Life in the Gnarlwood isn’t easy. If the plants don’t eat you, and the reptilian guardians don’t fill you full of poisonous darts for trespassing, then the ferocious beasts that call it home will probably gobble you up without a second thought.
You might just need to be mad to set foot in the Ravening Ruin. Luckily for the Royal Beastflayers, their sense of reason has been eroded by the contagious influence of atavistic vampires. This gaggle of cannibal ghouls are unified in their delusion – convinced that they are a delegation of noble knights and squires, hunting fell beasts with loyal hounds by their side, even as they bludgeon their foes to death to a chorus of incoherent, guttural howls.
Lured to the Gnarlwood by a Realmshaper Engine that an errant Flaymaster believed to be a clutch of loathsome dragons about to hatch, the Royal Beastflayers are just one such questing band of fiends that range across the land undertaking expeditions at the behest of their vampiric monarchs.
Each is led by a Royal Flaymaster, a common-born Abhorrant ill-suited to the politics and rituals expected of an aristocrat. Having gorged on the rotten blood of many vile creatures, they have swollen with power but now chafe against their courtly demands, far preferring the thrill of the hunt.
Their rough hands are well suited to wielding savage weaponry with zeal and fervour, and they inspire their followers not through locution but by action. No Rest til our Quest is Done is the Flayamaster’s mantra, and when required, their followers will go above and beyond to honour it.
Despite their distaste for the airs of nobility, Royal Flaymasters are still accompanied by minor nobles on the hunt, including the Beastflayer Barons. Veterans who have felled many terrible beasts*, each baron is festooned with treasures and trophies and will Sound the Hunt on demand, rousing their squires to action.
Every hunting party needs a pack of trusty hounds to track down their wily quarry, and Offal Hounds are nightmarish simulacra of man’s best friend. Ghouls forced to imbibe beast marrow and exposed to bestial energies, these chimeric brutes have lost any shred of humanity they once clung to and can break limbs and shatter skulls with casual swipes.
The rest of the party is made up of Ghoul Gore-Squires desperate to prove their worth by taking trophies, and the lowly Ghoul Trackers, usually hired from the peasant classes. No matter the foe they face, these Tenacious Hunters will not let their quarry escape without making their mark.
The Royal Beastmasters' quest for guts and glory will see them battle many adversaries along the way, such as the Questor Soulsworn, whom they perceive as inhuman golems made of gold and thunder.** Warcry: Nightmare Hunt is available for pre-order this weekend, and it contains both of these warbands and all the terrain and rules you need to play.
* In reality, often noble guardians revered by mortals of the Realms, whose death has spelt disaster for many.** Not far from the truth, from a certain point of view.