Age of Sigmar Roleplay

Age of Sigmar Roleplay (or, to give it is full title: Warhammer: Age of Sigmar Roleplay: Soulbound) is a roleplaying game set in the universe of Warhammer: Age of Sigmar, and is basically its equivalent to Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay with rules more in line with Wrath & Glory. Much like how Age of Sigmar is more overtly High Fantasy than Warhammer Fantasy, so too is the RPG; whereas Warhammer Roleplay presumed that players started off as a bunch of randomly generated Low Fantasy schlubs who had virtually nothing and would probably die on their first adventure, with starting careers like Dung Collector, Rat Catcher and Beggar, Soulbound goes a different route, having PCs who basically start out as the equivalent of Hero-level characters from the wargame. Mind, just because AoS is more High Fantasy than Low Fantasy doesn't mean its any less Dark Fantasy than WFB, and even more so in some cases. Things can get pretty horrific. For extra fun, play a WFRP 4e game through the duration of Karl Franz's reign then have your party face the End Times, then switch to Soulbound as Stormcast Eternals forged from unlikely heroes who stood until the end.

Binding and being Soulbound

These terms show up a lot in the flavor text, so it's best to try and explain. As stated at the beginning, adventurers in Age of Sigmar Roleplay aren't merely random schmucks looking for gold and probably never going to get it like their counterparts in the World That Was. Adventurers (or at least the kind that AoSRP focuses on) are spiritual successors to the Age of Myth, when Sigmar teamed up with the other non-Chaos Gods of the Eight Realms to beat the shit out of Chaos. During that time, the Pantheon of Order would similarly select mortals from their various races to act as champions, often forming them into mixed-race teams for greater versatility. The "Order of the Soulbound" faded into obscurity when the Pantheon of Order tore itself apart and the Age of Chaos began, but as a result of the Necroquake and Nagash's shitstirring in recent years, Sigmar has been trying to re-invoke the Order, to mixed efforts - so far, only the Duradin and Aelf gods have really been willing to do it, but there do exist those soulbound made by the gods of Death and Destruction, though the process isn't quite as helpful.

The term "Binding" refers to the magical rite that creates a Soulbound in the first place, as well as an adventuring party of Soulbound. This is because Soulbound are created in groups, as the Rite of Binding basically causes would-be party member's spirit to be mystically interlinked with those of several other people at the same time. Those who are part of a Binding have effectively become a singular mega-soul shared across multiple bodies, and this merged essence is the foundation of their heightened abilities.

A Soulbound individual gains some pretty neat perks, the most prominent being technically immortal (they can still be brutally murdered, but they stop aging once they become Soulbound... not that they usually live long enough to enjoy this), augmented healing abilities, the ability to tap into their Binding's group-soul for power via the Soulfire mechanic, and a complete immunity to any of the various spiritual malaises that afflict the Eight Realms; Soulbound are immune to the madness caused by exposure to aether-gold, or the sanity-shredding lust for ur-gold that afflicts Fyreslayers, or the endless phantom pain that bedevils Idoneth Deepkin - the first and foremost of these being that Soulbound individuals can't fall into the clutches of Nagash upon their demise (that is, if the Binding isn't already pledged to his bony ass). True, nobody is quite sure what happens to them upon death; some believe they simply cease to exist, others believe that they disperse but will eventually reknit themselves. But it beats serving Nagash for all eternity, doesn’t it? The downside? Beyond having to serve the gods as their special champions, which is its own source of danger and goes hand in hand with forsaking a normal life, Soulbound become sterile (which has some really major cultural connotations for Fyreslayers and Sylvaneth) and are also mystically compelled to hang around with the individuals whom they underwent the Rite of Binding with. Exactly how this works hasn't really been elaborated on, but basically, once you join a Binding, you're stuck with each other until you die.

The Champions of Death splat complicates things by not only allowing the various undead races to join mortal bindings (Often due to some sort of vestige of nobility or overwhelming urge to flee the tyrant god of death) but also going into some detail as to how Death-focused Bindings are established. Indeed, Nagash learned much from the other gods during the formation of the Bindings and would later perfect the techniques used when forming the Ossiarchs. However, it was when Sigmar began using his Soulbound in order to meddle in his plans that he decided to fully establish his own order, composed of various ghastly monsters and marshalled by his ever-faithful Bonereapers to seek vengeance upon his hated enemies. Almost all of these bindings of Death are formed by either Nagash or Arkhan (chief architects to these rituals), though it may be possible that other mortarchs like Mannfred von Carstein might also have cribbed some notes and forged their own Soulbound in order to ensure undying loyalty. These bindings are far less prone to any unity, as Nagash enjoys grouping together traitors and miserable wretches to torment each other, while the Ossiarch wardens are soldiers meant to be extension of their god's will.

Similarly, the Champions of Destruction splat also mentions that the Binding has an equivalent among the forces of Destruction with a much more familiar name: WAAAAAAGH! While the various races can indeed join basic Order-focused Bindings, such situations are violently unpredictable and not all situations may see such rosy outcomes when dealing with the savage monsters that are often merely a step down in danger from the forces of Chaos. Unlike with Death or Order, Bindings of Destruction tend to be even more tied to freak coincidences, sudden overloads of Waaagh energy that it suddenly melds souls together. Considering that the many races of Destruction are innately hostile to most anything and only respect the strongest, it's no surprise that instances of ordained bindings, whether presided by powerful leaders like Skragott the Loonking or by living gods like Kragnos are exceedingly rare occurrences. Such Destruction-focused Bindings can instead draw from this latent Waaagh energy in ways different than the Soulfire typically used by Order and Death, and all Bindings are strictly led by one of its own until their leadership ends, whether willingly or by the hands of a lucky challenger.

Despite being called the "Order of the Soulbound", the individual Bindings each work independently; they are created for their own initial purpose, and then make their way in the worlds from there. Many Bindings actually don't even know that there are other Soulbound out there!

Rules

The rules are pretty much like Wrath and Glory, except considerably more simplified. Each character only has three stats (Body, Mind, and Soul) to derive everything from. Tiers and Levels have also been done away with, considering how vast the gulfs between racial power levels are, with XP now only being used to buy your skills and talents.

Like W&G, you roll on dice pools combining stats and skills to make your testing. However, rather than the static value for success, the target number for a roll to be considered a success is determined by the test's difficulty, as is the number of successes you need. In combat, you have a particular resource called Mettle, which you can spend to on your rolls to influence how many rolls or successes you got.

Combat also takes a decidedly FATE System-like approach, where movement is highly-abstracted into Zones and ranges are similarly generalized. However, here Initiative is a legitimate stat and thus it takes a linear order of progression.

Magic is a rather familiar fare, split between the CRB disciplines (though they don't exist as such anymore in the wargame) - Pass the associated test, and you can pull any extra successes to boost your spells while failure makes a guaranteed bad-things roll based on the difficulty on the test. Fortunately, these rolls aren't Perils of the Warp bad, with the worst being summoning an out-of-control Endless Spell. There's also Miracles, a special talent variant for all the priest-like characters. This requires you to take a talent to declare fealty to your chosen god (Or the Ethersea for Idoneth)- You then gain access to the various miracles which act somewhat like spells, though not all require tests to trigger.

Glory and Doom exist here as well, though in different ways. Glory would be renamed "Soulfire" to emphasize it's nature as an inter-party resource (and to which the Sigmarines cannot contribute considering that their souls are already property of Sigmar himself and Ossiarchs can't contribute because they are technically Soulbound to the various fragments of their own souls). Soulfire acts like WFRP's Luck, letting you re-roll tests, turn a test into a sweeping success, restoring health, and even cheating death - something that was usually reserved for a very limited resource like Fate. This is offset by two factors: One is how any actions you take with Soulfire requires the entire party to consent to it or else risk giving the GM a point of Doom. The second is that the quantity doesn't necessarily restore per session, but only on accomplishing character goals, expending downtime, and a few very rare exceptions. Doom, meanwhile, no longer acts as a GM resource for dickery and instead a vague tracker to determine the threat level of the enemies.

Races

One of the things that separates Soulbound from Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is the sheer diversity of playable races that can make up a Soulbinding - gone are the days of nothing but humans with maybe a token elf, dwarf or halfling! Well, okay, in fairness, WFRPG 4th edition is starting to follow in Soulbound's footsteps, adding things like ogres and gnomes to the PC list. Anyway.

Of course, having so many potential races to play does raise a natural question: what the heck do they think of each other? Whilst mono-racial or at least mono-factional Bindings do tend to be the norm, depending on what the gods will, a Binding can have some really damn crazy mixes and so that means that sometimes, people just need to play nice...

The corebook offers Human, Duardin (Fyreslayer or Kharadon Overlord), Aelf (Dark Aelf or Witch Aelf) and Sylvaneth races. Star and Scales added Seraphon, and Champions of Order added Aelf (Lumineth). Champions of Death added Ghoul, Vampire, Wight, Nighthaunt and Ossiarch Bonereaper. Champions of Destruction added Orruk (Bonesplitter, Ironjaw, Kruleboy), Grot, Hobgrot, Troggoth and Ogor. Era of the Beast added Draconith and, technically, Scathborne (as Witch Aelf Archetypes rather than separate races).

Champions of Order

Being the default protagonist race, even in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar, Humans don't really get any particular "hook" assigned to them to become Soulbound; their motivations are usually tied more into their background and class (sorry, Archetype) - a Battle Mage is probably after greater arcane power, a Warrior Priest is motivated by religious faith, and so forth. As to how they feel about being bound spiritually to nonhumans, well, that's largely left to inferal, though the general sentiment is probably along the lines of "better to have them inside pissing out than outside pissing in". After all, wouldn't you rather have some of the monsters on your side for once?

Ulgan Aelves are typically motivated by pride, a desire for profit, or a love of adventure. The sheer power of becoming a Soulbound is very enticing, and having powerful compatriots around who actually can't betray you is useful in its own right.

The Daughters of Khaine are usually directly appointed to Bindings by Morathi to get rid of her followers that have become too dangerous or useful to just kill and be done with them. See, as much as being a Soulbound grants a Witch Aelf personal power, it also permanently cuts them out of the bloody hierarchy of the cult of Khaine. Plus, it helps smooth the oft-rocky relationship that Morathi has with the other Gods of Order. Some Witch Aelves even welcome the Binding; whether overly ambitious, too independent to knuckle under to Morathi's will (as executed by their superiors), or even sliding towards heresy, these Witch Aelves are happy to be part of the Binding... even if it means that they have to be linked with non-Witch Aelves. Ironically, the price a Witch Aelf pays for being Soulbound is in an inevitable loss of faith - having their souls opened up to emotions and energies beyond those normally experienced by a Witch Aelf invariably leads to them doubting Khaine's bloody creed. Even Hag Priestesses are willing to embrace the Binding for the power, immortality and the freedom it offers.

To say that Fyreslayer Duradin have conflicted feelings about Soulbound is an understatement. A reclusive and insular people, the idea of opening themselves up to outsiders to the point of literally mingling souls is daunting, if not mildly obscene. Even outside of that issue, there's the little problem of sterility; the super-patriarchal society of Fyreslayers revolves heavily around one's ability to sire sons, after all (no mention is made of what the Fyreslayer women think, but then, who knows if they even exist) and so the usual "it serves my political ambitions" goal is completely absent amongst these Duradin Soulbound. Most Fyreslayers who agree to be Soulbound are Grimnyn, "Fated Wanderers" - those who are desperately seeking a purpose in life or at least a glorious death, in a slightly less grimdark version of the Slayer's Oath, or Doomseekers who actually do swear the full Slayer's Oath and seek death in battle. Those who aren't Grimnyn or Doomed are still oddballs in their own right. Soulbound Fyreslayers often make a big deal about needing remuneration for their services, if only to make their normal kinsfolk a little more comfortable - ironically, becoming Soulbound often tempers a Fyreslayer's usual greed. The precise Archetype a Fyreslayer followers often dictates what they want out of their membership in a binding - but recovering Ur-Gold remains a top priority.

The Idoneth Deepkin are rarely called to become a Soulbound, but at the same time, they find the offer incredibly enticing. It brings them freedom from the pain that plagues them from birth, great power, a surety of their continued existence without the need to steal souls from others, and freedom to reap a soul-harvest from whoever they please (so long as the Binding was going to kill them anyway). With the awareness the gods do not expect faith or worship of a Binding, only its obedience, and a refusal to directly serve Teclis, the Idoneth who are given the chance to be Soulbound typically grab it with both hands, even if it does tend to alienate them from their xenophobic kindred.

The Kharadron Overlords approach the topic of Soulbinding with the same guiding principles that dictate every other action they take: pragmatism and profit. An irreligious race, the Kharadrons focus on what the Binding boils down to if you strip out all that god-stuff: a lifelong and literally unbreakable contract, wherein the Kharadon offers loyal service and is granted extended life and myriad opportunities for glory and profit. Also, a handy immunity to the intense paranoia caused by even slight exposure to aether-gold. True, it's a case of great rewards carrying commiserate risks, but to most Kharadron, that's only proper, and so they will happily make the bargain.

Stormcast Eternals are an oddity in that they are the only members of a Binding who aren't properly Soulbound. Even the Bindings of Destruction have a phenomenon akin to Soulfire in the form of the WAAAAGH, but a Stormcast's spirit is inherently tied to Sigmar. They are and will always to some level be outsiders; attaches to the Binding and not members of it proper. Sigmar selects Stormcasts to accompany Bindings for many reasons, from mentorship to spying on Bindings he doesn't particular trust. Some Stormcasts actually choose to join Bindings of their own free will, finding companionship in beings who have a similarly...unusual... relationship with mortality.

The Sylvaneth regard joining a Binding as both a solemn, terrible burden and a great gift. The curse of the Soulbound is that it destroys a Sylvaneth's lamentiri, effectively ending its former existence of an eternal cycle; unable to birth future incarnations of itself, when a Soulbound Sylvaneth dies, its memories and everything that made it an individual goes with it, lost forever. This is a terrifying fate, and for this reason only Alarielle herself will ask a Sylvaneth to become a Soulbound (and she much prefers to select human or aelven champions instead). But at the same time, breaking from the Spirit Song gives a Sylvaneth an entirely new view of the world; it opens them up to new minds, new worlds, new emotions and perspectives. Merging their essence with the quickblooded humanoids of the Realms, ironically, makes Sylvaneth Soulbound some of the very few of their race who can truly understand non-Sylvaneth. They make natural envoys, especially because ordinary Sylvaneth are more inclined to open up to and trust outsiders Bound to one of their own, given the respect they regard Soulbound.

The Lumineth regard the act of Soulbinding with a certain degree of favor; after all, it's not so different on a conceptual level from the practices of their own aelementiri in particular, or even just their cultural embrace of collectivism. Many Lumineth undergo the Binding with rather arrogant beliefs that they will be "spreading wisdom to the less fortunate", but often they find themselves learning from their bond-mates in the process. Indeed, some of the wiser Realm-lords will even push for students to become Sounbound in order to save them from the path of insular, narrow-minded obsession - an ongoing danger with these Hysh-born Aelves.

Seraphon, just like Stormcast Eternals, cannot become Soulbound, with all attempts to create them resulting in the death of all involved. The exact reasons for this are unknown, some claiming their souls have already been bound, others that their souls are just fundamentally incompatible with that of other mortals. When Seraphon feel the need to aid a Binding, they typically don't bother to introduce themselves or explain their motives: they simply appear and say they're going to help. Once their goals are accomplished, they leave the party as mysteriously as they arrived; the game itself recommends Seraphon characters only stick around for one adventure before being retired.

You'll notice that these entries don't talk very much about how to have these races get on with each other. That's because the Champions of Order basically represent the "default protagonists" of the setting: these are the races who are used to hanging out with each other and working together. Oh, they still bash each other's brains out and everybody knows it, but in general, the cosmopolitan cities of the Free Peoples are places where humans, aelves, and duradin intermingle freely - even Sylvaneth are welcome, if slightly exotic. They're just not as "weird" as the other potential races...

Champions of Death

Now we're starting to get weird!

Ghouls are, in many ways, the undead of the Realms most willing to join a mixed-Faction Binding. After all, they already "live" under a perpetual delusion of being noble champions, knights in shining armor, brave heroes, etcetera: traveling alongside living humans, Stormcast Eternals, duradin or aelves is honestly easy for a ghoul to handle - if anything, it's less stressful for their fevered brains than having to travel with a murderous skulking ghost, a bone-harvesting ossiarch or a blood-sucking vampire. The trick is figuring out what would make a Binding made up of living beings accept the ghoul! The easiest answer is that a) this Binding is one of those collaborations between Nagash and the other non-Chaos deities of the Realms, and b) Nagash decided to be a dick for laughs, which he does pretty often. On the other hand, Soulbinding actually does grant a ghoul greater lucidity, although they can never remain truly "sane" at all times; maybe the ghoul achieved luicidity long enough to beg for salvation from the horror of its previous existence, or maybe it knows something useful enough that placing it under a Binding was deemed necessary.

Nighthaunts, of all the undead, can be said to eagerly seek Binding with non-undead allies, because of what such a Binding offers that a Binding of Death cannot: freedom. Whether that freedom is the shadow of a life that is at least outside of the eternal torments of Shyish, or the certainty of annihilation and passing beyond Nagash's torturous grip upon defeat, or sits somewhere between those two points doesn't matter - all that matters is that Binding their undead soul with the essences of living beings frees them from their existence. Of course, they first have to escape from their natural state of bitterness and spite enough to consider this simple truth, then somehow escape Shyish so they can petition one of the living gods, but a Nighthaunt who can pull that off is usually guaranteed to be accepted. Of course, how much of a hassle having a specter in your Binding is depends on the precise nature of the spook; a Guardian of Souls is generally quite easy to work with, fully appreciative of the freedom its new state offers, but a murderous Cairn Wraith is often more a self-propelled weapon than a proper teammate.

The Ossiarch Bonereapers are almost literally Nagash's take on the Stormcast Eternals, and so have the same issue: already an amalgamation of countless slivers of souls, their essence can't be interwoven with others to become Soulbound. Amongst Bindings of Death, they fill largely a similar role to the Stormcasts, but in mixed company? That's where things get interesting. Most commonly, an Ossiarch joins a living Binding because they have a goal in common and their interests coincide; the generic reason any of the undead end in a mixed-faction Binding. But then there are other reasons... Some Ossiarchs follow Bindings of any sort in order to study Soulfire, hoping to refine their own creation rituals. Others just find themselves spontaneously achieving synergy with a Binding as if the Bound were fellow Ossiarchs. Parrha exiles often ally themselves with Bindings for the simple reason that they don't want to be remoulded or recycled, and a Binding makes for powerful allies. Others are just driven by impulse - some lingering emotion or memory from one or more fragments of their patchwork soul that survived the amalgamation. Ossiarchs from different legions can have even stranger motivations - the Petrifex Elite's tendency to incorporate the fossilized bones of long-fallen Soulbound often results in them inheriting missions from their "donors", whilst the Null Myriad cares far more about protecting the Realms from the horrors of Chaos and the void than about Nagash's petty squabbles and the Crematorians simply hope that studying Soulfire can teach them how to avoid being consumed by their own spiritual flames.

Vampires, as a general rule, privately loathe Nagash and chafe under his rule, being well-aware that if he achieves his goal of killing all life and turning it into undead, they will be destroyed in the process - they need blood to sustain their existence. Whilst some turn to Binding for freedom - at least dying whilst Soulbound will ensure they cannot be tortured by the vengeful Nagash for all eternity - or even for noble reasons, most do so out of a sense of self preservation or to further their own ambitions. Living members of the Binding typically tolerate the vampire for its raw power and useful skills - ironically, many vampires often find themselves in Bindings aimed specifically at battling the undead, and often they appreciate the irony with some dark humor.

Wights are the rarest of the Undead to become Soulbound in a mixed-faction Binding, and when it happens, invariably, it's to pursue a purpose. Either their place in the Binding helps them attain the purpose they defied death to complete, or else it gives them a chance to find a new purpose.

Also, spare a thought for Necromancers, the human mages who have devoted themselves to studying the dark arts pioneered by Nagash. Being living beings who seek to master the forces of death, necromancers are both universally reviled by the undead but also needed; undead hold more power, but a living magic-user has much greater mental flexibility, allowing them to innovate and learn at a rate far greater than the undead. At the same time, Nagash loathes his would-be heirs, tolerating them only so far as they are useful. Necromancers aware of the art of Soulbinding eagerly pursue it as a reliable (if roundabout) way of achieving immortality, with some even managing to emulate the ritual themselves, and they're not very picky about who they merge souls with. If anything, living companions in a Binding are often more tolerable than powerful, free-willed undead, for reasons that should be obvious.

Champions of Destruction

A funny fact about the Champions of Destruction is that the more mystically based Archetypes often have the easiest time integrating into mixed factions. Wardokks are natural team players who consider non-Gorkamorkans no different that the usual oddballs and outcasts they work with. Fungoid Cave Shamans were literally made to be the Voices of Mork, so they naturally fit in when Mork decides to make common cause with the other gods to fashion a Binding, whilst Wise-Grots regard Bindings as just another type of Gobbapalooza, one with even grander stages to access. Warchantas can sometimes hear the heartbeats of their future Soulbound, and don't care about the shape of the body that heart beats in, just that it can play its part in the rhythm of the WAAAAAGH! Butchers appreciate the exotic ingredients and love the rare chance to share ogor culture with outsiders.

Bonesplitter Orruks are amongst the most spiritual of the Races of Destruction; after all, they already gave up their original orruk lifestyle (usually as an Ironjaw) to join the Bonesplitterz in the first place, all based on a deep, intuitive feeling that "dis was right". Bonesplitterz approach being Soulbound in much the same way; precognitive sensations compel an orruk to walk away from his Rukk and start wandering until, eventually, he bumps into the future members of his Binding. And if they turn out to not be orruks (or grots, or even ogors or troggoths)? Well, he don't care! A Bonesplitter'z mentality can usually be summed up as "Dis is my mob; don't matta what dey lookz like, dey is mine, an' I'll krump any git what lookz at dem funny". Of course, an Orruk is still an Orruk and a non-Destruction Binding will usually need to keep its more Destructive impulses in check, but that deep-seated faith in his companions means that a Bonesplitter will typically be surprisingly acceptant of these behaviors, confident that this is the will of Gorkamorka being carried through them, just as it is carried through him. They are perhaps the orruk subrace most commonly found in mixed-faction Bindings.

Grots, whether they be Moonclan or Spiderfang, accept Soulbindings largely to pursue power or save their own skin, and if that means being bound to non-Destruction races, they don't really care. In fact, aside from the sometimes confusing rules about who it's okay to stab and when, a non-greenskin Binding actually tends to work out pretty well for grots, who are surprised to find that so long as they do what they're told, they can generally expect not to be beaten up on a whim.

Troggoths are the most ineffable of all the Destruction races. Orruks, grots and ogors have no understanding why they get added to Destruction Bindings, so it's literally anybody's guess why a troggoth sometimes ends up being Soulbound to non-Destruction races. Usually, Troggoths just act on their own strange and inscrutable whims... and their Soulbound just have to work with the flow, regardless of what race they are. But hey, the two ton killing machine is better on your side.

Ironjawz Orruks often become Soulbound to non-Destruction Bindings in almost a mythic recreation of that long-ago alliance between Sigmar and Gorkamorka: the Ironjawz respect warriors, and don't care for little details like shape or skin color. So long as they're given plenty of chances to take on tough opponents, they're happy. Unfortunately, Ironjawz aren't as patient as their Bonesplitter cousins, and tend to get recalticant if they are held back from fights. Whilst smarter Ironjawz do have a sense of patience, they are first and foremost followers of Gork, so a Binding that succeeds with an Ironjaw in it is usually one that is quick to find targets for him to krump.

Kruleboyz Orruks are the least-likely of all the Orruk subraces to be seen in a non-Destruction Binding. It's not because they're opposed to the idea; as the Morky orruk society, they see a lot of potential in the Binding, and at the very least, it opens up so many places to get into that normally would be closed off to them. The problem is in the name: whereas Ironjawz and Ogors can have a convivial boisterousness and Grots or Bonesplitterz are usually entertaining, Kruleboyz are genuinely sadistic and mean. But then again, not all of the Free Peoples are exactly "nice guys" themselves, and if a Binding can work with a Witch Aelf, then working with an orruk who lives to spook people isn't that big a stretch. Besides, Kruleboyz tend to need less "managing" than Ironjawz or Bonesplitterz.

The little-known Hobgrots make natural Soulbound; the thieves, traders and schemers of orruk (and subspecies) society, they're used to interacting with non-grotz without fighting them. The trick is for a hobgrot to figure out what they can offer to a god other than Gorkamorka to make them accept him as a Soulbound in the first place, with most defaulting to their sneakiness and cunning.

Ogors are the Destruction race most commonly seen in mixed faction Bindings, for the simple reason that, as the most human-like and "civilized" of their ilk, ogors already freely work alongside the Free Peoples as mercenaries on the regular. Ogors tend to take a pragmatic approach to Soulbinding in general, and that applies regardless of the other races involved. Often, they'll join a largely Order or Death-based Binding for access to plenty of food, especially if it's an exotic delicacy that they would have a hard time sating if they weren't given free access to their Binding's society.

Archetypes

The analogue to WFRPG's Careers, Archetypes are the class structures, though they also serve as a way to establish membership in specific subraces - if you want to specifically play a Fyreslayer Duradin or an Idoneth Deepkin Aelf, you pick the appropriate Archetype. That said, there are rules for custom archetypes if you wanna build more generic or unseen concepts (Such as certain unstatted heroes or maybe just more Freeguild equivalents), like you could in W&G.

Free Peoples

The Battlemage is the basic Wizard archetype, specifically intended for humans and aelves. That's basically all there is to it: you've devoted yourself to learning how to use one of the Eight Lores of Magic. Battlemages typically regard becoming a Soulbound as either an extension of their basic identity, or as a key to power; an extended lifespan with which to master the magical arts and the direct blessing of the gods to seek out lost lore or learn obscure disciplines from their fellow Soulbound is appealing to many Battlemages, for reasons that should be pretty damn obvious.

The Black Ark Corsair represents one of the Dark Aelf seafaring warriors (and pirates) who ply the seas of the Mortal Realms. Tough and versatile, blessed with ruthless tenacity, a capacity for swift violence and an intricate knowledge of the seas, Corsairs make excellent members of Bindings that operate around the water, and often have stuff to offer away from the water too. As for the Corsairs themselves, they typically view becoming Soulbound as giving them an edge like no other.

The Darkling Sorceress is an Aelfin mistress of the shadowy magics of Ulgu, an illusionist nonpareil, and usually has a ruthlessly pragmatic view of the Binding; whilst a rare few become Soulbound out of a genuine belief that the Mortal Realms need safeguarding (if only to protect their own webs of influence), most make the decision from a calculated and selfish viewpoint.

The Excelsior Warpriest is the Cleric of the Archetypes, representing the roving militant priest who believes in fighting the enemies of their gods with courage, faith, and a big fucking hammer. Most are devotees of Sigmar, but there are fledgeling orders arising in the names of other Gods of Order, such as Alarielle and Tyrion. Weirdly, despite this, the archetype is officially Humans Only. Ironically, despite being Soulbound requiring the direct approval of a deity, a Warpriest usually views it as being as much burden as honor - after all, whilst it is a direct blessing from their patron, it also condemns their soul to never join the faithful in the afterlife. They are typically selected from the strongest personalities and those with unbreakable faith.

Trade Pioneers are roving adventurer-merchants, willing to risk it all and plumb the dangerous depths of the Mortal Realms in the name of adventure, knowledge, profit, or any combination thereof. The only CRB Archetype available to any race, they typically leap at the chance to become Soulbound, for the Binding only offers them a plethora of new powers and tricks with which to pursue their passions.

Witch Hunters are servants of the Order of Azyr, Sigmar's special organization to flush out all sorts of corruption as his own plainclothes inquisition. Because of the many forms corruption and deceit take, this archetype is open to humans, aelves and duardin, and all seek the chance to become Soulbound, letting them become something more than mortal so they can face off even the worst of the God-Kings enemies.

Daughters of Khaine

The most iconic Daughter of Khaine to join the ranks of the Soulbound is, of course, the Witch Aelf. Many revel in the freedom of being a Soulbound, which removes them from the strict hierarchy they have lived under their whole lives, but a crisis of faith is inevitable if they weren't already undergoing one when bound.

Not even the Hag Priestesses are immune to being subjected to the cruel mercy of Soulbinding. In fact, given the necessarily stagnant and rigidly hierarchical society from which they come, Morathi is often more inclined to expel a Hag Priestess into the ranks of a Binding than she is a lowly Witch Aelf. This is especially the case if the priestess has come across the bad side of their goddess' mood, whether by opposing someone she favors more openly or by straying from her plan.

It might seem unthinkable that a Khainite Shadowstalker would ever need to be Soulbound, since they are the most fanatically devout of their kind, but it has happened that they have displeased their cruel mistress enough that she has exiled them from the Sisterhood in this fashion. And even rarer still, some have actually sought to be Soulbound, perhaps having come to realize that their dark mistress is not worthy of their devotion.

Typically speaking, the concept that a Melusai or Khinerai could even be considered for a Binding would be considered insane - after all, both of these are the results of Morathi ripping their souls out of Slaanesh's gut and their corruption is clear to see. Without extensive illusionary magic, they likely wouldn't even be accepted outside of temples of Khaine. However, such Soulbound do exist, their true nature typically hidden before Morathi's ascension. With the increasingly tense alliance between Morathi and the forces of Order, several more loyal Scathborn have been sent to become Soulbound in order to ensure her loyalty. This has served a double-sided boon for her, as while they cannot be exclusively hers, Morathi can still use them as a secret police, hunting down her enemies.

Fyreslayers

Given their status as the highly revered battle-priests and living representations of Grimnir, Auric Runesmiters aren't naturally inclined to leave their forge-temples and lodges to bind their souls with a bunch of outsiders and go traipsing across the Realms. But these are odd times, and if it means perhaps finding an answer as to what the future portends for the Fyreslayers as a whole, some Runesmiters are willing to make that sacrifice. Though they demand the occasional ur-gold hunting mission, they are notable for their loyalty, and many find it fascinating that they can use Soulfire to extend a semblance of their traditional ur-golden runecraft into their allies, regardless of race.

Battlesmiths, like Auric Runesmiters, are little inclined to join Bindings. Whilst it is an honor, and acknowledged as such, they are generally convinced that their place is with their lodge, and you all know how stubborn dwarfs - sorry, duardin can be! Those rarities who do agree to join a Binding typically do so in hopes of expanding their missions to encompass the Realms: recording great events, recovering lost duardin treasures, and mediating disputes between the far-flung branches of their fellow lodges. Such is their skill that Battlesmith demands are usually happily accepted by gods and fellow Soulbound alike.

Doomseekers, in contrast to the other fyreslayer archetypes, readily swear to become Soulbound; the energies of Soulfire strengthen their resistance against the dreaded glimmerlust, the bane of all Fyreslayers, and the great missions on which the Soulbound are invariably sent naturally offer many opportunities for a Doomseeker to fatefully fulfill the barazakdum.

Grimwrath Berzerkers usually reject offers of Soulbinding, since they are already divine avatars of Grimnir and to serve another deity would dishonor their patron. But it does happen, usually when a berzerker decides that the Binding is yet another trial to undertake in the name of the Shattered God, or proof of their worthiness, or simply a means to bring ur-gold and glory to their lodge. Many take a morbid comfort in the fact that their death after becoming Soulbound shall see their spirit shattered into pieces, just as happened to Grimnir.

Idoneth Deepkin

Akhelian Emissaries don't normally have a lot of use for diplomacy, but that has changed since the Necroquake. The warrior-kings of the Idoneth, going to the surface is already a risky business, so the Soulbinding and the protection it grants against Slaanesh is worth considering. Better a guaranteed oblivion than to fall back into the Dark Prince's gullet...

Isharann Soulscryers are highly adept at the tracking and manipulation of souls, and these abilities make them highly valuable to the Gods of Order or other beings powerful enough to forge a Binding. Since the Idoneth already regard Soulscryers as worthy "ambassadors" to the surface, they can find mutual cause with patrons and thus agree to be Soulbound in turn.

Isharann Tidecasters are the Idoneth most frequently seen on the surface anyway. Given their abilities allow them successfully demand all manner of rewards that are of great interest to their people - aid for their enclave, access to lost lore, permission to track down Idoneth artefacts and the chance to harvest souls in plenty - it should be no surprise they are also quite common as Soulbound.

Anomalies in the rigid divisions of Idoneth society, Isharann Soulrenders tend to adjust better to being Soulbound, and eagerly apply the lessons they learned in reaping souls to empower their allies to augment the Soulfire that links their Binding. Sadly, their fellow Soulbound often regard them with distaste, and so they find themselves still alienated even from those they should be bonded.

Kharadron Overlords

Driven by a hunger for both aether-gold and knowledge, it should be no surprise that many Aether-Khemists are not only willing to undergo the Rite of Binding, but eager to do so, that immunity to aether-gold paranoia is seriously fucking useful in their line of work.

Endrinmasters, in contrast, are more likely to be shaped by their home Sky-Port's philosophy when it comes to agreeing to be Soulbound. One from Barak-Nar might be motivated by a combination of profit and pragmatism, whiolst one from Barak-Zon may be tempted by the promise of increased strength to slay their enemies. Of course, any Endrinmaster can appreciate the chances to increase their wealth and knowledge that an increased lifespan and free reign to adventure across the Realms grants.

Skyriggers become Soulbound for purely practical reasons, as a general rule of thumb. After all, what's not to like about immunity to aether-gold's maddening touch, a limitless lifespan, and divine permission to fatten your pockets as you traipse all over creation? Endrinriggers who tire of being mere mechanics, already being used to dangers, are just as likely to find themselves turning to the path of the Soulbound - perhaps even more so.

With a hunger for knowledge, wealth and adventure, Atheric Navigators are often eager to leap into the prospect of being Soulbound. How fortunate for them that their skills are so useful to Bindings.

Brewmasters are usually inspired to join with the hopes of acquiring various rare ingredients for their ales, if not for the ability to spend forever perfecting their craft. As with any other Kharadron, they remain steadfast warriors and cut-throat businessmen, but that doesn't mean that they won't share a pint of ale from that keg on their aether-rig.

Stormcast Eternals

Typically deployed as envoys, heralds, diplomats and inquisitors, a Knight-Azyros is often assigned to a Binding to act as the "face" of the group, providing a more diplomatic option in contrast to the face-breaking skills provided by the rest of the group. Others seek out Bindings of their own volition in hopes of steering them towards some particularly difficult or involved assignment of the Eternal's own.

A Knight-Incantor is already compelled to wander the Realms in search of finding arcane lore that might help correct the notorious flaws in the process of Reforging. Whilst this mission may be occluded behind other, more public goals, it remains their true desire... and often gives them cause to travel with Bindings.

A Knight-Questor is quite literally born to be an adventurer, with a divine geas and literal god-backed authority to go wherever and do whatever it takes to fulfill their task. Knights-Questor are equally likely to be assigned the protection/assistance/monitoring of a Binding as they share a common goal with a Binding, either by chance or because the Binding was created specifically to be their backup.

A Knight-Venator is an advance scout of the Stormcast Eternals, traveling far and wide under their own initiative to seek out evil to smite. As with the Knights-Questor, they frequently work alongside Bindings, and are as likely to have Bindings created to back them up as they are to be assigned to back up the Binding.

A Knight-Zephyros, given their role as the assassins of the Stormcast Eternals, is rarely given Bindings as direct backup and more frequently make common cause with a Binding who happens to share a common target with them.

A Knight-Judicator is an expert marksman, capable of sensing the taint of the enemy and striking them down from afar with their greatbow, protected by a pair of gryph-hounds. As such they are perfectly suited for joining a binding that is also seeking out such foes, they also act as scouts for their chambers and for any Free Cities and Dawnbringer Crusades they come across.

A Knight-Relictor takes to the field wielding relics holding the remains of venerated heroes. Though many view this as a macabre practice, their rituals, which include collecting the remains of the deceased heroes, serves a vital role in warding the souls of their allies from any form of corruption. This also leads to the Stormcast to holding an interest in various aspects of history, especially the faiths and cultures of the realms.

A Knight-Vexillor holds a position of renown, only being able to reach this role after triumphing as the last survivor of the Gladitorium, a coliseum hom to a grueling marathon of challenges against terrifying monsters, perilous environments, and even their own fellow Stormcast. For this skill and determination, they are gifted one of the magical standards of the Stormcast. Beyond mere icons to rally the morale of any Stormcast and attached Soulbound alike, these standards also channel magical power to support and destroy.

The Errant Draconith are part of a recently awakened species that are only allied to the Stormcast as they are the children of Dracothion, the great star-drake who led Sigmar to the realms. Due to their age and the fact that many of them were hidden away by the Seraphon in ages before even the Age of Myth, the Draconith are similarly unable to be soulbound. However, this new generation of Draconith are also very new to the ways of the realms and thus take to adventuring as soon as they can fly - some in hopes to prepare themselves for their futures as mounts to the Stormcast, others in search of allies and experiences to remember in the coming ages.

Sylvaneth

Given their status as the custodians of entire Sylvaneth enclaves, only Alarielle knows why a Branchwych may be selected to become a Soulbound. But regardless of what mission they are sent on, Branchwyches are told that their responsibility hasn't truly changed, merely grown. Soulbound Branchwyches are noted as reluctant to form deep bonds with others, aware of their inevitable passage, but those they come to care for, they love unreservedly.

Already used to ranging far and wide from their enclaves as the scouts and advance warriors of their people, Kurnoth Hunters are Alarielle's first choice for Sylvaneth Soulbound, and in truth they take to it with surprising aplomb. Oh, they have interesting new hunting partners, but the biggest change is merely how much more territory they have to hunt in, and the scale of their new challenges. Kurnoth Hunters, however, may be unprepared for the strange new thoughts and feelings that they develop as a result of their intertwined souls, and the changes this can breed in their outlooks aren't always for the positive...

Tree-Revenants of all kinds are selected almost as rarely as Branchwyches, for the sacrifice of their line of martial spirits is not undertaken lightly. Yet, despite knowing that to become Soulbound is to embrace an inevitable final death, many Tree-Revenants do so willingly, whether out of a sense of duty, deep loyalty to their god-queen, or even a secret temptation in the idea of being able to think and act of their own, or escape from past lives or memories of darkness.

Nobody is quite sure why Alarielle sometimes adds a Spite-Revenant to a Binding - and even less sure why they accept! Usually, they are only added to Bindings united by hatred of a greater enemy, because Spite-Revenants tend to be highly unpleasant traveling companions, even compared to Daughters of Khaine, Idoneth Deepkin, or Lumineth Realm-Lords. In fact, some Bindings might actually prefer to be travel with a Soulbound undead, orruk or grot. Mischievous, cruel and deliberately creepy, Spite-Revenants are outcasts to their very souls.

Warsong Revenants are dedicated to filling the realms with all sorts of magical song, and this leads to the revenants to become Soulbound more often than not. Due to only recently forming after Alarielle's Rite of Life, they lack the lengthy collections of memories other Sylvaneth tend to hold. However, their value is just as significant and thus she will only assign one to a binding when she knows that others will bolster their musical skill far more than their native groves.

Lumineth Realm-Lords

Alarith Stoneguards face a unique challenge in becoming Soulbound, as their spirits are already fused with an earth aelementor patron. In some Bindings, aelf and aelementor function as a single unit, whilst in others, the aelf must act as a bridge between their patron and their Binding. Regardless of the result, Stoneguard are usually sent to join a Binding by their patron, ranging far from home to prevent threats from ever coming to the mountains.

Alarith Stonemages often act as ambassadors - not just to the other races and factions of the world, or even to their own Binding, but between the geomantic spirits of the Eight Realms. Like their Stoneguard counterparts, their aelementor patron is as much a part of their Binding as the aelf is, but a Stonemage's patron is often much more personal in its relationship.

Scinari Cathallars tend to place themselves in charge of a Binding's emotional well-being out of sheer habit - after all, it's the role they fill amongst the Lumineth, and they must periodically return to their people to aid them. But what many come to realize is that the intertwining of souls means that their Binding can ease their burdens, not just add to them. The idea of having fellow souls to act as a source of stability is a strange one, but one that the Scinari can become quite appreciative of.

Vanari Warriors who become Soulbound are typically misfits or outcasts - the ones who disobeyed their commander at a pivotal moment, or aetherquartz addicts. That's not to say that there aren't Bindings whose Vanari are exemplary veterans assigned to help hold their disparate and unruly group together through their spiritual embrace of unity, it's just that most Lumineth who are sane and well-fitted into their society would rather not subject themselves to the eccentricities of traveling with a mixed-race group, never mind merging their souls.

Similar to their Alarith brethren, the Hurakan Windchargers also act as a link between their binding and their air aelementor patron, but this bond is threefold considering they also have their pet treerunner as well. Surprisingly, the Windcharger and aelementor are both usually open to such bindings, usually looking for new experiences, rather it is the treerunner who tends to have the most difficulty adjusting. It often takes extensive training to temper the normally skittish nature of the creature before it can comfortably go on scouting the mortal realms and interact with the many inhabitants.

Of any force of the Lumineth, the Scinari Loreseekers are the most suited to become Soulbound. Their role typically sees them away from typical command structures as they seek any sort of lost or forbidden knowledge, whether it is to seal it away or weaponize it. However, many prefer to keep to their isolation, with those that accept the ritual of binding being the ones in pursuit of some lore or artefact that would otherwise be impossible to retrieve alone.

Seraphon

The Saurus Oldblood is the only Archetype available to Saurus players, at least thus far. As its name suggests, this is a veteran Saurus, a killing machine which has honed its natural talents and biological abilities over countless battles. More one-dimensional than their skink counterparts, Saurus Oldbloods rarely join Bindings for missions relating to solving mysteries or playing politics - after all, they're not good at that stuff. Where an Oldblood shines is any mission that revolves around hewing limbs, breaking skulls, and cutting down wave after wave of foe. An Oldblood typically chooses (or, more commonly, is assigned) to follow a Binding that will somehow affect the footing of Chaos in the eternal war that the Seraphon battle against the Dark Gods.

Skink Starpriests are intuitive masters of Azyr magic, and also far more intelligent, mentally flexible and just plain sociable than Sauruses. As a result, they are the Seraphon most likely to be join forces with a Binding, often as a result of foreseeing that the Binding will play a significant role in the Eternal Struggle and needing to get up close and personal to better grasp of the situation and how their visions will play part.

Flesh-Eater Courts

Fueled by the delusion that they are noble, chivalrous, virtuous kings and queens, Abhorrent Ghouls make surprisingly natural fits for a Binding; after all, what's more chivalrous than a group of heroes devoting their lives the pursuit of goodness and valor? The key here is remembering that an Abhorrent Ghoul's delusions can always adapt, so no matter what cause they actually pursue or why they were ousted from their court and have taken up with the Binding, they can find an internal narrative that lets them accept it without actually accepting that they are flesh-eating monsters.

Crypt Ghast Courtiers are driven by the delusion that they are professional soldiers and leaders of men, and so usually view themselves as contributing martial force to their Binding, which itself is created from a mixture of races for greater versatility.

Crypt Haunter Courtiers show just how deep the delusions of the ghouls can go; they may be so far in their own warped internal narrative that they don't even recognize that they are Soulbound, or believe their fellow Soulbound are fellow courtiers. Compared to that, the ones who follow a Binding because they believe another Soulbound is a life-debted ally or the love of their life are almost normal.

Crypt Infernal Courtiers have perhaps the hardest time fitting their status as Soulbound to their delusions, given their massive arrogance, but they can manage it. Many believe the Binding exists to aid them, at least at first, but some regard their Binding as an exercise in humility.

Nighthaunts

Cairn Wraiths are unlikely Soulbound, even for all-Death Bindings. Usually, they are less members of the team and more unliving weapons, carefully shepherded along and then pointed at the enemy. If a Cairn Wraith is part of a Binding, then obviously whatever they're facing calls for extreme violence. Still, not all Cairn Wraiths are mindlessly indiscriminate; some individuals have predilictions for who they kill which can make them more tolerable as Binding companions. A Wraith that loves to watch Nurgle cultists go "pop" can be useful...

Guardians of Souls are the shades of dead necromancers and usually serve Bindings of Death as glorified tools, or sometimes even as mobile batteries for their own necromantic experiments. Needless to say, these ghosts tend to resent that. Binding to living Soulbound is much more tolerable for these specters; whilst obviously they can't hope to become immortal now, at least the Binding offers them a chance to undo their curse, since they now have some increased ability to grow and change, as well as allies who can help them. If nothing else, it's nice to be on equal footing with the rest of the Binding!

More than any other ghost, Knights of Shrouds yearn to become Soulbound with living allies. Whilst readily exploited by Bindings of Death, almost every Knight of Shrouds secretly (or not so secretly) yearns for atonement, and whilst they have a justified reputation as traitors to overcome, fighting alongside the living gives them a chance to at least try to make amends for the act that defines their deaths.

Lord-Executioners are commonly found in a leadership role amongst Bindings of Death, since they have the authority to judge, try and sentence the dead by Nagash's law, and this breeds a fearful, wary, spite-laced respect amongst the other breeds. And in such a role, they may be assigned to a Binding with living souls as representatives of Nagash or a Mortach. But, incredibly, sometimes they seek to become Soulbound to the living of their own volition. Whether motivated by a desire to seek true justice, or even to improve the fate of their curse-bound victims, they are an unlikely addition, but a powerful one. At the very least, the fact that destruction whilst Soulbound means they will be permanently dissolved into nothing, freeing them of the lesser shades that torment them, is its own kind of reward.

Myrmourn Banshees, the tormented shades of mages transformeds into mana-devouring wraiths, are typically recruited by Bindings of Death either for their familiarity with lores of magic outside of those fueled by Shyish or simply to be used as anti-mage weapons. But living Bindings offer them something far more: a dulling of their curse-spawned hunger, and the ability to think coherently once more. Whilst the trauma of their undeath may never heal, at the very least, becoming Soulbound lets a Myrmourn Banshee be a person again, rather than the monster that a jealous god made them. And that is a prize worth fighting for.

Spirit Torments are mostly found as part of all-Nighthaunt Bindings, but their skill at capturing and questioning enemies makes them useful to any Binding of Death, no matter how much all of the undead fear and loathe them. For their own part, Spirit Torments cling to the few allies or friends they make on such excursions. Those who realize that they are still prisoners in their own right often dream of joining Bindings to the living, which they known offers the greatest chance of attaining permanent freedom from Nagash.

Ossiarch Bonereapers

Immortis Guards are typically assigned to Bindings, whether living, undead or a mixture thereof, as either bodyguards or to lend their expertise in protecting to a Binding that seeks to protect something or some one. Ironically, in a Binding, an Immortis Guard's protective and stubborn nature might develop into greater autonomy.

Kavalos Deathriders typically join Bindings of any sort for one of three reasons. The first is simple: mercenary work. As the most mobile of the Ossiarch, the Kavalos Deathriders are the first call for the forces of Death when someone or something needs to be chased down, and even the gods of Order and Destruction can sometimes see the use in recruiting them. Bindings made up of Kavalos Deathriders, Knights of Shrouds, Black Knights and Blood Knights are the stuff of fearful legend throughout the realms. The second reason why a Deathrider may join a Binding, usually a living one, is for the rights to collect the Binding's souls after they die in exchange for its help. The third reason, rarest of all, is to benefit their steed; Kavalos Steeds are made from the essence of disgraced Osssiarchs, and some Deathriders wish to win their faithful companions release from this torment by restoring their glory and earning promotion back into a higher form of Bonereaper.

Morghasts are typically believed to be assigned to Bindings to ensure their loyalty to Nagash. This is... largely true, but not the whole truth. You see, as loyal as they are, the Morghasts are also very simple minded creatures. Sometimes, they misinterpret Nagash's commands, and even end up going so far as to subvert him. Some wild rumors go further than this, claiming that less loyal Mortarches, like Mannfred and Neferata, manipulate Morghasts into aiding Bindings made up of treasonous undead and/or living Soulbound as part of a grand experiment to see if the loyalties of a Morghast can change. After all, if constructs like these can betray the God of Death, then that means all undead can hope to win freedom from Nagash's tyranny.

Mortisans are highly unusual in that they are the most idealistic of the Ossiarchs. More than any other Bonereaper, Mortisans genuinely believe in the idea of the "Principia Necrotopia", a true pan-Death civilization, and for this reason they often voluntarily seek to join Bindings of Death in order to refine and promote this vision. After all, a Binding containing ghouls, vampires, nighthaunts, wights and Ossiarchs is essentially the Necrotopia in miniature! But alongside idealism, Mortisans have two traits that make them very interested in living Soulbound too: curiosity, and professional pride. After all, the techniques that Mortisans use are "refined" from the Rite of Soulbinding, and many Mortisans are very eager to see the prototype in action. Nagash doesn't share that knowledge readily, and the gods are very rare to let a Mortisan watch a Binding be forged from scratch, but even adventuring alongside an existent Binding and watching how they draw upon soulfire can teach a Mortisan so much...

Necropolis Stalkers showcase one of the downsides of being an intelligent undead: the capacity to feel boredom. Stalkers were made for war, and unlike a living creature, they can't really exist outside of that context. But even Nagash isn't at war 24/7. Many try to alleviate this boredom by becoming guardians for any of the undead races, but some seek out Bindings, whose unending duty can keep a Stalker occupied for an appreciable fraction of eternity. Ironically, their ability to switch personas, so integral to their fighting expertise, actually makes them some of the Ossiarchs most vulnerable to the "pollution" of spiritual growth that accompanying a living Binding can bring - they can hide their bending of Nagash's principles even from themselves.

Soulblight Gravelords

Black Knights, like most wights, join a Binding for one of two reasons: either it will help fulfill their duty... or they already fulfilled whatever duty compelled them into undeath and now they're looking for a purpose in existence. Black Knights often hope (in so far as they can hope) that the fusion of souls, especially with the living, will let them inherit passions and ambitions from their allies - and even if that doesn't work, at the very least they can pursue a guaranteed oblivion at their Binding's side.

Blood Knights are most commonly assigned to Bindings as an alternative punishment to being forced to undergo blood starvation... but there are exceptions. Those of unusual discipline may attract divine (or at least Mortarch) attention, and some who still desperately cling to virtue may seek to become Soulbound in hopes of restraining the beast within.

Grave Guard exist to serve and protect. That is their reason for being, it is why they exist beyond Death. When found in a Binding of Death, typically, it is because one of the other undead was their charge and they followed them without hesitation. Those Grave Guard found in living Binding may similarly be protecting a charge, perhaps a living descendant, but more often have failed their duties and are now in desperate need of another to take its place. Such Grave Guard rarely seek to become Soulbound, instead tending to slip into a traumatized catatonia, but are instead coaxed into accepting the role by a Mortarch of deity. They often come to relish their new duty of protecting their allies, but they never stop mourning their failure.

Necromancers occupy a position of contradictions amongst Nagash's undead society; incredibly vital, but also utterly reviled, at once the most powerful and the weakest of the undead. Bitterly aware of Nagash's intolerance of rivals, many Necromancers are eager to see the protections of becoming Soulbound, which provides the immortality they seek (if in a roundabout way) and ensures their soul can escape Nagash's cruel clutch. Some even go so far as to try and create their own Rites of Binding, though these often go disastrously wrong.

Vampire Lords who become Soulbound are either being punished by Nagash, or desperately seeking to escape Nagash's clutch - being spiritually bound at the behest of a different deity may not be the total freedom they yearn for, but at least it's a lesser prison than the one they escaped from.

Bonesplitterz

Morboys are spirit-possessed berserkers, admired by their peers as some of the Gorkiest Bonesplitterz around. Playing one of these guys is kind of like playing a Slayer in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: you excel at killing shit, but you are shit at just about everything else.

Wardokks are the magical medics of the Bonesplitterz, channeling the Great Green through the power of rhythmic chants and dances, and inspiring the ladz to get stuck in with just the right bit o' headology. They're admired and respected by pretty much most of Gorkamorka's followers - after all, having someone cheer them on as they fight is a novel, pleasant experience. Even when not Soulbound, wardokks often roam the realms, gathering teams of like-minded teams of champions for the sake of getting them into fun scraps. They're noted as the Bonesplitterz most likely to be Soulbound, partly because of that diplomatic streak (they're already used to working alongside oddballs and outcasts), partly because they're less feral than a Morboy, partly because they don't have the responsibilities (or egos) of a Wurrgog Prophet. They're often the glue that holds a mixed-race Destruction Binding together, and if they get Bound to races of Order and/or Death? Well, they're happy to try and teach their new friends how much fun there is in the violent sport of the Bonesplitterz.

Wurrgog Prophets are the spiritual leaders (and archmages) of the Bonesplitterz, and in many ways of the races of Destruction as a whole. With the sheer amount of power they hold, few Wurrgog Prophets become Soulbound, but those who feel the call follow without hesitation. It doesn't hurt that being part of a Binding is often just damn fun as far as the Prophet is concerned; monsters to slay, trophies to claim, and legends to build. Why, many Wurrgogs find their journeys with a Binding reaffirms their faith in Gorkamorka!

Gloomspite Gitz

Boingrot Bounders are the cavalry of the Moonclans; brave, bold and totally mad grots who ride squigs into battle. Naturally, any grot crazy enough to jump on the back of a squig and ride it into battle is incredibly interested in becoming Soulbound, which will only give them the opportunity to become a true legend - living or otherwise.

Fellwater Troggoths are a subspecies of troggoth adapted for survival in rivers, swamps and marshes. Like any troggoth, they're not really thinking creatures so much driven by pure instinct and impulse, so whilst they certainly give a Binding plenty of raw might, good luck figuring out why they considered being part of the Binding in the first place.

Fungoid Cave Shamans were literally created to be the mouthpieces of Mork, and as such have been representing the God of Cunning in Soulbindings pretty much since the beginning. It doesn't matter if the Binding is all Destruction or mixed-faction, they still show up claiming that their presence is Mork's will - and who knows, maybe it's true.

Loonbosses are the biggest, baddest, meanest, sneakiest Moonclan Grots around... but the trouble is that a) there's always a sneakier grot around, and b) the other Destruction races tend to be bigger and badder. As a result, whilst Loonbosses can be found in pure Destruction Bindings when they consider it necessary, they actually prefer to be bound to mixed-faction Bindings. After all, having the assorted Gods of Order as their patrons is sure to give the Loonboss somebody up there looking after them, the mixture of races gives them lots of tricks to steal, and last but certainly not least: other races generally are weirdos who don't care about using the fact they're bigger than the grot to bully him around!

Rockgut Troggoths are... well, see Fellwater Troggoths. Their innate ability to shape stone is a fascinating one, and many non-Destruction Bindings would love to be able to call on that when they need it, but they're just as mindless as their cousins. At least these ones can serve a simpler purpose of being a literal wall of meat and rock that won't register most pain.

Spider Riders are... well, what is there to say? They're the Spiderclan's equivalent to the Boingrot Bounders, and they have as many reasons to become Soulbound as there are breeds of spider. Some seek to honor the Spider God by capturing exotic offerings from across the Realms. Others are hopeful that their Binding will somehow enable their faithful spider steed to ascend to gain divine power itself.

Webspinner Shamans are to the Spiderclans what the Fungoid Cave Shamans are to the Moonclans. They view themselves as the chosen emissaries of the Spider God, and everything they do exists to serve its will. Bindings, whatever their makeup, often find themselves wondering if there's more to the shaman's claims than just the ravings of a mind blasted out of its skull on spider venom.

Wise-Grots are grot mystics who rely on a cocktail of petty priestly magic, ritual dances, sacred masks, fungus cultivation and fungal liquors to work their wicked work. Traditionally working in troupes called Gobobapaloozas, Wise-Grots are incredibly good at teamwork compared to the regular grot; whereas your average green git prioritizes themselves above all others, a Wise-grot knows how to play a unique role whilst still complimenting their peers. And as far as they're concerned, a Binding is just another kind of Gobbapalooza.

Ironjawz

Brutes are the bread and butter of the Ironjawz clans, regarding themselves as the strongest of the strong. But, whilst they generally believe that only orruks can be strong, if this belief is successfully challenged, then a Brute has no qualms about fighting alongside a non-Brute, no matter what their race is. Indeed, they happily join Bindings with any race, simply because they view it as another way to have good strong fighters to fight alongside.

Warchanters are probably the Ironjawz closest in mentality to Bonesplitterz; they have a natural affinity for the magical Waaaagh! energies, which they perceive as an aggressive drumbeat in their head. By echoing this drumbeat with whatever they have handy, they can stoke and manipulate the flow of Waaagh! through their friends, kind of like orruk bards. Also similarly to Bonesplitterz, Warchanters tend to find their Bindings through the Waaaagh itself rather than through deliberate ploys; a future Soulbound Warchanter can hear the heartbeats of their future Binding in their minds, and intuitively seeks them out, one by one, until they have all come together and the symphony of their soul is complete. Which is surprisingly poetic for an orruk! To a Warchanter, it doesn't matter what shapes their future Binding buddies take; all that matters is that they're together, and now they can all really feel the WAAAGH!

Weirdnob Shamans are the rough and tumble mystics of the Ironjawz, and whilst they might technically still be squishy wizards by orruk standards, they're still hearty, hale and keen to crack skulls. Weirdnob Shamans often find themselves "moved by da Waaagh!" - intuitively seeking out a gathering of champions of Destruction to ensure their warband will have magic and muscle to support. Some Weirdnobs act as the champions of all-mystic Waaaaghbands, bullying respect for the arcane into the brutish heads of rival champions. When a Weirdnob does deliberately seek out a Binding, it's usually to be Bound to a mixed-faction Binding; they find the Ritual of Binding fascinating for how similar it seems to the Waaagh!, which naturally translates into a desire to experience it first hand and see if it can teach them anything about channeling the Waaagh!

Kruleboyz

Gutrippas are the basic warriors of the Kruleboyz, fighting with spear (stikka) and shield (skareshield) in tandem. They typically become Soulbound because they can't hope to progress up the ranks and become a Killaboss, whether because they lack political support or they genuinely don't care about becoming a leader.

Man-Skewer Boltboyz are the ranged counterparts to Gutrippas, fighting with crude crossbows that can reach the size of small ballistas. Surprisingly adept snipers (that Morky influence shining again), Boltboyz who become Soulbound are typically doing so because they want to attain the biggest, bestest shooting gear they can imagine. No ramshackle ballista or bolted-together crossbow for them, no; these orruks ream of owning a Vanaric arcbow or an aethermatic rifle, and what better way to get one then by cosying up to the races who make it and proving themselves an ally (at least for now)?

Murknobs are champion warriors amongst the Kruleboys who carry enchanted totems called "Belcha-Bannas", which use harvested monster tongues to imbue these garish face-banners with the ability to unbind enemy spells. Often, a Murknob has been sent to join a Binding to represent his warclan... but some instead run away in hopes of seeking a new path to power with a different kind of horde.

Swampcalla Shamans are the mystical branch of Kruleboy society, weaving a dark form of geomantic magic that can transmute the land around them into swamps and bogs, or draw upon swampy effects for protection in battle. Like most Destruction mystics, they take a particular interest in being Soulbound, in their case regarding it as acquiring the flashiest trophy they could ever hope to get. Mixed bindings generally tolerate them because, as crude as they are, their geomantic practices offer a different perspective, and even the foulest swamp is cleaner than a Chaos-tainted wasteland.

Hobgrot Slittas are the basic grunts of the hobgrot military forces (such as they are), and are literally the only racial archetype they have so far. They carry slitta-knives and bangsticks, and are most notable for their surprising amount of diplomatic skills. Which makes sense; hobgrots are the most mercantile and diplomatic of any Destruction race, and these same traits make them really adept at getting on as part of a Binding. The trick is proving themselves worthy enough to become Soulbound in the first place, which they usually do in the traditional hobgrot way: ripping off bigger and meaner targets until someone takes notice.

Ogor Mawtribes

Butchers often find themselves to following prophecies; it's just one of those things one does as a mystic in service to Gorkamorka. But sometimes, their prohecy doesn't lead to a warglutt or a gollop, but to a Binding, whereupon the Butcher just shrugs his or her shoulders and rolls with it. Bindings are actually quite a lot of fun, as far as Butchers are concerned; oh, they're working with smaller portions than usual, but there's so many fascinating new ingredients, and new people to serve them to! Soulbound Butchers typically delight in trying to share the ogor love of food with other cultures.

As wandering mystics with no ties to anyone but their own esoteric brotherhood, Firebellies adapt readily and easily to becoming Soulbound; to unite in a Waaagh! is a sacred gift, whilst becoming united through Soulfire is to become more like the Sun-Eater himself. Whilst their love of devouring users of warpflame, such as Clan Skryre skaven or daemons of Tzeentch is something everybody can appreciate, Firebellies can have trouble getting on with Fyreslayers, who don't tend to appreciate the Firebelly final initiation rite of killing and eating a magmadroth.

Being loners by nature, Icebrow Hunters usually don't want to get Soulbound and regard it as a chore they must endure, accepting the Rite of Binding to achieve some goal deeply personal to them. But a rare few find kindred spirits in their Binding, even if those kin may have the shapes of Sylvaneth or Ymetrican Lumineth Realm-Lords, and these ogors quickly adopt the Binding as their pack.

If there's any ogor that can claim to be the "standard" Ogor Soulbound, it's a Maneater. After all, they're already veteran mercenaries and well-used to working with other races, Destruction or otherwise. What do they get out of it? Well, surprisingly, it usually ain't the loot they care about; any Maneater who impresses the gods is usually a grizzled veteran who either wants to recapture the heady days of their youth when they first set out to sate their wanderlust and urge to adventure, or else to create a legend that will live on amongst ogors forever.

The Mortal Realms

Whilst an overview of the realms and history of the Age of Sigmar world are presented in the Soulbound corebook, the corebook focuses on adventuring in the Great Parch region of Aqshy.

Religion

Whilst the gods of Order and Chaos have been a part of the Age of Sigmar world for a while, the AoSR corebook goes into particular detail about how the current pantheons stand at the moment. Certain characters gain the abilities to channel Miracles

The Pantheon of Order consists of eight recognized deities:

• Sigmar, the God-King
• Nagash, the Undying King
• Alarielle, the Everqueen
• Gorkamorka, the Greenskin God
• Grimnir, the Shattered God
• Grungni, the Maker
• Malerion, the Shadow King
• Morathi, High Oracle of Khaine
• Teclis, the Illuminator

Of course, there are other beings that certain armies worship that aren't quite part of the pantheon:

• The Bad Moon, a strange and inscrutable celestial body whose presence can eclipse even the light of Hysh. The Gloomspite Gitz fervently worship it, hoping for its presence.
• The Ethersea, the spiritual ocean that the Idoneth channel to allow them to thrive on the surface.
• The Everwinter, the perpetually snowy phenomenon that surrounded the Beastclaw Raiders. While its influence has weakened enough that it has allowed the raiders to coexist alongside the basic mawtribes, certain ogors can channel its power in ways that can freeze enemies.
• The Gulping God, an aspect of Gorkamorka that may or may not be an expy of the Great Maw that Ogor Butchers fervently worship.
• Kragnos, the End of Empires
• The Spider God that the Spiderfang Grots revere.

The Gods of Chaos, in comparison, number five strong: Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeentch, The Great Horned Rat, and Slaanesh, who is the odd ball out since s/he’s currently imprisoned between Ulgu and Hysh but has since gained influence and power.

Supplements and Adventures

<tabs> <tab name="Core Books">

• Core Rulebook
• Bestiary
• Champions of Order: The first major splatbook, introducing plenty of new archetypes, as well as introducing the Lumineth Realm-Lords. It also introduces the feature of background perks based on various army factions.
• Steam & Steel: The big splatbook about crafting and vehicles. Includes other manner of gear, including Kharadron aether-rigs and Fyreslayer runes.
• Champions of Death: Introduces the various forces of Death as PCs (both in Death-only parties and in normal Order-based parties) and as adversaries.
• Artefacts of Power: A book full of super-powerful relics and plot-hooks using them. Also includes rule for crafting items using realmstone (crystallized essences of the Mortal realms as well as Warpstone and Varanite). Surprisingly also has statlines for Endless Spells to the CRB disciplines, a welcome gift since they weren't included anywhere else.
• Champions of Destruction: Introduces the various forces of Destruction as PCs (both in Destruction-only parties and in normal Order-based parties) and as adversaries.
• Era of the Beast: Upcoming supplement based on running games taking place after Broken Realms. Includes a bunch of new Order Archetypes like Melusai, Loreseekers, and Draconith as well as details on the living continent of Thondia in Ghur.
• Ulfenkarn: City at the Edge of Death: Upcoming Supplement detailing the setting of Warhammer Quest: Cursed City. Apparently, there will be archetypes released to parallel the PCs of the board game that use the optional Grim & Perilous ruleset (tl;dr weaker characters upon creation, can't be Sigmarines or Treepeople, no Soulfire).
• Champions of Chaos: Announced at GenCon 2022, this might well provide rules to become the undisputed bad guys of the setting...or at least expand the bestiary a good bit.

</tab> <tab name="Modules and Adventures">

• Age of Sigmar Roleplay Starter Box: Contains the "Faltering Light" introductory adventure.
  • Brightspear City Guide: Included in the Starter Box. Provides some background details to the free city of Brightspear, including plot hooks.
• Crash & Burn: Free adventure where the party is ambushed and crashes their ship. Now they need to find their way back to safety.
• Shadows in the Mist: A set of inter-connected adventures involving the forces of Nurgle assailing the free city of Anvilgard.
  • Anvilgard City Guide: Same as the book for Brightspear the starter box, this provides some plot hooks and details for the city before and after Morathi's takeover.
  • Fall of Anvilgard: Incidentally, some might remember that Anvilgard went through some shit during the Broken Realms Saga. This particular supplement includes ways to shift the campaign via both writeups of where certain NPCs might be in the new city and a few new plot hooks.
• Fateful Night: Adventure module involving protecting Brightspear from some Nighthaunt that are crashing the party.
• Trouble Brewing: Adventure module involving delivering the brew of a descendant/expy of the great Josef Bugman. Also includes the Brewmaster archetype for Kharadron Overlords.
• Reap & Sow: Free Adventure involving saving a settlement in Shyish from the realm's spookier inhabitants.
• Blackened Earth: An interconnected set of adventures involving the free city of Greywater Fastness being caught between both Skaven thievery and angry Sylvaneth trying to boot them out.
• Vossheim's Holdouts: A module using the "Grim & Perilous" ruleset as a potential prelude to the upcoming Ulfenkarn splat, using a squad of surviving armsmen trying to survive for long enough to find an escape from the damned place while the Necroquake rocks the place.
• Ruins of the Past: The next upcoming adventure.

</tab> <tab name="Web Supplements">

• Through Fire & Smoke: Showcase of various environmental effects to throw into your arenas.
• Refuges of the Realms: Showcase of various settlements with plot hooks in the Realms, including a giant Mootain of the Lumineth.
• Doomed Lands: Showcase of various environmental hazards in the Realms that can be influenced by Doom.
• Stars & Scales: Introduces rules for Seraphon PCs as well as some plot hooks involving them.
• The Grund Operations Guide: A supplement involving the Kharadron airship used in several modules as well as supplemental rules to use on any Kharadron ship.

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