Representing the Storm Host from the Orfeo Trilogy

ardyer

Baron
I’ve been rereading the “Tale of Orfeo” from the original line of fiction (although my copies are all the Black Library editions). After finishing the final book, “Storm Warriors,” I love the idea of a non-standard Slaanesh unit like the Storm Host. For those that have not read the book, they are warriors who have become so obsessed with the pleasure of the hunt, that they have been “cursed” to forever hunt. I think it’s great that it shows a different aspect to the traditional sex, drugs, and rock n roll depictions of Slaaneshi worshipers.

Here comes the problem: how to represent the models?

The story takes place on the island of Morien, which appears to be off the cost of Albion. The people of the island are generally described in a manner similar to the early Britons and Welsh.

The Storm Host itself receives very little direct description. In the initial encounter, a member is described as “a pale-featured man wearing light armour and a plain helm, mounted on a mist-grey mare.”

Later in the story the host itself is portrayed as “a host of ghostly riders, eighty or a hundred strong, bearing spears and bows. Their helmets-all but a few-were decked with spreading antlers, and their surcoats were all black as night.”

This is where my first problem in imagining models for them arises. While everything in the story up to this point was very similar to the Historical Welsh, the helmets of that period were would not be in the least bit conducive to having antlers mounted upon them. Warriors of the period (or at least historical miniatures of the period) didn’t appear to be much for surcoats, either. In fact, this description of the riders implies to me, something much closer to the Teutonic knights.

However, Brian Craig throws a wrench into that interpretation as well because two pages later, the characters recognize a member of the Storm Host by his face, which would certainly not be possible with a Teutonic helm. He also describes how many of the members have “sunken eyes” and their bodies have “scars of battle, which showed up lividly white against their grey flesh.” In this manner, it does not even appear that they are fully armored; and in fact sound almost zombie-like! But other than the above quotes (and similar quotes) I could not find any other references to their armour.

So, here is where I seek help from the learned miniature historians present. What type of helms would be both open-faced while simultaneously being able to support antlers? And if there exists such a helm, was it ever word by mounted soldiers who would also be lightly armored but bearing surcoats?

Any ideas to help spark my creativity (or steal someone else’s!) would be much appreciated.
 
Something like a spangenhelm maybe? Pretty ubiquitous, and could be open-faced, sided or even masked, depending on design.

As a folk-myth it's something i've always been interested in, and I've actually thought about modelling before, but never got around to. I'd always imagined that as the hunt was timeless, that maybe they didn't all come from the same era, that way a variety of helmets and armour could have been depicted. Also, as the hunt never ends, the older hunters could have more tattered armour and grievous wounds that never heal, with the more recent participants being more modern and in better condition.

I read the books a long time ago, but can't really remember them now! The Witcher 3 game portrayed them as rimed in frost, which looked great, and if I did get around to it, I'd certainly copy that look.
 
The-Knights-Who-Say-Ni-monty-python-and-the-holy-grail-591178_1008_566.jpg













:grin:
 
Ah shoe-horning The Wild Hunt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Hunt into the post Realm of Chaos Warhammer mythos, makes a lot of sense ;) Imagining Slanesh more as a lusty Pan than a post-punk S&M diva.

Aasgaardreien_peter_nicolai_arbo_mindre.jpg


There's this guy:

CLE_01-07.jpg


Cleric of Albion I think.

The open face helm and surcoat description makes me think of some depictions of Norman Knights.

f1ac50396b93a91722d0e7af722d058c.jpg


But miniatures wise, people tend to go for the mail without sur-coat. I'm going to suggest Conquest Games Robin Hood Normans (based on Robin of Sherwood TV series, ), and sticking antlers on, but the sheilds aren't quite right for "hunters".

C12_zps7sdglxdn.jpg


http://www.conquest-games.co.uk/index.p ... bca167791c
 
dieselmonkey":20b2hk7m said:
Something like a spangenhelm maybe? Pretty ubiquitous, and could be open-faced, sided or even masked, depending on design.

As a folk-myth it's something i've always been interested in, and I've actually thought about modelling before, but never got around to. I'd always imagined that as the hunt was timeless, that maybe they didn't all come from the same era, that way a variety of helmets and armour could have been depicted. Also, as the hunt never ends, the older hunters could have more tattered armour and grievous wounds that never heal, with the more recent participants being more modern and in better condition.

I read the books a long time ago, but can't really remember them now! The Witcher 3 game portrayed them as rimed in frost, which looked great, and if I did get around to it, I'd certainly copy that look.
The spangenhelm is what most early Britons/Welsh cavalry miniatures seem to be modeled with. I just can't see how that could support antlers (maybe I should quit injecting reality into my fantasy!) And that's what is perplexing me about the whole thing.

I do like the idea of different eras, and I was definitely planning on adding wounds and such to the models... So far as even considering rounding up the old citadel zombie horses to use as mounts!
 
Zhu Bajie":34z8ntz0 said:
Ah shoe-horning The Wild Hunt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Hunt into the post Realm of Chaos Warhammer mythos, makes a lot of sense ;) Imagining Slanesh more as a lusty Pan than a post-punk S&M diva.

Aasgaardreien_peter_nicolai_arbo_mindre.jpg


There's this guy:

CLE_01-07.jpg


Cleric of Albion I think.

The open face helm and surcoat description makes me think of some depictions of Norman Knights.

f1ac50396b93a91722d0e7af722d058c.jpg


But miniatures wise, people tend to go for the mail without sur-coat. I'm going to suggest Conquest Games Robin Hood Normans (based on Robin of Sherwood TV series, ), and sticking antlers on, but the sheilds aren't quite right for "hunters".

C12_zps7sdglxdn.jpg


http://www.conquest-games.co.uk/index.p ... bca167791c
So in my ignorance, I didn't even realize they were shoe horning mythology in! Thanks for the info on there usual depictions. (And to diesel monkey's similar point about the Witcher, I'm not a video gamer so if not been exposed to other depictions).

Based on the rest of the descriptions in the novel, that cleric is about right for the way human Albioners are portrayed, minus the antlers!

As far as the conquest Normans go, they share my same concern that such a small helm world be incapable of supporting antlers.

Maybe I should just learn to sculpt
 
ardyer":2blw6a9u said:
The spangenhelm is what most early Britons/Welsh cavalry miniatures seem to be modeled with. I just can't see how that could support antlers (maybe I should quit injecting reality into my fantasy!) And that's what is perplexing me about the whole thing.

There is certainly evidence for some styles of spangenhelm having chinstraps, so they would be able to support antlers easily, I'd have thought.
 
dieselmonkey":37ob5djw said:
ardyer":37ob5djw said:
The spangenhelm is what most early Britons/Welsh cavalry miniatures seem to be modeled with. I just can't see how that could support antlers (maybe I should quit injecting reality into my fantasy!) And that's what is perplexing me about the whole thing.

There is certainly evidence for some styles of spangenhelm having chinstraps, so they would be able to support antlers easily, I'd have thought.
I've always assumed antlers were not light weight, and a chin strap wouldn't be enough... Maybe I should look into that
 
ardyer":1bhp1sin said:
dieselmonkey":1bhp1sin said:
ardyer":1bhp1sin said:
The spangenhelm is what most early Britons/Welsh cavalry miniatures seem to be modeled with. I just can't see how that could support antlers (maybe I should quit injecting reality into my fantasy!) And that's what is perplexing me about the whole thing.

There is certainly evidence for some styles of spangenhelm having chinstraps, so they would be able to support antlers easily, I'd have thought.
I've always assumed antlers were not light weight, and a chin strap wouldn't be enough... Maybe I should look into that

Been there, done it! :lol: A decent fitting helmet and a strap will hold them quite easily, at least for running around. Not tried them on horseback, but then again, *nothing* would get me on horseback!
 
It may be too different a take on the wild hunt, but I've just released this guy along with his hounds and white deer...
 

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Fimm McCool":37541z1x said:
It may be too different a take on the wild hunt, but I've just released this guy along with his hounds and white deer...

Pretty standard fare to be honest. The Slough Feg thing might a bit too elvish for the Storm Host (IDK). Speaking of which, Slaine.

954d9f7d1925df8f4257176164235eae_f827.png


He's got a lot of the 'celtic' flavour, but maybe too chaosy.

Lootking at the Arbo painting, considering slannesh and all. Maidenhead Miniatures Feral Elves have some potential, but again it's fairyland rather than 'doomed host'.

MMNFE01.jpg


Also (gasp) modern GWs Wild Riders.

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99120204009_SistersoftheThorn01.jpg

But after filing off all the decorative gubbins it might be too much effort.

ardyer":37541z1x said:
As far as the conquest Normans go, they share my same concern that such a small helm world be incapable of supporting antlers.

Maybe I should just learn to sculpt

Yeah. Do that! :grin:

I hear what you're saying, even if the small helm could physically support the branches, it would look wobbly.

For a really different direction, maybe...

6a6f4d33f3d2378e8140d2f8ae85c0df.jpg
 
Fimm McCool":36ts0ag4 said:
It may be too different a take on the wild hunt

Zhu Bajie":36ts0ag4 said:
Pretty standard fare to be honest.

I meant in relation to the Storm Warriors thing, not to the original myth. The Herne the Hunter look is definitely what I was going for. :)
 
Lots of interesting ideas, thanks everyone! I'm probably heading to the local hobby shop tomorrow to check out some historicals to use as base models. We'll see what they've got!
 
Fimm McCool":1tmmxl3c said:
Fimm McCool":1tmmxl3c said:
It may be too different a take on the wild hunt

Zhu Bajie":1tmmxl3c said:
Pretty standard fare to be honest.

I meant in relation to the Storm Warriors thing, not to the original myth. The Herne the Hunter look is definitely what I was going for. :)

Phew! Thought'd you'd lost the plot for a moment there, Horned is the Hunter!

ardyer":1tmmxl3c said:
Lots of interesting ideas, thanks everyone! I'm probably heading to the local hobby shop tomorrow to check out some historicals to use as base models. We'll see what they've got!

Samurai. They've got lots of samurai. Undead samurai. Undead Pagan Welsh Samurai. Undead Pagan Welsh Samurai with antlers.
 
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