CYLOSTRA DIREFIN! 4th Vampire Coast "Lord" Campaign Mechanics & Lore | Total War: Warhammer 2 

This is good. Now factions like Araby aren't hamstrung by their lack of LL candidates nor can anyone say they're "too weak" on the grand scheme of things, not with ragtag mobs of undead pirates taking on heavy weights like the High Elves. I've really started to rethink my stance on the DLC. Mostly because of Aranessa, I gotta see her breakdance through an enemy frontline while their limbs just fly every which way.

Fantasy is not dead as long as these sorts of things can be added. I welcome more, because it is only expanded the universe in which Games workshop killed.

She looks cool, but I'm more excited about what this could mean. Like you said, so many factions that never been expanded upon in full now have a chance like Araby, Amazons, Cathay, Albion, Nippon, etc.

A lord created by CA?! Is that the opening for Surtha Ek? I really hope so!

This has me excited for a number of reasons: 1) I'm a sucker for spamming spellcasters, and she brings that concept to a new level. 2) Custom Lords and Custom Units are on the table. EVERYTHING THAT EVER HAD MORE THAN TWO LINES OF FLUFF IS ON THE TABLE. 3) Fat Opera Singer Ghost? That's AMAZING.

CA please hire Italian Ursula's voice acting

New original characters just means creative assembly has even more leeway with Games Workshop than we thought this can only really be a good thing provided they don't botch it up

Who else is guessing now that the Vampire rework is going to make the Red Duke playable? Summoning Spectral damned knights of Brettonia does sound right up his alley.

I was kinda wrong about a legendary syreen but I think she's cool and think she could be interesting. She reminds me of if Ursula from Little Mermaid was played by David Bowie.

You may think "David Bowie gaining a couple hundred pounds or more", Sparty. But I think "If Divine (from Pink Flamingos) was in the Warhammer Fantasy setting" =P

She's pretty rad, I've liked the designs on all the legendary lords for VP so far and they're shaping up to be an interesting faction.

This was awesome that CA was allowed to create their own legendary lord. I'm just wondering since someone else in the comments brought it up, for her quest battle for her legendary item, I wonder if she hates Bretonnia more for sending her off or she blames the High Elves because thats where she was heading when the ship she was own apparently drowned? So her quest battle will either be in Ulthuan or Bretonnia.

Funny is that the lamprey is a good famous dish in France and particularly in Bordeaux (aka Bordeleaux in Warhammer World).

Two questions: 1."Cylostra Direfin’s very presence increases the loyalty of new recruits" so will vampire coast have the same loyalty mechanic as dark elves and skaven? 2. "increased physical resistance for Syreen, Mourngul, and Bloated Corpses" if syreens are ethereal (which they have to be, right?) then that is insane. Vampire count ethereal units have 75% physical resistance, and the tomb king legion of the netherworld has 70%. If syreens have values similar to those, with the added bonus from Cylostra they could be almost entirely immune to physical damage!

What a unique and fantastic idea from CA, I can't wait to terrorize the 7 seas as a spectral opera singer!

So far you and Sotek seem to be the only RU-vidrs giving CA and Games Workshop credit for making a whole new interesting LL. I feel the hysteria is a completely joke and without seeing the whole picture, like this means CA has more control on over the Warhammer rein that thought possible. CA will for sure add a shortstory and give her a interest in game story telling .. Come on peeps... The hysterical behavior is just awful, people crying wolf a bit much already.

You might want to look closely at the faction symbols. Only Luthor and the vampire coast have a Vampire like symbols. The other three lords seem to be grouped with a different faction emblem shape. It might just be the case that CA didn't bother making a new emblem for The Vampire Coast or it might indicate different affiliations between characters, so I don't think we should be assuming that they are together, like you said about Aranessa. She might be part of the "Curse of the Vampire Coast" DLC, but not actually part of the Vampire Coast.

I saw the quotation marks around "Lord" and was bracing myself for anger; seeing how much you enjoyed this was like a bloody balm after reading the announcements section on the forums.

With Cylostra now a thing, I really hope that they expand upon Albion sometime in the future :D

Glad to see I get to terrorize the seven seas as my favorite lady, Ursula.

The character looks a little weird, aside from that this is all good news. The Moussion mod faction just got another asset as well.

If she's an ethereal lord, I just hope there's a way to protect her from getting destroyed by Spirit Leech or other Magic cheese. Honestly, I don't have any problems with CA doing some creative original work, people are going to complain regardless and people tend to forget this world is dead already. Plus more content is better than no content or the long silence we had for this year.

I was really not interested after first seeing this LL, but she actually kind of seems hilarious and interesting to play.

Honestly, I'm not mad about her. She's far more interesting than Vangheist (generic ghost pirate is generic) and Dreckla (literally just Harkon's lackey), and she fills the hole as the Caster Lord that they clearly wanted, since they bothered to make a brand new Lore of the Deep, might as well have a LL to wield it. Also, think what this means for other minor factions without many Legendary Lord candidates (Araby, Albion, Cathay...). With free reign to make OCs, their inclusion is much more feasible.

THATS cool! I was HOPING they would start adding in unique material. Amazing. I hope to see more of it. Imagine what they could come up with for Araby or Cathay, or even Chaos, Kislev, or Ogre Kingdoms, Chaos Dwarves....The possibilities are up in the air with this addition. A very welcome addition!

Oh man, the fact were getting a ethereal LL. Whose a opera singer. Just makes me want a mod a unit of phantoms. In the rooster ,call the "Phantoms of the Opera" They would be super tanky ,against both psychical and magic attacks. Have great speed ,but suck in combat.

Honestly Spartacus this lord just isn’t doing it for me. I’ll be crewing with big daddy notctilus and harkon

Well in the Absence of official lore on Cylostra... Here's my attempt at fan fiction for her (that is until CA reveals more) A Disaster Averted... ================= Born to a family of Bretonnian middle class freemen, her early years were by all counts unremarkable. The child was given to flights of fancy and held a strong sense of self importance not uncommonly seen in the only child of doting parents. On several occasions the girl would claim to have had visions of the Lady shortly after their family's weekly devotions at the temple. Her parents were alarmed by these claims and forbade her to ever speak of it in public, lest she be taken away to serve the Fay Enchantress. A thing which was hard for her to do since she rather liked the idea of going to live with the Fay, she also loved the sound of her own voice and would take every opportunity to hear it and make sure others heard it too! As it turned out, it wasn't a bad voice. As she flowered into adolescence. Her father was resolved to put her singing talents to good use and paid for her to have singing lessons in hopes that she could one day make a living out of it for she lacked the head for her family's trade. Her mother quietly worried whether her daughter would ever find a good husband for the girl defied all conventions of a respectable Bretonnian maid. Her father's hopes were not unfounded. She found gainful employment with a respectable theatre company and toured the provinces with them. By her full bloom into womanhood she had won widespread renown as an exceptional songstress. It was then, when one of Britonnia's great opera houses (there aren't many) offered her the position of Prima Donna that she became known as Madame Cylostra. The name was chosen because it sounded Tilean and exotic to Bretonnians... Her real birth name, lost to the passage of time. At the hight of her career at the opera she became the preeminent Diva of Bretonnia and in true Diva style she declared to have been blessed by the Lady! This would have been a perfectly acceptable show of humility after a fashion had she not gone further and claimed that the Lady did visit her and from the grail she did sip to be blessed with her voice. Suffice it to say these claims earned the ira of much of Bretonnia's nobility. Had it not been for her popularity with nobles and peasents alike she would have no doubt found herself charged with heresy. When word reached the Fay Enchantress of this blasphemy, Morgiana Le Fay seemed unconcerned, much to the consternation of the concerned noble women who went straight to the Cult of the Lady to informed on Cylostra. Instead, Fay Enchantress stayed the hands of enraged Grail Knights and instructed the cult to do nothing. So it was that Cylostra's fame and cult were left to grow until she became a living legend. Seeing that no swift retribution was forthcoming from the Cult of the Lady. Many (not least Cylostra herself) took it to meaning that Cylostra was indeed divinely blessed or inspired in some way by the Lady of the Lake. The peasantry began to venerate Cylostra as a way to openly worship the Lady! Cylostra basked in the adorations, she even gained herself a loyal entourage of all manner of knightly followers save for the stoic Grail Knights themselves. Cylostra was invited to perform for the King himself, and so impressed was he with her, Charlen appointed her as one of his official court singers. Cylostra revelled in the honour, finally she had gained the highest recognision, the king himself! It was at a royal banquet where Morgiana was being honoured that she and Cylostra would come face to face for the only time. Cylostra's perfumance was as usual billed as the evening's main entertainment event. She expected to be formally introduced and recieve a glowing review from the Fay Enchantress herself after. When the finally moment came, Morgiana barely said a word to her before moving on to greet other dignitaries and worse still, without a word, the Fay Enchantress, her retinue of Damsels along with the king and most the important dukes and nobles had left the great hall before her performance was even over. Cylostra felt twice snubbed. She was fuming, They had left to discuss urgent matters of concerning the Errantry War, but Cylostra didn't know (and probably wouldn't have cared). The damage had been done, in her mind she was spurned on purpose... Not long after, Cylostra asked to be released from her court duties to go tour the country again. The king granted her request immediately in good faith. Cylostra again felt spurned. In her mind he should have at least begged her to stay... She left the palace in a huff, resolved to win even greater adoration from the people with her new tour of the cities. That she did! Her new operas increasingly contained veilled critiques of the court nobility and questioning the validity of the Fay Enchantress as the personal representative of the Lady of the Lake. Where Grail Knights swore loyalty to the Goddess through the Fay Enchantress rumours began to circulate that the some Knights had sworn loyalty through Madame Cylostra instead and have taken to calling her "The voice of the Lady" Sensing trouble brewing between the Cult of the Lady and the upstart cult of the voice. The king and pius nobles drew up plans to defuse the situation. Through their own complacency the nobles had allowed the peasant cult followings of Cylostra to become too large. Denouncing her publicly could spark a popular uprising. Not that the knights couldn't crush any such rebellion by force with true chivalric swagger. The problem was Cylostra had also garnered the support of a fair number of said knights who wouldn't take her being arrested without a fight. A more subtle plan was more pragmatic. Madame Cylostra was urgently summoned back to court. She was informed that the king required her talents as a goodwill ambassador for the diplomatic envoy to renew trade relations between Bretonnia and The Isle of Ulthuan. Cylostra was to sing for the Phoenix King! This was an honour she couldn't refuse. Her loyal knights volunteered to escort her to the fabled court of the Phoenix King. Killing two birds with one stone, new trade deals could be struck with the High Elves... Cylostra would be absent from Bretonnia for at least a few months it not years... enough time without a figure head present for the fervor of her cult to dissipate and it's leaders secretly dispatched without much notice. The mission was to set sail from Bordelleux to much fanfair, Cylostra was presented with the ornate Flabellum Duke of Bordelleux. It was to serve as her new symbol of office. The Lamprey and crew were now on it's way. However before it was in sight of Ulthuan, the ship was dead in the water, stuck in a doldrum. For more than a week the Ship seemed unable to move even a full sails, supplies were running low, a matter not help by her appetites. Cylostra was enraged at her predicament. In a fit of hubris she went above deck and declared that she would summon the winds herself. On that note she began to sing and the crew looked on in stupified wonder. The simple sailors had not heard much of Cylostra to be awed by her display. But as the wind begans to pickup. Those looks turned to astonishment and encouragement. Cylostra sang louder and louder, shocked and amazed at her own ability to seemingly command the winds with her voice. She kept on singing as the winds turned into a storm. She could not stop singing (or perhaps unwilling to give up the pretence) even when she could see a mountain dwarfing tidel wave bearing down on the Lamprey. Ship and crew sank beneath the waves. Charlen's plan had worked too well and Finubar was saved from Cylostra... It is said that as she sang her death scream she cursed the Lady for abandoning her, the Fay Enchantress for spurning her and vowed that she would not let Bretonnia forget her. Even when the sea was entering her lungs she still sang, and as she gasped her last she sang. Yet in death she still sang... There is magic in song to rival any spell or enchantment, that is, for those who knows how to wield it. Unfortunately for Cylostra, she only discovered it at the moment of her death. But even without magical training she can produce sounds so powerful like nothing the elder creatures of the deep had heard in eons. It was this unearthly voice that the leviathans heard and the Sirens answered. They were drawn by it's singular focus. The Sirens who gathered at her awakening freely serves Cylostra as if she had always been their Queen. They named her the Direfin. Like all those who perished at sea, hers is a story of destiny interrupted. but no true Diva would ever let a little thing like death get in the way.

Imagine if she could overcast her spell to summon Grail Knights. That would be StRonK.

Been waiting for this all day, Cheers man!

Spooky scary Ursula starts singing down the coast :)

She is so cool ! Btw Andy pretty much confirmed Vangheist being one of the unique research lords for VCoast :o

I like CA is taking liberties and not letting the lack of lore stopping them.

The bright side of Age Of Sigmar is that CA can do whatever they want with this world now.

11 minutes T_T? still love you

@ItalianSpartacus saw something that implies vamp coast will have the raise dead mechanic like the counts. Do you know of they have the kind of healing the counts do, something like invocation of nehek or like a mortis engine area regen?

With the introduction of this new CA created LL, does this mean Warhammer Fantasy might live on beyond the end times through gaming? That would be super dope if Warhammer Total War existed as a "What if the world didn't end?" scenario. The fact that GW is letting CA add to the lore is what makes me extremely excited for the future of Warhammer Fantasy, because this means they might actually be able to fill in the blanks for places such as Araby, Cathay, Nippon, and Ind. Surely these huge powerful nations were doing something during the end times, maybe we just never got to see their involvement to the story? I don't know, I'm just speculating, but I'm super excited to see what they can add to this lore.

"Riders of the Storms"...... No one knew this... What are the implications for this!?!?! Just wished it had a bit of depth as to her character. It just seems like a scenario explanation you'd find in a the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Super stooocked though, love the knight errands ability. I didn't mind the speculation, it was fun for me and the fact that the silhouette looked like the silver Princess was fair although not making much connection to the overall lore but here we are with a made up character. I don't mind and I enjoyed the process to get there. Thanks for the update, sir

Just makes me want Dogs of War, Araby and Kislev even more

Looking forward to red duke, thanks man!

I think CA having the crwative freedom to add completely new characters is a great omen for the future of twwh.

Suddenly having eastern faction are not impossible anymore.. I like it!

God that Warhammer Fantasy is getting some great new content I am surprised more people don't play all characters/faction at once and have fun creating their own events and stuff. I know I would and created my own behavior patterns for every race and minor/major faction in the game/whole map! "I would make her sail across the seas looking for victims to haunt/kill at sea!" lol XD

The game mechanics do seem sound but I wish CA would use lore characters when they are available (Vengheist, Skretch, Drekla, etc). But I am fine with them creating lords when they have not got any available to them. I hope they will give her more of a back story as its a bit weak as it is.

I can understand why some people would be upset, as there were better choices for an ethereal lord. However I think that this is a big step for CA showing that they can expand the universe (prays for Cathay in game 3)

I'm starting to think maybe she's a Damsel gone bad. Don't know if there is any lore about Damsels also being performers but its the only way I can conceive of why she's a powerful spellcaster.

I'll still wait for the Vangheist update. You know it'll happen. And if it doesn't, press F to pay respects.

I hope the next faction DLC is the Dogs of War/Southern Realms

This is bullshit. Based on the silhouette I was hoping for pirate Grombrindal wearing a dress and maniacally fanning himself as he sinks the combined Elven fleets with his Ironclad.

I do wish they had put more effort into her ship. But! Very cool.

Like I said in Sotek's chat. She is Dynamo from Running Man.

I hope her quest battle speeches rival Sigvald's in sheer magnificence.

Ethereal damned brettonian knights would be awesome.

Still gonna say that Amazons and Vampire Coast are still ten times more interesting than dogs of war

I'm also wondering if vamp coast will have access to a battlefield bombardment like the DE black arks. It would make a lot of sense with their whole theme

Imagine if Michael Jackson rose up as a ghost and then became an extremely powerful pirate admiral of the sea with masterful naval tactics and strategies. That's what this is. Just let that sink in a bit. Her backstory sounds like it was written by a 7yr old.

the fact that the vampire coast has gotten this treatment, makes me hopeful for all the obscure factions...except pygmies they are just offensive

5th Element, Ruby Rhod anyone?

I feel mixed about this, on the one side it's cool that CA has the balls to actually do this, leaves a lot of potential in the future, on the other side I'm not thrilled to play this Lord at all, Luthor Harkon, Count Noctilus and Aranessa Saltspite will feel a lot more piratey to play

Creative Assembly>Games Workshop!

Her ship looks like it has crab or octopus legs.... Whole ship mount on island battles!

I'm wondering if syreens will be the vamp coast spell caster hero. Would be interesting to see ethereal caster heroes

with the 4 legendary lords now out I was going to say something about fat ladies and singing, but Cylostra beat me to it

Hi ItalianSpartacus, I have questions about Aranessa. Do you think Aranessa will have undead units? I thought that Sartosa is human realm... And do yo uthink she sides with undead and vampires? Or she fights for herself and Sartosa freedom?

aaaaannddd...... pre-ordered.

How the hell is making up a LL any thing more and "opening new doors" than the additions the Norsicans received? Hype? I bet its hype

Based on current info who are you most excited to play? I’m hoping the FLC Lord that’s coming with this is a Lizardman

Man i cant wait to play the curse of vampire cost!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmmmm.......I wanna play as Noctulis for his amazing start position, but also as Cyclostra because well.......you know.

Oh man, you're totally right. Them doing this opens so many doors. I'm so glad we can keep warhammer fantasy alive (as much as I love AoS) through Total War. She looks pretty fucking awesome.

Kind of thinking that the dark elves flc lord will be spawning in the land of the dervishes. On those elven ruins, and i think it might be lokhir fellheart, as i dont have any other clue why they would put that new land there

I am torn between this Lord and Harkon now XD Who doesnt want to be fat but still belight enough to fly and the perk of SINGING!?!?! Really exited for this DLC :D! "FAT SHAME ME NOW YOU EGOCENTRIC PRIIIIIIIIIIICK!" "When did I fat shame you? Your Lord happens to be a fat opera singer..." "THERE! THEEEEEEERE! YOU DAAAAAAAAAARE MOCK THE BIG BONES OF ME???? MADAME DREFIN? GREATEST OF ALL SINGERS?!?!? FEEL MY WRATH NOW, YOU IMPUDENT WHELP!" *Starts sending doom stacks at all people mad enough to go head to head against me once the Dlc comes out.* Anyone playing this Lord will probably feel *FABULOUUUUS* ! XD

They should have done the skaven pirates instead of the fan made stuff unless your dealing with a faction with no backstory

It looks more now that Fellheart will start on the Pirate coast of Araby.

I like the wolf and all but i think the raven sort off fits the bill for october cuz u know halloween

I have new hope for my Amazons! Also hope for Cathay and Ind! Bring on the tiger beast men, women with lasrifles and terracotta robot army of doom!(I don't think these are likely but I have hope. I know they didn't get any love in the base game but neither did the vampire coast.)

You gonna cover the FLC Lord for Vampire Coast?

The Supreme Patriarch is about to get blown out of the water by some bloated sea bitch! Seriously hope they rework older casting lords because her effects are what you expect for someone well versed in magic. Maybe if they gave gelt some scroll that showed he had PhD in every field of magic id find it more compelling to pick him but as it stands, being the only lore of metal caster for the empire he still only functions at an associates degree level not the Supreme Daddy we need.

For once I'm gonna be entirely serious - what I am happy about the most is how CA rolls with female characters, lords and common units both. I've had enough of bullshit women imagery in games - some wasp-waisted hydras (because their tits are at least the size of their head) doing backflips on 11" heels. Thanks, but fuck no. That's why I was glad to see Morathi having surprisingly realistic body shape, that's why I am glad to see Vampire Coast NOT throwing in shit like LoL's MissFortune. Maybe some of us would fucking prefer being a deadly half-crab pirate or a twin sister of Little Mermaid's Ursula instead of performing the role of walking boobs for the sake of storming hormones of teenage boys, you know? Signed, Lady Turin, first of her name, the ruler of gremlin dogs and the fridge at 4 AM

This could mean that cathay, ind and nippon could be an actual thing

If they add Amazons imma nut

I wonder why luther arkhon's coat of arms isn't shaped like the others

Well... I’m a little disappointed it wasn’t Grombrindal.

But why is she a vengeful ghost? Is she angry at the storm?!

Not a huge fan of the startpos (I was personally hoping for a vampirate in Albion), but otherwise damn, CA, this is hecka neat

Soooooooooooooooo CA is making their own lords are they? Can't do that with OTHER minor factions now can we? *coughyestheycanAraby,Amazons,Albionplz*

Just a random question, in a multiplayer campaign will it be possible to play the different pirates from different players? (I have never played multi yet)

I hope she has a ojou-sama laugh!

Shoulda been silver princess. Still, this bodes well for some minor factions getting put into the game. (ALBION! ALBION!)

May be able to rip myself away from Red Dead to check this DLC out.

I just don't know why a opera lady became a faction lord. What makes her so special that she became who she is now?

Amazons!

I don't really mind if she isn't in the lore - I just find the appearance silly - I actually thought it was a joke at first - alas I was wrong! I just hope in future dlc's they don't go with the inventing LL - with factions as Araby and such with a lack of LL granted - I can understand but I'd hate to see a future DLC of a more established faction have some inserted character at the expense of someone more deserving. The undead Bretonnian knights could be a sign that we might be getting The Red Duke playable - then again CA will probably go the easier route and move Kemmler - maybe add somewhere in Quenelles or the Grey Mountains for him to reside in.

3:38

Well shit now I don't know who to play first XD

La Castafiore

3:39

I actually like her

I feel bad for how bland the ol' empire is right now. . . Especially with only having one starting position for all *3* of their legendary lords.

With the new dlc lords/etts, Araby is untouched so still some hope for a new faction to replace at least 2 of the crusading brets and maybe empire and one tomb king, just hoping 😉