The Annals of Karnak, a Warhammer 40k Necron Battle Log

As I have decided to build yet another new army for 40k, I figured a bit of background (in a follow up post maybe?) and a short story of sorts would give the flavor for my new dynastic Necron army, the Tothmozer Dynasty of Karnak. Enjoy!

2 151 932.M41

Karnak System, Segmentum Ultima

The Seige of Hive Caracalla....

The Phaeron looked over the battlefield as his legions marched onwards towards the citadel. Thousands of human corpses lay strewn across the vast, empty plateau as a wave of Necron Immortals marched in lock step towards the great hive of Caracalla. He looked over to his Lychguard, “We have won but a paltry victory this day.” His metallic voice rasped gratingly in the wind. “But thy work is not done yet. Go forth and deliver our message to the lords of the city.” The nearest Lychguard stood silent before answering in his lord, “Yes oh great Phaeron, terrible Lord of the Heavens, it shall be done.” He turned to board the waiting Ghost Ark. “You have objections, Neferu?” His Lychguard champion stopped for a brief moment, “May I not provoke thee to anger, great and terrible Master of Heaven and Earth,” Neferu spoke in ancient royal protocol, “You should spare not these pitiful mortals, for they are but chaff before the wind, and their seed withers before its time and passeth away.  They are not fitting subjects for the great realm of Karnak. Let us make servants of them instead that they may build your lordship great cities and monuments in your name.”

“We admire your loyalty dear Neferu, but that is not our will. Were we not once also frail and weak? Was not our seed also brief upon the earth yet we achieved great feats when we walked in flesh and sinew? These mortals will provide the heart to our steel and will in time aid us in making war upon the Great Devourer that swallows up the Heavens even now. Go! Deliver our message to the mortals.”

With that Neferu boarded the barge and went out to the hive city.

Hours later Neferu returned with the Hive Lords’ reply. There would be no surrender. The Phaeron sighed as he looked over the devastation wrought by his armies and at what could have been a profitable tribute state in his ever expanding empire. But the shortsighted humans could not see what his crypteks foretold, they understood nothing. Blind, stupid creatures clinging to faith in a dying king and dooming themselves to extinction at the mighty hand of Thermotep III, Ruler of the Tothmozer Dynasty of Karnak. He paused in brief reflection of the irony that these mortals faced. That they would serve him either willingly in life or unwillingly in the hereafter. Thermotep looked to his Nemesors, and nodded to them to begin the final assault. And that was the last anyone living had ever heard of Hive Caracalla.

......

Uncorrupted excerpt from the encrypted annals of Karnak according to Imperial lexicographer Valentinus:

‘And the sun rose and set over the wastes of Setim and the Phaeron sent for his cryptek and champion. Zaphnat the cryptek spoke first. “My lord, you cannot mourn the mortals for their stubbornness”.....”there will be more of them”..... “they have a great king who will rise up”......”stretch out thine hand over the city and resurrect them oh Terrible One!”.... Phaeron addressed the assembled court, “Let it be known that I, Thermotep III, Great and Terrible Lord of Heaven and Earth,  Phaeron of the Houses of Inner and Outer Karnak, Supreme Ruler of Gebnut, Overlord and Subduer of Setim”.... “shall establish my nephew Amenat IV as Overlord and Ruler of Setim and the Great City therein”....”So let it be written! So let it be done!”’

New Book, New Army. Going back to Square One.

      So with the official release of Cities of Sigmar and my newfound appreciation for lore I previously found utterly disgusting, I have decided to scrap the Ulfberg in favor of a more robust and fun (and steampunk!) city state: The  Thalassocracy of Glorentia. Basically Fantasy/Steampunk Venice. Filled with Italianate humans, Ottoman dark elves, Hellenistic high elves, and Jewish Dwarves (in that Kharadron are insular in nature and, well, good at commerce. It fits the historical counterpart. Besides  Dwarves are sort of a “chosen people” and have a Hebraic styled language in most fantasies. Just look at Tolkien for instance.). Essentially I’ll be running a Tempest’s Eye Army with some Anvilguard flavoring.

       The island city of  “Glorentia” is situated in the realm of Aqshy, near the  Tyrennnian Sea (named for the famed city from the Age of Myth which sunk into the ocean during the Age of Chaos). Known as a trade hub for goods both rare and unique from the realms of Ghur, Ghyran, and even Azyrheim, Glorentia prides itself on its industrious trade, expanding empire of merchant shipping and exploratory fleets, as well as its mighty navy that plies the seas regulating trade and hunting pirates.

       The Glorentine Navy is amongst the most professional and well drilled navies of the Free Peoples, with elegantly crafted steam driven galleys that ply the tropical seas of their homeland. Fighting mainly with Orruk pirates and Chaos sea raiders, the Glorentine Navy has been known (at the behest of the co ruling Grand Dukes) to undertake amphibious assaults against Orruk and Chaos strongholds along the various protectorate coastal provinces of the “Glorentine Thalassocracy” most notable amongst the enemies of the city state is the pirate band of Dionysus the Sadist, Naval Tyrant of Port Eros and its Hedonites of Slaanesh. The trouble is, Glorentine patrols can’t find this elusive “phantom island” and the Sadist Tyrant raids Glorentine merchant convoys with ever enlarging boldness! Aiding in the struggle is the newly forged Aether Navy made up of Kharadron merchant lords and their human protégés looking to take to the skies in the new and exciting (to any Glorentine youth) adventure of flight! With many Glorentines becoming merchant captains of their own skyships exploring horizons beyond the coastlands of their city state. Glorentia itself is built on a small archipelago now almost entirely superseded by the docks, palaces, and other buildings that have crowded themselves onto the islands over the centuries. Beneath the heavily fortified Sacred Lagoon, the main harbour, lies the ruins of Tyrena, the original city founded by Sigmar in the Age of Myth. Amongst these ruins dwell a conclave of the Idoneth Deepkin, who the Glorentines have few dealings with but make sure to keep appeased so that their new city isn’t overwhelmed in a tide of sea life and destroyed like their ancestral kin.

Example of a future terrain/scenery piece I may make for a Glorentine "Steam Galley". The closest example I could get on Google for a steampunk Venetian Galley/Athenian Trireme.

Kharadron trading fleets work closely with Glorentia to explore new possible trade routes, exploitable areas with natural resources, and of course, hunting down pirates and foul Chaos raider ports. They provide much needed technical expertise to the fledgling Glorentine Aether Navy, the Senate paid a steep price to obtain the secrets of aether flight. Namely giving the Kharadron merchant enclave an exclusive trading monopoly over any new trade routes discovered in realms beyond Ghyran.

Portrait of the ceremonial barge of the co ruling Grand Dukes of Glorentia. Portrait was painted for the wedding of the two current dukes, Fresco and Antio. Their union of the two oldest noble houses of pure Tyrennian/Azyrheim lineage was an occasion of great celebration for the Glorentian citizens.

Possible future banner/naval jack of Glorentia. I used the semi historical Tartarian flag as it comes the closest to looking like a fantasy Venetian flag.

Stained glass portrait of the ducal pair Fresco and Antio, dressed in the ancient tribal garb of the Tyrennian Republic at their senatorial affirmation as the new Grand Dukes of Glorentia.

Uniforms and Flags of the Friekorps, a Pictorial Guide

       Though the Freikorps is seen by outsiders as a single, unified entity, in truth there are several layers to its organization, as discussed in a previous article. Based on ancient traditions, the Freikorps fields a wide variety of colorful uniforms that varies from regiment to regiment. Colored facings denote platoons and further esoteric insignia denotes squads, while companies in traditional Astra Militarum fashion have unit standards, symbols, etc... Tall bearskin caps denote the Schutzen regiments, while shakos adorn the heads of the Landwehr soldiery. The Leibgrenadiers have bearskin caps as well, and wear richly adorned heavy carapace armor when fighting.

Landwehr:

      The tradition of green uniforms was born out of necessity, living on a dense forest world, Alfheimers are natural born hunters and the forest green of their PDF uniforms reflects this straightforward mindset. Through the millennia, the uniform has changed little, being largely a reflection of the first inhabitants proud martial heritage that they brought with them from ancient Terra.

Landwehr of the 201st Regiment help their fallen commander after he was struck by heretic lasbolt, a fallen soldier of the Aughmoor Auxilia, another storied regiment of the world of Aughmoor lays close by.

Baron Hohenlohe of the 201st Landwehr with color bearers of the I and II Platoons of the I Kompanie. Alongside him are Lord Commissar Linovsky, and Techpriest Holtz.

 

Schutzen:

 

Usually drawn from the Albrechtspire hive, the Schutzen regiments are more sumptuously attired compared to the Landwehr, with a variety of colored uniforms between regiments. White is mostly predominant, especially with regiments raised from the junker class of the upper hive. Red, blue, grey, and even green have all been noted by Munitorum scribes tasked with supplying the various regiments with proper attire. Whereas in combat the Landwehr sport steel flak armor, the Schutzen wear bronzed flak which once denoted their frontline status. Though only slightly less experienced in forest fighting, the Schutzen tend to be very good at urban combat, having defended their hive city from invaders on numerous occasions throughout Svartalfheim's long history.

Schutzen officer with young cadets of the military academy in the upper hive. The junkers enroll their children at an early age to learn the art of war and many go on to become fine officers of the Freikorps.

The 31st Schutzen "Alt Blauen" (Old Blues) at the battle of Hollenloch, where surrounded by Orks, they held their ground in an open clearing of the mighty forest and fought to the last man before being overwhelmed by Ork Choppas.

Soldier of the 55th Schutzen, the "Scarlet Scum" of the lower Elbestrasse in the lower reaches of Albrechtspire. Made up mostly of Guildwerkers and lower ranking members of society, they have made a name for themselves on more than one occasion, and are tenacious fighters in urban battlezones, highly sought after by offworld commanders for their superior discipline and cunning.

Soldiers of the 55th urged forwards to fight a genestealer cult on Hive Tarsus.

The 69th Schutzen on the ice world of Roskva Prime

Schutzen heavy bolter team, from the 45th Regiment, attached temporarily to the 201st Landwehr while fresh recruits are shipped off from the homeworld.

 

Leibgrenadiers:

 

The Leibgrenadier Regimente is a single regiment, on paper, comprised of the finest warriors of the junker class, and an elite group tasked with protecting the Grand Elector himself with their lives. The Leibgrenadiers are divided by company and assigned to each of the Friekorps regiments on an as needed basis to provided a much needed punch in hotly contested warzones. Their discipline and tactical skill is unparalleled amongst the Alfheimer soldiery. Their uniform is a cream white, and the various companies follow the standard Alfheimer designations using facing colors and other esoteric symbology. Typically the carapace armor that the grenadiers wear vary in color from company to company, with some wearing polished bronze, such as the I Kompanie, and others wearing blue with bronze trim, white, and even red and green carapace.

Leibgrenadier of the I Kompanie with heavy flamer.

 

Regimental Colors:

 

Regimental colors, company colors, and platoon standards vary wildly from unit to unit, but the overall unifying heraldry is that either of the Imperial Aquila, usually effaced in stark black against a field of gold (the Regimental colors of the Leibgrenadiers being the most famous example.) or the Lion of Albrecht, the founder of the hive that bears his name. A red and white striped lion on a field of blue, the Lion of Albrecht is the main heraldic symbol of the Friekorps, for like lions they fight with ferocity and courage like no others. Usually this lion is superimposed over the Cross of St. Otto, that comes in a variety of colors depending on the regiment that bears them.

31st Schutzen "Alt Blauen"

201st Landwehr Freikorps

Regimental Standard of the Leibgrenadiers

112th Landwehr Freikorps

67th Schutzen Freikorps Artillerie

 

55th Schutzen Freikorps "The Scarlet Scum"

 

Private Freiderich

      Freiderich strolled past the mess hall, the place alive with music and many soldiers swilling beer as they belted out the lines of an ancient tune, “Der Kupferschmied”, a popular drinking song back on his homeworld. How he missed it. Despite its fearsome reputation among rogue traders and other merchant travelers of the Imperium, Svartalfheim had a unique charm that only a native Alfheimer could truly love. Oak and pine forests as old as mankind itself covered the world in dense foilage, and the winters were 6 months long, and only at their fiercest during the first month of the year. Alfheimers had long since learned never to be on the roads at night, as raiders from God Emperor knew where swooped down when the Blutmond was at its most crimson, their wild hunters taking you off in those dreary hours to serve as slaves to their dark perversions forevermore in their twisted fairie realm.

   This world, Gamma-Beta 16.3, known to the natives as Ghibli, is a desert world full of sand and hot, sun scorched hours where a man wished to shed his uniform, as the heat could get so maddening. Ghibli was to Private Freiderich a hell. It had to be, as hot as it was. Nights were different of course, being a desert world, temperatures dropped to something most Alfheimers found downright comfortable, and one of the few things that reminded them of home. The 201st Landwehr Regiment of the Svartalfheim PDF was never meant to fight away from its homeworld. But times had changed, and Lord Guilliman needed men to staunch the bloodstained holes in the Imperial frontlines, with the great gash of the Maledictum stretching across the Imperium’s center like a ghastly wound. Ghibli was in the center of that line. It was by sheer accident that the 201st, and indeed the 345th Freikorps ended up here. An Administratum mistake, as they were originally meant to go to reinforce a Valhallan regiment on a forested snow planet further up the Imperial battle line. Kyzyl would have been similar to their homeworld. But a mis-worded order turned the two Navy ships carrying the regiments to this benighted world, where their wool uniforms merely made the heat even deadlier. To add further to this hell, an Ork Waaagh crash landed on the far side of the planet and was colliding with elements of the Chaos warband already on Ghibli, while nightly raids from both enemies whittled down the numbers of Nova Cadians and Tallarn already stationed here.

       Freiderich trudged along past the mess hall to his post at the edge of the camp. His Landwehr uniform patched from long months of campaigning. Supply lines to this sector were thinly stretched and the ship with fresh uniforms was two months late. Probably lost in the warp for all he knew. Johann was ready to be relieved, the thin trooper looked as if he’d lost even more weight than was healthy fighting Orks in the desert. His glasses were fogged from the sandy grit that blew in the night wind. For all their lack of “training” and “discipline” according to the haughtier elements of the Friekorps, these men had learned a lot soldiering on alongside the “regulars” as they called them. Even Lord Commissar Linovsky was impressed by their resolve, having fought alongside them frequently since planetfall was made.
 
          “You should get a drink at the cantina, they sound like they’re having a good time in there.” Freiderich encouraged his squadmate. Johann didn’t move. He sat there atop the sandbags staring at the horizon. His lasgun held in his lap. Freiderich paused, this wasn’t like his old comrade. A stiff crosswind blew up from the east and Johann tumbled over into the sand. A gaping bullet wound in his forehead. Instinctively, Freiderich crouched behind the sandbags, “ALARM!!” He shouted, immediately men clambered from their tents and poured out of the mess hall. Commissars and Officers belted orders and squads took up their posts along the barricade at the camp’s edge. Bugle calls rang out and drums beat to quarters. Long months in the desert had molded the relatively poorly trained Landwehr into as iron willed a force as the regular Friekorps was. Shopkeeper and huntsman alike forged into soldiers of the “Gott Kaiser”.
     
      The acrid scent of discharged laser and burning flesh filled the air around Freiderich as all erupted into a furious firefight with an unseen foe. Somehow they had gotten close enough to the camp to pick off the sentries and were now within charge distance of the line. Freiderich put his deceased friend out of mind and focused on the horizon where bulky, armored shapes moved silently not more than a 1,000 yards distant. A ghastly warcry arose from the marines who sprinted towards the camp with astonishing speed. Freiderich opened fire with his squad close beside him, Sergeant Hecker calmly firing his laspistol at the Night Lords warriors hurtling towards him. “FUR DEN GOTTKAISER!” The cry rang down the line as men readied bayonets and continued to pour volleys into the night. Freiderich had a particular hatred for these traitor marines, for the Night Lords were still talked of in stories handed down through the generations on Svartalfhiem as the monsters who butchered the innocents of the Albrechtspire. The young private took careful aim at the their helmets trying desperately to knock them down like ninepins. Corporal Jungst stepped in beside him supercharging his plasma gun and unleashed a glowing green ball into the Night Lords, turning one of them into a glowing mass of slag. He smiled at Freiderich, his shako jauntily slouched to the side as usual. “Emperor’s balls man! You could’ve warned me you were gonna fire that thing!” Shouted Freiderich, his hair and ear felt scorched from the sudden heat displacement of the weapon. Jungst fell back to let his weapon cool while another trooper took his place in the firing line. The Night Lords still seemed as numerous as ever as the distance closed to 100 yards. Then, utter chaos. The armored tide of marines swarmed over the barricade as the Landwehr fought desperately to hold the line. Freiderich found himself bowled over by a behemoth in night blue armor, his helm a tabeleau of stretched faces with eyeholes staring eternally in abject horror of their last moments. Great crimson bat wings rose from the sides like a ferocious dragon and Freiderich instinctively looked away in terror, before steeling his resolve and turning back looking skyward as he lay in the blood soaked sand, but the warrior was gone, moved on further into the melee. Reeling from the blow, he began to pick himself up, a black clad figure strode into his view, calmly exploding a marine’s head in a ball of plasma. Commissar Linovsky looked down sternly at Friederich and shouted at him in his native Huzzarian, “Wstawaj chłopcze!  Po prostu tam usiądziesz?  Czy walczyć?”  After months of serving alongside Alfheimers, they still had no idea what he said, but by the God Emperor they knew what he meant. Friederich jumped up and with a shout shot point blank into the nearest marine, putting his eye out through his helmet. The marine calmly stood there, as another trooper ran up from behind, quickly swatted away like an insect. The marine tore off his helmet and revealed a hideous leather face with rows of razor blades for teeth. He smiled, an unearthly, inhuman, terrifyingly wide smile. His eyes mere pools of eternal darkness. Friederich was unable to move, and he didn’t know why.

       The marine reached out in a lightning move and grabbed this whelp of a soldier by the neck, hoisting him into the air. His rage at having lost the eye he sold his soul to get, an eye that saw hidden things, things of value to the warrior, already he could hear Tzeencth laughing in his skull, the Changer of Ways had not blessed him with an eye of foresight like he had hoped when he made the bargain. In rage he looked with his one good eye at the scrawny youth gasping for air in his mighty grip. “Did you really think you could kill me, little one?” He said in a quiet tone. Despite the noise of battle raging around them, Freiderich heard him clear as crystal. And he momentarily stopped struggling against the monster’s grip. If he was to die tonight, then by the Gottkaiser he was taking this filth with him. He fixed the monster with a steely death glare, that made even this ancient warrior of untold horrors pause, for a moment. A moment was all the private needed. With one quick thrust the marine found himself suddenly short of air as a bayonet stuck out through the back of his skull. His neck opened up and blood pouring down his gorget. In shock he looked back at Freiderich and then knew what was to come next. Freiderich smiled as his vision began to fade, the marine closing his grip tighter on the youth, and pulled the trigger. A lance of red energy shot forth through the marine’s skull and flames tore from his eye sockets as his grip suddenly loosened on Friederich and both fell to the ground. Then all went black.

      Friederich awoke in the medicae tent. His throat burned with pain and his vision slowly cleared. Sergeant Hecker stood over him along with Baron Hohenlohe, the colonel of the 201st. He tried to speak but those present bid him rest. Hohenlohe looked kindly down on the young private. He was a rather large man, with a round belly from years of swilling lager and a great mustache to match his jolly appearance, and his presence always seemed to fill whatever room he was standing in at the time. “Well done child, by your actions you saved the entire regiment from destruction last night. You slew their Captain in single combat! Well done my boy! For your valiant action, I shall award you this medal of commendation and promote you to the rank of Sergeant First Squad!” Hecker smiled at him, smoking his long pipe and clapped him gently on the shoulder, “As your new lieutenant, I expect you to be fully recovered and back in command of your squad within the week!” Friederich smiled as the two men left, his medal shining in the morning light, like the Emperor’s light chasing away the nightmares of mankind and holding at bay the long night beyond the pale.

The Albrechtspire Freikorps, a History

     In the dark days of the Horus Heresy, one of the last remaining worlds brought under Imperial compliance just prior to Horus’ treacherous betrayal was the forest shrouded deathworld of Sigma-Gamma-599, known ever after in Imperial records, and to the natives of that world, as Svartalfheim. A glistening paradise of green forests, mountain vistas, and woodland lakes and rivers, it is also rife with numerous wild beasts of a voracious variety. Giant “dire wolves”roam in packs among the mountains, able to tear apart entire squads of Guardsmen if they catch them unawares. Lone ghoulish creatures known as “Vitigos” prowl the forests at night seeking lone travelers to devour whole, whilst Eldar Exodite clans live in hidden communities, shielded from prying eyes by their unknown xenotech, whilst on cold moonlit nights, when the Blutmond is red and full, strange craft slip silently through the sky and descend upon isolated villages taking entire communities off into the darkness to be slaves forevermore. Such a world bred the stubborn and defiant Alfheimer. For they do not fear what the forest hides nor what the night brings. When the Heresy came to Svartalfheim, her children stood in ordered ranks, brave soldiers standing against the tide of darkness as traitor marines of the Night Lords rained down from the skies and smote the Albrechtspire with fire and bolter. Many died that terrible night but when dawn came, the hive city still stood, her sons and daughters defiantly holding out in the Elector’s Palace led by the Elector himself, even as the Night Lords raised up grisly trophies of their slaughter the night before, women and children crucified in a great and terrible forest of the slain throughout the hive atop every rooftop visible to the defenders.

      But with the dawn came death for the traitors, as beams of light lanced down from the heavens and sent the Night Lords running for their dropships. The Imperial Navy had arrived. Though unrecorded in Imperial records, the Eldar where whispered to have come out of their hidden cities and aided the stricken hive defenders. When the dust settled, the Grand Elector, Otto the Strong, pledged his entire world to aid in lifting the Siege of Holy Terra, and so raised as many regiments as the hive could spare and set off for the stars. Warp storms caused him to be late to the siege by a century, and arrive off course by several thousand lightyears. Seeing a world beleaguered by an Ork Waaagh, he set about freeing it and after crushing the Ork invasion was proclaimed a blessed liberator by the world of Signus 9. When he  returned home he issued a decree creating the “Friekorps” or “Free Corps” of the Albrechtspire. Ever since, the men of the hive have seen themselves as liberators and bearers of swift justice to the enemies of the Emperor.

     The finest drilled of all the soldaten of the Freikorps, the Leibgrenadiers are the elite bodyguards of the Grand Elector of the Albrechtspire, Planetary Governor for Svartalfheim. Normally kept close to the Elector’s palace in the upper hive, it is not unusual for them to be deployed on battlefields far from home.

Freikorps Leibgrenadier carrying a flamer. Alongside him is a Heavy Weapons team of the Schützen branch of the Freikorps, whilst behind them are soldaten of the Landwehr.

      They are on a par with grenadiers of most other worlds, with an espirit d’corps that some would say is quite strong. They fight for the God Emperor and the Elector. Drawn primarily from the nobility of the upper hive of the Albrechtspire, the Leibgrenadiers are the bane of Xenos and other enemies of Man across the galaxy. Like all “Alfheimers” they have a particular hatred of Eldar, since so many of their legends and early history of Svartalfheim are rife with conflict from both Dark Eldar and Exodites. The recent pact with the Ynnari not withstanding, most Alfheimers would rather die fist fighting an Ork than work with the Eldar. Recently several Leibgrenadier squads have been recruited by agents of the Emperor’s Most Holy Inquisition to hunt down a growing Genestealer cult in the underhive. The Leibgrenadiers Regiment won acclaim most recently in the face of an Ork Waaagh that nearly devasted the southern side of Svartalfheim and were on the walls defending the Albrechtspire from the fiercest of the Ork attacks, with the Grand Elector, August Fritz II, leading the defense. The subsequent liberation of the spaceport and devastated settlements in the Höllenloch Province is the stuff of legends amongst the humble huntsmen and guildwerkers of the planet. Though it exists on paper as a regiment, the Leibgrenadiers are split into individual companies that are paired with Schutzen and Landwehr regiments to provide a much needed edge on the battlefield. They also provide the "Life Guard" to the Elector when he is present in the field.

       The quality of the Freikorps can roughly be divided into three ranks: the Leibgrenadiers who are the elite troops, the Schutzen who comprise the bulk of the Freikorps, and finally the poorly trained and equipped Landwehr, who are more akin to bog standard PDF troops than a true Guardsman. Nevertheless, the Landwehr can still be deployed at the Elector’s whim and the will of the Adeptus Administratum to far off battlezones from which they rarely often return.

       The Schutzen are uniformed similar to the Leibgrenadiers but with less armor and poorer quality equipment. The standard lasgun and flak armor giving them a common bond with their fellow Guardsmen from worlds across the Imperium. What separates these men from their fellow Guard counterparts is their sheer ferocity and disciplined drill tactics. Each man is expected to hold the line for the honor of the the Freikorps and his regiment. To panic and flee the enemy (provided one survived a summary execution by the Commisariat) is a disgrace to the entire family of the coward who shirks his duty to the “Gott Kaiser” (as the Emperor is known on Svartalfheim). Though they are not stupid in this regard and are also well enough accustomed to fighting Eldar in the heavily forested deathworld they call home. They will fight a moving battle when need be and the armored companies of the Freikorps are second to none in the art of the “Blitzkrieg”. Even Knight Commander Pask once said that of all the armored units he’d ever choose to be at the side of his Cadians in a desperate battle, he’d be sure to have the Freikorps at the spear tip. Artillery is another strong suit of the Freikorps, with many folk songs and tall tales of the life of an artilleryman. The Elector has such a good rapport with the Mechanicus that the Freikorps has no shortage of Basilisks for its operations. “When it rains it shells.” is a common expression amongst Alfheimers on the battlefront.

      Finally we come to the least well equipped of the Freikorps, the Landwehr. Originally this was Svartalfheim’s Planetary Defense Force, but the recent developments in the Indomitus Crusade have forced the Elector to deploy them as frontline garrison troops, and sometimes even alongside the Linieninfanterie as reinforcements. Though the men and women of the Landwehr are humble hunters and villagers from the numerous small settlements scattered amongst the dark and brooding Himmelwald, they fight with conviction and faith in the Gott Kaiser. In these dark times they have become very adept at guerrilla warfare, most having honed their fighting skills fighting off Drukari raiders and the ever present Exodites who to them are the “fairy folk” that live in enchanted castles behind invisible barriers. Many superstitions abound amongst the Landwehr about these malign Xenos and they will often shoot one on sight. Though once they couldn't always be counted on to hold the line, they do make excellent scouts and sharpshooters despite their often complete lack of traditional battlefield discipline. That all changed when the Grand Elector formally "adopted" them into the Freikorps as frontline troops. Now with years of battlefield experience behind them, the Landwehr form a valuable auxiliary force to the Schutzen line regiments and often exceed them in iron discipline.

Warhammer 40k: the Albrechtspire Freikorps

      Alongside my new Age of Sigmar Freeguild, I also am laying plans to build an Astra Militarum army for Warhammer 40k, Napoleonic Saxons/Bavarians  from the Black Forest planet of “Svartalfheim”, home to Eldar Exodites, Genestealer Cults, occasional Ork raids, Dark Eldar raiders from the orbiting moon of Blutmond, and of course the Great hive city of Albrechtspire, home to the Freikorps, the heroic defenders of the Emperor’s worlds, and the best dressed and disciplined soldiers on the battlefield.

The Albrechtspire Freikorps

      Hailing from the heavily forested deathworld that brought the Imperium such delightful bedtime stories as: Hansel the Heretic and Inquisitor Grettel, Little Red Hooded Techpriest and Wulf the Genestealer, the Eldar and the Gunmaker, and of course everyone’s favorite, Schneewittchen and the Seven Squats. It is truly a delightful world to visit with exotic flora and fauna similar to Holy Terra’s own extinct species from 40,000 years before. With majestic snow capped mountains and a hive city of unparalleled beauty, Albrechtspire!

The Albrechtspire at night.

      A hunter’s paradise regardless of what the locals would have you believe. A perfect Alpine retreat*BLAM! THERE IS NO RETREAT IN THE GOD EMPEROR’S REALM!*/vacation locale! Be sure not to heed the blasphemous rumors from fellow vacationers of “raiders” or “wild native Eldar”, such vile aliens would never be allowed to breathe the same pine scented air of a stout “Alfheimer”! Visit your local Astra Militarum recruiting office for more travel information on Svartalfheim!

The Freikorps Standard

On the Geography of Gotholm

         Situated in the northernmost reaches of the Realm of Ghyran, where it bleeds into Ghur, the continent of Gotholm is a cold, alpine land with several free cities, numerous small frontier settlements, and Sylvaneth enclaves situated amongst its heavily forested mountains and coastal plains. The central ridge of mountains that runs across the length of Gotholm, the Karlskrieg Alps, divides the continent almost in half, with Beastmen raids from Ghur coming right up to the mountains' line on the northern side. Skaven gnaw holes under the mountains forced Duardin of the Kolhblitzberg to abandon their hold during the Age of Chaos, later resettling among the new cities established by the liberators at the beginning of the Age of Sigmar. The Gotha and Ulf Tribes established in the latter days of the Age of Myth the foundations of the Free City of the Ulfberg, of which much has been told already.

         The Karlskrieg Alps form the bastion against which the beasts of Ghur are barred from overrunning Ghyran. The centerpiece of this bastion is the Ulfberg itself. Towering above the entire alpine range, like a jagged speartip forged by the gods, the "Wolf Mountain" guards the passage between the two bleeding realms. The city of Ulfberg climbs the slopes of the mountain crowned at the peak by the Adlerhohen storm keep. At the foot of the Ulfberg lies the Drachenwald, a thickly wooded forest once settled by the Sylvaneth, but since abandoned because of the taint of Chaos and the numerous bands of Beastmen that wander its shadowed expanse. Beyond the wald to the south is the hill county dotted with forests and rivers that make for excellent sites for smaller settlements and farmsteads.

The Ulfberg, surrounded by the menacing Drachenwald.

       To the west is flat marshland, foetid swamps, tainted from Nurgle's invasion centuries before. This expanse is known as the Neidermarsh, infested with Skaven and remnants of Nurgle's blight. It is, by decree, under the authority of the Princes of Ulfberg, the title of Landgraff long since given out to a distant branch of the Gotha dynasty. A rebellion of several peasant villages along the edge of the marshland was brutally crushed by Prince Sigebert, the great grandsire of the current Prince. Some say it was Chaos inspired rebellion, though others might suggest that Sigebert was a terrible ruler, letting the Council of Burhgermeisters tax the peasant farmers to levels of destitution not seen since the Age of Chaos. Sigebert's assassination a year after the rebellion was met with celebration in the outlying farmsteads. South of the marsh, along the broken, rocky coastline is the Grand Barony of Fjordland, a minor principality established in the wake of the conquests of the Stormhosts in order to further solidify Sigmar's liberated territories. Though lacking a Storm Keep, Fjordland has done quite well since it's founding. It's capital, the port city of Arrendelle, is home to a thriving fishing and whaling industry, along with seaborne trade from across the realm. Fjordlanders are still angry after the Ulfberger conquest and are reluctant to fight for the Kronprinz, regardless if the Baroness has been married off to his cousin.

Arrendelle, seat of the Grand Barony of Fjordland.

Oorstricht, the Great Seaport and capital of the Zeebund.

       To the east along sandier coastlines and flat expanses is the Zeebund, a collection of cities in a loose trade confederation. The Zeebund has a fleet of ships that sails across the realm of Ghyran trading with a good many free cities, kingdoms, and even with the Kharadron Overlords when their great sky bound citadels appear overhead. several years prior to the current date, the Zeebund was defeated in a lightning war by the Ulfberger Wacht. The siege of Oorstricht, capital of the bund, ended the war with the Zeebunders' capitulation after the horrific death of the Stadholder when his upper torso was vaporized by a shot from the steam tank "Siegfried". His blood still stains the clocktower in the middle of the town square. Oorstricht is currently being expanded for the building of the "Royal Ulfberger Navy" to further the Kronprinz' dream of a united Gotholm. Numerous other small states exits across the length and breadth of Gotholm and with the rising tide of Skaven attacks, Chaos plots, and Beastmen raids, the dream of an "Ulfberger Empire" is still a long way off.

The Ulfberger Wacht, Precision Soldiers of the Kronprinz

        Fierce. Loyal. Cunning. Disciplined. These are the adjectives used when one describes the blue uniformed soldiers of the Ulfberg. With a military tradition stretching back to the founding of the city itself, the Ulfberg Wacht is a precision machine of well drilled soldaten and oiled machines ready to take on any foe and beat the Freeguild regiments of other states in open battle. While the Burgomeisters maintain the majority of the “city watch” for defending the Ulfberg, the true military strength of the Freiestadt lies in the twenty regiments maintained by the Kronprinz himself. This professional force is paid for from the city coffers and the wealth from the personal estate of the Princes of Ulfberg. While the “Geltwacht” is a mercenary, semi professional collection of regiments and militia tasked with defending the city down to the Rimegate and not far beyond it’s walls, the Ulfberger Wacht is the offensive might of Wolf Mountain made manifest. Their officers are the best trained and their soldaten the best equipped. With an unshakable faith in Sigmar and their divine mission to unite Gotholm into a single Reich, with Ulfberg as its shining capital. Here then is a breakdown of each branch of the Wacht and it’s role in bringing the Kronprinz closer to the title of “Kaiser”.

“A peal like thunder calls the brave,
With clash of sword and banners wave,
The mountain serene and most sublime,
Who now will guard the mountain’s crown?

Dear Fatherland, no fear be thine,
Dear Fatherland, no fear be thine,
Firm stands the guard atop, atop the mountain,
Firm stands the guard atop, atop the mountain!”
-Die Wacht am Berg, traditional hymn of Ulfberg.

-Wolves of the Mountain-

The Geltwacht:

       The twenty infantry regiments that make up the Wacht are trained in the Freeguild barracks in the upper most levels of the city. Ten more infantry regiments maintain separate quarters in the lowest level, the Rimegate. Whilst the barracks of the Rimegate district are technically also Freeguild managed, these men are inferior conscripts and mercenaries. The quality of each of the ten regiments of the Geltwacht (Gold Watch) varies depending on its regimental patron. Some merchants spend lavishly on their men, equipping their officers with bejeweled swords, and silver plated pistols, while the men wear outlandish uniforms with garish colors reflecting the Merchant House that pays them. Other regiments  are more sparsely armed and attired in whatever clothing they came in the day they signed on. They fight about as effectively depending on who is paying their training. When the city is not under siege, the Geltwacht is tasked with policing the Rimegate and the farmlands beyond the city walls. They are charged with looking out for beastmen raiders and other such local threats to the Ulfberg, raising the alarm when trouble is afoot. But most often the “soldiers” of the Geltwacht will be found drinking in the taverns and extorting money from hapless lower level merchants and farmers foolish enough to make a wrong turn down one of the many crowded alleys of the Rimegate. They also more often than not fight amongst each other at the behest of their paymasters as the Burgomeisters jockey for position in the Council. One famous incident in the third year of Prinz Karl Ulric’s reign (Hans Gotha’s peaceable and introverted father) led to a fire that burned up half the Rimegate and the Ulfberger Wacht to be called out by the Stadtsmarshal to quell the sudden violence of three drunken regiments of the Geltwacht. Subsequently at the Stadtmarshal’s urging the Prince issued an edict reforming the management of the Geltwacht to the extent allowed by the Council of Burgomeisters themselves.

One of the many regimental banners of the Ulfberg. While the Ulf tribal symbol was a white wolf, the color of the heraldic symbol of the city varies between regiments, some are blue, some black, and some are even red.

-The Ulfberger Wacht-

I. Infantry

"The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions, but by iron and blood." -Stadtsmarshal Eric Von Heldenman addressing the Council of Burgomeisters prior to the Fjordland War.

      The regiments of the Uhrwerkhaus, Gelthaus, and Ulfschloss districts are more rigorously  trained and uniformly equipped. Uniforms of blue and white bedeck the proud soldiers of the Kronprinz, and the finest steel the Uhrwerkhaus shops can forge make up the weapons of these storied units. Regiments of halberds, spears, and handguns fight closely in supporting formations and officers are veterans with many campaigns under their belts. All are steadfastly loyal to the Kronprinz and sworn to uphold his rule as well as to enforce the laws of the Council. Much like their tribal ancestors, these men proudly call themselves the “Wolves of the Mountain” and dispatches sent between commanders on the battlefield reference regiments as “wolfpacks” to confuse enemies should messages be intercepted. The Stadtsmarshal in recent years organized a Freeguild “Officers School” (Die Ofizier Schule) to train newly raised officers of the regiments uniformly and to fight together as a cohesive whole. Wargames and battle strategies are practiced weekly alongside other activities to train competent commanders for the Wacht. Young and promising officers like Captain Johann Krell of the 5th Handgunner Regiment “Gotha’s Stormlocks”, helped to rout the Fjordlander army at the Battle of Gorsemund using the support of the 12th Outrider troop “Heinrich's Hussars”. Catching the flank of the Baroness of Fjordland’s personal guard regiment by surprise and routing them from the field, causing the rest of the Fjordlanders to run back to their capital.

Infantry of the Ulfberger Wacht charge at the Second battle of Neidermarsh

      Most feared among the regiments are the Greatswords, boisterous, tall youths with two handed swords as tall as the men themselves. One swing can bisect a foe before he's even realized what has happened. Expert swordsmen, they out of all the regiments are the best trained and equipped, spending their days in the barracks sparring and learning new sword techniques from master bladesmen. At night they can be found romancing young ladies at balcony windows of manor houses in the Gelthaus, or in the taverns out-drinking their comrades in arms and spending gold on women of the evening. So charismatic and renowned are these young lads that they are often the subject of poems, songs, plays, and novels. The 15th  Dopplesoldier Regiment is known as the "Kronprinz's Regiment" and they are often tasked with escorting the Prinz and Stadtsmarshal when on campaign, guarding the gate to the Ulfschloss, or going on daring raids behind enemy lines at the bidding of the Kronprinz.

II. Artillery

"Artillery adds dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl." -Grungi Gundestruppe, Cogmaster and Chief Quartermaster of the Ordinance Train.

        The Ordinance Train of the Wacht is of course the most impressive collection of artillery in all of Gotholm if not the whole realm. Hundreds of cannon, mortars, rockets, and other such machines are maintained by the Uhrwerkhaus district's many forges. Exiled Dwarfs from the long destroyed hold under Kohlblitzberg further downrange of the Karlskreig Alps (where the Ulfberg rears out of the midst like a great white spear point.) forge cannon barrels and parts for the steam tanks. Cogsmiths train engineers and gunsmith apprentices in the techniques necessary to maintain the armaments that have brought low dragons, giants, and other great dangers to men. Three steam tanks are housed in the Great Workshop in the center of the Clockwork district. These rare machines are the Kronprinz' prise possessions, having broken the battle lines of many foes. The most renowned tank is "Siegfried", clad in blue lined white armor and stoutly built, Siegfried is named after a Prince of Ulfberg who slew a dragon attacking the city. Siegfried has served in the recent campaigns of Zeebund and Fjordland, and was instrumental in breaching the defenses of Zeebund when it rammed into the south gate and blasted the ruling Stadtholder from his horse, scattering him all over the city clocktower.

       The second tank of near equal fame is "Gotha's Steed". Built for speed, it has a sizeable ram on the bow of the tank and reinforced, dwarf forged pistons to hold up under pressure. Karl Hohenlynd, the chief engineer for Gotha's Steed, constantly oversees new modifications to improve the speed and hitting power of his prize mount. Painted a deep blue with red trim, Gotha's Steed led the charge at the Second Battle of Neidermarsch, crushing a horde of Skaven acolytes before her wheels clogged with rat corpses and sank partly into the marsh, her crew firing on ratkind from the roof til the Wacht arrived to finish off the foe.

       The third and final tank is of a venerable old design known as "Kamarade". Black as the soot covered works from which she first emerged, with gilded paintwork, Kamarade has a master crafted steam gun that is blessed with magics by the priests of Sigmar and is the occasional escort of the Witchfinder General, Klaus Hesser. The Witchfinder uses Kamarade to hunt particularly powerful rogue wizards, for its the only tank to be reinforced with secret runes and wards by both the Cogsmiths and the battle mages of the Ulfberg school of magic.

      These three tanks are on occasion grouped into a single Steam Tank Company, or "Dampfeisenpanzerkompanie" in Gottspiel. Most often to break the enemy battle line with an overwhelming charge. Few can stand against a steam tank and survive, let alone three!

III. Cavalry

"Come on comrades! To horse! To horse!
To battle and freedom we go!.."
- From a traditional march of the 12th Outriders "Heinrich's Hussars"

      Lastly, the cavalry arm of the Wacht is composed of Orders of Knights and Pistolier companies. The Templar Knights of Sigmar, and the other gods muster their strength to crusade in the name of Sigmar and for the Ulfberg, it's dominance over the other free cities they see as holy writ, given that Sigmar blessed Gotha with a vision to build the city centuries before. Alongside the Templar Orders, groups of freelance knights from all around Gotholm join the Wacht on campaign with a variety of motivations, from loot to a perceived duty to crusade for Sigmar. The Pistoliers and Outriders are similarly a mix of professional and volunteer levies. Landowners from the valley raise units of horse and equip them with basic wheellock pistols from the family arsenal. The Stadtsmarshal uses these levies for scouting ahead of the main force when on campaign, while the professional Freeguild horse are kept close to hand for flanking enemy units, capturing supplies, and escorting officials. Troops such as Heinrich's Hussars and Von Hohenzohl's Volunteers have turned the tide of many a battle, showing up at the right time to pour hot lead into the face of a Khorne warrior horde, or trample down goblin infantry. Taken as a whole, the Ulfberger Wacht is a formidable army that has few rivals among the free cities.

Kronprinz Hans Gotha IV Von Geldhaar, A Profile

   

        The story of Hans Gotha IV really begins with the founding of the Von Geldhaar (Old Gothic speech for “Gold Hair”) family line a millennium before when the Gotha and the Ulf tribes built the Ulfschloss under Gotha the Great. King Gotha, from whom his descendants took their name after splitting from the Ulfs, was a mighty warrior who fought Greenskins and Beastmen in the frigid northern lands of the Realm of Life, wielding a mighty blade that Sigmar himself came down and gifted him with, Gotha led his household out from the small settlement at the base of the Ulfberg, the “Wolf Mountain”, and increased in number and established many settlements and clans under the Wolf standard. On his death the northern landmass had nearly all been subdued by Gotha’s house and became known as “Gotholm” “Gotha’s Home”. In one campaign he saved the life of a Duardin cogsmith who gifted him with an enchanted steed that could never tire and spat lightning from its mouth. Seven years before the death of King Gotha, he returned to the Ulfberg and under a vision from Sigmar began the construction of a mighty fortress and city, uniting the dwindling Ulf tribe with his own burgeoning one, the Gothic tribesmen honored their kinsmen by keeping the White Wolf sigil for their new city’s symbol. Gotha married his great niece Brunhelga, the Wolf Queen, and was raised upon a shield by his housecarls and proclaimed King Gotha I of Ulf and Gotha. Brunhelga bore seven sons to Gotha before his passing, and each grew into a warrior as mighty as their father. The eldest, Sigurd, inherited the crown while his brothers, according to custom, split the remaining inheritance of their father.

The Gotha Royal Arms, showing Gotha the Great on his Wunderhorse wielding a Sigmarite Runesword

        So the House of Gotha ruled the Ulfberg for centuries, Kings eventually giving way to a council of Burgomeisters ruled by a Prince of the family line. The title of King became lost to the ages and the numerous laws, statutes, and edicts from various reigns prevented absolute monarchy from taking hold again as Princes were more easily governable and ruled by council. Among the various ancient chiefs that made up the clans of the Gotha tribe rose the Von Geldhaars. The first of their number was Albrecht the Fair. Handsome beyond reason, blonde flowing hair fell about a face said to be shaped by the gods themselves, his piercing blue eyes seduced many a maiden of his tribe and he begat but a single son, also fair of face and blonde as the sun’s light. That son had several more sons and daughters, and so on. Every generation descended from Albrecht was as beautiful as the last. But not all were alike in beauty of the heart. Some were vain and cruel, and some were given over entirely to the pleasures of the flesh, such as Wilhelmina the Unchaste, who held orgies in the dead of night in the caverns under the Ulfberg, til one night whilst coupling with her lovers they were attacked and taken by the dreaded Skaven, never to be seen again. She bore several sons and daughters and her surviving lovers Hans and Ernst raised them as their own. The amount of pleasure seeking “hedonists” in the Geldhaar family tree and their eventual rise to power has raised some questions among those who know the family’s mixed history of good and bad. Some Geldhaars, such as Hans Gotha, were noble, and far more disciplined in their personal lives, as well as devoted to Sigmar’s worship. Some five centuries ago, a nobleman of the Von Geldhaar house married Countess Gunhilda of Gotha, thereby joining the two houses when the main line of House Gotha failed to produce an heir two hundred years later.

Kronprinz Hans Gotha IV Von Geldhaar, Prince of Ulfberg, Sovereign of Fjordland, and Stadtholder of the Zeebund. Portrait painted shortly after his victory over Fjordland.

         Whispered in the backrooms of the noble houses that are “enlightened” by the “new truths” of a certain wandering scholar, Erasmus Von Der Taag (Die Wunderwerker), the Royal House of Geldhaar has a dark secret that not even they are aware of. Something from the “World that Was”. A great evil, hedonistic and perverse, lies sleeping in the blood of the Von Geldhaars. Their near uncontrollable urges, their lusts, their failings, these are the legacy of the Royal line that every Von Geldhaar must fight to overcome. None more so than the current Kronprinz, for as the Wunderwerker has foretold, he is the new hope of the sensualists in secret. “His face bears the marks of a great champion, for he is fairer than any of his line, and his golden locks are a sign from our god of the perfection which is to come for all the true believers of the Ulfberg, nay of even all of Gotholm! He is the Avatar of Perfection, and he will bring licentious liberation to all our people!” (“Prophezeiungen über das Kommen des Avatars” Quatrain XIV, Erasmus Von Der Taag). However, as of yet the Prince remains unaware of his “fate” engineered for him by the Chaos gods.

Erasmus Von Der Taag, “Die Wunderwerker”

           Hans Gotha IV Von Geldhaar reigns over a mighty city state and multiple dangers rear their heads from a dozen directions. The secret cults brewing under the roofs of a few noble houses are a small but growing threat compared to the more pressing issues of Skaven tunnels under the Ulfberg, Beastmen hordes springing forth from the Drachenwald to burn the farmsteads that feed the city, pirates attacking settler ships out of Zeebund, and the wars of conquest and unification against the other free cities of Gotholm. The dream of “Großgotholm” “Greater Gotholm” is ever on the mind of the Kronprinz and his loyal Stadtsmarshal, Von Heldenman. The recent war against the Principality of Fjordland has seen the Ulfberger Wacht achieve victory after victory. The disciplined regiments of spears and guns broke the Fjordlander’s armies twice, with the Stadtsmarshal bringing his army to the gates of Arendelle, the capital. Hans Gotha meanwhile led the knights of the Templar Orders and several picked regiments in a whirlwind maneuver to cutoff the reinforcing army from the capital and crushed them in lightning assault that left the Baroness of Fjordland no choice but to surrender her state to the Kronprinz. As it stands, the Freiestadt Ulfberg is entering a golden age of prosperity and power that may see her become master of the continent, and capital of a new empire. Only time will tell if Prince Hans can resist his inner urges and remain master of his own destiny.