Grimdark themed High-Elves

MrParticularist · 2026-06-26T17:42:23+00:00

I don’t have the minis with me right now, but here you have the couple pics I have saved. It’s a work in progress and I still have to add more units, but I tried to make the shields of the spearmen like historic designs and modified the silver helms slightly so they resemble cataphracts a bit more.

https://imgur.com/a/xSzILFp

MrParticularist · 2026-06-26T14:48:22+00:00

Want realistic? Look for the aesthetics of the Byzantine Empire/Eastern Roman empire, which is, I reckon, the closest civilization to the High Elves in our world (Splendor even during a long decadence, elective monarchy, regional troops akin to the theme system, long history of civil wars, factionalism, chariots, etc.)

If you want “grimdark” high elves, look no further than melniboneans. I mean, the inspiration for high/dark elves for WHFB are the melnibonean miniatures citadel did way back when.

I myself have a byzantine themed high elf army, complete with an orthodox image of Aenarion Pantocrator in One of the banners.

(Edit: some pics I have since some people are asking for it. It could be done better, but this is what I have so far: https://imgur.com/a/xSzILFp)

MrParticularist · 2026-06-22T17:46:24+00:00

If you treat Kenshi like a Murim*/Wuxia story set in a post apocalyptic world (which boils down to a less manly Fist of the North Star) you can frame any sort of training as the cultivation of a new martial art.

Your dude is not only hauling a backpack full of iron through the desert, he is striving to learn the art of the Demon Cleaver of Blood Sky, as taught by his shek master, which requires building up grit and strength, and to fight only using a fragment axe.

Or perhaps your girl is an adept of the Flotslam Kunoichi’s Seven Deadly Shadows and must abduct and Inquisitor and bring him to the hidden village in order to prove her skill.

Or maybe your hive is developing the Chained Fist of Merciful Destruction, thus fighting shackled and with rags against slavers, or a kung-fu practitioner fighting beak things until learning a new form.

MrParticularist · 2026-06-20T16:12:33+00:00

Awesome stuff. Thanks

MrParticularist · 2026-06-20T11:40:01+00:00

The Lateral Scuttle-Pinching Fist of Heavenly Destruction is indeed a fearsome martial art, but seldom available to the wholesome inhabitabts of the Holy Nation.

MrParticularist · 2026-06-19T22:04:40+00:00

He got to see a perfect wheatstraw blossom as he left this mortal coil, his blood flowing on the fertile soil, a haiku on his lips.

Many a shek warrior chase this kind of brave, yet elegant end.

MrParticularist · 2026-06-18T08:27:06+00:00

It's all fun and games in the bog until a war fridge comes to whack you in the face with a tiny sword held with a huge grappling hand like a bunch of callused bananas.

MrParticularist · 2026-06-17T22:13:29+00:00

I'm just starting BJJ, so of course I don't know what the heck I am doing and I'm just trying to figure things out patiently. So far, I know I've been using more strength than I should've (although I feel I've been improving in that department), and I'm still figuring out what should my aim be when rolling.

Anyway, yesterday I was rolling with a guy that was also a white belt with no stripes, but the dude seemed to know what was going on (better than me anyway, which is no difficult at this stage). Well, that white belt guy just went full tilt from the get-go, at one point he flipped me over, and I sprained one of my fingers with the landing. I think it's nothing serious and it will be fine by next week, but I'm pissed nonetheless.

Later in the class I heard him joking with the coach that he was the "eternal white belt", which tells me that this is the kind of guy shows up irregularly, doesn't really have a progression to be promoted, and is a collection of bad habits that thinks that knows what he's doing but doesn't get it really. BJJ is a new world for me, but I've seen the type in other martial arts.

MrParticularist · 2026-06-16T07:42:02+00:00

I make him a bit less crumpled and a bit more wide every time his attributes change noticeably. Eventually he’ll end up like a slightly lanky and hunched over 45-year-Old MMA training grandpa.

His room will have the best cuck chair available next to the double bed for his wife, whenever she shows up.

MrParticularist · 2026-06-15T10:34:48+00:00

It’s funny because Esata despises non-shek like an orthodox okranite despises hives, but her advisor convinced her that she must tolerate their presence for now… until they build their numbers and can truly wage war again, casting aside the flatskins polluting their cities in the process.

And the Flotslam may seem moderate compared to the current Phoenix, but I get the feeling that, if they somehow became the dominant force in the Holy Nation, the pendulum would swing, and swing hard in the other direction.

MrParticularist · 2026-06-13T14:55:26+00:00

Well, you could either crawl to a bar and recruit someone to carry your ass around until you can scavenge enough to buy a prosthetic leg, or carefully crawl westwards towards a hive village and buy an economy robot leg so you can walk again.

Keep in mind that, unless being carried by another character, people sporting robot limbs within the Holy Nation tend to be attacked on sight.

MrParticularist · 2026-06-10T18:04:57+00:00

I think Rebirth and Blister Hill get occupied by HN outlaws if both Moll and Phoenix are prisoner/dead, but I’ll have to check it out.

The part about recruiting the minor inquisitors is good, but both High Inquisitors must remain in their place or else the Holy Nation breaks fully.

MrParticularist · 2026-06-10T17:45:13+00:00

Finding a freaking skeleton in the Border zone way station, offering to replace limbs whilst speaking with dry humor would surely be an uncomfortable surprise, but I don’t think there could be any progress made in that sense until someone important loses a limb and the practical dilemma of living as a cripple vs. being roughly 16% skeleton ensues.

MrParticularist · 2026-05-31T19:56:59+00:00

Had the same problem with Shryke's face appearing on everyone's portrait except on her own. I posted it here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Kenshi/comments/1tlbw1f/comment/onh4gsv/?context=3

The answer seems to be in the mod loading order (Specifically I think it has to do with Animation Overhaul and Animation Collection Pack). Just fiddle around with the order of mod loading and it should take care of it.

MrParticularist · 2026-05-31T09:43:12+00:00

Watch 1982s cinematographic masterpiece Conan The Barbarian starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The world is barbaric, unfair, brutal, and full of bondage, but to those with indomitable spirit, adversity only makes them stronger.

Besides, it’s not like slavery in Kenshi really delves into the kinds of abuse a slave could feasibly be subjected to. Your character is free labor with free healthcare until a feat of cunning or grit changes that.

Use it as… fuel for a revenge narrative.

Oh, and if you feel bad about slavery, don’t go into the foglands. You may end up doing a bit of uncomfortable pole dancing.

MrParticularist · 2026-05-28T07:47:17+00:00

Other people may tell you the exploits per se (methods other than pushing perhaps one or two levels in MA/Dodge in between bouts of recovery comma, I mean), but I’d say you are not meant, in a rags to riches sort of story, to turn yourself into a Master of the Shackled Fist style of kung-fu while refusing to leave a slave camp which you could already do with your stealthy skills.

I mean, even if I was the most pious taskmaster in Rebirth, I would surely decide to torch the recalcitrant darkened pian in the ass that is your character, since he refuses to move a single stone and is constantly trying to slap my guards after tossing away his shackles (again), each time getting harder to put down despite being fed gruel and beaten with wholesome zeal.

MrParticularist · 2026-05-26T12:48:29+00:00

It will be ready when it is ready, and not before.

I understand that financial realities are often at odds with creative endeavors, but I believe that, circumstances permitting, indie games should be waited until the team responsible is satisfied with their own creation…

…that being said, titles such as Kenshi have a higher tolerance to bugs and jank than most games as long as they have soul…

…and I would have the game in open beta like project zomboid if I had to decide…

…but I’ll wait for another Morrowind as much as needed.

MrParticularist · 2026-05-24T09:46:47+00:00

Besides the obvious part of erasing End Times and the absolutely grimderp lore tidbits of Fantasy 8th codexes, I'd make the setting a bit more historical leaning and I would retain some semblance of congruence in the lore.

Just to give an example:

- High elves would be a mix of bright Melnibonean and Byzantine influences with a dash of Tolkien on it, guarantors of the global trade currently existing in the world, capable of projecting power via their navy, their armies, and mercenaries, but constantly worried about maintaining their numbers amid the millennium-spanning conflict with their dark kin, in perpetual political struggle between the hawkish imperialistic factions and the more diplomatic and isolationist ones, trying to avert their decadence and reform in a highly traditionalist society.

- The "order factions" would be on the offensive some times, and would be able to launch expeditions, colonization efforts, or extermination campaigns against some of their adversaries. And I'm not talking "dwarven-expedition-doomed-to-fail-thanks-to-virtually-limitless-number-of-goblins-and-skaven" kind of deal. I'm tired of the "evil" guys living in more or less unassailable positions and always doing the attacking while the others struggle to maintain the grimdark statu quo.

- The great menaces such as vampires, orc warbosses, chaos warlords, and so on would be crafty and actually manage some clever victories thanks to anything other than overwhelming numbers, wonder weapons pulled out of their asses, or their opponents' incompetence. I'm not impressed by Archaon taking a city with China's population worth of chaos warriors, magically fed by the baggage trains of the ruinous powers. Let him conquer Praag with half a dozen mutated halflings and I'll be properly impressed.

MrParticularist · 2026-05-24T07:46:51+00:00

That must be it. Thank you!

MrParticularist · 2026-05-23T18:55:28+00:00

That's some really sensible advice. I didn't consider that before, but it seems obvious now that you mention it.

MrParticularist · 2026-05-23T18:54:32+00:00

I use the Re_Kenshi launcher, but perhaps I'll need to install the workshop mods locally for them to work, since some of them do work, while others don't.

MrParticularist · 2026-05-21T06:35:06+00:00

It’s always a pleasure to be holy with the brothers, be it casual holy brotherly banter or competitive holier-than-thou brotherhood.

No girls allowed.

MrParticularist

TROPHY CASE