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To some they are the uncompromising, unfeelingvengeance of the heavens. To others they are a raceof bloodthirsty reptilian monsters marching forthfrom the steaming jungles to bring death to thosewho would intrude upon their sacred grounds.Yet the Seraphon are both these things, and morebesides. They are the true children of Azyr, filledwith the light of the stars, and they fight to enact acosmic plan that spans all of creation.From meditation chambers deep within void-faringziggurats, the Slann Starmasters, servants of themysterious Old Ones, seek to cast down the RuinousPowers themselves. Few understand the Seraphon,for to mortal eyes their wars can seem fickle andstrange. They fight not for territory, nor for gold oreven the sheer joy of battle. Every action they takeis dedicated solely to the destruction of Chaos,every warrior or army sacrificed part of a greaterplan. Such is little comfort to those who die underthe heavens-blessed blades of the Seraphon, for theblood of these reptilian creatures runs cold, and theyare remorseless in carrying out the commands oftheir masters.In battle the hosts of the Seraphon present a strikingimage. Hulking warriors with iron-hard scales carvea trail of single-minded destruction, while theirsmaller, swifter kin burst from every shadow toassail the foe. Marching alongside them are terrifyingprimeval giants, each fashioned by the Seraphon intoa deadly weapon. All these reptilian creatures fightunder the command of their celestial priest-lords;these mages cast their eyes to Azyr even as theyharness the power of the realms themselves, readingthe patterns of the stars.Though the years grow darker, these most ardentfoes of Chaos have not faltered in their duty. TheSoul Wars have rocked the heavens to their core, yetone portent remains clear.The time of deliberation is over. Now comes the ageof annihilation.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
CONTENTS2 CONTENTSREPTILIAN MAJESTY.........4WARRIORS OF THE STARS.......8Masters of Order...........................10Temple-cities..................................12STRENGTH FROMTHE STARS.................................14Dracothion’s Tail...........................16Fangs of Sotek................................17Koatl’s Claw...................................18TheThunder Lizard......................19AEONS OF WAR .......................20Slann Starmasters.........................22Champions of the Seraphon........24Primal Savagery ............................26Priests of the Seraphon ................28Hunting Packs...............................30Predatory Fury ..............................32Wrath of the Cosmos ...................34COSMIC GLORY ...............38WILL OF THE OLD ONES .......48PAINTING YOURSERAPHON ...............................50CELESTIAL MIGHT...........54ALLEGIANCE ABILITIES ........55Battle Traits....................................55Command Traits...........................57Artefacts of Power ........................58Spell Lores andBound Endless Spells ...................60Realmshaper Engine ....................62Dracothion’s Tail...........................64Fangs of Sotek................................65Koatl’s Claw...................................66TheThunder Lizard......................67Battleplan: TheTables Turned....68PATH TO GLORY.......................70Seraphon Warband Tables...........72WARSCROLLS............................74Eternal Temple-host.....................74Sunclaw Temple-host ...................75Firelance Temple-host..................75Shadowstrike Temple-host..........75ThunderquakeTemple-host........75Eternal Starhost.............................76Sunclaw Starhost...........................77Firelance Starhost.........................77Shadowstrike Starhost .................77Thunderquake Starhost................77Slann Starmaster...........................78Lord Kroak.....................................79Saurus Oldblood ...........................80Saurus Sunblood...........................80Saurus Oldblood on Carnosaur...81Saurus Eternity Warden ..............82Saurus Guard.................................82Saurus Scar-Veteranon Carnosaur.................................83Saurus Scar-Veteranon Cold One...................................84Saurus Warriors............................84Saurus Astrolith Bearer...............85Saurus Knights..............................85Skink Starseer................................86Skink Starpriest.............................86Skink Oracle on Troglodon.........87Skink Priest....................................88Skinks .............................................88Chameleon Skinks........................89Salamander Hunting Pack ..........89Razordon Hunting Pack ..............90Kroxigor.........................................90Bastiladon ......................................91Terradon Riders............................92Ripperdactyl Riders......................92Terradon Chief..............................93Ripperdactyl Chief........................93Stegadon .........................................94Engine of the Gods.......................95Bound Purple Sun of Shyish .......96Bound Balewind Vortex...............96Bound Ravenak’sGnashing Jaws...............................97Bound Prismatic Palisade ...........97Bound Aethervoid Pendulum.....98Bound Suffocating Gravetide......98Bound Umbral Spellportal..........99Bound Malevolent Maelstrom....99Bound Quicksilver Swords........100Bound Burning Head.................100Bound Geminids of Uhl-Gysh ...101Bound Chronomantic Cogs......101Bound Soulsnare Shackles ........102Bound Emerald Lifeswarm.......102PITCHED BATTLEPROFILES .................................103PRODUCED BY THE WARHAMMER STUDIOWith thanks to The Faithful for their additional playtesting services. Order Battletome: Seraphon © Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2020. Order Battletome: Seraphon, GW, Games Workshop, Warhammer, Stormcast Eternals, and all associated logos, illustrations, images, names, creatures, races, vehicles, locations, weapons, characters, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are either ®or TM, and/or © Games Workshop Limited, variably registered around the world. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. Thisis a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental. British Cataloguing-in-PublicationData. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Pictures used for illustrative purposes only. Certain Citadel products may be dangerous if used incorrectly and Games Workshop does not recommend them for use by children under the age of 16 without adult supervision. Whatever your age, be careful when using glues, bladed equipment and sprays and make sure that you read and follow the instructions onthe packaging. ISBN: 978-1-83906-014-4 Games Workshop Ltd., Willow Road, Lenton, Nottingham, NG7 2WS, United Kingdomgames-workshop.comAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Even the most diabolical of foes cannot stand before the wrath of the Seraphon, for these reptilianwarriors are the might of Order given form and deadly purpose.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
REPTILIANMAJESTY4 REPTILIANMAJESTYIt is those who look to the heavensthat first realise something is amiss.The stars appear to shine brighter,rearranging into precisely plottedpatterns. Next comes the sound ofprimeval drums, beating sonorously on the edge of hearing. Louder andlouder they grow, the air cracklingwith zephyrs of celestial power.Then, in a flash of brilliant light,the hosts appear. Cohorts of brutalsaurians advance in perfect lockstep,bellowing wordless war cries andtearing through the ranks of thefoe with blade and jaw. The groundshakes as herds of titanic monsterscharge forth, carrying upon theirbacks weapons of strange andterrible power. Thosewho attempt toflee find their escape cut off by packsof stealthy skirmishers and shriekingaerial predators. Commanding themare ancient warlords mounted onterrifying warbeasts, and mages whoturn the cosmos themselves into a deadly weapon. These are the armiesof the Seraphon, and few can hope tostand before their reptilian wrath.The term ‘Seraphon’ refers to severalsubspecies of bipedal lizardfolk. Theyare not born, but instead spawned,emerging from mystical pools deepwithin their golden temples. Most numerous are the skinks, smallcreatures blessed with sharp mindsand dexterous limbs. Workingalongside them are toweringcrocodilians known as Kroxigor,slow-witted brutes who can employtheir mammoth strength for days onend when set to a task. Thewarriorcaste is populated by saurus, strongand obedient soldiers bred purely forbattle. At the apex of the Seraphonhierarchy sit the Slann Starmasters.Though they have the bodies ofbloated amphibians, their magicalmastery is almost unmatched. Evenan entire cabal of sorcerer-kings willstruggle to match a slann in a mysticduel, for they wield the arcane as deftly as a champion warrior does a blade.Yet the slann are more than justpowerful wizards. They are thelast link the Seraphon have to theircreators – the mythical Old Ones.Mysterious figures beyond theknowledge of even the gods, theOld Ones possessed a plan for allof creation. It is the slann’s purposeto interpret this Great Plan, andthrough their will every action takenby the Seraphon race is bent towardsits completion.THE STARLITAND THE SAVAGEThe Seraphon have long been activein the Mortal Realms – throughoutthe palaces and colleges of Azyrheimstand frescos from the Age ofMyth depicting reptilian warriorsglowing with starlight. At thebeginning of the Age of Sigmar,many who encountered the Seraphonpresumed them to be manifestationsof Azyr not entirely dissimilar tothe Stormcast Eternals. From theheavens they came, arriving inbeams of luminescent brilliance.The truth is somewhat morecomplex. Seraphon arefundamentally creatures of flesh andblood, albeit with celestial magicglimmering in their veins. The firstof their number dwelt within vasttemple-ships amid the darknessof the aetheric void. These shipssoon found themselves drawn tothe uppermost reaches of Azyr,where their spawning pools becamepermeated by starlit magic. Beforelong the Seraphon that emerged fromwithin, as well as those dwellingwithin the ships themselves, were more akin to heavenly beings thanliving creatures as most mortalswould understand them.Many Seraphon still persist in thisfashion. Charged with the energiesof Azyr, these ‘Starborne’ exist on aslightly different wavelength to theother realms; their weapons cracklewith celestial fury, and when slainthey discorporate into blasts of purestarlight. Using the translocationportals found within their arcane vessels, these beings strike preciselyand without mercy. It is theslann that bind the essence of theStarborne into reptilian form. ManyStarmasters can ‘conjure’ warriorsdirectly from their temple-ships withbut a gesture; to those who witnessthis feat, it can seem as though theslann are crafting these creatureswhole from the energies of the stars, or even their thoughts alone.The Starborne can interact withthe tangible world, but their deepconnection to Azyr prevents themfrom achieving true physicality. Asthe centuries have passed however, some Seraphon temple-fleetshave descended from Azyr andestablished permanent settlementsin the Mortal Realms. As a Seraphonlingers within a realm, their inherentAzyrite nature mixes with themagical energy that forms thatrealmsphere. Just as the differentwinds of magic grew concentratedenough over time to take on physicalform as the realms themselves,the Starborne will eventually gaintrue permanence.Known as the Coalesced, theseSeraphon have embraced theirprimal instincts as the light of theheavens fades within them. Thickjungles spread around their landedtemple-cities, their growth hyperaccelerated by the strange wavesThe Seraphon are the implacable turning of the cosmos personified. No mercy lies in their hearts – only achillingly single-minded dedication to their goal. They are an enigmatic force in the Mortal Realms, an ancient race from beyond the stars born from an amalgam of celestial power, alien technology and a core of pure savagery.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
5of power that emanate from the arcane Realmshaper Engines thatdot their territory. Whilst they maylack the Starborne’s mastery of spaceand time, the primeval fury of theCoalesced more than compensates.Whether Starborne or Coalesced, allSeraphon fight for a unified goal –the fulfilment of the Old Ones’ GreatPlan, and the annihilation of Chaos.MERCILESS ORDERChaos is the greatest foe of theSeraphon, known to them as theEternal Enemy. The friezes carvedacross the walls of their spawnsanctums tell of battles against theRuinous Powers that stretch backbeyond the dawn of creation itself.It is the single-minded nature of thiscrusade that has made the Seraphonappear so strange to the otherpeoples of the realms. Rarely do theyfight for territory or material gain,and in their battle against Chaos no quarter is ever asked for or offered.Around flickering campfires acrossthe realms, countless tribes speak offerocious lizard-warriors descendingwithout warning from the heavens,wiping out entire cultures beforedisappearing just as swiftly.These actions are not driven bymalice, but necessity; the slann areeternally occupied with matterscelestial, and the knowledgethat they alone can be trusted toprosecute the Great Plan weighsheavily. Any beings who wouldjeopardise strategies millennia in themaking, intentionally or otherwise, are removed from the grand cosmicequation with extreme prejudice.With the slann’s powers of foresight,many of these threats are put downbefore they can truly manifest.Rampaging orruk warclans,Necromancers pursuing secrets bestleft alone, outposts of Order destinedfor madness and corruption – allhave been obliterated by the suddenstrike of a Seraphon host, never knowing the reason behind theirdemise. On occasion the Seraphonwill even fight amongst themselves,their varying methods of pursuingthe Great Plan deemed incompatibleby their Starmasters. Yet even theseinternecine conflicts contribute totriumph over the Eternal Enemy,primeval tests of strength that ensure only the most worthy may prosper.Never have the Seraphon stood as part of Sigmar’s pantheon; theirs is a war that stretches beyond realms,beyond the concerns of mortals or gods. It is a war they fight alone,pitiless yet selfless in their savagededication to Order and the downfallof Chaos.THE OLD ONESWho, or what, the Old Ones were remains a mystery; even the most ancient slann can only dimly recallthe great catastrophe that severed them from theircreators. All that is known for certain is that they were beings of unfathomable intellect and power thatpossessed a great design for all of creation. Long agothey came from beyond the stars in majestic silverships, bringing with them favoured servants granteda portion of their masters’ godly might. Most blessed,and most trusted, were the original slann. It was theywho were responsible for constructing the first templesof the Seraphon in the dim and distant past; more thansimple dwellings, these structures were designed to act as relays and reservoirs for the power of magic, as well as possessing great arcane technologies that wouldone day transform them into the ziggurat-ships of theSeraphon fleets.Even the original names of these near-mythical beingshave been forgotten. The ancient plaques stored withinthe vaults of the Seraphon speak of the Old Onesand their plans, but many have been lost, damagedthroughout centuries of war, or are facsimilesrecreated by skink scribes who struggle to grasp thecosmic intricacies of their message. In the face ofthis limited knowledge many Seraphon, particularlythose that have coalesced throughout the realms, haveascribed godly personification to the Old Ones. Fromstealthy Huanchi to inscrutable Tepok these creatorfigures are venerated by their stranded children, buttheir true identities remain unknown.To the Old Ones, science and magic were one and thesame. Like a cabal of alchemists engaged in a grandexperiment, they wielded arcane power to shift thelaws of reality to suit their will. The many techno- sorcerous relics left behind by the Old Ones – fromthe sunbolt gauntlets to the reality-warping powerof the Engines of the Gods – may not originally havebeen intended as weapons, though what function theyserved is knowledge possessed only by the Old Onesthemselves. They have, however, proven invaluable tothe Seraphon’s endless war against Chaos.It is possible that the greatest achievement of theOld Ones were the Realmgates; ancient Azyrite textsmention an enigmatic race involved in their creation,and the slann seem to possess knowledge concerningthe functioning of the inter-realm portals. They are able to teleport their servants through the aethericvoid with a thought, or – though it requires drawing on the deepest reserves of their power – manipulatethe Realmgate network to send enemies astray.Throughoutthe Realmgate Wars the slann intercededon several occasions to waylay those who would menace the forces of Order – though they were careful never to strain the network too much, perhaps waryof the limits to their own understanding and theinstability they threatened to create.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Many times have the forces of Chaos sought to lay low the Seraphon. Yet the savage children of the Old Ones standforever ready to answer any such challenge. As saurian warhosts tear through the foe, the ancient technology oftheir lost creators turns the power of the realms themselves into a weapon with which to further the Great Plan.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
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WARRIORS OFTHESTARS8 WARRIORS OF THESTARSEven the divine cannot say forsure how the temple-ships of theSeraphon came to the MortalRealms. Perhaps the slann know,but they do not speak of it. Certainly no saurus or skink recalls anythingbefore crawling from the spawningpools deep within their star-vessels.Those civilisations that haveencountered the Seraphon, as well asthe ever-curious skinks themselves,hold to different beliefs concerningthe genesis of the reptilian race. Whether any of them come closeto the truth is beyond the kenof mortals.Of all the human cultures of therealms, few meditate upon thecosmos as deeply as the venerableMoon Monks of Hysh. The natureof the lunar bodies within their own realmsphere and beyond formthe obsession of this monasticfellowship. Through their extensivecontemplations of the heavens theMonks have, almost inadvertently, come to possess much of theaccumulated lore on the Seraphon.Even this does not amount to much,but on one thing they are clear: theslann are not native to the MortalRealms. In all of creation they are alone. Thus,the Monks conclude,the temple-ships of the Seraphonmust originate from outside theMortal Realms – or perhaps evenpredate them.The first Seraphon were survivors ofthe destruction of the world-that- was. The temple-cities establishedacross the realms are not newconstructs but merely the latestrendition of a reptilian empire – thevessels that comprise these cities,and the beings that dwelt withinthem, were forced to launch a greatexodus into the heavens as the worldfell. Even as the temple-vessels wererejuvenated under the light of thestars, however, the cold-bloodednature of their occupants began totell within the lightless void.In an effort to save at least a measure of their servants the slann magicallycompelled the majority into a stateof suspended animation; withtheir temple-ships gradually losingpower around them, their arcaneenergies unable to be replenishedwithin the aetheric void, the slannbegan a lonely voyage through thestars, meditating on how to strikeback against the powers that haddestroyed their world.It was the godbeast Dracothion,the celestial Great Drake, whodiscovered the ice-wreathed shipsfloating through the Great Nothing.It was he who breathed the light ofthe stars over them and brought theiroccupants to wakefulness.Many races of the Mortal Realms have only scant recollection of how they came to be. For most, the truth is buriedunder layers of mythology. So it is with the Seraphon, but though much knowledge regarding this race remainsmysterious, one thing is certain: their origins lie amongst the stars.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
9ZIGGURAT SHIPSThe cosmic vessels of the Seraphon are a far cry fromthe ocean-plying ships of other races. Theirfleets are more akin to entire floating cities cast into theheavens, replete with all manner of strange and arcanetechnologies. Beneath the stately pyramids and mysticobelisks are great star engines and world-morphinginstruments, charged with magical force to beemployed at the direction of the slann.Ziggurat-ships typically hover within the upperreaches of Azyr, or traverse the darkness of theaetheric void. When the warriors within attack,miniaturised Realmgates are opened via thetechnology of the Old Ones to send the Seraphondirectly into the realms beyond. The blinding lightof these teleportation beams is often misinterpretedas being projected directly from the stars, andcontributes to the oft-held belief that StarborneSeraphon are entirely manifestations of Azyr.The geometry of these fortress-ships is beyond theunderstanding of mortals, though the ordered andrational minds of the Seraphon have adapted well tonavigating their confines. Within each ziggurat-shipthe scientific mixes with the arcane and the primitivein near-seamless fashion. Stellariums and orreriesdominate entire chambers, through which the seers ofthe Seraphon observe the tapestry of the heavens anddivine the paths of the future. Glyph-covered walls arereplete with snaking circuitry. Starlit sigils of wardingmark the entrance to vast hatcheries, where rankupon rank of eggs – the next generation of reptilianmonsters bred by the Seraphon – are incubated,attended to by coteries of fretful skink handlers.Most Seraphon aboard a temple-ship will residewithin the world-chambers. A product of the mysticRealmshaper Engines of the Old Ones, these environsswelter with tropical heat, their basins filled with thickjungle and meandering rivers. Here the Seraphon liveand hunt when not at war. From tiered balconies andglittering star-bridges the Skink Priests observe theirkin, marking those destined for greatness.Deep within many temple-vessels are the spawningpools. These emerald lakes glisten with Azyrite magic,starlight eternally dancing across their still surface.Through turning great wheels and pressing goldenplaques in sequence, the Seraphon feed unfathomableenergies into these pools, bringing new generationsof their kin into being. The spawning pools are ofincomparable value to the Seraphon, for they are the means through which they produce new warriors tofight against the Eternal Enemy. Saurus championsguard the entrance to these sacred chambers, andmany Starborne fleets choose to remain amidst theheavens purely to ensure these engines of life are keptbeyond the greed of those astromancers and daemonsthat seek to study or despoil them.Some skink scholars postulate thatthe earliest Seraphon were literallyformed of Dracothion’s breath.Others consult examples of ancientstellar cartography of Azyr and notethe first appearances of anomalies now known to be temple-fleets. Theybelieve that Dracothion re-energisedthe ziggurat-vessels and gave themthe ability to independently traversethe void, as well as inundated thelong-dormant spawning pools withthe magic of the heavens. It was thismoment that marked the creation oftrue Seraphon, reborn through thetouch of Azyr.Still others claim that as Dracothionlooked upon the fleets with curiosity,the slann formed a telepathiclink with the godbeast. Wrackedwith visions of the destructionof the world-that-was, the GreatDrake wept silver tears – perhaps a metaphor for the formation of flamelit comets or a rain of shooting stars – that guided the slann and theirvessels to the Celestial Realm.There may be a measure of truth ineach of these tales. Other culturespossess their own legends as tohow the Seraphon came to be;the shamanistic Woad Lords, forinstance, claim that hidden amongstthe uppermost reaches of Azyr is thekingdom of the true gods, of whichthe Seraphon fleets are merely scoutsand outriders.There are even those who suggestthat the slann’s masters were insome measure responsible for theformation of the Mortal Realms.Such is not beyond the bounds ofpossibility, for if any beings are mighty enough to have played a partin binding the wild energies of magicinto physical form then it is surelythe Old Ones and their servants. Theslann’s knowledge of the Realmgates,and how to circumvent or redirectthem in times of need, lends furthercredence to this belief. Some skinklegends say that the first Seraphon were themselves little more thancrude forms of reptilian life, upliftedand remade to serve a new purposeby the Old Ones. It is the nature ofthe slann to manipulate lesser formsof life in the name of the Great Plan– under the direction of their longlost masters, this meddling couldwell have extended to crafting thevery cosmos itself.Unless the slann choose to revealthe secrets of their past, it is unlikelythe whole truth shall ever be known.It is undeniable, however, that theSeraphon now dwell within thehigh heavens of Azyr. Theirstarfleets have explored much of thisenchanted firmament, dwelling farbeyond even the golden majesty ofSigmaron and the brilliant light ofthe High Star, Sigendil. The greattemple-ships that comprise thesefleets are amongst the last survivingrelics of the world-that-was. It isfitting therefore that within thesestellar ziggurats many Starmastersremain, contemplating the cosmicorder and how best to bring aboutthe final defeat of Chaos.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Masters of Order10 MASTERS OF ORDERThe slann have neither forgotten nor forgiven a single cruelty wrought by the powers of Chaos, nor have theyneglected their grand mission to defeat the Ruinous Powers once and for all. Always are their minds turned to thedefeat of this most ancient foe, for such was the will of their creators, the unfathomable Old Ones.Though they may appear somnolentat times, the Slann Starmastersshoulder a burden only the gods can hope to understand. It is theywho are charged with bringing theGreat Plan to fruition. The slann’smemories of this cosmic mission’sparticulars are hazy, perhaps in a deliberate effort by the mage-lords toprotect themselves from the mindblasting horrors of the dark days that saw the Old Ones lost. Yet althougheach recalls the finer details of GreatPlan differently, all slann agree on itspurpose – the destruction of Chaos,the Eternal Enemy.Such a lofty goal may seemimpossible, but the slann havehad centuries to plan their war. The powers of Chaos, by contrast, are locked in an eternal cycle ofinternecine conflict. The coming ofthe Age of Sigmar has reduced thedominion of the Ruinous Powers over the realms, and divided theattentions of the dark pantheon.Even if the Chaos Gods concentratedall their efforts upon the destructionof the Seraphon, it is likely one of thebrothers in darkness would upsetthe balance through an attemptedpower grab. So are the Seraphonable to contest with the power ofthe gods themselves – a contestin which, one day, they may evenemerge triumphant.THE ASTROMATRIXThe favoured targets of the Seraphonare those places where magicalenergy pools, or where the ley linesof arcane power that cross theaetheric void – akin in some way tothe Realmgate network, and visibleto those with mage-sight only underillumination from the high Azyritestar known as Sigendil – join. Bytaking control of these mystic nodesand purifying them of any lingeringChaotic taint, the slann imposeorder upon this strange web ofconjunctions that spans across – andbetween – the realms.What precisely the slann seekthrough binding these arcanesites together is unknown, savethat it must contribute in somefashion towards the defeat of theEternal Enemy. It is possible thatby imposing stringent order uponthese magical wellsprings, the slannstabilise the land against the powersof Chaos – the aelven Wandererspursue a similar goal in plantingtheir waystones along the ley lines,though they have just as often comeinto conflict with the servants ofparticularly uncompromising slannas they have been aided by theSeraphon. Alternatively, perhaps byconnecting these nodes the slann arecreating a reservoir of each realm’smagical essence they can tap into;when the stars of Azyr align, theseley lines glow with potent sorcerous energies that can be turned to thewill of the Starmasters.Thissingle-minded focus hasdone much to contribute to theSeraphon’s reputation for seeminglydisproportionate vengeance. Theymay permit a fortune in goldenartefacts to be taken by avaricioustreasure-hunters, but should evena single grain of sand upon a beachthat resonates in the grand cosmicconjuction be disturbed then violentretribution is soon to follow.The Seraphon’s network of magicalpower is known by a variety of names – the Astromatrix Arcane,the Realmweave, the Great Weband others besides. Some of theskink priesthood believe thatthe Astromatrix echoes a similarconstruct from the long-lost homeof the Seraphon, whilst others are adamant that its cords in fact mirrorthe strange glowing circuitry thatcriss-crosses the walls of theirtemple-vessels. Both these notions are in fact true, for as the Old Ones once wrought, so must the slannreplicate within the Mortal Realmsat large.THE TIME OF SLAINSTARLIGHTFor all their powers of foresight, theslann are not infallible. To catchthem unawares is a difficult task – difficult, but not impossible.Nagash’s necroquake, theculmination of a centuries-spanningplot by the god of death, shook therealms to their core. Even Azyr was not safe from the effects ofthis aetheric shock wave. Starsthemselves began to die, blinkingfrom existence as a tide of amethystmagic swept the cosmos. For theSeraphon, tied so intrinsically tothe celestial bodies, this proveddisastrous. The infinite patienceemployed by Nagash in his schemehad rendered even the Starmastersblind to the impending cataclysm, sofocused were they on the war againstChaos. Entire temple-vessels wentdark as morbid energies suffusedthem, their slann falling into a deathly state as bubbling spawningpools fell silent.Even more troublesome was theinversion of Shyish’s magicalpolarity as a result of Nagash’sdarkling scheme, shifting thegreater concentration of that realm’senergies from its edge to the centreand forming the Shyish Nadir. Thisproved disastrous for the arcane webof the Astromatrix. Only throughdrawing on the deepest reservesAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
11of their sorcerous strength did theStarmasters prevent the magicalbacklash tearing Shyish apart at theseams as many of the arcane ley lines were shredded or rewritten withspectacular force. The dawning ofthe Arcanum Optimar that followedthe necroquake, and the powerful,lingering arcane phenomenait created, further threatenedthe Seraphon’s control over thewellsprings of magic found acrossthe realms. The other races displayedlittle hesitation in harnessing thesedevastating sorceries; in doingso, they threatened to plunge therealms into an even deeper state ofmagical instability.As if to pile insult upon injury, theGloomspite Gitz – likely without even realising as much – sent theGreat Plan even further awry. TheBad Moon, their leering lunargod, rampaged on an erraticpath through the heavens; stellaralignments were twisted into newand unwholesome forms, throwingoff the precise celestial calculationsof the Starmasters. Behind all thesecalamities echoed the laughter of theDark Gods, for they took foul glee inthe setbacks of their ancient foe.It is a testament to the unwaveringresolve of the Seraphon that theydid not succumb to despair. For thefirst time in an age, many slann metin telepathic conference, projectingtheir powerful minds from both aloftstar-vessels and landed templecities. After months of deliberation,unanimous conclusion was reached;though the war against Chaoswould always remain the greatestpriority of the Seraphon, for too longhad they turned a blind eye to themachinations of other powers.The Seraphon struck across everyrealm, crushing any who stoodin their way as they fought tore-establish the Astromatrix – particularly in Shyish, where theinversion of that realm’s magicalenergies had rewritten the plottingof many ley lines. Through this theyreasserted a measure of control over the wild magic ravaging therealmspheres; by drawing upon theAstromatrix’s carefully hoardedpower, Seraphon wizards were evenable to manipulate the roamingspell-constructs to an extent otherraces could only dream of. Moonclanlurklairs and Spiderfang nests were purged in an effort to starvethe Bad Moon of worshippers. Themortal astromancer Palanis theMad even claimed to have witnessedtemple-ships attempting to land onthe surface of the grots’ malignantdeity, though his words were largelydismissed by many of his colleagues.A new phase in the eternal war had begun. It was to be an era ofvengeance, for all who stood in theway of the Great Plan had proventhemselves deserving of nothingsave obliteration.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Temple-cities12 TEMPLE-CITIESAcross the Mortal Realms, many temple-fleets have begun to land and form permanent Seraphon settlements. Asthe Seraphon of these fleets coalesce, becoming true creatures of the realms – gaining physical permanence thelonger they linger, the opposite of their daemonic nemeses – so too does their environment change around them.The temple-cities of the Coalescedgleam amidst the wilds of therealms, bastions of order in landsoften still under the thrall of Chaos.From within these settlements theStarmasters guard the Astromatrix,drawing upon its power for theirunknowable purposes. So too dothe mass of the Coalesced live in thebarrios and ziggurats of a templecity, worshipping at its temples andlabouring to put its technology to use in the name of the Great Plan.When a temple-fleet lands, theslann’s ability to manipulate spatiallaws play a key role. The vastmajority of a visible temple-city isbut the proverbial tip of the iceberg;the majority of the great engines,spawning pools and secret vaults are‘phased’ into the ground, hollowingout subterranean caverns belowwhat becomes the streets of the newcity. Thus do the greatest treasuresof the Old Ones remain hiddenfrom prying eyes. The displacedterrain is hurled into the cosmos, soon forming burning meteors –bright falling stars that herald thetemple-city’s foundation.TheRealmshaper Engines playa crucial role in securing thesestrongholds. These arcane devicesdetach from the underside oftemple-vessels and come to rest inthe realms, either before the shipsland to form a temple-city or whilethey remain in High Azyr. Even theStarborne have been known to sendthese gleaming golden pyramidsthrough translocation portals, tomorph areas of the material planein line with their interpretationof the Great Plan. When chargedwith celestial energy, the orb atopthese ziggurats glows bright, beforeunleashing waves of terraformingpower. The rockiest ground swiftlysprouts with thick jungle; barrendust gives way to bubbling swamps,while creeping vines and venomous plants soon overtake the ruins ofancient civilisations.Thissweltering environment soonattracts a variety of reptilian life.Hosts of serpents slither through theundergrowth, while the warbeastsof the Seraphon thrive in thesweltering environment, living andhunting amidst the dense trees. Theslann allow this partially for thenatural barrier it forms between theSeraphon and those races who may,intentionally or otherwise, meddle intheir affairs. Of course, the buzzingtropical insects attracted to thesweltering heat also provide plentyfor the bloated mages to snack on when not deep in contemplation.Many temple-cities or RealmshaperEngines are established atopcritical nodes in the Astromatrix.Through tapping into these arcane wellsprings, the Starmastersempower the technologies of theirlost masters. A side effect of drawingupon the Astromatrix in this fashionis that the jungles formed by theAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
13Realmshaper Engines come to reflectthe essential qualities of their homerealm. Aqshian temple-cities are often surrounded by particularlysweltering forests, whereas those ofShyish are withered and emaciated,though still rife with chokingvines and grasping branches. Whatbecomes of those jungles formed inGhur is best left unconsidered.It is not uncommon for templecities created from vessels originallypart of the same fleet to be locatedthousands of miles apart – thegreatest temple-vessels are ableto break down into smaller ships, or even self-replicate through thestrange artifice of the Old Ones,unfolding like golden puzzleboxes. Many of these will, in theabsence of a slann, be governed bya venerable Starseer. These skinksrely upon celestial divination andthe inscriptions upon sacred plaquesto discern the Great Plan, as well as heeding the words of the Oracles.No two temple-cities are identical,though all are carefully alignedto channel the energies of theAstromatrix. Each stepped zigguratwill be connected by these leylines of power. Around them standobelisks, glyph-marked pylonsand other devices that draw uponthe raw energies of the realmsand the cosmos alike. Like greatsuperconductors the structuresof a temple-city control the flowof magic, powering the arcanetechnology within and feeding intothe star-rituals of the Seraphon.This magical conduction is possibledue to the specialist buildingmaterial used by the Seraphon.Known as celestite – recordedin some texts as ‘obstinite’ – thismaterial appears to be superhardened stone, but its true naturedefies the understanding of thegreatest minds of the CollegiateArcane. What is certain is that itis connected in some fashion toAzyr, for even the weapons of theCoalesced occasionally shine withheavenly light; some have proposedthat celestite is in fact chunks ofAzyr’s rim broken off by the wildmagic of the realm’s edge and latercollected by the temple-fleets of theStarborne. Starseers, in particular,have an affinitywith celestite; withinmany ziggurats are arcane foundrieswhere the meteoric rock is reshapedby the magics of these senior priestsand talented skink labourers.At the heart of each settlement is a grand temple that juts towards theheavens. Within Star Chambersatop the highest ziggurats the slannsit in serene repose, contemplatingthe cosmos and telepathicallycommunicating with their brethren.Smaller pyramids surroundthese structures, akin to foothillsgeometrically arrayed around asoaring peak. Some of these will beobservation-posts or repositories ofOld One technology, whereas otherswill be more traditional templeswithin which great throngs ofSeraphon are led in highly ritualisedworship of their creators.In the most remote and primaltemple-cities, it is also here that greatblood sacrifices to the Old Ones’glory take place. The verminousskaven, ancient enemies of theSeraphon, are particularly prizedofferings. So many of the ratmenhave perished on these gore-slickaltars that the very sight of a Seraphon can induce instinctivedread within a skaven, their mindsfilled with the beat of boomingsacrificial drums.Temple-cities are vast conurbations,and though many of their buildings are not essential to the furtheranceof the Great Plan, all contribute insome way to Seraphon society. Thelabourer suburbs are formed ofrank upon rank of skink barrios.Here the diminutive lizard-folkdwell, leading highly structuredlives of productivity and worship.Chirruping skink overseers directlumbering Kroxigor in where tostack celestite blocks or reinforce a damaged structure, the crocodilianbrutes obeying uncomplainingly.As well as tending to the temples,skink work-gangs will plot roadsand repair fortifications, cultivatefoodstuffs in the great refectorydomes of their ziggurats and ensurethe sigils carved into each goldenstele or obelisk remain magicallypotent. Though they may seemcold and dispassionate to outsiders,skinks possess a refined aestheticsense. The greatest artisans labour toconstruct towering statues of the OldOnes, or create elaborate mosaicsdepicting cosmological conjunctions or the mythic cycles of the Seraphon.The spawning pools of the skinks are typically located towards theoutskirts of a temple-city, yetthe birthing-pools and barracksof the saurus are deep below itsheart. In times of relative peacethe saurus will dwell within thesecaverns, patrol their territory or hunt for prey in the surroundingjungles; when the clarion call to war is sounded, however, theyassemble with instinctive speed andefficiency. Throughoutthe templecities are translocation gateways,miniature and localised Realmgatesconstructed through the arcane knowledge of the slann. These canbe activated in the blink of an eyeto bring saurus cohorts into battleagainst besiegers, ensuring theSeraphon’s mastery of their domain.Many temple-cities had beenestablished for several generationsby the time of the Soul Wars, andthose men and women who havedared the deep jungles and managedto escape with their lives babble of arcane treasures and reptilian beastsbedecked in golden finery. Eachyear, expeditions are organised bychampions of all races to ventureinto the steaming hells in search ofwealth and glory. On rare occasionthese treasure hunters succeed,but most find only death, whetherthrough being devoured by lurkingpredators, led hopelessly astray bysemi-sentient mists or torn apart bythe vengeful claws of the Seraphon.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
STRENGTHFROMTHESTARSEvery Seraphon belongs to a grouping known as a constellation.In some ways these are analogousto a mortal tribe or civilisation,each making war in its own wayand possessing its own distinctivemarkings and even culture. Theconstellations are more thanthis, however – they provide atangible link back to the realm ofAzyr, the name and marking theychoose reminiscent of one of thegreat zodiacal constructs that fillthe upper vaults of the heavens,such as the Fangs of Sotek or themighty Thunder Lizard. Countlessconstellations can be found amidstAzyr’s upper reaches or coalescingacross the realms, some containinga scant number of Seraphon, othersconsisting of many thousands.A senior Slann Starmaster formsthe heart of most constellations.Around their grand temple-ships flyother spawning-vessels and zigguratcraft. These fleets will often becommanded by the slann to adopt aformation that mirrors a particularstar pattern, in doing so attracting a measure of the power of that celestialalignment. Even after coalescence new warriors or workers will oftenbe spawned beneath a recurringheavenly portent the Starmaster andskink priesthood judges to be mostauspicious. So does ‘constellation’remain an appropriate term for thesubdivisions of the Coalesced.A constellation can comprisemultiple temple-fleets or templecities operating over multiple realms.Many of these will possess their ownStarmaster to guide them; the largestconstellations may have severalslann for each temple-fleet or city,but most are guided by just one ofthese bloated mages. It is they whodetermine the battles a constellationmust fight, and their rule is absolute,for it is divinely mandated by theOld Ones themselves. Despite this,many slann are content to allow theirsaurus servants to take battlefieldcommand in times of war, trustingto their instinctive skills and yearsof front-line experience. Doingso allows the mage-lords to focusalways upon the wider conflictagainst the Dark Gods, as well as granting them the freedom to worktheir fearsome sorcery when theydeign to take to the field.Though the realities of war oftenrequire the slann to dispatch armiescontaining all manner of scaledwarriors and monsters, wherepossible Seraphon cohorts are organised into ordered formationswidely categorised as ‘warhosts’ –those comprised of Starborne are known as ‘starhosts’, whereas theCoalesced refer to their battlefieldformations as ‘temple-hosts’. Aconstellation contains multiplestarhosts or temple-hosts, eachformed around a particular saurus orskink leader by the will of the rulingStarmaster; some constellationsmay contain but a handful of theseformations, whilst the largest possessmany hundreds.The four most common warhostvariations are each constructedaround one of the primary Seraphonsubspecies or their attendantwarbeasts. Sunclaw hosts are formedfrom massed cohorts of SaurusWarriors, whilst their mountedbrethren form swift Firelance hosts.Skinks populate the Shadowstrikehosts, waiting with impossiblepatience before springing theirdeadly traps. Finally, stampedes oftitanic reptiles and savage huntingpacks make up the Thunderquakehosts, their unstoppable chargestrampling the foe underfoot.The armies of the Starborne reflecttheir nature as pure creatures ofOrder. Their grand Eternal Starhostscomprise an assemblage of lesserstarhosts, commanded by a slannand his intractable bodyguard.As more of a particular Seraphonsubspecies gather, the heavenlypower that infuses them is amplified;the coronas of energy that surroundtheir weapons blaze all the brighter,while more reptilian warriorsemerge seemingly from thin air inprismatic blasts of light. Like attractslike, and when these celestiallycharged Seraphon gather in numberthe connection between the slannand Azyr grows stronger, allowingthem to summon reinforcementsall the easier. So do Starbornearmies form yet another part of thegrand cosmic equation wrought bythe Starmasters.Coalesced constellations typicallyoperate in the region surroundingtheir temple-city, or in landsconnected to their domains bynearby Realmgates, which theymercilessly protect. Their armiesthrum with a primal savagery;assemblages of cohorts that takethe fight directly to the foe arefavoured amongst the Coalesced, as are warlike champions such as thedeadly Sunbloods. Their cohortsfight with unstoppable fury, thedeadly jaws of the saurus ripping outtheir enemies’ throats with terrifyingferocity whilst skink leaders use theirknowledge of the local terrain to setup devastating ambushes. The slannwho command the Eternal Templehosts, as the largest Coalescedformations are known, draw uponthe stored power of the Astromatrixto reshape the very landscape into a weapon, their world-shaking magicstransforming every thick forest or overgrown ruin into a primevaldeath-trap for their hapless foes.Seraphon armies are built around ranks of brutal saurus, cunning skinks, and titanic monsters. Thoughtheymay appear little more than brutish reptiles, the forces assembled by the Seraphon are highly specialised. Eachreptilian cohort or warbeast fulfils a carefully plotted purpose, reflecting their master’s vision of the Great Plan.14 STRENGTHFROMTHESTARSAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
STARPRIEST STARPRIESTSAURUSGUARDSAURUSGUARDSAURUSGUARDSUNCLAWHOSTOldbloodSaurus WarriorsSaurus WarriorsSaurus WarriorsFIRELANCEHOSTScar-VeteranSaurus KnightsSaurus KnightsSaurus KnightsTHUNDERQUAKEHOSTSkink ChiefBastiladonStegadonKroxigorSHADOWSTRIKEHOSTStarpriestSkinksChameleon SkinksTerradon RidersSUNCLAWHOSTSunbloodSaurus WarriorsSaurus WarriorsSaurus WarriorsSHADOWSTRIKEHOSTSkink PriestSkinksChameleon SkinksRipperdactyl RidersSTARPRIESTS STARPRIESTS STARPRIESTS STARPRIESTSPRIESTS PRIESTS PRIESTS PRIESTSETERNITYWARDENORACLESTARSEER STARSEERORACLE SLANNSTARMASTERA Starmaster is surrounded by an intricate web of priestly servants and bodyguards. Below themstand a constellation’s warhosts, each formed around a core of disciplined reptilian warriors.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Dracothion’s Tail16 DRACOTHION’S TAILThe Fury of Azyr, Scions of Starlight, Chosen of the Great DrakeThe Seraphon of Dracothion’s Tail are true children of the stars. Swift, unpredictable, and possessed of themightiest magics, these Starborne are amongst the most active enemies of Chaos. Each blow they strike is targetedwith utmost precision, their wars directed – some say – by the clawed hand of a godbeast.The starhosts of Dracothion’s Taildescend with the force of a meteor.The repercussions of their deeds maynot resolve themselves for centuries,yet in time every action orchestratedby the constellation’s mastersdelivers another blow against theEternal Enemy. Such has ever beenthe case, for throughout centuriesof war, few Seraphon have been as active as those of Dracothion’s Tail.Dracothion’s Tail are one of the rareconstellations to possess numerous Starmasters. Theirtemple-shipsreside in the uppermost vaults ofHigh Azyr, bathing in the heavenlywinds. The slann of Dracothion’s Tail are remarkably willing to lead theirarmies in person. They can musterthe most powerful of incantations,overwhelming the foe with acontinuous barrage of spells.The slann of Starborne constellationsregularly summon reinforcementsdirectly from the temple-ships oftheir fleet, casting their warriors across the battlefield in the blink of an eye. With a magical knowledgedeeper even than that of their kin,the Starmasters of Dracothion’sTail have elevated these powers to a deadly art. Enemies are consumedin arcane fires only for a host ofmounted saurus to materialisewhere they stood seconds later,whilst shrieking Ripperdactylflocks are shunted great distancesinstantaneously to divert theattentions of a lumbering monsterthat would otherwise have savagedthe Seraphon ranks.Through careful study of theconstellation’s path acrossthe firmament, those Azyriteastromancers who have dedicatedtheir lives to studying the Seraphonbelieve that the temple-ships ofDracothion’s Tail closely follow thecelestial passage of the godbeastfrom whom they take their name.Those that have fought alongsideDracothion’s Tail claim that theskies above their warhosts shinewith countless pinpricks of starlight even in the brightest day, and if one looks closely they may catch a glimpse of a sinuous shape sendingthe cosmos rippling with eachsubtle motion. It is as if Dracothionwatches the Seraphon that bear his name particularly closely. Rarely dothe godbeasts involve themselves inthe affairs of mortals, for they are another class of being entirely. TheGreat Drake has historically proved more proactive than many, and is a long-term ally of the God-King,but for Dracothion to pay such heedto the constellation’s wars suggeststhat these Seraphon serve himmore directly than many would suspect.The most radical scholars evenpropose that the creatures ofDracothion’s Tail are not trulysentient, but instead mere manifestations of the Great Drake’swill. If there is any truth to thisthe Seraphon will never tell, forthey are not so much hostile tooutsiders as entirely dismissiveof their presence unless directedotherwise by their Starmasters. Fewcan deny, however, that the celestialbodies glow brighter above whereverDracothion’s Tail fights, the heavensglimmering in approval for eachunclean life they take.The Seraphon of Dracothion’s Tail bear distinctive yellow markings, often inthe form of celestial patterns or other symbols of the Great Drake.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Fangs of SotekFANGS OF SOTEK 17The Sudden Death, the Half-Stars, Inheritors of the SerpentTheFangs of Sotek strike with the speed of an uncoiling viper. The ambushes of their skink cohorts stretch theirenemies’ nerves to breaking point before the saurus appear in a blaze of starlight to deliver the killing blow. Of allSeraphon, the Fangs of Sotek are most closely aligned with fellow forces of Order – at least, so they claim…On those nights when the heavensabove shine brightest are the Fangsof Sotek most active. Its Starmaster,Zectoka, is unusually unwilling towile away aeons in contemplation;his wars are swift and proactive,guided by a singular purpose.When Sigmar’s Tempest thunderedinto being, the Fangs were one ofthe first constellations to lend aid tothe Stormcasts. Though no formalalliance was ever ratified, saurus cohorts marked with the Fangs’distinctive red crests were a commonsight around those Realmgates theStormhosts sought to claim. Waging war with their trademark vigour, theconstellation eradicated numberlesstainted tribes. Through these purgesthe Seraphon bought time for thefoundation of the Stormkeeps, andthrough them the Cities of Sigmar.As Order began to encroach uponthe realms once more the strategy ofthe Fangs shifted. Though they hadonce been defined by massed saurus assaults, Zectoka’s true desire was toforge a united front against Chaos – albeit with the Seraphon pullingthe strings. The more civilisedskinks, therefore, became the faceof the Fangs of Sotek. Enclaves ofthe quick-witted reptilians beganforming within the free cities, theirservices as crafters, scribes, andreaders of oracular portents growing more renowned as decades passed.Thus have the Fangs of Sotek become a curious hybrid constellation,partially Coalesced yet keepingmuch of their strength hidden.When the free cities are threatened,the Fangs are quick to march intheir defence. Zectoka has expendedtoo much effort ensuring their riseto allow them to fall. Rarely dothey fight alongside a city’s forces;instead, the Fangs of Sotek eliminatethreats before the armies of theGod-King even take note of theirexistence. Javelins and blow-dartsshoot from the darkness to lay lowthe commanders of a would-beadversary, the fluid skink formations – guided to their target by thecelestial visions of their priestlyleaders – evading any attempt to pinthem down. With inhuman patienceZectoka monitors these shadowcampaigns, dispatching his sauriancohorts at the most vital cruxes offate to do their red work.Yet despite their efforts to establishthemselves, unsettling rumoursfollow the Fangs of Sotek. From theChambers of Heavenly Justice inHammerhal to the smoke-shroudedtaphouses of Anvilgard, whisperingvoices speak of strange ritualsperformed in the quiet quartersof the cities, disturbing sacrificialrites wrought in the name of aso-called ‘serpent god’. The skinksclaim ignorance to this, citing onlytheir desire to see their adoptedhomes flourish. When a noble isfound dumped in a canal with theirheart savagely cut out, blame isquickly assigned to the bloodthirstyDaughters of Khaine – especiallywhen it is later uncovered that thedeceased possessed interests manywould deem vile and blasphemous.The Daughters, however, notethe fanged brands subtly carvedinto the flesh of the victims, andargue otherwise.The curving mandibles of the Fangs of Sotek are witnessed on those nightswhere Azyr’s power is at its peak, the fate of many held in their grasp.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Koatl’s Claw18 KOATL’S CLAWThe Lost, the Beast Unleashed, the Primeval Legion of GhurThe violence unleashed by Koatl’s Claw is horrific to behold. Theirmassed saurus legions advance to the beatingof skin-covered drums, salivating at the oncoming bloodshed. There is no subtlety to these Seraphon; for Koatl’sClaw, the Great Plan was subverted centuries ago. In its place is a savage instinct to survive at any cost.Koatl’s Claw was perhaps thefirst constellation to coalesce.During the early years of the Ageof Chaos, skaven of the ClansPestilens manifested a gnawholeupon the hull of the constellation’sprimary temple-ship, seeking aningredient for one of the GreatPlagues rumoured to be createdfrom a world’s death. Though theratmen were repulsed, the damagethey wrought was devastating. Itsintricate mechanisms crippled byarcane rust-phages, the temple-shipbegan a perilous descent that saw itimpact with titanic force upon theplains of Mekitopsar, Ghur.Tribal communities for miles around were cast into ruin by the collision’saftershocks, the survivors forced toturn to depraved gods to survive. ForKoatl’s Claw, worse than the mass casualties they had sustained wasthe realisation that their Starmaster,Lord Quex, had been gravelyinfected by the skaven. The mentalstrength of the slann prevented himfrom succumbing, and on occasionhe could even astrally project himselfto contribute to battle, but fromthat moment on the Starmaster was confined to his deathbed, never ableto leave his ruined chambers for fearof the exertion ending him.With their Starmaster incapacitatedand his skink attendants throwninto a panic, it was left to the saurus commanders of the constellationto reassert control. They respondedthe only way they knew how – bypreparing for war. The spawningengines that had survived the crash were pushed to the upper limits oftheir capacity, hundreds of saurusthrashing into life. This process was not without cost, for such acceleratedspawning meant agony for the newlybirthed, a scar upon their souls thatwould never fade and would fill themfull of primal rage. Nevertheless,the Oldbloods of Koatl’s Claw soonhad a host of saurus possessed of a savagery beyond any seen beforeat their command. Theirfirsttargets were the corrupted tribesof Mekitopsar; the tainted humans were swiftly eviscerated by thebestial saurians.Borderline-feral saurus dominatethe armies of Koatl’s Claw. Theirspawning pools are almost neversilent; the rampant celestial energiesunleashed through this constantcampaign of reinforcement,when combined with the ever- hungering animus of Ghur, havesupercharged those RealmshaperEngines established around theconstellation’s crashed vessel.Mekitopsar is a primordialnightmare, swallowing entire armieswhole – sometimes literally. Thosethat survive must contend with themaddened saurus cohorts. Thesewarriors fight without heed for selfpreservation; only the spawn-lords ofKoatl’s Claw can restrain their kin’sfury long enough to enact strategieshoned over centuries of war. At the command of their savagewarlords, hosts of Koatl’s Claw havetravelled to realms beyond Ghur.There the frenzied reptilian warriorsfight any foe that presents itself,their creed of saurian supremacyroared from atop the disembowelledremains of their adversaries.The savage animus of Ghur has all but consumed the saurus of Koatl’s Claw,and inspired within them an unstoppable, bestial fury.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
TheThunderLizardTHE THUNDER LIZARD 19The Stampede, Keepers of the Trove, Guardians of the OuterwildsIn the ancient places dwell the Seraphon of the ThunderLizard, guardians of the Old Ones’ greatest treasures. Intheir effortsto keep the lands free from the taint of Chaos, these Seraphon will utilise any tool at their disposal –from unleashing the technologies of the lost gods to creating the most brutish of beasts to serve their will.The constellation of the ThunderLizard first settled amidst themercurial outerlands of Chamon.Like most Coalesced constellationsthey founded golden cities aroundthe lynchpins of the Astromatrix,yet the Thunder Lizard also heldto a second, more specialist duty.Within their great temples did theystore the most powerful artefacts andmachinery of the Old Ones.Why the Thunder Lizard possess so much of the high technology of theOld Ones is unclear. Perhaps theirrole in the Great Plan is to stockpilethese treasures until they are mostneeded, or maybe their zigguratshide devices capable of stabilisingthe wildest arcane nodes – certainly,many of their strongholds have beenestablished towards the perilousedge of the realms. If this alone was intended to dissuade treasurehunters, it has not succeeded, forstill they come with avarice in theirhearts. TheThunder Lizard, however,have an answer to this threat.The extremities of a realm iswhere its magical power is mostconcentrated. A natural by-productof settling in these lands is increasedaccess to realmstone. The priests ofthe Thunder Lizard have extensivelystudied these substances, and have access to ancient technology capableof refining them into a somewhat more stable form. Chamonite, a quicksilver accelerant found withinthe Realm of Metal, is particularlyprized. The constellation’s skinkpriesthood has become adept atintroducing minute quantities ofrefined Chamonite – transportingcaches of the realmstone acrossthe aetheric void through thetranslocation technology foundwithin their ziggurats – to theincubation machines of their templecities’ hatcheries. Through this dothey give rise reptilian monsters oftruly awesome power.These empowered creatures formthe speartip of the constellation’swarhosts, and carry some of themightiest examples of Old Onetechnology. Solar weaponry andthe legendary Engines of the Gods are common sights in the armies ofthe Thunder Lizard, and the skinkswho crew them are well trained intheir operation. Not only are theseweapons devastating in open combat,but when those who have stolen theconstellation’s treasures seek to hidebehind city walls, the reality-shakingpotential of these relics – along withthe physical brawn of the monstersthat bear them – makes the ThunderLizard the premier siege force ofthe Seraphon.TheThunder Lizard’s mostcomplex relationship is with the feySylvaneth. When the constellation’sfar-ranging warhosts arrive to purgeand resettle a corrupted site ofnatural power, they and the forestfolk commonly find themselves witha shared foe. But in the aftermathof battle, Alarielle’s children oftendisagree with the Thunder Lizard’simposition of rigid celestial order over nature. These disagreementswill regularly boil over into warfare;armies that only recently foughtfor a similar cause will turn uponeach other remorselessly, Treelordsclashing with Stegadons in earthshaking combat as the forests ring tothe clamour of war.Through combining ancient technology and the most terrifying of reptilianbeasts, the Thunder Lizard keep safe the treasures of the Old Ones.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
AEONS OF WAR20 AEONS OF WARThe Seraphon stand aloof from the other races of the Mortal Realms, yet their history is intimately intertwined.Many ancient myths and legends have their genesis, in some way, through the careful machinations of the slann.The battles these Starmasters fight are carefully chosen, each another telling strike against the powers of Chaos.AGE OF MYTHPRIMEVAL GENESISAfter aeons of drifting through theaetheric void within their templevessels, the slann decree that it istime to recommence the Great Plan.Skink attendants throughout thefleets reactive ancient spawningpools. The temple-ships takerefuge in Azyr, beyond the sight ofmortals. Over time the Seraphonbecome almost extensions of theheavenly realm.GODS FROM THE STARSSigmar begins his mission to upliftthe mortal tribes of the realms,gifting them the arts of civilisation.In this the Seraphon play a hiddenrole; the slann choose certain tribesto be granted magical secrets or evenexamples of Old One technology,lending them the strength to growinto mighty empires. Many of thesenoble cultures will, in later centuries,provide some of the first recruits forthe Stormcast Eternals.BINDING THE ASTROMATRIXThe slann’s prescience foretells thestirring of their oldest adversary. TheGreat Plan must progress as much as possible before an age of bloodshedbegins. Seraphon constellations move to claim the first nodes inwhat will become the AstromatrixArcane; many mortal communitiesthat have unwittingly settled aroundsuch magically charged sites vanishmysteriously overnight.AGE OF CHAOSOLD WARS ANEWThe dawning of the Age of Chaosspells the doom of civilisations across the realms. Long have theDark Gods worked to ensnare thesouls of power-hungry mortals andbloodthirsty tribes; eventually thiscorruption reaches critical mass,hosts of daemons bursting fromthe Realm of Chaos to drown theMortal Realms in darkness. In theuppermost vaults of the heavens, aconclave of slann meets in telepathicunion to refine their plans againstthe Eternal Enemy. Across therealms their constellations strike atsites of power greatly coveted by thelegions of Chaos, disrupting many afoul ritual and drawing the armiesof darkness to them like a beacon.Through their actions do manymortals reach the relative safetyof Azyr before Sigmar can seal theentrance to his realm, never knowingthose who saved them.BLOODED CLAWSAfter slaughtering the Chaos-taintedinhabitants of Mekitopsar, manyof the saurian legions of Koatl’sClaw continue to rampage deeperinto the Realm of Beasts. One sucharmy finds a suitable target whenthey chance upon a congregation ofthe skaven Clans Pestilens chasingdown a fleeing kinband of aelvenWanderers. The saurus fall upon theratmen with such furious abandonthat, for centuries thenceforth,the site of the battle is regardedas a promised land amongst theflesh-eating kingdoms of Ghur.TheWanderers give thanks to theirstrange woodland gods for salvation,but it proves to be premature;completely lost to the fury of battle,the near-feral saurus turn theirblades upon the aelves, wiping themout in turn.THE PERFECT BAITThe Steelkrunchas warclan findtheir destructive romp throughthe foothills of Witherdwell inGhyran frustrated by the meddlingof starhosts from Dracothion’sTail. Time and again the Ironjawzdiscover the slaughtered remainsof armies that would have stood intheir way, surrounded by patchesof thick jungle and pristine goldenziggurats. This constant denial ofbattle enrages Megaboss Gitzogga to no end. Following the trail of theirevasive adversaries, the orruks areled straight into a legion of Khornatedaemons engaged in the prolongedsiege of a beleaguered Sylvanethgrove. Gitzogga’s horde and thedaemonic host, equally eager to venttheir pent-up bloodlust, collide withapocalyptic force. By the time thedust has settled both armies havebeen annihilated, and the precioussoulpods of the Sylvaneth preserved.In time they will produce newwarriors, eager to blood their talonsin the ongoing War of Life.BLOOD AND SCALESWord reaches Yaemath, HagQueen of the Kharon Vho temple,of reptilian warriors hunting thefollowers of Chaos amidst the murkof Ulgu. Enthralled by Khaine’smurderlust, she swears to drink theblood of any such beast she findsin the lands claimed by her temple.The slann cannot allow such a rogueelement to persist in their plans forthe Grey Realm; in the aftermathof victory over a host of SlaaneshiSeekers, Yaemath and her coven areset upon by the cold-eyed warriorsof Poctli’s Bolt. The Daughters fightferociously, matching the saurus forfury, but the Hag Queen is horrifiedto discover that when wounded theSeraphon produce not blood butinstead pure starlight. Narrowlyescaping with her life, Yaemathbrings news of this discovery backto the High Oracle. Morathi swiftlytakes an interest in the semi-divinenature of the Seraphon.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
21AGE OF SIGMARTHE HEAVENS OPENLong have the Seraphon fought alonein bringing Azyr’s vengeance to theservants of Chaos, but no longer.The tumultuous clouds of Sigmar’sTempest thunder across the realms.From them – carried upon blasts oflightning – descend the StormcastEternals. Their arrival heralds thebeginning of the Realmgate Wars,in which the God-King attempts tosecure the arcane pathways betweenrealms. The Seraphon make noalliances with the Stormcasts, nor vice versa, but both recognise one another as heavenly beings. Onoccasion the Seraphon even honourthe Stormcasts with a martialsalute, high praise indeed from thenormally inscrutable creatures.CONTAINING THE BEASTThough Starmaster Xen’phanticahas long limited his involvement inthe War of Life to subtly assistingthe Sylvaneth and Hallowed Knightswho bear Alarielle’s soulpod, whenKhorne unleashes the maddenedgreater daemon Skarbrand the slannknows he cannot sit idly by. Amidst an ancient stone circle, hosts of theStarfire War constellation strike atthe Bloodthirster and his armies. Thecarnage is total, until in the end onlyXen’phantica remains of the coldblooded warriors. Yet the slann hasused this time to marshal his power;with a mighty incantation he opens a gateway between realms, banishingSkarbrand to Aqshy and buyingprecious time for the guardians ofAlarielle. Alas, the Realmgate Warsprove to be Xen’phantica’s doom. Intrying to lead fractious daemonichosts into war against one anotheramidst the floating Aqshian skykingdoms of the Orb Infernia, heand much of his constellation areslain by the conquering Goretide ofKorghos Khul.THE FLEETS DESCENDThe next phase of the Great Planbegins as many temple-fleetsbegin landing throughout theMortal Realms. Waypoints ofthe Astromatrix seized in priorcenturies are reinforced, formingthe foundation of gleamingtemple-cities. The Fangs of Sotekinstead have many skinks takeresidence within the free cities. Theindustrious creatures soon become a quietly respected populace amongstmany settlements – and allow theFangs’ spies to accumulate vastquantities of intelligence to relayback to Starmaster Zectoka.TEMPORAL VENGEANCEDuring the Time of Tribulationsthe Orb Infernia waxes high inAqshy’s skies, ready to release Khul’sGoretide onto the lands below. Indesperation, an alliance of warlordsbrings together mages and engineersto construct a colossal temporalcannon, harnessing ancientmechanisms known as the InfinityGears. It is a close-run thing, butbefore the Goretide can strike thecannon fires. Upon the Orb thedaemons banished by Khul in hisconquest snap back into existence, as do the slain hosts of StarmasterXen’phantica. The Seraphon soonrecommence their efforts to keep thedaemonic armies constantly at war,the sound of endless battle echoingacross the parched lands below.MURDERED STARSLong infuriated by what he sees asthe theft of his rightful soul bountyby his fellow gods, Nagash works a grand ritual to extend Shyish’spower across the Mortal Realms.At the last he is thwarted by themachinations of the Great HornedRat, but the damage is done. A shock wave of deathly power sweeps across creation; not only does this playhavoc with the celestial bodies sosacred to the Seraphon, but the fontsof arcane power they have fortifiedprove an irresistible attraction to theprocessions of wailing Nighthauntspirits that have risen en masse. Battle on a new front begins asthe Seraphon strive to repel therelentless gheist armies.WAR ON THE RIMTheThunder Lizard constellationcontinues to impose order uponthe most hazardous of magicalwellsprings. Their holdings arethreatened, however, by theemergence of the Ossiarch hostsof the Null Myriad, who now seekto conquer the volatile edge ofeach realm in the necroquake’saftermath. TheThunder Lizardare undaunted, for their stocksof Old One technology and herdsof deadly warbeasts exist for justsuch an eventuality; before long theuncompromising power of Azyrclashes with the morbid terrors ofShyish, the war of Heaven and Deathplayed out in miniature across a hundred battlefields unobserved bymortal eyes.PORTENTS OF BLOODSHEDTroubled by the darkening fates,slann of many constellations holda rare telepathic gathering. Theirconclusion is to commence a newera of aggression. Amidst thegloomy Banewoods of Penultima, an alliance of three constellations – both Starborne and Coalesced – descend upon warring undead anddaemonic forces. As the Coalescedplough into the midst of the foe,drawing both deathless spirit andmalicious daemon to them, the hostsof the Starborne secure a series ofmystic obelisks erected by tribeswho received the gifts of the slannduring the Age of Myth. By the timethe spectral generals and daemonicoverlords realise the Seraphon’sintent, it is too late. The star-ritualsof the slann and their priestlyservants supercharge the obeliskswith the purifying light of Azyr,bolstered by the hoarded energies ofthe Astromatrix. Theweb of celestialpower that crosses the battlefieldsoon annihilates both enemy armies,dissipating them utterly. Across therealms many such victories are wonas the Seraphon strike back, more determined than ever to see theGreat Plan brought to completion.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Slann Starmasters22 SLANN STARMASTERSFew beings can rival the arcane power of the Slann Starmasters.Though they may seem physicallyfrail, their bodies bulbous and toadlike and their limbs withered, eachis amongst the mightiest wizards inall of creation. With a slow blink oftheir large and staring eyes the slannengulf their enemies in mysticalflames. A single croaked incantationcan spell the doom of cities. The godsthemselves take note when a slanntakes to the battlefield, for theirpresence heralds the unfolding ofevents of cosmological significancewhose ramifications may persistfor centuries.The slann are the undisputed mastersof the Seraphon race, the guidingminds who steer the lesser racestowards the completion of the GreatPlan. Each is functionally immortal – certainly, it has never been knownfor a Starmaster to perish of old age.This aloof existence leads the slannto perceive reality very differentlyfrom other beings. To them timepasses quickly, and even ancientaelves can seem short-lived andephemeral. The vast intellect of theStarmasters is well honed for cosmiccontemplations and the deductionof esoteric celestial formulae; so deep are their thoughts that a slannThe stars themselves answer the commands of the slann. These impossibly ancient beings are true masters ofmagic, their knowledge so vast that to possess even a fraction of it would destroy a mortal mind. It is they whochart the destiny of the Seraphon, bending reality itself to their will with but a thought.may appear to sleep for decades or even centuries, yet all the whiletheir highly ordered minds willbe constantly at work scrying themyriad paths of the future.These qualities of the slann are deliberate creations. In ages pastthey were the foremost servants ofthe Old Ones, their magical prowessemployed in grand cosmologicalendeavours. From their mastersthey learnt many arcane secrets,including the principles ofRealmgate technology. Some mortalscholars believe that the slann wereeven partially responsible for theconstruction of the first Realmgatesin the world-that-was – and that thismay have had a role to play in thatworld’s destruction.The slann are perhaps the moststrident foes of Chaos in all ofcreation. Every command theyutter follows deep deliberation on what will most harm the infernalpowers. Despite their orderedminds and ultimately unified goals,however, slann are all individualsand thus each possessed of their own personality and opinion onhow best to fulfil the Great Plan.These differing beliefs are furthercomplicated by the fact that none ofthe slann perfectly remember theOld Ones, whether through someside effect of the great catastrophethat severed them from their creators or a deliberate measure by theslann to protect themselves fromthe horrific trauma of those times.They are forced instead to rely onfragmented memories, portentousvisions gleaned as they travel thepaths of the future, and ancientplaques that have been copied andrecopied countless times by eagerskink scribes.Each slann will be attended toby a coterie of skink Starseersand Starpriests, who are in turnresponsible for the administrationof Seraphon society. Through theirAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
23tireless work are the Starmastersfreed to focus upon their greattask. A slann’s sanctum is steepedin potent celestial and temporalmagics. Slann whose constellationshave coalesced often align theirsanctums to sit directly above nodesof the Astromatrix. Through thesewellsprings of power they channelthe energies of the Mortal Realmsthemselves, imposing control uponlands that would otherwise beconsumed by the corrupting powerof Chaos and reshaping the physicalworld to better suit their needs.The slann’s appearance may, atfirst, make them seem ill suitedto battle. Surrounded by a coterieof saurus guardians, the bloatedmages drift serenely into battleatop celestite palanquins – ancientartefacts incorporating Old Onetechnology capable of projectingblasts of scouring azure lightning.The foe’s confusion at the apparentfrailty of the languid creature beforethem swiftly turns to horror as theStarmaster unleashes his power.Meteors crash down amidst theranks of the enemy, called forththrough the slann’s celestial might,while enemy commanders findtheir every move accounted for bythe prescient mage-lords. The starsthemselves can be turned to theslann’s cause, the heavenly resonance of their alignment unlocked througha Starmaster’s will and imparted tohis servants.In the case of the Starborne thecoming of a Starmaster takes ona terrifying new dimension. Theslann themselves were craftedwith the unknowable energies ofthe Old Ones, and thus remaindistinct from the heavenly realm,but through their knowledge ofRealmgate technology they are ableto summon Azyr-charged Seraphonwarriors to the field with incredibleease. These summoned creatureswill inevitably be influenced by themindset of the slann at the time oftheir manifestation, the star-stuffthat comprises their essence beinggiven corporeal form by his will; a slann possessed of a cold, alienfury may summon warriors whosescales have taken on bloody hues,while those Seraphon conjured intoa realm by a slann whose mind hasbegun to crack under the strainof countless years or the maligninterference of outside powersmay appear hideously twisted inform – though their killing powerremains undiminished.The slann came into being throughfive generational spawnings. Eventhe youngest, known as the FifthGeneration, are impossibly old. Eachspawning had its own integral roleto play in the Great Plan. None ofthe First Generation now live, andless than five of the almighty SecondGeneration still draw breath. No newslann have been spawned since thedisappearance of the Old Ones. Theyare a dying race, dwindling witheach of their number that falls, yeteach is determined to be present forthe final defeat of the Eternal Enemybefore they pass into history.Despite their prodigious abilities andpractical immortality, the slann are not invincible. Those that do fall inbattle are, if anything, treated witheven more reverence by the Seraphonthan the living. Theirremains arecollected up and returned to theconstellation’s temples in solemnprocession, there to be bound andmummified. TheseRelic Priests, as they are known, still radiate arcane energies. It is unknown howfar a Relic Priest can still wilfullyaffect the corporeal world, yet some Seraphon armies – particularly thoseof the more superstitious Coalesced–bear their remains to war onoccasion. An eerie light glows fromthe eyes of their golden funerarymasks, spells of celestial destructionemanating from their desiccatedremains to annihilate the foe. Sodo the slann serve the Great Planeven past the point of death, utterlyimplacable in their dedication to the war against Chaos.LORD KROAKNo Relic Priest is more powerful, or more mysterious, than Lord Kroak. Waves ofAzyrite energy issue forth from this withered husk, and his mere presence is enoughto slay the weakest amongst the damned. It is believed he is the oldest of the slann,perhaps one of the few who arrived from beyond the stars with the Old Ones at thedawn of history, and that despite having sacrificed himself in battle against theEternal Enemy time and again Kroak always returns to continue the great war of the Seraphon.Kroak appears at those moments of greatest need, when fate must be tippedone way or the other. With but a thought Kroak can pluck a comet from thevaults of Azyr and hurl it across realms, unleash blasts of coruscating lightning, or materialise a host of Starborne warriors. With the battle won he will disappearin a shimmering aurora of starlight, only to re-emerge when fate necessitates it. Someskinks believe Lord Kroak has ascended to sit at the right hand of the divine Old Onesin death, unwilling to rest until the final defeat of Chaos has come to pass.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Champions of the Seraphon24 CHAMPIONS OF THE SERAPHONSAURUS SPAWN-LORDSAs a saurus survives more battles,they become skilled not just inpersonal combat but also in the artof leadership. Their command ofstrategy grows instinctive; whilethey may not be able to explainthe specifics of a refused flank or defence in depth, a saurus leader willrecognise intuitively when they arerequired to achieve victory. With aseries of growled commands theyimpart their will to those Seraphonunder their command, reorganisingcohorts and launching feintingattacks to ensure the destructionof their Starmaster’s enemies.Of course, these saurus remainpeerless killers. As they age theirscales harden and ossify, whilethick cords of muscle add to theiralready phenomenal strength. Scarscriss-cross their bodies, the marksof countless defeated foes, and a primal aura surrounds them that cows beasts and fellow Seraphonalike. In times of war all Seraphon– even, to an extent, the inscrutableslann – defer to the authority of thesaurus lords.Scar-Veterans are the frontlinecommanders of a Seraphon army,each given control of an assemblageof cohorts, or on occasion evenentire armies. They possess aninnate ability to rouse the primalferocity that lurks in the hearts oftheir saurus kin, unleashing it atjust the right moment. Should a Scar-Veteran survive long enoughthey may eventually rise to the rankof Oldblood. These are the overlordsand generals of a constellation’smilitary forces, and are oftenentrusted with their temple-city or fleet’s most sacred war-relics:gauntlets that blaze with killing light or spears and blades that cracklewith the contained energies of suns. Saurus can speak, though the vastmajority are far from talkativeand capable only of producingmonosyllabic grunts. Theircommanders have slightly expandedvocabularies, though these still relatealmost exclusively to matters of war or their simple yet effective culture ofstrength. Disagreements are possiblebetween saurus leaders, but will besettled through ritual combat ratherthan in the debating hall, for allinstinctively know that it is deeds – not words – that grant authorityamongst the saurian legions.Only saurus, and the mightiestat that, can tame the fearsomeCarnosaurs and ride them to battle.Carnosaurs are without doubtthe fiercest predators bred by theSeraphon. Over thirty feet longfrom crest to tail, their favouredtactic is to pin their prey down withtheir strong forelimbs and brutallysavage them with their massive jaws.The deafening roar of a Carnosauris enough to send enemy warriorsfleeing for their lives. When battle isjoined they enter a terrifying bloodfrenzy, with only the domineeringwill of the saurus lord atop them todirect them towards the prey.SUNBLOODSThe power of Azyr clings to thesaurus Sunbloods. Monstrouslystrong, these battle-scarred warriors are the martial champions of theSeraphon and the personificationof that race’s savage fury. In battlethey fight with boundless ferocity, never resting for even a momentwhile there are enemies still to slay.A Sunblood’s formidable aeon shieldcan break even the fiercest enemycharge, leaving them easy prey tobe torn apart by the saurus’ jaws or pulverised by the crushing strikes oftheir heavy celestite mace. Thoughthey typically leave the Oldbloods toconsider matters of greater strategy,Sunbloods are adept at determiningweaknesses in an enemy battleline.As the crucial juncture of a battlearrives, the scarred saurian will letloose a blood-chilling roar. His kinwill respond in kind by instinct,falling upon the chosen enemy andtearing them to bloody tatters.Sunbloods are held in awe by otherSeraphon. Theirscales shine brightwith heavenly energies long aftercoalescence, and they are oftenentrusted to defend vital areas of a ziggurat, particularly the sacredspawning pools. Spawnings ofSunbloods are rare. The vast majorityhave fought since the earliest days ofthe Age of Myth, and new spawnings are heralded always by the mostportentous celestial alignments.Some of the skink priesthood believethat a wellspring of concentratedAzyrite energy dwells within eachSunblood; this power never entirelyfades, marking them as truly starblessed even if they take physicalform. The saurus have quite a different opinion of the Sunbloods.To the warrior caste of the Seraphon,these celestial champions are trueavatars of battle, each a fragment of a lost reptilian war-deity that hasreturned to fight by the side of theirfollowers against the predationsof Chaos. Amongst the Coalesced,Sunbloods are treated almost as demigods by their kin, tangible linksto the distant light of Azyr’s stars.ASTROLITH BEARERSAn astrolith is a disc of glyphinscribed celestite, dominated in itscentre by a mysterious globe. Manyof the tools of the Old Ones arousecuriosity amongst the Seraphon, butfew are as intriguing or inspiring asthese strange devices. On occasion,when exploring ancient ruins andforgotten caverns amongst therealms, the Seraphon may discovercurious incisions in rocky facesperfectly shaped to fit an astrolith.Placing the icon within these grooveshas led to many a great discovery;the icons are capable of channellingcelestial energy in vast quantitiesand through this unlocking hiddenchambers and Realmgates. Aroundit do the winds of Azyr blow strong,At the head of a constellation’s armies come its saurus commanders. Each is a centuries-old veteran of bloodiestbattle, an ancient warleader whose raw martial power is underpinned by a cold, calculating cunning and thematchless discipline of their warhosts. In all the realms, few foes are as deadly as these champion warriors.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
25and those Seraphon who tap intothis energy find their powers greatlyenhanced in the icon’s presence.An astrolith’s bearer is notnecessarily the greatest fighteramongst a constellation, nor itsmost capable general. They have,however, been deemed by the slannto possess a great destiny. Saurus are not prideful creatures, but even theyfeel satisfaction upon being chosento carry one of the most prized relicsof the Seraphon race; in battle theywould die a thousand times over before letting it fall, slaughtering anywho approach while keeping the iconraised high.Astroliths are particularly commonamongst the armies of the Starborne.The process through which a slann‘conjures’ his warriors into existence – in reality, drawing them forthfrom a temple-ship – is acceleratedwhile in the presence of one or more astroliths, more powerful reptiliancreatures taking shape fromAzyrite magic as the icon’s glyphsglow white-hot.ETERNITY WARDENSA Starmaster may have hundredsof Saurus Guard at their command,each one assigned to protect somecrucial element of the Great Plan.Few, however, will be entrusted withthe rank of Eternity Warden. Tothem falls perhaps the most sacredduty given to any saurus, for it isthey who must oversee the defenceof the Starmasters themselves. Suchis a necessity, for when a slann takesto the field of battle they provide anirresistible target to their enemies.The presence of an Eternity Wardenallows other saurus commandersto focus on the business of strategy,satisfied they do not have toconstantly look over a shoulder toprotect their master.It is the Eternity Wardens whodecide who will be permittedaccess to the slann; their word insuch matters is inviolate, and if a Seraphon cannot convince them ofthe importance of his entreaty thenhe stands no chance of standingbefore the Starmasters. In battle, an Eternity Warden alternatesbetween still watchfulness andfrenzied action. Thosewho strayclose are brutally bludgeoned bypowerful swings of their star-stonemace; each blow is delivered withperfect economy of motion, never overbalancing or overreachingand leaving their ward vulnerable.Saurus Guard will fight all theharder around Eternity Wardens, forto be judged lacking in convictionto their duty would be a fate worsethan death to these warriors. If thesituation demands it an EternityWarden will not hesitate to sacrificehimself for his master; countless are the tales of heroics performedby these alpha guardians, snatchingtriumph from the jaws of tragedy.Curiously, a slann’s Eternity Wardenprotectors seem remarkably similar as the years go by, down to the verysame wounds and fighting styles.Some skinks believe that they are nottrue Seraphon at all, but somethingelse entirely – beings of pure Azyriteforce who are forbidden to rest untilthe Great Plan is complete and theslann’s task finally done.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Primal Savagery26 PRIMAL SAVAGERYSaurus cohorts form the mainstay of most Seraphon armies. Each reptilian warrior-breed fulfils a singularpurpose, and they care for nothing save the orders of their commanders. There is nothing warm or relatablewithin a saurus – only a primal urge to exterminate those who would stand in the way of fulfilling the Great Plan.SAURUS WARRIORSThe saurus exist purely for war. They are utterly loyal to the slann,and implacable in their mission todestroy the servants of Chaos – andany who would aid them, knowingly or otherwise.As with all Seraphon, saurus are not born in the conventional sense but instead grow within spawningpools. When the time is rightthey will drag themselves fromthe glowing waters fully formed,cold eyes staring intently ahead asthey wait for orders. Typically anentire cohort of Saurus Warriors isspawned into being at once, forgingan almost telepathic bond amongstthe spawn-kin that will last for therest of their hard, brutal lives. ASaurus Warrior knows instinctivelywhat its brothers standing on eitherside are about to do, defending themas they attack or lunging forth tostrike whilst they distract the foe.Thissavage discipline is the truestrength of the saurus. Though theirappearance may be bestial, each is a soldier of formidable focus andnatural talent, capable of performingcomplex military manoeuvres at asingle growled command fromtheirspawn-leaders and alphas.Every inch of a saurus is lethal.Their claws are sharp as daggers,and such is their muscled bulk that on the charge the force of impactalone is capable of knocking theirfoes sprawling. Powerful tails lashout to snap leg-bones, while the jawsof a saurus are capable of crumplingskulls or crushing rib cages in asingle bite. Theirforged weapons are more lethal still. Some cohorts carrycelestite clubs and blades, each one viciously spiked to better tear apartthose they bludgeon. Others are armed with celestite spears, formingan impregnable wall of pointedblade-tips as they dare opponents tocharge them. Even a saurus’ shieldpossesses brutal bladed edges. Littlecan stand before an advancingsaurus cohort, for like the jaws of some monstrous predator they donot stop until their prey has beenutterly savaged.The day-to-day duties of a saurus cohort can vary, though all relate towarfare. Aboard the temple-fleets ofthe Starborne, Saurus Warriors are often permitted to roam the worldchambers, but are otherwise keptin suspended animation until war calls; as the fated time approachesmembers of the skink priesthoodwill activate the revivificationengines of the temple-ships throughprecise rituals they do not trulyunderstand, warming the blood ofthe dormant warriors until theycome to growling life once more. In flashes of Azyrite energy theyarrive on the battlefield, starlightshining in their wake as they lope inperfect synchronicity towards theirill-fated targets, eyes blazing withsavage purpose.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
27Coalesced saurus, when not in activecombat, instead form the outerdefences of a temple-city. They canbe found stationed motionless atopthe walls of Seraphon settlements,keeping their battle-skills sharpby hunting for prey alongsidetheir spawn brothers or tirelesslypatrolling the depths of the chokingjungle. Theirtough scales andnatural determination makes themdifficult to lay low through ambush;if even one saurus survives the initialstrike he will fight on without pause,buying time for reinforcementsto arrive. Coalesced saurus are particularly savage examples oftheir kind, their natural predatoryinstincts amplified as the light ofAzyr that fills them joins with themagical energies of the other realms.The image of the cold-yet-feralSaurus Warrior has entered intothe legends and mythologies ofcultures across the Mortal Realms.When Stormcast Eternals of theKnights Excelsior fought to purgethe Caverns of Ravvagas in Ghur,they discovered centuries-oldcave paintings depicting reptilianwarriors descending from thestars to strike down the sorcerer- cabals who held dominion over theland. Since time immemorial themordants of the Heartgash GrandCourt have clad themselves inthe scaled hides of reptilians andwielded crude clubs and spearscrafted from sharpened bone,believing that they are the primevalfigures they recall in flashes ofdemented memory.Of all races, however, the saurus havefound their most kindred spirits – much to their distaste – amongst thebarbarous orruks. Whether brutalIronjaw or manic Bonesplitter,the green-skinned hordes find thesaurus to be rather humourlessbut magnificently committedand straightforward opponents.Some particularly cunning orrukbosses have even taken to erectingdefaced totems in crude parodies ofmonoliths dedicated to the ChaosGods; through these they hope toattract the wrathful attentions of theSeraphon, for they know that wherethe saurus tread can be found thebest fights of all.SAURUS GUARDWaves of the enemy’s most elitewarriors crash and break against thetightly locked shields of the SaurusGuard. To those who would dareattempt to approach a Starmasterunbidden they are a remorseless wallof scale and snapping jaws. Not once will these implacable guardians take a step back, or abandon their master as battle rages. Even in times ofrelative peace other Seraphon mustapproach the slann with care, for more than one over-eager skink hasbeen cut in twain by a single blowfrom a dedicated Saurus Guard.Unlike most Seraphon, SaurusGuard do not rise from the spawningpools in cohorts; instead, as casualties occur amongst the ranksof the guardians, new warriors willemerge in ones and twos. Theywillsilently make their way through aziggurat-temple to the armouries oftheir new brothers, taking up theirsacred weapons and armour without a word. When they fall into rankit is as if they have fought amongsttheir kin for decades. Such casualties are rare, however. A Saurus Guard’sscales are incredibly thick, and theyare capable of surviving blows thatwould penetrate even the toughhide of a Saurus Warrior. They are masters of defensive warfare, almostinvulnerable when using their scaledshields in concert. At the Sunderingof the Vale of Statues the guardiansof Starmaster Lumqu locked theirshields together in a great dome,weathering the heavy tread of atitanic Khornate warlord known asthe Brazen Gargant.As well as protecting the slann,Saurus Guard are often chargedwith watching over the most sacredareas of a Seraphon ziggurat.Concentrations of vitrifiedrealmstone, scrying-chambersfilled with astromantic technology,shrines to the Old Ones – all willbe protected by a cohort of tirelessSaurus Guard, the dust of decadescovering their immobile bodies.At the first sign of an intruder they move with shocking speed, statuesgiven life to swiftly and efficientlydismantle their prey.SAURUS KNIGHTSRiding at the vanguard of a Seraphon battleline can be found theSaurus Knights. They are amongstthe premier shock troops of theSeraphon, skilled cavalry well versedin a wide array of military doctrines,from disruptive hit-and-run strikesto line-breaking massed charges.Beneath icons in the shape of coilingserpents the Saurus Knights ride intothe midst of battle with predatoryeagerness, tearing the foe apart ina storm of blades and claws. Thosewho somehow manage to survive theinitial impact are soon trampled bythe force of their passing.The mounts of the Saurus Knights are known as Cold Ones. They arefierce, territorial beasts, viciouslycunning and deadly in battle. Whenleft to their own devices Cold Ones are notoriously foul-tempered andwilful. Even those that are Starborne are wont to revert to their primalinstincts, snapping at any Seraphonwho draws too close and devouringunfortunate skinks. If a pack of ColdOnes makes its way into a widertemple-ship or city it can cause all manner of trouble, until a cohort ofSaurus Knights can corral them.Knights are a specialist subspeciesof the saurus race; considered tobe blessed by the Old One widelyknown as Itzl, Father of Beasts,they possess specially adapteddewclaws that allow them to directtheir steeds even while fighting.More importantly, each has a natural affinitywith wild creatures,particularly the Cold Ones. Underthe domineering will of a SaurusKnight a Cold One turns fromsimply a dangerous predator toa focused engine of destruction; a whole cohort of the beasts andtheir riders acting in unison iscapable of turning the tide of battleby themselves.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Priests of the Seraphon28SKINK STARSEERSThe most venerable skinkspellcasters are known as Starseers.Few students of the arcane, evenamongst the Stormhosts of Sigmar, can match their connection to themagic of Azyr. With but a flexingof their will a Starseer can divinemeaning from the pattern of stars,anticipate stellar events with cosmicramifications, and foresee thebest way in which to engineer thedownfall of the Seraphon’s enemies.Most slann are served by severalStarseers, contributing their ownoracular powers to the scrying ofthe future and ensuring that theresults are disseminated to thecommanders and lesser priestlyleaders of the Seraphon. Without theprognostication of the Starseers theconstellations would be functionallyblind to the celestial portents.Owing to their role at the top ofthe skink priesthood’s hierarchy,Starseers are held in awe by theSeraphon; even saurus will bow theirheads deferentially in a Starseer’spresence. As well as ruling oversizeable districts within a templecity, or their own ships within thefleets, a primary duty of the Starseersis the fashioning of celestite. Feware better at working with thisstrange material than they, andthough they cannot reproduce thegreatest treasures of the Old Onesthey possess enough knowledge tomaintain that already possessedby the Seraphon. It is with thisknowledge that the Starseers fashiontheir floating thrones, smallerrenditions of the majestic palanquinsof the slann. Suitably ensconced, itis not uncommon for a Starseer tobe mistaken for the overlords of theSeraphon by those who encounterthem. Thisis not discouraged bythe Starseers, though not for egoor ambition; their devotion to theirslann is total, and if they must attract a foe’s wrath so their masters can work in peace then it is a sacrificethey will gladly make.STARPRIESTSOn occasion, the activation of aspawning pool will produce but asingle skink. More often than not,they prove skilled in the magicalarts; these creatures are not destinedfor the life of the labourer, nor theartisan. Instead, they will join theranks of the Starpriests.A Starpriest’s grasp of the windsaetheric is instinctive, and furtherhoned by tutelage from their Starseermasters. Several Starpriests willattend to each Starseer; some, oftenthe most promising mages of aconstellation, will even serve a slanndirectly. Starpriests are amongstthe most comparatively gregariousof their reptilian breed, and manyhave a natural talent for dealingwith non-Seraphon. The Fangs ofSotek in particular make great use of Starpriests, and amongst skinkembassies set up throughout the freecities they serve as chief ambassadorsto a city’s authorities.While they are trained to divinemeaning from celestial portents,Starpriests are more proactivein their spellcraft than thecontemplative Starseers, preferringto unleash blasts of celestiallightning or scour enemy formationsunder the uncompromising light ofthe stars. As with many Seraphonleaders, they often carry techno- arcane relics. Most common arethe serpent staffs; with the correctinvocations a skink wizard maychannel the power of the twinheaded serpent, one of the manyzodiacal leviathans that dwellwithin the Azyrite heavens, to coatthe blades and even jaws of theirfellow Seraphon in potent venom. Asingle scratch from such a weaponcan leave the enemy wracked withfeverish convulsions, their last sightthat of a Starpriest calling down thewrath of the heavens.SKINK PRIESTSOwing to the distant nature of theslann and the mono-minded focus on war held by the saurus, it is theskink priesthood that ensures theefficientrunning of day-to-day lifefor the Seraphon. Just as severalStarpriests may attend to a more powerful mage, a Starpriest willhave a clutch of lesser assistants andviziers to carry out their will. Thesepriests, skinks who have excelledthemselves in war or craft, fulfil therole of intermediaries, taking theword of their masters to the heaving masses of skinkdom that throngeach temple-city or fleet’s workers’quarters. A Skink Priest will beresponsible for several divisionsof skinks; competition betweendivisions can be fierce, with eachPriest exhorting their followers toraise the greatest monuments to theglory of the Old Ones or achieve thehighest production quota of celestiteweapons and tools of industry.In times of war, the Skink Priestswill organise their skinks intocohorts and lead them into battle.In this they perform a similar roleto the Skink Chiefs, but where a Chief will focus on executing widerstrategy a Skink Priest’s concern isthe motivation of those under hiscommand. Though they possess noinnate magical talent, Skink Priestshave been well trained by theirStarpriest masters in the mysticalrites of the Seraphon. Through thesethey lead their followers in celestialrituals and veneration of the lost OldOnes. In times of crisis, the flightyPRIESTS OF THE SERAPHONCosmic light shines brightly within the priests of the skinks. Their command of celestial magic is second onlyto that of the slann, and through them the Seraphon interpret the will of the heavens. Those of a lesser rankfaithfully serve their masters, while the most senior aid the slann in deciding the destiny of the Seraphon race.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
29nature of the skinks makes themprone to forming bizarre sub-cults,worshipping mystical jungle beasts or the mysterious serpent god. It isthe priests that lead these cults, theirdeviance tolerated by the slann solong as it does not interfere with theGreat Plan.Skink Priests are also oftenentrusted with examples of OldOne technology; many will carrystaffs of office that can unleashwhite-hot bursts of energy as bright as a star. These qualities make thepriests the most tangible link totheir godly creators most skinkswill ever encounter; they are figuresof great devotion for the masses of Seraphon society, and at theirchirped commands do the skinksfight all the harder for the glory ofthe Great Plan.ORACLESOracles are amongst the strangestof all skink sub-breeds. There is noformal process of induction by whicha priest joins their number; rather,Oracles come into being throughthe direct magical intervention ofthe slann in the spawning process.Such an occurrence is rare, takingplace perhaps once every thousandastrological cycles. The skinkthat crawls from a spawning pool so blessed will be immediatelyidentified by their forked tail, a physiological deviation considered tobe a mark of the Old Ones’ favour byeven the cold and rational Starborne.Oracles are typically impassiveand distant, their faces hidden byintricate golden masks. Only whenthe influence of the slann comes over them do they become trulyanimated. The skink’s eyes roll backas their body begins to twitch, rabidfroth escaping over their lips. Asthe cosmic power of their masterfills them the Oracle will babbleout a stream of proclamations.Thesewords are eagerly transcribedby nearby priests, recorded upongolden tablets of prophecy. Suchis the connection between Oracleand slann that the Starmasters canchannel sorceries through theseskinks no matter the distancebetween them. Oracles themselvesare capable spellcasters, particularlyskilled in the unravelling of enemymagics. To this end they carryartefacts capable of undoing eventhe mightiest spells, dissipatingtheir energies with pulses ofancient power.Oracles have developed a strangesymbiosis of their own with theloathsome behemoths known as Troglodons, or simply the ‘PaleDeath’. These foul creatures dwellin the darkest recesses of a templeship, or within the caves and swampssurrounding a temple-city; thoughblind, they possess keen hearing andsmell, and are capable of releasinga stream of highly toxic spittle.Troglodons are loners by nature, butlike the Oracles they possess a twinpronged tail, and it is perhaps thisshared blessing that allows an Oracleto instantly tame the troglodyticbeasts. Oracles habitually ride atopTroglodons, directing the creaturesthrough their own far-seeing eyes asthey undertake missions too vital or nuanced to be entrusted to any butthe very personifications of the reachand will of the slann.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Hunting Packs30 HUNTING PACKSNaturally stealthy and quick of limb, skinks play a vital role in both the society and the armies of the Seraphon.These intelligent beings make up for their small stature through a variety of means, whether by unleashing astream of poisoned projectiles into unsuspecting enemies or marshalling fearsome creatures to savage the foe.SKINKSSkinks form the greatest portionof Seraphon society. Though oftenshorter than even a duardin, theyare quick, clever and highly vocal, even capable of learning the tongueof other races. When combined withtheir inherent dexterity, this allowsthem to excel in the roles of artisans,menial labourers and scribes. It isthey who oversee the expansion of atemple-city from its initial landing,and they who attempt to maintainthe Old Ones’ technologicalartefacts. Thatthey do not entirelyunderstand the functioning of thesedevices is of no particular concernto the skinks; their commitment tothe Great Plan is absolute, and thecommand of the slann is justificationenough for any task.Owing to their physical frailty,skinks are not naturally confidentwarriors. Though in times ofdesperation they will selflessly throwthemselves into a melee, most seek toavoid physical confrontation wherepossible. These skittish tendenciesbecome more pronounced as theycoalesce in the realms, and the purelight of Azyr that blazes withinthem is diluted. Ever cunning, theskinks have turned these qualitiesto their advantage. They are talentedskirmishers, preferring to engagethe foe safely at range. Celestitejavelins, often forged by the wielder’s own hands, are short-ranged butdeadly missiles that can lay loweven the largest monsters whenhurled in sufficient numbers. The venomous darts of a boltspitter haveless immediate stopping power, but are capable of being propelled over considerable distance with a singlepowerful breath. Those skinks whodo engage their enemies face-to-facewill swarm in a great mass. Theywillseek to pull down their opponentsunder weight of snapping jawsand small but deadly moonstoneclubs, their spirits bolstered bythe invocations of their reveredpriestly leaders.CHAMELEON SKINKSMany subspecies of skink possesstheir own unique qualities, each vitalfor the propagation of the Great Plan.Perhaps the most infamous of thesegifted beings are the ChameleonSkinks. Chameleon Skinks possess a unique ability to reduce theirbody to little more than formlessshadow, blending in with theirsurroundings. They range aheadof the warhosts, hiding in plainsight before showering the enemywith blow-darts coated in deadlypoisons squeezed from the bodies ofiridescent amphibians found withinthe Seraphon world-chambers.The source of the Chameleon Skinks’unique talents is unclear, but manypotential explanations have spreadthroughout skinkdom. Some whisperthat the first temple-ships to spawnChameleons did not sail amongstthe light of Azyr, but instead thepenumbral gloom of Ulgu, andAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
31during that time the power of theshadows seeped into the fleet’sspawning pools. TheChameleonshave proved their worth as theassassins of the Seraphon. Hiddenwithin cities and barbarous war- camps they lurk in wait for a shot attheir target. Chaos Lords, Soulblightnobles, roaring Megabosses andchampions of Sigmar have all metuntimely demises on the end of a Chameleon Skink’s poisoned dart.RAZORDONSOne of the many duties performedby a constellation’s skinks isrearing those reptilian beasts thatsupplement the bipedal membersof the Seraphon race. Within theirtemples are chambers filled withrank upon rank of eggs, incubatedby the curious technology of the OldOnes. The Seraphon have all manner of uses for the beasts that hatch fromthese eggs, including herding some onto the battlefield in deadly packs.Initially suffused in Azyrite energythese creatures are capable of beingteleported across the realms bythe slann, and will slowly coalesceand take physical form as do theirSeraphon masters.Razordons are predatory reptileswhose backs are covered in rows of sharp spines. Through powerfulmuscular spasms they are capable ofunleashing volleys of these missileswith incredible force. A sufficientlyenraged Razordon can fill the airwith a storm of spines, and morethan one unlucky skink handler hasbeen pincushioned for their troubleafter prodding the cantankerousbeasts. Enemies who draw too closeto a Razordon similarly stoke thebeast’s ire. Instinctively territorial,Razordons have a knack for waitinguntil just the right moment to letloose their barrage, and a pack ofthe creatures working in concert can shred even the most determinedenemy charges.SALAMANDERSThe death dealt by a Salamanderis hideous to behold. From thefleshy sacs upon their necks, theseaggressive predatory creatures arecapable of belching forth greatsprays of volatile acids that igniteinto flaming life upon contact withthe air. Those unfortunate enoughto be on the receiving end of thisdeluge find themselves covered inthe devouring juices. Armour andflesh melts like hot wax, sloughingaway from the bone as the victimscreams and thrashes impotently.These same corrosive fluids dripfrom a Salamander’s jaws, beginningto digest any who are bitten whilethe hapless prey is still alive.Salamanders are used by theSeraphon to guard the flanks of theirarmies, or to storm the strongestpoints of an enemy line. Even thesturdiest fortifications can be melteddown by these beasts’ spoutedflames, while those warriors whosurvive the initial onslaught findtheir flesh continues to sloughaway little by little wherever it wastouched by a Salamander’s fires.Many Aqshian tribes revere Salamanders as primal spirits of fire,wearing the great cooling frills thatsurround the beasts’ necks as marksof strength and rulership. Somepoint to a relationship between thesecreatures and the slain godbeastVulcatrix. Thisseems implausible,given the celestial nature of theSeraphon, but in deep trophy vaultswithin the magmaholds of theFyreslayers can be found skeletalremains that resemble Salamanders – a fact suggesting that the Seraphonhave been active in the realms for farlonger than most would suspect.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Predatory Fury32 PREDATORY FURYTERRADON RIDERSTerradons swoop above thebattlefield in great flocks, theirshrill cawing echoing acrossthe massed armies below. Theirleathery wings and natural agilitymake them talented gliders; it ispossible for a Terradon to stay aloftfor several days on end if they hit a series of thermal currents, theirwings flapping only occasionallyto keep them flying high. Whenthe prey is sighted a Terradon willlet out a blood-curdling screechbefore diving with blistering speed.Zephyrs of scintillating energytrail in their wake, and they strikebefore the foe is even aware of them,tearing the prey apart with lines ofrazor-sharp teeth.Skinks who ride to battle atopTerradons fulfil the roles of scoutsand outriders. Terradon Ridersprefer to avoid close combat wherepossible, utilising the speed of theirmounts to launch probing strikesbefore falling back. Theirfavouredweapons reflect this predilection;javelins are popular, as is thesunleech bolas, a curious Seraphoninnovation that hurls small creaturesknown as sunleeches. Those struckby such a missile will be consumedby flame as the volatile creaturesdetonate on impact. Most infamous are the payloads hoisted by theTerradons themselves. The back legsof these creatures are remarkablypowerful, capable of luggingconsiderable weights for a distance.Skink artisans inscribe chunks ofmeteorite with Azyrite sigils beforeattaching handles onto them, readyfor the Terradons to carry themto war. At a signal from their riders theintelligent beasts will release theirburdens, the rocks exploding inblasts of heavenly light as they crashdown onto the foe.RIPPERDACTYL RIDERSRipperdactyls are savagery givenform. Merciless avian predators, theywill readily attack any creature – no matter its size– in a maddened ragewithout warning. Even when notcompelled by hunger a Ripperdactylwill be driven to kill by some unspoken impetus, as if slaughteritself somehow provides sustenanceto these fearsome creatures.Skinks that ride Ripperdactyls are sometimes known as ‘braves’,and are veritable daredevils bythe standards of their skittishkind. Their moonstone spears are sharp and swift, but it is theapoplectic fury and hooked talonsof the Ripperdactyls that do mostof the killing work. To focus theRipperdactyls’ rage, Seraphonwizards conjure small beasts knownas blot toads to the battlefield. Theirscent both attracts Ripperdactyls anddrives them to bloodthirsty mania;often the first an enemy knows ofthe doom lurking in their midstis when a pack of Ripperdactylsdescends from above and messilyrips them asunder.Fearsome aerial predators and monstrously strong beasts of burden advance alongside Seraphon armies, theirspeed and power supplementing the cold fury of the saurus. It is the skinks that bear responsibility for corrallingthese creatures, directing their predatory instincts to where they can cause the most devastation upon the enemy.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
33SKINK CHIEFSThe largest and strongest skinks, or those who otherwise distinguishthemselves in battle, may eventuallyrise to the rank of Chief. Whilst theupper ranks of the skink priesthoodfocus upon divining the celestialportents and unleashing heavenlymagics upon the foe, and the lowerpriestly castes marshal and inspirethe skinks in times of war, it is theChiefs that strive to coordinatewider battlefield strategy betweenthe skink cohorts and whoever hascommand of the overall army.Riding high above the battlefieldon winged reptilian beasts, Chiefscall out shrill orders to the cohortsbelow, their daring feats as inspiringto their fellow skinks as any priestlyritual. Often, members of the skinkpriesthood will be served by multipleChiefs who serve as executorsof their will in times of war; a particularly skilled or promisingChief may even lead a grouping ofSeraphon cohorts as a small army ofits own, often when the Great Planrequires coordination of a missiontoo complex or subtle for the singleminded saurus to grasp.A Skink Chief’s choice of mountis a reflection of their quirks andpersonality, and will define therole they are expected to play inbattle. Thosewho ride upon loyalTerradons are sometimes referredto as Masters of the Skies, and are amongst the more cautious of theirkind. Their deep connection withtheir mounts allows them to performfeats of death-defying agility thatrender them nearly impossible tohit for those on the ground. Theyare exemplary spotters and scouts,signalling nearby Terradon Riderswhen to hurl their missiles or droptheir meteoric boulders to the mostdevastating effect.ThoseChiefs who instead dare totake a Ripperdactyl as a mount are amongst the most aggressive of allskinks, though their role is not tolaunch themselves into battles theycannot win. Instead, they will leadgung-ho hit-and-run attacks witha bravado uncommon to the stoicand focused Seraphon; they are often amongst the first warriors of a starhost to engage the enemy, andif their boldness is not encouragingenough to those who followthem then the sight of an alphaRipperdactyl unleashing its furycan fill even the most nervous skinkwith confidence.KROXIGORKroxigor are towering brutestwice the height of a man andpossessed of phenomenalstrength. Theirscales aretough as sigmarite, and theirjaws so strong that even thegreatest monsters can behamstrung by a single savagebite. One Kroxigor is capableof scattering many times itsnumber of lesser foes; a wholecohort of them can shore up anentire battlefield flank.Kroxigor have proveninvaluable in expanding thetemple-cities now settled acrossthe realms, and respected bythe saurus for their physicalprowess. It is the skinks,however, who possess theclosest relationship withthese giants. Though theyare far from mentally agile,Kroxigor will work diligentlyat any task given them by thesmaller lizardfolk. In battleit is not uncommon to see Kroxigor fighting alongsideskink cohorts, the naturalconnection they feel with thesmaller Seraphon spurringthem on as they lash out atthose who would threaten theirdiminutive kin.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Wrath of the Cosmos34 WRATH OF THE COSMOSSTEGADONSStegadons are titanic quadrupedscoated in layers of thick scale. Theirmost defining aspect is a large andprominent head-crest, from whichprotrudes a series of lethally sharphorns. The mammoth bulk of thesecreatures is sustained by theiromnivorous diet. They are capableof devouring just about anything intheir path and extracting some kindof nutrition from it; a Stegadon’srobust digestive system means that, once the beast is on the move, it can keep going almost indefinitelyprovided there are sufficientopportunities to feed along the way.At least one ogor tribe worships thehorned beasts as scaly avatars ofinsatiable Gorkamorka, followingin their stomping path throughthe sweltering jungle depths anddevouring anything the Stegadonsleave behind.Under normal circumstances,Stegadons are one of the more docilebeasts to be found in the company ofthe Seraphon. Long have they beenused by the lizardfolk as beasts ofburden, working alongside Kroxigorand skink labour-gangs to transportheavy construction materials or flatten areas of land uponwhich can be built roadways andsprawling temple complexes. Mostconstellations have racks upon racksof Stegadon eggs stored within theirziggurats, but the greatest spawningpools are also capable of producingfully-grown beasts instantly whenfed with enough power. Stegadonsproduced through this method tendto be more closely linked to thepower of Azyr, their scales shiningwith heavenly light, and all manner of zodiacal markings cover theirhides like constellations across thenight sky.Despite their lack of naturalaggression, Stegadons will reactviolently when faced with a threat.The Seraphon harness this strengthto their own ends by mounting largehowdahs to the backs of these beasts.The skinks that crew them have oftenserved in a constellation’s hatcheries,and will have a close bond with theStegadon they ride. From up highthey hurl javelins tipped with sharpmeteoric rock, or otherwise crew thedeadly war engines that are oftenmounted to a howdah – skystreakbows, their large projectiles capableof punching through an entirerank of armoured warriors, are perennially popular, as are dualflame-belching devices known assunfire throwers. It is the Stegadonitself that provides the greatestdanger to opponents, however.When imperilled a Stegadon’s typicalresponse is to lower their head andcharge, trusting in their sheer bulkto send them crashing through theenemy lines and goring anythingfoolish or unfortunate enough toremain in their path. Most of thetime this proves more than sufficient.Considering the destruction a Stegadon is capable of meting out,and the punishment it can survive inturn, it is not surprising that manyskinks prefer to fight in the shadowof these beasts. In the Stegadon theysee the majesty of the Old Onesmade manifest, a reptilian idol thatbrings swift death to those whowould oppose them.When the Great Plan calls for acity to be stomped flat or a foe tobe utterly eradicated, a Starmasterwill construct their warhostsaround the mightiest warbeastsbred by his constellation. Though a Saurus Oldblood mounted upon a Carnosaur will often command suchhosts, veteran Skink Chiefs mountedupon Stegadons are essential forleading the skittish hunting packsand stampedes of titanic junglebeasts. As the charge of the massedlizard-monsters builds momentumthe ground shudders and cracks;enemy shieldwalls lose cohesionas they struggle to stay balanced,regaining their footing just as theChief and the monsters under hiscontrol crash into their lines withterrifying force.ENGINES OF THE GODSThe Great Plan of the Old Ones was impossibly vast in scale. Thevery stuff of universes was little more than building blocks to thesebeings, through which they couldsculpt existence into their own, more ordered image. To achievethese inconceivable ambitions,they constructed many strangedevices to further amplify theirphenomenal magical powers. Mostof these artefacts lie dormant withinthe innermost vaults of Seraphontemples, their function unknowneven to the Starmasters. The Enginesof the Gods, however, are far fromlost treasures – their power stillsends shock waves across battlefieldsthroughout the Mortal Realms.Engines of the Gods are carriedupon the backs of the most ancientStegadons, for only they are judgedto possess the correct temperamentto bear such relics. Arcane energiesthrum through the devices, theair surrounding them chargedwith barely contained magicalpotential. When a member of theskink priesthood depresses theglowing glyph-plaques in the correctsequence, the power locked withthe Engines is unleashed. If theSeraphon ever understood how thesecreations worked, they have longsince forgotten; even the slann canonly manipulate the Engines’ powerso far. The results of their activationare therefore almost impossible topredict. Enemies are torn asunder inblasts of azure lightning or simplyblink from existence as cosmiclaws are rewritten around them.Time itself is upended to reknit thewounds of nearby Seraphon or evensummon warriors yet to be spawnedfrom the heavens. On occasion, an Engine of the Gods may harnesssuch power that the universe beginsto shake apart around it, the rules ofThe serried ranks of a constellation’s armies include huge colossi of war. Thesemonsters are capable of shruggingoff the mightiest of blows, crushing all before them under their terrific strength and deadly natural weapons.Upon their backs ride cadres of skinks, entrusted to operate the devastating techno-arcane relics of the Old Ones.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
35reason rebelling violently against itsbeing. This potential for unforeseendevastation has seen the Enginesof the Gods become weapons oflast resort for the Seraphon. Mostconstellations will possess but a handful of the ancient cosmicdevices, bringing them forth fromtheir ward-locked temples only atthe most perilous cruxes of fate.There are those, however, such as theThunder Lizard or Tepok’s Breath,who possess many examples offunctioning Engines. When theyare deployed en masse the powerthese devices unleash is horrifyingin its scope, the very fabric of realityreshaped to the Seraphon’s designs.BASTILADONSThrough the deepest jungleslumber the Bastiladons, each anunstoppable walking fortress. Fewcreatures of the realms can rivalthese reptilian behemoths in termsof sheer resilience. Their backs arecovered in thick shield-scales as hard as sigmarite, and their skinis more akin to impervious bonethan soft flesh. Blows capable ofsundering runeforged gromril mayleave only the most minor dentin a Bastiladon’s armoured hide;cursed runeblades and impossiblysharp glaives snap on impact, theirwielders subsequently bludgeonedwith spine-shattering force by theheavy bone club found at the tip of a Bastiladon’s powerful tail.Even the spectral blades of theNighthaunt can find little purchaseagainst a Bastiladon, for withintheir bodies the power of Azyr istightly compacted, its brillianceburning away any attempted strikeat the creature’s soul. Legends ofthe Bastiladons’ imperviousnesshave spread far, and more than onecanny Kharadron captain has maderespectable profit dealing in ‘genuineBastiladon-scale plate armour’.Perhaps a Bastiladon’s only weaknessis its slow speed, weighed down as itis by many layers of defence. Owingto this ponderous gait, Bastiladons are typically employed as living war machines by the Seraphon.Many carry Solar Engines, terriblydestructive artefacts capable ofemitting focused beams of celestialenergy that are particularlydangerous to the ancient foes of theSeraphon – the daemons of Chaos.The vast amount of excess heat thatbleeds from these weapons wouldnormally render them hazardous toany beast that carried them, but thethick armour plates of a Bastiladonare strong enough to insulate it fromany debilitating pain.More mysterious, but no less deadly, are the Arks of Sotek. Each of thesestrange devices is in fact a Realmgatein miniature, connected to thedeep serpent-pits that are foundthroughout Seraphon temples andheave with reptilian life. Whenan Ark is activated many of these venomous snakes will be transportedto the battlefield. Whethercompelled by some unknowablecommand of the Ark, or simplyagitated by the sudden dislocation,the serpents swarm towards theenemy at a terrifying pace. Even thegreatest monsters and champions aresoon laid low by the poisons injectedinto their bloodstreams throughcountless piercing fang-bites.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Ancient enmity exists between the rat and the serpent. When their temple-cities are threatened bytheir verminous foes, the Seraphon respond with cold and merciless fury.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
COSMICGLORY38 COSMICGLORYThe Seraphon are a force unlike any other on the battlefields of the Mortal Realms, combining arcane technologyand primal might into a single deadly whole. Here we present a showcase of the Seraphon range of CitadelMinatures expertly painted by Games Workshop’s ’Eavy Metal Team and Design Studio army painters.Under the gaze of the venerable Lord Kroak, a temple-host of the Coalesced marches out from their jungle domain todestroy those who would interfere with the grand design of the Old Ones.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
39Saurus Oldblood on CarnosaurSaurus Oldblood Saurus Sunblood Saurus OldbloodAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
40In a flash of blinding starlight the cavalry hosts of Dracothion’s Tail strike, their assaults launched with the utmostprecision to bring the Great Plan one step closer to completion.Saurus Astrolith Bearer Saurus Eternity Warden Saurus Guard AlphaAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
41The red-crested skinks of the Fangs of Sotek advance stealthily through the undergrowth, accompanied by the arcane power of a strange and deadly Engine of the Gods.Engine of the Gods Slann StarmasterAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Ripperdactyl Rider Alpha Ripperdactyl RiderTerradon Riders strike with the speed and force of a meteor shower. Swooping low over thebattlefield, they unleash their deadly payloads before the foe even realises they are under attack.Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
Terradon Rider with sunleech bolas Terradon Rider Alpha withsunleech bolasAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
44Skink Oracle on TroglodonSkink StarpriestTroglodons can unleash streams of toxic spittle.Skink Starseer Chameleon SkinkAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
45Bastiladons regularly carry powerful relics of the Old Ones into battle. Few are more dreaded than the serpent-spewingdevices known as the Arks of Sotek.Bastiladon with Solar EngineAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
46Kroxigor fight even harder when they take to battle alongside their skink cousins, their cold and brutish fury raised to new heights and eagerly vented upon the enemies of the Seraphon.Kroxigor with drakebite maul Kroxigor with moon hammer Kroxigor with drakebite maulAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
47Under the leadership of an Oldblood mounted upon a mighty Carnosaur, skinks of the Thunder Lizard seek out newnodes of the Astromatrix amidst the perilous wilds of the realms.Saurus Guard Alpha ofPotemec’s HornsSkink ofXelbabia’s ScalesSkink ofChotec’s FeatherSkink ofHuanchi’s JawsSkink ofLoxibitl’s SpineSaurus Guard ofKaputoq’s QuiverStardrake Icon Bearer ofKoatl’s ClawSaurus Warrior ofItzalotl’s EyeAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
WILL OF THEOLDONES48 WILL OF THEOLDONESCelestial creatures of Order, the Seraphon fight to enact the Great Plan of their long-lost creators and defeat theirancient enemies, the gods of Chaos. There are many ways to go about amassing a collecting of Seraphon CitadelMiniatures, and these pages show one example of how such a reptilian army can be mustered for war. As with any Warhammer Age ofSigmar army, the best way to begincollecting a Seraphon force is todecide what you want to achievewith it. Is it your goal to amass yourfavourite miniatures and lavishattention on them while painting?Do you want to use cunning tacticsand powerful synergies to achieveglorious victory in clashes on thetabletop? Perhaps instead you’vebeen inspired by the rich lore ofthe Seraphon, and wish to recreate a particular narrative you’ve readabout in this battletome or anotherAge of Sigmar publication.Whatever the case, the Seraphonarmy and its wide range of beautifulminiatures have something to suityour needs. Here’s how we assembledthe force shown below.A Slann Starmaster is the perfectgeneral for any Seraphon army,whether Starborne or Coalesced.With his potent sorceries andarray of army-boosting abilitieshe’s a powerful force multiplier,and – suitably protected by a loyalcohort of Saurus Guard – is easilycapable of turning the tide of battleby himself. We’ve also selecteda Starseer to further ensure our magical dominance, as well as togenerate extra command points overthe course of the game to spend onpowerful command abilities.Disciplined cohorts of SaurusWarriors are the backbone of mostSeraphon armies, and ours will beperfect for holding objectives or engaging the enemy in savage closecombat. Skinks and ChameleonSkinks might not be as tough ina straight-up fight, but with theirability to cross the battlefield quicklyand harass the foe from range –Another Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!
49not to mention the ChameleonSkinks’ talent for launching deadlyambushes – they open up ourtactical options significantly. SomeKroxigors round out our infantryselections; when they fight alongsidecohorts of Skinks, these muscularbrutes become even more lethalthan ever. No Seraphon army is completewithout a fearsome monster ortwo. An Oldblood mounted upon a Carnosaur is a supremely powerfulopponent in close combat, and caninspire his fellow saurus to fight allthe harder in his presence. Joininghim are a stampede of Stegadons anda Bastiladon; the Bastiladon’s solarengine gives the army access to a powerful ranged weapon on a nearlyimpervious platform, while one of the Stegadons carries an arcaneEngine of the Gods. To round out our selection of primeval monsters, a flight of Ripperdactyl Riders is a great choice for a rapid-response unitthat can descend upon the foe andswiftly tear their limb from limb.Looking at our selection of models, we can group the Engine of theGods, Stegadon, Bastiladon,and Kroxigor into a powerfulThunderquakewarscroll battalion.The rules for this battalion differdepending on whether we chooseto use this army to represent a forceof mysterious Starborne or savageCoalesced, offering us plenty ofdifferent tactical options to tryout on the tabletop. In either case,this collection of titanic monstersprovides a solid and strikinghammer for our battle-line, aroundwhich to base our plans for victory.Overall, this Seraphon army presents a balanced selection of units forcollectors and painters to sink theirteeth into, as well as offering gamerswith a wide variety of tactics toemploy on the battlefield.1. Slann Starmaster2. Saurus Guard3. Saurus Oldblood on Carnosaur4. Saurus Warriors5. Skink Starseer6. Skinks7. Chameleon Skinks8. Ripperdactyl Riders9. Engine of the Gods10. Stegadon11. Bastiladon12. KroxigorAnother Custodes Libris share. Buy the stuff if you like it!