Well, I didn't care about sky dwarves before Arkanaut, but now that I've seen the first episode I am determined to join the crew of a lead zeppelin. Arkanaut is a Warhammer: Age of Sigmar animation on WarhammerTV about Kharadron Overlords on an expedition to find loot and get paid. I was in no rush to see the episode when it released because I couldn't even get through the second series of Blacktalon, and the previous Age of Sigmar animation, Sigmar's Toll, was pretty disappointing. I developed a theory that the problem was with Stormcast Eternals lore, and I think Arkanaut (along with the old Hammer and Bolter episode Undercity) proves exactly that point. Arkanaut is engaging and exciting, and I can't wait for more.
Plot
The episode and series opens with Captain Orra Ironhelm and her brave crew protecting the skyship Therodosson from skaven. The skaven are scurrying along the ropes mooring the Therodosson above a city, and their attempted incursion forces the Therodosson to make an unscheduled departure. In the relative calm of the skies, we learn that Orra is a desperate duardin woman. The ship's fuel is running low, and her loyal crew has yet to be paid for their work.
Then there's a clap of thunder and a light in stormclouds, and Orra realises they've stumbled upon the a patch of cursed sky. I don't know what a cursed sky is, exactly, but there are context clues in the name, and it seems that sometimes when a Stormcast Eternal is killed, the warrior's soul can get trapped in cursed skies on its way back to Azyr. Orra and her navigator Bjarnikk (or Frodrikk? I can't tell because of their helms) decide it's worth risking the cursed skies for a chance to retrieve the lost soul of a Stormcast Eternal. They're not running a charity, but they're pretty sure someone will pay a tidy sum for it.
So they plunge the Therosdosson into cursed skies in the hopes of harpooning a lost soul.
Skyships are finally cool
I've always loved the fantasy trope of flying ships, but I don't feel like I've seen many put to good use. I think they're often used for flavour, something drawn or composited into the background with no narrative purpose.
The skyship in Arkanaut feels authentic, and it earns its place in the story. First of all, it's the setting for the story. The entirety of this episode takes place on the Therodosson. Her crew is tiny (maybe 8 duardin?), which feels correct for a skyship, and the crew's motives are clear. They're flying around looking for a payday, part of which includes aether-gold for the tank so they can keep flying around looking for a payday. I believe everyone on the ship has a function, I see lots of them at their posts doing things that look like you'd need to do on a skyship, and yet it's not so over-complex that you get the sense that half of the gears and steam valves are just for decoration. The whole thing just adds up for me.
More importantly, the ship is cool. It's not overly cool, like it was built for show. It looks like a functioning, workable skyship, and that's what makes it cool. It was cool to see it attacked by skaven, and it's fun to watch in fly around, and chase after streaks of lightning. It looks and feels like it's part of a world, not just decoration for high fantasy.
Dwarves in flight
I like dwarves as much as the next guy. I grew up with Lord of the Rings and Dragonlance. At the very least, I have a healthy respect for the trope.
I got a Kharadron Overlord as a free miniature of the month at my local Warhammer store, and it was fine. I haven't used the miniature for much, because flying dwarves don't typically make an appearance in my fantasy worlds. I've mostly wander aimlessly through Warhammer: Age of Sigmar lore, and while some of it (Cursed City, Callis and Toll, Morathi-Khaine) captivates me, other stuff has yet to land.
This episode makes the Kharadron Overlords suddenly interesting. The plot hook of flying into cursed skies to fish for lost Stormcast souls is almost revelatory. It's like rolling on a random table for an adventure idea. I don't have a sky ship miniature and I certainly don't intend to get one (I assume one must exist) but if I never an idea for a Soulbound adventure, I feel like I've got one. Who even knew that the soul of a Stormcast Eternal could get lost on its way back to Azyr? What a cool idea, and even cooler for a skyship to brave the stormy skies to try to harpoon it. Also, who knew you could harpoon a soul? I didn't.
Good episode
The first episode of Arkanaut was a fun fantasy adventure about a faction of Warhammer I never gave a second thought. I'm hooked now, though, and I'm looking forward to future episodes.