Ogre Myrmadon - A Description

In the Chronopia game universe, several races - ogres, orcs, goblins - are grouped together in a confederation known as the Blackbloods. (The name also refers to skin color, as races which are usually green-skinned in other rulesets are black-skinned in this universe.)

One of the riding beasts available to the Blackbloods are the Myrmadon (Myrmadons?). The first of these appeared in the Land of Two Rivers supplement, and was an elephant-like riding animal with a crew of four goblins. That was apparently a Myrmadon cow, as the Fallen Land supplement subsequently published stats for a Myrmadon bull riden by an Ogre. The Bull is also elephantine, but has the body build of a pig (some fans call it an "elephant beetle").

The Bull shares the special abilities of the previous Myrmadon - Trample, Tusks, Immune to Fear and Panic - but doesn't get the Tail/Mace attack. This rider/animal combination uses the usual supplemental Mounted Combat rules, rather than the special rules for the Myrmadon cow which allowed for killing individual riders and the animal going Out of Control. The rider is armed with Heavy Longspear and Shield.

The Myrmadon wears a strap down the back, wrapping around the tail and neck, with small circular plates at the junctions. It also has a "helmet" that includes a prominent forehead spike.

The Ogre wears a wide belt with back support, brief chainmail skirt, and two armor pieces (a belly shield and a small disk at the back) held on by straps over the shoulders. Feet and legs are bare. There is a bracer on the right arm, and a curious metal bracelet on the left arm. The shield had an unusual grip (that exposes the fingers!) and a featureless flat surface.

One of the more original features of this model is the design of the Ogre's helmet. It is a studded helmet crowned by a prominent spike, and with hinged "jowel plates" to the side. There is a crescent moon decoration bolted above the brow, with a second crescent - it looks like "moustache armor" - covering the face down to the upper lip. The Ogre's eyes are apparently widely set apart so they see through the openings in the face armor...or else he can't see where he's going and now we know why he's screaming...