Oak of Ages Past
The Oak of Ages Past is the Oak of Ages from the World-that-Was currently resting on the Everspring Swathe.[1b]
History
The Oak of Ages Past, a surviving remnant of the World-that-Was drifted through the Aetheric Void for eons, until it came upon Ghyran, The Realm of Life. Sensing a kindred spirit, it settled in the Everspring Swathe near the home of the goddess Alarielle, the Everqueen. From then on, it would be know as the Oak of Ages Past.[1b]
Revival
Capitalising on the defeat of Nagash and the end of the Necroquake, Alarielle began a great ritual to revive the Oak of Ages Past. Sprouting thousands of Sylvaneth and even bringing Drycha Hamadreth and her fellows from the Dreadwood, they had taken control of the tree after fighting through the forces of Nurgle. However her great song was painful to the children of Chaos and a horde of Beastmen led by the Great Bray-Shaman Ghorraghan Khai guided by the entity known as the Shadowgave attacked her seeking to stop the ritual. The Beastmen had also succeeded in reforming the Dirgehorn destroyed in the Realmgate Wars and brought it to the battle. Dreadwood forces managed to silence the Dirgehorn but Sylvaneth were taking heavy casualties. But this was as expected and the Oak began to move, nourished by the souls of the departed. River Vitalis began to clear banishing the stain of Nurgle’s corruption as the Oak’s roots dived deep into the river bed. [2a][3]
The ancient wood of the tree turned from black to brown and even began putting forth tiny buds of green. As Alarielle’s song rose to a soaring crescendo, the Oak of Ages Past rose higher, hauling itself upright to blossom into wondrous, unstoppable life, leaves sprouted while buds opened into white flowers haloed by pollen and glowing acorns of gold swelled to fruition before falling to land in the clear waters. Wherever they landed tendrils and stalks grew with sudden speed. The acorns that had fallen grew larger, before splitting to reveal foetal forms which rapidly grew from infants to Warsong Revenants. They pulled forth long splinters of oak from within their gullets that turned into long flutes and began to play. To the beastmen, it was a sonic assault of devastating potency who began to bleed from eardrums and those close by spasmed and eyeballs began bursting. As the melodies harmonised with the spirit-song, the land itself came to life, pale green tendrils lashed out at the beastmen. The transformation reminded Alarielle of the ancient land of Athel Loren. Ghorraghan Khai launched a desperate attack against Alarielle but was defeated and was forced to retreat. [2a]
The wave of Ghyranite magic would cascade across Ghyran and its unstoppable melody was carried by the Warsong Revenants into the other realms, the lands themselves would be galvanised to fight back against the Dark Gods. However it would also set in motion a chain of events that even she did not truly fathom.[2a]
Sources
- 1: Age of Sigmar: Core Book (2nd Edition)
- 2: Broken Realms: Kragnos
- 2a: The Rite of Life, pg.4-9
- 3: Broken Realms Fiction – The Turnskin’s Tale on Warhammer Community
