Herneas

From Kings of War Wiki

Herneas, also known as Herneas the Hunter, is a Free Dwarf and leader of Herneas Handpicked Rangers. He carries around a magical crossbow called The Skewerer


Appearance

Herneas has a black beard that was tinged with bits of gray and white throughout, wears a green cloak and a brown tunic

About

Unusual for Dwarfs, Herneas was born in Crag Gallan, an realm forced by isolation to take to farming and hunting. He is the most accomplished of the Dwarven rangers, rejecting the position of master tracker with the Crag Gallan rangers in order to head into the Wilderness and hunt down the enemies of his people.

While he was away, a company of Abyssal Dwarves laid waste to Crag Gallan, and Herneas and his fellow rangers swore an oath of vengeance against them. In 3865, Herneas joined his fellow Free Dwarfs in The Retaking of Cwl Gen with the assault being led by Lord Sveri Egilax.

Biography

Early Years

 

Herneas was born in Crag Gallan, whos people are unusually at home in the great outdoors. Herneas came from a long line of rangers and soon joined up to be part of the Crag Gallan’s Ranger Company. Herneas rose quickly to become its pre-eminent tracker, yet he rejected the signal honour of being appointed its leader. Instead, Herneas declared his intention to head out into the wilderness beyond Crag Gallan to take on his clan's enemies which included Goblins which lead to others wanting to join up with him even though he originally intended to go alone.

Herneas attempted to leave alone under the cover of darkness, however members of his rangers attempted to follow him. For many weeks, they would trail behind Herneas at an attempt to try to keep up with him with many dropping behind and giving up until eventually only a few were left. Herneas used all of his field-craft to shake off the last of those who trailed him which was successful, however as he looked into the valley where the last of his pursuers were, he noticed wolf-mounted Goblins stalking them. Herneas knew he had to warn them or they would die.

Herneas took out his great horn and sounded a warning which echo'ed through the valley, revealing his position but successfully signalled his people down below who then turned to talke on the Goblins. Herneas quickly joined them in battle with the collective group managing to kill all the goblin attackers. Herneas realised with this that he had been wrong to believe he could take on his enemies alone, noting that Dwarf have to stand together or die alone. Herneas then asked for the rangers to forgive him for his evasion, forming Herneas’ Handpicked Rangers, and vowed to return back to Crag Gallan with the group to build the greatest band of rangers ever to exist.

10 days later, upon returning to the road leading to Crag Gallan they noticed a black smoke coming from the hold. The road leading to Crag Gallan was lined with iron stakes impaled with Dwarf heads. Herneas, filled with grief, charged at the gates of Crag Gallan only to be held back by the rest of the Herneas’ Handpicked Rangers and pulled him into the forest. As they did a column of Abyssal Dwarfs marched forth from the gates of Crag Gallan.

Herneas began a campaign of bitter vengeance against the Abyssal Dwarfs, hoping to one day return to Crag Gallan alongside an army of allies, yet he knows it will be years in the future.

3654

Edge of the Abyss

 

Herneas the Hunter and a few regiments of rangers managed to put up a successful fighting withdrawal at a great cost around Rhyn Dufaris, dubbed The Battle at Rhyn Dufaris, boarding the last ships south they came bearing a single message: “They are coming!”




3865

 

In 3865, Herneas began to lead the charge back into the Halpi Mountains after the Free Dwarfs were pushed out during the War with the Abyss. This was made possible due to the impacts of Halpi's Rift. Having laid the foundations for the invasions, he moved inland with the task of closing the nexus.

During this, Helgarth was retaken which was a major boost to the reinvasion plan. Sitting on the west of the mountain range, Helgarth was the perfect landing point for Free Dwarfs ships to bring more forces inside the Halpi Mountains. Even though they had taken Helgarth, Lord Grimzark was reforming his forces including a small contingent of Goblins including Kuzlo and his lizard Madfall along with another wiz called Skulk Blackblood. The goblins were looking to expand after taking over Gorric's Arch, a former dwarf mine. Herneas’ Handpicked Rangers spotted the Goblin and Abyssal Dwarfs movements and reported them back to Herneas.

Herneas sent a desperate plea to Crag Makaz, which held a coalition of Free Dwarfs and Northern Alliance which was formed during Halpi's Rift while they were in pursuit of Abyssal Dwarfs that attacked Chill. They arrived at Helgarth just in time to spot Dwarfs arriving led by Lord Ithram Steelforged who had come due to the success they heard of Herneas at Helgarth who were convinced that the coalition were unable to hold Helgarth. At the same time, the combined Goblins and Abyssal Dwarfs forces emerged from Ravenwood which is south of Helgarth.

The battle did not go the way of the Free Dwarfs, Northern Alliance and Dwarfs which led to Helgarth falling to the Goblins and Abyssal Dwarfs once more. Herneas knocked out Lord Ithram Steelforged and sounded the retreat, expecting to hear objections from Ithram's men however did not.

Herneas would later meet up with Lord Sveri Egilax and join the plan to take back Cwl Gen

Retaking of Cwl Gen
 

Later that year, Herneas took his his rangers overlooking the east wall of Cwl Gen during the retaking of Cwl Gen, his unit was tasked to provide cover to Lord Sveri Egilax and his Brock riding Berserkers when they charge towards the exposed section of Cwl Gen.

Herneas, along with a new young ranger Brethod as his spotter, watched as Banick Kholeman plan to create an opening in the eastern wall of Cwl Gen for Lord Sveri's Brock Beserkers began with three large explosions. As Lord Sveri charged towards the new hol, Brethrod was having trouble spotting anything due to the smoke however a brief moment did open up and Herneas' saw goblins swarming over the collasped area of the wall. He did not see if it hit as sight was lost but assumed he had hit something due to how dense in number the goblins were.

Herneas' noticed Brethod looking away from the battle and instead far on the right flank of the Free Dwarfs army where some of the Rangers were stationed as the 2nd wave after Lord Sveri's initial charge. Brethod had spotting 'something' which Herneas saw also, however he realised they were goblin fleabags attempting to flank the army. Herneas quickly ordered Brethod down to the rangers waiting to prepare for the attack, suspicious on how the goblins were so prepared.

Herneas' rangers attempted to hold back the unexpected goblin fleabags however their number were too small to stop them all and a large number of riders got through and attacked the Berserker Brock Riders from behind. This dishearted Herneas' to see such honorable fighters by something as low as goblins. He and his rangers continued to take out as many as they could with some getting wounded in the process such as Brethod (in the shoulder).

After tending to Brethod's wound,taking out multiple goblins then fighting off a fleabag in quick succession, Herneas' encouraged his rangers to 'hold stong' as he filed a gap in their defensive line after another dwarf fell.

3866

 

Herneas took part in the The Defence of Hanner Brig






Kings of War Appearances

First appeared as a playable Hero unit in the 1st Edition Rulebook and was also included in the 2nd Edition. He was introduced into 3rd Edition in 3.1 - Uncharted Empires 3rd Edition Rules however now part of the Free Dwarfs faction

First Edition Biography

File:Herneas1stEditionStats.png


Herneas is a living legend amongst the Dwarfs – a solitary figure who incarnates all of the tenets of the Rangers’ way of war: stealth, ambush and mastery of the light crossbow and two-handed axe.



Second Edition Biography

File:Herneas2ndEditionStats.png

Herneas is a living legend amongst the Dwarfs, a solitary hunter who embodies the tenets of the Rangers’ way of war – a master of stealth and ambush, and an unmatched warrior.



Third Edition Biography

 

Formations

Hernea's Hunting Party
Hernea's Hunting Party

Trivia

Gallery

External Links

 
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