Gestharyx
Gestharyx the Realmstrider is a Slaaneshi Lord of Pain of Ulguan origin who has travelled across several realms in his search for his missing deity.[1a]
Beliefs
Gestharyx believes that locating Slaanesh will result in his ascension to Daemon Prince. After long years of searching, he has become convinced that the secret to unravelling the mystery of the Dark Prince's disappearance lies in Ulgu - in particular, he believes it is somehow related to the shadowpaths of that realm, and more specifically, the valley of Kiri'tar.[1a]
As his quest to find the secret of Slaanesh's disappearance continues, it becomes an obsession in itself; he soon becomes fixated on untangling the mystery of the shadowpaths and entering Uhl-Gysh via Kiri'tar for the sake of the accomplishment itself.[1d]
Followers
His dark reputation has earned Gestharyx the loyalty of a number of Hedonite hosts, both mortal and daemonic, as well as dozens of devoted Daemonette handmaidens.[1a]
History
Age of Sigmar
- Gestharyx wanders across the Mortal Realms in search of his deity. Along the way, he commits countless atrocities, most infamously sacking Blazepeak in Aqshy. He kills the Blazepeak's Lord Armakal in single combat, unnerving the shaman-king by reanimating the heads of Armakal's decapitated relatives and mounting them on his armour.[1b]
- Gestharyx resolves to find Slaanesh to earn his immortality. He returns to Ulgu, where his heightened senses tell him the secret of his god's captivity lie. He makes contact with the Clans Eshin and learns the skaven's knowledge of the shadowpaths. Between the skaven information, his observation of Daughters of Khaine movements in the Cathtrar Dhule, the whispers of his daemonic allies, and his own instincts, Gestharyx realizes that he feels closest to Slaanesh when near a shadowpath. He feels the single most powerful connection when near the valley of Kiri'tar.[1a][1b]
- Knowing that Kiri'tar is heavily guarded, Gestharyx leads his armies against more minor shadowpath nodes. He destroys the guardian towers and studies their defences, both physical and arcane. Any captured Scáthborn are tortured to find out what they know and to gather their tormented soul-essence for the next phase of Gestharyx's plan. Intriguingly, the Lord of Pain's ministrations to his aelven captives also reveal dark stains on the Scáthborn souls - confirming his suspicion that the Daughters of Khaine have something to do with Slaanesh's absence.[1a][1b]
- Gestharyx's assault on Kiri'tar begins by unleashing the tortured soul-essence of dozens of defenders of lesser shadowpath towers against the arcane defences of the tower. The Scáthborn defenders, led by the Melusai Ironscale Tyralla, attempt to stop the ritual, but fail.[1b][1c][1d]
- Even Gestharyx's will cannot keep all his followers focused on the objective, and the Khainites pick off many of them. However, the Lord of Pain knows that his chance to breach the tower and open the Gloaming Gate to Uhl-Gysh at its heart will not come again, and pushes forward to a final confrontation.[1c][1d]
Quotes
| I hear him on the wind. I taste him on the breeze. When my flayed eyes grow hazy, I see his sinuous form at the edges of my vision. The Dark Prince is there, my devotees and debutantes. And we shall find him, even if we must tear this woefully dull realm asunder in the process.
~Gestharyx the Realmstrider.[1a] |
Sources
- 1: Shadow and Pain booklet
| Hedonites of Slaanesh | |
| Associated Factions | Brayherds - Daemons of Slaanesh - Slaanesh Sybarites - Slaves to Darkness - Thunderscorn - Warherds |
| Characters | Astoriss - Ezarhad Fatesbane - Glutos Orscollion - Kraygorn - Meigant Aelvenbane - Shalaxi Helbane - Sigvald - Syll’Esske - The Masque - Tyrirra |
| Armoury - Artwork - Miniatures- Spells | |
