Gravelord, Wraith Raccoon, & Swamp Groot

Presenting Gravelord, Wraith Raccoon, & Swamp Groot.

Even more characters to fight for Mordor.  The Dwarves are doomed! 

Pics and character fluff below...

This is Gravelord Nito.
He is a Wraith that I've converted/cobbled together from many parts.  An unidentified skull was glued unto a shield and then I sculpted some ghostly flames around it.  The lance arm is from an Empire General, the horse is from a Napoleonic Cuirassier.  The head is an Elf head (I think) whose face got scrapped off.  The cape is from a mounted Engineer?  No idea about the torso.  Its all spare parts found in my bits box.  I think its appropriate for this Overlord of Undeath to arise from dead bits.

Anyways, Gravelord Nito is the Master of the Dark Souls. Nito belongs to an ancient order of Undead Lords.  He is also called the First of the Dead and his battles with the Ancient Dragons ushered in the Age of Fire. 

Besides his fellow Wraiths, he is the master of the Gravelord Servants - a covenant of champions, recently dead humans who bear the Darksign, a symbol of the Dark Souls.  He carries a Spirit Shield that glows blue with the souls he has taken.

In the mists of Time, Gravelord Nito and his minions allied themselves with 3 other Ancient powerful Lords in those Dragon Wars. There are rumors that one such Lord might be coming to Middle Earth, or is she already here?  The Witch of Izalith has many daughters. 

Nito rides a Nightmare, also known as Hell Horse.

While Nightmares in the Warhammer world have wings, not so in the D&D world.
So, this is a Gygaxian Nightmare.
A fitting mount for such a venerable Lord of Death, this isnt your average "factory options" horse!
Its a black shadow equine with glowing red eyes, flaming nostrils, and fiery hooves! 

Honda Civic, I've a horse outside
Subaru, I have a horse outside
Mitsubishi, I've a horse outside
If you're lookin for a ride I've a horse outside

Wraith Raccoon and Swamp Groot are ready to start some trouble in Middle Earth!

Wraith Raccoon:  For over a thousand generations, the Deadeye Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire. 

Wraith Raccoon might be the last of his Order... the Order of the Deadeye Knights! 
Hunted relentlessly, millennia ago by the God Emperor Sigmar and his twisted evil and human-centric Empire, the Deadeye Knights were a coalition of Beastmen creatures who are able to harness the power of the Force (err.. I mean Chaos, or the Warp, depending on which century Warhammer game it is!)

While Sigmar is long dead, the Empire still lives and Wraith Raccoon is fully dedicated to destroying it as soon as possible.

But if a few garbage cans happen to show up... What the hey... the Force can wait!
Raccoons have an instinctual love for all things trash can related!

Wraith Raccoon remembers his Masters who trained him...

Yoda: Only a fully trained Dead Eye Knight, with the Force as his ally, will conquer Balthazar Gelt and his Emperor Karl Franz.  Mind what you have learned. Save you it can.

Young Wraith Raccoon:  Please dont die, Master! 

Yoda: (last words to Wraith Raccoon)  Raccoon, when gone am I... the last of the Dead Eye will you be. The Force runs strong in your family. Pass on what you have learned. There is... another... 

Swamp Groot is a plant creature from the eastern part of the Dead Marshes also known as Dagobah.  It was there that a sad Wraith Raccoon found him, after his Dead Eye master had told him of the enigmatic "other" prophecy.  Did he mean this Swamp Thing?  This Man-Thing?  Or did Raccoon have a twin sibling separated at birth that was equally powerful with the Force, errr... I mean Warp.

Whatever the truth is, Raccoon and Swamp Groot quickly became friends by slaughtering an army of Elves, Dwarves and Humans who had invaded the Marshlands.  In return for this, a certain Dark Lord of Mordor rewarded them.  To Raccoon was given twin lightsabers errr... I mean magic energy swords.  Swamp Groot was given a jar of seeds upon which was written "Entwives".

The Dark Lord of Mordor promised them more gifts if they could track down a Hobbit known as Baggins.  The Dark Lord Sauron also set out a bonus side quest for them - to eliminate an Imposter Dark Lord who goes by the name of Tom Riddle.  Afterall, there can only be one Dark Lord!  This Imposter Dark Lord seems to be interested in a certain Dwarf by the name of Pickles, because of a map he is carrying. 

Old adventurers are quick to point out he looks alot like a Shambling Mound, a whole race of dim witted vegetable monsters.  Swamp Groot may look similar to those rotting leafy monsters, but Swamp Groot has the ability to speak, even if it is only to say "I am Swamp Groot."

But some of the wise have called him Divine Majesty King Groot the 23rd.  While the fabled Planet X does indeed exist in the stars of the Astral Sea, there is no proof to tie Swamp Groot to the supposed Royal Custodian of the Branch Worlds. 

I mean why would a King of an entire world hang around a Wraith Raccoon?

Wraith Raccoon:  First things first, Mr Gravelord... Just because you got a nice ride doesnt mean you rank higher than me.  Why do you think that YOU should be the boss?

Gravelord Nito:  I am the First of the Dead...

Wraith Raccoon:  ... hmm.  Good point...  I got nothing.  Fine.  But I am second in command then! (poking Swamp Groot)

Swamp Groot:  I am Swamp Groot!

Gravelord Nito:  The Sun... is setting... It's dark.....so dark

Wraith Raccoon:  Cheery...  just cheery.  Whats your plan then, boss?

Gravelord Nito:  Finger on throat means Death...

Wraith Raccoon:  Now you're talkin' (cue dramatic music) Guardians of the Dead Marshes Assemble!

~~~

So there you have it.
Three new lovable characters.  Or are they villains?
Yes, of course, they are fighting for Mordor...
but that dont make you a bad person.

I think its funny that Balthazar Gelt is Vader, and Karl Franz is the Emperor.
I guess its time to (re)-start an Empire army again.
Im going to need to paint them up as Stormtroopers.
Wait a second!  Im going to need to buy Age Of Sigmar afterall!
Or at least just the Stormcast.
Stormcast = Stormtroopers.
Wraith Raccoon, you will have your vengeance!
Well, after you slaughter some Hobbits...

~~~

List of future things to acquire for Dead Marsh Guardians:

I suppose I need to paint up some Undead Beastmen for Wraith Raccoon.
Though, I think he might command some living Beastmen too.

Surely some Swamp Dryads (or are they Entwives?) to keep Swamp Groot from getting lonely.
I wonder how Treebeard is going to feel about this development...

Obviously we need more wights (Grave guard) & skeletons for Gravelord.

Oh, and how about a couple of ghouls, and then a smattering of creepy zombies all around.
I hope you dont mind... I ordered for the table.

Cheers,
Mar