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Author Topic: Rebellion....or a new beginning?  (Read 28064 times)

Offline VonOttenheim

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Re: Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #25 on: November 25, 2011, 07:28:11 PM »
...and yes...Corvus Starkenberg...the "Fratres Panthera”...Patriarch Jozefus II, his bodyguard, "the Taal spears and crossbows" will all be painted and displayed here during the month of December....Taal willing.  :smile2:
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #26 on: December 11, 2011, 12:08:21 PM »
The cannon fire roared from the small flat-topped hill on his left.
Ulrich looked over at D´Ambrosio and smiled. The re-grouping or the artillery train during the night had worked out well. The hill commanded this part of the battlefield.

It had been many hours into the afternoon yesterday, when scouts had brought the word that Stirland forces were indeed trying to block their movements. Celedol had done good.

The terrain north of the town of Kiel was ideal for such an action. Mostly open ground with low hills to place artillery on or to hide an ambush.

Screams echoed across the field as cannon balls struck, mutilating, be-heading and crushing Stirlanders. Axe and mace wounds were horrible, but after having visited many soldiers injured by cannon fire Ulrich dreaded ever being wounded by one.

It was well into the morning, the rising sun glinted off thousands of halberds, swords and hammers to their front. Judging by the frequency of messengers moving behind their battle line, the Stirlanders were about to attack.

Some said they had seen the personal standard of Grand Count Graf Alberich, but it had not been verified, there was a mass of yellow and greenish battle banners moving around out there.

“Never mind” thought Ulrich, “his time will soon come anyway…”. This action left no doubt what side he had picked, and the morning’s slaughter, of Black Griffon stable boys out gathering grass, by some Reiksguard knights proved that Altdorf was behind this move. The secret was out.

A taunting roar rose from the green and yellow masses, the commanders swords were raised and thrust forward giving the attack command, The ground almost felt like it shook as thousands of infantry stepped out into the killing ground. “It is so sad” thought Ulrich as he watched the ancient battle standards of well-respected Stirland regiments move forward, “but it must be so, the old order rooted out and a new Emperor put in place to unite mankind against the Chaos threat….so sad indeed”. “All those spears would be sorely needed in future campaigns”.

“My Lord, the infantry awaits your command”: Raymond Charzat, acting as a messenger today, coming to a full stop behind Ulrich, his horse skidding in the mud.

Ulrich, using his best booming battlefield command voice, looked up at Christoforo on the hill and shouted “One more salvo ‘Amber’, then we attack! “.

D´Ambrosio nodded consent, turned and ordered “Reeeloooaaad!

Killing fields indeed….and the day had just begun.


« Last Edit: December 11, 2011, 01:44:50 PM by VonOttenheim »
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #27 on: December 11, 2011, 03:30:33 PM »
It was a long stretched valley floor with a small stream running through it, surrounded by long low rolling hills. Vegetation was scarce. The ground was wet and soggy from weeks of heavy rain. The area behind the deploying troops rapidly turned into a quagmire from men, horses and wagons passing. The sun had been up for just over an hour, but the mist rising from the wet ground was heavy and thick, added to by the celestial incantations of Crugeon. It was all part of the plan. It did however make it almost hard for Adam Teufelfeuer, Melchior Kelhammer and all the other waiting infantry commanders to see the advancing enemy down in the valley, but they could hear them…..and see their banners.

As Ulrich looked to the right he could see his battle line. This would be the true test of his new “Codex Tactica”, developed just for fighting other human forces.
He had put his men into four lines or “battles” as he called them. The first battle was swordsmen and halberds, two men deep, commanded by Manfred. Then a line of handgunners under the Luijendijk brothers. Another line of infantry, Bogdans boys, armed with sword, hammers or axes and then finally a line of archers, Gaspards lot, two or three men deep. This worked well both in times of attack or defend.
The old ways with coherently armed regiments moving around on their own had left handgunners and archers dangerously exposed to counter attack when they had fired their weapons or was out of arrows.
This new method gave handgunners a fighting chance to survive even against a knights charge if supported by pike and billmen. And when the bowmen had ran out of arrows they just grabbed their falchions and joined the infantry line. It did have a weakness however and that was if the enemy got around their flanks and could engage the rear lines before third line infantry could be turned and support. Ulrich had countered this flaw by using elven scouts and Dietrich´s Jaegers as a screening flank force.

A thunderous heavy roar was heard as the last volley rang out from the cannons. Panicked shrieks came from the two closest Stirland regiments as the slow moving cannon balls approached their ranks. This was another reason why Ulrich feared cannons, the shots travelled so slowly that one could actually see death approaching. He felt his stomach churn slightly as the balls hit the ranks with squishy, wet thuds….ripping through five, six and sometimes as many as ten soldiers in line before stopping dead in the muddy field.

Still feeling the taste of bile in his mouth he turned to Raymond: “ To all infantry commanders: The line will advance. Attack! Taal be with you!”
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #28 on: December 16, 2011, 11:08:44 AM »
Knights Templar of Taal




Hochmeister Corvus Starkenberg



Ordensmarschall Valacchia



Fratres Panthera



Templar Order of Taal

WIP as you can see. Will finish these and continue on with the heavily armoured Patriarch Jozefus II personal guard, the Patriarch himself, the mounted Fratres Panthera, Order foot soldiers and artillery......Taal give the time and energy.  :smile2:

Comments are welcome...I know I use the paint too heavy....should thin it out more....has become my style somehow though.

...and yes...still no bases done....ideas ? suggestions welcome.




Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #29 on: January 13, 2012, 01:08:49 PM »
The soldier sat on his horse, leaning slightly over the pommel of his saddle, chewing on a bit of straw. He liked chewing on straw, it took his mind of tabac.

The company hadn´t seen decent tabac for almost a year. It was very expensive in Kislev to start with, and since the Chaos invasion, all trade had stopped.
Even though the final battle had been months ago, the Empire was broken and in disarray. Especially the northern provinces.

The horse put its head down and took another drink of water from the mighty river Stir.
It had been a long chase through the night, a series of random bloody engagements whenever the retreating Stirland forces decided to make a stand.

A distant rumble, like cannon fire, made both horse and rider look up for a moment, but it was just another thunderstorm coming in from the east. Dark clouds and lightning driving away the cold morning sun. Wafts of smoke drifted down from the north again as the wind changed. The soldier looked up and could just barely make out the rooftops of the few remaining harbor buildings in Bissendorf.

The rest had burnt during the night.

A unit of Reiksguard knights had used the harbor area to fight a delaying action while the rest of the imperial army withdrew across the makeshift pontoon bridge. Many good soldiers had fallen for their swords, he could count at least three friends who would not see the end of this campaign.
A hard blow to their commander would be that his brother had fallen, Dietrich von Ottenheim had made a desperate charge, alone against five Reiksguard knights. He had tried to stop them cutting away the final ropes that was holding the pontoon bridge in place.

Lightly armoured jaeger troops against knights in full battle gear was never a good idea however, even less so if outnumbered. He had taken out three of them, praise be to Taal, but when he tripped over one of the fallen, a remaining knight managed to push a bollock dagger in under his helmet at the base of the skull. It stuck there as it was driven in to the hilt.

Awful mess, he had seen it with his own eyes, but was not close enough to help.
The reiksguard basterds had cheered as the pontoon drifted away, but then it topped over as they tried to move around and they both drowned.

Some of the jaegers had already started gathering firewood for the funeral pyre and ceremony that would surely be held as soon as their commander reached Bissendorf.

Dietrich von Ottenheim had for a long time been one of the Advocatii in the Templar Order of Taal, a commander of irregular units that rode in support of the Order knights. No doubt it would be a long and tedious ceremony since it was a high profile member of the family and battle priests and clergymen was a´plenty in the army since it crossed into Ostermark.

The soldier was not religious and holy wars always left a bad taste in his mouth.
“As long as it brings me coin….which in the end….somewhere…somehow…will bring me tabac” he muttered under his breath.

As he leaned over to spit out some pieces of straw, the last disappearing rays of sunlight struck something that glittered on the ground and it caught his eye.
The scrawny looking naked man that he had been watching, while his horse quenched its thirst, was obviously dead and had been since the early hours of the evening, by the looks of him. It had been a violent death, it was no one he recognized and since someone had stolen his clothes there was no telling what side he belonged to.

The sunrays had glinted off his stomach and that was what caught the soldiers eye.

The people that had plundered the man had also gutted him and it took the soldier a few moments to figure out why…..of course….an old soldiers trick.

Before a battle, swallow your coin in case you are taken prisoner. That way you will get them back eventually. The “ghouls” that had plundered this poor wretch had obviously been around a battlefield before.

“War is hell…” muttered the soldier.

‘I really need a smoke’  he thought to himself as he gently kicked the spurs into the side of his mount and slowly started riding north towards the harbor
« Last Edit: January 13, 2012, 01:16:48 PM by VonOttenheim »
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #30 on: January 24, 2012, 02:56:20 PM »
Needing paint this year.



more Templar soldiers



reinforcements from Nordland
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #31 on: February 17, 2012, 01:55:53 PM »
Fresh off the painting table:



Taal Swordbrethren




Battlepriest of Taal

Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #32 on: April 18, 2012, 08:52:04 PM »
Things in progress.....fluff to follow



Household Cavalry of the Wasa Family and a mounted Sword Brethren of Taal



Household Cavalry of the Wasa Family "Die Löwen"

...just realising that the light is crap in the pics....will take new ones later..... :eusa_wall: :eusa_wall:
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline Fandir Nightshade

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Re: Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #33 on: April 19, 2012, 01:07:57 PM »
I kind of want to comment and also don´t, great stuff but I don´t want to fill your thread with spam.
 :::cheers:::

Offline VonOttenheim

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Re: Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #34 on: April 19, 2012, 02:30:29 PM »
No worries  :biggriin:

I appreciate the sentiment tho.

It´s a weird thread I know, with the fluff and pics all mixed up.

Have considered several times to start a new thread in "brush and palette" for the pics to get some well needed

critique on them and keep just the fluff here.

But since I stilled havent found a base I like (*sigh*) I dont want to post in there bcos they dont feel complete.

The fluff is...well ...my own  :biggriin:  :blush:

It started out as a mix and then just snowballed from there on.

Thank you for your nice comment tho.  (sorry...wasnt a comment was it?... :smile2:)

Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline Fandir Nightshade

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Re: Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #35 on: April 19, 2012, 02:54:37 PM »
Was a comment and I like your army blog perhaps you can try to get more structure to it by doing an overview in the first post.

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #36 on: July 01, 2012, 11:30:35 AM »
BOOOM!”……..”THUD!”….”SPLASH!!!

The mud thrown up by the impact splattered all across the front of his command tent.

The pattern was well known and getting very tiresome....

The cannon atop one of the corner bastions of the great city wall that ringed Marienburg was manned ….again.

Raising an eyebrow he turned and looked up at the sand dune where a Hochland sergeant and his two men were crouching over a Long Rifle.

The sergeant feeling the gaze upon him looked over and shouted:

“In a minute my Lord!.... we disposed of the last 3 crews….these should be no different.”

“As ever Sergeant, I put my worthless life in your hands….”

The smirk and short rough laugh from the men was all the reassurance he needed.

He was grateful to Aldebrand for lending him some of his sharpshooters.

This was day 17 of the siege that had begun with his Nordland forces being put ashore on the sandbanks outside the walls of the Vlakland borough.

The initial plan to sail straight in and seize both ends of the bridge between Paleisbuurt and Suiddock, thus cutting Marienburg in two had been strongly advised against by his informants in the city.

A bloodbath in the making they had called it.

Mainly because large portions of the powerful Marienburg trade and escort fleets always dominated these waters. And strong gun emplacements overlooked the entire inlet and harbor.

The Nordland fleet had held its own during the landing operation and most of his men and supplies was put ashore without too much loss.

The buildup of powerful Marienburg war vessels had eventually forced his fleet to withdraw north, thereby executing part 2 in his battle plan.

Well….the High Lord Ottilians plan to be exact.

The retreating ships had pulled away over the northern horizon with marienburger ships in hot pursuit….thinking them easy prey.

That was 14 days ago, neither fleet had been seen since ….although the night sky to the north had lit up 9 days ago….as if a huge forest fire had raced across the sea.

Some of the nordlander crewmen, stuck on the beach after the landings, had begun muttering under their breath a few days ago how it surely was the Kraken that had taken them all.

´ If only they knew how right they were ´ Carolus thought to himself….

´ if only they knew….´…..´ the Kraken was indeed coming…´.






« Last Edit: August 12, 2012, 01:51:48 PM by VonOttenheim »
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #37 on: July 01, 2012, 11:34:07 AM »
The council was convened in the wake of Archaons defeat.

Once again the northern provinces lay ruined.

The time for change had finally come upon them.

As the imperial forces withdrew from Middenheim, messengers where being sent out to all the northern rulers by Graf Todbringer, recalling them to a council of war.

Theodoric von Gausser´s Nordlanders had stopped for the night when the “summons” reached them….the words in it made it such.

Carolus was in the command tent with his father and Theodoric as the Count went into a fit of rage at the wordings.

“How dare they!!!...it´s HIGH TREASON!!!....the Emperor will have their HEADS for this!!!”

The rant had been going on for about 20 minutes when his father glanced over at him and gave a slow meaningful nod. He stepped back and lifted the tent flap, letting the two “Löwen” knights with drawn swords into the tent.

The Lord Ottilian had been right in suspecting that von Gausser´s marriage to one of Karl-Franz cousins had tied him to closely to the usurper.

As the knights held the Count down his father put the tip of “Aslan-Ur”, the mighty sword of the Wasa, against the soft skin underneath Theodoric´s chin.

Gustavus Adolphus looked up at his son and whispered “It has begun…for  Taal…for the Emperor of Man..”, and then gently thrust the razor sharp blade thorugh the Counts skull and into his brain.

Killing in cold blood being nothing new to the “Löwe der Mittwinternacht”.

The Lion of Midwinter´s Night.

« Last Edit: August 12, 2012, 01:58:55 PM by VonOttenheim »
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #38 on: August 12, 2012, 01:46:21 PM »
Been on an uncontrolled shopping spree lately....(possibly while drunk?)   :eusa_wall: :eusa_wall: :eusa_wall:

Whole army of "Vikingur" will appear out of these boxes I hope...and a new northern arm of the rebellion.
« Last Edit: August 16, 2012, 01:16:37 PM by VonOttenheim »
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #39 on: August 16, 2012, 01:22:17 PM »



New factions joining the rebellion




I love the fact that can still find and buy these models in some shops




Some of the leaders of the Vikingur army...including the valkyries.... :icon_cool:

Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #40 on: September 25, 2012, 06:28:20 PM »
Just bought these of the local trading site.



Will go nicely with my newly aquired Ice Queen.

Just give me the time to paint and assemble.
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Re: Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #41 on: September 25, 2012, 06:37:11 PM »
bases people...bases....give me some hints.....want the icey north feeling.

Seen  some good ones but I want to divercefiy....my Vikingurs....all chaos and marauders with empire heads...

...needs that norse feeling.

Working my ass off so cant do now....but give me some suggestions please.
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline thundercake

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Re: Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #42 on: September 25, 2012, 07:20:18 PM »
For the Viking bases, maybe do some shoreline bases, like water and or rocks and pebbles and stuff. Or do a loam or peat base. Like that weird spongy grass stuff they have up in Scotland and other such places?

Also, love the blog. Wish this forum had a like or +1 button.
Don't underestimate a halfling, their ladle will do a number on your stomach, and on your head.

Offline VonOttenheim

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Re: Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #43 on: September 25, 2012, 07:47:36 PM »
is a good idea, want that "just stepped of the dragonboat" feeling to it.

And thnx  :smile2:
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #44 on: November 08, 2012, 12:01:02 PM »
Time: Early morning
Place: On the shore outside Marienburg.

' My Lord!...they are here!! '

One of the lookouts from the beach knelt in the opening to the Hochland command tent.
Abustle broke out among the officers who had been gathered there all night.
All of them donning helmets and armour and making for the nearest sand dune.

The sight was one of wonder.

Clouds racing across the overcast sky.
All the way to the horizon the sea was filled with dragonboats and kingships as far as the eye could see.

As one of the mighty ships was making landfall already the officers hurried down to the beach.

As soon as the bow of the ship slid onto the sandy beach a giant long haired figure jumped down...followed by a much shorter fellow dressed in the uniform of an Nordlander fleet junior officer.
He immediately dropped to one knee at the sight of the Count of Hochland and his officers.
The larger man only looked slowly around before his gaze fell upon the Count.
' My Lord! ' exclaimed the Nordland officer in an somewhat unsteady voice.
' I present to You Ragnar, Chieftain of the Bear Clan, herald of the High King that now sits on the Winter Throne.'
The giant vikingur man, his eyes now firmly locked on the Count...appraising him...looked down on the officers and began to speak in a low thunderous voice.

' Ungur var ég einu sinni gekk ég ein,
og ráðvilltur virtist í leiðinni;
þá fann ég mér annan og rík ég hélt mig,
maður er manns gaman.'

A long silence followed and finally the Count looked, inquisitively, somewhat shocked at the nordlander.

' Oh I'm sorry my Lord..he was just expressing that he is happy to meet his fellow man'

'My Lord...they have crushed the Marienburg fleet...utterly'
'They have come to make war on the enemies of Taal my Lord'

' The High King of the Winter Throne instructed me to tell you that "those who once was" has returned....
he told me to tell you....that Winter has come....to the Middle Lands...'
 
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #45 on: December 06, 2012, 10:03:10 AM »
First of the Vikingurs to ride ashore.

Horselords of Rohidrim






more Horselords of Rohidrim





The inspirations for the vikingurs comes from a movie called "Pathfinder" and the Night's Watch from Game of Thrones...colours...when I get the time *sigh* will be all dark, black, grey and furs.

Looking forward to painting them actually.

« Last Edit: December 06, 2012, 10:08:37 AM by VonOttenheim »
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #46 on: May 06, 2013, 11:44:06 AM »
A small viking and others update. My fingers itch to paint them but I dont have time.

Vikingurs




Vikingurs (an idea what Im going for)





Dracones Dominus, the dragons of the Lord. The Holy Inquisition of Taal





Dracones Dominus, the dragons of the Lord. The Holy Inquisition of Taal





Fluff to follow on these guys...they are sooo not nice.. ::heretic:: ::heretic:: ::heretic::


« Last Edit: May 06, 2013, 11:54:25 AM by VonOttenheim »
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Re: Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #47 on: August 15, 2013, 09:15:14 AM »
"space holder"  lol  sorry  a test post  more to come soon
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Re: Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #48 on: November 04, 2013, 08:53:46 AM »
The Königsmark Sisters came today in the mail.

There was a 2 month wait.....they were waaayyyy to pricey....

A blister...not plastic as I thought....

But...I LOVE every inch of them.....and...there is Walter... :-P

All in all...happy but broke and destitute  as usual.
Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."

Offline VonOttenheim

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Rebellion....or a new beginning?
« Reply #49 on: February 23, 2014, 09:30:41 PM »
Starkenberg sat on his horse on the mound outside the city.
Surrounded by his herolds, standardbearers and captains. The wind blew down from the mountains, taking with it the screams and the smell of burning flesh from the town and the mountain pass.
This was his least favourite part, the part he had taken up in his prayers during the last year.
Taal had not answered.

They had taken the mountain pass easily enough. It wasn´t a great strategic or tactical victory, but easy because they just rode in as friendly allies and then attacked, without honour. Slaughtering anyone who resisted.
But as the old soldier he was, he knew that in war, every victory counts.
Even the ones that leave a foul taste in your mouth and haunt your dreams.
Another less honourable fact was that he now had let loose the clensing flame, the flame that burnt away all heretics, all enemies of the emperor of man.
Enemy in thought or action ...or just on the suspicion of impure behaviour.
He had let loose the Dracones Dominus....... the dragons of the lord.

The holy inquisition of Taal.

There had always been a presence at the fortress, but seldom more then 5 or 10 of them, and usually just there for studies, of course there was always the hovering presence of the inquisitorial advisor to the hochmeister.

The zeal of the hochmeister had thus far never been in question…thus far.

During the last six months they had arrived in force though, coming from their power basin in the countries close to Araby and Bretonnia.
The holy men with feverish eyes followed by their zealot soldiers, their tunics a dark red, the shade of dried blood…for a reason.
They had come to take part in the glorious campaign that would finally rid the empire of the weak, heretic fools that had brought it to ruin.
Or at least that’s how the High Inquisitor Rodrigo De Conquista had exclaimed it at the last council of war before they set off north.
Starkenberg had never dreamed that the inquisition had soldiers in such numbers or priests for that matter….they rivalled the bretonnian force in strength and their numbers were legio.

Before looking north he cleared his throat and spat…trying to get rid of the bile taste in his mouth.
To the north yes, Altdorf was so close  and yet so far away. The rebellion was no longer a secret, he was unsure that it had ever been, but he also knew that no one could have ever imagined the scale of it.

This was the southern arm, all the might of the Templar order of Taal, Bretonnian noblemen in rebellion and their household forces, the holy inquisition of Taal and their Dragons and holy cross Soldiers. Numerous regiments of disgruntled border princes and dogs of war, also a few regiments of "little people", dwarfs out to get revenge on anyone from the old imperial administration they could get their hands on.
Border princes and dwarves operated far out on the flanks however. Starkenbergs idea was to use them to draw off imperial forces from the main body.

There was an eastern arm, lead by the man who for some reason was named by Taal as his right hand, the mercenary leader, (Starkenberg still shook his head every time he thought about it) von Ottenheim. Although he was of course a direct descendant of the Ottilian emperors. Forces of Ostland, Ostermark supported by Kislev, now allied with the descendant of Marius Leitdorf moving on Averland to support his uprising there, to take power from the rulers who still supported the Usurper. By pigeon he had received word that several battles had already been fought since they had crossed the upper talabec.

The northern arm he did not know much about except that it was lead by a young Wasa nobleman claiming to be the new Count of Nordland. With him at the siege of Marienburg was also the Electorcounts of Hochland and Middenheim.
How and why they had subjected to the leadership of the younger man intrigued him, but it was still unknown.

Opposing them was the might of the Usurper in Altdorf and the imperial army under his control, the mighty Reiksguard, the powerful warmachines and soldiers from Nuln,Wissenland, Stirland and the southern parts of Talabecland (although increasing numbers was going over to von Ottenheim as he moved through that province).
A large part of Middenland also remained loyal to the emperor in Altdorf, the reason for this was still unclear.
Powerful Knightly orders and the righteous followers of Sigmar was devoutly hunting down and persecuting anyone loyal to Taal that they found on land still under Karl-Franz shadow.

Many faithful had payed the ultimate prize already.
This was not only a war for the control of the empire and ultimately the world, it was also a war of the worst kind.

A religious war.

The Dragons had been let loose.

Ulrich von Ottenheim

Commander Black Griffon
Komtur Templar Knights of Taal
"...I want milk in my Khorne flakes..."