INTRODUCTION
The Uncharted Seas were once ruled by two great empires, the Dragon
Lords and the Ancients. They swiftly settled most of its lands, and on
coming into contact with each other they engaged in war, often for
centuries at a time. They did this at the expense of a much weaker
empire, that of the Helganth, eventually forcing the warriors of
Helganth to fight on one side or another.
One of the early settlements of the Ancients was at Sancerac (The
Shifting Shores) to the south of the Dragon Lord territories. Its people
slowly developed their own culture, separate from the Ancients in
their homeland of Shenerac (The Thousand Islands), and were given
their own kingdom. The only catch was that they had to swear fealty
to the Ancients every year, and support them in their wars against the
Dragon Lords.
The inhabitants of Sanerac were a proud society of warriors, who
had close contacts with another vassal kingdom of the Ancients, the
soldiers of Vyrcerac (Vyrdam). Together these two kingdoms formed
a buffer for the Ancients against the aggression of the Dragon Lords,
they were always appreciated for fulfilling the duty of fighting the four
Houses, and often supported with troops and ships. They proved to
be loyal vassals, more than willing to fight rather than be slaves of the
Dragon Lords.
The warriors of Sancerac had a society built along military lines, every
family was part of a warband, and every warband formed part of
an army. The Sancerac warbands carried carved representations of
griffons and other beasts on poles ahead of their warriors when they
marched, to identify each other. Later they carried impressive banners
with images sown or painted on them, and because of this the Ancients
called them Griffons, and over time that became the name by which
the Sancerac were to become known.
The Withering and The Curse
Several hundred years ago the Ancients decided to finish the Dragon
Lords once and for all. They assembled a massive fleet of transport
ships, and recruited hundreds of thousands of auxiliaries from among
the Helganth and the more primitive tribesmen of Shenerac. Their
most valued allies were the Griffons who frequently fought against
the Dragon Lords, situated as they were below the soft underbelly of
Dragon Lord territory.
The Griffons had attempted to destroy the Morgloth on Ossiria a
generation earlier and failed, so they were determined to avenge their
defeat and prove their martial superiority over the Dragon Lords. They
landed this time on Principia with the Ancients, while the Vyrcerac
landed near Vyrdam in an attempt to prevent reinforcements from
reaching the heartland of Principia.
The Griffons had one objective, to march into the nesting grounds
of the Ancestor Dragons, and with the assistance of the Ancients
sorcerers, slay them all. It was hoped that the loss of these highly
revered creatures would dismay the Dragon Lords, and even put fear
into the small minds of the lesser dragons that their enemies were
famed for riding. The Griffons were not convinced of this outcome, but
they accepted the task regardless, in order to make the Dragon Lords
suffer.
The Ancients fought successfully against the first couple of armies that
Copyright © Spartan Games 2010
opposed them, while the Griffons marched into the nesting grounds
unhindered. The Ancestor Dragons were much larger than those used
for riding, but they could not fly and were very slow, and were therefore
easy meat for the Griffon warriors and the Ancients sorcerers.
The Dragon Lords recovered quickly from their initial defeats and
were not dismayed or cowed by the death of the Ancestor Dragons.
Instead, their mages summoned forth a torrent of raw magical energy,
within which they sealed the foul air of wasting sickness, disease and
plague, and spread it on the winds to infect their enemies. This foul
torrent washed across all the lands of the region, infecting friends and
enemies alike.
This magical sickness came to be known as the Withering, as its victims
became weak, their bones atrophied and their flesh rotted. Those
who were closest to the nesting grounds suffered the worst effects,
and all of the Griffons became sick and disheartened. They fled back
to Sancerac where all of their people were also infected, some died
horrible deaths, and others slowly became undead, unable to pass
over into the land of the spirits.
What little magic that the nobles of Sancerac had was used to halt the
effects of the Withering, but they could not save their mortal lives.
The magic of the Griffons melded with the energy of the Withering,
creating a new energy that stabilised its effects and killed its host in
the process. The victims of this process lived on in undeath, so that the
people of Sancerac became the Bone Griffons.
To add to their torment, the Dragon Lord mages cast another great
spell, this time on the land of Sancerac itself, calling it the Curse of
the Sands. The spell ripped the land from its foundations and caused
the kingdom to sink beneath the waves and disappear for centuries.
The Bone Griffons lived on in their watery grave, walking the halls of
their palaces, barracks and plazas amid shoals of fish and forests of
seaweed.
Laws of Bone
The Bone Griffons are organised into regiments which they call Claws,
each of which is named after its leader. The most famous of the
Bone Griffon warriors is Barus the Stricken, who lost all of his family
to the Withering, and has drawn the largest number of followers to
his banner, the Rotting Griffon. He is thought to be responsible for
bringing the undead back to the sunlight after their long exile, even
if it is only temporary while their cities rise above the waters of the
Shifting Shores.
Every Claw is independent of the other, but their objectives are the
same, to take their revenge on the Dragon Lords, beyond that they
each follow their own motives. They often assemble in great numbers
to spend a season pillaging settlements and hunting down enemy
fleets, though they reserve these Musters as they are called for their
sworn enemies.
The Bone Griffons have a strong code of honour and are courageous
warriors, though their undead nature tends to make them foolhardy
and reckless. They often show mercy to the crews of ships that they
have defeated or captured, and drop the crews on the nearest island.
They kill any Thaniras Elves and Dragon Lords on sight, for the Bone
Griffons do not consider either to be worthy of respect. Shroud Mages
suffer the same treatment, and unfortunately some Iron Dwarves have
fallen foul of this harsh treatment if the undead are unaware what kind
of dwarf they are.
The Bone Griffons still sail galleys, a trait that is shared with them by
the Vyrcerac and no-one else, as the technology of ship construction
has moved on while the undead were exiled and the Vyrcerac were
enslaved. The Bone Griffons are warriors first and sailors second, and
value the ability to control a ship with muscle power. It is a matter
of pride to most of the undead warriors that their unflagging stamina
allows them to row their galleys all day, and still fight for hours without
rest. That is not to say that the Bone Griffons do not appreciate a little
help, as some of their war galleys are crippled from the ravages of the
sea and cannot be rowed efficiently.
The undead have used their magic to raise the corpses of whales and
serpents from the sea bed, to instil in them the same elements of the
Withering that keeps the Bone Griffons from dying normally. These
carrion creatures drag their war galleys through the sea, and are a
terrible sight to behold.
The Bone Griffons have spent so long beneath the waves that they
have developed an affinity with the creatures of the deeps, they may
be dead but they have strong, and some would say, noble souls. The
undead are able to call upon these creatures for assistance, and are
less likely to suffer an attack by such creatures if they are harassing
surface ships.
Guardians of the Shifting Shores
The Bone Griffins have frequent battles with the Shroud Mages, as
there are regular armed convoys between Mysonnia and Ganesh. They
give the dwarves no quarter, because they sense the foulness of their
hearts, and because they are servants of the Dragon Lords. The Bone
Griffins have no particular antipathy for the Dragon Lord Subasha and
Saahdas vassals, who have little choice in serving the four Houses, but
they hate the Shroud Mages and Kindrake for willingly supporting the
Dragon Lords and assisting in the success of their endeavours.
In contrast, the Bone Griffons have so far had little contact with the Old
World races. They rejoice at the havoc that such interlopers will bring
to the Dragon Lords, and have seen their fleets on the high seas, but
the undead generally avoid them. The Bone Griffons are insular and
dismissive of strangers, and are even known to have sailed straight past
the fleets of the Imperial Humans, Iron Dwarves, and The Kingdom
without incident.
The Bone Griffons attack the fleets of the Thaniras Elves, Thousand
Bandits and Northern Vosk on sight however. They have suffered
occasional raids by the Bandits and Vosk, so the undead consider them
to be vermin and treat them as such. In the case of the elves, they
recognise the same spite and envy in them that is common to the
dwarves of Mysonnia, and willingly seek out the elves to destroy them.
Fortunately for the elves, the undead have little reason to sail as far as
their strongholds in the cold waters of the Helgath Sea.
The Bone Griffons combine their forces to attack any fleet travelling
through the Shifting Shores, regardless of what flag it flies. They give no
warning of this danger, but then most of the sea captains of the region
are aware that death awaits the living if they approach the Shifting
Shores. This ruthless defence of the home waters of the undead has
forced the Dragon Lords and Shroud Mages to take the safe route along
the south coast of Principia, or the dangerous route across the Endless
Sea. The first option lengthens journeys, but very few sea captains are
willing to sail the Endless Sea and risk losing their way.
Scourge of the Deep
The Shifting Shores is an extensive area of the sea whose landmasses
lie below the waves, at depths that vary between a few fathoms and
hundreds. It is the Curse of the Sands that caused the land to sink,
taking the cities of the Sancerac with it, drowning any of its people
that had survived the Withering and were not yet undead. The
land sometimes rises above the water as sea conditions alter, and
Copyright © Spartan Games 2010
sometimes it rises even on calm seas, with the cities of Sancerac once
again seeing daylight.
The geography of The Shifting Shores is never stable. The horizon
changes from week to week, a phenomenon that scares sailors witless
but is oddly enough a comfort to the Bone Griffons. They still live in the
ruined cities of Sancerac, their ships moored in the old docks.
The Bone Griffons use symbols that mark both their heritage on
Sancerac and their curse, so Griffons are common, as is imagery of
death and decay. Their sails are generally white, and their ships are
usually pale colours, though both are stained by algae and dotted with
barnacles. The Bone Griffons use a combination of whale bone, coral
and timber from shipwrecks to keep their galleys sea worthy. They are
not skilled shipwrights however, and often summon the sea beasts to
tow their galleys out of necessity as much as habit.
LAWS OF THE BONE
The Bone Griffons are organised into regiments which they call Claws,
each of which is named after its leader. The most famous of the
Bone Griffon warriors is Barus the Stricken, who lost all of his family
to the Withering and has drawn the largest number of followers to
his banner, the Rotting Griffon. He is thought to be responsible for
bringing the undead back to the sunlight after their long exile, even
if it is only temporary while their cities rise above the waters of The
Shifting Shores.
Every Claw is independent of the other, but their objectives are the
same, to take their revenge on the Dragon Lords; beyond that they
each follow their own motives. They often assemble in great numbers
to spend a season pillaging settlements and hunting down enemy
fleets, though they reserve these Musters as they are called for their
sworn enemies. Since the arrival of the ‘New Souls’ to the Uncharted
Seas the Bone Griffons have widened their attacks, and now any fleet
is mauled on sight.
OLD SCHOOL SHIPS
The Bone Griffons still sail galleys, as the technology of ship construction
has moved on while the undead were exiled. The Bone Griffons are
warriors first and sailors second, and value the ability to control a
ship with muscle power. It is a matter of pride to most of the undead
warriors that their unflagging stamina allows them to row their galleys
all day, and still fight for hours without rest.
That is not to say that the Bone Griffons do not appreciate a little help,
as some of their war galleys are crippled from the ravages of the sea
and cannot be rowed efficiently. The undead have used their magic
to raise the corpses of whales (the Orcus) and various serpents from
the sea bed, to instil in them the same elements of the Withering that
keeps the Bone Griffons from dying normally. These carrion creatures
drag their war galleys through the sea and are a terrible sight to behold.
There is several ship types already defined for this race, including:
• Reaper & Plague Class Battleship
• Sea Wraith & Banshee Class Cruiser
• Orcus Class Creature (Frigate)
• Despoiler Class Heavy Cruiser
• Pestilence Class Cruiser
• Nightmare Class Flagship
• Withered Griffon (Flying Creature)
• Phantom Class Destroyer
These vessels form the core of the naval offering for this race, but as
with all races the ship options will be expanded upon on a rolling basis.
STANDARD FLEET COMPOSITION
The normal building block of a naval formation is the Battlegroup and
a standard Bone Griffons offering consists of:
1 x Reaper/Plague Class Battleship
3 x Sea Wraith/Banshee Class Cruiser
6 x Orcus Class Creature (Generally split into 2 squadrons of 3 each)
Each ship has a Fleet Point Value and this is the number used to
calculate how many ships can be deployed on a tabletop for a game.
The above mentioned Bone Griffons Battlegroup would cost a player
470 Fleet Points and is calculated as follows:
110 Points for the Battleship
60 Points per Cruiser
30 Point per Orcus (Frigate)
Different scenarios will allow players to construct their fleets in various
ways, with some forcing a player to have a pre-set number of ships and
classes, and others simply allowing a player to buy ships based on a
fixed point value. Sometimes a scenario may call for a force of ships to
break the normal ‘rules’ of a fleet composition.
Trebuchet Rules
The Trebuchets use the normal firing rules when firing at a model that
is in Line of Sight to determine whether you get full or half AD. You
then select any point on the target model that is in Line of Sight to
determine the AD at that Range Band measuring from the front of the
firing ship and place the Large Round Template centred on that point:
You MUST allocate at least HALF the AD against the target model.
You CAN allocate up to HALF of the AD (rounded down) using Split Fire
against any other models that are under the template AND within Line
of Sight.
A model can ONLY use Split Fire against a number of targets equal to
the number of Trebuchets on the model (or less)
A Trebuchet can ONLY use Linked Fire with other Trebuchets
Model(s) CANNOT use Linked Fire and Split Fire at the same time
Game Cards CAN be used with Trebuchets, but they DO NOT count as
a broadsides
Trebuchets CANNOT fire at flying models.
Trebuchets can also fire at targets that are NOT in Line of Sight, but it
MUST do this INSTEAD of firing at a model that is in Line of Sight. If
you do so, place the Large Round Template on the centre of the target
model and roll 1D8 using the 8 points (Arrows) on the template, with
the “1” direction facing directly away from the firing ship.
The template is then moved 1D6” in the direction indicated by the 1D8
score. If a model is wholly or partially under the template it is a valid
target. When you have moved the template, divide the AD in HALF
and split it among the models that are wholly or partially under the
template. This works similarly to Split Fire, but DOES NOT count as Split
Fire.
If a Trebuchet deviates beyond Range Band 4 and/or out of the 90
degree arc, IT IS still a valid attack using the rules above. Beyond Range
Band 4 counts as Band 4 for the purpose of determining the AD.
If a Trebuchet deviates into Range Band 1 it is a MISFIRE and the shot
has no effect.
ORCUS CLASS CREATURE: If an Orcus suffers a Critical Hit is loses
2 Hull (Life) points and 1 Crew point INSTEAD of rolling on the Critical
Hit Table. If an Orcus is reduced to 0 Hull or 0 Crew it is killed.
Ramming and Boarding Rules:
• An Orcus that is tethered CANNOT do a Ram, a ship that has
Orcus tethered to it CANNOT do a Ram.
• A squadron of Orcus can do a combined Pack Ram, which
allows them to Link their Ram dice against a single ship/
model.
o If a squadron of 4 Orcus does a Pack Ram against
Copyright © Spartan Games 2010
a Battleship, they would have 6 dice of Ram
(3+1+1+1). All 4 of the Orcus would still suffer
normal full damage dice as the result of a collision.
o This is risky against large models, but an Orcus can
usually survive a critical hit. It is more effective
against medium, small and tiny models.
• An Orcus can choose not to board AFTER resolving a ram or
collision, but MUST do so BEFORE either side rolls dice for a
Boarding Action.
• An Orcus CAN do a Boarding Action against a ship; it is
assumed that it causes sickness and death among an enemy
crew because of the pestilence in its carcass. This DOES
NOT affect the undead such as the Bone Griffons, or other
nonliving crews.
• A ship CAN do a Boarding Action against an Orcus which is
NOT submerged; it is assumed that the crew stabs it with
spears and hooks.
• Even though an Orcus is counted as part of the Squadron
that it is tethered to (for Movement and Game Cards), it is
still a separate model when you resolve Boarding Actions.
Tethering Rules
• Up to 3 Orcus can be tethered to the ‘front’ of each Bone
Griffons Capital ship, in base contact between the bow and
oars.
• A ship can tether any Orcus that is in contact with its ‘front’
at the start of the ships activation, up to a maximum of 3.
• In a turn that one or more Orcus are tethering, the ship and
the Orcus CANNOT make more than a HALF move, and do
not apply the +1” bonus move in that turn.
• A ship can un-tether an Orcus AND move when it is activated,
it is allowed to move through the Orcus during the turn that
it does this, but MUST move clear of the Orcus.
• An Orcus is automatically un-tethered if either the ship sinks
or is destroyed, or if the Orcus is killed.
• A ship increases its Movement by +1” for each Orcus that is
tethered to it, up to a maximum of 9”, the Orcus move at the
same speed as the ship they are tethered to.
• This bonus movement is NOT affected by the Wind, even if
the ship that the Orcus is tethered to is affected by the Wind.
Additional Rules
• An Orcus that is tethered to a ship is activated with the
ship, and NOT when its Squadron is activated. If all of the
Orcus in a Squadron is tethered, you DO NOT get a separate
activation for that Squadron.
• An Orcus DOES NOT have a minimum speed, and DOES NOT
use the Drop Anchor rules, unless it is tethered, in which
case it uses the minimum speed of the ship it is tethered to.
• You still get a Game Card for an Orcus Squadron, even if all of
the Orcus are tethered.
• An Orcus that is tethered CANNOT be submerged, a
submerged Orcus CANNOT be tethered.
• Unless a scenario states differently an Orcus CAN begin a
game tethered.
• Orcus CAN begin a game submerged, but a player MUST
state they are doing this.
SEA WRAITH OR BANSHEE CLASS CRUISER: The Cruiser may
be assembled with a sail or a trebuchet. A small amount of trimming
will be needed to make a trebuchet fit on top of the resin hull.
SPECIAL RULES: Oars
REAPER OR PLAGUE CLASS BATTLESHIP: The Battleship
may either have 3 Broadside decks, which is the Reaper class, or it may
have 3 Trebuchet decks, which is the Plague class.
SPECIAL RULES: Plague Gun, Oars
NIGHTMARE CLASS FLAGSHIP: This Nightmare Class Flagship is
the terror of the high seas, a mighty floating fortress full of undead
warriors. The centre piece of its construction is a temple dedicated
to the Bone Griffons revered totem, the Abyssal Griffon. The enemies
of the Bone Griffons quake in fear at the appearance of such temple
ships, because the dreaded influence of their priests’ magical aura can
be felt at a great distance.

Temple: This Flagship can repair 1 of its own HP on a roll of 6, AND heal
1 of its own CP on a roll of 4+ when it is activated, OR, this Flagship
can heal 1 CP from a model in its own Fleet (including a submerged or
flying model) that is within 6” measured from the centre of the Temple
to any part of the model on a roll of 5+. However, it can ONLY repair
lost HP/CP, and it CANNOT repair HP/CP during a turn in which it is
involved in a Boarding Action.

SPECIAL RULES: Plague Gun, Oars

PHANTOM CLASS DESTROYER: The Phantom class Destroyer

is a horrifying new weapon in the Bone Griffons’ arsenal. They are
built for but one purpose: crushing enemy ships with plague-infected
missiles fired from a massive catapult whose arm is nearly as long as
the ship itself.

SPECIAL RULES: Lethal Strike (Fore), Oars

DESPOILER CLASS HEAVY CRUISER:

SPECIAL RULES: Iron Ram, Oars

PESTILENCE CLASS CRUISER:

SPECIAL RULES: Lethal Strike (Fore), Oars

WITHERED GRIFFON:
Swipe Attack: the Withered Griffon can make a Swipe Attack of 8AD
against a model that is on the surface OR flying and within 1” of its
flight stand in a fore 180 degree arc.

SPECIAL RULES: Death Shriek

Copyright © Spartan Games 2010

 BONE
BONE BONE
BONE

Range Band

Range Band
Trebuchet

Trebuchet
Starboard

Starboard
GRIFFONS
GRIFFONS GRIFFONS
GRIFFONS

Fore

Fore
Port

Port
Aft

Aft
ORCUS FRIGATE BANSHEE CRUISER
DR CR MOVE HULL CREW RAM 1 - - - - - DR CR MOVE HULL CREW RAM 1 7 7 - - -

4 5 9/7” 3 2 Red 3 2 - - - - - 4 6 6” 4 7 Red 5 2 6 6 - - 3

3 - - - - - 3 3 3 - - 4
This is a Small Class Standard diving creature This is a Medium Capital Class Special ship
Uses the Small template for moving and firing 4 - - - - - Uses the Medium template for moving and firing 4 - - - - 5
This ship IS NOT affected by the wind direction This ship IS NOT affected by the wind direction
Deployed in Squadrons of 3 to 4 Models Points Cost: 30 Deployed in Squadrons of 2 to 4 Models Points Cost: 60

BONE
BONE BONE
BONE
Range Band

Range Band
Trebuchet

Trebuchet
Starboard

Starboard
GRIFFONS
GRIFFONS GRIFFONS
GRIFFONS
Fore

Fore
Port

Port
Aft

Aft
SEA WRAITH CRUISER DESPOILER HEAVY CRUISER
DR CR MOVE HULL CREW RAM 1 7 7 - - - DR CR MOVE HULL CREW RAM 1 9 9 4 - -

4 6 9” 4 7 Red 5 2 6 6 - - - 5 7 6” 5 8 Red 5 2 6 6 2 - -

3 3 3 - - - This is a Medium Class Variant ship 3 3 3 - - -

This is a Medium Capital Class Standard ship Uses the Medium template for moving and firing
Uses the Medium template for moving and firing 4 - - - - - This ship IS NOT affected by the wind direction 4 - - - - -
This ship IS affected by the wind direction Deployed in squadrons of 2 to 4 Models
Deployed in squadrons of 2 to 4 Models Points Cost: 60 Special Rules: Iron Ram Points Cost: 75

BONE
BONE BONE
BONE
Range Band

Range Band
Plague Gun

Plague Gun
Trebuchet
Starboard

Starboard
GRIFFONS
GRIFFONS GRIFFONS
GRIFFONS
Fore

Fore
Port

Port
Aft

REAPER BATTLESHIP PLAGUE BATTLESHIP

DR CR MOVE HULL CREW RAM 1 15 15 - - 5 DR CR MOVE HULL CREW RAM 1 - - - - 5

6 12 6” 8 10 8 2 12 12 - - 1 6 12 6” 8 10 8 2 - - - 9 1

3 9 9 - - - 3 - - - 12 -
This is a Large Capital Class Standard ship This is a Large Capital Class Special ship
Uses the Large template for moving and firing 4 4 4 - - - Uses the Large template for moving and firing 4 - - - 14 -
This ship IS NOT affected by the wind direction This ship IS NOT affected by the wind direction
Deployed in Squadrons of 1 Model Points Cost: 110 Deployed in Squadrons of 1 Model Points Cost: 110

BONE
BONE BONE
BONE
Swipe Attack
Range Band
Range Band

Plague Gun
Starboard

GRIFFONS
GRIFFONS GRIFFONS
GRIFFONS
Fore
Port

Aft

-
NIGHTMARE FLAGSHIP WITHERED GRIFFON
DR CR MOVE HULL CREW RAM DR CR MOVE HULL CREW RAM 1 - - - -
1 16 16 - - 6

6 12 6” 9 11 8 2 13 13 - - 3 4 6 11” 4 4 Red 4 2 - - - -

This is a Medium Class Flying Special creature 3 8 - - - -

3 9 9 - - 1
This is a Large Capital Class Special ship Uses the Medium template for moving and firing
Uses the Large template for moving and firing 4 4 4 - - - This model IS NOT affected by the wind direction 4 - - - -
This ship IS NOT affected by the wind direction Deployed in Squadrons of 1 to 2 Models
Deployed in Squadrons of 1 Model Points Cost: 155 Special Rule: Death Shriek Points Cost: 65

BONE
BONE BONE
BONE
Range Band

Range Band
Trebuchet

Trebuchet
Starboard

Starboard

GRIFFONS
GRIFFONS GRIFFONS
GRIFFONS
Fore

Fore
Port

Port
Aft

Aft

PHANTOM CLASS DESTROYER PESTILENCE CLASS CRUISER

DR CR MOVE HULL CREW RAM 1 - - 5 - - DR CR MOVE HULL CREW RAM 1 6 6 7 - -

3 5 8” 3 3 3 2 - - 6 - - 4 6 7” 4 6 Red 5 2 5 5 5 - -

This is a Small Class Standard ship 3 - - - - - This is a Medium Capital Class Standard ship 3 3 3 2 - -
Uses the Small template for moving and firing Uses the Medium template for moving and firing
This ship IS NOT affected by the wind direction 4 - - - - - This ship IS NOT affected by the wind direction 4 - - - - -
Deployed in Squadrons of 2 to 3 Models Deployed in squadrons of 2 to 4 Models
Special Rules: Lethal Strike (Fore) Points Cost: 45 Special Rules: Lethal Strike (Fore) Points Cost: 65

Copyright © Spartan Games 2010