Lords of Terra II: Introduction

A thousand years ago, five mortals, a primordial and a goddess gave their lives to deny the Lich King his divinity and a chance to remake the world into a macabre paradise.

The Old Norse gods having heard their prayers channelled their last iota of power through a favoured servant and destroyed the focus of the Lich’s blackest magic that would have bound the Earth Mother in scarlet chains. Having lost their divine legacy, the gods abandoned Asgard and descended to walk the world as men. With the loss of Midgard and the loss of the pantheon, the Norse faded into history as one of the lost tribes.

The millennium that followed was of turmoil, rot, corruption and war as the Lich King and Sigmar grappled over the destiny of Terra. Almost overnight, heresies began to take root at the heart of the Empire like a cancer and the Inquisition stamped out the flames with typical fervour and zeal fanning the fires of insurrection, chaos and hatred. Innocent men and Xenos alike were forcibly purified as the mighty Empire buckled under the attacks on its revered theocracy.

The inexorable advance of the Obsidian legion reaped the provinces of the Empire like wheat and the death of each soldier added yet another undead monster to the legion. The famed Empire guns gradually fell silent as key mines and factories were conquered and destroyed. The Empire of Man was saved by the genius of man. Self-sustaining machine warriors crafted from blessed ores at the Factory-Cathedrals of Nuln made their appearance on the field of battle. They stymied the tide of the dead and unlike the soldiery of the Empire; they were impervious to disease, fatigue, undeath and the psychological trauma of seeing their rotting comrades returning to battle. As constructs without souls, they were immune to the most dangerous evils of the times- spiritual corruption. The all -conquering undead army ground itself to a halt.

With the loss of frontier territories and tributary states as well as the withdrawal of the Empire’s legions to defend critical areas such as the capital from the hungry dead, other nation states have risen to fill the political vacuum. One such faction is the children of the Primordials. With no Asgardian enemies to face, giants and Titans turned their attention solely to the mortal realm and charismatic leaders are jockeying to be recognized as the Jarl of Jarls. These gargantuan humanoids have been aggressively reclaiming their fiefdoms near powerful elemental nexuses such as volcanoes, mountains and coastal areas. Needless to say, they are deeply feared for their barbarism and it is a matter of time until their full strength is marshalled under a King. Other factions include the rebel provinces of Kislev and Ostland – both unceremoniously melted down their Elector Rune Fangs and Crowns as a brazen mark of defiance.

Within the heavens, the loss of cities, men and faith have cast a dim on mighty Sigmar’s blinding light. With civilization on the verge of collapse and the strength of men’s courage and tenacity replaced by bionic efficiency and imperviousness- Sigmar’s portfolio once ascendant looks to be on shaky ground. In a controversial conclave of cardinals held three centuries ago, the Church of Man had decided to sacrifice the greatest of their number to feed Sigmar’s powers. Living saints, war heroes, Marshal-Paladins and Inquisitors gave up their lives and essence as an act of true faith to bolster Sigmar’s power. To this day, this sacrificial practice continues within the Church and Sigmar continues to reign as humanity’s greatest champion.

Ten years ago, the Oracle of Teluse prophesised the inevitable return of the Great Enemy and the death of Sigmar. Being the only child of her generation to possess such a sight, she was not put to death but her prophecy was deemed too dangerous and it was sealed away in the Inquisitional Vault.

Now a maiden of twenty, she had whispered the same dire omens with greater frequency as she slept and I cannot help but tremble at the consequences of inaction. Before I knew it, I found myself defying every fibre of my moral being screaming against this act of heresy of venturing into the Vault of Martyrs to awaken mythical heroes of the past.

These were the heroes who gave their lives to defy the Lich King.

Heroes who slew a world ravaged by Chaos!

Heroes who could save Terra from itself…

The heroes numbered five mortals, a primordial and a goddess.

-Father Decentious