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 Coenus Scaldingus wrote:
From a background point of view, I'd rather see him as a Quest expansion than an AoS release - having a new character that's also linked to the "Cursed City" just makes the world feel very small. I'd also rather see more generic characters rather than yet more of those with predetermined names and backstories.

I'll agree with more generic characters over SCs, but I do think AoS desperately needs to be smaller. Give some common ground, a stake in something, the possibility for two or more characters to interact, have conflicts, shared goals or anything. When there are endless deserts, swamps and multiple planes between two aspects of the same plotline, they feel disjointed, disconnected and pointless.

so is he like the rat piper vampire?
Would the rats obey him or a skaven?
since when are rats a vampire thing?

I think the pimp stick is cool but I just don't get the design.

 Argive wrote:

since when are rats a vampire thing?

Since long before they sparkled or listened to early 2000s club rave music.

 DarkStarSabre wrote:

 Argive wrote:

since when are rats a vampire thing?

Since long before they sparkled or listened to early 2000s club rave music.

Well, to be fair, some of the club raver vampires were super into rats.
Its what the animalism discipline was for.

Also, mythology and whatever.
[No, but seriously, some vampire stories were appallingly direct disease allegories, so... yeah, obviously rats]

I guess about as long as bats were linked to them, rats were as well.

 Argive wrote:
so is he like the rat piper vampire?
Would the rats obey him or a skaven?
since when are rats a vampire thing?

Since Dracula (the Bram Stoker novel)?

The titular character has some ability to control them, although unlike some other animals associated with him, he never transforms into a rat himself as far as I recall.

Mists. We need a vampire of the mists so GW can do a swirly-gak base for them.

 Stormonu wrote:
Mists. We need a vampire of the mists so GW can do a swirly-gak base for them.

No.
Really no.

I don't want another Lumenith type release where they preview-bait sane and attractive models that seem to be great replacements for an Old World faction and then switch for swirly gak and absurdist nonsense.

They've picked a reasonable and great looking style, it needs to stick for the entire range.

 DarkStarSabre wrote:

 Argive wrote:

since when are rats a vampire thing?

Since long before they sparkled or listened to early 2000s club rave music.

Sparkly vapires needs to be purged from collective human memory/history because its dumb. Everyone knows that

There was a meme where there was a lovey dovery photo from twilight of the two main characters having a date under a tree and blade standing there in the background drawing his sword captioned "This is how twilight should have ended" I support that idea

Fair point about stokers dracula its been many years since I read it or watched classic dracula movie. The idea of vampirisim has evolved into many separate sub sections it seems hasnt it. From what I remember of stokers they were more demonic slithering things rather than mist or animals.

I can see how this design choice would reflect an aspect of that I suppose. I think im coming around to it. Just associating with bats/undead for so long i forgot there are other takes on vampirism.
Off topic but I really like Nosgoth LOK universe take on vampirism(Minus the interdimensional demon invasion...)

I read most of the way through Bram Stockers' Dracula, I really should get back and finish it. However from what I recall there's a lot more that is left unsaid about vampires and which is alluded too rather than outright described.

semi spoilers
[spoiler]
There's a lot on his mind control and influence and ability to corrupt and tempt a person. Which I feel is something a lot of more modern Vampire lore has drifted away from. It's sort of there in the background (and likely in spades in the "Romance Vampire" novel books).

After that when he originally approaches England its like the coming of a true demon; storms and bad weather and general a huge heralding that something isn't right and something dark is approaching. Though also things people could overlook as just freak weather.

There's certainly wolf/dog elements though I forget the specifics of the animal familiars
[/spoilers]

Well "modern" vampire has strayed far away from its roots. I don't recall any book or movie/tv-show that has Dracula styled vampires.

One novel I do remember was about a school teacher that becomes more and more paranoid about his students and becomes convinced that one of them is a vampire.

I blame Buffy for warping classical terryfying mind controlling devil things into something... Not so terryfing.

I think OG folklore viewed wild dogs/wolves/crows/bats and rats as a more sinister things than we do. I suppose it makes sense as those things were carrion feeders, spreaders of diseases and would generally be accompanying bad times like famin, plague or war.

 Overread wrote:
I read most of the way through Bram Stockers' Dracula, I really should get back and finish it. However from what I recall there's a lot more that is left unsaid about vampires and which is alluded too rather than outright described.

semi spoilers
[spoiler]
There's a lot on his mind control and influence and ability to corrupt and tempt a person. Which I feel is something a lot of more modern Vampire lore has drifted away from. It's sort of there in the background (and likely in spades in the "Romance Vampire" novel books).

After that when he originally approaches England its like the coming of a true demon; storms and bad weather and general a huge heralding that something isn't right and something dark is approaching. Though also things people could overlook as just freak weather.

There's certainly wolf/dog elements though I forget the specifics of the animal familiars
[/spoilers]

He could control wolves and bats, take on mist form and become a kind of..werewolf/bat monstrosity. I believe he could also take on the form of a swarm of rats as well. Which iis probably the inspiration for the rat king here.

There's actually a very good book called "My swordhand is singing" by Marcus Sedgwick which goes into the real classical eastern european vampires. Can't enter a house without being invited, obsession with counting etc.

I think there are some episodes of the Varney the Vampire series (1840s/50s I think) involved rats and it goes back in European folklore, probably spurred on by the Black Death when vampire legends really kicked up a gear. The focus was on spreading plague rather than bloodsucking (see the neuntöter from Germany who is rather like a Death Guard Poxwalker).

I was just reading up on the Strigoi in Warhammer (because I am rewatching The Strain, lol) and in Warhammer Wiki it states that rats, cockroaches and bats flock to the undead purely because they are decaying, and that's generally where you would find carrion creatures.

Strigoi in original Romanian mythology also used to turn into rats (as well as wolves etc).

Obviously this new character isn't of the Strigoi line but I guess it does fit the Vampire theme.

Looks like we get to see Belakor tomorrow!

Be'lakor reveal tomorrow

New model Monday is lasting only for March, and one of those weeks is something that isn't *new* in the sense that we knew it was coming and has already been previewed in part...

What? noooo, it could be a vampirate maybe? There's chains in the picture, so he's standing on a big anchor

That’s clearly a Primaris Lieutenant.

Pretty obvious it's a Primaris Lieutenant, really no other option here.

Dang, he's a big one. I hope he has the option for a dead chaos space marine on his base, that can be swapped out with the dead warrior of chaos. Be'lakor is still part of 40k, as far as I know

Nope, not any more. AoS filed for adoption, since 40k has been so negligent with the poor boy.

 DarkStarSabre wrote:

 Argive wrote:

since when are rats a vampire thing?

Since long before they sparkled or listened to early 2000s club rave music.

The oldest vampire film, Nosferatu (1922), the vampire is heavily focused around rats. They're in his coffins, his fangs are like a rodent's, he spreads plague as he travels, etc. (also, this film was the reason vampires die in sunlight. Dracula was only weakened by it. Orlok died to it, since they wanted to change the plot to avoid being sued for plagiarism)

Even Dracula (novel) had rats feature a lot. He could summon them, and used them to chase after the people hunting down his coffins.

The modern vampire we know of originated around the release of Dracula, which was still heavily inspired by Varney the Vampire, like the bite marks on the neck, etc.

Be'lakor Squig, nice

Bloody hell, I'm still recovering from Slaanesh. Between Cursed City and Be'lakor, my wallet is going to be sore for a while.

Serious question btw, how do you think he should be transported to a game? With wingspan this large, and presumably base to match, he won't fit any existing miniature case/box that I know? Just cradle him like a baby?

I don't imagine he will be any worse to transport than the winged greater demons or the 40k demon Primachs.

GoatboyBeta wrote:
I don't imagine he will be any worse to transport than the winged greater demons or the 40k demon Primachs.

Frankly looks easier than the bloodthirster. Roughly the same size, but at least he's solidly on the base rather trying to do a crane stance on a flame spurt.

Or his son, Archaon