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 Swastakowey wrote:

So they somehow bred and grew thousands of humans, waited for them to be of a similar age and decapitated them to slowly build this fort because they were bored. See how different that is to a war celebration monument or a tomb that has been relocated etc. These examples they gave (which they tried to spin off as mindless lust for violence or gruesomeness by the way) are nothing like this fort. This forts fluff reasoning is "boredom" apparently, which, is lazy justification for a lazy design.

The topic about how realistic is this stronghold according to real world standards should really be dropped down. It isn't, as is almost anything in GW's range of sci-fi/fantasy. There are many ways of how a fortress such as this could have appeared in a place that was slowly becoming an extension of the Chaos realm (see my previous post for suggestions). The book is not out yet and nowhere in the descriptions posted on the site (atleast I couldn't find anything) is stated what exactly are these castles and how they were built. Even if they were build from the goretide itself by actually reaped skulls it is no more "Power Metal" or ridiculous to people who pay attention to minute details, than anything else in the new setting. Go pick on the tiny legs of warjacks, Khador pauldrons and Malifaux steam robots, k?

 CoreCommander wrote:

 Swastakowey wrote:

So they somehow bred and grew thousands of humans, waited for them to be of a similar age and decapitated them to slowly build this fort because they were bored. See how different that is to a war celebration monument or a tomb that has been relocated etc. These examples they gave (which they tried to spin off as mindless lust for violence or gruesomeness by the way) are nothing like this fort. This forts fluff reasoning is "boredom" apparently, which, is lazy justification for a lazy design.

The topic about how realistic is this stronghold according to real world standards should really be dropped down. It isn't, as is almost anything in GW's range of sci-fi/fantasy. There are many ways of how a fortress such as this could have appeared in a place that was slowly becoming an extension of the Chaos realm (see my previous post for suggestions). The book is not out yet and nowhere in the descriptions posted on the site (atleast I couldn't find anything) is stated what exactly are these castles and how they were built. Even if they were build from the goretide itself by actually reaped skulls it is no more "Power Metal" or ridiculous to people who pay attention to minute details, than anything else in the new setting. Go pick on the tiny legs of warjacks, Khador pauldrons and Malifaux steam robots, k?

It's not the realism... it's the REASONING. Which is boredom. I doubt that GW will give a better reason either.

I have no idea what the legs of Warjacks or what a Khador is, so no I wont be picking on whatever the hell they are. For the record I hate Malifax models...

 timetowaste85 wrote:

 -DE- wrote:
Let me ask you a straightforward question - what is the point of this topic? For you to flex your eristic skills? To make fun of GW in a thinly-veiled manner?

Whichever it is, it makes for a colossal waste of time for everybody involved.

Unless we're all continuing to read for our amusement. As I am. If you don't like it, nobody is sitting you down, super glued to a chair with your eyes propped open by night goblin spears.

@OP: I find your satirical argument quite fun. Keep it up!

I have to agree.......you've made some excellent points about this and i applaud your dedication.

 Swastakowey wrote:


It's not the realism... it's the REASONING. Which is boredom. I doubt that GW will give a better reason either.

I have no idea what the legs of Warjacks or what a Khador is, so no I wont be picking on whatever the hell they are. For the record I hate Malifax models...

You are arguing against the reasoning given by a player in a semi-comical post and holding it against the model? This is his speculation on what the fluff will be or the stuff he'll be using in his games if there's none. I didn't see you arguing against my reasoning so I guess it is ok for you? I, for one, think it is good enough explanation about why are there so many skulls. While you are on the topic about why are there so much skulls on a keep and whether or not my possible interpretation, that it has not been build but raised, is good enough, would you care to also explain why are there so much skulls under the brass throne of Khorne and the reasoning behind it? If it is ok for them to be there, why it isn't ok for them to be on the keep?

I'm writing the above with the presumption that you find the model ridiculous in the context of the game. If, on the other hand, you find it ridiculous just as a model, cut off from the game and the world, than it has nothing to do with any reasoning that I or someone else could give you. You just threw your "I don't like it because of how it looks" opinion in a thread that began (and I'm still trying to keep it that way) as giving some lore background on why the model is as it is.

 Swastakowey wrote:

It's not the realism... it's the REASONING. Which is boredom. I doubt that GW will give a better reason either.

A reasoning you find unrealistic.

Why is it now that followers of Khorne need some practical reason to decorate the gak out of something with skulls? It's always been their thing. The more skulls you've taken the better warrior you are, the more battles you've been in, and the deeper your devotion to Khorne. Also, the fluff still suggests that Khorne's particular about the skulls dedicated to him; Korghus Khul is specifically looking for the skull of an immortal that he collected personally to finish his monument to Khorne, none other will do.

But nothing GW does will satisfy you. You claim GW to be uncreative yet you'd be giving exactly the same reasoning if it just happened to be a generic castle. Your argument that GW are uncreative even has no bearing, if you look at a single piece then sure it's just a small structure with skulls, but the more pieces you add the more it transforms into the 8 pointed chaos star. That's clever, except you're not going to admit that.

 Swastakowey wrote:


"They're bored"

So they somehow bred and grew thousands of humans, waited for them to be of a similar age and decapitated them to slowly build this fort because they were bored. See how different that is to a war celebration monument or a tomb that has been relocated etc. These examples they gave (which they tried to spin off as mindless lust for violence or gruesomeness by the way) are nothing like this fort. This forts fluff reasoning is "boredom" apparently, which, is lazy justification for a lazy design.

Hey Swastakowey! Your description here made me think I should come back and touch up that description - rather than change the first post, I'll just keep the usual format:

Concern: "They stuck skulls to the fortress because they were bored? That is a lazy justification for a lazy design."

Explanation:

In fact, this boredom represents a clear departure from past Chaos lore, representing the designers trying something new, rather than reusing existing storylines.

To clarify, the world upon which the story of Age of Sigmar begins, Aqshy, was once a flourishing realm full of human empires who, frankly, we know nothing about. During the Age of Chaos it was invaded by way of the Realmgates, and armies of Khorne proceeded a millenias long crusade against the combined forces of that realm. When it became clear Sigmar could do nothing to prevent the destruction of the realm, he slammed the Realmgate shut, and broke the key off in the lock. Now he's back, and the first job his Stormcast have to complete is kicking in that Realmgate so that the greater armies of Azyr can get to Aqshy, and get to cleansing it of Chaos. (As Sigmar did way too good a job of closing that door, for fear Chaos would roll right on into Azyr)

Over that long period, when Chaos was still invading, but before Sigmar locked the gates behind him, the armies of the human empires fought and lost. Khornate warriors worship a god who literally seeks only conflict, bloodshed, and skull collecting, and their sole means of gaining his favor is to complete those three tasks. Over centuries the strongholds of men fell, and in their place rose hideous mockeries crafted of brass and human bone, forming the Dreadholds. This was a glorious time for the forces of Khorne, and they grew muscley and horns popped out of them in places where there were no horns before, and the rivers ran with the blood of the unbelievers.

Normally, this is where GW would say "but then Chaos lost..." But instead, Chaos won. And having won, they had no Aqshyly idea what in the Realms of Chaos to do with themselves. For centuries they kept kicking over the ruins of the old empires, but it was a lot less fun without anyone defending them. Sure, there were little pathetic pockets of surviving people, but how many starving orphans can you decapitate before you run out of orphans? Sure, you can hack off a sick old mans head and present it to Khorne, but does he even want it? For ages they attempted to solve that question, sticking yet another skull and yet another skull and yet another skull on the Dreadforts, and on their belts, and on their weapons, and eventually just on the ground, and then one day a Bloodwarrior turned to his fellow and said:

"Hey, verily, I'm bored, what should we be doing?"

and his fellow said,

"Uh, I think we're supposed to be reaping blood, or crushing blood, or skull taking, or skull crushing, or something like that."

and the first Bloodwarrior sighed and said,

"Yeah, I know. But... the fort is all covered in skulls... we paved the floor with skulls. I think we have enough skulls. You know what we could do? Maybe, like, look for water. Because I don't think I've had anything to drink that wasn't blood in like... thirty years now. And maybe next time we find some terrified skinny people hiding under a bone pile, we should see if any of them are female, and like... see if they like muscley dudes with lots of skulls on their outfits."

and his fellow said,

"You know something... I actually used to be a gardener in the realm of life, can you believe that? Man, I haven't tasted fruit since before Sigmar lost his hammer. I dunno, we've done pretty good, you know, we conquered a realm once. But... yeah, this Khorne thing was cool for the first few millenia, but, it does get boring around the millionth skull you peel and polish. I guess its time we take off these silly outfits, and settle down and get back to..."

At just that moment, there was a crack of lightning from the skies, and another, and another. Suddenly, the once barren and rocky expanse of volcanic ash and rock was alive, alive with the form of massive, heavily armed humanoids wielding massive warhammers. The two blood warriors looked at each other, and then back at the glistening, angelic figures marching toward them.

"Blood for the blood god!" the first one screamed, raising his axe.

"Skulls for the skull throne!" screamed the other.

And, that's how it all happened.

Cheers!

TBH I had always associated skulls and spikes with Chaos, and skulls with Teh Imperium of Man.

But I don't take a lot of notice of the fluff, so probably I have got things mixed up.

Oggthrok wrote:

...
"Blood for the blood god!" the first one screamed, raising his axe.

"Skulls of the skull throne!" screams the other.

"Verilyyyyyyy" shouts a third one from the fortress.

And, that's how it all happened.

Cheers!

Added the missing part.

 CoreCommander wrote:

Oggthrok wrote:

...
"Blood for the blood god!" the first one screamed, raising his axe.

"Skulls of the skull throne!" screams the other.

"Verilyyyyyyy" shouts a third one from the fortress.

And, that's how it all happened.

Cheers!

Added the missing part.

Yea, verily, thou doest made a good point. If Thor comics hath tought me anything in mine mispent youth, it's that things vaguely based on Norse mythology dost muchly require much theeing and thouing to be historically acurate.