Note – this article is part of an ongoing series – previous articles can be found here.
This installment of the blog contains the background and lore of my army.
Where the Mammoth Steppe meets the Northern edges of the Forest of Galahir, a most unusual army is rising to power, the likes of which have never been seen in Pannithor. A Red Goblin of unparalleled girth, acumen, and wealth commands a fiercely loyal following of Red Goblins and Ogres alike. The self-proclaimed Crescent Moon King, adorned in a hooded cloak black as night, has mastered the art of breeding Crocodogs. These vicious creatures are a bizarre amalgamation of fangs, claws, and tails, with a tough red-orange hide. Under the custody of the Crescent King, they can grow to a fearsome size and be trained to specialize in a variety of tasks. Some are ridden by Red Goblin Scouts, who nimbly bound across the plains with tremendous speed. Some develop advanced olfactory glands to help them root out mushrooms in the Forest of Galahir.
Under the glow of the moon, the Crescent King supervises expeditions to hunt for the rare Amanita muscaria, a vibrant red mushroom with white spots, revered for its hallucinogenic properties. These precious fungi only sprout at night and must be harvested with care to retain their potency. After years of trial and error, the Crescent King has perfected the recipe for his infamous Mushroom Soup. This effervescent concoction offers his followers a wide array of beneficial effects in small quantities, yet is extremely lethal in larger doses.
It is this strange brew, the recipe for which the Crescent King keeps shrouded in secrecy, that earned him the allegiance of the Ogres of the Moonshine tribe. For this clan, imbibing the Mushroom Soup is a sacred ritual. In a mind-altered state, the Ogres claim to receive visions of a mighty horde of Ogres that inhabit the moon. Most of the civilized races of Pannithor write this off as nothing more than a delusion, but the Moonshine tribe believes it with religious fervor. As such, they aid the Crescent King in hunting for mushrooms and invading new territory at his behest in order to gain access to more resources and expand the production of Mushroom Soup. They even go so far as to adopt the style of dress of the Crescent King, with black pants, ornamental bones, and resplendent yellow gut plates to invoke the protection of the moon.
While they might dismiss the use of Mushroom Soup and laugh-off the notion of Moon Ogres, the leaders of Pannithor admit that the threat posed by this new army is significant and ever-growing. Whatever transpires, it is clear that the Crescent King will leave an indelible mark upon the land of Pannithor.
The Crescent King’s Sentinels – Red Goblin Sharpstick Horde
The Crescent King’s Enforcers – Red Goblin Sharpstick Horde
New conscripts to the army of the Crescent King are furnished with a spear and a crescent moon shield. They are required to serve in the Sharpstick Hordes until they either prove their worth and earn a promotion, or they meet an untimely demise. There is no shortage of recruits, however, because the promise of power and access to Mushroom Soup is highly alluring to the diminutive Red Goblins. Serving the Crescent King affords them a level of deference from the Moonshine Ogres that is unheard of anywhere else. The Mushroom Soup, for which the Red Goblins have an unnaturally high tolerance, imbues them with the courage to overcome their yellow-bellied nature. They charge gleefully into battle, some even daring to pick up a morning star and whirl themselves into a frenzy.
The Crescent King always makes an appearance on the battlefield during important conflicts but leads strictly from the back, with Moondust, his pet Crocodog, by his side. Even when his army suffers a defeat, the elusive Crescent King invariably manages to walk away unscathed.
Heralds of the Waning Crescent – Red Goblin Scout Troop
Heralds of the Waning Gibbous – Red Goblin Scout Troop
Heralds of the Waxing Gibbous – Red Goblin Scout Troop
Heralds of the Waxing Crescent – Red Goblin Scout Troop
Red Goblins that display superior prowess are gifted pet Crocodogs to ride into battle. They are organized into loose troops of Scouts that travel ahead of the main army, using their snouts to unearth mushrooms and other key ingredients for the Crescent King. The troops are named for the phase of the moon in which they are formed, with the expectation that they will not make it through a complete cycle. The life of the Scout is perilous, and often short-lived. The Crocodogs hurdle across the terrain in erratic patterns at high velocity, with the Scouts clinging desperately to the thick skin on the back of the Crocodogs’ necks. If a fall doesn’t take them, the Scouts are frequently picked off by enemies, as they lack the protection of the main battle line. And for the plucky Red Goblin who manages to avoid these hazards, well, the Crocodogs have been known to get hungry…
Order of the Wicked Sickle – Hunter Horde with Crocodog
Order of the Fearless Foragers – Hunter Horde with Crocodog and Helm of Confidence
The bulk of the Moonshine tribe is assembled into orders of Hunters, each with unique heraldry which is tattooed upon their meaty left shoulders. These brutish mimicries of knightly orders devote themselves passionately to their duties – foraging for the Amanita muscaria and conquering new territory for the Crescent King. They are accompanied by a Crocodog to sniff out the trail, and one or more Red Goblins with heavy nets for carrying home the prized mushrooms. Unlike most Ogres who wield crudely effective clubs or wide, flat cleavers, the Hunters prefer long spears and spring-loaded steel traps known as “sword-snappers”. The latter of which doubles as a tool for properly harvesting mushrooms and as a makeshift shield that can catch an incoming melee weapon and snap it in twain.
The Order of the Fearless Foragers is composed of the most capable Hunters and has the honor of carrying the sacred crescent moon totem into battle. This holy standard has been hollowed out and contains a small fire, which heats the embedded mushrooms and releases a steady stream of fumes to invigorate the Ogres.
The Shroom-fueled Lunatics – Siege Breaker Horde with Chalice of Wrath
Most Ogres of the Moonshine tribe function normally between their monthly allotment of Mushroom Soup, doled out during the Ritual of the Full Moon. That is, as normal as a conspiracy spouting Ogre can be! A few, though, become so drug-addled that their minds are permanently locked into a blood rage. Known as the Shroom-fueled Lunatics, these Ogres adorn themselves in as much armor as they can find, fashion immense weapons, and throw themselves at the enemy with reckless abandon. Speech and diplomacy are beyond these maniacs, as they foam at the mouth and only mutter the occasional reference to the Moon Ogres. If not provided with a regular dose of Mushroom Soup, they have been known to turn on their allies, making the rest of the army grateful it is such a rare occurrence for an Ogre to become a Shroom-fueled Lunatic. The havoc they wreak upon the field of battle, however, is second to none, and the Crescent King deploys them with cunning efficiency.
The Crescent King’s Mushroom Soup – Red Goblin Blaster
The Crescent King’s Mushroom Soup – Red Goblin Blaster
The Crescent King brews his signature Mushroom Soup in enchanted cauldrons which sprout legs and scuttle about with a mind of their own. A few Red Goblins have developed an affinity for controlling the cauldrons and goad them into battle. Great billowing streams of turquoise smoke rise above the cauldrons, inspiring the army of the Crescent King and striking fear into the heart of the enemy. The soup hisses and spits violently, scalding enemies that venture too close. When the cauldrons crash into the enemy battleline, however, is when the real damage is done. The toxic mixture cascades over the hapless soldiers, burning through armor and scales with ease and causing a most agonizing death.
Sergeant Syzygy – Boomer Sergeant with Inspiring Talisman
Of all the Ogres in the Moonshine tribe, Sergeant Syzygy receives the most prophetic visions of the Moon Ogres. He captivates the clan with his vivid descriptions of the luminescent green flesh, protruding tentacles, and alien weaponry of the Moon Ogres and their eerie allies, the faceless Moontians. He even claims to have communed with their leader, Kommander Krater, and believes that when Pannithor, the moon, and the sun are in direct alignment, an astral bridge will appear, enabling the Moon Ogres to invade.
Sergeant Syzygy has constructed a unique sword-snapper that fires from a crossbow and can be retracted via a long chain, the design of which he said was revealed to him by the Moon Ogres. He has been known to snag mushrooms with uncanny accuracy with this contraption, as well as permanently cripple many an opponent in battle.
Papa Moonshine – Ogre Warlord with Crocodog and Mead of Madness
Papa Moonshine is the progenitor of the Moonshine tribe. He was the first oracle of the Moon Ogres and successfully negotiated the terms of the alliance between his clan and the Crescent King. This Warlord delights in violence, using a razor-sharp sickle attached to a massive shaft which he expertly wields to decapitate his foes. This aggressive fighting style leaves him susceptible to counterattack, and his body is a patchwork of grisly scars accumulated through decades of combat.
He is eager to greet the Moon Ogres upon their arrival to Pannithor, though it is unclear whether he will pledge allegiance to Kommander Krater or attempt to usurp his power. Either way, the merging of two such powerful forces is enough to terrify even the doughtiest of dwarfs. Pannithor beware.
Kuzlo & Madfall
No one knows what deed of service Kuzlo performed for the Crescent King, but it must have been impressive for him to be gifted Madfall, the mightiest of all Crocodogs. Madfall is a truly imposing beast, exhibiting all the best qualities of his species and then some. He stands nearly as tall as an Ogre, runs unimpeded through the forest at alarming speeds, and secretes toxic saliva which sprays in all directions as he wags his enormous tongue. This last attribute poses a threat to friend and foe alike, making the Crescent King’s soldiers loathe to fight too closely alongside him. Kuzlo, on the other hand, seems immune to the toxic saliva, with some claiming it gives him regenerative powers. When the mood strikes him, Madfall can lash out with his sticky tongue, adhering to struggling opponents and drawing them close enough for Kuzlo to deliver a finishing blow with his savage cudgel.
