July 4th Weekend Part 3 - Army Of Darkness!

Alright the finale of today's posts!

Too much "show and tell" this week for any battle reports, so maybe next week, let's make that a priority above paintwork.  Its nice to finally have enough painted lead to do some battles, but I still have a mountain of lead to get to, and an army of brushes standing at the ready!  But After Action Reports are the focus next week!  Reporters in Khazad-Dum are standing by.  Embedded jounalists are getting situated with their respected units on all sides of the upcoming conflicts!  Dragon's fire, catapults and rocks, Orc swords and axes, Dark Elven blades! More news at 11!

So where are we for this post?  Ah final showcase of painted figures and the last of the fluff...

 Murkillor wandered deep below Moria, even deeper than Darkhold. Below the Wandering Stairs... to a strange level where what looked like a small faded sun hung oddly glowing above the cavernous expanse.  Here, there is black water and green foliage.  The landscape curves at the horizons into the misty primeval of a lost jungle land, that some call an "inner earth".  Where giant reptiles roam and roar and where...  Murkillor recalls his ancient homeland, before his becoming a wraith, when he was once a man, a king, a father, a husband...
Focus! He tells himself, Remember why you are here!

 Why I am here!
He floats over a black river and realizes he is home.  The Savage Land.
This was once the ancient kingdom of...  He cant remember its name, so long ago did it fall.
No buildings remain standing above ground, they have sunk in the soft mire.  Sunk in a dismal swamp... his entire history, his whole race.  But today, that changes...  He begins to chant ancient words of power.  It breaks his heart.  At the crescendo of his mad wild invocation... the ground also breaks and churns...

Hordes of ancient souls:  Master...  King... Lord... Father... we hear you and obey!

Murkillor:  Come forward my children!  Its been so long since Ive seen you!

They shamble forwards confused at first.  They look upon their own dread bodies and slowly force their brittle boned legs to obedience.

 Murkillor:  Please forgive me, I did my best to leave you resting in the earth of your homelands, but I was tricked into service of evil powers.  As you must now hate me with dead hearts, also remember when once I was a good king and father to you.  Alas, that our fate is thus...

Hordes of ancient souls: We are the undead, we do not remember.  We only hear and obey!

Their soulless response breaks his heart further.  Murkillor realizes the magic that binds him to unlife gives him some memory of humanity, but not to his friends.  For them they are bound slaves to his power, they are no more and no less.  This grieves him and he grows to hate the curse of memory itself!  No more, we will replace the sorrow in our heart with vengeance against the living!

Murkillor:   For now we will break the Dwarves in the name of the Balrog and Sauron.  But one day when we are powerful enough, I promise you my children, we will make our own empire and overthrow the lands of all the living, until only we remain!

The hordes of ancient souls stand quietly, banners wavering where there is no breeze.
Silent ...
Still ...
...and indestructible.

 Here we have RRD2 The Nightmare Legion, also known as Mordini's Doomed Legion.  This is a Regiment of Reknown.  I got this in a trade, but with no box, which makes me sad.  I do love having that 80s box art. 

 Here is a drummer, Ennio Mordini himself and a trooper.

 In the center is Renzo Avanti - Skeleton Champion

 In the official GW fluff it says...

 "BATTLECRY: Lacking important things like lungs and vocal cords the Legion has no battlecry"

Well, that kinda puts a damper on my own fluff.  Ok, so maybe they cant yell out a bloody slogan...  Well, how about whispers?  Whispering dead is pretty creepy to think about. So lets go with that...

 And here we have some Marauder skeletons.  There may be a few Citadel in there as well though.

 The fella in the center has a pistol.  I have avoided gunpowder weapons in my Moria Reclamation Project, but why?  Im really so far off Tolkien canonity that I dont think adding gunpowder will make my project any more unrealistic.  So yeah, pistoliers, thunderers, organ cannons... here we come!

 Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerers of death's construction

 In the fields the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds... Oh Lord yeah!

Ash: Klaatu Barada Nikto.
Wiseman: Well, repeat them.
Ash: Klaatu Barada Nikto.
Wiseman: Again.
Ash: I got it, I got it! I know your damn words, alright?

Ash: Klaatu Barada N... Necktie... Neckturn... Nickel... It's an "N" word, it's definitely an "N" word! Klaatu... Barada... N...
[coughs]
Ash: [pause] Okay then... that's it!

Well, thats it.  3 posts in one day!
Now Im going to rest my weary fingers and brain (this stuff dont write itself you know).

Next week, battles are a-comin'.
So march to the sound of the guns, Grouchy!
And I will see you all here, same time, same channel.

Cheers,
Mar