'Cornwulle'
A Flintloque Campaign Setting by Nikki Chatwin
A guide to Cornwulle in the Mordredian Era. A lore document to help inspire your games of Flintloque and Slaughterloo...
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Introduction
I was brought up in Cornwall in an old fishing village called Mevagissey and my mum married into an old Cornish family. So I instantly fell in love with this magical land and all of its history and traditions and will always call it my home.
So when I refound Flintloque and the world of Valon after a hiatus and started sculpting my own miniatures for Alternative Armies, a Cornish Flintloque character was one of the first on my list to do. Enter Caden Penmevorc named in homage to my little brother Caden who sadly passed away as a baby, a proud Cornish Orc officer with a love of his mums pasties (Available via alternative armies)
When I first started sculpting Caden Penmevorc about a year and a half ago, I had lots of ideas in my head for a whole Cornish themed Flintloque project and campaign. From making the waterloo famous 32nd regiment of the foot or maybe a local sea fencible/militia or pirate crew, with scenarios about smuggling, ship wrecks, apple scrumping, evade the farmer, catch the pesky pixies, bar fights and even an event I call the pasty wars all inspired by Cornish history, myths and my own experiences growing up in rural Cornwall.
So when the Orcs in the Webbe Advent Calendar was about to start again and I was asked if I had any content I decided why not write a bunch of it up for you all to use in your own Flintloque and Slaughterloo narratives.
(readers please note this is not official lore for Cornwall or Cornwulle as it is known in the world of Valon, this is just the ideas and lore I had in my head for my own games).
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The Land of Cornwulle
The land of Cornwulle or Kernork as it is known in the Cornwish own tongue, is a laidback rural county of Albion right at the bottom of Greate Britorcn famously known for its fishing, farming, cider making (and in turn the art of scrumping/stealing apples), tin mining and outlandish myths and legends of pixies, wild magicke beasts and even a tale of an old king of Albion and his wizard friend. Not to mention their world-famous invention the delicious Cornwish pasty (Though the Orcs of Devork has fought this claim for many years but we will get to that later on in this document).
The main inhabitants of Cornwulle like the rest of Albion are Orcs. They are old fashioned hard working, laid back and extremely friendly people (as long as you are local and keep your business to yourself) but the Orcs of Cornwulle can be a little different to your average Albion Orc .Often but not always a bit taller in size and bulkier than your average Orc similar to the bog Orcs of Guinalea and often have a variation of skin tones, most closer to the orange skin of the Hobgoblins of Taffsea than the paler skin of Albion.
Their facial features can often be a little different too looking almost Ogre like. This blend of features and their slow laid-back way of life has led to a lot of ridicule and teasing of the Cornwulle Orcs believing this to be because of interbreeding.
These differences from the Albion Orc are in fact believed by most to have something to do with a collection of lands (Taffsea, Guinalea, Joccia, Isle Of Orc, Cornwulle and Breizhelf ) that share a lot of similarities in personality, culture, stories, languages and old religions. Many refer to this collection of lands as the Keltic or Celtorc Nations depending on who you ask. Because of this Celtorc relationship you will often find Hobgoblins, Bog Orcs and even the odd Rat working or even living in Cornwulle or joining Cornwish regiments like the famous 32nd regiment of the foot or militia.
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Myths, Legends & Magicke
There are a lot of old crazy and wild myths and legends associated with Cornwulle, a lot derived from tales of seafaring pirates and smugglers who thrived in and around the Cornwish coastline from evil shipwrecking merfolk and sirens, ancient magickal stone circles and legendary creatures like giants, the knockers and of course the pixies of Cornwulle. so many so you could fill books with these stories and myths, but I have decided to just pick out a few examples of the more interesting and plausible ones.
We will start with The Knockers. The knockers are said to be a race of two meet tall gnome like creatures with large heads and white whiskers that live underground often in Cornwish tin mines. They are reported to wear tiny mining outfits similar to the Orc ones and are said to cause mischief among the miners by stealing tools and food. The Orcs miners have resorted to throwing the crusts of their pasties to the knockers to appease their hunger and malevolence. This has apparently led to somewhat of a relationship with some of the miners and the knockers, with the knockers guiding miners to rich veins of tin ore and warning them of oncoming danger like tunnel collapsing by knocking on the mine walls to warn the workers, this is where the creatures get their names. Most outside of Cornwulle believe these creatures to be figment of the tired miner’s imagination or lost dwarf, gnome or halfling immigrant workers.
Next up is The Beast Of Bodmork Moor, a somewhat newer Cornwish myth. It is said to be a giant catlike beast with jet black fur, razor sharp claws and huge piercing red eyes that stalks the vast moorland of Bodmork preying on livestock and lost travellers. There is argument over whether the beast is a living creature or a phantom or ghost of some description as it can vanish as soon you take a glimpse of it. Though its staggering number of reports no Orc has ever been able to catch it even after a number of expensive hunts have been put on to capture the beast. Many sceptics believe it to be a large wildcat pet brought over by a noble after an exotic trip to Afri or the lands of the Kinkon Goblins that has escaped or an old ancient beast left over from the dark age of magicke hiding in the wilds of Cornwulle.
And finally, one of the most famous Cornwish legends, The Pixies. Cornwish Pixies or Piskies as they are also known are a race of tiny (no bigger than 1 feet tall) creatures similar to Faeries, with pointy Elf-like ears and sometimes reported to have wings. These creatures are said to inhabit Cornwulle and other Keltic nations in the high moorlands, underground and in ancient stone circles known as piskie circles. The are generally benign but mischievous with a childlike nature that like to sing, dance and wrestle throughout the night. That said there are reports of pixie attacks through history usually due to drunk Cornwish Orcs disrespecting the pixies and saying their dancing is rubbish.
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Cornwulle In The Mordredian Wars
With Cornwulle being a rural county, work like fishing and farming was very important for a country in the middle of a huge war like the Mordredian wars because of this not a huge number of Cornish Orcs were recorded as enlisted into the armies of Greate Britorcn. Just because a lot were not on the front lines doesn’t mean that the Orcs of Cornwulle didn’t get involved or prepared for war.
With Cornwulle being the closest route for the Ferach to invade Albion, Cornwulle was seen as Greate Britorcn first line of defence from any potential invasion plans The Emperor Mordred and his Elven empire had. Because of this most coastal towns and villages in Cornwulle had a militia or sea fencible force set up and were given basic combat and firearm training from old vets and local regiments .Improvised defenses were also set up along the Cornwish shore towns and villages with musket slits being built into harbour walls for local militia to shoot out at invading Ferach ships. Though not the best trained troops these Cornwish militia were passionate and proud of their role in the war and are vital to the future of Albion and the rest of Greate Britorcn. so passionate in fact that in a small fishing village called Mevorkgissey reports of an elf ship wreck came in and a Ferach spy washed upon shore, the "spy" was apprehended by the local sea fencible and questioned for a number of days before being hung, officials later reported the "Spy" was just a exotic pet monkey from the elf ship wreck but the local militia were applauded by officials for "a job well done" (note to reader : this is based upon an real story from my village of Mevagissey from the Napoleonic era, crazy right)
Not only were Cornwish Orcs used on land but Cornwulle fishing vessels and merchant ships were also used for the war effort often used to spy on the Ferach fleets movement and numbers and reporting back to the Britorcn navy, and though it has never been officially recorded but acts of pirating and sabotage against the Ferach navy was also encourage by these Cornwish sailors, wreckers and smugglers.
Those Orcs of Cornwulle that did enlist to the armies of Greate Britorcn more than likely enlisted for Cornwulles only recorded regiment in the Mordredian wars, The 32nd (Cornwulle) Regiment Of The Foot, a very famous regiment with a long list of battle honours. In their early years they were used here and there to tackle and support Halfling rebellions in Ferach colonies and bog Orc rebellions in Guinalea before gaining some fame when there Cornwish skills were used as there were deployed as marines in the battle of Copedammer capturing a number of enemy ships. They would later join the famous general Wheeling-turn in his Catalucia campaign and being used in a number of battles including be part of the storming parties used in the battle of Scallymankay and pursued the Ferach armies back into Armorcia before fighting them once again at the most famous battle of the Mordredian wars, the battle of Slaughterloo fielding a much smaller force of about 500 Orcs and hobgoblins due to heavy loses a few days prior.
The Pasty War
The pasty wars, now not actually a war but an ancient argument between the Orcs of Cornwulle and the Orcs of Devork over who actually created the "pasty", a warm delicious meal made of meat and vegetables inside of pastry with a distinctive think crust. The ancient argument has grown into a bitter grudge between the Orcs of Cornwulle and Devork and has led to much blood being spilt (usually in a bar after lots of cider has been consumed).There was one official battle recorded in this so called war at the battle of the Ta-Maaaar, when a group of armed Cornwish Orcs met a group of armed Devork Orcs on the border of the two counties at the Ta-Maaaar bridge in a "bloody battle", in which most of the fallen Orcs literally stumbled drunk and fell off the bridge. There were only two survivors that both speak different tales so who knows who won this "Battle" or if one actually took place.
Rebellion of '97
Like many of the other Keltic nations the Cornwish Orcs have always seen themselves as their own country with their own culture, beliefs, history and language and have always fought for their independence from Albion much like Joccia and Taffsea, This has led to a number of tiny minor rebellious acts to Albion nobles such as vandalism and arson (but it’s usually something really minor and crude like mooning an official) but there is one event the Orcs of Cornwulle never stop talking about is the rebellion of 97.
The rebellion of 97 happened long before the Mordredian wars in response to the king of Albion increasing taxes to finance a campaign against the Rats of Joccia, the Cornwish Orcs enraged by this tax increase and to fight for their own independence and support for their Keltic Rat cousins. a Group of Orcs planned to march from Cornwulle to Londinium and arose an army of 15000 strong enroute to the Albion capital even putting old differences behind for a moment with the Devork Orcs and recruiting some of them into the rebel army. Finally the rebel army were met a distance outside of the capitol by an army of 25000 the king of Albions finest troops against a inexperienced rebel army of now just 10000 after last minuet deserters (according to Cornwish records this was the Orcs of Devork) and it ended in a bloody win for the Albion defenders. The leader of the rebellion, an Orc by the name of Michael An Goff was hung drawn and quartered for his treason and his head displayed on Londinium bridge, An Goff has gone down in Cornwish history as a bit of a folk hero.
The Flag of Saint Pirorc
Speaking of folk figures and Cornwish Orcs fighting for their independence this would be a good time to talk about Saint Pirorc and the symbol of Cornwulle the Saint Pirrorc flag.
Saint Pirrorc is the patron saint of tin miners and is generally considered the patron saint of Cornwulle. Pirorc was a bog Orc abbot that was expelled from Guinalea for his powerful and some may say heretical preaching, legend has it the other bog Orcs of his land threw him off a cliff tied to a mill stone into the stormy sea and yet safely floated along to Cornwulle where he became a hermit for many years before he would start to preach again and perform miracles (more like magicke) this built a following of the local Cornwish Orcs and in turn he gave luck and knowledge to the Orcs of Cornwulle including the art of tin smithing an art that was said to have been lost for many centuries in Cornwulle before Pirorc’s mysterious rediscovery. Because of this Pirorc has been used by the Orcs of Cornwulle as a figure for Cornwish culture and identity (even though he’s a Bog Orc) and honoured him with a yearly celebrational day where many black flags with a white cross on it are flown often referred to as the flag of Saint Pirorc and often seen in Cornwish family crests and symbols through out the county.
This flag has been adapted as the flag of Cornwulle in the later years of the Mordredian wars with a lot of Cornwish ships and militia flying the flag along sided the colours of Greate Britorcn empire, it is even rumoured that a sergeant at battle of Slaughterloo briefly flew the flag alongside the regimental flag of the 32nd regiment of the foot on that glorious day.
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Famous Orcs of Cornwulle
Just a shortlist of some of the famous Orcs during the Mordredian wars era that should be recognised on and off the battlefield.
Major Caden Penmervorc - A Son of a fisherman his half Ogre wife, an amiable fellow and a fine officer Caden Penmervorc has served in many regiments since he left his native Cornwulle including a brief service in his native regiment of the 32nd regiment of the foot. Gradually rising in rank, he once served as cook to General Wheeling-Turn while stationed on the Isle of Wights. As a result, he makes excellent pasties made from his mother’s recipe and is rather a good shot with a pistol. Currently attached to the 2nd Heavy Dragoons in Catalucia
Sergeant Nic Chatwyn - artist, sculptor and storyteller that joined his local Mevorcgissey militia for something interesting to do. he was involved in the "Ferach spy hanging" incident and even helped bring down a pirate and smuggling crew captained by a Nepoloise Todoroni runway. Eventually Chatwyn was arrested for scrumping a local farmers apples and smoking his tobacco whilst on "militia duty".
Rekhardt Trevithorc - A Cornwish Orc inventor and mining engineer. Pioneer of the high-pressure steam powered road and rail transport. This crazy Orc made a cart not pulled by a horse but pulled by itself and steam!!!! He called it the puffing devil which transported himself and 6 of his friends to a nearby village where they stopped for a pint or two but forgot to turn off the pressure which ended in the puffing devil blowing up. Luckily, he went on to making many more successful and not successful models and will always be remembered in Britornc history.
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Scenario and Campaign Ideas
My original plan for a Cornish themed Flintloque project was a campaign idea following Caden Penmervorc, the prologue of the campaign set in Cornwulle seeing Caden in the Mevorcgissey militia dealing with local drunks, smuggler crews, Ferach spies and the best of Bodmork moor before enlisting properly in the 32nd regiment of the foot and moving out to Catalucia for the 2nd half of the campaign....anyway the following are some of the Cornish themed scenario ideas I had for the first part of my campaign that might be of use for you for your Flintloque games as they could fit into a number of settings and theaters of war in Valon.
Apple Scrumping - one side of 5 Orcs and an officer all with hand weapons representing the scrumpers (thieves) and on the other side two Orcs and an officer with muskets/pistol representing the farmers or local militia/law enforcement. The scrumpers must steal all the apple counters and get them off the board
(this scenario can be used in any Flintloque setting, maybe your steal fruit from a dark elf or goblin wine farmer in the Catalucia campaign)
Shipwreck looting - a large ship has wrecked close to the shore within wading distance. The locals have taken the opportunity to loot the contents of the wreck floating around and washed up on shore. A local militia or recruiting regiment has been called in to deal with the looters with force. Movement in the water is halved
Smugglers Cove - the local militia have been on the case of a local smuggling crew that authorities have been after for some time and tracked them down to a cove with a cave believed to be their base of operations. Take down all the smugglers and enter the cave before the tide comes in and blocks off entrance to the cave. Each turn the tide comes D6 (adjust depending on table size) inches until the cave has been blocked off and the game ends.
The Pirates Hoard - You have found a cave believed to hold a huge pirates/smugglers hoard of gold and all sorts. Tight cave tunnel fighting with low light (half distance range) with a high reward if you escape with the pirate’s gold. If you play as the pirates/smugglers you must defend your gold and try and escape the board with as much of it as you can
(this scenario can be used straight after the smugglers cove scenario if your militia group made it to the cave before the tide cuts off the entrance)
Other Scenario Suggestions...
The Beast of Bodmork Moor
Pesky Piskies
Pasty Sabotage
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Cornwulle Miniature Suggestions
Here’s a simple list of miniatures in the Flintloque range at alternative armies that might be useful for a Cornish themed Flintloque project if whoever is reading this is inspired to do so.
Major Caden Penmervorc (a must in every Cornwulle force)
Orc Militia
Albion Marines
Albion Engineers
Albion Landing Party Sets
Albion Royul Marine Command
Taffsea Line Infantry
Fairy Catcher (or The Perfect Pixie Catcher)
https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/prm04-the-faerie-catcher
Orc Sailors
https://www.alternative-armies.com/products/54051-Albion-orc-sailors?_pos=1&_sid=c5598f0f9&_ss=r
And what’s a Cornish setting without pasties!!!!
Pasty Tokens (from Ramshackle Games)
https://shop.ramshacklegames.co.uk/home/729-boglander-set-.html
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Webmaster's Notes
An Orcs in the Webbe Original! 'Cornwulle' was first published on Orcs in the Webbe on the 18th December 2024 as the eighteenth entry in that year's Advent Calendar.
Any comments in maroon in the article above have been added by me either to provide additional information or clarity. I may also have made small changes to grammar and layout but may not have marked those.