The first three years of Warhammer Age of Sigmar laid out the story of the God-King sending his Stormcast Eternals to the Mortal Realms to claim it back from Chaos. Old allies and new factions emerged to join the fight, while Nagash furtively worked in secret, crafting the Great Black Pyramid and planning his dominion over all souls in death.
His grand scheme came crashing down as a bunch of sneaky Skaven corrupted his grand ritual. The Great Black Pyramid sank and bored into Shyish, creating the hungering void known as the Shyish Nadir and sending a wave of death magic across the realms – the devastating Necroquake. This is where we pick up the story for part two of our history of the Warhammer Age of Sigmar narrative.
The Soul Wars Begin
The Stormcast Eternals are effectively immortal thanks to Sigmar constantly Reforging the souls of his fallen warriors on the Anvil of Apotheosis. Nagash believes the Heldenhammer has stolen souls that are owed to him, and so the Soul Wars erupt. This is a battle against death itself, and to tip the odds in his favour, Nagash unleashes the Nighthaunt on the Mortal Realms. These hordes of tormented gheists are led by Lady Olynder, Mortarch of Grief. It is also at this time that the Stormcast Eternals become keenly aware of the fatal flaw in the Reforging process, and begin their quest to discover a cure.
In the wake of the Necroquake, long-sealed Stormvaults across the realms packed with hidden artefacts are opened, and many scramble to claim these treasures. The wave of energy also throws the balance of magic into disarray, with storms and manifestations ransacking the realms. This time is known as the Arcanum Optimar, and it is accompanied by the emergence of powerful sorceries known as endless spells. Some of these are predatory, all are incredibly powerful, and control of them is of paramount importance.
In dark and gloomy grottos, the craven Gloomspite Gitz are touched once again by the lunatic lunar light of the Bad Moon. Hordes of grots, squigs, and troggoths unite under the banner of Skragrott the Loonking. Together these pernicious creatures are emboldened, and are led into battle by their mad monarch, who claims he can commune with the Gitz’ careening deity.
Death and Chaos Clash
The Soul Wars continue, and Nagash lands a devastating blow against Sigmar as Lady Olynder kills the Celestant-Prime and frees Katakros, Mortarch of the Necropolis, from his incarceration in the Midnight Tomb. Upon his return to Nagashizzar, he is refashioned and the bone-tithe is levied once more. The Ossiarch Bonereapers arise from their centuries-long slumber in hidden tombs, their long wait for a general finally over in Katakros, who leads them against the nation of Ossia, putting more of Shyish under the deathly grip of Nagash. This is only the start of the Bonereapers’ conquests.
Archaon’s Gaunt Summoners finally discover Uhl-Gysh, where Slaanesh is imprisoned, and in an act of uncommon charity the Everchosen breaks one more of the chains binding the god. Before he can totally free the Dark Prince, however, he is drawn back to the Eightpoints through visions of unfolding disaster.
Right on time too, as Katakros and Lady Olynder mount a surprise invasion of the Eightpoints via the Endgate situated in Shyish. The might of Archaon prevails and Katakros is cut down by the Slayer of Kings, though it is a death the Mortarch considers a price worth paying to get the measure of the Everchosen – while he also manages to establish a foothold in the Eightpoints, the fortress of Arx Terminus. Be’lakor also makes his presence known, defeating Lady Olynder and sending her spectral form back to Shyish – one of the few times he seemingly has Archaon’s back...
Slaanesh, Supercilious Aelves, and Secret Plans
With Slaanesh’s bonds ever weakening, the followers of the God of Excess parade across the realms in a carnival of unmitigated debauchery. As well as seeking sensations beyond compare, their forces are torn between those who wish to fill the vacuum of power left by their deity, and loyal followers who are frantically searching for their lost god.
With the twin threats of Chaos and Death looming large, the Archmage Teclis makes his move and leads his Lumineth Realm-lords out of Hysh, their mission to calm the lands affected by the Arcanum Optimar. They find great success… But no one likes an overachiever, and their arrogance draws much ire from their allies.
After routing the armies of Nagash, Archaon commands the Gaunt Summoner known as the Eater of Tomes to oversee the extraction of varanite from the Eightpoints. This extremely powerful and mutative realmstone bubbles like superheated gore, and a large vein is discovered in Varanthax’s Maw. Archaon plans to use it to breach the Arcway to Azyr and lay claim to Sigmar’s head – with many of the warbands fighting for glory and recognition in the Eightpoints recruited to perform the dangerous task. Morathi’s spies in the Eightpoints report this information back to her, and she quietly hatches a selfish plan. Meanwhile, a Lord of Pain discovers a long-hidden route to Slaanesh’s prison in the Uhl-Gysh.
Betrayal
Morathi swiftly puts her plans in motion by telling Sigmar that Archaon plans to come knocking on the gates of Azyr, and the God-King dispatches a delegation of Stormcast Eternals into the Eightpoints with Morathi. As they battle the forces of Chaos, Morathi secretly siphons much of the varanite found at Varanthax’s Maw through a portal to her temple-city of Hagg Nar. Things keep escalating, however, as after discovering that Morathi had secretly stolen the Ocarian Lantern – the artefact used to pull souls from the belly of Slaanesh in the Age of Myth – High King Volturnos leads a grand host of Idoneth Deepkin in a raid on Hagg Nar to claim it back.
As this new battle rages, Morathi slips away to steal the souls of long-dead aelven monarchs from the gut of Slaanesh. Combining these with the power given to her by a vast cauldron of varanite, Morathi transcends to godhood – though the process splits her in two, causing her to appear at once as the sneering Morathi-Khaine and the monstrous Shadow Queen. To placate the Idoneth Deepkin, she returns to them the Ocarian Lantern and a bounty of Cythai souls stolen from Slaanesh. Her selfish ritual has the rather unfortunate side-effect of weakening the bonds of the Dark Prince even further, and Slaanesh is able to project a portion of his essence into the realms, which later gives birth to the monstrous daemonic twins Synessa and Dexcessa.
With her new allies, Morathi-Khaine continues her betrayal and leads an insurrection in Anvilgard, murdering thousands of its human inhabitants and renaming the city Har Kuron. Only the last-minute return of the Celestant-Prime causes hostilities to cease, though in the wake of the truce the Shadow Queen is nowhere to be found.
Light Versus Death
In the Realm of Death, Teclis leads the Lumineth in an invasion of the Ossiarch Empire, while the Mortarchs Mannfred, Neferata, and Arkhan are sent to Ghyran, Chamon, and Hysh respectively to collapse key realmgates and extend the influence of the Shyish Nadir. They all fail, much to the chagrin of Nagash. These are not the only defeats that the forces of Death suffer, as in the Cursed City of Ulfenkarn, Radukar of the Vyrkos dynasty is overthrown by an unlikely band of heroes – though he manages to escape in a bestial state, and works to open sinkholes of death magic beneath the crumbling city.
Unable to resist lashing out after Teclis’ humbling attack, the ever-vindictive Nagash commands a massive army of Ossiarch Bonereapers in an attack on Mount Avalenor, hoping to create a minor nadir in Hysh. The Alarith and Hurakan temples lead the counter-attack, while Nagash and Teclis do battle atop the mountain in truly epic fashion. The last minute arrival of a supporting force from the city of Settler’s Gain tips the balance, and Nagash's physical body is destroyed as his soul is sent hurtling back to Shyish. This event effectively puts an end to the Soul Wars – but affairs do not stop there.
The Cursed Skies
Armand Callis and Hanniver Toll become aware of an Arcanite cult in the Sigmarite city of Excelsis, but not in time to stop much of the noble quarter being destroyed, and the Knights Excelsior quarantining its remains. For reasons unbeknownst to mere mortals, Lord Kroak leads a host of Seraphon into the Eightpoints, striking a decisive blow against Tzeentch by destroying the Silver Tower of the Eater of Tomes. Its destruction brings ruin to the Rusted Wastes of Chamon, but such devastation is clearly within the scope of the Great Plan.
After many long years working in the shadows, Be’lakor leads an attack on Dolorum, and convinces Lady Olynder to join him in an alliance against Sigmar by threatening her mortal remains. They annihilate the Sigmarite Brotherhood in a brutal attack, and as the souls of the Stormhost attempt to return to Azyr they are consumed by the Cursed Skies – a magical creation of Be’lakor. Using this momentum, the Dark Master leads an assault on Vindicarum and crosses blades with Gardus Steel Soul, only driven back when the duardin god Grungni intervenes – in disguise of course.
With the balance of power between the various factions at its most tenuous, Alarielle seizes her chance and performs a ritual at the foot of the Oak of Ages Past, cleansing it of corruption. The ensuing wave of roiling life energy washes over the Mortal Realms. Alarielle’s spirit-song is carried far and wide by her newly born Warsong Revenants, drowning out the last vestiges of the Necroquake. This is no equilibrium, however, and the dangerous surplus of life magic causes Ghur to seethe and split. The violent convulsions split open Twinhorn Peak and free a being from aeons past – Kragnos, the End of Empires.
The End of Empires
A brutal deity with war in his heart, Kragnos rampages across the Realm of Beasts in search of new foes. The thump of his mighty hooves echoes in the minds of the forces of Destruction, drawing the Mega-Gargants to him, as well as both Gordrakk and Skragrott. Sensing the opportunity for a scrap to end all scraps, Gordrakk launches himself at Kragnos, and is nearly slain – only a last-minute intervention by Skragrott using the power of the Bad Moon can stay the god of earthquake’s dread mace. With the hierarchy of power now established, the three unite, creating a Waaagh! of titanic proportions aimed directly at the city of Excelsis.
In a desperate last stand, the Stormcast Eternals of the Knights Excelsior and Astral Templars try to hold fast against the colossal Waaagh! and Kragnos. Overwhelmed by the seemingly endless tide of orruks, grots, and Mega-Gargants, the fall of the city seems inevitable, but the unexpected appearance of Morathi-Khaine and her followers and the arrival of Lord Kroak – each working to their own inscrutable agenda – saves the defenders. The pair trick the End of Empires by conjuring a vision of the Draconith – mortal enemies of Kragnos’ people – before teleporting him deep into the swamps of Ghur, and far from Excelsis.
With the lack of a unifying figurehead, the Waaagh! falls apart and the forces of Order breathe deeply in relief. They don’t have much time to compose themselves though, as the Rite of Life leaves Ghur convulsing in primal rage. The Era of the Beast is nigh.
Join us next week to find out exactly what that means for the Mortal Realms.
