AoS Seraphon Battletome Fluff - An Illustrated Review

[Bowser]

It's tempting, but if I tried to make Bob edit the picture I would reveal to all just how powerless we moderators are.

Still to be blunt, the crotch grabbing draws the eyes attention as much as the axe in the shoulder. It should be edited.

Don't censor the banana grab! It's a timeless representation of the struggle of the stormcast armour smith. It's downright Rockwellian.

 

[Hyperborean]

I come into a thread reading a review then I come out of the thread reading about Bananas

 

[Hyperborean]

But in all seriousness, I think regardless of what flaws Bob has pointed out I think I will still pick it up to definitely have. I mean bad art can really spoil a book for me (see some of the newer DnD artworks...3.5 edition art was some of my favorite not to say its all bad and there are some absolutely fabulous pieces just Todd Lockwood holds everyone up to c razy standard I DIGRESS ENTIRELY), and while I put faith in it not being terrible if there isn't much variation in the pieces and just battle images that sorta spoils the fun. But since I am sucker for hardcover gaming books I will definitely have to get it.

(and begrudingly a Skaven when its out)

 

[spawning of Bob]

Still to be blunt, the crotch grabbing draws the eyes attention as much as the axe in the shoulder. It should be edited.

Oh. I was thinking of adding a real banana, but moving his hand could work too.

For the record it was a deliberate (and I'll conceived ploy) for me to depict him having a secret scratch.

You guys just don't appreciate real art.

 

[spawning of Bob]

It's tempting, but if I tried to make Bob edit the picture I would reveal to all just how powerless we moderators are.

Still to be blunt, the crotch grabbing draws the eyes attention as much as the axe in the shoulder. It should be edited.

Don't censor the banana grab! It's a timeless representation of the struggle of the stormcast armour smith. It's downright Rockwellian.

Is that to say that Orwell Rocks?

Still to be blunt, the crotch grabbing draws the eyes attention as much as the axe in the shoulder. It should be edited.

Wait what? There is an axe?

 

[Bowser]

Is that to say that Orwell Rocks?

That too! But the intention was that your one panel strip reminds me of a Norman Rockwell painting!

 

[spawning of Bob]

Oh, I mistakenly thought that you were associating the moderators with the Ministry of Truth.

Although, if Scalenex invites you to visit "Room 101"...

 

[spawning of Bob]

Now. Where was I?

Stormcast Eternals have it a bit tougher than Seraphon on a few fronts. (The source is White Dwarf, Issue 80.)

They were living souls, worthy mortal heroes snatched by Sigmar before they were slain by the dark powers. This reminds me of Nigel Marven causing the extinction of several prehistoric species by "rescuing" approximately one of every last breeding pair to the present day (Prehistoric Park). It was awesome when he got eaten by a T-Rex in Primeval (ignore the second half. It makes me sad.)

So by Sigmar's interference, the past was screwed because all the heroes vanished.

The lucky guys got three, count them, THREE days of feasting in the Valhalla like Heldenhall, then they go through the agonising and often permanently fatal process of Reforging. You know, the one where they get blasted apart by the unknowable power of celestial magic. But then they get a shiny hat, so it is all OK, hey @NIGHTBRINGER .

Their bond with the celestial Tempest allows them to "blaze as living lightning ... to any one of the Mortal Realms", BUT, the return to Sigmar's halls "is far more gruelling". "He cannot ascend once more without either passing through a realmgate portal to Azyr, or dying in battle," whereupon he will "discorporate" (JK Rowling you have a lot to answer for!) and flash back to Sigmar's Vaults "where it is eventually reforged into the Stormcast Eternal that had come before."

"Reforging doesn't always run smoothly" and many who are reforged "lose a part of themselves or the mechanic forgets to re-tighten the sump plug." This loss of humanity, or possibly a gallon of sump oil is held to blame for the Eternals developing extremes of character (flaws) such as the desire to destroy evil, take revenge against evil, be annoying perfectionists or become scarily magicky and powerful.

So for the final word on

The Awful Cost of Reforging

​

 

[Kor-Lot-Ko]

Bob, did...did you just reference prehistoric park?

You are now my favourite lizard ever.

 

[spawning of Bob]

You are now my favourite lizard ever.

Where was your head previously?




As noted, the Seraphon are formed of star stuff, summoned into corporal form by the vast intellects of the Slann Starmasters.

"Like arrows of light falling from the heavens, the Starmasters arrive upon the battlefields of the realms, summoning their Seraphon armies from distant memory through sheer magical might."..."then as swiftly as they arrived, the Seraphon vanish once more into the stars." (4).

"After the death cries of their enemies fade into silence, the Seraphon depart, leaving eerily quiet battlefields behind, littered with the broken bones of those that presumed to stand against them." (6)

The first battle where Seraphon and Stormcast fought together in the Gorevale is described. At the end "the Stormcast Eternals watched as their seeming allies returned to the stars. Sigmarite hammers were held high in salute as the Seraphon vanished in beams of starlight. Neither were to know that many more foes would soon face the combined might of Stormcast and Seraphon" (15)

No realmgates needed here. And the specifics of what happens when a Seraphon dies is explained with reference to the Saurus Eternity Wardens who "have lived the equivalent of many mortal lifetimes in the service of the Slann, suffering repeated destruction within the Mortal Realms so their lord might live, and returning from the stars to do so again and again.

Should an eternity warden fall a Slann can summon his protector back regardless of the manner of his demise, or the presence of barriers either mundane or magical."

The seeming ease of summoning, the lack of a time consuming and unpleasant reforging process, and the simplicity of re-summoning after death really reduces the stakes for an individual Seraphon when you compare it to all the hassles faced by Sigmar's chosen.

I would liken the gravity of the whole Seraphon getting killed situation to this:

 

[tom ndege]

Would have like the post, but can't see the picture..
Ok.. Now I see it... Get your like!

 

[spawning of Bob]

Sorry folks. Slow output for a while - you'll see why in a minute.

So if the Seraphon and Stormcast Eternals fight side by side, but the process and cost of mortality are different, would there be any kind of confusion / friction / other difficulties that could arise as a result?

 

[tom ndege]

Great! SoB motion picture!