A group of Pygmies
Pygmies are the smallest of all Human ethnicities, and the only dark-skinned inhabitants of Lustria.[6c][3b]
Some Old Worlder scholars deny that the Pygmies are Human at all, whilst others refer to them as Lesser Men or Black Halflings. They come from the dense tropical jungles of Lustria in the New World where they live in small tribal groups. Nominally they are subjects of the Slann Mazdamundi. Their relations with the Lizardmen are sometimes good and sometimes not, but their jungle habitat is so wild that no Lizardmen army would dare to cross it. The Lizardmen regard the Pygmies as allies of a kind, and sometimes request aid in war, which the Pygmies provide in a token way.[6c][3b]
The Pygmies live in the dense jungles along the banks of the Amoco-Cadiz river system. They are few in number, and materially primitive, having little by way of possessions other than a simple loincloth, a few stone tools and a blow-pipe and darts.[1a][4a][6a]
History
Origins
"Pig-ah-meez.. I remembers dem, all litt'l an' stingy they was. Nothin' on 'em. Not worth the cookin'. Waste o' bleedin' time."
Legends says that many tens of thousands of years ago, Lustria was visited by a starship "manned" by a diminutive race of travellers through the great void. Unfortunately, the landing did not go according to plan, and the survivors of the crash were forced to adapt to their new home. Petty arguments about whose fault it was soon escalated into conflict, and the Pygmies' ancestors developed a foolproof method of dealing with their opponents: they ate them.[4a]
To be fair, the Pygmy ancestors had always recycled dead colleagues and merely extended the process to include hunting. Since the "food" usually objected to this, sophisticated techniques were developed to bring prey back alive (e.g. paralysing poisons). In short, the original space travellers lost their technological knowledge but retained an active interest in the culinary arts.[4a]
Sons of Aenarion Expedition
In addition to vampire bats, sabretooth jaguars the size of horses, Piranha Lizards, disease, and a Stegadon, the High Elven twins Teclis and Tyrion's expedition to Lustria fended off multiple Pygmy attacks during their time in the jungles.[5a][Note 1]
Bahb-Elonn and the Floating Gardens (2502 IC)
The Floating Gardens of Bahb-Elonn[4d]
A place called the Floating Pyramid has been marked on a map of northern Lustria, situated between the Obsidian Face and the Sunken Gateway.[2a] This location of power could potentially be the legendary Floating Gardens of Bahb-Elonn.[4d]
This tale told among the Pygmies took place in a sleepy little village nestled somewhere on the continent of Lustria. It was a blazing hot summer day in the year 2502 IC. A minor hero of the village, determined not to waste the good weather, lay sprawled on his back, soaking up the sunshine and slowly chewing on a juicy slice of fresh watermelon.[4b]
This hero, named Banga Gong, suddenly became aware of a shadow blocking his precious sunshine. He lazily glanced upward, and to his mild surprise, he saw not a cloud but an immense chunk of rock bobbing gently in the morning breeze some two hundred feet above his head. Lesser Pygmies might have quailed at the sight of such a massive slab of rock, big enough to support a village many times larger than theirs, poised so delicately over their heads; but not Banga Gong.[4b]
"Since it has not fallen yet," he mused in his colorful tongue, "there is no reason to suppose that it is about to do so!" And with that, Banga Gong closed his eyes and returned to his silent reverie, oblivious to the shouts of the older and wiser villagers around him: "Flee, flee, it is the return of Bahb-Elonn, Bahb-Elonn is upon us!"[4b]
The floating phenomenon currently high in the sky basking in the warm Lustrian sunlight was by no means new, and it had gone by many names. The present name had been taken from its current controller, the wizard Bahb-Elonn. The pyramid had been constructed almost 7,000 years earlier by a group of Lizardmen who had survived the collapse of the Polar Gates during the Great Catastrophe and wished to build a vessel to escape the impending incursions of Chaos.[4b]
When newly built, the ship had been almost sentient, though by that time it retained very few of its original powers. The Lizardmen had salvaged parts from the wreckage of an earlier crashed ship piloted by the ancestors of the Lustrian Pygmies. The main parts salvaged included a warpstone-powered drive mechanism, a device enabling the control of the craft to be linked to the mind of a specific individual, and an advanced astro-navigation system.[4b]
Minor items salvaged included a pair of internal transport shafts, several security doors, and a voice-generating damage warning system; all these devices could deliver messages in a language understandable to the present descendants of the race that had built the original craft.[4b]
When the Lizardmen artisans had attempted to activate the escape craft, they encountered two problems. Firstly, on takeoff, the pyramid took with it a large chunk of rock. More seriously, the astro-navigation system proved to be irreparably damaged. The Lizardmen managed to construct a simple system to allow the craft to be piloted through the air, but it lacked the power and precision needed to leave the world of Mallus' atmosphere.[4b]
Discouraged, the Lizardmen abandoned the ship and soon succumbed to the lethargy that had seized their fellows. The "floating island" they had created drifted randomly over the surface of Lustria for thousands of years, serving as home to a succession of creatures, while the power of its reactors gradually diminished.[4b]
Some 80 years earlier, the "island" had been rediscovered by a motley group of adventurers led by the feared wizard Bahb-Elonn, who had recently travelled from the Old World to the "new continent" of Lustria. Bahb-Elonn established himself as the controller of the island and managed to prevent any further dissipation of its reactor energy, which had been dangerously low.[4b]
In the years that followed, Bahb-Elonn employed mercenary guardsmen to replace his dead companions (he alone appeared to possess the secret of longevity) and refurbished the pyramid to suit his tastes. He allowed the cannibalistic tribe of Pygmies that had occupied the "island" upon his arrival to remain, accepting their praises and being worshipped as a god. To amuse them, he often travelled to other Pygmy villages so that they could launch frenzied attacks for supplies; the arrival of Bahb-Elonn soon became the worst fear of countless Pygmy tribes throughout Lustria.[4b]
Bahb-Elonn and his guardsmen wanted for nothing. He had instructed the Pygmies in various methods of agriculture, and soon the steps of the pyramid were covered in an abundant growth of fruits and vegetables. Animals were bred on the island for meat and rounded up at leisure when needed, and the raids on other Pygmy villages provided any other supplies that were required.[4b]
Inevitably, Bahb-Elonn grew bored. He began to delve deeper into the mysteries of daemonology to amuse himself, but this proved to be his undoing. Encouraged by successful minor summonings, he prepared to summon a Greater Daemon, intending to use it as a personal valet and bodyguard. The summoning was a disaster, and Bahb-Elonn found himself trapped in his own magical circle, locked in combat with the creature he had summoned. In desperation, he uttered a powerful invocation that slowed time tremendously within the circle. He hoped that the guardsmen would notice something was amiss and be able to reach him and slay the creature before it could destroy him.[4b]
Unfortunately, Bahb-Elonn had overlooked the fact that the "controller" of the island had to sit on the throne linking their mind to the pyramid for one hour in every twelve, otherwise, the power levels would begin to drop. At first, the guardsmen ignored their master's absence; they were used to him disappearing for days on end to dabble in some arcane experiment. They carried on as normal, and in any case, the "island" was due to attack another village soon, and there were preparations to be made.[4b]
However, when several of the lights failed and the "island" began losing height, they realised something was wrong. As they pondered their next move, a voice suddenly warned them that power was dangerously low, and if something wasn't done, the whole complex would be destroyed in 240 time spans. They didn't know how long a time span was, but when another warning followed soon after with only 230 time spans remaining, they decided not to waste any more time; they had to find out where Bahb-Elonn was, and quickly![4b]
This was easier said than done. They had previously only been allowed to enter the upper levels of the pyramid when Bahb-Elonn had needed them on the flight deck. On these occasions, Bahb-Elonn had personally come to collect them, deactivating various defences, and had insisted that they carry neither armour nor weapons. They soon discovered the reason for his insistence, and by the time they reached Bahb-Elonn himself, only nine of them were left alive.[4b]
An immediate rescue attempt resulted in two more deaths, so they abandoned their efforts to save Bahb-Elonn and continued upwards, intending to take control of the "island" themselves. When they reached the flight deck, they changed their minds again. Power was now so low that the "island" had struck a hill near its intended destination.[4b]
The guardsmen knew that if they chanted there, they could increase the amount of power available. Bahb-Elonn had made them perform this very function previously when he had needed extra power for a particularly complex maneuver. They, therefore, started chanting, hoping that Bahb-Elonn would be able to extricate himself without their help and would come to save the situation.[4b]
As the wizard's guards chanted, they were rewarded with the announcement that there were now 140 time spans remaining until destruction -- twice the time that would have been left without their intervention. Encouraged by this, they continued, unaware that down below, another party of adventurers had set out with the intention of exploring the "island".[4b]
Anatomy and Physiology
Pygmies are short and squat, and rarely attain 5 feet in height. They are powerfully built and by no means puny. Skin colour is dark and copperish, whilst their hair is always naturally black.[5]
All the stone age tribes of the Lustrian jungles practice body painting and ornamental mutilation such as bones through the nose, plates for the mouth or ears, filed teeth and scarred cheeks.[5]
"Giant Pygmies" supposedly exist in the fabled land of Lemuria, occasionally serving as mercenaries within the armies of the Ogre Kingdoms.[7a]
Culture
Unused Pygmy redesign for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition
Pygmy culture is primitive, colourful and full of ritual. They often paint their bodies like the Lizardmen and are very keen on ornamental mutilation such as nose-bones, lip and ear plates, filed teeth, ritual scarring and tying great big weights to their tender bits. Filed teeth and ritual scarring are considered very attractive, at least by other Pygmies. Pygmies decorate their huts with the shrunken heads of enemies and captives are often "invited for dinner."[1a][3b]
The Pygmies' chief skills are hunting and tracking rather than formal fighting, and their characteristic weapon is the blowpipe, with which they shoot poisoned darts. Other Pygmy weapons include fire-hardened wooden javelins, flint daggers, and throwing clubs. Daggers are tucked into a belt with room to hold six darts, and a Pygmy can carry their blowpipe plus a club, or blowpipe plus three javelins in his shield hand during the hunt or in times of war.[4a]
The Pygmies live by hunting crocodiles, Lizardmen, monkeys, lizards, and other creatures that live along the river banks. They hunt from swift dug-out canoes, using poisoned darts and stone-tipped spears. Their weapons and ornaments are made from bone, wood and stone, and the use of metals is altogether unknown, save for items traded with the Lizardmen.[6a][3b]
Pygmies speak their own strange tongue, although the occasional chieftain might know enough Norse or other Old Worlder tongues to get by at a trading post.[5]
Foreign Relations
Pygmy standards
These small primitives still have simple lives, hunting crocodiles and collecting heads. Cannibalistic and warlike, they have few aspirations to civilisation. Their only interaction with the other peoples of the Known World is in the form of taking pot-shots at Old World explorers and isolated Lizardmen.[3a]
Relations with Humans
Although troublesome, Pygmies can hardly be said to represent anything other than a nuisance to the Human settlers of Lustria, and their numbers are declining due to an influx of foriegn disease and the practice of "bounty scalping" amongst the Norscans.[6a]
Relations with the Lizardmen and Amazons
Among the Lizardmen's many subject races are the Pygmies. As tributary allies they are not always trustworthy, but they serve loyally if kept away from their own homelands located in the south of the Lizardmen domains. Although many tribes are hostile to the Lizardmen, some are vassals of Mazdamundi and are required to pay him tribute. Since Pygmies are primitive people with little wealth, tribute takes the form of allied warriors.[1a][1c][Note 2]
Even the mysterious tribe of female warriors called the Amazons sometimes recruit them as auxiliary forces.[6b]
Religion
Brobat and Beesbok[4a]
Pygmies believe in two deities, Brobat and Beesbok, but the names attributed to these gods vary from village to village. Many deceased Pygmies join the Ancestor Spirits and their witch-doctors can summon them. Ancestor Spirits can be either benign or hostile.[4a]
Brobat is the more thoughtful and sober of the Pygmy gods and is depicted in legends as a devious schemer. He is intelligent, self-interested, and wholly without morals. His sphere of influence is work, suffering, disease and death, political intrigue, and the acquisition of power for its own sake. He appears as a huge Pygmy fully six feet tall wearing crocodile skins, a feathered head-dress, and carrying a stout wooden rod.[4a]
Beesbok presents a much jollier image. He has no interest in working, scheming, thinking too hard, or doing anything other than eating, drinking, and generally having a good time. His sphere of interest encompasses all the principal leisure activities, health, and well-being, together with the promotion of lethargy. At five and a half feet he is tall for a Pygmy but pergaps short for a god. Beesbok is stocky, squat, dark-skinned, unwashed, and has an immense paunch. He is often naked, but may wear a simple loincloth and carry a dub or blowpipe.[4a]
Pygmy Witchdoctors
A Beesbok-aligned Pygmy witch doctor
Witch doctors are special tribal priests or shamans found amongst the Pygmies. They always follow one of the two major Pygmy deities, and have differing abilities according to which of their deities they support. They have some similarities to the alchemists of the Old World in their reliance on herbs and preparations, and possess less magical ability than wizards of the same skill level.[4a]
When male twins are born in a Pygmy village a feast is held to celebrate the event and the two boys are ritually appointed witch doctors of the two gods, Brobat and Beesbok, with the fatter youth being assigned Beesbok. When they reach the age of fifteen they are given huts at opposite ends of the village; each then dedicates the remainder of his life to serving their god. If there is already a pair of witch doctors in the village, the twins act as apprentices until the death of one of the witch doctors. When female twins are born a feast is also held to celebrate the event, and the two girls are ritually appointed as special "Guests of Honour." As such, female twins do not reach the age of fifteen.[4a]
Note that a village will either have no witch doctor, or two of them (one of each deity). However, each witch doctor pretends that the other does not exist. If asked, they will say that they are the only witch doctor in that village. They never speak to each other and avoid meeting at all times. When one of the twin witch doctors dies, whether from natural or unnatural causes, the other leaves the village to take up a wandering lifestyle. He may be persuaded to join parties of adventurers for short periods.[4a]
Although Pygmy witch doctors have some spells, they normally only use these in self-defence or while away from their home village, preferring to treat day-to-day problems with herbs, drugs and potions. Their actual approach varies according to which deity they follow: if a villager came to see them complaining of a rival in love, Beesbok's witch doctor might prescribe a love potion to be given to the object of affection, while Brobat's would probably offer a vial of poison to be given to the rival![4a]
The witch doctor of Beesbok is most popular with the villagers -- they come to him because they assume that he will want to help. However, the witch doctor of Brobat is unpopular and generally shunned, but the villagers never openly oppose him and seek his advice because they are afraid of the retribution of Brobat. When a villager has a problem (illness, rival in love, flatulence, etc.) they will secretly consult both witch doctors and attempt to implement two sets of (usually extremely contradictory) advice.[4a]
Beesbok's symbol is a crude semicircle with its ends upwards (said to resemble a smiling mouth) while that of Brobat has the ends downwards. Many Pygmies carry this symbol on an item that can be quickly inverted, such as a shield, to that they can present the correct symbol if they should happen to meet either of the witch doctors.[4a]
Notable Pygmies
- Brudda Bobb - Brudda Bobb is a big hero of a Pigmy village, a title he wore with pride, never letting the lesser warriors forget his status. He carried himself with an air of authority and confidence, always eager to remind others of his superiority. However, beneath this bravado, there was a hint of insecurity. He was slightly jealous of Banga Gong, an up-and-coming Pygmy hero who had started to gain attention in the village. Banga Gong was better-looking, and this gnawed at Brudda Bobb, making him even more determined to prove his worth whenever the opportunity arose.[4b]
- Rubba Dubb - Rubba Dubb is a Pygmy champion, a figure of reluctant responsibility. When the village chief promoted him to champion a few months earlier, no one had been more surprised than Rubba Dubb himself. For him, the title was more of a burden than an honour. He had always preferred the safe and simple pleasures of life, like eating and sleeping, far away from the dangers of battle or the pressures of leadership. The thought of appearing too capable filled him with dread; after all, a promotion to hero might be next, bringing even more risk and responsibility![4b]
- Magga Dogg - Magga Dogg, a Pygmy champion, was known throughout his village as a bit of a meat-head, yet despite this reputation, he had managed to survive for an impressively long time. While the rest of the village attributed his survival to sheer luck, Magga Dogg was convinced it was his bravery and a healthy diet of vanquished foes that kept him going. He approached life with a straightforward mentality -- dangers were not something to be outsmarted with thinking and talking, but to be confronted head-on. In fact, Magga Dogg found that thinking hurt, and he much preferred action over contemplation.[4b]
- Banga Gong - Banga Gong is a Pygmy minor hero. He wore the role of a hero with effortless charm and confidence. The title suited him perfectly, and he revelled in the attention it brought, particularly from the women of the village. However, despite his rising status, he remained overshadowed by the more prominent hero, Brudda Bobb. This lingering sense of inferiority gnawed at Banga Gong, and though he wouldn't openly admit it, he wouldn't be too displeased if Brudda Bobb didn't return from their quest alive -- so long as the mission itself didn't suffer.[4c]
- Billa Bong - Billa Bong is a Pygmy champion, known as the joker of his group, always eager to inject a bit of humour into even the dullest moments. He thrived on making jokes, pulling pranks, and doing impressions, finding joy in his own cheerful optimism. Unfortunately, his sense of humour often missed the mark with his fellow villagers, who didn't always appreciate his lighthearted antics. Undeterred, Billa Bong would often start his gags with his signature line, "You'll like this, not a lot!"[4c]
- To-Ka Bong - To-Ka Bong, a Pygmy champion, is often regarded as the most monotonous individual one could encounter. While it might be an oversimplification to say he had no personality at all, he was undeniably unremarkable in social settings. His sole passion lay in gambling, and he would place bets on nearly anything, provided the stakes were mundane and the outcomes trivial. For To-Ka Bong, the excitement came not from the thrill of high-stakes gambling but from the predictability and dullness of his wagers.[4c]
- Shama Beesbok - Shama Beesbok is a powerful witch doctor of Beesbok, the very epitome of jolly and benevolent spirit. Always cheerful and perpetually optimistic, Shama Beesbok held an unwavering belief in the power of food as the ultimate cure for all ailments. Whether it was a broken limb or an advanced psychotic disorder, he was convinced that a hearty meal could fix anything. While he acknowledged the importance of herbs and magic, he was adamant that the true magic lay in the power of nourishment.[4c]
Forces of the Pygmies
Pygmy Lords
- Pygmy Chieftain - Pygmy chieftains often grow enormously fat, as obesity is taken as a sign of rank amongst the tiny Pygmies.[1a]
- Witch Doctor - A witch doctor, also known as a Pygmy shaman, are tribal wizards whose powers are associated with nature and the environment.[1a][4a]
Pygmy Heroes
- Pygmy Standard Bearer - The contingent standard used by Pygmy tribes can be of many sorts, but it is always carried by a particularly brave warrior.[1a]
Pygmy Infantry
- Pygmy Braves - Many Pygmy braves use the blowpipe as their principle weapon, often with poisoned darts.[1a]
- Pygmy Scouts - Adept trackers, blowpipers and hunters, skilled in the arts of tribal raising, head-taking, ambushing and skirmishing.[1a]
- Pygmy Warriors - Young Pygmy warriors who have proven their bravery by taking the heads of many enemies in battle.[1a]
- Pygmy Impis - Impis are elite Pygmy tribal elders, older and more experienced warriors who form the bodyguards of village chiefs.[1a]
Miniatures
Game History
The Pygmies were first released in 1984, during the 2nd Edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battle. They were introduced as servants of the Slann race, who predated the Lizardmen faction at the time. They were discontinued just four years later in 1988, followed by the Slann faction itself, which was folded into the Lizardmen. However, they later returned as a background race, being mentioned in canon lore as recently as the 6th Edition.[6a][7a]
Trivia
In the real world, "African Pygmies" is a name used by outsiders for several ethnic groups indigenous to the Congo Basin region of Central Africa, such as the Mbuti, Mbenga and Twa peoples. Most Pygmy people are very short in height (Pygmy men stand 149 centimetres (4'11") tall on average) and usually have dark skin, brown eyes and black, curly hair.
Historically, Pygmy peoples have been subjected to racism, discrimination, violence, cannibalism, slavery and genocide from some other African peoples in surrounding regions, as well as European (primarily Belgian) colonists.
A Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay supplement published in White Dwarf 100 for the 1st Edition of the game, originally cut from an unpublished volume exploring the continent of Lustria, took inspiration from real-world tribesmen living in the Amazon rainforest to shape the Pygmy society.[4a][9]
A tribute to the Pygmies -- the Forest Halflings -- were planned to be introduced via the Warmaster game, but they were never released. They resembled Incas, and rode on Cold Ones. Pictures of them can be seen on the Collecting Citadel Miniatures Wiki.
Notes
- Note 1: In the novel Sword of Caledor by William King, in addition to vampire bats, sabretooth jaguars the size of horses, piranha lizards, disease, and a stegadon, Teclis and Tyrion's expedition fended off multiple Pygmy attacks in their pursuit of Zultec.[5a]
- Note 2: In older editions of Warhammer, the Slann Mazdamundi was referred to as the "Emperor of the Slann Empire." Since then, the Slann have been folded into the larger Lizardmen faction and each use of the term "Slann" has been converted into "Lizardmen" and "Emperor" into "Lord" Mazdamundi.[6a]
Sources
- 1: Warhammer Armies (3rd Edition)
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Lustria: End Papers (RPG Digital File)
- 2a: pp. 1-2
- 3: Warhammer Fantasy Battle Rulebook (3rd Edition)
- 4: White Dwarf 100 (September 1984)
- 5: Sword of Caledor (Novel) by William King
- 5a: Ch. 1
- 6: Warhammer Battle Bestiary (2nd Edition)
- 7: Warhammer Armies: Ogre Kingdoms (6th Edition)
- 7a: pg. 74
- 8: White Dwarf 205
- 8a: pg. 12 "Gorfang And The Pygmies"
- 9: Interview with Stephen Hardy
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