order’s aims.

(At the GMs discretion the character must take the initiate career.)

During this time they learn the skills Theology and Identify Undead.

Once the forty days are up, those seen as worthy are accepted and

presented with a small brooch in the shape of Morr’s gate.

Gatemen operate freely, but when necessary must follow the

orders of clerics. The only requirement is that they attend the

general convocation in Luccini which is held every ten years. Mem-

bership of the order gives the Templar access to a large body of

knowledge concerning necromantic magic and the Undead. The

order is also known to own a number of magical weapons, which

can be borrowed under exceptional circumstances, such as a sight-

ing of an army of the dead. This is only done with the permission

of the most senior cleric.

Long serving members of the Order become highly fanatical.

This is for a very simple reason: they are terrified that they will

become one of the Undead when they fall, and believe that only

total devotion to Morr will preserve their body and soul from this

corruption. There is also a certain morbidity among the ranks for

all believe they will die unseen at the hands of the enemy, remain-

ing unburied. To this end, those that do not attend the general

convocation are assumed dead and their names inscribed on the

Wall of the Lost. This wall made of black marble, stands at the

temple in Luccini, and has chiselled upon it the names of the fallen

Gatemen. The wall is topped by the inscription, “For their deaths

are unseen but their deeds never forgotten”. Once inscribed the

names are difficult to make out, often visible only in moonlight.

The previous parts of this series looked at the Empire’s largest

Templar Orders and character progression within these. How-

ever, while the other cults do not maintain large bodies of warriors

there is still opportunity for following Templar orders within these.

Use the Templar profile in the rulebook for advances, although

you should feel free to modify this to suit the style of the relevant

cult.

Morr’s Order of the Gate

“For their deaths are unseen but their deeds never forgotten.”

Inscription on the Wall of the Lost

While the cult of Morr has no separate Templar structure, it does

contain an opportunity for the career to be followed. This takes

place in an internal society known as the Order of the Gate.

The Order is relatively small and consists of a roughly equal

number of Clerics, Templars and Witch hunters who have dedi-

cated themselves to hunting down and eliminating necromancers

and the Undead. They refer to themselves as ‘Gatemen’, and the

famous poem, ‘The dead call the knight to his grave’ by Fatell, is

based on the Order’s early encounters.

Solkan’s Knights of the Cleansing Flame

The Knights of the Cleansing Flame make up a large proportion

of the Law God’s following. They are an extremely disciplined

group of warrior-monks who are dedicated to guarding holy sites.

They do this in preparation of ‘a great event soon to come’, the

details of which the priests zealously guard. These outposts are

usually located in the most desolate areas of mountains and deserts.

Complete devotion to Solkan and skills as a warrior are re-

quired to become one of his Templars. The recruit is immediately

subjected to a harsh and unforgiving lifestyle. Those that cannot

stand the pace desert or die.

The Templars lives are strictly regimental in every detail. Strict

military ranking is observed, and day to day life is filled with pray-

ing and training. Speaking is wholly restricted to orders and prayer.

On waking each morning, the Ritual of Purity is performed. This

consists of the shaving off all head hair and a full body examina-

tion for signs of Chaos. Were these to be found, the bearer would

not live to see the dawn.

All Templars wear the same uniform (plate armour) and carry

the same weapons, with their only markings being those of rank.

They hold the witch hunter followers of Solkan in disdain, for

although their work is important, their lifestyle is too undisciplined.

Groups of Knights are often sent out to fight, acting as a fanatical

elite force. This devotion often inspires those they fight along-

side, attracting fresh recruits to their ranks. However, the Order’s

uncompromising stance tends to lead them into direct conflict with

many of their allies.

Bibliography

For further reading on Templars within the Warhammer World

try;

The Enemy Within Campaign Book (Hogshead)

The Empire - Warhammer Fantasy Battle Army book (GW)

White Dwarf - Issues 146/147

There are numerous books on Historical Templars, both fact

and fiction. The following are recommended;

The Two Sieges of Rhodes 1480-1522 by E. Brockman,

Wargaming the Baltic Crusades by the Society of Ancients,

Dungeon, Fire and Sword by John J Robinson

The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail by Baigent, Leigh and

Lincoln

Shallya and the other major cults.

Within the cults of Verena, Ranald, Rhya and the old faith, there is

Legion - Issue One

HOL

Y KNIGHTS: P

GAN D

aar

t Five of the T

emplars Series by John F

dy and T

no opportunity to follow the Templar career. As befits the cult’s

beliefs they have no fighting orders. However, as mentioned in

the Clerics of Shallya article in issue ten The Merciful Knights of

the Hospitals of Shallya protect the clerics and the cult’s sites. It

may therefore be possible to take the templar career within this

order. Addtionally, Myrmidia’s Order of the Shield (as detailed in

Warpstone issue five) protect the temples of Shallya when neces-

sary. Templars from other orders also occasionally protect the

temples of Shallya and Verena. This, of course, is a two way proc-

ess, and they will expect help with healing, study, and so forth,

should the need arise.

Within the cult of Shallya, there are rumours of a faction who

spend their time actively hunting down Nurgle worshippers. It is

believed to consist of both cult members and those that have been

forced to leave the cult because they have killed someone (usually

by mistake). However, even this in this group, the Templar career

is inappropriate — these people are zealots and fanatics, not a

disciplined and organised fighting force.

the model for a Templar structure.

The Templars of Liadriel are known in Old Worlder as Knights

of the Order of the Jade Wineskin. Their sole duties are to serve

Liadriel by protecting the Laurelorn Forest and the Elves therein

from harm, so that they may continue to praise the god of song

and wine. They have a number of holy glades deep within the for-

est in which they hold feasts and banquets to the glory of Liadriel.

They may fight outside the forest in aid of a relevant cause, but

will not allow individual members freedom to pursue their own

interests. Their Grand Master, Cwr-Calambas Nar Liadriel, is a

member of the Tree Council’s Outer Council.

Increased Elf-human interaction, and the desire of certain Wood

Elves to “see the world”, has led to the return of some experienced

warriors who have seen things that make them view the world in a

different light. Whilst still wishing to live in the forest with their

fellows, they see much greater threats than the odd warband, and

indeed, may seem almost paranoic. Frequently, these join the Min-

strels of the Order of the Green Lute as Knights Champion of

Liadriel. They are allowed much greater freedom to serve Liadriel

when and where they see fit, although their loyalty to their leader,

the Great Balladeer Nalfin-Lambaras ur Liadriel, retains their pri-

mary obligation. They may in fact be met outside the forest more

easily than inside, usually on some mission to curb chaos. Obvi-

ously, this is the order that PC Elves (and their insanity points)

will find welcoming.

The last Elf Templar order is Torothal’s Tree Templars, a group

of knights organized by the Flock of Torothal, the church of the

Goddess of Rain and Rivers and patroness of the Laurelorn. Their

Order sees the entire forest as her temple, and their duty is to pro-

tect the entire domain. All intrusion is a defilement and will be

dealt with harshly. They are served by Torothal’s Rain of Death, a

brotherhood of archers who support the knights in combat, rituals

and mundane hunting and camping tasks. Both serve the goddess

in her aspect as the life blood of the forest. Their commander is

Tuisich-Novasmair al Torothal, an advisor to the Outer Council

on military matters.

Nal Druchiil (lit. Night-Lord) Serafin Skallier is nominally a

Templar of Khaela Mensha Khaine, the Elf God of War. However,

this is an aspect that the wood elves find distasteful, an aspect of

their nature that they shun, and no-one will be allowed to enter

such an order. Only the Night Lord serves Khaine, and he excludes

himself from Elf culture except in military need, whereupon he

sits on the Inner Council.

Taal

In the Cult of Taal it is possible to follow the Templar career within

Order known as The Brotherhood of the Bear. This loosely or-

ganised group consists of ranger-warriors who guard the holy sites

and forests of Taal. On occasion they will provide support for

Druids of the Old Faith and for clerics of Rhya, as well acting as

scouts for the Knights of the White Wolf. They are centred in

Kislev, and few spend any time in the Empire.

Members of the brotherhood spend long periods of time alone

in the wild, disliking urban areas. They are skilled in fending for

themselves in harsh conditions. They are forbidden from wearing

metal armour in the same way as Clerics. On the rare occasions

they fight together, they act as highly efficient skirmishers, attack-

ing and then disappearing back into the surrounding terrain.

Wood Elf Templars of the Laurelorn

Hierarchical organization is not a prime characteristic of the Wood

Elf nature, and thus the structures and strictures necessary for a

Templar and their church are not present. However, the followers

of Liadriel and Torothal both have such as defenders of the forest

and as promulgators of their religion.

The Lords of Song and Wine (Liadrielinim) recognised that,

as the leading wood elf deity, they had certain obligations to their

followers beyond that of simple celebration. Incursions of chaos

and humans, Imperial civil wars and the increased interaction be-

tween Elves and Old World humans provided both the need and

Dwarf Templars

The Dwarf temperament is perfect for the militaristic traditions of

honour that personify Templars. There are, however, few Orders

within the Dwarf Kingdoms, and none outside Imperial rule. This

is due to the fact that Dwarfen military units and the main churches

all exhibit Templar characteristics, without being Templars, and

all are loyal to their gods, homeland, kin and king. There is thus

little need for Templar organization, and few seeking to join. The

exceptions are The Order of The Stone Wall, The Order of The

Axe, The Order of Stone and The Order of Granite.

The Order of The Stone Wall is for Slayers who have been

unsuccessful, and who have survived in spite of their vows*.

Dwarfs who find themselves unable to achieve their glorious atone-

ment are faced with two options. Most head north to the Wastes as

Demon Slayers, where death is certain; some, however, seek judge-

ment from the Lawgivers in their holds. If they are deemed worthy

through their actions as a Slayer, a codicil is added to their entry in

the Book of Atonement, and they join the Order. The Order guar-

antees certain, heroic death. They are called the Stone Wall be-

cause they never retreat. In the face of a defeat, they will die to a

Dwarf covering a forces’ orderly retreat. They are often called upon

as a suicide squad who carry out any and all tasks. Note that they

are still not accepted into mainstream Dwarf society, but are toler-

Legion - Issue One

ated as those awaiting death in a necessary cause.

The Order of the Axe serves the political needs of the High

King and the clerics of Grungni as a distinct military wing of the

church. With the diverse spread of the Dwarfen peoples, the Order

is a useful reminder of the central structure of Karaz-Ankor that

was fragmented in the Elf-Dwarf War and its aftermath. Templars

are known as Axes of Grungni, or simply as an Axe. The Order is

distinct from the Cult of Grungni, and demands no religious obli-

gations.

Both the Order of Stone and the Order of Granite were formed

as attempts to unify a defence during the Age of Darkness. They

technically serve the Emperor of Karaz-Ankor, who no longer ex-

ists, of course. The kings of the remaining Holds which still nomi-

nally form the Dwarf Empire lay claim to some degree of loyalty

from the Orders. Because of the nature of current events, and the

general order of each king’s military, both Orders are small in terms

of numbers, although both have large wealth in the form of the

treasures which they managed to save from goblin invaders. For

this reason, the Orders will always have some support. The Order

of Granite is based in Karaz-A-Karak, whilst the Order of Stone

based itself in Zhufbar when the hold was retaken.

HOW CAN YOU TELL?

By Francis Plunder

My Dearest Claude,

It is good that you came to me on this matter and I believe I can help with the problem.

I have spoken to enough adventurers over the past few years, and as dirty, uneducated,

dissatisfied and arrogant as they are I have picked up a few things. Let us just say they

have their uses, shall we.

So you suspect that your neighbour is a chaos cultist. However, you are

right not to denouce him without thought of proof. After all these things can get out of

hand so quickly, with accusations Ive seen him dancing naked and His nose was never

that big before. Mutant!, leading to barbecue community. Well, from what Ive

picked up the following are certain indicators of illegal worship.

1. He will be a town councillor, merchant or noble. Yes, the upstanding members of

society seem to be most likely to fall foul of the temptations.

2. He will almost certainly be a he, be single (possibly because wife died early, but

more likely because few people like him) and generally somewhat superior in attitude

(as if he knows something you dont). Will therefore be looked after by servants,

who may will be hunched.

3. He always visits his mum when the moon is full, or dark.

4. TEndencies to laugh and rub hands together glefffully. May will mutter under his

breath (You may.hear THe hour of change is at hand, Youll see! Youll

all see or the like.

5. Tentacles.

6. Never attends the public baths. See 5.

7. Constantly wears green/yellow, red or purple robes.

8. Has a large collection of stylish kitchen knifes.

9. Regularly buys goats and chickens which are never seen again.

10. He will own a large cellar.

Halfling Templars

There is only one Templar order that is indigenously Halfling; the

Order of the Hearth. The Order is nominally under the control of

the church of Esmeralda, known as the Kitchen of Esmeralda. It

seeks to ensure the safety of the family, the kitchen and the cook-

ing pot. Its members are those who left The Moot in search of

adventure, and now seek to protect others from the evils which

they witnessed. Whilst well respected, members are always re-

garded with awe and a little fear, as they are seen as being a little

“different”.**

*[In my own campaign, the idea arose because of the large numbers of

Slayers that seemed to survive, and the fact that players wanted the Slayer

careers for the attributes without the associated vows and certain death. I

also did not fancy a demon/dragon/god slayer career progression, because

it does not fit into my view of the Old World. (TE)]

** [Those playing after Empire in Flames who have not developed The

Moot may wish to use the following from my campaign. Until 2515, there

was little real organization. However, with the rediscovery of the relic ar-

mour Esmeralda’s Overcoat and the sword Hearthwarm, together with the

civil war following the suspicious death of Elder Stoutheart, the Order are

now also a political force. They are directly commanded by the Protector

and First Citizen, Flemin Crabtree. As leader of the Radishals, he over-

threw the evil Bobbo Smugsmith’s mercenary takeover attempt, and as

the chosen of Esmeralda, has rationalised The Moot’s defensive capabili-

ties. The Order of the Hearth are the elite of this force. (TE)]

Of course one of these alone is not proof, I have a cellar myself, enjoy chicken pie as

much as the next man and even visit mother when I have too but these should help you.

All the best, your friend,

Hans

P.S. The cream you recommended worked wonders.

PRESS RELEASE

d in such things, here is a text of the

press release that announce

or those of you interested in such things, here is a text of the

d in such things, here is a text of the

The first new issue of Warpstone will appear in March 1999,

and will be published three times a year after that. Each is-

sue will be 44 pages including cover. It will retail for $4.95

press release that announced W

d Warpstone’s worldwide distribu-

arpstone’s worldwide distribu-

tion.

WARPSTONE , the acclaimed British fanzine for Warhammer

Fantasy Roleplay, will be available in games stores all over the

world next year.

Warpstone was founded in 1995 by John Foody and John

Keane, and has notched up nine successful issues so far. Al-

though it isn’t published by the producers of Warhammer

Fantasy Roleplay, Hogshead Publishing, it keeps close links

with the company so it can stay up-to-date with the game’s

latest developments.

The A4-sized, 44-page magazine has signed a distribution deal

which means its tenth issue, to be released in March 1999, will be

sold via games distributors and retailers worldwide. Previously

the magazine has only been sold through shops in the UK, and

overseas gamers were forced to subscribe if they wanted copies.

“This is terrific news for Warpstone ,” said James Wallis,

director of Hogshead Publishing. “I have enormous respect

for what John and John have achieved with the magazine,

and I hope this move wins it thousands of new readers.”

“It’s a big step for us,” said Warpstone co-editor John Foody,

“but we believe the magazine’s quality will make it as successful

worldwide as it has been in the UK.”

Warpstone is not licensed or approved by Games Work-

shop Ltd, the owners of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

Legion - Issue One

HOW CAN YOU TELL?

For those of you intereste

or those of you intereste

press release that announce

d W

tion.

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