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Age of Sigmar/Tactics/Order/Lumineth Realm-Lords

2021-10-12T02:58:22Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Why Play Lumineth Realm Lords? */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Lumineth Realm-Lords|Logo=Eltharion's essence.jpg|Alliance=Order|Motto=FOR <s>ULTHUAN</s> HYSH!!!!!}}

The time of isolation is over, and now the Lumineth Realm-lords (not capitalizing the "-L") finally rise to defeat the forces of chaos with their unwavering resolve, unstoppable magic, angry cow people, stupid and impractical headgear even by this setting's standards and crippling drug addiction! (No really, that last part is actually part of their rules)

New battletome incoming!

==Why Play Lumineth Realm Lords?==
*You were a big fan of High Elves in The World that Was.
*You saw <s>300</s> Alexander the Great and thought to yourself "Yeah, this is cool, but you know what would be awesome? If they had pointy ears and a drug addiction!"
*Because you agree with most people that Eltharion was done dirty in The [[End Times]] and thought he deserved a new chance to shine.
*Because you want a more defensive playstyle with very durable infantry and a lot of flanking and ranged firepower.
*While you are an Elf fan, you also secretly like Dwarfs and want a factions that mixes elements of both.

'''Pros:'''
*Extremely durable core options with your Vanari units being able to automatically give enemies -1 to hit for your standard spears, archers and cavalry.
*If you absolutely need to hit a unit before it gets away or fights back, you can with Lightning Reactions.
*You can give your units buffs out the ass, and you don't need magic to do so.
*Speaking of magic, did we mention all your Vanari units are mages? You are *the* magic army, with only the likes of Tzeentch being able to keep up with you... and then you could take Teclis, who gives Lords of Change penis envy. Nobody expects Geminds and Lifeswarms to come out of your battleline.
*You can't throw a rock without hitting something that deals Mortal Wounds.
*Very powerful HQ choices. Obviously they have Teclis but if you don't want/can't afford him their other options are pretty damn good.
*Sweet spell lores. Being able to drop all enemy Bravery, make all your opponent's command abilities cost double, giving one of your units Ethereal or teleporting them means you have a spell for every situation.
*Horde factions are going to hate your guts because you have a lot of ways to get cheap, plentiful models off the field.
*You can turn the main weakness of using Aetherquartz, the -1 to bravery, and give it to your enemy, giving factions like Grots and Skaven a massive middle finger.
*You have a tool for nearly every situation. Units immune to spells? Got em'. Units that can teleport? They can with a spell. Want casting bonuses? Take your pick.
*Several shooty units can hit-and-run.
*Between all your monsters, Alarith units and Severith, you are the bane of terrain features and siege warfare.

'''Cons:'''
*Remember all those buffs we mentioned above? Well, most come with <s>withdrawal</s> drawbacks. Sure, you can get your wardens to give the enemy -1 to hit having their models all touching, but now they can't run or charge. Sure you can break into your Aetherquartz reserve to give your troops a rush, but now they have -1 to bravery. You need to make sure you are using them at the best time to mitigate the drawbacks.
*No multi-casters outside of bringing Teclis or <s>snorting crystal meth</s> using aetherquartz.
*The models are bad to transport. There's a lot of bits sticking off them like weapons, tassels and braids. The Vanari Dawnrider models are only connected to their bases by one hoof from their horsies. They'll likely need the Nighthaunt or Sylvaneth solution.
*Their bravery is mediocre, and gets even worse if they use aetherquartz.
*Your only allies are your edgy siblings from the sea, questionable lore be damned.
*Though you have the military style down from the High Elves, you traded the awesome stuff like Dragons, Lions, and eagles for weird <s>furry</s> Elemental spirits and amalgamation mounts.
*Remember how everyone complained about Disciples of Tzeentch (especially Arcanites) being [[Powergamer|overpowered]]? Then Hedonites of Slaanesh? Then Ossiarch Bonereapers (especially Petrifex)? Then Kharadron Overlords? That's where you are now; you can mitigate your few weaknesses and excel at one-upsmanship. Plus, half of these "Cons" are about the models and lore. Be prepared for possible nerfs in the future.
*The models are so detailed they take an eternity to paint.

==Army Rules==
===Battle Traits===
*'''AETHERQUARTZ RESERVE:''' This is your big army-wide resource, more akin to the Kharadron's Aethergold in application. Every unit in your army has a single share of Aetherquartz. Once per phase, you can let one unit blow their reserves for one of the following powers below. However, using it has drawbacks: After using it, the unit suffers <s>Drug withdrawal</s> -1 to their Bravery for the rest of the game.
**''Heightened Senses:'' Triggered before the unit shoots or fights. The unit adds +1 to hit with any attacks they make for this phase (Shooting/Combat Phase).
**''Heightened Reflexes:'' +1 Save when chosen as an attack target (Shooting/Combat Phase).
**''Magical Boost:'' +1 or reroll cast (Your Hero Phase).
**''Magical Insight:'' Cast an extra spell (Your Hero Phase).
*'''ABSORB DESPAIR:''' Once per phase, a Cathallar wholly within 18" of a unit who uses an Aetherquartz can absorb it. If they do, don't reduce that units Bravery by 1 and instead choose an enemy unit within 18" of the Cathallar and reduce its Bravery by 1 for the rest of the battle. An enemy unit can't be affected by this more than once per battle. Its effectiveness depends on your opponent. It's great against some armies (nearly all Destruction armies will hate this), but worthless against others (it's a drop in the ocean against most Death armies... and Ossiarch Bonereapers laugh this off). However, your unit still shrugs off the -1 to its Bravery, even if there is no eligible enemy target.
*'''LIGHTNING REACTIONS:''' When you get to select a unit to fight, instead of picking only 1, you get to pick 2 units with this ability. They then fight one after the other.
*'''SHINING COMPANY:''' Any {{AOSKeyword|Vanari}} units (Auralan Sentinels, Wardens, bladelords, and Dawnriders) that is set up where a model is touching bases with two other models is automatically made a Shining Company, encouraging block-like tactics of old. Units in this fashion are harder to hit with a -1 to hit them., but they can't run or charge and they only get a pile-in distance of 1". It's better to stagger your models in the crook of the circle bases than it is to line up in a proper rectangle. BE VERY CAREFUL when pulling casualties to make sure you don't accidentally lose the buff, since it's gone for good once it is.
*'''DEEP THINKERS:''' Any {{AOSKeyword|Scinari Wizards}} can choose to skip casting spells to think really hard. If they do so, next turn the first spell they cast is automatically cast at a 9 that can not be modified, but can be unbound. They learned a little from Teclis, but not quite enough it seems.
*'''ENDURING AS ROCK:''' Before the first battle round of the game and at the start of your hero phases, you can set up any number of {{AOSKeyword|Alarith}} units (Hammerboys, stonemages, and Moontains) into the Mountain Stance. Until the end of your next Hero Phase, your units now ignore Rend -1. There is currently no reason to opt out of doing this. Always have it on.
*'''TECTONIC FORCE:''' At the end of all combat phases, your {{AOSKeyword|Alarith}} units can each nominate an enemy unit within 1" of them (Though two units can't nominate the same enemy). The enemy is then shoved 2" in any direction so long as they are more than 1" from any {{AOSKeyword|Alarith}} unit and then you can let these units within 3" pile in 1" to continue fighting. This is your means of dominating the objective game and tossing enemies into deadly terrain.
*'''MOVE LIKE THE WIND:''' Any time a {{AOSKeyword|Hurakan}} unit piles in, it doesn't need to pile in to the closest enemy model. In addition, when they charge, they can fly and move 3" for piling in. All of it helps establish their role as alpha-strikers, the pile-in trick helping them move to more favorable fights.

===Command Traits===
<tabs>
<tab name="Lords of the Warhosts">
{{AOSKeyword|Vanari}} only.

#'''Grand Strategist:''' If your general is on the field during the first turn, you gain 1 CP.
#'''Consummate Warrior:''' Once per turn, your general can re-roll a failed hit, wound or save roll they make.
#'''Astute Commander:''' When your general is on the field, you can roll a die any time you spend a CP and regain that CP on a 6+.

It's more a toss-up between Consummate Warrior and Astute Commander, hinging on how much you need your CP. If you don't spend them much, then Consummate Warrior will give a bit of an edge in combat. Otherwise, Astute Commander gives a meager chance of winning back some CP.
</tab>
<tab name="Lords of Brilliance">
{{AOSKeyword|Scinari}} only.

#'''Spellmaster:''' Once per turn in your Hero phase, you can re-roll 1 failed casting attempt.
#'''Loremaster:''' Your General knows 1 extra spell from the Lore of Hysh.
#'''Warmaster:''' When your general is on the field, at the start of your Hero phase, you get a CP on a 4+.

If you're bringing a Cathallar you could honestly go for any of these. Spellmaster is strong enough, as there's so many good spells you really want to go off. Loremaster is good if you want some more versatility from your spellcaster and if you give it a Silver Wand you could get a caster that can get a ton of magical value in one turn. Warmaster can get you some nice CP if you're lucky though if you want consistency from your general you're better off with the other two.
</tab>
<tab name="Lords of the Air">
{{AOSKeyword|Hurakan}} only, meaning only your nimbus-wizard.

#'''Grand Windrider:''' When a Windchargers unit wholly within 24" of the general moves, their movement is upped to 16" and they can fly.
#'''Swift:''' Your general adds +3" to movement.
#'''Loremaster:''' Your general knows 1 extra spell from the Lore of the Winds.

Grand Windrider pretty much expects that you'll be running a windcharger-heavy list so it can actually see use, as it provides nothing to the archery foxes. Swift serves as a decent choice if you plan to sprint a lot between supporting foxes and charges as you'll be needing to heal the former while making sure the latter can be free to move where they wish. Naturally, Loremaster is as powerful here as it is in any other list.
</tab>
<tab name="Lords of Stone">
{{AOSKeyword|Alarith}} only, so for right now, just floaty rock guy

#'''Majestic:''' Add 1 to Bravery of friendly Lumineth wholly within 12" of the General. Also, your enemies subtract 1 from Bravery while they are within 18" of the General.
#'''Enduring:''' Add 3 to the General's wounds characteristic.
#'''Loremaster:''' General knows 1 extra spell from the Lore of High Peaks.

Majestic seems boring, but with all the bravery debuffs in this army, you could easily have most of the opposing army at -3 Bravery while you're able to at least walk off the Bravery penalty of spending your share of Aetherquartz. A few casualties over multiple units could see elite armies heading for the hills real quick. Enduring isn't bad when the big hat man is public enemy number one for keeping your war cows at top bracket, improving Rend of Cow Elves around him, and providing re-rolls to saves in the Moo Cow battalion. A very good choice when mixing the various defensive buffs available to him. Loremaster is, obviously, a solid enough choice.
</tab>
</tabs>

===Artefacts===
<tabs>
<tab name="Heirlooms of the Sun">
{{AOSKeyword|Vanari Heroes}} only.

#'''Syari Pommel:''' The bearer gets another share of Aetherquartz.
#'''Senlui Amulet:''' The bearer can run and charge in the same turn.
#'''Sun Stone:''' The bearer can now dispel endless spells and unbind normal spells as if they were a wizard. If they were already wizards, then they can add +1 to their first unbind and dispel rolls.

The Syari Pommel is not as potent as Syar's ability to give everyone extra shares, this is enough to help boost your forces once over or grant the Cathallar another shot at debuffing the enemy. The Senlui Amulet is pretty much tailor made for the lord regent who absolutely needs a massive charge range, though the bannerblade can also benefit from it if they're not bothering with supporting their allies. The Sun Stone pretty much is there as an insurance policy if you're not expecting your wizard to survive.
Addendum: Do NOT underestimate the Syari Pommel on a Lord Regent. Using a quartz whilst keeping and getting a second wind of their in-built -1 against them and magic buffs is crazy-good in a non-Syar list. Makes your Lord Regent ever more capable of overstaying his welcome at your foe's expense.
</tab>
<tab name="Heirlooms of Hysh">
{{AOSKeyword|Scinari Heroes}} only.

#'''Phoenix Stone:''' If a friendly {{AOSKeyword|Lumineth Realm-Lords Hero}} is slain within 12" of the bearer, before removing that model from play, roll a dice. On a 6 that model is not slain, all wounds allocated to it are healed and any wounds that currently remain to be allocated to it or its unit are negated
#'''Silver Wand:''' The bearer can cast 1 extra spell in their hero phase.
#'''Blade of Leaping Gold:''' Pick 1 of the Bearer's weapons. Add 3 to the Attacks characteristic of that weapon.

You will be taking the Silver Wand. Nothing else even has half as much versatility in use. The Phoenix Stone has it's uses, with it not being 1 use, but it's still very unreliable. Maybe in a hero heavy list it has a place. The Blade of Leaping Gold is best used on the Calligrave as they have the best melee profile of any of the non-unique Scinari
</tab>
<tab name="Gifts of the Winds">
{{AOSKeyword|Hurakan Heroes}} only.

#'''Windblast Fan:''' Once per game during the enemy's movement phase, you can pick a unit within 3" of the bearer. This unit most move and must retreat from the enemy, no questions asked.
#'''Wind Stone:''' You get a single-use grenade you can throw at an enemy unit within 18" of the bearer. On a 2+, that unit takes 3 mortal wounds, but a 5+ makes it d6.
#'''Buffeting Aspiragillum:''' 5+ FNP save.

The Windblast Fan can provide some breathing room when dealing with battles, but it also means that you're still in range for a second charge if you don't bail immediately. The Wind Stone gives you a single shot at some undeniable damage, but nothing else. The Buffeting Asipragillum is perhaps the one with the most uses, as they're likely more of an target since they are so vital for keeping the spirits of the wind alive.
</tab>
<tab name="Gifts of the Mountain">
{{AOSKeyword|Alarith Heroes}} only.

#'''Hearthstone Amulet:''' 5+ FNP save.
#'''Ebony Stone:''' Each time the bearer is affected by a spell or endless spell, you can roll a die. On a 4+ Ignore the effects of that spell on the bearer.
#'''Magmic Hammer:''' If the bearer is a {{AOSKeyword|Wizard}} (Which the only one model to take this item is), add 1 to the number of mortal wounds inflicted by Arcane Bolt spells that are cast by the bearer.

All 3 have their uses, but the Ebony stone is probably the weakest of the bunch as you should have no problem stopping any and all harmful spells headed your way via other means. The Amulet adds even more survivability to your already potentially hyper-tanky mages (between ignoring rend, the sanctum, and this, you could have a pretty annoying model to remove), and the Magmic hammer just adds more punch in case your don't need to buff any Alarith squads.
</tab>
</tabs>

===Great Nations===
your bog standard subfaction list. We only have 6 so far, with a theoretical max of 10.

====Syar====
*'''Gleaming Brightness:''' All your {{AOSKeyword|Syar}} units get 2 Aetherquartz reserves instead of 1. With how powerful these boosts are, you'll definitely appreciate a second wave of these working without worry about Morale. Pair with a Cathallar to avoid a permanent -2 to your bravery.
*'''Command Ability''' - ''Deplete Reserves:'' If a {{AOSKeyword|Syar}} unit uses an aetherquartz reserve ability, you may pick another {{AOSKeyword|Syar}} unit within 18" that still has a reserve. You may spend that reserve to give them the same ability. Great for boosting your forces in a big charge
*'''Command Trait - Goading Arrogance:''' Choose 1 enemy hero within 6" of this hero. That enemy hero must attack your general, and your general gets +1 to hit for attacks against that enemy hero. Best on a Lord Regent, but can be pure troll even with a spellcaster. For example, park your Cathallar 6" from Archaon and watch as he spends the rest of combat seething helplessly while she makes fun of his daddy issues from behind a wall of spears he can't attack.
*'''Artefact - The Perfect Blade:''' Unmodified 3+ hits always hits, Unmodified 3+ wounds always wound, and unmodified 3s to save always fail. Absolutely worth it for your Lord Regent or Bannerblade.

These guys will make your aetherquartz last much longer, and feel more impactful. <s>The meth lab workers among the Lumineth, hence their larger stash</s>. A Cathallar is pretty much a requirement in this army because otherwise your troops will have the bravery of most Skaven troops after blowing their reserves. Have a Vanari Lord Regent somewhere so you'll actually have someone reasonable to give the Perfect Blade to.

====Iliatha====
*'''Unity in Purpose:''' Once per phase, after a {{AOSKeyword|Iliatha Vanari}} uses a command ability, you may select another {{AOSKeyword|Iliatha Vanari}} within 3". That unit gains the same ability for free.
*'''Connected Souls:''' +2 Bravery to all Vanari and Aelemantari troops, making up your your mediocre base bravery. You can use an Aetherquartz now and still be in a better bravery position than normal
*'''Command Ability''' - ''Strike in Unison:'' During your shooting or combat phase you may select one {{AOSKeyword|Iliatha Vanari}} unit with 2 or more models and they reroll hit rolls of one.
*'''Artefact''' - ''Simulacra Amulet:'' The <s>Chad</s> Stacy Simulacra Amulet vs The <s>Virgin</s> Becky Phoenix Stone. The first time the bearer dies, roll a dice. On a 4+ heal them back to full.

If you're a sucker for good 'ole High Elf aesthetic, then this is your choice. While it doesn't explicitly buff your aelementari stuff, it doesn't mean they don't fit in with the +2 bravery. This will probably be your best choice if you wanna go for quantity rather than quality, though you're still going to be fairly elite.

====Zaitrec====
*'''Lambent Mystics:''' The first cast, dispell, or unbind from *EACH* wizard in your army gets +1 every command phase. Each wizard hero knows one extra spell, and each wizard in the army gets the spell overwhelming heat in addition to the spells they know.
*'''Command Trait''' - ''Fast Learner:'' General can dispel 1 additional spell and can reroll the second unbinding roll.
*'''Lore of Zaitrec''' - ''Overwhelming Heat:'' Casts on 7. Enemy unit within 24" has halved movement, and if you roll a die and its equal to or higher than their save, they take D3 MWs. It's a solid little spell, but you'll usually be casting if you've already done everything else.
*'''Artefact''' - ''Gift of Celennar:'' 6+ shrug for MWs, +2 if Teclis is on the battlefield

The magic choice. Taking Teclis with this Great Nation will probably bring the most out of them for that sweet, sweet MW avoidance - although he isn't an auto-include. Obviously protecting your mages is paramount and if the heroes die early you're pretty much screwed. ALWAYS combine this with the twin stones for more magic shenanigans.

====Ymetrica====
*'''Mountain Realm:''' Ignore up to -2 Rend for units in Mountain Stance, instead of -1
*'''Command Ability''' - ''Redoubled Force:'' End of combat phase, one unit that's used Tectonic Force and within 18" of a {{AOSKeyword|Ymetrica Hero}} can use Tectonic Force again against another enemy unit within 1".
*'''Command Trait''' - ''Almighty Blow:'' When you pick the general to fight, instead of fighting you can pick an enemy unit within 1" and deal D3 MW on a 2+.
*'''Artefact''' - ''Mountain's Gift:'' +1 damage to a single attack made by a single weapon, 6+ FNP, and 5+ Spell ignore

Obviously, this one is meant of Alarith units, so you should be going with a stoneguard, mountain spirit and stonemage army for this one. It's not quite as powerful as it was in the 2020 battletome, but it remains very focused on using the Alarith, tanking blows and shoving around enemies.

====Alumnia====
*'''Claim the Field:''' Right before the battle begins you can pick up to three {{AOSKeyword|Alumnia Vanari}} or {{AOSKeyword|Alumnia Scinari}} units to move immediately, but they can't run.
*'''Command Ability''' - ''Seize the Moment:'' During the charge phase, pick a friendly unit that already ran. This unit can charge after running.
*'''Command Trait''' - ''Burning Gaze:'' At the start of the fight phase, your general can target one enemy unit within 3" ad deal a MW on a 2+.
*'''Artefact''' - ''Waystone:'' Once per game, the bearer can forgo moving and pick a unit within 12" of them. The bearer can immediately teleport to any spot 1" from that chosen location so long as it's not within 3" of an enemy unit.

Another mobility-focused nation, though not nearly as focused on any single faction like Helon. The battle trait grants your troops a much-needed scouting move, while the command ability gives all your units a very useful perk when stuck in combat.

====Helon====
*'''Gale of Killing Shafts:''' All {{AOSKeyword|Helon}} missile units within 3" of an enemy gain +1 attacks.
*'''Command Ability''' - ''Gone Like the Wind:'' At the end of combat you may pick one {{AOSKeyword|Helon}} unit that is within 12" of a {{AOSKeyword|Helon}} hero. That unit may move but not run.
*'''Command Trait''' - ''Skyrace Grand Champion:'' Your general can reroll one run, charge and casting roll per battle.
*'''Artefact''' - ''Metalith Dust:'' Once per battle you may select one enemy unit within 3" of the bearer. That unit suffers -1 to hit and wound rolls until the end of the phase.

You pick this one if you REALLY want to piss your opponent off. Giving you ranged units extra shots and the ability to escape from close quarters combat will drive them to want to bash your face in with a hammer. It's also great if you want to go with a Hurakan themed army.

===Spell Lores===

*'''Power of Hysh:''' Casts on 6. This can be cast by the battleline units with Sunmetal Weapons, and allows them to dish out mortal wounds on a 5+ instead of a 6+. Very, VERY good, especially on <strike>Bladelords</strike> (Bladelords have Sunmetal weapons but not the ability as the spell states, therefore it won’t work on them), Wardens or Sentinels.
**'''Greater Power of Hysh:''' Casts on 7. The version given to Lord Regents and Lyrior Uthralle essentially lets you spread this to d3 other units wielding Sunmetal weapons within 18" of them. Pretty much there so you're not fretting about which unit you want to use Power of Hysh on.

<tabs>
<tab name="Lore of Hysh">
{{AOSKeyword|Teclis}}, {{AOSKeyword|Vanari}} and {{AOSKeyword|Scinari Wizards}} only.
#'''Speed of Hysh:''' Casts on 5. Double the movement of a friendly unit within 18" of the caster. Amazing for sprinting onto objectives, stealing away an important enemy charge, or slinging some cavalry almost 30" across the board.
#'''Solar Flare:''' Casts on 8. Pick a point on the battlefield within 10" of the caster. If there is an endless spell there, dispel it. If there is a unit there, roll # of models dice, Each +6 does 1 MW and until next hero phase -2 to enemy wizards cast, unbinds, and dispels. Very useful in mirror matches.
#'''Lambent Light:''' Casts on 5. Pick an enemy unit within 18", you can reroll missile weapon attacks against that unit until your next hero phase. Remember you can reroll even if you don't miss. Your other "auto-include" if you're following the competitive route of a decent number of archers.
#'''Ethereal Blessing:''' Casts on 6. Give Ethereal to a friendly unit within 18". Remember that this also includes positive buffs like cover or drugs. Think before you cast.
#'''Total Eclipse:''' Casts on 8. Until next hero phase, your opponent has to spend 2 CP instead of 1 when using command abilities. Easily our most trolly spell, use it to absolutely cripple some of the stronger combinations in the game by stopping almost all Command ability shenanigans. You should almost always have this, just in case.
#'''Protection of Hysh:''' Casts on 8. Give friendly units wholly within 9" of the caster 5+ FNP. Doesn't stack with Teclis' sadly.
</tab>
<tab name="Lore of the High Peaks">
{{AOSKeyword|Teclis}} and {{AOSKeyword|Alarith Wizards}} only.
#'''Unyielding Calm:''' Casts on 4. Unit wholly within 18" doesn't have to take Battleshock tests. Super nice if you didn't bring Eltharion for some reason.
#'''Crippling Vertigo:''' Casts on 6. Pick an an enemy unit within 18" of the caster. Until your next hero phase, roll 2d6 each time the unit tries to make a normal move, pile in, or charge. If the roll is higher than the unit's bravery, it cannot make that move. The most obnoxious spell in this tree, use it to even further stall that big monster who got hit by your stonemage's signature spell.
#'''Voice of the Mountains:''' Casts on 6. -2 Bravery to all enemy units until end of turn, and then -1 until your next hero phase.
#'''Living Fissure:''' Casts on 6. Draw a 1mm line to a point 9" from the caster, on a 2+ deal D3 MWs to a unit that lines passes over
#'''Entomb:''' Casts on 7. Pick an enemy model within 18" and visible to the caster. Roll a dice, if the result is higher than the model's Wound characteristic, it is slain. If you roll a 6 and it is not enough to kill, deal D6 MW instead.
#'''Assault of Stone:''' Casts on 8. Choose an enemy unit wholly within 24" and visible to the caster. Roll a number of dice equal to the casting roll. For each result *lower* than the enemy unit's save value, they take 1 MW. Rolls of 1 or 2 never deal a mortal wound and Saves of "-" count as 6 for this rule. Really god for digging through chaff, but not much else.
</tab>
<tab name="Lore of the Winds">
{{AOSKeyword|Teclis}} and {{AOSKeyword|Hurakan Wizards}} only.
#'''Freezing Squall:''' Casts on 5. An enemy unit within 12" is unable to run until your next Hero Phase. Annoying, though it may not matter much to certain armies.
#'''Howling Gale:''' Casts on 7. An enemy unit within 12" will be unable to use or benefit from command abilities. Oh, this can prove to be a right pain, especially in armies that really rely on their leaders.
#'''Guiding Flurries:''' Casts on 7. One friendly Lumineth unit wholly within 12" of the wizard can pick between either adding 6" to the range of their missile weapons or adding +1 to hit with their missile weapons. This is a pretty handy support option, though it can be hamstrung depending on circumstances.
#'''Calming Zephyr:''' Casts on 6. A friendly Lumineth unit wholly within 16" of the wizard heals d3 wounds and ignores battleshock for the turn. Pretty solid for support.
#'''Burning Simoom:''' Casts on 6. Pick an enemy unit within 12" of the wizard and roll a number of die equal to the number of models in this unit; Each model suffers a mortal wound on a 6, though this can be improved to a 5+ if you scored a 10 or better on the casting check. An absolute doozie with Teclis. See that block of 60 Grotz? Now you don't--...I smell something burning...
#'''Transporting Vortex:''' Casts on 8. One friendly Lumineth unit wholly within 12" can now immediately redeploy anywhere on the field so long as it's over 9" away from any enemy unit. You'll definitely be needing this for your more mundane forces, as your Hurakan units can easily skip around where needed.
#* Worth mentioning that you can redeploy a Vanari unit that exited out of shining company, back into shining company, as per the last FAQ. So dropping a hurt unit of wardens on a point will make them quite immovable.
</tab>
<tab name="Endless Spells">
#'''Sanctum of Amyntok:''' 30 points, creates a triangle around the caster and now counts as part of their model. Gives the enemy -1 to hit against the caster, gives the caster +1 to their save and a 50/50 shot to deal some MWs to anyone standing too close. Cheap and a good way to protect your squishy wizard, plus since the spell counts as part of their model, it makes their bubbles slightly bigger, which is good for those rules which require the unit to be "Wholly within" range.
#'''Hyshian Twinstones:''' 30 points, starts at 1 and gets a charge every time a spell is cast within 12 inches of it (maxes out at 6). While within 12" of it, your wizards can choose to add the value of the charges to their casting roll. Easily your best endless spell. As per the FAQ on its order of operations, after one spell is cast, it can give the rest of your wizards within range a permanent +2 to cast every single time. This means you're looking at a +4 to cast on nearly every spell you sling if you bring Teclis and Zaitrec. Since our stuff is expensive, if you have <100 points left over, bring it. Always.
#'''Rune of Petrification:''' 70 points, subtracts 1 from the run and charge rolls of non-Lumineth within 6, and does d3 Mortal Wounds to non-Lumineth within 6 on a 4+ at '''both''' the start and end of '''both players''' movement phases. That's 3d3 minimum if your opponent moves out of range on their first turn. If you get a double turn that's 5d3 ''if'' they can move out of range at the first opportunity. It's a good way of controlling enemy movement, but it's expensive. Probably the hardest to use of the three, plus being more expensive than both of the other spells combined means this is less than ideal most of the time, but still holds potential.
</tab>
</tabs>

==Unit Analyis==
===Named Leaders===
* '''Archmage [[Teclis]] and Celennar , [https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Teclis%20-%20eng.pdf Spirit of Hysh] (660 pts):''' One of the dual gods of Hysh and another of the [[Everqueen|big]] [[Lord Kroak|literal]] [[Nagash|god]]-[[Be'lakor|tier]] [[Archaon|models]]. He went from "the best wizard who's not a daemon, demigod or Slann" to "gives Greater Daemons penis envy and makes Slann second-guess themselves". While he's not a slouch in CC, he shouldn't try to take on big scary things alone, as he'd rather be slinging spells and ruining your opponents day.
**He can cast 1, 2, or 4 spells. Depending on the number of spells he choses, they cast at differing values (1 spell meaning a 12 with no unbinding allowed, 2 spells means a 12, but otherwise normal, and 3/4 spells going off on a 10)
**Celennar’s Aura: +1 to cast, dispel, and unbind to everyone within range. Keep this in mind for when you cast the twinstones in a Zaitrec list for +3-8 on your casts.
**Can auto dispel 1 endless spell in your hero phase and auto unbind 1 enemy spell in their hero phase, and can still unbind unlimited enemy spells after his auto-unbind.
**Friendly units in Celennar's aura ignore spells on a 4+, and bounces a handful of MWs at an enemy within 18" of said unit when it works.
**Spells: (1) ''Protection of Teclis'': 10 to cast. 5+ FNP within 18", can't be cast same turn as Hysh Protection. (2)''Storm of Searing White Light'': 10 to cast. Roll a dice for each enemy unit within 18" and visible. 1, nothing happens; 2-4 D3 MW, 5+ D6 MW. Oh, plus EVERY spell from all three Lumineth trees. And when new elemental temples get released, they generally get a new accompanying spell lore, meaning that he's only going to get stronger as time goes on.

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Eltharion_EN.pdf Light of Eltharion]:''' (220 pts) [[Eltharion]] returns to us as a living suit of armor. A melee beat-stick with ethereal bonuses, a ranged d3 mortal wound shot, and a massive leadership bonus tied to his command ability. He wants to aim at a character and rip and tear untill it is done. Once your enemies duelists/buffs/characters who looked at you funny are down, aim Eltharion at whatever you want and have fun. Tanky, killy, and obnoxious, Eltharion is easily one of your best HQs.

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Avalenor%20-%20eng.pdf Avalenor, the Stoneheart King]:''' (360 points) The Mega Moo himself. Avalenor is a great support character for your army, He has a 30” ranged attack which can do D6W at rend 2 (range decreases with damage) and has 6 attacks (7 if it didn’t make a charge move this turn) that are Rend 1 with 5 Damage each in melee. He also has a debuff aura which makes all enemy units within 12” have a -1 to hit, which is awesome when he's properly positioned in the middle of your front line. He also has a command ability which can give D3 Alarith Aelf units +1 attack, sorry other moontains. All these nice things get a bit worse with damage taken, but if you have a Stonemage within 12" of him, he can pretend to be max health, so keep your little mage friend safe. His last ability, Elder Wisdom, allows a hero within 6" to use a command ability for free next turn, so keep him within <s>grumbling</s> advising range of your dudes.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_Sevireth.pdf Sevireth, Lord of the Seventh Wind]:''' (300pts) DO YOU NEED SPEED? Just as Avalenor is king of the earth-moos, this guy is one of the seventy-seven most powerful winds (or <s>kitsunes</s>). Unlike Avalenor, his stats never degrade, which means that he can always shoot at maximum efficiency. Since unlike Avalenor he isn't a mountain but a wind, he is also fast. Fast as in 24" flying - something necessary because his bow is actually quite short-ranged at 18" but comes with a dangerous -3 rend and D3 damage. To keep his 5+ save out of trouble he can move another 12", but he can slso still charge. That's great since his melee power's not too bad. Impact damage on the charge and doing more Mortal Wounds as he flies over enemies, debuffing enemies close to him. As he's quite fragile for a monster, he does need support - Take a Windmage so they can heal him up. Remember, he is a Hurakan unit, so should you find yourself in a fight you are unlikely to survive, just leave and laugh as you do, Hurakanspirits were playful and giggling once. His last ability is Scour, which allows him to essentially render enemy setpieces into ineffective hunks of plastic on a 2+. If you ever wanted to tell the OBR Obelisk to shove it, here you go.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_Ellania_Ellathor.pdf Ellania and Ellathor]:''' (260pts) The new hot pair of Elven twins, one of whom is a master mage and the other a peerless warrior. This totally-not-Tyrion-and-Teclis combo will probs take the place of them, especially since one serves Tyrion and the other serves Teclis. Like Syll'esske and the Sisters of Twilight, these two are effectively one model. To no one's surprise <s>Ellathor's</s> not-Tyrion's new sword is terrifying, with damage equal to the turn number and a one-off batch of mortal wounds in a line a la Sunfang, while <s>Ellania</s> not-Teclis' staff is merely decent with a -1 rend. Riding on top of this, the end of each fight phase gives the chance of vanishing if you roll a dice and it's under the turn number or amount of wounds suffered they vanish to a spot 12" away from any enemies as well as healing d6 wounds - likely very useful earlier on, but prone to wearing out its welcome as the game carries on. Not Teclis can also cast/unbind two spells, and comes with a unique spell that grants a 5+ FNP, which you will be using.
**Their neatest gimmick is that they can be taken as allies with any army who's general has the {{AOSKeyword|Order}} Keyword and can generate Command Points on a 4+ if they are within 3' of them, though this comes at the cost of never being generals themselves. Internationally focused elves? What a unique and interesting idea, cough cough.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_LyriorUthralle.pdf Lyrior Uthralle, Warden of Ymetrica]:''' (210 pts) The head general of the Lumineth and Tyrion's right hand man. He's your named lord-regent, and much like the other forms of named "melee HQ on bigger than average mount" that AOS released, he'll probably be a bit better, but a bit less flexible than his normal form. If his lance wounds a {{AOSKeyword|Chaos}} or {{AOSKeyword|Daemon}} Keyword model, he automatically does 3 damage instead of d3, but it still only has 1 attack, so don't get too excited about it. It's worth noting he lets you get more CP when you don't have Teclis hanging around, and since he has the same spell as the lord regent, it becomes clear that he's meant to be hanging around the other Vanari units.

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Myari_Lightcaller_en.pdf Myari Lightcaller]:''' (220 pts) The new character from the Warhammer Underworlds: Direchasm box set. While he’s a single model unit, he must be accompanied by his retinue, and their points are included in his points cost. Same stat-line as the Stonemage, he trades tankyness for a decent shooting attack and okay close combat. His Scryowl Familiar adds 1 to his casting, unbinding and dispelling rolls and, similar to the Sentinels, can choose a unit 24” away and out of line of sight to have LOS on. His unique spell, '''Dazzling Light''' subtracts 1 from hit rolls from missile weapons that target him, or a unit wholly within 6” of him. Mathematically, this will mean you can fit a Cow Mountain in this bubble, giving a -2 modifier to hit when stacked with Avalenor’s '''Guardian of Hysh''' ability.

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Myaris_Purifiers_en.pdf Myari’s Purifiers]:''' (220 pts) A separate unit from Myari Lightcaller, but included in his points cost. You get one Bladelord, one Sentinel, and one Stoneguard. The Bow gets two shots, but only has the 18” profile, the Mallet retains the '''Crushing Blow''' ability to do extra damage, and Greatsword and Bow are both Sunmetal weapons, but they cannot access Power of Hysh. Their '''Guardians''' ability is their saving grace, allowing them to intercept a wound or mortal wound on Myari Lightcaller while he is within 3”. Basically, they’re here to be a tax to bringing Myari, which was a bit of a pain before all the new HQs got announced.

===Leaders===

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Alarith%20Stonemage%20-%20eng.pdf Alarith Stonemage]:''' (130 pts) Floaty cow-kin him/herself. You will be seeing him in every list with Cow Elves (Stonegaurd) and Spirits of the Mountain. Fairly squishy at 5 wounds and only a 5+ save, until you remember he is ignoring Rend 1 (and Rend 2 in '''YMETRICA''' armies) among other defensive buffs. She is your standard 1 cast/1 unbind wizard that provides a powerful buff in the form of his '''STONEMAGE STANCE'''. In the start of the combat phase, the Stonemage can strike a pose that allows every '''ALARITH AELEMNTIRI''' WHOLLY WITHIN 12 inches an additional Rend on their melee weapons in exchange for not making a pile in move. Easy Rend 2 on all my Stoneguard? Yes please. His spell, '''Gravitic Redirection''' is cast on a 5+. The stonemage gains fly, and picks an enemy units within 18", cutting their speed in half and turning off fly. It also does a mortal wound, but that's definitely not the main point. Pick the enemy's big flying threat and laugh at the waster 400+ points. S/He's got a pretty standard mage melee statline, but his/her real job is to buff till the cows come home. If you can't tell, the model's sex is hard to tell, go elves!

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Scinari%20Cathallar%20-%20eng.pdf Scinari Cathallar]:''' (140 pts) These professional mourners are excellent at debuffing foes and mitigating the drawbacks of <s>crystal meth</s> aetherquartz. Aside from the obvious Scinari benefits, she also gains the '''Emotional Transference''' ability, allowing her to target any Lumineth unit within 18" and let them ignore battleshock. What's more, if that unit lost models, you can later target an enemy with 18" and add their casualties to their bravery roll. Basically her job is to ruin the fun your opponent thought he was having when his Scary charge killed 15 elves.

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_ScinariLoreseeker.pdf Scinari Loreseeker]:''' (160pts) LOREMASTERS OF HOETH RETURN TO US NOW, AT THE TURN OF THE TIDE. Since they embody the balance of tyrionic and teclian ideals like none other, they perform well in both melee, a 12" shooting atack and casting a single spell a turn. That however is not what you take them for. You take him for his special rules. With "Loreseeker" he generates a CP everytime a enemy with an artifact dies within 3" of him, but the real ticket is the Rule <s>"In Addition"</s> "Lone Agent" He gets +1 to his save if he is away 9" from friendlies, he gets to set up 3" away from enemy models and not your territory. If you set him up near an objective without enemies it's his and it cannot be stolen until he dies. Either game breaking or a neat trick, the jury is still out on this one.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_ScinariCalligrave.pdf Scinari Calligrave]:''' (100pts) A new wizard who's job it is to un-chaos lands he visits with totally-not-dwarf-runes. Their unique spell is a like arcane bolt, but it only works against other heroes and instead of rolling really high, you need to spend a turn marking an enemy hero with this spell before casting it again to deal D6 MW. Since 2D3 is statistically better than 1D6, it's pretty meh, even more so since you also need to cast the spell again to get the chance to completely botch your D6 roll; the other side of the coin is D6 MW sounds terrifying in prospect, especially on marked support heroes that could get instascrubbed on a favourable roll, which could lead to enemy players treading mega conservatively to let you get into better position or leave one of their units without their support. Once per game, he can pick a spot ANYWHERE on the map. Roll a dice and add the current battle round to the result. On a 5+, he paints out a rune on the chosen spot; this rune makes it so that no friendly Lumineth units wholly within 9" need to make battleshock tests while wizards within this area can add +1 to their casting/dispelling/unbinding checks. Don't expect to get this off early in the game, and whilst it sounds crappy on paper, the rune could add some much-needed stability in late/endgame cycles in matches when your army has taken a beating. You pay a generous 100 points for a mediocre spell and an ability that requires waiting a few turns before it can be reliably cast, so whilst you'll be uhm-ing and ahh-ing about this guy, there isn't much to whinge about! He's cheap, he has his uses, can give a bloody nose in a fight, and it's one more spell to add to your Hero phase! Have him contemplate and spam Total Eclipse whilst babysitting some Starshard Ballistae, people will hate you.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_HurakanWindmage.pdf Hurakan Windmage]:''' (120pts) The not-last Airbender/Son Wukong with Horns comes in fast with 16" on his little cloud friend. A 5+ Save and standard mage whacky stick is nothing to write home about, he is your buff boy for all things windy. With the rule on the "Windmage Symbiosis" on the Windspirit scroll he replenishes their power, with his own "Windleap" he has your Windchargers go a bit faster and since Calming Zephyr from his spell lore is kind of the default he has some more heals to go around. For his own protection his little fan redirects enemy missile attacks to give him a better save and on an unmodified 6 on his save he can send a mortal wound back to an enemy within 9". No matter how small or big your Hurakan temple will be, he's a part of it.

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_VanariLordRegent.pdf Vanari Lord Regent]:''' (150pts) Your new generic melee hero on a bomb ass amalga-mount. His addition means you finally have something other than wizards to give those melee focused artifacts to, as well as an HQ who can actually keep up with the dream of a cav-spam list. 14", 6 wounds and a 3+ save as well as good melee sees him pose a mobile threat. His Pure Aetherquartz not only makes his casting a little better but also offers an innate -1 to hit against him, so he shines bright like a diamond until he uses his Quartz up, then the ability dies. Greater Power of Hysh is your safety net, should a Vanari unit fail to get their power of Hysh cast. On a 7 you can give the same Power of Hysh to D3 units wholly within 18". A fantastic all around choice.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_VanariBannerblade.pdf Vanari Bannerblade]:''' (110pts) An elf with a massive banner. Friendly Lumineth within 18" add +1 to their bravery just by seeing this flag, but this is boosted to +3 when this guy's within 3" of an enemy. In addition, once per game during any phase you can trigger the power of their banner - enemy units within 18" need to roll a d6 and if they roll under the current turn number, they eat D3 MWs and a -1 to hit in melee for the phase. Despite being no slouch in Melee, he is more of a niche choice, but not one you'll have to feel bad about.

===Battleline===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Wardens_EN.pdf Auralan Wardens]:''' (Battleline, 120pts, Min:10, Max:30) The Elven phalanxes finally return home, and they come equipped with 3" range Sunmetal <s>spears</s> pikes that get -1 rend and +1 to wound when they are charged. Like all the other Sunmetal weapons, each hit roll of a natural 6 causes a MW. The unit champion comes with a -1 rend sword, a one-use mortal wound bomb used at the ''start'' of the combat phase. On top of that he is a wizard as long as there are at least 5 models in the unit. All this combined with the shining company bonus makes these guys amazing charge screens for your archers and objective holders. Wardens are the only unconditional Battleline unit of the Lumineth. But for every unit of Auralan Wardens, you can take a unit of Auralan Sentinels or Auralan Dawnriders as Battleline.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Dawnriders_EN.pdf Auralan Dawnriders]:''' (Conditional Battleline, 130pts, Min:5, Max:15) Their Deathly Furrows ability grants bonuses for attacking infantry: 1 additional attack for all weapons (ie rider & mount) if the target has 2 wounds or 2 additional attacks if the target has 1. This *ONLY* works against units without mounts, so try to aim for infantry if you can. This Translates to a lot of dead chaff and 1-wound elite infantry. If speed is your game, cast speed of Hysh on them and you'll be looking at a 28" standard move, meaning you have no excuse to not pick the perfect charges.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Sentinals%20-%20eng.pdf Vanari Auralan Sentinels]:''' (Conditional Battleline, 140pts, Min:10, Max:30) More MWs, delivered at a distance & w/o line of sight. While the spear elves poke & hold the line against heavy hitters (or Stoneguard, if that's how you swing) with your horses mulching chaff, Sentinels are ideal assassins- pumping mortal wounds into the opposing (support) heroes from 30" away with Sunmetal arrows. Since mortal wounds trigger on natural 6+ (Or 5+ with Power of Hysh) 'Look out, Sir!' does not help those supporting heroes. Conveniently their bows have a second firing mode that deals more consistent normal damage with higher Rend, this is at a "shorter" range though (18") so really is more for supporting your spears or whatever flavor of tarpit needs the firepower after the opponent's general is kaput. Remember that the unit leader does not have a bow, so to maximize shooting and mortal wounds taking max size units is probably better. Remember that rules that remove specific models can remove your ability to fire out of line of sight if they kill the squad leader. Thanks to AoS 3.0 you can now run a unit of 30 of these bastards if they're battleline. With the new Unleash Hell command they become unfavorable to charge and worse to leave alone.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Alarith%20Stoneguard%20-%20eng.pdf Alarith Stoneguard]:''' (Conditional Battleline, 100pts, Min:5, Max:15) Your elite infantry choice and a battleline if you're playing Ymetrica. They come in two types, a dual handed diamondpick hammer or stone mallet with -1 rend and a captain with *OPTIONAL* dual Stratum Hammers for more attacks. If you roll an natural 6 with the stone mallets you get 1 extra damage and if you get a 6 with diamond picks you get 1 mortal wound. This means mallets are better at killing crowds where as picks are better at dealing with armored units. Flexible elite choice depending on how you build them. Even if you're not focusing on Alarith units, a squad of 5-10 of these guys work great at one end of your phalanx to prevent flanking and losing your buffs. How historical.
Never take the Stratum Hammers in lieu of the chosen unit weapon on the leader- they're utter horsecack.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_HurakanWindchargers.pdf Hurakan Windchargers]:''' (Conditional Battleline, 130pts, Min:5, Max:15) Aelven archers riding battle tauntaun-furdino-kanga-joust mounts. 14" pseudo-flying movement, 2 wounds and a whimpy 5+ save. Their Bows hit and wound on the aelven standard of 3+, at range with -1 rend and -2 rend when used in melee. Yes, they use their Bows as sticks in melee and are rewarded with an extra rend for it. The Bows only have 12" or range when shot, which can place them in harms way, but remember that you can use the Hurakan rules to just have them leave.

===Other===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_VanariBladelords.pdf Vanari Bladelords]:''' (120pts, Min:5, Max:10) Swordmasters reborn. Now you can have heavy infantry without the need for stupid hats/conversions, HOORAY! Each one comes with a sunmetal greatblade that doesn't have the Sunmetal rule, so no Mortal Wounds. Instead they can use in one of two ways: either a single high rend stabs that auto-hits (to hunt characters and monsters), or an anti-horde swings based on how many enemies are nearby. Paired with their innate extra magic protection, and you have a flexible unit to plug gaps in your line, HOWEVER don't be overconfident. 10 of these guys only kill 3 chaos warriors a turn or ~13 marauders (or equivalents), so don't expect them to be fully self sufficient. They also don't get to cast spells, which makes them rather dependent on others. In exchange they are bodyguards. Before a Scinari allocates suffers a wound nearby Bladelords can take the hit instead for 1 MW on a 2+. 10 Bladelords make any Scinai functionally immortal.

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_Hurakan_Spirit_Wind.pdf Hurakan Spirit of the Wind]:''' (250 pts). The generic Fox is Severith, but lesser. Eight wounds instead of ten, a slightly less impressive bow and he loses some rules. No "Scour" to take the rules off of faction terrain, no fly-over Mortal Wounds and his quiver is way less cool. But he retains the movement shenannigans of his named counterpart, same regeneration from the Windmage, same absolutely insane 24" move.

===Artillery===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_VanariStarshardBallistas.pdf Vanari Starshard Ballista]:''' (100pts) Your new and only artillery unit, ultimately proving to be more like a classic ballistae than the Stormcast's machine gun blasts. It fires twice at -2 Rend and d3 Damage, making it a bit of a menace - especially if you manage to get a hero in position so they can grant a ballista a +1 to hit so the attack is pretty much guaranteed to hit. Keep it still in the movement phase, and it gets another shot, meaning another nasty potential D3 dead dudes. They also have a once-per-game ability to stun an enemy in addition to the sweet damage potential, dealing a -1 to hit whilst you gib them, so you can annoy and put the pressure on enemies until you can have someone else handle them.

===Behemoths===
* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Alarith%20Spirit%20of%20the%20Mountain-%20eng.pdf Alarith Spirit of the Mountain]:''' (340 pts). The Moontain. Your primary beat-stick and use for command points when you bring 'em. Outside of heroes, your only source of >1 damage attacks (well, the Stoneguard can get it on a 6 to wound with the Mallets) - at full health, his hammer is hitting on 3s, wounding on 2s, -2 rend, and 5 damage each. Keeping a stonemage within 12" of him allows you to ignore his damage table. Finally, his command ability allows you to add 1 to the attack characteristic of 1 unit's melee weapons.

===Terrain===
*'''Shrine Luminor''': A floating shrine meant to power up your already crazy strong mages. It lets you nominate a hero to be the shrine guardian, who gets to use their command ability for free, as well as giving heroes 1 free reroll on cast/deny/dispell a turn within 12", growing to 24" turn 2 onwards.

==Battalions==
Due to how Battalions are now universal, expect see the whole lot of this on the trash bin outside of narrative games. Bonus rules, traits and doodads are going to be likely added to the faction rules as default.
*'''Alarith Temple:''' (120) '''MIN:'''690/'''MAX:'''1510
**'''Requirements:''' 1x Avalenor or Alarith Spirit of the Mountain, 1x Alarith Stonemage, 1-3x Alarith Stoneguard.
**'''Ability:''' At the start of your combat phase, a Stoneguard unit from this battalion that is wholly within 12" of a hero from the same batalion can reroll saves until end of phase but can only pile in 1".
If you are playing Ymetrica you may as well take this one with Avalenor. Makes your already annoyingly tough units even tougher.
*'''Auralan Legion:''' (120) '''MIN:'''780/'''MAX:'''2820
**'''Requirements:''' 1x Scinari Cathallar, 2-4x Vanari Auralan Sentinels, with an equal amount of Vanari Auralan Wardens
**'''Ability:''' Units within 3" of another unit from this Battalion can reroll saves of 1.
Again, make your top objective holders better at holding objectives. Cast Etherial Blessing vs Rend or otherwise use your Aetherquartz against that key charge and you will definitely keep control of that objective. This is particularly good for Iliatha armies, since you want to keep your Auralan units near each other anyway.
*'''Dawnrider Lance:''' (120) '''MIN:'''380/'''MAX:'''1680
**'''Requirements:''' 2-3x Vanari Dawnriders
**'''Ability:''' Units from this Battalion may reroll 1’s to hit on the charge.
A cute buff that pumps up the offensive half of your cavalry are a fairly manageable cost. Toss 2 10-man squads in here for a solid enough flanking force.
*'''Hurakan Temple:''' (180) '''MIN: '''680/'''MAX:'''1770
**'''Requirements:''' 1x Sevireth or Hurakan Spirit of the Wind, 1x Hurakan Windmage, 1-3x Hurakan Windchargers.
**'''Ability:''' Any unit from this battalion wholly within 12" of a hero at the start of the fight phase will count as having charged this round.
Useful for movement and kiting shenanigans. If you're playing Helon you may as well pick this up.
*'''Starshard Battery:''' (120) '''MIN: '''520/'''MAX:'''720
**'''Requirements:''' 1x Scinari Calligrave, 3-5x Vanari Starshard Ballistas
**'''Ability:''' The ballista's Warding Lanterns ability now triggers on a 5+ instead of a 6 if they're within 3" of another pack of ballistas.
A pretty decent grab if you're focusing on the ballistas, as this makes them a bit more durable. The calligrave gives you a wizard that can also grant you a decent safezone for your army as well.
*'''Vanari Bladehost:'''
**'''Requirements:''' 1x {{AOSKeyword|Vanari}} or {{AOSKeyword|Scinari}} hero, 2-3x Vanari Bladelords
**'''Ability:''' Any units that charged this turn can re-roll 1s to hit.
Pretty much an auto-take if you're running any builds not focused on Teclis or any temple heroes. The units are pretty much going to be taken anyways.

===Super Battalions===

*'''Teclian Vanguard:''' (80) '''MIN:'''2370/'''MAX:'''14,470
**'''Requirements:''' 1x Archmage Teclis and Celennar, 0-1x The Light of Eltharion, 1x Alarith Temple, 1-3x Auralan Legions, 2x Dawnriders Battations.
**'''Ability:''' While wholly within its own territory, every friendly unit from this Battalion has a 6+ Feel No Pain.

Not a terribly bad bonus, better than a poke in the eye with a Sunmetal Spear. If you're playing 2,500 point games for some reason, the value of this battalion is VERY mission dependent, depending almost exclusively on the size of the territory.

*'''Lumineth Battlehost:''' (50) '''MIN:'''2430/'''MAX:'''15,290
**'''Requirements:''' 1x Vanari Lord Regent, 1x Vanari Bannerblade, 0-3x Scinari Heroes, 0-1x Alarith Temple, 0-1x Hurakan Temple, 1-2x Auralan Legion, 1-2x Dawnrider Lance, 1x Bladelord Host, 1x Starshard Battery
**'''Ability:''' For every hero in this battalion, roll a dice, and for every 6 you get a command point.

Considering that you can have up to 11 heroes in this army that is up to 11 chances at more CP, which is always appreciated. If you take Lyrior Uthralle as your General (He does have the Hero and Lord Regent keywords after all) you can get 12 chances of regaining CP.

==Allies==

Oddly, the army may only take Idoneth Deepkin as allies. Some of them have gotten over their Teclis hate/fear boner, good for them (Or they've realized there's shit out there that's way scarier than their estranged father and his new favorite kids). The Akhelian half of the army patch the speed issues of Lumineth. You don't need more anvils, so the trident eels and allopexes are definitely the right choice. With the Broken Realms: Morathi update to their warscroll, a squad of 3 Alopexes with nets may be just the high rending damage, speed, and flying that this army is greatly missing. Alternatively you can take a soulscryer and two Allopexes to give your army some much needed backline deployment. Another option to consider is bringing an Akhelian king and a single squad of trident eels for two mobile, multidamage units to help your cav deal with their primary weakness.

Your also have the Order option of '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls//ENG_Gotrek_Warscroll.pdf Gotrek Gurnisson]'''. For a similar point cost you are probably better off taking Teclis. While he doesn't benefit from speed of Hysh, his speed isn't as detrimental to the Lumineth compared to other armies since you're already slow as sin if you don't bring Hurakan units.

*'''Bundo Whalebiter''': A Kraken-eater Mega-Gargant mercenary available to all Order factions. He could be a useful way to play up your strength by moving midfield objectives back into your defensive line, but his cost is a very large hurdle to deal with, as you're nearing Teclis levels of points and cheese.

==Tactics==

*'''High Elf roleplaying''': For those of us who remember the halcyon days of WHFB, focusing on your Vanari units can let you relive peak High-elf fun! 2 or 3 spear bricks and a lot of archers as your backbone, with a ballista and some totally-not-Swordmasters. Not the most effective list we could run, but good enough to handle most things. This list gets significantly more viable come all the new generic HQs.

*'''Moontains march to war!''': Building your list around 2 Alarith temples (1 of which has Avalenor) and a buncha hammers as ymetrica lets you build a surprisingly tanky list that hits like a bull. 2-3 moontains will mulch through anything short of a god or mega-gargant without much worry, though you should try to keep in mind that this list only has 2 casters, and none of the spells that really screw with your opponent.

*'''The Tryhard''': Sticking Teclis, 2 units of minimum spears, and FAR too many archers with the twinstones enables you to run the competitive tryhard list of your dreams! No one likes you for doing it, and you'll have minimal actual fun, but it can be done for an easy way to guarantee a win against most factions.

{{Age_of_Sigmar_Tactics}}

Age of Sigmar/Tactics/Order/Lumineth Realm-Lords

2021-10-12T02:54:33Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Why Play Lumineth Realm Lords? */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Lumineth Realm-Lords|Logo=Eltharion's essence.jpg|Alliance=Order|Motto=FOR <s>ULTHUAN</s> HYSH!!!!!}}

The time of isolation is over, and now the Lumineth Realm-lords (not capitalizing the "-L") finally rise to defeat the forces of chaos with their unwavering resolve, unstoppable magic, angry cow people, stupid and impractical headgear even by this setting's standards and crippling drug addiction! (No really, that last part is actually part of their rules)

New battletome incoming!

==Why Play Lumineth Realm Lords?==
*You were a big fan of High Elves in The World that Was.
*You saw <s>300</s> Alexander the Great and thought to yourself "Yeah, this is cool, but you know what would be awesome? If they had pointy ears and a drug addiction!"
*Because you agree with most people that Eltharion was done dirty in The [[End Times]] and thought he deserved a new chance to shine.
*Because you want a more defensive playstyle with very durable infantry and a lot of flanking and ranged firepower.
*While you are an Elf fan, you also secretly like Dwarfs and want a factions that mixes elements of both.

'''Pros:'''
*Extremely durable core options with your Vanari units being able to automatically give enemies -1 to hit for your standard spears, archers and cavalry.
*If you absolutely need to hit a unit before it gets away or fights back, you can with Lightning Reactions.
*You can give your units buffs out the ass, and you don't need magic to do so.
*Speaking of magic, did we mention all your Vanari units are mages? You are *the* magic army, with only the likes of Tzeentch being able to keep up with you... and then you could take Teclis, who gives Lords of Change penis envy. Nobody expects Geminds and Lifeswarms to come out of your battleline.
*You can't throw a rock without hitting something that deals Mortal Wounds.
*Very powerful HQ choices. Obviously they have Teclis but if you don't want/can't afford him their other options are pretty damn good.
*Sweet spell lores. Being able to drop all enemy Bravery, make all your opponent's command abilities cost double, giving one of your units Ethereal or teleporting them means you have a spell for every situation.
*Horde factions are going to hate your guts because you have a lot of ways to get cheap, plentiful models off the field.
*You can turn the main weakness of using Aetherquartz, the -1 to bravery, and give it to your enemy, giving factions like Grots and Skaven a massive middle finger.
*Several shooty units can hit-and-run.
*Between all your monsters, Alarith units and Severith, you are the bane of terrain features and siege warfare.

'''Cons:'''
*Remember all those buffs we mentioned above? Well, most come with <s>withdrawal</s> drawbacks. Sure, you can get your wardens to give the enemy -1 to hit having their models all touching, but now they can't run or charge. Sure you can break into your Aetherquartz reserve to give your troops a rush, but now they have -1 to bravery. You need to make sure you are using them at the best time to mitigate the drawbacks.
*No multi-casters outside of bringing Teclis or <s>snorting crystal meth</s> using aetherquartz.
*The models are bad to transport. There's a lot of bits sticking off them like weapons, tassels and braids. The Vanari Dawnrider models are only connected to their bases by one hoof from their horsies. They'll likely need the Nighthaunt or Sylvaneth solution.
*Their bravery is mediocre, and gets even worse if they use aetherquartz.
*Your only allies are your edgy siblings from the sea, questionable lore be damned.
*Though you have the military style down from the High Elves, you traded the awesome stuff like Dragons, Lions, and eagles for weird <s>furry</s> Elemental spirits and amalgamation mounts.
*Remember how everyone complained about Disciples of Tzeentch (especially Arcanites) being [[Powergamer|overpowered]]? Then Hedonites of Slaanesh? Then Ossiarch Bonereapers (especially Petrifex)? Then Kharadron Overlords? That's where you are now; you have tools for nearly every situation, can mitigate your few weaknesses and excel at one-upsmanship. Plus, half of these "Cons" are about the models and lore. Be prepared for possible nerfs in the future.
*The models are so detailed they take an eternity to paint.

==Army Rules==
===Battle Traits===
*'''AETHERQUARTZ RESERVE:''' This is your big army-wide resource, more akin to the Kharadron's Aethergold in application. Every unit in your army has a single share of Aetherquartz. Once per phase, you can let one unit blow their reserves for one of the following powers below. However, using it has drawbacks: After using it, the unit suffers <s>Drug withdrawal</s> -1 to their Bravery for the rest of the game.
**''Heightened Senses:'' Triggered before the unit shoots or fights. The unit adds +1 to hit with any attacks they make for this phase (Shooting/Combat Phase).
**''Heightened Reflexes:'' +1 Save when chosen as an attack target (Shooting/Combat Phase).
**''Magical Boost:'' +1 or reroll cast (Your Hero Phase).
**''Magical Insight:'' Cast an extra spell (Your Hero Phase).
*'''ABSORB DESPAIR:''' Once per phase, a Cathallar wholly within 18" of a unit who uses an Aetherquartz can absorb it. If they do, don't reduce that units Bravery by 1 and instead choose an enemy unit within 18" of the Cathallar and reduce its Bravery by 1 for the rest of the battle. An enemy unit can't be affected by this more than once per battle. Its effectiveness depends on your opponent. It's great against some armies (nearly all Destruction armies will hate this), but worthless against others (it's a drop in the ocean against most Death armies... and Ossiarch Bonereapers laugh this off). However, your unit still shrugs off the -1 to its Bravery, even if there is no eligible enemy target.
*'''LIGHTNING REACTIONS:''' When you get to select a unit to fight, instead of picking only 1, you get to pick 2 units with this ability. They then fight one after the other.
*'''SHINING COMPANY:''' Any {{AOSKeyword|Vanari}} units (Auralan Sentinels, Wardens, bladelords, and Dawnriders) that is set up where a model is touching bases with two other models is automatically made a Shining Company, encouraging block-like tactics of old. Units in this fashion are harder to hit with a -1 to hit them., but they can't run or charge and they only get a pile-in distance of 1". It's better to stagger your models in the crook of the circle bases than it is to line up in a proper rectangle. BE VERY CAREFUL when pulling casualties to make sure you don't accidentally lose the buff, since it's gone for good once it is.
*'''DEEP THINKERS:''' Any {{AOSKeyword|Scinari Wizards}} can choose to skip casting spells to think really hard. If they do so, next turn the first spell they cast is automatically cast at a 9 that can not be modified, but can be unbound. They learned a little from Teclis, but not quite enough it seems.
*'''ENDURING AS ROCK:''' Before the first battle round of the game and at the start of your hero phases, you can set up any number of {{AOSKeyword|Alarith}} units (Hammerboys, stonemages, and Moontains) into the Mountain Stance. Until the end of your next Hero Phase, your units now ignore Rend -1. There is currently no reason to opt out of doing this. Always have it on.
*'''TECTONIC FORCE:''' At the end of all combat phases, your {{AOSKeyword|Alarith}} units can each nominate an enemy unit within 1" of them (Though two units can't nominate the same enemy). The enemy is then shoved 2" in any direction so long as they are more than 1" from any {{AOSKeyword|Alarith}} unit and then you can let these units within 3" pile in 1" to continue fighting. This is your means of dominating the objective game and tossing enemies into deadly terrain.
*'''MOVE LIKE THE WIND:''' Any time a {{AOSKeyword|Hurakan}} unit piles in, it doesn't need to pile in to the closest enemy model. In addition, when they charge, they can fly and move 3" for piling in. All of it helps establish their role as alpha-strikers, the pile-in trick helping them move to more favorable fights.

===Command Traits===
<tabs>
<tab name="Lords of the Warhosts">
{{AOSKeyword|Vanari}} only.

#'''Grand Strategist:''' If your general is on the field during the first turn, you gain 1 CP.
#'''Consummate Warrior:''' Once per turn, your general can re-roll a failed hit, wound or save roll they make.
#'''Astute Commander:''' When your general is on the field, you can roll a die any time you spend a CP and regain that CP on a 6+.

It's more a toss-up between Consummate Warrior and Astute Commander, hinging on how much you need your CP. If you don't spend them much, then Consummate Warrior will give a bit of an edge in combat. Otherwise, Astute Commander gives a meager chance of winning back some CP.
</tab>
<tab name="Lords of Brilliance">
{{AOSKeyword|Scinari}} only.

#'''Spellmaster:''' Once per turn in your Hero phase, you can re-roll 1 failed casting attempt.
#'''Loremaster:''' Your General knows 1 extra spell from the Lore of Hysh.
#'''Warmaster:''' When your general is on the field, at the start of your Hero phase, you get a CP on a 4+.

If you're bringing a Cathallar you could honestly go for any of these. Spellmaster is strong enough, as there's so many good spells you really want to go off. Loremaster is good if you want some more versatility from your spellcaster and if you give it a Silver Wand you could get a caster that can get a ton of magical value in one turn. Warmaster can get you some nice CP if you're lucky though if you want consistency from your general you're better off with the other two.
</tab>
<tab name="Lords of the Air">
{{AOSKeyword|Hurakan}} only, meaning only your nimbus-wizard.

#'''Grand Windrider:''' When a Windchargers unit wholly within 24" of the general moves, their movement is upped to 16" and they can fly.
#'''Swift:''' Your general adds +3" to movement.
#'''Loremaster:''' Your general knows 1 extra spell from the Lore of the Winds.

Grand Windrider pretty much expects that you'll be running a windcharger-heavy list so it can actually see use, as it provides nothing to the archery foxes. Swift serves as a decent choice if you plan to sprint a lot between supporting foxes and charges as you'll be needing to heal the former while making sure the latter can be free to move where they wish. Naturally, Loremaster is as powerful here as it is in any other list.
</tab>
<tab name="Lords of Stone">
{{AOSKeyword|Alarith}} only, so for right now, just floaty rock guy

#'''Majestic:''' Add 1 to Bravery of friendly Lumineth wholly within 12" of the General. Also, your enemies subtract 1 from Bravery while they are within 18" of the General.
#'''Enduring:''' Add 3 to the General's wounds characteristic.
#'''Loremaster:''' General knows 1 extra spell from the Lore of High Peaks.

Majestic seems boring, but with all the bravery debuffs in this army, you could easily have most of the opposing army at -3 Bravery while you're able to at least walk off the Bravery penalty of spending your share of Aetherquartz. A few casualties over multiple units could see elite armies heading for the hills real quick. Enduring isn't bad when the big hat man is public enemy number one for keeping your war cows at top bracket, improving Rend of Cow Elves around him, and providing re-rolls to saves in the Moo Cow battalion. A very good choice when mixing the various defensive buffs available to him. Loremaster is, obviously, a solid enough choice.
</tab>
</tabs>

===Artefacts===
<tabs>
<tab name="Heirlooms of the Sun">
{{AOSKeyword|Vanari Heroes}} only.

#'''Syari Pommel:''' The bearer gets another share of Aetherquartz.
#'''Senlui Amulet:''' The bearer can run and charge in the same turn.
#'''Sun Stone:''' The bearer can now dispel endless spells and unbind normal spells as if they were a wizard. If they were already wizards, then they can add +1 to their first unbind and dispel rolls.

The Syari Pommel is not as potent as Syar's ability to give everyone extra shares, this is enough to help boost your forces once over or grant the Cathallar another shot at debuffing the enemy. The Senlui Amulet is pretty much tailor made for the lord regent who absolutely needs a massive charge range, though the bannerblade can also benefit from it if they're not bothering with supporting their allies. The Sun Stone pretty much is there as an insurance policy if you're not expecting your wizard to survive.
Addendum: Do NOT underestimate the Syari Pommel on a Lord Regent. Using a quartz whilst keeping and getting a second wind of their in-built -1 against them and magic buffs is crazy-good in a non-Syar list. Makes your Lord Regent ever more capable of overstaying his welcome at your foe's expense.
</tab>
<tab name="Heirlooms of Hysh">
{{AOSKeyword|Scinari Heroes}} only.

#'''Phoenix Stone:''' If a friendly {{AOSKeyword|Lumineth Realm-Lords Hero}} is slain within 12" of the bearer, before removing that model from play, roll a dice. On a 6 that model is not slain, all wounds allocated to it are healed and any wounds that currently remain to be allocated to it or its unit are negated
#'''Silver Wand:''' The bearer can cast 1 extra spell in their hero phase.
#'''Blade of Leaping Gold:''' Pick 1 of the Bearer's weapons. Add 3 to the Attacks characteristic of that weapon.

You will be taking the Silver Wand. Nothing else even has half as much versatility in use. The Phoenix Stone has it's uses, with it not being 1 use, but it's still very unreliable. Maybe in a hero heavy list it has a place. The Blade of Leaping Gold is best used on the Calligrave as they have the best melee profile of any of the non-unique Scinari
</tab>
<tab name="Gifts of the Winds">
{{AOSKeyword|Hurakan Heroes}} only.

#'''Windblast Fan:''' Once per game during the enemy's movement phase, you can pick a unit within 3" of the bearer. This unit most move and must retreat from the enemy, no questions asked.
#'''Wind Stone:''' You get a single-use grenade you can throw at an enemy unit within 18" of the bearer. On a 2+, that unit takes 3 mortal wounds, but a 5+ makes it d6.
#'''Buffeting Aspiragillum:''' 5+ FNP save.

The Windblast Fan can provide some breathing room when dealing with battles, but it also means that you're still in range for a second charge if you don't bail immediately. The Wind Stone gives you a single shot at some undeniable damage, but nothing else. The Buffeting Asipragillum is perhaps the one with the most uses, as they're likely more of an target since they are so vital for keeping the spirits of the wind alive.
</tab>
<tab name="Gifts of the Mountain">
{{AOSKeyword|Alarith Heroes}} only.

#'''Hearthstone Amulet:''' 5+ FNP save.
#'''Ebony Stone:''' Each time the bearer is affected by a spell or endless spell, you can roll a die. On a 4+ Ignore the effects of that spell on the bearer.
#'''Magmic Hammer:''' If the bearer is a {{AOSKeyword|Wizard}} (Which the only one model to take this item is), add 1 to the number of mortal wounds inflicted by Arcane Bolt spells that are cast by the bearer.

All 3 have their uses, but the Ebony stone is probably the weakest of the bunch as you should have no problem stopping any and all harmful spells headed your way via other means. The Amulet adds even more survivability to your already potentially hyper-tanky mages (between ignoring rend, the sanctum, and this, you could have a pretty annoying model to remove), and the Magmic hammer just adds more punch in case your don't need to buff any Alarith squads.
</tab>
</tabs>

===Great Nations===
your bog standard subfaction list. We only have 6 so far, with a theoretical max of 10.

====Syar====
*'''Gleaming Brightness:''' All your {{AOSKeyword|Syar}} units get 2 Aetherquartz reserves instead of 1. With how powerful these boosts are, you'll definitely appreciate a second wave of these working without worry about Morale. Pair with a Cathallar to avoid a permanent -2 to your bravery.
*'''Command Ability''' - ''Deplete Reserves:'' If a {{AOSKeyword|Syar}} unit uses an aetherquartz reserve ability, you may pick another {{AOSKeyword|Syar}} unit within 18" that still has a reserve. You may spend that reserve to give them the same ability. Great for boosting your forces in a big charge
*'''Command Trait - Goading Arrogance:''' Choose 1 enemy hero within 6" of this hero. That enemy hero must attack your general, and your general gets +1 to hit for attacks against that enemy hero. Best on a Lord Regent, but can be pure troll even with a spellcaster. For example, park your Cathallar 6" from Archaon and watch as he spends the rest of combat seething helplessly while she makes fun of his daddy issues from behind a wall of spears he can't attack.
*'''Artefact - The Perfect Blade:''' Unmodified 3+ hits always hits, Unmodified 3+ wounds always wound, and unmodified 3s to save always fail. Absolutely worth it for your Lord Regent or Bannerblade.

These guys will make your aetherquartz last much longer, and feel more impactful. <s>The meth lab workers among the Lumineth, hence their larger stash</s>. A Cathallar is pretty much a requirement in this army because otherwise your troops will have the bravery of most Skaven troops after blowing their reserves. Have a Vanari Lord Regent somewhere so you'll actually have someone reasonable to give the Perfect Blade to.

====Iliatha====
*'''Unity in Purpose:''' Once per phase, after a {{AOSKeyword|Iliatha Vanari}} uses a command ability, you may select another {{AOSKeyword|Iliatha Vanari}} within 3". That unit gains the same ability for free.
*'''Connected Souls:''' +2 Bravery to all Vanari and Aelemantari troops, making up your your mediocre base bravery. You can use an Aetherquartz now and still be in a better bravery position than normal
*'''Command Ability''' - ''Strike in Unison:'' During your shooting or combat phase you may select one {{AOSKeyword|Iliatha Vanari}} unit with 2 or more models and they reroll hit rolls of one.
*'''Artefact''' - ''Simulacra Amulet:'' The <s>Chad</s> Stacy Simulacra Amulet vs The <s>Virgin</s> Becky Phoenix Stone. The first time the bearer dies, roll a dice. On a 4+ heal them back to full.

If you're a sucker for good 'ole High Elf aesthetic, then this is your choice. While it doesn't explicitly buff your aelementari stuff, it doesn't mean they don't fit in with the +2 bravery. This will probably be your best choice if you wanna go for quantity rather than quality, though you're still going to be fairly elite.

====Zaitrec====
*'''Lambent Mystics:''' The first cast, dispell, or unbind from *EACH* wizard in your army gets +1 every command phase. Each wizard hero knows one extra spell, and each wizard in the army gets the spell overwhelming heat in addition to the spells they know.
*'''Command Trait''' - ''Fast Learner:'' General can dispel 1 additional spell and can reroll the second unbinding roll.
*'''Lore of Zaitrec''' - ''Overwhelming Heat:'' Casts on 7. Enemy unit within 24" has halved movement, and if you roll a die and its equal to or higher than their save, they take D3 MWs. It's a solid little spell, but you'll usually be casting if you've already done everything else.
*'''Artefact''' - ''Gift of Celennar:'' 6+ shrug for MWs, +2 if Teclis is on the battlefield

The magic choice. Taking Teclis with this Great Nation will probably bring the most out of them for that sweet, sweet MW avoidance - although he isn't an auto-include. Obviously protecting your mages is paramount and if the heroes die early you're pretty much screwed. ALWAYS combine this with the twin stones for more magic shenanigans.

====Ymetrica====
*'''Mountain Realm:''' Ignore up to -2 Rend for units in Mountain Stance, instead of -1
*'''Command Ability''' - ''Redoubled Force:'' End of combat phase, one unit that's used Tectonic Force and within 18" of a {{AOSKeyword|Ymetrica Hero}} can use Tectonic Force again against another enemy unit within 1".
*'''Command Trait''' - ''Almighty Blow:'' When you pick the general to fight, instead of fighting you can pick an enemy unit within 1" and deal D3 MW on a 2+.
*'''Artefact''' - ''Mountain's Gift:'' +1 damage to a single attack made by a single weapon, 6+ FNP, and 5+ Spell ignore

Obviously, this one is meant of Alarith units, so you should be going with a stoneguard, mountain spirit and stonemage army for this one. It's not quite as powerful as it was in the 2020 battletome, but it remains very focused on using the Alarith, tanking blows and shoving around enemies.

====Alumnia====
*'''Claim the Field:''' Right before the battle begins you can pick up to three {{AOSKeyword|Alumnia Vanari}} or {{AOSKeyword|Alumnia Scinari}} units to move immediately, but they can't run.
*'''Command Ability''' - ''Seize the Moment:'' During the charge phase, pick a friendly unit that already ran. This unit can charge after running.
*'''Command Trait''' - ''Burning Gaze:'' At the start of the fight phase, your general can target one enemy unit within 3" ad deal a MW on a 2+.
*'''Artefact''' - ''Waystone:'' Once per game, the bearer can forgo moving and pick a unit within 12" of them. The bearer can immediately teleport to any spot 1" from that chosen location so long as it's not within 3" of an enemy unit.

Another mobility-focused nation, though not nearly as focused on any single faction like Helon. The battle trait grants your troops a much-needed scouting move, while the command ability gives all your units a very useful perk when stuck in combat.

====Helon====
*'''Gale of Killing Shafts:''' All {{AOSKeyword|Helon}} missile units within 3" of an enemy gain +1 attacks.
*'''Command Ability''' - ''Gone Like the Wind:'' At the end of combat you may pick one {{AOSKeyword|Helon}} unit that is within 12" of a {{AOSKeyword|Helon}} hero. That unit may move but not run.
*'''Command Trait''' - ''Skyrace Grand Champion:'' Your general can reroll one run, charge and casting roll per battle.
*'''Artefact''' - ''Metalith Dust:'' Once per battle you may select one enemy unit within 3" of the bearer. That unit suffers -1 to hit and wound rolls until the end of the phase.

You pick this one if you REALLY want to piss your opponent off. Giving you ranged units extra shots and the ability to escape from close quarters combat will drive them to want to bash your face in with a hammer. It's also great if you want to go with a Hurakan themed army.

===Spell Lores===

*'''Power of Hysh:''' Casts on 6. This can be cast by the battleline units with Sunmetal Weapons, and allows them to dish out mortal wounds on a 5+ instead of a 6+. Very, VERY good, especially on <strike>Bladelords</strike> (Bladelords have Sunmetal weapons but not the ability as the spell states, therefore it won’t work on them), Wardens or Sentinels.
**'''Greater Power of Hysh:''' Casts on 7. The version given to Lord Regents and Lyrior Uthralle essentially lets you spread this to d3 other units wielding Sunmetal weapons within 18" of them. Pretty much there so you're not fretting about which unit you want to use Power of Hysh on.

<tabs>
<tab name="Lore of Hysh">
{{AOSKeyword|Teclis}}, {{AOSKeyword|Vanari}} and {{AOSKeyword|Scinari Wizards}} only.
#'''Speed of Hysh:''' Casts on 5. Double the movement of a friendly unit within 18" of the caster. Amazing for sprinting onto objectives, stealing away an important enemy charge, or slinging some cavalry almost 30" across the board.
#'''Solar Flare:''' Casts on 8. Pick a point on the battlefield within 10" of the caster. If there is an endless spell there, dispel it. If there is a unit there, roll # of models dice, Each +6 does 1 MW and until next hero phase -2 to enemy wizards cast, unbinds, and dispels. Very useful in mirror matches.
#'''Lambent Light:''' Casts on 5. Pick an enemy unit within 18", you can reroll missile weapon attacks against that unit until your next hero phase. Remember you can reroll even if you don't miss. Your other "auto-include" if you're following the competitive route of a decent number of archers.
#'''Ethereal Blessing:''' Casts on 6. Give Ethereal to a friendly unit within 18". Remember that this also includes positive buffs like cover or drugs. Think before you cast.
#'''Total Eclipse:''' Casts on 8. Until next hero phase, your opponent has to spend 2 CP instead of 1 when using command abilities. Easily our most trolly spell, use it to absolutely cripple some of the stronger combinations in the game by stopping almost all Command ability shenanigans. You should almost always have this, just in case.
#'''Protection of Hysh:''' Casts on 8. Give friendly units wholly within 9" of the caster 5+ FNP. Doesn't stack with Teclis' sadly.
</tab>
<tab name="Lore of the High Peaks">
{{AOSKeyword|Teclis}} and {{AOSKeyword|Alarith Wizards}} only.
#'''Unyielding Calm:''' Casts on 4. Unit wholly within 18" doesn't have to take Battleshock tests. Super nice if you didn't bring Eltharion for some reason.
#'''Crippling Vertigo:''' Casts on 6. Pick an an enemy unit within 18" of the caster. Until your next hero phase, roll 2d6 each time the unit tries to make a normal move, pile in, or charge. If the roll is higher than the unit's bravery, it cannot make that move. The most obnoxious spell in this tree, use it to even further stall that big monster who got hit by your stonemage's signature spell.
#'''Voice of the Mountains:''' Casts on 6. -2 Bravery to all enemy units until end of turn, and then -1 until your next hero phase.
#'''Living Fissure:''' Casts on 6. Draw a 1mm line to a point 9" from the caster, on a 2+ deal D3 MWs to a unit that lines passes over
#'''Entomb:''' Casts on 7. Pick an enemy model within 18" and visible to the caster. Roll a dice, if the result is higher than the model's Wound characteristic, it is slain. If you roll a 6 and it is not enough to kill, deal D6 MW instead.
#'''Assault of Stone:''' Casts on 8. Choose an enemy unit wholly within 24" and visible to the caster. Roll a number of dice equal to the casting roll. For each result *lower* than the enemy unit's save value, they take 1 MW. Rolls of 1 or 2 never deal a mortal wound and Saves of "-" count as 6 for this rule. Really god for digging through chaff, but not much else.
</tab>
<tab name="Lore of the Winds">
{{AOSKeyword|Teclis}} and {{AOSKeyword|Hurakan Wizards}} only.
#'''Freezing Squall:''' Casts on 5. An enemy unit within 12" is unable to run until your next Hero Phase. Annoying, though it may not matter much to certain armies.
#'''Howling Gale:''' Casts on 7. An enemy unit within 12" will be unable to use or benefit from command abilities. Oh, this can prove to be a right pain, especially in armies that really rely on their leaders.
#'''Guiding Flurries:''' Casts on 7. One friendly Lumineth unit wholly within 12" of the wizard can pick between either adding 6" to the range of their missile weapons or adding +1 to hit with their missile weapons. This is a pretty handy support option, though it can be hamstrung depending on circumstances.
#'''Calming Zephyr:''' Casts on 6. A friendly Lumineth unit wholly within 16" of the wizard heals d3 wounds and ignores battleshock for the turn. Pretty solid for support.
#'''Burning Simoom:''' Casts on 6. Pick an enemy unit within 12" of the wizard and roll a number of die equal to the number of models in this unit; Each model suffers a mortal wound on a 6, though this can be improved to a 5+ if you scored a 10 or better on the casting check. An absolute doozie with Teclis. See that block of 60 Grotz? Now you don't--...I smell something burning...
#'''Transporting Vortex:''' Casts on 8. One friendly Lumineth unit wholly within 12" can now immediately redeploy anywhere on the field so long as it's over 9" away from any enemy unit. You'll definitely be needing this for your more mundane forces, as your Hurakan units can easily skip around where needed.
#* Worth mentioning that you can redeploy a Vanari unit that exited out of shining company, back into shining company, as per the last FAQ. So dropping a hurt unit of wardens on a point will make them quite immovable.
</tab>
<tab name="Endless Spells">
#'''Sanctum of Amyntok:''' 30 points, creates a triangle around the caster and now counts as part of their model. Gives the enemy -1 to hit against the caster, gives the caster +1 to their save and a 50/50 shot to deal some MWs to anyone standing too close. Cheap and a good way to protect your squishy wizard, plus since the spell counts as part of their model, it makes their bubbles slightly bigger, which is good for those rules which require the unit to be "Wholly within" range.
#'''Hyshian Twinstones:''' 30 points, starts at 1 and gets a charge every time a spell is cast within 12 inches of it (maxes out at 6). While within 12" of it, your wizards can choose to add the value of the charges to their casting roll. Easily your best endless spell. As per the FAQ on its order of operations, after one spell is cast, it can give the rest of your wizards within range a permanent +2 to cast every single time. This means you're looking at a +4 to cast on nearly every spell you sling if you bring Teclis and Zaitrec. Since our stuff is expensive, if you have <100 points left over, bring it. Always.
#'''Rune of Petrification:''' 70 points, subtracts 1 from the run and charge rolls of non-Lumineth within 6, and does d3 Mortal Wounds to non-Lumineth within 6 on a 4+ at '''both''' the start and end of '''both players''' movement phases. That's 3d3 minimum if your opponent moves out of range on their first turn. If you get a double turn that's 5d3 ''if'' they can move out of range at the first opportunity. It's a good way of controlling enemy movement, but it's expensive. Probably the hardest to use of the three, plus being more expensive than both of the other spells combined means this is less than ideal most of the time, but still holds potential.
</tab>
</tabs>

==Unit Analyis==
===Named Leaders===
* '''Archmage [[Teclis]] and Celennar , [https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Teclis%20-%20eng.pdf Spirit of Hysh] (660 pts):''' One of the dual gods of Hysh and another of the [[Everqueen|big]] [[Lord Kroak|literal]] [[Nagash|god]]-[[Be'lakor|tier]] [[Archaon|models]]. He went from "the best wizard who's not a daemon, demigod or Slann" to "gives Greater Daemons penis envy and makes Slann second-guess themselves". While he's not a slouch in CC, he shouldn't try to take on big scary things alone, as he'd rather be slinging spells and ruining your opponents day.
**He can cast 1, 2, or 4 spells. Depending on the number of spells he choses, they cast at differing values (1 spell meaning a 12 with no unbinding allowed, 2 spells means a 12, but otherwise normal, and 3/4 spells going off on a 10)
**Celennar’s Aura: +1 to cast, dispel, and unbind to everyone within range. Keep this in mind for when you cast the twinstones in a Zaitrec list for +3-8 on your casts.
**Can auto dispel 1 endless spell in your hero phase and auto unbind 1 enemy spell in their hero phase, and can still unbind unlimited enemy spells after his auto-unbind.
**Friendly units in Celennar's aura ignore spells on a 4+, and bounces a handful of MWs at an enemy within 18" of said unit when it works.
**Spells: (1) ''Protection of Teclis'': 10 to cast. 5+ FNP within 18", can't be cast same turn as Hysh Protection. (2)''Storm of Searing White Light'': 10 to cast. Roll a dice for each enemy unit within 18" and visible. 1, nothing happens; 2-4 D3 MW, 5+ D6 MW. Oh, plus EVERY spell from all three Lumineth trees. And when new elemental temples get released, they generally get a new accompanying spell lore, meaning that he's only going to get stronger as time goes on.

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Eltharion_EN.pdf Light of Eltharion]:''' (220 pts) [[Eltharion]] returns to us as a living suit of armor. A melee beat-stick with ethereal bonuses, a ranged d3 mortal wound shot, and a massive leadership bonus tied to his command ability. He wants to aim at a character and rip and tear untill it is done. Once your enemies duelists/buffs/characters who looked at you funny are down, aim Eltharion at whatever you want and have fun. Tanky, killy, and obnoxious, Eltharion is easily one of your best HQs.

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Avalenor%20-%20eng.pdf Avalenor, the Stoneheart King]:''' (360 points) The Mega Moo himself. Avalenor is a great support character for your army, He has a 30” ranged attack which can do D6W at rend 2 (range decreases with damage) and has 6 attacks (7 if it didn’t make a charge move this turn) that are Rend 1 with 5 Damage each in melee. He also has a debuff aura which makes all enemy units within 12” have a -1 to hit, which is awesome when he's properly positioned in the middle of your front line. He also has a command ability which can give D3 Alarith Aelf units +1 attack, sorry other moontains. All these nice things get a bit worse with damage taken, but if you have a Stonemage within 12" of him, he can pretend to be max health, so keep your little mage friend safe. His last ability, Elder Wisdom, allows a hero within 6" to use a command ability for free next turn, so keep him within <s>grumbling</s> advising range of your dudes.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_Sevireth.pdf Sevireth, Lord of the Seventh Wind]:''' (300pts) DO YOU NEED SPEED? Just as Avalenor is king of the earth-moos, this guy is one of the seventy-seven most powerful winds (or <s>kitsunes</s>). Unlike Avalenor, his stats never degrade, which means that he can always shoot at maximum efficiency. Since unlike Avalenor he isn't a mountain but a wind, he is also fast. Fast as in 24" flying - something necessary because his bow is actually quite short-ranged at 18" but comes with a dangerous -3 rend and D3 damage. To keep his 5+ save out of trouble he can move another 12", but he can slso still charge. That's great since his melee power's not too bad. Impact damage on the charge and doing more Mortal Wounds as he flies over enemies, debuffing enemies close to him. As he's quite fragile for a monster, he does need support - Take a Windmage so they can heal him up. Remember, he is a Hurakan unit, so should you find yourself in a fight you are unlikely to survive, just leave and laugh as you do, Hurakanspirits were playful and giggling once. His last ability is Scour, which allows him to essentially render enemy setpieces into ineffective hunks of plastic on a 2+. If you ever wanted to tell the OBR Obelisk to shove it, here you go.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_Ellania_Ellathor.pdf Ellania and Ellathor]:''' (260pts) The new hot pair of Elven twins, one of whom is a master mage and the other a peerless warrior. This totally-not-Tyrion-and-Teclis combo will probs take the place of them, especially since one serves Tyrion and the other serves Teclis. Like Syll'esske and the Sisters of Twilight, these two are effectively one model. To no one's surprise <s>Ellathor's</s> not-Tyrion's new sword is terrifying, with damage equal to the turn number and a one-off batch of mortal wounds in a line a la Sunfang, while <s>Ellania</s> not-Teclis' staff is merely decent with a -1 rend. Riding on top of this, the end of each fight phase gives the chance of vanishing if you roll a dice and it's under the turn number or amount of wounds suffered they vanish to a spot 12" away from any enemies as well as healing d6 wounds - likely very useful earlier on, but prone to wearing out its welcome as the game carries on. Not Teclis can also cast/unbind two spells, and comes with a unique spell that grants a 5+ FNP, which you will be using.
**Their neatest gimmick is that they can be taken as allies with any army who's general has the {{AOSKeyword|Order}} Keyword and can generate Command Points on a 4+ if they are within 3' of them, though this comes at the cost of never being generals themselves. Internationally focused elves? What a unique and interesting idea, cough cough.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_LyriorUthralle.pdf Lyrior Uthralle, Warden of Ymetrica]:''' (210 pts) The head general of the Lumineth and Tyrion's right hand man. He's your named lord-regent, and much like the other forms of named "melee HQ on bigger than average mount" that AOS released, he'll probably be a bit better, but a bit less flexible than his normal form. If his lance wounds a {{AOSKeyword|Chaos}} or {{AOSKeyword|Daemon}} Keyword model, he automatically does 3 damage instead of d3, but it still only has 1 attack, so don't get too excited about it. It's worth noting he lets you get more CP when you don't have Teclis hanging around, and since he has the same spell as the lord regent, it becomes clear that he's meant to be hanging around the other Vanari units.

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Myari_Lightcaller_en.pdf Myari Lightcaller]:''' (220 pts) The new character from the Warhammer Underworlds: Direchasm box set. While he’s a single model unit, he must be accompanied by his retinue, and their points are included in his points cost. Same stat-line as the Stonemage, he trades tankyness for a decent shooting attack and okay close combat. His Scryowl Familiar adds 1 to his casting, unbinding and dispelling rolls and, similar to the Sentinels, can choose a unit 24” away and out of line of sight to have LOS on. His unique spell, '''Dazzling Light''' subtracts 1 from hit rolls from missile weapons that target him, or a unit wholly within 6” of him. Mathematically, this will mean you can fit a Cow Mountain in this bubble, giving a -2 modifier to hit when stacked with Avalenor’s '''Guardian of Hysh''' ability.

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Myaris_Purifiers_en.pdf Myari’s Purifiers]:''' (220 pts) A separate unit from Myari Lightcaller, but included in his points cost. You get one Bladelord, one Sentinel, and one Stoneguard. The Bow gets two shots, but only has the 18” profile, the Mallet retains the '''Crushing Blow''' ability to do extra damage, and Greatsword and Bow are both Sunmetal weapons, but they cannot access Power of Hysh. Their '''Guardians''' ability is their saving grace, allowing them to intercept a wound or mortal wound on Myari Lightcaller while he is within 3”. Basically, they’re here to be a tax to bringing Myari, which was a bit of a pain before all the new HQs got announced.

===Leaders===

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Alarith%20Stonemage%20-%20eng.pdf Alarith Stonemage]:''' (130 pts) Floaty cow-kin him/herself. You will be seeing him in every list with Cow Elves (Stonegaurd) and Spirits of the Mountain. Fairly squishy at 5 wounds and only a 5+ save, until you remember he is ignoring Rend 1 (and Rend 2 in '''YMETRICA''' armies) among other defensive buffs. She is your standard 1 cast/1 unbind wizard that provides a powerful buff in the form of his '''STONEMAGE STANCE'''. In the start of the combat phase, the Stonemage can strike a pose that allows every '''ALARITH AELEMNTIRI''' WHOLLY WITHIN 12 inches an additional Rend on their melee weapons in exchange for not making a pile in move. Easy Rend 2 on all my Stoneguard? Yes please. His spell, '''Gravitic Redirection''' is cast on a 5+. The stonemage gains fly, and picks an enemy units within 18", cutting their speed in half and turning off fly. It also does a mortal wound, but that's definitely not the main point. Pick the enemy's big flying threat and laugh at the waster 400+ points. S/He's got a pretty standard mage melee statline, but his/her real job is to buff till the cows come home. If you can't tell, the model's sex is hard to tell, go elves!

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Scinari%20Cathallar%20-%20eng.pdf Scinari Cathallar]:''' (140 pts) These professional mourners are excellent at debuffing foes and mitigating the drawbacks of <s>crystal meth</s> aetherquartz. Aside from the obvious Scinari benefits, she also gains the '''Emotional Transference''' ability, allowing her to target any Lumineth unit within 18" and let them ignore battleshock. What's more, if that unit lost models, you can later target an enemy with 18" and add their casualties to their bravery roll. Basically her job is to ruin the fun your opponent thought he was having when his Scary charge killed 15 elves.

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_ScinariLoreseeker.pdf Scinari Loreseeker]:''' (160pts) LOREMASTERS OF HOETH RETURN TO US NOW, AT THE TURN OF THE TIDE. Since they embody the balance of tyrionic and teclian ideals like none other, they perform well in both melee, a 12" shooting atack and casting a single spell a turn. That however is not what you take them for. You take him for his special rules. With "Loreseeker" he generates a CP everytime a enemy with an artifact dies within 3" of him, but the real ticket is the Rule <s>"In Addition"</s> "Lone Agent" He gets +1 to his save if he is away 9" from friendlies, he gets to set up 3" away from enemy models and not your territory. If you set him up near an objective without enemies it's his and it cannot be stolen until he dies. Either game breaking or a neat trick, the jury is still out on this one.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_ScinariCalligrave.pdf Scinari Calligrave]:''' (100pts) A new wizard who's job it is to un-chaos lands he visits with totally-not-dwarf-runes. Their unique spell is a like arcane bolt, but it only works against other heroes and instead of rolling really high, you need to spend a turn marking an enemy hero with this spell before casting it again to deal D6 MW. Since 2D3 is statistically better than 1D6, it's pretty meh, even more so since you also need to cast the spell again to get the chance to completely botch your D6 roll; the other side of the coin is D6 MW sounds terrifying in prospect, especially on marked support heroes that could get instascrubbed on a favourable roll, which could lead to enemy players treading mega conservatively to let you get into better position or leave one of their units without their support. Once per game, he can pick a spot ANYWHERE on the map. Roll a dice and add the current battle round to the result. On a 5+, he paints out a rune on the chosen spot; this rune makes it so that no friendly Lumineth units wholly within 9" need to make battleshock tests while wizards within this area can add +1 to their casting/dispelling/unbinding checks. Don't expect to get this off early in the game, and whilst it sounds crappy on paper, the rune could add some much-needed stability in late/endgame cycles in matches when your army has taken a beating. You pay a generous 100 points for a mediocre spell and an ability that requires waiting a few turns before it can be reliably cast, so whilst you'll be uhm-ing and ahh-ing about this guy, there isn't much to whinge about! He's cheap, he has his uses, can give a bloody nose in a fight, and it's one more spell to add to your Hero phase! Have him contemplate and spam Total Eclipse whilst babysitting some Starshard Ballistae, people will hate you.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_HurakanWindmage.pdf Hurakan Windmage]:''' (120pts) The not-last Airbender/Son Wukong with Horns comes in fast with 16" on his little cloud friend. A 5+ Save and standard mage whacky stick is nothing to write home about, he is your buff boy for all things windy. With the rule on the "Windmage Symbiosis" on the Windspirit scroll he replenishes their power, with his own "Windleap" he has your Windchargers go a bit faster and since Calming Zephyr from his spell lore is kind of the default he has some more heals to go around. For his own protection his little fan redirects enemy missile attacks to give him a better save and on an unmodified 6 on his save he can send a mortal wound back to an enemy within 9". No matter how small or big your Hurakan temple will be, he's a part of it.

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_VanariLordRegent.pdf Vanari Lord Regent]:''' (150pts) Your new generic melee hero on a bomb ass amalga-mount. His addition means you finally have something other than wizards to give those melee focused artifacts to, as well as an HQ who can actually keep up with the dream of a cav-spam list. 14", 6 wounds and a 3+ save as well as good melee sees him pose a mobile threat. His Pure Aetherquartz not only makes his casting a little better but also offers an innate -1 to hit against him, so he shines bright like a diamond until he uses his Quartz up, then the ability dies. Greater Power of Hysh is your safety net, should a Vanari unit fail to get their power of Hysh cast. On a 7 you can give the same Power of Hysh to D3 units wholly within 18". A fantastic all around choice.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_VanariBannerblade.pdf Vanari Bannerblade]:''' (110pts) An elf with a massive banner. Friendly Lumineth within 18" add +1 to their bravery just by seeing this flag, but this is boosted to +3 when this guy's within 3" of an enemy. In addition, once per game during any phase you can trigger the power of their banner - enemy units within 18" need to roll a d6 and if they roll under the current turn number, they eat D3 MWs and a -1 to hit in melee for the phase. Despite being no slouch in Melee, he is more of a niche choice, but not one you'll have to feel bad about.

===Battleline===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Wardens_EN.pdf Auralan Wardens]:''' (Battleline, 120pts, Min:10, Max:30) The Elven phalanxes finally return home, and they come equipped with 3" range Sunmetal <s>spears</s> pikes that get -1 rend and +1 to wound when they are charged. Like all the other Sunmetal weapons, each hit roll of a natural 6 causes a MW. The unit champion comes with a -1 rend sword, a one-use mortal wound bomb used at the ''start'' of the combat phase. On top of that he is a wizard as long as there are at least 5 models in the unit. All this combined with the shining company bonus makes these guys amazing charge screens for your archers and objective holders. Wardens are the only unconditional Battleline unit of the Lumineth. But for every unit of Auralan Wardens, you can take a unit of Auralan Sentinels or Auralan Dawnriders as Battleline.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Dawnriders_EN.pdf Auralan Dawnriders]:''' (Conditional Battleline, 130pts, Min:5, Max:15) Their Deathly Furrows ability grants bonuses for attacking infantry: 1 additional attack for all weapons (ie rider & mount) if the target has 2 wounds or 2 additional attacks if the target has 1. This *ONLY* works against units without mounts, so try to aim for infantry if you can. This Translates to a lot of dead chaff and 1-wound elite infantry. If speed is your game, cast speed of Hysh on them and you'll be looking at a 28" standard move, meaning you have no excuse to not pick the perfect charges.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Sentinals%20-%20eng.pdf Vanari Auralan Sentinels]:''' (Conditional Battleline, 140pts, Min:10, Max:30) More MWs, delivered at a distance & w/o line of sight. While the spear elves poke & hold the line against heavy hitters (or Stoneguard, if that's how you swing) with your horses mulching chaff, Sentinels are ideal assassins- pumping mortal wounds into the opposing (support) heroes from 30" away with Sunmetal arrows. Since mortal wounds trigger on natural 6+ (Or 5+ with Power of Hysh) 'Look out, Sir!' does not help those supporting heroes. Conveniently their bows have a second firing mode that deals more consistent normal damage with higher Rend, this is at a "shorter" range though (18") so really is more for supporting your spears or whatever flavor of tarpit needs the firepower after the opponent's general is kaput. Remember that the unit leader does not have a bow, so to maximize shooting and mortal wounds taking max size units is probably better. Remember that rules that remove specific models can remove your ability to fire out of line of sight if they kill the squad leader. Thanks to AoS 3.0 you can now run a unit of 30 of these bastards if they're battleline. With the new Unleash Hell command they become unfavorable to charge and worse to leave alone.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Alarith%20Stoneguard%20-%20eng.pdf Alarith Stoneguard]:''' (Conditional Battleline, 100pts, Min:5, Max:15) Your elite infantry choice and a battleline if you're playing Ymetrica. They come in two types, a dual handed diamondpick hammer or stone mallet with -1 rend and a captain with *OPTIONAL* dual Stratum Hammers for more attacks. If you roll an natural 6 with the stone mallets you get 1 extra damage and if you get a 6 with diamond picks you get 1 mortal wound. This means mallets are better at killing crowds where as picks are better at dealing with armored units. Flexible elite choice depending on how you build them. Even if you're not focusing on Alarith units, a squad of 5-10 of these guys work great at one end of your phalanx to prevent flanking and losing your buffs. How historical.
Never take the Stratum Hammers in lieu of the chosen unit weapon on the leader- they're utter horsecack.

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_HurakanWindchargers.pdf Hurakan Windchargers]:''' (Conditional Battleline, 130pts, Min:5, Max:15) Aelven archers riding battle tauntaun-furdino-kanga-joust mounts. 14" pseudo-flying movement, 2 wounds and a whimpy 5+ save. Their Bows hit and wound on the aelven standard of 3+, at range with -1 rend and -2 rend when used in melee. Yes, they use their Bows as sticks in melee and are rewarded with an extra rend for it. The Bows only have 12" or range when shot, which can place them in harms way, but remember that you can use the Hurakan rules to just have them leave.

===Other===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_VanariBladelords.pdf Vanari Bladelords]:''' (120pts, Min:5, Max:10) Swordmasters reborn. Now you can have heavy infantry without the need for stupid hats/conversions, HOORAY! Each one comes with a sunmetal greatblade that doesn't have the Sunmetal rule, so no Mortal Wounds. Instead they can use in one of two ways: either a single high rend stabs that auto-hits (to hunt characters and monsters), or an anti-horde swings based on how many enemies are nearby. Paired with their innate extra magic protection, and you have a flexible unit to plug gaps in your line, HOWEVER don't be overconfident. 10 of these guys only kill 3 chaos warriors a turn or ~13 marauders (or equivalents), so don't expect them to be fully self sufficient. They also don't get to cast spells, which makes them rather dependent on others. In exchange they are bodyguards. Before a Scinari allocates suffers a wound nearby Bladelords can take the hit instead for 1 MW on a 2+. 10 Bladelords make any Scinai functionally immortal.

* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_Hurakan_Spirit_Wind.pdf Hurakan Spirit of the Wind]:''' (250 pts). The generic Fox is Severith, but lesser. Eight wounds instead of ten, a slightly less impressive bow and he loses some rules. No "Scour" to take the rules off of faction terrain, no fly-over Mortal Wounds and his quiver is way less cool. But he retains the movement shenannigans of his named counterpart, same regeneration from the Windmage, same absolutely insane 24" move.

===Artillery===
*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Eng_VanariStarshardBallistas.pdf Vanari Starshard Ballista]:''' (100pts) Your new and only artillery unit, ultimately proving to be more like a classic ballistae than the Stormcast's machine gun blasts. It fires twice at -2 Rend and d3 Damage, making it a bit of a menace - especially if you manage to get a hero in position so they can grant a ballista a +1 to hit so the attack is pretty much guaranteed to hit. Keep it still in the movement phase, and it gets another shot, meaning another nasty potential D3 dead dudes. They also have a once-per-game ability to stun an enemy in addition to the sweet damage potential, dealing a -1 to hit whilst you gib them, so you can annoy and put the pressure on enemies until you can have someone else handle them.

===Behemoths===
* '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/Lumineth_Warscroll_Alarith%20Spirit%20of%20the%20Mountain-%20eng.pdf Alarith Spirit of the Mountain]:''' (340 pts). The Moontain. Your primary beat-stick and use for command points when you bring 'em. Outside of heroes, your only source of >1 damage attacks (well, the Stoneguard can get it on a 6 to wound with the Mallets) - at full health, his hammer is hitting on 3s, wounding on 2s, -2 rend, and 5 damage each. Keeping a stonemage within 12" of him allows you to ignore his damage table. Finally, his command ability allows you to add 1 to the attack characteristic of 1 unit's melee weapons.

===Terrain===
*'''Shrine Luminor''': A floating shrine meant to power up your already crazy strong mages. It lets you nominate a hero to be the shrine guardian, who gets to use their command ability for free, as well as giving heroes 1 free reroll on cast/deny/dispell a turn within 12", growing to 24" turn 2 onwards.

==Battalions==
Due to how Battalions are now universal, expect see the whole lot of this on the trash bin outside of narrative games. Bonus rules, traits and doodads are going to be likely added to the faction rules as default.
*'''Alarith Temple:''' (120) '''MIN:'''690/'''MAX:'''1510
**'''Requirements:''' 1x Avalenor or Alarith Spirit of the Mountain, 1x Alarith Stonemage, 1-3x Alarith Stoneguard.
**'''Ability:''' At the start of your combat phase, a Stoneguard unit from this battalion that is wholly within 12" of a hero from the same batalion can reroll saves until end of phase but can only pile in 1".
If you are playing Ymetrica you may as well take this one with Avalenor. Makes your already annoyingly tough units even tougher.
*'''Auralan Legion:''' (120) '''MIN:'''780/'''MAX:'''2820
**'''Requirements:''' 1x Scinari Cathallar, 2-4x Vanari Auralan Sentinels, with an equal amount of Vanari Auralan Wardens
**'''Ability:''' Units within 3" of another unit from this Battalion can reroll saves of 1.
Again, make your top objective holders better at holding objectives. Cast Etherial Blessing vs Rend or otherwise use your Aetherquartz against that key charge and you will definitely keep control of that objective. This is particularly good for Iliatha armies, since you want to keep your Auralan units near each other anyway.
*'''Dawnrider Lance:''' (120) '''MIN:'''380/'''MAX:'''1680
**'''Requirements:''' 2-3x Vanari Dawnriders
**'''Ability:''' Units from this Battalion may reroll 1’s to hit on the charge.
A cute buff that pumps up the offensive half of your cavalry are a fairly manageable cost. Toss 2 10-man squads in here for a solid enough flanking force.
*'''Hurakan Temple:''' (180) '''MIN: '''680/'''MAX:'''1770
**'''Requirements:''' 1x Sevireth or Hurakan Spirit of the Wind, 1x Hurakan Windmage, 1-3x Hurakan Windchargers.
**'''Ability:''' Any unit from this battalion wholly within 12" of a hero at the start of the fight phase will count as having charged this round.
Useful for movement and kiting shenanigans. If you're playing Helon you may as well pick this up.
*'''Starshard Battery:''' (120) '''MIN: '''520/'''MAX:'''720
**'''Requirements:''' 1x Scinari Calligrave, 3-5x Vanari Starshard Ballistas
**'''Ability:''' The ballista's Warding Lanterns ability now triggers on a 5+ instead of a 6 if they're within 3" of another pack of ballistas.
A pretty decent grab if you're focusing on the ballistas, as this makes them a bit more durable. The calligrave gives you a wizard that can also grant you a decent safezone for your army as well.
*'''Vanari Bladehost:'''
**'''Requirements:''' 1x {{AOSKeyword|Vanari}} or {{AOSKeyword|Scinari}} hero, 2-3x Vanari Bladelords
**'''Ability:''' Any units that charged this turn can re-roll 1s to hit.
Pretty much an auto-take if you're running any builds not focused on Teclis or any temple heroes. The units are pretty much going to be taken anyways.

===Super Battalions===

*'''Teclian Vanguard:''' (80) '''MIN:'''2370/'''MAX:'''14,470
**'''Requirements:''' 1x Archmage Teclis and Celennar, 0-1x The Light of Eltharion, 1x Alarith Temple, 1-3x Auralan Legions, 2x Dawnriders Battations.
**'''Ability:''' While wholly within its own territory, every friendly unit from this Battalion has a 6+ Feel No Pain.

Not a terribly bad bonus, better than a poke in the eye with a Sunmetal Spear. If you're playing 2,500 point games for some reason, the value of this battalion is VERY mission dependent, depending almost exclusively on the size of the territory.

*'''Lumineth Battlehost:''' (50) '''MIN:'''2430/'''MAX:'''15,290
**'''Requirements:''' 1x Vanari Lord Regent, 1x Vanari Bannerblade, 0-3x Scinari Heroes, 0-1x Alarith Temple, 0-1x Hurakan Temple, 1-2x Auralan Legion, 1-2x Dawnrider Lance, 1x Bladelord Host, 1x Starshard Battery
**'''Ability:''' For every hero in this battalion, roll a dice, and for every 6 you get a command point.

Considering that you can have up to 11 heroes in this army that is up to 11 chances at more CP, which is always appreciated. If you take Lyrior Uthralle as your General (He does have the Hero and Lord Regent keywords after all) you can get 12 chances of regaining CP.

==Allies==

Oddly, the army may only take Idoneth Deepkin as allies. Some of them have gotten over their Teclis hate/fear boner, good for them (Or they've realized there's shit out there that's way scarier than their estranged father and his new favorite kids). The Akhelian half of the army patch the speed issues of Lumineth. You don't need more anvils, so the trident eels and allopexes are definitely the right choice. With the Broken Realms: Morathi update to their warscroll, a squad of 3 Alopexes with nets may be just the high rending damage, speed, and flying that this army is greatly missing. Alternatively you can take a soulscryer and two Allopexes to give your army some much needed backline deployment. Another option to consider is bringing an Akhelian king and a single squad of trident eels for two mobile, multidamage units to help your cav deal with their primary weakness.

Your also have the Order option of '''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls//ENG_Gotrek_Warscroll.pdf Gotrek Gurnisson]'''. For a similar point cost you are probably better off taking Teclis. While he doesn't benefit from speed of Hysh, his speed isn't as detrimental to the Lumineth compared to other armies since you're already slow as sin if you don't bring Hurakan units.

*'''Bundo Whalebiter''': A Kraken-eater Mega-Gargant mercenary available to all Order factions. He could be a useful way to play up your strength by moving midfield objectives back into your defensive line, but his cost is a very large hurdle to deal with, as you're nearing Teclis levels of points and cheese.

==Tactics==

*'''High Elf roleplaying''': For those of us who remember the halcyon days of WHFB, focusing on your Vanari units can let you relive peak High-elf fun! 2 or 3 spear bricks and a lot of archers as your backbone, with a ballista and some totally-not-Swordmasters. Not the most effective list we could run, but good enough to handle most things. This list gets significantly more viable come all the new generic HQs.

*'''Moontains march to war!''': Building your list around 2 Alarith temples (1 of which has Avalenor) and a buncha hammers as ymetrica lets you build a surprisingly tanky list that hits like a bull. 2-3 moontains will mulch through anything short of a god or mega-gargant without much worry, though you should try to keep in mind that this list only has 2 casters, and none of the spells that really screw with your opponent.

*'''The Tryhard''': Sticking Teclis, 2 units of minimum spears, and FAR too many archers with the twinstones enables you to run the competitive tryhard list of your dreams! No one likes you for doing it, and you'll have minimal actual fun, but it can be done for an easy way to guarantee a win against most factions.

{{Age_of_Sigmar_Tactics}}

Flesh-Eater Courts

2021-10-12T01:44:29Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* The Delusions of the Ghoul Kings */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Flesh-Eater Courts|Logo=Flesh-Eater 01.png|Alliance=Death|Motto=The Noble Sir Marrowslurp charging into battle! Huzzah!}}
{{topquote|All earth was but one thought—and that was death Immediate and inglorious; and the pang Of famine fed upon all entrails—men Died, and their bones were tombless as their flesh; The meager by the meager were devoured.|Lord Byron, ''Darkness''}}

{{topquote|"How it brightens my soul to meet another chivalrous fellow on this day!" "Truly it is a blessing to have met another defender of the weak!" "What the fuck is that?" "SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"|What a Flesh-Eater Count sees when he meets a Stormcast vs what is ''really'' happening}}

The '''Flesh-Eater Courts''' are what has become of many of the mortals of the realms after the Age of Chaos. [[Ghoul|Flesh-eaters]] are all delusional and believe themselves to be [[Stormcast Eternals|servants of a mighty King on a golden throne]], when in reality they are all dirty naked homeless cannibals. In a sense they are a mixture of Don Quixote and cockroaches for the [[Age of Sigmar]]. They also see themselves as what can only be described as "Bretonnians", rejoice brothers! We are not forgotten!

==History==
The source of the Flesh-Eater madness comes from one initial progenitor; none other than [[Ushoran]] from the Old World. Since vampires didn't exist in the realms initially, Nagash brought back Mannfred, Neferata and Ushoran after being freed by Sigmar to introduce vampirism to the new setting (how's that for "gratitude"?). At some point lost to history, the latter fell out of Bonedaddy's favor, and was punished.

For opposing him in the World-That-Was and this one, Nagash inflicted a hideous transformation on Ushoran and locked him in a tower known as the shroud cage. Now this doesn't sound too bad on its own, but the interior of the shroud cage was basically a giant mirror that reflected every mistake and promise Ushoran had ever made, as well as his actual mutated physical form (basically the world's worst funhouse mirror). This drove him ''insane'', cursed to wallow in the worst aspects of himself.

That was, until the Age of Chaos, where Nagash betrayed Sigmar. During Sigmar's bullish charge into Shyish to bitchslap Nagash for betrayal, he knocked over Ushoran's cage, allowing him to escape. Unfortunately, he was completely mad at that point, causing him to now see himself as a benevolent and beautiful Warrior King, when in reality he was a reeeeeally ugly ghoul king vampire.

This madness was originally contagious, radiating from the Ghoulking vampires to any mortals who spent a prolonged length of time around them. This was retconned into the vampires actively seeking cannibals to recruit, and the transformation into a ghoul requires eating from the feast of an abhorrant king. Any Vampires sired by a Ghoulking also have this power and madness, as do any vampires they sire, and so on.

Since then, Ushoran (now known as the Carrion King, among many other titles) has gone missing whilst his progeny prosper, with Bonedaddy having put a huge price on his head.

==The Delusions of the Ghoul Kings==
The court is built upon the fact that every ghoul king is fucking insane and believes himself into being an glorious king atop a giant noble dragon riding into battle against invading barbarians. So pretty much King Lear if Lear was also a cannibalistic freak. The unique thing about this madness is that the illusion is shared with every follower of the king and vice-versa, so that what the king sees the court see as well. an example of this is if the king saw a [[Daemonette]] as a monstrous creature, the court would as well, if he saw another Ghoul King, he and his followers would see it as a fellow King, etc.

It should be noted that this is not a complete process. Rival Ghoul Kings that possess equal levels of delusion and grandeur can sometimes butt heads, usually ending with one of the two being killed and the losing court being absorbed by the victor. Though in some delusions, it’s also appropriate for such rebellious kings to be kept around for some “political intrigue”, however said kings are usually relegated to menial tasks or even stationed in far off places purposely to die.

This “warping delusion” aspect gets even weirder when the ghoul king has the ability to use an imaginary telescope and for the king [[What|IT JUST WORKS!]] Yes, much like a [[Orks|certain green skinned race]], whatever the ghoul king believes the universe says "fuck this" and lets it happen. This also works with the weapons they wield; in the kings eyes they're swords made of the finest steel, whilst in reality they're just a random bone or rock or skull they picked up. The same could be said for their armour, medals, and basically anything they have.,

On the rare occasion the delusion does waver or dissipate for the individual, though usually in the presence of very powerful beings (such as Nagash's Mortarchs or the gods such as Nagash). However, being freed is almost never a happy ending. More often than not, the formerly insane person is so horrified when they realize what they've become, [[Grimdark|they go insane and slip right back into the Flesh-Eater Court delusion]].

==Their Views on Nagash==
The flesh-eater opinion on the big, bad boneman himself is generally quite split and almost always nonsensical. Some Courts see him as a benevolent and shiny God, that brings forth bountiful harvests and opposes the wicked. Some, however, shit their pants whenever he's mentioned, due to either his sheer amount of power or the way he managed to imprison [[Ushoran|The Carrion King]] that spawned them. Others still can't even tell the difference between him and Sigmar. Nagash himself views them as his property (and has even cursed a kingdom in Chamon to become a Flesh-Eater court on purpose), even though he is unable to dominate them due to them technically not being undead. It works on Abhorrants because they're vampires, but even then that has the problem that their madness makes them often misinterpret his orders.

His servants, however, may not be so kind. The [[Nighthaunt]] may slaughter a Court just like most other life, though the delusional flesh eaters convince themselves that those poor, heavenly Angels were manipulated by the EEEEEEVIL [[Sigmar]]. The [[Ossiarch Bonereapers]] seem to treat the ghouls with the same pragmatic indifference that they view most other death factions, though a noteworthy event between the two factions is the Charnel War, where Ossiarch forces started enforcing the Bone-Tithe onto the Flesh-Eater Courts of Hysh with rapidly increasing quotas as a means of fueling their war effort against the [[Lumineth Realm-Lords]]. While some ghoul kings bowed to these demands (seeing the Bonereapers as divine heralds of Nagash), others revolted and led spiteful counter strikes against the Bonereapers.

==The Grand Courts==
Like most factions, there are many different subfactions of Flesh Eaters. Each is ruled by an Abhorrant Archregent, a [[Ghoul|Ghoul King]] whose delusion has grown so strong that it encompasses other Courts, making them essentially Emperors of massive swathes of Flesh-Eaters. There are four major Grand Courts:

*'''Morgaunt:''' The posterboys of the Flesh-Eaters. They used to be a [[Brettonia|kingdom of chivalry and honour]] in [[Shyish]], with noble Knights and loyal armies that serve their benevolent King. Sounds nice, right? And then the Age of Chaos happened. Both Sigmarite and Chaotic armies swept through their lands, ruining everything and driving them to the brink of annihilation. They turned to cannibalism, [[Grimdark|becoming debased and slavering monsters that soaked their homeland in gore]]. They've spread all throughout the realms now, and see [[Nagash|bone-daddy]] as a bright and noble God, and [[Sigmar]] as an usurper responsible for the Age of Chaos. They have lots and lots of "Serfs" (which are actually [[Ghoul|Crypt Ghouls]]).

*'''Hollowmourne:''' The Hollowmourne came from an empire that spanned across all the realms. Their King, who's name we don't know, was generally a swell guy, who discovered lots of mysterious relics. Some were too dangerous for mortal use, so he scattered them away until the time that they'd be needed. Nobody really knew about this, except for an Order of Royal Families from [[Chamon]] called the Knights of Hollowmourne. They protected the relics until Chaos came, where they decided to go on a Crusade, clad in the finest armours of Chamon. They were so confident that things would go well, that they swore oaths that their duty wouldn't go unfulfilled. [[Fail|It went about as well as expected]]. Rations ran out, they ate the peasants first, and even their mounts. Now, they're mostly [[Ghoul#Warhammer Fantasy|Crypt Horrors]], while believing that they're still Noble Knights on their steeds out on a crusade for the relics. A notable offshoot of this grand court is the Vertigon Court, found in the Vertiginous Peaks of Hysh and currently ruled by Archregent Gorstane Mortevell, the self-styled “Bright Emperor” and a fanatical Nagash worshipper. He has a rebellious sycophant called Varshorn, who led his own mini-court called the Deadwatch against the Ossiarch Bonereapers’ attempts to tithe the Flesh-Eaters.

*'''Blisterskin:''' When sunburn goes extreme. They came from an Order of Priests that worshiped the sun, which is actually [[Hysh]] for some reason. These Priesthoods were dotted around [[Aqshy]], with the commoners and royals alike going indoors when the sunlight was hottest. They actively sought out others to convert to their weird sun-worship religion, sending missionaries Jehovah's Witness-style to other nearby nations. But, as Chaos does, it came and took a massive shit over everything and left the sun-worshippers without home, harvest, or anything that wasn't burnt. Their descent into madness was pretty quick, as they soon decided to no longer humble themselves by hiding away from their God, but instead [[Grimdark|chose to let their flesh cook and peel in its glory]]. The most pious grew wings and became [[Crypt Flayer]]s, to get closer to their God. They still send "missionaries" to other nations, but instead of handing out pamphlets or knocking at people's doors and pestering them, they just attack them. Moral of the story here is to always bring your suncream.

*'''Gristlegore:''' The Gristlegore used to be a load of hippies that were really, really chill and at peace with the land they lived on. Normally, this wouldn't be too big a deal, except this specific kingdom was in [[Ghur]]. Yes, '''Ghur''', the place where literally ''everything'' is trying to eat each other, including the realm itself. The fact that they practiced hunting and killing only when necessary and treated the bigass monsters and plants around them with respect really says a lot about how peaceful they were. Sadly, when Chaos came it absolutely wrecked them. Anarchy came, everyone collectively shat their pants, and the royals, (who were previously pretty skilled in combat) had to watch their people burn. That is, until they became Ghoul Kings! Now, they prowl Ghur like a pack of Alpha predators, still seeking to be one with their surroundings, by piercing their flesh with realmstone and becoming reeeeeally bestial. They predictably have loads of [[Zombie Dragon]]s and [[Terrorgheist]]s.

==Soulbound==
The [[Age of Sigmar Roleplay]] supplement ''Champions of Death'' would naturally introduce the Ghouls of the Flesh-Eater courts as a playable race. While the forces of the Undead can actually be soulbound, and thus freed from a large part of their insanity, they are still capable of descending into their insane delusional rampages. Indeed, their delusions of nobility can help soften the blow that their psyches will be dealt by the horrible truth they uncover about themselves.

The more optimistic among their lot (mostly those bound to Sigmar rather than Nagash) can simply view themselves as Knights-Errant out on crusade for some noble cause. Alternatively, they may view themselves as outcasts from their kingdoms, either seeking atonement for some misdeed against their king or seeking to unravel some horrible curse that had afflicted the rest of their court. For those bound to the god of death himself, their servitude is simply par for the course, same as their loyalty to their king.

Your hero can hail from the following Great Courts:
*'''Morgaunt:''' Originally, the Mogaunt were once a kingdom of chivalric knights. This came to an end when the Age of Chaos came and their realms were ruined beyond repair. The Carrion King would return and bring about some order among the pack of murderous fiends, but the damage was already done. Many among the Morgaunt openly revere Nagash and blame Sigmar for sabotaging their only chance for a realm free of Chaos by stopping the Skelepope's machinations. Heroes from the Morgaunt still recall their chivalry and can protect nearby allies, lashing out at those who dare attack them.
*'''Hollowmourne:''' Formerly a kingdom based in Chamon, their fates were sealed when they doggedly pursued the Chaos thieves and vandals who robbed them blind - slowly and unwittingly descending into madness along the way. They revere Nagash as a god and will often destroy shrines and temples in order to build their own profane effigies to death. Heroes from Hollowmourne can ignore Body requirements for medium and heavy armour and gain a bonus to Fortitude and Determination checks based on how many wounds they suffer.
*'''Blisterskin:''' These 'people' were originally a theocratic religion who worshipped the sun. When Chaos came and ruined their shit, they went into overdrive with their sacrifices in hopes that their sun would save them - it didn't, but some 'helpful' ghouls most certainly did. Now they believe that their murderous frenzies are merely acts of proselytization, their airborne forces merely symbols of hope descending from their sacred sun rather than swooping down to eat on flesh-sacks. Heroes from the Blisterskin can channel their old faith, letting them cast one Bright or Light spell as if it were a miracle.
*'''Gristlegore:''' A fallen kingdom from Ghur. While they were originally a territory of noble savages, the Age of Chaos broke them beyond compare, leaving ripe for corruption by the Abhorrents and soon they descended into a pack of tribal ghouls who ride into battle atop monstrous things. Even in this state, they believe themselves peaceful and diplomatic, even if that 'diplomacy' means eating the other side. Heroes from the Gristlegore can choose to inflict self-harm in order to deal more damage in melee.

The Ghouls of the Flesh-Eater Courts have access to the '''Abhorrent Ghoul''', '''Crypt-Ghast Courtier''', '''Crypt-Haunter Courtier''', or '''Crypt Infernal Courtier''' archetypes.

{{Template:Playable Factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar}}

Flesh-Eater Courts

2021-10-12T01:42:35Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* History */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Flesh-Eater Courts|Logo=Flesh-Eater 01.png|Alliance=Death|Motto=The Noble Sir Marrowslurp charging into battle! Huzzah!}}
{{topquote|All earth was but one thought—and that was death Immediate and inglorious; and the pang Of famine fed upon all entrails—men Died, and their bones were tombless as their flesh; The meager by the meager were devoured.|Lord Byron, ''Darkness''}}

{{topquote|"How it brightens my soul to meet another chivalrous fellow on this day!" "Truly it is a blessing to have met another defender of the weak!" "What the fuck is that?" "SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"|What a Flesh-Eater Count sees when he meets a Stormcast vs what is ''really'' happening}}

The '''Flesh-Eater Courts''' are what has become of many of the mortals of the realms after the Age of Chaos. [[Ghoul|Flesh-eaters]] are all delusional and believe themselves to be [[Stormcast Eternals|servants of a mighty King on a golden throne]], when in reality they are all dirty naked homeless cannibals. In a sense they are a mixture of Don Quixote and cockroaches for the [[Age of Sigmar]]. They also see themselves as what can only be described as "Bretonnians", rejoice brothers! We are not forgotten!

==History==
The source of the Flesh-Eater madness comes from one initial progenitor; none other than [[Ushoran]] from the Old World. Since vampires didn't exist in the realms initially, Nagash brought back Mannfred, Neferata and Ushoran after being freed by Sigmar to introduce vampirism to the new setting (how's that for "gratitude"?). At some point lost to history, the latter fell out of Bonedaddy's favor, and was punished.

For opposing him in the World-That-Was and this one, Nagash inflicted a hideous transformation on Ushoran and locked him in a tower known as the shroud cage. Now this doesn't sound too bad on its own, but the interior of the shroud cage was basically a giant mirror that reflected every mistake and promise Ushoran had ever made, as well as his actual mutated physical form (basically the world's worst funhouse mirror). This drove him ''insane'', cursed to wallow in the worst aspects of himself.

That was, until the Age of Chaos, where Nagash betrayed Sigmar. During Sigmar's bullish charge into Shyish to bitchslap Nagash for betrayal, he knocked over Ushoran's cage, allowing him to escape. Unfortunately, he was completely mad at that point, causing him to now see himself as a benevolent and beautiful Warrior King, when in reality he was a reeeeeally ugly ghoul king vampire.

This madness was originally contagious, radiating from the Ghoulking vampires to any mortals who spent a prolonged length of time around them. This was retconned into the vampires actively seeking cannibals to recruit, and the transformation into a ghoul requires eating from the feast of an abhorrant king. Any Vampires sired by a Ghoulking also have this power and madness, as do any vampires they sire, and so on.

Since then, Ushoran (now known as the Carrion King, among many other titles) has gone missing whilst his progeny prosper, with Bonedaddy having put a huge price on his head.

==The Delusions of the Ghoul Kings==
The court is built upon the fact that every ghoul king is fucking insane and believes himself into being an glorious king atop a giant noble dragon riding into battle against invading barbarians. So pretty much King Lear if Lear was also a cannibalistic freak. The unique thing about this madness is that the illusion is shared with every follower of the king and vice-versa, so that what the king sees the court see as well. an example of this is if the king saw a [[Daemonette]] as a monstrous creature, the court would as well, if he saw another Ghoul King, he and his followers would see it as a fellow King, etc.

It should be noted that this is not a complete process. Rival Ghoul Kings that possess equal levels of delusion and grandeur can sometimes butt heads, usually ending with one of the two being killed and the losing court being absorbed by the victor. Though in some delusions, it’s also appropriate for such rebellious kings to be kept around for some “political intrigue”, however said kings are usually relegated to menial tasks or even stationed in far off places purposely to die.

This “warping delusion” aspect gets even weirder when the ghoul king has the ability to use an imaginary telescope and for the king [[What|IT JUST WORKS!]] Yes, much like a [[Orks|certain green skinned race]], whatever the ghoul king believes the universe says "fuck this" and lets it happen. This also works with the weapons they wield; in the kings eyes they're swords made of the finest steel, whilst in reality they're just a random bone or rock or skull they picked up. The same could be said for their armour, medals, and basically anything they have.,

On the rare occasion the delusion does waver or dissipate for the individual, though usually in the presence of very powerful beings (such as Nagash's Mortarchs or the gods). However, being freed is almost never a happy ending. More often than not, the formerly insane person is so horrified when they realize they've degenerated into a troglodytic cannibal, [[Grimdark|they go insane and slip right back into the delusion to continue their insane, atavistic existence]].

==Their Views on Nagash==
The flesh-eater opinion on the big, bad boneman himself is generally quite split and almost always nonsensical. Some Courts see him as a benevolent and shiny God, that brings forth bountiful harvests and opposes the wicked. Some, however, shit their pants whenever he's mentioned, due to either his sheer amount of power or the way he managed to imprison [[Ushoran|The Carrion King]] that spawned them. Others still can't even tell the difference between him and Sigmar. Nagash himself views them as his property (and has even cursed a kingdom in Chamon to become a Flesh-Eater court on purpose), even though he is unable to dominate them due to them technically not being undead. It works on Abhorrants because they're vampires, but even then that has the problem that their madness makes them often misinterpret his orders.

His servants, however, may not be so kind. The [[Nighthaunt]] may slaughter a Court just like most other life, though the delusional flesh eaters convince themselves that those poor, heavenly Angels were manipulated by the EEEEEEVIL [[Sigmar]]. The [[Ossiarch Bonereapers]] seem to treat the ghouls with the same pragmatic indifference that they view most other death factions, though a noteworthy event between the two factions is the Charnel War, where Ossiarch forces started enforcing the Bone-Tithe onto the Flesh-Eater Courts of Hysh with rapidly increasing quotas as a means of fueling their war effort against the [[Lumineth Realm-Lords]]. While some ghoul kings bowed to these demands (seeing the Bonereapers as divine heralds of Nagash), others revolted and led spiteful counter strikes against the Bonereapers.

==The Grand Courts==
Like most factions, there are many different subfactions of Flesh Eaters. Each is ruled by an Abhorrant Archregent, a [[Ghoul|Ghoul King]] whose delusion has grown so strong that it encompasses other Courts, making them essentially Emperors of massive swathes of Flesh-Eaters. There are four major Grand Courts:

*'''Morgaunt:''' The posterboys of the Flesh-Eaters. They used to be a [[Brettonia|kingdom of chivalry and honour]] in [[Shyish]], with noble Knights and loyal armies that serve their benevolent King. Sounds nice, right? And then the Age of Chaos happened. Both Sigmarite and Chaotic armies swept through their lands, ruining everything and driving them to the brink of annihilation. They turned to cannibalism, [[Grimdark|becoming debased and slavering monsters that soaked their homeland in gore]]. They've spread all throughout the realms now, and see [[Nagash|bone-daddy]] as a bright and noble God, and [[Sigmar]] as an usurper responsible for the Age of Chaos. They have lots and lots of "Serfs" (which are actually [[Ghoul|Crypt Ghouls]]).

*'''Hollowmourne:''' The Hollowmourne came from an empire that spanned across all the realms. Their King, who's name we don't know, was generally a swell guy, who discovered lots of mysterious relics. Some were too dangerous for mortal use, so he scattered them away until the time that they'd be needed. Nobody really knew about this, except for an Order of Royal Families from [[Chamon]] called the Knights of Hollowmourne. They protected the relics until Chaos came, where they decided to go on a Crusade, clad in the finest armours of Chamon. They were so confident that things would go well, that they swore oaths that their duty wouldn't go unfulfilled. [[Fail|It went about as well as expected]]. Rations ran out, they ate the peasants first, and even their mounts. Now, they're mostly [[Ghoul#Warhammer Fantasy|Crypt Horrors]], while believing that they're still Noble Knights on their steeds out on a crusade for the relics. A notable offshoot of this grand court is the Vertigon Court, found in the Vertiginous Peaks of Hysh and currently ruled by Archregent Gorstane Mortevell, the self-styled “Bright Emperor” and a fanatical Nagash worshipper. He has a rebellious sycophant called Varshorn, who led his own mini-court called the Deadwatch against the Ossiarch Bonereapers’ attempts to tithe the Flesh-Eaters.

*'''Blisterskin:''' When sunburn goes extreme. They came from an Order of Priests that worshiped the sun, which is actually [[Hysh]] for some reason. These Priesthoods were dotted around [[Aqshy]], with the commoners and royals alike going indoors when the sunlight was hottest. They actively sought out others to convert to their weird sun-worship religion, sending missionaries Jehovah's Witness-style to other nearby nations. But, as Chaos does, it came and took a massive shit over everything and left the sun-worshippers without home, harvest, or anything that wasn't burnt. Their descent into madness was pretty quick, as they soon decided to no longer humble themselves by hiding away from their God, but instead [[Grimdark|chose to let their flesh cook and peel in its glory]]. The most pious grew wings and became [[Crypt Flayer]]s, to get closer to their God. They still send "missionaries" to other nations, but instead of handing out pamphlets or knocking at people's doors and pestering them, they just attack them. Moral of the story here is to always bring your suncream.

*'''Gristlegore:''' The Gristlegore used to be a load of hippies that were really, really chill and at peace with the land they lived on. Normally, this wouldn't be too big a deal, except this specific kingdom was in [[Ghur]]. Yes, '''Ghur''', the place where literally ''everything'' is trying to eat each other, including the realm itself. The fact that they practiced hunting and killing only when necessary and treated the bigass monsters and plants around them with respect really says a lot about how peaceful they were. Sadly, when Chaos came it absolutely wrecked them. Anarchy came, everyone collectively shat their pants, and the royals, (who were previously pretty skilled in combat) had to watch their people burn. That is, until they became Ghoul Kings! Now, they prowl Ghur like a pack of Alpha predators, still seeking to be one with their surroundings, by piercing their flesh with realmstone and becoming reeeeeally bestial. They predictably have loads of [[Zombie Dragon]]s and [[Terrorgheist]]s.

==Soulbound==
The [[Age of Sigmar Roleplay]] supplement ''Champions of Death'' would naturally introduce the Ghouls of the Flesh-Eater courts as a playable race. While the forces of the Undead can actually be soulbound, and thus freed from a large part of their insanity, they are still capable of descending into their insane delusional rampages. Indeed, their delusions of nobility can help soften the blow that their psyches will be dealt by the horrible truth they uncover about themselves.

The more optimistic among their lot (mostly those bound to Sigmar rather than Nagash) can simply view themselves as Knights-Errant out on crusade for some noble cause. Alternatively, they may view themselves as outcasts from their kingdoms, either seeking atonement for some misdeed against their king or seeking to unravel some horrible curse that had afflicted the rest of their court. For those bound to the god of death himself, their servitude is simply par for the course, same as their loyalty to their king.

Your hero can hail from the following Great Courts:
*'''Morgaunt:''' Originally, the Mogaunt were once a kingdom of chivalric knights. This came to an end when the Age of Chaos came and their realms were ruined beyond repair. The Carrion King would return and bring about some order among the pack of murderous fiends, but the damage was already done. Many among the Morgaunt openly revere Nagash and blame Sigmar for sabotaging their only chance for a realm free of Chaos by stopping the Skelepope's machinations. Heroes from the Morgaunt still recall their chivalry and can protect nearby allies, lashing out at those who dare attack them.
*'''Hollowmourne:''' Formerly a kingdom based in Chamon, their fates were sealed when they doggedly pursued the Chaos thieves and vandals who robbed them blind - slowly and unwittingly descending into madness along the way. They revere Nagash as a god and will often destroy shrines and temples in order to build their own profane effigies to death. Heroes from Hollowmourne can ignore Body requirements for medium and heavy armour and gain a bonus to Fortitude and Determination checks based on how many wounds they suffer.
*'''Blisterskin:''' These 'people' were originally a theocratic religion who worshipped the sun. When Chaos came and ruined their shit, they went into overdrive with their sacrifices in hopes that their sun would save them - it didn't, but some 'helpful' ghouls most certainly did. Now they believe that their murderous frenzies are merely acts of proselytization, their airborne forces merely symbols of hope descending from their sacred sun rather than swooping down to eat on flesh-sacks. Heroes from the Blisterskin can channel their old faith, letting them cast one Bright or Light spell as if it were a miracle.
*'''Gristlegore:''' A fallen kingdom from Ghur. While they were originally a territory of noble savages, the Age of Chaos broke them beyond compare, leaving ripe for corruption by the Abhorrents and soon they descended into a pack of tribal ghouls who ride into battle atop monstrous things. Even in this state, they believe themselves peaceful and diplomatic, even if that 'diplomacy' means eating the other side. Heroes from the Gristlegore can choose to inflict self-harm in order to deal more damage in melee.

The Ghouls of the Flesh-Eater Courts have access to the '''Abhorrent Ghoul''', '''Crypt-Ghast Courtier''', '''Crypt-Haunter Courtier''', or '''Crypt Infernal Courtier''' archetypes.

{{Template:Playable Factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar}}

Zombie

2021-10-12T01:30:29Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533:

{{Topquote|Braaaaaiins!|Return of the Living Dead - the movie that created the idea of brain-eating zombies.}}
{{Topquote|Zombies man, they freak me out.|Dennis Hopper, Land of the Dead.}}

'''Zombies''' are mindless [[monster]]s created from humans, usually via their corpses, that are essentially the most exploited type of monster in any and all forms of fictional media, to the point that "[[Old meme|zombie fatigue]]" is very well-established. Such qualities are usually the only common thread between them - everything else depends on the legend, tradition, or other context they're presented in.

=IRL zombies=
The origin for the term, if not one of the modern concepts, can be found in various African and Haitian Voudou stories and religious practices; the zombie (or "zombi") is created by administering a potion that places its drinker into a state of near-death, where they obey the commands of whoever made the potion. In Voudou practices, zombies are created using a powdery substance created from pufferfish poison that renders the victim into a near-death paralyzed state, effectively making them look "dead" for a long period of time. Of course, this "zombie powder" is obviously impractical for coercing servitude from the heavily paralyzed victim, unless the only command you want to give them is "play dead"-- which is why once the victim is revived from the paralysis using different drugs (based off the ''Datura'' genus of hallucinogenic plants) are used to convince them that they really died and are now no longer fully human. If anything, [[ghoul]]s and other similar undead likely served as the basis for the "original" fictional zombies.

The [[Servitor]]s are conceptually based on this style of zombie, augmented with cyborg body parts.

=Fantasy zombies=
[[File:Plague horde.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Plague zombies of Papa [[Nurgle]]. This is pretty much how zombies are depicted today, though probably smellier than normal]]
Zombies in fantasy are corpses re-animated through dark magic. Usually, they are animated and controlled by [[necromancer]]s. They tend to be slow, clumsy, and weak (rigor mortis is a bitch and all), but because they are relatively easy to make in large numbers (especially if there are any graveyards or battlefields close at hand -- in fact, particularly nasty necromancers will do things like annihilate an entire town or army and re-animate everyone), they remain a staple of the [[undead]] hordes, right next to [[skeleton]]s.

Depiction of zombies tend to vary widely through each setting. Some fully or mostly retain their higher brain functions after reanimation that they can still function in death as they did in life, essentially being an undead person. The more popular variant are the ones who have lost themselves but still retain enough intelligence to use weapons, magic, and crude tactics to match their opponents (it isn't a lot but a horde of tenacious armed corpses is not to be underestimated). The other popular type are biters, who's only driving goal in undeath is to take eat living flesh, and won't care that it's burning, shambling against a fence, or reduced to a bloody stump, to do it.

==Dungeons & Dragons==
Zombies have been a part of [[Dungeons & Dragons]] since the beginning, since they are such an iconic monster that is also guilt-free to exterminate. Technically, the largest variety of zombies appeared during [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]], due to that game not being able to really handle "levelling up" monsters and thus needing to create more monsters just to fill up the potential opponents slot. Furthermore, most of the zombie species appeared in the [[Ravenloft]] setting, due to its status as the Horror D&D Setting.

In AD&D, the following zombies existed:
* '''Common Zombie''': Your standard mindless walking corpse. Comes in humanoid and monster versions.
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* '''Ju-ju Zombie''': A zombie created through black magic rituals, typically involving ceremonially draining a living humanoid to death with necrotic energy. This traps a fragment of the soul inside the corpse, creating a dimly intelligent zombie with greater combat abilities and enhanced magical resistances.
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* '''Sea Zombie''' (also called '''Drowned One'''): A standard zombie, but created from somebody who drowned, and thusly specialized for an aquatic environment.
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* '''Zombie Lord''': A fully intelligent zombie with a number of mystical powers, mostly the ability to reanimate other corpses as new zombies. This poor-man's-[[lich]] is native to the [[Demiplane of Dread]]. Downgraded to a template in 3e [[Ravenloft]] material, but [[Pathfinder]] has its own version as well.
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* '''Cannibal Zombie''': Your standard Romero-type roaming mindless flesh-eating corpse. Native to the [[Demiplane of Dread]].
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* '''Desert Zombie''': A zombie animated from the dessicated, dried-out carcasses found in desert environments. Again, this was first introduced in the [[Ravenloft]] setting.
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* '''Lightning Zombie''': Bizarre, sapient zombies that are sometimes born when people die in areas of intense magical energy. This gives them the ability to deliver deadly electrical shocks with a touch.
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* '''Mud Zombie''': Despite its name, actually a [[skeleton]] caked in thick, gooey, sticky mud, which fouls any wounds it makes and which it can use to try and suffocate anyone it grabs hold of.
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* '''Netherese Zombie''': Basically a more powerful version of the Ju-ju Zombie native to the [[Forgotten Realms]].
* '''Red Zombie''': A [[Mystara]]n zombie created from the corpse of someone suffering the mutagenic effects of [[Red Steel]].
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* '''Salt Zombie''': A blood-drinking zombie strain native to the deserts of [[Dark Sun]], usually forming from either corpses left lying in salt flats or which died of thirst.
* '''Thinking Zombie''': Another [[Dark Sun|Athasian]] zombie strain, created when a restless spirit possesses its own body to continue its goal. Essentially a variant [[revenant]].
* '''Zombie Fog''': A malign [[elemental]] thing of mist that feeds on the souls of the dead, animating corpses as zombie minions to kill its prey.
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* '''Zombie Wolf''': what it says on the tin.
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* '''Spawn of [[Kyuss]]''' (formerly known as '''Son of Kyuss'''): A zombie filled with infectious worms.
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* '''Coffer Corpse''': An undead who is angry that their funerary rites were left unfinished.
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Why that "technically" above? 3E made zombie a template in the core rulebooks that can be applied to any corporeal creature with a skeleton system. This makes 3E's possible zombies endless, especially when combined with other templates. This is not the only variant of the zombie template in 3E however, as the ''Draconomicon'' introduced the Zombie Dragon template since the normal zombie template produced poor results on a dragon and "dragon zombie" is such a striking image it deserved better. The most dreaded type of zombie in 3rd edition however is the Hydra Zombie, which overcomes a zombie's slowness due to rules quirks.

==Magic: the Gathering==
The main 2 [[undead]] creature types in [[Magic: The Gathering]] are zombie and [[skeleton]] ([[vampire]]s also have a creature type). As such things like [[lich]]s have the zombie creature type (on their cards).

===[[Innistrad]]===
Innistrad zombies come in 2 flavors. The black zombies are the typical reanimated with black magic zombie that is almost ubiquitous throughout fantasy. The blue zombies are more SCIENCE themed (think Frankenstein's monster).

===[[Amonkhet]]===
The Egyptian themed plane of Amonkhet has made a novel change to the Zombie type by adding white mana zombies. Technically they are mummies, being embalmed and wrapped up nice and tight with a ridiculous amount of linen bandages (probably to keep out that delicious zombie musk), but throwing in a "mummy" creature type after nearly three decades of zombie creatures would be dumb. It is an interesting take on the "sacred dead" schtick that is affiliated with Egyptian lore, though at the end of the day they really are just glorified servants. Some creatures also have an ability called "embalm" where you cast them from the discard pile, making them come back as a copy of themselves, only they are now white zombies. None of them seem particularly powerful though, and while players aren't scrambling to throw white mana into their zombie decks, their art and design is [[awesome]].

==Warhammer Fantasy Battle==
They are [[Vampire Count]]'s primary meat shield as well as summoning spell used to annoyed the fuck out of the crossbow men/artillery crew in the back line.

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{{Vampire Count Troops}}

==Monster Girls?!==
[[File:MGE Zombie.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The MGE Zombie shows how you can turn "corpse of a woman" into a monstergirl.]]
{{Monstergirls}}
Yes, even animated corpses get the monstergirl treatment. In fairness to them, these weird dabblings into necrophilia are usually not your standard hideously decayed and mutilated corpses, but beautiful and curvaceous women who just happen to have corpse-colored skin or exotic, almost beauty-mark-like scars on their frames. Behaviour-wise, zombie monstergirls are usually depicted as akin to bimbos: near-[[golem]]oid mindless drones who just want pleasure, either searching endlessly for men to screw, or raised as sexual automata by a particularly perverse/desperate [[necromancer]]. Those that aren't usually take advantage of the ill-defined barriers between zombie, [[revenant]] and [[wight]], so you have a perfectly normal woman who just happens to be dead.

Zombie movies have even exploited this phenomena; a beautiful naked woman is one of the zombies wandering around in the original "Night of the Living Dead", whilst in "Return of the Living Dead 3", the female lead becomes a very attractive zombie and is still weirdly hot even after she pierces herself with random metal and glass junk and starts eating random criminals. To say nothing of the way that B-movies like "Zombie Strippers" exploit it.

Naturally, the zombie appears in the [[Monster Girl Encyclopedia]]. Here, the corpse of a woman can get brought back as a lustful rape monster with grey to porcelain white skin, retaining their memories but losing most of their intelligence and reason until they fuck someone enough times. As they have more and more sex, their body and wits are more and more restored until they are as smart as their living selves and more attractive as well. If a zombie's womb was intact or gets restored, she can even [[wat|give birth to zombie children]].
{{clear}}

=Modern zombies=
Zombies in modern settings tend to be the by-products of science rather than necromancy. Some animating agent, usually a chemical or virus (though radiation is not unknown), causes corpses to move around, and for some reason makes them hunger for living flesh. Although this is sometimes explained as the reptilian part of the human brain, which is only centered around finding something to eat, still being prevalent while the other parts responsible for higher reasoning and functions are dead. Thus, without anything really else on their minds but to hunt and eat, all they do for the rest of their undead lives is lumber about and occasionally relentlessly chase someone down to devour, even if they don't have any real reason to do so. This, however, doesn't explain why they don't eat each other...(though Romero Zombies' inability to attack anything that isn't sapient explains this)

Optionally, people who are killed or bitten by zombies may themselves rise again as zombies; in such cases, this reanimation can usually be prevented by destroying or removing the head or incinerating the corpse (decapitation and fire usually work well on putting down zombies post-reanimation as well). George Romero's ''[[Wikipedia:Night of the Living Dead|Night of the Living Dead]]'' (1968) movie set the tone for the archetypal modern zombie, to the point that zombies of this archetype are sometimes called "Romero zombies", even though nobody actually says the word "zombie" in the movie itself. George Romero did another zombie movie, ''[[Wikipedia:Dawn of the Dead|Dawn of the Dead]]'' (1978), where there's an implied return to the idea of zombies from supernatural origins ("When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth").

Another more recent trait was the need to eat brains, introduced in the horror-comedy movie ''[[Wikipedia:Return of the Living Dead|Return of the Living Dead]]'' (1985). In this movie, the zombies can feel their bodies decompose, and eat brains because it stops the pain (likely via ingesting its endorphins). The zombies in this film are also the same person they were when alive (except psychotically slaved to their hunger for brains), hard to destroy (chop them to pieces and the pieces come after you), and are capable of climbing and running ([[Skub|despite many people thinking 28 Days Later (see below) introduced the running zombie]]).

More recently, especially in video games, another pattern of zombie has gained popularity: the so-called "fast zombie" or "[[Wikipedia:28 Days Later|28 Days Later]] (2002) zombie" (though the creatures in ''28 Days Later'' are not proper zombies at all, as they are still alive, albeit infected with a rabies-like behavior-altering virus). As the name suggests, these creatures are fast and aggressive and can be terrifying in small numbers, especially if they can infect with a single bite. And though they are still "alive," they are usually incapable of feeling pain, so an attack that would incapacitate a normal human may be shrugged off. Even a blow to a vital organ short of the brain or heart may be ignored, though they'll likely bleed out eventually.

So-called "real world zombies" are mostly just people who have taken some powerful mixture of substances and exhibit zombie-like behavior, including cannibalism. Fortunately, they are not contagious (at least if you don't do the drugs along with them), but do note that while you won't turn into an actual zombie, being bitten by a zombie-like human ''is'' still lethal even with a non-critical bite wound, due to infection and/or septic shock if the wound isn't disinfected in time.

=See Also=
*[[Revenant]] - The spiritual predecessor of the zombie.
*[[Zombie Plague]] - Zombies in 40k

[[Category:Monsters]]
[[Category:Undead]]

Bladegheist Revenant

2021-10-12T01:15:52Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533:

[[File:BladegheistRevenantModel.jpeg|thumb]]

Behold; when you all thought [[Nagash]] could not be any more of an asshole, when you all thought he reached peak dickery when he fucked up the balance of magic in the realms, he went and surpassed himself, pulling these poor suckers out of some awful, skeletal hole somewhere in [[Shyish]]. The Bladegheist Revenants are the [[Nighthaunt]]’s answer to sword-wielding infantry, whirling around the battlefield like they just snorted a pile of warp dust. This isn’t without reason. In fact, this flailing around is the exact reason why they are such a fucked up concept.

They are the souls of people who, when they died, were in an exceptional amount of stress. This encompasses very pleasant scenarios such as being stabbed with spikes, drowning, burning, etc. And because they tried to avoid death, Nagash, in all his wisdom, decreed this a crime worthy of eternal punishment. So when they finally do pop their clogs, that awful moment of panic? That’s your new eternity. The Bladegheists are given their swords, [[Grimdark|are uniformly blinded and essentially left to spin and flail with pain across the battlefield for eternity, cutting down others in a maddened frenzy. They're also cursed to sense the presence of nearby Chainrasps or Spirit Torments... which makes them flail around even harder as the Bladegheists mistake those fellow Nighthaunt for their captors]].

Needless to say, them and the Dreadscythes were GW’s way of saying that AoS isn’t entirely Noblebright anymore.

{{Nighthaunt-Units}}

Bladegheist Revenant

2021-10-12T01:12:08Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533:

[[File:BladegheistRevenantModel.jpeg|thumb]]

Behold; when you all thought [[Nagash]] could not be any more of an asshole, when you all thought he reached peak dickery when he fucked up the balance of magic in the realms, he went and surpassed himself, pulling these poor suckers out of some awful, skeletal hole somewhere in [[Shyish]]. The Bladegheist Revenants are the [[Nighthaunt]]’s answer to sword-wielding infantry, whirling around the battlefield like they just snorted a pile of warp dust. This isn’t without reason. In fact, this flailing around is the exact reason why they are such a fucked up concept.

They are the souls of people who, when they died, were in an exceptional amount of stress. This encompasses very pleasant scenarios such as being stabbed with spikes, drowning, burning, etc. And because they tried to avoid death, Nagash, in all his wisdom, decreed this a crime worthy of eternal punishment. So when they finally do pop their clogs, that awful moment of panic? That’s your new eternity. The Bladegheists are given their swords, [[Grimdark|are uniformly blinded and essentially left to spin and flail with pain across the battlefield for eternity, cutting down others in a maddened frenzy]]. Needless to say, them and the Dreadscythes were GW’s way of saying that AoS isn’t entirely Noblebright anymore.

{{Nighthaunt-Units}}

Hysh

2021-10-12T00:30:33Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Iliatha */

{{AoS-Stub}}

[[File:TenParadises.jpg|thumb|right|Perfectly balanced...as all things should be.|500px]]

Greetings, illuminate, to Hysh. Land of reflection, light and wisdom. Hysh is the mortal realm of light and is conjointedly ruled by the twin gods [[Tyrion]] and [[Teclis]]. It also doubles as the mortal realms' sun. The [[Lumineth Realm Lords]] come from here.

==Overview==

The Ten Paradises of Hysh are lands of illumination, symmetry and reason; and their inhabitants driven to the highest of their paths through meditation, asceticism and self-improvement almost to the point of obsession. It also helped that Hysh's realmstone, Aetherquartz, is mortal-made and enhances the mental and physical properties of the user even further.

Between the Aetherquartz and the guidance of both Tyrion and Teclis, civilization in Hysh became incredibly focused in self-improvement, reason and order; each individual willing to great lengths to become more than they were, with the pinnacle of this being the Lumineth. Over time, the Lumineth became egotistical perfectionists who thought they'd overcome all their flaws, each leader considering themselves the best exemplar of their race and others as inferiors or rivals who needed to learn their place by any means necessary... [[Skaven|wait, this mindset sounds familiar]]. Things went from bad to worse when [[Chaos|certain someones]] came knocking...

Hysh’s radiance is so strong that it’s realmsphere is seen from all of the Mortal Realms and beyond as a blinding ball of pure light, and serves as the Realms' equivalent of the sun. However, both Hysh and [[Ulgu]] share an orbit (with the orbit's center being, hilariously, [[Shadespire]]) and periodically Ulgu eclipses Hysh, bathing the realms in darkness. And that, children, is how day and night works in the mortal realms (no word on how this works on Ulgu and Hysh themselves).

===Uhl-Ghysh===
Unlike the other realms, Hysh has a weird relationship with the realm of shadow, Ulgu. Not only both move in the same orbit as seen above, but also there's a subrealm where the energies of both Hysh and Ulgu intermingle, mix and become something that even the deities of both realms cannot fully comprehend. This paradoxical realm is called Uhl-Ghysh and with the weird properties found here, Teclis found the location perfect for his plan of trapping [[Slaanesh]] and make him/her/it throw up elven souls. Currently, as the cage of Slaanesh, is nearly impossible to get to Uhl-Ghysh, but between the machinations of [[Morathi|that bitch]] and the Necroquake, the illusions that conceal the paths there are unraveling.

==Regions==
The coming of the Lumineth Realm-Lords gave us a complete map for Hysh, being the first realm to do so. This tells us that either it is a much smaller Realm than the others, or that each nation has to be ''fucking enormous''. Either way, the Ten Paradises are arranged as two perfectly symmetrical halves, with one half influenced by the teachings of Teclis and the other by Tyrion. The remaining two, Xintil and Haixiah, are presumably under the jurisdiction of neither individual god.

===Xintil===
The centre of Hysh where magic is most stable and least likely to explode everywhere. It tends to be where the majority of the non-Aelven races live.

===Syar===
The people of Syar are some of the greatest craftsmen in the Mortal Realms, and people travel far and wide in order to purchase their magical trinkets.

===Iliatha===
A matriarchal society with a heavy emphasis on improving through generational growth, so women are revered. To get around <s>the inconvenient fact that a woman needs a man to get pregnant in the first place</s> childbirth - which was considered a messy, painful distraction, they invented magical soul-splitting cloning to replace sexual reproduction (yes they literally thought they were too good to give birth; insert obligatory joke about career women or feminists here). This was abused during the Age of Myth in an unspecified way and became closely regulated. It’s the most populous of the Lumineth kingdoms as a result and twins are very common.

===Ymetrica===
The Lumineth of Ymetrica are a warrior culture (kind of odd for being on the Teclis half of the map) as tough as the mountain spirits they worship, being the First Nation to buy into Teclis’ whole Aelementari scheme. It is said that there is never a time when the forces of Ymetrica aren't fighting somewhere in the Mortal Realms. A more close to home threat for this nation comes from the Stoical Vast mountains. A great [[Gloomspite Gitz|Troggherd]] called the Stoical Gobblemaws makes regular advances across its peaks in hopes of devouring all of the mountains. They and their Troggboss Gorp have been pushed back by the Alarith temples, but they just keep coming. Additionally, there are the [[Flesh-Eater Courts|flesh eaters]] of the Vertigon Court, who have settled in the Vertiginous Peaks. The Lumineth surprisingly are content to let these ghouls fester and squabble amidst the mountains, acting as an unwitting buffer zone against any chaos invasions.

===Zaitrec===
They're the powerful mystics even amongst the Lumineth. They also seem to be pretty close to the Celennar.

===Alumina===
Presumably Tyrionic.

===Helon===
Presumably Tyrionic.

===Aurathrai===
Presumably Tyrionic.

===Oultrai===
Presumably Tyrionic.

===Haixiah===
The Realm's Edge of Hysh, described as a place of freakish perfection. The fjords themselves are rimmed with fractal patterns, and going deeper you'll find places that exist as pencil sketches, dots of light or waves of thought. No Lumineth lives here, as this was a place no mortal was meant to tread. When Tyrion, the literal god of Light journeyed to this place in search of Teclis, he was blinded. The God of Light '''was blinded'''. Really puts it into perspective.

{{AoS-Realms}}

[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]][[Category:Age of Sigmar]]

Daughters of Khaine

2021-10-11T17:12:51Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Broken Realms */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Daughters of Khaine|Logo=Daughters_of_Khaine_battletome_art.jpg|Alliance=Order|Motto=Much bloodier and less NSFW than it appears.}}
{{topquote|She could never take an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. The weak and flaccid parity would make her nearly puke. She wants an eye for a tooth, and a life for an eye.|Helen Zahavi - Dirty Weekend}}
{{topquote|Let's show the gutless pigs how the warriors of Pah-Dishah can fight! By Tarim, we'll give the devils scarlet wine to drink this dawn...|Red Sonja}}

The '''Daughters of Khaine''' are a nation of aelves (though closer to a collection of scattered religious communes than a nation) led by Morathi who combine the Khainite religion with shadow magic.

They are an army, with a few exceptions, of [[PROMOTIONS|armed aelven women and monstergirls in bikinis]]. As they worship Khaine, to them the clash of arms is the height of their religion, holy rites practiced and perfected with all the high-level skill and grace of aelf-kind. As blades flash, they shed their visage of cold and distant beauty, how they tend to be when not in battle, their ecstatic faces lighting up with each fresh kill. In contrast to even other aelves, especially the Idoneth Deepkin, many Daughters of Khaine have lived far beyond the average aelf lifespan, which is already longer than that of other races (except the males - see below).

==History==
===Age of Myth===
Being a theocracy founded by [[Morathi]] and given her character, Morathi is behind or involved in every pivotal moment of the Daughters of Khaine in history. After leaving the Great Alliance because [[Nagash]] outed her true monstrous form, Morathi sought to establish her own dwellings in Ulgu. Her son Malerion cruelly rejected her suggestion of splitting the rule of the thirteen Dominions, for he claimed of all Ulgu as his own. Morathi persisted until, as either a joke or a plot to get rid of her, Malerion granted his mother a small parcel of land in the middle of the Umbral Veil. This was the darkest and most impenetrable region in all Ulgu, so dangerous that only Malerion himself had ever returned from those cloying mists with their sanity intact. Morathi went there and exceeded her son's expectations. She bent the shadows into a protective shroud around her new land and led settlers there.

Her only followers were the aelven witch-cults that had maintained their worship of [[Khaine]]. While Morathi knew Khaine was dead, since the blood rituals no longer rejuvenated her, she supported the religion to get people to help her. To ensure their loyalty, Morathi built a temple to Khaine, naming it Hagg Nar, and over time a city grew up around it. Morathi taught them the secrets of navigating the murky currents. Hagg Nar began as a pitiful kingdom, and Morathi brooded over her mean existence.

As she sought power, she soon found a hint of Khaine's power in her dreams while scrying. Though Khaine was dead, she knew the elven gods were cyclial and could be reborn given enough power. Morathi began a secret quest that was long and difficult, but eventually brought her to the literal heart of Khaine himself. The heart was intact and throbbing with resurgent power, but it was guarded by Kharbytr, the godbeast father of Kharibdysses. Morathi suspected Kharbytr would be resistant to sorcery, and was despearte to claim the heart before anyone else could, so she used seduction instead (yes, really), but angered Kharbytr when she tried to grab the heart. The fight between them was an epic clash that lasted thirteen days and ended when Morathi constricted Kharbytr in her coils. The godbeast dealt her a lethal blow before losing consciousness, but Morathi survived by drawing energies from Khaine's heart to sustain herself.

Heading back to Hagg Nar with her prize, Morathi declared herself Khaine's High Oracle, claiming that she spoke for the god of murder and that she was his voice in this world. With that she solidified her hold over the Khainites and reshaped the society into the Daughters of Khaine. The Daughters of Khaine would often be sent out to hunt for fragments of their missing deity on Morathi's orders (unbeknownst to them, these were snipe hunts for the most part).

She continued this way for a time until Malerion arrived. He said that he and the other aelf gods had had, at last, found the lost aelf-souls from the world-that-was, and they needed her shadow magic and knowledge of Slaanesh in their grand plan. For the first and only time, Morathi spoke of the unspeakable horrors inside Slaanesh and how she'd escaped. Using this knowledge and themselves as bait, the four lured Slaanesh into a trap and started extracting elven souls from the deity.

For her role, Morathi was allowed to take souls for herself to shape into elves, who went into swelling the numbers of the Daughters of Khaine. However, some of them had been [[monstergirls|altered by their time with Slaanesh]]. There were those with [[Lamia|serpentine mutations akin to Morathi]], these became the [[Medusa|Melusae]]. Others had bat-like wings and long tails, these became the [[Harpy|Khinerai]]. Around this time Morathi reintroduced the Cauldrons of Blood and created the Mathcoir, the master cauldron, in Hagg Nar. Secretly, she made it as a repository of power only she could access. To start this, Morathi [[Drow|cursed every male born to the Daughters of Khaine to have part of their soul siphoned away and stored in the Mathcoir]].

Unbeknownst to her erstwhile allies, Morathi had added her own deceptive magics to the undertaking, so that the soul division was skewed slightly out of the agreed proportions, with extra spirits siphoned to Hagg Nar. This subterfuge was subtle, but slowly, inevitably, [[Not as Planned|altered the eldritch balance that kept the Dark Prince perfectly imprisoned between Hysh and Ulgu]].

===Age of Chaos===
As Chaos invaded the Mortal Realms, the Daughters of Khaine marched out from Hagg Nar to ambush them, using shadowshifting magics to reach Realmgates to travel anywhere the forces of Order needed them. Although Morathi and her followers weren't liked, beggars could not be choosers and they were one of the few allies the Sigmarites had during this time. To keep the more mutated members of her coven secret, the spellcasters and priestesses of the Khainites used shadow glamors to make them look like ordinary elves (how this worked when the Khinerai were flying is anybody's guess).

The Daughters of Khaine were bold and fearless in battle - willing to cross blades with any enemy, no matter how numerous or monstrous. Despite heroics by Khainite forces at many battles, the forces of Order were on the backfoot, the final retreat happening after Nagash betrayed Sigmar at the Battle of Burning Skies.

As the Chaos invasions set about their task of destroying and enslaving entire civilisations, the Shadowlands of Ulgu suffered the least after Azyr. Khorne, Nurgle and Tzeentch all devoted the greater portion of their forces to different realms, the minions that were sent into Ulgu boasted none of the most fearful greater daemon commanders and Malerion himself sent Archaon packing with his tail between his legs. This gave the Daughters of Khaine plenty of time to prey on the Chaos forces that made it to their realm; reavers of Khorne, magic-seeking conclaves of Tzeentch or followers of Slaanesh tracking calls from their god that only they could sense. They reaped a large harvest of Chaos minions, leaving mass graves from all the sacrifices (this would come back to haunt them - pun intended - in the Soul Wars, see below).

But Morathi's trickery with the soul extraction came back to bite her. Taking too many souls caused Slaanesh's prison to drift towards Ulgu and weaken it. This enabled Slaanesh's most faithful servants catch the scent of their missing god/dess. More and more Slaaneshi armies penetrated the Shadowlands searching for their lost god. So began what the aelves of Ulgu named the Cathtrar Dhule - the War of Shadows.

For the major battles of the War of Shadows, Morathi led the Daughters of Khaine from the front. She cast down the Keeper of Secrets Glittus and his Legion of Excess, and the whip-handed Krulla Sha'vhr and her Flayerhost. Battle was not her only recourse, however, for against the unbeatable six warhosts of the betentacled Bovaxx the Despoiler, Morathi's coven of Medusae summoned a gaiste-maze - a shadow labyrinth that still covers part of the Umbral Veil, a dark cloud in which those hordes presumably still wander.

Yet the Daughters of Khaine did not win every battle. As larger and more-powerful armies invaded, Morathi called the first of the Caillich Covens - the gathering of forces from all the sects. This was required to defeat Luxcious, a Keeper of Secrets so powerful that many Slaaneshi considered her a replacement for the missing Dark Prince. The daemon was defeated, but not until after the exalted fiend destroyed the Temple of Druchxar.

===Age of Sigmar===
Luxcious may well have continued her scouring search of Ulgu had Sigmar not begun his war to reclaim the Mortal Realms, drawing off many Chaos forces. The Cathtrar Dhule paused, before once more erupting anew in the bitterly fought War of the Shadowpaths.

The Daughters of Khaine win more allies during this time, for despite their brutality in battle (and occasional team-killing among their allies) they're just ''that'' good at kicking Chaos. The Stormcast, Idoneth and Sylvaneth to name a few ally with the Daughters of Khaine.

During this time, some elves start to [[Heresy|worship Morathi alongside Khaine, which causes dissent]] (an uncommon case of a heresy charge in a warhammer setting that fits the actual definition). Ironically, those who disapprove get [[Blam|quickly silenced]] by Morathi or the Medusae as [[Heresy|heretics]] (usually by a knife in the vitals or getting turned into living crystal by a Melusai).

===Soul Wars===
Prior to the Soul Wars there are increasing build-ups of death magic. Whenever there is a large gathering of Scathborn, the spirits of the dead rise up and attack them. Also, remember those mass graves full of sacrificed Chaos worshippers? Now they're fodder for armies of vengeful skeleton warriors and/or ghosts who attack the Khainites. When Nagash sent vamires and necromancers into Ulgu as a diversion tactic, they were all too happy to exploit these mass graves for armies.

The Daughters of Khaine were also called on by the forces of Order in other realms to help fight off the increasing undead attacks. Morathi herself extolled the Daughters of Khaine to greater zeal, for she remembers the taste of Nagash's pimp hand and is eager to avenge the slight.

===Broken Realms===
The Daughters of Khaine worked with Scourge privateers to get information about the Idoneth Deepkin the same way as their kin in the World-That-Was; lots of torture and mind-invading magic. From this they learn the location of a valued Deepkin artifact, the Ocarian Lantern; made by - and stolen from - Teclis, it acted as a lure for souls. Morathi sent sixty of her best soldiers to get it from its heavily guarded underwater temple; two survived, one now an Idoneth prisoner and the other returned to Morathi with the lantern.

She fused with Khaine's heart and became the goddess Morathi-Khaine. Thus Khaine as he was is gone forever, and Morathi - now Morathi-Khaine - is their goddess instead of just their High Oracle (albeit now split into two bodies, Morathi-Khaine and the Shadow Queen after [[Aenarion|her hubby's soul]] [[Rip and Tear|took exception]] to Morathi's plan while in Slaanesh).

Morathi's first action was to broker an alliance with the [[Idoneth Deepkin]], offering Volturnos the souls of his fellow Cythai elves to sweeten the deal. She then ended her alliance with Sigmar by launching a coup that brought Anvilgard under her rule and renaming it Har Kuron. The Daughters of Khaine/Morathi-Khaine now fight with a newfound zeal as they launched a <s>crusade</s> <s>jihad</s> holy war to expand Morathi's empire. When Sigmar found out, he sent a Stormcast army to re-take Har Kuron, the fighting raging until the Celestant-Prime arrived and offered to parley with Morathi. The two disappear for a night, and when they returned an agreement had been reached. Morathi was allowed to keep the city, and what she promised in return is unknown. Following her ascension, Morathi also began [[1984|slowly re-writing the Daughters' scriptures and records of history, plus remodeling their religious iconography, to put herself at the center of everything]].

Morathi subsequently led her forces in alliance with a group of Scourge Privateers to help lift the siege at Excelcius, which was close to being overrun by [[Gordrakk]] Waaagh. With her Shadowqueen form at the forefront Morathi and her army did well in pushing back the forces of destruction in the city, with her Shadowqueen form having little trouble taking out lowly Orruks. That was until she came face-to-face with [[Kragnos]] himself. The earthquake god had made common quase with Gordrakk and attack her Shadowqueen form head on. Morathi-Khaine managed to track down lord [[Kroak]] who had also arrived to defend the city and proposed that they needed to divert Kragno's from the city before he killed them all, as he was far too powerful for either of them too defeat. Just as Kragnos was preparing to finish Morathi off, they managed to lure Kragnos through a portal and led him away from the city. The destruction army subsequently dispersing after a lengthy battle.

Following the battle, Morathi was put on trail, overseen by the Celestant-Prime himself on Sigmar's behalf. She was a little annoyed Sigmar himself was not present (and the not so subtle implication that it meant dealing with her was beneath his time). Morathi was charged with treason for her coup in Anvilgard. She defended her actions as the as Anvilgard was technically never Sigmar's alone, and that the city prior to her annexation was barely staying alive to begin with and would have fallen eventually, now under her rule it will survive outside Chaos control. When the Celestant-Prime rejected this, Morathi retorted that as a god she wasn't answerable to Sigmar. At this, winged Stormcast and the Celestant-Prime took up their weapons and were about to sentence Morathi to death before Grungni entered the room. He announced his prescence by calling for clemency for Morathi before joining them.

Following this, the tentative alliance between Morathi and Sigmar was maintained, though with much more animosity than before. Morathi maintains Anvilgard for the moment, but cracks are beginning to form in her rule. Most of Anvilgard's population survived her coup, and a lot of them are Sigmar loyalists, even among the Scourge Privateers. The latter have formed resistance movements who try to undermine or completely sabotage her rule.

On top of this, her taking the mantle of Khaine has not been universally accepted by her followers. Many devout Daughters of Khaine have started to see her as a usurper trying to claim the mantle of Khaine himself (the rewriting of history might have been a giveaway). Even among her loyalists, some consider taking Anvilgard to be too costly in the long run. And then members of both groups don't approve of her alliance with the Idoneth Deepkin, who many Daughters of Khaine distrust (and the feeling's mutual), and see their soul-tithe as too extreme even for them. The amount of Khainites working against Morathi has been steadily growing. Ironically, her ascending to godhood has actually caused a greater fissure in her control than when she was mortal. And it's possible Sigmar still plans to make her answer for what she did to Anvilgard...

==Religion==
[[File:Morathi,_the_Shadow_Queen_from_DaughtersofKhaine_.jpg|300px|thumb|right|"Charge, Daughters of Khaine! For my...uh, I mean, for Khaine's glory!"]]
Unlike some other factions within Age of Sigmar, but very much like others, the Daughters of Khaine are a theocracy. There are many sects of Daughters of Khaine, each worshiping a different aspect of the aelf god of battle and bloodshed. Although the rites and rituals might differ, all the Khainites follow a strict hierarchy in their organisation. They worship Khaine and Morathi is his High Oracle, the one who discerns his will and their overall leader. Though they know about the other gods of Order, they pay no homage to them. Beneath Morathi are the High Priestesses, which include the Slaughter Queens, Hag Queens and Bloodwrack Medusae. They are the keepers of each shrine’s most sacred artefacts, and commanders of the Sisterhood of Blood. The degree of authority held by each of these figures, along with their specific title, varies between the sects, but a single word from Morathi can alter the influence of any other ranking.

Of all the warriors of the temples, the Scáthborn – the Melusai and Khinerai – are closest to Morathi herself, yet they often remain hidden from those outside the cult. The Medusae are made from Aelves converted by Morathi herself; though this is seen as an immense honor Morathi binds them with the most binding of magical oaths, but none among the Khainites would dare question her in this. This is partially due to their forms resulting from daemonic taint which would cause negative sentiment among their allies and the fact that Morathi uses them as something of a secret police. The most public-facing Khainites are the Witch Aelves and Sisters of Slaughter. Their most important shrines are the Cauldrons of Blood, gifts from Khaine himself (at least, what Morathi’s claims each time she gifts one of the great iron cauldrons to the temple of a newly founded Khainite sect). The covenites see it as a sign of their god’s favour that the cauldrons never seem to overflow, no matter how much blood is poured within them following a battle – all assume Khaine himself takes the surplus as an offering.

War covens are the most important organisations to the Daughters of Khaine, their structure laid out by Morathi herself. It is through violence that the Khainites expand their territories, defend their temples and worship their god. Weapons practice and mock duels take up the majority of their daily lives, yet these are not mere military drills, but religious ceremonies, treated with all the gravitas that others might use when reading their most holy of tomes or offering prayers to their god. From their temples in various realms, the Daughters of Khaine scour the Mortal Realms for blood sacrifices. At Morathi's edict, they also search for the shards of their god, scattered across the Realms. They do this for the glory of Khaine and to see him reborn.

[[Just As Planned|But they are nearly all of them deceived]].

Morathi claims to speak for Khaine, and she does wield his unbreakable iron heart, but none know that Morathi’s power is a lie and that Khaine is dead. While their devotions to Khaine could one day lead to his rebirth, Morathi is deliberately preventing that. The reason for this is that she is siphoning the power - either by co-opting it before it reaches the heart or pulling it from Khaine's heart - to reach godhood herself. The prayers that her daughters scream and the ritual offerings they make only serve to enhance her own power, not Khaine’s. Outside Morathi herself, only a handful of the "altered" members of the Daughters of Khaine are aware of this deception, and they, willingly or otherwise, are bound by the most binding of oaths and magic to serve Morathi and keep this secret. Also, the blood surplus poured into the Cauldron's doesn't go to Khaine. It flows back to Hagg Nar through Morathi’s magics, to the Mother of all Cauldrons, the Máthcoir, from which The High Oracle absorbs and repurposes the blood’s energies for her own nefarious gain. Which came to fruition when she used the energies and the Máthcoir in a ritual to merge with Khaine's essence to become the goddess Morathi-Khaine. However, the Máthcoir was broken by the energies of the ritual and Volturnos' actions, and Morathi has secretly been trying to repair it, but has yet to succceed.

==Society==
Their society is brutal, especially given that it's leader is [[Morathi]] and they worship [[Khaine]]. They serve Khaine with fanatical devotion, which is especially problematic considering that Khaine is the god of murder. While the Daughters of Khaine crave bloodshed and murder, they serve alongside the forces of Order – albeit tenuously. Given their tendency towards collateral damage (and rumors of kidnapping innocents and gruesome rituals), they are less respected allies and more tolerated because they're useful. Their views on the other major groups are varied. As builders of cities and civilizations, the Daughters of Khaine are at odds with the forces of Destruction. While it is said that they have an aversion to the Death faction because of a dislike for anything death-related since they nearly went extinct, it's more likely that this due to Morathi's personal grudge against Nagash for striking her and outing her true from to the rest of the pantheon. Despite their distaste for the other two, the one faction they truly hate is Chaos; they could give the Stormcast Eternals a run for their money in hating Chaos, and prosecute their crusades with particular violence against the servants of Slaanesh.

If you're wondering why Morathi is mentioned so often that's deliberate; Morathi keeps as much of a stranglehold on Khainite society as she can. It would be out-of-character for her to do anything less (she kind of a control freak). All Khainites are either warriors that serve in their religious order, or they are leathanam (see below). Temples are found only in some realms; confirmed realms are Ulgu, Azyr and Ghyran. When they are not fighting, the Witch Aelves and Sisters of Slaughter usually participate in ritualized gladiator matches or shady pit fights. They also partake of a form of bladed dancing for the entertainment of others. Despite being a theocratic society, the Daughters of Khaine don't proselytize or win converts; the adherents are themselves the result of a breeding program, choosing their partners in line with the aims and desires of their leaders.

The women outnumber the men here, but this is not the paradise [[/d/|some]] think it would be. "Where are the men? The 'Daughters' have to reproduce somehow", well... remember that leathanam class mentioned earlier? Apart from the Doomfire Warlocks, this class is made up exclusively of '''all''' the males in this faction; disregard menials, worker drones who do the non-fighting stuff that keeps society going in a literal gender-based [[Slavery|slavery]] system (we know what you're thinking. Something, something, feminist fantasy... and we know how [[SJW|certain groups]] would react if the genders were swapped).

Morathi deliberately made only a few male aelves, and then only from the weakest and most broken of souls retrieved from Slaanesh. Even male aelves a Daughter of Khaine gives birth to are literally cursed with weakness as Morathi siphons part of their souls to power the Cauldrons of Blood... and yes, Morathi instituted the rule that the males are slaves. Surprisingly, the women aren't all misandrists or female supremacists; as a society, the Daughters of Khaine respect strength above all else and a lot of the mistreatment of their own males is based on their innate weakness. But on the other hand, their males are weak because Morathi deliberately handicapped and enslaved them, so female supremacy and/or misandry is still be at work. While in theory they worship Khaine, who is male, this is superficial; all information about "Khaine's will" comes from Morathi alone, while Khaine himself is actually limited to his heart and has no say over their actions. With Morathi merging to become the goddess Morathi-Khaine, he might be gone for good.

Among the men, the Doomfire Warlocks and male Khainite Shadowstalkers are interesting cases. They're stronger due to their mastery of shadow magic, but receive limited training, and Morathi has them branded with mind-control runes ([[Grimdark|while deceiving them into thinking they're protection against Slaanesh]]). They are treated far better than other leathanam and actually join the females in battle. Despite this, they are still lower status purely because they're male, and are rarely seen by - or acknowledged to - non-Khainites. Their status is somewhere between skilled slave-soliders and auxiliary allies, with only females as true members of the Daughters of Khaine. While they hold ranks among themselves, no man may outrank a woman among the Daughters of Khaine (with possible cognitive dissonance given the god they think they worship is male).

The Daughters of Khaine also a rare example of a Warhammer society whose attitude towards sex is actually fleshed out (ironic, since Slaanesh is their greatest foe), all from the anthology novel ''Covens of Blood''. Contrary to expectations, they're mostly open about it. They can "mingle", are also fine with bisexuality, polyamory and homosexuality, marriage isn't required - in fact it's strongly implied they don't do marriage - plus rank's not an issue. There are a few caveats; sex can't interfere with their duties, males can neither proposition nor reject a female on pain of death, and if two women want the same man/men, they bargain or duel each other. Naturally, this gives females near-complete choice over who fathers their children. The women can even fuck outsiders and captives if they choose ([[Grimdark|the captives don't get a choice]]), but affection towards them or having a child with them is considered shameful (the novella also heavily imply human/elf hybrids are possible in Age of Sigmar). Plus, sex is a popular way to celebrate or spend their downtime.

The female aelves tend to dye their hair with blood and, in a throwback to Warhammer Fantasy, have rituals of rebirth keep the covenite sisters youthful in appearance and supple in body. Even among their ranks, there are some who are considered extremists; the Sisters of Slaughters' are members who graft masks of living metal to their faces with boiling blood. While the aelven members are accepted by others, the Melusae and Khinerai are not. When fighting alongside, they are concealed by a glamour so they too appear to be aelves; attempts to keep the existence of these mutated elves secret is part of the reason for their teamkilling tendencies among alliances with other Order factions. After Morathi's apotheosis, the Melusai and Khinerai have openly appeared, and are touted as proof of Morathi's divinity. With some of them even making a point to approach non-khainites or allies in Morathi controlled territory un-glamored, simply to dare them to say anything about their appearance.

However Morathi's apotheosis did not come without its own share of problems. Her open proclamation and display of godhood caused a crisis of faith among some of her subjects. Some still blindly support her see her as Khaine reborn, and a bringer of fortune for her people. However, many are also starting to wise up to the fact that she seems more interested in bringing power to herself rather than Khaine, and are beginning to whisper of her as a usurper. Some khainites have even begun actively conspiring against Morathi directly and joining resistance movements against her. This had led to conflict and could result in future consequences including a full-blown schism.

tl;dr: They're a scheming, ruthless, misandric, theocratic elven matriarchy originating from a dark realm whose ultimate leader sometimes mutates her followers to resemble her. [[Drow|Sound familiar]]? (especially since Morathi successfully became a goddess).

One interesting contrast to the [[drow]], though, is that Morathi actually does have some semblance of a reason for all this, instead of just "dominatrixes + spiders = profit". Since Morathi is a psychopath who has, in her mind, been screwed over by the men in her life multiple times - every Phoenix King, then Malekith, then Tyrion and Teclis - it makes sense she'd hold a grudge and, as part of setting herself up as a creator-goddess, she'd vent that grudge by screwing over the male population. Given that some snakes are capable of parthenogenesis (reproducing without men) and that one of the random effects of [[Ghyran]] magic is spontaneous pregnancy without a partner, it's either to Morathi's credit that she didn't drop males altogether and recreate the dark elves under her reign as asexually reproducing [[amazon]]s... or testament that Morathi's such a misandrist she gave her people a male population just to have men to torture.

==Sects==
The Daughters of Khaine are divided into Sects (previously known as Temples in past lore), in a manner similar to Stormcast Chambers or Sylvaneth Wargroves.

* '''Hagg Nar:''' Hagg Nar lies deep in the Umbral Veil, the darkest region of the Shadowlands. The first and largest of the Daughters of Khaine temples, it was built atop the Hellelux, a geyser of shadow magic that spews shrouding mists. It is home to hundreds of warcovens that are [[Drow|always at each other’s throats for the attention of Morathi, who encourages this “rivalry” as a means of weeding out the weak]].
* '''Draichi Ganeth:''' Draichi Ganeth, which translates as ‘the bladedkillers’, are the Khainite Aelves most commonly seen by other Order factions. Their main temple is found in the northern barrens of Fuarthorn in Ulgu, but their war pilgrimages and lesser shrines can be found across the realms. Every [[Cities of Sigmar|free city]] has seen or is host to a small troupe of the Draichi Ganeth, who look down upon the subterfuge and deception of their sister sects. They are known to the Freeguilds as the Executioners Cult due to their blunt and forward style of combat, as well as their penchant for decapitation.
* '''The Kraith:''' The sect known as the Kraith, also called the Crimson Cult, are true disciples of slaughter, and have earned a reputation as the least compromising of all the Daughters of Khaine. Arrogant and nomadic, they have no true temple home, instead traveling from one war to the next as they believe Khaine’s one and only temple is the blood stained battlefield.
* '''Khailebron:''' This sect has learned well the arts of concealment, stealth and obfuscation. Those who worship at the temples of Khailebron revere the assassin and the unseen killer, and strive to be masters of ambushes and sudden strikes. Where these temples are is known only to Morathi and the Khailebron themselves. Otherwise, they masquerade as wandering performers who showcase an elegant “bladed-dance” for the local populace, while their top killers secretly slit the throats of their targets (including anyone who shows too much disrespect to the dancers).
*'''Khelt Nar:''' Khelt Nar has become the fastest growing of the sects established by Morathi. It began as Ironshard, a single Khainite shrine founded by the High Oracle atop a flat-topped mountain of iron known as the Rothtor. Since then it has expanded to other Realms, including a stronghold in Ghyran, and have been tasked by the High Priestess with clearing out the rampant [[Orruk Warclans|Bonesplitterz]] that plague their territories. Khelt Nar is best known for being composed of deliciously brown dark aelves.
*'''Zainthar Kai''': This reserved sect was born in the Age of Chaos when Morathi (desperate to get a leg up on the Ruinous Powers) decided to infuse a new brood of Scáthborn with three drops of Khaine’s blood. The result is a temple of veritable demi-gods who can call upon the god of murder’s strength in haze of battle, becoming the Shadow Queen’s go-to temple for making her more despised enemies disappear. The temple is mostly led by/comprised of Scáthborn, but there are contingents of Witch Aelves who function as (disposable) work horses (also maybe getting a little taste of what they put the Lethanamn through).

==Soulbound==
In [[Age of Sigmar Roleplay]], it's established that Daughters of Khaine are selected to become Soulbound when Morathi decides that a potentially stray from the ranks of her faithful is too dangerous or too useful to just dispose of outright. Soulbound Daughters are selected from the overly ambitious, those who secretly yearned for freedom, and even those who had begun to doubt Khaine's divinity, basically serving as a way to remove potential threats to Morathi's control over the faction. Despite their origins, though, Morathi often goes out of her way to maintain a good relationship with "her" Soulbound (in fact, the Binding actually servers the magical restrains that Morathi uses to control the Daughters as a whole), because, whatever else they may be to her, they are both useful as powerful yet neutral arbiters and as ambassadors of her "good intentions" to the other powers of Order. Of course, these allegiances may well have been severed due to her actions during the [[Broken Realms Saga]].

Normal Daughters of Khaine are unsure of how to regard their Soulbound "sisters", since they are simultaneously very dangerous, but not rivals due to being forever outside the hierarchy of the temples, apparently favored by the High Oracle but yet also deeply connected to and regularly traveling alongside "outsiders" who shouldn't be privy to the secrets of Khaine's temples. They tend to default to "respectful suspicion" when interacting with Soulbound Daughters.

The ''Champions of Order'' splatbook opens the following temples for a Daughters of Khaine hero to hail from:
*'''Hagg Nar:''' The capital of Morathi's bloody empire. It is a massive temple-nation that serves as pilgrimage destination for all sisters and home to a staggering number of war-covens who wage war in the name of their bloody god. Heroes from Hagg Nar add their training in both Devotion and Reflexes when determining their defenses. Whenever they make a Death test, they also add a number of dice equal to their training in Devotion.
*'''Draichi Ganeth:''' Perhaps the best-known of the temples, though not for any good reason. They are religiously devoted to the act of killing with a single stroke, and revel in their showmanship with the blade. Tact and stealth are foul words to them and disdainful. Heroes of Draichi Ganeth kill their non-minion enemies in spectacularly gory ways with piercing or slashing weapons. Once per combat, this can take the form of improving their Defense by one step.
*'''The Kraith:''' While others house temples of worship, the daughters of this temple believe that the only altar they should have is the battlefield. They scorn any other aspect that draws attention away from murder and thus disdain any other temple. Because of the grisly nature of their battle and rituals, there are few that can even stomach their presence. Heroes from the Kraith start with a dose of the Venom of Negendra, a poison made legendary a hero of their cult. Once per turn when they kill a non-minion enemy, they regain 1 point of Mettle.
*'''Khailebron:''' Where most daughters would balk at sucking up to the other forces of order, the Khailebron serve a double life as a troupe of blade-dancers and entertainers. Their true purpose is to act as shadowy assassins and spies for Morathi. Because of this, they are rarely in the spotlight and often even scorn those who showboat. Heroes from Khailebron add their training in Entertain when making Body (Stealth) checks and when determining Melee. In addition, the Spellcasting (Grey) talent is available to all archetypes.
*'''Khelt Nar:''' The reputation of this temple has often been hotly contested. They have been besieged several times by Chaos, but have fought back these invasions. They hold the secrets to forging weapons out of special shadow-metal and jealously guard their secrets from envious foes. They seek Morathi's sole favor, but this often puts them at odds with other temples, including Hagg Nar. Heroes from Khelt Nar start play with a magical dagger made of this special shadow-metal, and those harmed by it must make a Mind (Determination) check or else be stunned.
*'''Har Kuron:''' Only available if the game's set at a point in time after Broken Realms: Morathi, and for obvious reason. After all, this was what befell Anvilgard after Morathi (now ascended to godhood) decided to steal it from the clutches of Sigmar and burned any pretense of friendship with the forces of Order. Heroes from Har Kuron can murder enemies to inspire their foes. When they slay a non-minion enemy, they can spend a point of mettle to force their allies to snap out of the charmed or frightened conditions and improve their Melee by one step until your next turn.

The Daughters of Khaine have the fewest dedicated Archetypes in the Age of Sigmar Roleplay corebook, with only the '''Hag Priestess''' and the '''Witch Aelf''' open to them. The ''Champions of Order'' splatbook opens Khainite Shadowstalker archetype.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Medusae Shrine.jpg|<s>Boobflash</s> Bloodwrack Shrine in all its glory.
File:Temples of Khaine.jpg
File:Daughters of Khaine Slaughter.jpg
File:Daughters-of-khaine-4.jpg|Dark Elves, now with 50% more [[Snek|Sneks]].
File:I might you never know.jpg
File:Drkelf.png|A typical Khelt Nar aelf.
</gallery>

{{Template:Playable Factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar}}

[[Category:Age of Sigmar]]
[[Category:Dark Elves]]

Daughters of Khaine

2021-10-11T17:10:46Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Broken Realms */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Daughters of Khaine|Logo=Daughters_of_Khaine_battletome_art.jpg|Alliance=Order|Motto=Much bloodier and less NSFW than it appears.}}
{{topquote|She could never take an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. The weak and flaccid parity would make her nearly puke. She wants an eye for a tooth, and a life for an eye.|Helen Zahavi - Dirty Weekend}}
{{topquote|Let's show the gutless pigs how the warriors of Pah-Dishah can fight! By Tarim, we'll give the devils scarlet wine to drink this dawn...|Red Sonja}}

The '''Daughters of Khaine''' are a nation of aelves (though closer to a collection of scattered religious communes than a nation) led by Morathi who combine the Khainite religion with shadow magic.

They are an army, with a few exceptions, of [[PROMOTIONS|armed aelven women and monstergirls in bikinis]]. As they worship Khaine, to them the clash of arms is the height of their religion, holy rites practiced and perfected with all the high-level skill and grace of aelf-kind. As blades flash, they shed their visage of cold and distant beauty, how they tend to be when not in battle, their ecstatic faces lighting up with each fresh kill. In contrast to even other aelves, especially the Idoneth Deepkin, many Daughters of Khaine have lived far beyond the average aelf lifespan, which is already longer than that of other races (except the males - see below).

==History==
===Age of Myth===
Being a theocracy founded by [[Morathi]] and given her character, Morathi is behind or involved in every pivotal moment of the Daughters of Khaine in history. After leaving the Great Alliance because [[Nagash]] outed her true monstrous form, Morathi sought to establish her own dwellings in Ulgu. Her son Malerion cruelly rejected her suggestion of splitting the rule of the thirteen Dominions, for he claimed of all Ulgu as his own. Morathi persisted until, as either a joke or a plot to get rid of her, Malerion granted his mother a small parcel of land in the middle of the Umbral Veil. This was the darkest and most impenetrable region in all Ulgu, so dangerous that only Malerion himself had ever returned from those cloying mists with their sanity intact. Morathi went there and exceeded her son's expectations. She bent the shadows into a protective shroud around her new land and led settlers there.

Her only followers were the aelven witch-cults that had maintained their worship of [[Khaine]]. While Morathi knew Khaine was dead, since the blood rituals no longer rejuvenated her, she supported the religion to get people to help her. To ensure their loyalty, Morathi built a temple to Khaine, naming it Hagg Nar, and over time a city grew up around it. Morathi taught them the secrets of navigating the murky currents. Hagg Nar began as a pitiful kingdom, and Morathi brooded over her mean existence.

As she sought power, she soon found a hint of Khaine's power in her dreams while scrying. Though Khaine was dead, she knew the elven gods were cyclial and could be reborn given enough power. Morathi began a secret quest that was long and difficult, but eventually brought her to the literal heart of Khaine himself. The heart was intact and throbbing with resurgent power, but it was guarded by Kharbytr, the godbeast father of Kharibdysses. Morathi suspected Kharbytr would be resistant to sorcery, and was despearte to claim the heart before anyone else could, so she used seduction instead (yes, really), but angered Kharbytr when she tried to grab the heart. The fight between them was an epic clash that lasted thirteen days and ended when Morathi constricted Kharbytr in her coils. The godbeast dealt her a lethal blow before losing consciousness, but Morathi survived by drawing energies from Khaine's heart to sustain herself.

Heading back to Hagg Nar with her prize, Morathi declared herself Khaine's High Oracle, claiming that she spoke for the god of murder and that she was his voice in this world. With that she solidified her hold over the Khainites and reshaped the society into the Daughters of Khaine. The Daughters of Khaine would often be sent out to hunt for fragments of their missing deity on Morathi's orders (unbeknownst to them, these were snipe hunts for the most part).

She continued this way for a time until Malerion arrived. He said that he and the other aelf gods had had, at last, found the lost aelf-souls from the world-that-was, and they needed her shadow magic and knowledge of Slaanesh in their grand plan. For the first and only time, Morathi spoke of the unspeakable horrors inside Slaanesh and how she'd escaped. Using this knowledge and themselves as bait, the four lured Slaanesh into a trap and started extracting elven souls from the deity.

For her role, Morathi was allowed to take souls for herself to shape into elves, who went into swelling the numbers of the Daughters of Khaine. However, some of them had been [[monstergirls|altered by their time with Slaanesh]]. There were those with [[Lamia|serpentine mutations akin to Morathi]], these became the [[Medusa|Melusae]]. Others had bat-like wings and long tails, these became the [[Harpy|Khinerai]]. Around this time Morathi reintroduced the Cauldrons of Blood and created the Mathcoir, the master cauldron, in Hagg Nar. Secretly, she made it as a repository of power only she could access. To start this, Morathi [[Drow|cursed every male born to the Daughters of Khaine to have part of their soul siphoned away and stored in the Mathcoir]].

Unbeknownst to her erstwhile allies, Morathi had added her own deceptive magics to the undertaking, so that the soul division was skewed slightly out of the agreed proportions, with extra spirits siphoned to Hagg Nar. This subterfuge was subtle, but slowly, inevitably, [[Not as Planned|altered the eldritch balance that kept the Dark Prince perfectly imprisoned between Hysh and Ulgu]].

===Age of Chaos===
As Chaos invaded the Mortal Realms, the Daughters of Khaine marched out from Hagg Nar to ambush them, using shadowshifting magics to reach Realmgates to travel anywhere the forces of Order needed them. Although Morathi and her followers weren't liked, beggars could not be choosers and they were one of the few allies the Sigmarites had during this time. To keep the more mutated members of her coven secret, the spellcasters and priestesses of the Khainites used shadow glamors to make them look like ordinary elves (how this worked when the Khinerai were flying is anybody's guess).

The Daughters of Khaine were bold and fearless in battle - willing to cross blades with any enemy, no matter how numerous or monstrous. Despite heroics by Khainite forces at many battles, the forces of Order were on the backfoot, the final retreat happening after Nagash betrayed Sigmar at the Battle of Burning Skies.

As the Chaos invasions set about their task of destroying and enslaving entire civilisations, the Shadowlands of Ulgu suffered the least after Azyr. Khorne, Nurgle and Tzeentch all devoted the greater portion of their forces to different realms, the minions that were sent into Ulgu boasted none of the most fearful greater daemon commanders and Malerion himself sent Archaon packing with his tail between his legs. This gave the Daughters of Khaine plenty of time to prey on the Chaos forces that made it to their realm; reavers of Khorne, magic-seeking conclaves of Tzeentch or followers of Slaanesh tracking calls from their god that only they could sense. They reaped a large harvest of Chaos minions, leaving mass graves from all the sacrifices (this would come back to haunt them - pun intended - in the Soul Wars, see below).

But Morathi's trickery with the soul extraction came back to bite her. Taking too many souls caused Slaanesh's prison to drift towards Ulgu and weaken it. This enabled Slaanesh's most faithful servants catch the scent of their missing god/dess. More and more Slaaneshi armies penetrated the Shadowlands searching for their lost god. So began what the aelves of Ulgu named the Cathtrar Dhule - the War of Shadows.

For the major battles of the War of Shadows, Morathi led the Daughters of Khaine from the front. She cast down the Keeper of Secrets Glittus and his Legion of Excess, and the whip-handed Krulla Sha'vhr and her Flayerhost. Battle was not her only recourse, however, for against the unbeatable six warhosts of the betentacled Bovaxx the Despoiler, Morathi's coven of Medusae summoned a gaiste-maze - a shadow labyrinth that still covers part of the Umbral Veil, a dark cloud in which those hordes presumably still wander.

Yet the Daughters of Khaine did not win every battle. As larger and more-powerful armies invaded, Morathi called the first of the Caillich Covens - the gathering of forces from all the sects. This was required to defeat Luxcious, a Keeper of Secrets so powerful that many Slaaneshi considered her a replacement for the missing Dark Prince. The daemon was defeated, but not until after the exalted fiend destroyed the Temple of Druchxar.

===Age of Sigmar===
Luxcious may well have continued her scouring search of Ulgu had Sigmar not begun his war to reclaim the Mortal Realms, drawing off many Chaos forces. The Cathtrar Dhule paused, before once more erupting anew in the bitterly fought War of the Shadowpaths.

The Daughters of Khaine win more allies during this time, for despite their brutality in battle (and occasional team-killing among their allies) they're just ''that'' good at kicking Chaos. The Stormcast, Idoneth and Sylvaneth to name a few ally with the Daughters of Khaine.

During this time, some elves start to [[Heresy|worship Morathi alongside Khaine, which causes dissent]] (an uncommon case of a heresy charge in a warhammer setting that fits the actual definition). Ironically, those who disapprove get [[Blam|quickly silenced]] by Morathi or the Medusae as [[Heresy|heretics]] (usually by a knife in the vitals or getting turned into living crystal by a Melusai).

===Soul Wars===
Prior to the Soul Wars there are increasing build-ups of death magic. Whenever there is a large gathering of Scathborn, the spirits of the dead rise up and attack them. Also, remember those mass graves full of sacrificed Chaos worshippers? Now they're fodder for armies of vengeful skeleton warriors and/or ghosts who attack the Khainites. When Nagash sent vamires and necromancers into Ulgu as a diversion tactic, they were all too happy to exploit these mass graves for armies.

The Daughters of Khaine were also called on by the forces of Order in other realms to help fight off the increasing undead attacks. Morathi herself extolled the Daughters of Khaine to greater zeal, for she remembers the taste of Nagash's pimp hand and is eager to avenge the slight.

===Broken Realms===
The Daughters of Khaine worked with Scourge privateers to get information about the Idoneth Deepkin the same way as their kin in the World-That-Was; lots of torture and mind-invading magic. From this they learn the location of a valued Deepkin artifact, the Ocarian Lantern; made by - and stolen from - Teclis, it acted as a lure for souls. Morathi sent sixty of her best soldiers to get it from its heavily guarded underwater temple; two survived, one now an Idoneth prisoner and the other returned to Morathi with the lantern.

She fused with Khaine's heart and became the goddess Morathi-Khaine. Thus Khaine as he was is gone forever, and Morathi - now Morathi-Khaine - is their goddess instead of just their High Oracle (albeit now split into two bodies, Morathi-Khaine and the Shadow Queen after [[Aenarion|her hubby's soul]] [[Rip and Tear|took exception]] to Morathi's plan while in Slaanesh).

Morathi's first action was to broker an alliance with the [[Idoneth Deepkin]], offering Volturnos the souls of his fellow Cythai elves to sweeten the deal. She then ended her alliance with Sigmar by launching a coup that brought Anvilgard under her rule and renaming it Har Kuron. The Daughters of Khaine/Morathi-Khaine now fight with a newfound zeal as they launched a <s>crusade</s> <s>jihad</s> holy war to expand Morathi's empire. When Sigmar found out, he sent a Stormcast army to re-take Har Kuron, the fighting raging until the Celestant-Prime arrived and offered to parley with Morathi. The two disappear for a night, and when they returned an agreement had been reached. Morathi was allowed to keep the city, and what she promised in return is unknown. Following her ascension, Morathi also began [[1984|slowly re-writing the Daughters' scriptures and records of history, plus remodeling their religious iconography, to put herself at the center of everything]].

Morathi subsequently led her forces in alliance with a group of Scourge Privateers to help lift the siege at Excelcius, which was close to being overrun by [[Gordrakk]] Waaagh. With her Shadowqueen form at the forefront Morathi and her army did well in pushing back the forces of destruction in the city, with her Shadowqueen form having little trouble taking out lowly Orruks. That was until she came face-to-face with [[Kragnos]] himself. The earthquake god had made common quase with Gordrakk and attack her Shadowqueen form head on. Morathi-Khaine managed to track down lord [[Kroak]] who had also arrived to defend the city and proposed that they needed to divert Kragno's from the city before he killed them all, as he was far too powerful for either of them too defeat. Just as Kragnos was preparing to finish Morathi off, they managed to lure Kragnos through a portal and led him away from the city. The destruction army subsequently dispersing after a lengthy battle.

Following the battle, Morathi was put on trail, overseen by the Celestant-Prime himself on Sigmar's behalf. She was a little annoyed Sigmar himself was not present (and the not so subtle implication that it meant dealing with her was beneath his time). Morathi was charged with treason for her coup in Anvilgard. She defended her actions as the as Anvilgard was technically never Sigmar's alone, and that the city prior to her annexation was barely staying alive to begin with and would have fallen eventually, now under her rule it will survive outside Chaos control. When the Celestant-Prime rejected this, Morathi retorted that as a god she wasn't answerable to Sigmar. At this, winged Stormcast and the Celestant-Prime took up their weapons and were about to sentence Morathi to death before Grungni entered the room. He announced his prescence by calling for clemency for Morathi before joining them.

Following this, the tentative alliance between Morathi and Sigmar was maintained, though with much more animosity than before. Morathi maintains Anvilgard for the moment, but cracks are beginning to form in her rule. Most of Anvilgard's population survived her coup, and a lot of them are Sigmar loyalists, even among the Scourge Privateers. The latter have formed resistance movements who try to undermine or completely sabotage her rule.

On top of this, her taking the mantle of Khaine has not been universally accepted by her followers. Many devout Daughters of Khaine have started to see her as a usurper trying to claim the mantle of Khaine himself (the rewriting of history might have been a giveaway). Even among her loyalists, some consider taking of Anvilgard to be too costly in the long run. And then members of both groups don't approve of her alliance with the Idoneth Deepkin, who many Daughters of Khaine distrust (and the feeling's mutual), and see their soul-tithe as too extreme even for them. The amount of Khainites working against Morathi has been steadily growing. Ironically, her ascending to godhood has actually caused a greater fissure in her control than when she was mortal. And it's possible Sigmar still plans to make her answer for what she did to Anvilgard...

==Religion==
[[File:Morathi,_the_Shadow_Queen_from_DaughtersofKhaine_.jpg|300px|thumb|right|"Charge, Daughters of Khaine! For my...uh, I mean, for Khaine's glory!"]]
Unlike some other factions within Age of Sigmar, but very much like others, the Daughters of Khaine are a theocracy. There are many sects of Daughters of Khaine, each worshiping a different aspect of the aelf god of battle and bloodshed. Although the rites and rituals might differ, all the Khainites follow a strict hierarchy in their organisation. They worship Khaine and Morathi is his High Oracle, the one who discerns his will and their overall leader. Though they know about the other gods of Order, they pay no homage to them. Beneath Morathi are the High Priestesses, which include the Slaughter Queens, Hag Queens and Bloodwrack Medusae. They are the keepers of each shrine’s most sacred artefacts, and commanders of the Sisterhood of Blood. The degree of authority held by each of these figures, along with their specific title, varies between the sects, but a single word from Morathi can alter the influence of any other ranking.

Of all the warriors of the temples, the Scáthborn – the Melusai and Khinerai – are closest to Morathi herself, yet they often remain hidden from those outside the cult. The Medusae are made from Aelves converted by Morathi herself; though this is seen as an immense honor Morathi binds them with the most binding of magical oaths, but none among the Khainites would dare question her in this. This is partially due to their forms resulting from daemonic taint which would cause negative sentiment among their allies and the fact that Morathi uses them as something of a secret police. The most public-facing Khainites are the Witch Aelves and Sisters of Slaughter. Their most important shrines are the Cauldrons of Blood, gifts from Khaine himself (at least, what Morathi’s claims each time she gifts one of the great iron cauldrons to the temple of a newly founded Khainite sect). The covenites see it as a sign of their god’s favour that the cauldrons never seem to overflow, no matter how much blood is poured within them following a battle – all assume Khaine himself takes the surplus as an offering.

War covens are the most important organisations to the Daughters of Khaine, their structure laid out by Morathi herself. It is through violence that the Khainites expand their territories, defend their temples and worship their god. Weapons practice and mock duels take up the majority of their daily lives, yet these are not mere military drills, but religious ceremonies, treated with all the gravitas that others might use when reading their most holy of tomes or offering prayers to their god. From their temples in various realms, the Daughters of Khaine scour the Mortal Realms for blood sacrifices. At Morathi's edict, they also search for the shards of their god, scattered across the Realms. They do this for the glory of Khaine and to see him reborn.

[[Just As Planned|But they are nearly all of them deceived]].

Morathi claims to speak for Khaine, and she does wield his unbreakable iron heart, but none know that Morathi’s power is a lie and that Khaine is dead. While their devotions to Khaine could one day lead to his rebirth, Morathi is deliberately preventing that. The reason for this is that she is siphoning the power - either by co-opting it before it reaches the heart or pulling it from Khaine's heart - to reach godhood herself. The prayers that her daughters scream and the ritual offerings they make only serve to enhance her own power, not Khaine’s. Outside Morathi herself, only a handful of the "altered" members of the Daughters of Khaine are aware of this deception, and they, willingly or otherwise, are bound by the most binding of oaths and magic to serve Morathi and keep this secret. Also, the blood surplus poured into the Cauldron's doesn't go to Khaine. It flows back to Hagg Nar through Morathi’s magics, to the Mother of all Cauldrons, the Máthcoir, from which The High Oracle absorbs and repurposes the blood’s energies for her own nefarious gain. Which came to fruition when she used the energies and the Máthcoir in a ritual to merge with Khaine's essence to become the goddess Morathi-Khaine. However, the Máthcoir was broken by the energies of the ritual and Volturnos' actions, and Morathi has secretly been trying to repair it, but has yet to succceed.

==Society==
Their society is brutal, especially given that it's leader is [[Morathi]] and they worship [[Khaine]]. They serve Khaine with fanatical devotion, which is especially problematic considering that Khaine is the god of murder. While the Daughters of Khaine crave bloodshed and murder, they serve alongside the forces of Order – albeit tenuously. Given their tendency towards collateral damage (and rumors of kidnapping innocents and gruesome rituals), they are less respected allies and more tolerated because they're useful. Their views on the other major groups are varied. As builders of cities and civilizations, the Daughters of Khaine are at odds with the forces of Destruction. While it is said that they have an aversion to the Death faction because of a dislike for anything death-related since they nearly went extinct, it's more likely that this due to Morathi's personal grudge against Nagash for striking her and outing her true from to the rest of the pantheon. Despite their distaste for the other two, the one faction they truly hate is Chaos; they could give the Stormcast Eternals a run for their money in hating Chaos, and prosecute their crusades with particular violence against the servants of Slaanesh.

If you're wondering why Morathi is mentioned so often that's deliberate; Morathi keeps as much of a stranglehold on Khainite society as she can. It would be out-of-character for her to do anything less (she kind of a control freak). All Khainites are either warriors that serve in their religious order, or they are leathanam (see below). Temples are found only in some realms; confirmed realms are Ulgu, Azyr and Ghyran. When they are not fighting, the Witch Aelves and Sisters of Slaughter usually participate in ritualized gladiator matches or shady pit fights. They also partake of a form of bladed dancing for the entertainment of others. Despite being a theocratic society, the Daughters of Khaine don't proselytize or win converts; the adherents are themselves the result of a breeding program, choosing their partners in line with the aims and desires of their leaders.

The women outnumber the men here, but this is not the paradise [[/d/|some]] think it would be. "Where are the men? The 'Daughters' have to reproduce somehow", well... remember that leathanam class mentioned earlier? Apart from the Doomfire Warlocks, this class is made up exclusively of '''all''' the males in this faction; disregard menials, worker drones who do the non-fighting stuff that keeps society going in a literal gender-based [[Slavery|slavery]] system (we know what you're thinking. Something, something, feminist fantasy... and we know how [[SJW|certain groups]] would react if the genders were swapped).

Morathi deliberately made only a few male aelves, and then only from the weakest and most broken of souls retrieved from Slaanesh. Even male aelves a Daughter of Khaine gives birth to are literally cursed with weakness as Morathi siphons part of their souls to power the Cauldrons of Blood... and yes, Morathi instituted the rule that the males are slaves. Surprisingly, the women aren't all misandrists or female supremacists; as a society, the Daughters of Khaine respect strength above all else and a lot of the mistreatment of their own males is based on their innate weakness. But on the other hand, their males are weak because Morathi deliberately handicapped and enslaved them, so female supremacy and/or misandry is still be at work. While in theory they worship Khaine, who is male, this is superficial; all information about "Khaine's will" comes from Morathi alone, while Khaine himself is actually limited to his heart and has no say over their actions. With Morathi merging to become the goddess Morathi-Khaine, he might be gone for good.

Among the men, the Doomfire Warlocks and male Khainite Shadowstalkers are interesting cases. They're stronger due to their mastery of shadow magic, but receive limited training, and Morathi has them branded with mind-control runes ([[Grimdark|while deceiving them into thinking they're protection against Slaanesh]]). They are treated far better than other leathanam and actually join the females in battle. Despite this, they are still lower status purely because they're male, and are rarely seen by - or acknowledged to - non-Khainites. Their status is somewhere between skilled slave-soliders and auxiliary allies, with only females as true members of the Daughters of Khaine. While they hold ranks among themselves, no man may outrank a woman among the Daughters of Khaine (with possible cognitive dissonance given the god they think they worship is male).

The Daughters of Khaine also a rare example of a Warhammer society whose attitude towards sex is actually fleshed out (ironic, since Slaanesh is their greatest foe), all from the anthology novel ''Covens of Blood''. Contrary to expectations, they're mostly open about it. They can "mingle", are also fine with bisexuality, polyamory and homosexuality, marriage isn't required - in fact it's strongly implied they don't do marriage - plus rank's not an issue. There are a few caveats; sex can't interfere with their duties, males can neither proposition nor reject a female on pain of death, and if two women want the same man/men, they bargain or duel each other. Naturally, this gives females near-complete choice over who fathers their children. The women can even fuck outsiders and captives if they choose ([[Grimdark|the captives don't get a choice]]), but affection towards them or having a child with them is considered shameful (the novella also heavily imply human/elf hybrids are possible in Age of Sigmar). Plus, sex is a popular way to celebrate or spend their downtime.

The female aelves tend to dye their hair with blood and, in a throwback to Warhammer Fantasy, have rituals of rebirth keep the covenite sisters youthful in appearance and supple in body. Even among their ranks, there are some who are considered extremists; the Sisters of Slaughters' are members who graft masks of living metal to their faces with boiling blood. While the aelven members are accepted by others, the Melusae and Khinerai are not. When fighting alongside, they are concealed by a glamour so they too appear to be aelves; attempts to keep the existence of these mutated elves secret is part of the reason for their teamkilling tendencies among alliances with other Order factions. After Morathi's apotheosis, the Melusai and Khinerai have openly appeared, and are touted as proof of Morathi's divinity. With some of them even making a point to approach non-khainites or allies in Morathi controlled territory un-glamored, simply to dare them to say anything about their appearance.

However Morathi's apotheosis did not come without its own share of problems. Her open proclamation and display of godhood caused a crisis of faith among some of her subjects. Some still blindly support her see her as Khaine reborn, and a bringer of fortune for her people. However, many are also starting to wise up to the fact that she seems more interested in bringing power to herself rather than Khaine, and are beginning to whisper of her as a usurper. Some khainites have even begun actively conspiring against Morathi directly and joining resistance movements against her. This had led to conflict and could result in future consequences including a full-blown schism.

tl;dr: They're a scheming, ruthless, misandric, theocratic elven matriarchy originating from a dark realm whose ultimate leader sometimes mutates her followers to resemble her. [[Drow|Sound familiar]]? (especially since Morathi successfully became a goddess).

One interesting contrast to the [[drow]], though, is that Morathi actually does have some semblance of a reason for all this, instead of just "dominatrixes + spiders = profit". Since Morathi is a psychopath who has, in her mind, been screwed over by the men in her life multiple times - every Phoenix King, then Malekith, then Tyrion and Teclis - it makes sense she'd hold a grudge and, as part of setting herself up as a creator-goddess, she'd vent that grudge by screwing over the male population. Given that some snakes are capable of parthenogenesis (reproducing without men) and that one of the random effects of [[Ghyran]] magic is spontaneous pregnancy without a partner, it's either to Morathi's credit that she didn't drop males altogether and recreate the dark elves under her reign as asexually reproducing [[amazon]]s... or testament that Morathi's such a misandrist she gave her people a male population just to have men to torture.

==Sects==
The Daughters of Khaine are divided into Sects (previously known as Temples in past lore), in a manner similar to Stormcast Chambers or Sylvaneth Wargroves.

* '''Hagg Nar:''' Hagg Nar lies deep in the Umbral Veil, the darkest region of the Shadowlands. The first and largest of the Daughters of Khaine temples, it was built atop the Hellelux, a geyser of shadow magic that spews shrouding mists. It is home to hundreds of warcovens that are [[Drow|always at each other’s throats for the attention of Morathi, who encourages this “rivalry” as a means of weeding out the weak]].
* '''Draichi Ganeth:''' Draichi Ganeth, which translates as ‘the bladedkillers’, are the Khainite Aelves most commonly seen by other Order factions. Their main temple is found in the northern barrens of Fuarthorn in Ulgu, but their war pilgrimages and lesser shrines can be found across the realms. Every [[Cities of Sigmar|free city]] has seen or is host to a small troupe of the Draichi Ganeth, who look down upon the subterfuge and deception of their sister sects. They are known to the Freeguilds as the Executioners Cult due to their blunt and forward style of combat, as well as their penchant for decapitation.
* '''The Kraith:''' The sect known as the Kraith, also called the Crimson Cult, are true disciples of slaughter, and have earned a reputation as the least compromising of all the Daughters of Khaine. Arrogant and nomadic, they have no true temple home, instead traveling from one war to the next as they believe Khaine’s one and only temple is the blood stained battlefield.
* '''Khailebron:''' This sect has learned well the arts of concealment, stealth and obfuscation. Those who worship at the temples of Khailebron revere the assassin and the unseen killer, and strive to be masters of ambushes and sudden strikes. Where these temples are is known only to Morathi and the Khailebron themselves. Otherwise, they masquerade as wandering performers who showcase an elegant “bladed-dance” for the local populace, while their top killers secretly slit the throats of their targets (including anyone who shows too much disrespect to the dancers).
*'''Khelt Nar:''' Khelt Nar has become the fastest growing of the sects established by Morathi. It began as Ironshard, a single Khainite shrine founded by the High Oracle atop a flat-topped mountain of iron known as the Rothtor. Since then it has expanded to other Realms, including a stronghold in Ghyran, and have been tasked by the High Priestess with clearing out the rampant [[Orruk Warclans|Bonesplitterz]] that plague their territories. Khelt Nar is best known for being composed of deliciously brown dark aelves.
*'''Zainthar Kai''': This reserved sect was born in the Age of Chaos when Morathi (desperate to get a leg up on the Ruinous Powers) decided to infuse a new brood of Scáthborn with three drops of Khaine’s blood. The result is a temple of veritable demi-gods who can call upon the god of murder’s strength in haze of battle, becoming the Shadow Queen’s go-to temple for making her more despised enemies disappear. The temple is mostly led by/comprised of Scáthborn, but there are contingents of Witch Aelves who function as (disposable) work horses (also maybe getting a little taste of what they put the Lethanamn through).

==Soulbound==
In [[Age of Sigmar Roleplay]], it's established that Daughters of Khaine are selected to become Soulbound when Morathi decides that a potentially stray from the ranks of her faithful is too dangerous or too useful to just dispose of outright. Soulbound Daughters are selected from the overly ambitious, those who secretly yearned for freedom, and even those who had begun to doubt Khaine's divinity, basically serving as a way to remove potential threats to Morathi's control over the faction. Despite their origins, though, Morathi often goes out of her way to maintain a good relationship with "her" Soulbound (in fact, the Binding actually servers the magical restrains that Morathi uses to control the Daughters as a whole), because, whatever else they may be to her, they are both useful as powerful yet neutral arbiters and as ambassadors of her "good intentions" to the other powers of Order. Of course, these allegiances may well have been severed due to her actions during the [[Broken Realms Saga]].

Normal Daughters of Khaine are unsure of how to regard their Soulbound "sisters", since they are simultaneously very dangerous, but not rivals due to being forever outside the hierarchy of the temples, apparently favored by the High Oracle but yet also deeply connected to and regularly traveling alongside "outsiders" who shouldn't be privy to the secrets of Khaine's temples. They tend to default to "respectful suspicion" when interacting with Soulbound Daughters.

The ''Champions of Order'' splatbook opens the following temples for a Daughters of Khaine hero to hail from:
*'''Hagg Nar:''' The capital of Morathi's bloody empire. It is a massive temple-nation that serves as pilgrimage destination for all sisters and home to a staggering number of war-covens who wage war in the name of their bloody god. Heroes from Hagg Nar add their training in both Devotion and Reflexes when determining their defenses. Whenever they make a Death test, they also add a number of dice equal to their training in Devotion.
*'''Draichi Ganeth:''' Perhaps the best-known of the temples, though not for any good reason. They are religiously devoted to the act of killing with a single stroke, and revel in their showmanship with the blade. Tact and stealth are foul words to them and disdainful. Heroes of Draichi Ganeth kill their non-minion enemies in spectacularly gory ways with piercing or slashing weapons. Once per combat, this can take the form of improving their Defense by one step.
*'''The Kraith:''' While others house temples of worship, the daughters of this temple believe that the only altar they should have is the battlefield. They scorn any other aspect that draws attention away from murder and thus disdain any other temple. Because of the grisly nature of their battle and rituals, there are few that can even stomach their presence. Heroes from the Kraith start with a dose of the Venom of Negendra, a poison made legendary a hero of their cult. Once per turn when they kill a non-minion enemy, they regain 1 point of Mettle.
*'''Khailebron:''' Where most daughters would balk at sucking up to the other forces of order, the Khailebron serve a double life as a troupe of blade-dancers and entertainers. Their true purpose is to act as shadowy assassins and spies for Morathi. Because of this, they are rarely in the spotlight and often even scorn those who showboat. Heroes from Khailebron add their training in Entertain when making Body (Stealth) checks and when determining Melee. In addition, the Spellcasting (Grey) talent is available to all archetypes.
*'''Khelt Nar:''' The reputation of this temple has often been hotly contested. They have been besieged several times by Chaos, but have fought back these invasions. They hold the secrets to forging weapons out of special shadow-metal and jealously guard their secrets from envious foes. They seek Morathi's sole favor, but this often puts them at odds with other temples, including Hagg Nar. Heroes from Khelt Nar start play with a magical dagger made of this special shadow-metal, and those harmed by it must make a Mind (Determination) check or else be stunned.
*'''Har Kuron:''' Only available if the game's set at a point in time after Broken Realms: Morathi, and for obvious reason. After all, this was what befell Anvilgard after Morathi (now ascended to godhood) decided to steal it from the clutches of Sigmar and burned any pretense of friendship with the forces of Order. Heroes from Har Kuron can murder enemies to inspire their foes. When they slay a non-minion enemy, they can spend a point of mettle to force their allies to snap out of the charmed or frightened conditions and improve their Melee by one step until your next turn.

The Daughters of Khaine have the fewest dedicated Archetypes in the Age of Sigmar Roleplay corebook, with only the '''Hag Priestess''' and the '''Witch Aelf''' open to them. The ''Champions of Order'' splatbook opens Khainite Shadowstalker archetype.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Medusae Shrine.jpg|<s>Boobflash</s> Bloodwrack Shrine in all its glory.
File:Temples of Khaine.jpg
File:Daughters of Khaine Slaughter.jpg
File:Daughters-of-khaine-4.jpg|Dark Elves, now with 50% more [[Snek|Sneks]].
File:I might you never know.jpg
File:Drkelf.png|A typical Khelt Nar aelf.
</gallery>

{{Template:Playable Factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar}}

[[Category:Age of Sigmar]]
[[Category:Dark Elves]]

Daughters of Khaine

2021-10-11T17:09:33Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Broken Realms */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Daughters of Khaine|Logo=Daughters_of_Khaine_battletome_art.jpg|Alliance=Order|Motto=Much bloodier and less NSFW than it appears.}}
{{topquote|She could never take an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. The weak and flaccid parity would make her nearly puke. She wants an eye for a tooth, and a life for an eye.|Helen Zahavi - Dirty Weekend}}
{{topquote|Let's show the gutless pigs how the warriors of Pah-Dishah can fight! By Tarim, we'll give the devils scarlet wine to drink this dawn...|Red Sonja}}

The '''Daughters of Khaine''' are a nation of aelves (though closer to a collection of scattered religious communes than a nation) led by Morathi who combine the Khainite religion with shadow magic.

They are an army, with a few exceptions, of [[PROMOTIONS|armed aelven women and monstergirls in bikinis]]. As they worship Khaine, to them the clash of arms is the height of their religion, holy rites practiced and perfected with all the high-level skill and grace of aelf-kind. As blades flash, they shed their visage of cold and distant beauty, how they tend to be when not in battle, their ecstatic faces lighting up with each fresh kill. In contrast to even other aelves, especially the Idoneth Deepkin, many Daughters of Khaine have lived far beyond the average aelf lifespan, which is already longer than that of other races (except the males - see below).

==History==
===Age of Myth===
Being a theocracy founded by [[Morathi]] and given her character, Morathi is behind or involved in every pivotal moment of the Daughters of Khaine in history. After leaving the Great Alliance because [[Nagash]] outed her true monstrous form, Morathi sought to establish her own dwellings in Ulgu. Her son Malerion cruelly rejected her suggestion of splitting the rule of the thirteen Dominions, for he claimed of all Ulgu as his own. Morathi persisted until, as either a joke or a plot to get rid of her, Malerion granted his mother a small parcel of land in the middle of the Umbral Veil. This was the darkest and most impenetrable region in all Ulgu, so dangerous that only Malerion himself had ever returned from those cloying mists with their sanity intact. Morathi went there and exceeded her son's expectations. She bent the shadows into a protective shroud around her new land and led settlers there.

Her only followers were the aelven witch-cults that had maintained their worship of [[Khaine]]. While Morathi knew Khaine was dead, since the blood rituals no longer rejuvenated her, she supported the religion to get people to help her. To ensure their loyalty, Morathi built a temple to Khaine, naming it Hagg Nar, and over time a city grew up around it. Morathi taught them the secrets of navigating the murky currents. Hagg Nar began as a pitiful kingdom, and Morathi brooded over her mean existence.

As she sought power, she soon found a hint of Khaine's power in her dreams while scrying. Though Khaine was dead, she knew the elven gods were cyclial and could be reborn given enough power. Morathi began a secret quest that was long and difficult, but eventually brought her to the literal heart of Khaine himself. The heart was intact and throbbing with resurgent power, but it was guarded by Kharbytr, the godbeast father of Kharibdysses. Morathi suspected Kharbytr would be resistant to sorcery, and was despearte to claim the heart before anyone else could, so she used seduction instead (yes, really), but angered Kharbytr when she tried to grab the heart. The fight between them was an epic clash that lasted thirteen days and ended when Morathi constricted Kharbytr in her coils. The godbeast dealt her a lethal blow before losing consciousness, but Morathi survived by drawing energies from Khaine's heart to sustain herself.

Heading back to Hagg Nar with her prize, Morathi declared herself Khaine's High Oracle, claiming that she spoke for the god of murder and that she was his voice in this world. With that she solidified her hold over the Khainites and reshaped the society into the Daughters of Khaine. The Daughters of Khaine would often be sent out to hunt for fragments of their missing deity on Morathi's orders (unbeknownst to them, these were snipe hunts for the most part).

She continued this way for a time until Malerion arrived. He said that he and the other aelf gods had had, at last, found the lost aelf-souls from the world-that-was, and they needed her shadow magic and knowledge of Slaanesh in their grand plan. For the first and only time, Morathi spoke of the unspeakable horrors inside Slaanesh and how she'd escaped. Using this knowledge and themselves as bait, the four lured Slaanesh into a trap and started extracting elven souls from the deity.

For her role, Morathi was allowed to take souls for herself to shape into elves, who went into swelling the numbers of the Daughters of Khaine. However, some of them had been [[monstergirls|altered by their time with Slaanesh]]. There were those with [[Lamia|serpentine mutations akin to Morathi]], these became the [[Medusa|Melusae]]. Others had bat-like wings and long tails, these became the [[Harpy|Khinerai]]. Around this time Morathi reintroduced the Cauldrons of Blood and created the Mathcoir, the master cauldron, in Hagg Nar. Secretly, she made it as a repository of power only she could access. To start this, Morathi [[Drow|cursed every male born to the Daughters of Khaine to have part of their soul siphoned away and stored in the Mathcoir]].

Unbeknownst to her erstwhile allies, Morathi had added her own deceptive magics to the undertaking, so that the soul division was skewed slightly out of the agreed proportions, with extra spirits siphoned to Hagg Nar. This subterfuge was subtle, but slowly, inevitably, [[Not as Planned|altered the eldritch balance that kept the Dark Prince perfectly imprisoned between Hysh and Ulgu]].

===Age of Chaos===
As Chaos invaded the Mortal Realms, the Daughters of Khaine marched out from Hagg Nar to ambush them, using shadowshifting magics to reach Realmgates to travel anywhere the forces of Order needed them. Although Morathi and her followers weren't liked, beggars could not be choosers and they were one of the few allies the Sigmarites had during this time. To keep the more mutated members of her coven secret, the spellcasters and priestesses of the Khainites used shadow glamors to make them look like ordinary elves (how this worked when the Khinerai were flying is anybody's guess).

The Daughters of Khaine were bold and fearless in battle - willing to cross blades with any enemy, no matter how numerous or monstrous. Despite heroics by Khainite forces at many battles, the forces of Order were on the backfoot, the final retreat happening after Nagash betrayed Sigmar at the Battle of Burning Skies.

As the Chaos invasions set about their task of destroying and enslaving entire civilisations, the Shadowlands of Ulgu suffered the least after Azyr. Khorne, Nurgle and Tzeentch all devoted the greater portion of their forces to different realms, the minions that were sent into Ulgu boasted none of the most fearful greater daemon commanders and Malerion himself sent Archaon packing with his tail between his legs. This gave the Daughters of Khaine plenty of time to prey on the Chaos forces that made it to their realm; reavers of Khorne, magic-seeking conclaves of Tzeentch or followers of Slaanesh tracking calls from their god that only they could sense. They reaped a large harvest of Chaos minions, leaving mass graves from all the sacrifices (this would come back to haunt them - pun intended - in the Soul Wars, see below).

But Morathi's trickery with the soul extraction came back to bite her. Taking too many souls caused Slaanesh's prison to drift towards Ulgu and weaken it. This enabled Slaanesh's most faithful servants catch the scent of their missing god/dess. More and more Slaaneshi armies penetrated the Shadowlands searching for their lost god. So began what the aelves of Ulgu named the Cathtrar Dhule - the War of Shadows.

For the major battles of the War of Shadows, Morathi led the Daughters of Khaine from the front. She cast down the Keeper of Secrets Glittus and his Legion of Excess, and the whip-handed Krulla Sha'vhr and her Flayerhost. Battle was not her only recourse, however, for against the unbeatable six warhosts of the betentacled Bovaxx the Despoiler, Morathi's coven of Medusae summoned a gaiste-maze - a shadow labyrinth that still covers part of the Umbral Veil, a dark cloud in which those hordes presumably still wander.

Yet the Daughters of Khaine did not win every battle. As larger and more-powerful armies invaded, Morathi called the first of the Caillich Covens - the gathering of forces from all the sects. This was required to defeat Luxcious, a Keeper of Secrets so powerful that many Slaaneshi considered her a replacement for the missing Dark Prince. The daemon was defeated, but not until after the exalted fiend destroyed the Temple of Druchxar.

===Age of Sigmar===
Luxcious may well have continued her scouring search of Ulgu had Sigmar not begun his war to reclaim the Mortal Realms, drawing off many Chaos forces. The Cathtrar Dhule paused, before once more erupting anew in the bitterly fought War of the Shadowpaths.

The Daughters of Khaine win more allies during this time, for despite their brutality in battle (and occasional team-killing among their allies) they're just ''that'' good at kicking Chaos. The Stormcast, Idoneth and Sylvaneth to name a few ally with the Daughters of Khaine.

During this time, some elves start to [[Heresy|worship Morathi alongside Khaine, which causes dissent]] (an uncommon case of a heresy charge in a warhammer setting that fits the actual definition). Ironically, those who disapprove get [[Blam|quickly silenced]] by Morathi or the Medusae as [[Heresy|heretics]] (usually by a knife in the vitals or getting turned into living crystal by a Melusai).

===Soul Wars===
Prior to the Soul Wars there are increasing build-ups of death magic. Whenever there is a large gathering of Scathborn, the spirits of the dead rise up and attack them. Also, remember those mass graves full of sacrificed Chaos worshippers? Now they're fodder for armies of vengeful skeleton warriors and/or ghosts who attack the Khainites. When Nagash sent vamires and necromancers into Ulgu as a diversion tactic, they were all too happy to exploit these mass graves for armies.

The Daughters of Khaine were also called on by the forces of Order in other realms to help fight off the increasing undead attacks. Morathi herself extolled the Daughters of Khaine to greater zeal, for she remembers the taste of Nagash's pimp hand and is eager to avenge the slight.

===Broken Realms===
The Daughters of Khaine worked with Scourge privateers to get information about the Idoneth Deepkin the same way as their kin in the World-That-Was; lots of torture and mind-invading magic. From this they learn the location of a valued Deepkin artifact, the Ocarian Lantern; made by - and stolen from - Teclis, it acted as a lure for souls. Morathi sent sixty of her best soldiers to get it from its heavily guarded underwater temple; two survived, one now an Idoneth prisoner and the other returned to Morathi with the lantern.

She fused with Khaine's heart and became the goddess Morathi-Khaine. Thus Khaine as he was is gone forever, and Morathi - now Morathi-Khaine - is their goddess instead of just their High Oracle (albeit now split into two bodies, Morathi-Khaine and the Shadow Queen after [[Aenarion|her hubby's soul]] [[Rip and Tear|took exception]] to Morathi's plan while in Slaanesh).

Morathi's first action was to broker an alliance with the [[Idoneth Deepkin]], offering Volturnos the souls of his fellow Cythai elves to sweeten the deal. She then ended her alliance with Sigmar by launching a coup that brought Anvilgard under her rule and renaming it Har Kuron. The Daughters of Khaine/Morathi-Khaine now fight with a newfound zeal as they launched a <s>crusade</s> <s>jihad</s> holy war to expand Morathi's empire. When Sigmar found out, he sent a Stormcast army to re-take Har Kuron, the fighting raging until the Celestant-Prime arrived and offered to parley with Morathi. The two disappear for a night, and when they returned an agreement had been reached. Morathi was allowed to keep the city, and what she promised in return is unknown. Morathi's also [[1984|slowly re-writing the Daughters' scriptures and records of history to put herself at the center of everything]].

Morathi subsequently led her forces in alliance with a group of Scourge Privateers to help lift the siege at Excelcius, which was close to being overrun by [[Gordrakk]] Waaagh. With her Shadowqueen form at the forefront Morathi and her army did well in pushing back the forces of destruction in the city, with her Shadowqueen form having little trouble taking out lowly Orruks. That was until she came face-to-face with [[Kragnos]] himself. The earthquake god had made common quase with Gordrakk and attack her Shadowqueen form head on. Morathi-Khaine managed to track down lord [[Kroak]] who had also arrived to defend the city and proposed that they needed to divert Kragno's from the city before he killed them all, as he was far too powerful for either of them too defeat. Just as Kragnos was preparing to finish Morathi off, they managed to lure Kragnos through a portal and led him away from the city. The destruction army subsequently dispersing after a lengthy battle.

Following the battle, Morathi was put on trail, overseen by the Celestant-Prime himself on Sigmar's behalf. She was a little annoyed Sigmar himself was not present (and the not so subtle implication that it meant dealing with her was beneath his time). Morathi was charged with treason for her coup in Anvilgard. She defended her actions as the as Anvilgard was technically never Sigmar's alone, and that the city prior to her annexation was barely staying alive to begin with and would have fallen eventually, now under her rule it will survive outside Chaos control. When the Celestant-Prime rejected this, Morathi retorted that as a god she wasn't answerable to Sigmar. At this, winged Stormcast and the Celestant-Prime took up their weapons and were about to sentence Morathi to death before Grungni entered the room. He announced his prescence by calling for clemency for Morathi before joining them.

Following this, the tentative alliance between Morathi and Sigmar was maintained, though with much more animosity than before. Morathi maintains Anvilgard for the moment, but cracks are beginning to form in her rule. Most of Anvilgard's population survived her coup, and a lot of them are Sigmar loyalists, even among the Scourge Privateers. The latter have formed resistance movements who try to undermine or completely sabotage her rule.

On top of this, her taking the mantle of Khaine has not been universally accepted by her followers. Many devout Daughters of Khaine have started to see her as a usurper trying to claim the mantle of Khaine himself (the rewriting of history might have been a giveaway). Even among her loyalists, some consider taking of Anvilgard to be too costly in the long run. And then members of both groups don't approve of her alliance with the Idoneth Deepkin, who many Daughters of Khaine distrust (and the feeling's mutual), and see their soul-tithe as too extreme even for them. The amount of Khainites working against Morathi has been steadily growing. Ironically, her ascending to godhood has actually caused a greater fissure in her control than when she was mortal. And it's possible Sigmar still plans to make her answer for what she did to Anvilgard...

==Religion==
[[File:Morathi,_the_Shadow_Queen_from_DaughtersofKhaine_.jpg|300px|thumb|right|"Charge, Daughters of Khaine! For my...uh, I mean, for Khaine's glory!"]]
Unlike some other factions within Age of Sigmar, but very much like others, the Daughters of Khaine are a theocracy. There are many sects of Daughters of Khaine, each worshiping a different aspect of the aelf god of battle and bloodshed. Although the rites and rituals might differ, all the Khainites follow a strict hierarchy in their organisation. They worship Khaine and Morathi is his High Oracle, the one who discerns his will and their overall leader. Though they know about the other gods of Order, they pay no homage to them. Beneath Morathi are the High Priestesses, which include the Slaughter Queens, Hag Queens and Bloodwrack Medusae. They are the keepers of each shrine’s most sacred artefacts, and commanders of the Sisterhood of Blood. The degree of authority held by each of these figures, along with their specific title, varies between the sects, but a single word from Morathi can alter the influence of any other ranking.

Of all the warriors of the temples, the Scáthborn – the Melusai and Khinerai – are closest to Morathi herself, yet they often remain hidden from those outside the cult. The Medusae are made from Aelves converted by Morathi herself; though this is seen as an immense honor Morathi binds them with the most binding of magical oaths, but none among the Khainites would dare question her in this. This is partially due to their forms resulting from daemonic taint which would cause negative sentiment among their allies and the fact that Morathi uses them as something of a secret police. The most public-facing Khainites are the Witch Aelves and Sisters of Slaughter. Their most important shrines are the Cauldrons of Blood, gifts from Khaine himself (at least, what Morathi’s claims each time she gifts one of the great iron cauldrons to the temple of a newly founded Khainite sect). The covenites see it as a sign of their god’s favour that the cauldrons never seem to overflow, no matter how much blood is poured within them following a battle – all assume Khaine himself takes the surplus as an offering.

War covens are the most important organisations to the Daughters of Khaine, their structure laid out by Morathi herself. It is through violence that the Khainites expand their territories, defend their temples and worship their god. Weapons practice and mock duels take up the majority of their daily lives, yet these are not mere military drills, but religious ceremonies, treated with all the gravitas that others might use when reading their most holy of tomes or offering prayers to their god. From their temples in various realms, the Daughters of Khaine scour the Mortal Realms for blood sacrifices. At Morathi's edict, they also search for the shards of their god, scattered across the Realms. They do this for the glory of Khaine and to see him reborn.

[[Just As Planned|But they are nearly all of them deceived]].

Morathi claims to speak for Khaine, and she does wield his unbreakable iron heart, but none know that Morathi’s power is a lie and that Khaine is dead. While their devotions to Khaine could one day lead to his rebirth, Morathi is deliberately preventing that. The reason for this is that she is siphoning the power - either by co-opting it before it reaches the heart or pulling it from Khaine's heart - to reach godhood herself. The prayers that her daughters scream and the ritual offerings they make only serve to enhance her own power, not Khaine’s. Outside Morathi herself, only a handful of the "altered" members of the Daughters of Khaine are aware of this deception, and they, willingly or otherwise, are bound by the most binding of oaths and magic to serve Morathi and keep this secret. Also, the blood surplus poured into the Cauldron's doesn't go to Khaine. It flows back to Hagg Nar through Morathi’s magics, to the Mother of all Cauldrons, the Máthcoir, from which The High Oracle absorbs and repurposes the blood’s energies for her own nefarious gain. Which came to fruition when she used the energies and the Máthcoir in a ritual to merge with Khaine's essence to become the goddess Morathi-Khaine. However, the Máthcoir was broken by the energies of the ritual and Volturnos' actions, and Morathi has secretly been trying to repair it, but has yet to succceed.

==Society==
Their society is brutal, especially given that it's leader is [[Morathi]] and they worship [[Khaine]]. They serve Khaine with fanatical devotion, which is especially problematic considering that Khaine is the god of murder. While the Daughters of Khaine crave bloodshed and murder, they serve alongside the forces of Order – albeit tenuously. Given their tendency towards collateral damage (and rumors of kidnapping innocents and gruesome rituals), they are less respected allies and more tolerated because they're useful. Their views on the other major groups are varied. As builders of cities and civilizations, the Daughters of Khaine are at odds with the forces of Destruction. While it is said that they have an aversion to the Death faction because of a dislike for anything death-related since they nearly went extinct, it's more likely that this due to Morathi's personal grudge against Nagash for striking her and outing her true from to the rest of the pantheon. Despite their distaste for the other two, the one faction they truly hate is Chaos; they could give the Stormcast Eternals a run for their money in hating Chaos, and prosecute their crusades with particular violence against the servants of Slaanesh.

If you're wondering why Morathi is mentioned so often that's deliberate; Morathi keeps as much of a stranglehold on Khainite society as she can. It would be out-of-character for her to do anything less (she kind of a control freak). All Khainites are either warriors that serve in their religious order, or they are leathanam (see below). Temples are found only in some realms; confirmed realms are Ulgu, Azyr and Ghyran. When they are not fighting, the Witch Aelves and Sisters of Slaughter usually participate in ritualized gladiator matches or shady pit fights. They also partake of a form of bladed dancing for the entertainment of others. Despite being a theocratic society, the Daughters of Khaine don't proselytize or win converts; the adherents are themselves the result of a breeding program, choosing their partners in line with the aims and desires of their leaders.

The women outnumber the men here, but this is not the paradise [[/d/|some]] think it would be. "Where are the men? The 'Daughters' have to reproduce somehow", well... remember that leathanam class mentioned earlier? Apart from the Doomfire Warlocks, this class is made up exclusively of '''all''' the males in this faction; disregard menials, worker drones who do the non-fighting stuff that keeps society going in a literal gender-based [[Slavery|slavery]] system (we know what you're thinking. Something, something, feminist fantasy... and we know how [[SJW|certain groups]] would react if the genders were swapped).

Morathi deliberately made only a few male aelves, and then only from the weakest and most broken of souls retrieved from Slaanesh. Even male aelves a Daughter of Khaine gives birth to are literally cursed with weakness as Morathi siphons part of their souls to power the Cauldrons of Blood... and yes, Morathi instituted the rule that the males are slaves. Surprisingly, the women aren't all misandrists or female supremacists; as a society, the Daughters of Khaine respect strength above all else and a lot of the mistreatment of their own males is based on their innate weakness. But on the other hand, their males are weak because Morathi deliberately handicapped and enslaved them, so female supremacy and/or misandry is still be at work. While in theory they worship Khaine, who is male, this is superficial; all information about "Khaine's will" comes from Morathi alone, while Khaine himself is actually limited to his heart and has no say over their actions. With Morathi merging to become the goddess Morathi-Khaine, he might be gone for good.

Among the men, the Doomfire Warlocks and male Khainite Shadowstalkers are interesting cases. They're stronger due to their mastery of shadow magic, but receive limited training, and Morathi has them branded with mind-control runes ([[Grimdark|while deceiving them into thinking they're protection against Slaanesh]]). They are treated far better than other leathanam and actually join the females in battle. Despite this, they are still lower status purely because they're male, and are rarely seen by - or acknowledged to - non-Khainites. Their status is somewhere between skilled slave-soliders and auxiliary allies, with only females as true members of the Daughters of Khaine. While they hold ranks among themselves, no man may outrank a woman among the Daughters of Khaine (with possible cognitive dissonance given the god they think they worship is male).

The Daughters of Khaine also a rare example of a Warhammer society whose attitude towards sex is actually fleshed out (ironic, since Slaanesh is their greatest foe), all from the anthology novel ''Covens of Blood''. Contrary to expectations, they're mostly open about it. They can "mingle", are also fine with bisexuality, polyamory and homosexuality, marriage isn't required - in fact it's strongly implied they don't do marriage - plus rank's not an issue. There are a few caveats; sex can't interfere with their duties, males can neither proposition nor reject a female on pain of death, and if two women want the same man/men, they bargain or duel each other. Naturally, this gives females near-complete choice over who fathers their children. The women can even fuck outsiders and captives if they choose ([[Grimdark|the captives don't get a choice]]), but affection towards them or having a child with them is considered shameful (the novella also heavily imply human/elf hybrids are possible in Age of Sigmar). Plus, sex is a popular way to celebrate or spend their downtime.

The female aelves tend to dye their hair with blood and, in a throwback to Warhammer Fantasy, have rituals of rebirth keep the covenite sisters youthful in appearance and supple in body. Even among their ranks, there are some who are considered extremists; the Sisters of Slaughters' are members who graft masks of living metal to their faces with boiling blood. While the aelven members are accepted by others, the Melusae and Khinerai are not. When fighting alongside, they are concealed by a glamour so they too appear to be aelves; attempts to keep the existence of these mutated elves secret is part of the reason for their teamkilling tendencies among alliances with other Order factions. After Morathi's apotheosis, the Melusai and Khinerai have openly appeared, and are touted as proof of Morathi's divinity. With some of them even making a point to approach non-khainites or allies in Morathi controlled territory un-glamored, simply to dare them to say anything about their appearance.

However Morathi's apotheosis did not come without its own share of problems. Her open proclamation and display of godhood caused a crisis of faith among some of her subjects. Some still blindly support her see her as Khaine reborn, and a bringer of fortune for her people. However, many are also starting to wise up to the fact that she seems more interested in bringing power to herself rather than Khaine, and are beginning to whisper of her as a usurper. Some khainites have even begun actively conspiring against Morathi directly and joining resistance movements against her. This had led to conflict and could result in future consequences including a full-blown schism.

tl;dr: They're a scheming, ruthless, misandric, theocratic elven matriarchy originating from a dark realm whose ultimate leader sometimes mutates her followers to resemble her. [[Drow|Sound familiar]]? (especially since Morathi successfully became a goddess).

One interesting contrast to the [[drow]], though, is that Morathi actually does have some semblance of a reason for all this, instead of just "dominatrixes + spiders = profit". Since Morathi is a psychopath who has, in her mind, been screwed over by the men in her life multiple times - every Phoenix King, then Malekith, then Tyrion and Teclis - it makes sense she'd hold a grudge and, as part of setting herself up as a creator-goddess, she'd vent that grudge by screwing over the male population. Given that some snakes are capable of parthenogenesis (reproducing without men) and that one of the random effects of [[Ghyran]] magic is spontaneous pregnancy without a partner, it's either to Morathi's credit that she didn't drop males altogether and recreate the dark elves under her reign as asexually reproducing [[amazon]]s... or testament that Morathi's such a misandrist she gave her people a male population just to have men to torture.

==Sects==
The Daughters of Khaine are divided into Sects (previously known as Temples in past lore), in a manner similar to Stormcast Chambers or Sylvaneth Wargroves.

* '''Hagg Nar:''' Hagg Nar lies deep in the Umbral Veil, the darkest region of the Shadowlands. The first and largest of the Daughters of Khaine temples, it was built atop the Hellelux, a geyser of shadow magic that spews shrouding mists. It is home to hundreds of warcovens that are [[Drow|always at each other’s throats for the attention of Morathi, who encourages this “rivalry” as a means of weeding out the weak]].
* '''Draichi Ganeth:''' Draichi Ganeth, which translates as ‘the bladedkillers’, are the Khainite Aelves most commonly seen by other Order factions. Their main temple is found in the northern barrens of Fuarthorn in Ulgu, but their war pilgrimages and lesser shrines can be found across the realms. Every [[Cities of Sigmar|free city]] has seen or is host to a small troupe of the Draichi Ganeth, who look down upon the subterfuge and deception of their sister sects. They are known to the Freeguilds as the Executioners Cult due to their blunt and forward style of combat, as well as their penchant for decapitation.
* '''The Kraith:''' The sect known as the Kraith, also called the Crimson Cult, are true disciples of slaughter, and have earned a reputation as the least compromising of all the Daughters of Khaine. Arrogant and nomadic, they have no true temple home, instead traveling from one war to the next as they believe Khaine’s one and only temple is the blood stained battlefield.
* '''Khailebron:''' This sect has learned well the arts of concealment, stealth and obfuscation. Those who worship at the temples of Khailebron revere the assassin and the unseen killer, and strive to be masters of ambushes and sudden strikes. Where these temples are is known only to Morathi and the Khailebron themselves. Otherwise, they masquerade as wandering performers who showcase an elegant “bladed-dance” for the local populace, while their top killers secretly slit the throats of their targets (including anyone who shows too much disrespect to the dancers).
*'''Khelt Nar:''' Khelt Nar has become the fastest growing of the sects established by Morathi. It began as Ironshard, a single Khainite shrine founded by the High Oracle atop a flat-topped mountain of iron known as the Rothtor. Since then it has expanded to other Realms, including a stronghold in Ghyran, and have been tasked by the High Priestess with clearing out the rampant [[Orruk Warclans|Bonesplitterz]] that plague their territories. Khelt Nar is best known for being composed of deliciously brown dark aelves.
*'''Zainthar Kai''': This reserved sect was born in the Age of Chaos when Morathi (desperate to get a leg up on the Ruinous Powers) decided to infuse a new brood of Scáthborn with three drops of Khaine’s blood. The result is a temple of veritable demi-gods who can call upon the god of murder’s strength in haze of battle, becoming the Shadow Queen’s go-to temple for making her more despised enemies disappear. The temple is mostly led by/comprised of Scáthborn, but there are contingents of Witch Aelves who function as (disposable) work horses (also maybe getting a little taste of what they put the Lethanamn through).

==Soulbound==
In [[Age of Sigmar Roleplay]], it's established that Daughters of Khaine are selected to become Soulbound when Morathi decides that a potentially stray from the ranks of her faithful is too dangerous or too useful to just dispose of outright. Soulbound Daughters are selected from the overly ambitious, those who secretly yearned for freedom, and even those who had begun to doubt Khaine's divinity, basically serving as a way to remove potential threats to Morathi's control over the faction. Despite their origins, though, Morathi often goes out of her way to maintain a good relationship with "her" Soulbound (in fact, the Binding actually servers the magical restrains that Morathi uses to control the Daughters as a whole), because, whatever else they may be to her, they are both useful as powerful yet neutral arbiters and as ambassadors of her "good intentions" to the other powers of Order. Of course, these allegiances may well have been severed due to her actions during the [[Broken Realms Saga]].

Normal Daughters of Khaine are unsure of how to regard their Soulbound "sisters", since they are simultaneously very dangerous, but not rivals due to being forever outside the hierarchy of the temples, apparently favored by the High Oracle but yet also deeply connected to and regularly traveling alongside "outsiders" who shouldn't be privy to the secrets of Khaine's temples. They tend to default to "respectful suspicion" when interacting with Soulbound Daughters.

The ''Champions of Order'' splatbook opens the following temples for a Daughters of Khaine hero to hail from:
*'''Hagg Nar:''' The capital of Morathi's bloody empire. It is a massive temple-nation that serves as pilgrimage destination for all sisters and home to a staggering number of war-covens who wage war in the name of their bloody god. Heroes from Hagg Nar add their training in both Devotion and Reflexes when determining their defenses. Whenever they make a Death test, they also add a number of dice equal to their training in Devotion.
*'''Draichi Ganeth:''' Perhaps the best-known of the temples, though not for any good reason. They are religiously devoted to the act of killing with a single stroke, and revel in their showmanship with the blade. Tact and stealth are foul words to them and disdainful. Heroes of Draichi Ganeth kill their non-minion enemies in spectacularly gory ways with piercing or slashing weapons. Once per combat, this can take the form of improving their Defense by one step.
*'''The Kraith:''' While others house temples of worship, the daughters of this temple believe that the only altar they should have is the battlefield. They scorn any other aspect that draws attention away from murder and thus disdain any other temple. Because of the grisly nature of their battle and rituals, there are few that can even stomach their presence. Heroes from the Kraith start with a dose of the Venom of Negendra, a poison made legendary a hero of their cult. Once per turn when they kill a non-minion enemy, they regain 1 point of Mettle.
*'''Khailebron:''' Where most daughters would balk at sucking up to the other forces of order, the Khailebron serve a double life as a troupe of blade-dancers and entertainers. Their true purpose is to act as shadowy assassins and spies for Morathi. Because of this, they are rarely in the spotlight and often even scorn those who showboat. Heroes from Khailebron add their training in Entertain when making Body (Stealth) checks and when determining Melee. In addition, the Spellcasting (Grey) talent is available to all archetypes.
*'''Khelt Nar:''' The reputation of this temple has often been hotly contested. They have been besieged several times by Chaos, but have fought back these invasions. They hold the secrets to forging weapons out of special shadow-metal and jealously guard their secrets from envious foes. They seek Morathi's sole favor, but this often puts them at odds with other temples, including Hagg Nar. Heroes from Khelt Nar start play with a magical dagger made of this special shadow-metal, and those harmed by it must make a Mind (Determination) check or else be stunned.
*'''Har Kuron:''' Only available if the game's set at a point in time after Broken Realms: Morathi, and for obvious reason. After all, this was what befell Anvilgard after Morathi (now ascended to godhood) decided to steal it from the clutches of Sigmar and burned any pretense of friendship with the forces of Order. Heroes from Har Kuron can murder enemies to inspire their foes. When they slay a non-minion enemy, they can spend a point of mettle to force their allies to snap out of the charmed or frightened conditions and improve their Melee by one step until your next turn.

The Daughters of Khaine have the fewest dedicated Archetypes in the Age of Sigmar Roleplay corebook, with only the '''Hag Priestess''' and the '''Witch Aelf''' open to them. The ''Champions of Order'' splatbook opens Khainite Shadowstalker archetype.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Medusae Shrine.jpg|<s>Boobflash</s> Bloodwrack Shrine in all its glory.
File:Temples of Khaine.jpg
File:Daughters of Khaine Slaughter.jpg
File:Daughters-of-khaine-4.jpg|Dark Elves, now with 50% more [[Snek|Sneks]].
File:I might you never know.jpg
File:Drkelf.png|A typical Khelt Nar aelf.
</gallery>

{{Template:Playable Factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar}}

[[Category:Age of Sigmar]]
[[Category:Dark Elves]]

Daughters of Khaine

2021-10-11T16:57:57Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Society */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Daughters of Khaine|Logo=Daughters_of_Khaine_battletome_art.jpg|Alliance=Order|Motto=Much bloodier and less NSFW than it appears.}}
{{topquote|She could never take an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. The weak and flaccid parity would make her nearly puke. She wants an eye for a tooth, and a life for an eye.|Helen Zahavi - Dirty Weekend}}
{{topquote|Let's show the gutless pigs how the warriors of Pah-Dishah can fight! By Tarim, we'll give the devils scarlet wine to drink this dawn...|Red Sonja}}

The '''Daughters of Khaine''' are a nation of aelves (though closer to a collection of scattered religious communes than a nation) led by Morathi who combine the Khainite religion with shadow magic.

They are an army, with a few exceptions, of [[PROMOTIONS|armed aelven women and monstergirls in bikinis]]. As they worship Khaine, to them the clash of arms is the height of their religion, holy rites practiced and perfected with all the high-level skill and grace of aelf-kind. As blades flash, they shed their visage of cold and distant beauty, how they tend to be when not in battle, their ecstatic faces lighting up with each fresh kill. In contrast to even other aelves, especially the Idoneth Deepkin, many Daughters of Khaine have lived far beyond the average aelf lifespan, which is already longer than that of other races (except the males - see below).

==History==
===Age of Myth===
Being a theocracy founded by [[Morathi]] and given her character, Morathi is behind or involved in every pivotal moment of the Daughters of Khaine in history. After leaving the Great Alliance because [[Nagash]] outed her true monstrous form, Morathi sought to establish her own dwellings in Ulgu. Her son Malerion cruelly rejected her suggestion of splitting the rule of the thirteen Dominions, for he claimed of all Ulgu as his own. Morathi persisted until, as either a joke or a plot to get rid of her, Malerion granted his mother a small parcel of land in the middle of the Umbral Veil. This was the darkest and most impenetrable region in all Ulgu, so dangerous that only Malerion himself had ever returned from those cloying mists with their sanity intact. Morathi went there and exceeded her son's expectations. She bent the shadows into a protective shroud around her new land and led settlers there.

Her only followers were the aelven witch-cults that had maintained their worship of [[Khaine]]. While Morathi knew Khaine was dead, since the blood rituals no longer rejuvenated her, she supported the religion to get people to help her. To ensure their loyalty, Morathi built a temple to Khaine, naming it Hagg Nar, and over time a city grew up around it. Morathi taught them the secrets of navigating the murky currents. Hagg Nar began as a pitiful kingdom, and Morathi brooded over her mean existence.

As she sought power, she soon found a hint of Khaine's power in her dreams while scrying. Though Khaine was dead, she knew the elven gods were cyclial and could be reborn given enough power. Morathi began a secret quest that was long and difficult, but eventually brought her to the literal heart of Khaine himself. The heart was intact and throbbing with resurgent power, but it was guarded by Kharbytr, the godbeast father of Kharibdysses. Morathi suspected Kharbytr would be resistant to sorcery, and was despearte to claim the heart before anyone else could, so she used seduction instead (yes, really), but angered Kharbytr when she tried to grab the heart. The fight between them was an epic clash that lasted thirteen days and ended when Morathi constricted Kharbytr in her coils. The godbeast dealt her a lethal blow before losing consciousness, but Morathi survived by drawing energies from Khaine's heart to sustain herself.

Heading back to Hagg Nar with her prize, Morathi declared herself Khaine's High Oracle, claiming that she spoke for the god of murder and that she was his voice in this world. With that she solidified her hold over the Khainites and reshaped the society into the Daughters of Khaine. The Daughters of Khaine would often be sent out to hunt for fragments of their missing deity on Morathi's orders (unbeknownst to them, these were snipe hunts for the most part).

She continued this way for a time until Malerion arrived. He said that he and the other aelf gods had had, at last, found the lost aelf-souls from the world-that-was, and they needed her shadow magic and knowledge of Slaanesh in their grand plan. For the first and only time, Morathi spoke of the unspeakable horrors inside Slaanesh and how she'd escaped. Using this knowledge and themselves as bait, the four lured Slaanesh into a trap and started extracting elven souls from the deity.

For her role, Morathi was allowed to take souls for herself to shape into elves, who went into swelling the numbers of the Daughters of Khaine. However, some of them had been [[monstergirls|altered by their time with Slaanesh]]. There were those with [[Lamia|serpentine mutations akin to Morathi]], these became the [[Medusa|Melusae]]. Others had bat-like wings and long tails, these became the [[Harpy|Khinerai]]. Around this time Morathi reintroduced the Cauldrons of Blood and created the Mathcoir, the master cauldron, in Hagg Nar. Secretly, she made it as a repository of power only she could access. To start this, Morathi [[Drow|cursed every male born to the Daughters of Khaine to have part of their soul siphoned away and stored in the Mathcoir]].

Unbeknownst to her erstwhile allies, Morathi had added her own deceptive magics to the undertaking, so that the soul division was skewed slightly out of the agreed proportions, with extra spirits siphoned to Hagg Nar. This subterfuge was subtle, but slowly, inevitably, [[Not as Planned|altered the eldritch balance that kept the Dark Prince perfectly imprisoned between Hysh and Ulgu]].

===Age of Chaos===
As Chaos invaded the Mortal Realms, the Daughters of Khaine marched out from Hagg Nar to ambush them, using shadowshifting magics to reach Realmgates to travel anywhere the forces of Order needed them. Although Morathi and her followers weren't liked, beggars could not be choosers and they were one of the few allies the Sigmarites had during this time. To keep the more mutated members of her coven secret, the spellcasters and priestesses of the Khainites used shadow glamors to make them look like ordinary elves (how this worked when the Khinerai were flying is anybody's guess).

The Daughters of Khaine were bold and fearless in battle - willing to cross blades with any enemy, no matter how numerous or monstrous. Despite heroics by Khainite forces at many battles, the forces of Order were on the backfoot, the final retreat happening after Nagash betrayed Sigmar at the Battle of Burning Skies.

As the Chaos invasions set about their task of destroying and enslaving entire civilisations, the Shadowlands of Ulgu suffered the least after Azyr. Khorne, Nurgle and Tzeentch all devoted the greater portion of their forces to different realms, the minions that were sent into Ulgu boasted none of the most fearful greater daemon commanders and Malerion himself sent Archaon packing with his tail between his legs. This gave the Daughters of Khaine plenty of time to prey on the Chaos forces that made it to their realm; reavers of Khorne, magic-seeking conclaves of Tzeentch or followers of Slaanesh tracking calls from their god that only they could sense. They reaped a large harvest of Chaos minions, leaving mass graves from all the sacrifices (this would come back to haunt them - pun intended - in the Soul Wars, see below).

But Morathi's trickery with the soul extraction came back to bite her. Taking too many souls caused Slaanesh's prison to drift towards Ulgu and weaken it. This enabled Slaanesh's most faithful servants catch the scent of their missing god/dess. More and more Slaaneshi armies penetrated the Shadowlands searching for their lost god. So began what the aelves of Ulgu named the Cathtrar Dhule - the War of Shadows.

For the major battles of the War of Shadows, Morathi led the Daughters of Khaine from the front. She cast down the Keeper of Secrets Glittus and his Legion of Excess, and the whip-handed Krulla Sha'vhr and her Flayerhost. Battle was not her only recourse, however, for against the unbeatable six warhosts of the betentacled Bovaxx the Despoiler, Morathi's coven of Medusae summoned a gaiste-maze - a shadow labyrinth that still covers part of the Umbral Veil, a dark cloud in which those hordes presumably still wander.

Yet the Daughters of Khaine did not win every battle. As larger and more-powerful armies invaded, Morathi called the first of the Caillich Covens - the gathering of forces from all the sects. This was required to defeat Luxcious, a Keeper of Secrets so powerful that many Slaaneshi considered her a replacement for the missing Dark Prince. The daemon was defeated, but not until after the exalted fiend destroyed the Temple of Druchxar.

===Age of Sigmar===
Luxcious may well have continued her scouring search of Ulgu had Sigmar not begun his war to reclaim the Mortal Realms, drawing off many Chaos forces. The Cathtrar Dhule paused, before once more erupting anew in the bitterly fought War of the Shadowpaths.

The Daughters of Khaine win more allies during this time, for despite their brutality in battle (and occasional team-killing among their allies) they're just ''that'' good at kicking Chaos. The Stormcast, Idoneth and Sylvaneth to name a few ally with the Daughters of Khaine.

During this time, some elves start to [[Heresy|worship Morathi alongside Khaine, which causes dissent]] (an uncommon case of a heresy charge in a warhammer setting that fits the actual definition). Ironically, those who disapprove get [[Blam|quickly silenced]] by Morathi or the Medusae as [[Heresy|heretics]] (usually by a knife in the vitals or getting turned into living crystal by a Melusai).

===Soul Wars===
Prior to the Soul Wars there are increasing build-ups of death magic. Whenever there is a large gathering of Scathborn, the spirits of the dead rise up and attack them. Also, remember those mass graves full of sacrificed Chaos worshippers? Now they're fodder for armies of vengeful skeleton warriors and/or ghosts who attack the Khainites. When Nagash sent vamires and necromancers into Ulgu as a diversion tactic, they were all too happy to exploit these mass graves for armies.

The Daughters of Khaine were also called on by the forces of Order in other realms to help fight off the increasing undead attacks. Morathi herself extolled the Daughters of Khaine to greater zeal, for she remembers the taste of Nagash's pimp hand and is eager to avenge the slight.

===Broken Realms===
The Daughters of Khaine worked with Scourge privateers to get information about the Idoneth Deepkin the same way as their kin in the World-That-Was; lots of torture and mind-invading magic. From this they learn the location of a valued Deepkin artifact, the Ocarian Lantern; made by - and stolen from - Teclis, it acted as a lure for souls. Morathi sent sixty of her best soldiers to get it from its heavily guarded underwater temple; two survived, one now an Idoneth prisoner and the other returned to Morathi with the lantern.

She fused with Khaine's heart and became the goddess Morathi-Khaine. Thus Khaine as he was is gone forever, and Morathi - now Morathi-Khaine - is their goddess instead of just their High Oracle (albeit now split into two bodies, Morathi-Khaine and the Shadow Queen after [[Aenarion|her hubby's soul]] [[Rip and Tear|took exception]] to Morathi's plan while in Slaanesh).

Morathi's first action was to broker an alliance with the [[Idoneth Deepkin]], offering Volturnos the souls of his fellow Cythai elves to sweeten the deal. She then ended her alliance with Sigmar by launching a coup that brought Anvilgard under her rule and renaming it Har Kuron. The Daughters of Khaine/Morathi-Khaine now fight with a newfound zeal as they launched a <s>crusade</s> <s>jihad</s> holy war to expand Morathi's empire. When Sigmar found out, he sent a Stormcast army to re-take Har Kuron, the fighting raging until the Celestant-Prime arrived and offered to parley with Morathi. The two disappear for a night, and when they returned an agreement had been reached. Morathi was allowed to keep the city, and what she promised in return is unknown. Morathi's also [[1984|slowly re-writing the Daughters' scriptures and records of history to put herself at the center of everything]].

Morathi subsequently led her forces in alliance with a group of Scourge Privateers to help lift the siege at Excelcius, which was close to being overrun by [[Gordrakk]] Waaagh. With her Shadowqueen form at the forefront Morathi and her army did well in pushing back the forces of destruction in the city, with her Shadowqueen form having little trouble taking out lowly Orruks. That was until she came face-to-face with [[Kragnos]] himself. The earthquake god had made common quase with Gordrakk and attack her Shadowqueen form head on. Morathi-Khaine managed to track down lord [[Kroak]] who had also arrived to defend the city and proposed that they needed to divert Kragno's from the city before he killed them all, as he was far too powerful for either of them too defeat. Just as Kragnos was preparing to finish Morathi off, they managed to lure Kragnos through a portal and led him away from the city. The destruction army subsequently dispersing after a lengthy battle.

Following the battle Morathi came before the grand conclave of the city. Being overseen by the Celestant-Prime himself. She was a little annoyed Sigmar himself was not present (and the not so subtle implication that it meant dealing with her was beneath his time). The council while acknowledging her help in defending the city, still needed to answer to her annexation of Anvilgard. She defended her actions as the as Anvilgard was technically never Sigmar's alone, and that the city prior to her annexation was barely staying alive to begin with and would have fallen eventually, now under her rule it will survive outside Chaos control. The Celestant-Prime however was having none of it and declared her a traitor. Though she retorted that as a God she was never under Sigmar's authority and can do as she wants. At this winged Stormcast ambushed the meeting, and the Celestant-Prime took up Ghal-Maraz and was about to engage a surprised Morathi when suddenly Grungi entered the meeting. He addressed the stunned meeting and called for clemency for Morathi before joining the meeting.

Following this the tentative alliance between Morathi and Sigmar was maintained, though with much more animosity than before. Morathi maintains Anvilgard for the moment however though achieving godhood cracks are beginning to form in her rule. With Anvilgard now her new base she now has to deal with ruling over many not strictly khainite factions, some of whom don't particularly like her. Leading to resistance movements and sabotage to be rampant in her territory due to Sigmarite Loyalists and even some former Scourge Privateer allies, in addition her taking the mantle of Khaine has not been universally accepted by her followers. With many devout Daughters of Khaine beginning to see her as a usurper, trying to claim the mantle of Khaine himself. While others simply have problems with her supposed short-sighted taking of Anvilgard and how it could have far greater consequences down the line than any benefit it could bring (and given its still a mostly destoyed port-city with a fraction of its original population they may be right), in addition to allying with the Idoneth Deepkin. Who many Daughters of Khaine openly do not trust, and see their soul-tithe as too extreme (even for them). Consequently this has led to more than few khainites even going so far as to join resistance movements against her, and actively sabatoging her rule. Ironically her ascending to godhood has actually caused a greater fissure in her control than when she was mortal. And there is still a hanging retribution from Sigmar that could still come one day.........................

==Religion==
[[File:Morathi,_the_Shadow_Queen_from_DaughtersofKhaine_.jpg|300px|thumb|right|"Charge, Daughters of Khaine! For my...uh, I mean, for Khaine's glory!"]]
Unlike some other factions within Age of Sigmar, but very much like others, the Daughters of Khaine are a theocracy. There are many sects of Daughters of Khaine, each worshiping a different aspect of the aelf god of battle and bloodshed. Although the rites and rituals might differ, all the Khainites follow a strict hierarchy in their organisation. They worship Khaine and Morathi is his High Oracle, the one who discerns his will and their overall leader. Though they know about the other gods of Order, they pay no homage to them. Beneath Morathi are the High Priestesses, which include the Slaughter Queens, Hag Queens and Bloodwrack Medusae. They are the keepers of each shrine’s most sacred artefacts, and commanders of the Sisterhood of Blood. The degree of authority held by each of these figures, along with their specific title, varies between the sects, but a single word from Morathi can alter the influence of any other ranking.

Of all the warriors of the temples, the Scáthborn – the Melusai and Khinerai – are closest to Morathi herself, yet they often remain hidden from those outside the cult. The Medusae are made from Aelves converted by Morathi herself; though this is seen as an immense honor Morathi binds them with the most binding of magical oaths, but none among the Khainites would dare question her in this. This is partially due to their forms resulting from daemonic taint which would cause negative sentiment among their allies and the fact that Morathi uses them as something of a secret police. The most public-facing Khainites are the Witch Aelves and Sisters of Slaughter. Their most important shrines are the Cauldrons of Blood, gifts from Khaine himself (at least, what Morathi’s claims each time she gifts one of the great iron cauldrons to the temple of a newly founded Khainite sect). The covenites see it as a sign of their god’s favour that the cauldrons never seem to overflow, no matter how much blood is poured within them following a battle – all assume Khaine himself takes the surplus as an offering.

War covens are the most important organisations to the Daughters of Khaine, their structure laid out by Morathi herself. It is through violence that the Khainites expand their territories, defend their temples and worship their god. Weapons practice and mock duels take up the majority of their daily lives, yet these are not mere military drills, but religious ceremonies, treated with all the gravitas that others might use when reading their most holy of tomes or offering prayers to their god. From their temples in various realms, the Daughters of Khaine scour the Mortal Realms for blood sacrifices. At Morathi's edict, they also search for the shards of their god, scattered across the Realms. They do this for the glory of Khaine and to see him reborn.

[[Just As Planned|But they are nearly all of them deceived]].

Morathi claims to speak for Khaine, and she does wield his unbreakable iron heart, but none know that Morathi’s power is a lie and that Khaine is dead. While their devotions to Khaine could one day lead to his rebirth, Morathi is deliberately preventing that. The reason for this is that she is siphoning the power - either by co-opting it before it reaches the heart or pulling it from Khaine's heart - to reach godhood herself. The prayers that her daughters scream and the ritual offerings they make only serve to enhance her own power, not Khaine’s. Outside Morathi herself, only a handful of the "altered" members of the Daughters of Khaine are aware of this deception, and they, willingly or otherwise, are bound by the most binding of oaths and magic to serve Morathi and keep this secret. Also, the blood surplus poured into the Cauldron's doesn't go to Khaine. It flows back to Hagg Nar through Morathi’s magics, to the Mother of all Cauldrons, the Máthcoir, from which The High Oracle absorbs and repurposes the blood’s energies for her own nefarious gain. Which came to fruition when she used the energies and the Máthcoir in a ritual to merge with Khaine's essence to become the goddess Morathi-Khaine. However, the Máthcoir was broken by the energies of the ritual and Volturnos' actions, and Morathi has secretly been trying to repair it, but has yet to succceed.

==Society==
Their society is brutal, especially given that it's leader is [[Morathi]] and they worship [[Khaine]]. They serve Khaine with fanatical devotion, which is especially problematic considering that Khaine is the god of murder. While the Daughters of Khaine crave bloodshed and murder, they serve alongside the forces of Order – albeit tenuously. Given their tendency towards collateral damage (and rumors of kidnapping innocents and gruesome rituals), they are less respected allies and more tolerated because they're useful. Their views on the other major groups are varied. As builders of cities and civilizations, the Daughters of Khaine are at odds with the forces of Destruction. While it is said that they have an aversion to the Death faction because of a dislike for anything death-related since they nearly went extinct, it's more likely that this due to Morathi's personal grudge against Nagash for striking her and outing her true from to the rest of the pantheon. Despite their distaste for the other two, the one faction they truly hate is Chaos; they could give the Stormcast Eternals a run for their money in hating Chaos, and prosecute their crusades with particular violence against the servants of Slaanesh.

If you're wondering why Morathi is mentioned so often that's deliberate; Morathi keeps as much of a stranglehold on Khainite society as she can. It would be out-of-character for her to do anything less (she kind of a control freak). All Khainites are either warriors that serve in their religious order, or they are leathanam (see below). Temples are found only in some realms; confirmed realms are Ulgu, Azyr and Ghyran. When they are not fighting, the Witch Aelves and Sisters of Slaughter usually participate in ritualized gladiator matches or shady pit fights. They also partake of a form of bladed dancing for the entertainment of others. Despite being a theocratic society, the Daughters of Khaine don't proselytize or win converts; the adherents are themselves the result of a breeding program, choosing their partners in line with the aims and desires of their leaders.

The women outnumber the men here, but this is not the paradise [[/d/|some]] think it would be. "Where are the men? The 'Daughters' have to reproduce somehow", well... remember that leathanam class mentioned earlier? Apart from the Doomfire Warlocks, this class is made up exclusively of '''all''' the males in this faction; disregard menials, worker drones who do the non-fighting stuff that keeps society going in a literal gender-based [[Slavery|slavery]] system (we know what you're thinking. Something, something, feminist fantasy... and we know how [[SJW|certain groups]] would react if the genders were swapped).

Morathi deliberately made only a few male aelves, and then only from the weakest and most broken of souls retrieved from Slaanesh. Even male aelves a Daughter of Khaine gives birth to are literally cursed with weakness as Morathi siphons part of their souls to power the Cauldrons of Blood... and yes, Morathi instituted the rule that the males are slaves. Surprisingly, the women aren't all misandrists or female supremacists; as a society, the Daughters of Khaine respect strength above all else and a lot of the mistreatment of their own males is based on their innate weakness. But on the other hand, their males are weak because Morathi deliberately handicapped and enslaved them, so female supremacy and/or misandry is still be at work. While in theory they worship Khaine, who is male, this is superficial; all information about "Khaine's will" comes from Morathi alone, while Khaine himself is actually limited to his heart and has no say over their actions. With Morathi merging to become the goddess Morathi-Khaine, he might be gone for good.

Among the men, the Doomfire Warlocks and male Khainite Shadowstalkers are interesting cases. They're stronger due to their mastery of shadow magic, but receive limited training, and Morathi has them branded with mind-control runes ([[Grimdark|while deceiving them into thinking they're protection against Slaanesh]]). They are treated far better than other leathanam and actually join the females in battle. Despite this, they are still lower status purely because they're male, and are rarely seen by - or acknowledged to - non-Khainites. Their status is somewhere between skilled slave-soliders and auxiliary allies, with only females as true members of the Daughters of Khaine. While they hold ranks among themselves, no man may outrank a woman among the Daughters of Khaine (with possible cognitive dissonance given the god they think they worship is male).

The Daughters of Khaine also a rare example of a Warhammer society whose attitude towards sex is actually fleshed out (ironic, since Slaanesh is their greatest foe), all from the anthology novel ''Covens of Blood''. Contrary to expectations, they're mostly open about it. They can "mingle", are also fine with bisexuality, polyamory and homosexuality, marriage isn't required - in fact it's strongly implied they don't do marriage - plus rank's not an issue. There are a few caveats; sex can't interfere with their duties, males can neither proposition nor reject a female on pain of death, and if two women want the same man/men, they bargain or duel each other. Naturally, this gives females near-complete choice over who fathers their children. The women can even fuck outsiders and captives if they choose ([[Grimdark|the captives don't get a choice]]), but affection towards them or having a child with them is considered shameful (the novella also heavily imply human/elf hybrids are possible in Age of Sigmar). Plus, sex is a popular way to celebrate or spend their downtime.

The female aelves tend to dye their hair with blood and, in a throwback to Warhammer Fantasy, have rituals of rebirth keep the covenite sisters youthful in appearance and supple in body. Even among their ranks, there are some who are considered extremists; the Sisters of Slaughters' are members who graft masks of living metal to their faces with boiling blood. While the aelven members are accepted by others, the Melusae and Khinerai are not. When fighting alongside, they are concealed by a glamour so they too appear to be aelves; attempts to keep the existence of these mutated elves secret is part of the reason for their teamkilling tendencies among alliances with other Order factions. After Morathi's apotheosis, the Melusai and Khinerai have openly appeared, and are touted as proof of Morathi's divinity. With some of them even making a point to approach non-khainites or allies in Morathi controlled territory un-glamored, simply to dare them to say anything about their appearance.

However Morathi's apotheosis did not come without its own share of problems. Her open proclamation and display of godhood caused a crisis of faith among some of her subjects. Some still blindly support her see her as Khaine reborn, and a bringer of fortune for her people. However, many are also starting to wise up to the fact that she seems more interested in bringing power to herself rather than Khaine, and are beginning to whisper of her as a usurper. Some khainites have even begun actively conspiring against Morathi directly and joining resistance movements against her. This had led to conflict and could result in future consequences including a full-blown schism.

tl;dr: They're a scheming, ruthless, misandric, theocratic elven matriarchy originating from a dark realm whose ultimate leader sometimes mutates her followers to resemble her. [[Drow|Sound familiar]]? (especially since Morathi successfully became a goddess).

One interesting contrast to the [[drow]], though, is that Morathi actually does have some semblance of a reason for all this, instead of just "dominatrixes + spiders = profit". Since Morathi is a psychopath who has, in her mind, been screwed over by the men in her life multiple times - every Phoenix King, then Malekith, then Tyrion and Teclis - it makes sense she'd hold a grudge and, as part of setting herself up as a creator-goddess, she'd vent that grudge by screwing over the male population. Given that some snakes are capable of parthenogenesis (reproducing without men) and that one of the random effects of [[Ghyran]] magic is spontaneous pregnancy without a partner, it's either to Morathi's credit that she didn't drop males altogether and recreate the dark elves under her reign as asexually reproducing [[amazon]]s... or testament that Morathi's such a misandrist she gave her people a male population just to have men to torture.

==Sects==
The Daughters of Khaine are divided into Sects (previously known as Temples in past lore), in a manner similar to Stormcast Chambers or Sylvaneth Wargroves.

* '''Hagg Nar:''' Hagg Nar lies deep in the Umbral Veil, the darkest region of the Shadowlands. The first and largest of the Daughters of Khaine temples, it was built atop the Hellelux, a geyser of shadow magic that spews shrouding mists. It is home to hundreds of warcovens that are [[Drow|always at each other’s throats for the attention of Morathi, who encourages this “rivalry” as a means of weeding out the weak]].
* '''Draichi Ganeth:''' Draichi Ganeth, which translates as ‘the bladedkillers’, are the Khainite Aelves most commonly seen by other Order factions. Their main temple is found in the northern barrens of Fuarthorn in Ulgu, but their war pilgrimages and lesser shrines can be found across the realms. Every [[Cities of Sigmar|free city]] has seen or is host to a small troupe of the Draichi Ganeth, who look down upon the subterfuge and deception of their sister sects. They are known to the Freeguilds as the Executioners Cult due to their blunt and forward style of combat, as well as their penchant for decapitation.
* '''The Kraith:''' The sect known as the Kraith, also called the Crimson Cult, are true disciples of slaughter, and have earned a reputation as the least compromising of all the Daughters of Khaine. Arrogant and nomadic, they have no true temple home, instead traveling from one war to the next as they believe Khaine’s one and only temple is the blood stained battlefield.
* '''Khailebron:''' This sect has learned well the arts of concealment, stealth and obfuscation. Those who worship at the temples of Khailebron revere the assassin and the unseen killer, and strive to be masters of ambushes and sudden strikes. Where these temples are is known only to Morathi and the Khailebron themselves. Otherwise, they masquerade as wandering performers who showcase an elegant “bladed-dance” for the local populace, while their top killers secretly slit the throats of their targets (including anyone who shows too much disrespect to the dancers).
*'''Khelt Nar:''' Khelt Nar has become the fastest growing of the sects established by Morathi. It began as Ironshard, a single Khainite shrine founded by the High Oracle atop a flat-topped mountain of iron known as the Rothtor. Since then it has expanded to other Realms, including a stronghold in Ghyran, and have been tasked by the High Priestess with clearing out the rampant [[Orruk Warclans|Bonesplitterz]] that plague their territories. Khelt Nar is best known for being composed of deliciously brown dark aelves.
*'''Zainthar Kai''': This reserved sect was born in the Age of Chaos when Morathi (desperate to get a leg up on the Ruinous Powers) decided to infuse a new brood of Scáthborn with three drops of Khaine’s blood. The result is a temple of veritable demi-gods who can call upon the god of murder’s strength in haze of battle, becoming the Shadow Queen’s go-to temple for making her more despised enemies disappear. The temple is mostly led by/comprised of Scáthborn, but there are contingents of Witch Aelves who function as (disposable) work horses (also maybe getting a little taste of what they put the Lethanamn through).

==Soulbound==
In [[Age of Sigmar Roleplay]], it's established that Daughters of Khaine are selected to become Soulbound when Morathi decides that a potentially stray from the ranks of her faithful is too dangerous or too useful to just dispose of outright. Soulbound Daughters are selected from the overly ambitious, those who secretly yearned for freedom, and even those who had begun to doubt Khaine's divinity, basically serving as a way to remove potential threats to Morathi's control over the faction. Despite their origins, though, Morathi often goes out of her way to maintain a good relationship with "her" Soulbound (in fact, the Binding actually servers the magical restrains that Morathi uses to control the Daughters as a whole), because, whatever else they may be to her, they are both useful as powerful yet neutral arbiters and as ambassadors of her "good intentions" to the other powers of Order. Of course, these allegiances may well have been severed due to her actions during the [[Broken Realms Saga]].

Normal Daughters of Khaine are unsure of how to regard their Soulbound "sisters", since they are simultaneously very dangerous, but not rivals due to being forever outside the hierarchy of the temples, apparently favored by the High Oracle but yet also deeply connected to and regularly traveling alongside "outsiders" who shouldn't be privy to the secrets of Khaine's temples. They tend to default to "respectful suspicion" when interacting with Soulbound Daughters.

The ''Champions of Order'' splatbook opens the following temples for a Daughters of Khaine hero to hail from:
*'''Hagg Nar:''' The capital of Morathi's bloody empire. It is a massive temple-nation that serves as pilgrimage destination for all sisters and home to a staggering number of war-covens who wage war in the name of their bloody god. Heroes from Hagg Nar add their training in both Devotion and Reflexes when determining their defenses. Whenever they make a Death test, they also add a number of dice equal to their training in Devotion.
*'''Draichi Ganeth:''' Perhaps the best-known of the temples, though not for any good reason. They are religiously devoted to the act of killing with a single stroke, and revel in their showmanship with the blade. Tact and stealth are foul words to them and disdainful. Heroes of Draichi Ganeth kill their non-minion enemies in spectacularly gory ways with piercing or slashing weapons. Once per combat, this can take the form of improving their Defense by one step.
*'''The Kraith:''' While others house temples of worship, the daughters of this temple believe that the only altar they should have is the battlefield. They scorn any other aspect that draws attention away from murder and thus disdain any other temple. Because of the grisly nature of their battle and rituals, there are few that can even stomach their presence. Heroes from the Kraith start with a dose of the Venom of Negendra, a poison made legendary a hero of their cult. Once per turn when they kill a non-minion enemy, they regain 1 point of Mettle.
*'''Khailebron:''' Where most daughters would balk at sucking up to the other forces of order, the Khailebron serve a double life as a troupe of blade-dancers and entertainers. Their true purpose is to act as shadowy assassins and spies for Morathi. Because of this, they are rarely in the spotlight and often even scorn those who showboat. Heroes from Khailebron add their training in Entertain when making Body (Stealth) checks and when determining Melee. In addition, the Spellcasting (Grey) talent is available to all archetypes.
*'''Khelt Nar:''' The reputation of this temple has often been hotly contested. They have been besieged several times by Chaos, but have fought back these invasions. They hold the secrets to forging weapons out of special shadow-metal and jealously guard their secrets from envious foes. They seek Morathi's sole favor, but this often puts them at odds with other temples, including Hagg Nar. Heroes from Khelt Nar start play with a magical dagger made of this special shadow-metal, and those harmed by it must make a Mind (Determination) check or else be stunned.
*'''Har Kuron:''' Only available if the game's set at a point in time after Broken Realms: Morathi, and for obvious reason. After all, this was what befell Anvilgard after Morathi (now ascended to godhood) decided to steal it from the clutches of Sigmar and burned any pretense of friendship with the forces of Order. Heroes from Har Kuron can murder enemies to inspire their foes. When they slay a non-minion enemy, they can spend a point of mettle to force their allies to snap out of the charmed or frightened conditions and improve their Melee by one step until your next turn.

The Daughters of Khaine have the fewest dedicated Archetypes in the Age of Sigmar Roleplay corebook, with only the '''Hag Priestess''' and the '''Witch Aelf''' open to them. The ''Champions of Order'' splatbook opens Khainite Shadowstalker archetype.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Medusae Shrine.jpg|<s>Boobflash</s> Bloodwrack Shrine in all its glory.
File:Temples of Khaine.jpg
File:Daughters of Khaine Slaughter.jpg
File:Daughters-of-khaine-4.jpg|Dark Elves, now with 50% more [[Snek|Sneks]].
File:I might you never know.jpg
File:Drkelf.png|A typical Khelt Nar aelf.
</gallery>

{{Template:Playable Factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar}}

[[Category:Age of Sigmar]]
[[Category:Dark Elves]]

Daughters of Khaine

2021-10-11T16:54:13Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Society */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Daughters of Khaine|Logo=Daughters_of_Khaine_battletome_art.jpg|Alliance=Order|Motto=Much bloodier and less NSFW than it appears.}}
{{topquote|She could never take an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. The weak and flaccid parity would make her nearly puke. She wants an eye for a tooth, and a life for an eye.|Helen Zahavi - Dirty Weekend}}
{{topquote|Let's show the gutless pigs how the warriors of Pah-Dishah can fight! By Tarim, we'll give the devils scarlet wine to drink this dawn...|Red Sonja}}

The '''Daughters of Khaine''' are a nation of aelves (though closer to a collection of scattered religious communes than a nation) led by Morathi who combine the Khainite religion with shadow magic.

They are an army, with a few exceptions, of [[PROMOTIONS|armed aelven women and monstergirls in bikinis]]. As they worship Khaine, to them the clash of arms is the height of their religion, holy rites practiced and perfected with all the high-level skill and grace of aelf-kind. As blades flash, they shed their visage of cold and distant beauty, how they tend to be when not in battle, their ecstatic faces lighting up with each fresh kill. In contrast to even other aelves, especially the Idoneth Deepkin, many Daughters of Khaine have lived far beyond the average aelf lifespan, which is already longer than that of other races (except the males - see below).

==History==
===Age of Myth===
Being a theocracy founded by [[Morathi]] and given her character, Morathi is behind or involved in every pivotal moment of the Daughters of Khaine in history. After leaving the Great Alliance because [[Nagash]] outed her true monstrous form, Morathi sought to establish her own dwellings in Ulgu. Her son Malerion cruelly rejected her suggestion of splitting the rule of the thirteen Dominions, for he claimed of all Ulgu as his own. Morathi persisted until, as either a joke or a plot to get rid of her, Malerion granted his mother a small parcel of land in the middle of the Umbral Veil. This was the darkest and most impenetrable region in all Ulgu, so dangerous that only Malerion himself had ever returned from those cloying mists with their sanity intact. Morathi went there and exceeded her son's expectations. She bent the shadows into a protective shroud around her new land and led settlers there.

Her only followers were the aelven witch-cults that had maintained their worship of [[Khaine]]. While Morathi knew Khaine was dead, since the blood rituals no longer rejuvenated her, she supported the religion to get people to help her. To ensure their loyalty, Morathi built a temple to Khaine, naming it Hagg Nar, and over time a city grew up around it. Morathi taught them the secrets of navigating the murky currents. Hagg Nar began as a pitiful kingdom, and Morathi brooded over her mean existence.

As she sought power, she soon found a hint of Khaine's power in her dreams while scrying. Though Khaine was dead, she knew the elven gods were cyclial and could be reborn given enough power. Morathi began a secret quest that was long and difficult, but eventually brought her to the literal heart of Khaine himself. The heart was intact and throbbing with resurgent power, but it was guarded by Kharbytr, the godbeast father of Kharibdysses. Morathi suspected Kharbytr would be resistant to sorcery, and was despearte to claim the heart before anyone else could, so she used seduction instead (yes, really), but angered Kharbytr when she tried to grab the heart. The fight between them was an epic clash that lasted thirteen days and ended when Morathi constricted Kharbytr in her coils. The godbeast dealt her a lethal blow before losing consciousness, but Morathi survived by drawing energies from Khaine's heart to sustain herself.

Heading back to Hagg Nar with her prize, Morathi declared herself Khaine's High Oracle, claiming that she spoke for the god of murder and that she was his voice in this world. With that she solidified her hold over the Khainites and reshaped the society into the Daughters of Khaine. The Daughters of Khaine would often be sent out to hunt for fragments of their missing deity on Morathi's orders (unbeknownst to them, these were snipe hunts for the most part).

She continued this way for a time until Malerion arrived. He said that he and the other aelf gods had had, at last, found the lost aelf-souls from the world-that-was, and they needed her shadow magic and knowledge of Slaanesh in their grand plan. For the first and only time, Morathi spoke of the unspeakable horrors inside Slaanesh and how she'd escaped. Using this knowledge and themselves as bait, the four lured Slaanesh into a trap and started extracting elven souls from the deity.

For her role, Morathi was allowed to take souls for herself to shape into elves, who went into swelling the numbers of the Daughters of Khaine. However, some of them had been [[monstergirls|altered by their time with Slaanesh]]. There were those with [[Lamia|serpentine mutations akin to Morathi]], these became the [[Medusa|Melusae]]. Others had bat-like wings and long tails, these became the [[Harpy|Khinerai]]. Around this time Morathi reintroduced the Cauldrons of Blood and created the Mathcoir, the master cauldron, in Hagg Nar. Secretly, she made it as a repository of power only she could access. To start this, Morathi [[Drow|cursed every male born to the Daughters of Khaine to have part of their soul siphoned away and stored in the Mathcoir]].

Unbeknownst to her erstwhile allies, Morathi had added her own deceptive magics to the undertaking, so that the soul division was skewed slightly out of the agreed proportions, with extra spirits siphoned to Hagg Nar. This subterfuge was subtle, but slowly, inevitably, [[Not as Planned|altered the eldritch balance that kept the Dark Prince perfectly imprisoned between Hysh and Ulgu]].

===Age of Chaos===
As Chaos invaded the Mortal Realms, the Daughters of Khaine marched out from Hagg Nar to ambush them, using shadowshifting magics to reach Realmgates to travel anywhere the forces of Order needed them. Although Morathi and her followers weren't liked, beggars could not be choosers and they were one of the few allies the Sigmarites had during this time. To keep the more mutated members of her coven secret, the spellcasters and priestesses of the Khainites used shadow glamors to make them look like ordinary elves (how this worked when the Khinerai were flying is anybody's guess).

The Daughters of Khaine were bold and fearless in battle - willing to cross blades with any enemy, no matter how numerous or monstrous. Despite heroics by Khainite forces at many battles, the forces of Order were on the backfoot, the final retreat happening after Nagash betrayed Sigmar at the Battle of Burning Skies.

As the Chaos invasions set about their task of destroying and enslaving entire civilisations, the Shadowlands of Ulgu suffered the least after Azyr. Khorne, Nurgle and Tzeentch all devoted the greater portion of their forces to different realms, the minions that were sent into Ulgu boasted none of the most fearful greater daemon commanders and Malerion himself sent Archaon packing with his tail between his legs. This gave the Daughters of Khaine plenty of time to prey on the Chaos forces that made it to their realm; reavers of Khorne, magic-seeking conclaves of Tzeentch or followers of Slaanesh tracking calls from their god that only they could sense. They reaped a large harvest of Chaos minions, leaving mass graves from all the sacrifices (this would come back to haunt them - pun intended - in the Soul Wars, see below).

But Morathi's trickery with the soul extraction came back to bite her. Taking too many souls caused Slaanesh's prison to drift towards Ulgu and weaken it. This enabled Slaanesh's most faithful servants catch the scent of their missing god/dess. More and more Slaaneshi armies penetrated the Shadowlands searching for their lost god. So began what the aelves of Ulgu named the Cathtrar Dhule - the War of Shadows.

For the major battles of the War of Shadows, Morathi led the Daughters of Khaine from the front. She cast down the Keeper of Secrets Glittus and his Legion of Excess, and the whip-handed Krulla Sha'vhr and her Flayerhost. Battle was not her only recourse, however, for against the unbeatable six warhosts of the betentacled Bovaxx the Despoiler, Morathi's coven of Medusae summoned a gaiste-maze - a shadow labyrinth that still covers part of the Umbral Veil, a dark cloud in which those hordes presumably still wander.

Yet the Daughters of Khaine did not win every battle. As larger and more-powerful armies invaded, Morathi called the first of the Caillich Covens - the gathering of forces from all the sects. This was required to defeat Luxcious, a Keeper of Secrets so powerful that many Slaaneshi considered her a replacement for the missing Dark Prince. The daemon was defeated, but not until after the exalted fiend destroyed the Temple of Druchxar.

===Age of Sigmar===
Luxcious may well have continued her scouring search of Ulgu had Sigmar not begun his war to reclaim the Mortal Realms, drawing off many Chaos forces. The Cathtrar Dhule paused, before once more erupting anew in the bitterly fought War of the Shadowpaths.

The Daughters of Khaine win more allies during this time, for despite their brutality in battle (and occasional team-killing among their allies) they're just ''that'' good at kicking Chaos. The Stormcast, Idoneth and Sylvaneth to name a few ally with the Daughters of Khaine.

During this time, some elves start to [[Heresy|worship Morathi alongside Khaine, which causes dissent]] (an uncommon case of a heresy charge in a warhammer setting that fits the actual definition). Ironically, those who disapprove get [[Blam|quickly silenced]] by Morathi or the Medusae as [[Heresy|heretics]] (usually by a knife in the vitals or getting turned into living crystal by a Melusai).

===Soul Wars===
Prior to the Soul Wars there are increasing build-ups of death magic. Whenever there is a large gathering of Scathborn, the spirits of the dead rise up and attack them. Also, remember those mass graves full of sacrificed Chaos worshippers? Now they're fodder for armies of vengeful skeleton warriors and/or ghosts who attack the Khainites. When Nagash sent vamires and necromancers into Ulgu as a diversion tactic, they were all too happy to exploit these mass graves for armies.

The Daughters of Khaine were also called on by the forces of Order in other realms to help fight off the increasing undead attacks. Morathi herself extolled the Daughters of Khaine to greater zeal, for she remembers the taste of Nagash's pimp hand and is eager to avenge the slight.

===Broken Realms===
The Daughters of Khaine worked with Scourge privateers to get information about the Idoneth Deepkin the same way as their kin in the World-That-Was; lots of torture and mind-invading magic. From this they learn the location of a valued Deepkin artifact, the Ocarian Lantern; made by - and stolen from - Teclis, it acted as a lure for souls. Morathi sent sixty of her best soldiers to get it from its heavily guarded underwater temple; two survived, one now an Idoneth prisoner and the other returned to Morathi with the lantern.

She fused with Khaine's heart and became the goddess Morathi-Khaine. Thus Khaine as he was is gone forever, and Morathi - now Morathi-Khaine - is their goddess instead of just their High Oracle (albeit now split into two bodies, Morathi-Khaine and the Shadow Queen after [[Aenarion|her hubby's soul]] [[Rip and Tear|took exception]] to Morathi's plan while in Slaanesh).

Morathi's first action was to broker an alliance with the [[Idoneth Deepkin]], offering Volturnos the souls of his fellow Cythai elves to sweeten the deal. She then ended her alliance with Sigmar by launching a coup that brought Anvilgard under her rule and renaming it Har Kuron. The Daughters of Khaine/Morathi-Khaine now fight with a newfound zeal as they launched a <s>crusade</s> <s>jihad</s> holy war to expand Morathi's empire. When Sigmar found out, he sent a Stormcast army to re-take Har Kuron, the fighting raging until the Celestant-Prime arrived and offered to parley with Morathi. The two disappear for a night, and when they returned an agreement had been reached. Morathi was allowed to keep the city, and what she promised in return is unknown. Morathi's also [[1984|slowly re-writing the Daughters' scriptures and records of history to put herself at the center of everything]].

Morathi subsequently led her forces in alliance with a group of Scourge Privateers to help lift the siege at Excelcius, which was close to being overrun by [[Gordrakk]] Waaagh. With her Shadowqueen form at the forefront Morathi and her army did well in pushing back the forces of destruction in the city, with her Shadowqueen form having little trouble taking out lowly Orruks. That was until she came face-to-face with [[Kragnos]] himself. The earthquake god had made common quase with Gordrakk and attack her Shadowqueen form head on. Morathi-Khaine managed to track down lord [[Kroak]] who had also arrived to defend the city and proposed that they needed to divert Kragno's from the city before he killed them all, as he was far too powerful for either of them too defeat. Just as Kragnos was preparing to finish Morathi off, they managed to lure Kragnos through a portal and led him away from the city. The destruction army subsequently dispersing after a lengthy battle.

Following the battle Morathi came before the grand conclave of the city. Being overseen by the Celestant-Prime himself. She was a little annoyed Sigmar himself was not present (and the not so subtle implication that it meant dealing with her was beneath his time). The council while acknowledging her help in defending the city, still needed to answer to her annexation of Anvilgard. She defended her actions as the as Anvilgard was technically never Sigmar's alone, and that the city prior to her annexation was barely staying alive to begin with and would have fallen eventually, now under her rule it will survive outside Chaos control. The Celestant-Prime however was having none of it and declared her a traitor. Though she retorted that as a God she was never under Sigmar's authority and can do as she wants. At this winged Stormcast ambushed the meeting, and the Celestant-Prime took up Ghal-Maraz and was about to engage a surprised Morathi when suddenly Grungi entered the meeting. He addressed the stunned meeting and called for clemency for Morathi before joining the meeting.

Following this the tentative alliance between Morathi and Sigmar was maintained, though with much more animosity than before. Morathi maintains Anvilgard for the moment however though achieving godhood cracks are beginning to form in her rule. With Anvilgard now her new base she now has to deal with ruling over many not strictly khainite factions, some of whom don't particularly like her. Leading to resistance movements and sabotage to be rampant in her territory due to Sigmarite Loyalists and even some former Scourge Privateer allies, in addition her taking the mantle of Khaine has not been universally accepted by her followers. With many devout Daughters of Khaine beginning to see her as a usurper, trying to claim the mantle of Khaine himself. While others simply have problems with her supposed short-sighted taking of Anvilgard and how it could have far greater consequences down the line than any benefit it could bring (and given its still a mostly destoyed port-city with a fraction of its original population they may be right), in addition to allying with the Idoneth Deepkin. Who many Daughters of Khaine openly do not trust, and see their soul-tithe as too extreme (even for them). Consequently this has led to more than few khainites even going so far as to join resistance movements against her, and actively sabatoging her rule. Ironically her ascending to godhood has actually caused a greater fissure in her control than when she was mortal. And there is still a hanging retribution from Sigmar that could still come one day.........................

==Religion==
[[File:Morathi,_the_Shadow_Queen_from_DaughtersofKhaine_.jpg|300px|thumb|right|"Charge, Daughters of Khaine! For my...uh, I mean, for Khaine's glory!"]]
Unlike some other factions within Age of Sigmar, but very much like others, the Daughters of Khaine are a theocracy. There are many sects of Daughters of Khaine, each worshiping a different aspect of the aelf god of battle and bloodshed. Although the rites and rituals might differ, all the Khainites follow a strict hierarchy in their organisation. They worship Khaine and Morathi is his High Oracle, the one who discerns his will and their overall leader. Though they know about the other gods of Order, they pay no homage to them. Beneath Morathi are the High Priestesses, which include the Slaughter Queens, Hag Queens and Bloodwrack Medusae. They are the keepers of each shrine’s most sacred artefacts, and commanders of the Sisterhood of Blood. The degree of authority held by each of these figures, along with their specific title, varies between the sects, but a single word from Morathi can alter the influence of any other ranking.

Of all the warriors of the temples, the Scáthborn – the Melusai and Khinerai – are closest to Morathi herself, yet they often remain hidden from those outside the cult. The Medusae are made from Aelves converted by Morathi herself; though this is seen as an immense honor Morathi binds them with the most binding of magical oaths, but none among the Khainites would dare question her in this. This is partially due to their forms resulting from daemonic taint which would cause negative sentiment among their allies and the fact that Morathi uses them as something of a secret police. The most public-facing Khainites are the Witch Aelves and Sisters of Slaughter. Their most important shrines are the Cauldrons of Blood, gifts from Khaine himself (at least, what Morathi’s claims each time she gifts one of the great iron cauldrons to the temple of a newly founded Khainite sect). The covenites see it as a sign of their god’s favour that the cauldrons never seem to overflow, no matter how much blood is poured within them following a battle – all assume Khaine himself takes the surplus as an offering.

War covens are the most important organisations to the Daughters of Khaine, their structure laid out by Morathi herself. It is through violence that the Khainites expand their territories, defend their temples and worship their god. Weapons practice and mock duels take up the majority of their daily lives, yet these are not mere military drills, but religious ceremonies, treated with all the gravitas that others might use when reading their most holy of tomes or offering prayers to their god. From their temples in various realms, the Daughters of Khaine scour the Mortal Realms for blood sacrifices. At Morathi's edict, they also search for the shards of their god, scattered across the Realms. They do this for the glory of Khaine and to see him reborn.

[[Just As Planned|But they are nearly all of them deceived]].

Morathi claims to speak for Khaine, and she does wield his unbreakable iron heart, but none know that Morathi’s power is a lie and that Khaine is dead. While their devotions to Khaine could one day lead to his rebirth, Morathi is deliberately preventing that. The reason for this is that she is siphoning the power - either by co-opting it before it reaches the heart or pulling it from Khaine's heart - to reach godhood herself. The prayers that her daughters scream and the ritual offerings they make only serve to enhance her own power, not Khaine’s. Outside Morathi herself, only a handful of the "altered" members of the Daughters of Khaine are aware of this deception, and they, willingly or otherwise, are bound by the most binding of oaths and magic to serve Morathi and keep this secret. Also, the blood surplus poured into the Cauldron's doesn't go to Khaine. It flows back to Hagg Nar through Morathi’s magics, to the Mother of all Cauldrons, the Máthcoir, from which The High Oracle absorbs and repurposes the blood’s energies for her own nefarious gain. Which came to fruition when she used the energies and the Máthcoir in a ritual to merge with Khaine's essence to become the goddess Morathi-Khaine. However, the Máthcoir was broken by the energies of the ritual and Volturnos' actions, and Morathi has secretly been trying to repair it, but has yet to succceed.

==Society==
Their society is brutal, especially given that it's leader is [[Morathi]] and they worship [[Khaine]]. They serve Khaine with fanatical devotion, which is especially problematic considering that Khaine is the god of murder. While the Daughters of Khaine crave bloodshed and murder, they serve alongside the forces of Order – albeit tenuously. Given their tendency towards collateral damage (and rumors of kidnapping innocents and gruesome rituals), they are less respected allies and more tolerated because they're useful. Their views on the other major groups are varied. As builders of cities and civilizations, the Daughters of Khaine are at odds with the forces of Destruction. While it is said that they have an aversion to the Death faction because of a dislike for anything death-related since they nearly went extinct, it's more likely that this due to Morathi's personal grudge against Nagash for striking her and outing her true from to the rest of the pantheon. Despite their distaste for the other two, the one faction they truly hate is Chaos; they could give the Stormcast Eternals a run for their money in hating Chaos, and prosecute their crusades with particular violence against the servants of Slaanesh.

If you're wondering why Morathi is mentioned so often that's deliberate; Morathi keeps as much of a stranglehold on Khainite society as she can. It would be out-of-character for her to do anything less (she kind of a control freak). All Khainites are either warriors that serve in their religious order, or they are leathanam (see below). Temples are found only in some realms; confirmed realms are Ulgu, Azyr and Ghyran. When they are not fighting, the Witch Aelves and Sisters of Slaughter usually participate in ritualized gladiator matches or shady pit fights. They also partake of a form of bladed dancing for the entertainment of others. Despite being a theocratic society, the Daughters of Khaine don't proselytize or win converts; the adherents are themselves the result of a breeding program, choosing their partners in line with the aims and desires of their leaders.

The women outnumber the men here, but this is not the paradise [[/d/|some]] think it would be. "Where are the men? The 'Daughters' have to reproduce somehow", well... remember that leathanam class mentioned earlier? Apart from the Doomfire Warlocks, this class is made up exclusively of '''all''' the males in this faction; disregard menials, worker drones who do the non-fighting stuff that keeps society going in a literal gender-based [[Slavery|slavery]] system (we know what you're thinking. Something, something, feminist fantasy... and we know how [[SJW|certain groups]] would react if the genders were swapped).

Morathi deliberately made only a few male aelves, and then only from the weakest and most broken of souls retrieved from Slaanesh. Even male aelves a Daughter of Khaine gives birth to are literally cursed with weakness as Morathi siphons part of their souls to power the Cauldrons of Blood... and yes, Morathi instituted the rule that the males are slaves. Surprisingly, the women aren't all misandrists or female supremacists; as a society, the Daughters of Khaine respect strength above all else and a lot of the mistreatment of their own males is based on their innate weakness. But on the other hand, their males are weak because Morathi deliberately handicapped and enslaved them, so female supremacy and/or misandry is still be at work. While in theory they worship Khaine, who is male, this is superficial; all information about "Khaine's will" comes from Morathi alone, while Khaine himself is actually limited to his heart and has no say over their actions. With Morathi merging to become the goddess Morathi-Khaine, he might be gone for good.

Among the men, the Doomfire Warlocks and male Khainite Shadowstalkers are interesting cases. They're stronger due to their mastery of shadow magic, but receive limited training, and Morathi has them branded with mind-control runes ([[Grimdark|while deceiving them into thinking they're protection against Slaanesh]]). They are treated far better than other leathanam and actually join the females in battle. Despite this, they are still lower status purely because they're male, and are rarely seen by - or acknowledged to - non-Khainites. Their status is somewhere between skilled slave-soliders and auxiliary allies, with only females as true members of the Daughters of Khaine. While they hold ranks among themselves, no man may outrank a woman among the Daughters of Khaine (with possible cognitive dissonance given the god they think they worship is male).

The Daughters of Khaine also a rare example of a Warhammer society whose attitude towards sex is actually fleshed out (ironic, since Slaanesh is their greatest foe), all from the anthology novel ''Covens of Blood''. Contrary to expectations, they're mostly open about it. They can "mingle", are also fine with bisexuality, polyamory and homosexuality, marriage isn't required - in fact it's strongly implied they don't do marriage - plus rank's not an issue. There are a few caveats; sex can't interfere with their duties, males can neither proposition nor reject a female on pain of death, and if two women want the same man/men, they bargain or duel each other. Naturally, this gives females near-complete choice over who fathers their children. The women can even fuck outsiders and captives if they choose ([[Grimdark|the captives don't get a choice]]), but affection towards them or having a child with them is considered shameful (the novella also heavily imply human/elf hybrids are possible in Age of Sigmar). Plus, sex is a popular way to celebrate or spend their downtime.

The female aelves tend to dye their hair with blood and, in a throwback to Warhammer Fantasy, have rituals of rebirth keep the covenite sisters youthful in appearance and supple in body. Even among their ranks, there are some who are considered extremists; the Sisters of Slaughters' are members who graft masks of living metal to their faces with boiling blood. While the aelven members are accepted by others, the Melusae and Khinerai are not. When fighting alongside, they are concealed by a glamour so they too appear to be aelves; attempts to keep the existence of these mutated elves secret is part of the reason for their teamkilling tendencies among alliances with other Order factions. After Morathi's apotheosis, the Melusai and Khinerai have openly appeared, and are touted as proof of Morathi's divinity. With some of them even making a point to approach non-khainites or allies in Morathi controlled territory un-glamored, simply to dare them to say anything about their appearance.

However Morathi's apotheosis did not come without its own share of problems. Her now very open showing of her new godhood has caused a crisis of faith among some of her subjects. Some who still blindly support her see her as true Khaine reborn and a bringer of fortune for her people. However many are starting to also wise up to the fact that she seems more intersted in bringing power to herself rather than Khaine. And are beginning to whisper of her as a usurper. Some khainites have even begun actively conspiring against Morathi directly and joining resistance movements against her. This has led to a substantial crisis of faith with the Daughters of Khaine that could have major repercussions down the line.

tl;dr: They're a scheming, ruthless, misandric, theocratic elven matriarchy originating from a dark realm whose ultimate leader sometimes mutates her followers to resemble her. [[Drow|Sound familiar]]? (especially since Morathi successfully became a goddess).

One interesting contrast to the [[drow]], though, is that Morathi actually does have some semblance of a reason for all this, instead of just "dominatrixes + spiders = profit". Since Morathi is a psychopath who has, in her mind, been screwed over by the men in her life multiple times - every Phoenix King, then Malekith, then Tyrion and Teclis - it makes sense she'd hold a grudge and, as part of setting herself up as a creator-goddess, she'd vent that grudge by screwing over the male population. Given that some snakes are capable of parthenogenesis (reproducing without men) and that one of the random effects of [[Ghyran]] magic is spontaneous pregnancy without a partner, it's either to Morathi's credit that she didn't drop males altogether and recreate the dark elves under her reign as asexually reproducing [[amazon]]s... or testament that Morathi's such a misandrist she gave her people a male population just to have men to torture.

==Sects==
The Daughters of Khaine are divided into Sects (previously known as Temples in past lore), in a manner similar to Stormcast Chambers or Sylvaneth Wargroves.

* '''Hagg Nar:''' Hagg Nar lies deep in the Umbral Veil, the darkest region of the Shadowlands. The first and largest of the Daughters of Khaine temples, it was built atop the Hellelux, a geyser of shadow magic that spews shrouding mists. It is home to hundreds of warcovens that are [[Drow|always at each other’s throats for the attention of Morathi, who encourages this “rivalry” as a means of weeding out the weak]].
* '''Draichi Ganeth:''' Draichi Ganeth, which translates as ‘the bladedkillers’, are the Khainite Aelves most commonly seen by other Order factions. Their main temple is found in the northern barrens of Fuarthorn in Ulgu, but their war pilgrimages and lesser shrines can be found across the realms. Every [[Cities of Sigmar|free city]] has seen or is host to a small troupe of the Draichi Ganeth, who look down upon the subterfuge and deception of their sister sects. They are known to the Freeguilds as the Executioners Cult due to their blunt and forward style of combat, as well as their penchant for decapitation.
* '''The Kraith:''' The sect known as the Kraith, also called the Crimson Cult, are true disciples of slaughter, and have earned a reputation as the least compromising of all the Daughters of Khaine. Arrogant and nomadic, they have no true temple home, instead traveling from one war to the next as they believe Khaine’s one and only temple is the blood stained battlefield.
* '''Khailebron:''' This sect has learned well the arts of concealment, stealth and obfuscation. Those who worship at the temples of Khailebron revere the assassin and the unseen killer, and strive to be masters of ambushes and sudden strikes. Where these temples are is known only to Morathi and the Khailebron themselves. Otherwise, they masquerade as wandering performers who showcase an elegant “bladed-dance” for the local populace, while their top killers secretly slit the throats of their targets (including anyone who shows too much disrespect to the dancers).
*'''Khelt Nar:''' Khelt Nar has become the fastest growing of the sects established by Morathi. It began as Ironshard, a single Khainite shrine founded by the High Oracle atop a flat-topped mountain of iron known as the Rothtor. Since then it has expanded to other Realms, including a stronghold in Ghyran, and have been tasked by the High Priestess with clearing out the rampant [[Orruk Warclans|Bonesplitterz]] that plague their territories. Khelt Nar is best known for being composed of deliciously brown dark aelves.
*'''Zainthar Kai''': This reserved sect was born in the Age of Chaos when Morathi (desperate to get a leg up on the Ruinous Powers) decided to infuse a new brood of Scáthborn with three drops of Khaine’s blood. The result is a temple of veritable demi-gods who can call upon the god of murder’s strength in haze of battle, becoming the Shadow Queen’s go-to temple for making her more despised enemies disappear. The temple is mostly led by/comprised of Scáthborn, but there are contingents of Witch Aelves who function as (disposable) work horses (also maybe getting a little taste of what they put the Lethanamn through).

==Soulbound==
In [[Age of Sigmar Roleplay]], it's established that Daughters of Khaine are selected to become Soulbound when Morathi decides that a potentially stray from the ranks of her faithful is too dangerous or too useful to just dispose of outright. Soulbound Daughters are selected from the overly ambitious, those who secretly yearned for freedom, and even those who had begun to doubt Khaine's divinity, basically serving as a way to remove potential threats to Morathi's control over the faction. Despite their origins, though, Morathi often goes out of her way to maintain a good relationship with "her" Soulbound (in fact, the Binding actually servers the magical restrains that Morathi uses to control the Daughters as a whole), because, whatever else they may be to her, they are both useful as powerful yet neutral arbiters and as ambassadors of her "good intentions" to the other powers of Order. Of course, these allegiances may well have been severed due to her actions during the [[Broken Realms Saga]].

Normal Daughters of Khaine are unsure of how to regard their Soulbound "sisters", since they are simultaneously very dangerous, but not rivals due to being forever outside the hierarchy of the temples, apparently favored by the High Oracle but yet also deeply connected to and regularly traveling alongside "outsiders" who shouldn't be privy to the secrets of Khaine's temples. They tend to default to "respectful suspicion" when interacting with Soulbound Daughters.

The ''Champions of Order'' splatbook opens the following temples for a Daughters of Khaine hero to hail from:
*'''Hagg Nar:''' The capital of Morathi's bloody empire. It is a massive temple-nation that serves as pilgrimage destination for all sisters and home to a staggering number of war-covens who wage war in the name of their bloody god. Heroes from Hagg Nar add their training in both Devotion and Reflexes when determining their defenses. Whenever they make a Death test, they also add a number of dice equal to their training in Devotion.
*'''Draichi Ganeth:''' Perhaps the best-known of the temples, though not for any good reason. They are religiously devoted to the act of killing with a single stroke, and revel in their showmanship with the blade. Tact and stealth are foul words to them and disdainful. Heroes of Draichi Ganeth kill their non-minion enemies in spectacularly gory ways with piercing or slashing weapons. Once per combat, this can take the form of improving their Defense by one step.
*'''The Kraith:''' While others house temples of worship, the daughters of this temple believe that the only altar they should have is the battlefield. They scorn any other aspect that draws attention away from murder and thus disdain any other temple. Because of the grisly nature of their battle and rituals, there are few that can even stomach their presence. Heroes from the Kraith start with a dose of the Venom of Negendra, a poison made legendary a hero of their cult. Once per turn when they kill a non-minion enemy, they regain 1 point of Mettle.
*'''Khailebron:''' Where most daughters would balk at sucking up to the other forces of order, the Khailebron serve a double life as a troupe of blade-dancers and entertainers. Their true purpose is to act as shadowy assassins and spies for Morathi. Because of this, they are rarely in the spotlight and often even scorn those who showboat. Heroes from Khailebron add their training in Entertain when making Body (Stealth) checks and when determining Melee. In addition, the Spellcasting (Grey) talent is available to all archetypes.
*'''Khelt Nar:''' The reputation of this temple has often been hotly contested. They have been besieged several times by Chaos, but have fought back these invasions. They hold the secrets to forging weapons out of special shadow-metal and jealously guard their secrets from envious foes. They seek Morathi's sole favor, but this often puts them at odds with other temples, including Hagg Nar. Heroes from Khelt Nar start play with a magical dagger made of this special shadow-metal, and those harmed by it must make a Mind (Determination) check or else be stunned.
*'''Har Kuron:''' Only available if the game's set at a point in time after Broken Realms: Morathi, and for obvious reason. After all, this was what befell Anvilgard after Morathi (now ascended to godhood) decided to steal it from the clutches of Sigmar and burned any pretense of friendship with the forces of Order. Heroes from Har Kuron can murder enemies to inspire their foes. When they slay a non-minion enemy, they can spend a point of mettle to force their allies to snap out of the charmed or frightened conditions and improve their Melee by one step until your next turn.

The Daughters of Khaine have the fewest dedicated Archetypes in the Age of Sigmar Roleplay corebook, with only the '''Hag Priestess''' and the '''Witch Aelf''' open to them. The ''Champions of Order'' splatbook opens Khainite Shadowstalker archetype.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Medusae Shrine.jpg|<s>Boobflash</s> Bloodwrack Shrine in all its glory.
File:Temples of Khaine.jpg
File:Daughters of Khaine Slaughter.jpg
File:Daughters-of-khaine-4.jpg|Dark Elves, now with 50% more [[Snek|Sneks]].
File:I might you never know.jpg
File:Drkelf.png|A typical Khelt Nar aelf.
</gallery>

{{Template:Playable Factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar}}

[[Category:Age of Sigmar]]
[[Category:Dark Elves]]

Daughters of Khaine

2021-10-11T16:46:50Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Society */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Daughters of Khaine|Logo=Daughters_of_Khaine_battletome_art.jpg|Alliance=Order|Motto=Much bloodier and less NSFW than it appears.}}
{{topquote|She could never take an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. The weak and flaccid parity would make her nearly puke. She wants an eye for a tooth, and a life for an eye.|Helen Zahavi - Dirty Weekend}}
{{topquote|Let's show the gutless pigs how the warriors of Pah-Dishah can fight! By Tarim, we'll give the devils scarlet wine to drink this dawn...|Red Sonja}}

The '''Daughters of Khaine''' are a nation of aelves (though closer to a collection of scattered religious communes than a nation) led by Morathi who combine the Khainite religion with shadow magic.

They are an army, with a few exceptions, of [[PROMOTIONS|armed aelven women and monstergirls in bikinis]]. As they worship Khaine, to them the clash of arms is the height of their religion, holy rites practiced and perfected with all the high-level skill and grace of aelf-kind. As blades flash, they shed their visage of cold and distant beauty, how they tend to be when not in battle, their ecstatic faces lighting up with each fresh kill. In contrast to even other aelves, especially the Idoneth Deepkin, many Daughters of Khaine have lived far beyond the average aelf lifespan, which is already longer than that of other races (except the males - see below).

==History==
===Age of Myth===
Being a theocracy founded by [[Morathi]] and given her character, Morathi is behind or involved in every pivotal moment of the Daughters of Khaine in history. After leaving the Great Alliance because [[Nagash]] outed her true monstrous form, Morathi sought to establish her own dwellings in Ulgu. Her son Malerion cruelly rejected her suggestion of splitting the rule of the thirteen Dominions, for he claimed of all Ulgu as his own. Morathi persisted until, as either a joke or a plot to get rid of her, Malerion granted his mother a small parcel of land in the middle of the Umbral Veil. This was the darkest and most impenetrable region in all Ulgu, so dangerous that only Malerion himself had ever returned from those cloying mists with their sanity intact. Morathi went there and exceeded her son's expectations. She bent the shadows into a protective shroud around her new land and led settlers there.

Her only followers were the aelven witch-cults that had maintained their worship of [[Khaine]]. While Morathi knew Khaine was dead, since the blood rituals no longer rejuvenated her, she supported the religion to get people to help her. To ensure their loyalty, Morathi built a temple to Khaine, naming it Hagg Nar, and over time a city grew up around it. Morathi taught them the secrets of navigating the murky currents. Hagg Nar began as a pitiful kingdom, and Morathi brooded over her mean existence.

As she sought power, she soon found a hint of Khaine's power in her dreams while scrying. Though Khaine was dead, she knew the elven gods were cyclial and could be reborn given enough power. Morathi began a secret quest that was long and difficult, but eventually brought her to the literal heart of Khaine himself. The heart was intact and throbbing with resurgent power, but it was guarded by Kharbytr, the godbeast father of Kharibdysses. Morathi suspected Kharbytr would be resistant to sorcery, and was despearte to claim the heart before anyone else could, so she used seduction instead (yes, really), but angered Kharbytr when she tried to grab the heart. The fight between them was an epic clash that lasted thirteen days and ended when Morathi constricted Kharbytr in her coils. The godbeast dealt her a lethal blow before losing consciousness, but Morathi survived by drawing energies from Khaine's heart to sustain herself.

Heading back to Hagg Nar with her prize, Morathi declared herself Khaine's High Oracle, claiming that she spoke for the god of murder and that she was his voice in this world. With that she solidified her hold over the Khainites and reshaped the society into the Daughters of Khaine. The Daughters of Khaine would often be sent out to hunt for fragments of their missing deity on Morathi's orders (unbeknownst to them, these were snipe hunts for the most part).

She continued this way for a time until Malerion arrived. He said that he and the other aelf gods had had, at last, found the lost aelf-souls from the world-that-was, and they needed her shadow magic and knowledge of Slaanesh in their grand plan. For the first and only time, Morathi spoke of the unspeakable horrors inside Slaanesh and how she'd escaped. Using this knowledge and themselves as bait, the four lured Slaanesh into a trap and started extracting elven souls from the deity.

For her role, Morathi was allowed to take souls for herself to shape into elves, who went into swelling the numbers of the Daughters of Khaine. However, some of them had been [[monstergirls|altered by their time with Slaanesh]]. There were those with [[Lamia|serpentine mutations akin to Morathi]], these became the [[Medusa|Melusae]]. Others had bat-like wings and long tails, these became the [[Harpy|Khinerai]]. Around this time Morathi reintroduced the Cauldrons of Blood and created the Mathcoir, the master cauldron, in Hagg Nar. Secretly, she made it as a repository of power only she could access. To start this, Morathi [[Drow|cursed every male born to the Daughters of Khaine to have part of their soul siphoned away and stored in the Mathcoir]].

Unbeknownst to her erstwhile allies, Morathi had added her own deceptive magics to the undertaking, so that the soul division was skewed slightly out of the agreed proportions, with extra spirits siphoned to Hagg Nar. This subterfuge was subtle, but slowly, inevitably, [[Not as Planned|altered the eldritch balance that kept the Dark Prince perfectly imprisoned between Hysh and Ulgu]].

===Age of Chaos===
As Chaos invaded the Mortal Realms, the Daughters of Khaine marched out from Hagg Nar to ambush them, using shadowshifting magics to reach Realmgates to travel anywhere the forces of Order needed them. Although Morathi and her followers weren't liked, beggars could not be choosers and they were one of the few allies the Sigmarites had during this time. To keep the more mutated members of her coven secret, the spellcasters and priestesses of the Khainites used shadow glamors to make them look like ordinary elves (how this worked when the Khinerai were flying is anybody's guess).

The Daughters of Khaine were bold and fearless in battle - willing to cross blades with any enemy, no matter how numerous or monstrous. Despite heroics by Khainite forces at many battles, the forces of Order were on the backfoot, the final retreat happening after Nagash betrayed Sigmar at the Battle of Burning Skies.

As the Chaos invasions set about their task of destroying and enslaving entire civilisations, the Shadowlands of Ulgu suffered the least after Azyr. Khorne, Nurgle and Tzeentch all devoted the greater portion of their forces to different realms, the minions that were sent into Ulgu boasted none of the most fearful greater daemon commanders and Malerion himself sent Archaon packing with his tail between his legs. This gave the Daughters of Khaine plenty of time to prey on the Chaos forces that made it to their realm; reavers of Khorne, magic-seeking conclaves of Tzeentch or followers of Slaanesh tracking calls from their god that only they could sense. They reaped a large harvest of Chaos minions, leaving mass graves from all the sacrifices (this would come back to haunt them - pun intended - in the Soul Wars, see below).

But Morathi's trickery with the soul extraction came back to bite her. Taking too many souls caused Slaanesh's prison to drift towards Ulgu and weaken it. This enabled Slaanesh's most faithful servants catch the scent of their missing god/dess. More and more Slaaneshi armies penetrated the Shadowlands searching for their lost god. So began what the aelves of Ulgu named the Cathtrar Dhule - the War of Shadows.

For the major battles of the War of Shadows, Morathi led the Daughters of Khaine from the front. She cast down the Keeper of Secrets Glittus and his Legion of Excess, and the whip-handed Krulla Sha'vhr and her Flayerhost. Battle was not her only recourse, however, for against the unbeatable six warhosts of the betentacled Bovaxx the Despoiler, Morathi's coven of Medusae summoned a gaiste-maze - a shadow labyrinth that still covers part of the Umbral Veil, a dark cloud in which those hordes presumably still wander.

Yet the Daughters of Khaine did not win every battle. As larger and more-powerful armies invaded, Morathi called the first of the Caillich Covens - the gathering of forces from all the sects. This was required to defeat Luxcious, a Keeper of Secrets so powerful that many Slaaneshi considered her a replacement for the missing Dark Prince. The daemon was defeated, but not until after the exalted fiend destroyed the Temple of Druchxar.

===Age of Sigmar===
Luxcious may well have continued her scouring search of Ulgu had Sigmar not begun his war to reclaim the Mortal Realms, drawing off many Chaos forces. The Cathtrar Dhule paused, before once more erupting anew in the bitterly fought War of the Shadowpaths.

The Daughters of Khaine win more allies during this time, for despite their brutality in battle (and occasional team-killing among their allies) they're just ''that'' good at kicking Chaos. The Stormcast, Idoneth and Sylvaneth to name a few ally with the Daughters of Khaine.

During this time, some elves start to [[Heresy|worship Morathi alongside Khaine, which causes dissent]] (an uncommon case of a heresy charge in a warhammer setting that fits the actual definition). Ironically, those who disapprove get [[Blam|quickly silenced]] by Morathi or the Medusae as [[Heresy|heretics]] (usually by a knife in the vitals or getting turned into living crystal by a Melusai).

===Soul Wars===
Prior to the Soul Wars there are increasing build-ups of death magic. Whenever there is a large gathering of Scathborn, the spirits of the dead rise up and attack them. Also, remember those mass graves full of sacrificed Chaos worshippers? Now they're fodder for armies of vengeful skeleton warriors and/or ghosts who attack the Khainites. When Nagash sent vamires and necromancers into Ulgu as a diversion tactic, they were all too happy to exploit these mass graves for armies.

The Daughters of Khaine were also called on by the forces of Order in other realms to help fight off the increasing undead attacks. Morathi herself extolled the Daughters of Khaine to greater zeal, for she remembers the taste of Nagash's pimp hand and is eager to avenge the slight.

===Broken Realms===
The Daughters of Khaine worked with Scourge privateers to get information about the Idoneth Deepkin the same way as their kin in the World-That-Was; lots of torture and mind-invading magic. From this they learn the location of a valued Deepkin artifact, the Ocarian Lantern; made by - and stolen from - Teclis, it acted as a lure for souls. Morathi sent sixty of her best soldiers to get it from its heavily guarded underwater temple; two survived, one now an Idoneth prisoner and the other returned to Morathi with the lantern.

She fused with Khaine's heart and became the goddess Morathi-Khaine. Thus Khaine as he was is gone forever, and Morathi - now Morathi-Khaine - is their goddess instead of just their High Oracle (albeit now split into two bodies, Morathi-Khaine and the Shadow Queen after [[Aenarion|her hubby's soul]] [[Rip and Tear|took exception]] to Morathi's plan while in Slaanesh).

Morathi's first action was to broker an alliance with the [[Idoneth Deepkin]], offering Volturnos the souls of his fellow Cythai elves to sweeten the deal. She then ended her alliance with Sigmar by launching a coup that brought Anvilgard under her rule and renaming it Har Kuron. The Daughters of Khaine/Morathi-Khaine now fight with a newfound zeal as they launched a <s>crusade</s> <s>jihad</s> holy war to expand Morathi's empire. When Sigmar found out, he sent a Stormcast army to re-take Har Kuron, the fighting raging until the Celestant-Prime arrived and offered to parley with Morathi. The two disappear for a night, and when they returned an agreement had been reached. Morathi was allowed to keep the city, and what she promised in return is unknown. Morathi's also [[1984|slowly re-writing the Daughters' scriptures and records of history to put herself at the center of everything]].

Morathi subsequently led her forces in alliance with a group of Scourge Privateers to help lift the siege at Excelcius, which was close to being overrun by [[Gordrakk]] Waaagh. With her Shadowqueen form at the forefront Morathi and her army did well in pushing back the forces of destruction in the city, with her Shadowqueen form having little trouble taking out lowly Orruks. That was until she came face-to-face with [[Kragnos]] himself. The earthquake god had made common quase with Gordrakk and attack her Shadowqueen form head on. Morathi-Khaine managed to track down lord [[Kroak]] who had also arrived to defend the city and proposed that they needed to divert Kragno's from the city before he killed them all, as he was far too powerful for either of them too defeat. Just as Kragnos was preparing to finish Morathi off, they managed to lure Kragnos through a portal and led him away from the city. The destruction army subsequently dispersing after a lengthy battle.

Following the battle Morathi came before the grand conclave of the city. Being overseen by the Celestant-Prime himself. She was a little annoyed Sigmar himself was not present (and the not so subtle implication that it meant dealing with her was beneath his time). The council while acknowledging her help in defending the city, still needed to answer to her annexation of Anvilgard. She defended her actions as the as Anvilgard was technically never Sigmar's alone, and that the city prior to her annexation was barely staying alive to begin with and would have fallen eventually, now under her rule it will survive outside Chaos control. The Celestant-Prime however was having none of it and declared her a traitor. Though she retorted that as a God she was never under Sigmar's authority and can do as she wants. At this winged Stormcast ambushed the meeting, and the Celestant-Prime took up Ghal-Maraz and was about to engage a surprised Morathi when suddenly Grungi entered the meeting. He addressed the stunned meeting and called for clemency for Morathi before joining the meeting.

Following this the tentative alliance between Morathi and Sigmar was maintained, though with much more animosity than before. Morathi maintains Anvilgard for the moment however though achieving godhood cracks are beginning to form in her rule. With Anvilgard now her new base she now has to deal with ruling over many not strictly khainite factions, some of whom don't particularly like her. Leading to resistance movements and sabotage to be rampant in her territory due to Sigmarite Loyalists and even some former Scourge Privateer allies, in addition her taking the mantle of Khaine has not been universally accepted by her followers. With many devout Daughters of Khaine beginning to see her as a usurper, trying to claim the mantle of Khaine himself. While others simply have problems with her supposed short-sighted taking of Anvilgard and how it could have far greater consequences down the line than any benefit it could bring (and given its still a mostly destoyed port-city with a fraction of its original population they may be right), in addition to allying with the Idoneth Deepkin. Who many Daughters of Khaine openly do not trust, and see their soul-tithe as too extreme (even for them). Consequently this has led to more than few khainites even going so far as to join resistance movements against her, and actively sabatoging her rule. Ironically her ascending to godhood has actually caused a greater fissure in her control than when she was mortal. And there is still a hanging retribution from Sigmar that could still come one day.........................

==Religion==
[[File:Morathi,_the_Shadow_Queen_from_DaughtersofKhaine_.jpg|300px|thumb|right|"Charge, Daughters of Khaine! For my...uh, I mean, for Khaine's glory!"]]
Unlike some other factions within Age of Sigmar, but very much like others, the Daughters of Khaine are a theocracy. There are many sects of Daughters of Khaine, each worshiping a different aspect of the aelf god of battle and bloodshed. Although the rites and rituals might differ, all the Khainites follow a strict hierarchy in their organisation. They worship Khaine and Morathi is his High Oracle, the one who discerns his will and their overall leader. Though they know about the other gods of Order, they pay no homage to them. Beneath Morathi are the High Priestesses, which include the Slaughter Queens, Hag Queens and Bloodwrack Medusae. They are the keepers of each shrine’s most sacred artefacts, and commanders of the Sisterhood of Blood. The degree of authority held by each of these figures, along with their specific title, varies between the sects, but a single word from Morathi can alter the influence of any other ranking.

Of all the warriors of the temples, the Scáthborn – the Melusai and Khinerai – are closest to Morathi herself, yet they often remain hidden from those outside the cult. The Medusae are made from Aelves converted by Morathi herself; though this is seen as an immense honor Morathi binds them with the most binding of magical oaths, but none among the Khainites would dare question her in this. This is partially due to their forms resulting from daemonic taint which would cause negative sentiment among their allies and the fact that Morathi uses them as something of a secret police. The most public-facing Khainites are the Witch Aelves and Sisters of Slaughter. Their most important shrines are the Cauldrons of Blood, gifts from Khaine himself (at least, what Morathi’s claims each time she gifts one of the great iron cauldrons to the temple of a newly founded Khainite sect). The covenites see it as a sign of their god’s favour that the cauldrons never seem to overflow, no matter how much blood is poured within them following a battle – all assume Khaine himself takes the surplus as an offering.

War covens are the most important organisations to the Daughters of Khaine, their structure laid out by Morathi herself. It is through violence that the Khainites expand their territories, defend their temples and worship their god. Weapons practice and mock duels take up the majority of their daily lives, yet these are not mere military drills, but religious ceremonies, treated with all the gravitas that others might use when reading their most holy of tomes or offering prayers to their god. From their temples in various realms, the Daughters of Khaine scour the Mortal Realms for blood sacrifices. At Morathi's edict, they also search for the shards of their god, scattered across the Realms. They do this for the glory of Khaine and to see him reborn.

[[Just As Planned|But they are nearly all of them deceived]].

Morathi claims to speak for Khaine, and she does wield his unbreakable iron heart, but none know that Morathi’s power is a lie and that Khaine is dead. While their devotions to Khaine could one day lead to his rebirth, Morathi is deliberately preventing that. The reason for this is that she is siphoning the power - either by co-opting it before it reaches the heart or pulling it from Khaine's heart - to reach godhood herself. The prayers that her daughters scream and the ritual offerings they make only serve to enhance her own power, not Khaine’s. Outside Morathi herself, only a handful of the "altered" members of the Daughters of Khaine are aware of this deception, and they, willingly or otherwise, are bound by the most binding of oaths and magic to serve Morathi and keep this secret. Also, the blood surplus poured into the Cauldron's doesn't go to Khaine. It flows back to Hagg Nar through Morathi’s magics, to the Mother of all Cauldrons, the Máthcoir, from which The High Oracle absorbs and repurposes the blood’s energies for her own nefarious gain. Which came to fruition when she used the energies and the Máthcoir in a ritual to merge with Khaine's essence to become the goddess Morathi-Khaine. However, the Máthcoir was broken by the energies of the ritual and Volturnos' actions, and Morathi has secretly been trying to repair it, but has yet to succceed.

==Society==
Their society is brutal, especially given that it's leader is [[Morathi]] and they worship [[Khaine]]. They serve Khaine with fanatical devotion, which is especially problematic considering that Khaine is the god of murder. While the Daughters of Khaine crave bloodshed and murder, they serve alongside the forces of Order – albeit tenuously. Given their tendency towards collateral damage (and rumors of kidnapping innocents and gruesome rituals), they are less respected allies and more tolerated because they're useful. Their views on the other major groups are varied. As builders of cities and civilizations, the Daughters of Khaine are at odds with the forces of Destruction. While it is said that they have an aversion to the Death faction because of a dislike for anything death-related since they nearly went extinct, it's more likely that this due to Morathi's personal grudge against Nagash for striking her and outing her true from to the rest of the pantheon. Despite their distaste for the other two, the one faction they truly hate is Chaos; they could give the Stormcast Eternals a run for their money in hating Chaos, and prosecute their crusades with particular violence against the servants of Slaanesh.

If you're wondering why Morathi is mentioned so often that's deliberate; Morathi keeps as much of a stranglehold on Khainite society as she can. It would be out-of-character for her to do anything less (she kind of a control freak). All Khainites are either warriors that serve in their religious order, or they are leathanam (see below). Temples are found only in some realms; confirmed realms are Ulgu, Azyr and Ghyran. When they are not fighting, the Witch Aelves and Sisters of Slaughter usually participate in ritualized gladiator matches or shady pit fights. They also partake of a form of bladed dancing for the entertainment of others. Despite being a theocratic society, the Daughters of Khaine don't proselytize or win converts; the adherents are themselves the result of a breeding program, choosing their partners in line with the aims and desires of their leaders.

The women outnumber the men here, but this is not the paradise [[/d/|some]] think it would be. "Where are the men? The 'Daughters' have to reproduce somehow", well... remember that leathanam class mentioned earlier? Apart from the Doomfire Warlocks, this class is made up exclusively of '''all''' the males in this faction; disregard menials, worker drones who do the non-fighting stuff that keeps society going in a literal gender-based [[Slavery|slavery]] system (we know what you're thinking. Something, something, feminist fantasy... and we know how [[SJW|certain groups]] would react if the genders were swapped).

Morathi deliberately made only a few male aelves, and then only from the weakest and most broken of souls retrieved from Slaanesh. Even male aelves a Daughter of Khaine gives birth to are literally cursed with weakness as Morathi siphons part of their souls to power the Cauldrons of Blood... and yes, Morathi instituted the rule that the males are slaves. Surprisingly, the women are usually not misandrists or female supremacists; as a society, the Daughters of Khaine respect strength above all else and a lot of the mistreatment of their own males is based on their innate weakness. But on the other hand, their males are weak because Morathi deliberately handicapped and enslaved them, so female supremacy and/or misandry could still be at work. While in theory they worship Khaine, who is male, this is superficial; Khaine is limited to his heart had no actual say over their actions, and with Morathi merging to become the goddess Morathi-Khaine he might be gone for good.

Among the men, the Doomfire Warlocks and male Khainite Shadowstalkers are interesting cases. They're stronger due to their mastery of shadow magic, but receive limited training, and Morathi has them branded with mind-control runes ([[Grimdark|while deceiving them into thinking they're protection against Slaanesh]]). They are treated far better than other leathanam and actually join the females in battle. Despite this, they are still lower status purely because they're male, and are rarely seen by - or acknowledged to - non-Khainites. Their status is somewhere between skilled slave-soliders and auxiliary allies, with only females as true members of the Daughters of Khaine. While they hold ranks among themselves, no man may outrank a woman among the Daughters of Khaine (with possible cognitive dissonance given the god they think they worship is male).

The Daughters of Khaine also a rare example of a Warhammer society whose attitude towards sex is actually fleshed out (ironic, since Slaanesh is their greatest foe), all from the anthology novel ''Covens of Blood''. Contrary to expectations, they're mostly open about it. They can "mingle", are also fine with bisexuality, polyamory and homosexuality plus rank's not an issue. There are a few caveats; it can't interfere with their duties, males can neither proposition nor reject a female on pain of death, and if two women want the same man/men, they bargain or duel each other. Naturally, this gives females near-complete choice over who fathers their children. The women can even fuck outsiders and captives if they choose ([[Grimdark|the captives don't get a choice]]), but affection towards them or having a child with them is considered shameful (the novella also heavily imply human/elf hybrids are possible in Age of Sigmar). Plus, sex is a popular way to celebrate or spend their downtime.

The female aelves tend to dye their hair with blood and, in a throwback to Warhammer Fantasy, have rituals of rebirth keep the covenite sisters youthful in appearance and supple in body. Even among their ranks, there are some who are considered extremists; the Sisters of Slaughters' are members who graft masks of living metal to their faces with boiling blood. While the aelven members are accepted by others, the Melusae and Khinerai are not. When fighting alongside, they are concealed by a glamour so they too appear to be aelves; this could also explain some of their teamkilling tendencies among alliances with other Order factions, as they're keeping the existence of these mutated elves secret. After Morathi's apotheosis, the Melusai and Khinerai have openly appeared, and are touted as proof of Morathi's divinity. With some of them even making a point to approach none khainites or allies in Morathi controlled territory un-glamored, simply to dare them to say anything about their appearance.

However Morathi's apotheosis did not come without its own share of problems. Her now very open showing of her new godhood has caused a crisis of faith among some of her subjects. Some who still blindly support her see her as true Khaine reborn and a bringer of fortune for her people. However many are starting to also wise up to the fact that she seems more intersted in bringing power to herself rather than Khaine. And are beginning to whisper of her as a usurper. Some khainites have even begun actively conspiring against Morathi directly and joining resistance movements against her. This has led to a substantial crisis of faith with the Daughters of Khaine that could have major repercussions down the line.

tl;dr: They're a scheming, ruthless, misandric, theocratic elven matriarchy originating from a dark realm whose ultimate leader sometimes mutates her followers to resemble her. [[Drow|Sound familiar]]? (especially since Morathi successfully became a goddess).

One interesting contrast to the [[drow]], though, is that Morathi actually does have some semblance of a reason for all this, instead of just "dominatrixes + spiders = profit". Since Morathi is a psychopath who has, in her mind, been screwed over by the men in her life multiple times - every Phoenix King, then Malekith, then Tyrion and Teclis - it makes sense she'd hold a grudge and, as part of setting herself up as a creator-goddess, she'd vent that grudge by screwing over the male population. Given that some snakes are capable of parthenogenesis (reproducing without men) and that one of the random effects of [[Ghyran]] magic is spontaneous pregnancy without a partner, it's either to Morathi's credit that she didn't drop males altogether and recreate the dark elves under her reign as asexually reproducing [[amazon]]s... or testament that Morathi's such a misandrist she gave her people a male population just to have men to torture.

==Sects==
The Daughters of Khaine are divided into Sects (previously known as Temples in past lore), in a manner similar to Stormcast Chambers or Sylvaneth Wargroves.

* '''Hagg Nar:''' Hagg Nar lies deep in the Umbral Veil, the darkest region of the Shadowlands. The first and largest of the Daughters of Khaine temples, it was built atop the Hellelux, a geyser of shadow magic that spews shrouding mists. It is home to hundreds of warcovens that are [[Drow|always at each other’s throats for the attention of Morathi, who encourages this “rivalry” as a means of weeding out the weak]].
* '''Draichi Ganeth:''' Draichi Ganeth, which translates as ‘the bladedkillers’, are the Khainite Aelves most commonly seen by other Order factions. Their main temple is found in the northern barrens of Fuarthorn in Ulgu, but their war pilgrimages and lesser shrines can be found across the realms. Every [[Cities of Sigmar|free city]] has seen or is host to a small troupe of the Draichi Ganeth, who look down upon the subterfuge and deception of their sister sects. They are known to the Freeguilds as the Executioners Cult due to their blunt and forward style of combat, as well as their penchant for decapitation.
* '''The Kraith:''' The sect known as the Kraith, also called the Crimson Cult, are true disciples of slaughter, and have earned a reputation as the least compromising of all the Daughters of Khaine. Arrogant and nomadic, they have no true temple home, instead traveling from one war to the next as they believe Khaine’s one and only temple is the blood stained battlefield.
* '''Khailebron:''' This sect has learned well the arts of concealment, stealth and obfuscation. Those who worship at the temples of Khailebron revere the assassin and the unseen killer, and strive to be masters of ambushes and sudden strikes. Where these temples are is known only to Morathi and the Khailebron themselves. Otherwise, they masquerade as wandering performers who showcase an elegant “bladed-dance” for the local populace, while their top killers secretly slit the throats of their targets (including anyone who shows too much disrespect to the dancers).
*'''Khelt Nar:''' Khelt Nar has become the fastest growing of the sects established by Morathi. It began as Ironshard, a single Khainite shrine founded by the High Oracle atop a flat-topped mountain of iron known as the Rothtor. Since then it has expanded to other Realms, including a stronghold in Ghyran, and have been tasked by the High Priestess with clearing out the rampant [[Orruk Warclans|Bonesplitterz]] that plague their territories. Khelt Nar is best known for being composed of deliciously brown dark aelves.
*'''Zainthar Kai''': This reserved sect was born in the Age of Chaos when Morathi (desperate to get a leg up on the Ruinous Powers) decided to infuse a new brood of Scáthborn with three drops of Khaine’s blood. The result is a temple of veritable demi-gods who can call upon the god of murder’s strength in haze of battle, becoming the Shadow Queen’s go-to temple for making her more despised enemies disappear. The temple is mostly led by/comprised of Scáthborn, but there are contingents of Witch Aelves who function as (disposable) work horses (also maybe getting a little taste of what they put the Lethanamn through).

==Soulbound==
In [[Age of Sigmar Roleplay]], it's established that Daughters of Khaine are selected to become Soulbound when Morathi decides that a potentially stray from the ranks of her faithful is too dangerous or too useful to just dispose of outright. Soulbound Daughters are selected from the overly ambitious, those who secretly yearned for freedom, and even those who had begun to doubt Khaine's divinity, basically serving as a way to remove potential threats to Morathi's control over the faction. Despite their origins, though, Morathi often goes out of her way to maintain a good relationship with "her" Soulbound (in fact, the Binding actually servers the magical restrains that Morathi uses to control the Daughters as a whole), because, whatever else they may be to her, they are both useful as powerful yet neutral arbiters and as ambassadors of her "good intentions" to the other powers of Order. Of course, these allegiances may well have been severed due to her actions during the [[Broken Realms Saga]].

Normal Daughters of Khaine are unsure of how to regard their Soulbound "sisters", since they are simultaneously very dangerous, but not rivals due to being forever outside the hierarchy of the temples, apparently favored by the High Oracle but yet also deeply connected to and regularly traveling alongside "outsiders" who shouldn't be privy to the secrets of Khaine's temples. They tend to default to "respectful suspicion" when interacting with Soulbound Daughters.

The ''Champions of Order'' splatbook opens the following temples for a Daughters of Khaine hero to hail from:
*'''Hagg Nar:''' The capital of Morathi's bloody empire. It is a massive temple-nation that serves as pilgrimage destination for all sisters and home to a staggering number of war-covens who wage war in the name of their bloody god. Heroes from Hagg Nar add their training in both Devotion and Reflexes when determining their defenses. Whenever they make a Death test, they also add a number of dice equal to their training in Devotion.
*'''Draichi Ganeth:''' Perhaps the best-known of the temples, though not for any good reason. They are religiously devoted to the act of killing with a single stroke, and revel in their showmanship with the blade. Tact and stealth are foul words to them and disdainful. Heroes of Draichi Ganeth kill their non-minion enemies in spectacularly gory ways with piercing or slashing weapons. Once per combat, this can take the form of improving their Defense by one step.
*'''The Kraith:''' While others house temples of worship, the daughters of this temple believe that the only altar they should have is the battlefield. They scorn any other aspect that draws attention away from murder and thus disdain any other temple. Because of the grisly nature of their battle and rituals, there are few that can even stomach their presence. Heroes from the Kraith start with a dose of the Venom of Negendra, a poison made legendary a hero of their cult. Once per turn when they kill a non-minion enemy, they regain 1 point of Mettle.
*'''Khailebron:''' Where most daughters would balk at sucking up to the other forces of order, the Khailebron serve a double life as a troupe of blade-dancers and entertainers. Their true purpose is to act as shadowy assassins and spies for Morathi. Because of this, they are rarely in the spotlight and often even scorn those who showboat. Heroes from Khailebron add their training in Entertain when making Body (Stealth) checks and when determining Melee. In addition, the Spellcasting (Grey) talent is available to all archetypes.
*'''Khelt Nar:''' The reputation of this temple has often been hotly contested. They have been besieged several times by Chaos, but have fought back these invasions. They hold the secrets to forging weapons out of special shadow-metal and jealously guard their secrets from envious foes. They seek Morathi's sole favor, but this often puts them at odds with other temples, including Hagg Nar. Heroes from Khelt Nar start play with a magical dagger made of this special shadow-metal, and those harmed by it must make a Mind (Determination) check or else be stunned.
*'''Har Kuron:''' Only available if the game's set at a point in time after Broken Realms: Morathi, and for obvious reason. After all, this was what befell Anvilgard after Morathi (now ascended to godhood) decided to steal it from the clutches of Sigmar and burned any pretense of friendship with the forces of Order. Heroes from Har Kuron can murder enemies to inspire their foes. When they slay a non-minion enemy, they can spend a point of mettle to force their allies to snap out of the charmed or frightened conditions and improve their Melee by one step until your next turn.

The Daughters of Khaine have the fewest dedicated Archetypes in the Age of Sigmar Roleplay corebook, with only the '''Hag Priestess''' and the '''Witch Aelf''' open to them. The ''Champions of Order'' splatbook opens Khainite Shadowstalker archetype.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Medusae Shrine.jpg|<s>Boobflash</s> Bloodwrack Shrine in all its glory.
File:Temples of Khaine.jpg
File:Daughters of Khaine Slaughter.jpg
File:Daughters-of-khaine-4.jpg|Dark Elves, now with 50% more [[Snek|Sneks]].
File:I might you never know.jpg
File:Drkelf.png|A typical Khelt Nar aelf.
</gallery>

{{Template:Playable Factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar}}

[[Category:Age of Sigmar]]
[[Category:Dark Elves]]

Ossiarch Bonereapers

2021-10-11T16:36:51Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Famous Legions */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Ossiarch Bonereapers|Logo=Immortis-WC2.jpg|Alliance=Death|Motto=The Skeleton War is upon us! We ride against the [[Stormcast Eternals|fuckboys]]!}}

{{topquote|Two can play at that game!|Likely Nagash after learning how Sigmar makes Stormcast}}
{{topquote|Debt, an ingenious substitute for the chain and whip of the slavedriver.|Ambrose Bierce}}
{{topquote|The bones of the skeleton which support the body can become the bars of the cage which imprison the spirit.|J. Ruth Gendler}}

The latest addition to [[Nagash]]’s ever growing hordes (designed and sculpted by [[Maxime Corbeil]], a former dentist), the '''Ossiarch Bonereapers'''
(Also known as '''The Boney Boys''', '''Bonecast''', '''Tomb Kings 2.0''', '''Bonechads''', '''Nagash's Taxmen''', '''The Boney Bean Counters''', '''Ossiarch Bean Counters''' or '''The IRS''') are the result of an eons old plan by Big Bone Daddy.

Likely inspired by the [[Stormcast Eternals]], the Bonereapers are not mere skeletons given life by necromancy, but massive constructs of bone and countless warrior souls, making them all look impressively robust for undead. Since the Soulblight Gravelords are the mainstay, the Nighthaunt are the shock troops and the Flesh-Eater Courts are completely insane, these buff bone bruisers are the elite vanguard of the Grand Alliance. Given their themes of bones, undead constructs, priest characters, architect characters and skull-throwing catapults... they're currently the closest thing we've got to [[Tomb Kings]] in AoS.

They also carry out the Bone Tithe; in addition to going out and killing shit to get their bones, the Ossiarchs give settlements they encounter a contract: Give up a set amount of bones whenever we stroll by, or face annihilation now. Understandably, most choose the former. Being unable to pay or even being rude to them also provokes a slaughter.

Visually-speaking, they're what happens when Games Workshop decides to mix [[Tyranids]], [[Tomb Kings]], and [[Necrons]] into one army.

However, widespread dissatisfaction against them due to Petrifex list spamming in first edition tournaments, how they aren't GW darlings like [[Space Marines|everyone with]] [[Stormcast Eternals|pauldrons]] and GW's desire to shill the Lumineth are probably part of the reason the Bonereapers were worfed '''hard''' in the Broken Realms saga. Seriously, the amount of clout they lose in just one book is unthinkable (read "Broken Realms" below for more). This shows a possible chain of Worfing going on in AoS ("worfing" is having a supposedly powerful fighter be easily defeated to show how strong their opponent is - named after Worf from Star Trek, who was often on the receiving end). First the Stormcast worfed the Warriors of Chaos/Slaves to Darkness, then both were worfed by the Bonereapers, and then the Bonereapers were worfed by the Lumineth. Now it remains to be seen if the Bonereapers will get payback, restore those they lost... or at least we can wonder who will worf the Lumineth in future.

==History==
===Age of Myth===
[[File:Slaves to Darkness vs Ossiarch Bonereapers 01.jpg|right|300px|thumb|SKULLS FOR <s>THE SKULL THRONE</s> Nagash! And all the other bones too!]]
When Nagash was helping Sigmar build his cities he secretly began experimenting on undead, combining their bones and souls into newer, stronger undead warriors; the [[Morghasts/Hammurai|Morghasts]] and the first Bonereapers. Most were put into massive underground crypts Nagash secretly built beneath the cities of Order, but others were kept on the surface and brought into battle alongside the armies of the other gods.

The other gods saw the Bonereapers and really didn't like them because of how unnatural they were, even for undead. In response, Nagash sent these Bonereapers to the edge of Shyish to lay low until he called on them (these Bonereapers who would go on to form the Null Myriad). He also sent at least twenty of them to wander the Realms on a long-forgotten mission (these would go on to become the Petrifex Elite).

Strangely, none of the Order groups noticed until however long its been since the start of the Age of Myth that there were crypts full of undead warriors beneath their cities. Especially since they know about and need to defend against [[Skaven|enemies who specialize in creating massive complexes beneath your cities that they then invade from]] or ones who are just [[Gloomspite Gitz|well-versed in tunnel warfare]].

===Age of Chaos===
The Age of Chaos only affected the Bonereapers garrisoned at the edge of Shyish. By that time they had become resistant to magic, and they fought against demonic armies, their actions blunting the assault of Chaos on Shyish. During this time, Katakros led an army against Sigmar himself on Nagash's orders while the former was pursuing the latter for his betrayal. The battle resulted in the loss of Katakros' army, the Mortarch's defeat and subsequent confinement to a Stormvault.

===Age of Sigmar===
In the lead-up to the Soul Wars, Katakros was freed from the Stormvault by fellow Mortarch, Lady Olynder. The Bonereapers on the edge of Shyish acted as a military force protecting the skeletal work crews who carried grains of Shyishan realmstone to Nagashizzar for Nagash to use to build the Black Pyramid.

===Soul Wars===
After the Necroquake, Nagash decided the time was right to wake up everyone beneath these cities, who apparently marched back home, making them relatively pointless. In that respect, these tombs seemed to mirror the Stormvaults Sigmar had strewn about the Realms to contain various dangerous contraband like [[Katakros|said Mortarch]].

When the Bonereaper legions arrived in Shyish, Nagash got back to his pet-project of making super-skellies, and perfected the process. This involves taking souls and distilling them down to their most choice elements. This involves ripping apart their identity and keeping parts considered useful (such as skills, daring and knowledge) while discarding the parts that aren't useful (such as fear, compassion and loyalty to anything but Nagash) and replacing those parts with something "better" (like loyalty to Nagash), with the strongest-willed soul among them becoming the identity of the new Bonereaper. Then these fragmented and melded souls are put into specially crafted bone constructs. By doing so, he artificially created individuals who were warriors, leaders, bodyguards, artisans, architects, philosophers and sculptors all in one, [[Adeptus Custodes|which sounds a little familiar.]]

The Bonereapers subsequently had a meteoric rise, making their mark - and several enemies - across the realms. After establishing their powerbase in Shyish, the Ironjawz Warclan the Kryptboyz have focused their efforts on fighting the Bonereapers due to wanting to destroy their settlements and wear their bones as trophies. In Chamon, the Null Myriad encountered the Seraphon of the Thunder Lizard Constellation and got embroiled in wars for control of the realm's edge. The Ivory Host legion gained a foothold in Ghur, Katakros' realm of origin, and in building their cities they've positioned themselves for conflict with several Mawtribes and the free city of Excelsis. The Ivory Host also clashed with an [[Sons of Behemat|infamous Mega-Gargant who went on to become the mercenary known as One-Eyed Grunnock]].

This was followed by the Bonereapers most notable conflict; the War for the Eightpoints. Katakros led the Mortis Praetorians and detachments from other Legions into the Eightpoints alongside Olynder and a Nighthaunt army to take the Eightpoints for Nagash, the first invvasion of the realm since it had been captured by Chaos. They succeeded in capturing and fortifying the realmgate leading to Shyish, and established a fortified citadel around it as a base of operations. However, Katakros' campaign was halted by the sudden return of Archaon and a force of Varanguard plus a daemon army led by Be'lakor. Bolstered by the mortal and daemonic hosts, the Chaos armies routed Katakros' Nighthaunt allies and forced the Bonereapers to enact a tactical retreat, with Archaon personally slaying him after a lengthy duel. Katakros' soul returned to his stronghold, albeit wounded, and after Katakros' restoration in a new body, the conflict became a stalemate and a war of attrition.

===Broken Realms===
When Morathi entered the Eightpoints in her plan to secure Varanite, she secretly sent an envoy to Katakros, giving him several tonnes of bones infused with the magic of Ulgu in exchange for a Bonereaper attack on Archaon's holdings to distract the forces of Chaos. Knowing the forces of order will take losses in their unknown (to Katakros and the Stormcast) endeavor, Katakros accepted the bargain.

Book two saw some particularly grueling setbacks for the Bonereapers. Not content with making the entire Death faction a bunch of jobbers for the Lumineth, the Bonereapers got worfed like a 40k Avatar of [[Khaine]] fighting Ultramarines, so bad it's as if the author had some bad experiences playing against them on the tabletop.

Teclis confronted Nagash after repelling a Nighthaunt attack on Settler's Gain, and unsuccessfully tried to threaten him into backing down. Then Teclis enacted a master plan seeking to end the Soul Wars and make Nagash pay for the Necroquake. To start, he personally led a Lumineth army riding [[What|flying mountains]] on an invasion of Shyish to destroy three monuments in a symbolic victory to show people the Bonereapers weren't unbeatable. Despite fierce resistance, and a waring from Vokmortion, the Lumineth were able to match the Bonereapers in battle before destroying the monuments and <s>fleeing</s> going back to Hysh.

The Bonereapers replenished their losses with the dead of both sides and sought revenge. While undead armies led by Neferata and Mannfred invaded Chamon and Ghyran respectively, a Null Myriad army led by Arkhan himself invaded Hysh and press-ganged the local Mordant Courts to help <s>give the Lumineth a right proper boning</s> conquer Ymetrica by turning a realmgate in Hysh into a mini-Shyish Nadir. But a Lumineth army repelled Arkhan's first attempt, forcing him to flee and try again with a second realmgate on the edge of Hysh. Not only was this second attempt thwarted by a Lumineth army led by a vengeful Eltharion, the Bonereapers were wiped out, with Arkhan himself punted off the edge of Hysh by the Light of Eltharion and disappearing. The Lumineth burned their dead to limit the Ossiarch’s recruitment, forcing them to harvest the bones of their ghoul allies, causing more trouble as the Flesh-Eater Courts fought back.

Then Nagash personally arrived in Hysh to finish what Arkhan started and kill Avalenor in revenge, but was forced to do battle against Teclis, with each god’s respective army doing battle beneath their feet. Though both gods were roughly equal in magical might, Nagash proved to be a superior combatant and marked Teclis with his blade and death magic. But Teclis got the last laugh due to some unexpected allies in Alarielle and several Luminarks, culminating in the destruction of Nagash's nine books, Nagash himself having his body broken and his soul imprisoned in Nagashizzar and Teclis personally undoing the Necroquake.

With Nagash imprisoned (for the time being), Arkhan deader than ever before if not gone for good, and the other forces of death more fractious and likely to carve their own trails of carnage, the Ossiarch are the only active remnant of their master’s will. There is also a looming Slaaneshi invasion on the horizon, as the reborn [[Sigvald]] seeks to avenge his Shadeglass imprisonment by destroying Nagash's beloved pet project.

=== Age of Beasts/ The Dawnbringer Crusades ===
Katakros is fixated on his campaign in the Eightpoints, but still keeping tabs on what's happened elsewhere, calling out Neferata's power play when she criticized Olynder working with Be'lakor. Katakros himself didn't criticize Olynder's actions because they hurt Sigmar's plan, with Neferata accusing Katakros of still being salty over his first loss to Sigmar. Also, Mannfred expresses his thoughts that Arkhan will return, but not for awhile.

Meanwhile, Nagash has been slowly regaining his power and awareness and already begun working on his vengeance. He's got some sort of link to Teclis, even interrupting Teclis' meditation to promise reprisals.

==Society==
[[File:Ossiarch Bonereapers Society.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Adds a whole new meaning to the phrase "pyramid scheme".]]
All Ossiarch Bonereapers are built for a specific purpose and assigned a role based on the souls from which they’re formed. This is codified through a caste system, with Nagash at the top, then Mortarchs Katakros and Arhkan, then the highest ranking Ossiarchs underneath and various ranks beneath that. The Bonereaper caste system has a cartouche representing each caste (though Nagash's is just to symbolize him). While there is a Mortarch cartouche, only Katakros wears it because Arkhan predates the Bonereaper system (and everyone but Nagash) by several eons, and despite their alliance he's too proud to wear Katakros' symbol. While they're all obedient to Nagash and fearless, the Bonereapers used in battle are sapient and the characters at least have enough individuality to have names and some personality, though they tend to be work-oriented and elitist. Having said that, Nagash and necromancy isn't infallible, so the process doesn't excise all personality traits Nagash opposes, so they are still capable of doubt and camaraderie which can make them question, regret or even challenge their orders.

While many Ossiarch Bonereapers are warriors, there are castes of groups such as crafters and preachers. There is movement between castes, but only downwards, and as a punishment for failure. A Liege Kavalos who fails in their mission, for example, may be remade as a Kavalos Deathrider. If the offense was major, they might get remade as a steed. The lowest caste are the exiles collectively referred to as Parrha, consisting of the worst offenders who get broken and remade into warped skeletal aberrations incapable of fighting and the Bonereapers value them less than the Imperial Guard values the life of its rank and file soldiers (for the uninitiated, that's really saying something).

The Ossiarch Bonereapers can be found all across the Mortal Realms, aiming to conquer everything from Azyr to the Eightpoints. At present, the majority of the Ossiarch Bonereapers are concentrated in Shyish, inhabiting the nations that surround the Shyish Nadir. This allows them easy access to a vast source of magical power and establishes them as a permanent garrison around this most valuable of territories. Apart from Shyish, the largest concentrations of Bonereapers are in Ghur and Chamon.

The Ossiarch Bonereapers build according to principles laid down in the Principia Necrotopia, a set of guidelines that ensure optimal construction:

In the first stages of colonizing a new region, the Ossiarchs will establish tithing sites. Presumably, this involves mapping out surrounding settlements and segments of the region into their own tributaries, with each section's inhabitants made to sign a contract to begin paying the Tithe. They contruct shrines known as Bone-Tithe Nexus, which act as locations for vassals to dump their bones and are enchanted to give out powerful curses to ward off any scavengers seeking to steal from it.

Next, they will fortify key territories with small fortifications, following up with a number of Mortisan workshops to fuel the next stage of their expansion. These small holdings will eventually develop into vast and imposing fortresses, growing ever upward as the Bonereapers’ numbers grow. These are not just barracks, but places of culture for the Ossiarchs.

Ossiarch scholars will endlessly study scrolls in charnel libraries, recording the details of cultures in the Mortal Realms they have subjugated and those they seek to subjugate. These vast citadel-states eventually resemble Nagashizzar itself.

===The Bone Tithe===
[[File:Bone tithe.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Put your spines into it. Literally!]]
The Bone Tithe is instrumental to their society and Nagash's way of setting himself up as mob boss of the realms. Upon arriving in an area, the Ossiarchs send out scouts to get the lay of the land. When they find a settlement they want tribute from, a representative - in practice usually a Mortisan - approaches and makes them an offer they can't refuse; give "x" by the deadline at regular intervals, or we kill you all now and take what we want. To communicate, the Bonereapers draw on prior research for the local language; it doesn't matter if the vernacular's out of date by a few centuries or so, as long as they can be understood. If that doesn't work, the Bonereapers use other means, including killing a local and using their spirit as a translator if all else fails. If the locals refuse, attack them or are rude enough, [[Grimdark|the Bonereapers make good on their threat, slaughtering everything in the settlement that has bones, right down to the last child and stray animal]]. If they are feeling "nice", the Bonereapers might only kill the dissenters or leave a fraction of the people alive, but with even more bones required from them.

When demanding the Bone Tithe, what/who the bones come from and the required amount depends on the situation and Bonereaper legion. Human bone is the most widely used, with ogor bones a close second; duardin bones are liked for their durability but aren't common enough, aelf bones are slightly more common but don't replenish fast enough and greenskin bones are very common but coarse, porous and prone to spontaneous fungal growth unless treated properly. While animal bones are also used - such as for Kavalos steeds or Gothizzar Harvesters - that's not always the case and it depends on the animal (Rhinoxen and Bleaklake crocodiles are popular choices). How the bones are acquired is irrelevant, the most common options ranging from emptying the local cemetery to [[Grimdark|having everyone eligible give a limb or holding a lottery where those chosen are killed and the bones taken from their corpses]].

The Bonereapers (though inbuilt or learned ability, it's not clear) CAN tell the difference between what race or species a specific bone comes from, so trying to cheat them with different kinds of bone doesn't work. They also respond to trickery the same way they respond to failure or refusal - immediate slaughter (as a human town learned to their cost when they tried to trick the Bonereapers by mixing pig bones in with human bones). Even other Death factions aren't exempt from the Bone Tithe, as the Bonereapers' laws consider their charge from Nagash to supersede any commonalities with his other followers (callous elitism isn't good for alliances, reflected in the rules by the Bonereapers not being able to take allies outside Drogg Fort-Kicka).

Sometimes things are even worse than the above. A particularly war-horny leader, most often from the Stalliarch Lords (more on them below), will give nigh-impossible demands to increase the chance of failure. What kinds of demands? How about asking a city's population for detailed records on everyone's family lineage going back to the founders and the condition of every bone in the city ''including bones still inside the living inhabitants''. Or maybe they ask for just one ton of bones ''every day'' (for extra lulz, the offer is made at night and has to be completed the next day). They might instead, or also, [[That Guy|arrive early to extract the Tithe just to get a good slaughter out of it]]. However it ends, the bones of the Ossiarch's victims are sorted through, the good bones taken for future use the sub-par ones discarded (same with their victims souls). Strips of skin and flesh from these unfortunates are hung from the Bonereapers' spears as a warning to anyone who considers not paying the Tithe.

Ultimately, they have a term related to the Bone Tithe called the “Terminus Concept”. This refers to the point where a society can't provide enough bones so they get slaughtered and their bones are taken. For the truth is that the Bone Tithe is ultimately unsustainable for the payers, and the Bonereapers know it. This all proves that, while Nagash is a pragmatic sort of fellow, he'll always find a way to be a <s>boner</s> [[Eldrad|huge skeletal dick]] about it.

==Forces==
[[File:Bonereaper army.jpg|right|500px|thumb|'''Angry Dooting Intensifies''']]
*'''Mortek Guard:''' Rank and file infantry of the Bonereapers. Well armored and shielded, they have the choice of swords or spears and optional greatswords as weapons. Their primary role is to create massive shield walls to protect their leaders.
*'''Morghast Harbingers and Archai:''' You know em, you love em. Nagash's original sculpted bone construct based on not-angels from the World-That-Was now served as prototypes to the current regime of spoopy skeltals. Flying blenders armed with either halberds (take these) or twin swords (dont take these). Harbingers are your chargey bois, while the Archai are bodyguard bois.
*'''Necropolis Stalkers:''' Four-armed skeletal constructs the size of Kurnoth Hunters with four faces, each one has the soul of four warriors, and switches between which one is dominant, altering their fighting style accordingly. Their name's ripped from the Necropolis Knights and the Tomb Stalkers.
*'''Immortis Guard:''' Four-armed <s>Grave Guard</s> <s>Tomb Guard</s> elite skellingtons armed with a halberd in one set of hands and a shield in the other. Like the Morghasts, Immortis are the bodyguard bois to the Stalkers' chargey bois.
*'''Kavalos Deathriders:''' Bony heavy cavalry rivalling Blood Knights for the position of "best undead cavalry", each one has the soul of dozens of warriors to draw on their knowledge and is proportionately arrogant. They have undead birds roosting on their banner poles that act as spies and messenger birds. For added creep factor, these guys normally walk at a slow and ominous trot, only sprinting when going into a headlong charge and don't bother to clean themselves while hunting a target.
*'''Mortek Crawler:''' Screaming Skull Catapult 2.0 with an obligatory patent-friendly rename. In addition to flaming skulls, it can also hurl a cauldron of Death Magic that works based on bravery or a cursed stone that gets more powerful the more damage the Crawler takes. It's also powered by a bone-made hamster wheel and multiple legs.
*'''Gothizzar Harvester:''' A big monster construct with weapon hands and half a skeleton for a codpiece that helps harvest bones. The Harvester uses them to make new constructs on the fly or repair damaged ones. Their weapon arms come with either enchanted maces or scything blades for hands.
*'''Mortisan Soulreaper:''' Your offensive caster for the Bonereapers with a scythe that doesn't like hordes.
*'''Mortisan Boneshaper:''' The healers/builders of the Bonereapers. Formed from the souls of artists, they’re in charge of building the extravagant bone cities and other architecture of the legions. They all possess a friendly rivalry with each other that pushes them to one up another’s artwork.
*'''Mortisan Soulmason:''' Miniature Arkhans with four arms who are in charge of hunting and fusing souls for their various constructs. They ride into battle on bony [[Fyodor Karamazov|thrones with chicken legs]].
*'''Liege-Kavalos''': Field generals with skeleton mounts placed in charge of leading the Bonereaper armies. They are forged as a cruel mockery of Sigmar’s Lord-Celestant on Dracoth.

===Famous Legions===
*'''Mortis Praetorians''': The 10,000 strong personal army of Katakros, created out of the souls of those he personally knew in life. They have gained a fearsome reputation for their tactical acumen, especially in Shyish. [[Ultramarines|The poster boys who are a jack-of-all-trades, big on tactics and led by an ancient leader who was the basis for future generations]]. They also have the only two Bonereapers with a single original soul; Katakros himself and Zandtos. Whenever one dies, a new one is immediately made and travels to go where needed, [[Derp|even alone if only one new Bonereapers is needed]].
* '''Petrifex Elite''': Made up of nomadic armies crafted from prehistoric fossilized bones, they are known for being slow-moving and a near impenetrable wall of bone. While fossilized bone tends to be fragile, the Petrifex Elite enchant them to be tough and also include already supernaturally tough bones among them (ie; the bones of godbeasts). Led by Mortisans, [[Necrons|they only exist to slay and find ancient bones to build more of themselves and make themselves even deadlier]]. They have forgotten why Nagash wants them to do this, and their leaders eschew personal identity to the point of using titles instead of names, as mandated by their leader and most senior Mortisan, the Grand Necromystic.
* '''Null Myriad''': The first Ossiarch Bonereapers made during Nagash's experiments in the Age of Myth. The Null Myriad were later refined and bolstered using the bones and souls of the countless dead who helped construct Nagash’s Black Pyramid and the best of Arkhan's Black Disciples. They are a solemn yet prideful lot with high resilience to magic and were given to Arkhan to be his personal legion; they're so loyal to Arkhan that they defer to him even over Katakros himself. Their resistance to magic extends to the power of Chaos, so they're used to inhabit the most inhospitable parts of the realms. Recently Arkhan made an alliance with Katakros, and the Null Myriad's job is to secure magic-heavy locations in the realms so Katakros can control the sources of their magic. The Null Myriad forces in Chamon have come into conflict with the Seraphon of the Thunder Lizards Constellation who also dwell there.
*'''Ivory Host''': Outwardly, they appear as honorable warriors, but hidden away in their bodies is a monstrous frenzy that turns them into clawing slavering beasts. Fitting considering they are constructed from beast and monster bones. Tasked by Nagash to conquer Ghur, they overcompensate for their bestial anger by being meticulously clean and making everything of theirs as much of a work of art as possible. Also known for [[Tomb Kings|being the only Ossiarchs who build ships, use the color gold regularly in their attire and are led by a monarch]]. Currently they’ve claimed the realmgate of Greedmouth and established the Ivory Citadel in the southwestern corner of the Ghurish Heartlands, putting them awfully close to numerous [[Ogor Mawtribes]] and the [[Cities of Sigmar|free city]] of Excelsis.
*'''Stalliarch Lords''': A cavalry centric force who are [[Creed|skillful tacticians]] and like to make impossible demands so they have an excuse to raze cities and slaughter people (on the rare occasion that someone meets their outrageous demands they keep their word... but remember the Terminus Concept). They take the freshest remains whenever possible to maximize how much they're infused with essence of the slain, which gives them more speed and vitality than other Bonereaper Legions and often a blood-slicked appearance. Basically [[That Guy]] as a cavalry-loving undead legion.
*'''Crematorians''': These Bonereapers are burning with an internal fire to the point where some of them literally explode when killed. Some of them have recently realized that they don't really have a purpose other than to fight and explode, and aren't too happy about that. In fact, their leaders [[Noblebright|have made pacts of friendship to repair each other if any of them are destroyed and the chief Liege-Kavalos scours the libraries of everyone they encounter in the hopes of finding a way to undo their fiery curse, and is implied to be on the verge of a breakthrough]].

==Significant Skeletons==
* '''[[Katakros|Orpheon Katakros]], [[Mortarch]] of the Necropolis''': In life he was the greatest strategic genius in all the Mortal Realms, and undeath has done nothing to dull his mastery of military tactics. He's been given a new body of enscrolled bone by Nagash himself which looks like a [[Jojo's Bizarre Adventure|JoJo stand]] rather than a skeleton. He goes into battle surrounded by various attendants; the Liege-Immortis, the Aviarch Spymaster, the Gnosis Scrollbearer, and the Prime Necrophoros.
*'''[[Arch-Kavalos Zandtos]]''': A Liege-Kavalos and Katakros’ most trusted lieutenant. In life he was a refined, death-obsessed assassin who considered killing a sacred act that should be as clean as possible. In undeath, he gradually became a death-purist who wishes to “cleanse” Shyish of anything still living.
*'''Vokmortian, Master of the Bone-tithe''': The grim tallyman in charge of recording/judging the Tithe. He carries the severed heads of those foolish enough to refuse to pay the Tithe and has a coffin on his back, making him look like a giant beetle. Though officially he’s under Katakros and Arkhan in the OBR hierarchy, he’ll only receive/carry out orders from Big Bone Daddy himself...which might be a bit difficult now that Nagash was sealed away by Teclis.
*'''[[Arkhan the Black]]''': Yeah, he's part of the army despite technically being just an "average" liche as opposed to a bone golem thing. Likely because apart from Nagash, he's the most privy to understanding how they are made without being one. While he has his own private legion in the Null Myriad, his authority is recognized by all the Ossiarch legions. He was recently thrown off the edge of Hysh by the Light of Eltharion, with him and his Dread Abyssal disappearing in a burst of light magic. While it's unlikely that Arkhan is gone for good, he's deader than ever before.
*'''Xaramos''': A Mortisan Boneshaper of the Mortis Praetorians, skilled in both diplomacy and keeping the legion operating at full efficiency. He assisted Arkhan in his counter invasion of Ymetrica in Hysh, where he put his diplomatic skills to use in acquiring the assistance of the [[Flesh-Eater Courts|Vertigon Court]] to defeat the Lumineth aelves and formed an unexpected friendship with the Ghoul King Varshorn. When relations turned sour over the Bone Tithe, the personal forces of Xaramos and Varshorn battled amidst the gore-caked caverns of the Starfang Mont in a conflict later the Charnel War, with hints that Xaramos regretted fighting Vashorn. Xaramos died permanently in the last battle, personally decapitated by Vashorn.

==Spooky Melodies for your Bony Boys==

*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DsZivjop_s Spooky Scary Skeletons! a remix for a revamp]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKHAX1K4sKQ The Dead March returns for AoS!]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5n5qo8b1pA March for the Tithe!]

==Trivia==
* The architecture of the Ossiarch Bonereapers was likely inspired by the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedlec_Ossuary Sedlec Ossuary] in the Czech Republic. The Sedlec Ossuary is a Roman Catholic church where the bones of thousands of people have been artistically arranged to form the decorations and the furnishings of the chapel (it's also called "the Bone Church"). This was done several centuries ago for creative interment reasons with many dead and not enough space to bury them on holy ground.
* On a comical note, "Kavalos", the name for Bonereaper cavalry, translates to "crotch" in Greek (the Greek word is "kaválos"). Makes more sense when you think of [[Katakros]]' defining trait lookswise, and how his name even sounds like the Greek word.

==Soulbound==
The [[Age of Sigmar Roleplay]] supplement Champions of Death would naturally introduce the Ossiarch Bonereapers as a playable race, though like their gold-plated counterparts they aren't so much Soulbound as much as they are outsiders made to join a Binding for some other agenda. For those bound to Nagash, the purpose is obvious enough: The Ossiarchs are the ultimate form of his perfect future and are (almost) unquestionably loyal, sometimes even researching the uses of Soulfire in order to perfect the process of making more of their own. Those who join an Order Binding find themselves in one of two camps: Either as allies of desperation for a common goal or as a haven to escape from their place as an outcast in the rigid society of the Ossiarch legions that would see them recycled due to either defects or defiance.

You can have your Ossiarch hail from the following Legions:
*'''Mortis Praetorians:''' The Legion of Orpheon Katakros himself, formed from the souls of his greatest soldiers and generals in life. They are the most determined of the legions, willing to use the bones of both friend and foe alike in order to bolster their ranks. That said, the demand for reinforcements are so frequent that there are those bodies that are made incomplete, subject to the whispers of waylaid spirits before being completely formed. Whenever Katakros sees interest in a Binding, he will often send a member of his Praetorians to accompany them and enforce order. Heroes from the Mortis Praetorians can spend an action to test Intuition against an opponent's Guile, allowing them to predict an enemy's move. In addition, all archetypes gain the Tactician talent.
*'''Ivory Host:''' A legion sent to conquer Ghur, famous for slaying mighty monsters. While they obviously show scorn towards the primitive and weak cultures of the mortal here, the influence of the realm is very obvious from the frequent use of amber and animal bones in order to complete their tithe to the clearly caged savagery they unleash in the heat of battle. Heroes from the Ivory Host deal extra damage for each point of damage they suffer. In addition, all archetypes gain the Battle Rage talent.
*'''Stalliarch Lords:''' A prideful band often formed from fresh bone and meat, the Ossiarchs of this legion are capable of some form of honor...just not in any way normal folk would understand. Often have they given near-impossible tasks for mortals to accomplish, either so they could claim their tithe or to see if the challenger can accomplish some greater goal worth the interest. That said, that latter part is often only carried out for amusement rather than any genuine respect. Heroes from the Stalliarch Lords can challenge an enemy, forcing the difficulty of all attacks to reach a high difficulty but making any hits against you deal double damage.
*'''Petrifex Elite:''' A legion of nomadic bonecast, formed from the remains of ancient civilizations and forgotten graves. This legion views the binding with particular interest, seeing the parallels in becoming a whole greater than the sum of it parts and their own process of erasing all identity and originality - sometimes an Ossiarch might even have the remains of a former Soulbound in their body. Heroes from the Petrifex Elite are better armored than other Bonereapers, but they can't improve their bony armor in any way and can only use a certain downtime activity to repair it. In additionally, they can double their training for either navigating ancient ruins or recalling ancient history.
*'''Null Myriad:''' Nagash's original legion, sent to keep watch on the realm's edges until the Necroquake forced them to return and be reinforced using fragments of the Black Pyramid so they could better resist magic. As outsiders among the Ossiarchs, they are the most-versed in dealing with threats from beyond the edges of a realm and their special properties allow them to protect the very nature of the Binding. Heroes from the Null Myriad can spell Mettle to ignore the effects of a spell and double their training when dealing with exploring, navigating or withstanding the edges of the realms.
*'''Crematorians:''' Ignited by the fires of the Shyish Nadier, the life of a Bonereaper here will often be short as the flames slowly consume their bony shells. This nature has led to many among their ranks questioning the wisdom of the skelepope's plans to make an army that can burn out, though they often cover it up with other purposes - such as studying the benefits of Soulfire and how it can sustain their bodies. Heroes from the Crematorians are constantly ablaze, letting them suffer a wound to restore Mettle. When they die, they explode and make the area where they stood a burning waste.

The Ossiarch Bonereapers have access to the '''Immortis Guard''', '''Kavalos Deathrider''', '''Morghast''', '''Mortisan''', or '''Necropolis Stalker''' archetypes

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Bonereaper vs Kharadron.jpg|Sky Pirates vs Bone Golems.
File:Cavalry-bonereapers.jpg|As if Blood Knights weren't bad enough, Bone Daddy brings out Kavalos Deathriders too.
File:Gothizzar Harvester.jpg|"Oh those bones, oh those bones, oh those skeleton bones. Oh mercy how they scare! With the toe bone connected to the foot bone..."
File:Bonereaper city.jpg|Welcome to Necrotopia. Please remember to remove all skin and flesh before you reach customs.
File:Skeleton sales pitch (comic by Baalbuddy).png|An alternate way to collect the Bone-Tithe.
</gallery>

==See Also==

*[[Nagash]], their jerk of a god whom they give their undisputed loyalty to (yes, really!)

{{Template:Playable Factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar}}

[[Category:Age of Sigmar]]

Ossiarch Bonereapers

2021-10-11T16:34:11Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Society */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Ossiarch Bonereapers|Logo=Immortis-WC2.jpg|Alliance=Death|Motto=The Skeleton War is upon us! We ride against the [[Stormcast Eternals|fuckboys]]!}}

{{topquote|Two can play at that game!|Likely Nagash after learning how Sigmar makes Stormcast}}
{{topquote|Debt, an ingenious substitute for the chain and whip of the slavedriver.|Ambrose Bierce}}
{{topquote|The bones of the skeleton which support the body can become the bars of the cage which imprison the spirit.|J. Ruth Gendler}}

The latest addition to [[Nagash]]’s ever growing hordes (designed and sculpted by [[Maxime Corbeil]], a former dentist), the '''Ossiarch Bonereapers'''
(Also known as '''The Boney Boys''', '''Bonecast''', '''Tomb Kings 2.0''', '''Bonechads''', '''Nagash's Taxmen''', '''The Boney Bean Counters''', '''Ossiarch Bean Counters''' or '''The IRS''') are the result of an eons old plan by Big Bone Daddy.

Likely inspired by the [[Stormcast Eternals]], the Bonereapers are not mere skeletons given life by necromancy, but massive constructs of bone and countless warrior souls, making them all look impressively robust for undead. Since the Soulblight Gravelords are the mainstay, the Nighthaunt are the shock troops and the Flesh-Eater Courts are completely insane, these buff bone bruisers are the elite vanguard of the Grand Alliance. Given their themes of bones, undead constructs, priest characters, architect characters and skull-throwing catapults... they're currently the closest thing we've got to [[Tomb Kings]] in AoS.

They also carry out the Bone Tithe; in addition to going out and killing shit to get their bones, the Ossiarchs give settlements they encounter a contract: Give up a set amount of bones whenever we stroll by, or face annihilation now. Understandably, most choose the former. Being unable to pay or even being rude to them also provokes a slaughter.

Visually-speaking, they're what happens when Games Workshop decides to mix [[Tyranids]], [[Tomb Kings]], and [[Necrons]] into one army.

However, widespread dissatisfaction against them due to Petrifex list spamming in first edition tournaments, how they aren't GW darlings like [[Space Marines|everyone with]] [[Stormcast Eternals|pauldrons]] and GW's desire to shill the Lumineth are probably part of the reason the Bonereapers were worfed '''hard''' in the Broken Realms saga. Seriously, the amount of clout they lose in just one book is unthinkable (read "Broken Realms" below for more). This shows a possible chain of Worfing going on in AoS ("worfing" is having a supposedly powerful fighter be easily defeated to show how strong their opponent is - named after Worf from Star Trek, who was often on the receiving end). First the Stormcast worfed the Warriors of Chaos/Slaves to Darkness, then both were worfed by the Bonereapers, and then the Bonereapers were worfed by the Lumineth. Now it remains to be seen if the Bonereapers will get payback, restore those they lost... or at least we can wonder who will worf the Lumineth in future.

==History==
===Age of Myth===
[[File:Slaves to Darkness vs Ossiarch Bonereapers 01.jpg|right|300px|thumb|SKULLS FOR <s>THE SKULL THRONE</s> Nagash! And all the other bones too!]]
When Nagash was helping Sigmar build his cities he secretly began experimenting on undead, combining their bones and souls into newer, stronger undead warriors; the [[Morghasts/Hammurai|Morghasts]] and the first Bonereapers. Most were put into massive underground crypts Nagash secretly built beneath the cities of Order, but others were kept on the surface and brought into battle alongside the armies of the other gods.

The other gods saw the Bonereapers and really didn't like them because of how unnatural they were, even for undead. In response, Nagash sent these Bonereapers to the edge of Shyish to lay low until he called on them (these Bonereapers who would go on to form the Null Myriad). He also sent at least twenty of them to wander the Realms on a long-forgotten mission (these would go on to become the Petrifex Elite).

Strangely, none of the Order groups noticed until however long its been since the start of the Age of Myth that there were crypts full of undead warriors beneath their cities. Especially since they know about and need to defend against [[Skaven|enemies who specialize in creating massive complexes beneath your cities that they then invade from]] or ones who are just [[Gloomspite Gitz|well-versed in tunnel warfare]].

===Age of Chaos===
The Age of Chaos only affected the Bonereapers garrisoned at the edge of Shyish. By that time they had become resistant to magic, and they fought against demonic armies, their actions blunting the assault of Chaos on Shyish. During this time, Katakros led an army against Sigmar himself on Nagash's orders while the former was pursuing the latter for his betrayal. The battle resulted in the loss of Katakros' army, the Mortarch's defeat and subsequent confinement to a Stormvault.

===Age of Sigmar===
In the lead-up to the Soul Wars, Katakros was freed from the Stormvault by fellow Mortarch, Lady Olynder. The Bonereapers on the edge of Shyish acted as a military force protecting the skeletal work crews who carried grains of Shyishan realmstone to Nagashizzar for Nagash to use to build the Black Pyramid.

===Soul Wars===
After the Necroquake, Nagash decided the time was right to wake up everyone beneath these cities, who apparently marched back home, making them relatively pointless. In that respect, these tombs seemed to mirror the Stormvaults Sigmar had strewn about the Realms to contain various dangerous contraband like [[Katakros|said Mortarch]].

When the Bonereaper legions arrived in Shyish, Nagash got back to his pet-project of making super-skellies, and perfected the process. This involves taking souls and distilling them down to their most choice elements. This involves ripping apart their identity and keeping parts considered useful (such as skills, daring and knowledge) while discarding the parts that aren't useful (such as fear, compassion and loyalty to anything but Nagash) and replacing those parts with something "better" (like loyalty to Nagash), with the strongest-willed soul among them becoming the identity of the new Bonereaper. Then these fragmented and melded souls are put into specially crafted bone constructs. By doing so, he artificially created individuals who were warriors, leaders, bodyguards, artisans, architects, philosophers and sculptors all in one, [[Adeptus Custodes|which sounds a little familiar.]]

The Bonereapers subsequently had a meteoric rise, making their mark - and several enemies - across the realms. After establishing their powerbase in Shyish, the Ironjawz Warclan the Kryptboyz have focused their efforts on fighting the Bonereapers due to wanting to destroy their settlements and wear their bones as trophies. In Chamon, the Null Myriad encountered the Seraphon of the Thunder Lizard Constellation and got embroiled in wars for control of the realm's edge. The Ivory Host legion gained a foothold in Ghur, Katakros' realm of origin, and in building their cities they've positioned themselves for conflict with several Mawtribes and the free city of Excelsis. The Ivory Host also clashed with an [[Sons of Behemat|infamous Mega-Gargant who went on to become the mercenary known as One-Eyed Grunnock]].

This was followed by the Bonereapers most notable conflict; the War for the Eightpoints. Katakros led the Mortis Praetorians and detachments from other Legions into the Eightpoints alongside Olynder and a Nighthaunt army to take the Eightpoints for Nagash, the first invvasion of the realm since it had been captured by Chaos. They succeeded in capturing and fortifying the realmgate leading to Shyish, and established a fortified citadel around it as a base of operations. However, Katakros' campaign was halted by the sudden return of Archaon and a force of Varanguard plus a daemon army led by Be'lakor. Bolstered by the mortal and daemonic hosts, the Chaos armies routed Katakros' Nighthaunt allies and forced the Bonereapers to enact a tactical retreat, with Archaon personally slaying him after a lengthy duel. Katakros' soul returned to his stronghold, albeit wounded, and after Katakros' restoration in a new body, the conflict became a stalemate and a war of attrition.

===Broken Realms===
When Morathi entered the Eightpoints in her plan to secure Varanite, she secretly sent an envoy to Katakros, giving him several tonnes of bones infused with the magic of Ulgu in exchange for a Bonereaper attack on Archaon's holdings to distract the forces of Chaos. Knowing the forces of order will take losses in their unknown (to Katakros and the Stormcast) endeavor, Katakros accepted the bargain.

Book two saw some particularly grueling setbacks for the Bonereapers. Not content with making the entire Death faction a bunch of jobbers for the Lumineth, the Bonereapers got worfed like a 40k Avatar of [[Khaine]] fighting Ultramarines, so bad it's as if the author had some bad experiences playing against them on the tabletop.

Teclis confronted Nagash after repelling a Nighthaunt attack on Settler's Gain, and unsuccessfully tried to threaten him into backing down. Then Teclis enacted a master plan seeking to end the Soul Wars and make Nagash pay for the Necroquake. To start, he personally led a Lumineth army riding [[What|flying mountains]] on an invasion of Shyish to destroy three monuments in a symbolic victory to show people the Bonereapers weren't unbeatable. Despite fierce resistance, and a waring from Vokmortion, the Lumineth were able to match the Bonereapers in battle before destroying the monuments and <s>fleeing</s> going back to Hysh.

The Bonereapers replenished their losses with the dead of both sides and sought revenge. While undead armies led by Neferata and Mannfred invaded Chamon and Ghyran respectively, a Null Myriad army led by Arkhan himself invaded Hysh and press-ganged the local Mordant Courts to help <s>give the Lumineth a right proper boning</s> conquer Ymetrica by turning a realmgate in Hysh into a mini-Shyish Nadir. But a Lumineth army repelled Arkhan's first attempt, forcing him to flee and try again with a second realmgate on the edge of Hysh. Not only was this second attempt thwarted by a Lumineth army led by a vengeful Eltharion, the Bonereapers were wiped out, with Arkhan himself punted off the edge of Hysh by the Light of Eltharion and disappearing. The Lumineth burned their dead to limit the Ossiarch’s recruitment, forcing them to harvest the bones of their ghoul allies, causing more trouble as the Flesh-Eater Courts fought back.

Then Nagash personally arrived in Hysh to finish what Arkhan started and kill Avalenor in revenge, but was forced to do battle against Teclis, with each god’s respective army doing battle beneath their feet. Though both gods were roughly equal in magical might, Nagash proved to be a superior combatant and marked Teclis with his blade and death magic. But Teclis got the last laugh due to some unexpected allies in Alarielle and several Luminarks, culminating in the destruction of Nagash's nine books, Nagash himself having his body broken and his soul imprisoned in Nagashizzar and Teclis personally undoing the Necroquake.

With Nagash imprisoned (for the time being), Arkhan deader than ever before if not gone for good, and the other forces of death more fractious and likely to carve their own trails of carnage, the Ossiarch are the only active remnant of their master’s will. There is also a looming Slaaneshi invasion on the horizon, as the reborn [[Sigvald]] seeks to avenge his Shadeglass imprisonment by destroying Nagash's beloved pet project.

=== Age of Beasts/ The Dawnbringer Crusades ===
Katakros is fixated on his campaign in the Eightpoints, but still keeping tabs on what's happened elsewhere, calling out Neferata's power play when she criticized Olynder working with Be'lakor. Katakros himself didn't criticize Olynder's actions because they hurt Sigmar's plan, with Neferata accusing Katakros of still being salty over his first loss to Sigmar. Also, Mannfred expresses his thoughts that Arkhan will return, but not for awhile.

Meanwhile, Nagash has been slowly regaining his power and awareness and already begun working on his vengeance. He's got some sort of link to Teclis, even interrupting Teclis' meditation to promise reprisals.

==Society==
[[File:Ossiarch Bonereapers Society.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Adds a whole new meaning to the phrase "pyramid scheme".]]
All Ossiarch Bonereapers are built for a specific purpose and assigned a role based on the souls from which they’re formed. This is codified through a caste system, with Nagash at the top, then Mortarchs Katakros and Arhkan, then the highest ranking Ossiarchs underneath and various ranks beneath that. The Bonereaper caste system has a cartouche representing each caste (though Nagash's is just to symbolize him). While there is a Mortarch cartouche, only Katakros wears it because Arkhan predates the Bonereaper system (and everyone but Nagash) by several eons, and despite their alliance he's too proud to wear Katakros' symbol. While they're all obedient to Nagash and fearless, the Bonereapers used in battle are sapient and the characters at least have enough individuality to have names and some personality, though they tend to be work-oriented and elitist. Having said that, Nagash and necromancy isn't infallible, so the process doesn't excise all personality traits Nagash opposes, so they are still capable of doubt and camaraderie which can make them question, regret or even challenge their orders.

While many Ossiarch Bonereapers are warriors, there are castes of groups such as crafters and preachers. There is movement between castes, but only downwards, and as a punishment for failure. A Liege Kavalos who fails in their mission, for example, may be remade as a Kavalos Deathrider. If the offense was major, they might get remade as a steed. The lowest caste are the exiles collectively referred to as Parrha, consisting of the worst offenders who get broken and remade into warped skeletal aberrations incapable of fighting and the Bonereapers value them less than the Imperial Guard values the life of its rank and file soldiers (for the uninitiated, that's really saying something).

The Ossiarch Bonereapers can be found all across the Mortal Realms, aiming to conquer everything from Azyr to the Eightpoints. At present, the majority of the Ossiarch Bonereapers are concentrated in Shyish, inhabiting the nations that surround the Shyish Nadir. This allows them easy access to a vast source of magical power and establishes them as a permanent garrison around this most valuable of territories. Apart from Shyish, the largest concentrations of Bonereapers are in Ghur and Chamon.

The Ossiarch Bonereapers build according to principles laid down in the Principia Necrotopia, a set of guidelines that ensure optimal construction:

In the first stages of colonizing a new region, the Ossiarchs will establish tithing sites. Presumably, this involves mapping out surrounding settlements and segments of the region into their own tributaries, with each section's inhabitants made to sign a contract to begin paying the Tithe. They contruct shrines known as Bone-Tithe Nexus, which act as locations for vassals to dump their bones and are enchanted to give out powerful curses to ward off any scavengers seeking to steal from it.

Next, they will fortify key territories with small fortifications, following up with a number of Mortisan workshops to fuel the next stage of their expansion. These small holdings will eventually develop into vast and imposing fortresses, growing ever upward as the Bonereapers’ numbers grow. These are not just barracks, but places of culture for the Ossiarchs.

Ossiarch scholars will endlessly study scrolls in charnel libraries, recording the details of cultures in the Mortal Realms they have subjugated and those they seek to subjugate. These vast citadel-states eventually resemble Nagashizzar itself.

===The Bone Tithe===
[[File:Bone tithe.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Put your spines into it. Literally!]]
The Bone Tithe is instrumental to their society and Nagash's way of setting himself up as mob boss of the realms. Upon arriving in an area, the Ossiarchs send out scouts to get the lay of the land. When they find a settlement they want tribute from, a representative - in practice usually a Mortisan - approaches and makes them an offer they can't refuse; give "x" by the deadline at regular intervals, or we kill you all now and take what we want. To communicate, the Bonereapers draw on prior research for the local language; it doesn't matter if the vernacular's out of date by a few centuries or so, as long as they can be understood. If that doesn't work, the Bonereapers use other means, including killing a local and using their spirit as a translator if all else fails. If the locals refuse, attack them or are rude enough, [[Grimdark|the Bonereapers make good on their threat, slaughtering everything in the settlement that has bones, right down to the last child and stray animal]]. If they are feeling "nice", the Bonereapers might only kill the dissenters or leave a fraction of the people alive, but with even more bones required from them.

When demanding the Bone Tithe, what/who the bones come from and the required amount depends on the situation and Bonereaper legion. Human bone is the most widely used, with ogor bones a close second; duardin bones are liked for their durability but aren't common enough, aelf bones are slightly more common but don't replenish fast enough and greenskin bones are very common but coarse, porous and prone to spontaneous fungal growth unless treated properly. While animal bones are also used - such as for Kavalos steeds or Gothizzar Harvesters - that's not always the case and it depends on the animal (Rhinoxen and Bleaklake crocodiles are popular choices). How the bones are acquired is irrelevant, the most common options ranging from emptying the local cemetery to [[Grimdark|having everyone eligible give a limb or holding a lottery where those chosen are killed and the bones taken from their corpses]].

The Bonereapers (though inbuilt or learned ability, it's not clear) CAN tell the difference between what race or species a specific bone comes from, so trying to cheat them with different kinds of bone doesn't work. They also respond to trickery the same way they respond to failure or refusal - immediate slaughter (as a human town learned to their cost when they tried to trick the Bonereapers by mixing pig bones in with human bones). Even other Death factions aren't exempt from the Bone Tithe, as the Bonereapers' laws consider their charge from Nagash to supersede any commonalities with his other followers (callous elitism isn't good for alliances, reflected in the rules by the Bonereapers not being able to take allies outside Drogg Fort-Kicka).

Sometimes things are even worse than the above. A particularly war-horny leader, most often from the Stalliarch Lords (more on them below), will give nigh-impossible demands to increase the chance of failure. What kinds of demands? How about asking a city's population for detailed records on everyone's family lineage going back to the founders and the condition of every bone in the city ''including bones still inside the living inhabitants''. Or maybe they ask for just one ton of bones ''every day'' (for extra lulz, the offer is made at night and has to be completed the next day). They might instead, or also, [[That Guy|arrive early to extract the Tithe just to get a good slaughter out of it]]. However it ends, the bones of the Ossiarch's victims are sorted through, the good bones taken for future use the sub-par ones discarded (same with their victims souls). Strips of skin and flesh from these unfortunates are hung from the Bonereapers' spears as a warning to anyone who considers not paying the Tithe.

Ultimately, they have a term related to the Bone Tithe called the “Terminus Concept”. This refers to the point where a society can't provide enough bones so they get slaughtered and their bones are taken. For the truth is that the Bone Tithe is ultimately unsustainable for the payers, and the Bonereapers know it. This all proves that, while Nagash is a pragmatic sort of fellow, he'll always find a way to be a <s>boner</s> [[Eldrad|huge skeletal dick]] about it.

==Forces==
[[File:Bonereaper army.jpg|right|500px|thumb|'''Angry Dooting Intensifies''']]
*'''Mortek Guard:''' Rank and file infantry of the Bonereapers. Well armored and shielded, they have the choice of swords or spears and optional greatswords as weapons. Their primary role is to create massive shield walls to protect their leaders.
*'''Morghast Harbingers and Archai:''' You know em, you love em. Nagash's original sculpted bone construct based on not-angels from the World-That-Was now served as prototypes to the current regime of spoopy skeltals. Flying blenders armed with either halberds (take these) or twin swords (dont take these). Harbingers are your chargey bois, while the Archai are bodyguard bois.
*'''Necropolis Stalkers:''' Four-armed skeletal constructs the size of Kurnoth Hunters with four faces, each one has the soul of four warriors, and switches between which one is dominant, altering their fighting style accordingly. Their name's ripped from the Necropolis Knights and the Tomb Stalkers.
*'''Immortis Guard:''' Four-armed <s>Grave Guard</s> <s>Tomb Guard</s> elite skellingtons armed with a halberd in one set of hands and a shield in the other. Like the Morghasts, Immortis are the bodyguard bois to the Stalkers' chargey bois.
*'''Kavalos Deathriders:''' Bony heavy cavalry rivalling Blood Knights for the position of "best undead cavalry", each one has the soul of dozens of warriors to draw on their knowledge and is proportionately arrogant. They have undead birds roosting on their banner poles that act as spies and messenger birds. For added creep factor, these guys normally walk at a slow and ominous trot, only sprinting when going into a headlong charge and don't bother to clean themselves while hunting a target.
*'''Mortek Crawler:''' Screaming Skull Catapult 2.0 with an obligatory patent-friendly rename. In addition to flaming skulls, it can also hurl a cauldron of Death Magic that works based on bravery or a cursed stone that gets more powerful the more damage the Crawler takes. It's also powered by a bone-made hamster wheel and multiple legs.
*'''Gothizzar Harvester:''' A big monster construct with weapon hands and half a skeleton for a codpiece that helps harvest bones. The Harvester uses them to make new constructs on the fly or repair damaged ones. Their weapon arms come with either enchanted maces or scything blades for hands.
*'''Mortisan Soulreaper:''' Your offensive caster for the Bonereapers with a scythe that doesn't like hordes.
*'''Mortisan Boneshaper:''' The healers/builders of the Bonereapers. Formed from the souls of artists, they’re in charge of building the extravagant bone cities and other architecture of the legions. They all possess a friendly rivalry with each other that pushes them to one up another’s artwork.
*'''Mortisan Soulmason:''' Miniature Arkhans with four arms who are in charge of hunting and fusing souls for their various constructs. They ride into battle on bony [[Fyodor Karamazov|thrones with chicken legs]].
*'''Liege-Kavalos''': Field generals with skeleton mounts placed in charge of leading the Bonereaper armies. They are forged as a cruel mockery of Sigmar’s Lord-Celestant on Dracoth.

===Famous Legions===
*'''Mortis Praetorians''': The 10,000 strong personal army of Katakros, created out of the souls of those he personally knew in life. They have gained a fearsome reputation for their tactical acumen, especially in Shyish. [[Ultramarines|The poster boys who are a jack-of-all-trades, big on tactics and led by an ancient leader who was the basis for future generations]]. They also have the only two Bonereapers with a single original soul; Katakros himself and Zandtos.
* '''Petrifex Elite''': Made up of nomadic armies crafted from prehistoric fossilized bones, they are known for being slow-moving and a near impenetrable wall of bone. While fossilized bone tends to be fragile, the Petrifex Elite enchant them to be tough and also include already supernaturally tough bones among them (ie; the bones of godbeasts). Led by Mortisans, [[Necrons|they only exist to slay and find ancient bones to build more of themselves and make themselves even deadlier]]. They have forgotten why Nagash wants them to do this, and their leaders eschew personal identity to the point of using titles instead of names, as mandated by their leader and most senior Mortisan, the Grand Necromystic.
* '''Null Myriad''': The first Ossiarch Bonereapers made during Nagash's experiments in the Age of Myth. The Null Myriad were later refined and bolstered using the bones and souls of the countless dead who helped construct Nagash’s Black Pyramid and the best of Arkhan's Black Disciples. They are a solemn yet prideful lot with high resilience to magic and were given to Arkhan to be his personal legion; they're so loyal to Arkhan that they defer to him even over Katakros himself. Their resistance to magic extends to the power of Chaos, so they're used to inhabit the most inhospitable parts of the realms. Recently Arkhan made an alliance with Katakros, and the Null Myriad's job is to secure magic-heavy locations in the realms so Katakros can control the sources of their magic. The Null Myriad forces in Chamon have come into conflict with the Seraphon of the Thunder Lizards Constellation who also dwell there.
*'''Ivory Host''': Outwardly, they appear as honorable warriors, but hidden away in their bodies is a monstrous frenzy that turns them into clawing slavering beasts. Fitting considering they are constructed from beast and monster bones. Tasked by Nagash to conquer Ghur, they overcompensate for their bestial anger by being meticulously clean and making everything of theirs as much of a work of art as possible. Also known for [[Tomb Kings|being the only Ossiarchs who build ships, use the color gold regularly in their attire and are led by a monarch]]. Currently they’ve claimed the realmgate of Greedmouth and established the Ivory Citadel in the southwestern corner of the Ghurish Heartlands, putting them awfully close to numerous [[Ogor Mawtribes]] and the [[Cities of Sigmar|free city]] of Excelsis.
*'''Stalliarch Lords''': A cavalry centric force who are [[Creed|skillful tacticians]] and like to make impossible demands so they have an excuse to raze cities and slaughter people (on the rare occasion that someone meets their outrageous demands they keep their word... but remember the Terminus Concept). They take the freshest remains whenever possible to maximize how much they're infused with essence of the slain, which gives them more speed and vitality than other Bonereaper Legions and often a blood-slicked appearance. Basically [[That Guy]] as a cavalry-loving undead legion.
*'''Crematorians''': These Bonereapers are burning with an internal fire to the point where some of them literally explode when killed. Some of them have recently realized that they don't really have a purpose other than to fight and explode, and aren't too happy about that. In fact, their leaders [[Noblebright|have made pacts of friendship to repair each other if any of them are destroyed and the chief Liege-Kavalos scours the libraries of everyone they encounter in the hopes of finding a way to undo their fiery curse, and is implied to be on the verge of a breakthrough]].

==Significant Skeletons==
* '''[[Katakros|Orpheon Katakros]], [[Mortarch]] of the Necropolis''': In life he was the greatest strategic genius in all the Mortal Realms, and undeath has done nothing to dull his mastery of military tactics. He's been given a new body of enscrolled bone by Nagash himself which looks like a [[Jojo's Bizarre Adventure|JoJo stand]] rather than a skeleton. He goes into battle surrounded by various attendants; the Liege-Immortis, the Aviarch Spymaster, the Gnosis Scrollbearer, and the Prime Necrophoros.
*'''[[Arch-Kavalos Zandtos]]''': A Liege-Kavalos and Katakros’ most trusted lieutenant. In life he was a refined, death-obsessed assassin who considered killing a sacred act that should be as clean as possible. In undeath, he gradually became a death-purist who wishes to “cleanse” Shyish of anything still living.
*'''Vokmortian, Master of the Bone-tithe''': The grim tallyman in charge of recording/judging the Tithe. He carries the severed heads of those foolish enough to refuse to pay the Tithe and has a coffin on his back, making him look like a giant beetle. Though officially he’s under Katakros and Arkhan in the OBR hierarchy, he’ll only receive/carry out orders from Big Bone Daddy himself...which might be a bit difficult now that Nagash was sealed away by Teclis.
*'''[[Arkhan the Black]]''': Yeah, he's part of the army despite technically being just an "average" liche as opposed to a bone golem thing. Likely because apart from Nagash, he's the most privy to understanding how they are made without being one. While he has his own private legion in the Null Myriad, his authority is recognized by all the Ossiarch legions. He was recently thrown off the edge of Hysh by the Light of Eltharion, with him and his Dread Abyssal disappearing in a burst of light magic. While it's unlikely that Arkhan is gone for good, he's deader than ever before.
*'''Xaramos''': A Mortisan Boneshaper of the Mortis Praetorians, skilled in both diplomacy and keeping the legion operating at full efficiency. He assisted Arkhan in his counter invasion of Ymetrica in Hysh, where he put his diplomatic skills to use in acquiring the assistance of the [[Flesh-Eater Courts|Vertigon Court]] to defeat the Lumineth aelves and formed an unexpected friendship with the Ghoul King Varshorn. When relations turned sour over the Bone Tithe, the personal forces of Xaramos and Varshorn battled amidst the gore-caked caverns of the Starfang Mont in a conflict later the Charnel War, with hints that Xaramos regretted fighting Vashorn. Xaramos died permanently in the last battle, personally decapitated by Vashorn.

==Spooky Melodies for your Bony Boys==

*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DsZivjop_s Spooky Scary Skeletons! a remix for a revamp]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKHAX1K4sKQ The Dead March returns for AoS!]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5n5qo8b1pA March for the Tithe!]

==Trivia==
* The architecture of the Ossiarch Bonereapers was likely inspired by the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedlec_Ossuary Sedlec Ossuary] in the Czech Republic. The Sedlec Ossuary is a Roman Catholic church where the bones of thousands of people have been artistically arranged to form the decorations and the furnishings of the chapel (it's also called "the Bone Church"). This was done several centuries ago for creative interment reasons with many dead and not enough space to bury them on holy ground.
* On a comical note, "Kavalos", the name for Bonereaper cavalry, translates to "crotch" in Greek (the Greek word is "kaválos"). Makes more sense when you think of [[Katakros]]' defining trait lookswise, and how his name even sounds like the Greek word.

==Soulbound==
The [[Age of Sigmar Roleplay]] supplement Champions of Death would naturally introduce the Ossiarch Bonereapers as a playable race, though like their gold-plated counterparts they aren't so much Soulbound as much as they are outsiders made to join a Binding for some other agenda. For those bound to Nagash, the purpose is obvious enough: The Ossiarchs are the ultimate form of his perfect future and are (almost) unquestionably loyal, sometimes even researching the uses of Soulfire in order to perfect the process of making more of their own. Those who join an Order Binding find themselves in one of two camps: Either as allies of desperation for a common goal or as a haven to escape from their place as an outcast in the rigid society of the Ossiarch legions that would see them recycled due to either defects or defiance.

You can have your Ossiarch hail from the following Legions:
*'''Mortis Praetorians:''' The Legion of Orpheon Katakros himself, formed from the souls of his greatest soldiers and generals in life. They are the most determined of the legions, willing to use the bones of both friend and foe alike in order to bolster their ranks. That said, the demand for reinforcements are so frequent that there are those bodies that are made incomplete, subject to the whispers of waylaid spirits before being completely formed. Whenever Katakros sees interest in a Binding, he will often send a member of his Praetorians to accompany them and enforce order. Heroes from the Mortis Praetorians can spend an action to test Intuition against an opponent's Guile, allowing them to predict an enemy's move. In addition, all archetypes gain the Tactician talent.
*'''Ivory Host:''' A legion sent to conquer Ghur, famous for slaying mighty monsters. While they obviously show scorn towards the primitive and weak cultures of the mortal here, the influence of the realm is very obvious from the frequent use of amber and animal bones in order to complete their tithe to the clearly caged savagery they unleash in the heat of battle. Heroes from the Ivory Host deal extra damage for each point of damage they suffer. In addition, all archetypes gain the Battle Rage talent.
*'''Stalliarch Lords:''' A prideful band often formed from fresh bone and meat, the Ossiarchs of this legion are capable of some form of honor...just not in any way normal folk would understand. Often have they given near-impossible tasks for mortals to accomplish, either so they could claim their tithe or to see if the challenger can accomplish some greater goal worth the interest. That said, that latter part is often only carried out for amusement rather than any genuine respect. Heroes from the Stalliarch Lords can challenge an enemy, forcing the difficulty of all attacks to reach a high difficulty but making any hits against you deal double damage.
*'''Petrifex Elite:''' A legion of nomadic bonecast, formed from the remains of ancient civilizations and forgotten graves. This legion views the binding with particular interest, seeing the parallels in becoming a whole greater than the sum of it parts and their own process of erasing all identity and originality - sometimes an Ossiarch might even have the remains of a former Soulbound in their body. Heroes from the Petrifex Elite are better armored than other Bonereapers, but they can't improve their bony armor in any way and can only use a certain downtime activity to repair it. In additionally, they can double their training for either navigating ancient ruins or recalling ancient history.
*'''Null Myriad:''' Nagash's original legion, sent to keep watch on the realm's edges until the Necroquake forced them to return and be reinforced using fragments of the Black Pyramid so they could better resist magic. As outsiders among the Ossiarchs, they are the most-versed in dealing with threats from beyond the edges of a realm and their special properties allow them to protect the very nature of the Binding. Heroes from the Null Myriad can spell Mettle to ignore the effects of a spell and double their training when dealing with exploring, navigating or withstanding the edges of the realms.
*'''Crematorians:''' Ignited by the fires of the Shyish Nadier, the life of a Bonereaper here will often be short as the flames slowly consume their bony shells. This nature has led to many among their ranks questioning the wisdom of the skelepope's plans to make an army that can burn out, though they often cover it up with other purposes - such as studying the benefits of Soulfire and how it can sustain their bodies. Heroes from the Crematorians are constantly ablaze, letting them suffer a wound to restore Mettle. When they die, they explode and make the area where they stood a burning waste.

The Ossiarch Bonereapers have access to the '''Immortis Guard''', '''Kavalos Deathrider''', '''Morghast''', '''Mortisan''', or '''Necropolis Stalker''' archetypes

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Bonereaper vs Kharadron.jpg|Sky Pirates vs Bone Golems.
File:Cavalry-bonereapers.jpg|As if Blood Knights weren't bad enough, Bone Daddy brings out Kavalos Deathriders too.
File:Gothizzar Harvester.jpg|"Oh those bones, oh those bones, oh those skeleton bones. Oh mercy how they scare! With the toe bone connected to the foot bone..."
File:Bonereaper city.jpg|Welcome to Necrotopia. Please remember to remove all skin and flesh before you reach customs.
File:Skeleton sales pitch (comic by Baalbuddy).png|An alternate way to collect the Bone-Tithe.
</gallery>

==See Also==

*[[Nagash]], their jerk of a god whom they give their undisputed loyalty to (yes, really!)

{{Template:Playable Factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar}}

[[Category:Age of Sigmar]]

Ghyran

2021-10-11T16:10:41Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Age of Sigmar */

{{AoS-Stub}}{{NeedsImages}}
Ghyran is the Realm of Life, ostensibly ruled over by [[Alarielle]] the Everqueen, however, Grandpappy [[Nurgle]] has his eye on the realm and its queen so he's been squatting his forces there and messing things up for quite some time. This is starting to change, however, with the Stormcast rolling through to help beat the ever loving crap out of anything even remotely diseased looking. Sometimes with [https://malignportents.com/story/to-truly-excel/ extreme prejudice].

==History==
===Age of Myth===

Alarielle the Everqueen spent this period spreading Soul Pods around the realm like a divine female version of Johnny Appleseed, which would later spawn the [[Sylvaneth]]. She also sang the Song of Life for so damn long that it indoctrinated the Sylvaneth to her ways, and it still echoes around the place in the Age of Sigmar. At one point she cut off one of her hands, gave herself a new one, and the severed limb grew into a Sylvaneth called the Lady of Vines, who was like a daughter to Alarielle and embodied the happy parts of her personality.

At one point undead started popping up in a part of Ghyran where everything went through a cycle of life, death and rebirth and attacking everybody else nearly. Alarielle parleyed with Nagash, letting him have that part as his sovereign territory on the condition that he keep the undead contained to that realm. Nagash agreed to the terms (likely with fingers crossed behind his back).

===Age of Chaos===

This is when Nurgle invaded Ghyran, and the War of Life began, continuing for centuries and into the Age of Sigmar. The Sylvaneth were attacked by the forces of Nurgle and all of their warriors took up arms. The non-combatants [[Grimdark|either learned to fight or died horribly]]. During this time the Alarielle-worshiping aelves inhabiting Ghyran pussied out and fled, abandoning the realm and its people to the forces of Chaos. Enraged, Alarielle declared them exiles and the Sylvaneth have a burning hatred of these aelves, who in time came to be known as the Wanderers. Then it turned out Alarielle had intended to sacrifice all of the wood aelves because apparently only her tree babies deserve to live and the wood aelves should feel thankful to be their meatshields.

Many other mortals that lived in the realm decided it would be better to live under Nurgle than to die from whatever he inflicted, and turned on the Everqueen. Sylvaneth from the other realms rushed in to fight in the war until there were no more reinforcements to be had. At her lowest point, Alarielle even brought back Drycha to help take the fight to Chaos, even though Drycha was a genocidal loose cannon, and even that wasn't enough. Eventually, so many places were destroyed, infested, or corrupted that Alarielle was forced back into the Aethylwyrd, where she presumably pouted about how terribly things had gone. Nurgle couldn't touch her there, so she was content to brood over how shitty a monarch she'd been for the foreseeable future.

===Age of Sigmar===

When Sigmar started to get the band back together, he sent the Hallowed Knights, led by Lord-Castellant Grymn, to go recruit the Everqueen because Sigmar is apparently a lazy dick. However, in doing so, [[fail|they trained a bunch of Nurgle's forces right to her, blowing her hiding spot]]. First she was super pissed at the Stormcast, then realised how much of a puss-bitch she'd been the whole time and decided she could still fight. She also then promptly realised how long she'd left things and became so depressed she basically died, turning into a Soul Pod.

The Hallowed Knights and Alarielle's favored daughter, the Lady of Vines, took her and ran as far from Nurgle as they could manage. Turns out, that wasn't very far, as Torglug the Despised One was waiting for them at Blackstone Summit and ready to finish the job. He killed the Lady of Vines and nearly grabbed Alarielle's Soul Pod before the Stormcast pushed him back. It literally took the Celestant-Prime swooping to the beat Torglug's head in with his lantern (so hard, in fact, that it [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Stormcast_Eternals#Notable_Stormcasts/ changed his alignment]) to put an end to things, and even then ''so many'' people/tree things had died. It was here that Alarielle's Soul Pod was finally planted and allowed to... hatch? I guess? And thus Alarielle was reborn, with a cooler outfit and a giant ride-on beetle. All her past wussiness was gone and her cry of rage echoed across the realms with a promise that she was going to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and she's all out of bubblegum. she even regrew the Lady of Vines. [[Awesome|Awesome]].

''And then'' it turns out Sigmar hid some corrupted Black Seeds that grows into Black Oaks which'll ruin Ghyran in vaults across the realm without telling Alarielle, which - naturally - the followers of Nurgle have found and are cultivating all over Ghyran.

==Trivia==
* Ghyran has the most settlements of Order after Azyr, and was the place where the first major cities built after the Age of Chaos were established.
* Ghyran produces magical water that's super nourishing to plants and one of their chief exports.
* Ghyran takes its name, of course, from the Wind of Life, one of the eight [[Magic]]s of [[Warhammer Fantasy]], which revolved around a mixture of healing magic and [[elementalism|manipulation of earth, water and plants]].
* Like all of the Eight Realms, Ghyran is prone to bizarre and highly fantastical magical terrain and environmental effects. Mentioned in passing are "life-quakes", which can result in spontaneous, immaculately conceived pregnancies. [[/d/|Male pregnancies, perpetual pregnancies, interspecies pregnancies, genderflipping + pregnancy]] and more are also implicit things you have to worry about happening to you in this realm, especially if you're stupid enough to try and get close to the Realm's Edge.

{{AoS-Realms}}

Ghyran

2021-10-11T16:09:04Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Trivia */

{{AoS-Stub}}{{NeedsImages}}
Ghyran is the Realm of Life, ostensibly ruled over by [[Alarielle]] the Everqueen, however, Grandpappy [[Nurgle]] has his eye on the realm and its queen so he's been squatting his forces there and messing things up for quite some time. This is starting to change, however, with the Stormcast rolling through to help beat the ever loving crap out of anything even remotely diseased looking. Sometimes with [https://malignportents.com/story/to-truly-excel/ extreme prejudice].

==History==
===Age of Myth===

Alarielle the Everqueen spent this period spreading Soul Pods around the realm like a divine female version of Johnny Appleseed, which would later spawn the [[Sylvaneth]]. She also sang the Song of Life for so damn long that it indoctrinated the Sylvaneth to her ways, and it still echoes around the place in the Age of Sigmar. At one point she cut off one of her hands, gave herself a new one, and the severed limb grew into a Sylvaneth called the Lady of Vines, who was like a daughter to Alarielle and embodied the happy parts of her personality.

At one point undead started popping up in a part of Ghyran where everything went through a cycle of life, death and rebirth and attacking everybody else nearly. Alarielle parleyed with Nagash, letting him have that part as his sovereign territory on the condition that he keep the undead contained to that realm. Nagash agreed to the terms (likely with fingers crossed behind his back).

===Age of Chaos===

This is when Nurgle invaded Ghyran, and the War of Life began, continuing for centuries and into the Age of Sigmar. The Sylvaneth were attacked by the forces of Nurgle and all of their warriors took up arms. The non-combatants [[Grimdark|either learned to fight or died horribly]]. During this time the Alarielle-worshiping aelves inhabiting Ghyran pussied out and fled, abandoning the realm and its people to the forces of Chaos. Enraged, Alarielle declared them exiles and the Sylvaneth have a burning hatred of these aelves, who in time came to be known as the Wanderers. Then it turned out Alarielle had intended to sacrifice all of the wood aelves because apparently only her tree babies deserve to live and the wood aelves should feel thankful to be their meatshields.

Many other mortals that lived in the realm decided it would be better to live under Nurgle than to die from whatever he inflicted, and turned on the Everqueen. Sylvaneth from the other realms rushed in to fight in the war until there were no more reinforcements to be had. At her lowest point, Alarielle even brought back Drycha to help take the fight to Chaos, even though Drycha was a genocidal loose cannon, and even that wasn't enough. Eventually, so many places were destroyed, infested, or corrupted that Alarielle was forced back into the Aethylwyrd, where she presumably pouted about how terribly things had gone. Nurgle couldn't touch her there, so she was content to brood over how shitty a monarch she'd been for the foreseeable future.

===Age of Sigmar===

When Sigmar started to get the band back together, he sent the Hallowed Knights, led by Lord-Castellant Grymn, to go recruit the Everqueen because Sigmar is apparently a lazy dick. However, in doing so, [[fail|they trained a bunch of Nurgle's forces right to her, blowing her hiding spot]]. First she was super pissed at the Stormcast, then realised how much of a puss-bitch she'd been the whole time and decided she could still fight. She also then promptly realised how long she'd left things and became so depressed she basically died, turning into a Soul Pod.

The Hallowed Knights and Alarielle's favored daughter, the Lady of Vines, took her and ran as far from Nurgle as they could manage. Turns out, that wasn't very far, as Torglug the Despised One was waiting for them at Blackstone Summit and ready to finish the job. He killed the Lady of Vines and nearly grabbed Alarielle's Soul Pod before the Stormcast pushed him back. It literally took the Celestant-Prime swooping to the beat Torglug's head in with his lantern (so hard, in fact, that it [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Stormcast_Eternals#Notable_Stormcasts/ changed his alignment]) to put an end to things, and even then ''so many'' people/tree things had died. It was here that Alarielle's Soul Pod was finally planted and allowed to... hatch? I guess? And thus Alarielle was reborn, with a cooler outfit and a giant ride-on beetle. All her past wussiness was gone and her cry of rage echoed across the realms with a promise that she was going to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and she's all out of bubblegum. [[Awesome|Awesome]]. ''And then'' Sigmar hid some corrupted Black Seeds that grows into Black Oaks which'll ruin Ghyran in vaults across the realm without telling Alarielle, the followers of Nurgle found them and are cultivating them all over Ghyran.

==Trivia==
* Ghyran has the most settlements of Order after Azyr, and was the place where the first major cities built after the Age of Chaos were established.
* Ghyran produces magical water that's super nourishing to plants and one of their chief exports.
* Ghyran takes its name, of course, from the Wind of Life, one of the eight [[Magic]]s of [[Warhammer Fantasy]], which revolved around a mixture of healing magic and [[elementalism|manipulation of earth, water and plants]].
* Like all of the Eight Realms, Ghyran is prone to bizarre and highly fantastical magical terrain and environmental effects. Mentioned in passing are "life-quakes", which can result in spontaneous, immaculately conceived pregnancies. [[/d/|Male pregnancies, perpetual pregnancies, interspecies pregnancies, genderflipping + pregnancy]] and more are also implicit things you have to worry about happening to you in this realm, especially if you're stupid enough to try and get close to the Realm's Edge.

{{AoS-Realms}}

Ghyran

2021-10-11T16:08:06Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Trivia */

{{AoS-Stub}}{{NeedsImages}}
Ghyran is the Realm of Life, ostensibly ruled over by [[Alarielle]] the Everqueen, however, Grandpappy [[Nurgle]] has his eye on the realm and its queen so he's been squatting his forces there and messing things up for quite some time. This is starting to change, however, with the Stormcast rolling through to help beat the ever loving crap out of anything even remotely diseased looking. Sometimes with [https://malignportents.com/story/to-truly-excel/ extreme prejudice].

==History==
===Age of Myth===

Alarielle the Everqueen spent this period spreading Soul Pods around the realm like a divine female version of Johnny Appleseed, which would later spawn the [[Sylvaneth]]. She also sang the Song of Life for so damn long that it indoctrinated the Sylvaneth to her ways, and it still echoes around the place in the Age of Sigmar. At one point she cut off one of her hands, gave herself a new one, and the severed limb grew into a Sylvaneth called the Lady of Vines, who was like a daughter to Alarielle and embodied the happy parts of her personality.

At one point undead started popping up in a part of Ghyran where everything went through a cycle of life, death and rebirth and attacking everybody else nearly. Alarielle parleyed with Nagash, letting him have that part as his sovereign territory on the condition that he keep the undead contained to that realm. Nagash agreed to the terms (likely with fingers crossed behind his back).

===Age of Chaos===

This is when Nurgle invaded Ghyran, and the War of Life began, continuing for centuries and into the Age of Sigmar. The Sylvaneth were attacked by the forces of Nurgle and all of their warriors took up arms. The non-combatants [[Grimdark|either learned to fight or died horribly]]. During this time the Alarielle-worshiping aelves inhabiting Ghyran pussied out and fled, abandoning the realm and its people to the forces of Chaos. Enraged, Alarielle declared them exiles and the Sylvaneth have a burning hatred of these aelves, who in time came to be known as the Wanderers. Then it turned out Alarielle had intended to sacrifice all of the wood aelves because apparently only her tree babies deserve to live and the wood aelves should feel thankful to be their meatshields.

Many other mortals that lived in the realm decided it would be better to live under Nurgle than to die from whatever he inflicted, and turned on the Everqueen. Sylvaneth from the other realms rushed in to fight in the war until there were no more reinforcements to be had. At her lowest point, Alarielle even brought back Drycha to help take the fight to Chaos, even though Drycha was a genocidal loose cannon, and even that wasn't enough. Eventually, so many places were destroyed, infested, or corrupted that Alarielle was forced back into the Aethylwyrd, where she presumably pouted about how terribly things had gone. Nurgle couldn't touch her there, so she was content to brood over how shitty a monarch she'd been for the foreseeable future.

===Age of Sigmar===

When Sigmar started to get the band back together, he sent the Hallowed Knights, led by Lord-Castellant Grymn, to go recruit the Everqueen because Sigmar is apparently a lazy dick. However, in doing so, [[fail|they trained a bunch of Nurgle's forces right to her, blowing her hiding spot]]. First she was super pissed at the Stormcast, then realised how much of a puss-bitch she'd been the whole time and decided she could still fight. She also then promptly realised how long she'd left things and became so depressed she basically died, turning into a Soul Pod.

The Hallowed Knights and Alarielle's favored daughter, the Lady of Vines, took her and ran as far from Nurgle as they could manage. Turns out, that wasn't very far, as Torglug the Despised One was waiting for them at Blackstone Summit and ready to finish the job. He killed the Lady of Vines and nearly grabbed Alarielle's Soul Pod before the Stormcast pushed him back. It literally took the Celestant-Prime swooping to the beat Torglug's head in with his lantern (so hard, in fact, that it [https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Stormcast_Eternals#Notable_Stormcasts/ changed his alignment]) to put an end to things, and even then ''so many'' people/tree things had died. It was here that Alarielle's Soul Pod was finally planted and allowed to... hatch? I guess? And thus Alarielle was reborn, with a cooler outfit and a giant ride-on beetle. All her past wussiness was gone and her cry of rage echoed across the realms with a promise that she was going to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and she's all out of bubblegum. [[Awesome|Awesome]]. ''And then'' Sigmar hid some corrupted Black Seeds that grows into Black Oaks which'll ruin Ghyran in vaults across the realm without telling Alarielle, the followers of Nurgle found them and are cultivating them all over Ghyran.

==Trivia==
* Ghyran has the most settlements of Order after Azyr, and was the place where the first major cities built after the Age of Chaos were established.
* Ghyran produces magical water that's super nourishing to plants and one of their chief exports.
* Ghyran takes its name, of course, from the Wind of Life, one of the eight [[Magic]]s of [[Warhammer Fantasy]], which revolved around a mixture of healing magic and [[elementalism|manipulation of earth, water and plants]].
* Like all of the Eight Realms, Ghyran is prone to bizarre and highly fantastical magical terrain and environmental effects. Mentioned in passing are "life-quakes", which can result in spontaneous, immaculately conceived pregnancies. [[/d/|Male pregnancies, perpetual pregnancies, interspecies pregnancies or genderflipping + pregnancy]] are also implicit things you have to worry about happening to you in this realm, especially if you're stupid enough to try and get close to the Realm's Edge.

{{AoS-Realms}}

Hysh

2021-10-11T15:59:31Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:BC58:496D:A255:D533: /* Overview */

{{AoS-Stub}}

[[File:TenParadises.jpg|thumb|right|Perfectly balanced...as all things should be.|500px]]

Greetings, illuminate, to Hysh. Land of reflection, light and wisdom. Hysh is the mortal realm of light and is conjointedly ruled by the twin gods [[Tyrion]] and [[Teclis]]. It also doubles as the mortal realms' sun. The [[Lumineth Realm Lords]] come from here.

==Overview==

The Ten Paradises of Hysh are lands of illumination, symmetry and reason; and their inhabitants driven to the highest of their paths through meditation, asceticism and self-improvement almost to the point of obsession. It also helped that Hysh's realmstone, Aetherquartz, is mortal-made and enhances the mental and physical properties of the user even further.

Between the Aetherquartz and the guidance of both Tyrion and Teclis, civilization in Hysh became incredibly focused in self-improvement, reason and order; each individual willing to great lengths to become more than they were, with the pinnacle of this being the Lumineth. Over time, the Lumineth became egotistical perfectionists who thought they'd overcome all their flaws, each leader considering themselves the best exemplar of their race and others as inferiors or rivals who needed to learn their place by any means necessary... [[Skaven|wait, this mindset sounds familiar]]. Things went from bad to worse when [[Chaos|certain someones]] came knocking...

Hysh’s radiance is so strong that it’s realmsphere is seen from all of the Mortal Realms and beyond as a blinding ball of pure light, and serves as the Realms' equivalent of the sun. However, both Hysh and [[Ulgu]] share an orbit (with the orbit's center being, hilariously, [[Shadespire]]) and periodically Ulgu eclipses Hysh, bathing the realms in darkness. And that, children, is how day and night works in the mortal realms (no word on how this works on Ulgu and Hysh themselves).

===Uhl-Ghysh===
Unlike the other realms, Hysh has a weird relationship with the realm of shadow, Ulgu. Not only both move in the same orbit as seen above, but also there's a subrealm where the energies of both Hysh and Ulgu intermingle, mix and become something that even the deities of both realms cannot fully comprehend. This paradoxical realm is called Uhl-Ghysh and with the weird properties found here, Teclis found the location perfect for his plan of trapping [[Slaanesh]] and make him/her/it throw up elven souls. Currently, as the cage of Slaanesh, is nearly impossible to get to Uhl-Ghysh, but between the machinations of [[Morathi|that bitch]] and the Necroquake, the illusions that conceal the paths there are unraveling.

==Regions==
The coming of the Lumineth Realm-Lords gave us a complete map for Hysh, being the first realm to do so. This tells us that either it is a much smaller Realm than the others, or that each nation has to be ''fucking enormous''. Either way, the Ten Paradises are arranged as two perfectly symmetrical halves, with one half influenced by the teachings of Teclis and the other by Tyrion. The remaining two, Xintil and Haixiah, are presumably under the jurisdiction of neither individual god.

===Xintil===
The centre of Hysh where magic is most stable and least likely to explode everywhere. It tends to be where the majority of the non-Aelven races live.

===Syar===
The people of Syar are some of the greatest craftsmen in the Mortal Realms, and people travel far and wide in order to purchase their magical trinkets.

===Iliatha===
A matriarchal society with a heavy emphasis on improving through generational growth, so women are revered. To get around <s>the inconvenient fact that a woman needs a man to get pregnant in the first place</s> childbirth - which was considered a messy, painful distraction, they invented magical soul-splitting cloning to replace sexual reproduction (yes they literally thought they were too good to give birth; insert obligatory career woman or feminist joke here). This was abused during the Age of Myth in an unspecified way and became closely regulated. It’s the most populous of the Lumineth kingdoms as a result and twins are very common.

===Ymetrica===
The Lumineth of Ymetrica are a warrior culture (kind of odd for being on the Teclis half of the map) as tough as the mountain spirits they worship, being the First Nation to buy into Teclis’ whole Aelementari scheme. It is said that there is never a time when the forces of Ymetrica aren't fighting somewhere in the Mortal Realms. A more close to home threat for this nation comes from the Stoical Vast mountains. A great [[Gloomspite Gitz|Troggherd]] called the Stoical Gobblemaws makes regular advances across its peaks in hopes of devouring all of the mountains. They and their Troggboss Gorp have been pushed back by the Alarith temples, but they just keep coming. Additionally, there are the [[Flesh-Eater Courts|flesh eaters]] of the Vertigon Court, who have settled in the Vertiginous Peaks. The Lumineth surprisingly are content to let these ghouls fester and squabble amidst the mountains, acting as an unwitting buffer zone against any chaos invasions.

===Zaitrec===
They're the powerful mystics even amongst the Lumineth. They also seem to be pretty close to the Celennar.

===Alumina===
Presumably Tyrionic.

===Helon===
Presumably Tyrionic.

===Aurathrai===
Presumably Tyrionic.

===Oultrai===
Presumably Tyrionic.

===Haixiah===
The Realm's Edge of Hysh, described as a place of freakish perfection. The fjords themselves are rimmed with fractal patterns, and going deeper you'll find places that exist as pencil sketches, dots of light or waves of thought. No Lumineth lives here, as this was a place no mortal was meant to tread. When Tyrion, the literal god of Light journeyed to this place in search of Teclis, he was blinded. The God of Light '''was blinded'''. Really puts it into perspective.

{{AoS-Realms}}

[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]][[Category:Age of Sigmar]]