The Black Library debut for both author Michael R. Fletcher and the Ossiarch Bonereapers as a faction, A Tithe of Bone is a cleverly thought-out and constructed Age of Sigmar short story which introduces something new to the setting without compromising on the quality of storytelling. Chaos champion Lord Markash has conquered the city of Knazziir at the edge of Nagash’s domain, in the name Tzeentch. Utterly loyal to his god, and with total confidence in himself and his destiny, when faced by the Ossiarch legions come to claim their bone tithe Markash strides out to confront them head on.
Fletcher takes what could have been a very straightforward, generic concept – arrogant Chaos champion underestimates strange new enemies, things go wrong – and flips it, focusing far more on Markash’s psychology than his prowess in battle. Whether seen from a mortal scribe’s viewpoint or, later, his own perspective, the emphasis is on his Tzeentchian view of destiny and how that contrasts with the inevitability of Nagash, and even when things don’t go Markash’s way Fletcher leans on that concept of destiny to take the story in an unexpected direction. It’s a smart way of showcasing a cool new element of the Mortal Realms, and an entertaining, bleakly satisfying story in its own right.
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