What if...? Drachenfels after party.

[Fighelm]

... The mind of Kim Newman! (see extract from page 47 of Drachenfels) Wondered if any one considered doing a 'what if' WHFB 'after party' bust up with all those dwarfs and goblins. The very fact that Detlef Sierck considered employing Goblins..vanity surely has no bounds!

 

[willlucv]

I like that freeform approach to fantasy where there isn't necessarily a black and white segregation between various races, or individuals therein. Terry Pratchett did it brilliantly well with his Dwarfs and Trolls co-existing in a fantasy city. Blood Bowl did (and still does) it as well insofar as the various races are willing to at least share the same astrogranite pitch as one another.

The earliest version of Bugman's Dwarf Rangers describes the eponymous brewer as being happy to sell his beer to dwarves and goblins alike (c. 1984). And McDeath uses Orc mercenaries to fight for him (c. 1986). So presumably the main races do interact in a way that would be unthinkable in later additions.

Jack Yeovil does ambiguous and therefore realistic characters. His main character is a 'good' vampire, and he presents people with chaotic mutations as often sympathetic or capable of redemption. Conversely his evil characters are often human or outwardly so but driven by ambition or personal gain. Detlef Sierck is very ambitious and egotistical but this mostly down to his artistic temperament and is played for comedy (Drachenfels being a sort of take on overambitious vanity projects like the big Hollywood Biblical epics of the 50s and 60s).

 

[Fighelm]

Oh yes, definitely. On the biblical epic pretensions of Detlef, it ending up being an under-dramatized 'Carry On... Warhammer fantasy'. And interaction with (goblinoid) species in early editions, well it was probably more reflective of it's contemporary - the D&D world. The raiding bands in books like 'Wolf riders' made the goblinoids numero uno enemy, well, until big army Chaos burst onto the scene (main IP)! Also the raiding goblins/orcs of 'blood on the Streets/the riding' , and the animosities of the parties at 'Orcs drift' made them seem more 'human'. Protagonists, rather than just unthinking green cannon fodder.

 

[orkwrangler]

Jack Yeovil

I knew this chap from his Empire film reviews before I ever learned about his involvement in Warhammer. There was a memorable Tzeench character in one of his Genevieve books if I recall correctly. Something about ascending steps to enlightenment. It has been some time since I read them.

 

[Sleepysod]

An ‘enormous homunculus’? ….