Malifaux Jargon Buster - Background

After having a conversation to a few mates in my gaming group, it has come to light that they don't know what the fuck I'm on about when I'm discussing Malifaux related activity on Twitter or my blog! Despite a few of them playing and liking various miniatures, they don't know much of the background and about the world of Malifaux. Also, I think certain masters and their abilities need to be clarified too!

Really, this is a jargon busting guide to Malifaux for those who don't know about the game and the masters. It isn't intended as a comprehensive guide which covers EVERYTHING (because lets face it, I know about fuck all!) but what it is to do is to introduce the wonderful game of Malifaux to the masses... or the 3 people who read this blog! Word... Up!

This is post 1 of a few... Let's hope it's good! 


So Malifaux, where to begin...

This is the city of Malifaux:

It is a world located through the Great Breach, in a world aside from our own. It is unusual as it is home to both monsters and mankind simultaneously. The world is set during our own late 1800s/early 1900s with a steampunk twist. Whilst in this alternate world, including our world, please bear in mind that magic is as common as running water!

I always think that this game has something for everyone under one core mechanic. If you want pistol whipping cowboys and wheelchair grannies with shotguns, you got it. Undead prostitutes and a friendly undertaker who doubles up as a master necromancer, you got it. Perhaps you enjoy playing with monsters from the aether or small gremlin characters from the swampland... guess what? You got it!

If you haven't seen the extensive range of models by now, or indeed the artwork, you really need to check it out! There are some fabulous sculpts and art! The one below is the Avatar of the Dreamer, a 7 year old boy who enters the world of Malifaux via his dreams and summons nightmares and daydreams to fight against people on the battlefield... that means teddy bears can be on the same board as a ninja!

The fluff? Oh yeah... Right...

In 1787 magic was leaving our world. Wizards, healers, mystics, warlocks, soothsayers and sorcerers banded many theories about as to why magic was leaving. Eventually many great minds got together and tore apart the fabic of reality by casting a spell in an attempt to get magic back to Earth. In the place of where the wizards gathered was a ragged hole which was called The Great Breach of the Great Boundary. It was a passage between our world and the city of Malifaux.

Wizards and others went to explore this alternate world and in there they found a desolate city which had already been named: Malifaux. After weeks of searching, they found nothing apart from buildings. Some of which were oddly named; 'Death Surgeon' or 'Mechanical Magics' and no-one was quite sure what they were.

1788-1796. The Breach opened to the public after a glowing gem which radiated magical power was found: Soulstones. It was like the Gold Rush of the Old West, people flocked across The Breach into Malifaux in search of these precious resources.

When they were mined, people could gain power from them or enhance the magic they already had. A new city arose up around The Breach. An entire population relocated to within spitting distance of a rip in reality. It seemed that magic had been saved...

1797. It was the harshest winter since human occupation of Malifaux had began. People huddled together for warmth and burnt everything they could to stave off the wrath of the winter nights. Suddenly a blizzard hit the city and The Breach itself trembled. The stone arch which had been built by masons crumbled and The Breach began to shrink. Soon it was uncrossable and although magic users tried, they tried in vain. The citizens of Malifaux were trapped.

A body was flung through to the Earth side with the single word 'Ours' engraved on his chest. Afterward, the The Breach blinked into nothingness. Malifaux had gone!

1798 - 1814. Earth was in shock. Soulstones which were on the Earth side were stockpiled of 'essential use'. Countries on Earth seemed set for war over the stones and eventually the 'Black Powder Wars' begun. The war ended, boundaries had changed but only one winner. A society called The Guild.

1897. One century on the dot The Breach reopened. Thousands of soldiers were sent into The Breach with half an eye on whatever / whoever threw the body through the Breach to be there fighting back... there was nothing. There were however some signs of combat; fresh blood, etc but it lacked corpses. None to be found anywhere! With the safe return of the soldiers, the forces of The Guild moved into the city, reclaiming it as their own. Bargains were struck which meant that convicts and the indebted when to work in Malifaux. On top of those, the poor and desperate came along with nothing left to lose!

The city once again sprung up, this time heavily relying on The Guild for protection. The most dangerous zones were placed under quarantine but new structures and small outposts cropped up. Unfortunately as the city grew, so to did the powers which had once closed The Breach: The Neverborn. Twisted mockeries of humanity which stalk the unwary from the shadows, they are the natural enemy of the residents of Malifaux.

The present day: 1902. This is where we take up the story of Malifaux. The Guild still claim sovereignty over the city but other factions exist which vie for control of certain parts of Malifaux. The Guild hire a whole host of people from all over the Earth side with very specific tasks - Witch Hunters, Undead specialists, undercover operatives.

The Miners and Steamfitters Union holds sway over many of the working class. They have close ties with the Arcanist faction, a band of magical terrorists... so The Guild will have you believe!

The Neverborn are the monsters and daemonic element of Malifaux, beasts and other creatures you can think of! They hunt those who are weak and vulnerable in the city. They have masters which range from a Puppeteer to a small boy who dreams monsters!

The Ressurectionists are those who use the dead to their own end. Some of the Resser faction hold down 'normal' jobs within society such as an Undertaker or the Guild Coroner!

Mercenary outfits have also found their way into Malifaux, selling their services to the highest bidder, or acting for their own means. They are desperate and many criminals or outcasts seek them out!

One faction thought to be the 'original' inhabitants of Malifaux are the Gremlins in the Bayou. They have started to become more organized and now have become to venture into human inhabited zones.

Finally, The Guild has discovered a secretive organization known as the Ten Thunders Clan which has infiltrated many of the factions within Malifaux. It isn't quite sure what they want but there are a major threat to The Guild regardless of their motivation.

This is a time of great peril in Malifaux, but some would argue that it is no more dangerous today than it was in the past. One thing is for sure, in Malifaux...

Bad Things Happen.


Well, this is the basic run down of the fluff for Malifaux and a VERY basic view of the factions which are available. I've posted some of the artwork which is available but not all of it. Next, I'll be looking at individual factions and the background of the masters as well as basic mechanics of the game!

Thanks for reading!

I'll see you soon!