Beastmen
The War Herds
Created by the the Elves in the wake of The Fall, Beastmen are creatures of war. Initially intended to be guardians of the Western Realms, The War Herds were too wild and savage to be controlled. The resulting uprising was crushed and the herds scattered before the wrath of their former masters.
Beastmen can now be found all over the world, usually lurking in those dark places shunned by other races. Bitter and twisted, Beastmen hate the other races with primal intensity and are a constant threat on the edges of civilisation.
Ratmen
After The War Herd’s rebellion the Elven High Council forbade the creation of new servile races, but the Elven Civil War broke the Council – leaving it a shadow of its former self. The Dark Elves once again set about the breeding of slaves, but this time sought to create a race that could not threaten them.
Ratmen have served as slaves to the Dark Elves ever since, without the least hint of resistance. Yet recently concerning rumours have emerged that Ratmen have been seen outside the Dark Elf realms. The populations of whole towns have disappeared overnight, with the few survivors claiming that their loved ones were carried away by man-sized rats.
Mutants
Not all Beastmen are the result of the foolish endeavours of the Elves. Wherever Dark Magic is present the effects on living beings tend to be profound. Whether it’s the Werebears of the far north or the Merefolk of the Sea of Dreams, the varieties of Beastmen seem almost without end.
The World of A Middlehammer Tale
We aim to make A Middlehammer Tale as accessible as possible, with people able to participate regardless of the army they collect or the game they play.
However, for our narrative to have a solid grounding we decided to create a world of our own in which to set our tale. The themes and stories we present should be widely applicable and participants can use as much or as little of our setting as they like in their own projects.
Why not explore the setting for yourself?