Topic: The Province of OSTERMARK

[Midaski]

Also known as the League of Ostermark - and famous for the War of The Ostermark Succession  - this is the furthest east of the Empire's provinces.

Library Link:  http://warhammer-empire.com/library/aisforaltdorf/the-league-of-ostermark/

Current Ruler:  Elector Count Wolfram Hertwig
Capital: Bechafen
Province Colours:  Purple and Yellow (or Purple and White)
Economy: Mainly based on agriculture.



Map Link:   (Colour)  http://www.fys.ku.dk/~blicher/Ostermark_v2.jpg

      (Black & White)  http://www.fys.ku.dk/~blicher/Ostermark_v2_bw.jpg

Notes:

[Stolzeuhu]

Long time ago I wrote huge post with questions about Ostermark - http://www.warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=16099.0 -and as I still seek clear answers to some of that questions, I'll add link to it - it also may be helpfull for those starting Ostermark. Also the maps above are very detailed - they're better than those in Heirs of Sigmar. I had also a list of details about Ostermark towns and villages (ruler, number of people living in, number of militia/soldiers etc.), when I find it, i'll post a link to it. Useful thing: according to that list, there are 1254 soldiers in Ostermark (for 13456 total population).

[Van Der Walt]

Hullo, well, though not an official Ostermark Army, I do have an army based around the concept of the old Ostermark Death Head Regiment, painted in reds and black. Although few in numbers they're stout of heart me fellas  and will fight all abominations that attempt to take our precious lands...

Come on,there should be more generals who are ready to fight for our noble cause 

Upon my solemn oath...
Van der Walt

[Fafnir]

I fight for our noble cause, even if I shun the yellow in favour of the blue. Painting two Averland armies in the past will do that to you...

[Malvino]

a present for all ostermarkers followers of Morr!
a banner and a little logo for you!

and now a little request
someone had some info about the deat's head regiment!?...

[Soju]

Malvino those are totally osome! Sehr Gut! oh wait, that's not Italian...

sj

[Malvino]

thank you sojung!
i have a lot of new drawings to show to this forum!
see ya tomorroe in the brush and palette!
anyone had some info on deat's head regiment!?...
please...

[Otaku]

I also want to know about this Deaths Head regement.  Who were they. What kind of weapons do they use. Colors?

[Stolzeuhu]

It seems that the famous regiment was described in WD - but I can only suspect - WFRP sources don't mention about it (but I still haven't read the Sylvanian expansion), there is nothing about them in Mordheim sources... The only details we know about it are:
-the name
-the colours (red and black, as Van Der Walt mentioned)

So I think we have to  decide on our own what exactly it is. Maybe small brain storm or competition for story describing it/it's history?

[Malvino]

@stolzehu great! if you want i can draw something!
but what kind of unit i have to plan?...greatswords!?...
let's the brainstorming start!!

[Van Der Walt]

Well , I would say that the regiment would be somewhat lacking in technological advancements as the Vampire invasion occurred in the year c.2140 which is around 400 years before the present time, so forget rocket battery and probably also the HBVG.

The Colleges of Magic were not established either yet,as this occured before the time of Magnus the Pious (elected in 2304) so you wouldn't have much magical protection and offense without wizards. On the other hand Warrior Priests and maybe arch lectors are a must as vampires are abominations unto sigmar 

Knights of Morr are needless to say another must.

Flagellants would also probably flock around the WPs and ALs so at least one unit of them would help add flavour.

About special units like pistoliers and outriders i don't know, Pistoliers would probably be viable from the local nobility, but outriders are maybe too hi-tech.

Just my 2 pence, hope you may find it a little helpful.

Ragards,
Van Der Walt

[Fafnir]

The thing about the Death's Head, if you want to include them, is that you have to decide whether they are simply a unit in your army (Greatswords perhaps, or halberdiers for flavour) or that your entire army is a Death's Head regiment, with colours to match. Since that is not made clear in the fluff, it's your choice - fortunately.

[Stolzeuhu]

I think that as it is called regiment it is not a whole army devoted to Morr, but one specific unit. It is an elite, and it's fame lures veterans from other companies to join - that's why it's name is passed on... Like Carroburg Greatswords - it's old unit and no one from it's first squad still lives, but newcomers did replace them so that the regiment could exist. It has it's traditions (like specific uniforms e.t.c.), maybe even some detachment's traditionally accompanying them?

But on the other hand, an idea of a regiment as a subsistent force, as Van Der Walt presented, is also tempting... It must have some influences (so that knigths of independent could order agree to join them), maybe even a fortress and few villages to provide supplies, or maybe it is sworn to one noble family (which sons by tradition command regiment)...  and as Ostermark is a League, it can play some important role in constant war between Ostermark nobles... or it is loyal only to the chancellor of the league. There are so many possibilities...

I think that if the regiment is so famous that it's members are replaced and it still exists, the wizards or hi-tech unit's won't be a problem - as an elite it has to use the best options available - or they have some oath that forbid them use something (like white wolves without helmets, worshippers of Ulric forbidden from using blackpowder weapons and crossbows in WFRP)...

And somethig for Malvino to draw - Death's Head - an army or only a regiment - must have specific banner - so maybe you could make one?

And connected with that question for Van Der Walt: what banners do you use in your army? It will be good thing to start cementing the facts from the banner, so pictures of your BSB would be priceless

[Malvino]

Actual skulls and bones were long used to mark the entrances to Spanish cemeteries (campo santo). The practice, dating back many centuries, led to the symbol eventually becoming associated with the concept of death

From the Middle Ages in the West, skulls acted as memento mori, reminders that time passes rapidly, life is not endless, and earthly things are transient. They appeared on funerary monuments, in still-life paintings, and were held in representations of saints.

Victory of death over life: commonly the skull is a symbol of death, (or some romantic notion of immortality - as the befief that a spiritual part of a person survives death).

The death-resurrection cycle
The skull and crossbone symbol is also used in initiation rituals as a symbol of rebirth. it may also symbolize the ‘sephirah daath’ on the kabbalistic tree of life, the gateway to the higher realms of understanding only achievable through spiritual death and rebirth. a skull did not inspire horror, on the contrary, it symbolised the promise of a new life.

ies i've do a little search...only for have some ideas...
i've reported the parts that i found interesting, focus on the sibology of "death's head" commonly we see only the concept of death and decay but i think that followers of morr ideally had a different point of wiew...
this is a first schetch, the skull is naturally (not a bad skull) and the black rose of morr is the centre of the banner represent the triumph of morr on the horror of death...
i also include a "chess" texture that is the scheme of my own army and in this banner has the stylized form of an hourglass...

see you soon!
Malv
EDIT anyway if you want i think that we can start with "only" a regiment realising banners, models and rules, before we can start to realise the project of an entire army!
@van der walt great analisis! if you have any banner please submit them!
@stolzehu i like the idea that it's members are replaced and it still exists...maybe a knightly order...or best a outrider unit...armed only with crossbows and great wepons....
it's only brain storming...

[Stolzeuhu]

Great banner! By the way: how to say Death's Head in latin (classical) or german (reikspiel)?  Caput Mortis and Todes Kopf (I think that Totenkopf is not a good idea...)?

Actually that research helped me to get used to the new empire fashion - skulls on everything -the general sprue has even a head with skull between the feathers in the hat. I was deeply convinced that the only morr symbols are black raven, gate and black rose - the skulls were a symbols of necromancy for me - but the "natural" looking skull can also be very "morrite"...

[Malvino]

a new idea, i like the chess background in this way!, i've insert the portals of morr reign, but i think that the skull profile is better than this wiew by front...

in this time i figure a unit of horseman, heavily armoured and equipped whith crossbows and great swords, a little unit that travel around ostermark province to haunt and slay necromancers and undead...they leader ostentate a vampire skull...whit a black rose between his theet, this was the Carmilla von cartsein head, and is the symbol that Morr has the controll of ALL souls of old world, even on a vapire soul!...

is only an idea...but i like it eventually someone more expert than me can contestualize this idea in a point of the empire temporary line...


@stolzehu trus me this research has also helped me too to understand new empire fashion!...
in italia is "testa di morto" in latin i have to ask to my girlfriend...but i think that caput mortis was correct!
EDIT she say that in classical latin it was "MORTIS CAPUT" because the genitive come first...

this is only a test mini assembled whit yellow stuff...


i think that a appropriate hat and a gorget against vapire can fit well...maybe a more armoured horse...
i attend your feedback!

[Van Der Walt]

And connected with that question for Van Der Walt: what banners do you use in your army? It will be good thing to start cementing the facts from the banner, so pictures of your BSB would be priceless

Well to tell you the truth I haven''t finished the army yet, still having the last block of spearmen to paint. I really wasn't sure about how to make my Army banner but was trying to invent something with a skull and a scarlet rose as they're the most suited icons. I do have to say that Malvino sure made some great work with those sketches  they will surely be of great help when i come to designing my own banner, many thanks to you 

Regards,
Van Der Walt

[Stolzeuhu]

Another great banner - you must be trurly talented - according to the time when the reply was posted you've made it in 20 minutes!
There was DoW character - a vampire hunter, can't remember his name, but he had a helper, possibly a priest of Sigmar - maybe his fluff was connected with Death's Head? Or at least Ostermark...
Can't wait to read the Night Dark Masters...

[Malvino]

yeah my friend you speak about
jhoan van hal and wilhelm hasburg!
but they was two sigmar worshipper, now i want a morr's witch-vapire hunter!but i've a dubt...about the vapire head...maybe once the vapire was killed his body turns to sand or similar...and we dunno have any head to show as trophy...but Carmilla can be a necromancer

[Fafnir]

I should, in the interest of full disclosure, mention that there is as far as I know there is nothing in the background connecting the Death's Head regiment with Morr. Both Knights of Morr and warriors dedicated to Morr in general are extremely rare, and reason suggest an army from Ostermark is more likely not to include any of them than to do so, so anyone wanting to make a Death's Head regiment without any connection to Morr is certainly free to do so.

On the other hand, Morr iconography would certainly fit very nicely on such a regiment, and I think I too would make the Death's Head followers of Morr, were I to paint some.

[Otto Student]

I remember the Death's Head being mentioned in pasing in thefirst Empire Army book. I have a regiment of (lead!) halberdiers that I painted up in the red and black. I think they are a bit like an elite unit, probably just a name that has stayed with them. According to Sigmar's Heirs there aren't any knights of Morr, that hasn't stopped me making some tho, but as Fafnir says they should be rare. I just ue the normal rules for halberdiers, perhaps with swordsmen and handgunner detatchments.

[Stolzeuhu]

According to Sigmar's Heirs there aren't any knights of Morr, that hasn't stopped me making some tho,

I'm almost sure that there are knights of Morr mentioned in Sigmar's Heirs - in the Ostermark section or in the religion section. I'm also almost sure that there is a morrite outpost in Ostermark village (probalby Essen, but I don't remember the name). I'll check that tomorrow, as I don't have the book now with me.

Well, what I can remember correctly is that each province in Sigmar's Heirs has sample NPC, and Ostermark has noble wishing to join the Morr Knightly Order - so there must be one...

[NDC-OSPREY]

hi all. I've decided that I'm  over from Averland to Ostermark. i prefer the background and the colour scheme. Now I'm wondering since I've started to paint my knights up in blazing sun style, would this fit in with Ostermark or should i repaint them? if so what orders are their that are prominent in Ostermark?

[Karl Voss of Averland]

hi all. I've decided that I'm  over from Averland to Ostermark.

 

 

[/bias]

[NDC-OSPREY]

 
 

[/bias]

Sorry. Oh, and having read more of this thread i don't want morrite knights.