I am not transferring the entirety of my High Elf collection into ToW format only the newer upscaled plastic stuff that was released from 7th edition onwards. All the hundreds of older mostly metal miniatures will remain in their original format for when I want to play older editions of WHFB with the matching aesthetic.
So to start things off here are 10 characters on foot.
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*bitz for some of the other characters are on the way while for others I am still contemplating how to create them
To give these characters something to lead here are 2x21 Lothern Sea Guard, 21 Swordmasters, 21 White Lions as well as Dragon with either wizard or fighter rider.
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As for the newly formed Highborn Elf force here are the first three alongside their larger cousins.
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The colour scheme for the Host of Athel Ballarn will be:
- Ivory white for basic cloth
- Deep red for lacquered armour
- Bronze for metal armour
- Steel for weapon blades
- Accent colours on secondary pieces of cloth and gems are intended to be various shades of green and turquoise
- Metal accents to be done in gold
- Hair is to be predominantly yellow with an odd grey/white individual mixed in
- Horseplumes are intended to be some kind of beige that contrasts well with the red lacquered armour to give it a natural vibe with more popping colours like bright blue, white and yellow reserved for character
The colour scheme for the Host of Abla Ygdan is far simpler:
- Deep red for cloth
- Steel for weapons and armour
- Gold for metal accents
- Bright white for secondary cloth
And for those interested here is the background behind the Host of Athel Ballarn resurrected from almost 10 years ago.
Some of you might recall the story though minor elements were adjusted to fit the new point in time when action takes place.
Grey Elves – Asthoi – The Dispossessed
The War of the Beard as the Elves of Ulthuan call their half a millennia long war with the Dwarfs broke the back of the Asur Empire. Five hundred years of slaughter left the Elves weak and their forces divided. Taking the opportunity the Druchii, their dark kin from the north, launched an invasion of Ulthuan and the Phoenix King of the time had to make a decision. In the end, he ordered the armies of Ulthuan to return home to defend the island continent from attackers. The colonies over which they fought so ferociously for centuries were to be abandoned to the Dwarfs. All those who wanted the protection of the armies would have to follow them in their retreat to Ulthuan.
When the Asur abandoned Elthin Arvan, as the Old World was known back then, there was a great outcry among the colonists, but eventually, most gave up and sailed west to Ulthuan. Yet there were many who were unwilling to leave for a multitude of different reasons; attachment to their lands and cities on which they had laboured so long; pride and faith in their race’s superiority as only an Elf can have; to the point of denial that the Elves could possibly be defeated; a backlash against a nation that was abandoning them or simply that their homes in the old outer kingdoms no longer existed with Tiranoc and Nagarythe decimated during the Sundering. The Phoenix king washed his hands of them and thus they became an independent people, whether they wished it or not. Without the protection of the armies of Ulthuan, they were forced to abandon their cities, some stayed and died in pointless last stands as the Dwarfs, Greenskins and fouler things sacked their homes.
Finding refuge in the vast and mysterious forests of Athel Loren and Laurelorn, an exodus took place. Some among these dispossessed, however, refused to partake in it. Some were fearful that malicious entities may inhabit these magically saturated areas, some simply unwilling to let go of lands that rightfully belonged to the Asur, and others because they were too far away. Ties between houses and families were the only bonds that remained and thus they followed the plans of whichever highborn they held allegiance to. So most of these Grey Elves, as they came to be known, lead a nomadic and hunted life, their camps protected by illusions weaved by the mages amongst their number, ghosts of an empire now past.
The Grey Elves are now a spectrum of peoples, belonging to one of a few scattered remnant noble houses. Some have built settlements, mansions and spires even. But all hidden, masked and cloaked by sorcery. The new "rulers" of their land have mostly no concept that the islands of Elven occupation remain. These Elves seldom travel, and if they do it is generally in secret; whether magically concealed or in the guise of a nomadic knight or ancient sage. Some of the younger Elves grow restless and take to a life of adventure, seeking to gather lost treasures or to vent their frustration by hunting the foul creatures that infest the Old World and that the short-lived humans and avaricious dwarves cannot seem to eradicate. These are the fabled Elf Rangers of Elthin Arvan.
Others, over time, have moved to the sprawling human metropolises that sprang like festering boils from the corpses of the once great Tors. Still loathing the usurpers of their lands, but realizing that by necessity they must interact with them, they set up merchant houses to achieve some form of wealth and influence, and to rebuild tiny fractions of their lost homes to their former glory, thus many Elven quarters were born. They also found that by taking residence in the ports they gained the means to regain contact with mighty Ulthuan and lobby for the reclamation of the Old World for the Elven race. Clearly, their requests don't get much of a response, but they tell themselves it's only a matter of time. Others still wander the lands as they did in the days just after their abandonment, grey spectres haunting the Old World.
This is the story of one such group and its greatest living hero.
p.s. the basis for the idea comes from WHFRP 1st ed. documents about Elf Rangers and Lords of Aenarion. Most of the piece above is from a write up of a discussion on Warseer almost a decade ago between MvS, Rathgar and our own Eldacar.
ATHEL BALLARN
The Unyielding Realm
Hidden among the peaks and coves of southwestern Estalia endures the Elven realm of Athel Ballarn. It is the greatest remaining domain of the Asthoi and a power to be reckoned with in the Old World and beyond. The mountains that surround it are mostly uninhabited. Apart from the ubiquitous Greenskins, there are no other threats to be encountered, yet save for a few scattered seasonal villages of transhumant herders’ humans avoid the area. They have learned long ago that those who venture too far into the mountains rarely come back. Though remoteness and natural barriers keep most unwelcome visitors away Elves of this realm spare no effort in order to maintain their seclusion. Each year powerful enchantments are placed upon the bordering lands to confound and repel a would-be trespasser. For the most part, the people of Estalia are unaware of the Elven presence in their midst, but the rumours of a city of marble and gold have since time immemorial existed on the peninsula. Occasionally these stories would ignite the flames of avarice in the hearts of men and an army would march into the shadow of the mountains. Most never return and those that do speak of a Dragon queen and her fey army.
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At the heart of Athel Ballarn is a dormant volcano and inside it the Elves have built their capital. Tor Ancor is a mighty walled city of limestone and bronze which is home to thousands of Elves. Located on a granite protrusion riddled with caves and boasting several hot springs it sits in a fertile plain hemmed by the sheer sides of the crater. Through magical means, the valley is kept in a state of perpetual spring even though the surrounding peaks are at all times covered with snow. The palace of the High Prince stands on a ledge overlooking the city and it is from here that the realm is governed. From within the throne room, winding stairs plunge into the bowels of the earth to reach the lair of Dragoness Ireeth and her brood. There in the company of the great wyrms priests of Vaul have made their abode and it is here that they fashion armour and weapons for the soldiers of Athel Ballarn. The shrines of other gods have long ago been removed from the city elsewhere, where living space is at a premium, mostly into the sacred groves which grow on the lower slopes of the crater. Throughout the long centuries, some Elves have left the city in search of a less confined life and built their homesteads and villas in the surrounding mountains. Life there though spacious is harder for the elements are harsher further one goes from the great glowing topaz crystal that adorns the highest tower of the palace. The majority of these rustic elves live in a number of scattered hamlets situated along the only significant path leading in and out of the crater.
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South-east of the city in the distant past an enormous eruption cleft a mighty gorge through the mountainside creating the only secure access to Tor Ancor. At its end, the Elves had built Tor Tarara, the Watcher’s Keep, a mighty fortress that guards the entrance into the pass. Though having only several hundred permanent inhabitants it is far from empty since this is the seat of Athel Ballarn’s military and houses the barracks of the Oathsworn companies. Though the walls bear the scars of the many sieges throughout its history to this day the inner walls have never been breached. At the summit of the hill around which the fort is built is the temple to Eldrazor. Even in times of peace, its halls ring with the clash of steel upon steel as the devotees of the Lord of Blades practice their ways. Though Khaine is still the principal warrior god in Athel Ballarn the worship of Eldrazor is in ascendancy.
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From the outer gates of Tor Tarara, a road winds its way from the mountains towards the coast. Further one goes south more charred ruins can be seen on either side of the road, vivid reminders of the devastation caused by recent conflicts. At the end of the trek nestled in a protected cove is Tor Colithis, a rich coastal community a few hundred strong, and the harbour of Athel Ballarn. This is the oldest part of the realm, its founding dating back to the time when Elves first set foot in Elthin Arvan during the reign of Phoenix King Bel-Shanaar of Ulthuan more than six millennia ago. Once a trading hub between the High Elf and Dwarf empires in the southwest now it is much diminished in size but has lost none of its former splendour. The white ships of Tor Colithis still sail the world bringing back traded goods and news of what transpires far beyond the borders of Athel Ballarn. In the cliffs below the town is an opening to a cave that houses the pride of the High Prince, the Red Squadron. Every one of these warships has been made from the rare redwood pine that grows only on the slopes of the Dragonback Mountains in the Badlands. Though the trees had been harvested at great peril the combination of the wood’s natural properties, Elven skill and a hefty dose of magic have resulted in the fastest ships this side of the Great Ocean. Inhabitants though brave sailors, rely on an enchanted fog to protect their settlement. The sea and moorland around the town are constantly swathed with a nigh impenetrable mist that can only be navigated with the help of a special spyglass and the great beacon that shines with magical light above Tor Colithis.
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GILADIS
Steward of Elthin Arvan
Among those who fought in the armies of the Phoenix King and the Everqueen, there are those who are greater generals, more skilled warriors or more powerful mages but only a few can match the fame of Giladis. His name is known across the elven world; from the Druchii courts in Naggaroth, across the manors of the isle of Ulthuan where Asur dwell to the Asrai halls in the forest of Athel Loren. Born into the house of Minathor, a princely family descended from Tiranoc, he belongs to one of the most illustrious bloodlines among elves. His family is part of the aristocracy of the Asthoi realm of Athel Ballarn in the westernmost reaches of Elthin Arvan, as elves call the Old World. Their palace in hills above Tor Ancor is far removed from the troubles of the world; even the bloodshed of the War of the Beard did little to disturb their tranquil abode. Through long millennia, apart from an occasional merchant or wandering scholar, few disturbed the denizens of Athel Ballarn and they left the rest of the world to their own devices, but Giladis changed all that.
He appeared on the shores of Ulthuan during the reign of Bel-Hathor, an exotic visitor from a forgotten land. On Ulthuan little would ever be known of his earlier years except rumours that he for a period of time commanded armies of mercenaries in the service of the merchant princes of Tilea. So when he first presented himself before the Phoenix Throne, after travelling the isle for some months and experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of the lands of his ancestors, he was treated with great suspicion. Fearful he might be a Druchii agent Giladis was followed by the Swordmasters for many days prior and following his introduction to the Phoenix King. Mostly ignored by the aloof nobles of the court the devilishly handsome Asthoi passed his time reading books, drinking scented elven wines and bedding many a lady-in-waiting. They were drawn to him like moths to a flame enthralled by his alluring charm and exotic background. It did not take long before he attracted the enmity of their long-time suitors and after raising the ire of a particular Caledorian prince, for seducing his fiancée, had to depart for a less hostile environment.
Finubar of Lothern was far from happy when the effete foreigner came to stay in his city. The depth of Giladis’s purse was such that there were few places and even fewer pleasures that were beyond his reach yet where he went trouble followed. Always mindful of trade and profit it was clear to Finubar that wherever Giladis had come from it must be a place of wealth and friendly relations with such a location would be advisable. So the High Prince of Eataine offered Giladis a position in the Lothern Sea Guard hoping to create trust and get the troublesome princeling out of town before someone got killed. Slightly bored and looking for some excitement, much to Finubar’s relief, Giladis accepted. Though pompous and proud, to the point it bordered with arrogance, Giladis to the surprise of all quickly won the hearts and minds of the elves he was sent to accompany. While often acting in what could be described as a haughty demeanour he was not a fool and employed his sharp mind and quick wits to assure the loyalty of those around him just as easily as he captured the affections of the(ir) women.
The Norse raids on Ulthuan particularly intensified at that time giving Giladis ample opportunity to prove his worth. Having nothing but disdain for the race of men he took to the task of clearing Ulthuan’s waters of invaders with ruthless efficiency. Commendation followed commendation and before the Phoenix Court took notice the wayward Asthoi attained the rank of admiral in the Asur fleet. Over the years Finubar and Giladis had several fruitful talks which resulted in the eventual opening of an officially sponsored trade between Lothern and Athel Ballarn. What was previously limited to just an occasional visit of an adventurous Asthoi merchant to the shores of Ulthuan now became a full-blown exchange of goods between the cradle of the elven race and one of its lost outposts. Never forgetting his earlier escapades various factions at the Phoenix Court took the first opportunity to get back at Giladis. When Finubar departed to explore Elthin Arvan they ensured it was Giladis who was appointed as the admiral of the southern seas, a post of little influence and as far away as possible from Ulthuan.
What should have been a punishment turned into an unwitting reward. Giladis welcomed the break from the routine of patrolling the Shifting Isles and dived into his new appointment with gusto. But before he could do his duty to the realm he would take care of his own needs. Finding the naval facilities at the Fortress of Dawn too simple and uneventful for his tastes he relocated to Tor Elasor constructing the most lavish manor found outside Ulthuan. In just two decades, much to the chagrin of his opponents, he made a name for himself in the far-flung colonies of the Asur Empire. Visiting almost every coast of the southern seas he gathered immense riches and acquired powerful artefacts. Most of it was used to expand and beautify Tor Elasor which earned, surprisingly politely aloof, Giladis the admiration of its citizens, who were blindly unaware he was doing it exclusively for his own comfort.
Secure in his newfound position as the most powerful elf within the Asur Empire outside Ulthuan Giladis turned to the favourite elven pastime, political intrigue. Through informants he slowly identified those who would like to see him undone and who were instrumental in engineering his supposed exile. Even though decades have passed Giladis had not forgiven them for it was not important what had happened, but what was their intention. So he began slowly and clandestinely to support their opponents with funds, objects of power and favours bought by coin at different addresses. Soon enough as his pawns gained influence his lavish gifts became public and the ever-shifting web of alliances at the Phoenix Court was thrown into turmoil as various factions clamoured for his attention.
So the game continued for decades with the fortunes of one family rising and falling at the whim of a distant puppet master. Giladis would have probably over time grown bored of playing with vain nobles had he not encountered worthy foes that occupied much of his attention. Druchii corsairs appeared in greater numbers than ever before at the southern latitudes and the name of Giladis became a curse on their lips. Many battles were fought and though not victorious in all of them Giladis always managed to turn things in his favour. It was during those years that he earned the nickname Merlord for his uncanny ability to read the flow and swell of the ocean. Even though he was orchestrating a vicious struggle Giladis found time to occasionally visit Athel Ballarn and suggest military reforms that he believed the realm of his birth needed.
While locked in a contest of wits with the most recent Druchii dreadlord, eager to make a name for himself by killing the Merlord, Giladis received word that Bel-Hathor passed away and that Finubar was elected in his place. Though Finubar’s detractors would for a time spread rumours that it was Giladis who made him king there was nothing further from the truth. For a number of years, Giladis had been positioning himself to be in a strong position to influence the vote on who would take the Phoenix Throne when the incumbent king died. Though Giladis could never find evidence for his suspicion he believed Finubar on purpose rearranged Lothern’s squadrons in the north which allowed the Druchii fleet to slip south and prevent him from receiving news from Ulthuan in time to participate in the game intrigue. So when the opportunity presented itself shortly after N’Kari’s rampage across the isle he decided to return in style.
Giladis’s return was one of utmost pomp; minstrels were paid to perform as he marched from the Lothern’s harbour towards the palace of the Phoenix King; his every step was followed by cheering of the gathered crowd and air filled with the soft smell of freshly picked flowers. As fanfares announced his approach the mighty doors of the throne room were flung open and a figure bedecked in ithilmar and gold strove in, a cape of vibrant emerald green billowing behind him and fiery rubies adorning his breastplate. Yet strangest of all was an outlandish golden war mask that hid his face, gently humming with barely contained magical energy. Following Giladis came carriers laden with the riches of the world; he had returned to Ulthuan like a conquering general celebrating his triumph, a scene unseen since the time of Bel Shanaar. Though the show impressed many, it made Finubar’s face go grim for it was evident this display was an open challenge to his authority.
At first, Giladis bent his energies to gathering all willing to support his protegees and given the opportunity to overthrow Finubar. In his quest, he was at first successful for the Phoenix King spent much time travelling beyond Ulthuan, but when the Everqueen expressed her support to Finubar’s reign he gave up realising any further effort would be for nought. Some months later Giladis resigned his position in the fleet and sailed east towards the rising sun and home. Soon the trade that flowed between Lothern and Athel Ballarn slowed to a trickle until it almost completely stopped. As far as elves of Ulthuan were concerned Giladis and Athel Ballarn returned into the realm of legends from whence they have so unexpectedly appeared five centuries before.
Traders frequenting the human realms of Bretonnia and the Empire sometimes brought rumours that an elf matching the description of Giladis had been sighted in those parts, but apart from that to most Asur he became just a footnote in the long history of the elven people. Indeed Giladis did travel the Old World in those years, visiting the other domains of the Asthoi, striking alliances and making friendships. It is said he even spent time with the Asrai of Athel Loren learning their ways and receiving potent gifts from the master smith Daith. While on a diplomatic mission to Laurelorn he finally tied the knot with the girl he promised his heart to centuries ago ending the career of probably the most famous elven womanizer.
Decades later with the tides of unreason surging across the world, Giladis rose once more to the pages of history. As the scattered domains of the Asthoi were put under pressure by forces of chaos, greenskins, men and dwarfs their leaders gathered in Athel Ballarn and elected Giladis the steward of Elthin Arvan, guardian of peace and prosperity, the protector of the elven legacy this side of the great ocean. Since then as part of his obligations using the ancient secret shadow paths of the Asthoi Giladis has seen every corner of the Old World and there is no race that has not felt his wrath, including other elves. He has led armies and fleets, razed settlements and sundered realms all for the glory of the elven race. To face the Merlord in his golden mask is to court death itself.
HISTORY OF ATHEL BALLARN
*to be expanded in the future
THE RULE OF KINGS
I. 1 - 2663 (Imperial Calendar -4164 to -1501)
- THE WAR OF THE BEARD
THE TIME OF DETACHMENT
II. 1 - 2273 (Imperial Calendar -1500 to 773)
THE TIME OF BATTLES
III. 1 - present (Imperial Calendar 774 to present)
- ECHOES OF THE PAST
- THE GREED OF MEN
- WAR AMONG KIN
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Male
Giladis – Prince (House Minathor) (Nightingale)
Bel-Selith – nobility/caster
Imraldar – nobility/fighter
Ralthir(ion) – nobility/caster
Aenur – cousin/fighter-caster
Selafir – grandfather/fighter
Dalhirion – father/fighter
Caerndan – uncle/fighter
Alithor – fighter
Celendorn – fighter-caster
Khalmandran – fighter (Tidebreaker)
Elithor – fighter-caster
Eliarat – fighter
Thamior – caster
Billarion – cousin/fighter
Feduliar – fighter
Ailotis – fighter
Atanar – fighter
Amandar – caster
Female
Filuviel – wife
Cyrnelle – sister
Renalia – daughter
Yonora – priestess
REGIMENTS OF RENOWN
Paladins of Lileath
Templars of Khaine
Disciples of Eldrazor
Daughters of Addaioth
Raven Guard
Venerators of Kalgalanos
Asthoi Rangers - Grey Wolves (warband)
Asthoi Oathsworn - Gatekeepers of Mirai (company in charge of Bolt Throwers)
Asthoi Militia
The Background Abla Ygdan will follow when T9A releases a more comprehensive background for Highborn Elves as I don't want to spoil anything in advance which has not yet been approved for release.
