Be sure to keep an eye on Twitter to vote for you favorite, but for now I hope you enjoy my 2 part narrative entitled, Tayrathi's Gamble and Charlébron's Risk.
Hey Everyone! Today I wanted to bring you another bit of lore I wrote for my favorite Age of Sigmar Army, the Daughters of Khaine. This lore was written for the Loremaster Challenge I was invited to partake in at this year's NOVA Open. It is a small event among a few very creative wargamers being run my Martin Orlando with a focus on narrative gaming. The event will see those invited competing on the table with 1000pt armies as well as having a 1000 word lore write up we all created about the armies we are battling with on the table. Feel free to check out the list I am using as the end of the post and Happy Hobbying!
Be sure to keep an eye on Twitter to vote for you favorite, but for now I hope you enjoy my 2 part narrative entitled, Tayrathi's Gamble and Charlébron's Risk.
Tayrathi paced the floor of her chambers as she pondered the current dilemma thrust upon her. As if constantly keeping ahead of Morathi’s schemes wasn’t hard enough she was now reading reports from her scouts that the two powerful beings attempting to revive Khaine for their own twisted reasons were putting their plans into motion. A growl escaped her throat as she let her anger get the better of her...was she the only being in The Realms who wasn’t trying to use Khaine’s power for her own ends? Tayrathi willed herself to calm down as she pondered her two new adversaries rereading her lieutenant's reports once again…
H’Ka’ty has been in contact with a Fyreslayer Fyrd
Reasons, unknown
Destination, area named The “Holy Havoc” Lands
Reasons, unknown
Suggested Actions - continued following and interrogate Fyreslayer “allies”.
~Alosian “The Red”
Keshaani has encamped on a beach alongside a local populous
Reasons, unknown
Continuous drinking and carousing day and night
Reasons, Fruity Cocktails...don’t ask...
Suggested Actions - Infiltrate encampment and attempt to get closer to Keshaani
~Daaniyah Roseblade
The deadlier of the two adversaries were H’Ka’ty The Perverse, a Slaanesh Daemon, who was seeking to resurrect Khaine as her consort. The thought of Khaine being seduced by Slaanesh was laughable, but the idea still turned Tayrathi’s stomach. H’Ka’ty also claimed to have recovered numerous shards of Khaine’s broken body that were fashioned into her armour and weapons. Tayrathi had encountered the Daemon a number of times and she knew this claim to be the truth and that alone made H’Ka’ty a problem that needed to be solved, but it would not be easy.
The other, and the more unpredictable, challenger was a leader of a small Idoneth Enclave. A Tidecaster, by the name of Keshaani, was seeking to use Khaines power to bring back the ancient aelven god Mathlann. Both Khaine and Mathlann came from The World That Was and it was well within reason that Keshaani’s goal was possible. Much like H’Ka’ty and Tayrathi, Keshaani held a single piece of Khaines broken body but obtaining it wasn’t urgent. Every piece mattered, but Keshaani would be an interesting problem as the Idoneth were counted among allies. Keshaani was also someone whose mood changed with the wind and let passion lead her destiny and currently had no idea her plans have made her a target of Tayrathi. Tayrathi might still be able to make use of her, but time would tell is Keshaani could be controlled. Either way, the shard of Khaine would be Tayrathi’s eventually.
Her two lieutenants were doing their job well and could still be trusted. Tayrathi’s faith in them would remain true, they fought for her in the Aethermy War after all. She would need to set her own plans in motion to be ready for the coming war for Khaines Heart. With this in mind, Tayrathi turned her attention to her war council waiting in the room down the hall. She took a moment to regain her poise reapplying her red lipstick made from the blood of those Slaughter and Hag Queens who failed her, a strong reminder to all who awaited her in war council.
~~~~~~
Charlébron sat unmovingly in his chair as he scanned the room’s occupants. He was well aware that he was the only male in the room and he repressed the urge to flee as the venom of the collected Slaughter and Hag Queens attacked him with their cold stares. Males were never given a role beyond the mundane in a Khainite Cult, but he had caught Tayrathi’s attention and she chose to elevate his position many times over. Despite Tayrathi’s apparent approval, it was clear no one else shared in their leader's appraisal. For now, they had to accept him as one of their own, but he was well aware of the sacrificial dagger hanging above his head.
Charlébron breathed a shallow sigh as the doors to the council room opened wide and Tayrathi walked in drawing everyone's eye away from him and toward their leader. Her power radiated outward as her presence enveloped the room. His posture relaxed without displaying weakness as he watched everyone else in the room take on a defiant reverence about their person. Perhaps this is why Tayrathi had shown him any favor, he felt his mask fall off when she was around while others put one on.
Charlébron listened intently as Tayrathi informed the room of the ongoing quest to restore Khaine and their foe’s movements dancing a line between threat and flattery in her melodic tone. Nothing seemed out of sorts as far as he could tell and he began to wonder why Tayrathi would summon her council for a simple update. As his mind pondered this thought he quickly realized Tayrathi was looking directly at him along with everyone else in the room.
“While our enemies’ scheme, we must set our own plans in motion and I have chosen Charlébron to lead a small warband personally representing the Tayrathian Cult. He will take this excursion to find out what he can from The Masters of Lore to further our goal of resurrecting Khaine in all his bloody glory!” Tayrathi decreed.
The War Council erupted in outrage as the Slaughter Queens and Hag Queens dropped their facades to voice their anger at his appointment as any type of leader within the cult. Charlébron let the noise wash over him, stunned as he was, he could only stare as Tayrtahti gave him the slightest of smiles before turning away from the council and leaving the room having given her decree. Despite their outrage, the council would not defy Tayrathi and while the majority exited in anger a two remained knowing that to offer support would help their standing with Tayrathi. Charlébron would need all the help he could get, even from those who would likely stab him in the back.
“This is why we can’t have nice things…” Charlébron quipped.
The remaining two Hag Queens smiled viciously.
