Encounters for Firetop Mountain

 The gauntlet had been thrown down... Now I needed to raid my stash of figures to see if I could fill the cast of models needed for the Encounters deck in the Warlock of Firetop Mountain board game. Initially I thought it would be a good excuse to go to the Midlam website and buy in some lovely shiny new toys (they have a wonderful dwarf jester I thought would make a perfect fool), but the sensible part of me said I should try and do as much as possible from what I already had. After all, wasn't I supposed to be working my way through the lead pile not adding to it? And with BOYL fast approaching I needed to be saving my cash and couldn't afford the time for delivery in any case. Well then, to the treasure chest...

As it transpires I had pretty much everything I needed. I was short a suitable model for a ghoul, a minotaur and an orc but Mike at Broadsword Miniatures was seeing me the following day at Attack! and generously took a look through his pile, laying his hands on some perfect models. But I am getting ahead of myself as the monsters will be the focus of my next post. For this one we're looking at the NPCs who apparently make their homes in the Warlock's dungeon.

The chef in the larder had to be a halfling. I imagine him warding off hungry greenskins with his trusty rolling pin. This is an Old School Miniatures halfling, I swapped out his pitchfork for a scratch built giant rolling pin. The model is clearly wearing chef's whites and proffering the weary adventurer a hearty burger to sustain them.

The trader has been down here for some time and has grown a fine beard since his portrait was painted. Here he is checking to see if he needs to order a restock of wine, best not to ask where it comes from. This is one of the hundreds of Old Glory Revolting Peasants I bought for my medieval city, I can spare one to this project.

As it turns out I DID have a jester in the pile! He's not the most exquisite figure ever sculpted but he serves the purpose. Slightly too jolly for the role, I like the morose expression and pose on the artwork, but I painted him with a sad face under his bright make up anyhow. 

This hungry beggar has been in the wars. I suspect he's a previous adventurer who has suffered in his attempt to raid the dungeon and ended up selling most of what he had to the trader or losing it to the nefarious rogues who share his new home. 

The trickster in his elaborate garb is one of my favourite matches. I think he's a landsknecht of some kind. I gave him a beaker of beer in the empty hand that should be holding a pike. Not someone I would trust, would you?

I think the sage might be a Midlam miniature, bought to be a trader in the rug market in my medieval city but now co-opted into the dungeon. He's perhaps a little too animated but maybe he's just enthusiastic in the imparting of wisdom.

The thief is another halfling. ex-Grenadier this time. Of all the NPCs this role I had the most choice for having half a dozen knife-wielding, cloaked figures. I thought this one looked the most sneaky though, and halfling rogue is so DnD it had to happen.

I was really pleased with the pick pocket match too, even though it's not the most elegant model. The fancy hood, cloak and even the spotty bag of swag are such an excellent fit. The pick pocket is actually a Treasure item rather than an Encounter since she can be hired to steal from other players.

Shylock the moneylender is such a perfect match to the art he may have been the inspiration for it! Not sure what he is, maybe a Citadel Fantasy Specials figure? Anyhow the stereotype is probably unacceptable these days but I reckon this is what Shakespeare would have had in mind. As soon as I saw him I knew that was Shylock. 

Two of these are Monsters rather than NPCs, but they crept into the photo anyhow. The wight is a Northstar miniature who was destined for my undead army but managed to remain unpainted, awaiting his starring role in this project! He's a lot more armoured than the drawing, which looks more like a romantic poet recovering from a  night on the opium, nevertheless I didn't actually have a Lord Byron figure in my lead pile, certainly not an undead one, and he looks more threatening this way. The vampire is a Dark Eye figure from Ral Partha Europe (an aged summoner I think?) but with his big collar on his cloak was the most vampiric thing in my lead pile. He's obviously happy in his work!

The hexmaster has also suffered from the lack of razor blades in Firetop Mountain! He's grown a fine, shaggy beard but still has his crazy eyes and powers of cursing.

Next on Firetop Mountain, the nasty monsters!