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WARMACHINE: OBLIVION

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 CREDITS

PRESIDENT Sherry Yeary • CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Bob Watts • CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER Matthew D. Wilson
DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS & MARKETING Michael G. Ryan

WARMACHINE GRAPHIC DESIGNER DIRECTOR SCULPTING DIRECTOR PLAYTEST COORDINATOR

CREATED & DESIGNED BY Richard Anderson Ron Kruzie Jeff Olsen
Matthew D. Wilson
GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT LEAD DIGITAL SCULPTOR INFERNALS
LEAD DESIGNER & DEVELOPER Richard Anderson Doug Hamilton Chuck Elswick
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Matt Wilson

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 CONTENTS
Nothing Lasts Forever. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Archons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Menite Archon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Of Beginnings and Endings . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Primal Archon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Infernals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Morrowan Archon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Origins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Thamarite Archon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Existence in the Abyss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Dhunian Archon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Hierarchy of the Nonokrion Order . . . . . . . . 22 Void Archon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Tactics. 23
Rendered unto Ashes: Part I . 76
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .

Infernal Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Oblivion Campaign System . . . . . . . . . . 86
Infernal Masters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Agendas & Player Factions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Infernal Horrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Scenario Tree & Play Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Infernal Fodder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Army Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Infamous Infernalist Cults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Notable Infernalists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Omen Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Model Gallery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Campaign & Scenario Structure. . . . . . . . . . 90
Order of Illumination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Scenario Tree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Origins . 46
Stygian Prophecies Campaign. . 92
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .

Thamarite Reconciliation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Prologue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Life in the Order of Illumination . . . . . . . . . . 49
Tiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Hierarcy and Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Finale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Tactics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Rendered unto Ashes: Part II. . . . . . . . 112
Order of Illumination Units . . . . . . . . . . 52
Agents of the Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Theme Forces Revisited. . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Illuminated Soldiers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Theme Forces & Requisitions . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Illuminated Squads of Renown. . . . . . . . . . . 56 New Oblivion Theme Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Morrowan Allied Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Theme Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Unusual Allies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

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 NOTHING LASTS FOREVER
For almost 20 years, we’ve spooled out this yarn about heroes,
villains, and kingdoms at war. We’ve caused nations to rise and
gods to fall. We’ve killed tyrants, crowned kings, shattered cities, Invictus
and forged legends. I won’t lie—little of this was planned from By William Ernest Henley
the beginning. It’s been a journey of discovery for us as much as
it has been for you. At the risk of offending my many colleagues,
I’ll tell you the dirty little secret of the storyteller: we’re only ever
a step or two ahead of the audience.
Out of the night that covers me,

In the beginning, there was Alexia: a light in the darkness that

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
would guide our path. We didn’t know where she would take I thank whatever gods may be
us, but before we knew it, she had laid the foundation for what
would become our legacy. The Iron Kingdoms was born and to For my unconquerable soul.
it, untold stories of adventure, valor, atrocity, and conquest. All
of this spawned from the tale of one wayward young girl and the In the fell clutch of circumstance
blackened blade that whispered in her ear.
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
How far we have come.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
We are world builders. It’s a term often spoken too casually by
those who do not grasp the magnitude of its meaning. We build My head is bloody, but unbowed.
worlds in your imagination. As we etched the maps of western
Immoren, we founded nations you could believe in. We populated
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
a continent with races, created cultures, and conceived a detailed
history spanning millennia…despite never having existed at all. Looms but the Horror of the shade,
Through primers and Monsternomicons and world guides, we
And yet the menace of the years
built a realm that has consistency, obeys rules, and is governed by
an unwavering cosmic law. Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
But barely knowing it, from the beginning we designed the end.
In imagining the forces that defined the inhabitants of the Iron It matters not how strait the gate,
Kingdoms, we set in motion a saga destined for an epic conclusion.
There is no arc to a status quo setting; to tell a story, there must be
How charged with punishments
change. Conspiracies must unravel, prophecies must be fulfilled, the scroll,
and in the end, debts must be paid. It’s a price we’ve lived with
for a long time, but a reckoning we’ve been looking forward to
I am the master of my fate:
fulfilling. We’ve known for years that our carefully curated setting I am the captain of my soul.
could not go on forever, that it would someday have to face the
demons we had set upon it centuries—or rather, just decades—ago.

Whether you have been along for the ride since the beginning or
have only just now been exposed to the churning, evolving, ever-
changing landscape upon which WARMACHINE and HORDES
battle, you’re a participant in everything about this world that
has been wonderful and exciting and fulfilling. You’ve crossed
time and space and immersed yourself in an ongoing tale of
mythic proportion, and you’ve forged your own legend among
the heroes who define the Iron Kingdoms. What happens next, we
storytellers owe to you, for giving us the opportunity to indulge
our whim. And for that, we thank you.

And now, we’ve come full circle. To create, we must destroy. But
don’t despair. An end of one era only marks the beginning of
another. And so it goes…

Matthew D. Wilson
5

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 Of Beginnings and
Endings

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 O
nce, I was a seeker. I journeyed the world trying to
discover some forgotten remedy for my ailing goddess,
some sign of the others who did not return, the Vanished. I
left behind my home, my family, my people on this fool’s errand,
sleeping alone under the uncaring stars and subsisting on scraps
like a wandering dog. It was a journey that required me to make
bedfellows with murderers and cultists, sacrificing piece by piece
my morals in a fruitless search for answers.
My long path brought me here, to my home among the stones.
The barrier between our world and all others is thinnest here; it
is so scant that I can hear the songs of other realms in my dreams.
My search for truth ended in Henge Hold, where all those scraps
I’d gathered were collated by visions gifted to me as I slumbered.
While such visions led me ultimately to the truth I sought, it came
with a high cost. While I thought I searched for hope, what I found
was madness.
In the last, I gave up even my own identity. The youth who dwelled
in the Mistbough Forest, who looked with wonder on the gleaming
cities of Ios, is no more. My home is now stone and mud, apart from
all others of my kind. They call me the Hermit of Henge Hold now.
It is as good a name as any other. I once put aside my old name, a
symbolic gesture, but now I no longer even remember it.
The folly of a young life made me think hope could be found if I
searched in the right places. Instead, I discovered the truth.
Oblivion awaits.
All that we have cherished and valued and thought imperishable
is fleeting, and even our immortal selves will be bartered off by
emotionless beings, our essence will become but another number
in the accounting ledgers of a vast and faceless machine.
This account is true, so far as any telling of such events can purport
to be. I have gathered it over the years of a wasted life, snatched
from bits over centuries of toil. In it, I have compiled the words of
hedge prophets rotting on their deathbeds, scriptures stolen from
Immoren’s oldest churches, folktales told around fires, and records
of my own people stretching back to before the time the sky bridge
fell and lit an empire afire, scorching all life from the east. I have
seen visions of truths that others cannot know.
I write this as a final warning, one last attempt to make others
mend their ways. This record may serve as my epitaph. The
gravestone words of my life, and that of too many others to give
a number. If any survive the dark days ahead, perhaps they can
look back on these words and understand—as much as any could—
the arrogant and shortsighted choices that led us to where we now
find ourselves.
The world as you knew it is no more. Only greed and cruelty reign
now. Those who have passed are lucky, for they need not endure the
horror that awaits those yet living. There remains a small chance
of reversing this, though it grows slimmer with each passing hour.
8 OF BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 8
In the Beginning…
… there was nothing. An infinite span of roiling darkness, chaos, and
potential. And then, between the beats of those cosmic moments,
they were born. Motes of power coalesced. Long before our world
came to be, there were sparks of malevolent thoughts out in the
deeper darkness, fighting with one another, seeking dominance.
Closer to where we would come to exist, something more ordered
came to be. It is unclear whether gods or the world came first, though
it may be the first god was also the world. Other gods formed in the
greater emptiness beyond, bringing substance where they gathered,
and each making the world its dominion as best they could.
In the moment of the world’s birthing, the infinite pulled itself
into pieces, erecting membranes between the possible and the
impossible, between the realms of body and spirit. On one side
of the veil was the realm of spirits, the place most know now as
Urcaen. On the other, its rigid mirror, the realm of matter and
physical law. We call this Caen, though visions suggest there may
be other worlds with other names, perhaps in a number beyond
counting, each with its own mirror. I cannot speak to those places.
In the earliest days, neither Caen nor Urcaen were how we know
them now. They were looser places, still forming, and connected.
It was easy to cross from one to the next.
The first god was the Mother, Dhunia, a being of gentle comfort
and warmth who made from her flesh the clay of the physical
world. The seasons flowed with her thoughts and moods, both
warm and generous and cold and cruel, and from her all life
would ultimately descend. Either born from her or drawn to her
endless fertility came an infinite beast, the ever-hungry serpent.
It offered hunger to the mortal world and the fangs and claws by
which one could sate that desire. Using the flesh of the Mother,
the Wurm gave birth to ravenous hunting beasts and power to all
who professed to act as it did.
The first peoples who arose on Caen were said to carry in their
veins the very lifeblood of the world, and they worshiped the
Mother and called the Wurm their father. These were the trollkin,
followed in turn by ogrun, gobbers, and other wilderness races
often overlooked by the civilized.
In time, Dhunia tired of the Wurm and so created the Hunter to drive
it away. This chase took both to Urcaen, there to remain, but the
Hunter, soon known as Menoth, left behind a people spawned in his
likeness. They and the other earliest peoples lived in tribal barbarity,
left to fend for themselves in a world that sought to feast upon them.
Even as life multiplied on Caen, other gods emerged to secure
places for themselves in Urcaen. There was the mountain-god
Ghor, selfish and cold, who created a race of slaves as implacable
as its own slopes. These would one day become the Great Fathers,
who would revolt and slay the mountain to earn their freedom.
The distant sun and moons intermingled to create the greatest
and wisest gods, the Divine Court, eight in number, who would
give rise to my own doomed people: Lacyr, Ossyris, Nyrro,
Ayisla, Scyrah, Lurynsar, Lyliss, and Nyssor. They took command
over the vital cycles of life, the passage of time, the turning of day
to night and back again, and the wheel of the seasons.
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 These divine beings stood on the broader, more expansive side of
the looking glass, where existence bent to their faintest thoughts.
They looked upon this fertile realm of spirit and claimed their
places in it, crafting with the power of their desires.
The Divine Court created the Veld, a great forest within which they
erected a palace, a place hard-won from the hostile wilds of the
hellish landscape beyond. At the Veld’s borders prowled an endless
array of voracious spiritual beasts that would have despoiled this
paradise if not driven away. Elsewhere, other gods settled, with
the Great Fathers erecting a great tower from the rocky innards of
their creator. Between long bouts of chasing and wrestling with the
Wurm, Menoth built a retreat where he could recoup and rest—at
first, a place for a simple fastness but one that became a gleaming
fortress and eventually a great city gilded in fire, gold, and marble.
The Mother alone remained in the world of Caen, her power
devoted to making it lush and fertile. And all the while amid
the hellish elemental landscapes of trackless Urcaen, the Wurm
stalked, going wherever others would not and where it could
gambol and devour to its heart’s content. Its bestial progeny
hunted on Caen while it hunted for souls that had passed over.
In time, the gods turned their attention upon the mirror of their
realm. Over uncounted years, they refined the physical world to
become pleasing to their eyes, sculpting the mountains and carving
out oceans. Their creations in the mortal realm were grand but
incomplete. My gods could see a void that needed filling: creatures to
look back at them and praise them, to acknowledge their greatness.
They looked on Dhunia’s children and Menoth’s teeming progeny
and dreamed of creating something like them yet more refined.
Their interest was drawn to the glimmers of spiritual power left after
these mortals perished, which wafted to Urcaen and there enriched
the gods they praised. Within each mortal was a spark of the divine:
a soul. With great interest, the gods watched how, as mortals came
together in unity, they spontaneously created new souls. Short-
lived and simple unions though they were, each coupling created
something new and infinite. The gods saw that such an act of creation
would profit them beyond the simple vanity of worship.
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 9
The Great Fathers returned to Caen’s mountains, there to make
wives of clay and with them sire the clans of what would become
Rhul. By the guidance of their divine parents, Rhulfolk carved a
worthy civilization amid their mountains. So, too, the Divine Court
looked upon these lesser beings who could speak and sing but who
were misshapen and unlovely to their eyes, and the great beings
knew they could do better. Lacyr, the Narcissar of Ages, accepted the
mantle of creation after a long period of thought and consideration,
weighing how to craft a singular people, one in form akin to Menoth’s
humanity but superior in every way. Her creation would be the elves
of Lyoss, birthed by Lacyr but aided by the rest of the Divine Court.
Even the insensate Divine Beast understood the value of mortal
souls, though it let others create as it hunted and devoured those
souls that landed in its realm, far from the domains of their gods.
And some gods were heartless, bestowing life and then abandoning
their creations to an unfeeling world, while others—the Divine
Court above all—wished to see their children prosper and granted
them many talents and gifts to help their souls flourish.
It was not the gods alone who looked upon the shining souls of
mortals and coveted what they represented. The parasitic and
malevolent beings that had formed in the great Outer Abyss
watched and envied what the gods had wrought. The place
where they dwelled was a black afterbirth of creation, devoid of
anything resembling the divinity of Urcaen or the potential of
Caen, a place of neither death nor life but of horror and shadow.
Though possessed of immense power and appetite for more,
these infernals could not create life like the gods. Their realm
had no material mirror. They could only languish in their black
prison, separated from the other realms by vast distance and a
thickening barrier. Still, though they could not pass into the spirit
or mortal realms, they knew the value present in both. Infernals
hungered for the power of souls, catching faint whiffs of their
potential through the barriers between worlds.
Through great trial and effort, the infernals learned they could
send their thoughts, if not their beings, into other realms, there
to taunt and tempt and lure. So, the infernals sat, hungry and
OF BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS 9
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 jealous, peering across the expanse of infinity at the other worlds
and other realms that contained what they so desired. Orders of
infernals probed at the skin of places like Urcaen and Caen, seeking
vulnerabilities where they could extend threads of their immense
influence. They learned to touch the minds of mortals, which they
could gradually corrupt with promises of power in exchange for
spiritual energy. But these were just morsels to a starving man.
They needed more. Much more. The infernals saw the bounty in
Urcaen as the greatest possible feast and so set out to probe its
defenses, burning up myriads upon myriads of captured souls to
chip away at whatever weaknesses they could discover.
This probing eventually led an infernal society called the Nonokrion
Order to uncover a weakness in the firmament of Urcaen. In the
most verdant and beautiful expanse of the spirit realm, these
infernals discovered they could push into the home of the Divine
Court, the Veld. Left raw and weakened by the outlay of energy
required to create the elven people, the Veld had drawn perilously
close to the chasm of the Outer Abyss. Almost within reach.
Escape from the Veld
The first attempts at incursion into the Veld by the infernals were
poorly understood by the Divine Court. They had long battled
feral spirits from the hellish wilds where the Wurm prowled.
It was easy to mistake the new horrors as another variant on
this theme. But soon Lurynsar, the god of Scouts and Summer,
determined this was a far greater peril, one that might be capable
of annihilating their best-laid defenses.
Lacyr risked her sanity to peer into the Outer Abyss, to view this
foe with her keen intellect. She saw that the highest infernals were
infinite beings—given to equally infinite desires. Some of these
beings were of a scope akin to the gods. She felt their malice and
their hunger to feast.
So, too, the Divine Court realized their acts of generosity had created
vulnerabilities. Efforts to pass culture, wisdom, and the power over
magic to their mortal followers had required gifts be sent from the
Veld to Caen. This required a great investment of the Court’s divine
essence, leaving both the gods and their realm exposed.
Even as the infernals began to probe the border of the Veld, the
Divine Court decided to act. In council, they decided the scope of the
foe was too great and the souls of the fallen within the Veld would
be vulnerable, as would the gods themselves. Lacyr perceived they
must flee the parasitic infernals and collapse the passage behind
them. This would require the help of their mortal children. The gods
prepared to pass through the veil and into Caen to live among the
elves, safe from infernal attack—at least for a time. Once the threat
had passed and the infernals had found easier prey, they could return
and rebuild. To facilitate their journey, Nyssor the Grand Crafter
began construction of a bridge in Urcaen while elven engineers
replicated Nyssor’s work in Caen—creating the Bridge of Worlds.
Construction lasted over two hundred years. Though the span
of an elf’s entire life, it was but a moment to the gods, built with
urgency as infernal horrors clawed at the gates of the Veld to be
met by blade and arrow from the arsenals of the gods. With the
infernals snapping at their heels, the gods abandoned the Veld
and sealed the way behind them. Drawing on a great deal of the
10 OF BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 10
divine power they had invested in their home, they reinforced
the barriers between Caen and Urcaen as well as between Urcaen
and the Outer Abyss. Each of these realms was driven apart,
and the distance between was hardened. Many of the would-be
invaders were destroyed in the process, a fitting end. But this
left the Divine Court cut off from what remained of the Veld and
its inhabitants. It was hoped this would be a temporary absence.
What was lost could be remade.
Their great haste, at least by divine standards, may explain the
disaster that occurred when the Divine Court crossed the threshold
to Caen. It may have been an inevitable consequence of the vast and
unfathomable energies involved. From my visions, I believe the
gods had forgotten how brittle the material world to be compared
to the fluid and resilient fabric of the realm of spirit. Whatever
the cause, though the Bridge of Worlds functioned as intended, it
collapsed upon their passage, exploding with tremendous arcane
force and unleashing chaos. This was the Cataclysm. It rent asunder
the empire of Lyoss—the civilization of my ancestors—and cracked
the very bones of the world. Even today, the Cataclysm’s power is
felt in the east, with the never-ending turmoil of the Stormlands.
Despite the Cataclysm, the Bridge of Worlds had served its
purpose. The Divine Court had escaped the infernals, who were
thrown back to the Outer Abyss. Taking the surviving elves under
their wing, the Divine Court journeyed through storms to forge
a new home to the west in the Mistbough Forest, the kingdom of
Ios. But while they remained for centuries with their people, Caen
was not their native land, and they languished in the material
world, growing weaker. When at last they left to return to the
Veld, it might have been too late. In the intervening time, the
barrier between worlds had become even stronger.
Human Gods
In the years the Divine Court remained with their people to build
Ios, humanity multiplied and spread farther west. Many had
turned to worshipping bestial totems, their ancestors, or other now-
forgotten gods. The Molgur rose as a tribal confederation revering
the Wurm above all. Menoth saw this and became wrathful. He
returned to his people, rebuking them for forgetting him, and he
chose priest-kings to build civilization in his name. He imparted
gifts, including the building of walls, agriculture, the power of fire
as weapon and symbol, and his strict, unyielding laws. They began
to reclaim the wilderness and to spread the worship of the Creator
to wayward tribes. The Cataclysm saw their first city abandoned
as the desert claimed it, but they would soon erect an even greater
city once called Calacia, then Caspia, which remains their greatest
stronghold. They subjugated and beat back the followers of the
Wurm and Dhunia, enacting bloody crusades by sword and flame.
As human civilization spread, two special humans rose to
prominence in Caspia—the twins Morrow and Thamar. Born in
a time when humanity’s only choices were to kneel in obedience
to Menoth, supplicate themselves to the Devourer Wurm, or risk
the uncertainties of an afterlife spent in the hells of Urcaen, they
offered another path. They rejected slavery and fear, blazing a
new way forward for their race. Morrow taught there was more to
life than obedience to an absent and uncaring god and suggested
mortals could improve their lot through their deeds.
5/23/19 7:20 PM
 They both spoke of self-will and control over one’s own destiny,
but their teachings were different. Morrow saw in humans the
potential for self-sacrifice and courage. His time as a soldier gave
him perspective on finding honor even in the grimmest hours.
Morrow understood the limitless potential of the human soul and
how one could, through deed and thought, nurture those souls,
empowering them beyond the capacity of their birth.
His sister Thamar’s message was the darker side of that coin,
pointing out the virtues of selfishness and autonomy. Yet amid
this message was also a lesson of freedom and a rejection of
tyranny. To the throngs suffering under Menite rule, both Twins
offered a hope not yet unimagined.
The Menites tried to repress their growing throngs of adherents
with fire and steel, punishing all who followed the words of
Morrow or Thamar. Perhaps the Menites could have stamped out
the faith in its early days, had Morrow not proven the strength of
their philosophy or Thamar the depth of her convictions.
Menite scrutators made cruel examples out of the Morrowan and
Thamarite followers, performing public executions that left the
condemned lingering for days. In response, the Twins banded
together and marched on those governing Caspia. In their hour
of victory, Thamar executed the leader of the Menite faith, much
to Morrow’s grief, for he sought a more peaceful truce. He exiled
his sister along with her adherents, only to see her return as an
enemy. Proving his belief in his own teachings, Morrow sacrificed
himself for the good of all and then ascended as a self-made god. In
their fervor, the witnesses to this transfiguration fell upon Thamar,
killing her and prompting her own ascension to godhood.
This was the ultimate proof of the teachings of both Twins—that
the mortal soul could rise to divinity. Born of mortal flesh, made
magnificent on the moment of their deaths, the Twins founded a
bipartite faith of light and dark and entered into Urcaen as equals,
to one another and to the other gods.
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 11
Though the Menites tried for a time to repress these faiths while they
were in their infancy, something unheard of transpired in Urcaen.
I have seen with my own eyes the vision as the Lawgiver, once the
Hunter, accepted the Twins in Urcaen, with certain promises intended
to seal an accord between them. Menoth saw an opportunity in their
rise. For too long he had been in his City of Man, protecting the souls
of his fallen, fighting a defensive battle against the Wurm. So that
he might focus on his ancient foe, the Lawgiver bestowed upon
Morrow a measure of oversight of humanity. Morrow accepted these
terms and for a long time upheld the trust placed in him. He vowed
to regulate his sister and her followers and to not give to mankind
any greater gifts than the ones Menoth had already provided.
Orgoth Occupation
While the Nonokrion Order infernals suffered setbacks following
their failed attack on the Veld, others had risen to power through
manipulation of the mortal realm. Potent infernal masters from the
Fellgoeth Order whispered offerings into the dreams of mortals,
promising power and the bestowment of black gifts. Through
umbral proxies, which passed into Caen through a web of shadows,
these infernals offered to contract with susceptible humans, trading
souls for their gifts. Many mortals failed to comprehend the gravity
of this cost and signed away their souls willingly, only dreading
their fate when the terms were about to come due.
The Fellgoeth were most successful with a confederation of
human conquerors on one of Caen’s continents to the west of
Immoren. Already brutal and violent, these humans eventually
eschewed their traditional worship of their Creator and offered
themselves wholly to a cabal of infernal masters. In return, they
swept across their nation, using blood and shadow to turn every
inhabitant they encountered to worship—or sending them as
offerings for the sacrificial pyre. The infernals bestowed great
strength, endurance, and occult power. The infernal-worshipping
Orgoth forged an empire that soon spread across the world.
OF BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS 11
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 Fleets of their dreaded black ships descended on scattered island
peoples and even to the southern continent of Zu. While all other
seafarers learned to respect and fear the tempests of the Meredius,
the Orgoth carved through the waters as a black iron blade. So,
too, did the Orgoth land on the western shores of Immoren,
beginning one of the darkest periods in the continent’s history.
During the long occupation, the Orgoth caused no end of
suffering. Many thousands regularly went as sacrifices, their
souls either captured in occult vessels for later use or harvested
for the infernals. The land became a kingdom of tortured slaves
under the whips of a cruel master.
Desperate Measures
Such desperate times lead to desperate measures. While brave
souls did their best to fight back, and a few pockets of resistance
yet kept the occupiers at bay, without a remarkable turn of fate,
the occupiers’ hold on Immoren would be unbreakable. Even the
gods became concerned.
Morrow looked into the future to seek a way forward. He
witnessed that if the Orgoth were not stopped, it would lead
to the extinction of both his and Thamar’s faiths as widespread
death eradicated their worshipers. No matter which threads of
fate he explored, Morrow saw no way to prevent this outcome.
Thamar would be the one to find a solution. She foresaw that the
Immorese needed powerful new weapons, abilities long-denied
12 OF BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 12
them: the power to change reality by force of will. Such magic
was practiced by other races but denied to humanity by Menoth.
Such a change would require difficult and arduous rites, where
even the full extent of Thamar’s power and knowledge were
inadequate. She saw at once she would require outside aid. To
test the worthiness of her plan, Thamar spoke of her ideas to
Morrow, who looked again into the future. He saw now one path
with a ray of hope, dark though it may be and rife with terrible
consequences. He consented that Thamar should proceed, that
they must secure magic for humanity at all costs. To forestall one
doom, they might need to embrace another.
Knowing the elves had been specially endowed with power and
that their gods had come to Caen to be among them, Thamar
instructed her Chosen to approach the highest priests of Ios
with a request for knowledge. She hoped to arrange a meeting
of divinities. The goddess did not know yet that the elven gods
had already left, seeking to return to the Veld. Embittered by the
absence of their gods and terrified of outsiders, the elves refused
and insulted the envoys of the dark goddess. They did not share
even the smallest fragments of their knowledge.
Thamar considered this an inexcusable affront but remained
convinced that important lore might be gained from the Divine
Court. She sent Thamarite spies to steal Iosan lore. In this way, she
discovered scraps of heretical and forgotten teachings from ancient
Lyossan sects with veiled references to the threat of beings beyond
Urcaen. She read of the construction of the Bridge of Worlds and
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 the Cataclysm. Thamar pieced together this puzzle, combining it
with lore she had already unearthed on the Nonokrion Order, and
discerned the infernal shadow behind the actions of the Iosan gods.
This information confirmed a course of action she had already
predicted would be necessary. Even before the elves refused her,
she had considered turning to the infernals to solve her dilemma,
knowing as she did that they had the proven ability to empower
mortals, having done so with her first scion before his ascension.
Thamar made contact with a powerful executor—a being
high in the Nonokrion hierarchy—a being known to some as
Teldoquorin, the Sounder at the Gates. Bringing her first scion to
assist in the negotiations, Thamar set out to seal a contract with
these beings. The Nonokrion Order expressed its willingness to
grant Thamar’s request, though it would not be easy or simply
done. It would involve a tremendous outpouring of energy in a
ritual of a complexity beyond even divine reckoning. And this
would require a commensurate payment.
Certain she had deduced the desires of these beings, Thamar
offered as payment assistance in locating the very gods that had
once escaped infernal grasp. Great as this offer was, Teldoquorin
demanded more. For the ritual to be completed, he would need a
vast harvest of souls, though the full payment could be deferred.
In some distant future, the Nonokrion Order would come for the
Claiming, during which no less than two-thirds of human souls
would be theirs. By deferring this payment, Immorese humans
could recover from the Orgoth, spread, and multiply, thus
expanding the scope of the Claiming. The leaders of the Nonokrion
Order knew that such an arrangement would ensure their ultimate
supremacy over all rivals, particularly the Fellgoeth.
Thamar did not hesitate to agree. Great as this price was, it held
the only possible hope for a future. There has never been a more
self-assured or confident being than Thamar, so convinced was
she of her own infinite potential. Given the Claiming would be
deferred, Thamar felt certain she and her brother could find a
way to evade paying the cost. No binding, however strong, could
hold her…or so she thought. She included in the contract the
stipulation that those who were truly devoted to Thamar and
her scions would be shielded from direct infernal interference.
She foresaw her worshipers rising to be the leaders of those who
survived the Claiming, should it come to pass.
The goddess and infernal executor forged their pact. Within a
generation, the first human sorcerers would rise from the enslaved
population, and the infernals turned to their mortal followers on
Caen to hunt down the elusive elven gods. Ten years after the
bargain was made, disaster struck Ios. The Rivening caused
priests of nearly all the fanes to go insane, seen by many as a sign
that some great tragedy had occurred to the Divine Court. Three
short years later, the first human to display the Gift of Magic
was discovered—evidence that both Thamar and the Nonokrion
Order had upheld their ends of the bargain.
What befell the Divine Court? That is a story filled with tragedy
and pain.
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 13
Ambushing the Divine
The visions haunt me and shattered my mind. I am not glad to have
witnessed the last stand of my gods. I see them time and again
when I close my eyes. This knowledge is what I sought as a Seeker.
Now I wish I could forget.
The Divine Court succeeded in finding a place where the veil was
thin. Where at last the Veld might be opened to them again, should
they be able to forge a key. It was far from Immoren’s shores, in a
dank and fetid place on another land, at a site of slaughter where
two numberless armies had met their bloody end. So many souls
had passed in such a short time that the veil was torn and rent.
Even here, such a passage would not be easy. The gods had to
conduct a rite incomprehensible to mortal minds. It was this
lingering, this gathering of ritual strength, that would be their
undoing. It enabled them to be tracked. Humanity’s dark twin found
them. She did not reveal herself, but she called to her unholy allies.
She told them where to go. In crossing between Caen and Urcaen,
the Divine Court would pass through a void, an emptiness in all
realities, a place that was nowhere yet connected to everywhere.
It was like the surface of a stagnant pond into which the infernals
could cast their lures, their hooks, their nets.
And so, in the moment of their return, as seven members of the
Divine Court expended so much of their strength to dive through
the veil, they were ensnared and dragged elsewhere. To grounds of
infernal choosing, where all the advantages were theirs.
Even in this direst of calamities, my gods were not easily subdued.
They fought well.
At another hour, I will sing of this battle of my gods, for it was
glorious, even if horrific and tragic in the end. They fought a
horde of infernals beyond number, led by masters so powerful
they might as well have been gods themselves. None fought
harder than Ossyris, the Sovereign of Conflict, consort of Lacyr.
As his ending came, he sought to shield his lover, the mother of
all elves, with whom he had fought side by side. His last act was
to hurl a wounded Lacyr away from their battle, past the shells of
connecting realms, together with her divine raiment that marked
her as ruler of the gods. His protection almost came too late, for
she was bleeding and greatly diminished, her divine vitality all
but spent. Reduced to little more than an echo of what she once
was, she fused into her mantle as ruler of the gods.
Lurynsar and Nyrro, gods of Summer and Day, also fell, consumed
by darkness. I know not the fate of Lyliss, of Autumn, but I have
seen her stricken and wounded, screaming as her mind shattered.
I have seen her set adrift and bleeding in the void. A worse fate
was in store for Ayisla, the goddess of Night, Suzerain of the
Fallen, who had once protected the gates to the Veld and who
welcomed the dead into the afterlife. She the infernals seized
and captured, binding her in the hope of turning her into a key
to unlock the Veld and thereby gain access to Urcaen. This is a
goal they still work to achieve. We would not recognize Ayisla
now. The goddess we knew is gone. Whether she will open the
door that must remain closed has not been revealed. I worry I am
allowed to live solely to help them find that door.
OF BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS 13
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 At the outset of the clash, Lacyr had enough power to send Scyrah
away. Lacyr told Scyrah that she alone had the ability to shield
their people and possibly bring about the rebirth of the Divine
Court. Scyrah did not welcome salvation, believing she should
have fought alongside the others. Her relief at enduring is a shame
she carries still.
Seven was the number of gods ensnared. Nyssor, Father Winter,
was not among them. He had already gone his own way, guiding
his chosen people far from Ios in the hopes of securing a different
destiny. Yet in that hour of their capture, Nyssor sensed what
transpired and could not turn his back on his family. He went to
them at once, using all his craft and cunning, though he arrived
too late to do more than witness their defeat. Without him, more
might have been lost.
Nyssor seized Lacyr’s mantle and escaped with it, following the
path that Scyrah took. Seeing her drifting off course, he helped
guide her back to Caen, so she could return to Ios and watch
over her people. In time, after both had returned wounded and
diminished, Nyssor realized Lacyr’s mantle might restore Scyrah,
allowing her to inherit the power of the Narcissar of Ages, that
last remnant. But to see this come to pass, he had to stop his own
fading, which required sealing himself in a vault of ice, together
with the mantle, while Scyrah fell into slumber. He left instructions
with his priests, who sought to make peace with their cousins in Ios
but were turned away.
Where is the mantle, that fragment of Lacyr that might have
heralded a rebirth? I weep to say I do not know. When Nyssor’s
vault was shattered by an undead abomination that had once
been an Iosan lord, the mantle vanished. I fear it has fallen to the
void between worlds and is lost forever, together with any hope
of salvation. So, even the heroics of gods are undone. Once more
nearly all paths lead to darkness. There is a glimmer of light, but it
will require all the peoples of Immoren to unite, to put aside their
differences, which has never happened. All share the same foe, just
as it was under the Orgoth.
Rebellion
Back in the world of mortals, the Gift of Magic to humanity set in
motion the end of the Orgoth Occupation. This changed the balance
of power, though its full effects were not felt at once, requiring
development and refinement as well as invention. Still, even early
on, having this weapon to wield against the interminable Orgoth
ignited the fires of hope in the Rebellion. Potent spells helped
pockets of Immorese resistance fight back against the occupiers,
weakening their hold. The Orgoth were no longer invincible.
As human familiarity with magic grew, their natural tendencies
toward innovation helped it thrive. The humans of Immoren
were always clever people; during the years of the Clockwork
Renaissance, they had devised a litany of machines and weapons.
It was only natural that this cleverness be applied to the arcane.
They discovered new ways for magic, codifying such discoveries
through runic formulae, the invention of mechanika that fused
technology and magical principles, and ultimately in the
fabrication of the cortex and colossal war machines.
14 OF BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 14
Combined, these developments gave the rebels the chance to fight
the Orgoth on equal footing for the first time, and the repressed
people of Immoren came together against the occupiers to drive
them back from the continent, though it took many decades. During
the two hundred years of rebellion, evidence of the compact with
infernals came to Ios. The first soulless elves were born, confirming
some Iosans’ fears that human magic was connected to the absence
of their gods. This inspired the rise of the Retribution of Scyrah, a
sect dedicated to eradicating human mages.
In the Outer Abyss, the Nonokrion Order watched with glee
as their rival Fellgoeth lost footing on Caen. Each battle the
Orgoth lost resulted in fewer souls sacrificed. Their shrines built
to deliver these souls were destroyed or buried. Every time an
Orgoth champion fell in battle, yet another Fellgoeth asset went
to waste. By the Rebellion’s end, the occupying force in Immoren
was wiped out and the last who fled its shores brought the
terrible riplung plague back to the Orgoth homeland, stripping
the Fellgoeth of its power. The Nonokrion Order took its place as
one of the premier cabals of all infernals—already eager to ensure
a rich Claiming when the time came to collect on its debt.
The Rise of the Iron Kingdoms
In the centuries that followed, the Nonokrion Order continued
to grow. It took careful steps, having learned from its overreach
into the Veld, preferring to cultivate single individuals and family
dynasties over many years. The designs of mortals aided them in
this work. Old grudges germinated in fertile soil amid the new
kingdoms, growing into conflicts that have continued almost
without ceasing.
While gutter-cultists and ambitious arcanists pledged their loyalty
and offered a trickle of souls as an offering, the Nonokrion Order
valued more those in seats of power who could influence events
on a broader stage. Lords and kings under the infernals’ sway
allowed them to foster influential cults free from the scrutiny
of religious orders and to weaken the resolve of whole nations
against the perfidy of the infernals. Many of the most storied
and beloved rulers of these nations were under the influence of
infernal manipulations, knowingly or unknowingly, helping to
advance infernal power in the mortal realm.
Enough bodies to make a mountain of the dead have fallen in
petty border squabbles and civil strife. Whole tribes and nations
have fallen into the graveyard of history. Each passing generation
knows that the question of the next war is not one of “if” but of
“when.” For centuries, places like the Thornwood have lapped
up blood spilled in battle, made only worse by the Nightmare
Empire of Cryx and the Dragonfather Toruk’s appetite for corpses
and long-minded ambitions on the world.
The constant strife and conflict in Immoren plays to the infernals’
desires. The more desperate circumstances become, the more
likely it is that mortals will turn to those infernals for aid. Great
battles in history have been fought as offerings to the Nonokrion
Order, with the souls of the battlefield dead offered in sacrifice.
Those who go to war often do so out of a sense of duty, honor, or
faith to their gods, not knowing that the general who sends them
to die answers to distant masters.
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 In the four-hundred years since the Orgoth were driven from The Claiming
western Immoren, the Nonokrion Order has amassed souls,
It has all built to this. The Nonokrion Order gathers its cultists
devouring their spiritual essence for strength and reshaping them
from the corners of Immoren to prepare for its assault. These
into warriors for their upcoming invasion of the mortal world.
misguided souls prepare the way for their masters, building gates
Some have tried to forestall this inevitability, though, pursuing
that will allow them passage into the world. They stand ready to
dark deals of their own.
betray those who trusted them to open the way. From these gates
will pour forth an army unlike any ever seen on Caen before and
The Wicked Harvest horrors to match those of the Orgoth.
The Old Witch of Khador, Zevannah Agha, has been one of the few
There may be a chance to save the world, to drag it back from the
beings to fully understand the coming conflict. She knew quite
brink of this indiscriminate desolation. I have gone forth to the
well that all the armies of civilization and the wilderness could
oracles and prophets of every people, trying to persuade them to
not stand against the ravenous tide of soul-hungry invaders.
put old enmities aside. I would beg all who would listen to band
The Old Witch is callous enough to know that things sometimes
together and stand firm against this destructive force. To preserve
must get worse before they get better; so, to fight the infernal
even the smallest part of the world we know. The Twins still
corruption, she accepted perhaps the strangest of allies.
believe they can fight this foe, and they rally their faiths. But alone
Agha entered into her own pact with the Defiers, once humans of they cannot stand. If humanity falls and is lost, all others will also
pre-history who stood against the god Menoth and were hurled fall. This is the fate we now rush toward as though embracing our
alive into the bowels of Urcaen. Millenia in the spirit realm own destruction.
transformed the Defiers into beings unlike anything in existence,
All living souls on Caen are fodder for these masters of destruction.
and they amassed a force of living nightmares and grymkin
The time to join against them is vanishing. Every bargain the
servants. They desired to return to Caen to enact the Wicked
infernals have struck, every contract they forged with men seeking
Harvest, a promise to reap a grisly toll of those they deemed
an immediate gain with no regard for the future, has weakened
corrupted by Menoth’s construct of civilization.
this world and made it easier for those who would devour us all.
The Wicked Harvest promised to inflict much pain and death
Our world is poised upon the brink of oblivion. I stand witness, an
on the Iron Kingdoms but was also certain to snatch up many
instrument of fate. We must unite or perish.
mortals who had forged pacts with the infernals. Choosing the
better of two evils, the Old Witch worked with the Defiers, using I will witness the outcome either way.
mortal proxies to grant them access to the mortal world. As the
Wicked Harvest began its reaping, many infernalists fell beneath
its indiscriminate scythe. Whole cabals of cultists died to packs of
grymkin, and even several highly placed individuals the infernals
had spent decades grooming were snuffed out.

Losing so many mortal assets in so short a span no doubt forced

the Nonokrion Order’s hand. If they intended to enact their
bargain, it would have to be immediately, lest they lose even more
marked souls that would sustain them in the mortal world.

The Old Witch could never have halted the Claiming, but by
forcing the infernals to act immediately, she and her Defier allies
offer a thin strand of hope that some may yet survive it. Do not
forget that the infernals have acted with haste. Their plans are not
perfect, and utter despair serves them.

OF BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS 15

Oblivion_Campaign.indb 15 5/23/19 7:20 PM

Oblivion_Campaign.indb 16 5/23/19 7:20 PM
 FORCES OF WARMACHINE:
INFERNALS
I
nvaders from beyond the worlds of both the living and the
dead, the infernals represent the greatest threat, both real
and existential, ever faced by the people of western Immoren.
They step onto Caen through portals of darkness and smoke, and
wherever they stride, reality warps and tears. Any who behold
the infernals is at risk of madness as the mind struggles to process
impossible sensations and stave off a palpable aura of dread.
They are nearly incomprehensible alien beings, each possessed
of tremendous powers, patience, and demonstrating utter
ruthlessness. Their careful plans span centuries, with the roots
of their present invasion reaching back more than thirty human
generations to when they first struck their bargain with the dark
goddess Thamar. They see no value in life. They have long lurked
in the Outer Abyss, watching the people of Caen and coveting
their souls, which to them are the ultimate resource.
Though normally barred from the physical world of the living,
infernals have devised ways to break through the cosmological
barriers. They barter with mortals called infernalists, who are
taught the rituals to summon them and who are rewarded in turn
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 17
with boons. The only way to barter with an infernal is to offer
them souls—the infernalist’s own and those of myriad victims
they seize and sacrifice. Even the necromancy of Cryx pales
before the unholy horror of the infernal.
For centuries, infernals have plotted and schemed from a distance,
feared by all but rarely seen. That has changed with the Claiming
that is now upon Immoren. Having broken through the barriers
between worlds with the help of their hapless human agents,
the infernals have come to tip the balance on Caen once and for
all. For eons, they jealously watched souls slip from the mortal
realms to the halls of their gods. Hungry for this most valued
resource, they reckon their debt is due.
This debt originated with the Orgoth Occupation when all the
inhabitants of western Immoren were made slaves and their gods
could do little but look on, aghast. Those tyrants were ultimately
thwarted through divine arrangements made with infernals that
facilitated human magic. But salvation came with a deferred price,
one that is now being paid in full.
17
5/23/19 7:20 PM
 Origins
Before there was Caen or Urcaen, there was only darkness. A
great infinite Abyss. In this Abyss swirled knots of dense spiritual
energy, which in time accumulated and became conscious. The
first impulse this consciousness felt was malice. Beings stirred
in the void and became self-aware, each realizing they were not
alone but were instead surrounded. They were self-born into
conflict and strife. Those that could outwit others around them—
either to evade or consume their rivals—endured, becoming
stronger, smarter, and capable of actions subtle and obscene.
Some learned to survive by surrendering to their betters, by
offering to serve, and so a crude hierarchy emerged.
It was in this crucible that infernals came to be. Nothing is known
with certainty of this primordial state of being, but it is thought
to predate all life. The Outer Abyss coalesced into a reality unique
to itself, apart from and with its own fundamental laws quite
distinct from other more familiar realms that would emerge later,
giving rise to gods and mortals.
Though to say so is considered heretical or blasphemous, the
origins of infernals may not be so dissimilar from those of the first
primordial gods, who were also self-born in the darkness from
vast pools of spiritual energy. Though priests of the major faiths
would never credit this fact, there might not be much difference
between entities like Menoth, Dhunia, the Devourer Wurm, and
the elder infernals aside from their relationships with the souls of
mortals connected to them.
The first infernal societies formed before Caen existed, and others
have risen and fallen in the intervening eons. These groups are
paranoid and internecine by human reckoning, arisen when
individual infernals learned the value of banding together to
pool resources and power. The shape of infernal society does
not resemble anything crafted by the sentient races of Caen.
There is no sense of kinship between infernals, no bonds of
loyalty, love, or civic duty, only temporary stability reinforced
through intimidation, calculation, and long-laid schemes. Even
cruel beings like the skorne have values and virtues unknown
to the infernals, who do not possess concepts of trust, honor, or
commitment. Whatever their ethos, it is largely inscrutable to
mortals. Ascribing to them the motives of lesser beings can be a
fatal mistake. The infernal perspective is truly alien.
The scope and number of infernal societies is unknown to the
people of Caen. The majority of Immorese contact with these
beings has been with the Nonokrion Order, a society that has
revealed little of its inner workings. This order is thought to be
one of the more powerful organizations in the Outer Abyss. It
is engaged in interminable wars with potent rivals. For untold
millennia, infernal societies have fought for supremacy, survival,
and a greater share of the vast extra-worldly soul markets. Such
conflicts persist, fueled by trading in souls that have been seized
from other worlds. Mortals have often been caught up in these
conflicts, always to their detriment.
Greater infernals can only manifest on Caen for short periods
of time before reality itself forces them back to the Outer Abyss.
Because the material world is antithetical to these beings, physical
18 INFERNALS
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 18
manifestation requires their mortal servants to first open a gate to
the Outer Abyss by enacting exact, complex rituals that poison the
mind and spirit. When a greater infernal manifests on Caen, their
force of will and power is such that the world warps around them,
become temporarily as fluid as the Abyss. Witnessing this happen
can provoke psychic turmoil in mortals, shattering fragile minds.
From their dark and strange realm, greater infernals use their
occult powers to peer into neighboring realities—worlds like Caen
and others as well. In the forgotten ancient past when this first
transpired, the infernals were filled with envy by what they saw
in Caen and Urcaen. The spiritual energy that is their essence and
currency is abundant in places that teem with life. It flows in great
tidal torrents between the world of the living and the realm of the
afterlife. Infernals do not exist as part of this common cosmological
reality. This gives them certain advantages but has led to a paucity
of raw spiritual essence in the Outer Abyss, where every scrap is
fought over and hoarded. From their perspective, Caen and Urcaen
represent a vast untapped reservoir, one they desire to plunder.
The tangible horrors infernals create to fight their wars—either
against other infernals and when invading other worlds—are
made possible by harvesting immortal souls. The soul of an
intelligent being is dense with enriched spiritual energy. To the
infernals, this is a resource that can sustain all of their industry
and serve as the foundation for their very reality. Corporeal
bodies are viewed by infernals as an inferior and unimportant
side effect of life. A body is just an anchor that holds a soul for
a brief span in the material world. In death, the soul is liberated
from the flesh, which is cast aside to rot. Valuable as they are,
however, souls are also slippery and elusive. On Caen, most
souls of the slain seek to pass to Urcaen. Infernals have had to
learn ways to interfere in this process, developing techniques to
mystically “mark” souls for their collection.
The conflicts between mortals are viewed as insignificant to
infernals, aside from the opportunities they offer for the acquisition
of souls. While mortal wars can provide a glut of souls, in most
cases the majority of these will escape their clutches. It has required
long and carefully laid plans to arrange for greater harvests, and
many of the greatest conflicts across Caen have been part of
machinations by these timeless beings of the Outer Abyss.
By peering into other realities, infernals learned how to send
tendrils of thought past the barriers that separate the Outer Abyss
from the other worlds. They gathered information and deduced
methods to communicate indirectly with thinking beings in these
places—through dark mirrors, by invading dreams with whispered
thoughts, or sometimes by manifesting secret glyphs and runes
hidden within other writings to be deciphered by power-hungry
occultists. In time, infernals mastered ways to tear holes in reality
with the assistance of mortals on the other side, creating portals
and gateways that would allow them to visit Caen directly. By such
techniques, infernals could be summoned, at least for a brief time.
Infernal manifestations on other worlds are difficult to arrange and
temporary, less like actual transit and more like casting a reflection
upon a stagnant pond. From their Abyssal realm, infernals
siphoned the souls offered to them by their supplicants in other
worlds, bringing an influx of this vital spiritual resource.
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 For centuries, infernals have bartered with mortals on Caen—
offering boons of power in exchange for payment in souls. This
has become their primary focus and most important avocation—a
cycle of predatory harvesting that is unending. For untold
millennia, they have preyed upon countless other worlds and
realities, mastering subtle temptations and more forceful invasive
techniques, all to steal the spiritual essence that they can shape
like clay. Infernals are the ultimate parasites and seducers,
exploiting their own immortality to cull other worlds, first with
smaller contracts and small requests but eventually bringing
wholesale ruin. Each contract they make, each foreign soul they
steal, is a small piece of a larger puzzle.
In contrast to the infernals, the gods of Urcaen exist in relative
luxury. Though theirs is also a realm of endless conflict, they
are connected to a thriving spiritual ecosystem engendered by
proximity to Caen, which teems with life. Urcaen and Caen exist
in symbiosis, each one side of a conjoined mirror. Spiritual energy
flows between the two amid acts of divine creation and shaping
then back to Urcaen after the living perish. Some spiritual
energy—such as that found in lesser animals and beasts—
remains on Caen and is recycled through the goddess Dhunia.
This is also true for the souls of those devoted to the goddess.
But the souls of most thinking beings return to Urcaen in a cycle
that is fundamental to cosmology. Life multiplies and spiritual
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 19
energy grows, strengthened by the strife between predator and
prey, by birth and death. The gods benefit from this cycle and are
strengthened by the souls connected to their worship. Infernals
view this cycle with hatred and envy—it places a vast supply of
spiritual energy beyond their grasp. Thus, the gods have ever
been the greatest enemies of the infernals.
From the beginning, infernal societies worked from the shadows
to undermine the gods, seeking to infiltrate their worshipers, to
test the barriers between realms and exploit any weaknesses.
They fostered infernalism wherever their message could reach the
minds of inquisitive, power-hungry, or desperate occultists. Many
of these efforts were individually small and easily overlooked,
but in the aggregate, they advanced subtle plans. These plots to
secure mortals were accompanied by larger and more elaborate
schemes to besiege the gods dwelling in Urcaen and to undermine
the faiths that reinforced the barriers protecting Caen.
The greatest struggle in Immorese history—the Orgoth invasion
and its later Rebellion—can be viewed in the context of strife
between two specific infernal societies. The Orgoth were
empowered by their “dark gods,” understood by some as infernals
belonging to a group called the Fellgoeth. These tyrants were
ultimately overthrown, thanks to the Gift of Magic negotiated
between Thamar and the rulers of the infernal Nonokrion Order.
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 Much of Immorese suffering and the deaths of thousands can be
attributed to the competition between these two groups and the
mortals who served them. And the events leading up to the current
invasion of Caen are also deeply rooted in this struggle, one that
extends back long before the rise of the Orgoth Empire.
The Nonokrion Order was the first group to succeed in threatening
the souls of Urcaen, exploiting a vulnerability in the Veld, a
region of Urcaen inhabited by the elven Divine Court. Though
these gods kept the cause a secret from their mortal worshipers,
infernal intrusion prompted their exodus from Urcaen, resulting
in a great cataclysm that destroyed the elven Lyossan Empire
but also thwarted the Nonokrion Order for a time. Desperate
measures undertaken by the elven gods prevented additional
intrusion into Urcaen and safeguarded the souls of the fallen
dead, though at a great cost of lives. The Fellgoeth subsequently
gained a considerable lead over their rivals millennia later by
securing influence over the Orgoth Empire, the dominant human
civilization on Caen at its height.
The Nonokrion Order was nearly eclipsed and defeated by
its rival until it was able to secure a pivotal contract with the
Twins, Morrow and Thamar, a pair of ascended Immorese gods.
Facing the extinction of their faiths and thus driven to desperate
measures, Morrow agreed with Thamar to utilize extraordinary
measures to empower the humans of western Immoren with the
Gift of Magic in order to overthrow the Orgoth. Thamar entered
into negotiations with the Cadre Architectia, among the highest
leaders of the Nonokrion Order, and eventually secured the Gift
of Magic for humanity. The contract she sealed was vast and far-
reaching with commensurate costs. By this arrangement was
humanity given magic, and soon mechanika was developed, the
great first colossals built, and the Orgoth driven from Immoren.
The Nonokrion Order rose to dominance while the Fellgoeth
faltered and waned, retreating back into the shadows.
20 INFERNALS
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 20
Though Thamar’s bargain enabled the eventual defeat of the Orgoth,
all sides understood it for what it was: a countdown to inevitable
hostility. Struck between master negotiators operating in the absolute
absence of good faith, the gods of Caen were set to pay a price too dear
to bear. And for the infernals, no quantity of souls could ever slake
their thirst. Both sides immediately began to prepare for the reckoning,
with the gods girding their worshipers for a great confrontation and
the infernals preparing methods of casting the gods themselves from
Caen so they may yet claim its entire bounty for themselves.
The infernals are aware that both Morrow and Thamar seek to
renege on their agreement and intend to fight to avoid paying
what was promised. The gods have drawn upon their reserves
to send divine champions to protect the mortals of Caen. Armies
of great power have been raised on both sides, and the infernals
intend to claim their due. All old debts are being called in, with
infernalists being revealed at every layer of Immorese society.
Existence in the Abyss
To understand infernals, one must understand what they lack.
Their Abyss is a largely barren and desolate place, a land of bleak
wastelands and darkness, of shadow and wan light, where spiritual
essence is rare and fleeting as it is gathered and hoarded by the
predatory beings that survive there. This includes the greater
infernals as well as a variety of more bestial beings occupying a
niche in the Outer Abyss akin to fauna on Caen. Their world does
not feature life as it exists on Caen, even though its creatures may
resemble living beasts. These beings are intrinsically creatures of
spirit; their forms are mutable and strange and obey none of the
rules that govern the living. The forms they take when summoned
to Caen are not entirely identical to how they manifest in their
native reality, where they are more shadow than substance. The
Outer Abyss is a place where nightmares and horrors walk, where
everything is potentially hostile.
Just as the forms of its denizens are mutable, so is the underlying
reality of the Outer Abyss. It is a place forever in flux. Will and
thought are forces that mold and shape reality. The landscape shifts
and reforms by the mere act of being observed. In place of weather,
manifestations resembling shifts in elemental forces can sometimes
sweep through portions of the Outer Abyss. A darkened cavern
can be suddenly lit by sheets of fire that appear briefly before
dissipating. An arid waste might be bisected by what appears
to be a river of molten steel or mercury. Jagged and crystalline
boulders hover over an otherwise featureless plain, while a rain
that resembles blood washes down to coat an area in an oily layer
of caustic slime. These seemingly unpredictable environmental
manifestations are almost always a result of infernal thoughts
elsewhere or a side effect of a clash of ideas between potent
infernals, sometimes far from the manifestation site.
The most stable and lasting structures in the Abyss are those
that were willed into existence by the minds its masters. Greater
infernals seize great swaths of territory, which they dominate as
tyrants. Infernal cities arise at their whim wherever several gather,
erupting as though from nothing—buildings sprouting up from
the smoky mist in defiance of any considerations of gravity or
the limits of ordinary materials. Strong infernals carve off entire
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 fiefdoms for themselves, where the geography changes to match
their alien imaginations. Places inhabited over an extended period
of time do take on greater solidity and constancy, though even these
seemingly tangible structures are a mental abstraction. Doorways
do not necessary connect adjoining chambers, and even basic
concepts such as “up” or “down” are unreliable. The geometry and
layout of infernal structures seems to fold through more than three
dimensions, and what resembles gravity is a matter of perspective.
Infernal structures do not obey natural laws. The many ways that
Abyssal reality seems impossible would be a tremendous strain
on mortal minds, were they capable of enduring here. As with
Urcaen, however, living beings do not have the means to travel to
or survive in the Abyss. Almost every aspect of the environment
would be hostile to them; there is nothing akin to air to breathe,
food to eat, or water to drink. Even spiritual beings such as the
gods of Urcaen would find this environment hostile, though they
would be better equipped to endure it for a time. Similarly, while
infernals have brought back countless souls to the Abyss, their
existence there is unlike what they would experience in Urcaen.
Captive souls are rendered largely insensate and kept preserved
until they are torn apart for their spiritual essence and utilized as
a material resource. Frequently employed to create horrors, such
souls can also form the foundation of many of the more impressive
and lasting infernal cities and structures. Therefore, even the
greatest buildings in the Outer Abyss are remnants of shattered
minds, carrying lingering thoughts and memories of the damned.
Infernal Writings
At its heart, the Nonokrion Order is a vast hierarchy of clerks, agents,
auditors, archivists, curators, and executors, all working together
to maintain the continuity of their primary enterprise: the fluid
movement of souls from the mortal realms to the Outer Abyss. The
acquisition and movement of these souls requires a vast bureaucratic
machinery along with a nuanced knowledge of all recorded languages
necessary to ensnare the souls of lesser beings into their bargains.
ABCDEFGHI
JKLMNOPQR
STUVWXYZ
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 21
Utilizing a written language of incredible sophistication and
power, this bureaucracy produces countless volumes of contracts,
reports, and metaphysical research to be stored within great vaults
and libraries. All knowledge from the most trivial to the most
arcane gleaned from across various mortal realms is carefully
recorded and catalogued so that is can be referenced at any time
it is required. It is very likely that the seemingly endless array of
tomes and scrolls found in the possession of infernals are perceived
differently by these beings. They do not read the same way mortals
do—they are able to absorb the entirety of meaning in a massive
tome in an instant, just by touching such a volume. Nonetheless,
they value the preservation of such lore. Encrypted within these
letters, signs, and sigils is the root of all known magic.
When Thamar first laid down her own dark alphabet, Telgesh,
which would later be harnessed as the foundation of human magic,
she studied the infernal runes left inscribed on the ruins of Morrdh.
From this partial record she was able to assemble an arcane script
that would both lead to her own ascension and provide the basis
for the magical formulae still used in the present day.
Among the greatest of boons an infernal can bestow upon a mortal
infernalist is the gift of a tome of their own manufacture. These
blasphemous works are said to be owned by the most valued and
skilled of infernalists, though some small number have fallen into
the hands of the Sancteum and Thamar’s septs. Those who tried to
parse them insist that true infernal tomes are dense with imperceptible
information, with meaning secreted within hidden glyphs that exist
between the visible words, between the lines, and even between the
pages themselves. In reading such forbidden lore, the mind is opened
to invasive thoughts that originate beyond the physical realms. The
complex writings on these pages shift and change from one reading
to the next, revealing new mysteries. Mastering such texts invites
madness but can provide insight into hidden secrets.
INFERNALS 21
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 The infernals understand recorded language to be a method of
making thought fixed and tangible, which relates to the value
placed in written contracts signed and sealed. Originating in
a realm in which thought and willpower can be manifested
physically, infernal documents are articles of potent metaphysical
power. The signing of a contract with an infernal is binding and
absolute. It is an exercise in will and creates a binding vow in
the form of a concrete object, therefore having both a mystical
and a material tangibility. The very process of signing an infernal
contract indelibly marks one’s own soul.
The connection between art and infernals is less well established
or understood, though certain infernal entities have demonstrated
an interest in other forms of communication. There are said to be
contracts sealed by painting, sculpture, and even song. Similarly,
infernalists claim cities in the Outer Abyss contain works of
twisted and impossible artwork that reflects the labyrinthine
minds of these creatures and that, if observed by mortals, would
provoke either transcendence and insanity…or both.
Hierarchy of the
Nonokrion Order
Each infernal society has its own distinct hierarchy, and titles and
epithets used in one may not apply elsewhere. That the infernals
recognize echelons of authority has been confirmed and stated
by multiple infernalists who are in direct communication with
them, though in many respects, the details of these organizations
remain mysterious and poorly understood. As with all things
infernal, the weight given to specific titles or terms is a matter of
translation and interpretation, one often undertaken by occultists
with imperfect understanding.
22 INFERNALS
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 22
Superficially, the Nonokrion Order is organized like a vast trading
company whose primary purpose is the acquisition of a sole
commodity. The organization and its labors are maintained by a
bureaucratic machine of inhuman complexity and scale. This great
bureaucracy is proof against the chaotic forces of the Outer Abyss
and the true power behind the Order. It not only harnesses the
knowledge and organizational capacity of the Order, it also ensures
its smooth operation by providing a hierarchy that guarantees the
cooperation of a multitude of malignant infernal beings.
While individually, powerful infernals are beings of great
intellect, they do not easily abide cooperating with their own kind,
preferring to orchestrate their own schemes in isolation. Having
to report to any master is sorely resented. For this reason, infernal
loyalties are generally a patchwork of debts and constantly shifting
alliances. The relationships between infernals is thus as treacherous
and rife with potential betrayal as exists between the lich lords of
Cryx. The structure of the Nonokrion Order effectively suppresses
internal strife while harnessing the malice, influence, capabilities,
and raw cognitive power of its constituent membership.
Rising through the ranks requires strength, guile, and commitment
to the Order. The leaders that rule longest and best are not only
those who have acquired vast spiritual resources and who can
terrify those beneath them with demonstrations of insurmountable
mastery, but those who have also assembled vast networks of
agents whose reach can span worlds. This has led to the rise of a
complex hierarchy among the infernals of the Nonokrion Order with
large gulfs between its echelons. Rising to leadership positions is a
matter of longevity and consistency in securing victories, as well as
a prodigious influx of marked souls culled from other worlds. The
ruling classes of infernals are unimaginably ancient and puissant
beings, as much gods as any other being given that appellation.
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 The lowest echelons of the Nonokrion Order are crowded with clerks,
auditors, archivists, and overseers who maintain the vast bureaucracy
of the organization. Reigning over them are the curators and executors
and their worlds-spanning networks of agents who are directly
charged with the acquisition of souls, the chief enterprise of the Order.
In times of need, the leadership of the Order can call upon the raw
physical might of their infernal horrors and lesser shock troops such
as the terrifying howlers and vicious griever swarms.
The powerful infernals who conduct negotiations with mortals and
directly foster infernalism are known as curators. These beings are
vital to the infernal soul economy, and each is expected to spread
infernal influence and harvest souls from other worlds. There is a
wide range of power between one curator and the next. Collectively
they are known as the Curate Proconsular, a body that self-regulates
its membership to ensure all are working toward the greater goals of
the Nonokrion Order. There are thought to be thousands of infernals
at this tier, with a select few chosen to act as proconsuls, who serve
as liaisons with the executors that make up the next higher tier. Both
curators and executors are harvesters of souls and, in the aggregate,
maintain the fundamental power base of the Nonokrion Order. Their
work is paramount, but they cannot claim to know the plans and
ambitions of those who rule above them.
Executors coordinate the efforts of curators on a given world.
The distrusting nature of the infernals, however, ensures that the
executors do not exclusively rely on the influence and resources
of the curators serving them and maintain their own networks of
beings on the realms that are of interest to them. They can leverage
contracts far beyond the scope of those a curator customarily
handles. It is said that entire civilizations have risen or fallen based
on the manipulations of executors. They do not negotiate for single
souls but are reserved for greater harvests, including implementing
binding contracts that cross generations or centuries of time.
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 23
There are alleged to be two tiers of power above executors, though
no mortals have ever dealt directly with these beings. Collectively
known as the Cadre Architectia, architects are the great planners
of the Nonokrion Order. Higher beings of tremendous vision and
foresight, architects are the transcended shapers of the greater
plans of the Nonokrion Order. It is they who set the executors
in motion and evaluate how the harvest of resources is affecting
greater plans. The architects appear to have been focused for
several thousand years on regaining access to Urcaen, and it was to
this end that they approved entering into extended contracts with
humanity through the goddess Thamar. It is the architects who
have set the invasion of Caen in motion. Zaateroth, the Weaver of
Shadows, is presently their chosen instrument.
Above even the Cadre Architectia is a trio of remote and aloof
beings, the Magnate Tritorium. This triumvirate speaks as one, and
their unity is considered to be the absolute ruler of the Nonokrion
Order. As the architects are akin to gods, this trio is beyond
their comprehension, existing on a higher level of awareness
and power. The Magnate Tritorium is ever focused on the other
infernal societies at war with the Nonokrion Order. They have
nothing whatsoever to do with lowly matters like the invasion of
Caen, which is seen as a mere harvesting operation. Their attention
remains fixed on the machinations of counterparts within the
Fellgoeth and other infernal societies that would destroy the Order.
To them, only infernals matter; lesser beings might as well not exist.
Tactics
Infernals and their minions are quite different in their approach
to battle than are mortal armies, which is only natural given
their unusual perspective on the world. The infernals do not
muster armies in a traditional sense, nor do they impose any
INFERNALS 23
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 sort of formal training on those that fight for them. Concepts
such as discipline and the need for officers are largely foreign to
their perspective. Their approach to battle is strange to mortal
reckoning but fundamentally pragmatic. Often the difficulty
for mortals in predicting the actions of infernals comes from a
misunderstanding of their motives and goals.
Many of the horrors and lesser infernals deployed in the service of
an infernal master seem like terrifying beasts. It might be expected
that they fight for the same reasons as a monstrous beast—lashing
out in defense of territory or seeking to fulfill a hunger for flesh.
Even other unnatural creatures, such as dragonspawn, demonstrate
some of these familiar behaviors. But in truth, the orchestration of
an infernal force is more akin to the advance of the mechanistic
forces of the Convergence of Cyriss. Horrors are largely without
will of their own and also lack anything akin to living instincts.
While there are remnants of strange behavior arising from their
twisted origins, their actions are almost entirely the result of the
direct mental impulses of their controlling infernal masters. The
same is largely true for lesser infernals as well.
An infernal master approaches a battle as a puzzle with a
generally simple solution. The infernals will manifest in a given
area with the assistance of their mortal agents, who conduct the
necessary rituals and sacrifices to open the gates between worlds.
Once they have gathered in sufficient numbers, the infernals
strike from the shadows, generally with the purpose of reaping
as many souls as possible. Destruction of enemies proceeds apace,
methodically and thoroughly.
INFERNAL CONTRACTS
The bond between an infernalist and an infernal master is
formalized in contracts, and these can be confusing and
complicated documents with layers of cryptic meaning.
Infernalists who have studied those who have come before them
may seek to control their situation by borrowing on the ritualized
writings of those who have come before. It can sometimes be
difficult to separate the truly important and binding aspects
of a contract from the more formalized rhetoric and empty
invocations. Contracts initiated by the infernals themselves do
not include these empty passages but can be intricately worded
and exploit potential misinterpretations to trip up and confuse
those who lack sufficient expertise. At their core, every contract
includes promises on either side which are exactingly binding
and which delineate the evolving nature of the obligations
between the infernalist and infernal. Skilled infernalists might
arrange for advantageous terms early in their negotiations but
will invariably be caught up in concessions and eventually find
themselves at the mercy of the infernals. The process of taking
mortals from self-deluded mastery to bound enslavement is one
that the infernal masters have practiced for untold centuries.
24 INFERNALS
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 24
The unpredictable nature of the infernal forces, able to move
from the Outer Abyss to Caen via rituals performed by their
mortal servants, makes them truly terrifying. Infernals can strike
seemingly anywhere and without warning, including behind
their enemies’ fortifications and within their walls. For this reason,
the infernalists themselves are vital components of the Nonokrion
Order’s activities on Caen.
There are many reasons individual mortals might be driven to
infernalism, including desperation and despair. Most of the
cultists and infernalists that fight alongside the infernals are not
soldiers. They fight in disordered and ragtag bands, each gang
ostensibly accountable to a cult leader. These individuals fear
their infernal masters and will do their bidding without question
or hesitation. They execute whatever orders are given them to
the best of their ability, and the infernals do not task them with
matters they would not be expected to be capable of handling.
Infernals are quite willing to sacrifice these minions whenever
necessary, including collecting their souls to empower their
horrors to linger longer on Caen. The various horrors an infernal
master has summoned cannot tarry long in the material world,
and so their presence requires a steady outlay of mystical power,
most of this provided by the souls of the slain—either enemies
or infernalists. Soul energy spent in this fashion is not truly lost,
as collected souls transfer energy as they are passed to the Outer
Abyss. But infernal masters are cognizant that their strikes must
be swift and punishing to take advantage of their limited time in
the material world.
Infernal masters possess tremendous arcane power, and by this
power, they can reshape reality as an exercise in will. They do not
require the formulaic abstractions called spells employed by mortal
arcanists. Still, by mortal reckoning, the end result is the same,
and all the greater infernals are equivalent to extremely powerful
battle-wizards, harnessing powers equivalent to or greater than the
warcasters and warlocks of western Immoren. These magics have
a substantial impact on the ebb and flow of battle, and infernal
masters can augment their mystical power with freshly collected
souls in a manner not dissimilar to Cryxian necromancers.
The most marked aspect of an infernal attack is the utter
indifference to life. Killing is not done out of battle lust or a self-
preservation but as a simple necessity of separating a soul from
the meat that surrounds it. Similarly, infernal horrors show no
reaction to pain or injury. Sometimes even infernalists fighting
among them might demonstrate similar detachment from their
actions and the grievous wounds inflicted on their bodies. This
may be a result of the psychological strain they endure in the
presence of these otherworldly beings, which alone can result
in insanity. Or it might be a consequence of specific boons
bestowed on their mortal followers to facilitate their ability to
fight as required. There is nothing so horrifying as confronting
infernals in battle, as even the least of them warp reality around
them and have psychic presences that intrude on weaker minds.
One’s senses are never reliable in the presence of infernals, and
even one’s inner thoughts and decisions can seem suspect as
tendrils of darkness invade the mind.
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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 25 5/23/19 7:21 PM
 Infernal Units
Infernal Masters
Only the most powerful of greater infernals have a sufficiently
strong presence and the long-accumulated power needed to
lead armies on Caen, a place inimical to their very nature. It is
as though reality itself tries to push them out, like red blood
cells attacking an infection. Perhaps this is, indeed, part of some
intrinsic aspect of the world, but the gods of Urcaen may have
also played a hand in reinforcing these barriers.
While lesser infernal beings can be brought to Caen by easier
methods, the truly formidable masters require elaborate
summoning rites. Only gifted mortals who have given themselves
completely to the masters can conduct these rites, learning
to imbue summoning glyphs and forge gateways to connect
disparate realms. These gates are not simple to open; they require
the sudden outpouring of energy that accompanies sacrifice and
bloodshed. But by these summons, the movements of the infernal
masters are unpredictable and the attacks they make on Caen
can be devastating. Where infernal masters walk, misfortune and
carnage follow. These masters are each beings of godlike power
that can shape reality with but a thought, and they bring with
them innumerable horrors.
26 INFERNALS
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 26
Agathon, the Voice in the Darkness
Other Names: Abhotep, Ashoth, Ariphon, Alothoton, Kybalion,
Kylophelion
Epithets: Dream Ender, the Reaping Herald, Pactbinder,
Shadow Maker, Taker of Names
The entity called Agathon has been transacting insidious
arrangements with humans of western Immoren for centuries.
Countless talented but impatient and greedy arcanists have been
twisted to serve the Nonokrion Order as infernalists through
the far-reaching schemes of Agathon. They hear the Voice in the
Darkness in their dreams…and they obey.
Agathon is the most adept of a caste of fiendishly intelligent
beings called curators, for whom the soul trade is their focus and
source of power. They seek and find those who can be tempted
to enter into binding pacts. Such fools invariably become
infernalists, indebted to stealing souls and delivering them in
exchange for boons. And in time, these infernalists are themselves
claimed. Almost none manage to escape the clutches of their
master, no matter how clever they might be.
The Voice in the Darkness knows the minds of the mortals of
Caen, having overcome all their weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
This understanding brings with it a powerful hatred and
loathing, as Agathon looks upon the petty passions and schemes
of mortals with utter disdain and savors bringing each of these
aspiring demigods to ruin. Infernals like Agathon promise
infinite power and have, in fact, raised mortals to greatness but
only to watch them ultimately fall. Agathon’s voice is a whisper
heard but not remembered in the hours of darkness, when the
mind is vulnerable. In dreams, the Voice has passed along the
shapes of wriggling silver runes to struggling apprentices, runes
that, when inscribed, open conduits to the outer realms in the
greater darkness beyond Urcaen.
Among the Nonokrion Order, Agathon holds a vaunted position,
made potent and influential by a glut of souls. The Voice answers
only to the entity known as Teldoquorin, the Opener of the Ways,
the executor responsible for negotiating the Gift of Magic with
Thamar, the Dark Twin. Though a creature of subtle power, will,
and persuasion, Agathon is also a fierce battle master who takes
delight in rendering lesser beings powerless and reminding them
of their mortality. What those beings call magic is simply thought
to Agathon, as reality bends and reshapes at the Voice’s whim.
In their otherworldly stronghold, the Voice in the Darkness has an
endless warped and changing hall that serves as both vault and
library, the mist-filled rooms containing doorways to other worlds.
Within sealed vaults are the endless contracts and tomes that tabulate
debts owed and paid over the eons. Many of these are written in
forgotten tongues preserved on stone tablets, strips of bark, cured
flesh, and stranger forms of writing never seen on Caen.
To those who serve Agathon, it is possible to perceive this being
as manipulative, political, and grasping. Yet the true mind of
this master is alien and unknowable, with methods and goals
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 incomprehensible to lesser entities. Whatever their true agenda,
Agathon is at the center of a great reaping of souls, the eye in
a whirlwind of arcane power and influence, a tempter and
bargainer without peer.
Omodamos, the Black Gate
Other Names: Baalloth, Gelshidon, Nabomosk, Oronox, Ozoraaz
Epithets: Bringer of Sorrow, Keeper of the First Horror, the
Reaper, the Unmaker at the Threshold
All infernal masters are masters of battle, adept at leveraging the
strength of their horrors and that of other enslaved minions to
achieve their greater goals by force when need be. But more than
any other, Omodamos embraces combat as the ultimate expression
of his being. This master is a juggernaut of destruction, a veritable
force of unnature, whose arrival presages slaughter and endings.
He is called the Black Gate, for he eschews negotiations and
contracts to secure souls, preferring instead to tear them directly
from slain corpses and send them howling into the Outer Abyss.
Omodamos has not often appeared in occult tomes or even
esoteric historical records, as few have dared draw the attention
of this being, and he offers no boons or bargains. The places
where he has manifested have been sites of imminent desolation
and ruin, and he arrives to reap with abandon. A rare text in
ancient Khurzic called The Abyssal Portal describes a Thousand
Cities era cult called the Woebringers whose mad prophets hoped
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 27
to open the Black Gate to obliterate a warlord they despised
named Hekitor. They eventually succeeded in their task, and both
Hekitor’s keep and their entire sect were erased from the world,
leaving only a haunted ruin.
Unlike most of his kind, Omodamos actually favors taking
physical form. The tangibility of existence on Caen affords him
ample opportunities to inflict chain reactions of destruction and
suffering. Nothing pleases the Black Gate more than overseeing
the disintegration of the tangible, whether ending lives amid
sprays of gore, shattering animated wolds, or cleaving through
intricately assembled machines. This is a pleasure denied to
him while in the spiritual outer realms. His savagery in melee
should not be misinterpreted as thoughtlessness or simple rage,
for his actions are premeditated and part of greater plans. He
orchestrates his forces in battle as a being that has perfected the
game of conflict for untold eons.
Where Omodamos strides, reality weakens and buckles,
flinching back as if afraid. Solid stone beneath his footsteps
melts and becomes liquid, plants blacken and wither, the air
shimmers and darkens, becoming cold and hostile. Small fires
erupt spontaneously in his proximity, turning books or other
delicate flammables to blackened ash. For soldiers unfortunate
enough to be ordered to stand against him, it is extremely
difficult to retain the will to fight, as oppressive hopelessness
and despair fill their minds. In those few texts that dare mention
this being, the coming of Omodamos truly presages the end of
the world. No one sane chooses of their own free will to enter
the Black Gate.
INFERNALS 27
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 Zaateroth, the Weaver of Shadows

Other Names: Niriah, Sarpanit, Zaroth, Zeparax, Zirrath,

Zohridreelqun
Epithets: Tyrant of the Unhallowed, Executor of Debts, Gracious
Obliteration, Judge of All Truths

Zaateroth is a fell master of tremendous intellect and will, an

entity whose very appearance can overwhelm lesser minds,
forcing them to their knees as they prostrate themselves and find
it difficult not to obey her least commands. She possesses an aura
of alien grace and majesty that is both cold and terrifying. It is
no wonder that at times in ancient history, those who witnessed
Zaateroth thought her a dark goddess, and in occult texts she
is described as a personification of death and decay. Some
wayward heretics and unwitting infernalists have mistaken
her for Thamar, but she is a being far older and infinitely more
incomprehensible.

At her least touch, corporeal forms begin to lose coherence, falling

to ruin as if left to age a thousand years. It requires almost no
effort for her to weaken and debilitate her foes, magnifying their
vulnerabilities. Shadows move about her like specters, and in
these shadows is the essence of the Outer Abyss, a seething and
almost living energy that retaliates against any foolish mortals
who attempt to unravel Zaateroth’s powerful magic.

Counted among the upper hierarchy of the Nonokrion Order,

Zaateroth is an ominous being whose nature and goals are
shrouded in enigma, even to her own kind. A bridge between
the executors and architects of the Order, Zaateroth has been
instrumental in planning the final Claiming. Mortals have no
conception of the complex web of schemes and treachery that
make up infernal politics, but Zaateroth walks these shifting
landscapes without fear, held in high regard even by the ruling
Magnate Tritorium. Though there is no formal chain of command
among the masters tasked with invading Caen, Zaateroth is the
being most respected and feared, and it ultimately falls to her to
orchestrate the undoing of mankind.

Infernal Horrors
While terrifying in their own right, each infernal master is
invariably accompanied by bestial horrors ready to fight in their
stead. These otherworldly creatures are capable of tremendous
feats of destruction and carnage. Some have at times been gifted
as boons to infernalists to protect them or to destroy their foes,
and they are among the most frightening of adversaries, each a
being utterly dissimilar to anything living on Caen.

Though resembling living creatures, they are artificial beings,

with tissues and organs that do not resemble those found on
Caen and which defy biology. Attempts to dissect and understand
the anatomy of horrors does not provide useful insights and is
complicated by the fact that when destroyed, the forms of horrors
slowly dissolve into putrescent ooze before dissipating into
choking vapor and vanishing from mortal sight. Invisible detritus
left behind after their destruction is soon collected by small

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 invisible parasitic beings that descend like locusts to return this
material to the infernals for future reconstitution. The rendered
essence that makes up horrors is entirely useless to Caen’s
necromancers and liches.
Every horror represents an unholy process of spiritual
transgression. They are forged rather than born, created when
dozens of otherwise imperishable souls are torn apart by a
greater infernal, reduced to component essence, and reshaped
into a new nightmarish form. This process of spiritual essence
becoming a corporeal body for horrors has some cosmological
similarities to how grymkin’s bodies can be both solid and
unreal at once. But, strange as grymkin are, their minds are not
utterly incomprehensible; horrors, however, are alien creatures
with no behavior or thoughts that their creators did not instill in
them. They have no true will, intelligence, or emotions, though
they may seem to possess these things. What behavior they
demonstrate is a remnant of the raving echoes left behind by the
forced integration of dozens of disparate and tormented minds.
Enacting violence is their customary state, for they were made to
slay and destroy. Any intelligent action they seem to undertake is
instead a sign of the greater minds controlling them.
Desolators and Tormentors often join masters in battle, serving
as primary combatants in an assault. These bulky horrors share
a similar squat form, emerging from the shadows to advance on
four spindly legs, each with curved claws that allow it to scrabble
and secure firm footing, regardless of where it fights. Despite the
slender nature of these limbs, their unnatural muscles are more
than adequate to keep these horrors steady. The attack limbs of a
Tormentor are enormous serrated toothy claws, each disturbingly
containing an open throat ready to swallow any flesh or metal it
tears loose. That which Tormentors consume is not digested but
is disintegrated into usable energy through some more esoteric
process. Some believe these mouths to themselves be portals to
the Outer Abyss.
By comparison, the bodies of Desolators are more readily
recognizable, as they display myriad tumor-like bulbous sacs,
each serving as a bladder for caustic liquids the Desolator
unleashes through the yawning maws of its attack limbs to
obliterate its foes. Enemies closing with one are soon shredded by
its upper limbs, which end in long-bladed claws.

Becoming a horror is the unthinkable fate awaiting many of those

unfortunate souls bartered to infernals by those who serve them
or souls that are seized outright by violence when infernals are
summoned to Caen. Many believe, perhaps rightly, that this is
the worst fate any soul could experience, even worse than being
imprisoned in the soul cages of Cryxian liches. For every other fate
a soul might experience, there is still a hope of reversal, of recovery.
Not so when becoming a horror. Nothing returns from this.

The outer realms, where true infernals are comfortable, are

places of flux and strife. Infernal society is built on violence and
competition over limited resources, the most important being raw
spiritual essence, the substance concentrated in sentient souls.
The Nonokrion Order has clashed with rival infernal factions in
countless wars over this currency. It is in these wars that horrors
have been refined into their current forms, each a weapon serving
a particular niche.

Greater Horrors
Were they so inclined, the masters could create every horror
as a distinct and unique entity. Yet they feel no need for such
extravagance, instead treating horrors as simple tools. For the
most part, they rely on several long-established forms with
proven destructive capabilities.
The larger horrors are built to be massive hulks, their strange
hides resistant to cutting and resilient against all but the
mightiest blows. They are intended to stand against the more
formidable beasts and machines that mortal factions employ.
While this is their primary purpose, these entities are equally
adept at threshing through mortal warriors, dismembering
limbs, and inflicting other ghastly wounds. To an infernal,
a living body is just clay, something easily and brutally
dismantled. Life has no inherent value, and they kill to separate
the soul from the flesh that anchors it to Caen. Bodies are a
hindrance to be shucked and discarded.
The Soul Stalker possesses a very different form, that of a large
serpentine horror all too familiar to victims of infernals even
before the recent conflicts. They move between worlds by slipping
unseen through portals created by unwitting infernalists. Arriving
with a piercing shriek, Stalkers immediately begin searching for
marked souls to recover for their infernal masters. They have long
been part of the soul-reaping process employed by the Nonokrion
Order, recovering those hapless marked souls stranded on Caen,
including those who sought to evade payment for their bargains.
There is no true escape from infernal contracts. While their
primary function is to collect souls the infernals have marked
as theirs, these coiling horrors are formidable in combat, quite
capable of slaying those who would interfere with them and then
collecting their souls as well.

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 Minor Horrors
There exist horrors of various sizes and combat capabilities, and
some of the most disturbing ones are those that are less physically
imposing. These horrors are unsettling in ways that other beasts
of the wilderness are not. Their movements are clearly unnatural,
as is the way the air around them shimmers with strange light
and manifested shadows.
The violence horrors commit is not solely physical. The very
appearance of one of these creatures is an assault on the mind—
it can shatter sanity and fray nerves, sending enemies into
emotional shock. This is especially true for the smaller and
stranger horrors, such as the Lamenter. These beings possess
formidable weaponry but often torment their victims needlessly,
as if suffering has value to their masters. Lamenters in particular
have been known to inflict slow mortal injuries and then linger
with their piercing legs impaled through a struggling victim.
Another horror, the Shrieker, emits a terrifying high-pitched
sound as it strikes from a distance, a sonic attack that overwhelms
mortal senses and pulverizes internal organs. Death by either of
these creatures is never clean, and any who manage to survive
such an assault are left with lasting mental scars.
Some lesser horrors such as the Foreboder serve as conduits for
the power of their infernal masters. The presence of these floating
beings is accompanied by a sensation of mental oppression. Many
who have witnessed one describe feeling a sound too deep to
hear, one that manifests as acute pressure in their eardrums. It
is impossible to face one without dread as the horror glows with
sickening radiance before channeling the magic of its master.
30 INFERNALS
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Infernal Fodder
The infernals do not host an army in a conventional sense but are
quite capable of defeating their myriad enemies in battle when the
need arises. In these cases, infernal masters make use of a number
of lesser entities as fodder. While a master’s main target will often
be singled out to be obliterated by horrors, lesser obstacles are
cleared or distracted by the enslaved beings accompanying each
master, including people and creatures that gladly put themselves
in harm’s way.
The needs of the invasion of Caen have placed a special strain
on those who serve the infernals, as the marked souls of those
who have bargained with the masters must be collected and
consumed to maintain their presence. Those of higher standing
preserve themselves by sacrificing subordinates, hoping to prove
themselves useful enough to be maintained. But in the end, the
masters view all mortals as fodder and fuel.
Infernalists
Despite the efforts of organizations like the Order of Illumination,
the infernals have managed to enlist the service of many mortal
collaborators. Most infernalists have chosen of their own free
will to serve beings from beyond Urcaen, tempted by offers of
greater power, given special boons, or corrupted and manipulated
into surrendering liberty and former loyalties. Some infernalists
believe the supremacy of the infernals is inevitable, and so they
see collaboration as the only way to avoid obliteration. In the end,
they facilitate the destruction of their own kind.
Infernalists can come from all walks of life and station, though
the most useful have been those born with the Gift of Sorcery.
A powerful arcanist who becomes an infernalist can often seize
a leadership position among the cults. This is particularly true
if one has pleased their masters by fulfilling their contractual
obligations and surrendering large numbers of souls, most often
stolen from hapless and innocent victims during sacrificial rites.
Accomplished infernalists who have acquired any degree of true
power often create their own cults, bringing others into their
pacts. Each of these cults has its own rites and practices, but
all serve their masters and must do as commanded. Lord Roget
d’Vyaros is an example of one who has risen to such a position.
A former member of the Order of the Golden Crucible, Roget is
glad to have put that group behind him; he now openly serves
his true masters.
Cultists become useful henchmen and bodyguards for their
leaders as well as assistants in gathering fresh victims and
dealing with any other mundane matters their leader requires
of them. Cultist bands are eager to join their greater masters in
battle, seeing them as akin to gods. These bands overwhelm by
sheer numbers, wielding rune-covered ritual blades that whisper
to them and pulse with inner heat in the presence of infernals.
The most devoted and prodigious killers may be elevated to dark
sentinels, entrusted with special tasks by cult leaders.
5/23/19 7:21 PM
 Infernal masters care not for the desires or prayers of their
cultists, seeing them only as walking resources. Masters are
quite willing to reap the souls of these minions when they have
need of their essence. Cultists do have their uses, however.
Their fervent belief empowers nearby horrors, and in the right
circumstances, they can seize enemies without slaying them.
Such captives are subjected to the whispers of the masters,
which sometimes results in fresh converts whose minds and
eyes have been opened to the dark truth.
Griever Swarms drift swiftly through the air and travel in small
packs, disgorging void fire at their chosen prey. These beings are
considered infernals, as they are native to the same realm and
so can only manifest on Caen when summoned. Yet they are not
like greater infernals, being far more limited in thought. They are
closer to animals or beasts, though this comparison is not entirely
apt. While most of their behavior seems simple and instinctive,
they can still demonstrate surprisingly sophisticated tactics and
coordinate in a way that suggests a weird understanding of their

Some infernalists embrace their chosen path with greater than

normal enthusiasm, surrendering themselves utterly to the cause
and giving up their humanity. Referred to as Wretches, these
individuals have put their past identities behind them and have
earned a variety of boons from their patrons that allow them to
unleash terrifying magic. Infernal power has transfigured them
into monsters with scaled skin, wrapped in chains that symbolize
their bondage to higher powers and tattered rags that are all that
remains of their former attire.

Lesser Infernals
The distant realm from which infernals originate is utterly unlike
Caen, being closer to Urcaen as a place where beings of spirit and
energy dwell, divorced from the fixed forms of corporeality. Yet
for all that, the Outer Abyss does possess an ecology. The vast
and hostile landscapes are inhabited by otherworldly entities
that eke out an existence, hunting and being hunted in turn.
Spiritual matter ebbs and flows, gathering into self-motivated
configurations that prey upon others. The strong consume the
weak, the swift outrun the slow, and there is a cycle of violence
not dissimilar to that found in nature, though the forms are quite
different. Alien beings float through the air unhindered or meld
into shadow only to emerge elsewhere in a blink. It is in this
environment that beings like Howlers and Griever Swarms hunt.

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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 32 5/23/19 7:21 PM
 environment and their prey. They are surprisingly durable, and
their mode of movement is erratic, making them hard for mortals
to anticipate in battle. Inky darkness follows them, pulled from
beyond Caen. In the proximity of these ever-moving shadows, the
barrier between worlds weakens.
Deadly as the Griever Swarms are, Howlers are even more
formidable. These heavier and stronger entities take on a form
that is extremely durable, each with a thick hide that readily
turns aside blades and deflects or at least diminishes the impact
of bullets. These beings ooze shadow and warp reality around
them in such a way that their presence facilitates greater infernals
lingering on Caen, though their primary utility is to commit
violence. Smarter than the Griever Swarms and capable of self-
willed actions, Howlers are still not “people” in the sense that
those in western Immoren mean it. These beings have a simple
society and do not appear to resent being enslaved by greater
masters, willingly serving them and showing no fear of dying.
Each wields an iron blade that glows from within with a sickly
radiance, leaving wounds that are slow to heal.
Their name reflects a terrifying battle howl they emit when
advancing into combat, a sound taken up by each in turn, yet
dissonant and betraying nothing akin to harmony. The sound
can be deceptive, appearing to come from behind or adjacent to
a Howler. Combined with the surprising speed at which these
creatures rush into combat, mortal soldiers assailed by them are
often thrown into disarray. Maintaining disciplined ranks in the
face of an advance by these otherworldly terrors is quite difficult
even for veteran soldiers, especially when the Howlers enter a
berserk frenzy and begin tearing people limb from limb.
Umbrals
Umbrals are a type of infernals that occupy a distinct niche in
the Outer Abyss. Long ago, these beings belonged to a rival
infernal society that contested and was eventually defeated by
the Nonokrion Order. Rather than being obliterated, they were
subsumed and enslaved, turned into an extension of the Order’s
operations on Caen with beings such as Umbral Guardians.
Infernal Gates
For centuries, infernals have schemed to find ways to reach Caen.
Because of the unfathomable distances and the cosmological
difficulties involved, this has required the work of intermediaries.
Even with infernalists performing the proper rituals, this process
is tricky and requires considerable energy. Infernals have devised
various means to facilitate their arrival.
Infernal gates serve as longer-lasting conduits between the outer
realms and Caen. Each represents a pair of doorways, one built
by infernalists on Caen, the other in the shadowy abyss where
infernals dwell. They must be exactingly inscribed with glyphs of
power to mirror one another, and these glyphs require the power
released by fresh souls to fully activate. The mirroring process
creates a powerful supernatural accord, one which makes these
constructs otherworldly and more a product of the infernal reality
than the mortal one. Looking upon an infernal gate, one would
never suspect mortals had any hand in its construction.
After the preliminary rites are complete, a gate is dormant until
the time is ripe for it to be opened. During this fallow time, gates
may appear to be utterly mundane or even invisible to mortal
vision. They are often set into archways in places of power,
unseen and awaiting the proper key sequence to usher infernals
into the world. When fully active, they take on their true infernal
guise, becoming towering portals of darkness emitting beams of
sickly radiance, causing reality to slip and shiver around them.
At an infernal master’s bidding, they can fire bursts of spectral
flame while still affording ready access to the master’s arsenal
of reinforcements and stockpile of souls. Gates draw the souls of
the recently slain to them like moths to a flame, souls that can be
readily employed to augment nearby infernal forces.

Umbrals benefit from being able to slip into Caen more readily
than other infernals. This is a result of many centuries of
folktales and myths that contain within them aspects of Umbral
summoning rituals. Umbrals possess a special connection to
shadow and have forged lasting links between the shadows on
Caen and those in the infernal realm, exploiting them as potential
gateways. Umbrals eschew the process of contract negotiation in
favor of verbal agreements forged—often unwittingly by their
summoners—by the very words of rites that invite them. In the
current invasion, they are encountered as guardians of prominent
cult leaders or the masters themselves. Umbrals dwell in their
summoner’s shadow, awaiting the time when they are needed.

They are skilled at intercepting those who would harm whomever

they have been directed to protect.

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 Infamous Infernalist Cults
The coming of the infernals has been a well-kept secret, buried in layers of myth, misdirection,
and outright disbelief, but those collaborators with clandestine insight have known the truth
all along. While some infernalists operate alone or in impenetrable shadows, others have
been instructed by their masters to gather their cults to join the fight directly.

“From few words come “What you think you see “Let the Voice
never-ending revelations.” is a lie.” drown all thought.”

ORDER OF THE RED THE UNSEEN MARK WHISPERERS

DOCTRINE
In secret tomes and forgotten scrolls
lie some of the greatest secrets of the
infernals, or so believe the members of
the Order of the Red Doctrine. Tattooed
with arcane symbols derived from these
sinister writings, the infernalists of the
order consider themselves to be at the eye
of the infernal invasion’s storm—central
to its success yet removed from its effects.
They believe they will draft the eternal
historical records of the invasion, whether
those words be drafted in their blood or
carved into their bones.
Led by the blind infernalist Fallon IN THE DARK
Moreland, the leaders of the Unseen
Followers of the infernal master Agathon,
Mark commune with the horrors from
the Voice in the Darkness, the infernalists
the Outer Abyss by gouging their own
of this cult share an ambition: to rise to
eyes out and then infusing those excised
power after the infernal invasion they
organs with dark magic. Once returned
help to bring about. The Whisperers, as
to their skulls, their eyes grant special
they refer to themselves, hear subliminal
perceptions of the flow of magic. The
messages in the commands of their
rank and file in this cult aspire to earn
master, messages they believe provide
the right to this special gift, bestowed in
clues to achieve immortality should their
a special sacrificial ceremony undertaken
service be deemed sufficient.
during the new moon.

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 “Beyond suffering,
“My Queen is my salvation.” “Reflect and collect.”
beyond redemption.”

THE PALE GUARD KEEPERS OF THE THE SOULBOUND

Great Princess Regna Gravnoy in GATE OF GLASS These cultists accept that their souls have
northeastern Khador commands her already been claimed and given over to
Those who have foolishly been led
own circle of infernalist cultists who are the infernal masters they serve and use
to even glance into the mirrors of the
bound by the belief that patricide is the this certainty to strive to be beyond most
infernal Gate of Glass have seen the
ultimate sacrifice to prove one’s worth mortal needs, desires, and commands.
horror of their looming fate, the husks
to the coming infernal masters. Those They take greater risks on behalf of their
they will leave behind when their souls
who have already given the souls of their infernal masters than most, accepting
are torn free by the invading infernals.
fathers to the White Queen wear a single open assassination missions, invasive
The Keepers of the Gate of Glass each
white ribbon about their persons as expeditions into well-protected locations,
keep a fragment alleged to have been
proof of their devotion and a symbol of and other suicide missions intended to
broken from the infernal gate, a sliver of
the greater boons the White Queen has secure greater access to vital locations for
accursed mirror said to have the capacity
delivered unto them. their masters.
to instill madness in those who look on
their surfaces. Each shattered mind is
vulnerable to the seeking dreams of the
infernals waiting beyond the gate.

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 Julius in secret. Quinn used his powers to repair Midwinter’s
fragile sanity but in the process imposed several mental
compulsions, forcing Midwinter’s absolute loyalty. Quinn would
meet an early end just before Julius won the throne, leaving
Midwinter perfectly positioned as trusted advisor to the new
king. The only difficulty was that, because of his compulsions, his
mind was not his own.

Agathon came to Midwinter in his dreams and assisted the former

inquisitor in breaking these chains, regaining his self-will while
being reminded of his eternal obligations. In the months that
followed, Midwinter played a key role in encouraging Cygnar
to wage war in Llael again, preparing the conditions required to
launch an infernal invasion.

Though Midwinter has been forced to reveal his nature, he has

earned a special place of power and influence. He stands as one of
the foremost collaborators with the infernal masters, and in doing
so, he has earned the unending enmity of the rest of humanity.
Whether he will survive long enough to collect his promised
reward remains to be seen, but for now, he fights alongside the
infernals, showing no regrets for his betrayal.

Notable Infernalists Great Princess Regna Gravnoy,

the White Queen
Master Preceptor Orin Midwinter
That the infernals have their hooks deep in mortal affairs is
Orin Midwinter is a man who has gone through several
demonstrated by their subversion of one of the Khadoran
transformations in his checkered past. Some people seem destined
Empire’s highest-ranking nobles. Great Princess Regna
to lead, others to serve, and Midwinter has always felt driven to
Gravnoy has earned respect as the ruler of Gorzytska Volozk in
assist those in power. Perhaps it was inevitable that he would
northeastern Khador; she possesses proven intelligence as well
become one of the most influential secret infernalists in western
as political acumen and undeniable ruthlessness. No one has
Immoren, playing a key role in the great invasion.
suspected that for most of her life she has been a secret infernalist.
In his former role as senior inquisitor, Midwinter served Cygnar’s
most notorious tyrant, King Vinter Raelthorne IV, using his
arcane powers and intelligence to hunt illegal sorcerers. During
the subsequent reign of King Leto, Midwinter became an outlaw
wanted for past atrocities. These years were hard on him, and in
time both his body and mind fractured. He contracted a severe
illness and began to lose his sanity. It was in this dark time he
turned in desperation to the infernals, initially seeking a solution
to his terminal illness. His time as an inquisitor had given him
access to forbidden lore, and he soon made contact with a
practicing infernalist who could instruct him. He justified his
actions as necessary to fulfill his oaths to restore Vinter as king.
How would this be possible if he perished? This began a slow
descent of systematic enslavement to his infernal masters.

Midwinter’s conversion was delicately handled by subordinates

of Agathon, the Voice in the Darkness, who took an interest in
Midwinter and foresaw his usefulness. Their future plans relied
on a region in turmoil, a goal they expected would be facilitated
by having an agent close to Cygnar ’s throne. They originally
intended to see Vinter IV restored, but events necessitated them
shifting their focus to a new contender for the crown—Julius, the
bastard son of Vinter.

It was in this way Midwinter was caught up in the Second

Cygnaran Civil War. A former colleague, another senior inquisitor
and powerful mesmerist named Wilkes Quinn, had been raising

36 INFERNALS

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 Rumors have begun to circulate based on recent events, but for
the moment she retains her title and position. She is likely to
become a prime target of the Order of Illumination as well as the
empress herself once she abandons any pretext of secrecy.
Her father, Gorzytska’s former great prince, was a shrewd
politician who cemented many strong ties and promises. His
daughter retains those hard-won debts. In other regards, her
accomplishments have outstripped her father ’s in every way,
particularly her feats of deception. Many aspects of her life have
been hidden. This began at a young age, when Regna discovered
her sorcerous gift, a talent widely reviled among the Menites
comprising the majority of her father’s court. One of her tutors
discerned her talent and introduced her to those who could teach
her and help her conceal her gifts. In doing so, the volozk’s ruling
heir was initiated into an insidious infernal cult.
Among her new friends, Regna delighted in her freedom and
soon began to live a double life. Secrecy and lying became second
nature to her after she was brought into the deeper layers of the
cult and given access to forbidden occult lore. Her power grew,
and she had become a formidable arcanist by the time she entered
communion with Nabezeth, an infernal curator serving the
Weaver of Shadows.
Regna was told that true power came at a price and that she
must earn her keep and harden her heart for the tasks ahead.
She would be enlisted to deliver a regular tithe of souls, attained
however she might. But her first sacrifice would be the greatest—
her father, whom she genuinely loved. She was tasked to deliver
his soul and inherit her place as ruler of the province. This had to
be done before an arranged marriage that would neutralize her
worth to her masters.
Hauke was once one of their champions, a knight who had sworn
solemn oaths to eradicate infernalism. A tragic sequence of events
would lead to his undoing and rebirth. His subsequent rise as an
infernalist would see him as committed to the Claiming as he was
once devoted to praising the Prophet.
Almost without exception, those who choose to join the Order of
Illumination are a passionate and zealous bunch, usually come
to this calling after having first-hand brushes with black magic.
Valin Hauke was a dedicated warrior who had been raised to
believe in the Volition and the need to maintain vigilance. He
lost his mother and one of his sisters to an infernalist, their souls
offered up for some minor boon. Hauke immediately dedicated
himself to the destruction of the person he thought responsible,
an occultist referred to as the Tattered Monk.
He eventually succeeded in achieving his vengeance, confronting
the Monk in a ruined mausoleum in northern Cygnar. In this
victory, his satisfaction soon turned to ash. While studying the
journals and tomes accumulated by his quarry, he discovered
facts that entirely undermined his world view and soon shattered
his faith. First, he came upon a persuasive account of Morrow’s
involvement in the Gift of Magic during the Orgoth Occupation,
including information suggesting collusion of the Prophet
with Thamar’s infernal bargain. Second, he found fragments of
partially burned journal entries that suggested the death of his
own family was orchestrated by his superiors in the Order of
Illumination as a means to ensure his dedication and to eliminate
any distractions. Digging further, he discovered that the man he
had slain had not been an infernalist at all but a pious hermit and
ally of the Order.

Though the command shocked Regna and caused her grief, she
did not hesitate. As much as she loved her father, she had chosen
her path and accepted that nothing could stand in the way. Her
father would perish sooner or later, as Immoren was slated to fall
to the infernals. Only a chosen few would outlast the oblivion,
and she was prepared to surrender everything to be among them.
She gave her father a peaceful death—by poison—and captured
his soul to deliver to Nabezeth.

From this moment, her pact was sealed, and she has served them
ever since, grateful to sometimes walk alongside godlike beings
like Zaateroth to experience their glory. She has perfected the
rituals by which lesser horrors can be summoned and bound.
She no longer remembers the grief she once felt for her father, as
her world has been opened to new delights, such as the thrill of
wielding hellfire to incinerate her foes. She no longer hides her
darker impulses, and soon she will give up the pretense of fealty
to the empress. She calls herself the White Queen and anticipates
ruling what will remain of the frozen north.

Valin Hauke, the Fallen Knight

The greatest and most ardent adversaries of the infernals have
long been the Morrowans, who have always viewed these
beings as an existential threat. Indeed, the Order of Illumination
was founded expressly for the purpose of ridding Immoren of
infernalists, along with other practitioners of black magic. Valin

INFERNALS 37

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 The hypocrisy of his organization and their involvement with the
destruction of his family annihilated Hauke’s sense of his place
in the world and led him on an even darker and more extended
quest for vengeance. This brought him to the Thamarites in charge
of the Infernal Archive in Ceryl, where his eyes were opened to
the world’s deeper truths. Rejecting their path as well, he found
a patron and promised his life and soul to new masters, ones he
knew had sufficient power to obliterate the Church of Morrow.
He has worked tirelessly toward that goal, bringing with him his
considerable martial abilities. He has become a callous champion
of the infernals, both reliable and unflinching in executing their
plans. He is entirely sane, unlike many who surround him,
though his features are sometimes touched by an echo of sorrow.
The world of light he once believed in has been revealed to be
an illusion, and he sees the coming darkness as the true reality.
Hauke no longer cares whether his victims are innocent or guilty,
as he no longer believes in innocence. The Church must burn, as
must all who praise it. The world is already dead to him, and his
time of grief is ended.
38 INFERNALS
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 38
Eilish Garrity, the Dark Seeker
Nowhere is the potential scope of infernal corruption more evident
than with Eilish Garrity, the once affable arcanist of the Black River
Irregulars mercenaries. Those who were once his friends and allies
cannot believe how far he has fallen in such a short time.
Eilish still sees in the mirror the man he once was. When speaking
to outsiders, his charm can return, allowing him to present a
smiling face to those who, moments later, are overwhelmed by
his magic and offered to his infernal masters. He is addicted to
power, with a thirst for hidden knowledge that took him down
a path to disgrace and degradation. He has made bargains with
unspeakable beings and has bound himself fully to their service.
Worse, he has done genuine evil and killed good people.
Though he has put the Black River Irregulars behind him, deep in
his blackened heart Eilish misses his friends. He has endeavored
to avoid them, knowing the darkness he serves would delight in
compelling him to prove his conviction by sacrificing them. There
is tragic irony in this, as he first turned to black magic under the
justification of serving the BRI by bettering himself. This would
prove to be a thin and dubious excuse for a compulsion to master
greater magic that became an all-consuming obsession, one that
let him be exploited.
Eilish’s dabbling in black magic began after events in Llael where
the BRI confronted a necromancer seeking certain ancient Umbrean
artifacts. He had keenly felt his own limits and the shortcomings
of his incomplete arcane education, and the dark power of the
artifacts negated his weakness. Soon after this first taste, he sought
members of secret cabals within the Fraternal Order of Wizardry,
from whom he learned how to harness the power of death.
A subsequent run-in with Alexia in Ord convinced Eilish that
necromancy was ill-suited for his needs. Having recovered
several tomes of infernal lore, he decided to make contact with
a patron, mistakenly thinking he was smart enough to retain his
autonomy. This was the hook the infernal masters required to reel
him in. They demonstrated what would be possible if he served
them, and a pact was signed. They then began to require tasks
of Eilish, tasks that started small but became increasingly dire.
He was made to murder wanted criminals, then the cast-out and
suffering, but soon his victims were blameless and innocent.
Eilish’s mind quailed at first, but as his addiction seized him, he
convinced himself he was trapped by his contract. The killings
came easier each time. Disassociation set in—it felt to him as
though another will worked through him in these moments.
It was not he who wielded the knife while cutting a throat but
rather his master. All the while, his conscience withered within.
By the time Eilish realized the scope of the infernal threat to Caen,
his soul was theirs. He was bound to Agathon, the Voice in the
Darkness, who had appeared in his dreams in the benevolent
guise of a spiritual being named Ashoth. Now he walks to
battle alongside the infernals with an umbral guardian as his
shadow, and he does what he is told. In battle, he is overcome by
impulses he does not consider his own. He views this as a form of
possession, where an evil being controls him like a puppet, but in
truth this is his own divided mind. He has become a monster. His
soul is marked for collection. There can be no return to the light.
5/23/19 7:22 PM

Alain Runewood, Lord of Ash
No man serves more as a cautionary tale against the perils of
infernal manipulations than Alain Runewood, who has long
been archduke of the Eastern Midlunds and lord of Fharin. Once
counted among the most courageous and loyal vassals of King
Leto Raelthorne, Runewood has become entrapped by binding
arrangements that have forced him to betray his nation and fight
alongside the invaders. He did not knowingly begin down this
path and only recognized the extent of his errors when it was too
late to reverse them. Some might say his actions do not merely
constitute treason against his beloved nation but a betrayal of his
very humanity as well.
The seeds of this corruption were planted after one of Runewood’s
finest moments in the Battle of Fharin, which ended the recent
civil war. The archduke volunteered to lead a risky nocturnal
raid against Vinter Raelthorne’s loyalists, during which he was
mortally wounded by multiple gunshots. He languished for
weeks, suffering from infection, his strength failing him. During
one of his fevered dreams, he heard whispers, and the voice
evoked his sense of honor and duty, suggesting the kingdom
was about to enter a dark time, one where his absence would be
keenly felt. He was offered a second chance, if he would agree
to certain conditions. A debt he would have to pay. Desperate
to return to his duties, Runewood accepted, eager for anything
that would let him live. His miraculous recovery was immediate,
and shortly thereafter he was contacted by Orin Midwinter, who
served as an intermediary for his new dark masters.
With his king abdicating the throne and Cygnar’s future uncertain,
Runewood was convinced his strength and wisdom were needed
to help keep his nation from the brink of destruction. He hoped
to mitigate any harm that might be caused by his promises, so
he was willing to accept a dark fate for himself as long as he
protected others. But as the months went by, Runewood found
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 39
himself caught deeper and deeper in the infernals’ grasp. By the
time he realized the nature of the insidious plans the infernals had
for Caen, he was theirs. He requested one final and most binding
pact, signing his name in blood to keep several family members—
as well as his old friend, Lord High Chancellor Leto—safe from
the dangers to come.
Now, Alain Runewood’s thoughts are consumed by anguish and
guilt for his part in the invasion. He has tried taking his own
life, but this has not availed him. He has been forced to lead
armies of cultists and horrors from beyond, turning the lands
once entrusted to him by the crown to ruin. Every day, he sees
his once-proud legacy turned to ash; bitterness and despair have
become his constant companions. His only consolation is the
knowledge that his family, though they now despise him, will be
spared eternal torment.
Nicia, Hound of the Abyss
In the darkest moments of her grief, Nicia often wondered if
her love for her dead husband truly outshone her love for the
Creator. In the last few months, her actions and her subsequent
transformation have left her no doubt. Once a devout and zealous
member of the Daughters of the Flame, Nicia was known as the
Tear of Vengeance, bringing swift death to all enemies of the
Protectorate. Her skill was nearly unmatched, her dedication to
the cause so all consuming that Feora, Priestess and Protector
of the Flame, considered Nicia the natural successor to lead the
Daughters of the Flame should anything befall Thyra.
Unbeknownst to those around her, Nicia’s fervor became less
about serving the Lawgiver and more about taking vengeance
on those who had killed her beloved, Heltus. This darkness in
her soul drew the attention of infernal agents, who saw in her an
opportunity to make inroads to the Protectorate. Using no small
amount of resources, they orchestrated an assassination attempt
against a Cygnaran officer known for taking a notable part in the
invasion of Sul.
Nicia took the bait, and after eliminating her target, the cultists
made their move. Having already converted another Daughter
whom Nicia knew and trusted, they convinced her to come with
them and to listen to their words. Among them were arcanists
who had been given powers over the mind, and they filled Nicia’s
with visions of Heltus, who claimed Menoth knew her heart was
impure and would never allow the couple to be rejoined in the
City of Man in Urcaen. Distraught by what she learned, Nicia
slipped into madness. She was convinced the infernals were her
only course to rejoin Heltus, who had already gone to them and
who might be restored to life if Nicia did as they asked.
After sealing her pact, Nicia sought out other mentally vulnerable
members of her order, bringing them into the cult. Within a
few short months she had established a burgeoning network
of infernalists within the Flameguard and soon discovered
the infernals had made other inroads elsewhere within the
Protectorate. Imbued with a dark new purpose, Nicia has become
one of the most efficient agents of the infernals on Caen, who have
used her true love for her dead husband to transform her once
profound fury and faith into a merciless and cold pragmatism.
INFERNALS 39
5/23/19 7:22 PM
 OMODAMOS,
THE BLACK GATE
Infernal Master
AGATHON,
THE VOICE IN THE DARKNESS
Infernal Master

ZAATEROTH,
THE WEAVER OF SHADOWS
Infernal Master

DESOLATOR
Heavy Horror LAMENTER
Light Horror

SHRIEKER
Light Horror

TORMENTOR
Heavy Horror

40 MODEL GALLERY

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 SOUL STALKER
Heavy Horror

FOREBODER
Lesser Horror

GRIEVER SWARM
Unit

CULTIST BAND
Unit

DARK SENTINEL
Weapon Attachment

THE WRETCH
Solo
LORD ROGET D’VYAROS
Solo GREAT PRINCESS
REGNA GRAVNOY
Solo

MODEL GALLERY 41

Oblivion_Campaign.indb 41 5/23/19 7:23 PM

 UMBRAL GUARDIAN
Solo

MASTER PRECEPTOR
ORIN MIDWINTER
Solo
VALIN HAUKE
THE FALLEN KNIGHT
Solo

INFERNAL GATE
Structure

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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 43 5/23/19 7:23 PM
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 44 5/23/19 7:23 PM
 FORCES OF WARMACHINE:
ORDER OF
ILLUMINATION
T
here has been no single organization so single-mindedly
dedicated to standing against the infernal threat as the
Order of Illumination. As beings from the outer darkness
have invaded Caen in a force of arms never before witnessed, this
is the Order’s hour. It is a challenge the Illuminated had hoped
to forestall, but still they stand ready, willing to give everything—
not least of all their lives—to confront this greater evil.
Support for the Order of Illumination has been strong within
the Morrowan kingdoms, though the nature of the Order ’s
actual operations has been secretive and unknown to most.
Longstanding arrangements between the Church of Morrow and
various government and law enforcement offices has allowed the
Illuminated the relatively unfettered ability to investigate and punish
those thought guilty of practicing the dark arts, most particularly
necromancy and infernalism. Their reputation has been such that
even the whisper of an accusation can strike fear in the accused,
regardless of their actual guilt. The arrival of the Illuminated into a
community is both welcomed and feared, as many lives are likely to
be ruined in the wake of their dogged pursuit of the guilty.
These investigations are difficult and harrowing, as infernalists have
long been skilled at concealing their identities and maintaining a
fair face to show to the world. Further, infernal masters place the
highest value on their servants who can reach positions of influence
and power. It is from these positions that they can better manipulate
others and subtly advocate measures useful to the infernals. Such
is the fear of infernalism that even highly placed individuals can
be brought low by the Illuminated, at least where evidence can be
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 45
found. Those who are clever and smart enough to better conceal their
activities have sometimes endured, offering up sacrificial scapegoats
to those who hunt them. Despite their fearsome reputation, rooting
out the infernal threat has been difficult, more so than the Order of
Illumination likes to admit.
The days of shadowy intrigues, subtle investigations, and strikes
against the greater darkness under the cover of night seem to have
ended. Now, the infernal menace is in the open, launching its major
invasions. Any doubts and uncertainties felt by many government
officials about the propriety of the Order of Illumination and its
methods has largely been banished, given the scope of the threat.
Both military and civic leaders now look to agents of the Order of
Illumination as their best and perhaps only hope.
Yet it may be too little, too late. The Illuminated are very few in
number, and though their knowledge and expertise is invaluable,
they cannot be in every place they are needed. Even with
accelerated recruitment efforts and taking extreme measures,
such as entering into alliances with former enemies, those who
fight against the darkness may be outmatched. This does not
deter them, however, and the possibility of their battle being
impossible only hardens them to sleepless nights and acts of
reckless courage. In the face of infernalism, even necromancers
are now deemed friends, a sign of the desperate times.
The Order has long thought of itself as a single candle flame
flickering in a vast engulfing darkness, and that metaphor has
never been more apt.
45
5/23/19 7:23 PM
 Origins
The Order of Illumination owes its origins to a man named
Severin Copernicum, a pious Morrowan wizard who is best
known for having provoked one of the largest scandals in the
early history of the arcane orders of the Iron Kingdoms. He was
the first to shine a light on darkness, persisting even when it
nearly cost him his life.
Copernicum was born in the Cygnaran city of Ceryl at the start of
the Iron Kingdoms era in 202 AR, shortly after the Orgoth were
successfully repulsed from Immorese shores. In time, Copernicum
would join a generation of optimistic young arcanists who hoped
to usher in a new era of peace, prosperity, and enlightenment now
that the continent was freed of the tyrants who had oppressed
and terrorized western Immoren for eight centuries. He would
soon discover that the elimination of one dark foe would not be
the end of their troubles; corruption was already festering in the
new nations, seeded from an otherworldly source.
The early history of human arcane study in western Immoren
was contentious, notable for the dichotomy between the shadowy
origins of the Gift of Magic and those who sought to wield those
powers for the greater good. It was left to the earliest arcane order
to wrestle with this issue. It was well known in occult circles that
Thamar, the dark twin, was responsible for awakening the Gift
within humanity. From the earliest days, there were whispers
of an infernal bargain made to seal this awakening, though
the details remained a guarded secret among the most learned
occultists. The tradition of concealing these esoteric mysteries
traces back to the Circle of the Oath, the first organization of
human arcanists, a group that planted the seeds of resistance
against the Orgoth decades before the Rebellion began in earnest.
This group is rumored to have received instruction in the mystical
arts from infernals directly, though there has never been any
proof offered of this claim.
Whatever its nature, the Circle of the Oath was eventually
destroyed by the Orgoth, but its legacy endured in the
organizations that inherited its mantle, most particularly the
Order of the Golden Crucible and the Fraternal Order of Wizardry,
each of which did its part in the Rebellion. These arcanists did
not have time to worry about the origin of their magic, given the
pragmatic need of wielding their powers against the common foe.
It was easy for such men and women to understand that Thamar
had faced a similar dilemma when she foresaw the destruction
of the faith of the Twins—so they accepted that whatever
arrangement she had made with infernals was necessary. But
while the absolute necessity of Thamar’s Gift was accepted in
occult circles, they knew the wider population would fear and
distrust any association with dark powers, particularly in times of
peace. The secret remained buried, unwritten, and in many cases
forgotten. A tradition of secret knowledge and dark pacts was
passed down, intrinsic to the tradition of arcane learning. This
was a fertile environment for infernalism to grow and fester.
The dark undercurrents in the nature of magic was a fact of reality
for later arcane practitioners, and it served to stir even greater
piety and devotion among those of a religious bent. To some, this
power was more a curse and burden than a blessing. They felt
46 ORDER OF ILLUMINATION
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 46
they must safeguard their minds and avoid the temptation of
power for its own sake. For any devoted Morrowan arcanist, it
was impossible to deny that the power they wielded was more
connected to Thamar’s darkness than to Morrow’s light. Such
talents were thought to be intrinsically corruptive, capable of
seducing even great minds. It was not uncommon for pious
wizards to endure extended meditation and self-punishment to
purge themselves of evil thoughts.
Those who hoped to use magic for the common good despite its
dark roots were inspired by Morrowan saints such as Ascendant
Corbin, who had used his power to cure widespread plagues
during the Orgoth Occupation. The ascension of Corbin was a
profound moment, one that would define the meaning of virtue
through magic to successive generations. It was Corbin’s example
that allowed groups like the Fraternal Order of Wizardry and
the Order of the Golden Crucible to become respected mainstay
organizations in society. These groups sought to distinguish
themselves from the sinister, unlawful sorcerers lurking in the
shadows, creating propaganda to cement this distinction. They
compared their own actions to Ascendant Corbin, who had
proven that an arcanist and occultist could serve Morrow and do
tremendous good. Their work became one side of a balance with
the unfairly vilified cults dedicated to Thamar on the other. She
was viewed as a patron of dark magic and dangerous sorceries.
Being a Thamarite was equated by many to infernalism, a
misunderstanding of a far more complicated and nuanced theology.
These beliefs were firmly held by Severin Copernicum while
he sought to master his powers alongside his brothers in the
Fraternal Order, a group he had been led to believe were also
pious and respectable members of society. Having demonstrated
a powerful aptitude for the arcane, Copernicum had joined this
brotherhood and rose quickly through its ranks at its Ceryl
headquarters, all the while remaining devout and maintaining
close ties to the Church of Morrow. His world was upended in
233 AR when Magus Copernicum discovered a secret cabal of
practitioners of dark and forbidden magic within the Stronghold
of the Fraternal Order, a cabal that pervaded the organization and
included ranking officers at the highest level. His prying into the
actions of this group unearthed direct evidence of infernalism.
A number of the trusted magi he had admired were guilty of
sacrificial murders and even worse crimes.
After Copernicum made the mistake of brazenly confronting the
cabal with what he had learned, he was set upon by assassins. He
was injured in an ambush and nearly lost his life before he could
thwart his assailants with his arcane powers. Fleeing to the Grand
Cathedral, he stood before the Vicarate Council of Ceryl and told
them what he had learned. He was able to convince the Church of
the peril and received their support. Gathering armed priests and
knights, Copernicum led an investigation into the Stronghold, one
that implicated dozens of magi. This placed a black stain on their
organization and is considered one of its greatest public scandals.
While infernalists were a minority within the organization,
several were highly placed, and their executions are considered
the first actions of what would become the Order of Illumination.
Severin became the first Illuminated One, taking charge of a
5/23/19 7:23 PM
 number of other pious arcanists who defected to join him, as well
as others of the faithful who had aided his investigation. They
relocated to Caspia and founded their Order there, taking over a
building given to them within the holy Sancteum. Welcomed as
an official extension of the Church of Morrow, they swore to seek
out and battle the greater darkness.
The leaders of the new order drew up guidelines and a charter to
give shape to their inquisitorial organization and its purpose—
to enforce sanctions against dark magic in all forms, with a
particular focus on the peril of infernalism. Though several
original members possessed the Gift, they were wary of their own
powers, and many foreswore their abilities, vowing to forego the
use of magic. Others promised only to wield their powers for the
Church. Answering a directive passed down by the Exordeum,
the vicarate councils throughout the Morrowan nations agreed
to lend their support to agents of the Order of Illumination
conducting investigations in their territories. New laws were
passed in Cygnar, Ord, Llael, and Khador that formalized the
jurisdiction of the Church of Morrow through the Order of
Illumination to persecute witchcraft, defined as practicing any of
the forbidden arts. Most of these laws were narrow and precise,
written to preserve the standing of each nation’s sovereign and
appointed authorities. But this opened the door for Illuminated
Ones to conduct their shadow war. While headquartered in
Caspia, the order established offices and recruited agents in many
major cities, spreading its reach. Their facilities were generally
built on Church lands and occupied their structures, though they
had little oversight and were left to handle their own affairs. It
was useful to the Church clergy to leave the darker aspects of
its shadow war to this organization, while its priests focused on
ministering to the faithful.
The degree to which ordinary law enforcement officials have
cooperated with or hindered the Order ’s investigations has
varied considerably. But over the years, a framework has been
established, allowing the Order’s agents great latitude to conduct
its investigations, question witnesses, to look into unusual crimes
or disturbances, and to intervene, sometimes with lethal force. In
theory, an Illuminated agent is expected to stay in close contact
with local authorities, borrowing on the goodwill of the nearest
vicars of the Church. But in practice, it became commonplace for
the Illuminated to keep their actions secret, communicating as
little as required to receive cooperation. This has been viewed as
a necessary tactic to root out some of the more insidious plots
and conspiracies. On an individual level, few lay officials or
watchmen have the courage to stand in the way of an Illuminated
One on the hunt.
The power and esteem of the Church of Morrow is generally
sufficient to enable the Illuminated Ones the autonomy to
conduct their grim work, particularly as no noble, judge, or
appointed officer wished to be seen as lenient toward black
magic. These investigations could be dark and unpredictable
affairs, unearthing the crimes of the most unlikely of people. Not
even beloved members of the community, powerful aristocrats,
military officers, wealthy merchants and arcanists, children,
or even Morrowan priests were exempt from investigation.
Theoretically, so long as proof could be provided of wrongdoing,
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 47
none were beyond their justice. Being aware of the potential risks
of internal corruption, the Illuminated also policed their own,
looking into any suspected misdeeds or abuse of authority.
Despite the ominous threat of its investigations, the truth is the
Order was often frustrated in its efforts over the last few centuries.
The number of Illuminated Ones it employed at any given time
has been too few to make a real impact on infernal corruption.
Finding proof sufficient to accuse highly placed suspects has
never been easy. The total number of people arrested, charged,
and executed by the order over the decades has been relatively
small, and its leaders will admit that many suspected infernalists
have slipped from their grasp. Most who have endured their
final judgment have been the unwashed dregs, hermits, exiles,
and known criminals, those without the protections of society
afforded to a good name.
To some extent, these failings were excused as inevitable for a
group affiliated with a benevolent organization like the Church
of Morrow, where guilt must be proven before dire action is
taken. Some members believe they have failed in their charge by
not being stern or vigilant enough. Other similar groups, such
as Cygnar’s Inquisition under King Vinter Raelthorne IV, were
infamous for an excess of executions, including many that were
political in nature. By contrast, the Order’s more conservative
members have taken pride in their discretion and abundance of
caution, though this has left the Order unable to act sufficiently
to fulfill its original mandate. This cautious approach has even
led some Illuminated to act on their own, becoming independent
rogue agents, conducting investigations and executions without
oversight. These agents were once loathed, but in the new climate,
they are heralded as unsung heroes.
Recent events have given the Order ’s critics reason to feel
justified. For all its efforts since its founding and despite having
unraveled countless infernal threats and secret cabals, the
infernals still descended upon Caen. Nothing the Illuminated
Ones did was sufficient to prevent this. It has become clear with
each passing day that infernalist cults are greater in number than
was suspected. Many powerful and influential collaborators
escaped the Order’s notice and now aid the enemy, lending them
their strength, their lives, and even their own marked souls.
What was a shadow war has now become an open one.
The invasion was not a complete surprise—the Order has long seen
the signs it was coming. Odd supernatural events in recent years,
including ghostly disturbances and a massive influx of grymkin,
pointed toward an imminent supernatural threat. The Order’s
leaders had hoped there would be more time to arm themselves.
Though better prepared against this threat than any other group,
the Order of Illumination is now in a time of crisis. Knowledge
and skill do not make up for a lack of numbers. While efforts to
accelerate recruitment have begun, the Order still struggles to
secure adequate manpower. Now that the invasion is underway,
volunteers have become more plentiful—desperation has driven
many to the Order’s doors. But there has been little time to prepare
and train them properly. Those who can be armed are sent out at
once, thrown into the fire to gain experience or perish.
ORDER OF ILLUMINATION 47
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 Leaders of the Order know the stakes are high. Thus, they are
willing to take extreme measures. Their headquarters in the
Sancteum has become a frenzy of activity, with new decrees
released daily to reflect an evolving organization. And while its
agents are filled with renewed purpose and certainty in their
tasks, there is an undeniable air of fatalism among the ranks.
Many of the most steadfast warriors of light are convinced the
battle is already lost but intend to go down fighting, preferably
with their souls untainted.
They have also had to accept unlikely alliances.
Thamarite Reconciliation
Until very recently, there has been a sharp divide between the
followers of the Twins, enough that these groups have sometimes
been considered mortal enemies. Their animosity was primarily
blunted by the existence of shared enemies, such as zealous
Menite crusaders. Even among those who understand the
theology of the Twins is complicated and nuanced, it is hard to
avoid the idea that these two faiths are in opposition. Thamar has
been the dark temptress, the advocate of amorality, patron of any
who seek power by any means. Ekris, her first scion, achieved his
ascension after resorting to infernalism directly, demonstrating
how even divinely touched beings could benefit from negotiating
with these dark powers.
While Illuminated agents have long been hostile toward
Thamarites, this has not been without reason. The truth is many
Thamarites are indeed guilty of witchcraft, utilizing the very
dark magics the Illuminated vowed to eliminate. This included
infernalism, as Thamar’s ethos has always advocated shortcuts to
power. The methods by which humanity was introduced to runic
magic created a direct route to infernalism, as those otherworldly
creatures have a long tradition of offering power through mastery
of mystical writing. This dates back to the runes of Morrdh, and
its runes informed the Telgesh alphabet invented by Thamar,
which advanced mystical understanding and would inform the
efforts of acclaimed pioneers like Sebastian Kerwin, who laid the
foundation for alchemy and mechanika.
Yet Thamar’s connection to the infernals has been misunderstood
for centuries. Thamar was the first to understand this enemy,
and her septs have secretly studied the infernals since Rebellion.
Though some number of Thamarites have always been drawn
to the darkness, most dedicated Thamarites have shunned
infernalism, warned against dabbling in such matters and in
particular told never to offer their own souls to the outer powers.
What was once a mild prohibition become an absolute tenet, and
infernalism has become completely shunned, considered against
the teachings of the dark goddess and a failure of will. This is
what infernalism represents to true Thamarites—a subtle and
insidious form of enslavement, one that is even more perilous
than accepting the chains of Menite or Morrowan teachings.
48 ORDER OF ILLUMINATION
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 48
Though it would come as a surprise to many Illuminated Ones,
increasing numbers of Thamarites have been secretly fighting
infernal cabals for centuries. These two sides have not been
entirely opposed, despite the common perception. Yet extreme
distrust, misunderstanding, and more severe barriers hindered
any possibility of cooperation—in particular, the Order of
Illumination’s absolute stance on necromancy. It has certainly
been true that many Thamarite advocates practice necromancy,
considering it a viable and useful field of occult practice. One of
the largest and most pervasive Thamarite cabals is the Shroud, a
dedicated circle of necromancers who revere Scion Delesle, patron
of these dark arts, openly employing such powers by her example.
It would not be until 612 AR, with the Accord of Reconciliation
enacted by the Morrowan primarch and all members of the
Exordeum in Caspia, that this would change. Soon after the
infernal masters began their attacks on Caen, and once their
nature and the scope of the threat was understood, it became
apparent to the leaders of the Church of Morrow that the hour
for the Twins to work together had come. Though Morrow
and Thamar had chosen very different paths to enlightenment,
their natures and their faiths have always been linked. In the
explanative preamble to the Accord of Reconciliation, the authors
stressed how the Enkheiridion—the holy text of the Church—
contains the writings of both Morrow and Thamar.
With the infernals coming to Immoren to reap a great claiming of
souls, old differences and enmities were therefore put aside. While
it was a controversial move and considered a major concession,
by this declaration the Church put a halt to persecution of
necromancers and opened its arms to Thamarites who were willing
to fight infernals. While this decision was not happily embraced
by all Illuminated Ones, they came to understand the cause and
have consented to fight alongside former foes against the greater
existential threat. Throughout the Order, it is generally taken for
granted that this alliance is a temporary one, to be ended should
the infernals be driven from Caen and their supporters eliminated.
That seems a distant hope at present.
While the decision to join forces with Thamarites has been
controversial and not universally accepted, it has brought
numerous benefits. Whatever the animosity between these
groups, many of the most knowledgeable experts on infernal
matters outside the Order of Illumination are Thamarite occultists.
Entire Thamarite sects are devoted to the study of infernals and
to preserving infernalist writings. Groups such as the Infernal
Archive in Ceryl possess a wealth of lore otherwise forbidden
and shunned by the Church of Morrow. It may be that among
these tomes and scrolls are insights into the methods and natures
of specific infernal masters and horrors. Similarly, the sacred
writings of such scions as Ekris, Delesle, Nivara, and Stacia may
contain clues that could be of use in the days ahead to combat
the infernal threat. It is certainly a sign of the times that for the
first time in over two thousand years, the greatest Morrowan and
Thamarite minds are working together toward a common cause.
Whether this shared pool of knowledge and capability will avail
the mortals of western Immoren remains to be seen.
5/23/19 7:23 PM
 Life in the
Order of Illumination
In many respects, those who belong to the Order of Illumination
practice a monastic existence, one where focus on material wealth
and temporal power has been put aside in favor of spiritual focus
and prayer. It would not be inaccurate to refer to Illuminated
Ones as zealous, even fanatical, for theirs is a cause that consumes
their every thought. The training they endure is intended to instill
in them the necessary dedication and fearlessness to confront the
greatest supernatural threats faced by humanity, to scrutinize all
facts, and to trust no one without verifying they are free from the
influence of dark forces.
Despite these efforts, not all who serve the Order are equally
pious or selfless. Absolute faith is hard to achieve and difficult to
maintain. The Illuminated Ones are held to the highest standards,
continually checked and scrutinized by their peers to ensure they
have not fallen to the temptations offered by those they oppose.
Many of the soldiers and support crews serving the Order live
more ordinary lives outside their garrison halls in the Sancteum—
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 49
at least, they did so prior to the infernal invasion. However,
even in the quieter decades of the shadow war, the Order has
historically attracted the most pious of Morrowans, often those
who have undergone supernatural trauma in their own lives. The
Order of Illumination is not an ordinary branch of the Church;
those who volunteer to assist its mission are a special breed,
willing to accept vows to give up most of the trappings of their
old lives, to abandon former friendships, and to focus on the fight
against darkness.
From an outside perspective, the Order’s membership resembles
the cults it investigates, albeit a cult dedicated to Morrowan
beliefs rather than more sinister powers. This is especially true
since the onset of the infernal invasion, which sent shockwaves
through the Order, provoking large changes as the organization
prepares for open war against infernals and their minions.
The Order’s soldiers are all in various states of readiness and
preparation. Most have relocated permanently to one of the
group’s many branch offices, which are being treated as fortresses
and safe houses. Increasingly, they have no outside lives.
ORDER OF ILLUMINATION 49
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 Each Order stronghold is considered a self-sustained island
surrounded by hostile forces. The reports of infernals actively
attacking both civilian and military targets have provoked
an escalation of volunteers hoping to join the Order and its
battles, which means each branch has had to expand its training
facilities and garrison housing. This has resulted in increasingly
crowded conditions, particularly since the organization has had
to also shelter its allies. The cell-like chambers where members
of the Order endure brief and fitful sleep cycles before eating
a simple meal and returning to active duty are illustrative of
the lifestyle they have embraced, one all but bereft of ordinary
comforts and distractions.
When not involved in private prayer, members of the Order have
many other activities they engage in to further the cause. This
includes hours of practice and focused training to keep the body
in shape and to hone one’s martial abilities, practices especially
undertaken by soldiers and the Illuminated. Other hours might
be spent in study, research, briefings, and war planning. Some
dedicate their time to teaching new recruits or caring for those
injured in the escalating fights.
In better days, the Illuminated had the luxury of time to conduct
extensive investigations, looking into unusual supernatural
manifestations with focused effort, leading entire teams of soldiers
and support personnel. An investigation into suspected infernalists
might take months or years of careful scrutiny, observation, and
interrogations. Such efforts are not entirely abandoned now, as some
teams are still dedicated to unearthing proof against highly placed
individuals suspected of infernalism. But for the most part, direct
confrontations are now the priority, forcing the Order to change
many of its ordinary procedures, becoming more of a coordinating
military body than one focused on investigations and trials.
Witnessing a manifestation of infernal horrors has utterly changed
those who have experienced it. There can be no denying the scope
of the danger or the way it threatens all intelligent life on Caen.
Many of the Order’s most experienced soldiers have demonstrated
signs of mental trauma and instability. Some of this could be
explained as ordinary shellshock, but in other respects, it seems
likely that direct exposure to otherworldly horrors can threaten the
sanity of even those who have prepared to face such threats.
For now, the Order does not have the time to provide treatment
or care for such individuals. So long as they are fit enough to
return to the fight, they are asked to do so, hardening themselves
against future terror, grief, and the certainty that all safety is a
rapidly eroding illusion. Longtime veterans possess a haunted
look both familiar and distinct from the expressions of those who
have endured the worst that war offers, staring blankly through
friends and enemies. Retreat to rote prayers serves as a bastion
for some, though it can be difficult to hold onto belief in the face
of such evil. Priests from the Church have sought to assist where
possible, lending their counsel to the embattled as well as aiding
them on the battlefield itself.
50 ORDER OF ILLUMINATION
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 50
Hierarchy and Training
The Order of Illumination has retained a relatively unstructured
hierarchy for much of its existence, though the need to field
greater numbers of combat-ready armed forces has required the
imposition of a more incremented chain of command. There is
a division between the fully empowered agents of the Order,
the Illuminated—who occupy a higher tier in the command
structure—and supporting staff and lay armed forces.
Many of those who serve in other capacities aspire to become
Illuminated Ones, a process that can require a lifetime of service
and sacrifice; such recognition is not guaranteed. Those who lead
the Order must possess a special combination of faith, inborn
talent, willpower, refined expertise, proven knowledge, and
perhaps most important, unflinching dedication and commitment.
Not all have what it takes to become Illuminated.
Those who demonstrate unusual aptitude and potential can
be nominated by an Illuminated to become Aspirants, who
must pass a series of difficult trials and ordeals to qualify for
additional instruction. This includes extensive training with
customary weapons of the Order, in addition to learning the
use of specialized wards and blessed gear intended to blunt
supernatural peril. Considerable time is spent studying the
supernatural threats that agents of the Order are expected to
confront, including the undead, grymkin, and infernals, though
mortal cultists are the most common threat. Agents of the Order
are also trained to deal with more terrestrial perils, including the
shamans and mystics of potentially hostile wilderness peoples
such as Tharn or gatormen or the sometimes-hostile druids of the
Circle Orboros, each of these groups having their own fell magics.
Aspirants must survive a lengthy probationary period before
being recognized as Illuminated Ones in a ceremony where special
vows and oaths are undertaken, together with the ceremonial
bestowal of blessed raiment, badge, and weapons of the Order.
5/23/19 7:23 PM
 Once so initiated, the Illuminated are authorized to conduct and
lead independent investigations into nefarious activity. While
in theory all Illuminated Ones are equal in standing, those of
extensive seniority might eventually be recognized as Vigilant
Peers. This is an honorary title generally bestowed upon those
who are considered too old or frail to continue active service in
the field. Their knowledge and expertise are valued, however,
and they may be asked to train aspirants or to oversee other
vital administrative tasks. All Illuminated answer to the Grand
Master of the Order, who serves as the deciding voice of ultimate
authority in the field. Gabriel Throne is the current grand master,
a seasoned veteran and trusted leader who has proven willing to
join the battle against the infernals directly.
Soldiers serving the Order of Illumination as the vigilants and the
resolutes use a rank structure similar to that used by militaries
and mercenary companies throughout the Iron Kingdoms. They
enlist as privates, can be promoted to corporals after an interval
of worthy service, and may eventually earn the rank of sergeant,
being given charge of a small unit. Lieutenants generally
command operations in the field with captains commanding
larger actions and overseeing the Order’s fortifications. Prior to
the infernal invasion, it was rare to see ranking officers in the field,
and their role was primarily administrative.
The various branch captains report to the Master at Arms at
the Order’s headquarters at the Sancteum in Caspia, who has
command of the Order ’s military strength. Traditionally, the
headquarters of the Order has also served as its primary armory
and training facility, though in recent months remote training
camps have been instituted elsewhere. The Order’s other offices
include: The Head Archivist, who is in charge of the Order ’s
extensive library; the Head Quartermaster, who oversees all
matters of supply and logistics; the Arsenal Treasurer, who
safeguards the Order ’s stock of weapons and specialized
tools; and the High Vigilant Peer, who is the Order ’s most
knowledgeable arcanist.
While the grand master is looked to as the military leader, the
high vigilant peer is its civilian head, and these two individuals
share responsibility for answering the weightiest decisions
confronting the organization. Venessari Marpethorpe is the
current high vigilant peer, and she works closely with Grand
Master Gabriel Thorne to ensure he has all the support he requires
to wage battle. Marpethorpe is also the primary liaison with the
greater Church of Morrow, and she is in regular contact with the
Exordeum. In the recent conflicts, the Order has benefitted from
the assistance of Exarch Dargule, who gathers intelligence for the
Church of Morrow and who has brought the entirety of his spy
network to bear on the infernal dilemma.
Tactics
The Order of Illumination prides itself on the discipline and
expertise of its agents and its soldiers, all of whom are trained
as best as possible to deal with a wide range of potential threats.
That said, these same agents are often forced to confront new or
unexpected situations and enemies with incomplete intelligence.
Adaptability in the face of an ever-changing darkness is required.
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 51
The present crisis offers many unprecedented threats, forcing
the entire organization to learn in the midst of conflict, often at
great cost. One of the most important talents expected of every
Illuminated One is observational skill, so every battle serves as
a lesson. It is the goal of the Order that each life sacrificed in
these engagements serves to better arm survivors for the next
engagement. This can lead to the Illuminated to seem coldly
unemotional and detached even amid horrors that would freeze
the blood of veteran soldiers. They have learned to control their
emotions, putting aside any feelings of loss or grief until a later
time, when in solitary reflection they can honor the fallen.
The Order has recommended engagement protocols for a wide
variety of potential threats, though most of these are focused
on small-group tactics intended to swiftly eliminate key targets.
When engaging infernalists or other arcane threats, the ranking
Illuminated will make a quick appraisal of the situation and
dispatch subordinates accordingly. Arcanists, especially potential
infernalists, are to be neutralized first and foremost, particularly
if they are thought capable of summoning unholy allies.
When facing the worst possible of nightmare scenarios—an
infernal master accompanied by horrors and cultists—a more
nuanced strategy of engagement is required. Ideally, when faced
with threats of this magnitude the Order of Illumination seeks to
coordinate with larger military forces, such as the military might
of an allied kingdom. In such cases, the Illuminated prefer to
leave the bulk of the fighting to their allies and their warjacks
while they move to eliminate specific supernatural threats and
the mortal allies of the infernals whose collaboration empowers
their masters and facilitates their attacks.
Any advantage will be exploited during such confrontations, with
the Order’s soldiers being entirely pragmatic but also zealous and
willing to give up their own lives if necessary. The Order typically
prefers to ambush their foes, surrounding them and striking
from all sides. They employ any knowledge of their enemies’
vulnerabilities and work such information into their battle plans.
Agents of the Order will equip themselves specifically for the threat
at hand if possible, drawing on their arsenal of blessed weapons
and holy wards. When facing off against unholy threats, both
agents and soldiers of the Order are glad to be joined by priests
and warriors of the Church of Morrow, who bring their own
expertise. Battle chaplains and allies like the Precursor Knights can
sometimes safeguard the souls of the faithful and disrupt enemy
magic. And, in the worst-case scenarios, they can provide last rites
to ensure that the fallen are not subjected to an eternity of torment.
On some rare occasions, these soldiers receive the ultimate
blessing—direct divine intervention in the form of holy archons
sent to Caen from Urcaen. The aid of such powerful spiritual
beings is viewed as proof of the shielding hand of Morrow
and other gods who shield the mortals of Immoren. The
increasing frequency of such aid is also seen as proof of the dire
circumstances faced by the inhabitants of Caen, where such
manifestations used to be almost unheard of. Archons do not
heed orders and do as they see fit, though agents of the Order of
Illumination stand ready to exploit any opportunities afforded
by their intervention.
ORDER OF ILLUMINATION 51
5/23/19 7:23 PM
 Order of Illumination
Units
While the armies of the Iron Kingdoms have spent centuries
battling over land, wealth, resources, or religion, a secret war has
long raged for the very souls of humanity. Dark powers conspire
in the shadows to claim this world as their own, enticing any
vulnerable man, woman, or child with promises of power in
exchange for their collective spiritual essence.

One group has made it their sworn purpose to battle these

otherworldly threats, focusing all of their faith, knowledge, and
very life’s blood to that end. This is the Order of Illumination.
They are charged with the endless and often thankless mission
to banish unholy supernatural entities from Caen. Though they
primarily operate within the Morrowan territories of the Iron
Kingdoms, their networks and alliances reach far and wide.
They have also accepted the difficult responsibility of putting
a swift end to those who have been corrupted by dark forces
and turned against their own kind. Allied with but operating
outside the hierarchy of the Church of Morrow, the Order of
Illumination is a righteous organization, undertaking any means
to assure the Prophet’s divine light forever shines against the
oncoming darkness.

The Church of Morrow has its own private army, tasked with
defending its physical churches, monasteries, and other holy
sites. By contrast, the Order of Illumination relies on small groups
of extremely skilled agents to conduct its investigations and to
deliver the Prophet’s justice. While having access to a diverse
array of faithful soldiers, arcanists, priests, and others with unique
expertise, their secret war did not afford them the luxury of fielding
large forces. This remains the case today, though the threat of the
infernals has brought about unprecedented cooperation between
armed elements of the Church of Morrow and a number of allies—
some quite unusual—who share similar goals.

The ranking members of the Order are seasoned experts well

versed in combating infernals and infernalism, and their
knowledge has rightfully put them at the forefront of the conflict.
Allied organizations like the Precursor Knights of Cygnar
have loaned their strength to these efforts, as have a number
of Morrowan priests with experience confronting unnatural
threats. The Order of Illumination has armed and trained
soldiers specifically for this conflict but has also accepted the aid
of outsiders, who bring their own talents. This includes hired
mercenaries as well as the strangest and most unlikely of allies:
followers of the Dark Twin, Thamar. So great is the infernal threat
that it has prompted an alliance between pious followers of both
Twins for the first time in thousands of years.

The headquarters of the Order of Illumination is located inside

the Sancteum—the heart of the Church of Morrow—which is a
holy city inside Caspia, Cygnar’s capital. Because of this, many
of the armed soldiers serving the Order are also Cygnarans. The
Church of Morrow and by extension the Order of Illumination
also has a strong presence in Ord, Llael, and Khador, with experts
and agents drawn from these nations as well.

52 ORDER OF ILLUMINATION

Oblivion_Campaign.indb 52 5/23/19 7:23 PM

 Agents of the Order
Illuminated Ones are the sworn agents of the Order, master witch
hunters who have vowed to uphold the tenets of the Church of
Morrow and prevent the flock from falling prey to the depravities
of black magic. Dogged in their pursuit of infernalists and
necromancers, Illuminated Ones are uncompromising judges and
executioners. Years of tireless battle against the depravations of
rogue occultists hones the Illuminated into masters of spiritual
combat, weaving together their faith and skill at arms to lay low
even the darkest threats.

Within the halls of the Order of Illumination is a variety of

specialists who are deemed fully Illuminated. These are the elite
who know the deeper secrets of the Order and who have a true
understanding of the threat they face. Illuminated sages specialize
in casting light into the darkness. They are charged with combing
through the carefully guarded archives of dark works taken
from those they hunt. Additionally, these arcanists have learned
how to bridge systematic magic with the holy light of prayer.
Such methods harken back to the origins of the Order when it
was formed to combat growing numbers of corrupt arcanists
who turned to infernalism to sate their thirst for power. Yet the
Illuminated Ones who most often take the fight to the enemy are
those who are free of the temptations of the Gift of Magic.
These Illuminated Ones rely only on the light of Morrow to
see the path before them and are often suspicious of those who
practice magic. Indeed, some Illuminated Ones are former
inquisitors, those who foreswore their former allegiances and
begged forgiveness and sanctuary from the Church of Morrow.
Illuminated Ones wield blessed arms and are expert in their use,
but they are also trained in investigation and interrogation. They
are frequently put in the position of having to pierce through the
deceptions of infernalists. They are sometimes a cold-hearted,
even callous, breed, but it is because they know that even the
most innocent of guises can hide a greater darkness. They keep
a close eye on their allies as much as their enemies, looking for
any signs not only of moral compromises but also slackness
and inattention. There is no time for frivolity or diversion in the
war they wage. Despite this cold demeanor, they feel powerful
bonds with those they fight alongside, and their loyalty to other
warriors of faith is strong. Each is willing to lay down his or her
life for the cause.
Grand Master Gabriel Throne
For twenty-five years, Gabriel Throne has served the Order of
Illumination with honor and distinction, a living symbol of both
the group’s virtuous principles and its ruthless tactical precision
when routing out the occult corruptions of the world. He has
taken a path quite different from the one expected of him by his
family, who steered him toward a life of service but one dedicated
to his nation rather than his god. He has never been one to do
precisely what is expected of him by others, adhering to his
greater destiny as a beacon of light.
Born to a minor noble family with a long history of service to
the Cygnaran military, the young Gabriel Throne was tutored
in the art of warfare; his sire and grandsire prepared him for
acceptance into the Strategic Academy as a first step in a life as
a career officer. Cadet Throne passed the Academy’s exams with
ease and quickly became a star pupil. All that would change
with the death of his favored uncle at the hands of Cryxians in
the years before the Scharde Invasions. This prompted in him a
religious awakening.
To the dismay of his family and instructors, the young man
left the academy shortly before he would have graduated
and received his officer ’s commission. He joined the Walkers
faith, Morrowan pilgrims who travel western Immoren
visiting holy sites such as the monasteries dedicated to the
ascendants. Two years into this pilgrimage, he encountered
a cult of necromancers plaguing a small town outside Fharin.
He witnessed cultists snatching a youth, and he tried to help,
despite being unarmed and outnumbered. He would have lost
his life if not for the intervention of an Illuminated One.

The Morrowan witch-hunter knocked the cult leader aside and

tossed Gabriel a blade. The pair somehow managed to outwit and
defeat the cultists despite being greatly outnumbered. Impressed
with Throne’s courage, faith, and ability to think quickly, the
Illuminated one offered the younger man patronage into the
Order of Illumination. Gabriel Throne soon took his vows to
wage war against the darkness, a cause he considered worthier
than serving mere king and country.

ORDER OF ILLUMINATION 53

05 OoI and Allies.indd 53 5/24/19 11:21 AM

 As an Illuminated One, the grand master served the Order with To their misfortune, these cultists had been under investigation
fierce dedication, carrying out his investigations with methodical for several weeks by none other than Gabriel Throne, an
precision. As he rose through the ranks, he began instructing Illuminated One who would one day become the Order’s grand
novice witch hunters, helping to bring military structure and master. He intervened to interrupt the rite that would have
discipline to a group whose members were accustomed to greater snuffed out Glyn’s life, revealing what had been in store for her.
autonomy. He has proven to be an even greater leader than he was The event shocked and horrified the young woman and nearly
a hunter of darkness, though he never allowed his discipline or undermined her faith entirely, but Gabriel Throne convinced her
training to lapse. When age began to take its toll, he withdrew to that turning her back on Morrow would only give strength to
the Order’s headquarters in the Sancteum, allowing subordinate those who had sought to betray her.
Illuminated Ones to take his place in the field. He became a guiding
Feeling unable and unwilling to return to a normal life after
voice of conscience, sometimes choosing to spare those who would
learning that such people lurked in the shadows, Glyn joined
otherwise be put to the torch or blade. Not all of his decisions have
the Order, mentored by Gabriel Throne to become one of their
been popular, but he has followed his conscience. It was by his
greatest champions. She has distinguished herself in numerous
decision that Harlan Versh was rebuked over a decade ago for
conflicts against those who practice black magic, with a particular
excesses; it was also his decision to welcome that same hunter to
hatred of infernalists. Like many of her peers, she does not trust
return now that their need is so great.
their new Thamarite allies, but her respect for Grand Master
The arrival of the infernals on Caen has drawn Throne from Throne has allowed her to put aside her suspicions…for now.
his offices, as it has with other senior leaders of the Order who
were “retired” from active duty. They all know the stakes could
not be higher and that every capable warrior is needed in the
field. The mere name Gabriel Throne is enough to inspire other
Morrowans, as his reputation is unimpeachable. His actual
presence on the battlefield brings real hope even in this bleak
time. So long as Throne stands with his sword upraised, the
forces of the Prophet will not waver.

Glyn Cormier, Illuminated One

An agent of Llaelese descent, Glyn Cormier dedicated her life to
the Order of Illumination from an early age and has long since
put aside national loyalties, though it is hard to dispute that
Llael has seen more than its share of darkness. Amid the recent
wars, she has sometimes struggled to retain her objectivity, as the
Church of Morrow in Llael has suffered greatly. But it has also
remained one of the staunchest bastions of the faith, and she has
taken the lessons of her mentors to heart, keeping her eye focused
on the greater threat to humanity.
Born to a modest family on the outskirts of Merywyn, Llael’s
capital, Glyn was pious in her youth and seriously considered
joining the clergy. The Church of Morrow was strong in her
community, and her visits to the capital and its cathedral
impressed her with the scope and grandeur of the Church. Her
enthusiasm and the strength of her beliefs might easily have led
her down a path of quiet service, if more insidious elements had
not taken an interest in her devotion.
Glyn was almost unknowingly recruited into a dark cult that
feigned Morrowan belief. These were secret infernalists who
had gone so far as to eschew any signs of morality to serve
their infernal masters. While maintaining a front of normality
as a small church, they practiced dark rites in hidden chambers.
Glyn recognized a number of oddities in their sermons and
writings and asked one too many questions, showing dangerous
perception. The leaders marked her for human sacrifice, hoping
to offer her soul to their masters.
Harlan Versh, Illuminated One
Among the most infamous of the Illuminated is Harlan Versh, a
man whose purpose and dedication has never wavered but who
has had a difficult relationship with his Order. He was cast out
for being too harsh and unpredictable, his actions deemed too
reckless. He continued to wear the Radiance, the holy symbol
of Morrow, and stayed true to his vows, never allowing the
darkness to fester without being confronted. Given the nature
of the threat and the changing times, his qualities that were once
considered faults are now seen as virtues; he has been welcomed
again by his brothers and sisters in the Order of Illumination.
Harlan Versh is among the most formidable agents ever trained
by the Order. Versh has fought this hidden war for nearly
twenty years, cleansing the world of all manner of insidious
and inhuman abomination. He has made a name for himself
as a tireless servant of his faith who hunts down infernalists,
Cryxians, and renegade necromancers.
Even as a child, Versh was a joyless soldier of fearsome faith.
He performed backbreaking labor to provide for his family and
found peace only in church. The stern youth kept almost entirely
to himself, due mostly to his self-righteousness and intolerance

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 for the flaws of others. Versh longed to devote his life to his faith
but refused to join a priesthood he judged as too passive in its
acceptance of corrupt weakness.
Versh came to the attention of the Order of Illumination when
he singlehandedly tracked down and destroyed a cabal of
Thamarites operating on the outskirts of the mountain village
he called home. Among his alleged victims were several
minor landed nobles, and Versh was sentenced to hang. The
local vicarate council intervened to spare his life and soon
began testing his faith and will. Finding him to be an excellent
candidate, they immediately encouraged him to enlist in the
Order of Illumination.
Versh was trained in pistol, sword, and the holy verses best
employed against infernal practitioners. Then he was set to bring
them to justice. He was unrelenting, willing to hound infernalists
to the very ends of Caen. His fervor eventually drove him to
act without consulting his superiors, often taking actions far in
excess of his orders. This culminated in a series of unauthorized
executions, casting final judgment on alleged witches without the
Order’s blessing. Though almost all those individuals later were
proven to be infernalists, the Order could not tolerate Versh’s
rogue behavior and cast him out.
Versh continued to serve the Church of Morrow on his own terms,
hunting down any enemy of the faith or those who defied his own
stringent sensibilities. He remained unfettered by the laws of men,
a pure weapon against evil. He was one of the first Illuminated to
recognize the coming infernal invasion, for he was at ground zero
of one of the first great gates to be opened to Caen within Elsinberg.
His return to the Order has been welcomed by most, though some
are less than pleased to see his return. All admit that in these dark
times, it will require men such as Versh to see things through.
For himself, Versh finds it very hard to endure the company of
Thamarites. But his years as an exile taught him that sometimes
all that is needed for friendship is a shared enemy.
Vigilants often accompany Illuminated Ones in the field and are
equipped similarly, each aspiring to eventually be recognized as a
full agent of the Order. Individually, they cannot stand against the
horrors they face; together, however, they can dispatch undead or
infernal abominations with equal precision.
When faced with even graver threats, the Order turns to the
resolutes. Outfitted with heavier mechanikal armor protected
by specialized wards, resolutes are among the few soldiers who
might be able to stand—at least for a time—against such creatures
as infernal horrors.
The development of the specialized armor worn by resolutes
was made possible through the theft of technologies from
the Strangelight Workshop. The relationship between the
two organizations has long been fraught as the Order views
the private supernatural investigative group as dangerous
amateurs as prone to stirring up trouble as solving them, but the
Strangelight Workshop’s technical innovations are undeniable.
They have invented a number of useful apparatus and devices—
ones much coveted by the Order of Illumination. An infiltration
mission in 607 AR resulted in the acquisition of schematics to
the suits employed by the Workshop’s “Jammer” specialists.
Built to enable flesh and blood mortals to fight on equal footing
with spectral beings, this technology had obvious applications
for the Order of Illumination and served as the foundation for
resolute heavy armor. This armor has seen various upgrades and
improvements since, including the integration of holy runes.
In combat, resolutes act as spiritual shock troops, withstanding
assaults from occult threats, waiting for the right moment to
counterattack and unleash their own volley of fire from their
execrator cannons. When engaged in close quarters, encounter
teams use the strength provided by their armor to lay low
anything on the wrong end of their oversized halberds. Where
the Order attacks in strength, a smaller number of resolutes will
fight alongside a larger number of vigilants, and the two groups
are trained to coordinate their tactics.

Illuminated Soldiers
When an occult investigation reveals a substantial threat that
cannot be swiftly dealt with by field agents, the Order of
Illumination deploys its small numbers of specialist strike
teams to contain and eliminate the threat quickly to limit harm
to the general populace. These teams are outfitted and trained
for different sorts of engagements, though all are expected to
possess the skills necessary to confront the forces of darkness
should the need arise.

Among these soldiers are the vigilants, small teams of tireless

hunters trained to track down and dispatch unnatural predators
preying on the outskirts of civilized territories. Beyond skills
honed from years of practice and field experience, these
Illuminated hunters rely on their faith and spiritual strength
to be their greatest weapon. When encountering malignant
creatures, whether from this world or beyond, the prayers
woven into their weapons and whispered upon their lips
empower their strikes with the holy light of Morrow.

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 Illuminated Squads of Renown
While all soldiers of the Order of Illumination face dangers and threats worthy of renown,
much of their work is done in secret. Still, some squads have earned special esteem within
the order for their courage and faith in service of the Prophet. Several of these groups possess
special skills, while others are seen as shining examples of courage against unspeakable evil.

“Through darkest night,

“Confess what we already know.” “Death is final.”
lost no longer.”

THE PENITENT THE WITCH THE GRAVE

The Order of Illumination sometimes HAMMER WATCH
employs redeemed criminals or repentant
Masters of interrogation, exorcism, and The Grave Watch has specialized in fighting
occultists as soldiers, offering stays
execution, the Witch Hammer are perhaps against the dark art of necromancy. Over
of execution in exchange for binding
the purest and darkest expression of the years, this focus has seen its members
vows to take dangerous assignments.
the tenets of the Order of Illumination. conduct shadow wars against Cryxians,
On occasion, some are legitimately
Uncompromising in their quest to protect dangerous Thamarite sects, and even
transformed through surviving these
western Immoren from the depravities gatorman tribes. Now with the Sancteum’s
perils to become truly devout servants of
of black magic, members of the Witch temporary leniency toward necromancy
the faith. These are the Penitent—former
Hammer investigate any claims of during the infernal threat, the Grave Watch
thieves, killers, or dark sorcerers whose
witchcraft, regardless of the accused’s has—somewhat reluctantly—shifted focus
sincere embrace of Morrowan virtues has
wealth, nobility, or military standing. to battle against the corrupted living and
earned them a place with the righteous.
Now, the Witch Hammer has turned its the outsiders they serve.
skills to directly confronting those who
collaborate with the infernals, obliterating
the corrupted with ruthless abandon.

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 “Duty inherited, legacy of faith.”
HEIRS
OF THE VIGIL
The Heirs of the Vigil are all sons and
daughters of Illuminated Ones, trained
from birth to take up the mantle of their
sires and battle against the oncoming
darkness. Whatever their lineage, they
are held to the highest standards and in
some cases must exceed the expectations
of normal recruits. Given the expectation
that they will eventually earn the right
to leadership positions, Heirs of the
Vigil must hone the virtues of faith and
piety to the highest degree while proving
excellence in combat.
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 57
“Octesh 7th 599 AR”
LANTERNS OF
NIGHTHALL
The men and women known as the
Lanterns of Nighthall are among the most
hardened and battle-scarred veterans
serving the Order. Comprised of the
survivors of the largest infernal encounter
before the invasion—colloquially known
as the Nighthall Massacre—these holy
soldiers are intimately acquainted with the
mind-bending horrors the infernals and
their otherworldly agents bring to Caen.
Those who wear the lantern-and-crescent-
moon insignia of this sect have been
brought to the edge of madness, only to be
saved by their faith and conviction.
“By blade and torchlight.”
THE WOLVESWOOD
KEEPERS
Hailing from forested towns and mountain
villages in the frozen lands near the
Khadoran city of Ohk, the Wolveswood
Keepers are a band tasked with hunting the
occult in some of the most remote places
of the north. Discerning harmless ritual
and superstition from true mystical peril
requires a deep familiarity with remote
Khadoran cultures, which have interwoven
both Morrowan and Menite faiths with
older traditions. Though as pious as any
in the Order, many of these soldiers of the
light array themselves with traditional
talismans and totems of their native lands.
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 Morrowan Allied Forces
The Order of Illumination’s numbers are few, but they are able
to draw upon the greater might of the Church of Morrow. It is
a testament to the threat in these times that the warriors of the
faith have answered this call in earnest, coming from all across
western Immoren regardless of political affiliations or personal
loyalties. Indeed, the manifestation of the miraculous has shown
that Morrow, his Host, and the ascendants all stand with mortals
in this hour of trial and tribulation.
Constance Blaize,
Knight of the Prophet
The Radiance of Morrow is more than a symbol of faith for the
young warcaster Constance Blaize; her god’s light fills her every
thought and action. Morrow is a deity who prefers to guide rather
than intervene, counting upon his mortal followers to defend the
powerless from the many evils besetting the world. Empowered
by her faith, Blaize fights for her god and her nation with fervor
inspired by the holy ascendants she reveres.
In her lifetime, Blaize has received several unforgettable visions
that have confirmed her calling and her connection to Morrow.
Realizing there was something extraordinary about her, the vicar
of her hometown sent her to attend the Sancteum Seminary in
Caspia. When she beheld the glory that was the Sancteum—
the holy city and heart of the Morrowan faith—Blaize saw a
resplendent figure she recognized as an archon of the Host of
Morrow pointing toward an ancient statue of Ascendant Katrena.
She saw herself clad in shining armor, wielding a great spear
gleaming with the light of the sun, and knew what she had been
born to do. Hers was not to be the way of a priest.
Blaize spent her youth honing her mind and body, learning the
Morrowan philosophies on the honorable role of the soldier and
the rites and responsibilities required of the faithful in a time of
war. She was taught the “Prayers for Battle” and was immersed
in the lessons of the church’s Martial Trinity: Ascendants Katrena,
Solovin, and Markus. She was initiated into the Primarch
Knights, guardians of the Sancteum. When her warcaster gift was
discovered, she was taken aside for special training and became a
vital part of the Church’s arsenal.
During her training, Blaize received news that her elder brother
Corrin had been killed in action in one of the first battles of
the Llaelese War. Blaize was devastated but had no time for
grief; she was sent to join Cygnar’s Third Army at Highgate to
provide support to the towns and villages threatened by Cryx.
She rose to the challenge of leading mixed forces of Church and
kingdom soldiers, providing spiritual solace as well as strength
of arms. She has since been sent to join in other military conflicts,
fighting alongside Lord General Stryker against Cryxian forces
and with Victoria Haley during a series of dragon-related
attacks in the Wyrmwall Mountains, attacks that threatened
regional stability. Throughout these battles, Blaize strove to
protect the innocent and to see to the proper rites for the dead
while still adhering to her code of conduct.
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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 58
Constance Blaize remains a Sword of the Church. She does not
revel in bloodshed, but neither does she shy away from battle in
defense of Morrow and Cygnar. Ready and willing to fight against
any who would imperil innocents, she knows she must fulfill the
destiny that has been laid upon her, no matter what comes. Her
leadership and combat prowess are never more needed—she has
taken to the fore in the Church’s battles to save humanity. She is
joined by her favored battlefield companion, Gallant, a walking
instrument of faith in the form of a heavy warjack.
Precursor Knights &
Battle Chaplains
Western Immoren has seen its share of horrors, but the violence
of this war has challenged the faith of even veteran soldiers. The
Precursor Knights stand resolutely at the forefront of the worst
battles to serve in the bloody clashes between mankind and the
unholy terrors preying on body and soul. Precursors value peace
but know well that only bloodshed can resolve some conflicts.
Precursors follow a strict code of honorable conduct that brings
to the battlefield the virtues taught by the warrior-philosopher
Morrow and his martial ascendants. These knights hold to the
conviction that war does not excuse depravity, and victory does
not excuse immorality. Among their sacred duties is ensuring
the proper burial of the dead, and they take equal care with the
corpses of comrades and enemies alike. Precursors gladly lay
down their lives in battle to preserve the safety of innocents or to
bring Immoren even one step closer to a lasting peace.
While Morrow is worshiped across western Immoren, Precursors
are a Cygnaran order. Originally sanctified on the holy grounds of
Caspia’s Archcourt Cathedral, they occupy a number of far-flung
fortress monasteries. The knights dwelling in these strongholds
watch Cygnar’s rugged western coastline and add their strength
of arms to the Third Army’s vigil against Cryx, protected from
malignant magic by the blessings of Ascendants Katrena, Solovin,
and Markus. Hope is a rare commodity in these troubled times,
but so long as the Precursor Knights endure, they will remain a
shining beacon keeping the darkness at bay.
The potent combination of holy and martial disciplines found in
the Precursors reaches its ultimate expression in the renowned
Morrowan battle chaplains. Pious leaders who carry forth the
example of the martial ascendants, these warrior-priests march
to battle on the bidding of the primarch and the Exordeum. They
swear their lives to preserve the souls and bodies of their comrades
from the clutches of Cryxian and infernal horrors, to grant the
injured surcease from pain, and to drive the wicked from Caen.
These leaders of the faith have taken upon their shoulders the
burden of earning peace by conducting honorable war.
While the battle chaplains of the Precursors are the most well
known, such priests have traditionally attached themselves to
military units from various nations and agendas, bringing succor
to the wounded and comfort to the dying. Sharing in the same
hardships as the lowest-ranking grunt in their unit, Morrowan
battle chaplains know that sometimes the holy word is not
enough to reach battle-hardened soldiers; it is in demonstrating
acts of bravery and compassion that the Prophet’s teachings may
lay seed, one day to blossom as true faith.
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 Legion of Lost Souls
The rise of the Legion of Lost Souls is nothing less than a
manifestation of Morrow’s divine intervention on Caen. This
great host of spirits willing to fight to preserve humanity even
from beyond the grave has a tragic history but one that suggests
the guiding hand of Morrow sometimes manifests in unexpected
and unusual ways.
Back in the era of King Malagant of Cygnar, there was a great and
bloody clash between the forces of light and darkness, one that
left a lasting legacy on the Church of Morrow. While this conflict
was ostensibly fought between Khador and Cygnar, powerful
religious elements were behind this strife. Khador ’s Queen
Cherize was proven to be a Thamarite, and her army benefitted
from allying with dark forces, including the cannibalistic Tharn,
who worshiped the Devourer Wurm. King Malagant’s heavily
Morrowan forces clashed with these forces in the Thornwood,
and the carnage was considerable. Among Malagant’s army were
Morrowan priests, knights, and a pious mercenary company
called the Eternal Host. Though this great host was destroyed,
they fought off an enemy horde four times their number, fighting
to the last and refusing to break or surrender. While destroyed,
their bravery brought ultimate victory for King Malagant. After
their fall, a Morrowan archon manifested.
It said to them: Gather up your fallen dead and bring them west, where
a tomb shall be formed befitting them. Their sacrifice is not forgotten.
Their souls are not lost. The fallen legion will rise again to keep the
forces of darkness at bay. Do this thing, for it is the will of Morrow.
This would become the Legion of Lost Souls, a force that would
return not once but twice to fight to preserve innocents from
darkness. The Legion was first awakened by the actions of Alexia
Ciannor and the Witchfire to save the city of Corvis from Vinter
Raelthorne IV and his Skorne army. After successfully driving the
invaders away, the Legion vanished into thin air, but not before
dozens of eyewitnesses saw a Morrowan archon among them, a
sign of the Prophet’s favor. Over a decade later, the infernals
have come to claim two-thirds of the human souls on Immoren as
payment for a dark pact, and the Prophet has once more called the
Legion of Lost Souls to arms, this time to wage an even greater war.
Unusual Allies
Thamarites
To worship Thamar is—in essence—to worship power and the
freedom such power provides. Those who follow Thamar ’s
precepts know that nothing is off-limits in the quest for true
knowledge. Much like the dark goddess herself, Thamarite
advocates avail themselves of the deepest occult knowledge by
any means necessary, honing their craft to a razor’s edge through
years of study and ritual.
Thamar has long had a special relationship with occultists and
mystics; she was deemed the patron of magic after negotiating to
secure the Gift for humanity. Several of Thamar’s most famous
scions advanced arcane knowledge and mastery. And by a similar
token, they have had a long and complicated relationship with
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 61
the infernals. It would be fair to say that Thamarites played
a deciding role in the current invasion, and throughout the
centuries, many who revere the goddess have themselves turned
infernalist. The fact that her ethos supports the pursuit of power
at any cost made this an easy transition.
Well before the invasion, Thamar took measures to forewarn her
followers not to enter incautiously into these pacts. Though the
pursuit of power was to be admired, signing an infernal contract
is also a path to surrender freedom and enter eternal enslavement.
Thamar foresaw the dire consequences of these arrangements and
knew the infernals would be a threat to all of Immoren, even as
they were themselves a necessary solution against the Orgoth.
Many Thamarites have accepted this responsibility and now
bring their unique knowledge of the infernals to the fight against
them. The most knowledgeable Thamarite occultists have been
preparing for decades for this battle—they have an insider ’s
perspective on the foe, an invaluable asset that has allowed them
to stand as peers with agents of the Order of Illumination, despite
having once been adversaries.
These unique advantages, along with the existential nature of the
infernal threat to all humanity, has given birth to a new alliance
between Thamarites and their Morrowan counterparts. Both
the Sancteum in Cygnar and the new primarch in Khador have
officially granted amnesty to Thamarites, temporarily ceasing any
official hostilities between the two faiths. If this new coexistence
will continue should humanity succeed in driving out the
infernals remains to be seen. Even the practice of necromancy has
been deemed a lesser sin that can be forgiven so long as the dead
are directed against the infernals.
Alexia, The Undying
Shadows obscure her every movement, but the name Alexia
Ciannor is known across the war-torn Iron Kingdoms. She has
garnered a reputation for pitilessness, blasphemy, and sorcerous
power that seems out of proportion for her youth. Where she
goes, chaos and destruction follow, and those she chooses to fight
beside—for whatever inscrutable reasons—fear her as much her
enemies do. Her mastery of the dread blade called the Witchfire
has only increased in the years since she recovered it, and now
the dead do her bidding gladly, rising at her command like
soldiers eager to fight for their queen.
Alexia is still haunted by the ghost of her mother and those who
burned alongside her decades ago. Some suggest that since then,
the chorus of specters in Alexia’s head has been joined by the
dozens, perhaps hundreds, of souls that perished at the end of
the Witchfire. For a time, it seemed these voices might drive her
mad, but instead they have served as a chorus of conscience
within her. Though she has sought to increase her dark
power, it has always been for a purpose: first, the restoration
of her mother who was lost to her, but now with a broader
sense of duty to safeguard those who would be torn apart by
otherworldly supernatural forces.
Not long ago, the Church of Morrow sent hunters after her. She
evaded and destroyed them. She has since demonstrated that
she will wield the Witchfire against the darkness and fight the
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infernals. There is no question she has chosen a side in this
conflict, and she stands with humanity, much to the surprise of
those who sought to end her. Though there are some who still fear
and distrust her, the Church has forgiven her transgressions and
declared her an ally. Now she stands with Morrowans, bringing
the dead against a far greater evil. The Witchfire’s power flows
easily through her, preserving her from destruction, though at a
cost. Those who look into her cold eyes perceive a woman who
seems no longer entirely human or mortal.
The Hermit of Henge Hold
There exists a powerful spiritual barrier between Caen and
Urcaen and the realms beyond, a barrier only ordinarily
permeable in limited circumstances, such as the passing of the
dead to the afterlife. Yet in some moments in certain places,
cracks open in this barrier and at other times, yawning holes or
portals. The energy that leaks through is invisible to most eyes,
but some unlucky few can see these soft spaces in reality and feel
the intrusive energy as an assault on their minds. Most are driven
mad by this special perception, unable to distinguish thought
from reality or past from present. So it has been with the so-called
Hermit of Henge Hold, a mad Iosan prophet who emerged from
one of Cygnar’s most haunted ruins to bring messages of woe and
nightmare that have since proven prescient. He receives visions
and glimpses of other worlds, of possible futures, and among
them he sees a thousand paths to destruction. In his madness is
a form of clarity, a vision that has proven useful to both sides in
this great conflict.
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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 62
Very little is known about the background of the Hermit of
Henge Hold, for he does not speak of his past nor is he widely
recognized, even among his own kind. The truth is that, decades
ago, he was a Seeker, a member of that fringe elven sect that
searched for the truth of their Vanished gods, hoping to restore
them. From a certain perspective, the Hermit solved the puzzle
that had eluded all of his peers. His path to darkness began with
visions that led him to Cygnar ’s western seaboard, to Henge
Hold, where the barrier between worlds had been worn thin.
Here he suffered an escalating sequence of powerful dreams and
waking visions that gave him glimpses of a terrible truth. This
would ultimately shatter his mind and sanity, revealing both the
fate of his gods and the looming peril of the infernal invasion.
During his long isolation, he did not entirely understand the
meaning of what he saw. It took many years for him to piece
disparate glimpses together. He eventually felt compelled to step
forth from the ruins and seek out those who would listen to his
words. Few could find any sense in his ravings, though some
arcanists recognized he had been touched by special insight. With
the infernal invasion, many of his ravings have proven to be more
accurate than any would have guessed.
The hermit recognizes his mind is not whole and that its state
leaves him vulnerable, but also that it allows him to perceive a
truth most cannot fathom. His madness has brought a special
gift for communicating with all the myriad groups menaced by
the infernals. Words in languages he has never spoken before
emerge from his lips when needed. Even grymkin have heeded
his mutterings, and the Defiers themselves have allowed him to
walk among them. Both blackclads and Retribution mage hunters
have found his warnings contain undeniable truths. While few
are aware of it, he is even capable of addressing the infernals
themselves—their masters seem to take interest in his words and
have forbidden his destruction. His unique existence places his
mind like a shattered window between the Outer Abyss and Caen,
granting him certain useful insights and abilities.
Where the hermit goes, he can see the latent gateways that are
about to open, and he has certain powers related to them. He
is not entirely in control of his own mind—or his fate. He goes
where his visions drive him, and when he is among the infernals,
his powers are theirs to command, strengthening infernalists by
his mere proximity. At other times, his presence causes those who
have entered into contracts with infernals agony and torment.
Whatever his strange destiny, it is linked to the infernals, and it
seems likely his soul will be collected by them before they go.
Whether his prophecies will serve to hasten their departure or to
seal the doom of all Immorese remains to be seen.
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 FORCES OF WARMACHINE:
ARCHONS
A
rchons are awe-inspiring and terrifying creatures of
embodied divine will. The manifestation of these beings
is a sign of the direct hand of greater powers. Their
appearance is proof that the conflict with infernals on Immoren
represents so great a threat that tremors are felt even in Urcaen.
To mortal reckoning, the gods seem omnipotent and limitless. They
wield unfathomable power over life and death, and each is capable
of miracles. Gods like Morrow the Prophet are able to peer into
the future while perfectly apprehending the past, allowing them
to anticipate the outcome of the most complicated mortal clashes.
At times, they may deign to interfere in conflicts on Caen, lending
their power to chosen agents or by more subtle and indirect
machinations. They send signs and portents, prophecies or visions,
forcing lesser minds to interpret their cryptic messages. This seems
to be a deliberate remove from the world and the petty affairs of
lesser beings. The gods are aloof, greater beings of pure spirit, and
it is not the purview of mortals to understand or question them.
It is also the case, however, that the gods, puissant and
unfathomable as they appear to be, are not actually all powerful.
Nor are they all knowing. Vast as their capabilities and influence
are, each is bound by their nature and by the limits and structures
of the cosmological reality that encloses them. Their existence
relies on a complex web of endlessly flowing energies that abide
unyielding rules. Even as the will of the gods can reshape and
change reality, so are they themselves limited by their self-
perceptions and how they have woven themselves into the fabric
of the greater reality encompassing Caen and Urcaen.
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 65
Several of the eldest and primal gods predate those peoples who
worship them, and some were the creators of entire races and
civilizations. They exist separate and independent from their
worshipers. Still, the power of belief and the souls gathered from
the worshipful fallen have changed these gods. The complex
relationships between conflicting gods and their worshipers—as
well as the extent of their limits—are mysterious to lesser beings,
despite the efforts of theologians.
Regardless of the protestations of zealots, gods have limits. They
do not always get their way. They endure triumph and crushing
defeat. The Twins defied Menoth, their Creator, and ascended
to nearly equal standing; some attest they even surpassed him.
Dhunia and the Devourer Wurm have been locked in struggle
even while sharing in the creation of all life. The power of each
aspect of nature’s duality has waxed and waned in different eras.
The dwarven Great Fathers were created as slaves and had to
topple the mountain god who shaped them from stone before
they could give birth to Rhulfolk.
Further, the elves of Ios know the limits of divinity all too well,
for their entire existence has been shaped by the tragedy of their
gods. The Divine Court shielded the mortal exodus from the
blasted east and then dwelled for a time with their people before
beginning to diminish, causing suffering among their people.
They left to return to the Veld, hoping to regain their strength,
but this only hastened a greater doom. The people of Ios felt their
gods sundered from them, a trauma that drove priests mad and
devastated their cities. A pantheon of eight gods was reduced to
65
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 two, and these are suffering. From the fall of the Empire of Lyoss
to the necessity of the Retribution of Scyrah, the elves have faced
the fragility of their gods.
It is no longer easy for gods to pass into the living world, even
when it would be in their best interests to do so. These gods have
had to utilize certain tools to affect Caen from a distance. The use
of mortal intermediaries was necessitated by the barriers between
Caen and Urcaen and the vast expenditures of energy required
for a god to break through. The gods have created powerful
spiritual emissaries that can manifest in their stead, and among
the greatest of these are archons.
This term archon is most strongly associated with the Morrowan
faith, as this benevolent god has long practiced divine
intervention through these and other subordinate spiritual
entities. Both Morrow and Thamar have proven the truth of their
philosophies with ascendants and scions, godlike individuals
arisen over the centuries to a higher state of being. These beings
manifest rarely on Caen but have sometimes intervened to
protect the tenuous flow of history. They are close enough in
power to the gods that they have similar difficulties passing
between worlds. The more frequently sent emissaries of Morrow
are his Host of Archons. Comprised of both former primarchs
who led the faith as well as other great saint-like heroes and
champions, archons gave up their individuality to serve their
god. The Host speaks with one voice and acts with one will.
Through them, Morrow touches Caen.
Though Morrow is the god best known for employing such entities,
others exist. Thamar’s archons are formed from her Chosen, those
who impressed her best in life. Menoth has been a largely aloof
and distant father figure, but recent decades have seen his will
manifest in beings like the Harbinger and the Avatar. The Lawgiver
has empowered the greatest of his servants in the City of Man to
support his faithful against the infernals, and these are his archons.
So, too, has Dhunia—so often a silent goddess—shown her
blessings through divinely empowered beings. The Wurm, who
has long relied upon a plentitude of myriad manifested aspects,
has done the same. Such is the threat of the infernals that the
conflicts between these faiths has been eclipsed and requires all
gods to stand against their blasphemous intrusion.
Strangest of all is the intercession of archons whose origins are
more enigmatic, who seem to fill the same role for other faiths,
including those whose gods have been abandoned or lost. The
hand of the divine reaches from the deepest wilds of Urcaen,
perhaps from the void between Caen and Urcaen, to shield those
who might otherwise be set upon by infernals.
Though they take on tangible form on Caen, archons are
inherently spiritual entities, like the gods and the infernals and
the souls of the dead. The shapes they adopt are not always
identical, and even witnesses at the same sighting have given
many contradictory descriptions of their form. Given their nature,
it is entirely plausible that they appear differently in the eye of
each beholder.
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ARCHONS OF OTHER POWERS
The appearance of archons in response to the incursion of
infernals represents a new and surprising development, one
that inspires hope in the pious. There are some faiths that
have yet to witness direct intervention but who still pray their
own divine protectors might lend greater aid.
The Great Fathers – Rhul has been fortunate to suffer from
fewer infernalists than other places have. Perhaps due to the
efforts of the Brand of Odom, which regulates arcane practices,
dark magic is rarely practiced in Ghord or other Rhulic cities.
Priests of the Great Fathers explain this is the reason they have
yet to see anything akin to archons. Many believe the Great
Fathers themselves—believed to be both gods and the literal
progenitors of the dwarven race—would intervene directly if
the need arose. The “Patrons of Battle” include Dhurg, who is
a master of the axe; Hrord, who is supreme in his mastery of
blades; and Udo, who is the master of hammers. Also, Odom
as Patron of Magic and Keeper of Secrets is thought to know
ways to safeguard his people against infernals. Whether these
beings or emissaries in their service will manifest on Caen
remains to be seen.
Scyrah – While void archons have joined the forces of the
Retribution of Scyrah, priests of the goddess do not believe
these beings are connected to Scyrah. Among the ancient
myths of the Divine Court are mentions of divine servants
employed by the elven gods before they left the Veld. One was
Shyolise, who maintained the garden within the palace of the
gods for Scyrah. A guardian as well as a font of verdant life,
she was depicted as a female form made of interwoven vines.
Nyssor – The Fane of Nyssor prays to the Father of Winter but
has yet to see evidence of his direct hand in this dark time.
It may be that this god reserves his strength and awaits the
time to expend it. In Lyoss and ancient Ios, Nyssor was an
architect and engineer beyond compare. Aiding Nyssor in the
construction of the divine palace in the Veld was a servant
named Nyolise, also credited with helping fabricate weapons
wielded by the gods.
The Vanished – There are other divine servants named in
ancient elven myths. In desperate times, these names are
whispered in the hope that they might awaken: Oyross, the
Sword of Ossyris; Savcyr, the Coiled Serpent of Lurynsar;
Saviross, the Wisp of Nyrro; Velshes, the Spinning Lens
of Lacyr; Gyvolis, the Juggernaut of Ossyris; Yavisla, the
Apothecary of Lyliss; and Aelwys and Aesoss, the Left and
Right Hands of Ayisla, who guarded the gates to the Veld.
Kossk – The god credited with creating the gatormen is
already thought to have released any number of dark spirits
that haunt the bogs and marshes. Increasingly among the
tribes, most insist there is already a greater god walking
among them—Barnabas, the Lord of Blood. Those who fight
alongside this ancient being believe he is greater than any of
the archons sent to aid the softer races.
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 MENITE
ARCHON
Menoth is known by many names—the Lawgiver, the Lawbringer,
the Creator of Man, the Hunter of the Wurm, Wallmaker, the
Masked Giant. He is a stern and unforgiving god. Yet he is
also a being whose nature is intrinsically tied to humanity and
civilization. Menites claim humanity arose when Menoth’s
shadow fell on the foaming waters as they drew back from the
continents at the dawn of the world. It was by Menoth’s great
gifts—the sheaf, the wall, the flame, and the law—that mankind
was able to abandon tribal barbarity to forge the first cities.
An aloof god who allowed humanity to find its own strength
through strife and struggle amid the wilds, Menoth eventually
graced his chosen vassals with holy blessings to protect the
faithful. His religion was once dominant in western Immoren,
practiced wherever mankind erected walls to divide city from
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 67
wilderness. His priest caste was empowered to advise kings and
to enforce the True Law. This changed after the rise of the Twins
and the coming of the Orgoth, which saw the primacy of Menoth
relegated to an increasingly marginalized Old Faith.
In the last century, and particularly in the last few decades,
Menoth returned in force to Immoren, demonstrating his anger
over neglect and igniting the fire of zealotry in his faithful. The
emergence of the Protectorate of Menoth and the declaration
of the Great Crusade has been joined by numerous verifiable
miracles. It is clear that the Creator of Man is willing to make
grand gestures in support of his faithful. The Harbinger of
Menoth speaks with the god’s voice and has offered direct
prophecies. It is accepted within the Protectorate military
hierarchy that the sacred warjack called the Avatar is guided by
Menoth’s own will, not the controlling mind of any warcaster.
And now his archons have appeared to support his holy armies.
No longer content merely to lend his power indirectly to mortals,
Menoth has sent these incarnations of his divine power to fight in
his stead. Hearts swell with pride and awe to view these figures
as they appear amid shrouds of fire and auras of light to inspire
soldiers of the Great Crusade and reassure them that they will not
be abandoned in their hour of need.
The Menite temple has long taught that there is a special place
in the City of Man, Menoth’s domain in Urcaen, for the greatest
priests and most devoted champions. While ordinary members
of the congregation might expect an afterlife filled with toil and
simple labor, the clergy occupy a loftier role. The City of Man is a
vast sprawling metropolis surrounded by a great towering wall.
Atop its battlements stand the souls of countless defenders of the
Temple, each defending the city’s numberless inhabitants from
assaults by the Devourer Wurm or other jealous powers. Standing
above these soldiers are the great generals and governors of the
city, each a peerless ruler who was once a priest-king in mortal
days. Now these greatest of Menoth’s servants have returned to
Caen to serve as his unflinching archons.
APPEARANCE OF
MENITE ARCHONS
While depictions of these beings still vary, there is a greater
consistency among Menite accounts of the god’s archons. Some
say these beings have a form that matches the great statues of
the Creator of Man that have been erected for thousands of years,
going back to Cinot, the First City. Others insist the masked faces
are those of former hierarchs and other ancient priest-kings.
Some have reported seeing Hierarch Severius walking to battle
in this form, though it has only been a few years since his tragic
death. Always limned in the light of a cleansing fire, Menoth’s
archons are a terror to those who have abandoned the True Faith.
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 PRIMAL
ARCHON

Ancient Dhunian myths divide the natural world into two great
and powerful beings, a duality that encompasses all cycles in
nature: a divine mother and a divine father, being Dhunia and
the Devourer Wurm. Though sometimes opposed, these forces
are primal powers, each entirely necessary and linked to the
world of Caen. Embodying the chaos of the natural world, of
storm and volcano, of lightning, thunder, and flood, so too does
the Wurm embody predation and hunger, of the need to kill and
consume to survive. Primal archons are thought to be each a
minor manifestation of the Wurm, sent from the hellish wilds
of Urcaen. Not creatures of words or prophecy, but rather of
action and violence, primal archons leap into the fray without
hesitation as soon as they manifest on Caen.
Others suspect the appearance of primal archons in support of
Everblight’s Legion is a result of blight-tainted ley lines found
at various places in western Immoren. Krueger the Stormlord
deliberately infected a number of ley lines with blight during
his efforts to coordinate attacks with the dragons. Others were
afflicted in the aftermath of the conflict between dragons and
Lord Toruk over the Wyrmwall Mountains, scarring the land and
allowing dragon blight to seep deeply into wilderness places.
Blighted primal archons glow with more sickly pale radiance and
leave natural plants wilted and withered in their passage. The
spirit of the hunter is still strong in all primal archons, whether
natural or tainted, and they are dogged in pursuit of their chosen
prey, particularly those unholy invaders from the Outer Abyss.

Also known as the Beast of All Shapes, the Wurm more than
any other divine force is a shifting figure, a being of all shapes
APPEARANCE OF
and none. It has many manifestations on Caen, each a different
PRIMAL ARCHONS
reflection of another aspect of this primal force. Entities like
the Lord of the Feast or Wurmwood, the Tree of Fate, are also Those archons sent to reinforce the wilder groups of western
Immoren come in countless forms. Most are massive and brutish
avatars of the Devourer Wurm. These beings have their own
embodiments of raw elemental force. Primal archons tend to
functions and purposes, personalities distinct and separate
be bestial in form and attack with a savage physicality, prone to
from one another. Primal archons are different from these beings,
displays of berserk rage. They are often accompanied by chaotic
being perhaps a more purely focused and temporary expression
natural forces, such as eruptions of lightning or crackling thunder.
of primal ferocity.
Some primal archons resemble the dire trolls that have long been
These archons howl with raw hunger and blaze with natural thought to be an embodiment of the Devourer Wurm, made of
power and seek to annihilate and destroy anything that intrudes stone, wood and earth rather than flesh and blood. Others take
on Caen and does not belong. Each is a force of nature and also a the forms of different apex predators. The glowing energy that
creature of claw and fang. Its mass allows it to stand imperishable suffuses them varies in its hue and intensity depending on the
and unmoving, swiftly growing back any parts severed in a environment from which the archon has manifested. Many have
clash. Fighting with unpredictable ferocity and an utter lack of veins of orange and yellow energies that flow like molten lava,
while others are suffused with green vibrant streaks drawn deep
hesitation, primal archons can tear through the enemy without a
from within the forest depths. Primal archons manifesting in the
thought toward self-preservation. Their bodies are as durable as
frozen north might instead possess bright blue streaks which
living stone, and their massive arms and claws made of granite,
gleam like frozen ice.
obsidian, and chunks of crystal.

They are recognized and revered by other primal creatures of the

wilderness, like Tharn, blackclads, trollkin, and others. Primal
archons intervene even in defense of those who have been
severed from their natural gods, such as the tribal Nyss who
have been seduced into the service of the dragon Everblight. It
may be that the primal archons respond to the inner predatory
spirits of such peoples, seen as worthy of protection despite
their blighted blood.

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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 69 5/23/19 7:25 PM
 MORROWAN
ARCHON
The term archon has become synonymous with the Morrowan
faith to most people living in western Immoren. The Host
of Archons is accepted as the manifestation of Morrow’s will
on Caen, and their appearances are always momentous. Awe
inspiring as they are, the sight of a Morrowan archon can chill
the blood of even the most pious, as they herald events that are
both terrifying and world changing. Morrow is a subtle god
who prefers to gently guide mortal minds, to empower ideas
or dreams, but there are times when those who fight for the
light require greater intervention. His archons bring with them
prophecies but also the power to smite the unholy.
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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 70
Morrowan archons are closely connected to the primarchs. It is held
that each primarch will join them after death, should they answer
the call to extend their service to the Prophet. Not long after the
death of a primarch, a new leader of the faith is chosen by Morrow
directly when a trio of archons manifests before the one chosen. They
accompany the new primarch to the Sancteum so all may witness
the truth of Morrow’s appointment of his highest priest. While it is
believed that the Host includes all former primarchs, other souls are
counted among its number, including great heroes and champions
of the faith who fell after unwavering service.
There is an entire branch of divination in the Morrowan faith known
as “archanomancy,” which relies on visual clues provided during the
manifestation of an archon. Primarch Arius received such a visitation
in 606 AR by which the Church of Morrow agreed to provide shelter
to refugee Nyss after the cataclysm that nearly destroyed their race.
Morrow has long been heralded for his ability to peer far into the
future, and it is through the archons that he most often acts to steer
western Immoren toward a less terrible destiny.
One of the most noteworthy historical examples of archon-based
prophecy is to be found in the Legion of Lost Souls. The bodies
of these fallen warriors were interred in a special tomb based on
the instructions of a manifested archon so they might arise again
centuries later at a special time of need. This legion of blessed dead
helped save Corvis during the first invasion of the Skorne Empire
and have arisen again now that infernals threaten the whole of Caen.
While most historical examples of archon manifestations have
involved prophecy, they have also proven willing to wield their
power directly in battle. It is said that Morrow refuses to yield to the
infernals the souls promised to them when the Gift of Magic was
bestowed. The Prophet apprehended that this was but a feint by
the Nonokrion Order, and that their true goal was to seize Urcaen.
Morrow and his sister have put aside their conflict and joined with
the other gods protecting Caen to stand against the infernals, who
would unravel the cosmological balance in their thirst for souls.
Morrow’s archons represent hope but also underscore the potential
doom awaiting humanity should this war be lost.
APPEARANCE OF
MORROWAN ARCHONS
Morrowan archons have been described a variety of ways, though
“angel of light” is the most common. Some have said their wings
are made of pure light, the radiance of the sun as seen in Morrow’s
holy symbol. While most often his archons are either faceless or
unrecognizable, they have at times been seen with the guise of a
fallen hero of the faith, either former primarchs, knights, or even
the ascendants. Similarly, archons have manifested in a variety
of armor and clothing and have been seen wielding different
weapons or other symbols of the faith.
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 THAMARITE
ARCHON

Thamar is the Dark Sister, the more cunning and independent of the
Twins, the rebel who did not join her brother Morrow in ruling Caspia
in ancient days, refusing to replace one tyranny with another. The
goddess proved ascension could be seized by passionate action, not
just meditated upon through quiet enlightenment. Viewed as wicked
by some, those who know her teachings better see her as among the
greatest thinkers in Immorese history. She is a shatterer of expectations,
a defier of limits, an oracle of unrestrained power, a being who
delivered hope when all signs pointed to doom and destruction.
Though the Morrowan majority has long depicted Thamar in the
worst possible light, even they admit she has had a greater impact
on the course of history in western Immoren than any person living
or dead. Without her rebellious streak, the Menite religious majority
might have reigned unchecked. Through the Twins, humanity in
western Immoren advanced into a golden era of reasoned thought
that laid the foundation for science and systematic magic. Morrow
is often given too much credit for these accomplishments when
Thamar did more to advance the freedom of unfettered thought. It
was Thamar who would be the downfall of the Orgoth by bringing
the Gift of Magic to mankind, though Morrow also conspired in this
pact. She more readily accepted that sacrifices must be made and
dark bargains struck. Thamar has ever been eager to embrace peril,
so long as it was attached to sufficient gains.
Such indirect means have proven inadequate against the current
threat, and so Thamar has sent her own archons to join the battles
at hand. These figures are said to be drawn from Thamar’s Chosen,
which serves her in a similar capacity as Morrow’s Host. Once
among the greatest of occultists and practitioners of Thamar’s
philosophies, these beings were not ascended but had reached a
higher spiritual form.
This allows the Chosen to serve as proxies for the goddess, either
in the War of Souls in Urcaen or manifesting briefly on Caen as
her archons. More than any other being, Thamar knows the peril
represented by the infernals. It was she who first invited their
interference as a necessary gambit to save Immoren from the
Orgoth. Now she sends divine warriors to battle the infernals and
prevent their incursions. Those who witness the terrifying power
of her archons have seen with their own eyes the truth: Thamar
is as fierce a foe of infernals as any holy emissary employed by
her brother. Her minions do not fight fairly and neither do her
archons, which exploit any opportunity for victory.

Countless mystics who sought to follow her example and find

transcendence through self-empowerment took up Thamar’s
example. Most of those who accepted her path proved inadequate to
the task, but some few became immortalized paragons. She has her
own roster of extremely powerful ascended heroes who have joined
her in Urcaen. Greatest of these are the scions, the counterparts of
Morrow’s ascendants, each looked to as a saint by those who have
eschewed conventional morality or become a seeker of a darker,
higher truth. Like the gods themselves, these figures can only come
to Caen rarely and at a tremendous cost of energy. More often, these
beings would guide supplicants through dreams or would possess
the living as spirits, letting their bodies channel a higher will.

APPEARANCE OF
THAMARITE ARCHONS
It is rare for any who have witnessed Thamar’s archons to retain
a clear memory of their shape after they are gone. They are
described as one might try to remember the elusive details in a
fading dream. Said to be beautiful and graceful beings of shadow
and fading light, or silhouettes and half-seen movement, some
are male, others female, others of an indeterminate gender. On
their faces are seen the familiar guises of the deceased, those
known to have been Thamarites or sometimes those thought to
have served Morrow, Menoth, or other powers. Sometimes an
archon resembles a scion, at other times a figure of power not
yet deceased. Her faithful know better than to trust their senses
where such beings are concerned.

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 DHUNIAN
ARCHON
Dhunia is the goddess of life itself, of Caen, the seasons, and the
cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Though one of the only primal
gods who dwells on Caen itself rather than Urcaen, she is an
elusive being. Her very existence was long unknown by humanity,
who mistakenly thought her worship an extension of the Wurm.
Despite having few tales and legends of direct manifestation,
Dhunia has fostered worship in a number of other races—trollkin
in particular, but also ogrun, gobbers, and farrow. Represented by
other names and depicted in different ways, she is also revered by
remote groups like the efaarit and the giants of eastern Immoren.
The Circle considers her one aspect of the larger entity of Orboros,
a duality shared with the Devourer Wurm. Her avatars are
viewed as an embodiment of the god-mother’s wrath.
The boons Dhunia has bestowed upon her people are many and
varied, and they have no reason to doubt her tangible reality,
even though she rarely chooses to interact directly with mortals.
The resilience and regenerative powers of trolls and trollkin are
directly attributed to Dhunia. The ogrun credit her with their
strength, gobbers their adroitness and camouflaged skin, the
farrow their ability to survive in hostile places and the powerful
beasts that are sometimes born of their own kind.
Ancient myths suggest Dhunia is indirectly responsible for all
who live on Caen, including humanity. Though the creation of
other races is attributed to other gods, those gods may have
sprung from Dhunia or been endowed with generative fertility
by her blessing. The Wurm may have been her first child. In
Dhunian tales, Menoth was at first a giant, masked hunter shaped
by Dhunia’s hand to hunt the Wurm. The only god she is never
credited with having a role in creating is Toruk, the Dragonfather,
whose origins are not touched on by Dhunian myths.
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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 72
Though considered a nurturing goddess, Dhunia’s wrath is great,
roused in particular against those who bring harm to her chosen
people or who threaten Caen itself. The trollkin are the most vocal
in staking their claim to being chosen. They have produced the
most powerful and legendary of shamans, each of whose powers
are blessings from the goddess. It is when these shamans are
threatened that Dhunia’s archons have most often been witnessed.
Dhunia’s wrath has also been seen accompanying the blackclads
of the Circle Orboros when they are acting as guardians of natural
places of power. Though there is conflict and strife between
trollkin and blackclads, the ley lines tended by the druids are the
very arteries and veins of Dhunia.
Despite the fact that Dhunians reincarnate and do not travel to
Urcaen after death, their souls can still be stolen and harvested
by infernals on Caen, removing them from the natural cycle.
Dhunia’s archons have manifested to prevent this unholy fate.
The manipulation and theft of souls is particularly loathed by
these archons, and they ruthlessly punish those guilty of such
actions, drawing on the power of nature itself.
APPEARANCE OF
DHUNIAN ARCHONS
There is no one set form or guise that Dhunia’s wrathful archons
adopt. Sometimes the Dhunian faithful perceive her archons as
resembling their own kind. These archons may appear in the
guise of ancient heroes of the faith. At other times, they take on
a more elemental guise, as if torn from the earth itself, bearing
aspects related to one or more of the natural seasons. Very often
there are aspects of these archons suggesting the fecundity
of life, including leaves and branches of plants, perhaps even
wielding a still-living tree as a cudgel.
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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 73 5/23/19 7:25 PM
 VOID
ARCHON
There have appeared in the fight against the infernals beings that
elude conventional understanding. They are clearly archons, like the
others sent by the gods, yet many of these beings do not possess
such clear or obvious associations. There is considerable debate and
controversy regarding their nature, particularly given the aspects of
those they have joined in battle to protect. It seems likely that these
beings will elude easy explanation, and it is possible their existence
points to flaws in the worldview held by respected theologians.
Not everything is understood of the divine. There are realms
beyond Caen and Urcaen, different from those inhabited by the
infernals. No one has ever witnessed or encompassed all of Urcaen
except perhaps for the Devourer Wurm in its ceaseless roaming.
There are places where souls are lost. The same might be true of the
gods themselves. Some gods have vanished or been defeated, but
echoes of their nature linger. Even the reflection or shadow of a god
can retain great power, perhaps enough to impact the world or to
be summoned by the most powerful of occultists.
In the dawn of prehistory, when humans endured a tribal existence
and before Menoth revealed himself to them, it is thought that
many lesser gods were embraced and worshiped. These gods were
soon abandoned and forgotten, their shrines shattered and broken
so Menite temples could be erected in their places. What happened
to these gods? What god or gods created the skorne but were then
cast aside? What of the Vanished gods of the Divine Court? Maybe
these beings still wander, like shades, in Urcaen, or fell into the
great spiritual chasm occupied by Cryx’s banes.
There is also at least one god that was long hidden and was only
recently discovered by the Immorese. This is Cyriss, the Maiden
of Gears, a being thought to have always existed but to have
deliberately hidden until minds arose that could understand her
nature. Thought to occupy a distant world far beyond Caen, she
sends messages to her followers in ciphers and dreams. Cyriss
does not participate in the War of Souls fought by Menoth, Thamar,
Morrow, and the Wurm. She has instructed her followers to shun
Urcaen and to preserve their souls on Caen in vessels empowering
clockwork bodies, creating a form of artificial immortality. Yet this
form is not sacrosanct, and these vessels can be broken, imperiling
the souls contained within. So, for these reasons, the infernals are a
peril to the Convergence as much as to any others on Caen.
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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 74
Whatever their nature and however they are connected to these
other gods, either hidden or lost or forgotten, void archons exist.
They join battle alongside those who might otherwise never
receive divine intervention. Some manifest as though of their
own will, neither invited or called, while others answer
summoning rites and are bound by mystical chains
to defend an army. Those who fight alongside the
machine perfection of the Convergence of Cyriss
are considered a gift of the Maiden of Gears.
Others march with skorne armies, thought
to be ancestral spirits returned from the
Void through sheer strength of will. Still
others join the mage hunters of the
Retribution of Scyrah. Some in the
Retribution insist such archons
were not sent by Scyrah or
Nyssor but by Lacyr herself,
proof that the Narcissar of Ages
somehow survived the conflict
that consumed the other Vanished.
Cryxian armies have been joined by
these archons as well. The lich lords
consider these to be greater banes, either forced to serve
by their own power or sent by Toruk himself. The Dragonfather
does not explain his actions to lesser beings. Their origins seem
unimportant against the fact that void archons have proven their
willingness to fight the invaders from the Outer Abyss.
APPEARANCE OF
VOID ARCHONS
Only the primal archons come in as great a variety of forms as
void archons, whose appearances have often shifted to match the
armies they protect. Most commonly they are seen as humanoid
constructs of elaborate manufacture, as if made like puppets by
the gods. The Convergence of Cyriss sees them as simply another
form of machine fabrication, but to the elves of Ios, they appear
in the form described in old legends as the servitors made by the
Divine Court to protect the Veld. For the skorne, they are not so
dissimilar in appearance as the greatest of ancestral guardians
and represent a similar sort of embodied ancestral spirit. And
Cryxians see the shadowed darkness surrounding their forms as
proof that they are related to banes.
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 Rendered unto Ashes
Part I

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 Spring 612 AR, the Gnarls
L
eaning upon his staff with his eyes closed, Hoarluk
Doomshaper reached with his mind to the dire trolls
along the length of the half-constructed wall. They did not
wish to be here, their small minds churlishly pulling against his
own, focusing instead on the rumbling hunger in their bellies.
They wanted to rend and kill, to eat. He clamped down on their
petulance and reached with their gigantic hands as if they were his
own, seizing heavy stones and hauling them into place. Dozens of
kin scrambled along the wall with hammers and chisels, setting
the stones in place as battlements came into being.
A throat cleared behind him, but he already knew she was there.
He had ignored two such attempts to draw his attention. His eyes
still closed, he snapped, “What, Calandra? Are you that eager to see
the stoneworkers of Clan Sokosh devoured by frenzied dire trolls?”
Calandra said, “I have no fear of that. Keeping them in line while
having a conversation with a visitor is no difficulty for one such
as you.”
There was no obvious sarcasm in her tone, but Doomshaper knew
she was taunting him. There was something in her manner that
reminded him of his eldest daughter. With a heavy sigh he turned,
opening his eyes to glare balefully at the two individuals standing
before him. Calandra’s frame entirely eclipsed the anemic figure
next to her.
For the first time he focused on this “visitor,” realizing with a frown
that he had not even sensed the man’s approach. He was scrawny,
possibly human, with a stained robe hanging loosely from his
sharp bones; he was most notable for an extremely long beard that
nearly reached to the ground. The beard covered most of his face,
the rest covered in a hood. There was something odd about him
and not simply his appearance. No, not a human, Doomshaper
decided. An elf. One more withered, aged, and generally harrowed
than Doomshaper had ever seen before. He looked like someone
who had been a prisoner for centuries and was just let out of his
dungeon into the sun. Slung across his back by a leather strap was a
sizable scroll case, similar in proportions to some of the largest ones
Doomshaper possessed. The ancient elf was bowed by his burden,
bending forward, his frame barely able to sustain the weight.
“Who is this?” Doomshaper asked. The eyes peering at him from
under the hood seemed almost empty, devoid of the vital spark
of life. And if the visitor were capable of mustering arcane power,
Doomshaper could barely sense it. It was almost as though he
were a walking absence.
“I have no name worthy of saying aloud,” the elf said in perfect
Molgur-Trul, as if he had been born to the tongue. “I’m a simple
hermit.”
Calandra interjected. “I’ve been having a number of disturbing
divinations of late. In every form. Cards, throwing the bones, dice
casting. All doom and gloom. It has been puzzling me, but this
hermit came to me, and he has spoken of things he should not
know. I think he has the gift of true foresight.”
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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 78
“Divination is always unreliable,” Doomshaper said, though he
gave the elf another appraising look. “Why have you come to me?”
“I had little choice in the matter,” the hermit said morosely. “I
come to speak of a maelstrom, a tide of unending darkness about
to crack its way into the world. Locusts will descend on the
greatest city of mankind, and in that hour, the very world will
stand on the precipice of ruin. This first gate is the keystone, and
its opening will unlock a dozen more. The Claiming is at hand.”
“You try my patience,” Doomshaper growled at him. “Why must
every self-titled prophet babble in riddles? Speak plainly or not
at all.”
The Iosan looked back at him with a pained expression.
Calandra put her hands on her waist and said, “You’ve been
known to be mysterious from time to time yourself. Visions aren’t
always easy to explain. You’ve had your share.”
Meanwhile, the hermit was muttering under his breath. “The
Claiming will seize two souls in three. The power the immortal
parasites will reap from this is beyond measuring. Our reality will
bend under the weight of their footsteps. They are knocking at the
door, and it is about to open. We are all betrayed.”
Doomshaper kept his attention focused on Calandra. “What is
your interpretation? Of both his words and your own auguries.
You think this isn’t just nonsense?”
“He is likely a little bit crazy,” Calandra admitted, “but I do think
something is happening. Talk of gates and shadows could be a
Cryxian plot, perhaps involving banes, but I think we are looking
at something larger. He has spoken of souls being claimed. I do
not know a great deal about infernals, as they’ve never much
troubled our people, but that would be my guess. He suggests
Caspia as the place of imminent threat. Some gateway opening
there, bringing doom to its inhabitants.”
“Caspia and its people doomed?” Doomshaper considered this
and then uttered a dark chuckle under his breath. “Good! Good
riddance to all of them.”
Calandra frowned. “We’ve never had to deal with infernals. I
cannot say I know much about them, but everything I have heard
is bad. They are a threat to be taken seriously.”
The Shaman of the Gnarls glared at both Calandra and the hermit,
feeling distinctly as though they were seeking to manipulate him,
as though he would be frightened by vague prophecies. He said,
“There is a reason we have not had to deal with them. They are a
human problem. Not one that troubles the kin.”
“This is far more than a human problem,” the hermit said with great
clarity. “The locusts will come to the mountains and the forests when
the farmlands of man are consumed. They seek the souls of all. You
could act now to prevent this first opening of the way.”
His tone, without any emphasis and devoid of energy, suggested
he did not entirely believe it.
Doomshaper stepped closer to the frail elf, who stood placidly,
as if unaware or uncaring that the trollkin elder could annihilate
him in a single blow of his staff. “What would you have us do?
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 March an army to Caspia to save the humans from themselves?
How would they welcome us at their walled gates, even were we
inclined to do this favor? They would answer us with rifles and
cannons. Why did you come here instead of going to them, if your
forewarnings are needed? What game are you playing, hermit?”
“It is no game. I go many places and speak to all who will listen.
What you do is your choice. I have no choice for myself. I play
the role set out for me, as do we all. I warn, you fail to listen, and
darkness encompasses us all.”
“I’ve had enough,” Doomshaper snarled. To Calandra he said,
“As he is your guest, I will leave it to you to see him off.”
Were it not for ancient guest courtesies, he might have handed the
hermit to one of his hungry dire trolls.
She looked abashed as she took hold of the hermit’s elbow and
led him away. Doomshaper knew she had brought him with the
best of intentions. Though a talented augur, she put too much
faith in her cards. The future was always in flux. And regardless
of fell omens, Doomshaper did not intend to take credit or blame
for any looming disaster facing Caspia. It was not his concern.
He struggled enough to protect the kin of the Gnarls, as well as
the other regions, with Ironhide and his closest allies so far away.
The hermit did not appear bothered by this sendoff. He said, “I
will return to you again, anon, when the locusts descend. You
may welcome me then.”
Months later, Caspia
Arcane Administrator Orin Midwinter strode quickly through the
halls of Castle Raelthorne, almost stumbling in his haste to return to
his chambers and the warded inner sanctum where his true work was
conducted. Just hours before, he had concluded a meeting with the
warmaster general, the king, and several other high-ranking officers
and officials regarding military matters. There, he had been forced to
feign interest in their deliberations regarding the ongoing war in Llael.
Nothing could be further from his mind or seem less significant now.
All of the necessary events for that conflict had been staged, the ground
laid for orchestrating precisely the sort of carnage in exactly the right
places for his masters to benefit. He was tired of such subtleties and
eager for the next phase, when he could cast aside all illusions and
take his proper place, his deserved place, so long denied him.
It had not been simple or easy, his handling of these matters in the
last few years, particularly given the relative unimportance of his
position in the court. From an outside perspective, it might seem as
though he had singular access to the king—and that was partially
true. Yet this had not allowed him to accomplish his goals easily.
Nothing had gone as hoped. His masters did not appreciate the
tightrope he walked for them. Move too quickly, say the wrong
word, and he could have been revealed and cast out, likely even
incarcerated and executed. There had been a very close call not
long ago, where he had been forced to sacrifice a man who had
introduced him to his masters. A necessary loss but one that gave
him the access he required. He had been forced to work indirectly,
through subtler manipulations. His masters had grown impatient,
and he had sensed their lack of satisfaction with his progress.
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 79
Only his proximity to and friendship with King Julius had
prevented his replacement. Arranging a proxy in his place would
not have been readily accomplished, not at this late juncture. Still,
there were so many unexpected obstacles, not least among them
the will and unyielding mind of Julius himself. Young though
he was, he had shown himself to be no simple pawn of fate,
no easily handled upstart who happened to have royal blood
flowing through his veins. Whatever their flaws and peculiarities,
members of the Raelthorne line—even their bastards—had proven
to be a headstrong lot. They preferred to tug on the strands of fate
rather than be pulled by them.
Midwinter sealed his outer door and took a moment to lay a
heavily rune-inscribed narrow steel plate across the floor just
inside, closing a conduit link with others set along the perimeter
of the wall. There was a bright spark as it set in place; he felt a
thrum beneath his feet. Thus protected, he used the key around
his neck in conjunction with a hidden switch on the wall next to
his bed to open a narrow alcove that led to a private chamber.
This was not his primary workshop and laboratory, which was
located elsewhere in the castle. But it served for certain special
projects when he could not trust even his most loyal and
compromised subordinates. It was here he could make direct
contact with his masters.
He pulled a cloth off the square table at the center of the room,
revealing a surface inlaid with a complex pattern of geometrical
shapes and inscribed glyphs. He opened a drawer beneath and
withdrew a heavy object wrapped in cloth, unwinding it to
extract a large and dark faceted crystal, which he set into a brass
stand placed at the center of the table’s geometrical configuration.
He used a thin knife to cut his palm and let droplets fall upon its
surface, igniting a pulsing red light from deep within. There was
an immediate fluttering in his stomach, an uncomfortable nausea,
followed by an intense acrid odor. But the most unpleasant part of
the sensation, one he could never acclimate for, was the feeling of
his soul yanked forward, as if trying to pry itself free of his body.
Tendrils of darkness moving like smoke gathered above the
crystal and took on a vaguely humanoid form, one that stared
back at him with inhuman eyes.
Midwinter cleared his throat. “I greet you with all humility and
tremble before you, my master Agathon, who is also Ashoth,
Ariphon, and Kylophelion. In speaking your names, know that
I voice a prayer and vow that renews my commitment. I stand
ready to serve at your whim.”
The voice that answered back was felt directly in his mind, arriving
with a clarity that was piercing and painful. “How transpire your
labors? Is all as it must be?”
“The most vital aspects of the work are complete. The defiled
keystone is in place, the palace wards are entirely compromised,
and the gate framing is built. A few small aspects of the final surface
glyphs are unfinished, held back, as they could be noticed by
perceptive witnesses. That will be done last, just before the tenebrous
alignment. Also, the Caspian garrison has not been repositioned.
That will almost certainly draw attention, though I have prepared
contingencies. I await your word on these final matters.”
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 “You have it,” Agathon said. “We come to you. Do what must be
done.”
A shiver that was both pleasure and terror traveled up Midwinter’s
spine. His mind felt almost torn in disbelief that the waiting was
over.
“I will put the last pieces in motion,” he said, his mouth dry. “It
will take two weeks at most.”
“Let your words be true, else in falsity I promise punishments
beyond comprehension.” With those ominous words, the dark
smoke scattered and dispersed. The red pulsing light within the
crystal faded.
Some nearly extinguished part of his soul quailed within
Midwinter, that shriveled piece of himself still able to feel horror
at what he had wrought, at this result of choices made years
ago in desperation, motivated at the time by what he viewed as
loyalty to his true king. A man now long dead.
How his life had changed since then. He knew his self of those
days would not recognize him now. Then again, he had been
mad. It had been comforting, that madness. Midwinter had
often cursed the inquisitor, Wilkes Quinn, who had repaired his
mind, restoring unwanted and unsought clarity. Even as Quinn
had rebuilt Midwinter’s fragmented mind, he had layered
compulsions and obligations, ones that had forced Midwinter
along a certain path, creating loyalties as strong as steel binding
him to Julius. Bonds that could only be shorn and torn away later
by Midwinter’s infernal masters.
Because of this, he had nearly failed them, having conspired in the
death of Vinter Raelthorne, the exiled king the Nonokrion Order
had hoped to restore to the throne, knowing his bloodthirsty
nature would suit their needs. In the aftermath, Midwinter had
persuaded them that their goals could still be accomplished, that
King Julius could also serve, if they adopted a different approach.
The necessary wars could still happen.
Midwinter had been instrumental in urging for a more aggressive
Cygnar, one that would push boldly into Llael to rectify old
wrongs. This gambit had worked—in some respects, even better
than expected. The Khadorans had played their part as well,
particularly in the annihilation of Elsinberg. Many other strands
had required pulling, including those tugged by Midwinter’s
counterparts in rival nations. Even now, Midwinter did not breath
easily, knowing failure could cost him more than his life.
He closed the inner chamber and left to visit the castle’s royal
telegraph station. The hour was quite late, and the stormsmith
specialist assigned to this desk looked bored. He was startled by the
arcane administrator’s sudden appearance. The only telegraphs
sent or received at this hour were emergency transmissions.
Midwinter handed him a slip of paper and said, “Send this to
Eastwall at once, to the attention of General Alain Runewood,
Archduke of the Eastern Midlunds.”
Blinking sleepily, the operator sat up straight in his chair. “Of
course, sir.”
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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 80
He squinted at the header on the paper and then said hesitantly,
“This is designated ‘Umbral’? I’m not familiar with that.”
“There’s no reason you would be. He’ll understand. This is a top-
secret exchange. I need you to omit adding this transmission to
your log, on my authority.”
The operator swallowed. “I’m not supposed to send messages
with unfamiliar designations. And I believe omitting an entry
into the log requires written approval by a CRS officer?”
Midwinter gave him a cold look, considering his luck of running
into perhaps the only stormsmith operator fresh out of training
who paid attention to the fine print of his regulations. “Do you
really want me to wake your superior officer at this hour to
explain why a junior specialist is defying a member of the king’s
inner council? This is an urgent matter. Feel free to check in the
morning, but this message must be sent now.”
The operator’s will quailed. After a slight hesitation, he nodded
and turned back to his station. He clicked on the controls with
trembling fingers as large sparks leapt between metal nodes
above him.
Eastwall
In the highest tower of Cygnar’s greatest eastern fortress, its lord
and master sat at his desk with a piece of parchment crumpled
in his hand while he contemplated the utter ruin of his life. He
thought of past glories now reduced to bitter dust. Of stalwart
companions left behind in blood and mud but having perished
knowing they had served well and would be honored in death.
Now it had come, at last, the action he had been dreading and
avoiding contemplating. The moment he would perform treason.
The door opened and one of his senior adjutants entered. Major
Layne Fairway asked, “How can I assist you, General?”
“We will shortly be receiving a large number of soldiers from
Caspia. It’s going to get rather crowded here. A sizable portion
of the city garrison will be our guests. We’ll need to find a way
to make room for them and make the appropriate preparations
for food and resupply. Until we work out the details, it’ll be hard
tack for many. It’ll be important the officers participate as well, to
avoid added resentment.”
“I do like my bacon in the morning,” Major Fairway said with an
exaggerated frown. “This is sudden. What’s this all about?”
“Combined military exercises and maneuvers with elements of the
Second Army. To foster mutual cooperation and inter-reliance.”
The general waved a hand dismissively. “I expect primarily it is
to make the Protectorate’s border patrols jumpy and particularly
to cause unease at Tower Judgment.”
Fairway smiled. “That’s never hard to do. Very well, I’ll see
it handled. If you could give me more precise numbers, I’d
appreciate it. I’ll start clearing space for our guests.”
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 She turned to go, but he stopped her by speaking again. “Oh, and
I’ll be heading to Caspia myself shortly, to discuss these matters
with General Halstead and the warmaster. If you could send
someone to prepare my horse and the smallest possible escort,
that would be appreciated. Fast horses for us all.”

“You don’t want me with you?”

“No, no. I need you to oversee preparations here. I’ll take Upton.
Once I’m there, I should be able to wire back the numbers you
need. I’ll get a list of officer names as well.”

When she was gone, his morose thoughts returned at once. Even
this was not yet treason. No, what would come next would cross
the line. Ordering the men and women sworn to defend their
nation to leave a city just before its hour of need. In doing so,
countless innocent lives would be lost, their souls ravaged and
stolen. He was about to be party to the potential ruination of his
country. Selfishly, he could not ignore how this also meant ending
a career of uncompromising service with shame.

He paced. As he crossed in front of his desk, he saw his swords

in their stand, near his armor. He picked up the smaller one, the
ceremonial blade that was not drawn in combat but worn to be
buried with a sword knight after death. The legend had it that
this would allow the knight to continue to fight in Urcaen. It was
a symbol, one tightly linked to a knight’s honor and the desire for
a worthy death.

He drew the small blade from its sheath and tested its edge with
his thumb. Though not made for battle, it was sharp. He eyed the
flickering light of his fire along the weapon’s mirror-bright length.

Despite his earlier thoughts, he knew he had already taken the

first steps down this road. His first betrayal had come when he
had been mortally wounded after the Battle of Fharin, when he
He stepped back and saw he was no longer alone in the chamber.
had refused to accept his own death. He should have died in
His shadow, which had been cast back away from him by the fire,
the hospital tents afterward. He had languished, suffering for
had darkened and taken on form, become a tangible female that
weeks. That would have been a good death. It had seemed a
stood adjacent to him, her skin ashen grey and wearing peculiar
small thing at the time to answer that whispered voice amid
armor. Her lower half, where her legs should be, manifested as
his fevered dreams, to beg for the chance to live and continue
swirling smoke. Cold gleaming eyes behind slits in her helmet
to serve. His miraculous recovery followed. Later, when it was
stared back at him.
too late, and they had their talons in his soul, he had bargained
further. Trying to limit harm, he had squirmed and wriggled, A voice spoke into his mind, calmly and almost politely. “Let us
only becoming locked tighter in their grasp. not be hasty, Alain. There is much for you to do. Your life has
value, and I cannot allow you to end it prematurely. Consider
Alain Runewood, the Archduke of the Eastern Midlunds, pressed
those we have agreed to safeguard and protect so long as you do
the point of his ceremonial sword against his chest, just below his
as you must. It would be tragic if that protection were removed,
sternum. He grasped the blade closer to its hilt in his gloved hands,
particularly in the days to come. Consider your family. Your
considering the angle required to pierce his heart. A coward’s end,
former king. They are safe because of your contract. Focus on
he felt, and he hesitated a moment, but then weighed that against
that. Nothing else that happens is your fault. The choices have
the greater toll. There would be many questions, soon eclipsed
been made. You are but an actor in it, not the author of this play.”
by the coming darkness, but perhaps some lives would be spared
that otherwise might not have been. After having demonstrated so vividly the futility of resistance,
the umbral reaver attached to his shadow, where it merged and
With sudden decisiveness, his right hand tightened on the blade,
faded away. Alain Runewood could feel some part of his soul
and he clasped it with his left and slammed it into himself.
dying as he accepted that they owned him, body and soul.
Expecting to feel an explosion of intense pain, instead he felt
nothing but cold. His numbed fingers released, and the blade When he left the room, he left his ceremonial blade where it had
clattered to the floor. Looking down, he saw no blood on its edge fallen, naked and discarded.
or on his chest, though his tunic was torn.

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 Meanwhile, in the Mistbough of Ios
She could hear the madman’s nervous rambling well from across
the clearing, his voice carrying despite being muffled by the
armored bodies of the houseguard soldiers that surrounded him.
Based on the angry murmurs coming from the houseguard, she
wondered if she and her companion would arrive in time to stop
them from hacking the intruder to pieces. Based on the intruder’s
words, she wondered if everyone—including the hooded stranger
himself—would not be better off if she simply allowed his death.
“Lacyr is lost in the void, her mantle gone beyond our reach. But
mad Lyliss escaped to the Veld, and there met one of her children,
devoured but not eaten. Our older brother is now her vassal,
and the two send us protectors through the darkness to light our
way!” he said.
“Enough,” ordered the houseguard thane. “You speak our tongue,
but your words are laced with blasphemy. Be silent or I will strike
you down!”
Several of his fellow soldiers assented with similar emotion.
If the intruder heard the thane’s words, they only served to
increase his mania. “Scyrah knows the truth of what I speak. I saw
her sadness at being sent away in their darkest hour. I foresaw the
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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 82
return of Nyssor, long before the eldritch profaned his vault. His
restoration is itself a blasphemy, not a miracle! My eyes have seen
your own death, in less than the turn of a season…”
“You were warned,” said the thane, drawing his blade and
taking a sudden step toward the hooded madman. For an
instant, Issyria could imagine his death vividly, though she
could tell that the blade would not complete its intended action.
There would be an interruption.
“Hold, Thane!” At the sound of the voice, all the gathered
houseguard turned to face Lord Arcanist Ossyan of House Vyre,
who approached alongside Issyria. At once, the houseguard
soldiers stood at attention, their thane placing the flat of his blade
across his chest as a sign of deference and respect.
“My lords, it is an unexpected honor. If you have come because of
this intruder, rest assured we have the situation under control.”
“Of that I have no doubt, Thane Irlyss,” said Issyria, “but before
you cut this man down, I was hoping we might interrogate him.”
“If I may be so bold, my lady, I do not know what there would be
gained. He is clearly a madman. If he once possessed some sense,
it has clearly fled, and his tongue speaks nothing but blasphemies.
I suspect his madness also prompted his violation of our border,
as certainly he knew we would find him. His only possession of
5/23/19 7:26 PM
 note is this scroll case. We tried to open it, but the container seems
stuck fast.”

“Be that as it may, we would speak to him nonetheless,” said Ossyan.

“As you wish, my lords,” said the thane. “When you tire of his
ranting, I suggest ending his misery.”

He then turned and ordered his troops to spread out farther along
the perimeter, protecting the two warcasters while standing a
respectful distance away.

♦♦♦

“I am but a hermit,” said the intruder. “Most recently I dwelled in

the ruins of Henge Hold, an accursed place on Cygnar’s western
shore. Its nature gave strength to my visions. I had given up my
quest, but in dreaming, I found the answers I had long sought. To
my dismay.”

Issyria took in the strange man’s countenance. There was no

doubt that he was Iosan, even if his attire and bearing suggested
a starved outcast in worn rags. His long beard was almost comical
in length, yet there was a weight and sadness in his eyes that she
found somehow arresting. Also, a strange emptiness there. Most
curious to her eyes was a strangeness to the flow of magic around
him, as though it slowed and shifted and then veered away in his
proximity. He seemed both powerful and powerless.

“My guess is he is—or at least was—part of the Seeker sect,” said

Ossyan, as he held his arm out toward the hermit, glowing runes
of time and probability swirling around his wrist and palm. “But
everything about him seems…wrong. Even the passing of time is “If you will not give us the message, will you at least tell us who
peculiar around him.” you mean to deliver it to?” Asked Ossyan.
Issyria did not respond to this, though it mirrored her own The hermit turned to the lord arcanist, a look of distant recognition
observations. She addressed the intruder instead. “What is your gripping his face.
purpose here, hermit?”
“If only you had acted sooner. If you had not doubted yourself
“I am to deliver the truth. I took the path behind the Gate of and heeded the portents of time and fate you saw that night, you
Thorns as a shortcut to my destination, though at the moment, I would have reached the winter father before the eldritch.”
cannot rightly recall where that destination lay. I have forgotten
Issyria saw Ossyan’s posture stiffen in disbelief.
the misted maze…” His gravelly voice trailed off at the end.
“What did you say?” he asked.
“And what truth would you reveal?” she asked.
“You might have preserved his vault and brought him intact to
She had, by the power of her mind, lifted his scroll case and
She Who Slumbers. Then the Mantle of Ages would have been
brought it nearer to her, letting it spin before her. He watched her
restored, and she could have been crowned in stars, encompassing
as if unconcerned while she used her magic and her special sight
all seasons, given what was required to stir the seeds of divinity
along its sides, seeking to pry it open. It should have required
and thaw even winter’s grasp. A new Divine Court might have
no effort to do so, but it felt slippery to her mind, not warded in
been born. New gods, to awaken a new age. The name Ossyan of
a traditional sense, but there was no question some magic kept
House Vyre would have resounded in legend. Instead, your glory
it sealed. She frowned and tightened her mental grip, seeking
was stolen by the one-eyed falcon. Alas, failure and grief are the
to force it by a sterner application of torque, but it simply spun
lot of our people. Perhaps there was no changing this past, just as
faster. She felt a small spike of pain in the back of her mind.
I cannot change the future.”
“It is not for you,” he said, then sheepishly asked, “May I please
Ossyan stepped toward the hermit, his voice shaking. “What is
have my scroll case back?”
the meaning of these words? W-who are you?”
She let it drift gently to him, and he slung it once again over his
At that moment, the trio heard the sound of armored horses
shoulder, slumping under its weight.
approaching the clearing.

RENDERED UNTO ASHES: PART I 83

Oblivion_Campaign.indb 83 5/23/19 7:26 PM

 Issyria saw them, a group of mounted Fane Knights. At their fore
rode Skeryth Issyen.
“My lords,” he said, “pardon the intrusion, but we must take
custody of that individual. He has been summoned for an
audience.”
Issyria felt somewhat dazed, an unusual sensation. Her mind
was still tracing over the last words the hermit had said, the ones
that had struck Lord Ossyan like a physical blow. It might be
nonsense, but she did not think so. “An audience? With whom?”
“The Auricant Velahn,” said Skeryth Issyen, naming the council
of priests who were allowed in Scyrah’s presence.
Issyria’s eyes widened. Ossyan made a startled sound. She said,
“You can’t mean to take him to the heart of the fane.”
“They asked to speak to him,” Skeryth said, in a tone that
suggested he had trouble believing his own words. “And not just
the auricants.”
He gave a significant look to convey his meaning.
Issyria looked back at the hermit, whose expression had not
changed. “You are to be given a singular honor,” she said,
somewhat sharply.
The hermit shook his head. “Brother Winter and Sister Spring will
not like to hear my words any more than you have.”
Two weeks later, Castle Raelthorne, Caspia
Lord High Chancellor Leto Raelthorne opened his door with a
scowl, prepared to dress down whomever had the temerity to
pound on it like they were trying to break it down in the middle
of the night. His angry expression turned to confusion when he
beheld Constance Blaize, Knight of the Prophet, in her full armor
and with a worried expression on her face.
Just beyond her, the Stormguard who monitored his chambers
were watching anxiously, and one ducked his head apologetically.
“She said it was urgent, my lord.”
“Of course. Will you come in, Constance?” His mind still half-
fogged by sleep, he gestured for her to enter.
“No, I can’t, Your Majesty. There isn’t time.” She seemed flustered,
which was unusual.
“Don’t refer to me like that, please. I’m no longer king.”
Her cheeks turned red. “Of course, I’m sorry. Please, we have to hurry.
We need to get to King Julius at once. I fear he might be in danger.”
That served to bring Leto to full alertness. The Stormguard behind
her also tensed. “Very well. Let’s go. Explain yourself as we walk.
What sort of danger?”
“It’s difficult to express. And it might be nothing, but I do not
think so. I have learned to trust my visions and my instincts.”
After a moment of hesitation, Leto grabbed his sword from its
stand near the door and belted it on but did not otherwise take the
time to change. He was wearing his sleeping clothes and a thick
84 RENDERED UNTO ASHES: PART I
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 84
robe he had pulled on after the pounding on his door had brought
him from his bed. At his signal, the two Stormguard came with
them. They walked at a quick pace through the darkened halls.
“Should we sound a general alarm?” one of the Stormguard asked.
“Not yet, but stand ready,” he told them, then looked to Constance.
“I’ve been visited by an archon,” she said without preamble, a
statement remarkable enough it almost stopped him in his tracks.
The Host of Archons was the very will of Morrow, most often sent
to deliver prophetic messages.
“Please, go on.”
“I am no expert in such matters, but it was an ominous display.
The archon was attired in full readiness for battle, wearing heavy
armor and bearing a weapon in its right hand. I could see it
was bleeding from a wound in its side. What looked to be the
Cygnaran crown fell from the fingers of its left hand and clattered
to the floor. Then it seemed to stumble and vanished.”
“Very alarming indeed,” Leto said. He could not help but think
of Primarch Arius, his great friend, who would have known
precisely what to make of such omens. He had passed on to join
the Host. It occurred to Leto that it might very well have been
Arius manifesting as the archon that came to Constance. What
did the wound represent?
Constance said, “I felt at once that Julius must be in peril. I cannot
explain the certainty, but you may know I have had visions before,
and they have proven accurate, if not always easy to decipher. I
came to you at once, since I know you are perhaps the only one in
the castle who could check on him without too much delay. I have
nothing to go on, so I would not expect his Royal Guard to heed
me. But this was no simple dream.”
“I believe you,” Leto said solemnly. He had seen too much in his
life to distrust evidence of the hand of the divine. Constance Blaize
was a true and upstanding warrior of the Prophet. In battle, she
channeled Morrow’s holy light. “There have been some unusual
developments around here in the last few weeks; some odd
miscommunications and mishaps. Though nothing I would say
represents actual danger to anyone in the castle.”
Leto’s chambers were not far from the royal suite where Julius
slept. The king’s outer doors were flanked by two pairs of Royal
Guard standing in formal alertness, like statues, their helmets
turned to watch those who approached. Yet Leto felt a tingling
along the back of his neck as they did not move forward to
intercept or challenge those who approached. The resemblance to
statues was uncanny.
“We need to wake the king,” Leto said to the nearest.
The soldier did not move or react. It was as though the man were
mute and paralyzed. All of them looked peculiar, as if washed
in shadow, the hall’s gas lamps seeming to fall on them without
properly illuminating them. The Stormguard behind Leto
muttered and gripped their halberds tighter.
Leto gritted his teeth and went past them to the door, Blaize at
his side. They could see what looked to be a shimmering yellow
light through the crack below the door, suggesting movement
5/23/19 7:26 PM

and illumination in the chamber. Leto took hold of the handle and
yanked, but found the door stuck fast. For a moment he leaned
his head against its surface, letting him hear rhythmic chanting.
“Something is happening in there,” he said, turning back to Blaize.
“Step away, my lord,” she said, her sun spear in hand. She was
one of very few individuals who could be trusted to walk these
halls armed, and Leto was glad of that dispensation. Her weapon
glowed with power, and there was a flash of light as she struck
the door near the lock, shattering the doorframe and sundering
its surface. It had been a heavily reinforced door, but her weapon
was built to pierce warjack armor.
She kicked the sundered door and forced her entry with Leto
close on her heels, his sword drawn.
The chamber was lit by a strange glow, casting pale and sickly
light across an unusual scene. Julius was sitting up in his bed, his
back unnaturally straight, his eyes staring dead ahead and rolled
back in his head. More of the strange light gleamed in those orbs.
Dark spectral forms swirled in a cyclone around the edges of the
room, separating and reforming like clouds of shadow. Standing at
the brightest point with his staff in hand and chanting unfamiliar
words was Orin Midwinter, though he looked different than
before. He was not wearing his arcane administrator robes and
was instead adorned in more sinister garb decorated with black
glyphs. His posture was no longer stooped, and his presence felt
larger and more powerful. Even untrained in magic, Leto could
feel vast forces flowing through the room, making the hairs on his
arms stand on end. A rising sound, like wind in a storm, joined to
Midwinter’s chants.
“Midwinter, stop!” he commanded, uncertain if it was safe for
him to attack. “What’s he doing to Julius?”
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 85
“He’s trying to ensorcell the king!” Blaize cried over the chanting.
The Morrowan warcaster gripped her bladed spear in both
hands and stepped forward. A brighter and purer silver light
collected before her, as if drawn from her gleaming armor and
the glow of her sword. It became a sphere too bright to look upon
directly. This launched outward at Midwinter and exploded with
radiance. Leto looked away and shielded his eyes but was still
almost blinded. Midwinter groaned in pain, and the sound of the
gathering wind dispersed.
Looking back, Leto saw Midwinter stagger back, his staff in
hand. Julius had slumped in his bed, and the strange light had
left his eyes. He put a hand to his temple and was shaking his
head, groaning.
Orin Midwinter glared at Constance and then at Leto. He said,
“It would have been a mercy had you let me finish. But it is of no
consequence. I sought to spare him witnessing what is to come.
You cannot prevent their arrival. My masters are summoned. You
can either kneel to serve or be destroyed.”
Blaize stepped forward, her weapon leading, demanding, “What
masters? Who do you serve? Drop your staff and surrender!”
His expression suggested a calm certainty without a hint of fear
or even anger. He said, “You will meet them soon enough.”
There was a flicker of black like a seam opening into night, and
Midwinter was gone. Coldness filled the room, frosting a nearby
mirror.
Leto moved to the young king even as the Stormguard had also
rushed into the room, their weapons ready. They were followed
by the formerly frozen members of the Royal Guard, who seemed
to have been released from whatever had held them. Leto placed
a hand on the king’s shoulder and gave a small shake. “Julius, are
you all right?”
“I think so,” the king said, sounding slightly groggy. “What
happened? Such a strange dream.”
Their conversation was interrupted as the entire room jolted
sharply, and they heard a low rumble. Leto was almost knocked off
his feet but managed to grab hold of a bannister to steady himself.
One of the guardsmen was knocked down, while the others all
wavered. A great tremor had rocked the castle, and they could hear
the sounds of stone groaning and distant shouts of panic.
Leto shared a look with Constance Blaize and then they moved
at once to find the greater source of this problem. Julius was
also scrambling to ready himself, assisted by servants who had
hurried into the chamber to check on him. He called for his armor
and his sword.
Leto whispered to Blaize, “What do you think that was?”
He already feared he knew the answer.
“A gateway,” she said after swallowing once. “Infernals. It has to
be. An infernal gate has opened inside Castle Raelthorne.”
RENDERED UNTO ASHES: PART I 85
5/23/19 7:26 PM
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 86 5/23/19 7:26 PM
 WARMACHINE: OBLIVION

CAMPAIGN
SYSTEM

T
he Oblivion campaign system allows 2–4 players to re-create
the desperate struggle in the Iron Kingdoms against the
invading Infernals through a series of narrative battles. A
typical campaign will last 4–6 weeks but can be completed much
more quickly if games are played more frequently.
The first full campaign using this system, entitled Stygian
Prophecies, is included in this book. Additional campaigns
will be released on privateerpress.com that will use these
Oblivion campaign system rules. Each campaign is a stand-alone
experience but can be played in sequence to experience the full
breadth of the infernal invasion.
Each campaign consists primarily of a scenario tree and overarching
special rules unique to that campaign. The scenario tree indicates
the sequence in which the narrative scenarios should be played in
order to complete the campaign, and this sequence dynamically
changes based on the players’ previous scenario results. This means
that the same campaign can be played multiple times with different
scenarios being played each time from start to finish.
Agendas & Player Factions
At the start of a campaign, first determine how many players will
be participating. This system is built for 2–4 players.
After determining the number of participants, each player must
choose which Agenda they will represent: Corruptor or Guardian.
In a two-player campaign, one player must represent
each Agenda
In a three-player campaign, at least one player must
represent each Agenda
In a four-player campaign, two players must
represent each Agenda
Players with the Guardian Agenda are attempting to repel the
infernal invasion. This could mean directly fighting against
the infernals themselves, possibly accompanied to battle by a
powerful archon, or it could mean waging war with the forces
that support the infernals.

In addition to a campaign’s unique scenario tree and special rules,
certain core rules are in effect for any campaign played with this
system. These include rules for army building and for the use of
Omen cards.
Omen cards, which are unique to Oblivion campaigns, are a
special resource players utilize to gain powerful benefits during
their battles. Knowing how and when to use these cards can help
turn the tides of war in a player’s favor.
Players with the Corruptor Agenda are not necessarily playing
the Infernal Faction. They represent the forces that are aiding
the infernal invasion either willingly or unknowingly. Some
armies may have been manipulated by the shadowy infernals
into furthering their agenda without even knowing it, becoming
deadly puppets of a truly horrific threat.

87

Oblivion_Campaign.indb 87 5/23/19 7:26 PM

 No matter which Agenda a player chooses, they can play any The scenarios available in each tier are represented by circles with
Faction throughout a campaign. In fact, players are welcome the name of the scenario.
to change their Factions and their specific army lists between
When two players battle in a scenario, a Guardian player must
scenarios. The only thing a player cannot change throughout a
always fight a Corruptor player. Two players with the same
campaign is their chosen Agenda.
Agenda can never face each other; they are on the same team.

Getting Started: Tier 1

While players can play any Faction they want, regardless of which
Agenda they choose, it is most accurate to the narrative if any All players start with the root of the scenario tree, tier 1. This is
Infernal players choose the Corruptor Agenda. Similarly, a player the prologue of the campaign, which is often played using smaller
who wants to primarily play the new Warriors of the Old Faith or armies. Tier 1 consists of a short series of scenarios that are meant
Flames in the Darkness theme forces would find it best to choose to be played in order, which is indicated by the line drawn from
the Guardian Agenda. each scenario box to the next.

Each player chooses an opponent and then plays every scenario

Scenario Tree & Play Schedule
The structure of a campaign is represented by the scenario tree, a
divergent path of narrative scenarios that players participate in as
they complete the campaign.
Each tree is made up of multiple numbered tiers. The lowest tiers
on the tree also have the lowest number, so the first tier of a tree
will always be tier 1, for instance. Each tier represents a chapter
in the campaign’s narrative, and the players’ wins and losses in
each tier will affect which scenarios are played and what special
rules may be in effect in the subsequent tier. After the scenario(s)
of the last tier are played, the campaign is over, and one Agenda
is declared the victor.
Each player needs a copy of the scenario tree for the particular
campaign they are playing. This is because players must track
their individual wins and losses at each tier of play, which in turn
dictates which scenarios that player must play in the subsequent
tier and what role the player will take in it.
♦♦
Scenario Tree
in tier 1, in order, with that opponent. The player group does not
proceed to tier 2 until every player has played through the tier 1
sequence of scenarios.
In a two- or four-player campaign, this means each player will
play each tier 1 scenario once against an opponent of the opposite
Agenda. In a three-player campaign, one Agenda will have an
extra player. The player representing an Agenda alone will have
to play a game through the sequence of scenarios twice, once for
each opponent of the other Agenda.
The Next Steps: The Middle Tiers
After tier 1 is complete, the scenarios begin to diverge.
For every tier other than the first and the last, a player has a
scenario they must play based on their Agenda decisions and
previous game results. This is called a player’s Active Scenario.
Each player must play their Active Scenario exactly once per tier
before all of the players proceed to the next tier.
When a player is playing their Active Scenario, that player is the
Protagonist, and their opponent is the Antagonist. A player can be
♦ ♦♦
TIER 5

the Antagonist for multiple opponents but only plays one game
GATEWAY as the Protagonist per tier.
TO
OBLIVION
As stated previously, every player should have their own copy of
the scenario tree. For tier 2, a player marks their Active Scenario
♦♦♦♦♦

THE
DARK LAST
DAYS

based on their Agenda. A line from tier 1 is drawn to one of two

RIDE
♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦

LEFT CLOUDED
scenario boxes and is labeled as “Corruptor” or “Guardian.”
TIER 4

BEHIND ♦♦♦♦ VISIONS

DEFEAT
DEFEAT

♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦

TOWARD
THE
THE END
After all players have played their Active Scenario in tier 2, they mark
RY

VI

IS NIGH
CT

LIGHT
O

their next Active Scenario in tier 3 based on whether they won or lost
CT

O
AT
DE FE

RY

♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦
VI

DE FE
AT

THE

as the Protagonist in tier 2. This is indicated by lines labeled “Victory”

BURIAL
RY

V IC

SANGUINE
AT SEA
TO

TRAIL
TO
V IC

RY

♦♦♦ ♦♦♦

and “Defeat.” This process continues for subsequent tiers until all
TIER 3

SEEDS ♦♦♦ RECKLESS

OF

players have played their Active Scenario in the next-to-last tier.

HOPE ASSAULT
T
DE

FEA

♦♦♦ ♦♦♦
FEA

DE
T

RY

V IC

As a Protagonist , a player wants to win because their Active

TO

TO
V IC

RY

A WAR
FOR
FUELING
THE
Scenario in the subsequent tier will then likely be more favorable
PEACE

to them. Additionally, the Active Scenario in the next-to-last tier

FIRE
♦♦ ♦♦

GU
AR
DIA
♦♦
TIER 2
UP
TO
R
will provide benefits for the final battle of the campaign based on
RR
how a player has performed during each previous tier.
N CO
BORDER
WAR

As an Antagonist, a player wants to win because winning not only

♦
O LO G U E

puts opponents in a less favorable position for the final battle

RISING
OMEN CARD DRAWS TENSIONS
♦

but also earns the Antagonist player access to Omen cards. Each
PR

DOOMED

TIER 1
PATROL
scenario indicates how many Omen cards a player earns access to
♦
when they win as the Antagonist.

88 CAMPAIGN SYSTEM

10 The Campaign Rules.indd 88 5/31/19 3:32 PM

 The Final Battle: The Last Tier
The last tier of a campaign is always a single scenario, a massive
battle with larger armies that ultimately determines the winner
of the campaign. All players play this single scenario once
simultaneously. This means that in any campaign with more than
two players, this last scenario is a multiplayer game, with players
split into teams based on their Agendas.
No matter how many players are on a team, the army size for
each Agenda remains the same. For example, if the last scenario
indicated that both Agendas must bring a 100-point army with
two warcasters, warlocks, or infernal masters per side, and
there are three players in the campaign, then the lone Agenda
player brings a 100-point army with two warcasters, warlocks,
or infernal masters, and their opponents each bring their own
armies with a combined total of a 100-point army and two
warcasters, warlocks, or infernal masters. This could result in
two Factions fighting side-by-side against a single other Faction,
as ultimately it is Agenda loyalty that matters in the campaign.
The scenario in the last tier will indicate the specific rules for
army building, as well as any special rules for multiplayer games
with mixed Factions per side.
The Agenda that wins the last tier scenario is the ultimate victor
of the campaign and should celebrate accordingly.
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 89
Army Building
The size of a player ’s army is dictated by the specific scenario
being played. This will typically change depending on which
tier on the tree the scenario exists. Early tiers are usually very
low-point games, often with unique army composition rules,
whereas higher tiers are usually in the 50-point or 75-point
range for army composition.
Terrain
In addition to terrain found in normal games of WARMACHINE
& HORDES, Oblivion campaign play introduces two methods that
terrain rules can be different.
The first method is campaign terrain, which is specific to each
campaign. These rules often replace standard terrain or alter it
in some fundamental method. Campaign terrain is used in every
scenario played in that campaign.
For example, a rule might state that all forests are poisoned and
deal damage to models within them. This would mean that no
matter which tier players were at or which scenarios they were
playing, every forest would include these special rules.
CAMPAIGN SYSTEM 89
5/23/19 7:27 PM
 The second method is scenario terrain, which only applies to The cards a player draws are open information and should be
individual scenarios. Similar to campaign terrain, scenario terrain read aloud to opponents. Every card has two sections: Trigger
can replace or alter standard terrain. If a scenario terrain rule alters
and Rules. The Trigger of an Omen card explains when the card
the same type of terrain that the campaign rule alters, both rules is to be played—for example, “Play immediately when drawn,”
apply unless the scenario terrain rules specifically say otherwise. “Play anytime during your turn,” “Play when a friendly model
suffers damage from an enemy attack,” etc. The Rules of each
Additionally, scenario terrain might be a special rule applied only
card explain the effect that card has when played.
to a single piece of terrain. For example, a scenario could revolve
around raiding a specific home in a village. Scenario terrain rules After a game is completed, all Omen cards, whether played or
might apply to a single obstruction on the table that is labeled not during the game, are returned to the Omen deck for use in
as the home in question, and the rules for this home would only later games.
apply to that single obstruction.
Campaign & Scenario Structure
A scenario will sometimes indicate exactly how terrain should be
Every campaign and scenario is structured using the same
placed on the table before the game begins; this may include a
categories, making it easier for players to set up and understand
map diagram. For any terrain that’s placement is not specifically
the special rules, no matter which campaign they are playing.
dictated by the scenario, players should agree on a terrain layout
that is not overly beneficial to one side or the other and that Campaigns contain the following categories:
builds a table matching the narrative of the game they are playing.
Overview—A summary of the narrative of the campaign,
providing players a broader view of the battles they will
Omen Cards
be fighting.
Omen cards are a special resource available in any campaign, and
a deck of twenty Omen cards is provided with WARMACHINE: Terrain—The campaign terrain rules are detailed in this
Oblivion. More Omen cards may be released in the future and can section.
be added to the initial twenty cards. No matter how players add Scenario Tree—A diagram of the scenario tree for the
or remove cards, the Omen deck should always include at least campaign, which players are welcome to photocopy
twenty cards, and those cards should remain the same for the for their use throughout the campaign. For additional
duration of the campaign. copies, visit privateerpress.com

Earning Deck Draws Scenarios contain the following categories:

Scenarios will often have a special rule in the Victory Conditions
section labeled Antagonist Bonus; this will be followed by
a numeral. If a player assumes the role of the Antagonist in a
scenario and wins, this numeral indicates how many draws from
the Omen deck that player has earned.
The number of draws earned is cumulative across multiple games,
but there is a limit to how many cards can be used in subsequent
games (as explained below). Deck draws are spent when used,
and new draws must be earned.
Overview—A summary of the narrative of the scenario,
giving players a more focused view of the specific
battle at hand.
Army Construction—The rules for building armies,
typically dictating the army point size for the scenario.
Setup—The rules for player deployment, terrain
placement, and any special scenario elements such as
objectives or tokens.

For example, if a player earned two draws as an Antagonist in a game
and another one draw in a subsequent game, that player would have
three draws available. If the player uses two of those draws in the next
game they play, that player would still have one more draw available
(unless they managed to earn more along the way).
Each player should track the number of draws available to them
on their copy of the scenario tree.
Special Rules—Rules unique to a scenario, including
scenario terrain rules.
Victory Conditions—The conditions required for a player
to win the game. If a scenario grants an Antagonist any
Omen deck draws for victory, it is noted here.

Using Cards
A player can choose to use their draws at the beginning of any
game after terrain and scenario elements have been placed.

No matter how many draws a player has accumulated, a player

can never draw more than three cards in a single game.

When a player uses their draws, they should first shuffle the deck
and then draw the appropriate number of cards. Each player
must have their own Omen deck to draw from.

90 CAMPAIGN SYSTEM

10 The Campaign Rules.indd 90 5/31/19 3:33 PM

 Scenario Tree
♦♦ ♦ ♦♦
TIER 5

GATEWAY
TO
OBLIVION
♦♦♦♦♦

THE
DARK LAST
DAYS RIDE
♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦

LEFT TIER 4
CLOUDED
BEHIND ♦♦♦♦ VISIONS

DEFEAT
DEFEAT

♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦

TOWARD THE END

THE
RY

VI
IS NIGH

CT
LIGHT
O
CT

O
AT
DEF E

RY
♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦
VI

DEF E
AT

THE BURIAL
Y

VI
SANGUINE
OR

AT SEA

CT
TRAIL
CT

OR
VI

♦♦♦ ♦♦♦

Y
TIER 3

SEEDS ♦♦♦ RECKLESS

OF ASSAULT
HOPE

T
DE

FEA
♦♦♦ ♦♦♦
FEA

DE
T

VI
OR

CT
CT

OR
VI

A WAR FUELING
FOR THE
PEACE FIRE
♦♦ ♦♦

GU ♦♦ OR
AR
DIA
TIER 2
UPT
N RR
CO
BORDER
WAR
♦
O LO G U E

RISING
OMEN CARD DRAWS TENSIONS
♦
PR

DOOMED
PATROL
TIER 1
♦

Oblivion_Campaign.indb 91 5/23/19 7:27 PM

 ♦♦ ♦ ♦♦
Scenario Tree
W
I TIER 5

Y GATEWAY
TO
OBLIVION
Z S
DARK
♦♦♦♦♦

A
N THE
LAST
DAYS
♦♦♦♦ R RIDE
♦♦♦♦

E
O LEFT
BEHIND ♦♦♦♦
TIER 4
CLOUDED
VISIONS

DEFEAT
DEFEAT

♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦
A R
TOWARD THE END
THE
RY

VI
IS NIGH
LIGHT

CT
M
O
CT

O
AT
DEF E

RY
♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦
VI

DEF E
AT

THE BURIAL
Y

VI
SANGUINE

B
OR

AT SEA

CT
TRAIL
CT

OR
VI

♦♦♦ ♦♦♦

F SEEDS
C
♦♦♦
TIER 3

Y RECKLESS
OF ASSAULT
HOPE

T
DE

FEA
♦♦♦ ♦♦♦
FEA

DE
T

H
Y

VI
OR

E
CT
CT

OR
VI

A WAR
FOR
PEACE
N I FUELING
THE
FIRE A
L ♦♦

GU
AR
DIA
♦♦ I
TIER 2
UPT
OR
♦♦

N RR
CO
BORDER
WAR
L
S ♦

HN
O LO G U E

RISING
TENSIONS

V ♦
PR

DOOMED
PATROL
TIER 1
♦

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 STYGIAN PROPHECIES
STYGIAN PROPHECIES CAMPAIGN
P
rophets go mad with visions of unspeakable horrors invading
Caen, reaping the souls of the living. Strange energy flows
through the land, both empowering and debilitating those
attuned to the arcane. Alien creatures stalk humanity, emerging
from invisible shadows to collect their terrible profit.
The time has come to pay what is owed. The desperate hour is
now. The infernals have come.
The Stygian Prophecies campaign focuses on the initial arrival of
the infernal armies to Caen. It is a time of madness and confusion.
No one—save the infernals and their infernalist puppets—can be
certain what is happening. Tensions grow even thicker between
the warring forces of the western Immoren, each blaming the other
for the odd phenomena occurring within their individual borders.
Some have had the foresight to realize something is terribly
wrong, and they struggle to keep the peace, any peace. They fear
humanity will tear itself apart in these inexplicable times. These
Guardians are willing to do what they must to rein in the growing
conflicts before they rage completely out of control, even if that
means marching to war against the aggressors.
11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 93
Others are only adding to the bloodshed. Whether they do so
for their own gain, to further the goals of their dark masters, or
even because they have fallen prey to their own paranoia, they all
advance the same foul agenda. These Corruptors aid the coming
infernals, whether they know it or not.
Stygian Prophecies takes place across the Iron Kingdoms,
representing the initial skirmishes and battles fought out of fear,
mistrust, and desperation born of the infernal invasion. The
scenarios in this campaign can take place in any nation or region
of western Immoren players prefer.
Terrain
All scenarios in a Stygian Prophecies campaign use the following
rules:
Creeping Madness
There’s something in the air, something intangible that is driving people
mad. It lurks in the shadows, just beyond the veil of reality, whispering
horror and despair to those unfortunate enough to listen.
A model that begins its activation within a dense fog terrain
feature must use its Normal Movement to run.
93
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 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — PROLOGUE 1

DOOMED PATROL
On a moonless night, two formidable forces encounter one another during Special Rules
routine patrols. Is it fate that brings them together or the manipulations Moonless Night: All models have their LOS reduced to 12˝.
of dark powers? Without parley or negotiation between the two patrols,
a bloody skirmish quickly breaks out. Only the survivors’ reports of the Victory Conditions
incident will be recorded in the annals of history. A player immediately wins if they control the only models in play.

Army Construction
Each player builds a 20-point army. This army can be a Theme
Force but does not gain any Requisition points. This army cannot
include a warcaster, warlock, or infernal master; it can only
include small- and medium-based warrior units and solos.
At the end of the seventh game round, the player with the most
models in play wins. In the case of a tie, players play another
game round and then check victory conditions again.

Setup
This scenario uses standard deployment zones.

♦
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 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — PROLOGUE 2
RISING TENSIONS
The few bloodied soldiers who survived the patrol skirmish have
regrouped with an allied scouting force nearby. Returning to the
battlefield to recover their dead, they instead find the area picked
clean—no corpses are in sight. The only possible explanation for this
is the enemy has stolen the dead for nefarious means, a thought that
causes the soldiers’ blood to boil with rage. Racing through the night,
the scouting force finds another enemy patrol nearby, and they charge
into the enemy’s ranks filled of bloodlust. It seems as if some external
influence is stirring hostility on both sides.
Army Construction
Each player builds a 25-point army. This army can be a Theme
Force but does not gain any Requisition points. This army cannot
include a warcaster, warlock, or infernal master; it can only
include small- and medium-based warrior units and solos.
Setup
If you won the Prologue: Doomed Patrol battle against this
opponent, you are the Attacker; otherwise, you are the Defender.
If you did not play this opponent previously, randomly determine
who is the Attacker and who is the Defender. The Attacker is the
first player.
This scenario uses standard deployment zones.
♦
11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 95
Special Rules
Moonless Night: All models have their LOS reduced to 12˝.
Sneak Past: Defender models can slip behind enemy lines and
escape the battle. If a Defender model is in contact with the
Attacker’s table edge at the start of its activation, the Defender
can remove that model from the table and declare that it has
escaped the battle.
Surprise Attack: Defender models lose Advance Deploy and
Ambush.
Victory Conditions
A player immediately wins if they control the only models in play.
The Defender wins if three or more of their models escape. If a
situation occurs where the Defender’s last model is removed from
the table to escape and that would bring the Defender to three or
more escaped models, then the Defender wins immediately.
CAMPAIGN SCENARIOS 95
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 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — PROLOGUE 3
BORDER WAR
Weeks after the moonless night and its sudden savagery, both sides
of the dispute are prepared to go to war. Motivated to violence by
undercover infernalists in their respective advisory councils, neither
side’s leadership is willing to negotiate peace. Determined to protect
themselves against invasion, each side has sent a small army to their
border, only to find the enemy has done the same. Within moments,
both forces openly attack one another, threatening the beginning of a
greater war.
Exactly as was planned…
Army Construction
Each player builds a 35-point army. This army can be a Theme
Force. This army cannot include a warcaster, warlock, or infernal
master; it can only include warrior units, solos, and small- and
medium-based warjacks, warbeasts, and horrors.
Setup
This scenario uses standard deployment zones.
♦
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11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 96
Special Rules
Battle Commander: At the beginning of the game, each player
must nominate one friendly solo or unit leader as their army’s
Commander. The Commander must begin the game in play (e.g.,
it cannot Ambush).
Only the Strong Survive: If you won both Prologue: Doomed Patrol
and Prologue: Rising Tensions battles against this opponent, your
warrior models gain Tough .
Stolen Plans: If you won the Prologue: Rising Tensions battle
against this opponent by having three or more of your models
escape, you have stolen enemy intel. Before the game begins, you
gain three Intel tokens.
You can spend one Intel token to cause a model (friendly or enemy)
to reroll one attack or damage roll. You can spend multiple Intel
tokens to cause multiple rerolls of the same attack or damage roll
in this manner.
Victory Conditions
A player immediately wins if they control the only models in play
or if the enemy Commander is destroyed or removed from play.
5/24/19 3:42 PM
 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — GUARDIAN TIER 2♦♦
A WAR FOR PEACE
A plague of violence spreads across Immoren. Small skirmishes escalate
into full-scale battles. Prophets and priests go mad, screaming forecasts
of doom. A dark force tears at the edges of reality, unseen and ravenous.
You have taken it upon yourself to keep peace, even by non-peaceful
means. Something is coming, and the world cannot be engulfed in self-
destruction when it arrives.
The majority of your military might is reserved to protect your own
lands, but you’ve managed to send a few of your armies abroad to quell
the violence. Your first stop is a besieged watchtower along a national
border. Here, the few surviving occupants have nearly starved to death,
and many are wounded. They will be able to offer no support in the
upcoming struggle.
Army Construction
Each player builds a 35-point army.
Setup
Before placing normal terrain, place a large obstruction in the
center of the table. This represents the Watchtower.
This scenario uses standard deployment zones.
♦♦
11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 97
Special Rules
Crumbling Ramparts: The Watchtower is falling apart as artillery
blasts it from afar. During each player’s Maintenance Phase,
center a 5˝ AOE over the Watchtower and deviate it 2d6˝ inches,
with direction 4 on the deviation template pointing directly
toward the Antagonist’s table edge.
Models in the AOE when it is placed are knocked down. These
AOEs are rough terrain and remain in play until the end of the
turn.
Who Watches the Watchtower: If your warcaster, warlock, or
infernal master begins its activation within 2˝ of the Watchtower
and there are no enemy models within 2˝ of the Watchtower, you
gain 1 Victory Point (VP).
Victory Conditions
A player immediately wins if they control the only warcaster,
warlock, or infernal master in play.
Additionally, a player wins at any time they score 2 more VPs
than their opponent.
Antagonist Bonus [1]: If you win this scenario as the Antagonist,
gain one Omen draw.
CAMPAIGN SCENARIOS 97
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 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — CORRUPTOR TIER 2♦♦
FUELING THE FIRE
Glorious war spreads across Immoren. Even small skirmishes soon
escalate into larger battles. Mad fools and touched visionaries scream
their predictions of tragedy. You know the truth. Something horrible is
clawing at the edges of reality, and its arrival promises immeasurable
power for those mighty enough to claim it…or extinction for those who
get in its way. But you will not sit idly by as your enemies gain the
upper hand—you will strike first and destroy any opposition before
they can rise.
You have deployed your full military might, seeking any opportunity to
seize power in these troubled times. You’ve come upon a fuel depot that
has recently fended off an attack from a smaller raiding party. They are
ill-prepared to prevent you from pillaging their resources, but they are
the least of your concerns. Another force has arrived at the depot, and
they seem intent on stopping you from taking what is rightfully yours.
Army Construction
Each player builds a 35-point army.
Setup
Before placing normal terrain, place a large obstruction and
four objectives on the table as indicated on the map below. The
obstruction represents the Depot, while the objectives represent
Fuel Canisters.
This scenario uses standard deployment zones.
24˝
24˝
24˝
12˝
♦♦
98 CAMPAIGN SCENARIOS
11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 98
Special Rules
Fuel Up: Fuel Canisters are represented by 50 mm objective
tokens. These tokens are treated as large-based models that block
LOS and movement normally. Players cannot target, damage, or
affect these tokens in any way.
Warjacks, warbeasts, or horrors within 4˝ of a Fuel Canister can
run, charge, slam, or trample without spending focus, being
forced, or spending essence.
If a ranged attack AOE or magic attack AOE ever overlaps a Fuel
Canister, after the attack is resolved, all models within 4˝ of the
Fuel Canister suffer the Fire continuous effect .
Hostile Takeover: During each player’s Maintenance Phase, the
active player can gain Victory Points (VPs). If they control any
models within 2˝ of the Depot and there are no enemy models
within 2˝ of the Depot, they gain 2 VPs. If they control any models
within 2˝ of a Canister and there are no enemy models within 2˝ of
that Canister, they gain 1 VP (score for each Canister in this way).
Victory Conditions
A player immediately wins if they control the only warcaster,
warlock, or infernal master in play.
Additionally, at the end of the seventh game round, the player
with the most VPs wins. In the case of a tie, players play another
game round and then check victory conditions again.
Antagonist Bonus [1]: If you win this scenario as the Antagonist,
gain one Omen draw.
12˝
24˝
5/24/19 3:42 PM
 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — GUARDIAN TIER 3
SEEDS OF HOPE
Once the watchtower is secured, the surviving inhabitants warn you of
a more pressing danger nearby. A natural disaster looms on the horizon.
A once-verdant forest burns, its flames threatening to spread to nearby
areas. The blackclad protectors of these woods seem to have gone mad,
driven to desperation by visions of the horror tearing its way into
reality. The fires must be put out and the blackclads contained before
the conflagration grows too strong. Unfortunately, the enemy has been
drawn to these woods like moths to those flames, seeking to steal the mad
druids’ relics of power before the forest burns entirely to the ground.
Army Construction
Each player builds a 50-point army.
Setup
Divide the table into four quadrants. Before placing normal terrain,
place a forest centered within each quadrant. Do not place any
additional forests on the table when placing the remaining terrain.
After placing terrain, the Protagonist places a 30 mm Relic token
completely within one of the forests on their half of the table. It
is the Protagonist’s choice which forest the Relic is placed within.
The Protagonist is the first player.
This scenario uses standard deployment zones.
♦♦♦
11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 99
Special Rules
Forest Fire: All forest terrain features are also burning earth
hazards. At the end of each of the Antagonist’s turns, they can
place a 3˝ burning earth AOE in play completely within 12˝ of any
burning earth forest. These AOEs remain in play for the duration
of the game unless put out.
Spells and effects that normally remove burning earth hazards
(e.g., abilities that remove cloud effects) do not remove burning
earth hazards; these hazards must be put out as described below.
If the Protagonist’s warcaster, warlock, or infernal master is
within 2˝ of a burning earth AOE or burning earth forest during
their activation, they can spend 1 focus, fury, or essence point
to attempt to put out the fire. Roll 2d6. If the result is 9 or more,
either remove the AOE from the table or the forest is no longer
burning earth. The model can spend an additional focus, fury, or
essence point to boost this roll.
Searing Relic: The Relic token is not a model—it does not block
LOS or hinder movement. Models within 2˝ of the Relic token
gain boosted magic attack rolls.
Victory Conditions
A player immediately wins if they control the only warcaster,
warlock, or infernal master in play.
The Protagonist wins if one forest on each half of the table is no
longer burning earth.
The Antagonist wins if their warcaster, warlock, or infernal
master begins its activation within 2˝ of the Relic token.
Antagonist Bonus [2]: If you win this scenario as the Antagonist,
gain two Omen draws.
CAMPAIGN SCENARIOS 99
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 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — GUARDIAN TIER 3

THE SANGUINE TRAIL

The watchtower has fallen, taken by enemy forces. A few of the tower’s
inhabitants survived, escaping with your bloodied forces. A fire burns
on the horizon, but you haven’t the time or resources to deal with it.
Instead, your attention turns to the watchtower survivors who are in
desperate need of medical attention. Among them is a mad prophet, who
warns that your attempts at peacekeeping are futile. The doom of Caen
is inevitable. It is hard to dismiss his babbling.
You begin a long march to regroup with another of your armies and to
see that these poor souls are looked after before you return to the front.
Unfortunately, there is no respite for the weary—the roads are infested
with raiding parties bent on taking slaves, and your force is ripe for this
sort of reaping.
Army Construction
Each player builds a 50-point army.
Setup
Before the game begins, the Protagonist distributes 5 Survivor
tokens. These tokens are placed on any Protagonist non-warcaster,
non-warlock, non-infernal master warrior models. A model can
hold more than one Survivor token. Models holding Survivor
tokens must begin the game in play (e.g., they cannot Ambush).
Players use the deployment zones indicated on the map.
Special Rules
Bloody Burden: Models suffer –1 SPD for each Survivor token
they are holding. These tokens cannot be voluntarily dropped or
moved between models.
If a model is removed from the table, any tokens it was holding
are also removed from the table. If a model holding a Survivor
token is within 5˝ of the Rescue table edge indicated on the map,
that Survivor is saved, and the token is removed from the table.
Shield the Wounded: If a model holding a Survivor token is
directly hit by an enemy ranged attack, choose a friendly non-
incorporeal model within 3˝ of it to be directly hit instead. That
model is automatically hit and suffers all damage and effects.
Victory Conditions
A player immediately wins if they control the only warcaster,
warlock, or infernal master in play.
The Protagonist wins if two Survivors are saved.
The Antagonist wins if four or more Survivor tokens are removed
from the table without being saved.
Antagonist Bonus [1]: If you win this scenario as the Antagonist,
gain one Omen draw.

Rescue Table Edge

12˝ Antagonist Deployment 12˝

12˝ 12˝

7˝ Protagonist Deployment

♦♦♦
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 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — CORRUPTOR TIER 3

RECKLESS ASSAULT
Having claimed the fuel depot, your armies are well supplied to invade
deeper into foreign territory. Yet days after the depot raid, you are
suddenly stricken by bizarre visions. You see a walled city, a glowing
runic circle, a portal. You do not where this dream city is, only that
finding it is of upmost importance.
Borders are well protected, and everyone seems to be on high alert, but
you can’t let anyone stop your march forward. You’ve come across a
smaller fort along a lesser-used trail—it is secure but not impenetrable.
You’ll have to overrun the defenders and sack the fort to carry on.
This would be a lot easier if they didn’t have so many gun emplacements.
Special Rules
The Big Guns: Heavy Cannons are represented by 50 mm objective
tokens. These tokens are treated as large-based models that block
LOS and movement normally. Players cannot target, damage, or
affect these tokens in any way.
During each of the Antagonist’s Maintenance Phases, the
Antagonist can place a 5˝ AOE for each Heavy Cannon in play. An
AOE must be placed completely within 20˝ of a Heavy Cannon.
If both AOEs are placed, measure this distance for the first AOE
from one Heavy Cannon and the second AOE from the other.

Deviate each AOE 1d6˝ inches with direction 4 on the deviation

Army Construction template pointing directly toward the Antagonist’s table edge.
Each player builds a 50-point army. Models in the AOE are hit and suffer a POW 12 blast attack
damage roll.
Setup
Bringing Down the House: The Fort can be targeted and damaged
Before placing normal terrain, the Antagonist must build their
by Protagonist models as if it were an enemy huge-based construct
fort. The fort consists of one large obstruction, four obstacles,
model. Antagonist models cannot target, assist, or benefit the Fort
and two 50 mm objectives. The obstruction represents the Keep,
in any way (e.g., using Shield Guard, Repair, etc.). The Fort is
the obstacles represent walls, and the objectives are Heavy
treated as having DEF 5, ARM 20, and 40 damage boxes.
Cannons. Each of these elements must be placed completely
within the Antagonist’s deployment zone and must all be within
Victory Conditions
8˝ of each other.
A player immediately wins if they control the only warcaster,
This scenario uses standard deployment zones. warlock, or infernal master in play.

The Protagonist wins if the Fort is destroyed.

Antagonist Bonus [2]: If you win this scenario as the Antagonist,

gain two Omen draws.

♦♦♦
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 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — CORRUPTOR TIER 3

BURIAL AT SEA
The failure at the fuel depot was costly; your armies’ resources are
quickly becoming depleted without a proper supply chain. You need
supplies—and fast—or your momentum will soon be squandered.
During the days of your desperate hunt, you are continually stricken
with visions. You see a walled city, a portal of power, and death and
destruction. The vision becomes an obsession; your efforts to resupply
become frenzied.
In a maddened haze, you stumble upon a fishing village hosting a
platoon of enemy soldiers. A treasure trove of much-needed goods. All
you have to do is slaughter every foe in sight and pry their weapons
from their cold, dead hands. A simple task.
Army Construction
Each player builds a 50-point army.
Setup
Before placing normal terrain, the Antagonist must build the
fishing village. The village consists of 6 obstructions and two
50 mm objectives. The obstructions represent Homes, and the
objectives are Supply Caches. Each of these elements must be
placed completely within the Antagonist’s deployment zone and
must all be within 12˝ of each other. Homes cannot be placed
within 3˝ of each other.
The large area labeled “Body of Water” on the map below is one
giant shallow water terrain feature. No additional terrain can be
placed within the Body of Water.
Special Rules
Boatload of Bullets: Supply Caches are represented by 50 mm
objective tokens. These tokens are treated as large-based models
that block LOS and movement normally. Players cannot target,
damage, or affect these tokens in any way.
If the Protagonist’s warcaster, warlock, or infernal master ends its
activation within 2˝ of a Supply Cache, place a Looted token on it.
Models within 2˝ of a Supply Cache gain boosted ranged attack
rolls.
From the Depths: Before the game begins, the Protagonist chooses
one friendly non-warcaster, non-warlock, non-infernal master
warrior model/unit to gain Amphibious .
Models with Amphibious cannot be targeted by or make
ranged attacks or magic attacks while completely within the Body
of Water.
Victory Conditions
A player immediately wins if they control the only warcaster,
warlock, or infernal master in play.
The Protagonist wins if both Supply Caches have Looted tokens
on them.
Antagonist Bonus [1]: If you win this scenario as the Antagonist,
gain one Omen draw.

This scenario uses the deployment zones indicated on the map

below.

Antagonist
Deployment 18˝

Body of
Water

12˝

Protagonist
10˝ Deployment

♦♦♦
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11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 103 5/24/19 3:43 PM
 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — GUARDIAN TIER 4
TOWARD THE LIGHT
Once the forest fire was extinguished, thanks to your efforts, you
discovered an ancient blackclad relic hidden among the dying embers.
Though it took great effort, the arcane secret of the relic was eventually
unraveled. The relic contained a coded message. It would seem it was
intended for someone else, but the fires claimed the messenger’s life.
The message speaks of “infernals,” of a claiming, of the end of all things,
and of a portal…one of many. Such a gateway is forecast to open in a
nearby city, the work of a hidden infernalist cult. Racing toward the
city, you come upon a nearby battle between supernatural forces that
would defy belief, if you did not see them with your own eyes. A divine
archon fends off an enemy force, trying to reach the same walled city as
you. There is no choice but to join the fight and free the archon; it may
be your only hope of closing this portal.
Army Construction
Each player builds a 75-point army.
Setup
Before placing normal terrain, place a 50 mm objective on the
table as indicated on the map below. This objective represents the
Wounded Archon.
This scenario uses deployment zones indicated on the map. The
Antagonist is the first player.
12˝ Antagonist
Deployment
Protagonist
10˝ Deployment
♦♦♦♦
104 CAMPAIGN SCENARIOS
11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 104
Special Rules
Fallen Angel: The Wounded Archon is represented by a 50 mm
objective token. This token is treated as a large-based model
that blocks LOS and movement normally. Players cannot target,
damage, or affect this token in any way.
If the Protagonist’s warcaster, warlock, or infernal master is within
2˝ of the Wounded Archon during their activation, they can spend 1
focus, fury, or essence point to attempt to revive them. Roll 2d6. If
the result is 10 or more, the Wounded Archon is revived. The model
can spend an additional focus, fury, or essence point to boost this roll.
See the Light: When the Wounded Archon is revived, immediately
remove the token from the table. For the remainder of the game,
the following effect is in play.
During each of the Protagonist’s Maintenance Phases, the
Protagonist can place the Archon token anywhere on the table.
All models within 3˝ of the Archon when it is placed immediately
suffer a POW 12 magical damage roll . While within 3˝ of the
Archon, models treat open terrain as rough terrain. At the end of
each of the Antagonist’s turns, remove the Archon from the table.
Victory Conditions
A player immediately wins if they control the only warcaster,
warlock, or infernal master in play.
The Antagonist wins at the end of fifth game round if the Wounded
Archon has not been revived.
Antagonist Bonus [2]: If you win this scenario as the Antagonist,
gain two Omen draws.
Antagonist 12˝
Deployment
18˝
24˝
5/24/19 3:43 PM
 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — GUARDIAN TIER 4
LEFT BEHIND
Your attempts to maintain order have met with mixed results. Battles
are breaking out faster than you can intervene, and the innocent are
suffering. During your journey, you come upon a village ruined by war,
its smoldering remains home to a single survivor, a blind oracle. The
oracle tells you of terrible visions. The oracle has seen the hand behind
the onset of violence—otherworldly beings known as infernals approach,
and they must be stopped. The oracle has also foreseen the opening of a
portal to the Outer Abyss in a nearby city, and only you are capable of
preventing it from happening.
Marching toward the city, you come across the site of a recent battle. The
ground is littered with corpses, many of whom bear Morrowan symbols.
Before you have time to discover exactly what happened here, another
enemy approaches. This new foe seems keen on looting the Morrowan
dead of their holy relics, a thought that had crossed your own mind,
given the upcoming task.
Army Construction
Each player builds a 75-point army.
Setup
Before placing normal terrain, place eight 30 mm objectives on the
table as indicated on the map below. These objectives represent
the Morrowan Dead.
This scenario uses standard deployment zones.
12˝
18˝
12˝ 6˝ 12˝
24˝
♦♦♦♦
11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 105
Special Rules
Divine Spoils: The Morrowan Dead are represented by 30 mm
objective tokens. These tokens are treated as small-based models
that block LOS and movement normally. Players cannot target,
damage, or affect these tokens in any way.
While a model is within 2˝ of a Morrowan Dead token, their
weapons gain Blessed .
Grave Robbers: During each player’s Maintenance Phase, the
active player can gain Victory Points (VPs). If they control any
models within 2˝ of a Morrowan Dead and there are no enemy
models within 2˝ of the same Morrowan Dead, they gain VPs
based on the location of the token.
Morrowan Dead completely within the active player’s half of
the table are worth 1 VP, those on the center line of the table are
worth 2 VPs, and those completely within the opponent’s half of
the table are worth 4 VPs. Score each Morrowan Dead in this way.
Victory Conditions
At the end of the seventh game round, the player with the most
VPs wins. In the case of a tie, players play another game round
and then check victory conditions again.
Note: This game does NOT end if a player’s warcaster, warlock,
or infernal master is destroyed.
Antagonist Bonus [1]: If you win this scenario as the Antagonist,
gain one Omen draw.
6˝ 12˝
18˝
12˝
CAMPAIGN SCENARIOS 105
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 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — GUARDIAN TIER 4
DARK DAYS
Your efforts to protect the innocent have failed. The forest burns, the
watchtower has been ransacked, and everywhere you turn there is
nothing but death and destruction. Your army is nearly broken and
scattered when you are visited by a Thamarite priest, one bold enough
to wear allegiance to the goddess as a badge of honor. This priest warns
of an inevitable invasion—horrific creatures that can only be infernals
approach, and only the strongest willed have any hope of stopping them.
The priest informs you of a nearby city where a portal to the infernals’
native realm will soon open and warns you to stay away.
Resolved that your past defeats are not a portent of future endeavors,
you set off toward the city to aid in the upcoming battle. Midway
through your journey, however, the Thamarite appears again, this time
with an enemy army. The priest speaks of more visions and claims that
your involvement in the battle will spell doom for those opposing the
infernals. The priest says they cannot allow you to reach the city and
will do what they must to stop you.
Army Construction
Each player builds a 75-point army.
The Antagonist’s army must include at least one solo with a
standard PC (e.g., The Egregore would not count).
♦♦♦♦
106 CAMPAIGN SCENARIOS
11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 106
Setup
Before the game begins, the Antagonist must nominate one solo
in their army with a standard PC to be their Thamarite Priest.
This model must begin the game in play (e.g., it cannot Ambush).
This scenario uses standard deployment zones.
Special Rules
Doomsayer: The Thamarite Priest gains 5 additional damage
boxes at the start of the game. Additionally, Antagonist models
within 8˝ of the Thamarite Priest cannot be knocked down or
made stationary, and their weapons gain Blessed .
Will to Fight: During each of the Protagonist’s Maintenance
Phases, the Protagonist can choose one friendly model/unit to
make a full advance. The chosen unit must advance toward the
Thamarite Priest.
Victory Conditions
The Antagonist wins if the Protagonist’s warcaster, warlock, or
infernal master is destroyed or removed from play.
The Protagonist wins if the Thamarite Priest is destroyed or removed
from play. This means the game does NOT end if the Antagonist’s
warcaster, warlock, or infernal master is destroyed or removed
from play.
Antagonist Bonus [1]: If you win this scenario as the Antagonist,
gain one Omen draw.
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 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — CORRUPTOR TIER 4
THE END IS NIGH
Your enemies flee before you. The fuel depot and fort were vital victories
during your greater journey of conquest—your armies are now better
supplied than they were when they left your borders. The visions
have grown stronger with each success; you know the exact location
of the walled city. You know within it lies a portal to another realm,
just waiting to be opened. On the other side of that portal are your
benefactors, the infernals. Nothing will stop you—or the infernalists
within the city—from opening that gate.
Your visions show you a small village near the great city. The peasants
inhabiting the village will be a necessary sacrifice for opening the gate.
Their souls will be forfeit. You know what you must do. Take the village,
enslave every living inhabitant within it, and make the offering.
Army Construction
Each player builds a 75-point army.
Setup
Before placing normal terrain, the players must build the village.
The village consists of six obstructions and six 30 mm objectives.
The obstructions represent Homes, and the objectives are
Villagers. Starting with the Antagonist, players take turns placing
Victory Conditions
the Homes. Each Home must be placed within 12˝ of the center of
the table and cannot be placed within 2˝ of another Home.
Next, starting with the Protagonist, the players take turns
placing the Villagers. Each Villager must be placed in contact
with a Home.
This scenario uses standard deployment zones.
THE END IS NIGH
HOUSE A’S DAMAGE
HOUSE B’S DAMAGE
HOUSE C’S DAMAGE
HOUSE D’S DAMAGE
HOUSE E’S DAMAGE
HOUSE F’S DAMAGE
© Privateer Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
All faction names, logos, warjack®, warcaster® & warbeast are TM of Privateer Press, Inc.
♦♦♦♦
11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 107
Special Rules
Homewrecker: Protagonist models can target and damage the
Homes as if they were enemy huge-based construct models.
Antagonist models can target the Homes with non-offensive
spells and abilities as if they were friendly Faction huge-based
construct models (e.g., Shield Guard, Repair, Upkeep spells, etc.)
but cannot attack or damage them. Homes are treated as having
DEF 5, ARM 16, and 20 damage boxes. When a Home is destroyed,
remove it from the table.
The Good Folk: The Villagers are represented by 30 mm objective
tokens. These tokens are treated as small-based models that block
LOS and movement normally. Players cannot target, damage, or
affect these tokens in any way.
The Protagonist can capture Villagers. During each of the
Protagonist’s Maintenance Phases, if the Protagonist has more
models within 2˝ of a Villager than the Antagonist does, remove
that Villager from the table. When determining the total number
of models, warcaster, warlock, or infernal master (for both
players) count as five models.
A player immediately wins if they control the only warcaster,
warlock, or infernal master in play.
The Protagonist wins if all six Villager tokens are removed from
the table.
Antagonist Bonus [2]: If you win this scenario as the Antagonist,
gain two Omen draws.
HOUSE
DEF ARM
5 16
CAMPAIGN SCENARIOS 107
5/24/19 3:43 PM
 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — CORRUPTOR TIER 4
CLOUDED VISIONS
Your conquest has not gone exactly to plan. You’ve experienced windfalls of
good fortune and crushing defeats in equal measure. And after each battle,
the visions have grown stronger. You begin to see with clarity the truth:
the portal within the city will open a gateway to another reality. Infernals
are waiting to pour through the gate, and they beckon to you for assistance.
You know a massive battle waits at the city, but the visions are obscure as
to your exact role in the upcoming fight. You need to find someone from
whom you can force answers, and you’ve noticed that the Morrowans
you’ve encounter along your journey seem to be acting strangely. En
route to the city, you find a rural church. The priest barricaded inside
will have the answers you seek, you’re certain.
Army Construction
Each player builds a 75-point army.
Setup
Before placing normal terrain, mark a 12˝ ×  12˝ zone and place a
wall template-sized obstacle and a 30 mm objective as indicated
on the map below. The zone represents the Church, the obstacle
its Front Door, and the objective the Morrowan Priest. Do not
place any additional terrain within the zone.
This scenario uses standard deployment zones.
Special Rules
Sacred Ground: The Morrowan Church is indicated by the zone. The
four sides of the zone are the walls of the Church and are treated
as obstructions that block LOS normally. Models with Flight ,
Incorporeal , or any ability or effect that would allow them to move
through an obstruction cannot enter or exit the Church through its
18˝
18˝ 6˝
24˝
♦♦♦♦
108 CAMPAIGN SCENARIOS
11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 108
side walls. Additionally, effects that place models cannot place a
model from outside the Church into the Church. Models within the
Church follow these same rules as it pertains to leaving the Church
but treat the zone area as open terrain otherwise.
The only way into or out of the Church is via its Front Door,
represented by the obstacle placed during setup. The rules
regarding entering and exiting the Church zone do not apply
to the Door. It is treated as a normal obstacle that models can
advance through and draw LOS through.
Morrow’s Prophet: The Morrowan Priest is represented by a 30
mm objective token. This token is treated as a small-based model
that blocks LOS and movement normally. Players cannot target,
damage, or affect this token in any way.
The Protagonist can capture the Priest. During each of the
Protagonist’s Maintenance Phases, if the Protagonist’s warcaster,
warlock, or infernal master is within 2˝ of the Priest, remove
the Priest from the table. Once this happens, the Protagonist’s
warcaster, warlock, or infernal master cannot be thrown, slam, or
placed by a friendly ability or effect.
Victory Conditions
A player immediately wins if they control the only warcaster,
warlock, or infernal master in play.
The Protagonist wins if the Priest is removed from the table and
their warcaster, warlock, or infernal master ends its activation
within their deployment zone.
Antagonist Bonus [1]: If you win this scenario as the Antagonist,
gain 1 Omen draw.
24˝
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 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — CORRUPTOR TIER 4
THE LAST RIDE
Your war of conquest has ground to a halt. You have suffered too many
vital losses, leaving you with a barely functioning army that is nearly
drained of all its resources and morale. You are wracked with visions
of the walled city. You know that your only chance of salvaging this
expedition waits there. Powerful beings, infernals, are breaching this
reality, and they alone have the power to grant your salvation.
To even reach the city, however, you need basic supplies such as food
and water to march your soldiers onward. Nearby, you find that all the
rural farms are in ruin or evacuated. Your search eventually brings you
to a train station filled with panicked commoners attempting to escape
to safer regions. It’s not a perfect solution, but their hastily packed
travel goods will have to do.
Army Construction
Each player builds a 75-point army.
Setup
Before placing normal terrain, mark a zone across the center of
the table and place an obstruction as indicated on the map below.
The zone represents the Train Tracks and the obstruction the Train
Station. Do not place any additional terrain within the zone.
This scenario uses standard deployment zones.
18˝
Train Tracks
18˝
♦♦♦♦
11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 109
Special Rules
Full Steam Ahead: The Train arrives (and immediately departs)
randomly during the game. At the end of the second player’s
fourth turn, that player rolls a d6. On a 5 or 6, the Train arrives. If
it does not, repeat this on the second player’s fifth turn, with the
Train arriving on a 3–6. The Train automatically arrives at the end
of the second player’s sixth turn if it did not arrive earlier.
When the Train arrives, all models within the Train Track zone are
immediately removed from play.
Station Shakedown: During each of the Protagonist’s Maintenance
Phases, the Protagonist can gain Victory Points (VPs). If their
warcaster, warlock, or infernal master is within 2˝ of the Train
Station, and there are no enemies within 2˝ of it, they gain 1 VP.
Victory Conditions
A player immediately wins if they control the only warcaster,
warlock, or infernal master in play.
The Protagonist wins if they score 2 VPs.
Antagonist Bonus [1]: If you win this scenario as the Antagonist,
gain one Omen draw.
24˝
CAMPAIGN SCENARIOS 109
5/31/19 3:38 PM
 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — FINALE
GATEWAY TO OBLIVION
The time has come. The infernals reach Caen. While this is only one
battle of many, and there are other portals, every outcome is important
to the fate of humanity. You have finally arrived at the walled city that
the portents have shown you.
Fighting your way into the inner city, you’ve come to the site of a massive
infernalist ritual. The ritual is wrenching the souls from hundreds of
sacrificed citizens, tearing them from their freshly slain bodies and
using their spiritual energy to empower the alien portal to the Outer
Abyss. Will you see the portal destroyed and the ritual disrupted, or will
you welcome your new overlords with open arms?
Army Construction
This game is a mega-battle played between all participants in the
campaign.
Each Agenda is represented by a 100-point army, with two
warcasters, warlocks, and/or infernal masters per side. If an
Agenda is played by multiple players, they can split up the
individual army they control in any point total they wish. For
example, if two players are representing Corruptors, then one
player can bring a 25-point army and the other a 75-point army.
Setup
Before placing normal terrain, place a 12˝ diameter circular
zone and four 30 mm objectives as indicated on the map below.
The zone represents the Infernal Portal and the objectives the
Ritualists.
This scenario uses standard deployment zones.
Special Rules
Allies: Players on the same Agenda treat each other’s models as
friendly models but not friendly Faction models (even if they are
of the same Faction).
Players on the same Agenda take their turns simultaneously,
treating their simultaneous turn as a single game turn in regards
to the duration of spells and effects.
Dark Ritual: If a model enters or ends its activation within the
Infernal Portal, they are immediately removed from play. Each
time a model capable of generating a soul token is removed from
play in this manner, place a Surge token on the Portal.
110 CAMPAIGN SCENARIOS
♦♦ ♦ ♦♦
11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 110
Ritualists are represented by 30 mm objective tokens. These
tokens are treated as small-based models that block LOS and
movement normally. Players cannot target, damage, or affect
these tokens in any way.
Warcasters, warlocks, or infernal masters within 2˝ of a Ritualist
can spend focus, fury, or essence points during their activation
to put a token on that Ritualist for each point spent. Corrupter
models place Completion tokens, and Guardian models place
Negation tokens.
Pandemonium: At the end of the fifth and sixth game rounds, the
Portal surges with destructive energy. All models within 6˝ of
the Portal suffer a magical damage roll with a POW equal to the
number of Surge tokens on the Portal.
The Journey: Each player may gain a benefit for this scenario
based on the results of their last game as Protagonist. This is in
addition to any Omen deck draws they may have. Consult the
chart of scenarios below. If you won the listed scenario as the
Protagonist, gain the benefit listed.
Toward the Light: Before the game begins, you call upon
the aid of the Archon. You can either add an Archon
to your army for free (regardless of Theme Force
restrictions), or you can put two Negation tokens on
each Ritualist.
Left Behind: Before the game begins, choose a friendly
model/unit to carry Morrowan Relics into battle. That
model/unit can reroll missed attack rolls. Each attack
roll can be rerolled once as a result of this benefit.
Dark Days: Before the game begins, choose a friendly
model/unit to be Hardened Veterans. That model/unit
gains Tough and Steady (A model with Steady cannot
be knocked down).
The End is Nigh: Before the game begins, place five
Surge tokens on the Portal. Each turn, while the Portal
is within your warcaster, warlock, or infernal master’s
control range, they can spend up to three Surge tokens
from the Portal as if they were focus, fury, or essence
points on the model.
Clouded Visions: Once per game, when a friendly model
is directly hit by an attack, you can choose to have it
suffer no damage roll from the attack.
Last Ride: Before the game begins, choose two different
friendly models/units to be Invigorated. These models/
units gain Advance Deploy .
5/24/19 3:43 PM
 STYGIAN PROPHECIES — FINALE

GATEWAY TO OBLIVION
Victory Conditions for the Corruptors, and if there are more Negation tokens on it,
An Agenda immediately wins if they control the only warcasters, it is scored for the Guardians. If the total is equal, the Ritualist is
warlocks, or infernal masters in play. scored for neither Agenda.

The game ends at the end of the seventh game round. Count the The Agenda with the most scored Ritualist wins the campaign. In
number of Completion and Negation tokens on each Ritualist. If the case of a tie, players play another game round and then check
there are more Completion tokens on it, that Ritualist is scored victory conditions again.

16˝

16˝

24˝

24˝

♦♦ ♦ ♦♦ CAMPAIGN SCENARIOS 111

11 The Campaign Scenarios.indd 111 5/24/19 3:43 PM

12 Oblivion Epilogue.indd 112 5/24/19 10:44 AM
 Rendered unto Ashes
Part II

12 Oblivion Epilogue.indd 113 5/24/19 10:45 AM

 Caspia
B
odies lay strewn across what had once been a placid and
beautiful garden. Blood soaked into the verdant lawn
and soaking the roots of carefully groomed hedges and
flowerbeds. Cultists in dark robes were scattered around the
courtyard, their faces obscured behind metal masks, engaged in
either the final preparations or standing guard at the three garden
entrances. Several cultists pulled bodies out of the way, paying
little regard to the dignity of the dead.
Those more centrally gathered in the courtyard focused their
attention on the largest framed gateway, now inscribed with an
assortment of mystical glyphs. Ordinarily, it served as the grand
opening to the garden through which ceremonial processions might
march. A number of weddings and other joyful celebrations had
taken place in this garden in the past; here, Caspia’s elite could
prove they were friends of the royal family by impressing their peers
with lavish spending amid the singular surroundings of Castle
Raelthorne. Now it stood at the center of what aspired to become the
gravest atrocity in western Immoren since the arrival of the Orgoth.
Near to the grand entryway, several new fixtures had been
installed—darkened crystals set within bronze stands. Each pulsed
with a deep reddish light, a sinister illumination the product of
the souls they had captured of those who had been sacrificed
nearby. They were primed to collect many more. Around each
was an unnaturally darkened area with tendrils of living shadows
moving seemingly of their own accord. The intensity of these
pools of darkness increased, together with a deep sound almost
too low to be heard that brought with it a vibration through the
soles of the feet. The highest-ranking cultists had gathered before
the entryway and had begun to chant in low tones, their blades
held before them, speaking words in a forgotten tongue that each
had carefully memorized and practiced.
Orin Midwinter appeared among them amid a cloud of dissipating
smoke. His expression was grim, and he ignored the gestures of
obeisance from the cultists not already engaged in the ritual.
“This happens now,” he said sharply, glancing toward the other
entrances as if expecting to see armed soldiers at any moment.
He raised his staff and joined the intonations as a red glow
surrounded his form. In front of him, the glyph-inscribed
archway shimmered and became hazy. Heat radiated from it in
tangible waves, followed by pulses of similarly intense cold. All
those present felt a pressure in their minds, joined soon by one
in their eardrums and chests, as if they had dived deep into a
pool of water. The garden’s archway doubled in their vision and
blackened before changing utterly, becoming dark stone. In a
moment, it transformed into a gateway of an alien architecture,
no longer a delicately carved piece of human decoration. It had
become a roughly hewn piece of basalt torn from a volcanic
landscape, lit from within, its inner surfaces ridged and scaled as
if it were the hide of some grotesque living thing.
As the glow of Midwinter’s staff increased, a rippling sheet of
utter blackness sprang into being in the space between the two
sides of the gateway. The darkness shimmered like a liquid, and
114 RENDERED UNTO ASHES: PART II
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 114
from it stepped a pale being whose hooded face with its white
skin stood in sharp relief against the black. This was a greater
infernal curator. The sense of power and intelligence radiating
from the being was enough to make even Midwinter tremble.
“Great and powerful Agathon,” Midwinter said, “who is also
known to me as Ashoth, Ariphon, and Kylophelion, we greet
and welcome you. Please take pity on those of us who inherit the
reality shaped by your formidable will.”
“Your loyalty and service will be rewarded,” Agathon’s voice
intoned, speaking directly into his mind. He stepped back away
to allow the greater being to pass, even as the darkness split and
other more horrific creatures began to step through, one after the
next, each of them painful to look upon with mortal eyes. The
cultists gave them a wide berth, and those who had been watching
for approaching guards gave up that task as it no longer mattered.
The infernals had come. Anyone foolish enough to stand in their
way would perish, their souls forfeit.
♦♦♦
The safest place in western Immoren had quickly turned to
bedlam. Grand Master Gabriel Throne barked orders as he
spurred his horse ahead, seeking to get to the heart of the conflict
so he could assess the situation. For the first time since Caspia had
been invaded by armies of the Protectorate of Menoth, the martial
might of the Church of Morrow had been deployed in force in the
streets of the City of Walls.
The Sancteum had sent an alert to all its ranking officers, looking first
to its own protection but then to the larger city beyond. The Order
of Illumination had already been in motion, its mystically attuned
vigilant peers having immediately discerned something terrible
was happening in Castle Raelthorne. Something unnatural was
emitting rhythmic ripples of shadow and darkness. To those with
any sensitivity to magic and the unseen, black clouds of vile intent
had gathered above the heart of the city. The air was torn by the howl
of tortured souls. Yet even to the ungifted, something was clearly
wrong, and the air was choked with an acrid stench. Everywhere
people walked, their shadows twisted and moved of their own
accord. The hot wind moving through the streets suggested a storm,
its moaning overridden by the sounds of gunfire.
But not enough gunfire, to Gabriel’s ear. He had his own execrator
pistol in one hand, his horse’s reins in the other, eager to find a
target. He urged his steed past the nearest barricade to where a
number of vigilants and Precursor Knights were already engaged.
Several squads of Cygnaran Army long gunners were positioned
just back from them, having taken to cover where they provided
fire support. Still, with the castle so near at hand, and given the
battle had begun earlier, he expected to see more soldiers. It
was still hours until dawn, the darkness broken up by the city’s
gas lanterns and flashes of light amid the combatants. It was a
confusing scene, and the darkness did not help, though Gabriel
could make out strange bestial forms clashing with his men.
The nearest vigilants fought to fend off several unholy monsters
floating in the air. Each was a roughly spherical creature with
trailing clawed tentacles surrounding an almost obscene mouth
5/23/19 7:28 PM
 ringed with teeth at its center. They emitted strange howling
noises; their extended tongues lashed forth. Darkness swirled
around the nearest of these things, and it moved unpredictably
with surprising quickness, evading a slashing sword before one
of its clawed tendrils tore off the arm of the man who had lunged
at it. He fell back, his blade clattering to the ground, still clutched
by his severed hand.
Gabriel Throne aimed his pistol, chose his timing carefully, and fired.
His pistol emitted a flash of white light, and the blessed projectile
impacted the unholy creature above its gaping mouth, opening a
widening tear as it seemingly fell apart, becoming greasy smoke.
The nearest vigilant sergeant seemed stunned to watch this
transfiguration and said to Throne, “These must be infernals. But
that can’t be right, can it, Grand Master?”
“Accept what your eyes and other senses tell you. Do not let
confusion in a search for a rational explanation hinder your
instincts.” Throne looked around with quiet panic. “We are beset
by infernals. Ignore your fear. You are trained and equipped to
deal with this.”
The grand master then ordered the nearest vigilant to take the
wounded man back to be tended by the priests before waving
a squad of the more heavily armored resolutes to shore up the
front line. Outfitted in heavy steam-powered armor augmented
to shield them from unnatural threats, they carried oversized
cannons and blades. They were barely in position before there
came a strange sound like scraping metal. Amid a surge of heat
and darkness, a group of bulkier bipedal infernal creatures
rushed their position. They appeared akin to heavily armored
soldiers, except the armor was integrated into their bodies, and
their clawed arms were themselves like scything axes.
As tempted as Gabriel was to lose himself in the fight, wading in
with his own blade, he knew that was not his role. It was vital they
get a better sense of the overall situation and find some means to
regain the initiative. The most confusing aspect to Gabriel was
that the enemies seemed to be coming from the direction of Castle
Raelthorne itself, which made little sense. His mind struggled to
reconcile this with the knowledge that there should be no place
safer from such beings than the home of Cygnar’s king and
highest-ranking nobles. He could only hazard that the foe had
gained a foothold in the outer wards of the towering edifice,
which was now being used as a staging area for attacks into the
surroundings, perhaps intended to threaten the Sancteum itself.
A song like a tolling gong and then a deep-throated growl
warbled strangely as if harmonized through a pair of throats. A
hulking brute nearly ten feet tall emerged from the darkness and
crashed into the line of resolutes. It was difficult to make sense
of the creature, which scrambled on four spindly spider-like legs
but had a thickly muscled torso protected by segmented armor
plates, like chitin. Its wide arms ended in toothy maws instead
of hands. In a single powerful swing, this mouth-claw tore
through a resolute’s breastplate to feast on the flesh beneath,
swallowing anything it chewed to disappear into a void that
shimmered with radiant heat.
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 115
Several of the nearest vigilants fell back in panic, though the
slain resolute’s brothers-in-arms gave a battle yell and stood
firm, bringing blessed great swords to bear. The sound of long
gunner rifles increased in tempo as a hail of bullets impacted
the advancing horrors, doing little to slow them. Despite their
bravery, those at the vanguard buckled and were forced to fall
back, dragging the wounded with them.
A sudden light parted the darkness, and a heavy clanking noise
accompanied a shuddering of the ground beneath Gabriel’s
feet. With a shriek of venting steam, a familiar warjack barreled
into the largest horror, sending it crashing into the nearest wall
amid an explosion of shattered bricks and stone. The warjack
was adorned in gleaming silver and bronze, its sword blazing
cold blue, and the Morrowan symbol gleamed in several
places where it was inscribed on its armored hull. This was
Gallant, the blessed machine companion of Constance Blaize,
whose silhouette was ringed in light as she fought against the
horrors with shield and sword. Everywhere her sword struck,
light blazed. Infernal horrors caught in that light shrieked and
transformed to ash and smoke.
A number of other prominent figures stepped through the smoke
and moved to join the embattled Morrowans and garrison
soldiers. Gabriel’s eyes widened to see King Julius with them,
attired in armor and with the infamous Kingslayer sword in his
grip. With him came the former king, Leto Raelthorne, who was
also armed. Their escort was endeavoring to keep the royals at
a safe distance from the enemy, a challenging task given both
Leto and Julius were themselves focused on trying to safeguard
dozens of unarmed civilians.
Gabriel shouted to his men to rally and ordered an advance to
support the new arrivals. He spurred his horse forward and drew
his blade, striking at one of the heavy-set infernal bipeds whose
arm was like a living claymore. One of Leto’s Stormguard was
decapitated by another, and King Julius soon retaliated with a
heavy blow of his great sword. Leto pulled a well-dressed civilian
aside to skewer one of the flying horrors that had sought to lash
at him. The creature’s lengthy tongue wrapped around the blade
of his sword while seeking the former king’s hand, but then it
dissolved into greasy smoke.
A squad of Gabriel’s resolutes reached the royal line and in good
form assembled into a defensive line, backed by vigilants who
fired their blessed pistols between them. They managed to get
the refugees from the castle behind them and began to execute a
fighting withdrawal back to the barricades. Constance Blaize and
her warjacks—Gabriel could see she had a Defender and a Lancer
in addition to Gallant—remained at the fore, alert to intercept any
of the larger horrors.
“Grand Master Throne,” Leto greeted him, shouting over the din,
“it is good to see you here in our time of need.”
King Julius nodded his assent, breathing hard and looking haggard
and pale. He said, “Your men are a service to the kingdom.”
Gabriel tried to smile. “Thank you, Your Majesty. We assembled
as quickly as we could. There will be more knights sent from the
Sancteum as they are made ready. I must admit to being at a loss
RENDERED UNTO ASHES: PART II 115
5/23/19 7:28 PM
 as to the scope of this situation. Can you or one of your officers
fill me in on the status of Castle Raelthorne and its defenders?”
The king shared a grim look with his uncle. “The castle is lost.
There are likely still defenders fighting inside, cut off from us and
one another. We were only able to rescue a small portion of the
palace staff and inhabitants.”
Gabriel asked, “What of Princess Kaetlyn?” He knew the Llaelese
heir had been in their keeping.
“Thankfully, she wasn’t in the castle last night,” Julius answered.
“She has her own escort, and I’m hoping they’re keeping their
distance. Infernalists have opened a gateway inside the castle,
and from all signs it has remained open. There seems to be no end
of these creatures it is disgorging.”
It was as dire a pronouncement as Gabriel Throne could remember,
suggesting a disaster on a scale staggering in its implications.
It also defied everything he knew about the infernals and their
limited ability to exist on Caen. They should not have been
able to invade in such strength. It suggested infernalist ritual
collaboration on an unprecedented scale. And this implied a
critical failure by his order.
Leto could see the grand master struggling to absorb this
information. “We were betrayed by Orin Midwinter. That’s how
this was made possible, given he had direct oversight over the
castle’s mystical protections.”
Leto and Julius exchanged another look, and this time the king
looked down, his rage and humiliation at having been deceived
quite evident.
Gabriel had been among those many who had never trusted
Midwinter, given his background as an inquisitor, though the
man had managed a very convincing demeanor of having been
reformed. Gabriel did not think it fair to hold the king at fault for
this disaster. He said, “Our order inspected Midwinter’s earlier
repairs to the castle’s wards after that smaller infernal breach.
Nothing seemed amiss. Whatever means he employed for this, he
succeeded in fooling us all.”
Leto said, “We didn’t witness the gate directly, but from the
accounts of the Royal Guard, I believe it must be in the Sunbright
Garden. In the eastern courtyard.”
“We need to get to that gate and shut it down somehow. That is a
very bad sign.”
“Agreed,” said Julius. His tone and the way he gripped the hilt of
Kingslayer suggested he intended to rejoin the battle.
Gabriel spoke in a lower tone. “Your Majesty, your safety and that
of the other nobles you recovered are the priority. We cannot risk
your life. Word of the attack on the castle and its evacuation will
spread. It will be vital that the people know you made it out.”
Julius opened his mouth to object, but Leto touched his arm and
nodded to show his approval of the grand master’s caution,
though he also clearly would have preferred to remain and fight.
Gabriel beckoned to one of his lieutenants and directed him to
secure the royals and the civilians.
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Another half-armored noble approached as the royals were
about to depart, this one carrying a glowing storm glaive. He too
seemed disheveled and out of sorts, and it took a moment before
Gabriel recognized him.
“Warmaster Ebonhart,” he said, inclining his head. Though the
Order of Illumination did not answer to the Cygnaran Army chain
of command except during joint operations, he felt considerable
respect for Ebonhart, a former Stormblade who had spent the
majority of his life in military service. Soon after the crowning of
King Julius, he had been promoted to warmaster general.
The head of the Cygnaran Army returned Throne’s nod but
seemed distracted, apparently intent on reporting to the king.
King Julius halted at the sight of him. “What of the garrison? Are
they on the way?”
Ebonhart’s face was ashen. “No, Your Majesty. I’m afraid they are
not. The majority of the Second Army were recently sent to Eastwall,
without my permission. It would seem we are betrayed. Again.”
“How is this possible?” Julius and Leto said the same words
practically at the same time.
His voice thick with emotion, suggesting deep pain and also
disbelief, Ebonhart said, “They say it was General Runewood.
I cannot believe it. There must be some other explanation.
Regardless, we will be getting little help from that quarter.”
Cygnar’s warmaster general turned again to Gabriel Throne. “It
would appear the preservation of Caspia is in Morrow’s hands—
and yours, Grand Master.”
Near Tower Judgment, the Protectorate of Menoth
The great doors to the Factorium opened, letting in a gust of
desert wind, its howl signaling the tremendous sandstorm that
followed close behind. Nicia led the way, two dozen Daughters
of the Flame accompanying her through the immense threshold.
The massive entry fell into darkness as the doors closed, the gas
sconces arrayed along the walls of the hallway ahead providing
just enough illumination for the visitors to find their way.
“I’ve never been this close to Tower Judgment before.” Said
Avarra, a newer member of the order who, despite having suffered
great loss in her young life, always managed to retain a youthful
innocence about her. “They say that some of the Protectorate’s
worst criminals are imprisoned there.”
“Focus, Avarra. We are on a mission,” hissed Kelima, a more
senior and much less patient Daughter.
Nicia turned to order silence from the Daughters, but then she
heard another voice, its familiar warmth making her heart race,
though its whispered words were too faint to be understood.
“Heltus?” She called with a breath.
“Sister, are you all right?” asked Avarra.
Nicia did not answer. She must stay strong. The next few minutes
would determine if everything she had fought for—everything
she had sacrificed—over the last few months would be worth it.
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 They heard footsteps coming from farther ahead down the
dimly light passageway. It was a small group of Exemplar, fully
armored with their hands over their sheathed relic blades. A light
emanated from the group’s center, its warm glow a stark contrast
to the gloom of the hallway.

The knights parted to allow the adorned figure at the center

to step forward. Nicia saw that glow originated from his staff:
a beautifully ornate work of blessed mechanika, scriptures
blazoned around its haft while the Menofix at its head shone with
holy light. A fitting staff of authority for one of the most powerful
people in the Protectorate—Visgoth Ark Razek, overseer of the
Sul-Menite Artificers. Next to him stood an Exemplar warder,
whose heavier armor and consecrated shield suggested his duty
as Razek’s guardian.

Nicia and her Daughters bowed to show deference to the visgoth, the
soft clanging of shifting metal armor signifying that the Exemplar
were showing similar respect to the senior priest in their care.

The visgoth’s gold-and-iron mask hid his features, but his voice
carried a note of annoyance. “Where is the Priestess of the Flame?
I was told she would be here.”

Nicia stepped forward and knelt at the feet of the visgoth. “She
sends her apologies, Your Grace, but unforeseen matters forced
her to remain in Imer. We are here to oversee the warjack shipment
in her stead.”

“A shame. I would have had words with the priestess,” said

Razek. “Very well. This is High Artificer Alscher, my senior vassal
and personal administrator. He will see to your logistical needs.”

From behind the visgoth stepped Alscher, who wore simple clean
robes of better quality than Nicia had seen on a Vassal of Menoth.
His mask was gold plated, with minor ornate patterns inscribed
on it to signify his higher station. He also wore the heavy collar
and chains of the slave-wizards of his order. He said nothing but
inclined his head obediently.
As the visgoth turned to leave, Nicia said, “Just one more thing,
Your Eminence. I must apologize.”
Visgoth Razek turned once again and looked down at the kneeling
Nicia. “Apologize for what, my child?”
Nicia felt doubt. She could still turn back. Then, she heard Heltus’
voice in her ear, as if he were standing at her shoulder. Just one
more step, my love. Then all will be well. This is the cost.
desired effect of providing a moment of stunned inaction from
both the visgoth and his Exemplars. This gave Nicia and her
accomplices the initiative.
“W-what have you—?” began Razek.
Nicia felt the remaining nine Daughters leap past her in perfect
coordination—just as planned—to beset the knights as they drew
their relic blades. Nicia advanced, aiming her sword-cannon directly
at the visgoth. Before she could fire, the warder moved to intercept
her shot while his blessed halberd struck with whirling speed.
Nicia dodged the blow, twisting in mid-air while counter-
attacking, her strikes with her oversized blade setting off sparks
against the warder’s heavy shield. Nicia had no doubt she could
defeat the warder, but she had no time for a duel.

Hearing the voice of her beloved, Nicia would never again be The air shifted, and a blast of arcane energy struck the warder’s
plagued by doubt. back, tearing through his armor and knocking him prone. Both
Nicia and the visgoth turned to face High Artificer Alscher, whose
“For this,” she said, as she raised her left hand, palm up. A signal
hands continued to glow as he drew in more arcane power for a
to those behind her.
second magical attack.
She heard Avarra’s surprised grunt, followed by a wet gurgle
“Alscher!” cried Razek, his disbelief giving way to rage.
as Kelima’s blades pierced her back. Two other Daughters also
choked on their own blood as their sisters cut them down. The warder’s faith and resolve allowed him to survive the
blast. Obviously dazed, he began to stand, turning to protect
Nicia regretted their deaths, but those women had not loved
his visgoth. His loyalty, she knew, would be his undoing. Nicia
their fallen loved ones enough to make the necessary bargains.
aimed her sword-cannon at the back of his head and fired, leaving
They lacked resolve. Still, she honored their sacrifice by making
her free to join Alscher in facing off against the visgoth.
their deaths swift and useful; the bloody murders had the

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 “In your haste to betray me, you forget you face a true servant of
the Lawbringer!” screamed Razek.
He held his hand palm out and spoke a word in ancient Caspian.
The collar and chains around Alscher ignited with a fiery light. The
artificer was brought to his knees by searing pain, extinguishing
his arcane energies. Ark Razek turned his attention to Nicia and
her five remaining Daughters, who were facing off against the last
knights Exemplar. Both sides had suffered losses.
Razek glared at her. “Was this treason commanded by your
Priestess of the Flame?”
“I do not owe you an explanation, Your Grace,” said Nicia. “I
serve a higher cause.”
The visgoth’s mechanikal staff ignited in holy fire, which he
directed at her. Nicia barely dodged the wave of flame, its
heat stealing the breath from her lungs. Seeing her peril, three
Daughters broke away to lunge at the visgoth, their blades
whirling in their hands, but their attacks failed to pierce a glowing
barrier that now surrounded him.
The visgoth pointed his staff toward them and unleashed another
wave of divine flame. In a breath, they were turned to ash and cinder.
A shot Nicia fired at his chest from her cannon also failed to penetrate.
She would not be deterred. Her blade was a blur of motion as she
spun in the air, bringing her blade down for a killing blow. But
Razek showed his skill and reflexes by bringing his staff up to
intercept, the blazing Menofix mere inches from her face.
“It is time to end this,” he said. “A shame your death will be so swift.”
Nicia felt a wave of resentment and bitterness at the thought of
Heltus witnessing her defeat, after having gone to such lengths.
Then she heard the rattling of chains—and the light from the
Menofix was suddenly snuffed out. Razek went down on a knee,
one hand still grasping his staff that had been pulled tight against
his own throat by a blazing chain, his other hand raking uselessly
behind him toward his attacker. Alscher leaned behind him, his
chains choking his former master in a deadly embrace.
“For nearly twenty years you used our passions, our craft, our
gifts to elevate yourself,” Alscher said, his grip tightening around
the chains at the visgoth’s throat. “We were your pampered slaves,
used to build your war machines, all in service of a cruel god.”
Visgoth Razek struggled. It seemed for a moment he might pull
Alscher off of him, but the artificer kept hold.
“What’s that, Your Eminence?” he hissed. “Are you praying?
Menoth cannot hear your words. As you die, rest assured, darker
gods heard my prayers.”
After a few final moments, the priest stopped struggling, his
hands going slack, the glow of the chains fading with his life.
Alscher quickly removed keys from the visgoth’s corpse and
unlocked his collar and manacles, which had left hideous blisters
and burns around the artificer’s neck and arms. He whispered,
“I’m free. I’m finally free, you bastard.”
Nicia stood beside the artificer. “Is your bargain satisfied?”
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“More than you can know.” Alscher removed his own gold-plated
mask.
He turned to face Nicia and the surviving Daughters, then called
out to the darkness behind him. Several other vassals approached,
many of them covered in blood and some visibly wounded.
Nicia asked, “Is the complex secured?”
“Yes,” said the younger vassal, his eyes fixed on the visgoth’s
corpse. “Your sisters coming through the access tunnels made
short work of the rest of the Factorium’s guards. We have begun
adding the final sigils and glyphs in the main hall, as instructed.”
“Good,” said Nicia. She turned to Alscher. “Where is the gate?”
“We used the fabrication framing for a prototype colossal. Its size
and scope seemed adequate.”
“Very well. Let us move on.”
“One moment.” Alscher unwrapped a bundle he extracted from a
satchel at his side—some sort of apparatus. “Killing the visgoth is one
thing, but I will not allow his soul to go to its reward in the City of Man
in Urcaen. I was able to construct something special for this occasion.”
Nicia’s stomach twisted with disgust. “Is that a soul cage?”
“It serves the same function,” said Alscher. As he activated the
device, an ethereal glow emitted onto the body of Razek. A
burning orb of light became visible over the dead man—his soul,
its glow reminiscent of the light in his staff—that was promptly
pulled into the mechanism. Alscher closed the device and said to
it, “You will never know peace. Never.”
Nicia could hear the sandstorm reach the compound in earnest,
the entryway behind them shaking with the fury of the sand
and wind.
A sudden explosion from the entryway shook the entire Factorium.
Moments later, wind and sand flew down the hallway, the force of
it nearly knocking Nicia down. The winds suddenly died down
enough for her to open her eyes. She saw Alscher screaming in
pain, the soul cage in his arms glowing brightly like the chains
that had bound him before. The soul cage twisted and warped
itself, exploding into flame, sending the visgoth’s soul rushing
against the wind of the storm toward the entranceway.
Nicia felt the heat coming from down the corridor, followed by a
flooding light that was nearly blinding. The howling of the wind
was drowned out by a sound akin to a holy choir—voices singing
praises to the Creator from nowhere and everywhere. The light
coalesced into a being of pure fire and steel, a pair of flaming
wings spread to either side. In one hand it held a flail, in the other
a flaming sword, and by its armored breast rested the soul of the
fallen visgoth. The being floated toward the group; Nicia could
feel its wrath and fury, though its visage was only shapeless fire.
She turned to Alscher. “Take your vassals and get to work
finishing that portal! Now!”
Alscher began to move. “What will you do?”
“Whatever I must,” she said as she faced—weapon drawn—the
divine manifestation of the god she had once worshiped.
5/23/19 7:28 PM
 Northern Wyrmwall Mountains
The Iron Mother Directrix shone in silver and steel as she surveyed
her domain deep within the gleaming heart of the Temple of the
Prime Harmonic. Around her were an array of advanced apparatus
by which she could oversee the priority projects of the far-flung
machine cult. Servitors moved busily around Directrix, as did the
spiderlike forms of other powerful members of the clergy who
had earned the right to transcend their old bodies and take on
clockwork forms. She was eager to return to the battlefield and
had nearly finished assembling a new army for the next phase.
Yet, as much as she savored combat, she also took considerable
enjoyment in these moments within the Temple when she could
orchestrate the Convergence as a single vast instrument.
Her serenity as she contemplated her next moves was sharply
interrupted by a familiar source of turmoil: her daughter Aurora.
“There is an urgent matter of which you must be made aware,”
Aurora said as she glided into the chamber, freed from the
constraints of gravity.
“There are always urgent matters requiring my attention. It is the
nature of my position and its accompanying responsibilities.”
Despite her words, she turned to face Aurora, focusing her
attention more completely upon this creature of flesh and blood,
one that had once been a part of her, strange as that concept felt
to her now.
“There is a hermit who may be a prophet. He seeks to speak with
you. He is waiting outside the entrance of this temple,” Aurora
said. “An aged Iosan who should not even know of its existence.
Who should not know many things that he does. The matters of
which he speaks cannot be ignored, however peculiar the source.”
“He is known to me. I have chosen to be merciful and not have
him killed. If he does not soon depart, that will be corrected. He is
flawed data. An error, and nothing more.”
Aurora stared at her for several long moments, clearly struggling
to control some inner turmoil. Despite her efforts, the emotions
were clearly writ upon her features, an unpleasantness that
Directrix took as a personal failing.
Her daughter’s next words were delivered in a tone that suggested
an effort to convey deference and respect. “He knows mysteries
ordinarily reserved for the clergy. He spoke of a revelation that
was only recently deciphered after extensive work by dozens of
our best minds analyzing the output of the Cipher Engine. This
revelation has a number of the fluxions alarmed, and I am told
you have ignored it. Even the Constellation is speaking of this
matter. I believe we ignore this at our peril.”
“Do you question my leadership?” Directrix modulated her
voice such that the question carried no particular weight. “In just
two years, I will be replaced. At that time, you can all assess my
effectiveness.”
“I only seek to understand,” Aurora said through gritted teeth.
“It would seem a threat has arisen of a nature we cannot dismiss.
One that could unravel all our work. We must adjust our plans
and intervene as a corrective measure. Already the geomantic
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 119
network shudders and shifts in response. Our nodes are potentially
imperiled. We need to find out more. Why not take what
information we can from this hermit, given he appears to have
unusual insights? We can test and evaluate everything he says.”
Directrix stepped closer to her daughter, her eyes narrowing. The
blades along her cloak snapped and flexed, an outward display
of an inner agitation. Only Aurora could provoke her this way.
Only she dared.
“This hermit is a deceiver and a threat to the Great Work. He would
derail all that we have set in motion. I have two years left, no more.
The Great Work should have been completed by now. Cyriss should
be with us.” Aurora was visibly annoyed, but Directrix continued.
“Every day, every week, is precious. Yes, perhaps a new threat
has arisen to menace humanity. They do not matter. Such people
were always going to be an impediment to completing our tasks.
We have kept casualties minimized where possible, aware that
among the masses there are a few minds worthy of preservation
and inclusion. They are a tiny minority. If this new adversary does
us the favor of removing our obstacles and culling the weak, I will
not stand in their way. Neither will you.”
“This is a mistake,” Aurora said, her voice angry again. “A critical
one. Our origins are rooted in humanity. Those we recruit to join
us are found by filtering the best minds among them. If we allow
humanity to be destroyed, it is severing our own growth. The
Great Work must adapt. I must bring this matter before Father
Lucant. I had hoped for your permission, so that we could be
together in this.”
The Iron Mother glared back at her progeny. “You are to do no
such thing. It is I who command, not Lucant. You will not heed
the words of this liar over mine.”
“Is he a liar?” she asked. “I must admit, when I began to talk to
him, I thought the same. I thought him a charlatan, but he has
proven not to be. Nearly all of what he has told me has been
demonstrably true.”
“Nearly all? It is in small deceptions that his true agenda is revealed.”
Aurora said, “There was one thing he told me I did not believe
and felt for certain a manipulation, at least at first. As the other
matters have been proven out, I have begun to wonder.”
She was staring at Directrix intently with a focused and probing
look. “He told me that Sebastian Nemo was my father. And that
his mind holds a key, and upon its recovery hinges all of our fates.”
Directrix froze and stared back at her daughter, become cold and
utterly a machine. She was pleased at her own ability to reveal
none of her surprise. She said calmly, “You have no father. This is
an attempt at manipulation, as you surmised. He is a puppeteer.
Do not let him pull your strings.”
But Aurora’s eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed as she looked
at her mother. Against all logic, it seemed she had arrived at the
opposite conclusion.
“It’s all true, isn’t it?” she whispered as if amazed. Then she
turned and flew swiftly in the opposite direction toward the
chamber’s exit.
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 “Aurora! Return at once. That is an order!”
Her daughter did not obey.
In that moment, the Iron Mother found herself unwilling to resort
to violence to enforce her command. She felt a number of strong
emotions, despite herself, but her decision to let Aurora go was
a calculated one. Though incensed at the defiance, a calmer part
of her mind considered that this might present a way to succeed
where they had once failed.
To bring a great and stubborn mind into the fold.
chest after intercepting the horror Blaize was defending against.
The warcaster was forced to take several steps back; Glynn could
see streaks of blood down her face, as well as spattering across
her armor. It was unclear how much of that was her own or shed
by other pious Morrowans killed defending her.
“Look out!” Glynn shouted as something from above them
descended, a black sword in hand. An assassin that had been
lurking along the upper ramparts of the castle’s main entryway.
Glynn moved to safeguard Blaize and take the brunt of the attack,
even knowing the warcaster was more capable of surviving such
a strike than she was.

Caspia Even as she braced against what might be a fatal blow, the figure’s
sword sank instead into the infernal horror, driven through it by
Illuminated One Glynn Cormier had quickly decided that the best the momentum of the fall. The sword was limned with reddish
service she could provide in this battle was to watch Constance flames and the figure attired in black, wearing a hood that fell back
Blaize’s back and ensure that none of their horrific enemies to reveal raven hair as she landed. The horror staggered under
flanked the warcaster. Given the foe sometimes manifested the blow then collapsed, howling as it turned to ash. Unlike the
without warning from anywhere, this had proven to be prudent. other horrors they had vanquished, however, something different
One of the armored infernal foot soldiers coalesced out of smoke transpired on its expiration. Rather than dispersing into so much
directly behind the warcaster, and she struck, her sword glowing smoke, its disintegrated essence swept into a swirling cyclone
with holy light. She fired her pistol at another approaching from that was devoured by the black sword.
the right. She shared a quick look with Blaize, who nodded
thanks before turning and raising her shield against the charge of
a greater horror rushing her. The massive brute had just toppled
her Lancer. The machine’s eyes were still lit, and it struggled to
pull itself closer to the nearest foe with its spear, but its legs were
shattered. Blaize still managed to exploit its arc node to send
an explosion of light into several of the floating lesser infernals
closing on her Precursor knights.

Glynn was filled with admiration for the Knight of the Prophet,
without whom she was certain the battle would already have been
lost. They would never have been able to press their advance past
the castle’s entryway without her, though they had since been
beset by a second wave of fresh infernal horrors.

Only a handful of their vigilants and Precursor Knights endured.

They now sought shelter behind a fallen column. They could
hear the sounds of fighting all around and behind them. In an
attempt to reach the gateway, they pressed on despite having
outpaced their supporting soldiers. There was a sense of urgency,
as they could not hope to gain ground on the foe so long as the
infernal gateway was open. Their numbers diminished while the
infernals increased. Glynn had begun to despair every time one
of her comrades in arms fell. They did not have the manpower
for such tactics.

The grand master had managed to get word to the Cygnaran Army
mechaniks to hasten to the castle with every functional warjack
they could muster—machines either intended to be shipped
north to the ongoing war in Llael or set aside to be repaired and
rearmed. Several of these machines had arrived just in time to
replace downed machines in the warcaster’s ill-fated battlegroup.
Of her original machines, Gallant alone still endured, but it had
been badly battered and walked with a limp, its engine struggling.
The beleaguered machine took another punishing blow to its

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 Looking upon its black naked blade, Glynn felt a shudder through
her body and a sharp pain in her mind that felt like it came straight
through her eyes. She had an instant of recognition during which
her own sword’s white light guttered. It was the Witchfire.
“Alexia!” She spat it like a curse, recognizing one of the most infamous
foes of the Order of Illumination. “Get back, bride of darkness!”
She advanced, gripping her sword with both hands and moving
between Alexia and Constance Blaize. She felt certain the
warcaster must be the soul-stealing sword’s next intended victim.
Alexia glared back. Her eyes were wild, as if lit within by the
same unnatural fire that danced along her blade’s edge.
The Witchfire was a relic of such power that it was said to have
been the instrument in the ascension of the scion of necromancy,
and it would seem that infernal horrors were also not immune
to its power. Though Glynn Cormier had not been among any of
the several teams of Illuminated Ones who had been undone by
Alexia over the years, she had heard the stories. It was said that
Alexia was insane and also that she shared her mind with souls
stolen and preserved by the Witchfire, struggling over control of
her consciousness, and by extension, her necromantic magic.
Whatever her mental state, no matter how perilous her sorcery,
it was the Witchfire itself that was the true danger, a source of
seemingly unending black magic. The sword was a font of unholy
energies that could defile any corpse within reach, barring only
those that had been thoroughly consecrated. Almost a decade
ago, the Church of Morrow had managed to secure the blade and
had intended to seal it away out of reach of mortal hands, but
Alexia had stolen it back and had thwarted them at every turn.
“She is not your foe, Cormier! Stand down!” This demand came
from a strong and familiar male voice shouting from above. Another
figure leapt down, aided by a thin rope held in one gloved hand.
He was garbed in the uniform of the Order of Illumination, though
in a style now slightly out of date, reminiscent of the witch hunts
of two decades ago. His other hand gripped a heavy quad-barrel
pistol, with which he fired as he descended, striking the nearest
infernal brutes squared off against the remaining Precursors.
This was Harlan Versh, a man who had also been an Illuminated
One in his day, though he had been exiled and gone rogue
some years ago, accused of disobeying the order’s leadership
and conducting improper executions. Seeing the man here, and
apparently fighting alongside Alexia, was quite a shock. For all
his faults, Versh was a zealot, a man who had continued to fight
the forces of darkness even when left with no support or resources
from the order to which he had once belonged.
“What are you doing here, Versh?” she demanded. Several of the
nearest vigilants had drawn their own pistols and were looking
between Cormier and Alexia, clearly on edge and sharing her
confusion. They looked to Blaize for guidance, but the warcaster
was herself looking to Cormier.
“This is your call, Illuminated One,” she said.
Versh shook his head. “We are here to help. Stopping the infernals
is our only goal. Alexia is my ally in this. I have reason to believe
she can close the gate, if we can get her close enough.”
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 121
Glynn glanced around, seeking the grand master, but he was not
in sight, having been drawn off to one of the adjoining corridors
amid the larger fight. Turning back, she saw Alexia watching her.
Glynn knew more infernals would be upon them soon; they could
not afford to stand idle. “You trust her? She has killed many of
our brothers and sisters.”
“They sought to take what was mine,” Alexia interjected. “We are
now at truce. You cannot afford to do this on your own. I have
brought reinforcements.”
Alexia raised the black sword over her head and was herself
surrounded by a sheet of the same flickering flame. They heard the
marching of what sounded like thousands of boots—and through
the entryway they had fought to secure marched a disciplined
procession of undead soldiers. Though their heads and arms were
skeletal, a gleaming light glowed within the orbs of the sockets in
their skulls, and they possessed none of the malevolence of wraiths
or thralls. They marched in time with one another like an army on
parade, each weapon held scrupulously at the same angle.
“Versh, you would have us consort with the undead?” Glynn
asked incredulously.
“These are not undead as we know them,” Versh answered,
looking her in the eye. “This is the Legion of Lost Souls. They are
holy revenants, entombed by Morrow and his Host of Archons
three hundred years ago. Safeguarded for a time when they would
be needed to rise against the darkness. It was they who saved
Corvis almost a decade ago, but that was not the true darkness
they awaited. It is here now.”
Glynn could recognize the sigils on the armor of the new arrivals,
and she had no choice but to believe. Each was attired in ancient
armor, armed in the style of the lost Eternals, a devout force that
had once fought alongside the Cygnaran Army. She said, “Very
well. A truce.”
Additional hook-clawed infernals arrived from the shadows
amid otherworldly howls and rushed to slay the living. They
were met by the spectral horde, which rallied against them and
shouted battle cries in the name of Cygnar and Morrow. Strange
as the sight was, it bolstered those present, and the Precursors
and soldiers of the Order of Illumination, exhausted though they
were, went to fight alongside them.
Constance Blaize, with Gallant at her side, turned to face Alexia,
then looking between Harlan Versh and Glynn Cormier. She said,
“We will try to buy you time to get to the gate. We must hurry.”
♦♦♦
Alexia and the pair of Illuminated Ones had climbed again to the
upper level while fighting continued at a greater fever pitch below
them. The haggard but reinforced Morrowans fought through
the outer halls of the castle in haste, leaving the dead and fallen
as they went, pressing on to the eastern courtyard. The trio was
above them, scrambling along narrower battlement walkways and
across segments of the castle’s exterior surfaces. Both Illuminated
Ones could not resist occasionally shooting their blessed pistols
in support of those below, finishing off wounded infernals. Alexia
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 also sent blazing green hellfire down onto the foe, though for the
moment she was too distracted to focus on such magic, gritting
her teeth against the bickering voices in her mind.
You are making promises you do not know you can keep, Lexaria said
sternly. This was the voice of Alexia’s mother, critical as always.
Let her be, said Hestaris, another of the doomed coven whose
souls had been bound to Alexia’s own. She is trying her best. What
else should she do?
Trying her best? We’re heading toward an infernal gate. None of us
knows how to close one of those.
“The Witchfire can do it,” Alexia hissed at them irritably, only
realizing she had spoken aloud when Glynn Cormier shot her an
alarmed glance. Closing her mouth, she said in her mind, I do not
know exactly how yet, but it is possible. I am certain.
It would be easier, said Yasmina, another bodiless covener, in a
more soothing voice, if you would allow us to help with the sword.
Ease your burden. You should not keep its powers to yourself.
I’m sure you would like that, she answered sharply. Now, be silent.
We are nearly there.
Clambering over another battlement, they were able to look
down upon what had once been a beautiful garden inside a large
courtyard within Castle Raelthorne. Now it was a pit of shadows,
smoke, and madness. It was difficult to make sense of what
her eyes perceived below, viewed through a warped haze and
obscured by pockets of living darkness broken up by patches of
orange and yellow light reminiscent of lava. Myriad forms of all
shapes and sizes were gathered below, including robed humans
that had to be infernalist cultists. They provided a sense of scale
for the much larger infernals with them.
Despite the haze, the gateway was clear to see, looming above
and dominating the scene on one end of the twisted garden. What
looked to be rippling black water was stretched between two
rune-inscribed stone pillars marked in red glyphs. The gateway.
As she watched, several more horrors stepped through.
They walked toward an impossibly tall and elegant-looking entity
draped in black robes and carrying an ornate book and scroll
instead of weapons. While its upper body seemed humanoid,
and a white face stared out from below its hood, its lower torso
dissolved into smoky darkness in a fashion not unlike Cryxian
banes. This being was involved in a mystical ritual, its hands
moving in precise patterns, its attention focused on the gateway,
though it turned to face one of the nearest entrances at the sounds
of fighting.
Gunfire erupted, including the distinct noise of a spun-up
chaingun and the clank of warjack firing mechanisms. A Sentinel
and Charger rushed into the courtyard, firing at the nearest
infernal brutes. Yelling battle cries, soldiers of both the Order
of Illumination and the Legion of Lost Souls came charging in
behind them, led by Constance Blaize and Gabriel Throne.
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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 122
It was an impressive entrance, but the attacking forces looked
feeble and insignificant against the horde filling the courtyard.
Each infernal creature was a living nightmare. There were
slender ones that crawled forward on clawed limbs, each as
tall as a man and sharpened to a point. One managed to pierce
a Precursor Knight through the chest with one of these bladed
limbs before unrolling a thorny tongue from its yawning mouth
to tear the skin off his face. Others floated like squids through
the air, tentacles trailing behind them. One of these glowed with
red light as a vortex of blackened energy appeared to pull several
vigilants together before exploding to shred them apart. Alexia
sensed the origin of all the powerful magic flowing through this
place was the tall and slender humanoid infernal remaining near
the gateway. As runic symbols flickered into being around it in
a dizzying sequence, she perceived its arcane strength was far
beyond that of any mortal she had faced.
Flee from this place! We should not be here! This was the moaning
voice of Kathayn, the meekest of the coveners in Alexia’s mind.
She was swiftly suppressed and smothered by the others.
Alexia ignored the voice and nodded to Versh, who had holstered
his pistol and shrugged a coil of rope off his shoulder. He began
spinning a grappling hook attached to its end and then let fly
with an expert toss to send it over the closest side of the stone-like
pillars that served as an archway for the infernal gate. The hook
bit into a wooden beam behind it and stuck fast. He tied off the
other end to a nearby chimney.
“We’ll cover you,” Cormier said as both Illuminated Ones readied
their pistols.
“You had best strike now,” Versh said, “while the infernal curator
has its eyes elsewhere.”
Alexia and Versh shared a brief look, and Alexia discovered she
felt a confusing blend of emotions. She could not view Versh as
a friend, given the unlikely way they had become allies in this,
yet they had found a way to work together surprisingly well
after a rough beginning. They had tried to kill each other several
times, though it was now hard for Alexia to remember the exact
sequence of events. Yet she felt certain a part of him still wanted
her dead. She would never have guessed she might one day risk
her life, as well as her entire quest to restore her mother, for Castle
Raelthorne. For Caspia.
She gripped the rope in one gloved hand and held the hilt of the
long black sword in the other as she readied to make her move.
She considered what would befall everyone if she did as Kathayn
desired—if she turned and fled. It was tempting. Why risk herself
and her mother? She could not explain it rationally. She did not
care for any of these people, not really, nor this city.
But with the Witchfire in her hand, she felt glorious cold power
flow through her, a strength that refused to be daunted. Though
she had resisted the urge to consider it a thinking being, the
Witchfire did seem to have a will. It felt eager to plunge into that
courtyard below. It had thrummed in her hand when she had
pierced the infernal horror earlier. The sword savored slaying
mages and stealing their souls; this was a similar hunger but even
greater. It was as if she had not known she was starving until she
5/23/19 7:28 PM
 tasted the flesh of her favored prey. The gateway yawning below he wished she had waited until his own forces had pressed their
her aroused in her a disembodied anger that was not entirely way deeper into the courtyard. She was surrounded and cut off.
her own. Was she the wielder or the one wielded? She was not He shouted to Constance Blaize. “We need to get up there!”
entirely sure but decided it did not matter.
He parried the clawed arm of the nearest infernal brute and
She leapt and slid down the rope, heading straight for the retaliated with a downward cleaving blow of his sword that sunk
rippling surface of the gate. Bullets whizzed by her to impact into its chest. He urged his horse forward, using its mass to push
the infernals nearest its arches. Several of these bullets came a the foe aside even before it began to disintegrate. Blaize was
bit close for comfort. fighting next to him, and she redoubled her efforts to clear the
foe, sending Gallant recklessly forward.
Are you sure they aren’t trying to hit you? Lexaria asked, but Alexia
ignored her mother’s voice. A disturbance at the gate caught his attention. He saw the black
rippling surface of the portal split as something huge and terrifying
She released the rope as she neared the lowest point in its curved
stepped through. His mind quailed at the sight of it—he felt his
arc and took the Witchfire in both hands, striking deeply into
eyes sliding from it, as though refusing to confront it directly.
the pool of blackness as if it were the flesh of a foe. The blade
The new figure was a broad, armored form wearing a dark metal
pierced the darkness without resistance as her feet hit the ground,
helmet adorned with bladed spikes, the curve slits in its visage
and she nearly fell through the portal, stumbling instead to her
glowing bright red. Its lower quarters swirled into seething smoke
knees. There was a moment of muffled silence, as if cotton had
that simmered with flickers of red and orange as if lit on fire. In
been crammed into her ears, then the hilt vibrated violently. A
each of its oversized hands, it held lengths of chain from which
blast of cold and heat threw her backward. A piercing jolt of pain
bladed weights dangled, each as large as a man’s torso.
shot through her arm and then through her mind. She managed
to retain hold of the hilt but was cast back several yards from the Constance Blaize impaled one of the last brutes that stood in
gateway, feeling dazed. Gabriel’s way, and he spurred his horse, prompting it to leap
ahead, taking him in a headlong lunge toward the infernal
Even as she struggled to regain her feet, she could see the black
juggernaut. He raised his blade to strike at the newly arrived
surface was still there—the gate remained open. She heard
monstrosity, giving a bellowing cry. But it moved more swiftly
familiar voices screaming in pain. It took a moment to realize they
than he would have thought possible.
weren’t in her head.
Before his strike could land, the massive head of one of its
Looking up in alarm, she saw ghostly howling spectral spheres
chained flails crashed into his chest with enough impact to knock
swirling in a wide orbit around her, still tethered to her by thin
him from his steed. The grand master was sent tumbling off into
and fragile strands of spiritual energy. It was her mother and
a thorny hedge. He groaned in pain as he groped with his hand
the coveners, apparently knocked free from her body. Alexia
to find purchase enough to get back to his feet. The wind was
felt a strange and dull pain deep within, as if her own soul
knocked from him, though he thought his breastplate had held,
fought to stay anchored. She looked for Versh and Cormier
preventing his ribs from being shattered. He emerged in time to
to see if they had witnessed her plight, but they had also
see the juggernaut’s next swing headed straight for Constance,
made their descent and were occupied clashing with horrors
but Gallant was in motion and managed to intercept, enduring
defending the infernal curator.
an armor-crumpling impact that tore open its torso and drove
The wielder of the Witchfire heard a strange sound, like a rattling the machine to its knees. A follow-up blow hit the Knight of the
exhalation, and turned to see a Soul Stalker had been attracted to Prophet’s shield and tore it from her grasp as it sent her stumbling
her plight. The serpentine horror swam through the air in sinuous back. They had yet to so much as scratch the towering creature.
coiling motions. Lengths of grotesque tentacles that emitted streaks
The infernal master seemed like death incarnate, seething with
of darkness twitched along its back and others protruded like
red smoke and malice. Blaize gave out a cry and raised her
feelers from its mouth, reaching for the souls streaking through
bladed spear toward the sky as she unleashed a huge pulse of
the air. The fiend seized Yasmina and pulled her essence into itself,
holy light, one that seemed to take every last remaining scrap of
looping toward Alexia as it gathered Hestaris and began to close on
her own strength. But if she had been seeking to blind the infernal
Lexaria. They shrieked in pain, pain Alexia felt as well.
juggernaut bearing down on her, it seemed as though this effort
She tightened her grip on the Witchfire and sought to harness its had failed—it continued undaunted.
power with her necromancy to resist, to draw the coveners’ souls
Then from the pool of light Constance had created, something else
back. With great effort of will, she was able to keep her mother’s
stepped into the world. An angelic armored figure that soared
soul from being swallowed, but just barely. The others were being
forward to clash with the infernal, bringing searing light against
inexorably drawn into its tentacled maw.
its darkness. In a moment, Gabriel realized that not one angelic
form had arrived but two. From the deep shadows projected by
♦♦♦
the burst of light stepped another figure, a dark angel in black
armor, wielding a slender bow. He knew at once what they were:
Gabriel Throne cursed under his breath as he saw Alexia’s
holy emissaries of the Twins, Morrow and Thamar.
failed strike on the gate and then watched her assailed by the
Soul Stalker. She had bravely struck at the heart of the foe, but
♦♦♦

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 The pain Alexia felt within worsened, joined by a sharper,
splitting ache in her head. It felt as though her soul was tearing
from her body to join the others. The Soul Stalker coiled about
her like a constricting serpent, darkness oozing from its tentacles
and slathering mouth. She could hear her mother screaming but
could not discern the words. Time seemed to slow, and it felt as
though Alexia was taken outside her body to look down upon
herself as the Stalker succeeded in pulling loose that which had
been anchored to her flesh. She watched as her own soul was
encircled by one of its tentacles and pulled toward its fanged
mouth. Alexia felt paralyzed at the sight of her immortal essence
being devoured.
From the periphery of her vision, Alexia was aware of the
desperate charge of Gabriel Throne and Constance Blaize. She
was herself nearly blinded by the blast of light the warcaster
emitted, during which the Soul Stalker’s constrictive clench
loosened just briefly, giving her body a chance to gasp for breath.
Even as disjointed and disconnected as she felt, Alexia marveled
at the unexpected miracle of the arrival of the paired archons, one
light and one dark.
Yet a cynical part of her mind reflected that it was Blaize and
Throne these figures would save, not her. It was too late. Her soul
was torn loose and about to be swallowed. She could anticipate
the serpentine horror flicking its tail and darting back through the
yawning portal, taking Alexia, her mother, and the other coveners
and adding them to a vast harvest. Despite this presentiment, she
felt transfixed by the sight of the light and dark archons, joined
now against a shared foe.
Selfishness and sacrifice. The virtues of the Twins she felt were
manifest in her own being.
She would not surrender her soul. She would not become a coin of an
infernal treasury. She would rather die. Though separated from her
body, she could still move, still act. Her hand gripped the Witchfire,
which blazed with unholy fire. It was a tool made to divide souls
from flesh, to tear the cords connecting souls to Urcaen. It was a
greedy and selfish blade. She knew what she must do.
In the Stalker’s momentarily loosened grip, Alexia’s arm holding
the Witchfire slipped free. She switched her grip to seize the blade
itself, down from the hilt, allowing her to maneuver the point
closer to herself, setting it against the hide of the Stalker. She took
hold of the blade in both hands, drawing on her magic to assist,
and then pulled the point inward into the Stalker. It shrieked, and
she reached out again to grab farther back along the blade, closer
to the crossguard, driving it inward again, deeper. The Witchfire
pierced the Soul Stalker and then went through and into her own
midsection. She felt the heat and cold of the blade as it drove
through her, and she watched from above as her soul was yanked
from the Stalker’s grasp, seized by the Witchfire. There was a
pulse of dark fire. The Stalker exploded into swirling smoke that
the black sword quickly swallowed. With it came all of the souls
it had seized—Lexaria, Kathayn, Hestaris, Yasmina, and many
others she did not yet know.
124 RENDERED UNTO ASHES: PART II
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 124
Souls swept into the Witchfire and the blade awakened with a
pulse of pure black power, seeking to channel the energy of
these souls into its wielder, creating a Mobius loop of infinite
impossibilities. The sword became a conduit, stealing that which it
already possessed, giving strength to that which it also destroyed.
Alexia’s soul vanished into the black metal, swallowed and also
safeguarded, becoming one with the blade. And as this happened
it also unlocked in her mind a more complete understanding.
Necromantic power reinvigorated her dying flesh and closed her
wound even as she extracted the sword from her torso.
Death was denied.
A spiral of darkness surrounded her, but she could see clearly
through it. She could see the infernal gateway with fresh eyes,
now that her soul was no longer in her body. There she saw the
energy that poured from one side to the other, extending from
beyond Urcaen, entering through a crack created by an invitation
offered amid a tide of blood and souls. She saw how similar this
stream was to the smaller thread that connected a living soul to
Urcaen, a tether that would pull a soul into the realm of the dead
once its body was gone. The Witchfire could sever such cords.
Once again watching from outside her body, ignoring the
frightened questions of her mother and the others joined to her,
she drove the Witchfire into the gate. This time she did not strike
the rippling black portal through which the infernals had come,
as she had before. Rather, she struck the carved pillar on one side,
at a place near the center where the runes began, where the energy
of summoning was knotted. There was a sound like shattering
glass and breaking stone. She twisted the sword, and the stone
shattered. The black liquid of the portal also broke and scattered
like droplets of mercury.
♦♦♦
A tempestuous wind swept through the garden followed by
another howl, this one indignant. Glynn Cormier gasped to
witness the infernal horrors and soldiers begin to shred apart and
disintegrate into ashen smoke, as if of their own accord. Across
the battlefield, the dozens of surviving Order of Illumination
soldiers staggered and stepped back, looking on as their enemies
vanished before their eyes. It took her a moment to realize the
black portal had vanished.
She felt a rush of relief, a heartfelt prayer to the Prophet on her
lips—until a large figure flew across the courtyard, its body
breaking through a statue before landing on the upturned soil.
Its limbs were bent unnaturally. Its armor battered and bloodied.
Its once-majestic wings broken and rent, its once fearsome eyes
now lifeless, staring at nothing. The infernal with the chained
flails stood behind the archon, triumphant, unaffected by
whatever had caused the other horrors to disperse. She was
frozen in horror as Gabriel Throne ran to it with a sob, still
bleeding from his own wounds.
The winged archon had been similarly rent and undone, seared
by the fire of the other remaining infernal, the curator, whose
magic had proved mightier than its arrows. For a moment there
5/23/19 7:28 PM
 was a lull as each side took stock of the other. As the Morrowans
weighed how the holy archons of the Twins had been so quickly
defeated. Several were weeping at the sight, and Glynn Cormier
realized her own cheeks were wet with tears.
“A small victory,” said an older man standing near the curator.
She recognized him as Orin Midwinter. Gathered protectively
in a circle around Midwinter and the two infernal masters were
the remaining cultists in their robes and masks, each with knives
drawn to protective against any Morrowan advance.
Midwinter said, his voice rising triumphantly, “There are many gates
like this one. There will be more in the days ahead. The Claiming rite
is completed, and the reaping of humanity has just begun.”
Versh was standing halfway across the garden, nearer to where
Gallant had fallen. He looked weary and possibly injured, but he
lifted his pistol. Even as he pulled the trigger, the center of the
garden was filled with leaping shadows. When they scattered, the
infernals and their collaborators were gone.
The Malgur Forest, Northern Khador
Zevanna Agha walked into the clearing, leaning on her staff as she
approached the gnarled and leafless tree occupying the small hill
at its center. As always, it appeared as though it had forever been
here, its twisted roots sunk deep into the hardened soil. Amid
the shadows created between these roots and in other crevices of
its trunk was the gleaming of bone, with half-shattered skulls in
every nook and cranny. Other bones dangled from its branches,
strung together with knots of tendon to create tinkling chimes,
one of the few sounds other than the occasional cawing of carrion
birds. A light snow drifted lazily down from overcast skies, and
there was a slight smell of smoke on the air. Behind Agha loomed
the enormous modified Scrapjack, which had been transformed
into a conveyance and dwelling, topped by an elaborate orrery.
She had instructed it to stay at the edge of the trees and to stand
still lest it provoke any of this glade’s guardians. She was not here
to fight. Not this time.
The vine-enwrapped Oathkeeper, the one called Cassius, stood
before the Tree of Fate and awaited her. As always, she ignored
him and remained focused on Wurmwood, knowing the former
druid served only as a voice for the greater being embodied
within the withered tree. They stood for a time in mutual silence,
for a vast understanding lay between them, nearly as vast as the
gulf between their immortal perspectives.
It had been Wurmwood that had initiated this summit, so Zevanna
Agha did not give it the satisfaction of speaking first, though she
knew if there was one being more patient than she, it was the Tree
of Fate. She knew its first words would be insulting. One did not
need prophetic vision for that.
Cassius said, “It would seem all warnings were for naught. Your
efforts to forestall the Claiming failed.”
Agha shrugged and said, “The Wicked Harvest took some of their
pets from them. They did not vant to come here now. Not yet. I
forced them to be hasty. Mistakes vill be made.”
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 125
“We could have done much more,” Cassius said. “Had we burned
and flooded the cities, swept all of their great works away, there
would have been little for them to take. To defile.”
“Perhaps,” Agha said. “There are many at play in this. Beings
greater than you or I. Foolish gods. Full of pride. They do not
easily abandon vaht they have made. Then again, neither do I.”
Cassius did not reply to this, and she wondered if Wurmwood
did not appreciate her suggestion that any being might be greater.
Sometimes the ancient tree did not remember it was not itself the
Wurm, no more than Zevanna Agha was the Mother of All. She
was the Crone. Hers was a different role, a bloodier one.
A robed figure entered the glade from the opposite edge as
Scrapjack, and she turned to face this unexpected arrival with a
deepening scowl. The Iosan hermit with the long beard walked
across the intervening ground without concern for whatever
guardians of the Circle Orboros Wurmwood had left at the
perimeter, which seemed to have left it alone. Agha’s eye went
to a small gremlin walking just behind the harrowed-looking
hermit, which was clinging to the hem of his robe. She hissed at
it and it looked up to her as if startled, then let go the robe and
raced to her side, looking chastened. The hermit did not appear to
notice or mind its defection.
“Did you invite this Seeker?” Zevanna asked, but Cassius did
not answer. He stared at the new arrival coldly. Wurmwood’s
thoughts were its own.
The hermit looked between them, his eyes dim, his expression
harried. He said, “I will not insult you by pretending I could tell
you anything you do not know of what is to come. I am here as a
messenger. Know that apart from this task, I am ready to lend you
aid in the days to come, should you require it.”
With some difficulty, he took the massive scroll case he carried
from his shoulder, one end falling with a thud to the soil. He
bent down to steady it, then unlatched the pair of clasps that
kept it closed. From within he extracted a pair of rolled and
sealed scrolls, from which dangled several long strips of rune-
inscribed parchment. He extended one to Zevanna Agha, the
other toward Cassius.
“Vhat is this?” she asked, though she thought she already knew.
“I was sent by Zaateroth, the Weaver of Shadows, the Executor of
Debts, and the Judge of All Truths. Here is a list of her terms and
demands.”
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13 Theme Forces.indd 126 5/31/19 3:38 PM
 WARMACHINE & HORDES:

THEME FORCES
REVISITED

O New Oblivion
blivion not only includes a wealth of setting and
campaign materials with multitudes of new models, it
has also given the developers an opportunity to revisit Theme Forces
the theme force system for WARMACHINE and HORDES. Here Oblivion includes four new theme forces that reflect the grim times
you will find the revised rules for all existing theme forces as well since the arrival of the Infernals.
as some new theme forces suited to the Age of Oblivion.
The first, Dark Legacy, is the primary theme force of the Infernal
Faction. This includes all of the dreaded infernal masters, bestial
Theme Forces & horrors both greater and smaller, as well as the mortal infernalist
Requisitions cultists and other collaborators who have freely chosen or been
extorted into assisting the infernals in their battles.
Though the main body of the newly updated theme force rules can
be found in the WARMACHINE & HORDES Revised Rules Digest, Hearts of Darkness represents corrupt traitors within the Iron
we want to give you an overview of the most significant rules Kingdoms secretly in the service of the Infernal Masters.
change here. Under the new theme force rules, instead of gaining
Warriors of the Old Faith is a composite army drawn from
new models based on the composition of your army, now when
Khadoran and Protectorate models that enables players to play a
you make an army using a theme force, you get to Requisition a
Menite force of old in the modern age for a final reckoning with
certain number of free models based on the scale of the game you
the Infernal hordes.
are playing. Requisitioned models are added to the army free of cost.
Flame in the Darkness represents the combined forces of the
The number of free options players can take depends on the
Church of Morrow with its closest allies, drawn from the Order
encounter level they are playing. If they are playing a 25-point
of Illumination, the Precursor Knights, and their Cygnaran and
Rapid Assault, each player has 1 Requisition option. If they are
Thamarite allies. An apocalypse can make for some strange
playing a 50-point Clash of Arms, each player has two Requisition
bedfellows…
options. If they are playing a 75-point Pitched Battle, each player
has three Requisition options, and so on. Each Requisition option
can be selected more than once, but the FA of models in the army
cannot be exceeded as a result of Requisitions. Requisitioned
models must be selected from among those allowed in the army
composition section of the theme force.

For more on theme forces, Encounter levels, and Requisition, see

the WARMACHINE & HORDES Revised Rules Digest.

127

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 DARK LEGACY HEARTS OF DARKNESS

As an ancient pact reaches its moment of reckoning, horrifying forces It is unlikely the invading Infernals would be as strong without the aid
from beyond comprehension descend upon the world to collect. With of humans possessed of more selfish greed than survival instincts. As
traitorous mortals as their momentary tools, Infernal Masters bring horrors move out from the shadows, people who have betrayed their
their nightmares to battle for every soul they believe is their due. own kind hold the torches to light the way for evil. Perhaps they hope
Though few would have suspected the terrible legacy that would follow to be spared by showing their allegiance and harvesting victims for
that pact, many will pay for it as the Infernals move among them.   their masters, but hope is a dying luxury now.  

ARMY COMPOSITION ARMY COMPOSITION

An army made using this theme force can include only the An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Infernal models: following models:

• Infernal Masters • Eilish Garrity, The Occultist • Aurum Legate Lukas di Morray • Croe’s Cutthroats
• Infernal horrors • Hermit of Henge Hold • Captain Kara Sloan • Cultist Band units
• Infernal units • Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor • Feora warcasters • Griever Swarm units
• Croe’s Cutthroats • Saxon Orrik • Kommander Andrei Malakov • Howler units
• Infernal solos • Infernal structures • Lieutenant Crosse, • Alain Runewood, Lord of Ash
Resistance Fighter
• Eilish Garrity solos
• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit • Mortenebra warcasters
that will work for the Infernals. These models/units can be included even • Great Princess Regna Gravnoy
if they have the Partisan [Infernal] special rule. Mercenary units in this • Non-character warjacks of the
• Hermit of Henge Hold
army can include non-Ranking Officer attachments. same Faction as written on the
card of the warcaster in this army • Nicia, Hound of the Abyss

REQUISITION OPTIONS • Lesser and light horrors that are • Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor
part of Great Princess Regna • Saxon Orrik
• One Infernal command attachment Gravnoy’s battlegroup
• Add three Dark Sentinel weapon attachments to a • Umbral Guardian solos
• Up to two non-Partisan units of the
Cultist Band unit same Faction as written on the card of • Valin Hauke, The Fallen Knight
• One small- or medium-based Infernal solo the warcaster in this army • The Wretch solos
• Up to three non-Partisan, non- • Infernal structures
SPECIAL RULES Archon solos of the same Faction
as written on the card of the
• Infernal solos in this army gain Reposition [3˝].
warcaster in this army
(Reposition [3˝] – At the end of an activation it did not run or fail a
charge, a model with Reposition [3˝] can advance up to 3˝, then its • Morrowan models cannot be included in an army made using this theme
activation ends.) force.
• Horrors in this army do not have to pay a Tithe during your first turn of
the game. REQUISITION OPTIONS

• Up to one Cultist Band unit in this army gains Ambush. • One command attachment
(Ambush – You can choose not to deploy a unit with Ambush at the start of
the game. If it is not deployed normally, you can put it into play at the end
of any of your Control Phases after your first turn. When you do, choose
any table edge except the back of your opponent’s deployment zone. Place
all models in the unit with Ambush in formation completely within 3˝ of
the chosen table edge.)
• One Umbral Guardian solo
• One small- or medium-based solo with Marked Soul
SPECIAL RULES
• All models in this army are considered to be Infernal models.
• Warjacks in this army gain Accumulator [Soulless].
(Accumulator [Soulless] – When it begins its activation within 3˝ of one or
more friendly Soulless models, a model with Accumulator [Soulless] gains
1 focus point.)
• Wretch models in this army gain the Magic Ability special rule That Which
Does Not Kill You (HAction).
(That Which Does Not Kill You (HAction) – When an attack destroys one or
more enemy models in this model’s command range, you can remove d3
damage points from a friendly model in this model’s command range. That
Which Does Not Kill You lasts for one turn.)
• Friendly models/units can begin the game affected by the upkeep spells
of warcasters in this army. These spells and their targets must be declared
before either player deploys their models. Warcasters in this army do not
have to pay focus to upkeep their spells during your first turn of the game.

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 WARRIORS OF FLAME IN THE DARKNESS
THE OLD FAITH
The enemy of my enemy is my ally. This is understood as the salvation
Evil is best only by good, or so believe the followers of Menoth who of humanity among the forces of the Church of Morrow that have
have united in their devotion to face the Infernal invasion. And come together to halt the Infernal procession descending upon the
with the full conviction of their beliefs and the might of two nations, Iron Kingdoms. Driven by the common bond of their religion, forces
powerful Menites gather together to prove that faith and the will of that might otherwise turn on one another find they are stronger
the Creator can deny even evils that were foolishly invited to sow the together, and by setting aside their differences, they can save one
souls of the innocent. They are certain none can prevail if they can’t.   another alongside everyone else in the path of evil.  

ARMY COMPOSITION ARMY COMPOSITION

An army made using this theme force can include only the An army made using this theme force can include only the
following models: following models:

• Khador cavalry warcasters • Hermit of Henge Hold • Morrowan warcasters • Alexia models/units

• Protectorate cavalry warcasters • Manhunter solos • Thamarite warcasters • Morrowan models/units

• Non-character Khador warjacks
• Non-character Protectorate
warjacks
• Khador cavalry models/units
• Protectorate cavalry models/units
• Paladin units/solos
• Choir of Menoth units
• Kossite Woodsmen units
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• Two Vassal solos
• One other small-based solo
• Menite Archon solos • Non-character Mercenary • Thamarite models/units
warjacks
• Vassal solos • Field Mechanik units
• Up to two non-character Cygnar
• Yuri the Axe • Hermit of Henge Hold
or Khador warjacks
• War Dog solos • Gallant
• Wrack solos
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• One command attachment
• Three Morrowan Battle Priest weapon attachments
• Two Thamarite Advocate solos
• One other small- or medium-based solo
SPECIAL RULES

• All models in an army made using this theme force are considered to be
SPECIAL RULES
of the same Faction as the warcaster in this army.
• All models in this army are considered to be Khadoran and Protectorate
• Units in this army gain Vengeance.
models.
(Vengeance – During your Maintenance Phase, if one or more models in
• Cavalry models in this army gain Line Breaker. a unit with Vengeance were damaged by enemy attacks during the last
(Line Breaker – A model with Line Breaker gains an additional die on round, each model in the unit can advance 3˝ and make one basic melee
impact attack rolls.) attack.)
• You can reroll your starting roll for the game. Your starting game roll can
be rerolled only once as a result of this special rule.

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 GRAVEDIGGERS HEAVY METAL

Trenchers are men and women of unparalleled grit found at the
forefront of nearly every Cygnaran engagement. First on the field and
last to leave, it is the trenchers’ duty to form the vanguard of Cygnar’s
military might and seize the battlefield against all opposition.
ARMY COMPOSITION
Although Cygnar generally prefers a combined-arms approach to
conflict, when its advanced warjacks are massed on the field under the
control of a skilled warcaster, they are a match for any enemy. Such
large, self-sufficient battlegroups are typically deployed to besiege
fixed positions or to meet concentrations of enemy armor and heavy
infantry on the battlefield. Where Cygnar faces deeply entrenched or

An army made using this theme force can include only the armored foes, the tread of its mighty machines shakes the earth, and

following Cygnar models: its storm technology blackens the sky.

• Cygnar warcasters • Ranger models/units ARMY COMPOSITION

• Non-character warjacks • Trencher models/units
An army made using this theme force can include only the
• Triumph
following Cygnar models:
• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
• Cygnar warcasters • Precursor Knight units
that will work for Cygnar. These models/units can be included even if they
have the Partisan [Cygnar] special rule. Mercenary units in this army can • Non-character warjacks • Solos with the Battlegroup
include attachments, including Captain Jonas Murdoch. Controller special rule
• Ol’ Rowdy
• Solos with Partisan [Cygnar]
• Thorn
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• Archduke Alain Runewood
• Thunderhead
• One Trencher weapon crew unit • Squire solos
• Mechanik models/units
• One Cygnar command attachment • Cygnar battle engines
• Sword Knight models/units
• One small- or medium-based Cygnar solo
• Long Gunner Infantry units
SPECIAL RULES • This army can also include one Mercenary unit, one Mercenary solo, and
one Mercenary battle engine that will work for Cygnar. These models/
• Trencher warrior models in this army gain Rise.
units can be included even if they have the Partisan [Cygnar] special
(Rise – If a model with Rise is knocked down at the beginning of your
rule. Mercenary units in this army can include non-Ranking Officer
Maintenance Phase, it stands up.)
attachments.
• You can reroll your starting roll for the game. Your starting game roll can
be rerolled only once as a result of this special rule. REQUISITION OPTIONS

• One Cygnar command attachment

• One small- or medium-based Cygnar solo

SPECIAL RULES

• Cygnar solos and Mechanik units in this army gain Reposition [3˝].
(Reposition [3˝] – At the end of an activation it did not run or fail a
charge, a model with Reposition [3˝] can advance up to 3˝, then its
activation ends.)
• When a model in this army is affected by the Repair special rule, remove 1
additional damage point.

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 SONS OF THE TEMPEST STORM DIVISION

Mobile and versatile, the Arcane Tempest are called upon to deal with
situations beyond the capacity of standard military forces, particularly
arcane threats that are warded against conventional firepower.
Coordinated by experienced gun mages to fight in conjunction with
traditional battlegroups, these strike teams can operate in any theater
of war. As their ranked guns tear apart the enemy with fusillades of
deadly firepower, lone marksmen pick off high-priority targets with
speed and accuracy.
Cygnar’s Storm Division is an autonomous military force that delivers
the flash of lightning and the roll of thunder to the battlefields of
Immoren. The division couples the latest voltaic weaponry and
hardware produced by the Cygnaran Armory with the service of skilled
soldiers. More Storm Knights serve in the Storm Division than in any
other force in Cygnar, and with the aid of accomplished stormsmiths,
these elite warriors make up a highly mobile army capable of bringing
the fury of the storm to Cygnar’s enemies.

ARMY COMPOSITION ARMY COMPOSITION

An army made using this theme force can include only the An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Cygnar models: following Cygnar models:
• Cygnar warcasters • Mechanik models/units • Cygnar warcasters • Storm Knight models/units
• Non-character warjacks • Journeyman Warcaster solos • Non-character warjacks • Stormsmith models/units
• Ace • Squire solos • Brickhouse • Journeyman Warcaster solos
• Arcane Tempest models/units • Dynamo • Lieutenant Allison Jakes

• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit • Thunderhead • Savio Montero Acosta
that will work for Cygnar. These models/units can be included even if they • Mechanik models/units • Squire solos
have the Partisan [Cygnar] special rule. Mercenary units in this army can
include non-Ranking Officer attachments. • This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
that will work for Cygnar. These models/units can be included even if they
REQUISITION OPTIONS have the Partisan [Cygnar] special rule. Mercenary units in this army can
include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
• One Cygnar command attachment
• One small- or medium-based Cygnar solo REQUISITION OPTIONS

• One Stormsmith weapon crew unit

SPECIAL RULES
• Arcane Tempest Gun Mage and Black 13th Strike Force units in this army
gain Pistoleer.
(Pistoleer – Range attack damage rolls made by a model with Pistoleer
against a model in melee with this model are boosted.)
• Warcasters in this army can upkeep spells on Arcane Tempest model/units
without spending focus.
• One Cygnar command attachment
• Three Stormsmith Stormcaller solos
• One other small- or medium-based Cygnar solo
SPECIAL RULES
• Cygnar models/units in this army gain Immunity: Electricity  .
• Storm Knight models in this army gain Unyielding.
(Unyielding – A model with Unyielding gains +2 ARM against melee
damage rolls.)

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 THE CREATOR’S MIGHT EXEMPLAR INTERDICTION

The word of the Creator of Man is law, and by the will of the faithful
his designs are made material. The clergy of the Protectorate march
to war arrayed as an army worthy of Menoth, channeling the power
of Menite relics that predate the priest-kings while chanting prayers
drawn from holy writ and ancient inscriptions. Their mighty sanctified
machines rumble across the battlefield to clash with those who
would deny the glory of Menoth. Great wheels bearing the weight of
consecrated edifices grind ever onward, accompanied by the hymns of
warpriests. In righteous splendor, Menoth’s most devout servants go
forth to battle blessed by his might.
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Protectorate models:
• Protectorate warcasters • Covenant of Menoth
• Non-character warjacks • Exemplar Warders solos
The ruling priesthood and scrutators of the Protectorate of Menoth
have no more loyal and steadfast protectors and warriors than the
Exemplars. Large interdictions of the theocracy’s formidable heavy
infantry and cavalry knights are often assembled to serve the Great
Crusade, sent against the unbelievers to prove the futility of standing
against blessed steel wielded with conviction. Such an interdiction
never wavers in fulfilling its orders, as obedience to the clergy is
their unbreakable creed. The great machines marching with them
are similarly implacable, empowered by blessings both inscribed
on their hulls and filling the air as choir voices rise to drown out the
lamentations of heretics crushed underfoot.
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Protectorate models:
• Protectorate warcasters • Scrutator models/units

• Avatar of Menoth • Hierophant solos • Non-character warjacks • Vassal models/units

• Blessing of Vengeance • Menite Archon solos • Fire of Salvation • Choir of Menoth units

• Scourge of Heresy • Solos with the Battlegroup • Exemplar models/units • Hierophant solos
Controller special rule • Reclaimer models/solos • Wrack solos
• Vassal models/units
• Wrack solos
• Choir of Menoth units
• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
• Protectorate battle engines
• Visgoth Juviah Rhoven & Honor that will work for the Protectorate. These models/units can be included
Guard • Protectorate structures even if they have the Partisan [Protectorate] special rule. Mercenary units
in this army can include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
that will work for the Protectorate. These models/units can be included
REQUISITION OPTIONS
even if they have the Partisan [Protectorate] special rule. Mercenary units
in this army can include attachments, including Attendant Priests. • One Protectorate command attachment
• Two Vassal solos
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• One other small- or medium-based Protectorate solo
• Two Vassal solos
• One other small- or medium-based Protectorate solo SPECIAL RULES

• The melee weapons of Protectorate warjacks in this army gain Blessed .

SPECIAL RULES
• Exemplar models in this army gain Aegis.
• Protectorate solos and Choir of Menoth units in this army gain (Aegis – Models with Aegis are immune to continuous effects.)
Reposition [3˝].
(Reposition [3˝] – At the end of an activation it did not run or fail a
charge, a model with Reposition [3˝] can advance up to 3˝, then its
activation ends.)
• Friendly models/units can begin the game affected by the upkeep spells
of warcasters in this army. These spells and their targets must be declared
before either player deploys their models. Warcasters in this army do not
have to pay focus to upkeep their spells during your first turn of the game.

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 THE FAITHFUL MASSES GUARDIANS
OF THE TEMPLE
The strength of the Protectorate of Menoth is not restricted to its
foundries and garrisons but is found in the hearts and souls of the The soldiers of the Flameguard Temple once found their purpose
numberless devotees to its faith. Every person who fears and serves in defending the sacred sites of the Protectorate, but the turmoil of
the Creator of Man is another potential soldier to defend the theocracy. recent years has seen these former guardians forged into one of the
Pious citizen soldiers minimally trained as militia often go to battle most formidable fighting forces of the nation. Hearing and heeding
accompanied by more elite lesser martial orders, such as the Paladins Menoth’s call to service, thousands have swelled the ranks to take
of the Order of the Wall and the Allegiants of the Order of the Fist, who up arms and carry out the will of the Lawgiver. With the blessings of
consider their service a life’s calling. These forces are often joined by Menoth upon them, these faithful eagerly go to war against the non-
members of the ominous Reclaimant Order, who protect the bodies believers, unified in their unwavering support of the Great Crusade.
and spirits of the faithful masses as they fight in Menoth’s name.
ARMY COMPOSITION
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
An army made using this theme force can include only the following Protectorate models:
following Protectorate models:
• Protectorate warcasters • Choir of Menoth units
• Protectorate warcasters • Choir of Menoth units • Non-character warjacks • Reclaimer solos
• Non-character warjacks • Allegiant of the Order of the Fist • Blood of Martyrs • Vassal solos
solos
• Avatar of Menoth • Eye of Truth • Wrack solos
• Covenant of Menoth
• Deliverer models/units • Hand of Judgment • Protectorate structures
• Hierophant solos
• Idrian models/units • Flameguard models/units
• Initiate Tristan Durant
• Paladin models/units
• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
• Menite Archon solos
• Reclaimer models/solos that will work for the Protectorate. These models/units can be included
• Wrack solos even if they have the Partisan [Protectorate] special rule. Mercenary units
• Vassal models/units
• Protectorate structures in this army can include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
• Zealot models/units

• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit REQUISITION OPTIONS
that will work for the Protectorate. These models/units can be included
• One Protectorate command attachment
even if they have the Partisan [Protectorate] special rule. Mercenary units
in this army can include non-Ranking Officer attachments. • Two Reclaimer Gatekeeper solos
• Two Vassal solos
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• One other small- or medium-based Protectorate solo
• One Initiates of the Wall unit
• One Protectorate command attachment SPECIAL RULES

• Two Reclaimer Gatekeeper solos • While B2B with another model in their unit, Temple Flameguard trooper
models gains Tough and cannot become knocked down.
• Two Vassal solos
• Up to one Daughters of the Flame unit in this army gains Ambush.
• One other small- or medium-based Protectorate solo
(Ambush – You can choose not to deploy a unit with Ambush at the start of
the game. If it is not deployed normally, you can put it into play at the end
SPECIAL RULES of any of your Control Phases after your first turn. When you do, choose
any table edge except the back of your opponent’s deployment zone. Place
• Protectorate heavy warjacks and colossals in this army gain Hand of
all models in the unit with Ambush in formation completely within 3˝ of the
Vengeance.
chosen table edge.)
(Vengeance – When one or more friendly Faction warrior models are
destroyed or removed from play by enemy attacks while within 5˝ of a
model with Hand of Vengeance, the model with Hand of Vengeance gains
+2 on melee attack and melee damage rolls for one round.)

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 ARMORED KORPS JAWS OF THE WOLF

With a hiss of steam and the tread of iron, the heavily armored The deployment of warjack-heavy forces to eliminate hard targets is
infantry of Khador march to war with heavy warjacks at their side. a standard response to military threats. A common Khadoran tactic
Though Khador lacks the light warjacks of other nations, they make involves augmenting such forces with a contingent of scouts, who venture
up for it with a dedicated corps of soldiers who go to war in steam- ahead to ensure the slow and steady column of Khadoran steel reaches
powered armor. Few opponents possess the weaponry able to chew its target intact. Once engaged, the warjacks rely on overwhelming
through so thick a wall of armor, allowing the Man-O-War to crush strength and raw firepower to batter the enemy into submission.
enemy emplacements.
ARMY COMPOSITION
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
An army made using this theme force can include only the following Khador models:
following Khador models: • Khador warcasters • Greylord Adjunct solos
• Khador warcasters • Battle Mechanik units • Non-character warjacks • Greylord Forge Seer solos
• Non-character warjacks • Greylord Adjunct solos • Behemoth • Manhunter solos
• Man-O-War models/units • War Dog solos • Black Ivan • War Dog solos

• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit • Battle Mechanik models/units • Yuri the Axe
that will work for Khador. These models/units can be included even if they • Kossite models/units • Solos with the Battlegroup
have the Partisan [Khador] special rule. Mercenary units in this army can Controller special rule
include non-Ranking Officer attachments. • Kayazy models/unit
• Widowmaker models/unit
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
• One Khador command attachment that will work for Khador. These models/units can be included even if they
have the Partisan [Khador] special rule. Mercenary units in this army can
• One Tanker solo
include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
• One small- or medium-based Khador solo
REQUISITION OPTIONS
SPECIAL RULES
• One Kayazy Eliminator unit
• When a model in this army is affected by the Repair special rule, remove 1
• One Khador command attachment
additional damage point.
• One small- or medium-based Khador solo
• Man-O-War units and Tanker solos in this army gain Advance Move.
(Advance Move – Before the start of the game but after both players have
deployed, a model with Advance Move can make a full advance.) SPECIAL RULES

• Khador warjacks in this army gain Pathfinder .

• Before models are deployed at the start of the game, you can place one
5˝ AOE forest terrain feature anywhere completely within 18˝ of the rear
table edge of your deployment zone.

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 LEGIONS OF STEEL WINTER GUARD KOMMAND

The brotherhood of the Iron Fangs maintains traditions arising from The ranks of the Winter Guard are the patriotic backbone of the
ancient warriors who battled the beasts of the north armed only with Khadoran Army. Hardened by a rigorous training regimen and driven
spears and the indomitable courage all true Khadorans possess. Iron by their love for the Motherland, these soldiers march against the
Fang assault forces are tasked with breaking enemy lines regardless of enemies of the Empire. They make every effort to see the will of the
whether those lines are composed of towering warjacks or masses of empress done, whether pushing deep into hostile territory under the
infantry. Surrounding a hard center of warjacks, an Iron Fang legion cover of withering artillery fire or giving their lives to defend Khador
marches in lockstep behind a wall of shields, supported by swift and from those who would threaten its sovereignty.
brutal cavalry to protect their flanks.
ARMY COMPOSITION
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
An army made using this theme force can include only the following Khador models:
following Khador models: • Khador warcasters • Widowmaker models/units
• Khador warcasters • Battle Mechanik units • Non-character warjacks • Battle Mechanik units
• Non-character warjacks • Greylord Adjunct solos • Beast 09 • Greylord Adjunct solos
• Iron Fang models/units • War Dog solos • Torch • Kovnik Andrei Malakov
• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit • Assault Kommando models/units • War Dog solos
that will work for Khador. These models/units can be included even if they
• Winter Guard models/units
have the Partisan [Khador] special rule. Mercenary units in this army can
include non-Ranking Officer attachments. • This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
that will work for Khador. These models/units can be included even if they
REQUISITION OPTIONS have the Partisan [Khador] special rule. Mercenary units in this army can
include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
• One Khador command attachment
• One small- or medium-based Khador solo REQUISITION OPTIONS

• One Winter Guard weapon crew unit

SPECIAL RULES
• The Great Bears and Iron Fang solos in this army gain Countercharge.
(Countercharge – When an enemy model advances and ends its movement
within 6˝ of a model with Countercharge and in its LOS, the model with
Countercharge can immediately charge it. A model can use Countercharge
only once per round and not while engaged.)
• You can reroll your starting roll for the game. Your starting game roll can
be rerolled only once as a result of this special rule.
• One Khador command attachment
• Two Winter Guard Artillery Kapitan solos
• One other small- or medium-based Khador solo
SPECIAL RULES
• Warcasters in this army gain Sacrificial Pawn [Winter Guard trooper
model].
(Sacrificial Pawn [Winter Guard trooper model] – When a model with
Sacrificial Pawn [Winter Guard trooper model] is directly hit by an
enemy ranged attack, you can have one friendly, non-incorporeal Winter
Guard trooper model within 3˝ of it directly hit instead. That model is
automatically hit and suffers all damage and effects.)

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 WOLVES OF WINTER BLACK INDUSTRIES

The Greylords Covenant does not shrink from using any weapon at its
disposal, no matter how horrifying. This fact is seldom made clearer
than when a task force of Greylord arcanists goes to battle with a
retinue of blood-mad Doom Reavers bearing profane fellblades,
cursed objects based on the weapons of the Orgoth slavers. Greylords
will not hesitate to unleash their insane soldiers upon any foe, with
little regard for the collateral damage they may cause.
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Khador and Mercenary models:
• Khador warcasters • Greylord models/units
• Non-character warjacks • Battle Mechanik units
The true might of the Nightmare Empire lies in its endless tide
of undead thralls and the power of its helljacks. Cryxian forces
overwhelm their opponents and bury the living in a swarm of
reanimated soldiers. It is in the midst of these shambling masses that
Cryx delivers its formidable helljacks, shielded by a wall of flesh and
repurposed steel. Such tactics are most effective at eliminating durable
targets concealed deep within the enemy’s ranks while burying lesser
armies under the weight of numbers.
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Cryx models:
• Cryx warcasters • Darragh Wrathe

• Drago • Void Archon solos • Cryx warjacks • Necrotech solos

• Ruin • War Dog solos • Cephalyx models/units • Solos with the Battlegroup
Controller special rule
• Doom Reaver models/units • Iron Lich models/units
• Wraith solos
• Thrall models/units
• This army can also include one non-character Mercenary solo and one • Wraith Engine battle engines
Mercenary unit that will work for Khador. These models/units can be • Warwitch models/units
included even if they have the Partisan [Khador] special rule. Mercenary • Black Ogrun Iron Monger units
units in this army can include attachments, including Koldun Kapitan
Valachev. • This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
that will work for Cryx. These models/units can be included even if they
REQUISITION OPTIONS have the Partisan [Cryx] special rule. Mercenary units in this army can
include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
• One Greylord Ternion unit
• One Khador command attachment REQUISITION OPTIONS
• One small- or medium-based Khador solo
• One Necrosurgeon & Stitch Thralls unit

SPECIAL RULES • One Cryx command attachment

• Three Brute Thrall weapon attachments
• At the beginning of each of your Control Phases, choose one non-warlock
Doom Reaver or Greylord unit to gain Apparition that turn. • Three Necrotech solos
(Apparition – During your Control Phase, place models with Apparition • One other small- or medium-based Cryx solo
anywhere completely within 2˝ of their current locations. Only models in
formation can be placed.)
SPECIAL RULES

• Heavy warjacks in this army gain Carapace.

(Carapace – A model with Carapace gains +4 ARM against ranged attack
damage rolls.)
• One Mechanithrall unit in this army gains Ambush.
(Ambush – You can choose not to deploy a unit with Ambush at the start of
the game. If it is not deployed normally, you can put it into play at the end
of any of your Control Phases after your first turn. When you do, choose
any table edge except the back of your opponent’s deployment zone. Place
the unit with Ambush completely within 3˝ of the chosen table edge.)

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 DARK HOST THE GHOST FLEET

Torn from the horrors of the void and given new forms in the bodies
of the dead, banes are dark and sinister warriors in the service of Cryx.
Far from mindless, they possess a military cunning mixed with an
utter malevolence to life. Supported by potent necromancers, armies
of banes beset the enemy like a tide of darkness and death.
ARMY COMPOSITION
The cursed pirates of the Ghost Fleet are locked in undeath. Nothing can
destroy the revenants bound to Captain Rengrave so long as the blighted
fires of the black ship Atramentous still burn, and the ghostly crews of
countless wraith ships cannot be touched by the mundane weapons of
men. The undead armada terrorizes coastal towns and port cities and
preys upon the vessels of every nation that dares sail the waters of the
Meredius. The Ghost Fleet is responsible not only for harassing targets

An army made using this theme force can include only the but also for distracting the mainlanders so that the Nightmare Empire

following Cryx and Mercenary models: might conduct its more sensitive operations in relative secrecy.

• Cryx warcasters • Scrap Thrall solos ARMY COMPOSITION

• Non-character warjacks • Skarlock Thrall solos
An army made using this theme force can include only the
• Bane models/units • Soul Trapper solos
following Cryx models:
• Darragh Wrathe • Void Archon solos
• Cryx warcasters • Wraith models/units
• Machine Wraith solos • Wraith Engine battle engines
• Non-character warjacks • Black Ogrun Iron Monger units
• Necrotech solos
• Barathrum • Misery Cage solos
• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
• Revenant models/units
that will work for Cryx. These models/units can be included even if they
have the Partisan [Cryx] special rule. Mercenary units in this army can • This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
include non-Ranking Officer attachments. that will work for Cryx. These models/units can be included even if they
have the Partisan [Cryx] special rule. Mercenary units in this army can
REQUISITION OPTIONS include non-Ranking Officer attachments.

• One Cryx command attachment

REQUISITION OPTIONS
• Three Machine Wraith solos
• One Revenant weapon crew unit
• Three Necrotech solos
• Three Revenant Crew Rifleman weapon attachments
• One other small- or medium-based Cryx solo
• Three Machine Wraith solos
SPECIAL RULES • Three Misery Cage solos

• Bane models/unit gain Prowl. • One other small- or medium-based Cryx solo
(Prowl – A model with Prowl gains Stealth while it has concealment.)
SPECIAL RULES
• Before models are deployed at the start of the game, you can place two 4˝
AOE dense fog terrain features anywhere completely within 20˝ of the rear • When making a Deathbound roll to return the Revenant Crew of the
table edge of your deployment zone. Atramentous to play, add +1 to the roll.
• You can reroll your starting roll for the game. Your starting game roll can
be rerolled only once as a result of this special rule.

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 SCOURGE DEFENDERS OF IOS
OF THE BROKEN COAST
When Ios itself is threatened, the Homeguard Coalition leverages the
Borne on a black tide to bring death and suffering to the mainland, assets of all the hallytyr to form an army made up of the diverse forces
the pirates of Cryx instill terror in the hearts of those who live on of houseguard warriors and the combined might of countless Iosan
the Broken Coast. Comprised of swift Satyxis, merciless Black Ogrun, houses. Bringing together combatants of many varied talents and
roaring hordes of blighted trollkin, and crews of Scharde sailors, unique specializations, these mixed forces have joined the Retribution
raiding parties join Cryx’s warcasters and their battlegroups in and can rival the martial power of even the national armies of the Iron
executing their bloody assaults. Kingdoms. They fight not only for the creed of the Retribution but for
the sanctity of Ios and the lives of its people.
ARMY COMPOSITION
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Cryx models: An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Retribution models:
• Cryx warcasters • Living Cryx models/units
• Non-character warjacks • Devil’s Shadow Mutineers • Retribution warcasters • Arcanist solos

• Barathrum • Misery Cage solos • Non-character warjacks • Fane Knight solos

• Kharybdis • Hypnos • Ghost solos

• Houseguard models/units • Lys Healer solos
• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
that will work for Cryx. These models/units can be included even if they • Nyss models/units • Sylys Wyshnalyrr
have the Partisan [Cryx] special rule. Mercenary units in this army can • House Ellowuyr Swordsmen units • Retribution battle engines
include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
• House Vyre Electromancer units
REQUISITION OPTIONS • This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
that will work for Retribution. These models/units can be included even if
• One Scharde Dirge Seer unit
they have the Partisan [Retribution] special rule. Mercenary units in this
• One Cryx command attachment army can include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
• Three Misery Cage solos
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• One other small- or medium-based Cryx solo
• One Retribution weapon crew unit
SPECIAL RULES • One Retribution command attachment
• Cryx warjacks in this army gain Gang Fighter. • Two Ghost Sniper solos
(Gang Fighter – When making a melee attack targeting an enemy model in
• Two Lys Healer solos
the melee range of another friendly Faction warrior model, a model with
Gang Fighter gains +2 to melee attack and melee damage rolls.) • One other small- or medium-based Retribution solo
• Up to one Satyxis Blood Witch unit in this army gains Ambush.
(Ambush – You can choose not to deploy a unit with Ambush at the start of SPECIAL RULES
the game. If it is not deployed normally, you can put it into play at the end
• Retribution solos, House Vyre Electromancer units, and Stormfall Archer
of any of your Control Phases after your first turn. When you do, choose
units in this army gain Reposition [3˝].
any table edge except the back of your opponent’s deployment zone. Place
(Reposition [3˝] – At the end of an activation it did not run or fail a
all models in the unit with Ambush in formation completely within 3˝ of the
charge, a model with Reposition [3˝] can advance up to 3˝, then its
chosen table edge.)
activation ends.)
• Before models are deployed at the start of the game, you can place one
wall template anywhere completely within 20˝ of the rear table edge of
your deployment zone. The template cannot be placed within 3˝ of a hill,
obstacle, or obstruction. The template is an obstacle that grants cover.

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 FORGES OF WAR LEGIONS OF DAWN

With a vast array of myrmidons and skilled arcanists at its disposal, The proud Dawnguard soldiers of House Nyarr represent one of the
House Shyeel is considered by some to be virtually a sixth Great greatest assets in the Retribution of Scyrah’s arsenal. These oath-
Military House. When the time comes for House Shyeel to stoke the sworn warriors boast martial traditions stretching back millennia
forges of war, it brings the full weight of its military forces to bear as and make up the elite soldiery of the Retribution. Bearing the most
an unstoppable tide of towering myrmidons supported by the immense advanced weapons and armor of their Great Military House, they
arcane power of its formidable battle mages. are implacable warriors devoted to House Nyarr and through it the
Retribution’s cause.
ARMY COMPOSITION
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Retribution models: An army made using this theme force can include only the
• Retribution non-Vyre warcasters • Fane Knight Guardian solos following Retribution models:
• Shyeel non-character warjacks • Sylys Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker • Retribution warcasters • Fane Knight Guardian solos
• Discordia • Solos with the Battlegroup • Non-character warjacks • Ghost Sniper solos
Controller special rule
• Shyeel solos, units, and • Hemera • House Shyeel Artificer solos
battle engines • Dawnguard Trident battle engines
• Imperatus • Lys Healer solos
• Arcanist Mechanik solos
• Dawnguard models/units • Soulless Voidtracer solos
• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit • Arcanist Mechanik solos
that will work for the Retribution. These models/units can be included
even if they have the Partisan [Retribution] special rule. Mercenary units • This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
in this army can include non-Ranking Officer attachments. that will work for the Retribution. These models/units can be included
even if they have the Partisan [Retribution] special rule. Mercenary units
REQUISITION OPTIONS in this army can include attachments.

• One House Shyeel Arcanist unit REQUISITION OPTIONS

• One small- or medium-based Retribution solo
• One Retribution command attachment

SPECIAL RULES • Two Ghost Sniper solos

• Retribution warjacks in this army gain Shield Guard.
(Shield Guard – When a friendly model is directly hit by a non-spray
ranged attack during your opponent’s turn while within 3˝ of a model with
Shield Guard, you can choose to have the model with Shield Guard directly
hit instead. It is automatically hit and suffers all damage and effects. A
model can use Shield Guard only once per round and cannot use Shield
Guard if it is incorporeal, knocked down, or stationary.)
• Two Lys Healer solos
• One other small- or medium-based Retribution solo
SPECIAL RULES
• Warjacks in this army can ignore friendly Dawnguard models when
determining LOS. Warjacks in this army can advance through friendly
Dawnguard models if they have enough movement to move completely
past them.
• While ’Jack Marshaled, warjacks in this army gain Flank [Dawnguard].
(Flank [Dawnguard] – When a model with Flank [Dawnguard] makes a
melee attack against an enemy model in the melee range of a friendly
Dawnguard model, the model with Flank gains +2 to attack rolls and gains
an additional damage die.)

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 SHADOWS OF THE MAGNUM OPUS
RETRIBUTION
The Crucible Guard has unleashed its standing army in a show of force
The Retribution of Scyrah is most adept at striking from the shadows. that unveils its impressive military innovations and tactical flexibility.
Its mage hunters traditionally undertake clandestine missions Its highly trained and specialized soldiers fight in concert with skilled
executed by solo operatives and small teams of elite and dedicated combat alchemists and support units to push up the field in a haze of
warriors. On rare occasions, however, a show of force is required, and alchemical smoke, backed up by the might of the Golden Crucible’s
to that end the Retribution assembles stealthy armies comprised of advanced war machines.
seasoned mage hunters and powerful myrmidons. Experienced in swift
ARMY COMPOSITION
and brutal combat, they skillfully orchestrate surprise attacks and take
the enemy unaware. An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Crucible Guard models:
ARMY COMPOSITION
• Crucible Guard warcasters • Gorman solos
An army made using this theme force can include only the • Non-character warjacks • Hutchuk, Ogrun Bounty Hunter
following Retribution and Mercenary models:
• Crucible Guard units • Crucible Guard battle engines
• Retribution warcasters • Eiryss, Fortune Hunter of Ios
• Crucible Guard solos
• Non-character warjacks • Fane Knight Guardian solos
• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
• Moros • Lys Healer solos that will work for the Crucible Guard. These models/units can be included
• Mage Hunter models/units • Void Archon solos even if they have the Partisan [Crucible Guard] special rule. Mercenary
units in this army can include attachments, including Doctor Alejandro
• Arcanist Mechanik solos Mosby.
• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
that will work for the Retribution. These models/units can be included REQUISITION OPTIONS
even if they have the Partisan [Retribution] special rule. Mercenary units
• One Crucible Guard weapon crew unit
in this army can include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
• One Crucible Guard command attachment
REQUISITION OPTIONS • Three Crucible Guard Mechanik solos
• One Retribution command attachment • Two Trancer solos
• Two Lys Healer solos • One other small- or medium-based Crucible Guard solo
• Three Soulless Voidtracer solos
SPECIAL RULES
• One other small- or medium-based Retribution solo
• Crucible Guard solos and Crucible Guard weapon crew units in this army
SPECIAL RULES gain Reposition [3˝].
(Reposition [3˝] – At the end of an activation it did not run or fail a
• Models disabled by a melee attack made by a Retribution warrior model charge, a model with Reposition [3˝] can advance up to 3˝, then its
in this army cannot make a Tough roll. When a model is boxed by a melee activation ends.)
attack made by a warrior model in this army, you can choose to have the
• You can reroll your starting roll for the game. Your starting game roll can
boxed model be removed from play.
be rerolled only once as a result of this special rule.
• You can reroll your starting roll for the game. Your starting game roll can
be rerolled only once as a result of this special rule.

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 PRIMA MATERIA CLOCKWORK LEGIONS

The Order of the Golden Crucible is jealous of its secrets. Its members There are few things more disconcerting than facing a legion of
have experienced firsthand what can happen when their alchemical Convergence soldiers who have achieved transcendence—metal-
and mechanikal innovations fall into the wrong hands. The most bodied warriors who go to battle in silence and act in unison with
technologically advanced divisions of the Crucible Guard are insular mathematical perfection. While such a pitiless metallic army is
and allow no outsiders, lest their secrets be stolen. Wielding the newest terrifying to face in its own right, any living devotees to the Maiden
and most devastating weapons in the Guard’s arsenal, they bring of Gears can be even more frightening. Their desire to prove their
destruction to enemies of the Order. worthiness to ascend into a clockwork shell drives them to acts of
fanatical devotion and unhinged violence.
ARMY COMPOSITION
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Crucible Guard models: An army made using this theme force can include only the
• Crucible Guard warcasters • Crucible Guard Mechanik solos following Convergence and Mercenary models:
• Non-character warjacks • Gorman solos • Convergence warcasters • Construct units/solos with the
Soul Vessel special rule
• Combat Alchemist units • Hutchuk, Ogrun Bounty Hunter • Non-character warjacks
• Void Archon solos
• Dragon’s Breath Rocket weapon • Prospero • Priest models/units
crew units
• Trancer solos • This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit
• Medium-based Crucible Guard that will work for Convergence. These models/units can be included even
• Crucible Guard battle engines
units if they have the Partisan [Convergence] special rule. Mercenary units in
this army can include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
• Arum Ominus Alyce Marc

REQUISITION OPTIONS
• One Combat Alchemist unit
• Three Crucible Guard Mechanik solos
• Two Trancer solos
• One other small- or medium-based Crucible Guard solo
SPECIAL RULES
• Vanguard warjacks in this army can use Shield Guard twice per turn.
• Friendly models/units can begin the game affected by the upkeep spells
of warcasters in this army. These spells and their targets must be declared
before either player deploys any models. Warcasters in this army do not
have to pay focus to upkeep their spells during your first turn of the game.
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• One Convergence warjack with a point cost of 6 or less
• One Convergence command attachment
• One Enigma Foundry solo
• One Frustrum Locus solo
• One small- or medium-based Convergence solo
SPECIAL RULES
• The field allowance of Enigma Foundry solos in this army becomes 4.
• Eradicator, Perforator, and Reciprocator units in this army gain Vengeance.
(Vengeance – During your Maintenance Phase, if one or more models in
a unit with Vengeance were damaged by enemy attacks during the last
round, each model in the unit can advance 3˝ and make one basic melee
attack.)

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 DESTRUCTION INITIATIVE HAMMER STRIKE

The worshipers of the clockwork goddess have conceived of the most
technologically advanced machines in existence. Armed with impressive
firepower and fueled by energy sources well beyond the understanding
of even the greatest minds in the Iron Kingdoms, the vectors of the
Convergence of Cyriss turn hard targets into shrapnel and smash
through infantry formations with whirring blades and spiked fists.
Endless swarms of servitors dart among these complex automatons
while the mortal priests of the machine cult risk their flesh in service to
their goddess to keep these machines at peak performance.
Fighting in the wars of the Iron Kingdoms has allowed the mercenaries
of Rhul to stay apprised of the ongoing struggles abroad. These sell-
swords fatten the coffers of mercenary clans and receive valuable combat
experience against a variety of opponents. Numerous such clans offer
the might of Rhulic ’jacks and veteran warriors to those who can afford
their asking price. Together, they crush enemy armies to dust beneath
the tread of their machines and an unceasing rain of hammer blows.
ARMY COMPOSITION

An army made using this theme force can include only the
ARMY COMPOSITION
following Mercenary models:
An army made using this theme force can include only the • Rhulic warcasters
following Convergence models:
• Rhulic non-character warjacks
• Convergence warcasters • Servitor solos • Rhulic models/units
• Non-character warjacks • 1 Mercenary solo*
• Priest models/units • Convergence battle engines REQUISITION OPTIONS

• 1 Mecenary unit* • One Rhulic weapon crew unit

• This army can also include one Mercenary solo and one Mercenary unit • One Tactical Arcanist Corps unit
that will work for Convergence. These models/units can be included even • One Mercenary command attachment
if they have the Partisan [Convergence] special rule. Mercenary units in
this army can include non-Ranking Officer attachments. • One small- or medium-based Mercenary solo without the Lesser Warlock
special rule

REQUISITION OPTIONS
SPECIAL RULES
• One Optifex Directive unit
• Weapon crew units and heavy warjacks in this army gain Reposition [3˝].
• Three Algorithmic Dispersion Optifex solos (Reposition [3˝] – At the end of an activation it did not run or fail a
• Three Servitor solos of a single type charge, a model with Reposition [3˝] can advance up to 3˝, then its
activation ends.)
SPECIAL RULES • Warrior models in this army gain Tough .

• Servitor solos in this army gain Shield Guard. • Your deployment is extended 2˝ forward.
(Shield Guard – Once per round, when a friendly model is directly hit by a
ranged attack during your opponent’s turn while within 3˝ of a model with
Shield Guard, you can choose to have the model with Shield Guard directly
hit instead. The model is automatically hit and suffers all damage and
effects. The model cannot use Shield Guard if it is incorporeal, knocked
down, or stationary.)

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 THE IRREGULARS THE KINGMAKER’S ARMY

Some mercenary contracts offer jobs so desperate, so vile, or so insane
that no right-minded group of sell-swords would ever consider taking
them. For the employers who offer these contracts, it is fortunate that
the Iron Kingdoms has no shortage of mercenary companies full of
the desperate, the vile, and the insane. When such undesirable jobs
appear, they attract an unlikely assortment of mercs willing to do
anything, no matter the odds of survival, for another fistful of coin.
ARMY COMPOSITION
In 609 AR, Asheth Magnus set about organizing the greatest
mercenary army ever gathered in one place. Having taken Vinter
Raelthorne IV’s bastard son Julius under his wing, the Warlord
embarked on an ambitious plan to secure Cygnar’s throne. This army
was bankrolled with gold bullion stolen from the Cygnaran Army as
well as other spoils, coin Magnus spent wisely. He purchased the first
Galleon colossals produced by Black Anchor Heavy Industries, hired
a portion of Captain Bartolo Montador’s pirate fleet, recruited every
available Steelhead company he could find, and enlisted the services

An army made using this theme force can include only the of other skilled warcasters and formidable specialists, several wanted

following Mercenary models:
• Mercenary warcasters
• Non-character Mercenary warjacks
• Mercenary character units
for high crimes in Cygnar. This army proved that Magnus’ reputation
as a mercenary warlord was well deserved and played a pivotal role in
• Precursor Knight units
the outcome of the Second Cygnaran Civil War.
• Mercenary character solos
• Gobber Tinker solos ARMY COMPOSITION

• Idrian Skirmisher units • Mercenary battle engines An army made using this theme force can include only the
• Kayazy units following Mercenary models:
REQUISITION OPTIONS • Captain Bartolo Montador • Greygore Boomhowler & Co.

• One Mercenary command attachment • Captain Damiano • Dirty Meg

• One small- or medium-based Mercenary solo without the Lesser Warlock • Drake MacBain • Kell Bailoch
special rule • Magnus warcasters • Madelyn Corbeau, Ordic Courtesan
• Non-character Mercenary warjacks • Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor
SPECIAL RULES
• Steelhead models/units • Raluk Moorclaw, the Ironmonger
• If Ace is included in this army, it is a friendly Mercenary model instead of
a Cygnar warjack. • Croe’s Cutthroats

• While ’jack marshaled, warjacks in this army gain Flank [friendly warrior]. • This army can also include Cygnar Long Gunner, Ranger, and Trencher
(Flank [friendly warrior] – When a model with Flank [friendly warrior] Infantry units. These units are considered to be friendly Mercenary units
makes a melee attack against an enemy model in the melee range of a instead of Cygnar units and can include attachments.
friendly warrior model, the model with Flank gains +2 to attack rolls and
gains an additional damage die.) REQUISITION OPTIONS
• You can reroll your starting roll for the game. Your starting game roll can • One command attachment
be rerolled only once as a result of this special rule.
• One Steelhead Gunner solo
• One other small- or medium-based Mercenary solo

SPECIAL RULES

• Cygnar Long Gunner, Ranger, and Trencher Infantry units are considered
to be friendly Mercenary units instead of Cygnar units and can include
attachments.
• Warrior models/units in the army gain Feign Death.
(Feign Death – A model with Feign Death cannot be targeted by ranged or
magic attacks while knocked down.)
• Greygore Boomhowler & Co. gain Ambush.
(Ambush – You can choose not to deploy a unit with Ambush at the start of
the game. If it is not deployed normally, you can put it into play at the end
of any of your Control Phases after your first turn. When you do, choose
any table edge except the back of your opponent’s deployment zone. Place
the unit with Ambush completely within 3˝ of the chosen table edge.)

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 LLAELESE RESISTANCE OPERATING THEATER

The beleaguered soldiers of the Llaelese Resistance are mercenaries
only by necessity, taking contracts to help pay the enormous costs of
their rebellion. Since the fall of Merywyn, many Llaelese noblemen
have helped from exile to fund the Resistance. They leave field
operations to individuals like the warcaster Ashlynn d’Elyse, who
fights an endless war against the Khadorans who invaded her
homeland and killed her father. To some, the likelihood of restoring
The inscrutable cephalyx tirelessly perform diabolical experiments
on their captives deep below the earth. Masters of powerful psychic
energies and advanced surgery, these alien beings shape both the minds
and bodies of lesser creatures to create heavily modified laborers and
warrior slaves to suit the sinister agenda of their vast underground hives.
ARMY COMPOSITION

Llael seems remote, and they have turned their attention to pure An army made using this theme force can include only the
vengeance, willing to give their lives to force a reckoning. following Mercenary models:

ARMY COMPOSITION • Cephalyx warcasters • Non-Cephalyx units with Cephalyx

An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Mercenary models:
• Llaelese warcasters
• Caine’s Hellslingers
• Drake MacBain
• Non-character warjacks
• Llaelese models/units
• Harlan Versh, Illuminated One
• Madelyn Corbeau, Ordic Courtesan
• Menite Archon solos
• Morrowan Archon solos
• Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator
Dominator command attachments
• Non-character monstrosities
• Void Archon solos
• Cephalyx solos/units
• This army can also include Bloat Thrall, Machine Wraith, and Pistol Wraith
solos. These solos are considered to be friendly Mercenary units instead of
Cryx solos.
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• Two Cephalyx Agitator solos

• MacHorne models/units • Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord • One other small- or medium-based solo

• Dannon Blythe & Bull • Rutger Shaw, Professional

SPECIAL RULES
Adventurer
• Colbie Sterling, Captain of the BRI
• Sylys Wyshnalyrr, The Seeker • Operating Theather is a Cephalyx theme force.
• Eilish Garrity, the Occultist
• Thamarite Archon solos • Monstrosities in this army gain Hyper-Aggressive.
• Gobber Tinker solos (Hyper-Aggressive – When a model with Hyper-Aggressive suffers damage
from an enemy attack anytime except while it is advancing, after the
• This army can also include up to two non-character Crucible Guard units,
attack is resolved it can immediately make a full advance directly toward
up to two non-character Cygnaran units, or up to two non-character
the attacking model.)
Protectorate units. These units are considered to be friendly Llaelese
Mercenary units instead of Crucible Guard, Cygnar, or Protectorate units • Drudge models in the army gain Rise.
and can include attachments but cannot include Ranking Officers. (Rise – If a model with Rise is knocked down at the beginning of your
Maintenance Phase, it stands up.)
REQUISITION OPTIONS • One Cephalyx Mind Slaver & Drudge unit in this army gains Ambush.
(Ambush – You can choose not to deploy a unit with Ambush at the start of
• One command attachment
the game. If it is not deployed normally, you can put it into play at the end
• One small- or medium-based Mercenary solo of any of your Control Phases after your first turn. When you do, choose
any table edge except the back of your opponent’s deployment zone. Place
SPECIAL RULES the unit with Ambush completely within 3˝ of the chosen table edge.)

• If Ace is included in this army, it is a friendly Mercenary model instead of

a Cygnar warjack.
• Gun Mage models in this army gain Sniper.
(Sniper – Instead of making a damage roll to resolve a ranged attack,
a model with Sniper can inflict 1 damage point. A model disabled by a
ranged attack made by a model with Sniper cannot make a Tough roll.)
• Llaelese models in this army gain Pathfinder .
• Before models are deployed at the start of the game, you can place one
5˝ AOE rubble terrain features anywhere completely within 18˝ of the rear
table edge of your deployment zone. When you deploy your models, you
can deploy one small- or medium-based solo completely within the AOE.

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 SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE TALION CHARTER

If war is good for business, then business has been very good to the
Steelhead mercenary company. Already one of the largest groups of
sell-swords in western Immoren before the fall of Llael, subsequent
years of warfare have seen them reach peak profitability. Steelheads
can be found in nearly every major engagement from Skirov to Imer,
bringing victory—or anonymous defeat—at reasonable prices. The
company’s regular presence on the battlefield often sees them work
alongside many notable freelancers and experts. The old adage holds
true: “Either as allies or enemies, the Steelheads are gonna cost you.”
ARMY COMPOSITION
The Talion Charter originally set out the terms and conditions for
those serving on the Talion, a ship crewed largely by men and women
brought together by mutiny and who turned to piracy for survival. It
has been expanded to serve as a rallying point for a motley assortment
of powerful and well-armed pirates and privateers. These include
several notable warcasters-for-hire such as Phinneus Shae, the
Talion’s captain; Captain Bartolo “Broadsides Bart” Montador of the
Calamitas; and the Thamarite sorceress Fiona the Black. The sell-
swords of the Talion Charter have proven they can stand on equal
footing with any mercenary company in western Immoren and offer
their services at quite reasonable rates, both on land and at sea.

An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Mercenary models:
• Mercenary warcasters
• Non-character Mercenary warjacks
• Rocinante
• Alexia models/units
• Steelhead models/units
• Dannon Blythe & Bull
• Herne & Jonne
• Alten Ashley
• Anastasia di Bray
• Boomhowler, Solo Artist
• Dez
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• One Steelhead weapon crew
• Alexia, Mistress of the Witchfire
• Stannis Brocker
• Two Steelhead Gunner solos
ARMY COMPOSITION
• Eiryss, Mage Hunter of Ios An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Mercenary models:
• Gorman solos
• Privateer warcasters
• Ogrun Bokur solos
• Non-character warjacks
• Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord
• Scallywag
• Rutger Shaw, Professional
Adventurer • Privateer models/units
• Saxon Orrik • This army can also include Cryx Scharde units. These units are considered
• Taryn di la Rovissi, Llaelese Gun to be friendly Mercenary Privateer units instead of Cryx units and can
include attachments but cannot include Ranking Officers.
Mage
• Mercenary solos with the Attached
REQUISITION OPTIONS
rule
• One Scharde Dirge Seer unit
• Two Sea Dog Deck Gun units
• One command attachment
• Three Powder Monkey solos
• One other small- or medium-based Privateer solo
SPECIAL RULES

• One small- or medium-based Mercenary solo
SPECIAL RULES
• If Ace is included in this army, it is a friendly Mercenary model instead of
a Cygnar warjack.
• Solos in this army gain Mark Target. • After models are deployed at the start of the game, you can place up
(Mark Target – Other friendly Faction models gain +2 to ranged attack
rolls against enemy models within 5˝ of a model with Marked Target and
in its LOS.)
• Steelhead cavalry models in this army gain Bulldoze.
(Bulldoze – When a model with Bulldoze is B2B with an enemy model
during its Normal Movement, it can push that model up to 2˝ directly away
from it. A model can be pushed by Bulldoze only once per turn. Bulldoze
has no effect when a model makes a trample power attack.)
• Solos in this army gain Sacrificial Pawn [Sea Dog model].
(Sacrificial Pawn [Sea Dog model] – When a model with Sacrificial Pawn
[Sea Dog model] is directly hit by an enemy ranged attack, you can have
one friendly, non-incorporeal Sea Dog trooper model within 3˝ of it directly
hit instead. That model is automatically hit and suffers all damage and
effects.)
to two 3˝ AOEs anywhere on the table at least 6˝ away from the nearest
enemy model. These AOES are hazards and rough terrain that remain
in play for the first round of the game. A model entering or ending its
activation in one of these AOEs suffers an unboostable POW 12 blast
damage roll .

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 BAND OF HEROES KRIEL COMPANY

Kriels maintain martial traditions that go back to the beginning of the
trollkin as a people. Armed with axe and shield, kriel warriors have
long waged bloody wars to keep ownership of their lands, and their
tales of valor are carved into the faces of krielstones to inspire those
generations that follow in their footsteps. These bands of warriors give
rise to new champions, who earn their acclaim in battle against the
enemies of the trollkin. They emerge from the wilderness in a tide of
The trollkin of the United Kriels will stop at nothing to protect their new
home. In order to defend against any who would seek to drive them
out, militias of resolute trollkin take up arms as companies of warriors.
These companies mix traditional martial practices of the trollkin with
modern firepower and the might of trolls to crush any opposition.
ARMY COMPOSITION

steel and stone to strike down all who stand before them. An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Trollblood models:
ARMY COMPOSITION
• Trollblood warlocks • Weapon Crew units
An army made using this theme force can include only the
• Non-character warbeasts • Sons of Bragg
following Trollblood models:
• Dozer & Smigg • Trollkin Runebearer solos
• Trollblood warlocks • Warders models/units
• Units/solos with ranged weapons • Troll Whelp solos
• Non-character warbeasts • Krielstone Bearer &
• Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribe • Trollkin battle engines
Stone Scribe units
• Champion models/units units
• Stone Scribe Chronicler solos
• Fell Caller models/units • This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will
• Trollkin Runebearer solos work for the Trollbloods. These models/units can be included even if they
• Fennblade models/units
• Trollkin Skinner solos have the Partisan [Trollblood] special rule. Minion units in this army can
• Kriel Warrior models/units
include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
• Troll Whelp solos
• Long Rider models/units
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will
work for the Trollbloods. These models/units can be included even if they • One Trollblood weapon crew unit
have the Partisan [Trollblood] special rule. Minion units in this army can
include non-Ranking Officer attachments. • One Trollblood command attachment
• Five Troll Whelp solos
REQUISITION OPTIONS • One other small- or medium-based Trollblood solo
• One Trollblood command attachment
SPECIAL RULES
• Five Troll Whelp solos
• One other small- or medium-based Trollblood solo • Solos in this army gain Mark Target.
(Mark Target – Other friendly Faction models gain +2 to ranged attack
rolls against enemy models within 5˝ of a model with Marked Target and
SPECIAL RULES
in its LOS.)
• Models disabled by a melee attack made by a Trollblood warrior model in • You can reroll your starting roll for the game. Your starting game roll can
this army cannot make a Tough roll. When a model is boxed by a melee be rerolled only once as a result of this special rule.
attack made by a warrior model in this army, you can choose to have the
boxed model be removed from play.

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 THE POWER OF DHUNIA STORM OF THE NORTH

The trollkin are never closer to their goddess Dhunia than when
walking beside the shamans and runeshapers who work their magic
through the will of the Great Mother. Drawing upon their deep
connection to earth and stone, trollkin mystics shape the battlefield to
their will and manipulate the arcane might flowing through their very
veins to mobilize a great number of true trolls lured by the power of
the goddess. This close connection passes to the mighty trolls who then
accompany the trollkin. The touch of Dhunia soothes the trolls’ minds
and keeps their hunger for flesh in check as it suffuses their bodies with
her bountiful powers of regeneration.
For generations, the Northkin have stood as disparate clans, fighting
one another as often as they battled the many rivals who surround
them. For the first time in centuries, however, these hardy northern
folk now fight for a common purpose. Resilient warriors wage war
alongside the legendary warbeasts of the trollkin, while powerful
warlocks wield arcane might to enhance the battle prowess of their
warbands. All opposition is crushed beneath the Northkin onslaught
or is frozen and shattered by the power of winter itself.
ARMY COMPOSITION

An army made using this theme force can include only the
ARMY COMPOSITION
following Trollblood models:
An army made using this theme force can include only the • Trollblood warlocks • Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribe
following Trollblood models: units
• Non-character warbeasts
• Trollblood warlocks • Stone Scribe models/units • Kriel Warrior units
• Rök
• Non-character warbeasts • Dhunian Archon solos • Fell Caller Hero solos
• Champion models/units
• Mulg • Troll Whelp solos • Trollkin Runebearer solos
• Long Rider models/solos
• Trollkin models/units with the • Solos with the Lesser Warlock rule • Troll Whelp solos
• Northkin models/units
Magic Ability special rule
• This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will
• This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will
work for the Trollbloods. These models/units can be included even if they
work for the Trollbloods. These models/units can be included even if they
have the Partisan [Trollblood] special rule. Minion units in this army can
have the Partisan [Trollblood] special rule. Minion units in this army can
include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
include non-Ranking Officer attachments.

REQUISITION OPTIONS
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• One Trollblood command attachment
• One Dhunian Knot unit
• Five Troll Whelp solos
• Five Troll Whelp solos
• One other small- or medium-based Trollblood solo
• One other small- or medium-based Trollblood solo

SPECIAL RULES
SPECIAL RULES
• Non-warlock Trollblood warrior models in this army become Northkin
• Trollkin Runeshaper units in this army becomes U.
models and gain Immunity: Cold .
• Dhunian Knot units in this army gain Serenity.
• Warlocks in this army can upkeep spells on Northkin model/units without
(Serenity – At the beginning of your Control Phase, before leeching, you
spending fury.
can remove 1 fury point from a friendly Faction warbeast within 1˝ of a
model with Serenity.) • Before models are deployed at the start of the game, you can place two 4˝
AOE snowdrift terrain features anywhere completely within 20˝ of the rear
• Friendly models/units can begin the game affected by the upkeep spells
table edge of your deployment zone. Models without Immunity: Cold
of models in this army. These spells and their targets must be declared
treat snowdrifts as rough terrain. Models with Immunity: Cold gain
before either player deploys their models. Warlocks in this army do not
concealment while completely within a snowdrift.
have to pay fury to upkeep their spells during your first turn of the game.

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 THE BONES OF ORBOROS THE DEVOURER’S HOST

Since the order’s inception, the blackclads of the Circle Orboros have
passed down the secrets of shaping and animating wood and stone
to do their bidding as wolds. The product of ancient rites and blood
sacrifices, these massive stone constructs patrol the old places of the
world and ensure the sacred sites of the order remain untouched
by outsiders, falling upon intruders without hesitation to crush
them under fist and foot. The druids also summon forth these stone
constructs to batter into submission those threats too large or well-
defended to succumb to the Circle’s traditional hit-and-run tactics,
using brute force to buckle the armor of machines and shatter the
bones of great beasts.
To sow terror and reap death, blackclads who embrace the primal
aspects of Orboros turn to the Tharn. With murderous howls, Tharn
warriors charge from the darkest forests to strike fear into their
enemies’ hearts before ripping them out and devouring them whole.
These gruesome, gore-streaked combatants run side by side with all
manner of beasts, intent on slaking their thirst on the blood of the
Circle’s foes. Theirs is a history of violence, and their motivations
for war do not stray beyond devotion to the Devourer Wurm and an
attunement with the basest of instincts.
ARMY COMPOSITION

An army made using this theme force can include only the
ARMY COMPOSITION
following Circle models:
An army made using this theme force can include only the • Circle warlocks • Shifting Stone units
following Circle models:
• Living non-character warbeasts • Gallows Grove solos
• Circle warlocks • Stoneward & Woldstalker units • Ghetorix • Lord of the Feast
• Non-character construct • Blackclad solos • Loki • Primal Archon solos
warbeasts
• Gallows Grove solos • Tharn models/units • Circle structures
• Megalith
• Celestial Fulcrum battle engines • Death Wolves
• Stone units
• Circle structures
• This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will
• This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will work for the Circle. These models/units can be included even if they have
work for the Circle. These models/units can be included even if they have the Partisan [Circle] special rule. Minion units in this army can include
the Partisan [Circle] special rule. Minion units in this army can include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
non-Ranking Officer attachments.
REQUISITION OPTIONS
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• One Circle command attachment
• Two Shifting Stones units • Three Gallows Grove units
• One Sentry Stone & Mannikins unit • One Wolf Rider Champion solo
• Two Blackclad Stoneshaper units • One small- or medium-based Circle solo
• Three Gallows Grove units
• One other small- or medium-based Circle solo SPECIAL RULES

SPECIAL RULES
• Before leeching during each of your Control Phases, you can remove up
you 1 damage point from each Circle warbeast.
• Friendly models/units can begin the game affected by the upkeep spells
of models in this army. These spells and their targets must be declared
before either player deploys their models. Warlocks in this army do not
have to pay fury to upkeep their spells during your first turn of the game.
• Each model in this army that can gain corpse tokens begins the game with
one corpse token.
• One Tharn Bloodweaver unit in this army gains Ambush. (Ambush – You
can choose not to deploy a unit with Ambush at the start of the game. If it
is not deployed normally, you can put it into play at the end of any of your
Control Phases after your first turn. When you do, choose any table edge
except the back of your opponent’s deployment zone. Place all models in
the unit with Ambush in formation completely within 3˝ of the chosen table
edge.)

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 SECRET MASTERS THE WILD HUNT

The blackclads are few in number, but their work is constant and
endless. Only a small handful of these druids can be devoted to any
single task at a given time. But the masters of the wilderness are
cunning. They have woven a web of many debts among the inhabitants
of the wilderness, whom they can call upon to fight on their behalf.
Beast masters of the Circle Orboros are right to be proud of the
powerful warbeasts they add to their order’s arsenal. When large
numbers of these beasts are brought together, they can deal a decisive
blow against the Circle’s many enemies. The warbeasts’ natural
ferocity fuels them in battle to eradicate any opposition.

When war requires speed, cunning, and brutality, the Wild Hunt is
ARMY COMPOSITION
gathered to spill the enemy’s blood. If the need is dire, many villages of
An army made using this theme force can include only the Wolf Sworn are drawn together in these great hunting parties. A Wild
following Circle models: Hunt draws upon its warriors’ hunting skills and their knowledge of
• Circle Blackclad warlocks • Shifting Stone units the land to launch lethal ambushes against enemy columns marching
through the wilderness. The warriors of a Wild Hunt rely on their
• Non-character warbeasts • Gallows Grove solos
mobility to defeat technologically superior foes; they bleed the enemy
• Brennos • Circle structures
with quick strikes, chasing down all who break ranks to offer them as
• Blackclad models/units
a sacrifice to the primal power of the Devourer Wurm.
• This army can include any number of Minion units and solos that will work
for the Circle. These models/units can be included even if they have the ARMY COMPOSITION
Partisan [Circle] special rule. Minion units in this army can include non-
Ranking Officer attachments. An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Circle models:
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• Circle warlocks • Gallows Grove solos
• One Circle command attachment • Non-character warbeasts • Lord of the Feast
• Two Blackclad Stoneshaper solos • Brennos • War Wolf solos
• Three Gallows Grove solos • Wolf Sworn models/units • Wolf With No Name
• One other small- or medium-based solo without the Lesser Warlock • Shifting Stone units • Circle structures
special rule
• Blackclad solos
SPECIAL RULES • This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will
work for the Circle. These models/units can be included even if they have
• Blackclad warrior models gain Sacrificial Pawn [Minion warrior model].
the Partisan [Circle] special rule. Minion units in this army can include
(Sacrificial Pawn [Minion warrior model] – When a model with Sacrificial
non-Ranking Officer attachments.
Pawn [Minion warrior model] is directly hit by an enemy ranged attack,
you can have one friendly, non-incorporeal Minion warrior model within
3˝ of it directly hit instead. That model is automatically hit and suffers all REQUISITION OPTIONS
damage and effects.)
• One Circle command attachment
• Three Gallows Grove solos
• Three War Wolf solos
• One other small- or medium-based Circle solo

SPECIAL RULES

• When a warbeast in this model’s battlegroup is forced to use its animus

while in this model’s control range, reduce the COST of the animus by 1.
• One Wolf of Orboros unit in this army gains Ambush.
(Ambush – You can choose not to deploy a unit with Ambush at the start of
the game. If it is not deployed normally, you can put it into play at the end
of any of your Control Phases after your first turn. When you do, choose
any table edge except the back of your opponent’s deployment zone. Place
the unit with Ambush completely within 3˝ of the chosen table edge.)

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 DISCIPLES OF AGONY THE EXALTED

Connected by a desire to wring power from pain, the students of the
ancient skorne master Morkaash show the enemies of the Empire the
subtlety of their unique arts. Potent mortitheurges, indomitable Nihilator
cultists, and talented paingivers work in concert to bring low all living
flesh that opposes them. Captured enemies who prove useful are kept as
subjugated warriors, while all others taken alive are introduced to new
depths of suffering at the barbs and blades of their captors.
As silent as the death that will never embrace them, the exalted
ancestors of the skorne strike fear into the enemies of the Empire.
Guided not by a Tyrant’s whims but instead by their own unknowable
understanding, the exalted go to war accompanied by ranks of their
immortal companions. Their reasons for marching to battle are known
only to them and to the few they choose to communicate with through
the extollers who speak on their behalf.

At the heart of a skorne cohort is its warhost—a crushing wall of

ARMY COMPOSITION
warbeasts whipped into frenzy by the barbed lashes of the paingivers.
Acting as an unbreakable core around which the rest of an army An army made using this theme force can include only the
moves, this formation is directed by the most skilled warlocks in following Skorne and Minion models:
the cohort, often supported by those with less experience directing • Skorne warlocks • Extoller models/units
warbeasts. With tusk, fang, and claw, the towering beasts of the host
• Non-character warbeasts • Paingiver Beast Handler units
tear enemies to pieces or trample them underfoot in their maddened
• Despoiler • Void Archon solos
assaults. Each warhost strikes at the hardest points of a defender’s
lines and grinds them to pulp beneath an unrelenting advance. • Exalted models/units • Void Spirit solos

ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Skorne and Minion models:
• Skorne warlocks
• Non-character warbeasts
• Chiron
• Mortitheurge models/units
• Nihilator models/units
• Paingiver models/units
• Aptimus Marketh
• Skorne solos with the Battlegroup
Controller special rule
• Siege Animantarax
• Minion warbeasts controlled by
Skorne warlocks (see Special
Rules below)
• This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will
work for the Skorne. These models/units can be included even if they have
the Partisan [Skorne] special rule. Minion units in this army can include
non-Ranking Officer attachments.
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• One Skorne command attachment
• Three Extoller Novitiate solos
• Two Extoller Soulward solos
• Two Immortal Vessel solos
• One other small- or medium-based Skorne solo

• This army can include any number of Minion units and Minion solos that SPECIAL RULES
will work for the Skorne. These models/units can be included even if they
have the Partisan [Skorne] special rule. Minion units in this army can • Construct models in this army gain Immovable Object.
include non-Ranking Officer attachments. (Immovable Object – A model with Immovable Object cannot become
knocked down, cannot be placed, and cannot be moved by a push, slam,
or throw.)
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• Models in this army with a Soul Taker ability each begin the game with
• One Agonizer warbeast
one soul token.
• One Basilisk Krea warbeast
• One Skorne command attachment
• Two Paingiver Task Master solos
• One other small- or medium-based Skorne solo

SPECIAL RULES

• Skorne warlocks in this army can control non-character Minion warbeasts.

Minion warbeasts in this army that are controlled by a Skorne warlock are
considered to be Skorne warbeasts, not Minion warbeasts.
• Paingiver models gain Sacrificial Pawn [Minion warrior model].
(Sacrificial Pawn [Minion warrior model] – When a model with Sacrificial
Pawn [Minion warrior model] is directly hit by an enemy ranged attack,
you can have one friendly, non-incorporeal Minion warrior model within
3˝ of it directly hit instead. That model is automatically hit and suffers all
damage and effects.)

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 MASTERS OF WAR WINDS OF DEATH

Conflict is to be savored, for battle is the only true chance to prove one’s
devotion to the hoksune code. Though the martial orders of Cataphracts
and Praetorians disagree on which best exemplifies the martial code of
the skorne, they equally embrace the opportunity to demonstrate their
adherence to it. Acting on the orders of their tyrants, these disciplined
warriors grab the enemy army by its throat and do not relent until the
foe is vanquished or they have been claimed by the Void.
ARMY COMPOSITION
Although hoksune emphasizes melee combat above other forms of war,
the armies of the skorne have been forced to adapt in order to combat
the long-ranged capabilities of their western adversaries. New armies
composed almost entirely of Venators are being drawn up for the first
time to battle the enemy on equal footing, giving these low-caste
warriors an esteem they have never before experienced. The ranged
weapons of the Venators fill the air with clouds of razor-sharp needles
and rain down death on the enemy with chymical ammunition and
the artillery of heavy weapon crews.

An army made using this theme force can include only the
ARMY COMPOSITION
following Skorne models:
• Skorne warlocks • Tyrant Commander & An army made using this theme force can include only the
Standard Bearer units following Skorne models:
• Non-character warbeasts
• Ancestral Guardian solos • Skorne warlocks • Extoller solos
• Molik Karn
• Extoller solos • Non-character warbeasts • Mortitheurge Willbreaker solos
• Tiberion
• Mortitheurge Willbreaker solos • Venator models/units • Skorne battle engines
• Cataphract model/units
• Supreme Guardian battle engines • Paingiver Beast Handler units
• Praetorian models/units
• Paingiver Beast Handler units • This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will
work for the Skorne. These models/units can be included even if they
• This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will have the Partisan [Skorne] special rule. Mercenary units in this army can
work for the Skorne. These models/units can be included even if they have include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
the Partisan [Skorne] special rule. Minion units in this army can include
non-Ranking Officer attachments.
REQUISITION OPTIONS

REQUISITION OPTIONS • One Venator weapon crew unit

• One Tyrant Commander & Standard Bearer unit • One Skorne command attachment

• One Skorne command attachment • Two Extoller Soulward solos

• Three Extoller Novitiate solos • One other small- or medium-based Skorne solo

• Two Extoller Soulward solos

• One other small- or medium-based Skorne solo
SPECIAL RULES
• Models disabled by a melee attack made by a Skorne warrior model in this
army cannot make a Tough roll. When a model is boxed by a melee attack
made by a warrior model in this army, you can choose to have the boxed
model be removed from play.
SPECIAL RULES
• Weapon crew units in this army gain Reposition [3˝].
(Reposition [3˝] – At the end of an activation it did not run or fail a
charge, a model with Reposition [3˝] can advance up to 3˝, then its
activation ends.)
• Before models are deployed at the start of the game, you can place one
wall template anywhere completely within 20˝ of the rear table edge of
your deployment zone. The template cannot be placed within 3˝ of a hill,
obstacle, or obstruction. The template is an obstacle that grants cover.

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 CHILDREN OF THE DRAGON ORACLES OF ANNIHILATION

Reshaped by the dragon’s power, the blighted Nyss serve as formidable
fighters within Everblight’s legion. Utterly devoted to the dragon,
whole shards sometimes join battle together to enact their master’s
will. Such highly skilled and self-sufficient forces strike fast and
hard with a combination of blade, claw, and bow. Supported by agile
dragonspawn and powerful nephilim, these Nyss shards can strike
anywhere the dragon directs them, moving unnoticed through enemy
territory to secure objectives while outmaneuvering larger armies.
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Legion models:
• Legion warlocks • Blighted Nyss models/units
• Non-character warbeasts • Forsaken solos
There is great power buried alongside the relics of the past, and the
arcanists who serve the dragon are well- versed in the history of the
ancient world, receiving necessary knowledge directly from Everblight
himself. These arcanists scour the ruins of lost civilizations, seeking
to recover useful artifacts from their sacred places to aid Everblight’s
cause. When met with resistance, they combine fighting skill and
specialized arcane knowledge to best their opponents, and the flesh
and blood of fallen foes are quickly harvested and brought to the
spawning vessels, there to lend further strength to Everblight’s legion.
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Legion models:
• Legion warlocks • Beast Mistress solos

• Azreal • Incubi solos • Non-character warbeasts • Blighted Nyss Shepherd solos

• Typhon • Spell Martyr solos • Proteus • Incubi solos

• Zuriel • Succubus solos
• This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will
work for the Legion. These models/units can be included even if they
have the Partisan [Legion] special rule. Mercenary units in this army can
include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
• Models/units with Magic Ability • Spell Martyr solos
• Spawning Vessel units
• This army can include any number of Minion units, Minion solos, and
Minion battle engines that will work for the Legion. These models/units
can be included even if they have the Partisan [Legion] special rule.

REQUISITION OPTIONS REQUISITION OPTIONS

• One Blighted Nyss weapon crew unit • One Legion command attachment
• One Legion command attachment • One Blighted Nyss Sorceress & Hellion solo
• Five Incubi solos • Five Incubi solos
• One other small- or medium-based Legion solo • One other small- or medium-based Legion solo

SPECIAL RULES SPECIAL RULES

• Nephilim warbeasts in this army gain Unyielding. • Minion models in this army are Blighted models. When a living small-
(Unyielding – While engaging an enemy model, a model with Unyielding based Minion warrior model destroyed by an enemy attack, collateral
gains +2 ARM.) damage, or a continuous effect, you can replace it with an Incubus model
• Warlocks in this army gain Tactician [Blighted Nyss]. as if it were a Faction model.
(Tactician [Blighted Nyss] – While in the command range of a model with • When an enemy model ends its activation within 2˝ of a Blighted model
Tactician [Blighted Nyss], friendly Blighted Nyss models can ignore other in this army, the enemy model suffers the corrosion continuous effect .
friendly Blighted Nyss models when determining LOS. Friendly Blighted
Nyss models can advance through other friendly Blighted Nyss while in • Friendly models/units can begin the game affected by the upkeep spells
the command range of a model with Blighted Nyss if they have enough of warlocks in this army. These spells and their targets must be declared
movement to move completely past them.) before either player deploys their models. Warlocks in this army do not
have to pay fury to upkeep their spells during your first turn of the game.

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 PRIMAL TERRORS RAVENS OF WAR

When the blighted ogrun tribes go to war, they do so with the
blessings of Everblight by their side. Fighting with little regard for
personal safety, howling warbands descend upon their foes, crazed by
the prospect of spilling blood for their war chiefs and their korune,
Thagrosh. Even mortal wounds suffered in battle do not deter them.
Instead, such injuries goad them to drive even deeper into the enemy’s
heart to shed even more blood before they expire.
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Legion models:
• Legion warcasters • Blighted Rotwing units
• Non-character warbeasts • Hellmouth units
When speed is of the essence and the servants of the dragon must strike
with stealth, they rely upon the Ravens of War. A force of swift-moving
striders and grotesques, these inhuman warriors can traverse any
obstacle to deliver sudden death no matter where the enemy may hide.
Able to respond quickly to unexpected dangers or to pursue a fleeing
enemy, these highly mobile forces can be relied upon to move with
such speed that the battle is decided before their prey realizes they are
under attack.
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Legion models:
• Legion warlocks • Hellmouth units

• Golab • Forsaken solos • Non-character warbeasts • Blighted Nyss Sorceress & Hellion
solos
• Blighted Ogrun models/units • Spell Martyr solos • Golab
• Forsaken solos
• Grotesque models/units
• This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will
• Spell Martyr solos
work for the Legion. These models/units can be included even if they have • Raptor models/units
the Partisan [Legion] special rule. Minion units in this army can include • Succubus solos
• Strider models/units
non-Ranking Officer attachments.
• Blighted Rotwing units
REQUISITION OPTIONS • This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will
• One Hellmouth unit work for the Legion. These models/units can be included even if they have
the Partisan [Legion] special rule. Minion units in this army can include
• One Legion command attachment non-Ranking Officer attachments.
• One small- or medium-based Legion solo
REQUISITION OPTIONS
SPECIAL RULES
• Two Harrier lesser warbeasts
• Blighted Ogrun Warmonger and Blighted Ogrun Warspear units in this • One Legion command attachment
army gain Vengeance.
(Vengeance – During your Maintenance Phase, if one or more models in • One Blighted Nyss Sorceress & Hellion solo
a unit with Vengeance were damaged by enemy attacks during the last • One small- or medium-based Legion solo
round, each model in the unit can advance 3˝ and make one basic melee
attack.) SPECIAL RULES

• Lesser warbeasts in this army gain Mark Target.

(Mark Target – Other friendly Faction models gain +2 to ranged attack
rolls against enemy models within 5˝ of a model with Marked Target and
in its LOS.)
• You can reroll your starting roll for the game. Your starting game roll can
be rerolled only once as a result of this special rule.

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 BUMP IN THE NIGHT DARK MENAGERIE

The grymkin are not an organized military force. They do not come
to battle in regimented formations; indeed, they attack with scarcely
any perceivable order at all. When a mass of motley grymkin lumber
to war in the service of their masters, they advance as a haphazard but
terrifying horde. Descending upon a vice-ridden population, they indulge
in their unique appetites as they demand their due of wicked humanity.
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Grymkin models:
• Grymkin warlocks • Grave Ghoul solos
• Non-character warbeasts • Lord Longfellow
Each of the Defiers has some special preference for how to unmake
Menoth’s twisted civilization. When the opportunity to strike arises,
a Defier gathers a dark menagerie of his or her worst nightmares in a
terrifying show of force. Towering beasts of twisted flesh and bounding
swarms of frightful creatures gather together to enact the Defier’s will,
leaving behind only a handful of demented survivors to spread word of
the host of shadows that emerged from the night.
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Grymkin models:
• Grymkin warlocks • Glimmer Imp solos

• Grymkin units • Trapperkin solos • Non-character warbeasts • Gremlin Swarm solos

• Baron Tonguelick, Lord of Warts • Weird Wendell, Gremlin Wrangler • Dread Rot units • Lady Karianna Rose

• Cask Imp solos • Witchwood solos • Malady Man units • Weird Wendell, Gremlin Wrangler

• Glimmer Imp solos • Death Knell battle engines • Twilight Sisters • Death Knell battle engines
• Baron Tonguelick, Lord of Warts
• This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will
work for the Grymkin. These models/units can be included even if they • This army can also include one Minion solo and one Minion unit that will
have the Partisan [Grymkin] special rule. Minion units in this army can work for the Grymkin. These models/units can be included even if they
include non-Ranking Officer attachments. have the Partisan [Grymkin] special rule. Minion units in this army can
include non-Ranking Officer attachments.
REQUISITION OPTIONS
REQUISITION OPTIONS
• One Malady Man unit
• One Grymkin command attachment • Two Crabbit lesser warbeasts

• Two Trapperkin solos • Two Gremlin Swarm solos

• One Witchwood solo • One small- or medium-based Grymkin solo

• One other small- or medium-based Grymkin solo

SPECIAL RULES

SPECIAL RULES • The field allowance of Gremlin Swarm solos in this army becomes 4.

• Grymkin warrior models in the army gain Rise. • Gremlin Swarm solos in the army gain Serenity.
(Rise – If a model with Rise is knocked down at the beginning of your (Serenity – At the beginning of your Control Phase, before leeching, you
Maintenance Phase, it stands up.) can remove 1 fury point from a friendly Faction warbeast within 1˝ of a
model with Serenity.)
• You can reroll your starting roll for the game. Your starting game roll can
be rerolled only once as a result of this special rule. • Each non-trooper model in this army that can gain corpse tokens begins
the game with one corpse token.

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 THE BLINDWATER THE THORNFALL ALLIANCE
CONGREGATION
Once, the farrow tribes of Immoren were scattered, but a summit of
The gatormen of Blindwater Lake are the core of a vast reptilian cult gathered chiefs sealed an alliance in blood oaths at an old battleground
dedicated to its self-made deity, Bloody Barnabas. Once their leader, called Thornfall. The foremost of those gathered, the ambitious warlord
this ancient warrior and mystic elevated himself to godhood on a tide Lord Carver, cowed the rest into submitting to his violent visions
of bloodshed. As the pragmatic bokor Calaban guides the congregation of conquest. Where Lord Carver travels, lesser farrow chieftains are
from the shadows, gatormen from across the region assemble intimidated into obedience, and other great farrow warlords have taken
alongside the bog trogs and other swamp creatures subjugated into up his banner. Backed by the mad genius of the human Dr. Arkadius and
fighting alongside them in Barnabas’ name. his surgically enhanced warbeasts, the Thornfall Alliance is poised to
strike fear into the hearts of the civilized kingdoms.
ARMY COMPOSITION
ARMY COMPOSITION
An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Minion models: An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Minion models:
• Minion warlocks with the • Bone Shrine solos
Gatorman Warlock rule • Minion warlocks with the Farrow • Gudrun the Wanderer
• Dahlia Hallyr & Skarath
• Rask Warlock special rule
• Feralgeist solos • Hutchuk, Ogrun Bounty Hunter
• Non-character warbeasts with • Dr. Arkadius
• Primal Archon solos • Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress
Amphibious • Midas
• Raluk Moorclaw, the Ironmonger • Raluk Moorclaw, the Ironmonger
• Warrior models/units with • Non-character Farrow warbeasts
• Totem Hunter solos • Saxon Orrik
Amphibious
• Efaarit models/units
• Viktor Pendrake • Scythe
• Gobber models/units
• Farrow units/solos
• Sacral Vault battle engines • Swamp Gobber Chef solos
• Boil Master & Spirit Cauldron unit
• Lynus Wesselbaum & Edrea Lloryrr
• Viktor Pendrake
• Lynus Wesselbaum & Edrea Lloryrr
• Alten Ashley
• Wolf With No Name
REQUISITION OPTIONS • Brun Cragback & Lug
• Meat Thresher battle engines
• Dhunian Archon solos
• One Bull Snapper warbeast
• One Boil Master & Spirit Cauldron unit REQUISITION OPTIONS
• Three Feralgeist solos
• One Farrow weapon crew unit
• Two Gatorman Husk solos
• One Minion command attachment
• One other small- or medium-based Minion solo without the
• One Efaarit Scout solo
Lesser Warlock special rule
• One small- or medium-based Minion solo without the
SPECIAL RULES Lesser Warlock special rule

• The field allowance of Gatorman Posse units in this army becomes U.
• Gatorman Posse units in this army gain Snacking.
(Snacking – When a model with Snacking boxes a living model with a
melee attack, it can choose to remove the boxed model from play. When it
does, the model with Snacking can remove d3 damage points.)
• Gatorman Posse trooper models in this army have their damage boxes
increased from 5 to 8.
SPECIAL RULES
• Farrow warbeast models gain Salvage.
(Salvage – When a warjack is destroyed while in the melee range of a
model with Salvage, remove d6 damage points from the model with
Salvage. If the destroyed warjack was a heavy warjack or a colossal,
remove +3 additional damage points from the model with Salvage.)
• Farrow warrior models in the army gain Rise.
(Rise – If a model with Rise is knocked down at the beginning of your
Maintenance Phase, it stands up.)
• Before models are deployed at the start of the game, you can place two
trench terrain features anywhere completely within 20˝ of the rear table
edge of your deployment zone.

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 WILL WORK FOR FOOD

One constant is true across the Iron Kingdoms: everybody needs to

eat. In lean times, many of the wild peoples of western Immoren are
willing to put aside their differences and work together for mutual
survival. The primal need to eat and endure becomes a particular
challenge when one’s closest companions are enormous and voracious
warbeasts. Larger armed groups of wilderness warriors might muster
to offer their services in exchange for food, weapons, or other barter
to see them through the lean months. For some, the most eagerly
anticipated treasure is the great volume of meat that can be butchered
from the fallen and consumed in the aftermath of battle.

ARMY COMPOSITION

An army made using this theme force can include only the
following Minion models:
• Minion warlocks • Farrow Valkyrie units
• Non-character warbeasts • Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew units
• Minion character units • Minion solos
• Boil Master & Spirit Cauldron units • Minion battle engines
• Farrow Bone Grinder units

REQUISITION OPTIONS

• One Efaarit Scout solo

• Three Feralgeist solos
• One other small- or medium-based Minion solo without the
Lesser Warlock special rule

SPECIAL RULES

• Warbeasts in this army gain Overtake.

(Overtake – When a model with Overtake destroys one or more enemy
models with a basic melee attack during its Combat Action, after the
attack is resolved it can immediately advance up to 1˝.)
• Lesser warlocks in this army can upkeep their spells for free.

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 FORCES OF WARMACHINE: INFERNALS
NEW RULES
I
nfernals are beings from beyond Caen with but one interest in
humanity: the acquisition of souls. For centuries, they worked
in secret through their agents, bartering for souls in exchange
for services and arcane power. Now they have come in force to
collect their due in fulfillment of an ancient pact sworn by the gods.
Infernal Masters
Infernal forces are led by infernal masters, tremendously
powerful beings able to command the terrifying infernal horrors.
Infernal masters are among the most potent entities known to
exist beyond Caen. They wield arcane power beyond reckoning
and are unfettered by natural law.
A battlegroup includes an infernal master and the horrors it
controls.
Infernal masters are independent warrior models.
INFERNAL MASTERS &
FREE POINTS
Like warcasters and warlocks, infernal masters do not cost army
points to include in your army. Instead, infernal masters grant
you free points that can be spent only on horrors for your infernal
master’s battlegroup. These bonus points are in addition to the
army points determined for the game, and any free points not
spent on horrors for an infernal master’s battlegroup are lost.
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 157
Infernal Master Special Rules
All infernal masters have the following special rules.
Battlegroup Commander
This model can control a group of horrors. This model and the
horrors it controls are collectively referred to as a battlegroup.
This model can allocate essence points to horrors in its
battlegroup.
Since infernal masters and horrors are independent models, each
model in a battlegroup can move freely about the battlefield
separate from the rest of the group. Although horrors usually
benefit from remaining within their infernal master ’s control
range, they are not required to do so.
Only friendly models can be part of a battlegroup. If a rule causes
a horror to become an enemy model, it is not part of its original
battlegroup while that rule is in effect.
Inscrutable
Opponents cannot take control of infernal masters.
Feat
Each infernal master has a unique feat that can turn the tide of
battle if used at the right time. An infernal master can use its
feat at any time during its activation. An infernal master cannot
use its feat during an activation it runs and cannot interrupt
movement or an attack to use it. It can use its feat before moving,
after moving, before making an attack, or after an attack but
not while moving or attacking. An infernal master that uses its
Normal Movement to run cannot use its feat that activation.
An infernal master can use its feat only once per game.
NEW INFERNALS RULES 157
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ESSENCE
ESSENCE is a measure of a model’s arcane power. For horrors,
ESSENCE indicates how many essence points an infernal master
must spend to summon the horror, as well as the amount of
essence points the horror itself can have at any time. For a
model with the Essence Manipulation special rule, such as an
infernal master, ESSENCE determines its control range and
beginning essence points. A model uses its ESSENCE when
making magic attack rolls.
Infernal masters do not replenish their essence points like a
warcaster replenishes its focus points or a warlock leeches fury
points. Instead, an infernal master must either draw on the
vitality if its physical form or it must sacrifice one of its mortal
servants to regain its essence points.
Infernal masters and horrors start the game with a number of
essence points equal to their essence stats.
Essence Manipulation
This model has an ESSENCE stat. At the start of your Control
Phase, this model can replenish its essence points either through
leeching or sacrifice (see below). This model begins the game
with a number of essence points equal to its ESSENCE. Unless
otherwise stated, this model can spend essence points only
during its activation.
A model with the Essence Manipulation special rule has a control
range and can spend its essence points for additional melee
attacks, to boost attack and damage rolls, and to shake some
effects. During its controller’s Maintenance Phase, a model with
the Essence Manipulation special rule loses all essence points in
excess of its ESSENCE stat.
Infernal masters start the game with a number of essence points
equal to their ESSENCE stats.
Allocating Essence Points
An infernal battlegroup commander can allocate essence points
to the horrors in its battlegroup during your Control Phase. A
horror must be in its battlegroup commander’s control range to be
allocated focus, though it need not be in its line of sight. A horror
cannot exceed its ESSENCE stat in essence points at any time.
MARKED SOULS
Marked souls are humans who have bartered some portion of
their essence to the infernal masters in life. The remainder of
their souls can be claimed at the time of death or when the
terms of some bargain come to fruition. The infernal masters
use this soul material to empower their magic and to summon
horrors from beyond Caen. The infernalists and the cultists who
follow them are marked souls.
Infernal masters can sacrifice friendly models with the Marked
Soul special rule to replenish their essence points during the
Control Phase.
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Oblivion_Campaign.indb 158
Control Range
This model has a control range, a circular area centered on the
model with a radius that extends out from the edge of its base a
number of inches equal to twice its current ESSENCE. A model
is always considered to be in its own control range. When a
special rule changes a model’s current ESSENCE, its control range
changes accordingly. Some spells and feats use the control range,
noted as “CTRL,” as their range or area of effect.
Sacrifice
To replenish its essence points during your Control Phase, this
model must choose a friendly non-soulless model in its control
range. Troopers that are out of formation cannot be chosen.
Remove the chosen model from play, and this model gains essence
points so that it has a number equal to its current ESSENCE.
Leeching
During its controlling player’s Control Phase, a model with the
Essence Manipulation special rule can also leech essence points
from its own life force to replenish its essence points. For each
essence point a model gains from leeching, it suffers 1 damage
point. This damage cannot be transferred. This model cannot
exceed its ESSENCE in essence points as a result of leeching.
An infernal master cannot leech essence points from horrors in
its battlegroup the way a warlock can leech fury points from its
warbeasts.
ESSENCE: Additional Attack
This model can spend essence points to make additional melee
attacks as part of its Combat Action. It can make one additional
attack for each essence point spent. Some models have special
rules that enable them to also spend essence points to make
additional ranged attacks.
ESSENCE: Boost
This model can spend 1 essence point to boost any of its attack
or damage rolls during its activation. Add an extra die to the
boosted roll. Boosting must be declared before rolling any dice
for the roll. Remember, a single roll can be boosted only once, but
an infernal master can boost as many different rolls as you choose
and can afford.
ESSENCE: Shake Effect
During your Control Phase after allocating essence, this model
can spend essence points for the following:
• If the model is knocked down, it can spend 1 essence point
to stand up.
• If the model is stationary, it can spend 1 essence point to
cause the stationary status to expire.
• If the model is suffering an effect like Blind or Shadow Bind
that can be shaken, it can spend 1 essence point to cause the
effect to expire.
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 Damage Transference
When this model would suffer damage, it can immediately
spend an essence point to transfer the damage to a horror in
its battlegroup that is in its control range. The horror suffers
the damage instead of this model. Determine where to mark
the damage normally. Transferred damage is not limited by the
horror’s unmarked damage boxes, and any damage exceeding
the horror’s unmarked damage boxes is applied to this model
and cannot be transferred again. This model is still considered
to have suffered damage, even if the damage is transferred.
Models unable to suffer transferred damage cannot have damage
transferred to them.
EXAMPLE: An infernal master with one unmarked damage
box remaining is hit by an enemy attack and would suffer 10
damage points. The infernal master spends a fury point and
transfers the damage to a horror in his battlegroup. Unless the
horror has at least 10 unmarked damage boxes, the remaining
damage will be suffered by the infernal master.
Healing
At any time during its activation, this model can spend essence
points to remove damage it has suffered. This model can also
spend essence points to remove damage suffered by horrors in
its battlegroup that are in its control range. For each essence point
spent this way, this model can remove 1 damage point.
Spellcaster
This model can cast spells at any time during its activation by
paying the COST of the spells in essence points. Infernal masters
can make magic attacks and melee or ranged attacks in the same
activation like warcasters and warlocks.
A model with the ESSENCE stat uses it to resolve its magic attacks.
This model can spend essence points to upkeep its spells.
Summoning
Summoning allows an infernal master to use essence points
to summon a horror from beyond time and space to add to its
battlegroup.
An infernal master can summon up to one horror during its
activation each turn. When an infernal master summons a horror,
choose a friendly marked soul currently in the master’s command
range. The infernal master must then spend a number of essence
points equal to the base ESSENCE stat of the horror summoned.
Replace the chosen marked soul with the horror and remove the
marked soul from play. The horror enters play with 1 essence
point. The horror is part of the infernal master’s battlegroup. A
horror must forfeit its Combat Action the turn it is summoned.
Infernal Master Destruction
When a model controlling horrors is destroyed or removed from
the table, the horrors in its battlegroup are removed from play.
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 159
Horrors
Horrors are unnatural engines of malignant rage and are the
greatest assets in an infernal master ’s arsenal. Horrors have
been engineered for inhuman brutality and have been given a
broad variety of melee and ranged weaponry to annihilate any
opposition that crosses their path. They are savage monsters
lacking any instinct but to kill at their masters’ behest.
Horrors are classified according to base size: a lesser horror
has a small base (30 mm), a light horror has a medium base (40
mm), and a heavy horror has a large base (50 mm). Horrors are
independent models even though they are assigned to specific
battlegroups.
Horrors must begin the game assigned to a battlegroup controlled
by a model with the Essence Manipulation special rule.
Horror Special Rules
All horrors have the following special rules in common.
Essence
Horrors start the game with a number of essence points equal to
their essence stats. A horror can never have an essence point total
higher than its current ESSENCE stat.
If a horror ’s current ESSENCE is reduced for any reason,
immediately remove excess essence points. Essence points remain
on horrors until spent or removed by a special rule.
Essence: Additional Attack
A horror can spend essence to make additional melee attacks
as part of its Combat Action. It can make one additional attack
for each essence point spent. Some models possess special rules
that also enable them to spend essence points to make additional
ranged attacks.
Essence: Boost
A horror can spend 1 essence point to boost any of its attack rolls
or damage rolls during its activation. Add an extra die to the
boosted roll. Boosting must be declared before rolling any dice
for the roll. Remember, a particular roll can be boosted only once,
but a horror can boost as many different rolls as you choose and
can afford.
Essence: Shake Effect
During your Control Phase after your infernal masters have
completed allocating focus, a horror can spend essence points for
the following:
• If the horror is knocked down, it can spend 1 essence point
to stand up.
• If the horror is stationary, it can spend 1 essence point to
cause the stationary status to expire.
• If the horror is suffering an effect like Blind or Shadow Bind
that can be shaken, it can spend 1 essence point to cause the
effect to expire.
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 Power Attacks
Horrors can make power attacks. A horror can normally make a
power attack without spending an essence point. A horror with
a crippled outer damage ring (see below) must spend an essence
point to make a power attack.
• Lesser horrors cannot make power attacks.
• A light horror can make head-butt and slam power attacks. A
light horror with at least one weapon with the Open Fist
weapon quality can make throw power attacks.
• A heavy horror can make head-butt, slam, and trample power
attacks. A heavy horror with at least one weapon with the
Open Fist weapon quality can make throw power attacks.
Running and Charging
A horror can normally use its Normal Movement to run or charge
without spending an essence point. A horror with a crippled outer
damage ring (see below) must spend an essence point to run or charge.
Tithe
Horrors are unnatural creatures whose very existence upsets the
nature of reality. As such, these creatures can only exist on Caen for
a short period of time before being banished from physical space.
A horror must spend 1 essence point at the end of each of its
controlling player’s turns to remain in play. If the horror does not
spend an essence point at the end of its controlling player’s turn,
it is removed from play.
Recording Damage To an Horror
Horrors have damage webs
consisting of three concentric
rings of damage boxes
(represented by circles).
Different damage webs will have
different numbers of damage
boxes, but they function the
same way. When a horror suffers
damage, apply the damage to
the outermost ring, marking one Sample damage web from
damage box per damage point a horror stat card
taken. Once a ring is full, continue recording damage to the next
ring that contains an unmarked damage box. Continue filling
damage boxes until every damage point taken has been recorded.
When all the damage boxes in a ring of a horror’s damage web
have been marked, the ring is crippled. If 1 or more damage points
are removed from a crippled ring, the ring is no longer crippled.
The effects of crippled rings are as follows:
• Crippled Outer Ring: The horror must spend an essence point
to run, charge, or to make a power attack.
• Crippled Middle Ring: The horror rolls one fewer die on the
attack rolls.
• Crippled Center Ring: The horror is disabled like any other
model that has all its damage boxes marked.
160 NEW INFERNALS RULES
Oblivion_Campaign.indb 160
When removing damage from a horror ’s damage web, the
damage must be removed from the innermost ring first. If all of
the damage has been removed from the innermost ring, begin
removing damage from the next innermost ring.
The Infernal Turn
The infernal player ’s turn is divided into three phases:
Maintenance, Control, and Activation.
Some effects are resolved at the beginning of a player ’s turn.
These effects are resolved before the start of the Maintenance
Phase. Remember to remove markers for any effects that expire at
the beginning of your turn.
Maintenance Phase
During the Maintenance Phase, perform the following steps in order:
1. For each of your models with the Essence Manipulation
special rule, remove all essence points in excess of its
ESSENCE stat.
2. Check for expiration of continuous effects on any models
you control. After checking for expired continuous effects,
resolve the effects of those that remain in play.
3. Resolve all other effects that occur during the Maintenance
Phase.
Control Phase
During the Control Phase, perform the following steps in order.
1. Each of your models with the Essence Manipulation
special rule, like infernal masters, can replenish its essence
points by sacrifice or leeching. A model cannot exceed its
current ESSENCE in essence points as a result of sacrifice
or leeching.
2. Replace soul tokens on models with the Essence
Manipulation special rule with essence points. A model
can exceed its current ESSENCE in essence points as a
result of Soul Taker: Infernal Master.
3. Each model with the Essence Manipulation special rule can
allocate essence points to horrors in its battlegroup that are
in its control range.
4. Each model with the Essence Manipulation special rule can
spend essence points to maintain its upkeep spells in play. If a
model does not spend essence points to maintain an upkeep
spell, the spell expires, and its effects immediately end.
5. Resolve all other effects that occur during the Control Phase.
Activation Phase
The Activation Phase is the major portion of a player ’s turn.
All models you control must be activated once per turn. This is
usually done during the Activation Phase, but some effects allow
a model to activate earlier in the turn. Units and independent
models are activated one at a time in the order you choose. A
model cannot forfeit its activation unless allowed to do so by a
special rule. A model must be on the table to activate.
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