Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Tempestfall News

Devblog #4 - The Realmgate Wars - Realm of Life

Welcome to the fourth blog post for Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Tempestfall. In the first few chapters, we will introduce you to the universe of Age of Sigmar, and how it all eventually came to Tempestfall.

[h2]THE REALMGATE WARS - REALM OF LIFE[/h2]

While Sigmar’s campaign dealt the first blow against Chaos on the Brimstone Peninsula in the realm of Fire, the Hallowed Knights entered Ghyran - the realm of Life. The Realmgate Wars were in full effect.

Hallowed Knights: Plague Garden, Matthias de Muylder, © Games Workshop Limited

In the Age of Chaos, Ghyran, the realm of Life, became the prized domain of Nurgle - the Chaos god of Disease. His armies ravaged the home of the Sylvaneth and spread pestilence throughout the land for the glory of the Dark God. With the aim of taking the Gate of Dawn, which emanated mysterious, unknown energy, Sigmar had sent the Hallowed Knights led by Lord-Celestant Gardus Steel Soul to fulfill the task.

The Stormcast Eternals descended before the Gate, and encountered a Chaos warband building a shrine for Nurgle. They were no match for the God-King’s warriors clad in silver sigmarite, and after brief cheering, the Hallowed Knights realized celebrations were not in order. The Gate of Dawn began to tremble, as a gargantuan Great Unclean One, Bolathrax, one of the mightiest daemons of Nurgle, entered the battlefield through the corrupted portal. Towering over and taunting the Stormcast Eternals, he almost instantly summoned an entire legion of Plaguebearers, the footsoldiers of the god of Disease. Overwhelmed and swarmed from all sides, the Hallowed Knights’ ranks slowly began to break. In the face of these odds, they could not hope to fulfill their mission alone. Thankfully, watching from the realm of Azyr, Sigmar had prepared reinforcements for his loyal warriors - the stormhost of Astral Templars.

Great Unclean One, © Games Workshop Limited

In a heroic effort, the Astral Templars managed to relieve the frontline of Hallowed Knights by decimating a large chunk of the Plaguebearer army. With the might of their armies combined, a glimpse of hope for victory appeared, however Bolathrax was far from being defeated or giving up the Gate of Dawn. He summoned his Rotguard, an elite daemon unit composed of seven other Great Unclean Ones, who all began to spawn new legions of Plaguebearers. Thinking that the only way to stop the plagued reinforcements was to kill Bolathrax, the Hallowed Knights’ Lord-Celestant, Gardus Steel Soul, gathered his cohort and charged toward the daemon, only to discover that his sigmarite weapon bears little effect on the champion of Nurgle. To make matters worse, suddenly a Gnawhole appeared among terrible ground shaking, unleashing a swarm of Chaos-worshipping Skaven to aid Bolathrax in battle.

The armies of Nurgle were now virtually infinite, and impossible to defeat in regular combat. In a last-ditch effort, Gardus Steel Soul made a choice, the only one he had left - to cross the corrupted Gate of Dawn and seal it from the other side, preventing more Chaos reinforcements from arriving. Bolathrax noticed the Lord-Celestant going through the portal, and quickly realized the connection between the realm of Life and realm of Chaos was in grave danger. Hurrying in panic and amok, the monstrous daemon did manage to cross the Gate of Dawn and catch up to Gardus, but destroyed it himself with his monstrous, putrid body. He was now trapped in the realm of Nurgle with no way of returning to the battlefield.

Sylvaneth, © Games Workshop Limited
Seeing this event take place from the other side, the allied army of Sylvaneth rallied and charged into the armies of Skaven and Plaguebearers. With the aid of nearly decimated Hallowed Knights and Astral Templars, they managed to turn the tide of battle, and score a massive victory in the realm of Ghyran.

To be continued in Part 5

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Devblog #3 - Age of Sigmar

Welcome to the third blog post for Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Tempestfall. In the first few chapters, we will introduce you to the universe of Age of Sigmar, and how it all eventually came to Tempestfall.

[h2]AGE OF SIGMAR[/h2]

The great campaign to save the Mortal Realms from the grasp of Chaos has begun. With weapons and armor forged from Sigmarite, an extraordinarily durable metal made of the core of the Broken World, the Stormcast Eternals launched a fierce offensive.

The Hammers of Sigmar, Mark Holmes, © Games Workshop Limited

The Great Parch, the biggest continent of the realm of Aqshy, was almost utterly ravaged by the Goretide warband of Korghos Khul. Looking for skulls to offer to his god Khorne, the Chaos lord and his followers eradicated the vast majority of the inhabitants, and decidedly broke their will in the siege of Scorched Keep many years ago.

Although there was almost no one left to save, it was Aqshy’s Brimstone Peninsula where the Stormcast Eternals struck. Led by Lord-Celestant Vandus Hammerhand, the Hammers of Sigmar were tasked with opening the previously shut Realmgate to Azyr, thus providing a way for reinforcements to arrive. With the element of surprise and divine lightning on their side, the Stormcast Eternals’ assault ended in victory, although Korghos Khul did not perish. Before striking the final blow against his mighty opponent, Vandus Hammerhand saw a prophetic vision - a Realmgate teeming with Dark Gods’ energy, the Gate of Wrath. Realizing that the battle is over, and a much greater threat to the Mortal Realms exists nearby, the Lord-Celestant splits his army in half, also giving command to his Lord-Relictor Ionus Cryptborn. They rushed north in an effort to close the corrupted Realmgate, and eradicate the followers of Khorne in a pincer attack.

Vandus Hammerhand, Lord-Celestant of the Hammers of Sigmar, Paul Dainton, © Games Workshop Limited

Finally awakened from the stunning battle, and before the Stormcast Eternals managed to rally for their new mission, Korghos Khul retreated to his stronghold at the foot of the Gate of Wrath. He discovers that his Blood Reavers are sitting idly by instead of rushing into combat against the new threat, and slaughters at least a hundred of them in an unstoppable rage. Their blood seeped into the coarse, fiery sand near the Gate of Wrath, and the Dark God heeded that call - Khorne’s Bloodcrushers among other daemons began to emerge, ready to fulfill the Chaos lord’s will. Korghos sends his daemonic regiment after the force of Ionus Cryptborn, knowing that the army of Stormcast Eternals is divided, and coming to shut the Realmgate.

With great difficulty, Ionus’ force barely emerges victorious from the skirmish, and manages to merge with the army of Vandus Hammerhand at the gates of the Chaos stronghold. A massive battle ensues with a clash of Khorne’s followers and Stormcast Eternals. Korghos Khul, wielding his enchanted reality-splitting axe, takes the head of Lord-Celestant Jactos Goldenmane, preventing his soul from returning to Azyr. Seeking to ascend to daemonhood and turn the tide of battle, Khul is about to place his newest trophy atop his pyramid of skulls erected to honor Khorne, when Vandus Hammerhand calls him out - naming him a coward - and challenges him to a duel.

Korghos Khul, Alex Boyd, © Games Workshop Limited

Khorne, the Chaos God of War and Blood, has nothing but contempt for cowards, so Korghos Khul has no choice but to slide down the skull pyramid to meet his mortal enemy. The divine power of Stormcast Eternals is challenged once again, as Khul’s bloodthirsty Fleshhound mauls Vandus’ Dracoth mount. The Chaos lord relentlessly strikes and bashes at the Lord-Celestant, and it seems that Hammerhand will lose his life in the duel. Finding himself at the foot of the Gate of Wrath, realizing that he can’t defeat Korghos Khul, Vandus pleads to Sigmar asking for divine lightning, and Sigmar answers. A massive lightning bolt hit the Lord-Celestant relieving him from his bodily form and transporting his soul back to Azyr, but the impact was so enormous that the corrupted Realmgate was entirely shattered as well.

With Vandus Hammerhand gone, the Gate of Wrath destroyed, and the pyramid of skulls smashed to pieces, Korghos Khul suffered an utter defeat. The Chaos stronghold and fortifications were torn down, and the Goretide was left without daemonic reinforcements, eventually ceding Brimstone Peninsula to the Stormcast Eternals.

The first blow against the Dark Gods was delivered, and hope once more entered the Mortal Realms.

To be continued in Part 4

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The Tempestfall T-Shirt and Poster Contest is Over!

The Tempestfall T-shirt and poster contest is now over! Big thanks to everyone participating, and congratulations to the winners - check your e-mail inboxes!

Don't worry if you weren't picked, we've got more exciting things in the works for the future! ːsteamhappyː

Devblog #2 - Age of Chaos

Greetings Lord-Arcanum,

Welcome to the second blog post for Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Tempestfall. In the first few chapters, we will introduce you to the universe of Age of Sigmar, and how it all eventually came to Tempestfall.

[h3]AGE OF CHAOS[/h3]

Blood and betrayal mark the beginning of the Age of Chaos, known also as the Red Century, or the Great Slaughter.

Archaon the Everchosen and the Varanguard, Paul Dainton, © Games Workshop Limited

Nagash’s undead army failed to repel the Chaos invasion alone, and the defeated god of death was forced to retreat back to Shyish. With the grand alliance of gods shattered, forces of Chaos swept throughout the Mortal Realms in carnage. Although individual races mustered armies to oppose the invasion, they could not hope to defeat the daemons alone.

The gods were defeated and abandoned their people, giving way to the new Chaos masters. Humiliated, enslaved, and murdered en masse in putrid sacrifices, the inhabitants of Mortal Realms (with the exception of the sealed off Azyr) faced their seemingly never-ending doom. All the prosperity, commerce, and technological advancements achieved in the Age of Myth turned to ash in the wake of the roaming daemons. Toppled empires laid in ruins, rulers were executed, and all those who dared defy Chaos met their death. Those who managed to survive retreated into hiding, turning feral over the course of time.
In contrast, those who served the Dark Gods were well rewarded with earthly pleasures, immense power, or anything they ever desired. Their bloodthirst provided utter victory, and that was the only thing that mattered.

It was not only living beings who suffered from the invasion. Nurgle, the Chaos Plague God, entered the Mortal Realms bringing blight and unholy rot to the lands, turning everything into a landscape more similar to the Realm of Chaos. With the poisoned environment came terrifying mutations, turning the remaining people into beasts and monsters. The Mortal Realms became a hellish landscape, now filled with erected Chaos fortresses meant to supervise and control the enslaved peoples, as well as give the daemons a way of entry to the physical world. This reign of unspeakable terror lasted for hundreds of years.

The Dominion of Chaos, Mark Holmes, © Games Workshop Limited

In that time, Sigmar had watched the Mortal Realms from his sealed off realm of Azyr. He observed the struggle and pain of mankind, and saw a glimmer of hope. He himself could no longer take part in combat, however, he became aware of the feral humans who relentlessly fought for their freedom, even in face of utter defeat. During these battles, skirmishes, and last stands against Chaos, the warriors began to disappear in flashes of lightning.

Sigmar called upon his former allied gods, and received from each a gift, giving him the power and ability to create a mighty army. Sigmaron became enriched with barracks, armories, forges, and great halls to house the soon-to-be warriors of the God-King.

The disappeared human combatants would arrive in the Celestial Realm, facing Sigmar himself and learning his plot to take back the Mortal Realms. They were to begin trials for becoming Stormcast Eternals - the God-King’s manifestations of wrath and power.

Clad in golden armor and armed with mighty weapons of war, the army of Azyrheim along with the Stormcast Eternals began purging the Heavens from any and all sources of corruption. Roaming orcish Orruks and creatures bearing the taint of Chaos were hunted down and defeated. Some mythic beasts remained, however, the Celestial Realm became free of the Dark Gods’ influence.
In preparation for their first descent, the Stormcast Eternals also trained in pitched battles in the enchanted Gladitorium. Sometimes entire Stormhosts drilled or fought each other, while the power of Gladitorium’s dome allowed them to rise unharmed after each skirmish.

Sigmaron in the Realm of Azyr, Paul Dainton, © Games Workshop Limited

The bloodsoaked sands of Aqshy, the Realm of Fire, were the first to witness the God-King’s answer to the Chaos corruption. The lands were controlled by the forces of Khorne, the Chaos God of War, and the followers of the Dark Gods obliviously roamed around, when a storm gathered far over their heads. Lightning bolts began to hit the ground, and with each flash of lightning, the Stormcast Eternals emerged.

Their howling battle cry marked the end of the Age of Chaos, and the beginning of the Age of Sigmar.

To be continued in Part 3

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First Devblog is Live - Welcome to Age of Sigmar!

Greetings Lord-Arcanum,

Welcome to the first blog post for Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Tempestfall. In the first few chapters, we will introduce you to the universe of Age of Sigmar, and how it all eventually came to Tempestfall.

[h3]GENESIS[/h3]

In the events later noted in history as End Times, the God-King of mankind, Sigmar, had failed to save the Old World and its mortal inhabitants from the devouring wrath of Chaos and its champion, Archaon the Everchosen.

Grasping the Broken World’s molten core, Sigmar was forced to begin an aimless journey throughout the endless black void. The god’s wounds rendered him a shadow of his former self, bound to mere powerless existence. He had failed in his mission, and nothing could absolve him from this penance.

Years, centuries, eons… it is unknown how much time Sigmar had spent in this state. Until a glimpse of light, a celestial being, sensed the searing orb filled with power floating through the void.

Lured by the Broken World’s molten core, The Great Drake, Dracothion, discovered the battered body of the fallen God-King. It recognized an immense righteousness and love for mortal life in the curious finding. Judging that the motionless being is a kindred spirit, Dracothion breathed new life into Sigmar, allowing him to regain vital powers and forge his fate yet again.

The Great Drake led Sigmar to the gates of Eight Realms, and taught him the secret pathways to travel and find his way throughout the new reality. The Mortal Realms gained a new protector, and the God-King was resolved never to fail again.

Sigmar in the Age of Myth, Paul Dainton, © Games Workshop Limited

[h3]AGE OF MYTH[/h3]

Knowing that Chaos and Archaon the Everchosen would follow Sigmar wherever he reigned, he began preparations for the inevitable confrontation. During his enlightening journey throughout the Eight Realms, Sigmar discovered and awakened many gods, who pledged their allegiance to him in gratitude. These gods have claimed patronage over the existing Realms:

Alarielle, the Goddess of Life, who watched over the Sylvaneth
Grimnir and Grungi, Gods of Smithing and Martial Prowess, who watched over the Dwarves
Tyrion and Teclis, the twin Gods of Light, who along with Malekith, God of Shadow, watched over the Aelven race
Gorkamorka, the Orcish Warrior and Hunter God
Nagash, the God of Death, watching over the mortal remains in the land of the dead

In the celestial realm of Azyr, Sigmar established the capital city of Azyrheim, and began to bring order to the Mortal Realms. Primitive civilizations gained divine patronage, and guided by the gods and their knowledge, the nascent peoples ushered in an era of prosperity and technological advancement.

During that time, Sigmar travelled the Realms to destroy the primeval and eldritch beings known as Godbeasts, who endangered the newly found societies. Having realized some of them can not be tamed or slain, and having discovered ancient, indestructible artefacts of immense power, the God-King decided to create massive Stormvaults in Azyrheim. There, the dangers to mortals were sealed away for eternity, and the fact of their existence hidden from regular beings. The Mortal Realms, protected by the grand alliance of gods, thrived in this brief moment of utopian peace.

However, the taint of Chaos soon creeped into the Eight Realms. The mortals who hungered for unworldly power heeded the whispers of the Dark Gods, and turned to profane worship in cults scattered across the lands. Day by day, their faith and obedience grew, until their will finally caused the daemons of Chaos to tear down the boundaries of reality, and swarm into the Mortal Realms.

Sigmar and his awoken allied gods were prepared for this confrontation, and successfully fought back the invading dark forces in many different places. With each battle and skirmish, the allied armies began to falter, but the Chaos invasion was unrelenting, and unending. The corruption spread to the entirety of Eight Realms, eventually causing strife between the allied gods, who felt they abandoned their peoples while battling Chaos with Sigmar.

The God-King was determined to eradicate the threat of the Dark Gods once and for all, leading the armies of the Mortal Realms into the final Battle of Burning Skies. Wielding Ghal Maraz, his mighty weapon and conduit of power, Sigmar entered the fray slaying daemons with each strike. Victory seemed inevitable, until Nagash, the God of Death, betrayed the God-King and turned the undead armies against him.

Even in spite of this traitorous attack, Sigmar was finally able to face Archaon the Everchosen again. Before he could strike the final blow, the Dark Gods’ trickery fooled the God-King into casting his mighty warhammer across the Realms, rendering him significantly weaker. With the mortal armies waning, and with no way of achieving victory, Sigmar ordered his forces to retreat. He himself returned to Azyrheim, where the celestial gates became sealed off from the rest of the lands.

Virtually unopposed, the daemons of Chaos began to roam and devour the Mortal Realms.

To be continued in Part 2

Don't forget to add the game to your Steam wishlist!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1337100/Warhammer_Age_of_Sigmar_Tempestfall/

Quick reminder there's only one week left in the T-shirt and poster wishlist contest! To participate, all you have to do is send us a screenshot confirming your wishlist at [email protected] - we're waiting for your submissions!