Brine and brimstone clash within the doomed magmahold of Ryftmar this weekend, as the Fury of the Deep battlebox goes on pre-order.
The stalwart Fyreslayers are fighting for the fate of their ancestral home, as the conniving Idoneth Deepkin churn the Vitriol Sea, weakening the supports beneath Ryftmar and threatening the Fyreslayers with a soggy demise.
Unfortunately for our fiery-coiffed friends, the Deepkin are under the command of an exiled Akhelian noble called Cascalan. This expert warrior has taken on the title of Thrallmaster and is determined to win the favour of King Volturnos once more.
Cascalan’s story is a common one amongst the Thrallmasters – Akhelians who either feel suffocated by the strict structures and traditions of Idoneth society or have been ostracised by their fellow aelves and condemned to a life of raiding alongside the half-souled Namarti.
Although the title is frequently seen as an insult, it affords great freedom to those who bear it. A Thrallmaster can roam far and wide in search of fresh soul-matter, mastering the pelagic lore of the ocean’s currents. Many will tame vicious sea creatures like the Snapjaw Eel, and even tattoo themselves with tidal maps to prove their navigational skills.*
These roving raiders see their Namarti underlings as little more than a resource to be expended in battle, relishing how the half-souled warriors unquestioningly follow orders – a far cry from the deceitful politicking of nobility.
Unshackled from the restrictive training of the Akhelians, each Thrallmaster learns to wield an armoury of exotic weapons, swapping between styles and stances to fell the foes they face in the vast oceans of the Mortal Realms – accompanied by the Namarti warriors they’ve drilled in each deadly dance.
Scoring an extra hit for each hit roll of 6 will turn your already-bloodthirsty Thralls into a combat blender, while the ability to re-roll hit rolls of 1 offers them more reliability in a pinch. If you’re on the receiving end of overwhelming force, the Way of the Vortex also increases your survivability – ideal against big monsters with a handful of powerful attacks.
This makes the Thrallmaster the perfect Hero to lead units of Namarti Thralls into battle, giving them the edge they need to slay hardy opponents or resist fierce retaliation. They’ll encounter plenty of both when they come up against the furious Fyreslayers of Ryftmar.
Join us tomorrow for a peek at the rules for the Auric Flamekeeper, who bolsters his comrades with the blazing power he plucks from the golden runes of fallen warriors.
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* We’d just make a map, personally, but we’re not aelves, who are well known for taking everything a little too far.