THE FOREST

The exact location of the Bleakwood is not widely known due to the Cult of Sigmar suppressing such knowledge, but the consensus among scholars of such unholy things is that the Bleakwood is located somewhere near the northeastern border of the Haunted Hills in Sylvania.


PLAYERS

The team was originally composed of the deceased spirits of the former Stirland Blood Bowl team the Blutdorf Badgers. As they venture forth into the world once more they attract all kinds of spectres, ghosts and poltergeists who are thirsty for glory.


TEAM OWNER

The official owner of the team is The Evil Of The Bleakwood. The Evil is a collection of dark spirits, or perhaps a single powerful spirit, that infests the Bleakwood in Sylvania. As it is impossible for The Evil to leave the Bleakwood, it maintains control of the team through its connection to the head coach Erhard Drache.


HEAD COACH / TEAM NECROMANCER

The undying Lich-Coach Erhard Drache. Imbued with the dark necromantic magic of the Bleakwood, Drache is capable of raising the spirits of the recently dead and binding them to his will.


TEAM CAPTAIN

The current team captain is necromancer-turned-wraith Arcanius Niculescu.


STADIUM

The Bleakwood Haunters stadium is the very same forest glade where the team lost their souls to the dark forces of the woods. As part of the deal with CabalVision The Evil Of The Bleakwood has promised to grant safe passage to any visiting teams, but it's still highly recommended to be out of the forest before nightfall.


CHEERLEADER SQUAD

With the return of Henrietta Rosengarten as head cheerleader the "Wailing Wenches" are starting to shape up. Suffering from a knee injury Henrietta herself can't do much dancing and mostly just stands by the sideline, screaming. As of 2020-07-28 she is joined by Lady Ottilia Ehrenberg, making the screaming even more discordant and horrifying.


MASCOT

The team is currently without a mascot. The original players are still fond of their old mascot, Berthold the Badger, while Coach Drache believes that they should switch to a more terrifying mascot to keep with their new image. The Evil Of The Bleakwood is still a bit confused about the whole concept of a mascot. The matter is currently under discussion.


RIVALRY

The team maintained a (more or less) friendly rivalry with Charnel Valley Ouroboros and Pahuax Huntmasters. Unfortunately both teams has since then left the league and the Haunters are currently without a rival.

HALL OF FAME

Conrad Einhorn

Star blitzer Conrad Einhorn was the Haunters team captain and after the loss of Randolf he became the centerpiece for the team, even gaining some notoriety in wider CIBBL circles. Conrad's rise to fame started in the teams second game ever where he earned the Triple X and Youthful Vibrance achievements as well as killing and recruiting Giddeon the Golden, and he continued in the same violent fashion for two years. His unlife was unexpectedly cut short by Avelorn madman Ian Bluesnake in the Haunters game against Eye and Arrow in autumn of season 7.


Lord Randolf Ehrenberg

The former team owner, Randolf was forced to take to the field by The Evil Of The Bleakwood. Randolf thrived on the field and grew ever more powerful, during autumn season year 6 he won the first four games for the team almost single-handedly. His rise to power was cut short by the most unremarkable of players, a plucky catcher of the Pahuax Huntmasters know as "Side-Striped Runner". With his death The Evil Of The Bleakwood is in total control of the team, but at the same time it mourns the loss of its most successful player to date.

SEASONS

Year 10 - Spring, Haunted Hills Regional (1st place)
Drache's comment: "There are many new teams in the Hills this year, and we welcome them! The Haunters are in good form this year, if things continue like this in summer we might even be back in Silver come autumn (dare we even dream of reaching Gold?)."

Year 10 - Winter
Drache's comment: "Another silent winter. We lick our wounds, gather our dark energies, and make ready for spring."

Year 9 - Autumn, Bronze Division (4th place)
Drache's comment: "Another middle position in autumn, and in one of the top divisions to boot. It's not Silver like in year 7 but we're fighting our way back up the charts! We did a fine job this season but the opposition was too stiff. And those accursed Horsemen showed up again and destroyed Grizelda the Black, the banshee that we had such high hopes for. I will see you suffer for this, Kurgan dogs!"

Year 9 - Summer, S.Sang's Sensational Series (3rd place, Hotshots victory)
Drache's comment: "This summer the Haunters unexpectedly teamed up with our old Grudgemaker enemies, the Mountains of Mourn Tyrants, as we helped Craven Hugshots Hotshots claim the top spot!"

Year 9 - Spring, Haunted Hills Regional (1st place)
Drache's comment: "I am very pleased with the teams performance this season, as we claim first place in our region for the second time. Our newly transformed wraiths are proving useful and Grizelda the Black is definitely a rising star, her grace and agility is already the rival of Nicolete herself!"

Year 9 - Winter
Drache's comment: "Another silent winter for the Haunters. The Bleakwood spent the season finishing the great Necromorphosis ritual, turning two of the teams wraiths into more ethereal, elusive variants of their former selves. Let's see how this will affect the ethereal game plan!"

Year 8 - Autumn, Copper Division (4th place)
Drache's comment: "This was a rough one, but we managed to claw our way to a middle position in the end. Those cursed Horsemen finished what they started with Anselma Rosenzepter, forcing an end to her career by smashing her other hip. To replace her the team welcomes banshee Grizelda the Black! Grizelda did a fine show in her first game and we high hopes for her in the coming year."

Year 8 - Summer, Ghorst Brothers Graveyard Invitational (4th place)
Drache's comment: "What an honor to be invited to play on the infamous Ghorst Brothers Graveyard! Unfortunately it didn't go too well for us and fellow Hills team Livin' Thing so the Graveyard title went to another region, this time..."

Year 8 - Spring, Haunted Hills Regional (3rd place)
Drache's comment: "This was a rough season for us, those old corpses Livin' Thing really demolished us this season, and the newcomers Tempelhof Wolves managed to take first place! We'll be back with renewed vigor next spring..."

Year 8 - Winter
Drache's comment: "Once again the Haunters used the winter season to rest, practice, and make plans for the upcoming year."

Year 7 - Autumn, Silver Division (8th place)
Drache's comment: "We were very happy to qualify for silver and it has been an honor to face several of CIBBL's old, established teams. That said we are obviously not happy with a last place in the most important season of the year. The loss of Conrad Einhorn and Theodora Nachtlieb in the third game really crippled us for the rest of the season, the new wraith recruits just didn't have enough time to get ready. Still we are proud to have made it this far, and hopefully, under the leadership of Arcanius Niculescu, the team can make it to the top divisions again."

Year 7 - Summer, Grudgemaker Summer Showdown (1st place, region victory)
Drache's comment: "The teams of Haunted Hills joined together to defeat the visiting barbarians from the Eastern Steppes and Mountains of Mourn, and defeat them we did! Now lets hope the team can shake off any feelings of camaraderie they developed for their fellow Hills players as we prepare to face them again next spring."

Year 7 - Spring, Haunted Hills Regional (1st place)
Drache's comment: "Yes. Yeeeeess. Finally we managed to claim the glory of first place! Of course that was in part due to two entire teams going missing without a trace this season, but those are just the facts of unlife here in the Haunted Hills."

Year 7 - Winter
Drache's comment: "The Haunters played no games this winter season. I think my players deserved some free time to recuperate and haunt their former loved ones."

Year 6 - Autumn, Marble Division (2nd place)
Drache's comment: "This was an excellent season for us, we would even have gotten away with 1st place if it weren't for those meddling pygmies! Losing Lord Ehrenberg was a harsh blow of course, but there's plenty of talent waiting to step up. We're looking forward to the coming year!"

Year 6 - Summer, CabalVision Late Night Special (6th place)
Drache's comment: "Ah, this season did not go so well. But there were also no significant losses and the team has developed nicely. With the coffers full to bursting and the wraiths gaining in power by the week I think we are well prepared for our first autumn season."

Year 6 - Spring, Haunted Hills Regional (2nd place)
Drache's comment: "After a harsh loss against the Hypnopipers we picked up our game and managed to claim second place yet again, despite tough opposition. The team is developing well, I just have to stamp out this Slaanesh nonsense that Giddeon is spreading..."

Year 6 - Winter
Drache's comment: "Our rematch against Charnel Valley Ouroboros resulted in another draw, looking forward to meeting them again next winter! Losing the Hundham Horror was tough, but we struck gold when we managed to sign the up and coming star Nicolete de Mousillon."

Year 5 - Youngbloods XVIII (2nd place)
Drache's comment: "A great start for the team! Everyone did well, we hired some great new talent, and we had some luck in the end getting to 2nd place on a coin toss."

JOURNAL

2021-01-21
After a series of successful summer games it was finally time to face the Kurgan barbarians again. It was a rough game, with both banshees suffering injuries, but the team managed to fight it to a draw! The eastern louts have finally been driven from the Haunted Hills and the team is undefeated through yet another season!

2020-12-06
The Grudgemaker Summer Showdown has started and there has never been so much activity in the Haunted Hills. Visiting teams are travelling back and forth between games, the Carnival has set up their tents, and there are gnoblars everywhere!

2020-10-25
The Haunted Hills are more gloomy than usual: two entire teams seems to have drifted away in the mists. Sudden disappearances are nothing new in this godforsaken region, but it's a sad turn of events for local Blood Bowl fans. Thankfully the half-elves of the Waystone Outcasts are visiting the region this season, nothing lifts the spirits like an infusion of fresh (delicious) blood!

2020-10-11
In an act of combined mourning and celebration after the death of Randolf, The Evil Of The Bleakwood has revealed the Haunters new official team colors: Black. Black as death!

2020-08-18
Today was a day of mixed feelings for the the Bleakwood. With Lord Randolf dead it has lost its best player, but it has also gotten rid of its greatest threat. Erhard Drache and The Evil Of The Bleakwood are now in complete control of the Bleakwood Haunters.

2020-07-15
With the first game of autumn season a victory, team morale is high. The next game is against the frenzied khorne-worshipping thugs of the Black Hearted Bloodseekers, it should be a violent match. Giddeon the Golden looks forward to fighting his chaotic rivals!

2020-06-20
The team is celebrating 20 games played! As part of the celebration The Evil Of The Bleakwood awarded medals to the three players who have played in every single game so far: Otto Hartwich, Goswin Steinhauser and Reinhold Höss. Goswin and Reinhold beamed with pride, Otto howled at the moon and ate his medal.

2020-05-23
When preparing for the evenings prematch ritual The Evil Of The Bleakwood found out that twice the necessary amount of halfling femurs had been ordered, and not enough dwarf eyeballs! Rectifying this administrative blunder set the team back 30,000 gold. A minor incident, but someone has to be exorcised for it!

2020-04-15
Summer season has started out badly for the Haunters. The second game, against the Star Metal Sentinels, almost ended in catastrophe when both banshees were killed by that infernal runic contraption they call Father Grungi. Thankfully they managed to reform again, with a little help from Igor.

2020-03-20
A wave of decadence and debauchery is spreading through the team, and Slaaneshi runes have been found in several players lockers. Coach Drache rightly suspects that Giddeon the Golden is behind this, but he can't sack him since he has proven to be quite a valuable player. He will just have to wait this nonsense out...

2020-02-09
Winter season was almost at an end and the Haunters were getting ready for spring when a Kurgan horde entered the Bleakwood! The Evil Of The Bleakwood accepted the Kurgan challenge and the Haunters took to the field, but were unable to match the ferociousness of the eastern barbarians. After the game the Kurgans left to wreak havoc elsewhere, carrying off a large number of Haunter fans as they went.

2020-02-04
The Hundham Horror is dead! The townspeople of Hundham are celebrating, the nightmare is finally over! As for the Bleakwood Haunters, even though losing the Horror was a severe blow to the team the players don't really seem to mind. The Horror was never that easy to get along with...

2020-01-29
The Youngbloods XVIII tournament has concluded! The Pahuax Huntmasters got a well deserved 1st place, while the Bleakwood Hunters won 2nd place after a coin toss tie breaker with the Charnel Valley Ouroboros. In the following winter season the Haunters and the Mahrak team played a friendly game as an unofficial decider, but ended up drawing yet again. A friendly rivalry has arisen between the two undead teams, and they look forward to meeting each other yet again during one of next years seasons.

2020-01-20
It's the final moments of the Youngbloods tournament, The Evil Of The Bleakwood watches each game with great interest!

2019-12-23
The team is shaken to the core! Having thought themselves invincible, being ethereal, they recently lost their first player as Theobald Weinbaums ectoplasm caught fire after a savage block from a fire elemental in their recent game against elemental team Terror-Firma.

2019-12-21
The Haunters have played their first home game on The Haunted Glade, resulting in a win against Slaanesh team Frederheim Renegades. The Renegades seemed to get more and more unlucky as the game went on, tripping on suddenly appearing roots and being harried by halfglimpsed shadows. CIBBL representatives suspect that The Evil Of The Bleakwood directly interfered in the game to favor its own team. Witch Hunters have been dispatched to investigate.

2019-12-16
Returning from the Land of the Dead after a draw against the philosopher skeletons of Mahrak. It has been good to be away from the stench of the living for a while.

2019-12-14
Camping in the Charnel Valley. The giant statues that stalk the valley are truly awe-inspiring.

2019-12-13
The team is traveling to the Land of the Dead for their opening game against Charnel Valley Ouroboros, in Mahrak.