Sunday, November 29, 2020

Desert Hills

Desert Hills

Well, I've been 'restoring' terrain.  You know.  Terrain that's ten to twenty years old.  It's nice to find objects in those bins that doesn't need to be fixed.

Desert Hills

Truth is I'm not very good at terrain making.  I never have been.  That's why I ended up with things like the following when I was younger...

Desert Hills

...and I just kinda keep 'em.

Desert Hills Assassinate the Ogre
Go to great lengths to get the perfect shot.

These hills were at one point green, having been made that way by a manufacturer.  I didn't like how the flocking was falling out of the glue on them, so I pulled all the flock off (very easy, btw) and gave 'em the Iron Seer hill treatment.

Desert Hills Firing Squad
Wait for the white silhouettes, then hose 'em.

Meaning I covered them in watered down PVA, spray painted them and gave them a basic flocking.  They've held up good for the last however many years...I'm going to say about a decade.  Looking at this small collection, I decided it didn't need anything but a better container.

Desert Hills Clan Elementals Flanked
Remember:  Hills may be bigger depending on the scale you set them at.

Friday, November 27, 2020

The Birthwell of Teyyaun

Iron Seer presents Planet Teyyaun

The Galactic Civil War, 3 BBY

Rebel scout companies have been hard at work finding new places to use as military installations across the galaxy.  In the Core, the work is clandestine and limited to very small scales.  The Outer Rim is where many contemporary Alliance bases are hidden, nestled amongst the obscure backwaters.  When major naval capabilities started to amass, many Alliance commanders had to move into deep space to keep those capabilities secret.

It took a great deal of time, but eventually some Alliance leaders decided that the threat of discovery by the Empire was too great to move naval assets into areas of the Core.  The Outer Rim became the only choice for such maneuvers, and even then, Imperial sweeps still had to be anticipated and avoided.  This latter problem prompted some Alliance commanders to look for places even further afield for safer mustering points.

Far on the Western Fringe of the Outer Rim, beyond all civilized systems, lies a section of space bordering the gulf of the Unknown Regions.  Known as Wild Space, this wispy slice of the galaxy is where exploration and colonization have begun - but not much is known of these reaches.  Not all systems here have been charted, and the ones that have been are few and far between.

It was in these desolate reaches that Alliance Rangers found Teyyaun.  Far from Imperial concerns and protected both by general obscurity and hidden under a massive magnetic stellar anomaly called the Birthwell, Teyyaun would be a proving ground for Alliance forces.  The only hurdle would be winning over the populace. 

Teyyaun

"Settled" in 146 BBY by pirates and smugglers, the idyllic world of Teyyaun has developed in peace for almost that long.  At some point, the pirates and their families and hangers-on truly settled in permanently - they had made enough wealth from the galaxy at large to live comfortably on Teyyaun's main continent of Raus.  It is still largely unexplored, with the inhabitants keeping to what passes for 'major' urban developments.  

Since the rise of the Empire, folk of Teyyaun have taken even more precautions about drawing attention to their world.  Many have reprised the role of their ancestors and began raiding areas all around Teyyaun, in the Unknown Reaches as well as the Outer Rim, but still keep the location of their home a closely guarded secret.  The arrival of the Alliance is grossly alarming to the general populace of this world - but there is much uninhabited area on the surface.

The people of Teyyaun are mostly human and duro, but there are many peoples represented amongst the small populace.  They are organized into service guilds, some of which specialize in secretive off-world journeys to secure various supplies and materials from the wider galaxy.  Some of the 'neo-privateers' claim their gangs are also legitimate service guilds...and some folk accept this.

While greatly troubling to them, the arrival of the Alliance has signaled to some Guildmasters that the inevitable has come.  It would only be a matter of time before the Empire arrived at Teyyaun, and their way of life would be forever disrupted.  Many advocated for joining the Alliance outright, but the sentiment was not unanimous.  Some pressured for the forcible expulsion of Alliance forces, and received a swell of popular support.

In Teboraun, many Guildmasters supported the Alliance cause.  The inhabitants there were sympathetic, and neo-privateers offered up their vessels and manpower.  This base of support amongst the populace was the foothold the Alliance needed, and began to move equipment to new bases on the planet's surface and major moon.  From the orbitals at Uyyaun and major bases on the surface of Teyyaun they would be able to create an actual fleet from the ragtag group of ships they called Battlegroup Tarquinas.

Yet, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  The people of Moban City saw the Alliance forces as an invasion, and accused the guilds that supported them of collaboration in a coup that would destroy Teyyaun's independence and isolation.  It also happened that many more of the neo-privateer guilds there were the rather rough sort who lacked real legitimacy but still had real blasters.

Fighting began almost immediately between the guilds and the Alliance.  The Alliance elected to reduce the conflict by moving to a remote section of the south polar zones.  It was here they made another astonishing discovery...

The ice-going mobile settlement of Arkfast treads the rents of the ice sheets where the continents of Kelenth and Uatu are pulling away from each other.  There, in the fast-fjords and ice-floes where the continents grind one another apart, a strange resource had been discovered - khyber.  It was said the Empire would be ruthless in their pursuit of this crystal, and this revelation steeled every side's resolve.

With agents in every settlement and the orbital platforms on Uyyaun, the Alliance prepares to do what it must as Battlegroup Tarquinas begins to arrive.  With the fate of the galaxy in question, the guilds of Teyyaun that insist on sabotaging the battle against the Empire cannot be allowed to continue offensive operations targeting Rebellion assets.  The Alliance Navy will convene at Teyyaun.  To that end, the neo-privateers must be pacified...

Sunday, November 22, 2020

D&D Miniatures Portal

Dungeons & Dragons might not come up much these days as a full-scale wargame, but there's going to be quite a bit of it on this site.

From Battlesystem to the Miniatures Handbook, through to Attack Wing and straight up home-brew tomfoolery, D&D has always provided a sort of baseline for miniatures.

In general, the entries for D&D here on the Iron Seer blog will not be RPG focused.  Rather, they will be focused on the spectacle of the miniatures contest itself.  For RPG-related material, check out the RAWRPG section of the site.

The dungeon is just as much a warzone as many of the other locales we'll visit together.  Time to start looking at it that way!



Last Entry: 09/23/18


Friday, November 20, 2020

Howl of Oblivion: Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress [Part 2]

Howl of Oblivion presented by Iron Seer
** Howl of Oblivion Campaign Page **

The party decides to be aggressive and continue north into the temple complex.  They immediately encounter several skeletons in what appears to be a storage area for such things. Eyeing up the rotted up chests on the other side of the room, Walkul decides it's time for heroism and runs into the middle of the room, calling upon Pelor to banish the evil within.

Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Turn Skeletons!

It's has about half the effect he would have liked, turning five of the nine skeletons.  They remain in place, but four others spring forward with rusty sabers...

Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Hits

Things get real very quickly.  Khaine returns to the commotion from the tomb area, and takes advantage of the party members in combat with the skeletons to get close to Walkul.  

Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Move Silent

Anverth also goes down, but Borz and Khaine bandage their wounds as Iris and Kelil finish off the un-turned un-dead.  The party collects the fallen after stabilizing them and leave the dungeon to return to Fasha's auto-yurt camp to heal up. 

Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Convalescence

Several days pass.  The others all heal and are ready for action about the time Walkul regains consciousness.  A few prayers to Pelor and the party is ready to go, and only a few days of downtime had passed.  Fasha changes all gems brought from the dungeon to coinage for the party.

The party returns to the skeleton storage area, loathe to venture deeper with potential enemies behind them.  Walkul blesses the party, and they rush in to finish the skeletons that were turned in the first encounter.  Hilarity ensues as the skeletons prove serious mastery of the martial arts.

Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Miss 1
Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Miss 2
Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Miss 3

Eventually the last of the undead is put down after a grim and desperate battle.  Now more wary, the party prepares to press deeper into the tomb complex.  Who knows what lies within...?

Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Skeleton Storage
"So this is where they keep all the dead bodies?  No?  Just a few?  Ok."

Sunday, November 15, 2020

Battlefield in a Box: Badlands

Battlefield-in-a-Box Badlands Star Wars Miniatures

Here we've got two selections from Gale Force 9's Battlefield in a Box line.  We've had these for a long time now, and they were featured on the old club blog - but it's time to start fixing up the gallery section here.  Also I really like these - I forgot how much I liked this line.  

Battlefield-in-a-Box Badlands D&D / Pathfinder Miniatures

Best thing about Battlefield in a Box is that you don't really have to do anything to them and they are battle ready.  The pieces are heavy and solid, and in the several years I've had them they don't really seem prone to chipping.  In particular we have two sets here, the Badlands Plateau and the Badlands Bluff.  There are two other sets in this series and now I intend to finally complete the entire set with Badlands Tors and Badlands Pillars.

Battlefield-in-a-Box Badlands Mechwarrior: Dark Age

Obviously there's a lot of cool stuff in the line, especially for 15mm games - Flames of War in particular.  Of course these pieces aren't scale specifics, so they can be placed on a variety of tables and still fit right in.  In these pics I've got them set up on my Tablewar Cave Floor, and it's probably the best match for them - but they look good on any table you want to set them up on.  To fit with a greener theme, just add some flock and static grass.

Friday, November 13, 2020

Howl of Oblivion: Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress

Howl of Oblivion by Iron Seer
** Howl of Oblivion Campaign Page **

The party splits ways with some of it's members, but meet new folk eager to adventure in Yecha.

Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Anverth
Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Kelil

The PC's spend a few days with Fasha Daouda'shi, who eventually entices the group to a venture he had been working on for quite some time...

Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Fasha's Deal

After a short discussion about the ethics of grave-robbing, the party was in, and prepared to head into the Yecha Hills with Fasha and his auto-yurts.

Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Journey to Yecha XP

Soon, they were at the base of the hills where the tomb was rumored to be.  After a short search, the party finds the supposed entrance fairly easily.  Inside is a much bigger area than expected, and the stonework seems to absorb echoes.  Borz is wary of traps as well, for the workmanship seems to suggest them everywhere.  

Khaine discovers a headstone in what is presumably the actual tomb area.  After a few frights dealing with the minor magical wards, he lights both braziers and says a prayer to A'ta Savaaya, the Ancient Sorceress.  He then pees on it.

Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Critical Turn!

Further into the tomb complex, the party makes new friends.

Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Skeletons Dealt With

They smoke the skeleton guards pretty quickly, but Walkul started to take some punishment during the battle.  He had a spell disrupted by the rushing skeletons, but the party came rushing to his aid.

Lost Jewels of the Ancient Sorceress - Critical Hit!

Sunday, November 8, 2020

Old Units & Warhammer Legends

Inspirobot thinks you can do better with all that money.
So, recently Games Workshop dropped a huge chonk of stuff onto Warhammer Legends.  In addition, a large swath of stuff was removed from Forge World's Imperial Armor books.  Like, 200 units.  FROM THE GAME.

You likely already know what I'm talking about.  You guys remember when they used to claim continued support for any army they ever sold?  Huh?  You remember that?

I'm not going to go into detail on what I think about this move, but as far as generally-accepted practices go I would say it isn't one and shouldn't be.  It's so silly I've decided that I hardly even care - not because it doesn't affect me, but because I'm numb to the pain.  Therein lies the strength.

I find I'm just not really interested in a lot of stuff that GW is doing these days.  Sorta, but not really.  Rules design and coherence has been sketchy since 2012 and everything needs constant collation and updating.  I mean, I love Warhammer - but this constant points changing has got to stop.  In 8th and 9th we'll probably skip right to power levels across all modes over the ridiculous new points system.  I'm not really a competitive gamer anymore.  I'll deal with it in that setting, but in our increasingly more casual games it's a disservice to listen to the metamongrels who constantly force this.

While I'm not declaring that this is an Oldhammer exclusive blog...I'm probably steadily leaning that way as time goes on.  I like a diversity of rulesets, so it's unlikely that I sit with simply ONE version of a ruleset I own six or more completely different versions of already.  We'll use, create and convert any rules or models we want to make our games interesting - you know, how they used to encourage us to do.

Just like with D&D there are so many old editions that actually provide valid ways to play.  So many things that have been lost in the current version of the game.  I have toyed with the idea of attempting to bring every rule and unit from my vast collection of tomes into one work, a sort of 'ultimate' edition, if you will...but that way lies madness.  I mean, vehicle design rules, Legion of the Damned - pretty much everything that the current IP stands on the head of to even be a thing.

It's obvious GW doesn't really care HOW we play the game, and I don't really care what they think anyway.  They can't make up their minds as there are too many goons out there trying to break the rules.  The current rulesets do have their own cool things, don't get me wrong.  I like it, in a way.  I can always use the models for whatever I want.  Any model - in any edition.

Friday, November 6, 2020

Howl of Oblivion: The Crossroads / Ancient & Wicked

Howl of Oblivion, an AD&D 2e Campaign
** Howl of Oblivion Campaign Page **

The Crossroads

The party decides to press on to Yecha in the vain hope of catching El-Bakir.  The journey takes eleven days, and they run out of food not far from their destination.  During the journey, the party begins to have even more respect for the Tevarsi hunters.

Along the way, they encounter an old medicine man known throughout the Tevarsi and Zyrjan Roams.  His name is Dar Dagbat, and he happened to have a Tevarsi apprentice named Keshik who knew Jaan Dhar.  The party easily hunted down a gazelle to trade Dar Dagbat for his healing potions.  While the party was camping there, Dar Dagbat had a vision of unclear import, only stating 'they are coming'.  As a result, Keshik joined the party.

A little worse for wear, they eventually arrive at the city of the Tiger Nomads.


Ancient & Wicked

...is what most nomads think of civilization.  The players have arrived in Yecha.  However, they will find their long absence from the Tevarsi Roam has had some unintended consequences.

Fantasy Grounds:  AD&D 2e Ancient & Wicked - Walkul's Cart

Yecha is not a big city, nor is it what you'd call modern.  It does have the amenities of a larger city than what the players may be used to in the setting so far.  However, it is sinister in many ways.

Unable to find any leads on either El-Bakir or followers of Iuz, the party befriends Fasha Daouda'shi at the night market.  He is a caravaner who regularly visits Yecha, and Khaine begins to feel out a possible business relationship involving freight hauling toward Greyhawk.  Saffron would likely make a good export, as well as wild rennet and other Baklunish spices.

As Borz and Walkul explore the city, they become aware of a seedy underbelly to Yecha but cannot find the fulcrum for the 'night life'.  Initially stumped, Keshik has heard stories of Yecha's 'House of Night'. After he relates much of what he had heard involving the den of iniquity, the party renews the search for it.  After Borz speaks with Fasha the next day, he spots someone watching them intently from the periphery of the bazaar.

The watcher beckons the rogues over, and lets them know her master summons them to the House of Night.  The party gathers and follows the agent, a young girl named Khai Djin, to the house of ill-repute in the center of the city.

The House of Night is a larger building in Yecha, a fabled House of Ill-Repute.  It is part opium den, part brothel, part gambling hall.  It is ran by one Rai Suli, a immigrant to Yecha from Ket, who came to the city of the Tiger Nomads eager to use his fortune and strike out on his own.  However, he is well known in Yecha and considered an upstanding citizen.  He informally operates a sort of 'thieves' guild' and has several informants all throughout the city, but the Ilkhan gives him little issue.  Rai Suli has grown quite comfortable on his k'tallah crops and in the decades he has been in the city his power and influence have quietly grown.  

Rai Suli welcomes the party to the House of Night, and begins to speak of Tep El-Bakir.  The party mentions the letter from El-Bakir to Iuz, and Suli is very interested and asks to take the letter away.  He is gone for some time, bidding the party to enjoy the amenities of the House of Night.


Fantasy Grounds:  AD&D 2e Ancient & Wicked - House of Night

In that time, Bari Bur, the Tevarsi Captain, enters the House of Night.  He is surprised to see the party and fills them in on what happened after they struck for Yecha.  The Tevarsi thought them dead, and the party's long absence from the roam has had some unintended consequences.

Fantasy Grounds: Ancient & Wicked - Rai Suli as Sean Connery

Unchallenged, Amir Bahra of the Wolf Nomads took command of the 200+ strong army on the Tevarsi Roam.  Unable to counter the force, the Zyrjans and Tevarsi withdraw and allow the army to move south into a pass in the Yatils.  The Zyrjans, eager to attack and unknowing of the size of the enemy force, prematurely attacked their gathering at the crossroads of Nu'Rek.  This results in the solid defeat of the Zyrjans, and the Tevarsi decide to move the entire encampment away from the army ahead of season.  

The players are assumed dead by Amir Iruz, who sends Bari to Yecha to speak of this account to the Chakyik Viziers.

Soon after this, Rai Suli emerges from his chambers and declares he has arranged a meeting with the Ilkhan's prime vizier, Ekbiya-Baklun Lyzandhan.  The party meets the vizier at his villa the next day, and are surprised to learn their services are no longer needed.  The army must be met with an army, and if the so-called 'enemy' move too far into the Yatils they will not be pursued.  The party is given a chance to join the provisional army to scout enemy movements to the Tiger border, but decline.

Fasha Daouda'shi offers the characters a chance to adventure, listing some tall tales and implying the existence of treasure maps, however some of the party are unsure how (or even if) they should continue.  Many feel the call to return home to the Tevarsi, rather than seek adventure with Fasha or pursue whatever vengeance Rai Suli had in mind.

Fantasy Grounds: Ancient & Wicked - Fasha's Tall Tales
The date is Moonday, 3rd Planting, 585 C.Y.

Sunday, November 1, 2020

Star Wars Portal

Iron Seer's Star Wars
Despite everything you may think to the contrary, Star Wars is still the most consistently popular tag on any of Iron Seer's sites.  I know, right?  I still dig Star Wars even if I got more Imperial than First Order on my table.  So, as we move into 2021 it's probably a good idea to get all this sorted, especially if we want to reference it later.

Speaking of references, this post will be updated as new Star Wars posts hit.  I still have so many unopened ships I want to devalue by opening.  I also plan to make a great many more 'pew-pew' noises.


Last Entry: 05/16/21




More to come!

Reverse Format 5/16/21