Josh Reynolds is a hired writer who helps GW shaping the background of AoS (he wrote Nagash the Undying King btw). He also answers questions about background online. Just read what he writes!
-Were all Stormcast originally human, or could a suitably devout Duardin, Orruk, Aelf, etc. be chosen for reforging too? Randolph Carter
While initially the lore was fairly vague on that point, it has since been confirmed that all Stormcasts are/were human. That said, if you want to model some non-human Stormcasts to use (or even a whole army of such), I say go for it. I've seen some great models utilising orruk, duardin and even aelf bits. Forge the narrative, you know?
...There are, however, several knightly orders in Ghyran which worship the Lady of Leaves (Alarielle in her more human-friendly guise), and regularly fight alongside the Sylvaneth...
-you keep being asked about wonders of various realms but what about the horrors? What is the most horrific thing in each realm that isn't a byproduct of Chaotic corruption? Jonathan Schafer
There are all sorts of non-Chaos horrors in the Mortal Realms. Here are possibly a few:
In Ghyran, it's possibly the Gardynals - predatory plants that resemble caves, houses, or even citadels, and devour those who seek shelter within them. They travel with the monsoons, and nestle in areas near the largest concentrations of prey, allowing as many as possible to enter before snapping shut their jaws and prowling away.
In Hysh, it could be the Sun Dogs, which stalk and devour the shadows of the unwary. The effects of this are unpleasant, for nature abhors a vacuum and if one's shadow is missing, something may grow to replace it.
In Ulgu, there are similar beasts, called Shirkers, which eat the light from their victims's eyes, and blind them. Their howls lead their prey deeper into the umbral maze of the Realm of Shadows, before the packs descend to nip at their victim's sight, until they are lost, alone and blind, in the shadow-lands.
In Aqshy, it might be the Fire Clown - a jovial, unsettling wanderer who fills the unlucky with heated emotions of all sorts, leading to unfortunate, inevitable consequences, or else makes them spontaneously combust with mirth.
In Ghur, there's the Hungry Wind, a maelstrom of cannibal spirits that strips the flesh from those caught outdoors when it blows through. These spirits are not of Shyish, or of Chaos...some whisper that they might be the manifestation of Ghur itself.
In Chamon are the shattered, maddened remains of Cypria's clockwork legions, many of which have degenerated into a feral state, seeking any jot of metal, wood or even bone to repair their faltering frames. They gather in the wild places, building and growing.
In Shyish, there are the Forgotten, the ancient Ur-Deaths which ruled in the ages before Nagash, and before even the paltry godlings he overthrew. They stir now, in the depths of Stygxx, scenting the death of gods on the charnel wind.
And in Azyr, there are the ravenous things which stalk the star-fields around Sigmaron. Shapeless, nameless and ever-hungry, they are kept in check only by Sigmar's lightning, and the efforts of his huntsmen.
-Who is this Fire Clown?(why a Clown?)
He has no name. He is simply...the Fire Clown. He is clad in all the colours of flame, his hair twisted with clay and char, his nose smudged, his face painted with ashes. His laughter is as the crackling of a campfire, and there are sparks in his eyes. His bandaged fingers are impossibly nimble, and he stinks of hot metal and cooked meat.
They say he was the first man to commune with the spirit of Aqshy, and that for him, every hearth is a door and every fire, a friend. He speaks to the flames, and they speak to him, hissing secrets that only fire knows. He is a clown, because clowns are messengers. Holy fools, hiding terrible wisdom in their japes and jeers. Like fire, he comforts, but come too close, and he can be deadly.
-Do you have an idea of how big a mortal realm is? When compared to earth.
They're nigh-infinite. So, basically, as big as they need to be. Remember, they're not planets, but entire dimensions.
-So are Deathrattle troops similar to Arkhan now in the fact that they have a conscious of sorts? Remembering in the End Times that Arkhan always wondered what Krell was thinking (if anything) and skeletons were just mindless troops, are they more like skeletal citizens now? Austin Swails
Some are, certainly. I think they're equivalent to how the Tomb Kings functioned - varying levels of awareness, with many being lost in a fugue of memory and routine. Some might be mindless. Others might be fully self aware
-So in context of normal worshipers, each time nagash is making a speech in the audio drama(which is awesome) he is talking directly to his faithful and then the priesthood/necromaners/vampires are spreading his word further for those who did not hear it or lack faith?
Pretty much, yep. There are undead whose eternities are consumed with recording his every utterance and nailing it to church doors, Martin Luther-style. There are wars fought among Deathrattle factions over the meaning of certain obtuse statements. There are monasteries where generations of monks, both undead and living, work diligently to translate Nagash's bellicose proclamations into something more inspiring to the common folk.
-If Alarielle was to use her power at its full potential, what would she be capable of doing?
In "War in the Hidden Vale", a weakened Alarielle obliterates a greater daemon of Nurgle without much effort. So, scale upwards. She's the equal of Nagash, so her full capabilities are excessively ridiculous.
-What are five of the biggest differences between Sigmar's and the emperor's personalities?
1) Sigmar is a god. The Emperor is a psychic corpse tethered to a life-support unit.
2) Sigmar has a beard. The Emperor has very little hair now.
3) Sigmar bro-fists orruks. The Emperor was almost strangled by an ork.
4) Sigmar tells his warriors damn near everything. The Emperor...doesn't.
5) Sigmar isn't planning on killing his Thunder Warriors.
-So in a previous question you said Mannfred is not really the "original"? Or do you mean possibly did nagash revive the old mortarch's and may have changed them slightly to suit him as servants? The death tome says their bloodlines reach back beyond, far older than the age of myth. Can you explain?
Sure. Mannfred died during the End Times. So did the other Mortarchs. But all of the Mortarchs were part of Nagash (there's a reason the ancient vampires series was called 'The Blood of Nagash'...) in some fashion. They were him, and he was them. In their blood or in their souls. All are one in Nagash isn't just a boast - it's a promise.
When he was revived, he called forth his Mortarchs, one by one, from the ashes of the old universe. Remember how he revived Vlad from a bit of Mannfred's blood? He might have done something akin to that, only with himself, i.e. literally growing them from his own blood and bone. Or, he drew forth whatever was left of their souls from the Realm of Chaos and anchored them in new (possibly unwilling) bodies. OR, or, he did something entirely different...maybe the Mortarchs are all that's left of the other death gods Nagash defeated in his conquest of Shyish, warped into familiar shapes by his will...maybe they're more like the Seraphon, i.e. memories drawn from Nagash's hazy recollections of the Old World and made solid by his magics. There are a lot of possibilities.
Of course, then you're down the rabbit hole. Is Nagash the same Nagash who usurped power in Khemri, or is he some amalgamation of that Nagash and the death gods he devoured in the End Times? Given Sigmar's part in guiding the creation of the Mortal Realms, it's entirely possible that Nagash is less Nagash the Usurper, and more Sigmar's broken memory of who Nagash was, mixed in with Morr, etc. Which might explain why they were such pals before the Pantheon dissolved. Again, so many possibilities.
-Probably asked before at some point...but Malal? Is he still Hiding around somewhere? :tongue:
No.
-Sorry if this is all ready asked. You said 1000+ comments ago that the Incarnate Gods don't die as long as their realm is still alive. So does that mean Grimnir is alive? Thanks
No. It means Grimnir isn't dead. Which is something else entirely.
-Were all Stormcast originally human, or could a suitably devout Duardin, Orruk, Aelf, etc. be chosen for reforging too? Randolph Carter
While initially the lore was fairly vague on that point, it has since been confirmed that all Stormcasts are/were human. That said, if you want to model some non-human Stormcasts to use (or even a whole army of such), I say go for it. I've seen some great models utilising orruk, duardin and even aelf bits. Forge the narrative, you know?
...There are, however, several knightly orders in Ghyran which worship the Lady of Leaves (Alarielle in her more human-friendly guise), and regularly fight alongside the Sylvaneth...
-you keep being asked about wonders of various realms but what about the horrors? What is the most horrific thing in each realm that isn't a byproduct of Chaotic corruption? Jonathan Schafer
There are all sorts of non-Chaos horrors in the Mortal Realms. Here are possibly a few:
In Ghyran, it's possibly the Gardynals - predatory plants that resemble caves, houses, or even citadels, and devour those who seek shelter within them. They travel with the monsoons, and nestle in areas near the largest concentrations of prey, allowing as many as possible to enter before snapping shut their jaws and prowling away.
In Hysh, it could be the Sun Dogs, which stalk and devour the shadows of the unwary. The effects of this are unpleasant, for nature abhors a vacuum and if one's shadow is missing, something may grow to replace it.
In Ulgu, there are similar beasts, called Shirkers, which eat the light from their victims's eyes, and blind them. Their howls lead their prey deeper into the umbral maze of the Realm of Shadows, before the packs descend to nip at their victim's sight, until they are lost, alone and blind, in the shadow-lands.
In Aqshy, it might be the Fire Clown - a jovial, unsettling wanderer who fills the unlucky with heated emotions of all sorts, leading to unfortunate, inevitable consequences, or else makes them spontaneously combust with mirth.
In Ghur, there's the Hungry Wind, a maelstrom of cannibal spirits that strips the flesh from those caught outdoors when it blows through. These spirits are not of Shyish, or of Chaos...some whisper that they might be the manifestation of Ghur itself.
In Chamon are the shattered, maddened remains of Cypria's clockwork legions, many of which have degenerated into a feral state, seeking any jot of metal, wood or even bone to repair their faltering frames. They gather in the wild places, building and growing.
In Shyish, there are the Forgotten, the ancient Ur-Deaths which ruled in the ages before Nagash, and before even the paltry godlings he overthrew. They stir now, in the depths of Stygxx, scenting the death of gods on the charnel wind.
And in Azyr, there are the ravenous things which stalk the star-fields around Sigmaron. Shapeless, nameless and ever-hungry, they are kept in check only by Sigmar's lightning, and the efforts of his huntsmen.
-Who is this Fire Clown?(why a Clown?)
He has no name. He is simply...the Fire Clown. He is clad in all the colours of flame, his hair twisted with clay and char, his nose smudged, his face painted with ashes. His laughter is as the crackling of a campfire, and there are sparks in his eyes. His bandaged fingers are impossibly nimble, and he stinks of hot metal and cooked meat.
They say he was the first man to commune with the spirit of Aqshy, and that for him, every hearth is a door and every fire, a friend. He speaks to the flames, and they speak to him, hissing secrets that only fire knows. He is a clown, because clowns are messengers. Holy fools, hiding terrible wisdom in their japes and jeers. Like fire, he comforts, but come too close, and he can be deadly.
-Do you have an idea of how big a mortal realm is? When compared to earth.
They're nigh-infinite. So, basically, as big as they need to be. Remember, they're not planets, but entire dimensions.
-So are Deathrattle troops similar to Arkhan now in the fact that they have a conscious of sorts? Remembering in the End Times that Arkhan always wondered what Krell was thinking (if anything) and skeletons were just mindless troops, are they more like skeletal citizens now? Austin Swails
Some are, certainly. I think they're equivalent to how the Tomb Kings functioned - varying levels of awareness, with many being lost in a fugue of memory and routine. Some might be mindless. Others might be fully self aware
-So in context of normal worshipers, each time nagash is making a speech in the audio drama(which is awesome) he is talking directly to his faithful and then the priesthood/necromaners/vampires are spreading his word further for those who did not hear it or lack faith?
Pretty much, yep. There are undead whose eternities are consumed with recording his every utterance and nailing it to church doors, Martin Luther-style. There are wars fought among Deathrattle factions over the meaning of certain obtuse statements. There are monasteries where generations of monks, both undead and living, work diligently to translate Nagash's bellicose proclamations into something more inspiring to the common folk.
-If Alarielle was to use her power at its full potential, what would she be capable of doing?
In "War in the Hidden Vale", a weakened Alarielle obliterates a greater daemon of Nurgle without much effort. So, scale upwards. She's the equal of Nagash, so her full capabilities are excessively ridiculous.
-What are five of the biggest differences between Sigmar's and the emperor's personalities?
1) Sigmar is a god. The Emperor is a psychic corpse tethered to a life-support unit.
2) Sigmar has a beard. The Emperor has very little hair now.
3) Sigmar bro-fists orruks. The Emperor was almost strangled by an ork.
4) Sigmar tells his warriors damn near everything. The Emperor...doesn't.
5) Sigmar isn't planning on killing his Thunder Warriors.
-So in a previous question you said Mannfred is not really the "original"? Or do you mean possibly did nagash revive the old mortarch's and may have changed them slightly to suit him as servants? The death tome says their bloodlines reach back beyond, far older than the age of myth. Can you explain?
Sure. Mannfred died during the End Times. So did the other Mortarchs. But all of the Mortarchs were part of Nagash (there's a reason the ancient vampires series was called 'The Blood of Nagash'...) in some fashion. They were him, and he was them. In their blood or in their souls. All are one in Nagash isn't just a boast - it's a promise.
When he was revived, he called forth his Mortarchs, one by one, from the ashes of the old universe. Remember how he revived Vlad from a bit of Mannfred's blood? He might have done something akin to that, only with himself, i.e. literally growing them from his own blood and bone. Or, he drew forth whatever was left of their souls from the Realm of Chaos and anchored them in new (possibly unwilling) bodies. OR, or, he did something entirely different...maybe the Mortarchs are all that's left of the other death gods Nagash defeated in his conquest of Shyish, warped into familiar shapes by his will...maybe they're more like the Seraphon, i.e. memories drawn from Nagash's hazy recollections of the Old World and made solid by his magics. There are a lot of possibilities.
Of course, then you're down the rabbit hole. Is Nagash the same Nagash who usurped power in Khemri, or is he some amalgamation of that Nagash and the death gods he devoured in the End Times? Given Sigmar's part in guiding the creation of the Mortal Realms, it's entirely possible that Nagash is less Nagash the Usurper, and more Sigmar's broken memory of who Nagash was, mixed in with Morr, etc. Which might explain why they were such pals before the Pantheon dissolved. Again, so many possibilities.
-Probably asked before at some point...but Malal? Is he still Hiding around somewhere? :tongue:
No.
-Sorry if this is all ready asked. You said 1000+ comments ago that the Incarnate Gods don't die as long as their realm is still alive. So does that mean Grimnir is alive? Thanks
No. It means Grimnir isn't dead. Which is something else entirely.
