Kaptain Sinbag & the Lost Manuscripts of Timborktu

Kaptain Sinbag and his crew are Orc Corsairs of Araby, from the northern Pirate Coast, who sail with the Ironfang Fleet of Adm'rul Kurgan. The once-beautiful lines of The Chimera, their xebec, were long ago corrupted by the modifications and additions made by the Orc Corsairs over the many years since they captured it. They had covered the ornate woodwork with crude armour plates, carved over-sized gun ports in the bow to hold a pair of looted Ogre Ironblaster cannon, increased the number of oars and removed the dome-topped quarter deck structures to make a lower, more stable, profile.

The Chimeras laboured for years under a Djinn-curse, finding their every plan thwarted, every hope dashed and every victory soured by the power of the Djinn that was set against them by a rival wizard. The made the long and perilous journey to the Sea of Claws in order to find a more powerful entity to bind and counter the Djinn curse. Alas, even this plan was foiled by the undoing of the Dark Powers' hold on the world itself! They returned from the frozen and unpleasant north, dejected and defeated.

But somehow the curse on The Chimeras has been lifted (though none of the Chimeras like to talk about how) and Kaptain Sinbag is like a new Orc!

He is no longer the unpredictable, bad tempered, psychopath he once was. He is more relaxed, amiable and expansive (well, for an Orc). He is quick to see the humourous side of events and his laugh is big and booming. The crew used to fear him (and there are not many left alive with memories from a time before the curse was upon them) and though they still somewhat wary of him they like fighting at his side a lot more now they feel he isn't more likely to kill them than the enemy!

As brothers of The Pact of Sand and Steel, The Chimeras have been instructed by their Shaman, Weird Khaaan, to find the lost Orc city he calls Timborktu. Rumoured to be on the far southern edge of the Great Desert of Araby, possibly at the north-eastern tip of the Gulf of Medes, it will be a long and hard journey of exploration, so they needed to be prepared. As such they began the task of amassing the supplies they may need for the task - an armada of flying carpets, stores of weapons, armour, food and drink, and enchanted items of all descriptions.

It soon came to their notice that others may have their eye on the same prize, though they insist on using the strange word "academy" all the time. It seems that some foreigners may have built upon the sacred site of Timborktu![B]

Hundreds of yellowy-brown, ragged-edged and partly burned, hand written manuscripts littered the rugs spread over the floor in the tent. Most were crudely bound in leather, others in bundles tied with string, some just loose piles of parchment pages. All were covered with scrawling, curly, black-inked Arabyan script and red-inked spiralling astronomical diagrams and charts.

"Too many missing books. Too many missing pages. Too many missing words!" muttered Weird Khaaarn the Shaman as he rummaged through the piles. "We won't be able to do it without the right words. Empty future keels-up handwritten quakes and cracks."

Kaptain Sinbag stood in the doorway as the dry winds whipped his robes and the door-flaps of the tent around. He adjusted the way his scimitar sat in his sash and looked round at Big Uluc who was stood behind him. The tongueless Black Orc pulled a worried face and nodded at Khaaan. Sinbag agreed - the Shaman was getting more disconnected, the deeper into the desert they ranged. They really needed to find some of the things Khaaan said they should search for, or he might never recover.

~ ~ ~

An eon, and tears flooded my eyes

The Chimeras narrowly defeated a band of Skaven (Gutter Runners, Giant Rats and Clan Rats) over The Tears of Gherib an unnaturally cold stream, in an oasis.















































The Chimeras picked through the ruins of the village but they could find nothing of much value - and for that matter no explanation for why the villagers had left. The waters of the oasis seemed to be clean and pure, if strangely cold. The Skaven may have had something to do with it but they didn't seem to have left any evidence of foul play.

The Corsairs filled their water skins and returned to the desert.

Again the Tears Flow

Hawks circled in the pure blue sky, high overhead. Hanging in the air on warm updrafts and scanning the rocky ground with sharp eyes. Under the shadow of a tall rocky spire a ribbon of water flowed through a tiny crescent of greenery. Grasses and a few small trees clung to the life bringing waters that trickled out of the towering red stone cliff.

On a ledge between the hawks and the greenery a small group of Orcs in brightly coloured robes crouched, watching the oasis, under black banners that rippled and cracked in the desert wind.

The banners settled as the winds dropped. The Chimeras had kept a close watch on the oasis, in case the Skaven Assassin and his followers made a second attempt on The Tears of Gherib. It wasn't long before their observance paid-off and the black-clad creatures appeared on the far bank. The little stream was not so unnaturally cold but it was still a precious commodity, the Ratmen could not be allowed to poison its pure, clear waters.



















The Skaven were beaten and fled but they were not destroyed. They would almost certainly return before long.

The City of Dust become Dust
The Chimeras massacred the band of Skaven in a steep-sided and rocky valley.

The sky was smudged with curled orange shapes like immense Arabyan script, where layer upon layer of dust devils coiled, collided, intertwined and broke apart.

From the top of a particularly high dune the Orcs, their whole bodies wrapped in ragged fluttering robes and scarves to keep the worst of the dust out, could see for miles over the shifting sands - despite the sandstorms. In the distance the silhouette of the Red Pillar could just be made out where it towered over the sea of dunes.





















The Orc Corsairs mobbed the Giant Rats and killed them all, then the Arrer Boyz on the hill shot a couple of Clanrats.

Sinbag and the crew got stuck into the Skaven Dogs of War and main group of Clanrats. Sinbag killed four on his own - mostly Clanrats but a Gutter Runner Dog of War as well.

The Skaven slings brought down Big Uluc, the Black Orc, while four Clanrats took down Weird Khaaan and two other Corsairs. The Skaven Assassin leader and a couple of Gutter Runners did for three more Orc Boyz but the Orcs sold their lives dearly.

It was a bloody and brutal engagement, but even though the Skaven were broken they retreated in good order.

Falls from the wings of night, As a feather is wafted downward

The wind whistled and sang around them. The rolling sands raced below them. The mid-day sun burned in the crystal blue sky above them.

Weird Khaaan sat on an ornately woven carpet, surrounded by leather-bound and metal-studded chests, water-skins, rolled-up tents and chattering excitable Goblins. The Shaman was silent and calm, sitting cross legged while the others were shouting across the empty expanses between their rug and the the dozens of others gliding alongside them. The armada of flying carpets, loaded to capacity with Orcs and Goblins (in flapping robes, sashes, turbans and fez) even the occasional Troll, swept across the skies above the Shifting Sands.

Thermals buffeted them a little; turbulent air making some of the greenskins cling to the tasseled fringes of their carpets. But the Air Djinn - Zephyrs and Sylphs - that were bound into the the fabric of the carpets were creatures of the desert winds and only a single Goblin was thrown overboard, much to the amusement of the Orcs on his carpet.

The rapid movement of the Pact of Steel and Sand was intended to take their opponents by surprise, to keep them on their back foot.

The desert had other plans.

Out of the north a sand storm suddenly appeared. A sand storm of unexpected ferocity and violence. The armada of Arabyan Carpets was broken up an scattered. Two thirds of their number were either forced to turn back, to land, or simply unceremoniously thrown from their rugs into the dunes below.

The roars of rage and frustration were lost in the howling winds.

Sowing the thorns of anguish among the hills

Even the gnarled and stunted desert trees seemed to have taken a dislike to the Orc Corsairs. The Chimeras were picking their way through an area thick with thorny briars when they were attacked by forest spirits.

The Chimeras shot one Dryad as it burst from the trees, another died when it got too close to the vengeful spirits of the dead that were haunting a dilapidated hovel at the heart of the briar. Two Orc corsairs charged a Dryads each (a mistake, they should have both charged one of them), both Corsairs died. The Orcs at this point were Broken but their nerve held. A scattering of bow fire from two Glade Guard took out three Boyz over the course of the fight.

The Dryad Leader charged Big Uluc the Black Orc, along with another Dryad and they killed him. The Orcs then rushed the Dryads, three Boyz charged the Leader while Sinbag, Khaaan and a Boy charged another. The Boyz killed the Dryad Leader and Khaaan killed the Dryad.

But the casualties among the greenskins were too great and they fled the briar.

Consider what accidents of fortune have done with others
Before thou shalt drink the cup of death
The Chimeras faced the Grudgebreakers (Pirate Dwarfs) for the first time, across a River of Blood.

















The Dwarfs were flanked by two Quarrelers on rocky hills while the rest of the assault-armed Warriors and Longbeards clustered together in the centre for mutual support.

They made the fatal mistake of letting the Orc Corsairs charge them, and thus allowed the greenskins to pick their fights carefully. The Orcs ganged-up on their opponents: two Boyz for each Dwarf. They also held a second wave in reserve, waiting just behind the front line, that plugged the gaps that appeared as Orcs fell.

The Dwarf Leader fell along with over half their company. Big Uluc was brought down, and a handful of other Corsairs fell but the Orcs had nearly twice the numbers the Dwarfs did. In just a few short and brutal minutes the Orcs rained down scimitar attacks on their hairy adversaries and broke their lines.

Ah, thankee for re-posting these. Its such a long trek to the Animosity these days. Lovely reports, though Big Uluc's demise seems to be reported more often than should be possible for a righteous orc.  

Razkhadhim coughed gently and shifted his slight frame. Kaptain Sinbag and Weird Khaaan waited for him to speak. They sat on piled cushions and layered rugs in a nomad tent. A dozen oil lamps sat on low tables around them, illuminating the richly embroidered walls and throwing dancing shadows. The old Djinn Binder studied the dented and scratched brass bottle closely, turning it over in his gnarled hands and holding it up in the lamplight. There were Arabyan letters engraved all around it's surface but many were obscured by the scars in the metal.

"This is very old. Ancient. It was a powerful binding to contain a powerful spirit but it has been, hmmmm, damaged." He held the bottle to his ear and tapped it lightly with a fingernail. His wrinkled brow creased slightly and he moved the bottle slowly away from his head.

"The Djinn, possibly an Efreet, contained within will be, hmmmm, difficult: argumentative at best, hmmm, but vengeful and belligerent in all likelihood." He very carefully placed the bottle on the low table in front of him and sat back on his cushions. The wind shook the walls of the tent and the lamps sputtered and almost went out. The darkness outside seemed to be trying to get in.

"I do not recommend relying on it for anything in your favour." he slumped slightly and looked somewhat dejected.

"We do not have a great deal of choice." said Kaptain Sinbag, "But we don't want it to do anything for us, as such. We want it to do something to our enemy." the Orc grinned wolfishly.

HURRAH! A TRIUMPHAL return of the Flame-On Battle Reports...you have been missed. 

From the fire substance there is nothing but blood embers

The skies were full of fire and smoke and ash as the Ironfang Pirate Fleet readied itself for battle on the slopes of the volcano. Darkness overtook the day as thick choking clouds obscured the sun. From the caves and tunnels around the rocky roots of the mountain a great swarm of soot-covered creatures emerged. Twisted monstrosities with burned flesh and weeping eyes, hissing and growling as they ran with hunched loping gaits.



















The enormous Ash Horrors punched through the Gloomwyrms, after the Cathayan Orcs had been pulled out of the Pirate lines by a small summoned unit of lava-roasted Zombies.















The Ash Cloud Spirits held up Grapeshot the Giant for almost the whole battle. Only the drunken oaf's Yelling and Bawling stopped them from killing him, but his shouting slowly wore them down (along with a couple of good hard stamps from Gork's Foot!)





The battle was tipped in the Pirates' favour when Ghoul King Vesuvius miscast and caused a Dimensional Cascade. A massive rent in the fabric of reality ripped through a Ghoul horde, tore the Ghoul King from this world and even consumed a few unlucky Chimeras.



A short while later Master Necromancer Krakatoa was killed by the Pirate Ogres and Necromancer Pinatubo was mobbed by Privateers Orcs of the Rotmoon soon after, so when Necromancer Eyjafjallajokull (the only remaining undead spell caster) threw everything he had into a spell El Doctoro used a Feedback Scroll and the undead army started to crumbled badly.

Adm'rul Kurgan and the Hogwashas charged the Mortis Crater, it exploded when he destroyed it but it only did minimal damage to the Pirates. The Ogres and the Orcs turned their attention on the remaining undead.











The survivors of the Arabyan Corsairs fled the field with the Ghouls close on their heels.







The Corpse Litter crashed into the flank of the last three Sea Trolls and ran them down as they fled. The Looted Cannon dealt with the Litter moments too late to save the Trolls.

The last of the Ghouls and the Ash Horrors were swept aways when the Pirates fell upon them with kutlasses flashing in the sun light - the sky began to clear and the volcanic ash clouds were scattered by the desert winds.

Two gorgeous armies there. Who was your opponent?
And an orcy victory!  

HOORAY FOR THE LADS IN GREEN!   

Those Mordheim games I've played (solo) have used the War Bands Rules from the old W.D. US version; ergo, I enjoy the larger War Band look. With temperatures here in Texas being steady in the low 100s (around 40C), the lava bases lose a bit of their charm, but the minis are WONDERFUL notwithstanding.  

Thanks guys!

Von Kurst wrote:

Two gorgeous armies there.  Who was your opponent?
And an orcy victory!  

It was Zelophahad (Phil). It was our last game before he moves to Cornwall!  

Arrg!  You guys have been having too many LAST games.  

Best wishes on the move to Cornwall Phil.

A friend of mine from Chicago is traveling to Mississippi (the state) next week.  He said he was thinking of taking his dwarf army along so that he could drive up and play a game on the weekends.  Only an 8 hr drive, he said.  (He lives in Chicago, right?  [2 hr. drive] 10 yrs we've maybe played 10 games.)

Von Kurst wrote:

Arrg!  You guys have been having too many LAST games.  

Tell me about it!  

Lifting a hand of stone, Thy mountain kneels.

As the sun crept higher over the desert sands the temperature rapidly rose. Heat haze shimmered on the horizon. Out of the haze a shape formed slowly - disconnected from the ground beneath it to begin with but as the Chimeras moved towards it, it appeared to become more solid and grounded. A vulchur circled lazily overhead.

A crossbow bolt whistled out of the shimmering mirage and buried itself in the sand.

The Orc corsairs moved rapidly across the shifting dunes towards the formation of dark rock jutting out of the desert. Neither side could see the other as they approached the rocky rise (apart from two Dwarf Quarrellers on the peak) so the Chimeras ran over the crest of the hill into a charge by the waiting Dwarf Pirates. Only Big Uluc didn't make it over the ridge - he chose to take his time climbing the hill and he took an arrow to the knee as he walked towards the ridge. The Orc Corsairs took out a good few of the Dwarfs in a very bloody fight but the Dwarfs felled many more Orcs, and they took down two of the veteran Chimeras.

The two Leaders, Captain Gudrun and Kaptain Sinbag, spent the whole battle hacking at each other but neither was able to hurt their opposite number!

Great photos! Love seeing minis on that table.

Hows the campaign going?

Von Kurst wrote:

Great photos! Love seeing minis on that table.

Hows the campaign going?

Not great for the Orcs! We keep losing members for inactivity so we haven't been able to report at 100% power once in 4 turns so far!

I'm having a great time though!

WbK wrote:

Not great for the Orcs! We keep losing members for inactivity so we haven't been able to report at 100% power once in 4 turns so far!

I used to find that very frustrating. Don't miss that part at all. 

I'm glad you are enjoying yourself and getting games to feature here though! 

It seems that Orc & Goblin Guys derive enjoyment from the game itself...victory is just an added bonus. SO...win or lose, the Followers of Gork & Mork have a ball; that's the way gaming should be. 

Exactly so!

BTW: We played a hectic mini-campaign-day of skirmish Warhammer on Saturday - 8 players, 4 tables, 7 games each (all-play-all). I'll be posting my reports and photos up one game at a time. So there's plenty more to come in the near future!

How long shall I be shepherd to the stars with lidless eyes that cannot help but see them.

A rival band of Orc Pirates stood, amongst the sun-bleached trees and rocky ground, in the path of the Arabyan Corsairs. Kaptin Sullthukka's crew were burying something in the sand when they spotted the Arabyans approaching, they even chuckled to each other at their colourful robes rippling in the desert winds. They hurried to organise themselves into a loose defensive formation but they didn't know if the Corsairs were friend or foe.

The realised which they were when Kaptain Sinbag ordered the charge and the Chimeras followed him with howls and curses.

Kaptin Sullthukka was not best pleased to find his crew were no match for the Arabyan Orcs. The Chimeras washed over them like a tidal wave and swept them away.

Show 'em, Boss!

Nice table.  

Von Kurst wrote:

Nice table.  

It's one of Richard's (AKA Grotsmeg). His garage/games-room is referred to as "The Hogbunker"