#9890

9890 Warriors Fortress includes the Warfang warriors Kriwarg, Harg, Vorlang, Simmurg, Malkin, and Morlack, and the Valtheran warriors Rythiel, Leith, Aprash, Ashul, Ramach, and Imrien.  9886 Sorcerer’s Lair includes the Warfang warriors Woljag, Akrif, Grosag, and Somyrk, and the Warfang wizard Vorlod; as well as the Valtheran warriors Gilnor, Tamoth, Ethyn, Shaldor, and Hulraith.  9881 Battle Gate contains the Warfang warriors Skolack, Wulluck, Kurg, and Morkusk, as well as the Valtheran wizard Yulmar, and the Valtheran warriors Harnash, Riel, and Durian.

It is implied that Morlack and Rythiel are the leaders of their respective factions, as each is shown wearing a unique cape in some other images.  Vorlod is located closer to Morlack than Yulmar is to Rythiel, which I take as a shaky confirmation of my theory that the Warfang have greater respect for wizards than do the Valtheran.

At the center of the image is Padraig, who wears golden armor and is not associated with either faction.

We never see what the homes of Warfang or Valtheran civilians look like.  We do, however, get to see several more expensive Warfang and Valtheran structures.  These are always built out of stone.

The most immediately noticeable unifying feature of Warfang-Valtheran architecture is the parapet.  All of their buildings, down to simple walls like those found in the War Chest sets, feature parapets.  Usually, these parapets protrude outward from the wall they sit on top of:

However, the titular building in 9886 Sorcerer’s Lair features parapets which do not protrude outward, and the gaps in the parapets actually sink inward:

The Sorcerer’s Lair is the only 2002 structure seen to use this parapet style.  It is also the only structure confirmed to be of Warfang make.  Therefore, we may assume that the non-protruding parapets are a specifically Warfang architectural variation.

Let’s take a look at some of the other elements of Warfang-Valtheran architecture, shall we?  It should come as no surprise that dragon motifs are commonplace, and the Warfang-Valtheran are no slouches in the sculpture department.  Atop the Valtheran fortress, we see these dragons, rendered surprisingly realistically:

9886 Sorcerer’s Lair also features these reliefs:

Honestly, I’m not sure what that’s supposed to depict.  Is it a man?  A dragon-man?  Or maybe just a dragon?  It seems to have a spiky head on top and some sort of feet below, but beyond that, I’m not sure what I’m looking at.  Maybe this is an especially old structure, and thus its depictions of living things are more stylized; or maybe the Warfang just have less highly developed plastic arts.

Both the Sorcerer’s Lair and the Warriors Fortress feature a gate decorated with a stylized dragon’s head cast in gold or silver:

To me, this is the most curious aspect of Warfang-Valtheran architecture.  Much effort and expense seems to have been put into these gate decorations, yet surely they serve no practical purpose.  Many cultures around the world place a special, even sacred importance on doors and apertures; are the Warfang and Valtheran the same?  Does the appearance of a dragon head on the gate possibly relate to the now-closed portal to the dragon world?  Fascinating.