The Frost Necroreges of Nadvidia

The experimental rules for the Nadvidian Warfleet are downladable in the GRAVETIDES Beta rules page.

Nadvidia share its longest border with the northern ice cap of the world of GRAVETIDES where over the centuries its inhabitants have developed a civilization that despite its thriving development, due to the harsh climate conditions of that region has remained confined to the two sprawling cities of Nadvoid and Vidian that occupied most of the coastal rim of the realm with large ports that were at the time both commercially and military among the most important of the whole world.

The invasion of the Defiler did not spare Nadvidia as the land and sea fauna begin to change and the rising of the sea waters gradually submerged its cities pushing them further and further towards the northern and colder region of the realm were its sorcerers discovered the ability to magically manipulate ice and frost, with a darker side devoted to the conservation of life after death through the freezing of the physical bodies of the deceased.

As the nature of magic changed forever due to the presence of the Defiler, the creation of frost undead was more and more successful, culminating with the advent of the Necroreges and the turning of Nadvidia into one of the necrorealms of Gravetides.

The Frost Liches cast a permanent incantation on their realm to keep its whole territory and everything it includes at subzero temperature, protecting it from the ever growing heat of the sun and to keep its undead inhabitants in permanent existence.

“The Frostbite” as it is universally referred by Nadvidians, has saved the realm from extinction with the adverse effect of having seemly stopped it in time with every artifact and construction not made out of ice turning derelict and decaying with the past of the centuries.

The Frostbite imbues all individuals and artifacts of the necrorealm even when they are away from its territory, making Nadvidian undead horrifically frost encrusted corpses whose cold breath is always visible despite them being non living and the surrounding temperature is not chilling.

The armours, hand weapons and shields of the Frost Dead warriors even if looking like rusty remains are equally influenced by The Frostbite making them as robust as steel and in some cases capable of freezing instantly anything they touches, giving the warriors of Nadvidia an often decisive edge in battle.

Such a powerful spell requires for its continuous functioning large amounts of Ambergris with the Nadvidian fleet continuously roaming the seas in search of this rare magical material.

The warships of Nadvidia are in good part constructed out of pure ice preserved by the power of the Frostbite that the presence of Frost Sorcerers on board channels to fuel the movement and the weapons of the Frost Dead vessels.

Admiral Ship – The Glacier Fortress

Along the coasts of frozen realm dominated by the Ice Necroreges, the Glacier Fortresses are a common sight serving both as observation points and first line of defense against enemy war fleets reaching from the sea.

When the Frost Dead warships emerge from the coastal ice caves in which they wait to be called to arms, the Glacier Fortress, moved by magical energies, detaches itself from the frozen seaboard ready to lead the Navidian fleet into battle.

The Fortress is unlike any other common warship, appearing as a huge iceberg surmounted by a bastioned construction with a central dome surrounded by twisted high spires.

Spikes protruding from the bastions can project magical cold rays used to directly strike at enemy ships or to create floating masses of frozen water that can impair the movement and obstruct the line of sight of opposing fleet vessels.

Even if the structure of the Fortress is relatively fragile it is almost impossible to sink it as most of its monumental mass is actually underwater and its cold ray weapons can be used to replenish its bulk as pieces are torn away or destroyed, keeping it floating even after taking a great deal of punishment from enemy fire.

When a Fortress moves near enough to an enemy vessels it may initiate boarding actions using its weapons to create frozen bridges on which the warriors lurking in the depths of its belly can easily cross the sea waters to engage their foes.

The hardened ice forming these planks ensnares the assaulted vessels in a frozen grip making almost impossible for them the escape from their ultimate fate.

Independent Ship – The Frozen Galley

The long and slender shape of the Frozen Galley, moved by oars and by strangely shaped sails, is interrupted by two high ice lanterns perennially glowing from the inside with a pale blue light.

Icicles dangles from every rope and sail of its structure as frosted encrustations covering every surface make this warship resilient to the attacks of even the most powerful of enemy ranged weapons.

The icy chillness radiating from the galley creates a permanent and dense mist that engulf the warship obscuring its decks and protecting the crew from being engaged in boarding actions by enemies that cannot sustain deep cold for too long.

The bow and stern lanterns of the galley, imbued by Frost Sorcerer with magical energy, are capable to project a short range cold ray that inflict many losses to enemy crews before the ship rams a foe vessel.

Aiming the light of the lanterns directly to the surface of sea waters creates ice masses that are pushed by the same cold rays to crash violently against enemy vessels to devastate their hull and impeding their movement.

When a lookout sights from the crow’s nest a far fog bank his eyes are always searching for the dim presence of a couple of glowing lights that may reveal the presence among the mists of an approaching Frozen Galley, a frightening enemy that no warship is prepared enough to face in battle.

Independent Ship – The Stormbarge

Stormbarges are vessels apparently made out of pure ice built around the presence on board of a powerful Frost Necromage whose magical powers are extended and focused by the very structure of these bizarre warships.

On top of a small iceberg lies a warped conical conduit capable to enormously amplify the effects of of an Icy Wind spell cast by an undead sorcerer sitting on an ice throne in the command chamber placed where the base of the cone joins the stern of the vessel.

When the sorcerers uses its magic a raging gust of freezing air is channeled through a narrow aperture on the ship bow blasting everything in its path and pushing intervening enemy vessels one against the other or towards rocks and other impeding obstacles.

The freezing air sweeping enemy vessels caught by the magical wind can penetrate even the tiniest apertures transforming its crew members into eerie statues forever frozen in the action they were undertaking at the moment of the Stormbarge attack.

The magical power of the Necromage can also be diffused through the hull of the Stormbarge creating a storming whirlwind of ice shards centered on the ship itself.

These razor sharp splinters can shred sails and damage and disrupt the most robust of enemy warships, as enemy warriors caught into the storm are literally torn apart by tiny sharp icy fragments.

While the strange shape of the Stormbarge is functional to its capability to funnel mystical energy its movement is fueled by the very same magic that powers its weapons stressing the Frost Necromage concentration that in the heat of battle may be unable to coordinate its efforts causing the warship to behave erratically.

Squadron Ship – The Hailstone Mortar

The Hailstone Mortar is a small warship that takes its name from the huge mortar cannon it brings to battle. This massive weapon, with proportions that seem to almost dwarf its carrying ship, is capable of firing at long distances clusters of frozen ice chunks that rains on enemy vessels causing extensive damage and reaping numerous casualties among their crews.

This powerful artillery warship was devised by the Necromages to remedy to the short range of the magical weapons of the Frozen Dead fleet even if its effectiveness is only second to its unpredictability as its projectiles often deviate from their intended target despite the efforts of the Frost Sorcerer operating the weapon.

Similarly to the Frozen Galley the Hailstone Mortar is moved by both oars and sails, a combination that allows the ship to remain capable of maneuvering at its best making of partially to the inherent inaccuracy of its powerful weapon.