Monsters come to Warhammer TV this week, in the latest instalment of Hammer & Bolter. It’s the tale of a tribe of Darkoath in the Realm of Aqshy, and as you might expect, not all is quite as it seems. We dispatched Adam Troke to find out more.
“Does the end justify the means?” It’s a rhetorical question and Warhammer Age of Sigmar’s lore keeper, Phil Kelly, doesn’t really expect an answer. Phil, you see, was a key part of the Warhammer Storyforge team assembled to create the script for this new animation.
“That’s a quintessential Warhammer question,” he continues. “Is the price of your victory worth the cost? In Warhammer we deal with the grim and dark, every story has a sting in its tail, and Monsters is no different. The Darkoath warband we meet are a family and they’re just trying to survive. But doing so may change them.”
Phil’s referring to Jorvak Brand and his brother Gunnar, niece Singri, cousin Long Erik, and the rest of the tribe. Together they are barely hanging on to survival in the mountains near Hammerhal Aqshy. This is the only place where the tribe can find a ready supply of water and food – but the vanguard of Sigmar’s armies approaches.
“To be honest, the Darkoath in this story are a bit like you or I if we lived there,” Phil adds. “They’re the every-person, living in the wilds and trying to survive. In this story we’re taking a faction normally presented as the ‘baddies’ and showing things from their point of view. The Darkoath are close to the gods, and they appease them with offerings and sacrifices because they know they’re real. Some of Jorvak’s tribe are further along the Path to Glory than the others… and that comes with it’s own pressures.”
Monsters flips an iconic story concept on its head. It’s about what happens when an invading force, in this case the armies of Sigmar, pushes into Darkoath territory, and the lengths to which these (almost) ordinary men and women will go to defend themselves!
And what an enemy to defend themselves from! In Monsters we’re treated to a vision of the armies of Sigmar like we’ve never seen before – feast your eyes on this gorgeous cog fort! Want to see the rest? Well, you’ll just have to watch the full animation on WarhammerTV.com…
Of course, Monsters isn’t the only new release coming to Warhammer+ this week. There’s also a Citadel Colour Masterclass on how to paint spirits, while the lore from Militarum Tempestus comes to the Warhammer Vault, alongside White Dwarf issues 342 and 343.
To get access to these, plus a whole bundle of other historic Warhammer publications, shows, animations, and guides, you can subscribe to Warhammer+ below.
