War Is Coming!!!
Hello Fellow Trappers!
So for those who haven't read it yet we announced in our last update that starting with The Moon Enclave in April (On Tribes/Patreon monthly releases) we will be including lore PDF's. We want to talk a bit about what we plan to put in those as well as the future of the lore going forward and our long term vision. If you have absolutely no interest in war gaming but still care about 5e stat blocks or world lore then you will still likely find this interesting.
We have always imagined our world as existing in 3 distinct ages. Many fantasy world remain largely static and are set in one general time period but we always imagined our world having a history that spans long periods of time over which the different regions of that world would change. The first of these ages represents a time of myth and legend. Gods are more active and monsters roam more freely while mortal kind are just beginning to develop bigger more developed civilizations. The second age is your most typical fantasy setting. There are massive cities and kingdoms and perhaps some primitive firearms like cannons. Most official dnd settings would take place in this age. Lastly the 3rd age represents the beginning of industrialization. Magical technologies being brought to life in a time of innovation and expansion.
When we started making armies and created the Dragons War story line we weren't sure if it would take off or if we would keep doing it. Some of the armies we made while fun didn't quite feel like they fit into the overall story like the ooze king or the Farmomancer. We always imagined The Dragons War and the fight against Incandriox taking place at the very start of the third age as technology begins to be developed by various regions of the world.
This year we want to dive into the lore and give more context to your favorite armies and units and dive deeper into not only the over arching Story of the Dragons War but other era's of major conflict. We will be breaking down the armies into 3 different era's or categories of play and a possible 4th eventually. Some armies will be found in multiple. Rules wise you can do whatever you'd like and this will have no effect on the mechanics of each army. It is purely lore related. So lets break it down.
The Primordial War
This is a new lore setting that takes place in prehistory even before the first age. Its a time marked by brutal conflict and devastating war. It will be a brand new story with armies like The Simiax Legions, and The Sea Lords Tide. Other armies that exist in this time that haven't been created include The Molten Lords, a faction of fiendish lava elementals and rock monsters. The Cult of The Pale One, brutalistic lizard folk that worship an eldritch horror. Acolytes of The Primordials, A saurian empire at the height of their civilization. Lastly The Rime Horde, a faction of hardy northern warriors from the Scorching north. This age has a Conan the Barbarian feel with ancient factions doing battle for supremacy in the old world.
The Dragons War
The Dragons war is the current storyline taking place at the dawn of the third age. Incandriox has declared war on the world and various factions have risen up to either oppose or aide him while some simply are there to take advantage of the chaos and find their own place of power. This age includes armies like, The Children of The Flame, The Fiends of Incandriox, The Moon Enclave, The Fae Petal Courts, The Darkwoods, and The Chosen of The Kami. Armies that have yet to be created include; The Crimson Inquisition, religious vampire conquistadors, Heralds of The Apocalypse, Fallen angels who believe they have failed to save the world and therefore seek to usher in the end so the cycle may start anew, The Knights of The Pit, demons who in an effort to preserve the hells and the souls they've amassed have joined forces against Incandriox in order to prevent the destruction of everything. As well as the Dwarshka Warsmiths who created the first magical technology from the lightning breath of a greatwyrm in its' lair beneath their mountain homes. And Morkarth's Promised, Elves whose fear of losing their immortality to Incandriox's destruction caused them to make a pact with the Dragon Ghost Morkarth to preserve their immortality as the undead in exchange for serving him. This age blends fantasy with WWI elements to create a unique setting.
The Whimsy Wars
Lastly we have armies that are fun but have a hard time fitting in with the more serious lore of the other settings such as the Farmomancer and the Ooze King. These armies along with all other armies will fit into what we will call the whimsy wars. You see wizards and sorcerers in the world of fantasy like wargames just as much as we do so they created their own wargame called Whimsy Wars. Mages create little figures that spark to life to enact battles while their creators look on directing their strategies. These armies are often based on true events that while not global in scale in the real world where enough to spark the interest of some wizard looking to make his or her own army. The Spawn of The Ooze King and Farmomancer are examples of armies based on actual isolated events that are popular factions in the game of Whimsy Wars. Other yet to be created armies include Champions of The Critterfolk, The Scrapslap Tribes, and The Knitted Knights of Knobleton. You can also use this as a lore explanation for playing armies from different ages against each other if you like.
Eventually we will create all the planned armies at which point we may introduce a new setting tentatively titled "Planescrash" that features armies from among the astral realms clashing together for supremacy. Things like the Mechanicus, Finglers, and others would fit here.
Starting with The Moon Enclave and going forward we will be creating lore PDF's that include the following:
- In depth lore on the Armies origins and where they fit into the overarching story line.
- Lore on each unit and their role in the army.
- 5e Statblocks so you can use the army in both rpg's and wargaming.
- The OPR stats (they will also still be free on army forge).
- A strategy guide on how to play them as well as a suggested starter army.
Additionally we will be creating narrative campaigns that we will be releasing as crowdfunding campaigns. These will feature two rival armies facing off against each other in a pivotal moment in the overarching story. Each of these will include the following:
- At least 2 new unique heroes, one for each army.
- 2 brand new units used in the campaign, one for each army.
- Base sets for each army that doesn't already have one.
- 6 themed objective markers for each army.
- 1 narrative campaign PDF with at least 6 unique missions.
While any army can be played against any other army we imagine each army having a nemesis army. For example the Fae Petal Courts Vs. The Darkwoods. Once both armies for a nemesis have been created it will be on the block for a narrative campaign pending the first one does well and we can continue to make them. This is a list of the planned armies and their nemesis.
- The Darkwoods Vs. The Fae Petal Courts
- The Fiends of Incandriox Vs. The Children of The Flame
- The Dwarshka Warsmiths Vs Morkarths Promised
- The Moon Enclave Vs. The Crimson Inquisition
- Chosen of The Kami Vs. The Oni Lords
- Sea Lords Tide Vs. The Molten Gods
- The Simiax Legions Vs. Acolytes of The Primordials
- Heralds of The Apocalypse Vs. Knights of The Pit
- The Cult of The Pale One Vs. The Spore Sovereign
Eventually if there's interest we have considered doing collectors edition hardcover army books that showcase art, lore, stats and more for those who want that special something for their favorite army.
If you have any suggestions or questions let us know below. We are super excited to expand the lore and our plan is to get a webpage up with the current story laid out so you can follow along.