Glymmsforge
Glymmsforge is a Free City in the Realm of Shyish
History
Like many great cities it had humble beginnings – with humans, duardin and aelves working together to create civilisation in the wilderness. They were led by the city’s founders, the Glymm, warrior-mages and aristocrats from the Nordrath Mountains of Azyr who would became kings in the underworld of Lyria. [1c]
Lady Olynder sent the vampire lord Vaslbad the Unrelenting and his legions to claim the city and Anvils of the Heldenhammer and mortals of the city fought hard and suffered many loses to defeat the undead. Several of those who fell in the cities defence were reforged into Stormcast including the last prince of the royal line, Knossian Glymm and the spellshaper Serafin Heldett. However one valiant defender, Vorgen Malendrek felt his heroics were overlooked and as he became more and more bitter so he turned to Nagash and secretly weakened a small portion of the sacred perimeter. [2]
From that point on the city was governed by a conclave of aristocrats, merchants and philosophers. [1c]
Following the Necroquake, the city was attacked again – this time by a force led by the transformed Malendrek. [2]
When the diarist and adventuer, Tarlach Malthar descended into the catacombs, he and his guards were swarmed by Chainrasps and he fled in horror. [4a]
Locations
- The Catacombs: Long, silent avenues that stretch for miles on end with great mausoleums that had been carved into the sides of the curving tunnels and among the hills of the crypts. At the centre can be found both Stormcast Eternals and Mortal priests, the later with faces daubed with ash and sacred unguents as they murmur constant prayers following a pattern laid down by Pharus Thaum, seneschal of the Ten Thousand Tombs. Each one of the twelve great thoroughfares of the catacombs has its own bells, with their own distinctive tone. [1a]
- Dweomervale: A basalt shrine to Malerion in the city’s southern district. [1f]
- The Fane of Nagash-Morr is found in the northern district and a place of worship for those who believe in Nagash’s benevolence, seeking his protection from the dead. Although the adherents of Nagash-Morr are normally peaceful they are still a warrior-cult. [1e] Following the Necroquake Lord-Veritant Achillus and Lord-Arcanum Balthas were ordered to clear it of worshippers and then destroy the temple. This was the eighth time that Achillus had done so and he noted that not only had they always rebuilt it but they always invited him to the first service in the renewed temple. [1e]
- The Stormkeep of the Anvils of the Heldenhammer: Is located at the heart of city within sight of the Shimmergate. It is a squat, black edifice, built for efficiency rather than grandeur. [1e]
- Glass Mere: A vast freshwater lake within the city. [1f]
- The Gloaming: A shanty town on the outer edge of the city with refugees from across Shyish seeking a better life as well as the poor of Azyrheim itself. Tents and Hovels are made from scavenged material, with rooming houses and taverns - little more than benches within tents. [1c]
- Market Squares: There are twelve great squares in the city and much of the cities life revolves around and through them. [1a]
- Grand Tempestus: It lies over the only stable entrance into the catacombs and the Ten Thousand Tombs below. [1f]
- Lyrian Souk: Here a vine-shrouded sanctuary to Alarielle spreads living limbs over the rooftops. [1f]
- Mausoleum Gates of the City: Each one is a stronghold composed of dodecagonal bastions, jutting from the edges of the city and each composed of twelve overlapping, triangular forts manned by a company of Glymmsmen. [1a] In turn each star is circled by a channel filled with blessed silver and ground sacred salt.[2] Inside every one of the twelve gates is interned one of the Twelve Saints forming a star of protection about the city as only the most powerful of spirits can endure the celestial energies radiating from the sacred bones. [1f] Channels made of blessed silver from the Realm of Chamon containing sacred Purple Salts encircle this star. Together with the Mausoleum Gates they form a potent defense against the daemonic and ethereal.[2]
- Shimmergate: The path of starlight, a Realmgate to the Realm of Azyr. It sits at the top of twelve, spiralling stairways of purest amethyst which intertwine as they rise. Before it is a vast plaza lined with massive statues of jasper and gold depicting the city’s founders, the Glymm. [1c]
- Ten Thousand Tombs: A warren of catacombs which was old when Lyria itself was young and which imprisons the souls of fallen heroes and bloodthirsty conquerors alike. [1d]
Economy
Trade booms between the Free City of Glymmsforge and the other mortal settlements of the Prime Innerlands of Shyish. In particular the unguent oils of the city are traded for enchanted rings and warding crystals from far off Thanator's Manse.[5a]
Inhabitants
- Cats: Well respected by the living and even part of the city’s amethyst-and-sable heraldry, they are part of the defences because as well as dealing with inevitable vermin, they can detect the unseen. [1a]
- Duardin
- Grom Juddsson: Thane of the Duardin Riven Clans[1f]
- Humans
- Orius Adamantine of the Hammers of Sigmar was stationed there in the Aftermath of the Necroquake. [1c]
- Dathus: Lord-Relictor
- Elya: Child familiar with the labyrinth of the Ten Thousand Tombs. The Queen of Cats.[1a]
- Lady Aelhad of the Collegiate Arcane [1f]
- Calys Eltain: Liberator Prime of the Gravewalkers Chamber,
- Lynos Gravewalker Lord-Celestant of the Gravewalkers Chamber, of the Anvils of the Heldenhammer Stormhost. By the time of the Necroquake he had led the defence of the city for three decades. [1c]
- Acrius Kope: the Gallant of Glymmsforge is an infamous duellist. [3a]
- Varo Tyrmane: Lord-Captain of the Glymmsmen. [1f]
Defences
The defences had started as a rough palisade, erected around the Shimmergate which had been reinforced many times over five decades and which would eventually it would become a dozen concentric rings of stone – boasting both high walls and batteries of cannon. [1f]
The bulk of the city, including the Glass Mere was guarded by the innermost rings whilst the outer defences formed a defensive network that had been refined over decades. As a defence against the dead and the damned, every brick in every wall was blessed, or else marked by holy sigils whilst the bones of common saints were interred in every market square and byway. [1f]
Military
- Stormcast: The security of the city is shared between the two Stormhosts - the Anvils of the Heldenhammer and the Hammers of Sigmar. [1c]
- Glymmsmen: Freeguild soldiers of the city, they are clad in the mauve-and-black uniforms. As well as more conventional weapons, they are equipped with long stakes of Aqshian flamewood, mirrored shields or handguns loaded with salt-and-silver shot. [1a]
Society
- Elder Bones: Some in Glymmsforge call Nagash by this title. [1b]
- There are at least four active printing presses in the city and their broadsheet sellers wander the streets wearng heavy wooden placards, shouting out the latest news or merely getting in brawls with one another. [1d]
- Night Life: As night falls, silvered mirrors set up in windows and sprigs of icethorn and mistletoe are hung upon doorframes whilst the cities Lamplighters, clad all in black and wearing protective posies of strong-smelling herbs, light the lanterns that hang above every archway and lintel.[1a]
Sources
- 1: Soul Wars (novel)
- 2: Generals Handbook 2018 A City amongst the Dead, pg. 30-31
- 3: Shadespire: The Mirrored City (novel) by Josh Reynolds
- 3a: Chapter Seventeen, pg. 275-276
- 4: Warhammer Age of Sigmar Mortal Realms Issue 1
- 5: Age of Sigmar: Core Book (3rd Edition)
- 5a: Underworlds At War, Pg. 114-115
