THE LORD OF DELIGHTS

Slaanesh. The name is both honey and bile. Youngest and fairest of the Dark Gods – as far as it can be judged in the timeless Realm of Chaos – Slaanesh is called the Dark Prince but in truth is neither male nor female: nothing so limited. He is whatever will most entice those who behold his manifold aspects. He has been depicted as an androgynous lord, a serpent with scales of silver, a stave of music that worms into the mind, a colour that burns the eye. In all that overstimulates can he be found.

Worship of Slaanesh as opposed to that of the other Chaos Gods is perhaps the easiest to rationalise, for he is empowered by and thus rewards the pursuit of hedonistic desire. Any self-gratifying urge or act pleases him. Rote indulgences are not enough, though, to earn his favour; excess and transgression are needed to draw his eye. To pledge your soul to Slaanesh is to have your senses sharpened until the world seems a banquet of delights to feast upon. Yet the more one indulges, the less satisfaction they find. True pleasure blossoms in the all-too-brief moment a desire is finally realised, and repetition is the surest way to numb bliss. Slaaneshi cultists must always go further, pursuing ever more sadistic whims. In time, the Dark Prince’s faithful are consumed by depraved obsessions and selfish lusts that justify any indignity to sate their dark needs.

For those who don't know, which may be most of you, back in days so eldritch and ancient that Tahlia Vedra wasn't around yet this community made a collaborative setting called Pyropia, a continent in Aqshy.

That sort of fell apart but it was a lot of fun. With that in mind want to try again? The game is simple. As a start we'll need to determine a faction and a realm.

Cities of Sigmar would be easiest as the faction with the most organizations and elements to pull from. But I'm up for trying most anything the community is interested in.

The only votes for which Realm and which Faction to use that I'll accept is comments below. Both to encourage people to participate, and because polls on Reddit are exploitable and unreliable.

From there we'll work together as a community to set the bones of the region our faction will be in, once that's determined I'll then make a post where the real game begins.

Once we get the project rolling I'll make a Mega,-Thread with a list of options and suggestions for how you can shape our faction to be. Options will include:

• Faction Leaders
• Generals
• Guilds
• Cults
• Companies
• Districts
• Allies
• Enemies
• Resources
• And more

Each community member can add (1). Not one of each, (1) element. So choose wisely. Course if it takes off we'll make additional mega threads giving more opportunities.

Now. This is a collaborative event so your item can alter or add to someone else's. Do not add anything that you would be upset if it was altered.

That said. You're not allowed to be a dick about it. If someone adds a Cavalier martial order that runs soup kitchens, you can't then hoodwink reveal "No, vampires that eat babies". Every community member is another person, so don't be rude about it.

As comments come in I'll add them to the post body with a credit to the creator. If the project proves exceptionally popular we'll have to work around Reddit's word count limit.

I'll add a link to the Pyropia event, so everyone can reference how this all works. As well as see examples.

Votes So Far:

Ulgu or Hysh: 1

Ulgu: 5

Hysh: 1

Cities of Sigmar: 5

Lumineth Realm-lords: 1

Fyreslayers or Sylvaneth: 1

Main Enemy

Okay so folk are voting for main enemy. Did I accidentally say to do that? Ehh. Heck it! Evolve or die! Feel free to vote for it.

Slaves to Darkness: 1

Ossiarchs or Soulblight: 1

Is slaying enemy armies good enough to join archaons army? Or completing tasks like clearing the road for forge anathema?

Greeting and good tidings to all my fellow Realmwalkers. Now you may be wondering why I would title a discussion thread like that. After all. Are the Order of Azyr not a government agency tasked with censure of forbidden relics, hunting spies, and killing monsters?

Yes. But we've also seen evidence of them being adventurers. Evidence such as the new 4E Cities Battletome calling Callis, Toll, and the rest of the Saviours of Cinderfall a team of adventurers.

It was also revealed back in "Spymaster's Deal", a Dawnbringers free fiction, the members of the Grand Conclaves pay Witch Hunters for clearing out Chaos Cultist dens.

Which... if you think about it and go back to the beginning. Are not guilds and orders of adventurers government agencies tasked with censuring forbidden relics, hunting spies, and killing monsters?

What are your thoughts on the Witch Hunters' similarities to, if not outright being the same as, adventurers?

THE MARK OF THE PRINCE

"To have our lord's sign marked upon the flesh is a sublime experience, but there exist more than mere physical marks. You think it is only the mad, the cruel and the depraved that Slaanesh desires? The gods are complex things, amalgams of multifaceted perspectives, potentials and motivations. To blindly dismiss all that Slaanesh is as evil dismisses his reality: the only true patron of any pursuit that inflames the mind and the soul Consider this.

We would agree, I hope, that a torturer who meticulously dissects the organs of their victims acts excessively But could not the same be said for the artist eager to create the most vibrant work, even if it should mean neglecting propriety loved ones and personal wellbeing? Both are Impulses bestowed by nature, granted with neither condemnation nor praise. One Is deemed impure by the will of the masses-yet if those masses were to extend this contempt to love, or fellowship, or beauty, would you be so ready to share their beliefs? Slaanesh bids us only to acknowledge our desires. How is left to us. And if this is so, then are the atrocities of my 'Dark God' not merely the Inherent yearnings of mortalkind writ large?"

Page 13

Warning: This post contains discussion of lore from the Ogor Mawtribes 4E battletome. Although not officially released, videos reviewing the battletome that show off the lore sections are available online.

So, Ogre Kingdoms are arguably my favourite faction in the original Warhammer Fantasy (its either that or Dwarfs). But I've always been a little underwhelmed with the Ogor Mawtribes in Age of Sigmar. Not the Beastclaw Raiders; they were great from their conception, arguably having the best battletome of 1E when it came to lore. But the Gutbuster half always felt kind of lacking, like they didn't really know what to do with them and were just kind of rehashing ideas from Warhammer Fantasy in a less interesting way. I'd have to say that the Ogor Mawtribes refresh does feel like the writers are far more confident in their approach, but it still feels a bit half baked in places.

A notable change in tone that I liked was how the new battletome is fairly explicit about how Ogors are not stupid. Brutish, yes, short-sighted due to their hunger, yes, but they're a clear cut above Orruks and Gargants in terms of capacity for abstract thought. There's even hints of them actually having capacity for emotional depth, like when it goes into how a Beastclaw Raider honours his Maulbeast mount after it dies. This is good because Ogors if not handled well just end up feeling like "fat Ironjawz", and the idea of them being the closest thing there is to a "civilized" Destruction race does make them very distinct.

The problem is that this happens in the same edition where the Ogors are supposedly changing their society to become more savage and less cooperative. The funny thing is that this battletome wants you to believe that Ogors were this reasonable bunch before Morga and Redd took over and ruined everything, but all the old Ogor lore essentially amounted to "never hire Ogor mercenaries, they always betray their employers" and "never bribe Ogors with food to avoid them eating you, they will inevitably eat you once your food runs out". I always had a problem with this aspect of AoS Ogor lore, it was like they were trying to give lip service to the ideas from Warhammer Fantasy but wanted the Ogors to be a Destruction faction, not a neutral one, so they just made them unable to actually make proper deals with any other faction. I suppose I like the new approach more than the old approach; some people are complaining Maneaters are going away, but considering the same book introduces Grell Firefist as a Maneater special character I think GW is just waiting for Maneaters to be released later (which may sound weird to you, but consider how GW waited for 4E before releasing the Cogfort and a priest unit for Cities of Sigmar, both of which I argue are integral to the faction's identity).

The other major addition to this battletome are the Mawseekers. On paper, the Mawseekers sound like they should be a really interesting faction. They bring a cosmic horror theme to the Ogor faction that has been kind of forgotten since the Great Maw stopped being a thing, with insane cultists preaching about an impending apocalypse serving an unknown eldritch force. The thing is, despite how big of a deal the battletome makes of Mawseekers as being this new major thing, they're surprisingly bare on lore. Their new infantry units, Cleavers and Gutseers, only get a paragraph of lore each, and not much is actually delved into what their beliefs actually are beyond "The Gulping God is going to eat the Mortal Realms so we should eat everything". It doesn't help that they basically managed to force the majority of Gutbusters to go along with their beliefs, so traits that could've separated them from Gutbusters more ideologically like "Ogors shouldn't ally with others and just eat people" or "gunpowder weapons are blasphemous because they spoil the meat" just apply to most Ogors now. As of now, while I want to like them they are easily the most underdeveloped of the main Ogor factions.

Lastly I want to talk about Morga the Mighty. She gets a lot of focus, and is pretty much the central character of the battletome, which goes to great lengths to establish her personality (it literally opens on a monologue from her). I actually like her a lot; I feel a lot of people were afraid she was basically some dumb brute that exists to make the Gutbusters act dumber, but her lore emphasises that she is just as much of a diplomatic genius as her father, its just that instead of using it to make mercenary and trade deals with other races she instead uses it to manipulate other tribes into becoming vassals of her Meatfist empire. She's an intelligent, power hungry warlord who wants Ogors to rule everything as a master race instead of serving others for pay.

The thing is, it kind of feels like she is overlapping a lot with another Ogor character: Braggoth Varduk, Frost King of the Svard. Braggoth who was the original rival of Globb Glittermaw, who was disgusted by the weakness of his own kind and wanted to rectify it through brutality, who had his own ambition to conquer all Ogors underneath his banner. Braggoth is still around and is mentioned repeatedly in the battletome (even though it seems like they're moving to replace the Svard with the Fraya as the poster boy Beastclaw subfaction). With Morga now the chief representative of the Gutbusters, Braggoth's place in the lore seems kind of weird, like he doesn't really serve a purpose other than "strong Beastclaw guy". They could have him fight Morga like her father, which seems to be what they're leading up to (given that one of Morga's grandchildren acts as her spy in the Svard), but that just wouldn't be as compelling as the original Globb vs Braggoth rivalry because there's no real reason for it now other than them not wanting to share power (which makes sense, but isn't as interesting as Globb's new ways vs Braggoth's old ways).

All being said, while I think the 4E Battletome is a step in the right direction I still think there is a lot of stuff that needs more development and refinement before I can start liking the Mawtribes as much as the Ogre Kingdoms.

In my recent post I was looking for a way to make my Orruks not green and the summary was if we bend the rules a little bit, this could be the answer. However I'm coming from 40k and I don't know ANYTHING about AoS and how the realms work or what they even are. I was told by a few people that if a population of creatures is long enough around the gates to these realms it can start to change them or something like that. Just elaborate on that please. You can keep it short and concise or write an essay, whatever you feel like I'm ready to learn.

Interesting times in the Mawtribes.

With the fall of Globb and the rise if Morga and Redd we are seeing an interesting cultural shift in the Mawtribes begin to take place.

If we compare what is happening to our own real world history this would be comparable to a specific religious sect coming into power at the top of one particularly large and powerful tribe/kingdom/state and leading what would be considered a top down reformation with new religious ethics alongside cementing new power structures. Not only in the major power itself but also in smaller affiliated tribes that are caught up in the sphere of influence.

So we have the Mawseekers thrusting themselves into greater power across many tribes, particularly Gutbusters, taking them over to partially or fully turn them into Gollops and creating power struggles with less religious Tyrants and the arch-traditionalist Beastclaw Raiders. The influence of the Meatfists is also enough to turn other tribes such as the Stomebellies as seen in the “Law of Meat”.

To bring this all home to the title, the religious edicts proclaimed by Redd and backed up by Morga (in additionally influenced by the knock down effect of “Out with the Old, In With the New” of her disdain of her father’s way of doing things) have seen a dramatic decrease downfall of Maneaters and Leadbelchers in particular among the tribes. If we want to think in real time thoughts then those units moving to Legends in 2027 could be seen as in the instory progress of the Mawtribes abandoning use of those units as the new reforms spread and take hold.

This creates an interesting progression of story for the Mortal Realms in particular related to these Ogors. At the end of the day the Pro-Globb Ogors have a few choices:

1. They go down fighting and get themselves killed by the Mawseekers and/or by all the other armies of the setting.
2. They go along with the “reforms” and abandon their old ways/tools and accept the new power structure.
3. They strike out for themselves (see Urrgar’s Maulerguts) and/or join the Cities of Sigmar.

In particular I think the third option is most interesting, and could lead to the Maneaters coming back under the wing of the COS until they can make a return to the Mawtribes social structure. I will be very interested to see if any writers run with this, focusing on -dispossessed- ogors joining the Cities out of spite/revenge/hunger/laziness.

The Mawseekers rise are without a doubt going to lead to some backlash in some hunger pains.

They comapred it to god beasts from the realm gate wars, but im still having trouble grasping how large this was.

Do they gain any power from the spilling of diseased or toxic blood from plague-ridden Nurgle followers or Skaven ratmen? Do the Daughters blood and shadow magics purify the diseases and toxins before they use it?

And is it even beneficial to the Daughters of Khaine to even fight Nighthaunts or Ossiarch Bonereapers? Both of those armies don't have blood to be spilled for the Daughters to gain power from lol

Been thinking about female minotaur esque characters in other settings and since AoS tends to go mixed gendered in terms of their factions armies I thought it would fit the setting if my own personal gor characters can be women.

Rambling justification aside here are two ideas for female gor characters.

Beastspeaker Nia who was once an Untamed Beast a group known to have strong connections to the gors who underwent the change curse and joined up with a warherd. I imagine her being a character who while understanding many concepts that an average fan would get she doesn't know a lot of the specifics and would serve as an audience surrogate who got the more complex stuff explained to her. But her special connection to the various beasts of the Realms gives her an unique position within the herd and gameplay. So someone who works as a novel and tt character that is interesting.

Mgatha the Bullgor Shaman: Minotaurs have been shown in Fantasy lore to have magical capabilities so that is something that works with AoS and would give her a different perspective on beastmen shamanism due to how Bulgors are. She would be levelheaded by Bulgor standards and have a strong tie to various local spirits both Realm tied and daemonic. She would use her abilities to try and steer her people to productive ends while also twisting local entities into what she considers their proper state. While managing the various desires of spirits she has allied with and making sure that she does not accidentally become bound to one of the Chaos Gods by some of those same spirits.

While listening to the Loremasters bit on the Ogors, I couldn't help but notice some similarities to 40k.

Just like Lorgar, Redd went on a pilgrimage to a mysterious underworld, supposedly met his god, and immediately became a religious reformer. Denouncing the central leader of the ogors. Globb, like the emperor, was an immensely wealthy and large individual who brutally brought about a golden age for the Ogors.

Suddenly Globb's daughter Morga turned against him. The two having a titanic duel that ended with Morga slaying her father and taking the throne. Like Horus wanted to do.
All her sibling rivals were also cooked up by Redd, who may have been pulling the strings the whole time. Like Erebus.

And then Redd spread sweeping reforms throughout the Mawtribes. Gutseers and butchers (dark apostles) became much more prominent and even took leader roles by usurping the traditional tyrants. Morga for her part has been proclaimed the champion of the maw (warmaster) and is kinda just going along with Redd's fanaticism for the power. While leading a much more brutal crusade of consumption with the end goal of devouring the realms (what would supposedly happen if Horus won)

I know the humans went to azyr. However I don't understand how the others survived. What were the elves, greenskins,odors, death and duardin doing to not get rolled by the demons?

Lexicanum link

Warcry warbands can cover a wide range of themes and during the earlier days one of the themes focused on the most was Chaos cultures tied to each of the Realms. The Scions are unsurprisingly tied to Aqshy the Realm of fire. The Realm is easily the most focused on imo in terms of development with Khorne typically being the main Chaos representation there outside of perhaps the Darkoath.

I would however argue that Khorne specifically the Goretide as a faction are more about filtering a Realms theme through another factions ideals rather than a pure exploration of that lands theme. While Scions are a far better example of Chaos tainted Aqshy. Similar to how Hammerhal Aqshy and Fyreslayers handle their relationship to the Realm.

And not just because the Scions are a bunch of pyromaniacs but because while reading about them I feel like they could have been a more neutral religious organisation before Chaos twisted them to far fouler beliefs. Which is what a good Chaos Warcry warband should do.

Stuff like the Inferno Priests being arcane casters rather than priests which connects them to the various magocracies we see in the Realm's history while also tying them to the various factions that place a big emphasis on priests in their tt range like Fyreslayers or Goretide.

The use of Ragerock also ties them into the Realms themes by having their fury tied directly to the Realms rather than any deity. Look up Sigmar's Toll to see how that Realmstone affects people.

Basically what I am trying to say is that out of all the factions bar perhaps Fyreslayers it is the Scions of the Flame who best showcase the Realms themes and lore with the minimal amount of mixing with other themes/factions. Barring the Chaos stuff that ties them to that faction and Warcry storylines.

Also their armour looks great and you rarely see stuff similar to it in Warhammer models I find.

What do people think of the Scions? Do you think they showcase Aqshy themes well or do you think they are far more of a Chaos faction than an Aqshy one?

I know they literally have green in their name but I always want to spice my army up a little bit. For example my 40k Orks are red because they're my own canon mutation from a brutally salty ocean planet full of red algae that got somehow mutated together with the Ork spores and now there's a red population.

I'm getting lots of AoS Greenskins soon and I wanna do exactly something like this!! :D Is there more or less leeway in AoS than in 40k? Any ideas?

Also I know a lot of people are gonna wanna say "It's Warhammer do whatever you want" but I do like to keep in the bounds of official lore at least somehow. I like to roleplay but also keep original :)

Thanks yall!

Now, I don't have to tell anyone familiar with Nagash that making a deal with him is a terrible idea.

But what happens when you decide the rewards far outweigh the consequences? Well... you get this.

This excerpt is taken from Chapter 11, pages 106–108.

Context: King Zothar of Theres has recently lost his son during the annual Games held in the city of Lament. Devastated by his son's death, Zothar falls into a deep state of grief and desperately searches for anyone who might know a way to bring his son back.

One day, an old crone tells him of a mysterious Lord of Death who dwells in the north, in a place known as the Cave of Skulls. She claims that this being has the power to return the dead to the living. Clinging to the slightest hope, Zothar immediately sets out to find this place and plead with the Lord of Death himself, a being called Nagash.

At last, he came to an open chamber, which was covered at one end by a web of bone. Green mist flared and twisted in the shadows around him. He held his sword up and advanced – and suddenly the web of bone shattered into a swirling, shrieking mass that surrounded him; a tide of bone-crows clattering their skeletal wings about his head. When they spoke, their voices drilled into his mind and the pain was enough to throw him to his knees.

Who dares trespass into the presence of the lord! Who values his soul so lightly he would do this thing! Zothar pressed his hands to his ears. ‘I am King Zothar, Lord of Theres! The Jewel of the Desert, the City in the Wastes,’ he cried. ‘I seek Nagash, King of the Dead. I have come to demand my son’s soul!’ The bone-crows erupted from around his head, spinning off in a twisting, screaming mass that disappeared into the tunnel behind him. Zothar collapsed, utterly spent. He heard something slouch from the other side of the chamber. He heard the clack of bones, the scrape of claws. He heard the beating of its wings. When Zothar found the courage to look, he saw Nagash.

Like the skeleton of a mighty vulture, it hunched there in the cavern, its wings folded against its chest, its long, sinuous neck rearing up as it peered at him down the scimitar of its beak. Its bones were as stained and yellow as old ivory and it smelled of ancient midnights, of deserts that had been scoured clean by the wind a thousand, thousand years ago. And when he grasped his courage and looked on it, for a moment it seemed to shift in the spectral gloom and look like a man towering above him, wreathed in spirits, laughing with malicious humour through a leering mouth. King Zothar, the vulture said. I salute your bravery, if not your folly, for coming here. Many an age has it been since a hero has taken sword and shield to confront me in like manner…

‘I am no hero,’ Zothar said, shielding his eyes. He dropped his sword. ‘And I am not brave, unless it is grief that gives me courage. I do not confront you, Lord of Death, other than to ask for that which it is in your power to give.’ And what would a mortal ask of Nagash, that he would risk his eternal soul for it? ‘My soul is yours, if you desire it. It is worth nothing to me. It is my son’s soul that is without price to me. Neophron, as was – killed by the preening arrogance of the Jackal Kings in far Lament, on the Obsidian Coast. I would have him returned to me and anything it is in my power to give, you shall have.’

Lament… the vulture mused. The great beak clacked and the murderous lights in its empty eyes flared brightly. The Obsidian Coast… And what would you be prepared to give up for this? What sacrifice will you make, for the restoration of your son? ‘Anything,’ Zothar said. He spoke no lie. ‘My life, my soul.’ Your city…?

Zothar paused. He looked into himself, walked for a moment in the pleasant avenues of Theres once more, stood for a while in the courtyard with its soaring statues of Theres’ ancient kings and heroes. He gazed on the faces of the common folk, the people who looked to him for love and protection.

‘Yes,’ he said, although the word nearly choked him. ‘I would rather Neophron live as a humble beggar wandering the wilds than have him spend eternity in the cold earth, his soul a lost and lonely spirit in the Underworlds. Yes,’ he said. ‘Take Theres and everyone in it if you must. And damn me forever for my choice!’ And you would serve me, at my command, if asked, the vulture said. You would lead your armies in my service and conquer the Obsidian Coast in my name?

‘If need be,’ Zothar said. He felt the grief swell in him, the slack, empty feeling of his sorrow. Grief for Neophron, grief for all he had now condemned. ‘I will serve. I ask only one condition.’ There was a sound like the cold clash of swords and Zothar realised the vulture was laughing. You are bold, King Zothar, I give you that, to ask conditions of Nagash. Speak, then. What is your condition? ‘That Lament is left to my judgement. I will have my revenge against the Jackal Kings and will see the city pulled stone from stone. And at the last, I will drag the Tower of the Moon from its foundations and cast it into rubble.’

Then the bargain is made, the vulture hissed. And the soul of your son will be returned to you… ‘When!’ Zothar demanded. ‘Bring him to me!’ You will not find him here, King Zothar… For I have my conditions too, to seal the compact between us. You will find your son now in far Lament… ‘What riddle is this?’ Zothar cried. He snatched up his sword. Though his spirit quailed in the presence of the Lord of Death, he took a step forward and raised his blade. ‘You seek to cheat me of what we agreed!’

There is no agreement that is not made on my terms, little human, the vulture laughed. Neophron will return to you, this I promise. But his soul will settle only for a ten-year span and will wither and die in each vessel unless it is released to find new harbour. He died in the Games of Lament, did he not? Very well – he will return to you in the Games of Lament, and as the victor you shall know him. Do not be so hasty to tear the city down, King Zothar, for if you do, you will lose that which guarantees your son’s recurrence.

‘Why do you do this!’ Zothar wept. ‘I will do what you ask, you have my word! Why torment me like this!’ My reasons are my own and they would be far beyond your comprehension, mortal. Now, the vulture hissed, as it shuffled closer. The bargain will be made… Its claws crunched over ancient bones, scattered about the floor of the cavern. Zothar tried to back away, but the fierce fire of the creature’s gaze kept him pinned to the spot. He could not raise his sword. He could not close his eyes. All he could do was stand and watch in horror, as the vulture spread its wings and Nagash gathered him close.

Come to Nagash, it whispered; and Zothar saw only darkness. Come to Nagash, and be transformed…

So after some stressfull time in my life. I can hopefully try and focus on aos again and spread Daughters of Khain propaganda.

So today we are rambeling about one of the best DoK novels outthere Godsbane after finishing my second readthrough.

3 things i wana say first Neronties Thanes fall to godhood is so fascinating.

Allmost of problems in the book are the lumineths own fault classic L for the 2nd worst Aelfdar in the wieder Warhammer cosmos.

And the oder of the shadowedsky, they are the bloody funneyst tzeentch cult ever.

Now one a more seriouse note, the paralel story of our 2 protagnoists.

Thelama ia quite endiring she already stared very unlumineth and she grows mortal less aloof over the story.

In the begining she is insulted at the notion that she /the lumineth and Sispyra/the DoK are cousins and have anything in commen she gets more emotional, she grows more comfident and well down to earth or atleast she feels more like that.

Neronties on the overhand loses himself grows distant, high on his own hype and divine, a great turning point for him as a person is when he executes his lover Castigus and his "traitor " generals, it feels like something the Neronties earlyer in the book wouldnt have done. I feel lile he would have lashed out agaist Hasturav and tzeemtch for that instead of the fake democratic execution with his mind already made up.

Its something that makes his death so sad and somner yet satisfying, the missguided yet somewhat admirable man was long dead before that moment.

The Stormcast in the book are supuflues, it feels like they were there to be there when they ussualy are quite fantastic whenever thdy apear.

I need more Daithus himbo labrador questor died to soon.

Now to the true Protagonist Sispyra Witchaelf extrodinare. Jesus is she powerfull from casting in magic dampening cell for quite sometime, to full horror movie villian when it comes to stealth kills. Or her dismanteling a bunch of lumineth nonleathaly. By khain she is cool.

Also i dont know why but they gave her the most attractive acent ever.

Now talking more seriouse, her story and the overall story is about want and need. What we want to do and what we need to do. What we need to do.

She wants to steal godsbane once she learns of it and argubly should the death of Morathi would be a net postive on the realms (jk she should rule in sigmars stead.) But in dooing so she would unleash a horror far worse.

The story tryes to build tension between her friend/sistership to Thelana and her old coven but on a reread it does become quite comical how hard Dale Lucas tries to portray the moral convlict but if you have read enough DoK stuff you just know that Sispyra is ride or die for thelana once dhe had her respect, like as eraly as thr prison break or sonewhat lster in her talks with Daithus. Thelana had her respect and was her equal so betraly just wasnt on the table.

Now the Cacadron. As a faction they have quite grown on me. Siarsdotter from the grombrindal books is one of my alltime favriote warhammer characters and Wodrik does not disapoints.

The repesting theme of honner isnt something so easily lost. Doing right by your crew is great is grow is great, otherwise very siliar to Sispyras story only that he had his badass first mate to talk sense into him.

Grest guy cool faction i like them when they are ruff gruff but good at hard.

Now Elanors and Orenas story shows the falings of thd lumineth quite well how the harsh treatment and "they are potential criminal" aditude pushes normal folk into the clutshes of crime was cool but in the end its little more than bait for a sequal that will never come.

Good book, we should burn Hysh and Azirheim to the ground make it 6 realms and habe Morathi rule them.

I am sorry to everyone who read this i wrote it prework moring fogbrain and whever i had little breaks during my work this morning.

Hi everyone,

In case you do not know, I love the Grand Alliance of Destruction. Indeed, I am of the strong opion, that it could be the most diverse Grand Alliance after Order. Order contains everything from space dinosaurs to murder elves to capitalistic sky dwarfs and tree people. And Destruction could rival this diversity more than the other grand alliances. Because were chaos and death are both bound by the designs of the chaos gods or Nagash, destruction is equally loosely defined as order. To be a member of this alliance it is enough to have a “might makes right” attitude and to worship Gorkamorka or one of his satellite deities (Spider God, Bad Moon, Behemat, Kragnos). And Gorkamroka alone can be worshipped from anything like an orc war god to a shamanistic entity of Ghur that resides in all the great beasts. So, there is plenty of room for intrueging cultures and species following the banner of the twin-headed god. Whether they be barbaric warlords, primeval horrors, builders of civilization and empires or else.

Currently this diversity of Destruction factions is best represented by Kragnos, the centaur god of earthquakes and playable mascot deity of this GA. When he was released, Kragnos received lots of critiscms for his looks, as this centaur god looked weird next to a green wall of orcs and goblins. Indeed, when he was released, most people expected Destruction to “just the greenskin faction”. And he looks indeed weird infront of a greenskin force. Even worse was that Kragnos was released with the Kruelboyz. Swamp orcs do not really suit a centaur who is more associated with the open plains. However, if you place Krganos next to a beastclaw raider army of ogres on their horned warbeasts, or next to the Gororian Scions (destruction-aligned minotaurs) Kragnos looks much more natural.

And I think this is the main issue of Kragnos. Next to GW mishandling his character, who is very interesting IMO. For this reason, I think it is a missed chance that GW didn’t release Kragnos with a beastfolk-army of similar looking creatures or a beastclaw raider refresh, as much as I adore the Kruelboyz. And indeed, a massive part of Kragnos backstory explores his long-lost people, the Drogrukh. They are a very intriguing part of AoS lore IMO, and a lot of Kragnos stories are based on him losing his kind and trying to find survivors. And indeed, his kin, the Drogrukh, have lots of interesting hallmarks. Primal centaur people who are towering warriors, builders of great cities and combatants in long forgotten wars are simply an awesome concept. Personally, I think AoS as a whole but the Grand Alliance of Destruction and Kragnos would benefit of their return. And indeed, without their return, many plot points of Kragnos searching for them would be void.

Therefore, I want to explore how this faction could look like in the following pitch/essay. For this I focused primarily on the sources available such as Broken Realms Kragnos, the Dawnbringer Books and destruction battletomes. Please keep in mind that these are just my own personal ramblings. Because I am a destruction fanboy who likes to talk about the potential of this grand alliance. Anything I present here is just my own thoughts to pitch the faction. Nothing is meant to be taken seriously, and everyone can use or expand on my ideas however they want. Indeed, I would like to learn what you think about Kragnos and the Drogurkh in general.

Previously I also did other pitches if you are interested. Such as Root Kings for Order, Spartan minotaurs, Abholon (maritime horrors), and human nomads for Destruction as well as a pirate faction and a Frankenstein Faction for Death.

Without further ado, lets see what these horse-people could offer to AoS

Edit: please not that due to Reddits Character limit the sections relations and subfactions are within the comments.

1.      Overview

Our greatest fear has come true. Reports from Ghur and elsewhere mention outposts destroyed, armies ravaged. Often the land itself looks ravaged as if an avalanche went through it. Ghur has not been pacified. Instead, this cunning beast has revealed its strongest claw. The Drogrukh have returned!  - Report of the Order of Azyr

So, what do we actually know about Kragnos people, the Drogrukh? Actual lore is sparse as they only appear in Kragnos background. But what they have there is indeed something promising IMO. Most of the information here comes from the Background section of Broken Realms Kragnos:

-          The Drogrukh come from a primordial time of the realm long before the gods we know and love walked the earth. During their age elves, dwarfs and humans existed as stone age societies and hid in the shadows of powerful giants. In Ghur, monstrous beast races dominate. Of them the Drogrukh were a species of physically mighty centaurs

-          The Drogrukh were a ghurish species through and through but also more civilized as many modern destruction members. On their home continent and Donse and elsewhere they would build massive cities and fortresses. Under their heavy hooves they would level plateaus, carve huge cave-like homesteads into the rock of mesas erect high walls and towers.

-          The Drogrukh were also beastmasters of sorts. Fitting, for being a centauric species in the realm of beats. For example, atop their homes and fortresses “messenger eagles” had their eries. They were used for long distance communication by the Drogrukh. Whether as pets, beasts of burden or another sentient group of beings is not stated. 

-          The Drogrukh were living in relative harmony with Ghur, as much as is possible within this realm. Indeed, they had active diplomacy and alliances with other groups, such as the ancient Draconith Empire. The two mighty empires formed a non-aggression pact after they had joined forces to banish the dragon ogres from Ghur. This pact was enforced by Goros, Kragnos father.

-          Their society was led by tribal elders and likely also by shamans and similar folks.

-          Kragnos was one of the most powerful of their ranks. He was banished after violently attacking his brother over a mare they had both laid eyes on. Kragnos was then exiled with his companions. They faced the challenges of Ghur and Kragnos ultimately rose to godhood, but his closest friends perished.

-          Seeking ever stronger and important challenges, Kragnos attacked the most powerful realm he knew, the ancient empire of the Draconith. Sources differ how this war happened. In Broken Realms Kragnos it reads that the Draconith trap Kragnos and destroy his homelands in retribution. Hence, he did not know it was destroyed when he was freed. But in 4^th edition orruk book it was stated that Kragnos seized leadership over the Drogurkh and led them into a large war with the Draconith.

-          Next to their main empire in Ghur the Drogrukh also had hideouts and sanctuaries hidden across the realms and known only to their own kind. In the Dawnbringer Series Kragnos’ main motivation was to find survivors within these enclaves. And Gobspakk destroyed hints that there are indeed survivors.

This is not a lot of lore, but it is more than many other background groups in AoS have. And it is more than enough to paint the picture of a civilization. A culture native to Ghur that resembles its old, primordial nature. A culture that is comparatively civilized if not noble next to various other groups of Ghur. A proper civilization with massive cities, legal traditions, diplomacy and more. But also, a civilization which represents the natural forces of Ghur and which seemingly had dominion over the beasts within.

If they would return to modern AoS this is essentially what they would represent. A collection of creatures, Drogrukh and allies, who join the grand alliance of Destruction under Kragnos hooves to bring back the old times. The primordial era before the realms were corrupted and ravaged by chaos and undeath or shackled by Order. An age when beasts and titans ruled the world. And in this context the Drogrukh would represent the bestial and prideful side of Ghur to its greatest extent. Not the selfish gluttony of ogres, or the random violence of orruks. The Drogrukh would be an elite leaning cavalry focused army, which would be supported by various other creatures and auxiliaries. They would be the primary “beast folk” faction for destruction, consisting of various animal folk and primeval monsters. In some ways one can compare them to the Necrons from 40k, but as bestial centaurs instead of undead robots.

2.      History:

I mentioned the most important events like the war against the Dragon Ogres, Kragnos exile and the conflict with the Draconith already. But therein lies the first issue. How/when did the Drogrukh fight the Draconith? Different sources give different suggestions. But these can easily incorporate into one narrative IMO. And because I am a friend of moral greyness, I would not want this event to be “Kragnos bad and kills stuff, dragons good”. Indeed, what we had at this moment were two superpowers in Ghur, the dragons and the centaurs. And if superpowers have a superficial arrangement to not go to war, then miscommunication is always a great spark to bring down the whole system. So, in my interpretation of the sources, the following occurs:

Kragnos and his companions are exiled. They go on merry and violent adventures and Kragnos comes closer and closer to Godhood. Finally, he attacks the Draconith. Perhaps on suggestion of Gorkamorka, who liked this act a lot in the sources. Because with two stable superpowers in Ghur maybe it became too peaceful for the orc deity and he cunningly sabotaged them. To the draconith this attack is a break of the non-aggression pact they signed with the Drogrukh. But the Drogrukh do not think themselves responsible. After all, Kragnos is an exile. Any deed of him is his own alone. And if the Draconith cannot deal with a singular vagabond then this is their problem. For this reason, the Drogurkh are shocked and outraged when the draconith launch a counterattack. From their perspective the Draconith broke the pact of nonaggression. Indeed, all the wise elders who could have defused the situation perhaps may die in the fire of the draconiths attack. Thus, a generation of Drogrukh is traumatized and enraged and leaderless. It is this vacuum which Kragnos fills with his official return to Donse. He gathers his Drogrukh around himself, the exiled prince returning and becoming the avenger of Donse in the centaurs’ eyes. What follows is a cataclysmic war between centaurs and dragons. Most of the draconith are slain, but with the Slann and Seraphons help Kragnos is imprisoned. Afterwards counter attacks follow by the seraphon and surviving dragons, which break the weakened Drogurkh civilization. So, the Drogrukh retreat into their sanctuaries. These were likely built in advance, as the Drogrukh were aware more than most other species how violent Ghur is and even entire continents break on a regular basis. So safe zones for their people were established to avoid catastrophe.

For untold millennia Drogrukh stay there in hiding, traumatized, wounded and with a festering anger about the betrayal of the draconith and the loss of their empire. However as new gods walk the earth and new empires rise, they know that they are lack the means to strike out and to reestablish themselves. This changes with Kragnos’ return and the Era of the Beast. Ghurs energies stoke the fury of the Drogrukh evermore and their shamans see the portents and signs that the hour of their return is near. However, Kragnos is quickly imprisoned again. Instead, the Hour of Ruin ruptures the realms and even pierces the sanctuaries of the Drogrukh. This is the final action which forces the Drogrukh to return to the realms en massé. The grounds of the realms shake under their thundering hooves. Filled with the anger of untold eons, they smash into the hordes of chaos and many other foes. They want to find their god, Kragnos, and free him, so that he can lead them on against the many new and spiteful deities. And they want to purify Ghur and the realms from what they see as stains and corruptions and return the realms to their old, primordial glory.

3.      Society

Drogrukh are massive centaurs, however they are not as large as Kragnos. The later is a god who swelled in power since his apotheosis and is eons old. The regular Drogrukh are smaller, but still immense. I would put them at the size of regular dragon ogres or the Draconith of the stormdrake guard.

Drogrukh society is very hierarchical and respects strength as one of the most important qualities, like all destruction factions. Especially in hostile realms such as Ghur, where every day could contain a fight for survival. However, the Drogrukh are not mindless barbarians like orruks. They are well aware that strength alone cannot solve most issues. A proper leader has to express therefore cunning and strategy as well and has the responsibility to keep their followers alive. A Drogrukh who cannot achieve this, is not worth to be called a leader. This makes their culture comparatively meritocratically, as any talented Drogrukh can try to reach the higher position, by proving themselves in combat and other disciplines.

This hierarchy is watched over and enforced by the elders of Drogrukh society. They hold the greatest respect in Drogrukh society. Not only for the achievement of getting this old within hostile realms, but because they possess critical knowledge for the survival of the tribe. Much like how the oldest members of animal herds know where resources lie in times of need, so do the Drogrukh elders remember ancient pathways or where important landmarks stand. Due to this knowledge and this status elders get respect by most Drogurkh. Any Drogrukh, who wishes to become a chieftain, can only achieve this with the blessing of the tribes’ elders. And they can easily loose this position again, if the Elders decide they are unworthy. The elders are also guardians of Drogurkh culture and can speak out punishments. Such as when they sent Kragnos into exile, back in his mortal days. Or they design a contest between two chieftain candidates, which can take the form of a duel, a hunting contest, surviving for a specific amount of time, or fulfilling a religious quest.

The Drogrukh live as semi-nomads. They will flatten plateaus and built great cities by forming earth and mountain with their own hooves. And they built cave-like residents. Given the size of the Drogrukh, these settlements can become megalithic structures. In RL we have lots of buildings and settlements which were not built but hewn from the ground too. Among them are the legendary city of Petra, the stone churches of Ethiopia or the Derinkuyu complex in central Anatolia. The latter are especially important, as they are an immense underground complex hewn in the soft rock. Overground rocks are used akin to a beehive or modern apartment buildings, but deep underground the complexes stretches too. Noone knows for sure who builts it, but some findings suggest, that these caves were constructed under the hittithes around 1500 BC. And since then, various other people used and expanded them. People live to this very day there.

 However, a large collection of Drogrukh requires a large quantity of food. In addition to this logistical issue, many Drogrukh are free spirited people, given their centauric nature. Every settlement will have a core contingent of Drogrukh inhabiting it at all times, such as foals to young or elders too weak for large journeys, as well as their caretakers. But the majority of Drogrukh prefers journeying between settlements. Staying in one place until the resources grow scarce and then travelling to the next one. This creates a huge fluctuation between Drogrukh settlements and a regular exchange, strengthening the union of the tribes within an area. Indeed, sacred hospitality is an important trait of the Drogrukh. Especially given how rare and important safe havens are within hostile lands like Ghur and elsewhere. Hence, breaking it is one of the greatest taboos in their culture. To further avoid unnecessary conflicts, the chieftains leading the travelling groups will submit themselves to the chieftains who oversee the settlements when entering a Drogrukh settlement.

The Drogrukh are also a diplomatic culture. They will enforce their issues with violence if necessary. But a smart hunter invests only as much effort as he needs to. To save their strength and health for important fights. So, if Drogrukh can achieve something without fighting for it, they are interested in it. This means they are open to deals and treaties. But breaking such a treaty, like the Draconith did from their POV, will greatly enrage them and they will punish it with any available force. Still this open attitude made the Drogrukh settlements more diverse than many expect. Ogre mercenaries can be found here, same as orruks on pilgrimage to see the Boss Tramplas origins.

Next to these temporary visitors there are also various permanent residences in Drogrukh settlements. Most important are perhaps the messenger eagles and their relatives. These birds of prey have an old eon connection with the Drogrukh and nest at the tops of their cities since time immemorial. Whether they are pets or true allies is unknown to outsiders. But the eagles play an important role in society as they act as scouts, messengers and in aiding the Drogurkh in times of war. In addition to a variety of other creatures.

In recent times another permanent addition to the settlements are the Ghur-Touched. They are invention of mine based on events in seasons of War Thondia and shall give some variety to Drogrukh armies. With Kragnos release and the Era of the Beast the realms flooded with Ghurs magic. Many mortals were forever transformed and mutated into animal-human hybrid creatures, especially those with ancestors from Ghur. Many sigmarite settlements were suspicious of these peoples, due to several being overwhelmed by their newly awoken bestial instincts, or because they confused these transformations with the turnskin-plague. But the Ghur-Touched are not chaos worshippers but victims of circumstance. Unwilling to join chaos and unable to live in the CoS these people had to take another option. Shamans of old ghurish lineages saw these transformations as a sign and gathered them as followers. The shamans speak of Kragnos not as a destroyer but as the rightful deity of their ancestors. Growing his cult the shamans guided the Ghur-Touched to the Drogrukh settlements. At first the Drogurkh were critical of the newcomers and their Kragnos-found faith, but over time they earned their place as servants who maintain the settlements and to act as auxiliary forces in their armies.

4.      Economy:

Who would have guessed that these beast-things could be interested in trade? Well they aren't. If they can, they will beat you into the dust and rob you. But if you carry some big guns, they are more open to profitial negotations than most of Gorkamorkas spawn - Kharadon Entrepeneur

Drogrukh are great craftsmen. Indeed, next to their earth-shaping powers they are also great metalworkers. In an age when duardin, aelves and humans still used stone tools, they already had metal armaments. Even Kragnos is said to have forged his dread mace by himself in the heart of a mountain. Of course, proper metal is rare in some realms, such as Ghur. In these areas the Drogurkh go to great lengths to acquire it. If they cannot trade it, they will freely raid it from other people. The forges of the Drogrukh are often volcanic chasms, which have been refitting with their stone-shaping techniques to suit their needs. There the Drogrukh will smith the metal, using either great hammers or their own shooed hooves as hammers. The resulting metalworks are of a great quality. Far better than many people would suspect of such a bestial species.

Next to their skill in metal and stoneworks the Drogrukhs are also pastoralists and hunters. They hold great herds of beasts and travel the lands with them, such as gigantic buffalos and more exotic beasts. This is done especially in realms without as plenty of wildlife as Ghur. Indeed, the Drogrukh are great in working with leather, bones and horns as well. Bone cutters can make talismans, needles or musical instruments like flutes.

As mentioned, the Drogrukh do engage in trade for resources they cannot scavenge or harvest themselves. However, due to their dislike of chaos and undeath and their ancient hostility with the Draconith and their associates, this trade happens in reduced form. Primarily with other destruction factions, such as Kruelboyz, Hobgrots and Ogres. But profit driven Kharadon and similar minded individuals can strike deals as well, if they have things the Drogurkh see as worth.

5.      Religion:

Kragnos is saviour and scourge of our kind. This is his right as a god. He represents all the Drogurkh are. Their greatest strengths and their greatest weaknesses. He is the absolute. And as such we venerate him. For in these dark times he may be our only chance - Drogrukh shaman

Kragnos is a complicated figure to the Drogrukh. His story is told in endless sagas, which paint him as a hero of their kind (in the classical sense of the word). A great individual, whose mistakes were equally great as his accomplishments. It is no secret that Kragnos’ actions started the war with the Draconith. However, at the same time Kragnos returned to save his people from the Draconith counter invasion. At least until the End of Empires was imprisoned. To this day there are tribes of Drogrukh who curse his name for ending their primeval glory. But there are many more who think Kragnos deeds to be fitting for Ghur or who see Kragnos as an exemplar of the Drogrukh species. Indeed, ancestor worship is an important trait of Drogurkh culture and who is Kragnos if not a glorious ancestor? As the Drogrukh learned of Kragnos reappearance and second imprisonment, many moved out to find and free their ancestor and god.

Kragnos rise to godhood is also the inspiration for many Drogrukh, who may see their kind as a superior species to the many meagre and weak mortals running the world nowadays. After all the Drogrukh were among the great empires of the primordial age, when all these mortals were nothing but primitives cowering in the shadows. Indeed, every generation produces overambitious Drogrukh who want to follow Kragnos example and rise to godhood themselves. These Godlings travel the realms seeking out the greatest of fights and trying to consume realmstone and divine essence to achieve apotheosis. Most of them fail and die violent and forgotten deaths. Others return to their old homes as veterans of hundredths of wars, bearing exotic gear. And some few are indeed on their very first steps of apotheosis, swelling in size or gaining supernatural abilities, even if they are still leagues removed from approaching true divinity.

Next to Kragnos the Drogrukh venerate a variety of entities. A grand focus lies on the realms themselves and their spirits. The incarnate elementals are especially revered, as they represent splitters of the realms souls who take physical form and gained individuality and a degree of sentience. That they appeared shortly after Kragnos release strengthens their importance in Drogrukh society. Next to the incarnates, other elemental beings are worshipped too. It is the job of shamans to appease and control them. These shamans are both priests and wizards of Drogrukh-kind and frequently specialize on certain groups of elementals. For example, the Groundspeakers are shamans closely connect to the elements of the earth. Their spells and prayers grant them control over rock and ground to raise defensive walls or to open chasms into which enemy hordes fall. Meanwhile the Stormcaller controls the winds and can summon volatile storms and are the closest to the various birds of prey, which live with the Drogrukh.

Gorkamorka is also venerated and respected as the apex predator of Ghur. Much like the Bonesplitterz, the Drogrukh see Gorkamorka as an entity which grants every monster and beasts its strength. This includes the centaurs too, according to their own stories. Stories how and why this was done are manifold and differ from tribe to tribe. Such as Gorkamorka fighting Ghur itself. In this struggle the Greenskin god broke pieces out of the realm. These pieces mixed with the blood of the greenskin god and formed the various monsters and titan of Ghur. This event is meant to have created Draconith, Flathorns, the Great Worms, the greenskins and ogres, as well as the Drogrukh. Whether they are true at all is up to debate. But it is undeniable that Gorkamorka had a great influence on the realm of beasts and thus appears in every mythology there.

6.      Military:

Fighting the Drogrukh means fighting Ghur unleashed. Not just the Drogrukh, but also their primeval creatures and fanatical followers. All the ferocity and power of this grand predator is aimed at you, but with a cunning and strategy far exceeding the strategies of orruks or ogres. Even the Stormcast may not be enough to contain this avalanche. - Notes of a liberator

Every Drogrukh is a warrior. Much like how horses are born more evolved than humans or elves, so are Drogrukh born in a more advanced state. And they grow up faster too. A Drogurkh foal can walk a few minutes after its birth and run an hour later. And just a few days later it is able to carry its first weapons. Surviving in the realms is one of the best combat trainings these younglings can get. The Drogrukh learn to fight, to take what they need to survive from the land, to hunt the great beasts and to work in a group.  As they age, their strength grows exponentially, until they can easily trample adult ogres into the ground with their primeval strength.

A war host of the Drogrukh is often called stampede or disaster by their enemies. The Drogrukh themselves engage enemy armies like they engage a great beast. First, they sent out their scouts and auxiliaries to find it. Then the same very will harass the enemy to reveal weak points. Either the enemy force is lured into a trap, or the Drogrukh host will encircle the foe and engage them from multiple sides. As eons of fighting orruks and similar creatures taught them, if you cut off the head of a beast its body will convulse and wither. This is a common tactic too, where shock attacks are aimed to kill the enemy commander. The headless army will then be be allowed to run, to retreat in a violent hurry. This makes it easier to pick off survivors one by one in later skirmishes. This cunning and intelligent approach to warfare, paired with the great strength of the centaurs, makes them very dangerous foes.

But the Drogrukh do not fight alone. As masters of Ghurs wilds they either tamed or broke a variety of creatures to serve in their forces. This includes great birds of prey, with which they share a long history. The great monsters and beast of Ghurs primeval ages can be found within their forces. Most recently, however, the Ghur-touched have proven to be useful assets. Due to their immense size and body build the Drogurkh have issues in fighting in tensely packed areas such as human cities or fortresses. This is where the much smaller Ghur-touched excel by comparison.

7.      Potential units

The following is just a brief exploration of what units could be possible with the themes and influences I mentioned above.  As I am not a great artist, I can only present you with plain text. But I hope it gets the ideas across. Of course, many other things could be possible too. Therefore, if you have good ideas what else this orc faction could utilize, please let me know.

Heroes:

Drogrukh Chieftain: Chieftains are frequently, but not always, the most powerful members of a Drogurkh tribe. Their primary job is to lead the Drogrukh and ensure their survival. For this purpose, they require not just brawn but cunning as well. Because strength alone is not enough to survive Ghur and the other realms. Knowing which battles to fight, which to avoid and how to engage the enemy as a cohesive unit are base talents any Chieftain has to express.

Drogrukh Stormcaller: Stormcallers are the shamans who share a close bond with the elementals of the wind, and the creatures of the sky. On the open plains of Donse and Thondia wind is a constant force. It rushes over the grasslands and even breaks down mountains over time. Stormcallers possess a natural affinity to it, often starting as them being one of the best runners, before discovering their own magical talents. The training to become a Stormcaller is tough, but if they succeed, the Drogrukh can summon storms, dustclouds or whirlwinds. They can enhance the speed of their fellow Drogurkh or summon the great birds unto the battlefield. Which makes them important assets in most tribes.

Drogrukh Groundspeaker: Groundspeakers are the opposite. They have an innate connection to the earth below their feet and express the Drogrukhs ability to shape stone like no other Drogrukh. Often, they are the architects of Drogurkh kind, deciding how houses and cities should be built to befit the natural harmony of a place, in addition to being the best masons. Groundspeakers feel a close connection to all grounded creatures as well. In times of war, they can manipulate earth and stone themselves, opening chasms, turning solid earth to mud, summoning rocky armor to protect their fellow Drogurkh and else.

Drogrukh Drakeslayer: Drakeslayers are the champions of Drogurkh-kind. The hatred for the Draconith and their related kin is still fresh and conflict is unavoidable if the two sides meet. The Drakeslayers encompass this ancient conflict more than anyone else. They are rarely true members of any tribe, instead journeying between factions as hunters on a track. Seraphon, Star Drakes, Draconith and others, whenever they find such a being, they will try to take it down. They wear their prey’s scaly skin and other trophies openly.  These battles turns the Drakeslayers into veterans of legendary status and premier fighters against monstrous creatures. Their presence and experience encourage their fellow Drogrukh in battle.

Units:

Drogrukh Unblooded: The youngest Drogrukh warriors who have not yet proven themselves in combat. They are the smallest of Drogrukh, but still with the size and strength to match an armored knight. Blessed with the eagerness and vitality of youth they often act as scouts and skirmishers to the Drogrukh stampedes. As light cavalry their job is to harass the enemy with javelins or bows and to ride down fleeing enemies.

Drogrukh Warriors: The warriors are the mainstay of the Drogrukh armies. They are strong, tough and comparable to dragon ogres in size. The warriors wear heavy, green-tilted armor in the style of their ancestors. In combat they frequently rely on a massive club or hammer and a thick shield. Their primary tactic is to ride down everything they charge in. However, when caught in close combat, they are dangerous foes as well, trampling enemies into the dirt under their hooves. They act as versatile melee cavalry.

Drogrukh Chargers: These veteran Drogrukh do not use heavy armor to not limit their speed. In addition, they often carry two-handed lances or falx axes/romphaias. Their job is to deliver the killing blow up close. In conbat they work like a pack of lions. Members lure the prey ingo a position for the strongest lion to strike. Akin to this enemy armies or singular monsters are kept in place by the chasers or the warrior counterparts. Then, one precise moment, the chargers strike and bring down their weapons. Not even a gargant can survive a such an impact.

Drogrukh Hunters: Physical strength alone is not enough to bring down Ghurs various titans. Indeed, a hunter needs skill and smarts as much as strength to survive here. The Drogrukh Hunters embody these traits. They are always accompanied by eagles, who have a close bond with the centaurs. The eagles scout ahead to localize prey and detect hidden threats. They also distract the enemy, so that the Drogrukh can bring them down with well-aimed shots. For this they carry massive bows which even an ogre would struggle to draw. Arrows loosed by the Drogrukh hit their targets with the impact of small arterial shells. And the hunters can draw their weapons in full gallop.

Drogrukh Chaser: Drogurkh chasers are often the first to make contact with the enemy. As in their name, it is their job to chase their prey out into the open and to keep it in place where the rest of the stampede can strike as planned. For this reason, they carry javelins and harpoons. These weapons can cause grievous wounds on monstrous targets. And the ropes attached are strong enough that even titans struggle to break them. With great speed the chasers will surround their prey and pull it down with all their might, or keep it locked in place at least.

Ghur-touched: Ghur-touched is a broad category and encompasses various groups of mortals which were transmuted by Ghurs magic into beast folk. They transformed due to being too close to a source of Ghur magic, freak accidents or deliberate transformations/curses. Many have no place among the civilizations of the mortal realms. Instead, many can hear Ghurs heartbeat loud and clear in their head. An impulse, which drove them towards the Drogrukh. Whether this is a side effect of Kragnos influence on Ghur, or whether these people share ancient connections to the Drogrukh empire of old is not known and not relevant for either side. The Ghur-touched see the civilization of the Drogrukh as their new ideal and swore fealty to it. They support their centaur master’s now as tough, if expendable infantry.

Warbeasts and Monsters:

Drogrukh Godling: Some Drogrukh warriors are inspired by the tales of Kragnos rise to godhood. They become fanatical in their quest to repeat the deeds of their legendary ancestor and reach divinity for themselves. The motivation may vary between individuals. Some may have honest reverence for Kragnos and wish to join him as his new legendary companions. Others have nothing but spite for the End of Empires and wish to challenge and replace him. Thus far none came anywhere close to either goal. But being veterans of long fights and having consumed massive amounts of realmstone has already changed these Drogrukh. Far away from Kragnos statue and might, they have become veritable demigods among the Drogrukh nonetheless, towering over their smaller relatives. And they carry exotic weapons from their many adventures. Self-crafted masterpieces, looted as trophies and on rare occasions gifts from allies they served in combat. As such they may carry meteoric war hammers and shields from stormcast annihilators, Morghast nadrite weapons or similar esoteric armaments. However, their quest keeps them far from Drogurkh society, much like Kragnos and his companions. Unlike their inspiration, Godlings can be summoned back in times of need and join the Stampede against worthwhile enemies. Then they act as monstrous hammers for the army.

Messenger Eagles: The messenger eagles are small compared to the Drogrukh but still large enough to carry away a small human. They have been by the Drogrukh side since the height of their empire, nesting atop their houses and fortresses. In turn the eagles act as messengers between settlements, and as scouts during times of war. With their keen eyes they can detect enemy movements through great heights and even see though magical illusions with their sharp senses. This makes them invaluable assets to their Drogrukh masters.

Roc: Rocs are gigantic birds of prey. Based on the mythological Roc, a bird to so large it could carry elephants, this unit fills a similar purpose in the Drogurkh armies. The Rocs have been allies or associates of the Drogrukh for eons, much like the much smaller messenger eagles. Like them they would nest within or next to Drogurkh settlements and can be convinced to join conflicts. In battle the Rocs are devastaning animals. Dragon-size eagles who descent in fell swoops and drag horses and riders back into the air. But they are also the Drogrukh answer to flying enemies. In the air they can take on Draconith and kharadon airships.

Donsian Hounds: These war beasts follow their Drogrukh masters on their travels, sniffing out dangers the keen Drogrukh senses miss or harassing enemies in combat. They are huge creatures, larger than a grown man, but still small next to their centauric masters. The same masters use them much like hunting hounds, sending them after fleeing enemies or as a distraction. It helps that the salvia of the hounds contains paralyzing venom. Design wise we have several hounds/wolves, to the point thatmore would be a bit boring. For this reason, and to better utilize the primordial theme of the Drgorukh, they could be designed after extinct animals. Such as Andrewsarchus, the largest known mammalian land predator, or Thylacoleo, a marsupial filling the same niche great canines and felines had in other areas of the world.

Klawbeast: The Klawbeast are ancient beings of roughly humanoid shape. They are semi-bipedal, as they walk on their long, clawed forearms. These claws, fangs and a pair of large antlers are their primary weapons. Klawbeasts are tough foes and difficult to take down. Like Megatherium in RL they have bony structures below their skin, which offer a natural form of protection, in addition to their thick hide and fur. In addition, they can create a horrible scream which induces panic their enemies. Personally I would design them after the chailotherium, a prehistoric horse relative one can describe as a gorilla-bear, and the Elemental Incarnate of Beasts from WFB.

Krondspawn: Krond is a mythical godbeast of immense size. It resembled a hybrid of wolf and snake and was a terror on ancient Thondia. It supposeld ydied within the Krondspire mountains, who still bear the creature’s name. The Krondspawn are its descendants. Much smaller than their ancestor, but still enormous, the Krondspawn lives below ground most of the time in large burrows, leaving them only to go on the hunt. The Drogrukh now ancient rituals to call these creatures to the surface and bind them into their service. In battle the Krondspawn burrow and appear suddenly behind enemy lines and create havoc. Which allows the other Drogurkh to charge into the disoriented enemy and strike them down.

I have question, everytime I see someone explain the Stormcast Flaw it is always with "Well Nagash wants their souls so he always steals a part of it" but like... Where's the source? I read all Battletomes, many novels but there was never "Flaw exists because Nagash" answer

Thoughts?