Beastmen
| Beastmen | ||
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| Setting: | Age of Fantasy | |
| Games: | Age of Fantasy, Age of Fantasy: Skirmish, Age of Fantasy: Regiments, Age of Fantasy: Quest | |
| Species: | Beastmen | |
Beastmen are a coalition of different species of bestial humanoids, which rely on ambush tactics to overwhelm their enemies.
For centuries, the Beastmen coexisted peacefully in the southern savannah of Tyria, where they established imposing cities and prospered through trade. However, the emergence of the Rift brought widespread devastation, reducing many of their cities to ruins and forcing them to flee as Daemons invaded their homeland. Today, most Beastmen have retreated northward, surviving through raiding and scavenging as they continue their search for a new home.
History
Era of the Sacred Tree
In the southern region of Tyria stretched a vast, untamed savannah where wildlife developed freely since ancient times. This land, shaped solely by the natural rhythms of its environment, remained untouched and wild for millennia. Beneath its surface, however, latent magical energies existed, whose most significant manifestation was the emergence of the Sacred Tree.
This colossal and anomalously growing tree appeared at the heart of the region’s largest watering hole. Its shade provided shelter, its fruit sustenance, and from its roots flowed a magical essence that caused profound transformations in the creatures exposed to it. The tree's sap possessed properties capable of granting intelligence, spiritual awareness, and sentience to those who consumed its fruit or absorbed its influence. Over time, its power spread in concentric patterns across the savannah, creating zones of awakening with varying intensity.
Over countless generations, the creatures affected by this influence began to develop consciousness, language, social organization, and culture. Distinct tribes eventually emerged, each with its own cultural and physiological identity: the proud Ndoli, the cunning Waheni, the nomadic Hapari, the formidable Ndwarī, and the elusive Silombi. Initial interactions among these groups were marked by territorial conflict, but they gradually established coexistence through shared rituals, trade, and cooperation. This process led to the formation of the first organized societies of what became known as the Beastmen.
During this stage, the Beastmen developed a complex culture that combined survival skills with refined symbolic expression. Notable achievements included woven textiles, advanced steelwork, and oral traditions passed through generations—all reflecting a deep connection with both the natural world and the magical forces of the Sacred Tree.
A shared reverence for the Tree enabled cultural and spiritual unification, resulting in the rise of a flourishing civilization. A capital city was constructed around the Tree itself, harmoniously integrated with its living structure. From this center, the civilization expanded through satellite cities connected by trade routes and vital water sources. Their architecture, organic in nature, included stone fortresses and temples adorned with runes that pulsed with the Tree’s magical energy.
Significant technical advances were made during this era, particularly in metallurgy, which allowed the production of high-quality weapons and ornaments. A sophisticated textile tradition also developed, transforming wild fibers into garments used for both everyday life and spiritual ceremonies. A strong social structure emerged, guided by a class of shamans who preserved ancestral knowledge through chants, carvings, and oral epics.
At the heart of this civilization stood the Holy City, built beneath the Sacred Tree’s canopy. The city featured stepped temples, winding paths aligned with the tree's natural growth, and subterranean canals that distributed its magical essence throughout the settlement. There, shamans conducted rituals, led ceremonies, and safeguarded the collective memory of their people. The Holy City served as the spiritual and cultural core of the Beastmen, and its very foundations were believed to be imbued with sacred power.
This historical period is regarded as a golden age for the Beastmen, defined by a balance between spiritual growth, social organization, and respect for the natural and magical world. Their civilization reached a high level of sophistication, rooted in the blessings of the Sacred Tree and the unity of its people.
The Collapse
The collapse of the Beastmen civilization began with a sudden geological and magical event of catastrophic proportions. The incident is historically known as Skarenda, or the Rift. Without prior signs, the landmass beneath the central savannah fractured violently, producing multiple fault lines that expanded rapidly in all directions. The terrain split apart with enough force to destroy longstanding infrastructure and alter the region’s geography permanently.
At the epicenter of the rupture, the Sacred Tree, previously the spiritual and political center of the Beastmen civilization, was uprooted and fell into the newly formed abyss. Its once-pure waters, which had sustained both the land and its people, became corrupted as they poured into the depths. The resulting contamination rendered the surrounding region inhospitable.
Structures that had stood for centuries, including fortresses, temples, and residential districts, collapsed as the ground gave way. The magical balance that had previously maintained the stability of the region was broken, giving rise to unpredictable and violent energy surges. These manifestations caused spatial anomalies and unstable magical zones across the former heartland of the savannah.
From within the most affected rifts, hostile entities later referred to as Daemons emerged. Described as skeletal, horned beings, they wielded unknown weapons composed of dark magical energy capable of neutralizing both traditional and enchanted defenses. Their arrival marked the beginning of a prolonged and systematic assault on the remaining Beastmen population.
Survivors of the initial disaster found themselves confronted with both environmental collapse and a coordinated external threat. The Daemons advanced steadily across the savannah, destroying settlements and displacing entire populations. The Beastmen, once unified under the guidance of the Sacred Tree, were quickly fragmented. Within a short period, organized resistance became impossible, and the survivors were forced into exile.
The site of the former Holy City, once the cultural and religious center of the Beastmen civilization, was reduced to ruins. A few partially standing structures remain, including broken archways, collapsed towers, and fragments of stone altars. These remnants, while architecturally significant, are no longer in use and are considered highly dangerous due to residual magical instability in the area.
In the aftermath, the Beastmen diaspora took two distinct paths. One group remained attached to their ancestral beliefs and traditions, often returning to the ruins to conduct clandestine rituals in an attempt to preserve their cultural identity. These efforts are considered symbolic rather than effective, as no known divine response has been recorded since the fall. The second group adopted a pragmatic approach, abandoning traditional customs and integrating into new socio-political roles as mercenaries, raiders, or survivalists, often repurposing sacred relics for warfare or commerce.
The fall of the Sacred Tree and the subsequent loss of the Holy City are now viewed as a turning point in Beastmen history. The event illustrates the vulnerability of even the most spiritually and technologically integrated civilizations when confronted with large-scale natural and magical upheaval. The Wild Savannah, once a thriving center of culture and sentient life, remains depopulated and unstable. The question of whether the region or its people can ever recover remains unresolved.
Society
The Beastmen are split into little orphan tribes, having to decide if they want to be the guardians of ruins or wander into the unknown, and how much of their former ideals they are willing to forego in order to survive and thrive again. Many Beastmen now wander up the rift towards the heart of Tyria, looking for a new home. In order to survive, they raid settlements and burn down forests to build their iron equipment and camps.
The Tribes
Several species of Beastmen exist. Their native names are Ndoli, Waheni, Hapari, Ndwari, Kemba, and Silombi. They have bonded over generations and learned to work together, each species bringing its strengths. Now that they are reduced to smaller refugee bands, this balance has been harder to maintain. Some bands lack one or several species, which means they can’t rely on Hapari for scouting or on Ndoli for hunting. Some groups are dominated by a single tribe, enforcing their will over others. Most Beastmen view these bands with contempt as failures who have abandoned the wisdom of their people.
A Divided People
The surviving bands of Beastmen are often qualified as either ‘Keepers’ or ‘Wanderers’. The Keepers are those who remain on the former Beastmen territory, trying to maintain the temples, protect the ruins and uphold the traditions. They must face a lack of resources and frequent conflict. Some of it comes from looters looking for valuable artefacts, but a lot of the clashes are with Rift Daemons, since the Rift is an open chasm through most of the Savannah and the Daemons are pushing outwards more and more.
The Wanderers are those who left the Savannah, either pushed away by starvation and violence, or making a deliberate choice to leave their old society behind and try to build something new. Either way, they must learn to adapt to new environments and find a way to secure a place for themselves in territories that are often already claimed by another faction.
Sometimes, bands of Wanderers end up finding a permanent territory to settle, but this is the exception rather than the norm.
A Hard Life
Whether they are Keepers or Wanderers, all Beastmen have suffered one notable transformation. Where their old civilisation was very peaceful, focused on fine craftsmanship, communion with nature and developing one’s intellect, the trauma of the Rift forced them to become warriors. Coupled with the destruction of most of their infrastructure and environment, this has turned them into fierce fighters, wielding crude, heavy metal weapons. They can no longer take years to slowly grow a tree into the required shape; now they chop down forests and pollute rivers with their forges. Most of them do not relish this, and it pains them to do so. But softness has become an unaffordable luxury for them.
Rule by Consent
A Beastmen tribe does not have a single leader. Their way of life was guided by a religion centred around the Sacred Tree and the associated Gods (believed to be the ancestors of each species) and their Shamans are still the main moral authority of a tribe, as the Beastmen’s beliefs still hold sway over most of them. Warrior chiefs, those that preside over fighting and hunting, now have more influence than before since conflict is more prevalent. Each species represented in a tribe also has one or several representatives that will speak for their kind during debates, every night around the fire. Consensus is important to the Beastmen, but now it also varies a lot by tribes. Some groups have essentially become warbands submitted to their leaders, while others have rallied around a visionary shaman. In these desperate times, anything is possible and the old structures are weakened.
Natural Nomads
Even in the heyday of their cities, Beastmen cultivated a link with the natural world, and frequently made long treks and hunting trips. This has allowed them to survive the fall of their cities, as they fell back on a nomadic lifestyle they never completely forgot. Some Wanderers seek the wildest possible places, eager to simply exist in nature, hunting and sleeping and forgetting their pain. Others hope to find somewhere to rebuild cities and revive their old civilisations. Many wish only to survive, working as mercenaries, poachers or bandits, not thinking much ahead of their next meal. Some Keepers roam the old ruins, ambushing daemons and looters, cursing those who turned tail and ran away. Others among the Keepers are exploring the ruins and trying to find the right artefacts to revive the Sacred Tree, which they believe is the key to their rebirth.
Play Style
Beastmen are a very melee focused army. While the defense is lackluster and only one spell to change this, the offensive capabilities are very good. Nearly every unit has furious and there are enough ways to buff this even further. You want to get into melee as quickly as possible and try to use your overwhelming amount of attacks.
See Also:
Similar To
- Warhammer Fantasy: Beastmen
- Age of Sigmar: Beastmen
- Kings of War: The Herd
Miniatures
There are offical OPR models for all units, but you can use whatever beastial miniatures you have laying around. From centaurs to gnolls and all other antrophomorphic figures can be used to represent your units.
See Also: Beastmen Miniatures
| Beastmen |
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| Overview - Miniatures |
| Age of Fantasy factions |
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| Beastmen - Chivalrous Kingdoms - Dark Elves - Deep-Sea Elves - Duchies of Vinci - Dwarves - Eternal Wardens Ghostly Undead - Giant Tribes - Goblins - Guilds of the Nexus - Halflings - Havoc Dwarves - Havoc Warriors High Elves - Human Empire - Kingdom of Angels - Mummified Undead - Ogres - Orcs - Ossified Undead - Ratmen Rift Daemons - Saurians - Shadow Stalkers - Sky-City Dwarves - Vampiric Undead - Volcanic Dwarves - Wood Elves |
