Cypher Lords
The Cypher Lords are the rulers of the city-state of Nochseed in the Realm of Hysh.[1] Whilst they worship Chaos secretly, they project the image of serene nobility, whilst inserting spies and thralls into the neighbouring cities and beyond. Lesser members are mind-leashed to their superiors and can be sent into battle as little more than puppets.[1b] They seek the favour of Archaon and to act as his assassins and spymasters, spreading insanity across the Mortal Realms.[1a]
Beliefs
The masked Cypher Lords of Nochseed have sworn their souls to Chaos, worshipping it as a formless entity of infinite aspects, a pure, protean essence of trickery and madness.[1a] They also give recognition to the numberless, nameless Lords of Chaos.[3]
Tactics
The Cypher Lords seek not simply to defeat their foes, but to drive them to insanity with sorcerous illusions and alchemical bombs that spew hallucinatory poisons. They place eyes - known as Eyes of Nochseed - made of silver and gold to allow the Cyper Lords to spy out secrets. These eyes can be found across the Varanspire, seeing all and relaying their secrets back to the Cypher Lords.[1a]
Common Origins
- Alchemists - Warriors that specialise in the brewing of mind-altering potions and hallucinogenic bombs.[1b]
- Agents of Nochseed - Warriors that take the guise of diplomats and traders, infiltrating rival cities.[1b]
- Deceptive Duellists - Students of the College of Mirrors, Nochseed’s premier martial academy.[1b]
- Thrallmasters - A warband that was charged with recruiting worthy battle-thralls for the Cypher Lords.[1b]
- Secret Keepers - The warband has stared into the depths of madness, and gleaned prophetic secrets.[1b]
- King-killers - The warband and its warriors are experts in the art of instigating coups and violent revolts.[1b]
Warband
Thrallmaster
Thrallmasters are wielders of mind-warping magic. They hurl glass globes filled with choking, shadowy mist even as they direct their minions to victory with the skill of a grand puppeteer.[2]
Luminate
Luminates have stared into the eye of madness and been reborn as agents of anarchic insanity. In battle they weave complex illusory patterns, seeming to shift their fellow warriors across the field in a ripple of shadow.[2]
Mirrorblade
Mirrorblades are elite duellists trained within the sword-colleges of Nochseed. They wield twin duelling blades with dizzying speed, slicing their foes apart piece by piece. Some Mirrorblades choose to specialise in the art of the glaive, keeping their foes at bay with a relentless flurry of strikes.[2]
Mindbound
The warrior ranks of the Cypher Lords consist of ensorcelled battle-thralls leashed to the will of a superior, who sends them forth to kill and die without complaint. All Mindbound are compelled by their enslavers to relentlessly train in the martial arts, and many wield vicious double-bladed swords.[2]
Miniatures
Cypher Lords
Thrallmaster
Luminate
Mirrorblade
Mindbound
Quotes
| Let madness reign.[a] |
Sources
- 1: Warcry Core Book
- 2: Warcry website
- 3: Warcry: The Anthology - The Method of Madness, by Peter McLean