Imperial army of Westeron (Mages, rangers, characters)

[Bragallot]

OP:

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After the Garth's Campaign story arc is over I intend to do a series of battles set in the former Kingdom (now 'The Empire' since it got mostly conquered) where Cales will try to get a firmer grip on his newly conquered lands.



I already have some heroes for them: Cales himself of course, Lord Malagram (an engineer), Sir Branton / Sir Jason (who can also pose as generic 'imperial commanders') and Fishstache and Fat Olaf for the water demons.

I think the arc would benefit from some new characters (either hero or non-hero) since most of these are 'kinda' similar, so that's where you guys come in. Characters can be regular imperials, water demons or maybe something else still if you're feeling really creative. There are 'vacancies' for:

- Female characters (as of yet the Empire is one big sausage fest)
- Mages
- A scout / pathfinder type of character
- Something else...?

So post a picture of the character with a name and a bit of background here, if I like it enough I will include the parts in my next Bricklink order and include the character in the campaign, where the creator will have dibs on it.



Imperial troops use a mix of Knights' Kingdom I, Fantasy Crownies, Castle (2013) Lion Knights, Viking stuff (for the Water Demons), and blue samurai parts. The colour scheme is blue / silver / black / dark grey / light grey with some gold here and there.

Lore summary that's important to any imperial character:

Imperials aren't necessarily evil. The Empire defended the Kingdom's border. Eventually, the Bulls did get through, and the emperor then tried to ally with the Bulls to invade the rest of the kingdom, saying the king didn't give him enough support against the Bulls and it was Queen Lara who got his forces into a bad position in the first place (see Grave Tidings)... The plan backfired, the Bulls destroyed the Empire and received their lands, the emperor was executed. The surviving imperial troops were pardoned but also disarmed and disbanded, many of them spread out across the kingdom into the city militias.

Most imperials feel like this was an unjust punishment after years of loyally protecting the border, that they were being punished for the emperor's mistake, and couldn't accept their new lives since they were soldiers at heart. More fanatical ones of course think the emperor was completely right in rebelling, that the empire should've been autonomous from the start and that the king intentionally caused and or used the crisis of the Bull invasion to weaken the empire (which may be true). Nearly all imperials also see giving former imperial lands to the Bulls as nothing more than treason.

They saw Cales' coup as a chance to be proper soldiers again. Now that Cales is emperor and the king has fled they also see it as their duty to protect the newly conquered lands (and the people in it). They are not aware of Cales' dealings with the elves. They've deployed cunning / underhanded tactics such as sealing the Falx Portal shut behind Queen Lara (see 'First Strike'), using the urban guard to attack cities from the inside out ('see 'Attack on Andelmere') or working together with the brutal Draklon Raiders to weaken the Kingdom and trick the Bulls into an ambush (see 'the Haunted Wilds' and other battles after it). So in general they're morally grey characters, a mix of loyal soldiers and opportunistic rebels, but they're also misguided.

Update 21/08/2018:



As it turns out, we were gonna see the battle mages of the Imperial Magisterium, 'cos here they are!



Mage General and High Magister. One is the military leader, the other the political leader.



Always wanting to one-up the Magus Guild, they have crafted mana rifles that, like the Magus Guild's mana pistols, have an uncanny ability of ignoring a degree of shields or armour. The only issue is that they sometimes run out of mana at critical moments and it takes longer to recharge these rifles than it does a normal gun when this happens.

The mages also carry the newly forged imperial swords which they can draw to defend themselves, though using them in melee is generally a waste of their talents.



Lyra Longlance and Tatterdemalion have arrived. The face is not an exact match I believe (but ?), and Tatters is missing his hat for now, which means the Empire story arc will probably mostly revolve around him looking for it.

I made a unit of imperial rangers as well. Proficient with the sword and bow, these rangers have learned to move quietly in armour, which sets them apart from most other scouts. A lot of them are Lyra's personal troops.

I can make Edron as well for the most part but this requires swapping some stuff around which I usually like to do before a battle that the character is in. I think I have plenty of heroes for the Empire now so I don't think I'll make any more.

[Kommander Ken]

I so want to do this. Is there an entry limit?

[Bragallot]

No. I can't guarantee I'll make every character of course, but if you want to make several, go ahead.

[RedRover]

This is my jam!

[Imic]

I might do something here.

[Venge]

I should be able to scrounge up enough parts for an Imperial or two. How long is this running for?

[Bragallot]

I'll probably place my next Bricklink order in like a week or so. That doesn't mean that's the definitive deadline, but it does increase the chance I'll be able to pick up the parts then. I have very little 'leftover' minifig parts / accessories atm.

[RedRover]

Does it just need to fit the general theme or does it need to use the exact parts that you have from those specific lines?

[Bragallot]

It's just a guideline to what looks 'fitting'. If you wanna use other parts, go for it. Of course, it's nice if they fit in well with the rest of the army so everyone can see on which side they are.

[Bragallot]

Now that I had some room I could take pictures of my imperial army for some more 'reference material'.



They're a mix of veterans from Cales' old imperial army and new recruits drafted from the urban guard and the old imperial territories, as well as water demons.



Cales with his commanders and bodyguards. I nearly forgot about these ladies, who have some command ability themselves (see Grave Tidings) so it's not a total sausage fest.

Imperial troops think Cales' sword is magical, they don't know it's forged personally by the Nega-BlokTrix!



Guardsmen, useful as a city watch or when pressed into a field battle.



Footmen. They benefit from having excellent mail and weapons.



Since most of the urban guard had only received basic training, Cales has converted them into crossbow regiments.



Empire halberds function as both ceremonial guards as front line armour squashers and monster / cavalry killers.



The Starcapes are masters of gunpowder and elite sharpshooters. There aren't that many of them left after the sacrifices made fighting the Bulls and the subsequent undead invasion of Starkeep. Their lord, Malagram, is Cales' chief military engineer.



Cales' best troops are no doubt the water demons, led by the fearsome General Fishstache, who is often accompanied by his thegns. These fierce warriors eventually regenerate after being killed and therefore have no fear. They can also travel through water quickly and are therefore often used as a fast response unit.



Heavy swords. Water demons are so focused on battle and its glory that they refer to their regiments simply by their chosen instrument of killing.



Sword-demons with their officer, the Please Don't Sue Me - Viking.



Mace-demons, known for battering armour (still thinking about how to differentiate them).



Fishstache's son Fat Olaf and some spear-demons. The spear isn't favoured by many water demons because they deride it as a 'defensive weapon', which is something the spear-demons disprove nearly every time they charge home.



Imperial support includes the sakers, light field artillery, the feared ribault, capable of arc fire, steam tanks, and the imperial floating fortresses, all courtesy of Lord Malagram (sometimes with some help from mages).

Conspicuously absent are the mages of the Imperial Magisterium. Will we ever see them?

[Venge]

Nice to see all the Imperial forces gathered together, they're quite impressive all formed up. I notice one of the sword demons hiding in the back is rebelling against the black-sleeved dress code however.


Known as: Lyra Longlance
Status: Commander of Scouts (feel free to change this).
Background: The bastard daughter of Cales himself fathered on a lusty tavern wench, Lyra was dubbed "Longlance" by her mother in honor of her father's . . . uh, "long lance" ( ) and was taught from a young age by her mother to make her own way in a man's world. Cales eventually took her into his household as a cook after her mother's death, but quickly realized she had more skill with swords than pastries and allowed her to train with his men, most of whom she quickly surpassed, matching their strength with her skill and speed. She eventually became one of her father's bodyguards, but longed for a position of more excitement, and left to become a scout in the Imperial Army. After the Empire's failed rebellion, Lyra joined the Kingdom's scouts, and there rose to the rank of Commander of Scouts. She played no part in her father's usurpation of the throne, but nor did she make any great attempt to stop Cales' act of treason.
Character: Lyra has her father's skill with blade and lance, and she knows it well. She also knows well that because of her sex, she will often be mocked by men placed under her command. But she holds her high position based on skill, not blood, and those who mock Lyra to her face rarely make that mistake again. Lyra is not overly cruel or harsh, but she is not afraid to have men whipped for insubordination, or to hold her own against a drunken knight who starts a quarrel with her. Like her father, Lyra is cunning and not afraid to take a chance, but unlike Cales, she does not lust for power or glory, only the respect she deserves. She has proven her skill as a scout time and time again against the Bulls, and is as stealthly as any Dweller. However, unlike many Imperials, Cales included, Lyra does not scorn the Bulls as barbaric savages, but recognises them as dangerous and adaptive opponents. Although she is Cales' heir (as far as I know), Lyra has no interest in ruling, and desires nothing more than the wind in her hair and a sword in her hand.

[RedRover]

To be named after your father’s dong, what a life

[Scribonius]

Well, you asked, so here goes.



Tatterdemalion
(A.k.a.: Mage of the Green Crystal, Tatters, Tatterdemalion the Blue, and occasionally Benjamin Du'Vulpe [the Fox])

While he won't say which school of magic he studied under, most people tag Tatterdemalion as a retired Starcloak and tend to ignore him. He doesn't discourage this concept. Named Benjamin at birth and Du'Vulpe ('the Fox' - a moniker given to him by the Bulls) for his conniving trickery, he was dubbed 'a Tatterdemalion' by one of the nobility in the Royal Court who took umbrage at his worn-out clothing and slightly unkempt, rumpled appearance. The name stuck and he has been known as Tatterdemalion, or just Tatters, ever since.
Tatterdemalion has the dubious honor of being the Kingdom's former Royal Historian, a role he continues to serve in under Cales' Empire. The feather in his hat doubles as a quill pen, and the satchel at his side carries at least one book, partially filled with his notes on the doings in his homeland. He spends a lot of time shadowing the armies lately, as Cales specifically requested that Tatters make a more detailed history on his military campaigns. Since that tends to keep the (now Imperial) Historian as far away from the nobility in the capital as possible, Tatterdemalion has no issues with the idea.
When forced into combat, he carries a brace of pistols and the Staff of the Green Crystal, which helps him maintain spells he has cast. Tatterdemalion is a Master Illusionist, preferring trickery over brute force. This doesn't stop him from shooting people or hitting them with his staff when necessary. Favorite spells include: Invisibility, minor illusions (visual images and such that aren't really there - Tatterdemalion is a master at these and unless people know who and what he is, it can be very hard to disbelieve his illusions), and his personal favorite, the "Wall of Not." For this trick, he stands behind a low obstacle like a rock or a short wall and uses his illusions to make his opponents think the wall/whatever simply is not there. When they charge him, they inevitably run INTO said obstacle and hurt themselves or fall over. When the Bulls invaded, he pulled this trick on them FREQUENTLY. It still makes him laugh.
He does have a residence in the capital, which he has to retire to periodically to drop off his notes, obtain fresh notebooks, ink, etc, and actually write up the history he's supposed to be compiling. He finished his History of the Kingdom recently, but Cales put a clamp down on publishing it, ordering him to keep it quiet for the time being. Since Tatterdemalion gets paid regardless, he's decided that it doesn't matter. He has several copies of the original manuscript hidden in discreet locations around the Empire, and knows it will get published eventually. For now he's content to keep following the armies and writing down what happens.
Within the Empire, he gets along fairly well with most of the army commanders. He and Cales rub each other the wrong way, but they are skilled at hiding it. Cales wants to burn his hat though - he thinks it is stupid and ugly and should burn. Fat Olaf and Tatterdemalion are occasional drinking buddies. Tatterdemalion and the Starcloaks (including their master) have an understanding of sorts. They get along on a professional basis, but he doesn't take orders from them in battle. Most members of the Imperial Magistrum dismiss Tatterdemalion as a lesser magician, given his focus on Illusions. He doesn't like them much either, so they tend to ignore each other.
Outside the Empire, however, is a different story! Most people don't know this, but Tatterdemalion is actually welcome in the courts/tribes/clans of most of the monsters living on the fringes of society! He has allies among the gnolls, several goblin and orc tribes, and many others. Lord Malagram knows about his trips outside of the Empire, and assumes the other races accept him solely because he writes stuff down. Apparently, they're concerned about how they appear to others and want Tatterdemalion to write... nicer... things about them. The Bulls respect him (they're the ones who dubbed him 'the Fox' for his trickery), but they don't like him. He avoids undead as much as possible. Rumor has it he has seen his future, and it includes being transformed into a liche.

Parts notes: Torso is an old Pirate piece, might be harder to find, but the head shouldn't be an issue. Hat is from one of the Minifig series from a few years ago - Musketeer or Duelist?

[Venge]

To be named after your father’s dong, what a life

[Bragallot]

Longlance... LOL! That blue torso seems ultra rare.

@Scrib: I actually have that torso. It's one of the oldest I've got, from some of my very first figs. I for one think the hat is beautiful and should be issued to all of Cales' troops!

Where's the bag from?