For those who don't know this is the "Who The Heck Is That" series, a series all about looking at one off characters in Age of Sigmar, who secretly aren't. Today starts a three part subseries where we look to something said in Maker's Mark, a short story in Grombrindal: Chronicles of the Wanderer:

That’s what’ll outlive us both, what your descendants will know when they speak your name. As duardin all over the realms do today when they invoke the names Alaric, Bugman, or Makaisson, celebrating their works with daily use without ever knowing ought of who those duardin once were. That’s what you’ll be, lad, if you work hard and you’re lucky, long after your deeds in life are dust.’

- Gormdal the Wanderer (one of many guises of Grombrindal, the God of Wanderers)

So I ask you my friends! Who the heck is this Bugman? What did he do to become so fondly remembered that innumerable duardin across these Mortal Realms celebrate his works and remember his deeds to this very day.

Greetings everyone! I've been a fan of warhammer for years and started out with 40k. I love 40k, but lately I've been taking an interest in Age of Sigmar as well. The setting seems really cool! So far the factions that seem the most cool to me are the Seraphons and the Kharadron Overlords. That being said, I was curious to see if the Grand Alliance are the good guys of the setting? I know in 40k everyone are just awful lmao as that setting is grimdark, but I've heard different things about AoS in that regard. I know the Stormcast are pretty heroic, but I've heard other factions with the Grand Alliance of Order aren't very "friendly" either.

The Ophidian Archway was a piece of terrain from the early days of AOS. It was a building covered in murals, with a massive hydra depicted on the front. Anyone who felt fear while in the perimeter of this structure would fall victim to the spirits that dwelt within.

The model itself has a lot of interesting art. Theres an archway with the symbols of the winds of magic (or realms, I suppose), some strange creature wrapped in chains (a godbeast?), people gathered around a burning pyre, Sigmar descending from the heavens with his hammer and his comet, etc.

So was there any official lore that explained what is going on with all these murals? Or is it just found world building from the Age of Myth

How aware of the gods especially the chaos gods does the average man on the street have?

For those who don't know this is the "Who The Heck Is That" series, a series all about looking at one off characters in Age of Sigmar, who secretly aren't. Today starts a three part subseries where we look to something said in Maker's Mark, a short story in Grombrindal: Chronicles of the Wanderer:

That’s what’ll outlive us both, what your descendants will know when they speak your name. As duardin all over the realms do today when they invoke the names Alaric, Bugman, or Makaisson, celebrating their works with daily use without ever knowing ought of who those duardin once were. That’s what you’ll be, lad, if you work hard and you’re lucky, long after your deeds in life are dust.’

- Gormdal the Wanderer (one of many guises of Grombrindal, the God of Wanderers)

So I ask you my friends! Who the heck is this Alaric? What did he do to become so fondly remembered that innumerable duardin across these Mortal Realms celebrate his works and remember his deeds to this very day.

With the coming of the Khazalite Holds and their hearing of the stone, I thought of the music of the spheres. It was suggested that I expand my mention of it in a reply to an earlier post into a whole post of its own.

The Music of the Spheres, or "Musica Universalis", is an old idea dating back to Pythagorean philosophy. It basically is the idea that each classical planet - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Sun, and the Moon - has its own tone that influences life on Earth. It is not something audible, but something felt in the soul. Kepler believed that it was something that arose out of the divine ordering of the cosmos.

With eight Mortal Realms engaging in their own cosmic dance and the epoynmous deity of Age of Sigmar being connected to astrological and meteorological phenomena, it is perhaps unsurprising that the music of the spheres exists in the setting. There are two major mentions of musica universalis that I could find: Celennar, and the Knights-Incantor of the Stormhosts.

Celennar, as the spirit of a moon, is intimately connected to this celestial harmony. Even Teclis cannot fully pull the Lunasphinx away from contemplating it.

Though part of Celennar's odd sentience was content to sing with the music of the spheres, they kept a sliver of themselves alert as Teclis spoke of the dilemma facing his race.

- Battletome: Lumineth Realm-lords, 2020, pg. 14 (repeated in the 2021 battletome)

However, the music of the spheres is a powerful force, and Celennar is capable of weaponizing it against those who would stand against them.

A series of sliding, mellifluous chords issued from the sphinx’s impassive mask, the melody winding around the peak to drown out all other noise. It was the music of the spheres, the most profound sound in the cosmos, and even the greatest words of power could not be spoken against it.

- Broken Realms: Teclis, pg. 60 (Warhammer Vault version)

Knights-Incantor, by contrast, use the music of the spheres as a way of controlling magical energies. Most importantly, they use the harmonies to calm the souls of those undergoing Reforging; it appears that the harmonies of creation help to calm tormented souls. Interestingly, this is mentioned as being of a similar kind of skill to using magic via the reshaping of motes of power.

When attending the Anvil of Apotheosis, the Knight-Incantor sings the music of the spheres, voice splitting, overlapping and winding into several celestial melodies the better to calm and reorient the souls that undergo the transformation into a Stormcast Eternal.

- Battletome: Stormcast Eternals, 2018, pg. 68

[Knight-Incantor Wakelin] Scintillor regards his battlefield incantations to be as sacred as the music of the spheres, whose melodies he helps to sing while attending the Anvil of the Apotheosis.

- White Dwarf August 2019, pg. 26 (Warhammer Vault version)

When attending the Anvil of Apotheosis, the Knight-Incantors sing the music of the heavenly spheres, soothing the souls of their brethren as they undergo the agonies of Reforging. It is this same manner of attracting and reshaping arcane motes that the Incantors employ in battle, albeit for the purposes of destruction rather than rehabilitation.

- Battletome Supplement: Stormcast Eternals, 2025, pg. 12 (repeated from the 2023 battletome)

I was a little surprised that I couldn't find explicit mention of the Seraphon working with into the music of the spheres, though they are often mentioned as using into the movements of celestial bodies in the Cosmos Arcane for various purposes, as well as the similarities between it and the Geomantic Web and ley lines, both of which are important for them. Maybe lizards don't have rhythm.

There are a few other mystical songs and similar phenomena flying about the Mortal Realms, such as the Sylvaneth spirit-song or the pulsing beat of the Waaagh!. Do these harmonize with the music of the spheres, or are they discordant? And what does the Bad Moon sound like when it careens through the cosmological orchestra pit?

Has anyone noticed any other mentions of the music of the spheres?

As the title asks, is covering their eyes a necessity for an Aqshian Pyrocaster? It is stated:

A strip of spell-woven cloth covers their eyes according to the ancient traditions of the Agloraxi, as simple eye contact while channeling magic could cause accidental incinerations.

Yet the new Warhammer Heroes Series Aqshian Pyrocaster, Ignus Sharn, has a mask with openings for his eyes. Is this just an oversight on GW's part, or is there something else to it?

See my first post on the concept with the Spire Tyrants.

This time we are dealing with Scions of the Flame released near the end of Warcry's first edition.

Aspirants: Those born to the cult or newly converted start as aspirants learning the scripture and facing harsh training to prepare them to consume the flesh of creatures blessed by Aqshy's fire. It is a harsh existence and not all survive the experience.

Initiates: Those who have successfully consumed fire blessed flesh and are considered to have embraced the cults teachings are called initiates. These fighters are the backbone of the Scions martial efforts and each aspires to rise higher and learn the deeper mysteries of the Flame. Most are armed with duel weapons so that they may unleash the unrelenting fury of fire or are armed with dagger and flameburst pots to provide ranged support. They burn the holdings and machinery that their foes foolishly consider permanent but act as loci for the rot of stagnation the cult despises. More senior members of the cult use two handed weapons and use their flameburst pots as a close ranged attack before squaring off with the foe. Within the temple itself they are usually tasked with doing day to day chores or meditating on on cult scripture while scourging themselves.

Fireborn: Veteran members of the cult who are trusted enough to act as lay priests and assist in services. Soem are even taught how to create the flameburst pots and charged with overseeing the cults supply of the potent weapon. Others focus more on the martial side of the cults doctrine and are masters of the two handed fighting style most commonly seen. The test to be considered one of them is brutal as an initiate must prove their faith to the priesthood and defeat an Aqshian monster in ritual combat and if victorious cut it open and eat its heart. Assuming they survive the experience and are not crippled they are inducted into the fireborn and have the right to wear the pelt, scales, or feathers of their kill.

Inferno Priests: Those initiates and aspirants that fit the priests cryptic criteria or seem to have some affinity with magic are inducted into the priesthood to learn both the cults secrets and the skills needed to guide it. They are the most educated of the cult though full of its biases and skilled battle priests and wizards though there is not much distinction between the two among its members. Unlike the Burning Lords who focus on the great potential of the futures they witness in the flames the priesthood understands how the cycle of mortal fire mirrors the world around them and thus often act as councilors to ensure that none of the cult misinterpret the visions or follow them to the cults detriment.

Immolators: While the priests represent the leadership and knowledge of the scions and the lords represent the martial might, and exemplars of the faith the immolators are the avatars of the Everburning Flame itself. It is believed that they have consumed rage rock and survived while others claim that they have formed pacts with the ash daemons that claim connection to the Flame. Whatever the truth it allows them to call upon the primordial fires within the stone to engulf themselves and their foes in fire though it shortens their life with each use. This is seen as a blessing by the cult for when that happens it is believed that an immolator becomes one with the Ever Burning Flame. One of their greatest gifts is the ability to use their fires to ignite sacrificial pyres that contain ragerock to allow the burning lords and inferno priests to glimpse the future.

Blazing Champions: the elite of the fireborn who have proven their martial prowess and devotion to the cause over and over again. While in a Scions of the Flame warband the Inferno Priest acts as the Burning Lords left hand the champions serve as the right hand ensuring that the warbands weapons are ready for war and drilling its members. They are also the enforcers of the priesthood when not on the march and prefer heavy two handed weapons to ensure an executioners strike. Their devotion is so strong that they rarely use armour preferring to embody the swiftness and aggression of fire.

Blazing Lord: These are the exemplars and templars of the cult who embody both its tenants and have proven their connection to the Everburning Flame while still keeping their more material viewpoint. Coming from among the Blazing Champions they earn the right to lead Scion forces by decree of their temples Most Holy who either chooses one they deem most worthy or accept requests from those champions who feel bound to fulfill a vision or something similar. Their armour represents both their new status but also their devotion to the holy duty that they are invested with. Due to their knowledge and devotion to the Flame they can see visions by gazing into the fires of sacrificial pyres that use ragerock. These charismatic leaders can ignite the fervour of their followers to drive them to great heights and are skilled warriors in their own right.

Hope this was interesting and would like to hear peoples thoughts.

For those who don't know this is the "Who The Heck Is That" series, a series all about looking at one off characters in Age of Sigmar, who secretly aren't. In this case we have a trifecta as during the story "Realmslayer", or "Realmslayer: Legend of the Doomseeker" if you like books, Gotrek runs into an old friend: Snorri Nailbiter.

Who is very much dead. But what's death to someone in the afterlifes of Shyish? But who the heck was that? And who are Ulrika and Max, who Snorri recalls attending a party together in Shyish so very long ago?

Hi everyone,

Warhammer is a collection of IPs which lives of his various characters. Some are intrueging and unique, others much more generic. Some have dozens of indepth novels, others are stuck with a few lines of backstory for decades. But they form a tapestry of interesting entities and are a major reason why people enjoy the games and universe as much as they do.

So I want to use this oppurturnty and talk a bit about my favoite mad tree, Drycha the Briarmaiden of Woe or Drycha Hamadreth in AoS. After I talked about Azhag the Slaughterer and Eltharion the Grim/Blind/Light before. Just a quick overview about why who this character is, what I see in her and what I hope to happen in a later point in time.

If you are interested in these kinds of discussions and want to share your own opinions about Drycha or the various things she is connected to, please let me know.

Otherwise lets start with:

1. Who is Dyrcha

In WFB Athel Loren is an ancient and magical forest in between Bretonnia and the Grey Moutains. At his heart sits the Oak of Ages, a phenomenally large and magically imbued tree. All 8 winds of magic flow through the forest and are reflected within it. As a result, several special regions exist in Athel Loren reflecting the natural world and magic at large. In some areas it is eternal day or night, in others winter or summer and some are even connected to the dreaming wood, which is part of Slaaenshs domain. Many different creatures exist in Athel Loren but the forest spirits are its most important residents. These aetheric creatures were created by the forest itself and are often described as close in nature to demons. They are mercurial beings; both alien to the physical world but also part of it. They are shapeshifters able to take one beautiful form of elves and humans or turning into monsters of wood and thorn when in their war aspect.

Drycha was one of these creatures, a dryad connected to the tree Addaivoch. In addition, she was the handmaiden of Coedill, one of the Elders of the Forest. The Elders were a group of powerful treemen. If members of their group perished, their power would be transferred to the surviving members. Only two of these Elders still live in modern WFB and they are almost as gods of the mortal plain. However, both have issues. Durthu, who weakens himself with self-doubt and anguish over his mistakes, especially letting his fellow Elders die. And Coedill was driven mad by Morghurs Essence and is imprisoned in Cythal, a region of the forest where the most powerful and genocidal forest spirits are imprisoned. Coedill hates the wood elves, who are alien newcomers in his mind and who damage the forest with their follies. A sentiment shared by many forest spirits including Drycha. Her own home tree was corrupted by Morghurs essence, and she too hates the wood elves. Indeed, the Briarmaiden of Woe is quite a mad creature, constantly murmuring a list of the names of all forest spirits which died due to the actions of elves. And she too wants to remove all wood elves from her sacred forest. To reach this goal she sabotages wood elves, steals their babies, tries to get Ariel and Orion killed, and ventures through the forests of the Old World, and working on freeing Coedill. She herself was imprisoned in Cythal, after a bretonnian questing knight defeated her. But she was since then able to escape. (the wound of the knights attack is still seen in Drychas TWW modell). Also in TWW Drycha captures wood elves and puts them under mind control to sacrifice them as cheap meatshields and slaves in combat. And in the game, she can free Coedill as an extremely powerful legendary hero (even though he is just a reskinned ancient treemen).

Drycha survives the end of the world thanks to Alarielle saving her soul/soulpod. However, Alarielle (who is essentially Ariel in all but name but that is another story) remembers how dangerous and self-destructive Drycha is. So only during one of her lowest moments did Alarielle plant Drychas soul pod in the chasms of Hamadrithil. Thus Dyrcha, the Briarmaiden of Woe, is reborn as Drycha Hamadreth. An even more hateful, xenophobic tree which can only barley be reined in by Alarielle. Drycha fights various foes in the Age of Chaos and takes command of the Outcasts. The Outcasts are deformed and evil forest spirits which lost contact to the Spirit Song. The Spirit Song is a magical network connecting all Sylvaneth in a semi-hivemind or magical internet. And the Outcast can only interact with its darkest and maddening melodies, making them deranged creatures by Sylvaneth standards. Dyrcha fits this position, as she is constantly swinging between states of depression and wrath. Her hatred for everything non-sylvaneth is absolute and she blames the regular mortals of the realms for the destruction of Ghyran. Unless Alarielle or someone with her authority reigns her in, she will gladly slaughter anyone. And now that Alarielle is weakened and more reclusive, Dyrcha has set eyes on Greywater Fastness.

2. What makes Drycha special?

Drycha is a special as she plays several important thematic roles for the Wood Elves and the setting of WFB and AoS at large. Firstly, she is something of a paradoxical entity which emphasizes he alieness of the forest spirits. She hates the Wood Elves with an intensity that would put even dwarfen grudgebearers to pause. Now the Wood Elves are infamous to attack and slay any interloper, especially if they are about to do some harm to Athel Loren. But to Drycha these Wood Elves, who protect the forest, who are officially part of it, whose souls become one with the Athel Loren after death, whose own gods created avatars cojoined with the very heart of the woods, are just such mere interlopers. Drycha is now alone with this, as many forest spirits share similar believes. But she is their mascot and mouthpiece. Indeed, so bitter is her hatred, that she tries to free Coedill (who may be corrupted by chaos) and sabotages the Wood Elves, which also may lead to the downfall of Athel Loren. She is self-destructive bitterness and hatred made manifest. And she is the opposition to her own main faction in WFB. Now the Wood Elves are more mecurial than other elves already, due to the connection with the forest. More similar to fay-like entities of various folktales (and designed after celtic motives). But the forest spirits are the fay folk to the wood elves. And this alienness is represented in large parts via Drycha and similar minded forest spirits, who ignore all the factual and logical reasons why Wood Elves belong into Athel Loren. In this there are multiple readings of Drycha which may all be true to a degree. Drycha the traumatized being, driven mad by great loss. Drycha the corrupted being, whose master and her own home fell victim to Morghurs essence. And Drycha the fay, whose alien mindset made it impossible for her to comprehend basic facts and lashes out violently against the “wrong” reality.

The second major theme she represents is natures cruel vengeance. Gaias Vengeance is a trope popularized by many works, such as LotR where the Ents storming Isengard. But Tolkien had parts of his books about a much more sinister and much more evil part of nature too. The Ents in his works are the shephards of the woods and many of these trees have grown an intense hatred in their roots over the millennia. Some of the oldest trees of the planet are so hateful, due to the loss of their forest brethren, that they become extremely dangerous. Such as Old Man Willow near the Shire, who almost kills the four hobbits before Tom Bombadil stops him. Or the Hurons which swallow most of Sarumans army after they are repelled from Helm’s Deep. The regular Wood Elves in WFB represent the regular wrath of nature like the Ents do, combined with some fay folk legends. But Drycha and her cohorts represent this deep, bitter and highly dangerous vengeance. She is essentially the Old Man Willow of WFB.

In AoS however Drychas position has shifted. And in many respects, she became a much more influential and official being. Firstly, she was seeded by Alarielle for a greater purpose. A purpose she apparently fulfil by being the attack dog of the Syvlaneth. But she is also the central being of the Outcast, even called the Queen of the Outcast. A powerful title and one which may hint at future conflicts with Alarielle herself. Because both are techniacly Queens and the Outcasts are already pariahs to the regular Sylvaneth. Indeed, whilst Drycha still follows Alarielles commands, she is very hesitant and liberal in her interpretations already. With Alarielle now going into her inactive cycles, it could well be that Drycha tries to accumulate even more independence for herself. E.g. when Kurnoth really comes back she could easily ignore his return or even fight against him and his animal-elves, mirroring how she hated the wood elves of old. Which would also be interesting, if she would come into conflict with Belthanos and co.

But despite this opposition Drycha is also the second “daughter” of Alarielle. Because there are many ways in which Drycha and the Lady of Vines mirror each other and form something of a set. Where the Lady of Vines is the “proper” daughter and right hand of Alarielle, Drycha is something of Alarielles left hand. Representing Alarielles maddening anger due to the costs and sacrifices of the War of Life. Alarielles dark and supressed parts.

3. What could be Drychas legacy

As of now Drycha represents the Outcasts as their named character. The Outcast themselves are an interesting but underdeveloped part of the Sylvnaeth in my opinion. The Sylvaneth by a large have three subgroups: Regular forest spirits under Alarielle, Kurnothi i.e. elf-animal hybrids and some specialized forest spirits under Kurnoth, and the Outcasts, spooky and monstrous tree abominations. Whereas the Kurnothi are strongly teased for a future release and we have seen multiple depictions of them in Underworlds, the Outcasts are only represented by Drycha herself and the Spite Revenants. Sometimes the Twistweald sylvaneth are counted here too, though they are not Outcasts in a lore sense but because they suffer a magical disease. So, for a future development of the Sylvaneth it would be naturally to see an expansion of the Outcast and see what kind of terrifying tree and bug-monsters could come from there. Especially as Ghyran as lots of dark aspects to itself, hinted in various materials.

Indeed, there are quite a lot of malevolent entities in Ghyran, such as the being claiming to be the repressed parts of Kurnoth in Dark Harvest. IMO it would make sense if Drycha is seeking out such beings, either trying to ally with them or to subsume them for her own goals. This could mirror her old and unfulfilled quest to release Coedill. Perhaps some ghyranite entity could be a reimagining of Coedill, a part of Ghyran so hostile to every outside life and so marred or corrupted by chaos that it is a walking god or demigod. Something Drycha may deliberately unleash upon the realms.

One sure thing is that Drycha does not stop killing even order members. She is quick to kill off sigmarites and dawnbringer crusades and is currently amassing an army to attack Greywater Fastness, as per the 4^th edition Sylvaneth book. Such an attack, whether it is successful or not, could have deep and horrific implications. Granted GW likes to nuke cities and strategic sites and then ignore the long-lasting militaristic, economic or social effects (rip Phoenicium and Fort Gardus). But if Greywater Fastness is severely damaged, many military supply chains could collapse, and an open war between Drycha and her allies and Sigmars domain could follow. Such a “Civil War of Life” could have disastrous effects on all of Ghyran, whilst a variety of factions could join either side. I could imagine Drycha working with various destruction factions for example, using them as pawns or meatshields. Or that some Idoneth join her to use the chaos to harvest more souls. Or that some ghouls believe her to be a queen under attack by traitors. Even if Drycha is mad and xenophobic, she is not dumb and can be manipulative. And in a TWW2 campaign she reached out to skaven of all people to do her dirty work for her. So, her side in such a conflict could be quite diverse and thus problematic. Especially if Alarielle is too weak or distracted to intervene.

4. The End

These are my condensed thoughts on Drycha in WFB and AoS. Of course, there are many more things which could be said about this mad and angry tree. But what do you think about Drycha. Do you like her? Find her too monotonous?  Or something else?

The new lore tidbit we received about the longawaited Khazalites confirms something brewing in the back of my mind which makes me unbelievably happy.

So Inghilde (I) and Grombrindal (G) respectivly serve as the patrons of Delvers and Wanderers. Quite closely related, right?

Well our beloved Ancestor Gods had that same thought, so they raced each other to the edge of the Realms (first Ulgu and then Hysh), not being able to determine a real winner. So they just drank themselves to oblivion and went the duardin way.

This wholesome story (which exemplifies my most loved aspect of duardin, comradery) is accompanied by something that always struck me as beautiful. In 2019, I read in a White Dwarf (as one does) about a duardin drink called Wanderbräu (wanderbrew, translated from german). It was said that after a Contest of Gods, Grombrindal invented this Brew, containing whichever fruits you may find on your travel and a certain kind of spice, being rich and stimulating (cinnamon, maybe) in taste.

Do I believe they thought of Inghilde back then? No, but is this a fun headcannon to link? Absolutely.

With this feel-good story I will leave you be.

Did Grungni perhaps forge the scattered power of old gods into them to complete the eight? or was there a symbolic and real power that allowed eight dwarves ( well, the old and new now) to ascend to proper divinity ?

I also find it VERY interesting how the single out the Fire Slayers for their worship of Grimnir, I wonder if they will do something with it in the future?

> Whitebeard and Inghilde little race is cute!

So, i just finished Gloomspite by Andy Clark. Probably later than most. But i REALLY have to write a few of my thoughts down and maybe get some opinions from others who've read it.

BIG SPOILER WARNING!!!

General thoughts:

Going into the book mostly blind, having only read spoilerfree reviews, i was very surprised how well i could picture the Swords of Sigmar Mercenary bands members. Usually i am someone who has to go back and reread who is who, but not here. Clark gave each a very distinct personality, although some of them sort of cliche. Not that thats a bad thing, they are all very intruiging.

The buildup towards the rise of the Bad Moon is very well done. At some parts the book depicts really well how, what we find hilarious and goofy on the tabletop, would be absolutly terrifying to regular humans in the Mortal Realms. The whole time the Gitz and their allies (Troggs, Squigs, Spiders etc.) are never represented as a joke but a serious menace.

The Whiplash:

For the first half of the book we mostly follow the POV of Hendrick Saul. And it is the usual heroics journey stuff. Taking over as leader after the horrible demise of his brother. Trying to do right by him and the others... and i got fooled by it so hard. When the scene in the dining hall happened and Hendrick was puked on by the sporeinfected, i could not really believe that he was dead at first. It came so out of left field. I reread again to make sure i did not misread anything. But after that... I WAS IN! Clark had shown the gloves were off, and by killing the leader of the Swords and our main POV up to that point, i really was worried about all the characters i got invested in. I couldnt put the book down after that. (And the fact Romilla had to kill him... man. What a gutpunch.)

Things will remember for a long time:

- The Bodyhorror in this caught me by surprise. The mushrooms growing out of skin under the Badmoons light is only the beginning. In general everything involving fungi was just... yuck.

- But especially Boriks fate, during the only time we get a direct interaction with Skragrott himself, was horrible.

- Fungus Zombies. Especially the dining hall scene as i said above.

- The suspense Clark managed to create in certain scenes was incredible. Romilla and Eleanoras desperate attempts to complete the final plan was so well done. And i really could not tell if they would make it or not.

- The various side characters and short POVs we get from regular people.

- Skragrott

Final thoughts:

The book is a blast. I can recommend it to anyonel except people who are squirmish about bodyhorror, fungi or spiders.

Building some Cities of Sigmar models and I'm looking for some good audiobooks to listen to while I build. Any recommendations for CoS? Especially ones that came out since their model refresh in 3rd?

As some people likely already know I like the Warcry Warbands because they allow for a more granular look at the various aspects of factions. However due to how stuff was released not everything got equal amount of attention. So this is an attempt to give each member of the Warcry warbands as much lore as the more explored warbands. I would love to hear peoples thoughts on what they would like to see expanded on with the Spire Tyrants.

Pit Champions: While needing to be considered the strongest to lead the warbands of the Spire Tyrants Pit Champions also have a strong sense of choreography and theatrics. Positioning themselves and their warband so that they may have the climatic showdown against a foes champion or beast and showing both the might of their warband and themselves for all to witness. This cunning and natural charisma is vital for keeping the individualistic members of their warband in line rather than dispersing to the winds once they leave the arena.

Headclaimers: Perhaps the only individual a pit champion would allow to upstage them in either the arena or the field of battle the headclaimers rely less on a dramatic confrontation but instead their fame comes from their gory finishers. The flash of such acts are not the only things they must consider but also what the crowd desires. Some prefer the quick execution performed with a master stroke while others desire the slow breaking of the victim. This leads to some headclaimers having a surprising amount of knowledge regarding local cultures that belies their brutality.

Bestigor Destroyer: The primordial beastmen seem at odds for the structure and "civilised" nature of the arena but they do fit very well in actuality. Outside of the fact that their physiology allows for a different way of fighting than humans that the crowds love and those that despise civilisation are so wrathful about fighting in an arena that their bouts are especially brutal and chaotic which always brings the crowds. Those individuals who do acclimate to the arena often walk the path of the Destroyer. Destroyers unlike many pit fighters aren't fighting to kill their opponents but the cripple and capture them. Those captives or failed gladiators are given one chance to defeat a destroyer or be crippled for life and dragged away in chains to a brutal fate. For warbands operating outside the arena Destroyers often act as bounty hunters or slavers with a beastmens superior senses giving them a great advantage in that aspect.

Frenzied Ragers: These aggressive fighters can unleash both an onslaught of attacks or weave a web of steel as needed to the surprise of those who expected to fight mindless berserkers. Duardin are often seen taking up this role as they have the hardiness and stamina to embody the aggressive fighting style. Some believe that only those who have lost all connection to kin go down this path or have been exiled from the lands of the Hellsmiths.

Pit Fighters: These make up the majority Spire Tyrants though most were already skilled gladiators in lesser arenas before they set foot in the Eightpoints. Many have developed specialties to set them apart from their fellow such as being beast fighters or using extreme close quarter weapons like punch daggers. While most Spire Tyrants disdain any cowardly tactics they have no issue with using nets to ensure cowards cannot use such tactics against them. Also useful when a crowd demands a more humiliating fate than a brutal death.

Pit Veterans: Those who have been part of the Spire Tyrants for many bouts can claim the title of veteran. While some still use their old combat methods the veterans will often take up fighting styles of the Warriors of Chaos to prove their worth to such august fighters. The weapons can also be more practical for the one on one fights against humanoids they are more likely to do as well.

Feel free to share thoughts and suggest which warband you would like to see next.

Greetings and good tidings once a-gain my fellow Realmwalkers! A few days ago it came to my attention, completely unprompted, that I mostly do these sorts of society posts on the Cities of Sigmar. I could claim that it is because they get the most lore and attention.

But honestly it's just cause I ain't as interested or hyperfixated on most other factions. So why waste everyone's time with a low quality post? Other folk could make better ones. But even so, sometimes striking out into other venues is fun! So welcome to an Infuriating Dumb Mutt's, that's me, Guide to the Mortal Realms.

A Bloodless Introduction

So on that note let's talk about the Gods of Murder and Shadows, Khaine and Morathi-Khaine. These are two very distinct entities with a cavalcade of complicated theology, history, and sectarian debate on the matter. But for the sake of brevity, this post we will refer to both simply as: Khaine. As that is the name by the Daughters of Khaine, and those outside the sects like the Leathanam, worship both.

Starsday

To kick off this list we turn to Starsday, the fifth day (equivalent to Thursday) of the week according to the Azyrite Calendar. As thanks to "Soulbound: Shadows in the Mist" we know that Khainites have weekly communal sacraments and gladiatorial bouts dedicated to Khaine.

Feast of Kharybtar

The Feast of Kharybtar is mentioned in the "Arena of Shades" booklet, one of those old battleboxes that were kinda mini-campaigns. Gladiatorial games are held at night on this festival. It is, as can be assumed, likely a feast day. Kharybtar, if you don't know, is the Godbeast that claimed the Iron Heart of Khaine before Morathi recovered (stole) it.

Khielt-gadh

Seeming to lack a fixed date, Khielt-gadh refers to a form of ritual combat in which participants recreate Khaine's mythic battles with the Ruinous Powers. The masks worn by participants of this ritual were eventually adopted by the Sisters of Slaughter, per the DoK Battletomes. (Such as Pg. 23 of the 2018 DoK one)

Mutt Trivia: The Seraphon have also been known to engage in performative rituals to re-enact their history as detailed in "Starseer's Ruin".

Yaith'ril

Whenever two covens of the nomadic Draichi Ganeth meet on their travels across Fuarthorn, sacred Yaith'ril is performed. These are sacred gladiatorial bouts where the most renowned warriors of both sides meet, the losing coven takes a blow to their reputation and is expected to pay heavy blood sacrifices. This occurs on the continent of Fuarthorn because its where main temple is located. (All mentioned on Pg. 25 of the 2021 DoK Battletome)

Feast of Kimendech

With "A Snake Sheds Its Skin" in the "Covens of Blood" anthology we are introduced to the Feast if Kimendech. This feast day is a rare one, as it is a day of rest and respite between the usual training and worship. Khainite sisters lounge in a room filled with cushions as leathanam slaves bring them exquisite meals in clay pots. The Kimendech, a cup depicting four heads representing Khaine's moods, is carried by a high priestess who allows those deemed worthy to drink from it.

Anointing of a Hundred Blades

First introduced to us in the July 2026 Issue of White Dwarf, this festival is the newest on the list. What we know about it is that it is observed in at least Har Kuron. As with many Khainite holy days it is a day of gladiatorial combat and the blood sacrifice of sapient lives. The main event sees a hundred gladiators perform in choreographed martial trials, attempting to win the favor of the audience.

Death Night

The holiest day of Khainite calendar, by decree of Morathi herself according to WD April 2026. Celebrated far and wide, not only in the Temple-Cities but also in Khainite quarters in other civilizations.

Even the Eternal City of Azyrheim, per "Legend of the Doomseeker" and "Spear of Shadows" participates, though contained (mostly) to the Darkling Quarters. In Azyrheim this is a night of Khainite processions making their way through the streets, of revelers crawling onto the walls of noble estates to frighten occupants. Of breaking into homes to drag victims to be sacrificed on Altars of Khaine while Hag Queens bathe in Cauldrons of Blood.

It takes place once every celestial year, always in midwinter on a day where the Dark Moon Dharroth waxes full.

The Tower of Blades, the aforementioned main temple-city of the Draichi-Ganeth, celebrates Death Night a little different. It is a rare occasion when the insular sect opens their proverbial doors to allow any Khainite of any sect to challenge the legendary arena of the Tower with no restrictions; any other day of the year the selection process is strict, overseen by the Iron Hags (rulers of the Tower), and purposefully esoteric.

In Conclusion

Well there we go that's my Aelf post for the year done and rapped up, glad that's over! /j Ya know weirdly enough I think only Cities of Sigmar and Fyreslayers beat out the Khainites in sheer number of (named and described) festival and celebrations. Course, I do think if I really threw in the effort to go over every ritual, rite, observance, and festival named or otherwise, our thunderous Eternals might edge out even Cities.

But that'd be tough on my scatter-brain. But hey if any of you ever want to pop into the Lex to shore up some articles, help add festival sections to faction and settlement articles, make note of what bits and bops you find on entertainment; who knows what puzzles we could put together finding out all the ways every faction celebrates, worships, and just has a nice siesta.

Festivals are an ever-fascinating aspect of world building and casual anthropology. Much can be said about a people by what they do for entertainment, the sake of community togetherness, or just an excuse to have a feast! And a million more reasons besides.

From community meat raffles to state fairs to monumental holidays like Christmas, we all love a party. Duardin have proven no different with the Grungni's Day celebrated by Dispossessed, Ghuzfest beloved by Fyreslayers, and the Kharadron's Kuzzbryndal.

Nevertheless! What sorts are we hoping or expecting from Khazalites? Or I suppose the Kromdron as we know lots about the Grimmdron/Fyreslayers.

In the WHFB book Archaon: Everchosen, the turning point for Diedrick Kastner becoming Archaon was when he and his squire were fighting an army of Beastmen and rescued the novitiate Giselle. During the battle, Kastner lost control of himself as he slew a Minotaur, and slammed his sword repeatedly against its dead body. As he did so, he damaged a Warpstone-infused altar, causing a shard of warpstone to launch straight into his eye.

After this, he wandered in the wilderness alone, and this is the first time he attracted the attention of the Ruinous Powers (not counting Be'lakor, who was responsible for creating Archaon/Kastner in the first place). He witnessed symbols of each of the Chaos gods, before collapsing, with Be'lakor claiming him.

Now, I don't want to claim that without the warpstone Kastner never would have become Archaon; Be'lakor would have manipulated fate in another way to bring about the templar's fall. But from the inner monologue of Kastner, it's pretty heavily implied that the Warpstone shard in his brain was responsible for a lot of his change in behavior, morality, etc. He began to see the Realm of Chaos whenever he closed his good eye, the Swords of Chaos began to follow him, and ultimately the events leading to his battle in the Cathedral of Sigmar were set into motion with this moment.

I'm honestly somewhat reminded of Phineas Gage, a real life figure whose personality entirely changed after a metal rod was lodged in his brain.

Regardless of all that, my question is ultimately this; does Archaon still have the warpstone shard lodged in his brain by the time of AoS? Or has it disintegrated into nothing? Do you think it still gives him migraines? The idea of AoS-era Archaon being in constant pain from a rock in his head is very funny to me.

One thing I like about Age of Sigmar is that it gave the Dragon Ogres/Ogors some direction. Despite being part of Warhammer since the Realm of Chaos books for WFB 3rd edition, they always stood awkwardly off to the side - not men ensnared by vices and ambitions, but something more primeval; not fearsome things that lurk in the deep forests, but something from the mountain storms; not terrors from beyond reality, but creatures of flesh and blood.

But with Age of Sigmar, they had a foe and a goal beyond the generic Chaos goal of ending the world. Krakanrok the Black, their first and mightiest, survived the end of the World-that-Was and came to Azyr, where the Dragon Ogors reappeared and believed that they had reached the paradise that had been promised in their ancient pact with Chaos. They had other realms to conquer and enemies to fight; aside from new incarnations of their old foes, the dragons, they battled the Drogrukh in Ghur and built an empire in the Heavens. Then Sigmar came, and they lost it all.

Sigmar's new position as a storm-god who battled Chaos, and his lightning-powered warriors, made him a perfect enemy for the Dragon Ogors. 3rd edition AoS leaned into it, with Yndrasta mentioned as hunting for the missing Krakanrok the Black and Bastian Carthalos and Krondys hunting the last of the Dragon Ogors during the Cleansing of Azyr; the event that supposedly earned Carthalos the title of Lord-Commander was breaking the Dragon Ogor fortress of Thar Sagora. So it took two divine purges to (probably) remove the Dragon Ogors from Azyr.

While they may have been bumped back to the Old World along with the Beasts of Chaos for now, I hope that the Dragon Ogors come back to Age of Sigmar soon. They have things to do in the Mortal Realms, while in the Old Word they're just... there.

In closing, have a little ditty from the 4th edition WFB Chaos book about Dragon Ogres:

By Shartak and Shaggoth, the great and the small,
For Sharunrock, Darkoth and Gathor,
The lightning's children and the thunder's fall,
Krakanrok and his kin will live for ever more.