MaatithoftheBrand

Warhammer Underworlds warbands - the Ironjawz and the Daughters of Khaine https://www.warhammer-community.com/2020/07/16/warhammer-underworlds-the-2020-road-map/

First lot of Kurnothi warscrolls - the warscrolls for the Ruhaigi (Although following a conversation with my partner I am tempted to add a small monster - a Noamhar who has entirely lost control) These warscrolls are based quite heavily on the Aelves in the Cities of Sigmar Battletome, with some nods to the Sylvaneth heritage of the Kurnothi. Let me know what you think!

Thank you - rules stuff is not my forte, but progress is happening very, very, slowly - hopefully at the very least the first few warscrolls will be up for people to view/critique in a day or two

Woke up this morning to find several more pages of new debates and came to very much the same conclusion - I said my piece and stated why I like AoS/approach the lore, no point adding more of the same over and over! Glad I could throw some interesting stuff out for you, at least!

Okay so I could keep pointing out ways that thematically the Seraphon occupy a lot of the same... narrative space, if not exactly the same in-universe or out-of-universe metaphysical and mechanical space but, I don't think that is really going to advance the conversation. For me, and I imagine for a great many others, part of engaging with a sprawling fantasy setting that has existed across multiple years/editions/writers is trying to square some of the elements that have changed, some of the elements that don't really work and never have, and some of the elements that aren't going to work for you and/or your group specifically. This is particularly true, I think, of things like Warhammer(s) and Dungeons & Dragons. For some people, that involves ignoring some of the stuff that is too early or too out there - a lot of people playing in the Forgotten Realms might use an old sourcebook and mentally change all mentions of Drizzt Do'Urden as jet black to the more modern purple/grey/etc. A person roleplaying with the Dark Heresy rules rather than the more modern Wrath & Glory rules might ignore the old lore that a Daemon Prince don't need to be elevated by a single power and can remain Undivided. A person might choose to ignore the most problematic sentences that stress the otherworldly and daemonic nature of the Seraphon from Grand Alliance: Order. Others might choose to try and blend the old and new so that all the books can broadly coexist. They might say that drow actually come in as wide a variety of skin tones as humans, and Drizz't/old artwork just disproportionately shows a minority. The Dark Heresy players might argue that Undivided Daemon Princes are just rare and elevated by minor powers within the Warp rather than one of the Four. A person might view 'daemon' as a broad framework in the Age of Sigmar setting, allowing them to narratively include all manner of not-traditionally-mortal creatures under that umbrella, including Seraphon. Perhaps the latter isn't for you. And yes, some of the early lore of Age of Sigmar ranged from merely different to the current fluff all the way through to actively bad. But have you ever read Ian Watson's "Space Marine", or David Ferring's "Konrad Saga"? I don't think its particularly fair to immediately say that early missteps means that you should write off the entire setting's lore just yet. Age of Sigmar has some cool lore, and a lot of potential. And, if the change from the early Realmgate Wars novels to the likes of "Dark Harvest", and from the early bright, description-heavy Battletomes to the world-building and tonal weight of the Lumineth Battletome, are any indication, Age of Sigmar is going to some very good places.

Alright, to address this quotation "From cords of glittering celestial energy they summon forth the Seraphon, a long-lost race returned to reality by the power of the Starmasters." This could easily be read as "From cords of glittering celestial energy" - to watch them appear is to see shafts of starlight fall from the Heavens "They summon forth the Seraphon" - you can summon your bannermen or vassals, it does not have to mean they are being pulled wholesale from swirling magic "A long-lost race returned to reality by the power of the Starmasters" -the spawning pools ran dry without the magic of the world-that-was to sustain them, until the Slann were able to infuse their temple-ships with the magic of Azyr and begin their births anew. Yes, it is conceivable that my hypothetical Seraphon army could lose a war of attrition because the temple-ship cannot draw enough power to spawn new warriors quickly, but that does not stop them being warriors suffused with Azyrite magic, glowing like the ancient murals, and marching in lockstep like extensions of the Slann will - it is still possible to play up those themes without needing them to all have the word "Daemon" written across their foreheads, if that is the flavour you want and enjoy in your Seraphon. I am saying it is possible to square the 2.0 fluff with the original lore, the same way the rough and ready fluff of, say 2e 40k can be squared with the modern stuff. Some bits take a bit more work, but its often possible.

Alright, fair enough - I see now why I missed these. So these references to translocation portals - the page 13 quotation explicitly describes them as Realmgates, which is probably why in my mind I am not getting a sci-fi or traditionally "mortal" vibe from them - these are portals that possibly predate Sigmar's Pantheon in the Age of Myth, and effectively act as dimensional rifts. Fundamentally, I still personally think that you could see this as similar to the rifts used by Chaos Daemons if you wanted to focus on the arcane and otherworldly nature of the Seraphon if you wanted to. The level of glib in my superficial description of the similarities between the nature of Chaos Daemons and Seraphon was indeed perhaps unhelpful. However, hopefully you can see that there are at least a few more similarities between Seraphon and manifestations of the Ruinous Powers than those two and Vampires, who are transformed mortals whether than wholesale created creatures, and the fact that the ones who can be moved magically by ghost boats or cursed castles are the exceptions rather than the rule, as they are for Daemons and the Coalesced. I think a lot of this comes from the fact that Seraphon originally had the DAEMON Keyword if I remember correctly, and their first Battletome described them being summoned down from Azyr by the Slann. I think giving them that Keyword was part of the very different design philosophy of early Age of Sigmar, where it could easily be shorthand for the fact that they were magical beings and that abilities that banished arcane creatures - most commonly daemons - would also have the effect of disrupting the magic of the Seraphon. A lot of people since then have used the idea of Seraphon being Order Daemons to describe in part this phenomenon - the Seraphon being creatures of magic that were bound tightly by their nature, as dictated by their creators, and who were summoned to the Realms. A lot like Daemons. The 2.0 Battletome, in this light, is less a retcon and more both a clarification and a development. We now get a clearer idea about the nature of the Starborne and how their starlight-infused existence works - the clarification - and the Coalesced, who in the centuries since the start of the setting had become something new. They are not literally Order Daemons - they do not manifest from specific aspects or whims of the Slann as they pull them from the Realm of Order - but they are certainly not mortal either. Certainly not wholly living beings as most in the Realms would understand it - they might be flesh and blood, but that is not all they are. So perhaps people using the shorthand "Seraphon are Daemons" is unhelpful. But the themes and ideas of that are still there and people still can choose to lean into them. If tomorrow I wanted to, I could go out and start a Seraphon army that was painted up as beings shining with Azyrite magic and starlight, use the rules for the Starborne, and play up the summoning mechanics and the utterly cold, ordered nature of the army and their devotion to the Slann and their wishes and Great Plan*. They would not be daemons, but that daemonic/angelic "otherness" would be entirely in keeping with the lore. And I would actually argue that this type of discussion proves just how far the lore has come. Look at 40k; there are infinite debates and theories and stances fans can take on what side Alpharius was really working for and when, the nature of the Ynnead and his goals, the purpose of the Dark and Cursed Foundings, etc. In Fantasy, there were similar debates and hooks and disagreements to be had (until the End Times gave us a lot of concrete answers, things like Nagash's slow return, the fates of Sigmar and Alith Anar, etc...). And now, in Age of Sigmar, we are beginning to get not only hooks like "What is Malaerion's plan with his eyes in Azyr, what is the Duradin army gathering in Chamon building towards, etc", but also debates to be had - "To exactly what extent can the Seraphon be considered mortal, can the Fyreslayers ever hope to succeed in resurrecting their god given how they use ur-gold, etc"? And that seems like amazing growth from where we started five years ago. *You know, apart from my abysmal painting skills... but like, in theory

You keep describing them using "devices" to summon themselves into battle, but I am not finding any references to that at all flicking through the book - lots of references to them being pulled from the temple-ships by the thoughts of the Slann, or the magic of the Slann. Is there a page or specific passage I am missing that describes them using devices that you could point me towards? I think, fundamentally, to my mind a race of beings that are made in some magical manner (be that by the whims and forges of cruel gods, or by the arcane pools of frog wizards) and summoned to the battlefield from an extra-planar homeland (be it a fortress of crystal, or an Aztec spaceship) by a ritualist (either cultists, or the aforementioned frog wizards) are similar enough to both be considered arcane/daemonic creatures. I can see why you might disagree, but I thin if people still want their Seraphon to be Order Daemons, there are more than enough similarities and lore supporting them being arcane star lizards that they can lean into that.

Daemons also bleed - there are numerous models, novels, and Battletomes that discuss daemonic ichor, or else have bones and skulls as trophies or the basis of weapons. They fight with physical weapons, can interact with the Mortal Realms around them, and have their flesh rent by their enemies as physical beings. That does not make their presence in the Realms any less temporary or make them any less creatures of and from the Realm of Chaos first and foremost. What exactly about the Seraphon being Azyrite magic rather than Chaos Magic makes them not like Daemons? Other than the fact that they have the ability to bind not just to Azyrite magic but the magicks of the other Winds to be able to exist as more traditionally living creatures?

THE STARLIT AND THE SAVAGE The Seraphon have long been active in the Mortal Realms – throughout the palaces and colleges of Azyrheim stand frescos from the Age of Myth depicting reptilian warriors glowing with starlight. At the beginning of the Age of Sigmar, many who encountered the Seraphon presumed them to be manifestations of Azyr not entirely dissimilar to the Stormcast Eternals. From the heavens they came, arriving in beams of luminescent brilliance. The truth is somewhat more complex. Seraphon are fundamentally creatures of flesh and blood, albeit with celestial magic glimmering in their veins. The first of their number dwelt within vast temple-ships amid the darkness of the aetheric void. These ships soon found themselves drawn to the uppermost reaches of Azyr, where their spawning pools becamepermeated by starlit magic. Before long the Seraphon that emerged from within, as well as those dwelling within the ships themselves, were more akin to heavenly beings than living creatures as most mortals would understand them. Many Seraphon still persist in this fashion. Charged with the energies of Azyr, these ‘Starborne’ exist on a slightly different wavelength to the other realms; their weapons crackle with celestial fury, and when slain they discorporate into blasts of pure starlight. Using the translocation portals found within their arcane vessels, these beings strike precisely and without mercy. It is the slann that bind the essence of the Starborne into reptilian form. Many Starmasters can ‘conjure’ warriors directly from their temple-ships with but a gesture; to those who witness this feat, it can seem as though the slann are crafting these creatures whole from the energies of the stars, or even their thoughts alone. The Starborne can interact with the tangible world, but their deep connection to Azyr prevents them from achieving true physicality. As the centuries have passed however, some Seraphon temple-fleets have descended from Azyr and established permanent settlements in the Mortal Realms. As a Seraphon lingers within a realm, their inherent Azyrite nature mixes with the magical energy that forms that realmsphere. Just as the different winds of magic grew concentrated enough over time to take on physical form as the realms themselves, the Starborne will eventually gain true permanence. Known as the Coalesced, these Seraphon have embraced their primal instincts as the light of the heavens fades within them. Thick jungles spread around their landed temple-cities, their growth hyperaccelerated by the strange waves of power that emanate from the arcane Realmshaper Engines that dot their territory. Whilst they may lack the Starborne’s mastery of space and time, the primeval fury of the Coalesced more than compensates. Whether Starborne or Coalesced, all Seraphon fight for a unified goal – the fulfilment of the Old Ones’ Great Plan, and the annihilation of Chaos. -Order Battletome: Seraphon, pages 4-5 This passage seems to suggest that the intention of adding in the Coalesced were indeed a development rather than a full retcon, and that the Seraphon "still" are quasi-daemonic beings of Order and Starlight. They are not just living creatures, and are less "beamed down" Star Trek style than they are unwritten and rewritten back closer to the Slann or to their target in the Mortal Realms. The star daemon concept is still there. The Coalesced even still get Bravery 10 and a conjuration rule as their faction ability. And even before the latest Seraphon Battletome, we see the Coalesced acting distinct and unlike "daemons" and "living" alike - in the Pestilens stories from Black Library, we get a few PoV shots from a Scar-Leader who is summoned into being to fight the rat-men in the worm city whose name escapes me right now. But it is very other - both more reptilian and less... present... than even the daemonic Verminlord that turns up in the story, reinforcing the idea that this being is part memory, part starlight, part magic, and exists almost entirely as an extension of its Slann master and the Great Plan.

I liked Brettonia in the World-that-Was, but even with an Age of Sigmar-y remaining, what would it add? Narratively you have Blood Dragon Soulblight and their Blood Knights, you have the Flesh Eater Courts (especially as the years go by and they get more models like the Grymwatch and their Endless Spells that lean into their madness), and you have the Slaves to Darkness who can all do armies of dark chivalry. Mechanically, StDarkness, Soulblight, eel spam Idoneth, and Cities can all do all-cavalry, and the latter two even have access to Fey mages as heroes. The Living City seems like the most obvious AoS exaggeration of the Bretonnia asthetic - you can have elite horse(demigryph)men supported by knots of light cavalry and ranks of peasantry troops, led by Fey Enchantresses with access to the Life magic of the natural world. If you instead amplified the crusader overtones of the Bretonnians, they begin to feel similar to the Stormcast and the Teclian Vanguard of the Lumineth. I'm just not sure what unique flavour - either mechanical or fluff - would be added by Bretonnia coming back, either unchanged or AoSified.

I love Age of Sigmar - from my point of view I am probably what you might call a "beer and pretzels" gamer. I play my wargames casually - I don't try and optimise my lists, even my "matched play" armies lean towards narrative themes. From my point of view, Age of Sigmar has enough complexity and crunch to be engaging and varied, but simple enough that I can easily remember most things and it can be set up, picked up, and played fairly quickly. The lore has come on leaps and bounds, and whilst it started off a little too sparse and... detached for my personal tastes, but in the last few years it has been really fleshed out - the details in the battletomes and the novels have begun to really build up the setting. The Realms are big enough for you to really tell your own story but also slowly becoming lived in and detailed enough to invest in, For the Warhammer Fantasy Battle fix, I personally have been devouring every update about the Old World specialist game (a return to a mass-ranked game in the World-That-Was/old Warhammer World) and every WFRP4e book I can get my grubby mits on as they are released. In terms of actually playing a massed combat game, a lot of my friends appear to be really enjoying the Song of Ice and Fire miniature game, and we are considering giving Conquest: The Last Age of Kings a go, as it appears to be a nice balance complexity wise between modern wargames like Age of Sigmar and the old list granularity of Warhammer Fantasy.

Fair enough, that is a risk. Not an insurmountable one, I think, with the right sculptor but one to err on the side of caution with. Good point - not all of the models in a human-sized mass infantry unit are going to be of a quality were we might want to risk that yet. 1 in 3 women/wearing a non-Azyrite, real-world inspired cultural token/similar then.

Okay a few people are saying this so I will ask explicitly - what is it about seeing more types of "human" in Age of Sigmar that would push you away? Let's go with baseline humans - let's say, tomorrow, GW put out a brand new Freeguild Soldiery box Let's say 1 in 3 of the bodies/heads are in some way a minority (female, sculpted with non-European features, etc) - what about that would push people away? What about that erases or pushes away the identity of the core?

Calling out bigotry is not bigotry though

1. It depends on what you mean by "push", but as a general rule including more people when there is no limited resource does not push anyone out of the same space. Saying "I want more diverse people playing AoS" means all the same cis het white guys buy a box of Liberators, and so does a new POC or trans individual. There is not only X amount of space for AoS fans That said, I think tokenism like we have seen from Marvel Comics and Disney and the like is a "push" that isn't useful 2. Totally agree, although/and I think a lot could be done by GW not only making armies more traditionally balanced but also making different ways to win and to play more prominent in stores/online/at events - the secondary objectives and stuff from 9th Ed. 40k seem like a step in the right direction here 3. Totally agree here too

Hi there guys, So over the past couple of weeks my partner and I have been discussing the Wild Hunt and the Kurnothi, and in the back of my head I began slowly coming up with vague ideas about what they might look like if expanded out into a full faction. I eventually began trying to come up with unit ideas and lore, and - buoyed by my partner's enthusiasm - am very, very slowly working on rules. I am not a particularly rules-minded person, and thought that I could enlist the help of you good folks of TGA in that endevour. I'll update here when I can and, if people want to have a go at helping me with rules and want more details/designer's notes if you like on what I've written, or just have new ideas for improvements and additions and all the usual good stuff feel free! Finally, sorry for the mess of the Google Doc - I'll post the lore sections here too so you don't have to brave the disaster that is my work in progress formatting. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BwSjn69tfqaHSyiqGiniIb1zTfXqO6AGR6NuV9yBWOk/edit?usp=sharing NATURE’S WARDENS From the deepest woods and wildest thickets, the strange Kurnothi come. Combining the forms of great stags and noble aelves, the Kurnothi announce their arrival with the din of horns and the crash of ironoak, laughing and hollering as they drive their enemies before them. A Wild Hunt of the Kurnothi is a terrifying sight. Bestial energy flows through smooth aelven limbs, and weapons at once cruel and beautiful to look upon are swung with abandon through the flesh of all who would dare pervert the natural order. To stand against the Kurnothi is to find oneself trampled beneath hooves and pierced with ancient spears, their strange forms allowing them to fight with blade and claw in each and every moment as easily as a human or duardin might march or raise a shield. Once an enemy is broken beneath their charge, the unnerving hybrids of the Kurnothi vanish back into the dense woods and oldest groves of the Mortal Realms, waiting for the horns to be sounded once more to call them to the hunt. AELVEN BEASTS No mortal denizen of the Realm can say for certain what the Kurnothi are or from where they first came. They are certainly strange creatures - their upper bodies at first glance resembling aelves as might be found in Druchiroth, or Zaitrec, or the Phoenicium, although on closer inspection coarser hair, strangely corded muscles, and the feral delight in their eyes betrays a strangeness to them lacking in most aelves. In truth though, few need such small details, for from the waist down the Kurnothi abandon all pretense at an aelven form. They boast the legs of fawns or the bodies of great stags, powerful legs covered in fur and capped in hooves as hard as iron. There are a great many tales about the origins of the Kurnothi. Some claim that as the Age of Chaos swept over the Mortal Realms, some Wanderers chose not to flee to Azyr, but rather to remain in the service of their Everqueen, the goddess Alarielle. Alarielle, however, could not look upon the aelves without seeing the betrayal of their kin, and so gave them to her consort, the wild hunter Kurnoth, to reshape into something more befitting her court. Kurnoth moulded them into companions who would ride with him across the Realms - huntsmen who would become the first of his Kurnothi. Others claim that the Kurnothi were never aelves at all, and that they are as much spirits of life and the wild forests as the Sylvaneth themselves, their aelven faces instead being echoes of great hunters who fought beside Kurnoth in the Realms and in the time before. For their part, the Kurnothi appear to care little for their origins, choosing instead to focus on their duty and their glory. THE WILD HUNTS The Kurnothi are strange, living in the wildest places in the Mortal Realms where the world begins to bleed into the shaded court of Kurnoth. Difficult for mortals to locate, and often only located in a set location for a single season or two, these communities range in size from a half dozen to hundreds of Kurnothi. However, these communities might be the basis for the familial and social ties of their residents, but the beating heart of Kurnothi life and bonds are the Wild Hunts. The Wild Hunts are not permanent - instead they are called when the leaders of a community feel the call of Kurnoth. When such a call comes, the Firstspears and Gaebulg rouse their fellows, gathering them into their warbands and hunting parties, and the great mass of the Kurnothi move out, blending the discipline of an army on the march with the frantic energy of a debauched celebration. Slowly, the call of Kurnoth spreads in the songs and boasts and trap of feet, and by the time the Kurnothi have arrived at their prey, each warrior hums with the power of the God of the Hunt. Not all Wild Hunts are conducted in the same manner. The Kurnothi insist that there are as many ways to hunt as there are communities of their kin, and more besides. However, there are undeniable archetypes within the Wild Hunts - common patterns seemingly based on the four “seasons” of Kurnoth. These archetypes are known as the Great Hunts. The Great Hunt commonly known as the Hollowgrove is perhaps the least common of the Great Hunts, representing Kurnoth as a rising force and filled with the lifebloom of spring. A god of extreme temperaments, Kurnoth cared little for the gradual awakening and growth of the season, and his children continue this tradition, frequently viewing those Kurnothi who take up the Hollowgrove Hunt as strange. The Hollowgrove often works the closest with their cousins the Sylvaneth, bringing fierce magic to the field against their foes, and boasting large numbers of Noamhar warriors when compared to their kin of other seasons. The most common Great Hunt seen is the hunt of summer. Summer - whether literal or metaphorical - was Kurnoth’s domain, and the time in which his power was at its zenith, and even now the Kurnothi are filled with infinite vigour by such seasons, becoming increasingly proactive in their campaign against despoilers and agents of Chaos. This Great Hunt is often known as the Arrows of Kurnoth, for the Kurnothi who undertake it are unerring in their pursuit of their enemies and increasingly militant in their attitudes until the Hunt is concluded. The Glade Riders are the Great Hunt of Autumn, and represent the sheer thrill of the Hunt, unsullied by purpose or agenda. In autumn is the greatest game mature and available, and Kurnoth would often lead enormous sporting hunts before winter brought him and his prey to slumber. The Glade Riders often seem to be the cruelest and most fey of the Kurnothi, for to them their wars are no different than sport, and even in the midst of battle they compete for the most impressive kill, the most perfect throw of the spear, the most effortless trophy. The Hartbroken is the name given to the Great Hunt of Winter, and it is a Hunt of strange duality. The power of Kurnoth and his children is at its lowest in winter, and the Kurnothi of the Hartbroken often appear gripped by a strange and angry despair, as cutting to those around them as the winter winds, and yet they are also reminded in each moment of the hope and renewal of a new year. The Hartbroken fight with a defiance and stubborness born of knowing that tomorrow will be better and brighter than today, and more than one enemy has found to their cost that even at their lowest the Kurnothi are a mighty force. Whilst some Kurnothi communities are dedicated permanently to one Great Hunt, it is more common for the style of the hunt to be dictated by the call - by the song of Kurnoth that was heard, by the prey being hunted, and by the situation facing the community at that time. In this way, the Kurnothi are just as cyclical and adaptable as their master, and the Realms they were created to defend. WILD KURNOTH Few are the gods of Sigmar’s Pantheon who are able to rest easy or boast only a singular aspect. Kurnoth is no different, and even following the disaster at Kurnotheal, the many seasons and faces of Kurnoth are powers to be reckoned with. Kurnoth is the soul consort of the Everqueen Alarielle, the Goddess of Life and the mother of the Sylvaneth. Seemingly for as long as Alarielle had been awake, Kurnoth had been beside her. However, during the Age of Chaos disaster struck. In the depths of winter, when Kurnoth’s power was at its lowest, the armies of the foul Plague God Nurgle marched on his great fastness - the fortress grove of Kurnotheal. Kurnoth led the Sylvaneth of the Heartwood Glade into battle against the invaders time and again, but as the winter equinox approached and Kurnoth’s strength ebbed, he was slain at the Battle of Tears. The armies of the Heartwood Glade fought a bitter fighting retreat following the loss of the consort, and eventually a single dryad survived to carry the body and spear of Kurnoth to her Everqueen. However, even so reduced, Kurnoth had not been completely destroyed, and the Spear of Kurnoth now functions not only as Alarielle’s weapon of war but as a means for her to commune with her beloved when the moons align. Even so reduced, Kurnoth is not absent from the Mortal Realms. Humans, aelves and Sylvaneth alike all worship him in a number of guises, and even in the absence of his physical and living form, the greatest of these guises are able to manifest at the apex of his old seasonal powers, often choosing to lead the Kurnothi in their hunts. The typical image of Kurnoth is of Kurnoth the Hunstman - Kurnoth as man and beast in one. It was in this form that he walked before the fall of Kurnotheal, and the Ruhaigi who make up the bulk of the Kurnoth appear to have been made in the image of this form. Kurnoth the Killer - often considered to be the counterpart to Alarielle’s war aspect - is depicted as almost purely aelven, wielding his spear and clad in ironoak armour of impossible workmanship. At the height of the Kurnothi’s Wild Hunts, it is often this aspect that seems to manifest - an echo of the part-dead god’s might. Mostly worshipped by those aelves and humans who sought the joy of the natural world, Kurnoth the Seducer is often depicted crowned by the horns of a stag and clad in ivy. Finally, the newest image of the god is that of the Great Stag - a noble beast of great size and stunning beauty, this supernatural white hart appears to embody Kurnoth’s hope - both for the Realms and for his own reincarnation. The Great Stag has been seen leading the Wild Hunts of the Kurnothi in the depths of winter and in barren lands, where hope is most needed for the hearts of his children. In recent years, dark rumours have begun to circulate that there is another aspect of Kurnoth - that Kurnoth himself was once a greater whole, and that fragments found wanting were cut away by Alarielle to rot and slumber. These fragments go by many names - the Old Stag, Anosraema, the Whispering Waters - and few believe such tall tales of dark aspects. However, those who have wandered too deep into the oldest forests and marshes of Ghyran speak with conviction of hungry eyes, strange hounds, and the presence of something impossibly ancient... THE RUHAIGI Forming the bulk of the Kurnothi, the Ruhaigi appear as the fawns and satyrs of myth - aelven martial beauty wed to bestial legs. They make up the ranks of the hunter-soldiers of the Wild Hunts, less swift than the mighty Damhari, but even more at home in the undergrowth and forests of the Realms. RUHAIG FIRSTSPEAR Leaders of their communities, the Firstspears are the exemplars of everything their fellows should aspire towards. When the Hunts are called, the Firstspears are expected to be the first to answer the call and the first into the fray, and are often gifted with heavy hunting spears carved from the boughs of lost Kurnotheal. They guide their fellow Kurnothi towards the most dangerous foes and spectacular trophies, lending their expert eyes to their kins’ strikes. Even the Damhari listen to the wisdom of a Firstspear, for they have hunted all manner of powerful and glorious prey and emerged victorious. When the Wild Hunts are not called upon to do battle, the Firspears must still prove to be the greatest of the Ruhaigi. It is the Firstspears who organise the sporting hunts, who lead their kin in songs of merriment and glory and sorrow, and who spend the most time raising the packs of Malkyn who lope into battle beside the Kurnothi. RUHAIG HUNTCALLER A few Ruhaigi are possessed of a slightly calmer soul than their kin. That is not to say that they cannot sing and drink and howl with their kin, but they can also hear gentle rhythms of their god in the quiet rustling of the woods. Some of these Ruhaigi are called to ancient shrines and lodges of Kurnoth, where they take up the ancient Hunting Horns of Kurnoth. Powerful relics, the Hunting Horns amplify the natural magic of the Kurnothi, turning the Ruhaig into potent wizards and heralds of the Wild Hunts. Returning to their communities as Huntcallers, these Ruhaig lead bands of their kin into battle, bolstering them with the boundless strength of Kurnoth, and weaving the magic of the Realms all about them to aid the Hunt as a whole. The Huntcallers are quicker to sing songs of necessary battles than glorious hunts, to weave tales of sorrow rather than raucous joy, and yet for all that they are beloved, for in them is the magic of the Huntsman reborn. RUHAIGI TRACKERS When the Wild Hunt is called, the bulk of those who answer the call will usually be the warrior-bands of the Ruhaigi Trackers. Ranging ahead of their kin, the Trackers are unencumbered by all but the most essential weapons and armour, all the better to close with their prey. They are scouts and woodsmen of note, even amongst the Kurnothi, and rival bands will compete with one another to bring down the greatest foes. The Trackers are often seen as the purest embodiment of the spirit of the Wild Hunt - there is a savage joy coupled to their unwavering devotion to their cause. It is not uncommon for the Firstspears and Huntcallers of the community to join with the Trackers, revelling in their undiluted spirit. The warrior bands of the Trackers are led into battle by the fiercest of their kind: the Gallowglasti. Said to be filled with the ancient vitality of Kurnoth himself, a Gallowglast is a warrior without equal - able to command the spirits of the hunt into the shape of peerless weapons. RUHAIGI HUNTERS Whilst the Trackers embody the enthusiasm and exuberant abandon of the Kurnothi, those Ruhaigi who form into Hunter bands instead embody the cruelty of the natural order and the patience of the reclaiming wilds. In battle the Hunters make use of the arcane Seeker Bows, said to be grown for the Kurnothi by the Sylvaneth, as well as their own hand-crafted arrows - barbed and cruel shafts designed to pin and bleed the enemies of the natural order. The leaders of the Hunters are known as the Boghadairi. These peerless archers are gifted with the so-called Talon bows - weapons only found in the oldest shrines to the Huntsman. RUHAIGI NAOMHAR Hooves of living rock break the spear of a Skaven Clanrat. Bark and matted fur rise like armour to turn aside the Freeguid shot. Claws of ironoak and hunting weapons of steel swing in perfect unison through the junk plate of an Ironjaw orruk. With a bellowed warcry more of beast than of aelf, the Noamhar wade into the battle. The Noamhar are born from dark necessity. As the Wild Hunts ride across the Mortal Realms, they occasionally encounter sites so corrupted by foul forces that simply chasing the invaders away, or even slaughtering them to the last, will not restore the site to its natural beauty. When they do, it is not uncommon for a handful of the Ruhaigi to attempt to purify the land by reaching back, and connecting the Everqueen’s life magic that helped their ancestors’ very creation. However, such magic was designed for the Sylvaneth, not the Kurnothi, and often a Ruhaig who draws upon that ancient wellspring finds that the power takes its toll upon their body and mind. As the purifying power of Alarielle flows through them, that same magic begins to reshape them into a better conduit. The Ruhaig finds their frame beginning to swell, rippling into a form at once more bestial and Kurnothi and more Sylvaneth than they have ever known. Most Noamhar stand as tall as an ogor, their frame seemingly overgrown with new, matted fur and hide as thick as a ghyrboar, with flowing bark and branches that cling like armour to their new forms, and hooves and claws of living rock. To many, they look more like the Free Spirits of the Sylvaneth and the monstrous Gors of the legions of Chaos than they do the aelven Kurnothi, but it is in their minds and souls that the greatest changes have been wrought. The obedience and joyous, capering war making of the Kurnothi is no longer found in the Noamhar. Instead, they are akin to wandering knights - serious and dutiful warriors who answer to no Gaebulg or Firstspear, but instead march on their own eternal crusade to restore ancient sites of power and drive back the horrors of the Realms. They are stoic and stern, even as the life magic that now infuses them causes flowers to bloom and birds to sing. To the wider Kurnothi, the Noamhar are akin to strange omens, for the appearance of even a single Noamhar - never mind an entire Lodge of the strange warriors - marks their coming Hunt as one of importance. Some even consider their coming a sign from Kurnoth and Alarielle both. They stride towards the foe, infusing their allies with power and life, even as they bring death with their living weapons and the ancient swords and spears both. THE DAMHARI Fewer in number than the Ruhaigi, the Damhari ride into battle as the ultimate expression of the cavalry ideal; warriors whose own lower halves are those of stags and aelven steeds, like the centaurs from the ancient tales. Cold and noble in aspect, the Damhari are Kurnoth’s fury unleashed, and their charges are horrifying to behold. DAMHAR GAEBULG The military commanders of the Wild Hunts, the Gaebulg lead from front and centre. They are the most unnervingly beautiful, and physically strongest, of their equine kin, and it is said that the greatest of them are invited to wrestle and joust with the Wild King itself. In times of peace, the Gaebulg train tirelessly, joining in the sporting hunts called by the Firstspears, leading their Nobles in whooping drills, and setting their kin challenges to earn praise, glory, and drink from Kurnoth’s own arcane cellars. Their entire lives are spent in preparation for that moment when they are finally once again let slip to war. When at last a Hunt is called and a Wild Hunt rides out into the field, it is the Gaebulg who commands it. To watch a Gaebulg in their element is to watch a strange blend of concepts; part commander of soldiers, part joyous leader of a game hunt, part furious and avenging natural force. For the most part the Gaebulg trusts the bands to excel on their own merit, limiting their commands to sweeps of their weapon to call charges in against the choicest of prey. DAMHARI NOBLES At the heart of the Kurnothi communities are the knots of the Damhari - the self-styled Nobles of the Hunts. Where the joy and lives of the Ruhaigi are exuberant and loud and boisterous, the Damhari are more restrained - their laughter hidden behind confident smirks, their songs closer to courtly ballads than raucous drinking sagas. For all that though, there is just as much joy and fury in a Damhar heart. When called to hunt, the Damhari form up into Noble bands, galloping with yelled cries to glory, to Kurnoth, and to the Everqueen, towards their enemy. As their kin and allies flush the foe out, driving them from their positions and disrupting their formations, the Damhari ride those same foes down. As they close on the enemy, their great javelins are hurled towards the hearts of those that would despoil the sacred wilderness. Even as those same victims begin to fall, the Damhari slam into the enemy, hooves first, retrieving their hunting weapons without lowering their speed, before turning those weapons as lances towards those still standing. Each band of Nobles is led into battle by its Oighre; the greatest warrior amongst them. In peace time the competition to prove themselves worthy of the title consumes the Damhari, and even when the community’s Gaebulg and Firstspears do not give them a hunt or formal tournament, the Damhari are near constantly engaged in contests of their own devising - everything from spear-throwing, to debate, to drinking competitions - in an effort to prove to their peers that they should be, or should remain, Oighre. When the true Kurnothi must treat with the other forces of Order, it is usually the Damhari who do so - seemingly born to the same easy ambassadorial grace as their distant aelven kin in the Free Cities of the Azyrites. ALLIES AND ANIMALS The Kurnothi do not ride their Wild Hunts alone. When the Ruhaigi and Damhari set out into the wilderness and the wild woods, they are joined not only by the beasts of the deep forests they have raised themselves, but unmarked aelves sworn to serve the Huntsman God. AELVEN WILDERDANCERS Beside the cavorting Trackers and Hunters, bands of true aelves - unmarked by the bestial nature of the Kurnothi - are often seen, joining in the Hunt with a graceful performance of blades and whorling, druidic tattoos. These are the Wilderdancers - the mortal aelven cults of Kurnoth, long since sworn to his service and his Hunts. The Wilderdancers have existed for as long as Kurnoth has bestrode the Mortal Realms. During the long Age of Chaos, they were cut off from their lord and his Kurnothi, but now, with the reopening of the Gates of Azyr, they have been able to rejoin their master’s children. Once more a part of the Wild Hunts, the Wilderdancers often act as the bridge between the Kurnothi and their allies in the forces of Order - they are better able to comprehend the minds of mortals and stomach walking through orderly war camps and cities. In battle, the Wilderdancers combine the roles of performers, already dancing and singing and celebrating the Hunt, and beaters, driving the enemy into the open and forcing them into battle, where the Kurnothi can drag them apart. With spear and sword and snapping banner, the Wilderdancers laugh in the face of the dangers thrown at them by their enemy, eager to prove themselves to the many faces of revered Kurnoth. AELVEN WILDERCALLERS The leaders of the aelven cults of Kurnoth, the Wildercallers are druidic masters of the performative arts of their fellows - swifter and surer in their blows than even the greatest of their cultists, the Wildercallers are also able to call down the fury of Kurnoth through whispered prayers. When the Kurnothi gather, it is the Wildercallers that guide their flock of Wilderdancers to the Wild Hunts, and swear the ancient oaths to assure the two groups can work alongside each other. Most of the Wildercallers that fight alongside the Kurnothi do so amongst the weaving bands of the Wilderdancers, and do so with one of the ancient Weaverglaives - beautiful polearms that combine the forms of the Wilderdancers’ spears and swords, supposedly handed down and maintained throughout the long Age of Chaos. None know for sure how a Wildercaller is chosen to ascend to their position. The most common tale is that they are chosen directly by the mysterious Huntsmaster of Kurnoth - Alarielle’s spy master and high priest of the Huntsman God amongst the Sylvaneth. If it is true, it might explain the great powers attributed to the Wildercallers, although why the Huntsmaster pays such attention to mortal aelves remains unknown. AELVEN WINDANCERS Not all of the cultists of Kurnoth are content to only serve their master from their cities and enclaves, or when a Wild Hunt passes close enough for them to heed the call. These cultists begin to feel constrained by their training and duties as a Wilderdancer, and instead begin to look for a way to join with the Wild Hunts wherever their ride takes them. With this goal in mind, these individuals seek out a Great Hawk. Found in great nesting communities in the most remote of peaks across the Mortal Realms, the Great Hawks are an ancient and intelligent race said to be distantly descended from the legendary Ur-Phoenix. Though aloof and often disinterested in Sigmar and his fellow gods’ attempts at civilisation, the Great Hawks have always taken a great interest in defending the natural world and what they perceive to be the rightful order of things. As such, the Great Hawks have long worked loosely with the Kurnothi in their endless task, and so should a lone aspirant survive the ordeals of reaching their lofty homes, there are often a few individual Great Hawks prepared to humour the idea of a partnership rather than simply killing the intrusive aelf outright. Each Great Hawk will set its own standards and tests for an aspirant, but should they find suitable promise in the cultist, they will consent to be their mount and partner in the battles to come, lending their strength and swift wings to the aelf’s martial prowess and, more importantly, using their speed and knowledge of the aerial paths between the Realms to keep pace with the Wild Hunts as they ride. These pairings - traditionally known as Windancers - are a great asset to those Kurnothi communities that chose to humour the strange aelves who wish to live on their fringes. They are peerless scouts, able to fly ahead and locate enemies even the Kurnothi would struggle to track, whilst their ability to fight on the wing and harry the enemy is invaluable to all but the most stubborn Gaebulg. MALKYN Hunting hounds and swift birds of prey have long been the companions of mortal hunters as they race along trails after game. Though many of the cultures of the Mortal Realms have trained and bred fierce - even monstrous - beasts to accompany them on such hunts, the Kurnothi have need for companions who can hunt armoured warriors, daemons, and worse. And so the Kurnothi tame and breed the Malkyn. Also known as Forest Lions, the Malkyn are compact and powerful creatures able to hunt with equal ease in the densest forest and the most blasted wilderness. They are near tireless, seemingly suffused with the vibrant and violent energies of Ghur, from where they were first tamed and brought into the communities of the Kurnothi. But most important to their masters, the Malkyn are loyal and intelligent pack hunters. Malkyn are seemingly blessed with an incredible intelligence for mere beasts, to the point that many Kurnothi believe they were created by the Hunt God himself in some bygone age, and are able to learn hundreds of commands, allowing bands and Gaebulg to direct them as easily as they might their kin. Even beyond this, the primal cunning in the Malkyn seemingly allows them to, to a limited degree, read the movements and intent of their prey - be they harrowstags, ghyrboar, or Chaos Warriors. Furthermore, a Malkyn will never willingly abandon a member of its pride or allow them to come to any harm while it still has the strength to fight. In wild Malkyn, this makes taming or taking the pups almost impossible, even for the most skilled Firstspears of the Kurnothi. However, in tamed prides, this loyalty and devotion manifests in acts of selflessness that allow the Kurnothi to fight recklessly, knowing that their Malkyn have their flanks covered. THE WILD KING AVATAR-ECHO OF KURNOTH THE KILLER At the height of seasons of conflict, or when the summer sun shines brightly on a Wild Hunt, that Hunt is sometimes joined by a towering figure - a green-skinned demigod shaped like a youthful aelven prince, crowned by ivy and clad in beautiful ironoak armour. The Wild King - a fragment of Kurnoth set loose into the Realms by the God of the Hunt to lead his chosen to victory. The Wild King is perhaps the closest to Kurnoth any being, save Alarielle, can be. Full of laughter and fury, full of cold wroth and warm fraternity, the Wild King is the incarnation - the last remnant - of the war aspect of Kurnoth. When the seasons of suns and battle align, the mustering Kurnothi are occasionally blessed by the appearance of Wild King. The first sign of its coming is a warm summer breeze, even in the chilling depths of Shyish, and then from the thickest brambles, or the fiercest inferno, or the brightest steelthicket, emerges the Avatar of Kurnoth. The Wild King radiates martial strength - easily half as tall again as a mortal man, its features appear to have been sculpted to capture the ideal shape of an aelven prince in the prime of his youth, with skin as green as the deep forest. Clad in ironoak armour carved to match the graceful hunting coats and armour of Kurnoth’s followers - both Kurnothi and mortal - the Wild King also clutches a Spear of the Summer - an echo of the true Spear of Kurnoth wielded by the Everqueen. The Wild King is less a commander of its forces and more a force of nature that deigns to fight alongside the Kurnothi. It is rare for the Wild King to countermand or question the decisions and tactics of a Gaebulg or Firstspear, instead choosing to lead by example - fitting itself into the Wild Hunt’s plans and bringing swift death to its foes. Legend claims that the Wild King first appeared during the flight from Kurnotheal. Rumours persist that as the Sylvaneth of the Heartwood Grove retreated, an image of stricken Kurnoth erupted behind them, spear in hand, and held back the hordes of the Plague God, buying the beleaguered defenders valuable time. Since then, the Avatar of Kurnoth has appeared time and again, particularly when the warriors of the Kurnothi gather on their Wild Hunts. When battle is joined, the Wild King’s voice sounds loud and clear as a hunting horn, filled with the old gravitas and charisma of Kurnoth himself. So powerful is the authority of the Wild King that at times the Realms themselves appear to shift and serve, as they once did for the God of the Hunt. The Kurnothi too are filled with awe and vitality in the presence of the Wild King - those in closest proximity are swept up entirely, laughing and leaping like the hunting companions of Kurnoth in the Age of Myth. The enemies of the Kurnothi find themselves assault by warriors who fight with tireless strength, as the heat and fury of summer fills them. Some claim that the Wild King is the true remnant of Kurnoth, manifest and sent forth by the Everqueen to aid the Wild Hunts of the Kurnothi. If this is true, the goal of Alarielle’s green knight is unknown, for there would be far easier ways for her to command and assist the children of her slain consort. THE GREAT STAG AVATAR-ECHO OF KURNOTH REBORN The Kurnothi, like their divine father, are at their weakest in times of great peace and in the heart of winter. In these cold moments, the Wild Hunts often begin to feel a mote of despair and defeat. It is to these flagging Kurnothi that the Great Stag appears - a symbol of hope and renewed vigour that encapsulates the immortality of Ghyran and Kurnoth the Hunter God. The White Hart has long been a symbol to the peoples of the Mortal Realms. Before the Age of Chaos, the aelves of Ghyran saw the White Hart as an embodiment of the immortality of their Realm. The nobles of Azyr sometimes award the heraldry of the White Hart to those who display true heroism and duty. Even ogor Butchers often receive visions of a White Hart as the ideal food to be hunted - pure and unsullied power and flavour. It is this archetypical beast that the Great Stag represents. The Great Stag is a serene figure, its hooves barely even touching the earth of the Realms and radiating magic and calm fortitude all about itself. The sheer, unbridled lifebloom of the Great Stag seems to bring the Realms to their fullest potential in its presence - where it stands, the fires of Aqshy leap to new heights, the plantlife of Ghyran and Ghur grows wild about its hooves, and the air of Ulgu grows heavier with gloom all around its great antlers. The Great Stag is the youngest of the faces of Kurnoth, having never been seen, so far as any mortal can tell, before the fall of Kurnotheal. Many amongst the Kurnothi and the Sylvaneth, and even the scholars of the Ten Paradises and the Free Cities, have speculated as to what this could mean. Some believe that it is proof that Kurnoth can never be the god he once was, and that the Great Stag represents the hope for something new from the disaster, whilst others claim it is Kurnoth’s promise - an oath incarnate that pledges his eventual return, just as eventually even the harshest winters give way to spring. Whatever the answer, Alarielle herself has claimed to have memories of the Great Stag from before even the Age of Myth - she has told stories of exciting couriters coming to her and her consort, kurnoth, to announce that the Great Stag had been spotted in the woods. The Great Stag itself offers no answers or stories. Its “voice” is the deep trembling of the wilds, and it sounds only to call upon the most ancient of magic, not to indulge in stories or academic debate. And for the most part, the Kurnothi are content without that certainty - the presence of the Great Stag, a fragment of divine Kurnoth himself, is enough for them, and they fight all the harder by its side. MAGIC MADE MANIFEST Since the dreadful impact of the Necroquake, the magical forces of the Realms have been thrown into disarray. The Kurnothi, long used to channelling and using the natural magic of the Mortal Realms, were quick to see the opportunity as well as the danger. The Huntcallers of the Great Hunts have become masters at invoking all manner of endless spells, from the creeping obstacles of the Briarguards, to the immense Visages of Kurnoth. The greatest Kurnothi can even briefly awaken the Woadknights that slumber in the Leylines of the Realms.

This is not a 40k forum so I won't do a lengthy, in depth reply, but I think that as a general rule part of the horror and the oppression of the Imperium comes from the fact that it can be so diverse and that doesn't even matter. Are you a woman? Non-straight? Trans? The Imperium doesn't care. Your individual homeworld might, but all the Imperium cares about is that you make 16 Leman Russ oil valves a day, or that you can hold a lasgun. With the exception of Space Marines and Sisters of Battle, who have "space magic science" and political reasons for being segregated the way they are, the Imperium is super tolerant of your individual choices*. *You know, provided those choices don't impact the Tithe, or include seditious thought, or religious freedom, or...

So it seems as if no one appears to be willing to be convinced of the "other side" of this discussion and the posters on this forum generally fall into a few broad camps. 1) Diversity and variety is a good and welcome thing and we want to see more of it, because its cool to have different models to assemble and paint and different types of story told within this particular fantasy setting. If this also makes it more appealing to more diverse players even better, but that is not necessary for us to enjoy the continued commitment to diversity and inclusivity (and this is, let's be clear, a continuation, not a new crusade launched in light of the events of 2020). 2) We don't have a problem with the direction GW are going per se, but are worried about them handling it tactlessly or overly simplistically. The majority of these worries seem to stem from seeing the likes of Marvel (who, rather than being the norm or a good model, have for a number of years focused more on headline grabbing ideas rather than good writing - Ironheart being perhaps the worst example where they basically raked in the media hype for having a teen woman of colour Iron-Man and then... failed to deliver narratively) or Wizards of the Coast (who have swung wildly from making good points but expressed them too briefly to properly explain them, and actively being tokenist and unwilling to change, both have which have at the very least made them look... clumsy). And I can certainly understand this concern and stance - I don't think any of us want to see GW go headline chasing at the expense of their actual product. (I personally think we are unlikely to see GW make this move however, but that does not make the concern any less valid to my mind). 3) We don't want any more diversity than we already have because we are worried we will lose a lot of the tone or models or styles that we about the hobby. (I don't have a lot to say about this position and I think it bleeds into groups 2 and 4 a fair amount) 4) We are worried that this is indicative of an agenda. This group appears to be using a lot of what I would consider to be strawman arguments, and generally arguing in bad faith. There appears to be a lot of assumptions that white men cannot possibly want to paint a black woman in magical plate armour, or that the idea of people wanting AoS to have varied characters means that they are pushing an agenda, without acknowledging that the statement "I don't do politics" is inherently a political statement. I like the TGA and generally feel that its users engage with each other in good faith, so I am going to assume that no one on here is using the lack of political discussion on this forum as a smokescreen to try and shut down inclusivity and diversity by calling them "political acts", but I would encourage everyone to just... think about what you consider to be a political act, because living never is. I don't expect, if seven pages of discussion didn't change anyones' mind, for them to be changed now. But just a reminder that GW is coming for your big buff Chaos warriors and Stormcast, and there being women aelves does not mean you aren't allowed to enjoy aelven men. There's space for everyone. Edit to add: I am trying to keep my tone civil, treat everyone's ideas fairly and not misrepresent them, and avoid venturing too far into "political" or abstract debates that would take us off topic, and I hope people find that I have generally succeeded at that. If anyone wants to send me a personal message asking me to clarify anything or defend a stance because they feel that doing so here may take us off topic for this thread or this forum, feel free. I will do my best to engage with any who do.

I am assuming this is a joke that the text-based nature of the internet has failed to adequately convey to me. If it is not, why is a trans- individual less believable or acceptable to you than Fyreslayers or Lumineth? If it is a "historical accuracy" issue (and others have done a far better job than I could explaining the... uselessness of applying those kinds of ideas to Age of Sigmar), then instead of having a trans Stormcast or similar, would you be more okay with the idea of a human culture in the Mortal Realms having three genders/Two-Spirit inspired groups within their society as that is not a "modern PC" term and so isn't ruining the accuracy of AoS

I believe in the Fyreslayers stories that BL put out early on the female Fyreslayers are less bearded (though still have at least downy facial hair from memory?) and the main character spends some time admiring his fiance for her feminine qualities which are not traditional Western standards of beauty and very Dwarven - would need to flick through it to be sure though. So I think, yes, Duradin are sexually dimorphic

Are you of the opinion that white heterosexual men cannot enjoy engaging with a narrative that includes or even fronts POC, women, and non cis/non straight characters and units? Fundamentally, the story of all of the Warhammer universes is that, to use the 40k tagline, There Is Only War - rather than "pushing diversity" in ways that strain credulity, in light of the eternal conflicts of both settings I would argue that it would actually be less believable to imagine that there are few women and POC and trans individuals on the front lines. Anyone can be Reforged. Anyone can be Annointed by the Dark Gods. Anyone can pick up a lasgun. I think it is a little simplistic to say that this is entirely a thing of "white men play white men, and minorities play minorities", and any individual who finds the idea of a black female Stormcast angering to the point they cannot continue to support GW probably needs to take a look at their decision making process. In terms of practical choices that GW will make, I imagine that, particularly in Age of Sigmar, we will see more of what they are doing - blending real world cultures and fantasy tropes in new and interesting ways (Idoneth combining elements of Celtic and Greek imagery, the Free Cities having a number of non-European naming conventions and design elements, etc) to do away with some of the one-note cultural and racial parodies and homages we saw in the World-That-Was. We will consider to see factions like the Stormcast and the Aelves and the Aeldari who have none of the cultural hangups around gender and biological sex that often plague "historical fantasy" settings, allowing them to include mixed gender units and the like. In terms of narrative representation, that will continue to be something of a mixed bag, as all GW/Black Library narratives are. In some novels and campaigns women will be prizes to be won or token "assistants", whereas in others they will be heroes and villains in their own right. Some authors might clumsily put in a LGBT+ character in a way that feels forced, whereas in the next a better writer will be able to introduce an Inquisitor or Techpriest or Fyreslayer using "They/Them" pronouns seemingly effortlessly. In short, whilst I am sure that for a great many people within GW want to move in this direction for all of the right reasons, GW is also still a company and a business and would not have made the statement if they had not seen what way the wind was blowing and joined the majority of decent people. And, regardless of GWs motives, I cannot help but see it as a chance for more creativity and more stories - stories that you cannot tell when you are limited to white male space vietnam marines and white male fantasy holy roman empire. And more unique and varied sculpts, stories and concepts seems like a net positive to me.

I imagine that in the Battletome it is to reflect that they fight in a similar manner, like how the Craftworlders and Dark Eldar were explained as "good allies" - in a single battle, their tactics support each other naturally. In Coalitions of Death, which is designed to thematically look more at commanders working together and "larger" battles, the tactical overlap is less important than the friction and distrust between the commanders.

Some cool models there, but a touch "classic big hat" to fit in with the FW Infernal Guard/Duergar aesthetic I think (I like their goblins though)

Thank you - a decent place to start if we decide not to go full LoA!