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Age of Sigmar Roleplay

2022-10-25T21:57:31Z

2A01:CB00:6B:A00:C852:3D73:875C:224B: /* Seraphon */

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The corebook offers Human, Duardin (Fyreslayer or Kharadon Overlord), Aelf (Dark Aelf or Witch Aelf) and Sylvaneth races. ''Star and Scales'' added Seraphon, and ''Champions of Order'' added Aelf (Lumineth). ''Champions of Death'' added Ghoul, Vampire, Wight, Nighthaunt and Ossiarch Bonereaper. ''Champions of Destruction'' added Orruk (Bonesplitter, Ironjaw, Kruleboy), Grot, Hobgrot, Troggoth and Ogor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

===Champions of Death===
'''Now''' we're starting to get weird!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Typically speaking, the concept that a '''Melusai''' or '''Khinerai''' could even be considered for a Binding would be considered insane - after all, both of these are the results of Morathi ripping their souls out of Slaanesh's gut and their corruption is clear to see. Without extensive illusionary magic, they likely wouldn't even be accepted outside of temples of Khaine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'''Kights-Zephyros''', given that they serve as the assassins of the Stormcast Eternals, are rarely given Bindings as direct backup and more frequently make common cause with a Binding who happens to share a common target wit hthem.

The '''Draconith''' are a species that are only allied to the Stormcast as they are the children of [[Dracothion]], the great star-drake who led Sigmar to the realms.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Of any force of the Lumineth, the '''Scinari Loreseekers''' are the most suited to become Soulbound. Their role typically sees them away from typical command structures as they seek any sort of lost or forbidden knowledge, whether it is to seal it away or weaponize it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Pantheon of Order consists of eight recognized deities:
* [[Sigmar]], the God-King
* [[Nagash]], the Undying King
* [[Alarielle]], the Everqueen
* [[Gorkamorka (Deity)|Gorkamorka]], the Greenskin God
* [[Grimnir]], the Shattered God
* [[Grungni]], the Maker
* [[Malekith|Malerion]], the Shadow King
* [[Morathi]], High Oracle of Khaine
* [[Teclis]], the Illuminator

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

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

==Supplements and Adventures==

<tabs>
<tab name="Core Books">
*'''Core Rulebook'''
*'''Bestiary'''
*'''Age of Sigmar Roleplay Starter Box:''' Contains the "Faltering Light" introductory adventure.
**'''Brightspear City Guide:''' Included in the Starter Box. Provides some background details to the free city of Brightspear, including plot hooks.
*'''Champions of Order:''' The first major splatbook, introducing plenty of new archetypes, as well as introducing the Lumineth Realm-Lords. It also introduces the feature of background perks based on various army factions.
*'''Steam & Steel:''' The big splatbook about crafting and vehicles. Includes other manner of gear, including Kharadron aether-rigs and Fyreslayer runes.
*'''Champions of Death:''' Introduces the various forces of Death as PCs (both in Death-only parties and in normal Order-based parties) and as adversaries.
*'''Artefacts of Power:''' A book full of super-powerful relics and plot-hooks using them. Also includes rule for crafting items using realmstone (crystallized essences of the Mortal realms as well as [[Warpstone]] and Varanite). Surprisingly also has statlines for Endless Spells to the CRB disciplines, a welcome gift since they weren't included anywhere else.
*'''Champions of Destruction:''' Introduces the various forces of Destruction as PCs (both in Destruction-only parties and in normal Order-based parties) and as adversaries.
*'''Era of the Beast:''' Upcoming supplement based on running games taking place after Broken Realms. Includes a bunch of new Order Archetypes like Melusai, Loreseekers, and Draconith as well as details on the living continent of Thondia in [[Ghur]].
*'''Ulfenkarn: City at the Edge of Death:''' Upcoming Supplement detailing the setting of [[Warhammer Quest: Cursed City]]. Apparently, there will be archetypes released to parallel the PCs of the board game that use the optional Grim & Perilous ruleset (tl;dr weaker characters upon creation, can't be Sigmarines or Treepeople, no Soulfire).
*'''Champions of Chaos:''' Announced at GenCon 2022, this might well provide rules to [[Black Crusade (RPG)|become the undisputed bad guys of the setting]]...or at least expand the bestiary a good bit.
</tab>
<tab name="Modules and Adventures">
*'''Crash & Burn:''' Free adventure where the party is ambushed and crashes their ship. Now they need to find their way back to safety.
*'''Shadows in the Mist:''' A set of inter-connected adventures involving the forces of Nurgle assailing the free city of Anvilgard.
**'''Anvilgard City Guide:''' Same as the book for Brightspear the starter box, this provides some plot hooks and details for the city before and after Morathi's takeover.
**'''Fall of Anvilgard:''' Incidentally, some might remember that Anvilgard went through some shit during the [[Broken Realms Saga]]. This particular supplement includes ways to shift the campaign via both writeups of where certain NPCs might be in the new city and a few new plot hooks.
*'''Fateful Night:''' Adventure module involving protecting Brightspear from some Nighthaunt that are crashing the party.
*'''Trouble Brewing:''' Adventure module involving delivering the brew of a descendant/expy of the great [[Josef Bugman]]. Also includes the Brewmaster archetype for Kharadron Overlords.
*'''Reap & Sow:''' Free Adventure involving saving a settlement in Shyish from the realm's spookier inhabitants.
*'''Blackened Earth:''' An interconnected set of adventures involving the free city of Greywater Fastness being caught between both Skaven thievery and angry Sylvaneth trying to boot them out.
*'''Vossheim's Holdouts:''' A module using the "Grim & Perilous" ruleset as a potential prelude to the upcoming Ulfenkarn splat, using a squad of surviving armsmen trying to survive for long enough to find an escape from the damned place while the Necroquake rocks the place.
</tab>
<tab name="Web Supplements">
*'''Through Fire & Smoke:''' Showcase of various environmental effects to throw into your arenas.
*'''Refuges of the Realms:''' Showcase of various settlements with plot hooks in the Realms, including a giant Mootain of the Lumineth.
*'''Doomed Lands:''' Showcase of various environmental hazards in the Realms that can be influenced by Doom.
*'''Stars & Scales:''' Introduces rules for Seraphon PCs as well as some plot hooks involving them.
*'''''The Grund'' Operations Guide:''' A supplement involving the Kharadron airship used in several modules as well as supplemental rules to use on any Kharadron ship.
</tab>
</tabs>

[[Category: Roleplaying]] [[Category: Age of Sigmar]]

Stormcast Eternals

2022-10-25T18:49:09Z

2A01:CB00:6B:A00:C852:3D73:875C:224B: /* Reforging */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Stormcast Eternals|Logo=Ae7063ba280b6a7f3c9ec61c2bfa2d45-768x1000.png|Alliance=Order|Motto=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DCU-80FT28 Cue the power-metal.]}}
{{topquote|Justice, like lightning, ever should appear; to a few men ruin, but to all men fear.|Thomas Randolph}}
{{topquote|Much is demanded of those to who much has been given.|Stormcast Saying (they got it from [https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/EN/Luke+12:48 Jesus])}}
{{topquote|WE ARE THE SIGS MEHREENS! WE ARE THE EMPRA'S FUREH!|Indrick Boreale}}
The '''Stormcast Eternals''' (aka '''Sigmarines''', '''Ground Marines''', '''Fantasy Marines''', '''Stormcunt Eternals''', '''Stormchad Eternals''', '''Adeptus Sigmartes''', "'''The Fuckers Who Raided Dante's Wardrobe'''" and '''Sigmar Males''') are the primary type of soldiers used by [[Sigmar]] in order to fight Chaos during the [[Age of Sigmar]], and thus are the posterboys of the new line.

As will be made evident many times over, they're literally just Space Marines transplanted into the Age of Sigmar, in purpose (An elite military force of engineered super-soldiers grouped into color-coded divisions, personally designed by a god-ruler to be his warriors to combat unfathomably terrifying Lovecraftian horrors that normal men would simply despair at), model design (bulky dudes in all-enclosing, easy-to-paint armor with huge [[pauldrons]] for kids to freehand designs on to make themselves feel special), story role (elite members of the main protagonist faction that are renowned or reviled throughout the setting) and being shoved down the throats of the entire hobby by GW's marketing department. Three more strikes for (or against, depending on your view) them are the fact that some of them have crossbows that resemble bolters, some of their weapons are literally thunderhammers with a fantasy twist and the winged ones resemble some of the Blood Angels models.

Their fluff origins, on the other hand, do give them ''some'' important differences from the autistic warrior monks we all know and tolerate. Instead of distant super-warriors that are barely even humans, Stormcasts function more like a nation-spanning order of knights under Sigmar, who performs his will where needed - [[Ultramarines|they are all warriors, but can have regular functions like being administrators and nobles]], but also builders, artisans and guards. They consider themselves largely apart from the common folk, but not by much; more like a stronger version of a human but with more responsibility to use it well. In other words, they are Space Marines with a Custodian’s mind and an Ultrasmurf's purpose.

For all everyone enjoys making fun of them, they really are pretty cool and their art and models are genuinely awesome. But, hey, give the Internet something to bash and we'll come swinging with thunderhammers.

Also, the apparent global dislike and perceived disdain towards the golden boys out of the "lack of grimdarkness" from them have probably a part in why the books who are currently advancing the settings, "Broken Realms", has turned into "let's see who shit harder on the stormcast for appeasing the fans". Seriously, in 4 books the amount of pain they suffer is unthinkable; they lose many Stormcasts in the Eightpoints and Anvilard who aren't recovered for the greater part, the city of Anvilgard is taken over by Morathi, the Lumineth steal their thunder (heh) as "good guys who achieve something" by worfing ''the entire Death faction'' even up to Nagash himself, Vindicarium and Excelsis are nearly destroyed, the Hallowed Knights and Celestial Vindicators are severely depleted, the entire Sigmarite Brotherhood stormhost is wiped out to the last with Olynder claiming their souls and Chaos storms have emerged that can block Stormcast souls from returning to Azyr. Then the city of Excelsis has an uprising happen under their very noses, sees many Stormcast die and they end up playing second fiddle to humans, Daughters of Khaine and Seraphon (to be fair, one does help take down one of Slaanesh's Newborn daemons in a suicide attack). Stormcast fans can only dread what may comes next, because those fucking neckbeard [[Edgy|grimdark fappers]] can't get enough of it apparently (Well, at least the Chaos storms weren't too much of a problem).

==History==

===Age of Chaos===
So the Age of Chaos left Sigmar in a really bad position. His proposed alliance between the gods against Chaos was shattered with Nagash's betrayal and the others going off to do their own thing. For his part, Sigmar collected as many people as he could and shut off the Realm of Azyr to the rest of the mortal realms. Worst of all, the loss of Ghal-Maraz meant that he couldn't really fight at his fullest.

As the forces of Chaos ran rampant across the realms, Sigmar tried to focus his energy towards making a special project with [[Grungni]], an army forged by the God-King for his own purposes rather that relying on the other gods to help him out. To this end, he plucked the souls of countless worthy heroes from the grasp of the skelepope and made them all manner of fancy golden armor using the remains of the Old World. All the while, Teclis and Malerion's magics kept his projects a secret from all outsiders, giving him precious time to prepare his armies. While he couldn't accomplish all he set out to do and he had very valid fears that the flaws in his reforging would prove to be their undoing, he had to throw them out all the same.

Indeed, Sigmar knew very well that he was in a race against time. Little by little, what few pockets of civilized and uncorrupted land remained in the other Mortal Realms was being overrun and consumed by the hordes of Chaos, and there was a fear that the Realms would be beyond the point of no return for Order if they waited any longer in Azyr. However, a window of opportunity presented itself; After centuries of steamrolling the Realms, the thousands of Chaos warlords and daemon princes had begun to run out of powerful enemies to fight. As such, as Chaos tends to do, with no external enemies to pounce upon, they began to turn on each other, splintering into their petty squabbling war bands as their patron Gods schemed and plotted against each other. With his foes distracted and beginning to lose cohesion, Sigmar decided it was now or never.

He gave the order...and the Realmgate Wars began...

===The Realmgate Wars===
When the Stormcast emerged, they did so in brute force, bursting through the many realmgates to reclaim the mortal realms from the forces of Chaos. Though their forces were limited, the victories they claimed were critical to helping reform the [[Cities of Sigmar]], who tended to establish around the realmgates.

The Hammers of Sigmar touched down in Aqshy, the Realm of Fire, and immediately began mauling the massive Khornate horde known as the Goretide, led by [[Korghos Khul]]. Meanwhile, the Hallowed Knights made their way into Ghyran to help Sigmar's ally goddess Alarielle.

Perhaps the most important of their victories during this time was in Chamon, where Lords-Celestant Vandus Hammerhand and Thostos Bladestorm managed to discover the location of Ghal-Maraz inside a massive Tzeentchian fortress. After smashing through the various fractious armies and traps, Vandus finally reclaimed it and returned it to the God-King.

Sigmar would use his legendary hammer to awaken the Celestant-Prime, a super legendary project that he had been unable to finish without the hammer. With the help of this super-Stormcast, the forces of Order would manage to save the realm of Ghyran from Nurgle's clutches and re-awaken Alarielle so she could reinvigorate the Sylvaneth to kick the pusbags out.

Archaon would eventually hear word of his old rival's forces and go on the offensive, attempting to harness the power of the God-Beasts, ancient and mighty behemoths with the powers of gods. Of note was his attempt to twist [[Sons of Behemat|the God-Beast Behemat]] to his will, only to be thwarted by the Stormcast. The Realmgate wars would soon end when Sigmar, confident in his armies, tries to siege the territory of Eightpoints, the one spot that holds realmgates to each of the mortal realms. Though the place remained in Chaos hands, the realmgates to Aqshy and Ghyran were sealed off, dealing a telling blow to the control of Chaos.

===Malign Portents/The Soul Wars===
With many territories and realmgates reclaimed, the forces of Sigmar set about to garrison themselves and figure out how to best maintain order within the free cities. Some of Sigma's finest...[[Inquisition|were far from the kindly heroes they were made out to be]] and were especially ruthless in their hunt for the disloyal and the heretic.

All the while, Asshole Necromancer Supreme Nagash bided his time in a mighty ritual, gathering as much of the death magic as he could. The only reason Sigmar figured out was thanks to a vision by Vandus Hammerhand as well as the reports of a strike force that just so happened to witness it in the middle of fighting a chaos force in Shyish. The result of this was the Necroquake, a massive explosion of magic that not only resurrected countless dead (and thus established the [[Nighthaunt]] and eventually the [[Ossiarch Bonereapers]] as major forces of Death) but also created all sorts of [[Living Spells|predatory sentient spells]] and exposed Sigmar's Stormvaults. These vaults held all manner of ancient weapons and magic that the God-King viewed far too dangerous to be left in the open and thus he locked them away in all manner of locations in the mortal realms - and the Necroquake just exposed them to all manner of potential potential defilers and plunderers. This would force the Sacrosanct Chamber, an order of warrior-mages originally responsible for guarding the Anvil of Apotheosis, to depart for the mortal realms in order to protect these ancient caches. Thanks to this addition to the stormhosts, the unsteady wins that the forces of Order had would eventually be solidified...

===Broken Realms===
The [[Broken Realms Saga]] saw some particularly grueling setbacks for the posterboys of the franchise.

The first major battle is during ''Book 1: [[Morathi]]'', where the titular villain (now elevated to full-godhood by siphoning some stuff from Slaanesh) laying siege to the free city of Anvilgard. The stormcast stationed on the city were defending the city with everything they had, even when they were also beset by a raiding party of Idoneth mercenaries. People had thought the battle was over the moment the Celestant-Prime swooped down to fight Morathi, but that hope soon turned to despair when they went to parley and the Celestant-Prime actually ''conceded'', ordering all the Sigmarite elements of Anvilgard to pack their shit up and go home. What the conversation was about, nobody knows.

Fight number 2 was during ''Book 3: [[Be'lakor]]''. In that one, the First Prince of Chaos decided to lay siege to the free city of Vindicarum in Chamon. Not only were they already battered by [[Lady Olynder]]'s forces, all part of a deal with Be'lakor, but then the forces of Chaos under his thrall began smashing into the gates. Not helping things was the fact that the skies above the realm were clotted with dark sorcerous storms and the realmgate had collapsed - all the result of some other fuckery he had ordered. The end result was a matter completely alien to the Stormcast: actual vulnerability. The skies no longer allowed the souls of the Stormcast to reach safe ground in Azyr and be reforged, but they were instead devoured by the clouds. The losses they suffered here were permanent and it wasn't until some fleets of Kharadron had arrived (with Grungni himself among them) that they were able to push back the Dark Master's legions. Even then, though, the skies remained bleak, blocking most attempts to return to their maker, and the Celestial Vindicators stormhost was practically annihilated. Worse, the entire Sigmarite Brotherhood stormhost was wiped out, with all their souls being captured and given to Lady Olynder.

The last fight was in ''Book 4: [[Kragnos]]'', where the free city of Excelsis was besieged not only by the forces of destruction, led by Gordrakk and Kragnos himself, but also the legions of Slaanesh under his newborn twins. After this, the Celestant-Prime put Morathi, now Morathi-Khaine, on trial for what she did to Anvilgard. But he was told to give her clemency by ''Grungni'' of all people saying that they had bigger problems.

===Age of Beasts/The Dawnbringer Crusades===

Hearing about what Be'lakor did obviously distressed Sigmar. If the forces of Chaos had a way to block his soldiers from being reforged, then he was going to lose his warriors faster than he could reinforce them, dooming his forces to a gradual defeat via attrition.

He contemplated on ways to do get past this handicap, but fortunately he had found Grungni again after hearing about the hidden dwarf god's actions in Excelsius. Together, they decided to make Stormcast armor that was even tougher than before and enchanted to create a massive explosion upon the wearer's death. This would become the Thunderstrike Chamber, the newest and most elite of his forces. Also reinforcing the ranks are the Draconith, dragon-children of Dracothion himself who were kept by the Slann for such a dire situation like [[Kragnos|a certain ancient god breaking free]].

The Dawnbringer Crusades were called to bring order back to the realms after such a mess following the Soul Wars and hunt down any coming threats from Ghur and beyond. The forward base of Amberstone Watch would be their first exposure to the new forces in play: The [[Kruleboyz]].

The Stormcasts played an integral part in supporting the Dawnbringer Crusades, escorting settlers to their new homes and garrisoning forts and Stormkeeps along the new frontiers. Due to the Chaos Storm, the Stormcast have become a bit more supportive and defensive in their overall strategy, not quite being the all out attack from the Heavens that they were during the Realmgate Wars. While they still very much rely on lightning strike forces from Azyr, especially with the new Thunderstrike Chamber, the now likely chance of having their souls not being Reforged has meant that regular Stormcasts have to be more conservative of where they commit their forces to avoid unnecessary losses. With the Thunderstrike chambers often being the speartip when assualting heavily chaos infested lands allowing the other Stormcast forces to enter and cleanse the surrounding areas of corruption.

In addition to the new Thunderstike armour the Stormcast have developed new countermeasures to dark skies infested areas. With stormkeeps and new dawnbringer settlements making use of Star Bridges powered by the willing sacrifice of souls from Stormcast who have been reforged too many times and wish to have a more permanent death (essentially like a form of assisted suicide). These devices act like anchors that draws in Stormcast souls from miles around and helps non-thunderstrike stormcast return to Azyr with greater safety. In addition to Stormcast mages in newly counquered lands working in tandem with dawnbringer forces to cleanse surrouding lands of corruption to diminish the chaos corrupted skies above.

These new strategies have forced Stormcast to work more closely with Cities of Sigmar forces than ever before, and Stormcast stationed in stormkeeps across the realms developing new combat tactics to fight alongside their mortal allies.

==Reforging==
{{topquote|Look. See. Memories are wounds in the psyche, Little Spirit. They leave deep scars and tell stories. You were born in this Realm, as all living things are born only to die, and you recognized that truth in your torment. You sought to find peace in the dark of Creation's light. Was that not your right? Did you not deserve it? You served, and fought and died, and now only desired peace. Silence. Oblivion. Not to burn and become someone new...someone else. But they would not stop. Again, and again and again. They tried to drag you back. They took those you loved from you, and then, when that was not enough, they sought to take all memory of them. To leave you empty, save for the Storm. Bow, and become greater than that which was lost. Bow, and justice will be yours. Bow, and see again the faces of the forgotten...Now, sleep and be made whole...|Nagash to a lost Stormcast soul, from ''Soul Wars'' by Josh Reynolds}}

The Reforging is the process in which the Stormcast are either converted from mortal men into nigh-immortal demigods or where the not-so-immortal demigods are returned to Azyr to be remade anew.

The former process was originally started back during the Age of Chaos. While locked away in his palace, Sigmar kept an eye on countless defiant warriors, preachers, and countless others who fought the forces of Chaos to their bloody last. Rather than allowing these fearless mortals to fall into the deathly clutches of the great necromancer, he would snatch them away on bolts of lightning and bring them upon his facilities. There, the long and perilous journey of making Sigmar's finest would begin.

The painstaking Process of Reforging itself was devised by Sigmar and Grungni. The procedure takes place in the Sigmarabulum, the orbital ringed fortress that encircles Mallus, the core of the World that Was, floating high above the city of Azyrheim in the Realm of Heavens. This structure also serves as the mining facility of the Sigmarite metal, the material Mallus is comprised of, which is used to make the weapons and armor of the Stormcast, as well as a training facility and headquarters of all the Stormcast hosts. -[UNDER CONSTRUCTION]- Those scarred mortals who survive the processes and come back from the mighty Anvil of Apotheosis would become far more than mere men, gifted with the strength of many men and extensive tutelage in the arts of war. At this point these warriors could be considered the Stormcast Eternals, Sigmar's finest.

But even the finest fall. Upon death, these warriors would break down into a flash of lightning and be returned to Azyr, where they'd be brought to the Anvil of Apotheosis and reforged into new warriors. This process is unfortunately not without flaws. As a Stormcast is reforged time and time again, the traumas of their many deaths and rebirths press upon each other and the essence of the original person decays as they lose their personality and memories until they become little more than lightning-powered automata. Also troubling is that their morality gets bent further and further into something uncompromising and authoritarian - a troubling warning for what may come if war were to ever end. Apparently the Sacrosanct Chamber, who originally tended to the apparatuses that were responsible for the Reforging, were able to ease some of the traumas that come with this process thanks to their magic. Now that this chamber sees active duty in combat, that trauma may now be amplified.

Apparently Vandus Hammerhand has been haunted by visions of what the end-state of these Reforgings may be in the form of a literal ghost made of lightning. This lightning-gheist told Vandus that this flaw is an unfortunate inevitability of the flawed Reforging process and that the only way to prevent this from happening is to reclaim certain ancient artefacts.

And as noted above, Games Workshop's determination to not let up with the Grimdark means that the Stormcast Eternals have other things to worry about; Sigmar's grace / reforging is certainly better than being fodder for Nagash or the Chaos Gods, but not all Stormcast who die are able to return to Sigmar successfully, a problem that has only become more common with the presence of Chaos storms. In effect, dying as a Stormcast is a bit similar to dying as a High Elf or Craftworld Eldar; the lucky ones get an imperfect fate that is still vastly better than the alternatives, and the very unlucky fall into the clutches of Chaos.

==Rank and Military==
When each mortal is reforged, they are immediately put into a strenuous training ritual meant to hone them into superhuman hammer-swinging engines of holy war. Once the big man is satisfied, he then groups them into Stormhosts, and there they train with each other in a massive coliseum that [[Malekith|Malerion]] gifted him back when there was an alliance. These Stormhosts are then broken into Chambers with each having several conclaves organized by specialty. The Strike Chambers consist of your standard boring troops (divided further into Warrior, Harbinger and Exemplar Chambers based on exact makeup), the Extremis Chambers consist of riders of Dracoth and Stardrake cavalry, the Vanguard Chambers consist of outdoorsy ranger types and the Sacrosanct Chamber consists of priests and magicians. In addition, there are three known Chambers Sigmar has yet to unveil to the world; the Ruination, Covenant and Logister Chambers.

Each Stormhost is lead by a Lord-Commander, a supreme leader through which Sigmar's will is realised. As of now, there is currently one Lord Commander in playable miniature form, that being Bastian Carthalos of the Hammers of Sigmar. Supporting the Lord Commander are the Chamber Command, who governs each individual lesser Hosts, of which there are between 3 to 9 Retinues (squads), each with between 6 to 20 Stormcasts. For example, the Hammers of Sigmar Chamber has 301 Stormcasts of 7 Commanders, 36 Paladins, 180 Liberators, 18 Prosecutors (yep; half as many jumpies as elites) and 60 Judicators.

*'''Strike Chamber Command:'''
**'''Lords Celestant:''' The top dogs in the Supporting Chambers, these are the mightiest of heroes among the Chambers, gifted a larger portion of Sigmar's power in order to become great leaders. Some opt to fun with hammers and swords, while other find Dracoths (Large wingless dragons that shoot lightning) to ride like horses or Stardrakes (Even larger dragons with wings that can also cause meteor showers).
**'''Lords Relictor:''' These guys are priests, and are able to see the spiritual realm and all the spooky souls that swirl around in it. Their job is to use their skeletal relics to anchor the Stormcasts to Azyr so their souls don't accidentally end up as Daemon chow or part of Nagash's kingdom of skellingtons. Off-duty they function much the same as a [[Chaplain]], warding the relics a Chamber finds and guiding their members in matters of faith.
**'''Lords Castellant:''' The [[Paladin]] to the [[Warlord]] and [[Cleric]] above. Their initiation tests involving conquering their fears by traveling some mountains in Azyr and befriending a Gryphound. If successful, they get special warding lantern that illuminates his fellow Sigmarines and incinerates Chaos. As "Castellants", they each oversee a Stormcast Hold or Free City; they don't generally take to the battlefield unless necessary for the protection of their castle. Some of them don't have castles to babysit and instead act as their Lord Celestant's right hand man.
**'''Lords Veritant:''' The resident anti-magic specialists of the Stormcast. Hunts down enemy spell casters, and also removes their corrupting influences from the land. Is accompanied by a graph hound, like the Castellant.
**'''Knights Heraldor:''' These guys have giant horns that shoot lightning. Because STORMS. Their helmets are weirdly segmented around the mouths; assumed so the warrior inside can actually blow the fucking horn.
**'''Knights Vexillor:''' Unlike the other jobs, these guys are actually chosen in a contest. A shitton of Stormcasts enter the Coliseum, smack each other to not-quite death (The Coliseum makes sure everyone leaves refreshed because... Malerion didn't have a mood swing when he made it. Or did he, recent lore states that he actually has treacherous intentions towards Sigmar and his Coliseum has a sinister purpose). The winner gets to hold an awesome standard, or a big plate with a glowing orb on it that can be used to throw around fuckin' comets.
**'''Knights Azyros:''' The closets thing to Scout Leaders, these guys have lanterns to help illuminate the realms so Sigmar can see all the way from his palace. Also, the lanterns burn chaos.
**'''Knights Venator:''' Shootier flying Sigmarines, these guys are master archers with magical arrows and own pet <s>Star-Eagles</s> Articunos. One of their Stormsurgeboltthunderblowsuperarrows can kill almost any regular leader character in one shot.

*'''Strike Chamber Troops:'''
**'''Liberators:''' The ground-floor. The goons. The average Liberator is a walking tank, capable of wielding either melee weapons or shields to protect his pals from anything deadlier. They use either swords or hammers, sometimes dual wielded, or Grandhammers and Grandblades (Bigger versions of the usual Hammers and Swords).
**'''Judicators:''' [[Tactical Squad|Warriors skilled with both sword and bow who put to use their uncanny shooting ability in the ranks of the Justicar conclave.]] They wield devastating long-range weaponry (Skybolt Bows or Boltstorm Crossbows). Some even get luckier and get a mega-bow that fires thunderbolts. THE BOWS ARE MAGIC! YEEEEEEEEEEAH!!!! They also hit Chaos-stuff better, because fuck those guys.
**'''Prosecutors:''' They're like Liberators, but they got wings. They tend to spearhead the assault with their speed, throwing either magical reforging hammers or magical reforging spears. Or they could just smash with hammer and sword weapons. Like the Liberators, they can wield big-ass weapons like two-handed axes or war hammers.
**'''Retributors:''' Massive piles of Sigmarite who serve in the Paladin Chambers. These guys carry massive hammers to squash things, which has Rending +1 which can completely remove everything not a leader or monster in a turn. These guys love to pummel anything with more than one Wound, since they do two Damage standard, and can turn that into Mortal Wounds. There's really not something these motherfuckers can't do. Well okay, they don't stand up to high Rend or MW shooting, but then again that's an SE problem in general.
**'''Protectors:''' Despite the name, these Paladins only wield glaives. Glaives that are actually capable of generating magical force fields, and cut down big-ass monsters, should they get close. They are also very, very long range, so put them behind a Liberator wall and skewer that Mawkrusha something fierce while the goons get slaughtered.
**'''Decimators:''' Paladins with fuck huge axes, these things are made to make sweet murder out of hordes. These guys have a massive range on their axes, which is important - because they each get as many attacks as they have enemies within range - because fuck Reaver Hordes amirite. They are also very scary, so people take more heavy Battleshock casualties. Don't try to axe the knee of a Monster or Hero, though; with only one attack, their axes are laughably weak.

*'''Extremis Chamber'''
**'''Drakesworn Templars:''' Usually a second-in-command for a Lord-Celestant, a Templar is one of those few fortunate Sigmarines to encounter a Stardrake. Their loadout is more versatile.
**'''Fulminators:''' Paladin Protectors on Dracoths.
**'''Concussors:''' Paladin Retributors on Dracoths.
**'''Desolators:''' Paladin Decimators on Dracoths, same as the rest.
**'''Tempestors:''' Paladins with crossbows riding Dracoths.

*'''Vanguard Chamber'''
**'''Lords Aquilor:'''Recon Commander riding on a Gryph-Charger (giant wingless hippogryph-things).
**'''Knights-Zephyros:''' Dual axe wielding Stormcast assassins. They magically imprint themselves upon their chosen quarry, and ride aether wind currents to teleport/move at super speeds.
**'''Vanguard Hunters:''' Liberators with small crossbows, cloaks and utilizing infiltration tactics.
**'''Vanguard Raptors:''' Elite Sharpshooters with Longstrike Bows or Hurricane Crossbows (Elite Versions of Judicators). They also have aether-wings to bite and harass enemies that get too close.
**'''Vanguard Palladors:''' Vanguard Hunters on Gryph-Chargers. Armed with javelins. Can ride magical aether wind currents to teleport/move at super speeds.

*'''Sacrosanct Chamber'''
**'''Lords Arcanum:''' Wizard lords of the Sacrosanct chambers. Sometimes ride Gryph-Chargers, Dracolines (dragonoid big cat things), or Tauralons ([[Derp]]-faced pegasi).
**'''Lords Ordinator:''' Builders of Sigmar's works and babysitters of his artillery.
**'''Lords Exorcist:''' Wizard Stormpope.
**'''Knights-Incantor:''' Stormcast wizards without Lord rank. Can use magical soul flasks to suicide bomb surrounding enemies.
**'''Evocators:''' Magical paladins with a few spells at their disposal. Some ride Dracolines.
**'''Castigators:''' Magical Judicators whose crossbows shoot flasks of Dracoth breath.
**'''Sequitors:''' Liberators with maces and a self buff to either their weapons or shields. Not having the Prime take a great weapon actually has a benefit, giving them a ranged soul vacuum that hurts nearby Chaos and Death units.
**'''Celestar Ballista:''' Lightning ballista with options for either rapid fire or one big blast.

*'''Thunderstrike Chamber:''' So due to certain shenanigans in the [[Broken Realms Saga]], Sigmar realized that the whole "die to be reforged in Azyr" deal wasn't all-encompassing when the realm of Chamon was cut off thanks to [[Be'lakor]] being a fucker. To combat this and with the hope that they won't keel over so quickly, he along with his ally Grungi developed new Thunderstrike armour reinforcments to the existing chambers that can better combat the darkened skies. The new Thunderstrike Armor gives off a powerful burst of lightning magic upon the Stormcast's death, in the hope that it'll be enough to punch through Be'lakor's ritual and allow the soul to make it back to Azyr to Reforge. This development has led to Thunderstrike brotherhoods often leading the speartip of warrior chamber assualts. With non-thunderstrike stormcast being aided by newly created Star-Bridge devices that help stormcast souls in miles radius return to Azyr in Sigmar controlled territory.
**'''Lords Imperitant:''' Strategist-leaders who have gryph-hound companions like Lord-Veritants.
**'''Knights-Arcanum:''' The big question right now is "How do these mages differ from Lords-Arcanum and Knights-Incantor?"
**'''Knights Vexilor with Banner of Apotheosis:''' Knights Vexilor with a banner containing a fragment of the Anvil of Apotheosis, fortifying nearby Stormcast in a similar manner to the Anvil proper.
**'''Vindictors:''' The basic foot soldiers, each carrying a spear and shield.
**'''Annihilators:''' The equivalent of Gravis-marines, these are big bulky walls with big shields. Apparently, their size also allows them to channel their momentum when charging.
**'''Praetors:''' Cloaked bodyguards carrying halberds. Presumed to not share the same proclivities as Roman Praetorians.

===Notable Stormhosts===
*'''[[Hammers of Sigmar]]:''' The first Stormhost. They wear [[Ultramarines|Blue and Gold and pride themselves on being the posterboys of AoS]]. With the release of second edition, the posterboys finally have a personality! With the people of the realms seeing them as the foremost stormiest, they now fear that any unsavory rumor or failing on their part will lead to the undoing of Sigmar's plans. Those amongst them who die too many times are now plagued with visions and generate lightning around themselves. Vandus is awesome.
*'''Hallowed Knights:''' The fourth Stormhost. They wear silver and blue and are [[Grey Knights|pretty zealous about killing Chaos]]. They're known for their DETERMINATION and incredible faith in Sigmar, making them the ideal choice for jobs like wading through Nurgle's horrifying and disgusting kingdoms despite all the filth and plagues that pollute the lands. This Stormhost is in general one of the more popular Hosts, with their metal armors and very faith-based culture. Also, have a cool battle cry ("ONLY THE FAITHFUL!"). They are having their own novel series done by [[Josh Reynolds]]. Some of them have been infected by Nurgle's plagues, however their faith is so strong that it purifies their skin, causing their armor to be melted and permanently fused to them. They are occasionally aided by a winged, androgynous being called the Silver Saint who manifests from lakes and pools of water (aka [[Lileath]] trying her Lady of the Lake gimmick again).
*'''Celestial Vindicators:''' The Sixth Stormhost. ''Angry.'' They're vengeful motherfuckers who declared vengeance back as mortals, and then had 500 years to brood while they waited for Sigmar to find his front door keys. Their armour is turquoise with white trim, so the blood reaaaaally stands out. They also tend to kick it with the duardin, so that's pretty cool. Also, they have a sword fetish and revere a spirit called the Father of Blades, heavily implied to be the manifestation of the [[The Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|Empire]]'s Runefangs combined into one being. Each Vindicator seeks to become a living weapon. Some of the better known herobros include Thostos Bladestorm and Arkas Warbeast.
*'''Celestial Knights:''' A Stormhost that is on a constant crusade to bring the light of Sigmar to all benighted lands. Pretty much these [[Black Templars|guys]].
*'''Lions of Sigmar:''' Rocking the bronze gold and purple look there is little-known about this Stormhost save for their heraldry and thunderous roar in battle. Most people auto-assume "[[Dark Angels]]" from hearing the word Lion, though the connection is iffy. The Dangles weren't the only chapter to keep to themselves to that degree.
*'''Knights of the Aurora:''' Sporting grey armour with green and gold trimmings, this Stormhost are claimed to strike more quickly and are masters of rapid assault, overall having the need for [[White Scars| speed]].
*'''Knights Excelsior:''' This Stormhost run around in white armour with blue and gold trimmings. These guys are said to have built up a fierce reputation for totally massacring their enemies so brutally that even other Stormhosts think its a bit excessive. Their claim to fame is that they stepped up to bail the Hallowed Knights out when a Lord of Plagues was about to capture Alarielle, with their Knight-Azyros, a pretty fly badass called Diomar, personally charging the powerful Nurgle lord. They have a massive hard-on for Order and see most attempts at individuality or freedom as dangerously Chaotic. Recently featured in the Malign Portents short story collection massacring unwell civilians in their attempt to instill uncompromising authority in the Realm of Life, despite the fact these civilians were loyal to Sigmar in the first place. One of their number, the White Reaper, is used by the Order of Azyr as the bogeyman to make rebellious nobles stay in line, to say it works extremely well gives you an idea of how scary these guys have become. When an order aligned human has a less than flattering opinion of the stormcast it's usually because they had a run in with these guys. [[Marines_Malevolent|Their extreme black and white morality and habit of slaughtering the innocent by the thousands seems to be turning popular opinion against Sigmar himself. Great job, guys.]]
*'''Celestial Warbringers:''' A Stormhost made entirely from the uplifted survivors of one human tribe who Sigmar really liked the look of. They wear burgundy armour with white trim. They have some prophetic juju going on that lets them see the hour of their death, which means if they're fighting in a battle that they didn't dream themselves get torn to shreds in, they fight with no fear. They're also pretty good fun to be around, feasting and drinking like frat boys at an all you can eat murder buffet. Remarkable insofar as they're the first host of the second striking, which means they get different shields and shoulder guards, because reasons. They also have more Sacrosanct Chambers than usual.
*'''Astral Templars:''' If you're tired of holy knights, go no further; these fuckers have taken to like it in the Realm of Ghur, and has become one with the beasts. Their color is purple, and their armor is adorned with pelts, bloody markings and other tribal stuff. To be allowed into the Templars, a warrior must be a hunter of beasts and monsters, which honestly isn't a big deal when they all come from Ghur, the Realm of Beasts! The [[Space Wolves]] to the Hammer's Ultramarines, but with less wolfs and more barbarians. They honour a godbeast called Ursricht, a giant white bear though he is often depicted as a white haired man. So an expy of [[Ulric]] and Ursun than.
*'''Tempest Lords:''' Donning the Ultramarine blue with an addition of white shields and shoulders are the Tempest Lords. They're described as the most regal and proud Stormhost, probably because every single one of these guys was a monarch, lord, or other such noble before being chosen by Sigmar. Despite this, they're actually pretty baller and down to earth guys, being perhaps the most selfless of all the Stormhosts, flat-out seeing it as their duty to protect those less fortunate than themselves (which is basically everyone,) often inspiring downtrodden mortal tribes to break their chains and fight Chaos alongside the Tempest Lords. They're also pretty literal it seems, because Sigmar once joked that the Stormcast were each worth twelve mortal men in a fight and since then the Tempest Lords have kept count of how many kills they score before dying, taking it as a massive personal disgrace if they don't reach twelve kills. That said, they do a pretty damn good job of reaching that score, leaving them as one of the hardest Stormhosts to kill simply due to their sheer pride refusing to let them die. Each one of these stormcast is a native of Hysh and follow the teachings of [[Myrmidia]], who they revere as much as Sigmar.
*'''Anvils of the Heldenhammer''' The Anvils of the Heldenhammer are a Stormhost of the Stormcast Eternals, wearing black armor. The warriors of the Anvils of the Heldenhammer are dark and brooding, as they aren't made from recently-dead heroes but from long dead warriors who've been resting in tombs and barrows for ages. Most of them are from Shyish as well, so death is central to their mindset - They see themselves as bringers of death, and if turned around against them, death is just another step in the defence of Sigmar's domain. Now that Papa Bones Nagash is getting his spotlight, the Anvils have to deal with him specifically... until Teclis and the Lumineth stole their thunder in the Broken Realms saga and trapped Nagash in his capital city.

===Notable Fan-created Stormhosts===

Help us expand this list:

*'''[[Forgesworn Eternals]]:''' A [[Dwarfs (Warhammer Fantasy)|Duardin]] Stormhost wearing silver and red.

*'''Wardens of the Ember:''' A Stormhost composed of mortals who died standing firm against the most insurmountable Chaos incursions. Former priests cut down mid-prayer, standard bearers who fought and died rather than abandon their colours, musicians who played songs of hope until their very last breath - stoutness of heart is often more important than strength of sword-arm in deciding whether a mortal is bound to this Stormhost. They wear grey armour with black and orange trim, and are notably more jovial than other Stormhosts; it is not uncommon to hear rousing speeches and booming laughter as these heroes urge their mortal comrades onwards.

==Notable Stormcasts==
*'''The Celestant-Prime:''' The alpha, the first Eternal ever forged by Sigmar. It's unknown just who he might be, but it's said he was a mighty king from the past (making people immediately guess <strike>either [[Settra the Imperishable|Settra]], or</strike> [[Karl Franz]]). Despite how much power he put into it, the process was still incomplete, so Sigmar decided to put him in a chamber to preserve the project because he spent too much as it is. However, once he recovered Ghal Maraz, he was able to finish the process and get a giant golden angel to join the ranks armed with the warhammer. Needless to say, he can easily wipe out any <strike>Chaos Lord</strike> Greater Daemon who has the misfortune of facing him. Recently got ganked by Nagash's newest Mortarch, Lady Olynder, while trying to keep an ancient evil and ally of Nagash contained. Not someone to fuck with, seeing as it took a personal champion of Nagash to take him down for the first time while he was busy with an Eldritch Abomination. Also this beast one-shot a Daemon the size of a country with supernova-level force.

*'''Vandus Hammerhand:''' The first named hero among the Eternals, a Lord-Celestant of the Hammers of Sigmar who rides a Dracoth. Apparently, he once fought off against a Khornate Lord known as Korghos Khul as a mortal and almost died before being forged, and instead became a giant gold-plated badass instead of just a human one. He's considered the hero of the Starter Set and is responsible for finding Ghal Maraz. Also, he was the first one to tame a Dracoth. Currently having visions where he sees his future self, who has been Reforged so many times that he has lost all physical form and become an emotionless being made out of pure lightning (what the Stormcast call a lightning gheist), warning him about what would happen if the Stormcasts cannot fix their flaw.

*'''Bastian Carthalos:''' The Lord Commander of the Hammers of Sigmar, shining pillar of black excellence, probably sounds like the Allstate guy. As a mortal, he fought alongside Sigmar during the battle that began the Age of Chaos. Tried to fight Archaon and got utterly fucking mauled by his mount Dorghar, but managed to limp back to Azyr alive, the last to do so before Dollar Store Thor closed off the realm entirely. Jokes aside, Sigmar was impressed by his resilience and went to work reforging him. Yet the mount of Archaon bit deep and even now there is a massive gaping wound in his chest, with only the crackling essence of the Ninth Great Bolt Skjordamar keeping Bastian alive. After his reforging he led the effort purging any Chaos, Destruction, or Death taint from the realm of Azyr and for doing such a great job was made Lord Commander of the Ultra-I mean Hammers of Sigmar. Was stationed in Azyr 'coordinating the war effort' for a good long time but has re-entered the fray in light of current events. Recently went to confront 'something' in the Stormvault below Hammerhal Aqsha and came out even blacker than before and with a fraction of his men, so that's probably not a good sign.

*'''Neave Blacktalon:''' The first female stormcast released for the setting. Neave Blacktalon is basically an eversor with tits, with the mentality of a vindicare. As a mortal she was raised from childhood by a particularly vicious Tribe of Sylvaneth. They basically raised her to be an assassin and all around mean bitch ala Xena warrior princess. Unfortunately, her first target was a chaos lord way out of her league and she would have died had Sigmar not decided she'd make a great stormcast.

*'''[[Gardus Steel-Soul|Gardus Steel-Soul]]:''' Lord Celestant of the Hallowed Knights Stormhost. The best (by fan-view, not author fiat) of the Lord Celestants. What makes Gardus great is that he was no great lord, but a common man. Born Garradan, he was a hospice worker (a doctor for young uns) in the port city of Demesnus. When the forces of chaos invaded the city, he worked tirelessly to heal the defenders, spending whole nights without sleep. As the forces of Khorne shattered the walls and attacked the hospital the tired hospice worker took a chandelier (showing brass balls in the process) and tried to save his patients with good old ultra violence. The rest... is history.

*'''Lorrus Grymn:''' Former Lord Castellant of the Hallowed Knights, and a close friend to Gardus Steelsoul. The only other Hallowed Knight to fight Gardus to a standstill in the Gladitorium Arena, Grymn was a master defensive strategist and often an instructor for many fellow Knights. Fought in the Realmgate Wars during the Hallowed Knights' conquests against Nurgle in Ghyran. Helped lead the defense of Vindicarum when Be'lakor besieged the city during the Broken Realms Saga. Is snatched up by Be'lakor and killed in front of Gardus. His soul is not beamed back to Azyr due to Be'lakor's storm of Chaos, and is permanently dead. RIP.

*'''Yndrasta''': One of several renowned Stormcast personally forged by Sigmar himself, like [[Idoneth Deepkin|Teclis did with the Cythai aelves]] and his hunting champion. She ranks below the Celestant-Prime but far above most Stormcast, and is considered near-mythical. Unlike most Stormcast, her wings look completely avian and she lacks a descriptive last name. She rocks some ornate armor personally made by Grungni, making her look awesome depending on how you feel about Half shaved hairstyles. In her mortal life, Yndrasta was a warrior queen from Ghur, skilled with sword and spear and a renowned monster hunter. During the Age of Chaos, a Chaos army attacked her hometown and she soloed the Chaos Lord leading it in an attempt to save them. But despite getting a good hit with her spear he was too much for her and would've died if not for Sigmar. Recently, she's been tasked by Sigmar himself with killing the newly freed Destruction god, Kragnos. Ironically, she's got a few things in common with Khorne's waifu, Valkia, as both are spear-wielding warrior queens reformed after hopeless battles into immortal, inspiring winged warriors by an Odin-esque god. She behaves like a cat, bringing trophies from her kills and throwing them at Sigmar's throne during meetings then leaving without saying a word.

*'''Thostos Bladestorm:''' Footslogging Lord Celestant of the Celestial Vindicators. Impulsive jackass. Died a couple of times so now Nagash has part of his soul, he still wants to give Chaos a beating. During a battle with a Chaos Lord Varash, Thostos was hit with extremely powerful lighting bolt which triggered a powerful reforging and the results of it was the return of his memories, emotions and a name he once was - Prince Caeran of Wolf Keep (this happening is more proof of Nagash being made of much fail, seriously, how did this ever happen?). Apparently he is now the first Stormcast to be renewed, healed and with fresh purpose but not the last. In the final days of the Realmgate Wars he fought in the Battle for the All-Gates and crossed blades with Archaon, it went as well as you'd expect it to and Thostos is officially lost forever.

*'''Tarsus Bullheart:''' Footslogging Lord Celestant of the Hallowed Knights, leader of a warrior chamber named after him. Broody guy who's obsessed with duty and lets his hammer do the talking for him. Once a human from the realm of Shyish called Tarsem, he lived in a place called Helstone. During the Age of Chaos he fought alongside (and befriended) Mannfred Von Carstein but Mannfred fled leaving Tarsem to get ganked by a Bloodthirster before Sigmar saved him. Sigmar later sent him and some of his warriors to Shyish to parley with Nagash. Along the way they found Mannfred and freed him from a Khornate warband in exchange for his assistance. After entering the underworld and an incident with Arkhan, Nagash appeared before them. This goes as well as you'd expect and all the surviving Stormcast save Tarsus were killed by Nagash. Tarsus managed to distract Nagash and free their souls, but then Nagash killed Tarsus and captured his soul to [[Grimdark|torture him for dirt on Sigmar, and by the time Nagash was done Tarsus was a gibbering wreck]]. Eventually Ramus, Gardus and freaking Mannfred broke into Nagasshizar and demanded Tarsus's Freedom. Nagash freed Tarsus, who was of no more use to him, and Tarsus was promptly mercy killed in the hope that reforging would cure his madness. The novel "Soul Wars" revealed that as Tarsem he had a fiance, and said fiance was so mad about him being Sigmarined that upon her own death she let Nagash turn her into a Nighthaunt executioner to get revenge for losing him. Notable in that he managed to not only form a genuine friendship with Mannfred Von Carstein but get him to feel genuine guilt for betraying him.

*'''Ramus of the Shadowed Soul:''' Lord-Relictor of the Bullhearts warrior chamber and protagonist of the second set of Realmgate Wars audio-dramas. Once voice of reason to Tarsus and completely trusting in Sigmar and his grand plan, after Tarsus was lost to Nagash Ramus has been pressing for a mission to rescue his soul, despite the fact that at the moment Nagash and Sigmar are allies. The other Hallowed Knights are trying to get him to leave it alone and trust in Sigmar, but he hasn't been able to thus far. With Malign Portents pretty much destroying any alliance between Sigmar and Nagash, Ramus gets his chance to rescue Tarsus after all and puts aside his grudge against Mannfred with much difficulty.

*'''Tornus the Redeemed:''' Once known as Torglug the Despised, servant of Nurgle and Lord of Plagues, his soul was redeemed by Sigmar at the height of the last battle at Blackstone Summit in the realm of Ghyran when killed by Ghal Maraz in the hands of the Celestant-Prime. During his brief life as a mortal, Tornus was a righteous believer in Sigmar and his faith was unmatched by those that fought with him during the Age of Chaos against the nurgle invaders. At some point he was captured and left in a pit of filth and due to his stubbornness, faith and pride lived for many weeks only to succumb to the lies that Nurgle spoke to him during those months of captivity. Even then his soul, although corrupted and twisted, held out a spark of hope that his faith in Sigmar was not a lie and was rewarded with a chance for redemption as a Knight-Venator in services of the Hallowed Knights, <strike> [[Awesome|this is so far as we know the first comeback from Chaos ever done in any of GeeDubs franchises]].</strike> Captain Leonatos of the Blood Angels (Read the Blood Quest Trilogy) actually did it first, but this is the first time it has happened outside 40k. Is currently forming his own group of ex-Chaos Stormcasts, much to the suspicion of other Stormcasts, including his own Lord Castellant Grymn.

*'''[[Hamilcar Bear Eater|Hamilcar Bear-Eater]]:''' Astral Templars' Lord Castellant turned Knight-Questor. Hamilcar is, to put it short, a lovely braggart, claiming even Sigmar was impressed the result of his stormcasting, also, it seems like he has an uncanny resemblance with the God-King. Currently he's on a hunt for Mannfred Von Carstein over backstabbing Tarsus. Got his own series by his creator David Guymer! Did we mention he beat a gatling-gun-armed skaven killakan while under sniper fire?

*'''[[Balthazar Gelt|Balthas Arum]]:''' An Anvils of the Heldenhammer Lord-Arcanum. Revealed to be [[Balthazar Gelt]] reborn as a Stormcast, which was heavily suggested in the novel and he is explicitly recognized as such by Nagash (who said that he looks forward to the possibility of having Aurum serve him [[The End Times|a second time]]). He still has his arrogance, mount Quicksilver, and a preference and talent for C[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure|hamon Magic]] over any other. Considered to be the best mage of all the Anvils of the Heldenhammer and possibly all the Stormcasts, which makes some sense given who he used to be. His only real friend is Tyros Firemane of the Hallowed Knights who Balthus felt an instinctive kinship with despite being a surly loner around everyone else. Tyros is a Lord-Arcanum who specialises in fire magic, has a fiery red beard, and prefers to get his hands dirty exploring lost tombs and ancient cities rather than study. Like Balthas though, he feels a connection with the World-That-Was and thinks he may have lived there in a past life. This guy was most likely Thyrus Gormann, Gelt's friend/rival from the Old World. Pretty cool huh? Did Sigmar arrange it so that these two would meet again or are souls from the old world instinctively drawn to one another? Perhaps somewhere in the realms Kurt Hellborg and Ludwig Shwarzhelm are fighting side by side again in fancy new Stormcast duds.

*'''Settrus:''' A Lord Celestant leading a chamber called the "Imperishables" and who holds a massive grudge against Nagash. [[Settra the Imperishable|Three guesses who this guy use to be]]. Has a reputation for getting shit done and commands the respect and obedience of guys like Hamilcar Bear-Eater through sheer gravitas and force of will alone. Was on route to reinforce Glymmsforge in Shyish. Almost certainly doesn't remember much of his past life, as that's the only way he would serve ''anyone''. Unfortunately GW's higher-ups banning usage of Settra got the character nixed.

*'''Gavriel Sureheart:''' A named Lord Celestant of the Hammers of Sigmar who GW started selling one day and didn't bother explaining his deal until 2nd Edition. Grew up as a gladiator slave named "Grub" at the Khornate fortress of Ratspike. One month into his gladiator career, he killed Ratspike's king with a spear chuck and kicked off a short-lived rebellion, being saved by Sigmar at the last moment (like most Stormcast). Currently the only sword-and-board foot LC and known for never wearing a helmet (and looking like Tommy Wiseau).

*'''Arkas Warbeast:''' A Lord Celestant of the Celestial Vindicators and one of two protagonists in Gav Thorpe's ''Warbeast'' novel. Sent back to Ghur and the tribes he once ruled as the mortal Arka Bearclaw, he has a huge, angry boner for smashing skaven to bits, especially one Verminlord who withered his mum to death. A self proclaimed brute with some special connection to the energy of Ghur, his chamber has a reputation for being wild and ill disciplined. He gets even more RAAAAGE after his beat down, but is at least able to control and direct it productively, unlike Thostos.

*'''The Shadespire Warbands:'''
#'''Steelheart's Champions:''' A Liberator Prime and his two flatmates who went into [[Warhammer Underworlds|Shadespire]] to get a cure for the Reforging issues that plague the Stormcasts, but never made it out. The Champions are Obryn the Bold, a massive dude who's into his third Reforging and has become silent and brooding as a result, and Angharad Brightshield, a female Liberator and former smith who took to smashing in faces with hammers instead of smashing swords and metal.
#'''The Farstriders:''' A warband of three Vanguard Hunters in Shadespire. The Prime, Sanson Farstrider, has an accompanying star falcon, whereas his subordinates, Almeric Eagle-Eye and Elias Swiftblade, wield a shock axe and storm sabre respectively.
#'''Stormsire's Cursebreakers:''' Two Evocators and their Knight Incantor leader, set to Shadespire to seek out a cure for reforging-induced flaws. Averon Stormsire is a specialist of breaking curses, Rastus the Charmed fights with fathomless contempt, and Ammis Dawnguard treats her role with holy reverence.
#'''Ironsoul's Condemnors:''' Named versions of the Easy Build Sequitors. (more details when Dreadfane drops)

==Soulbound==
Stormcast Eternals naturally were a playable species from the get-go in [[Age of Sigmar Roleplay]]. Unusually, though, they are technically distinct from the Soulbound adventurers who make up the other playable species - Stormcast Eternals are already spiritually bound to [[Sigmar]] himself, and as such can't undergo the soul-melding Rite of [[Binding]] that creates a normal Soulbound adventurer... who, in turn, can never become a Stormcast Eternal themselves. For this reason, Stormcast Eternals are always, in a sense, outsiders to the adventuring parties of Soulbound (or "bindings" as they are known) - they are allies who join the Binding for their own reasons (or, more likely, are ordered to join) and this can leads to a certain amount of distrust. But not always. For every Stormcast Eternal who wonders why such "great heroes" weren't simply made into Stormcast Eternals, there is another who embraces their similar-yet-different allies with open arms, content to trust Sigmar's judgment and admiring heroism no matter the form it takes.

The ''Champions of Order'' supplement includes the following stormhosts for a Stormcast hero to hail from:
*'''Hammers of Sigmar:''' Naturally, the posterboys of the Stormcast are frequently assigned to aid a band of Soulbound in overcoming particular trials that would otherwise trouble them. They are also incredibly stubborn, incapable of yielding. Heroes of the Hammers of Sigmar have been reforged additional times, considering how they were among the first stormcast to have been made. In addition, if they are reduced to 0 toughness, they and nearby allies add extra die equal to the hero's Determination to all attacks, which is doubled when the hero is mortally wounded.
*'''Hallowed Knights:''' Being the most devout of the Stormcast, the Hallowed Knights constantly seek to test their faith against the most grueling of trials. Though their insistence to emulate their god-king irks other Soulbound, their dedication to withstanding any manner of trial earns the undying support of their companions and other peoples they help. Heroes of the Hallowed Knights know a single miracle (either universal or of Sigmar) that they can use despite not having the Devoted talent, though the talent is now available to all archetypes.
*'''Celestial Vindicators:''' Being a very violent and vengeful Stormhost means that they do not often find themselves assigned to join the Soulbound on any adventures. However, those that do join tend to cage up their simmering anger, often to the point where they can explode into a bloodthirsty rage once in combat. Heroes of the Celestial Vindicators must select one type of enemy to hate - they deal +1 damage to enemies of that type. In addition, the Old Enemy talent is now available to all archetypes, but it must be against the enemy they chose to hate.
*'''Anvils of the Heldenhammer:''' This Stormhost are often made of ancient heroes legendary warriors plucked from the realm of Shyish, much to Nagash's ire and to the frequent curiosity of the Soulbound they fight alongside (who tend to think that these guys are reincarnations of ancient ancestors or something). Because of this ever-present threat, these Stormcast are more than a little open-minded and seek to avoid dying if they can help it. Heroes of the Anvils of the Heldenhammer ignore the stunned condition that being mortally wounded entails and have an easier time dealing with Death tests. However, if they fail a Death test even once, they die immediately as the skelepope gobbles their soul up again.
*'''Knights Excelsior:''' This Stormhost excels at the application of total warfare, seeking the utter decimation of the enemy by throwing absolutely everything at them. This also means that they adopt a very myopic viewpoint of things, viewing others as either good or evil with very little middle-ground, and even those Stormcast that join Soulbound have been known to hold their mortal allies to such high standards that they may even execute those allies that fall short. Heroes of the Knights Excelsior that undertake any endeavor or action to reduce Doom reduces it by an additional 2. However, they suffer a serious disadvantage on Guile or Intuition checks when dealing with a particularly shady individual, and may in fact outright refuse to deal with such folks.
*'''Celestial Warbringers:''' Due to the vast Sacrosanct chambers of this Stormhost, they are more adept at reading particular omens, often allowing them to predict when their deaths may come. Many of them are brought to the Aqshian city of Brightspear, where they clash with the forces of Tzeentch. These troubles often see them join hands with Soulbound looking to make a difference in the war effort. Heroes of the Celestial Warbringers can predict if a day will not spell their doom. Doing so improves their melee and accuracy by one step for the day. However, if they are mortally wounded, they will fear that the portents went awry, and Death tests become more difficult.

Stormcast Eternals have access to the following archetypes in the corebook: '''Knight-Azyros''', '''Knight-Incantor''', '''Knight-Questor''', '''Knight-Venator'''. The ''Champions of Order'' splatbook adds the '''Knight-Zephyros''' as an archetype.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Ugh_Oaf_Ziggy_Scale.jpg|Compare and contrast.
Sigmarine_Stormbanner.png|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-MzNpMD1K8 GROUND MARINES! CHARGE!]
Sigmarine_by_kimplate-d92h94a.png|Only thing missing are pseudo-bolters and they're officially Sigmarines, [https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/catalog/product/600x620/99120218002_StormcastEternalsJudicators012.jpg then you remember that they do.]
THIS_IS_SIGMARON!.png|[http://1d4chan.org/images/c/cc/Cato_Fall_of_Damnos.JPG This looks oddly familiar.]
Sigmarine_Jetpacks.png|Ground Marine [[Assault Squad]]s.
Sigmarines_VS_Khorne_Again.png|In the grim darkness of the far past, there is only war.
Sigmarine_VS_Khorne.png|Ground Marines vs Chaos Ground Marines.
Stormcast_Victory.png|Victory for the [[God-Emperor of Mankind|God Empero-]]..err, [[Sigmar|God-King of man!]]
Sigbrarian.jpg|A Ground Marine Lord Relictor.
Sigmarine_Logical_Conclusion.jpg|The venerable Lord Celestant Boreale, giving one of his glorious speeches.
SpaceEternals.png|One of these is not like the others...
Stormcast_eternal_by_kinmonon.jpg|You can now have your canonical Stormcast waifu, drawn by one Kinmonon.
Female-prosecutor.png|Isn't it great that unlike Emprah Sigmar has no problems allowing girls in his elite forces?
KnightAzyros.jpg|"I will Lamp you....with a Lamp!!!"
</gallery>

==See Also==
*[[Age of Sigmar/Tactics/Order/Stormcast Eternals|Tactics/Stormcast Eternals]]
*[[Space Marines]] - Their 40K counterparts. Compare and contrast.
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmGeTjz49bo A quick overview on the stormcast eternals]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs-Jli8DkIs The price of immortality]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-MzNpMD1K8 Birth of the Stormcast Eternals]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9We2XsVZfc If you're using the Sacrosant chamber and versing Nighthaunt armies, play this for maximum lulz.]
{{Template:Playable Factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar}}

[[Category: Age of Sigmar]]