Stormbreak Finale

Privateer Press

November 26, 2019

It’s done.

The fourth part of Stormbreak and the Acts of War trilogy all in one.

It’s been three years and change since I started writing the saga of Stryker, Magnus, and company, and I’ve had a blast doing it. Of course, this last installment is more than a simple ending to a story—it’s the end of a story arc we started back with the first book that features monumental changes for the trilogy’s two primary characters and, well, all of Cygnar.

So, in this Insider I wanted to talk a bit about the BIG decision we made in the story and how we arrived at it. Before I start in on that, however, let me add the obligatory spoiler warning. If you haven’t read part four, go do that, then come back here and find out why we did what we did. Cool? Okay, go read.

Spoilers below.

Now, if you played in the Organized Play league this year, and especially if you attended Lock & Load, then Coleman Stryker’s death might not be that big of a surprise for you. In fact, you actually had a hand in bringing it about (look what you did!). Though we did tie many of the decisions in Stormbreak to the Organized Play league, Stryker’s death has beginnings in story discussions that go back a bit farther. I first broached the subject and the possibility of ending Acts of War with Stryker’s death back at Lock & Load 2016. Matt Wilson and I were running through some ideas about where to take the series, and I suggested it, expecting it would immediately be slapped down. To my surprise, Matt was open to it, and the idea took root and finally bloomed in discussions about what shape Stormbreak would take.

But why kill Stryker, you might ask? It’s a good question, and I want to assure you that I took the killing of such an iconic character very seriously. If it happened, it had to be for a big, big reason. For me, one of the most important themes of the series has always been the redemption of Asheth Magnus, his return to Cygnar, and his direct involvement and influence in its government and military. Of course, Magnus has a long history with Stryker, serving first as his mentor and then as his bitter enemy. They each played a pivotal role in the other’s history, and their relationship has had a huge influence on the type of warcaster and leader they’ve each become.

It occurred to me that for Magnus to truly put aside his mercenary/vagabond history, to shake off the label of traitor and return to Cygnar in body and soul, Stryker would have to be involved. More so, Stryker would have to set the example—in a way flipping the tables on his old mentor by showing him the path to his own redemption. And that path begins and ends with sacrifice. Magnus has long been a man who tells himself his actions, no matter how underhanded or despicable, are for the greater good. In the end, though, they are largely self-serving. Over the three books in the series, Magnus is exposed, firsthand, to Stryker’s unwavering leadership and his loyalty to his country and the men and women who fight beside him. At first, Magnus has nothing but contempt for Stryker’s methods, viewing them as naive and shortsighted, but as the story progresses, he sees the value of what and who Stryker has become—so much so that Magnus tries to follow Stryker’s example and make the ultimate sacrifice himself. But Morrow had other plans, and Magnus’ survival, the burden and guilt of Stryker’s death, and his assumption of the role of mentor for the young warcaster William Harcourt turn Magnus from self-serving mercenary into a true son of Cygnar once more.

So that’s the why Stryker’s death made sense in the grander narrative, but I also want to talk about how it felt to actually write that scene. I won’t lie: the fourth part of Stormbreak took me longer to write than all the others. At first, I was excited for the opportunity to create such a monumentally important scene, and I was honored that Matt Wilson and Privateer Press trusted me enough to let me do it. Then the reality of the situation came crashing down. I was going to kill Coleman Stryker, one of the most important characters in the Iron Kingdoms, a character who had long-served as someone you might point to and say, “See that guy? THAT’S WARMACHINE.” In other words, it wasn’t just a big opportunity; it was a big responsibility.

Afraid to actually sit down and do the deed, I wrote around Stryker’s death scene, getting the rest of the story where I wanted it. Then, finally, I took most of a whole day to give Stryker his due and, hopefully, an end that reflected his importance not only to this story but to the entirety of the Iron Kingdoms. It was a bittersweet moment. Emotional even. You spend so much time with a character—three novels’ worth—and get inside their head, learn what makes them tick, and truly enjoy telling their story, and then you have to say goodbye. It was difficult, but ultimately satisfying, to see the story go to a place I believed it should, and I hope I’ve done it justice.

Of course, you might be thinking, what if that final league game went the other way and the story demanded I kill Magnus? Well, I had a plan for that, too, but maybe that’s a story for another day and another Insider.