Not all members of the Uthuk army fear the terrible power of the Ynfernael. Some tribesmen embrace it and even offer themselves in sacrifice, praying for a dark blessing. Those who receive the favor of the Ynfernael become Grotesques—hulking monstrosities with minds twisted by maddening bloodlust. Free from the bonds of mortal needs and the instincts of self-preservation, these Grotesques and their disfigured forms are terrible to behold on the battlefield.
With their minds and wills burned by their glorious ascension, Grotesques care not about the suffering of their mortal bodies. They are beyond the earthly plane and once they take to the battlefield, all shall know the enlightenment that can only come from true suffering.
The power of the Blood Coven can twist and torment Uthuk warriors, but it can also grant them great power, should they be strong enough to bear its blessing. Grotesques are monstrosities, each a uniquely horrid form that only vaguely resembles the Uthuk they once were. Having offered themselves up for sacrifice to the Blood Coven, they have hacked off limbs, given over eyes, or even torn out their own beating heart in hopes of receiving the witches’ Ynfernael blessing.
If the Blood Coven approves of a warrior’s offering, they might be rewarded and their mangled body remade anew. Bone ridges begin to cover their body, their hunched back becoming a forest of razor-sharp spines while their muscles swell and distort under their pale flesh. Gone are the vestiges of mortality from their face, elongated fangs and glowing red eyes marking them as the beast they have become.
In battle, the grotesques are the lumbering elite of the Uthuk tribes, many rising to become warlords of their own raiding armies or wasteland fortresses. Horrendously strong in combat, grotesques can rip a person apart with their bare hands, carve them up with their bone spines, and even fling bone shards from their fists to fell enemies at a distance. Few bother to carry weapons or wear armor, as their demonically transformed bodies are able to take and dish out enormous amounts of punishment.
More monstrous than mortal, the mutated blood that fills grotesques and grants them their strength and resilience often comes with other gifts. A supernatural terror clings to them, making combatants who wouldn’t normally flee before their grotesque size and appearance find their nerve undone. This panic can become infectious: just one of these towering horrors can send a disciplined force into a rout. Grotesques grow intoxicated upon the outpouring of fear, rising to a killing frenzy as they fall upon their fleeing foes.
References
- Realms of Terrinoth
- Runewars Miniatures Game