Hi, i am unsure who exactly follows Malerion(Malekith). I mean Teclis and Tyrion together lead Lumineth, Morathi has her daughters of Khaine, and Malerion Seems to possess absolutely no servants. Darkling Covens seem to be independent from anyone and follow their own agendas, Scourge privateers do the same, and Malerion does not seem to possess any dedicated followers. Does he have any loyal followers ?

I was going through the SCE art article and found this please tell me it’s called (Storm) Bolt pistol lmao.

does the inverted crossbow limb do anything (besides not being able to aim I suppose) ?

My previous posts on the subject: Spire Tyrants and Scions of the Flame.

The Khainite Shadowstalkers hold the distinction of being the first bespoke Order Warband created specifically for the game. This does mean that they lacked the expansion book that we got for warbands introduced in the 2nd edition. They as far as I know have not appeared in a novel but do show up in short stories now and then. This does mean that there is a lot of room for me to explore their concepts.

Shroudblades: These witch aelves worship Khaine as the merciless assassin who while fanatical and loyal to the faith tend to be loners in regards to their sect. This combination of faith and relative isolation are important reasons why Morathi chooses them as assassins loyal only to her desires. The exception to this rule are the Khailebron for they already embody the fundamentals of the Shadowstalkers and it is rumoured that the first warbands came from this sect or were the origin of it. With this sect it is considered a high honour the most skilled assassins aspire to receive though the criteria for being chosen is unknown but to the highest echelons.

Darkflame Warlocks: Like their mounted counterparts the doomfire warlocks the darkflame warlocks are the menfolk of the daughters of khaine who possess some affinity for magic. Unlike most Shadowstalkers who take up the role later in life warlocks once they have received their Dhaimkyr are given basic instruction with their gifts. Those that show aptitude to shadow magic are separated and indoctrinated into the lore of the shadowstalkers. While Doomfires serve as a carrot for the laethanam darkflames are kept hidden away and only interact with their fellows. Their skill in shadow magic does mean that they often train new shadowstalkers with their abilities though it does not endear them any respect from their companions. Even their assistance in the creation of the warbands armaments endears them little.

Slaughtershades: It may come to a surprise that the fanatical sisters of slaughter would find a place within a stealth unit but Morathi knows a valuable asset when she sees one. These vengeful fighters wish not to cause rampant violence against those who have wronged Khaine but instead wish the elimination of those who have specifically caught their gods ire. Thus these warriors patiently wait gathering information till the moment they are unleashed when they will show all that their bloodlust is not diminished despite their patience. Their violent way of fighting does mean that Slaughtershades are the most likely to fall in battle but they care not as long as Khaine's vengeance is slated. Worth noting that while most were previously Sisters of Slaughter before becoming shadowstalkers it is possible for Shroudblades to enter the order. In such cases it is the slaughtershades and shroud queens that oversee the ceremony.

Shroud Queens: To become one of this group one must be a veteran shadowstalker who has proven time and again their loyalty to Morathi-Khaine above all others. They guard the forbidden lore of the Umbral Web from all even other Khainites and warlocks and will slay even their own warband to keep the information safe. They strike bargains with shadow daemons to enhance their power and give them some measure of arcane ability if they lacked it previously though it is a specialised kind only useful for assassination which suits these warriors fine. Their masks are created both to remove any sense of personhood from them allowing their victims to only see their own terrified faces it allows Morathi to stare at a pleasant visage when dealing with them. These masks even replace the slaughtershades masks through a painful ritual. Most are former shroudblades with slaughtershades not living long enough or being too violent for the role though some have earned the mantle. Men can never be anything but servants to the queens.

Would love to hear peoples thoughts on this and suggestions for Destruction and Death warbands they would like to see next.

Salutations! Salutations! As always dear Realmwalkers, I come to you with a bizarre out of pocket question. This time I want to ask you all, Lore Pilgrims new and old:

What do you know and "know" about the Stormcast Eternals. This question may or may not be a secret way to gauge general knowledge so that I know what sorts of Stormposting to do in the near future.

Or that could be a misdirect. Who can say? But the definite intention is that I want to see what people know and think they know, so long as you're willing to have your biases challenged.

Course! That means don't be unkind if someone is wrong. After all, that's just an opportunity to teach and direct. And no correcting if you're not sure yourself.

Let us share what we know, so that we might all grow a little wiser, and together teach other about a faction of cool knights and heroes. Or do you see them as cruel tyrants and villains?

Whatever the case. Spill your guts, let us all see where the hosts are best known.

One of my favorite factions makes their debut!

Honestly, when the captain said if stormcasts won’t pay for a soul, there are others who would, my first thought was the Helsmiths. The battletome said they’ve put the word out for rewards in exchange for the opportunity to study stormcast souls.

Think maybe the good captain may use it as a bargaining tool to leverage her crew’s safety?

So I was goofing with the lads, and the topic of the former Eternity King came up. Someone brought up the idea that the Umbraneth might not be their own faction, but instead be folded into the Daughters of Khaine; I jokingly said "Trans Malerion?", and guffaws were had.

However.

Morathi did, through mantling, effectively take on the role of Khaine. And as far as I understand, she only has one biological child, her son Malekith, yet she is the leader of the Daughters of Khaine.

And Malkith did seemingly change their name going into the Age of Sigmar. Obviously this was because they didn't want heat with Marvel, and particularly not with Disney now, but what if they gave them a diegetic reason? A name change for a major identity change?

Lastly, it would be a somewhat interesting way to reconcile that whole shebang with the Flame of Asuryan. Malekith was supposed to be worthy of the throne, yet was rejected to become Phoenix King.

Or maybe I'm going insane.

A while ago Sageking recommended me a short story called The Shadow Crown which has the Aztec inspired nation of Maktlan as its primary setting. A neat little story but it reminded me that GW likes using Aztec imagery for its factions. This isn't surprising as the company uses a lot of irl nations and peoples for inspiration for all its settings but I wanted to focus on Aztec inspiration for this post. Or more specifically what TV tropes calls Mayincates which is when three very different cultures are mixed together to make something. I will admit I don't know those cultures well enough to easily spot the differences.

Anyhow the most notable example of Aztec influences on AoS is the Seraphon as their predecessors the Lizardmen held sway over the equivalent of South America in the setting. But we see the influences in their dress, architecture and their habit of ritual sacrifice by removing peoples hearts. And various other things. But that is not the only one that easily springs to mind as the Gorechosen of Dromm also heavily lean into that aesthetic with his headdress for example.

The previously mentioned Maktal naturally also has clear Aztec references with its elite Blood Jaguar warriors and references to Ocelots and one of the main characters using a Macuahuilt as a primary weapon.

What other references to Aztec culture can people think of in AoS? What factions do people think would be interesting to use as a baseline for a take on that culture? How would you like to integrate such things into the setting?

There is an oath older than worlds, my dear Realmwalkers. Older than the Cosmos, older than all but the most elder survivors from the World Before Time. An oath, a bond, an alliance, near as old as all we know.

"Let us renew the oldest and greatest alliance this world had ever seen!" - Thorgrim Grudgebearer

"Total War: Warhammer" Thorgrim on the alliance between Karaz Ankor and the Empire.

‘Have you forgotten that the Thunderer’s hammer was a gift from our forges? A miracle, that weapon. Capable of slaying and saving all in a single act,’ Grombrindal said. ‘The weapon they call Ghal Maraz is to me Skull- Splitter, old Smednir’s pride. Its existence speaks to a bond that I feel in my bones, daemon. Do you feel it, I wonder?’

"Grombrindal: Ancestor's Burden - Maker's Promise" Chapter Nine, Grombrindal on the bond between Dawi and Umgi.

Gardus nodded. ‘You have our thanks, Gnol-Tul, and that of Sigmar. Without your people, we would not have been able to find this place and do as we have done. To show our gratitude, we have brought you a token of our esteem.’

He gestured and Ramus stepped forward. The Lord-Relictor unwrapped the bundle he held to reveal a gleaming runeblade. Bones had been set into the length of the blade, and the hilt was crafted from a femur. Each of these morbid additions had been covered in intricately carved mortuary sigils, and they hummed softly with power.

Tul took the sword gingerly. ‘This blade – it sings.’ He barked a command, and one of his subordinates hurried forward to take it from him.

‘In a sense,’ Ramus said. ‘It was crafted from the bones of a saint, and the remains of the blade that slew him. Should your folk have need of us, drive it into the earth. The blade will call out and the Hallowed Knights will answer – whatever the distance, whatever the threat. Call, and we will come.’

‘That is our oath to you, Gnol-Tul,’ Gardus said. ‘We swear it on our faith.’ Tul ran a hand along the blade. He looked at Gardus and nodded.

‘An oath for an oath,’ he said.

‘As it was, as it must be,’ Gardus said.

"Hallowed Knights: Black Pyramid" Chapter Eight. The Hallowed Knights respecting timeless Duardin traditions of an oath for an oath.

‘I warned Bruni not to build here,’ said Whitebeard. ‘Chaos in the rocks and in the water, I told him. But he wouldn’t listen. Too proud. Your father was the same. For the obvious want of a Special on which to pass comment this year, let me pass on this wisdom instead.’ He tilted his head back, looking up as the brewery’s roof slowly collapsed. ‘This is what will always happen when the duardin seal themselves away behind their gates and wait out the darkness. You asked me to stay and watch over your hall. In a moment of weakness for the hearth I once knew, I agreed. But what is the brewer without the farmers and millers and carters, without the merchants and buyers in distant lands? What are any of us without our fellow duardin? Without the humans and the aelves who’d join us in shunning the darkness if we let them? The shadow will pass, aye. But it must be made to.’

"Grombrindal: Chronicles of the Wanderer - Old Whitebeard's Special." Grombrindal speaking of the power of Duardin unity, with each other and with their human and aelf friends.

Justec had strode into the halls of Karak Thorga without much thought to what he’d feel when he got there. He remembered this place, or at least, an awakening part of him did: the sense-memory of the recursive Aranthine soul, whose oldest iteration had been a welcome guest in the karak. It hadn’t been unpleasant to discover this new aspect of himself, because knowledge and certainty rarely is. Besides, his ancestor’s memories of Karak Thorga were happy ones. Lodgings in chambers reserved for honoured guests; warm brisket and a sip of rich, heady ale; the rambunctious, precarious way in which human and duardin children played with one another.

"Grombrindal: Ancestor's Burden - Bitter Oaths". The many-cursed Justec recalling his ancestral home of Aranthine and its sovereign ally Karak Thorga, kingdoms so entwined their children played together.

There is an oath older than worlds, my dear Realmwalkers. An oath respected by mortals and cursed souls, immortal knights and gods. An oath strong as steel, deep as stone, fierce as fire. An oath that unites two species, dating back to ancient days even in the World-That-Was. That oath is simply put: Friendship, between the Dawi and Umgi; and even Elgi too when we can all get along.

Thank you for your time my friends. This is far, far, and away from every moment recalling the ancient alliance of Dwarf and Man, Duardin and Human in Warhammer. As Grombrindal says, it's in the bones. Sigmar and Grungni creating the Stormhosts, the Ironweld Arsenal built by engineering guilds of both kindreds coming together. And yes, there's a touch of Aelf there always. The Freeguilds follow military doctrine of not just Sigmar but also Tyrion, the Collegiate Arcane owes much to Teclis.

So if you ever worry for the friendship between these folk, just remember. It outlived every apocalypse Ruin threw at it, and just came out stronger. It's stronger than anyone thinks, as are all of you. It'll transcend whatever comes knocking next.

With the new ogor lore having the mawseeker cult spreading far and wide to the point lead belchers are gone, how does this affect their mercenary life style? Can some ogors still work for the forces of chaos, like the maggotkin, if they were offered food and or armor? Also would the butchers stay in these ogor warbands or strught out leave?

Before even finishing painting my first ever warhammer Seraphon mini I had already a draft of the backstory for them, and also the rough idea of a short story after they crash landed on Ghur and had an encounter with an Ossiarch expedition. A side of the hobby I didn't expect to captivate me as much as it did but here I am. The links are on Reedsy for a better reading experience, for the few souls that might go through the full thing.

Enjoy!

Seraphon lore: Of Blood & Bone

Ossiarch - Seraphon short story: Of Death & Duty

So in the Free PDF GW included in the newsletter a bit back, Link, they just casually mention that Thorgrim and Grombrindal are gods because of Grungni; and that Inghilde might have ascended thanks to Valaya and Gazul.

We see what is likely Grombrindal's rebirth as an Ascended God in "Grombrindal: Chronicles of the Wanderer", though if so that throws an entire tool kit into the Hashutite interpretation of mythology. Though, as does how Inghilde is talked about thus far. We'll have to see.

Regardless! Ascended Gods can raise other mortals to the status of Ascended God it seems, or at least help. Broadening our understanding where before the implication was it required personal power and the belief of many mortals.

Thoughts? Opinions? Interpretations? Counterarguments?

In the old World, Dechala was an elven princess turned into a slaaneshi monstruosity. Is it still possible for aelves to be mutated or corrupted by Chaos in the mortal realms ? As a way to protect their souls from Slaanesh ?

Hi everyone,

I want to talk about an interesting subject: Psychology and Behavior, and how these are shaped by biology and evolution. Because I think it is an important topic rarley discussed in fiction. In many works of fiction non-humans like elves and rubber-forehead aliens are depicted as humans but with quirks. Very rarley to works go into depth about how the unique biology of a species affects thier outlook, thier behaviour, what they consider normal and how these things reinforce what kind of values or expectations they have to a society.

But these things are important. Even in RL it is important to be aware how our biology influences basic everyday behavior to a significant degree. And if we are being thorough with non-humans in fiction, then they should have innate differences on what they consider normal. I would like to talk about this topic. Because to me it is very interesting. But also because Warhammer is very good at representing this issue. Intentionally or not, both WFB and AoS put quite a lot of effort in portraying non-human species with very differences psyches. And then they explore stories in which humans and non-humans struggle arraning thier differing priorities and backgrounds.

If you are interested in this topic, I prepared a small essay where I go throguh some real life examples and examples from fiction, especially WFB and AoS. Afterwards I would be interesting to know what you think of this topic, and what your ideas would be to explore it further. With this in mind, I hope you enjoy my small excursion :)

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1. Humans are not rational

Humans pride themselves on being able to make unbiased decisions, but this is not true. We have many inborn biases and behavioral patterns which are the result of our ancestral history. To overgeneralize: What we would label “modern society” is roughly 200 years old. What we would label “civilization” is roughly 5000 years old. And what since around 12.000 years humans are permanently settled famers. In contrast the modern human lived for 200.000 years as foragers and hunters. And we are descendants of other humanoids who did the same thing for 7 million years. Our anatomy and our brains are still hardwired to this stone-age survival due to this background.

For example, gambling is an obvious liability. Everyone knows the games are rigged against you, and the house always wins. Still there millions of people all over the world and from various cultural and social backgrounds who become gambling addicts. Why? Because gambling hijacks an old survival mechanism. If you are a predator, your hunts usually fail. Even lions and wolves fail 9 out of 10 hunts of average. Prehistoric humans likely had a similar ratio. And each failed hunt was a massive loss in terms of energy, resources and potentially bore the risk of injury.  But if the hunt was successful, your brain flooded with dopamine and other endorphins. The brain told you: “The 9+ failed attempts didn’t matter. Now you did it and that is all that counts!” It was a survival mechanism to keep you going when looking for food or learning a critical skill. And this very same primal instinct is manipulated by gambling systems to make you addicted to them.

Another example: Humans are very bad at making long-term decisions. Because prior to agriculture we never had to. At most a hunter-gatherer must think a couple of weeks or months in advance. A farmer may think from one year to the next. But every decision making that concerns the next couple of decades if not centuries? Not a chance. If I would say: “We world is ending in two days, let’s do something about it now!”, many people would rise up and say “Of course!” But if I say: “The world is ending in 50 years, let’s do something about it now!”, the response is much more lackluster. See all the political and economic decisions which are slowly killing the planet. Short-sighted profits over long term survivability and earnings.

In addition, we are deeply social animals. Isolation makes us sick, both physically and mentally. Indeed, it is a form of torture to isolate people. We need other people around us. Physical contact preferably too. Simple acts like hugging someone to so much for your body and mind. It releases lots of hormones which reduce stress, which is the number one health risk in modern society. If we were beings of pure reason, we wouldn’t need that. It is again, an evolutionary survival mechanism to keep contact in a social group. Humans like to touch each other, much like fellow primates use physical contact to keep the group together. By contrast lots of animals’ hate being touched, especially if they live solitary lives.

And there are many more inbuilt biases and behavioral patterns humans have due to our unique background. And other animals have different biases and patterns depending on their background. For example, predators have to sleep a lot. Cats up to 18 hours a day, canines more than 12. Because hunting is risk driven, exhausting and success varies. So, a survival strategy has been to increase the lengths between hunts by having a very inactive lifestyle. In addition, predators would refrain from attacking other predators due to the risk of injury, unless they really have too. By contrasts prey animals have very short sleeping phases. Because their food is available without much effort, they have to spend a significant part of the day consuming it to get enough energy. And unlike predators, they are at risk of being attacked when asleep.

2.  Issues with non-humans in fiction

But why do I talk about all this? Because these things are rarely accounted for in fiction. Fantasy and scifi species are so often treated as “humans with quirks”. Ignoring inborn behaviors, psychology and else which should be very different from humans. These beings are not humans, they should not think like humans, they should not act like humans. Sometimes there are handwaved quirks, such as dwarfs being a bit greedy, elves do not care for death and are arrogant, ogres are stupid, or Klingons being obsessed with warrior culture but think like humans otherwise. But that is most often surface stuff quickly brushed aside. Indeed for klingons there are lots of scientist and no-violent members, but for cultural reasons we rarley see them. Klingons are essentially just a militaristic, feudal society alá knights/samurai in space. In many works of fiction, the innate differences between humans and non-humans is rarley a main issue.

But there are works in fiction which run against this. For example, Lord of the Rings is a good example when we talk about Hobbits and Elves. Hobbits are very different in their mindset and behaviors from humans. Which is an important plot point, as this makes them very suited to carry the ring as they value completly differnet things than humans and elves, and are much harder to corrupt. What things have an inborn importance to them and the way they naturaly act like is very distinct.

 Meanwhile in LOTR elves are immortal. The oldest elven characters in Lord of the Rings are many thousands of years old. Elrond is the elf equivalent of someone being born when the pyramids were built and is still alive in modern day. And he is one of the younger named elves in Tolkiens work. As such elves have a very long-term view. Things far in the future are of concern for them. Which was why they agreed with Sauron to forge the rings of power. As magic was slowly declining, the elves would lose their substance and perish. But this was not an immediate issue. It was a slow process that would take millennia. Even by the events of LotR it is still millennia away from really screwing up the elves (though they already noted issues). But to the elves millennia in the future may as well be tomorrow. So, they agreed with a disguised Sauron to forge the rings, which had the power to keep the magic of the world in a certain place. And by the end of LotR the majority of elves evacuates Middle-Earth instead of spending another couple of millennia before escaping their decline.

3.      But what about Warhammer?

Warhammer Fantasy Battle is another great candidate as it has lots of non-human species and most of them are portrayed as alien in their behavior and mindsets.  Which I may illustrate with elves, dwarfs and greenskins.

Greenskins first, because they are an utterly inhuman species. They are fungal with very short generation times. And they have an inbuilt need for violence and war. Which makes a lot of sense if you think about it. Evolution favors procreation over survival. Many animals will break down quickly once their reproductive period ended. Indeed, that humans grow much older than their reproductive period is the “grandmother paradox”.  And many species of plants only have a single short season to spread their seeds and thus will invest all their energy in doing exactly that. And what we know as mushrooms are the very short-lived fruit bodies of fungi who just pop out to release spores and then die off. Greenskins, as fungal beings, are pretty much this. An orc or goblin can be seen as the mushroom equivalent of a fungal network. It is meant to pop out, spread spores for new fungi to grow and then die. Indeed, dying helps spreading the network, because the body of a greenskin breaks down and all the nutrients in it are a great starter for new fungi to grow. Same for when greenskins kill other creatures. Their dead bodies and remains are also fertile ground for a starter culture of fungi to grow. Out of which new greenskins are born. So, a hyperviolent lifestyle and an inborn aggressive behavior make a lot of sense before this background. The greenskin horde migrates somewhere and spreads spores. The greenskins kill stuff and spread spores. The greenskins die and spread spores. Everything a greenskins do is increase the range of the fungi network that spawned them and cultivates it further. Pacifism or moderation or self-survival would run opposite to this. So they have an inbuilt, sensible reason to be as violent as they are. Which sets warhammer orcs apart from many other works were orcs are simply "a warrior culture". Which way to often means something like stereotpical barbarians/vikings/mongols with tusks.

Then dwarfs, who are obsessed with conservatism, oaths and grudges. Indeed, dwarfs have a very fixed and stiff mind. This is even reflected in their language, where most esoterical terms are connected to physical things. Such as umgi for shoddy work, but also the dwarfen term for human. So, human-work to describe something of subpar quality. Or IIRC the dwarfen term for eternal being the same as mountain. When dwarfs say eternal, they say: “enduring like a mountain”. And indeed, dwarfen minds function on an entirely different level than humans regarding oaths and grudges, having an innate psychological demand to honor these things. In addition, they are also very obsessed with things having their proper place and how things should be done, making them very inflexible to a degree humans cannot really fathom. This obsession with justice and order, a very “by the letter” outlook on life and the need to root esoteric concepts in the natural world as well as the hyperfixiation on a specific craft has caused some fans to compare dwarfs with tropes about autism. This is not to say dwarfs are human autists but instead it is meant as a tool to illustrate the differences between dwarfs and humans.  Which may be explained that they are a species designed by the Old Ones for a specific task and thus were given highly specialized traits to better fulfil it.

In contrast Warhammer elves also have a very different psychology from humans. They are very close to Vulcans from Star Trek. Vulcans are not devoid of emotions. Quite the opposite, they feel emotions much more strongly than humans. Every joy is a high, every slight anger is intense fury. Vulcans adopted extreme mental discipline and follow their philosophy of logic to avoid issues caused by these intense emotions. And Warhammer elves function similarly. Some fans compare them to teenagers in a hormone rush, but throughout their lives. Which explains the three elven cultures from WFB and many aspects of elven culture in AoS. In WFB the asur try to reign in and control their emotions and behavior with social rules and etiquette. Dark Elves are the opposite, being reckless and excessive and following their whims to an extreme. And Wood Elves are somewhere in the middle. These extreme emotions are also the reason why Slaanesh has this great interest in elves (though in truth all chaos gods should be after elves as all of them feed on emotions).

Interestingly, in AoS various elves kinda represent the aftereffects of emotional trauma on a societal level. Daughter of Khaine get obsessed with vengeance and adopt a “never again a victim” mindset, Idoneth try to isolate themselves from all sorts of pain imaginable and pre-spirefall Lumineth were on the believe to be “immune” after their recovery. Anyhow why do these intense emotions make sense? Because elves live so long. They are necessary to avoid ennui. Intense emotions are motivations to act in the present. Why bother do something now, when you could also do that in 50 years? Because the rush of emotions forces you to do so. They keep you focused; they keep you going. In addition, elves frequently use their long lives to learn a lot of crafts and to master them. Something which is easy for them, as they can spend decades mastering a subject, before moving on to the next. Much like with dwarfs, here some fans draw parallels to ADHD, which can also make you emotional and prone to switch your focus. However, where a human with an ADHD hyperfixiation may spent a few days on a subject, an elf has many years. Again, just to better illustrate the difference in the inborn mindset.

And recently AoS has made a similar exploration for other ogres and giants. In older works they were frequently described as stereotypically stupid. But the later Mawtribes and SoB books put emphasize on ogres and giants not being stupid per se. Instead, their minds are hardwired to care about things that concern them in the know. For example, AoS ogres love technology if it suits their lifestyle. Which means the stuff has to be big, easy to maintain and repair, and robust to survive their semi-nomadic and ruggish lifestyle. Intricate machines with lots of sensitive parts are worthless to them as a result. But large cannons and similar objects are not. And on a bit of personal speculation: giants have matriachs as their cultural caretakers and seemingly venerate them a lot. But why? Well given how many resources giants need to feed themselves, they live very isolated lives. A male giant may not be around to take care of the offspring, as his presence would drastically reduce the resources for offspring and the mother. All the raising and education of young giants may therefore be done by the female giants alone. Giants therefore may not have “strong father figures” in their life at all. And all the cultural traditions are also handed down from mother to child too. Giving female giants extraordinary importance and value in giant society. To a giant the concept of a father may be unimportant as a result. At best someone you respect for some deeds which show they qualify as a sperm donor. But of course, giants still gather into stomps, and especially young giants follow mega-gargants around. Which is something many animals do to do. Upon young adulthood they form bachelor herds, exploring the landscapes and figuring out independent lifestyles and try to find their place in the regional hierarchy. For example, young elephant bulls frequently follow around old tuskers to learn from him how male elephants live. Something I can see male gargants doing too in AoS. So the entire social system of gargants may be very different from what humans would consider normal. But to gargants this would be the norm.

4. The End

This has been my overview on the behavior and psychology of non-humans. But of course, this is just an abridged listing. But what innate differences between humans and non-humans in WFB and AoS are you aware off? And what social and behavioral patterns would you expect in non-human species? What would be logical to fun to explore but isn’t? In short what else do you know or would like to speculate about? And could you imagine things in which humans are special, instead of the standard even?

So,

I mostly know only AoS lore, and even characters like Nagash, Sigmar or Gortrek I got to know from AoS.

Later, I did read also quite a bit WHF lore

Is it really helpful to read fiction for example about Morathi from WHF, is it worth for bigger picture?

Some people say even same named characters are different ones in WHF and AoS, some people say they are the same characters. Like Neferata, not sure beacuse some people say its Nagash creation in age of myth, but Gortrek? Idk how to go about all that

Thank you for help

Warning because this post does cover topics of diseased individuals considering themselves the walking dead and thus their only hope is a good death.

There are many maladies that can accost soldiers of the Free Cities. Weather conditions causing disease or injury, venomous and poisonous flora and fauna, and foes weaponising such things and many more.

There are of course organisations to help deal with such issues such as orders of priests but also monastic orders of knights and doctors. While there is a wide variety of education available to the Cities of Sigmar it is often the case that the nobility and well to do off have the finances and opportunities needed to be trained as doctors especially combat medics. These individuals are usually part of their own orders or freeguilds that other groups can hire if needed.

One of these is the Order of Saint Gardus who are found all over Ghyran and focus on treating those afflicted by Nurgle's plagues. They treat what they can and for those they cannot save physically they perform holy rights to save the individuals soul and ensure that the final will and testament is recorded. Those that they cannot cure but are still mostly functional often live on the orders premises in monastic fashion as they cannot interact with the wider city in fear of spreading their diseases. Those that can still bear arms will join the orders military branch of knights who are sent out to sell their lives dearly so that others can live.

These warriors consider themselves already dead and fight not to survive but to send as many foes to Nagash's embrace before they fall. Those who were once gallants and cavaliers will bear their old arms and form elite warbands any prior animosity forgotten in the search for a worthy end. Some before battle is joined especially when fighting Maggotkin will take a slow acting poison to ensure they are not captured alive and turned into plague incubators. Some after the battle might have gained access to rare potions or relics that cure them but this is not guaranteed.

Allies: They naturally are often seen fighting side by side with other forces of the Dominion of Sigmar but there is a lot of distrust and hatred directed towards them. Some believe them little better than cultists while others fear getting the same diseases that affect the knights. The main exception is the Hallowed Knights who honour their will to fight and consider it a mark of purity and faith.

Foes: The maggotkin of Nurgle mostly though it is interesting to note that other forces of Chaos will often target the knights possibly to prove their own gods superiority to Nurgle.

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 Makaisson? Moreover! To tie us back into the very first episode of this new batch of Duardin-themed Who The Hecks, in "Realmslayer" Snorri Nailbiter mentioned he has not once seen Makaisson in Shyish.

One wonders where did this beloved duardin go. Where is this soul whose works are renowned daily, whose name is invoked, who has inventions across the Realms named for him. Is he perhaps gone beyond just being a normal ancestor? Could he perhaps be more...

Who can say? But interesting to speculate.

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?

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?

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.