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Dawnbringers – The Story So Far

Dawnbringers is the latest chapter in Warhammer Age of Sigmar. The Twin-Tailed Crusade has set out from the gates of Hammerhal – one prong trudges through the verdant wilds of Ghyran, while the other plants foot after foot upon the scorching plains of Aqshy. 

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Both are weathering terrible challenges, and as has been foretold only one will succeed in its mission to found a new stronghold for Sigmar. But with Dawnbringers: Book IV – The Mad King Rises on the horizon, it’s time to cover the story so far.

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The first book in the series is set right before the Twin-Tailed Crusade takes its first tentative footsteps. Harbingers of grim portent have begun to appear across the Mortal Realms – in Ghyran, Nurgle’s emissaries propagate the Shudderblight Plague, festering unease across the Everspring Swathe even as Alarielle summons a healing downpour to wash the malady away. To make matters worse, sickly-skinned envoys from the New Summercourt began to spread the word of the Carrion King.

In Aqshy, dregs of the Shudderblight Plague spread through the realmgates, but the primary threat has been brewing underfoot – hordes of troggoths, grots, and squigs led by clamorous Rabble-Rowzas. It is only through the concerted efforts of the Fyreslayers, led by determined Grimhold Exiles, that these riotous masses are held back.

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Despite all this, preparations are completed, and the Twin-Tailed Crusade finally sets off from Hammerhal. The Aqshian contingent journeys across the Great Parch, securing victory after victory as it makes its way to the fortress at Trucebreak for supplies. Disaster strikes when the overconfident Marshal Malchorn forces his Freeguild soldiers to engage the armies of Trugg, the Troggoth king – a hulking brute whipped into a frenzy by a magical migraine, and the opportunistic Rabble-Rowza Braggit Big-Talka.

Failing to anticipate a troggoth with the power to reduce a cogfort to rubble, Malchorn dooms the stronghold of Trucebreak. A cohort of volunteers, walking wounded, and Flagellants hold off the troggherd long enough for Pontifex Zenestra to summon a searing image of the Great Wheel to blast the horde of Gloomspite assailants, buying the remainder of the crusade enough time to escape while Trugg smashes Trucebreak apart with his bare hands.

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A similarly destructive force collides with the Ghyranite half of the crusade: King Brodd and his Mega-Gargants allied with hordes of Ironjawz riding boars of prodigious size. This thunderous stomp breaks against the walls of Fort Gardus, a Stormkeep of the Hallowed Knights, which meets the same fate as Trucebreak – the combined might of the Stormcast Eternals, Sylvaneth, and Kharadron Overlords being unable to hold back the massed gargants and orruks.

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Both prongs have taken a thorough beating from the forces of destruction, but they redouble their efforts. With the help of Bael-Grimnir and the Fyreslayers of the Lofnir and Vostarg lodges, the Aqshian crusade escapes the rampaging troggoths in the ruins of Trucebreak, and makes haste towards the Heartblood Sea. Here they meet up with Vandus Hammerhand and the Hammers of Sigmar, and battle the Goretide of Khorne

When matters look dire, no less than Ionus Cryptborn returns on the wizened crimson draconith Cthorak to fight alongside his old friend.* Battle-weary and fighting for its life, the crusade continues its journey in relative safety until the Idoenth Deepkin strike. Only through the intervention of the Blacktalons are the Dawners rescued, a realm-spanning war stopped by an honour duel between Neave and an Akhelian King.

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The Ghyranite Dawners find little reprieve across the Scabrous Sprawl, harried by roving packs of Ogor Gorgers. Belthanos, First Thorn of Kurnoth and his Sylvaneth allies ride to the rescue, setting upon these bloodthirsty wretches, as the Dawnbringers enjoy a momentary respite before Kragnos and his hordes descend, summoned by the clamour of endless strife. Thankfully, the Council of Life – Alarielle The Everqueen, Lord Kroak, Krondys, and Karazai –  have foreseen this and set a plan into motion to waylay the End of Empires, spearheaded by Krondys himself.

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This instalment of the epic narrative sets us up for the return of Ushoran, as the jaws of death close slowly around the Crusade in Ghyran. 

The fourth chapter of this grand tale will be available soon, and there’s a macabre new instalment of the Dawnbringer Chronicles returning tomorrow. 

* Pals since the very first edition of Warhammer Age of Sigmar.