Stormcast Eternals

The **Stormcast Eternals**, also sometimes called simply **Stormcast**, are superhuman, nigh-immortal warriors whose souls have been magically Reforged by the will of the God-King Sigmar. They now serve as the primary weapons of the Grand Alliance of Order in retaking the Mortal Realms from the forces of Chaos in the Age of Sigmar.

Stormcast Eternals are not born, but made, forged from mortal souls of great honor and courage, alloyed with the celestial energies of the Cosmic Storm, and beaten into the living weapons of Azyr, the Realm of Heavens, upon the *Anvil of Apotheosis*.

All Stormcast Eternals were once paragons of humanity. Many were warriors or wizards, but not all, for the skills of war can be taught, while honour, courage, or simple faith cannot.

There are three stages to the creation of a Stormcast Eternal. In the Chamber of the Broken World, the chosen are blasted apart by heavenly lightning, their souls painstakingly remade before entering the Cairns of Tempering, wherein the spirits are blended with the Gifts of the Gods.

The final stage is the *Anvil of Apotheosis*, whereupon they are smote by the *World Hammer*, infusing those who endure with a portion of the God-King's own divine might.

Few indeed are the mortal heroes who can survive the rigours of the magical process called "Reforging," but those who do emerge are effectively immortal, death bringing about merely dissolution into the celestial lightning from whence they came, blasting their soul back to Azyr to commence the punishing ordeal anew.

Most, if not all, Stormcast Eternals are forged from a human soul. Though they still resemble humans, albeit in an idealised form, their physical traits have changed so much as to be almost unrecognisable from what other mortals consider human.

Worse yet, the Reforging process gradually robs them of their humanity piece by piece, widening the divide between what they once were and what they have become. Essentially, this means that the Stormcast Eternals are actually considered to be a different species from normal humans.

A Stormcast can stand upwards of 9 feet tall, though the average is 7 feet 6 inches, with a physique sculpted by the hands of divine smiths. In spite of their enhanced strength and abilities, the Stormcast Eternals are still, essentially, human, hailing from the diverse cultures of mankind found from across all eight Mortal Realms.

For some Stormcast, particularly those who have fallen in battle and been Reforged many times, their exalted, divine nature is more obvious. Lightning may spark from their fingertips, or their voice may growl with thunder when angered. Those of exemplary faith may develop a golden halo akin to that of the God-King himself, whereas the more bullish crusader may find their skin growing as hard as the thrice-blessed sigmarite armour in which they are clad.

All Stormcast lose something of their original essence to the Reforging and the memories of their mortal lives are often the first to go. Few are the Stormcast who can recall what it was to be mortal, and in their zeal to root out and destroy all traces of evil, they inspire as much fear as awe and devotion among those they would save.

Though Sigmar strove for years during the Age of Chaos to perfect the Reforging process, the need for his Stormcast Eternals was so great that his hand was ultimately forced before the process could be fully realised. There is thus a flaw in the Reforging process, one that is passed down to each Stormcast Eternal.

Each time they are Reforged, the Stormcast Eternal is changed in some subtle way. They may grow distant and emotionless, their memories of their lives even as a Stormcast may become fractured, or they may develop some ritual habit, such as tattooing their body in the hopes of remembering their past lives. Some of these flaws manifest physically, like eyes that crackle and spark with lightning, a voice that sounds like two people speaking at once, or a perpetual chill wind blowing around the Stormcast.

As the Stormcast Eternal is Reforged again and again, these flaws become more pronounced, to the point where those Stormcast that have undergone dozens or even hundreds of Reforgings are barely recognisable as human. Mortals that spend time in the company of a Stormcast Eternal cannot help but be affected by their unsettling behaviour.

The lifespans of Stormcast Eternals are completely uncertain, for only the God-King himself can know their age. Their mortal bodies are long vanished and the Reforging process can sometimes take years at a time. One Stormcast Eternal may have been plucked from the Age of Chaos hundreds of years ago, lying dormant for years at a time, while another may have perished and been reforged in only the last few months.

Perhaps the defining feature of the Stormcast Eternals is that death is never the end. When they fall in battle, a Stormcast's soul is called back to Azyr to be Reforged upon the *Anvil of Apotheosis* once more. There they are gifted new life through the craft of the duardin Chosen known as the Six Smiths and the will of the God-King Sigmar.

With their bodies remade and their souls plucked safely from the grasp of Nagash, the god of death, the Stormcast Eternal is reborn and can return to their work reclaiming the Mortal Realms for Order.

## History

The heavens roar and the sky itself is rent by searing bolts from above. With a flash of lightning and rolling thunderclap the gleaming warhosts of the Stormcast Eternals arrive for battle. Their weapons wreathed in crackling arcs of lightning, the Stormcasts launch their assault. It is as swift as it is brutal. Heavy hammers rise and fall, a shield-shattering onslaught that batters down all who stand before it.[1a]

The Stormcast Eternals fight as warriors born, like legends from ancient song. Each and every one of them is a hero clad in armor of nigh impenetrable sigmarite, yet they fight not as individuals but as a unified force, each retinue moving and striking as one. Advancing in lockstep, the shield wall of the Liberators presents an impenetrable barrier. Over that mobile bastion blazes a hail of stormbolts, as Judicators shoot death from afar. The Retributors target the most formidable foes, each strike from their great mauls releasing the storm’s energies in a blow that could fell an Aleguzzler Gargant. Above, streaking upon wings of light, Prosecutors hurl hammer-headed bolts before diving down to join the fray.[1a]

All Stormcasts enter battle with calculating precision, yet there is no mistaking their emotions. Behind their stern, expressionless masks, underneath their resplendent armor, dwells a thunderous tempest. For the Stormcast Eternals fight not just for Order, or for mankind, or even for almighty Sigmar himself. They fight for vengeance. All long to avenge the depredations that Chaos has inflicted upon their peoples and their lands. Theirs is a fury that is barely contained.[1a]

The Stormcast Eternals are made for battle. Once they were mortal men, but they were taken to the Heavens before their last breath and reforged by Sigmar, imbued with a portion of the glory of the gods themselves. Hard he crafts them, tempering each with justice and the raw energies of the storm. Upon the Anvil of the Apotheosis they are gifted with superhuman strength and courage beyond the ken of mortal man.[1a]

Only after long toil did Sigmar cast forth his new army. It was a bolt of purest order to sear through the darkness, a storm of righteousness to battle the all-conquering night. Never before had such an army been seen. Here was a force to stand against the bloodthirsty and debased horrors of Chaos. With hammer-strike fury the Stormcast Eternals entered the fray. So was the Age of Sigmar begun.[1a]

The first to feel the wrath of Sigmar’s new armies were the Chaos invaders in the Igneous Delta. Striding from out of the lightning strikes, the gleaming Stormhosts brought war, swift and terrible. Long had the Chaos conquerors held sway, the oppressors glutting themselves upon the lifeblood of the just. Now, with each glowing hammer strike, the Stormcast Eternals fought to cast down the darksome forces, to reclaim the lands in the name of Sigmar. Never in their long years of domination had the minions of Chaos been so challenged, never had they fought armies such as those that now assailed them.[1b]

The storm started in Aqshy, but quickly spread to all other realms. From high up in his sky palace in the Heavens, Sigmar cast forth his fury made manifest. Again and again, incandescent bolts of lightning seared down, hurling more Stormcast Eternals into battle. At long last, Sigmar’s Storm had broken. Once begun, there could be no turning back.[1b]

### Sigmar Almighty

At the end of the final battle for the World-That-Was, Sigmar fell into darkness. Only by clutching onto the last remnant of his world did he escape destruction. Only by his unyielding will did he hold onto that metal core.[1c]

Long was Sigmar's journey through the sea of stars. At last he was saved by Dracothion the Great, Father of the Stardrakes. Many are the tales that recount how Dracothion befriended Sigmar, helping him hang the metal core in the sky above the Realm of Azyr. It was Dracothion that showed Sigmar the Eight Realms, and so began what is now known as the Age of Myth.[1c]

Many legends are told of Sigmar’s deeds during this period, such as when he felled Ymnog, King of Gargants, hunted down Great Nagendra, the shape-shifting realm serpent, and when he bested the greenskin god Gorkamorka in feats of strength. Indeed, Sigmar found and awakened many other gods, creating a pantheon over which he ruled. Cites were founded and civilizations flourished. Yet Chaos came, bringing war and plague, corruption and ruin. After long wars and many defeats, Sigmar’s pantheon broke, and he retreated to seclusion in the Realm of Azyr, sealing the gates behind him.[1c]

### The loss of Ghal Maraz

Few speak of the tale of how Sigmar came to lose Ghal Maraz, his rune-enchanted warhammer, because few survived the Battle of Burning Skies.[1d]

The first Chaos incursions cut deep into the Eight Realms. Cities fell before the daemonic onslaught, yet always Sigmar, or one of his pantheon, led a counterattack to drive off the invaders. Each of the greater daemons that led the Dark Gods’ armies was defeated in its turn. Sigmar cast down the Khornate armies of An’ggrath, matching their rage against his might. He smote Feculox, most immense of Great Unclean Ones, within of the City of Branches. Through the power of his immortal soul, the God-King fought off the magicks of the Lord of Change, Kiathanus. Luxcious the Keeper, first to call herself Ur-Slaanesh, with eredin the face of his unbreakable resolve. Later, it was Archaon, the Everchosen, who united the four powers, bringing the greater daemon champions together upon the Fireplains of Aqshy. Their combined armies covered the horizon, reaching into the sky itself – for they tore a rent in reality, from which poured daemons beyond count. The gods assembled before that fell host, and the battle that followed shook the realms.[1d]

From above the advancing legions Nagash summoned necromantic armies, while Gorkamorka rampaged unstoppably. The burning light of Teclis banished foes unnumbered, yet it was mighty Sigmar, always at the pantheon’s fore, that turned the tide. None could stay the God-King, and Ghal Maraz smote each of the enemy commanders in turn, until Sigmar faced Archaon. The God-King hurled his hammer at his fell foe, but he was deceived. Tzeentchian illusion bent his aim, so that Ghal Maraz entered the rift, never returning. Without his matchless hammer, Sigmar and his forces were doomed to defeat. The disasters of the Nexus Wars ensued, following which Sigmar retreated, shutting the Gates of Azyr behind him. For long years he dwelt upon his losses, simmering with rage and plotting how he might one day reclaim his own.[1d]

### The Dominion of Chaos

The early Chaos invasions had been horrific, but after Sigmar shut himself within the Realm of Azyr, they became far worse. A black and terrible darkness fell over the realms, for truly the Age of Chaos had arrived.[1e]

By attacking and controlling the Realmgates – mystic portals that allowed travel between the different realms – the Chaos forces cut off and dominated all who opposed them. One by one, the greatest civilizations were pulled down into ruin. Some fell to sword and fire, others to plague or decadent corruption from within. Warped creatures crept from the shadows to live amongst the rubble strewn vestiges of what had once been high and mighty. These foul things whispered to the huddled and desperate survivors – telling them that their gods had abandoned them. There was, however, still a way to regain that former glory.[1e]

Some of the broken bands of people resisted, and the majority of these were hunted down, so they might be slain or enslaved. Others began to worship the Chaos Gods, swearing dark vows and joining grotesque rituals. Across the realms abhorrent monuments rose, towering to the skies, and fell fortresses were constructed atop the old ruins. The Chaos forces grew so powerful the lands themselves began to warp, changing under their corrupting influence. The Dark Gods, sure of victory yet always grasping for more, began to fight amongst themselves, each striving to be the sole conqueror.[1e]

The gods waxed and waned in power and ascendancy as their plots ripened. Khorne, the Blood God, Nurgle, God of Plagues, and Tzeentch, Master of Sorcery – each controlled lands untold. Slaanesh, the God of Excess, was missing, although his minions were ruthless in searching for their absent deity. Even the Great Horned Rat, God of the Skaven, claimed vast kingdoms. It was Khorne, however, who emerged as the most powerful of all. Everywhere his armies ran rampant, mercilessly slaughtering all they found.[1e]

### Timeline

#### The Cleansing

After the Gates of Azyr were closed campaigns were fought to rid the realm of evil. Enclaves of Orruks and creatures which bore the taint of Chaos were hunted down, first by the armies of Azyrheim and then by the newly formed Stormhosts. Mythic beasts remain in Azyr to this day, but none bear any trace of corruption.[1i]

* **The Gladitorium** - Not all training was monster hunting. A gift from Malerion, the enchanted dome of the Gladitorium enabled the Stormcasts to fight each other, yet arise unharmed when battle was done. In the greatest exercises entire Stormhosts were pitted against each other in thunderous war drills.[1i]

* **The First Blow** - Sigmar opened his war in the Brimstone Peninsula, where Vandus Hammerhand’s Thunderstrike Brotherhood seized the first of the Gates of Azyr. Soon strikes were landing in dozens of locations.[1i]

* **Volcanic Rage** - The Blackhammers besieged Mount Infernus, Khorne’s greatest monument in the Seared Expanse. This was a mission of great symbolism, rather than strategy, and they cast down the mountainside as a challenge to the Blood God.[1i]

#### Unshackled

Many tribesman had refused to bow before the domination of Chaos. The majority had been slain, yet not all. At the vast slavepits of Ashlyon, millions toiled ceaselessly, worked unto death. Led by the Hammers of Sigmar and the Knights Indomitable, the Stormhosts brought celestial fire and vengeance down upon the slavers.[1i]

* **Besieging the Black Rift of Klaxus** - So great was the vile ritual that took place in the Sulphur Citadel that overlooked the Kingdom of Klaxus that tripped a passageway into the Realm of Chaos. To halt the outpouring of daemon legions from that weeping rift, Sigmar hurled down scores of thunderbolts. After days of battle, the Black Rift was finally collapsed.[1i]

#### Shifting Kingdom

Manipulating a confluence of eldritch power, the Lord of Change Niz’roppxl had usurped the King’s Mountain to create his own domain. Phasing between realms, this so-called Shifting Kingdom sought to spread its entropic energies to all beneath it. That campaign of conquest was halted by the Maelstrom of Light.[1j]

* **Allies join the Cause** - As the Stormhosts descended into battle, they found many rising up to join the fight against Chaos. Some were sought-after allies, like the Iron Brotherhood; others, like the seraphon, lent unexpected aid.[1j]

* **Azyrheim's Revenge** - With many Gates of Azyr reopened, the paths into the other Mortal Realms once more lay before the vengeful armies of Azyrheim. Many war hosts issued forth, fighting on their own or aiding the Stormcast Eternals.[1j]

* **The Hellwarrens Purged** - The Children of the Horned Rat had spread their corruption deep in the ruined Ferruslands. Yet even the vaunted Hellwarrens – crooked strongholds formed of iron-hewn tunnels – could not stave off the Stormhosts.[1j]

* **The opening of the Skybridges** - The Skyrealm – one of the twelve wonders of Ghur – had long been corrupted. Instead of assailing the fortress-laden main islands, the Stormcast Eternals struck the skybridges which connected that floating continent. Great were those battles, and much renown was won there. In the end, the skybridges were claimed only after all the Stormhosts massed their Prosecutors for a single aerial strike. However, the battle for the islands itself was far from won.[1j]

* **Labyrinth Assault** - Arriving by lightning at the Passage of Myrm, the Stormhosts found the valley realm was no more –replaced with a monster-filled crystalline maze. A dozen Stormhosts took part in that campaign, heroically led by the Hammers of Retribution.[1j]

#### Vengeance is mine

Four almighty monoliths had been raised over the once great city of Thal'donn, commemorating a key victory for the forces of Chaos. The Black Dracothians and Lions of Sigmar led a Stormhost coalition that levelled the region. Upon that day it was said that Sigmar smiled.[1j]

#### War of Life

When Sigmar looked upon the Realm of Life, a shudder ran through the God-King. It was almost too late – the once glorious Jade Kingdoms were nearly overrun and drowning in despair. Into that cesspit, Sigmar cast many Stormhosts. If they could not rouse Alarielle to war, they would avenge her realm.[1k]

#### Heldenhammer Crusade

It was discovered that the Realm of Metal held a mighty secret – Ghal Maraz. Although Tzeentch’s minions had built a stronghold over it, Sigmar sent forth many Stormhosts to reclaim his own. In the Hanging Valleys of Anvrok, it was the Celestial Vindicators that led the charge.[1k]

* **The Reclamation** - Fighting through evil sorcery, daemons and the Goretide, the combined Stormhosts penetrated the Eldritch Fortress. Thanks to betrayal in the Chaos ranks, Vandus Hammerhand, Lord-Celestant of the Hammers of Sigmar, at last recovered Ghal Maraz.[1k]

* **Awakening the Avenging Angel** - A triumphal twelve day feast was held for those warriors that played a part in returning Ghal Maraz to Sigmar. Upon receiving his almighty warhammer, the God-King strode into the heavily spell-shielded Black Citadel. There, in the Chamber Extremis, Sigmar placed Ghal Maraz into the hands of the recumbent figure within. With thunderstorms raging and lightning wreathing the Sigmarabulum, the Celestant-Prime arose.[1k]

* **Into the Savage Countries** - The Stormcast Eternals succeeded in seizing Realmgates which accessed the Graklands, but at great cost. Whether assailed by brayherd ambush or beset by the savage Orruk tribes that haunted those primordial landscapes, every Stormhost that entered the Graklands suffered many casualties.[1k]

* **The Stalemate Shattered** - Eleven times lightning struck before Black Chasm Bridge, each time delivering an entire chamber of Stormcasts. Eleven times were they defeated. Upon the twelfth lightning strike came the Celestant-Prime, and none could stay his wrath. Soon, the way was cleared.[1k]

#### The Storm Thunders On

High upon his throne in Sigmaron, the God-King looked down. Sigmar deemed it a good beginning, for many had been the triumphs. Yet there could be no respite. The ring of the Sigmarabulum blazed continually with Reforging, and stormhosts were cast into battle every day. The war was only just begun.[1l]

* **The Allpoints** - Sigmar's eye roved over thousands of battlefields where heroic deeds were done in his name. Yet his gaze was ever drawn back towards the Allpoints, where lurked his greatest foe besides the Dark Gods themselves.[1l]

* **A Trimphal Silence** - For the longest period since its creation the mournful tolling of the Bell of Lamentation was stilled – a fitting tribute signalling the first return of justice and Order to the Mortal Realms once again.[1l]

* **Captured banner of the True Sons** - In a battle that raged back and forth over the fire-swept plains of Kolgotha, a Knight-Vexillor of the True Sons of Sigmar was cut down by Blut’Rexx. By hellish power, the towering Bloodthirster held fast to the slain Stormcast Eternal's banner, so it did not return to Azyr as did the broken body of the Knight-Vexillor. Thus began a quest to reclaim that honored prize, drawing in more troops and stoking the flames of that ever-growing war higher still.[1l]

* **An Uneasy Alliance** - Unable, as of yet, to find Nagash, much less negotiate with him, the Stormcast Eternals nevertheless found themselves fighting alongside the dead in the gravefields that were once the Cold Kingdoms.[1l]

* **Far from the light of the Sun** - Whilst searching for the sons of Grimnir beneath the Burning Karaks, many Stormhosts were drawn into the Battle of Red Vengeance – an ongoing war between the skaven and the duardin. Scores of bitter conflicts ensued, and more Stormhosts arrived to join the fray.[1l]

## Military

### Recruitment

In the Age of Myth, Sigmar awoke many gods, each of which gave unto him a gift, and Sigmar pulls energies from those divine tributes to impart to each warrior he reforges. After a lengthy feast to buildup their strength, the aspirants are taken to the Chamber of the Broken World to be blasted apart by lightnings, then reformed. Those that survive begin the godly infusion, the mettle of each man sorely tested time and again within the Forge Eternal. Seven times seven are the Cairns of Tempering which the aspirants have to weather. Steeped in justice, and blended once more with godly gifts, those battered spirits that awaken still have an ultimate test. Upon the Anvil of the Apotheosis are Stormcast Eternals finally wrought. If they endure they rise a final time, imbued with the energies of the heavens, bequeathed a gleaming portion of the God-King Sigmar’s own divine powers.[1f]

### Forging

Sigmar forged his new army for war – to battle the minions of the Dark Gods and to reclaim the oppressed realms. To equip his Stormcasts, Sigmar demanded arms worthy of the gods themselves. The God-King called upon the Six Smiths, and they clad the new warriors in armour of sigmarite – interlocking plates wrought of enchanted metal hewn from Mallus itself. Weapons too they fashioned, capturing the living tempests of Azyr and binding them within warhammer and blade. Every blow struck with weapons of such matchless artifice unleashed thunderclap power; every skybolt arrow echoed the lightning’s fury. So were entire Stormhosts armed for battle, resplendent in their gleaming panoply of war. In the Gladitorium the Stormcast Eternals trained, forming a warrior brethren that fought as one. Diverse formations meshed, blending more than just tactics and armaments, for they learned to harness the celestial energy Sigmar had imparted to them, and lent their thunder-charged might to each other’s arms. The Stormhosts scoured Azyr of the wicked creatures and ferocious monsters which lingered there still, becoming a military machine the likes of which had never been seen before. Only then did Sigmar declare the Stormhosts ready to face the true foe. Only then did Sigmar unleash his storm of vengeance and send forth his Stormcast Eternals to battle.[1g]

It was the duardin Forge-God Grungni who caught and shaped the raw magics of the Celestial Realm for Sigmar. By ascending to Sigendil, high above the sky palaces, the God-King could hurl those bolts down into the Mortal Realms. From out of those meteoric strikes strode forth his vengeance – the gleaming and indomitable armies of the Stormcast Eternals. Thus by lightning did the Stormhosts bring war, swift and terrible, to the Chaos invaders. Yets uch rapid deployment was both a gift and curse. Once delivered unto realms far distant, the Stormcasts could not return to the Heavens in the same manner. After their initial lightning assaults, only by victory or death could Sigmar’s warriors come once again to the realm of Azyr. If the Stormcast Eternals seized a Realmgate, then they could use it to travel back to Azyr in triumph, leaving some of their number to secure their gains. Failure in their mission meant only death, in which case their immortal souls would blaze in rapturous flashes, their spirits returning to the Heavens to be reforged once more by their mighty maker.[1h]

### Training

A Stormcast Eternal is gifted with superhuman speed, strength and endurance, and furnished for battle with armaments made of triple-blessed sigmarite forged by the Six Smiths themselves. Yet this is not enough. Within hours of his successful Reforging, a Stormcast Eternal is subjected to tasks and training beyond the abilities of mere mortals. Such exercises are relentless, designed to hone their enhanced abilities to preternatural levels. Only when their personal martial prowess has been perfected are Stormcast Eternals allowed to train alongside their brethren. At a spoken word, the warriors pivot in unison, form interlocking shield walls or advance to lend their support and the might of their celestial energies where they are most needed by their brothers. The Stormcasts’ way of war goes far beyond mere battlefield maneuver, as the various units support and empower each other to produce a tight-knit battle formation that moves and fights like no other army the Mortal Realms have seen before.[1m]

### Stormhosts

As the power of Chaos grew across the realms, destroying or usurping all that he had tried to build, Sigmar retreated to Azyr. It was a difficult decision, for he knew well what would become of those realms and peoples he had forsaken. Yet Sigmar also realized he was fighting nought but a long battle of slow defeat. His former alliances were shattered, his armies overpowered. In losing his warhammer, Ghal Maraz, Sigmar had realized a grim truth – he must forsake the role of warrior and take up the mantle of the God-King proper. It could no longer be his task to win the battles himself, for even a god can only be in one place at a time. To triumph, Sigmar knew he must make and direct armies of defiance, that he must fashion a new kind of warrior, one that could stand face to face against the unnatural horrors of Chaos.[1m]

Thus, by godly power, arcane might and mystic machinery were the Stormcast Eternals forged. Warriors were chosen for this honour upon Sigmar’s command, and organised according to his dictates. Each group was an autonomous army called a Stormhost. Each of these Stormhosts was unique in name and deed. Somewere formed of warriors chosen from the same region, such as the Angels Aetheric, taken from monster-hunting tribes along the fringe of the Celestial Realm. Other Stormhosts were composed of individuals with a common trait – all of the Hallowed Knights were devout worshippers of Sigmar, warriors who had called upon their deity to aid them in battle.[1m]

No one but Sigmar himself knows how many Stormhosts have been created, for Sigmaron– the sky palace that floats high above the sealed realm of Azyr – has been enshrouded in secrecy for hundreds of years. Certainly, though, the Stormhosts are built for war, each separate army organized according to a structured battle order.[1n]

Though every Stormcast Eternal is blessed with Sigmar’s divine power, none are imbued so richly with godly might as the Lord-Celestants. They are chosen by the God-King himself, and are the greatest of their Stormhosts – field commanders, captains and warleaders that can confront the greatest horrors and defeat the most powerful champions of Chaos. From them, one day, Lord-Commanders might be selected, but first these heroes must prove themselves. Beneath the Lord-Celestants in the Stormhost’s hierarchy are sub-commanders, paragons of their kind that radiate Sigmar’s celestial power. Each Stormhost is divided into a number of chambers– companies comprised of different types of warrior. The Strike Chambers are the largest and make up the bulk of most Stormhosts, but each Stormhost also has additional ancillary chambers, many of which have thus far been withheld from battle for reasons known only to Sigmar himself. There are three main types of Strike Chamber, each with their own specialism – Exemplar, Harbinger and Warrior Chambers.[1n]

The exact composition of warriors within chambers can vary by Stormhost, as can the number of chambers themselves. For instance, as the heralds of the new war, the Hammers of Sigmar have more Strike Chambers than most Stormhosts, while the Celestial Vindicators field more Retributors within their Exemplar Chambers. In every case, each Stormcast Eternal is trained to fight in combination with his chamber so that the whole of the Stormhost is yet more dangerous than the sum of its individual parts.[1n]

#### Chambers of the Stormhost

The chambers that make up each Stormhost are further divided into conclaves. All members of a conclave are armed and equipped to perform a specific battlefield role: Redeemer Conclaves contain the Stormhost’s core infantry, Justicar Conclaves wield ranged death, while Paladin Conclaves are formed of hard-hitting elite units. Angelos Conclaves provide fast-striking aerial support. Under the leadership of the chamber command, the varied conclaves work together to achieve deadly battlefield harmony. The chamber command is composed of a Lord-Celestant and Lord-Relictor, and various other officers, including Lord-Castellants and Knights-Heraldor,-Vexillor, -Azyros and -Venator.[1o]

War beckons across the Mortal Realms, requiring Stormhosts to be deployed in many places simultaneously. The number of Stormcasts sent into battle is dependent upon the scale of the task – an entire Stormhost, or more, might be required to lay low a vast enemy stronghold. More frequently, however, the individual chambers that make up a Stormhost are hurled into combat, although these too can be broken down into still smaller fighting formations called brotherhoods. As for the structure of the chambers, the Warrior Chambers are the largest, most numerous, and most tactically flexible of chambers – they form the heart of a Stormhost. The Harbinger Chambers, with their great strength of Angelos retinues, form the vanguard, relying on speed and maneuverability. The Exemplar Chambers are the best of the best, consisting primarily of Paladin retinues – a Stormhost’s mightiest fighters. Each chamber fights autonomously, yet can combine to create a more formidable defense, or unite to power an unstoppable assault – a veritable wall of sigmarite, an army capable of toppling kingdoms.[1o]

#### Stormhost Command Structure

**First Echelon**

* **Lord-Commander.**[1n]

**Command Echelon**

* **Heraldor Temple.**[1n]
* **Judicator Temple.**[1n]
* **Relictor Temple.**[1n]
* **Valedictor Temple.**[1n]

**Third Echelon**

* **Sacrosanct Chamber.**[1n]
* **Ruination Chamber.**[1n]
* **Exemplar Chambers** - The Exemplar Chamber strikes with sudden fury, smiting their foes and wreaking a terrible vengeance. None may stay their wrath, any losses only spurring them to yet greater violence.[1n][1At]
* **Harbinger Chambers** - The Harbinger Chamber uses the might of Sigmar’s Tempest to strike deep into the heart of their enemies. Super-charged with celestial energies, the Stormcast Eternals glow with a nimbus of power.[1n][1As]
* **Warrior Chambers** - Still crackling with energies from their lightning deployment, the retinues of the Warrior Chamber feed off the rampant celestial forces, using them to mete out violent justice upon their enemies.[1n][1Ar]
* **Extremis Chamber.**[1n]
* **Auxiliary Chamber.**[1n]

#### Warrior Chamber Command Structure

First Echelon

* **Chamber Command.**[1p]

Second Echelon

* **Angelos Conclave (3 Retinues)** - Angelos retinues scout ahead of their brethren and use their mobility to harass the enemy. When battle is joined, they can redeploy swiftly to strike wherever they are most needed.[1p]
* **Paladin Conclave (6 Retinues)** - Wherever the fighting is thickest, there are found the Paladin retinues, strongest of their chamber. Bane of terrors, each the worth of a dozen lesser warriors, there is no foe they cannot face.[1p]
* **Redeemer Conclave (9 Retinues)** - The Redeemer retinues are the sigmarite soul of the chamber –stalwart, unflinching and relentless. The core of the Stormcast Eternals’ battle line, these are Sigmar’s hardiest fighters.[1p]
* **Justicar Conclave (6 Retinues)** - Justicars seek out the foe’s weak points, and punish them from afar with storm-forged weapons. They thin the enemy’s ranks and strike at enemy commanders, for none can escape their wrath.[1p]

### Known Stormhosts

* **Hammers of Sigmar -** Let all who would oppose order and justice be warned – the **Hammers of Sigmar** have been unleashed. They are the power and majesty of the tempest, the fury of the bolt from heaven made manifest**.**[1E]
* **Hallowed Knights -** They are so pure of spirit that the unholy has has little effect on them. Their war cry is "only the faithful"**.**[1J]
* **Celestial Vindicators -** The **Celestial Vindicators** are forgedfrom those who implored Sigmar for retribution. They are holy avengers who will unleash righteous vengeance upon evil**.**[1M]
* **Tempest Lords** **-** The most regal and proud of the Stormhosts are the **Tempest Lords**. Taken from the strongest and most just of the rulers that fought back against Chaos, every one of these Stormcast Eternals was once a lord, a noble or a monarch. They see it as their duty to protect those less fortunate, not with edicts, but with hammer and shield.
* **Celestial Knights** - The dark blue of the Celestial Knights is reminiscent of the gloaming skies of Azyr at twilight, yet this Stormhost crusade to bring the light of Hope to benighted lands.[1P]
* **Lions of Sigmar** - Little is known of the mysterious Lions of Sigmar, save for their heraldry and the thunderous roar of their battle cry, yet Chaos has tasted their wrath in many of the realms.[1P]
* **Sigmarite Brotherhood** - The Sigmarite Brotherhood were recruited from Chamon, the Realm of Metal. None can stand before their relentless advance of their exemplary shield walls.[1P]
* **Astral Templars** - Their measures extreme, their methods merciless, the Astral Templars seek to purify the lands of all Chaos. None may stay their wrath.[1P]
* **Anvils of the Heldenhammer** - A sinister Stormhost, the Anvils of the Heldenhammer were reforged as the Broken World spun under a phase of fell magic. They are grim of aspect.[1Q]
* **Knights of the Aurora** - No Stormcast Eternals strike more quickly than do the Knights of the Aurora. As swift as lightning bolts, they are masters of rapid assault.[1Q]
* **Blades of Dawn** - There is no Stormhost more proud than the Blades of Dawn. They are composed of champions taken from the riftcoast tribes of many different realms.[1Q]
* **Maelstrom of Light** - The Maelstrom of Light are daemon-killers supreme. In Ghur, it was they that turned back the daemon legions at the Battle of Verdant Abyss.[1Q]
* **Knights Excelsior** - The Knights Excelsior bring to battle with them crackling chains of celestial lightnings. ‘For the Glory of Sigmar!’ is their motto.[1R]
* **Sons of Mallus** - The Sons of Mallus were forge-struck under the zenith of the darksome span of Dharroth, the Dark Moon. Their armor is a lustrous black.[1R]
* **Lightning Hawks** - Named after a fierce raptor of Azyr, the Lightning Hawks strike out of blue skies. They are the scourge of Chaos and bane of daemons.[1R]
* **Radiant Suns of Sigmar** - In battle the Radiant Suns of Sigmar gleam with the brilliance of Sigendil, the High Star. Theirs is the purity of justice, the might of the righteous.[1R]
* **Sons of the Storm** - The Sons of the Storm crash upon their foes in a deluge of violence. In common with many Second Striking Stormhosts, they bear the icon of the hammer and bolts.[1S]
* **Ghyran Guard** - The Ghyran Guard were formed from a single tribe of warriors, the last of their kind. They reserve a special hatred for the minions of Nurgle.[1S]
* **Celestial Warbringers** - The Celestial Warbringers were the first Stormhost of the Second Striking. They bear the sign of the twin-tailed comet as their symbol.[1S]
* **Fists of Sigmarite** - For boldness and surety of action none can best the Fists of Sigmarite. It is their vow to be first in glory, and they seek hammer-worthy deeds.[1S]
* **Knights of Azyr** **-** The Knights of Azyr are known well for their motto, ‘know thy prey as well as thyself.’ Many a foe they have bested before a single blade has been drawn.
* **Crimson Seraphs** **-** The soothsayer rites of the Crimson Seraphs are bloody, yet effective. Though few in number, their mastery of omens sees them strike with great prescience.
* **Bloodied Dawn** **-**The Bloodied Dawn is comprised solely of those who have fought Chaos since they were old enough to hold a weapon – they are highly insular, but deadly indeed.
* **Silent Host** - Whether the Silent Host keeps its peace deliberately, or through an accident of Reforging, is immaterial – even in silence they are a potent force indeed.

### Main Formations

* **Lords of the Storm** - The massed energies of the most powerful heroes of a Strike Chamber do more than just boost Stormcast morale; they send a surge of celestial force before them, slaying and driving back their foes.[1Al]
* **Hammerstrike Force** - With great speed the Prosecutors soar into the heart of the foe, before summoning lightning that brings down celestially charged Retributors. Together, they hit with thunderbolt force.[1Am]
* **Thunderhead Brotherhood** - The Liberators and Judicators of a Thunderhead Brotherhood mesh together in perfect fighting order. Behind a shield wall, the Judicators loose death, while the stalwart Liberators hold the line.[1An]
* **Vanguard Wing** - The Prosecutors of a Vanguard Wing empower their Liberator brethren to strike with uncanny might, or to cross the battlefield in a streak of power to launch a timely attack against a vulnerable foe.[1Ao]
* **Devastation Brotherhood** - Guided to their foe by the Prosecutors, the Paladins of the Devastation Brotherhood plough into enemy battle lines, a crash of sigmarite, fury and celestial energy that hits like a thunderbolt.[1Ap]
* **Wardens of the Realmgate** - The Wardens of the Realmgate are a living bulwark, the retinues acting as one to protect their claim. Ifhe deems the situation calls for it, the Lord-Castellant can summon forth further aid from Sigmaron.[1Aq]
* **Thunderstrike Brotherhood** - Blasting onto the battlefield in explosions of force, Thunderstrike Brotherhoods are led into the heart of the fray by heroic Lord-Celestants. These warriors are tightly bound by honor and duty.[2a]
* **Annhilation Brotherhood** - The Annihilation Brotherhood strides out to lay waste to the fortresses and fanes of the foe. Every mighty swing of their hammers sends walls crashing down, and vile idols tumbling in ruin.[2b]

### Main Units

* **Lord-Celestants.**[1q][1T]
* **Dracoths.**[1q]
* **Lord-Relictors.**[1r][1V]
* **Lord-Castellants.**[1s][1W]
* **Gryph-hound.**[1s][1Ab]
* **Knights-Heraldor.**[1t][1X]
* **Knights-Vexillor.**[1u][1Y]
* **Knights-Azyros.**[1v][1Z]
* **Knights-Venator.**[1w][1Aa]
* **Liberators.**[1x][1Ad]
* **Judicators.**[1y][1Ac]
* **Retributors.**[1z][1Ae]
* **Protectors.**[1A][1Af]
* **Decimators.**[1B][1Ag]
* **Prosecutors.**[1C][1Ah]
* **Celestant-Prime.**[1D][1Ak]

## Stormcast Eternal Names

When a mortal soul is shattered apart and reforged on the *Anvil of Apotheosis*, the God-King Sigmar bestows the newly created Stormcast Eternal with a name.

Most Stormcast Eternals are only given a forename, and earn their surnames through trial, deed, or skill.

Some Stormcast Eternals claim a surname or title reflecting the manner of their first death, bearing its weight as a reminder of what awaits them if they fall again.

* **Example Stormcast Eternal Forenames**: Anactos, Arnhault, Avanius, Balthas, Bordustrian, Calys, Dathas, Davos, Eldrox, Galerius, Gardus, Hamilcar, Imperius, Ionus, Kallean, Laudus, Liminus, Lorrus, Mehga, Miska, Moros, Neave, Orius, Pergus, Pharakis, Pharus, Raelus, Taltus, Tarkus, Thostos, Tychus, Vandus, Vel, Vernus, Yracus, Zephacleas

* **Example Stormcast Eternal Surnames**: Arturious, Arventura, Beareater, Beastbane, Blacktalon, Bladefall, Cloudstrike, Cryptborn, Doomcrest, Firemane, Galewalker, Gravewing, Hammerhand, Heavenstrike, Honouris, Lightningfist, Lionheart, Silverclaw, Skyhelm, Starstrike, Stoneheart, Stormsight, Swiftblade

* **Example Stormcast Eternal Titles**: of the Bloody Tract, of the Nine Deaths, of the Sainted Eye, Ogor Bane, the Devoured, the Lost, the One Who Remains, the Redeemed, the Whisperer

## Sources

* *Warhammer Age of Sigmar - Soulbound - Core Rulebook* (RPG), pp. 21-23, 29-31
* 1 *Order Battletome: Stormcast Eternals*.\*\*1a pg.3

	+ 1b pg.5\*\*1c pg.7
	+ 1d pg.8\*\*1e pg.9
	+ 1f pg.12\*\*1g pg.14
	+ 1h pg.16\*\*1i pg.17
	+ 1j pg.18\*\*1k pg.19
	+ 1l pg.20\*\*1m pg.23
	+ 1n pg.24\*\*1o pg.25
	+ 1p pg.26\*\*1q pg.28
	+ 1r pg.29\*\*1s pg.30
	+ 1t pg.31\*\*1u pg.32
	+ 1v pg.33\*\*1w pg.34
	+ 1x pg.35\*\*1y pg.36
	+ 1z pg.37\*\*1A pg.39
	+ 1B pg.40\*\*1C pg.41
	+ 1D pg.44\*\*1E pg.45
	+ 1F pg.47\*\*1G pg.48
	+ 1H pg.49\*\*1I pg.50
	+ 1J pg.52\*\*1K pg.53
	+ 1L pg.54\*\*1M pg.55
	+ 1N pg.57\*\*1O pg.58
	+ 1P pg.59\*\*1Q pg.60
	+ 1R pg.61\*\*1S pg.62
	+ 1T pg.115\*\*1U pg.116
	+ 1V pg.117\*\*1W pg.118
	+ 1X pg.119\*\*1Y pg.120
	+ 1Z pg.121\*\*1Aa pg.122
	+ 1Ab pg.123\*\*1Ac pg.124
	+ 1Ad pg.125\*\*1Ae pg.126
	+ 1Af pg.127\*\*1Ag pg.128
	+ 1Ah pg.129\*\*1Ai pg.130
	+ 1Aj pg.132\*\*1Ak pg.135
	+ 1Al pg.136\*\*1Am pg.137
	+ 1An pg.138\*\*1Ao pg.139
	+ 1Ap pg.140\*\*1Aq pg.141
	+ 1Ar pg.143\*\*1As pg.145

* 2 *The Realmgate Wars: Quest for Ghal Maraz*.\*\* 2a pg. 223

	+ 2b pg. 225

 Aelven Factions