Spiral Crux

The Spiral Crux

The Spiral Crux, once known as the Godwrought Isles, is one of the constituent sub-realms of Chamon. Grungni, the Smith-God, forged the Godwrought Isles to be perfectly straight landmasses and gifted each one to the clans of Duardin, Humans, and Gholemkind that worshipped him. But many apocalyptic events have warped Grungni's creation, transforming them into the Spiral Crux, a region that has become akin to a twisted labyrinth of jagged coastlines and impossible landscapes.^[1b]

History

Age of Myth

Grungni creates the Nineteen Wonders of Chamon, forming clouds of aether-gold from his breath as he exerts himself. One of these wonders is the Godwrought Isles, which would one day come to be known as the Spiral Crux.^[1b]
- The Godwrought Isles were designed to be perfect, straight islands that were veritable paradises. The linear islands and perfectly ordered mountains are eventually linked by arcing bridges.^[1b]
- Each of the Godwrought Isles is gifted to those clans that worship and venerate Grungni. These include Humans, Duardin, and Gholemkind. Duardin, and those humans that learned from them, smiths grow powerful and skilled. Advanced technology such as magma farms is created.^[1b]
- Seeing all is progressing well and hoping his followers can grow to become self-reliant, Grungni leaves to joins the Pantheon of Order, to fulfil oaths made to Sigmar and begins to forge the legendary Sigmarabulum.^[1b]
For more than eighty generations after Grungni left for the Realm of Azyr the Godwrought Isles experience of peace and progress. But not even the Smith-God could fashion civilizations immune to greed.^[1b]
Chamonite, the Realmstone of Chamon is found in vast quantities in the central lands of the Isles. The invention of the aether-glutton, a device built in the Azgal Mountains allows the substance to be harnessed to great effect. The gifted Duardin aethermancers of Azgal and Sigyorn who carefully categorized, rationed, and siphoned the Chamonite they attained, ensured that every clan of the western Isles prospered, with abundant magic to fuel their forges. Such are the quantities and importance to the humans, duardin and Gholemkind that it becomes a major currency. A single drop of Chamonite equaling the same value as a chest of gold coin.^[1b]
- The nomadic tribal federations of the Godwrought Isles fiercely compete for Chamonite, with claims and land stakes reaching fever pitch in this early part of the Age of Myth. Tribes often devolve into open warfare or strip mine claimed regions before their rivals cam.^[1b]
The northern landmass of Cold Iron Anvil freezes over after Grungni's Forge, which was located on the landmass, cooled. Lands that become Brittle Islands break off during this freeze.^[1b]
Trade and endrin-barter thrive in the Godwrought Isles, and Duardin begin striking lucrative deals with the Sigmarite nations in Azgal, Crucible Prongs, and The Sigyorn. Collectively these nations, after creating a contract between themselves, become known as the Brothers Adamant.^[1b]
- The Mintners of Azgal's Royal Orchard, who harvest coin from the Glinting Groves, become prolific and infamous as money-lenders.^[1b]
Tzeentch takes notice of the realm and his daemons begin to whisper to the many impoverished by war.^[1b]
A Zodiacal Godbeast, the Lode-Griffon arrives in the Godwrought Isles but is chased away from the Hanging Valleys of Anvrok by Argentine, making its new home on the central island, steadily distorting the lands with its unnatural weight.^[1b]
- The lands of the Godwrought Isles are twisted and damaged by the presence of the Lode-Griffon, destroying the pipelines that transport molten realmstone.^[1b]
- In addition, the machinery of many duardin artisans is disrupted by the magnetic blood of the God-Beast. A great army of their monster slayers attempt to kill the slumbering beast, but it proves impervious to their weapons and, having been rudely awoken, devastates the surrounding area.^[1b]
- Wars erupt across the area as some capitalise on their neighbours more weakened by the disruption.^[1b]
- A powerful gathering of mages and aethermancers gather to destroy the beast, but as the spell is cast, the ninth mage is revealed to be a Gaunt Summoner - the Watcher-King who flees.^[1b]
- The Lode-Griffon is transformed by the spell into solid gold but the power used also tears a rift in reality allowing legions of Daemons to emerge. ^[1b]
The apocalyptic events brought on by the Lode-Griffon bring about the downfall of the Brothers Adamant and many flee the central islands. The regions and tribes of Odrenn, Ayadah, and Viscid Flux become affluent in this time, by securing trade contracts with the fleeing refugees and due to being far enough from the Lode-Griffon that their creations are unaffected by it. Their alchemy and smithcraft swiftly outpace that of the Brothers Adamant, and some groups such as the Singing Bladesmiths of Odrenn become particularly renowned for their creations.^[1b]
The nation of Prosperis is founded by wealthy settlers from Viscid Flux. There they trade-in clockwork automatons and fluid metal pets, such as ripple-skinned ferrosaurs and tin dogs, allows their wealth to eclipse even the Azgal Mintners.^[1b]
Fluxkin, the people of the Spiral Flux, send out expeditions to the Impassable Mountains. These expeditions seek more deposits of Chamonite and succeed beyond the wildest hopes of the nations of the Flux.^[1b]
The destruction wrought by their human allies and the presence of the Lode-Griffon eventually lead the Cruxian Duardin to become insular, retreating to their high mountain kingdoms when it becomes obvious that their dreams of a structured society have been shattered, they even stop trading with human nations. But even this does not save them from the Lode-Griffon, whose blood interferes with many of their devices and destroys the livelihoods of many Duardin.^[1b]
Open warfare erupts in Crucible Prongs as the region is devastated by the withdrawal of the Duardin, resulting in the coffers of many tribes drying up.^[1b]
Having finally had enough of the Lode-Griffon, the artisans of the Duardin mountain kingdoms place a bounty on its head. Many warbands of duardin monster-slayers gather and fight their way to the Godbeast's lair, where they hope to inflict adaz kronn, death by a thousand axes, on the creature. But the Lode-Griffon proves impervious to mortal weaponry and the assault wakes it, sending it into a rage that sees it kill all its assailants and devastate every tribe within a dozen leagues.^[1b]
Not long after the greatest duardin aethermancers of the nations of Azgal, the Sigyorn, Patina, Prosperis, and Viscid Flux convene and debate how to kill the Lode-Griffon. Nine representatives make their way to the Griffon's Eyrie and take up points of a nonagonic ritual star. They cast a great, transmutational spell that turns the godbeast to solid gold, though eight of the nine mages are killed by molten Chamonite. The ninth aethermancer is in actuality the Watcher King, a Gaunt Summoner, who retreats to his Silver Tower with the ritual completed.^[1b]
The death of the godbeast ended it's magnetic influence over the region, allowing duardin devices to work once more. But it's death scream ripped a hole in reality and the daemonic legions pour through. The Spiral Crux is forever changed as the Age of Chaos comes to Chamon.^[1b]

Age of Chaos

All the Dark Gods seek to claim regions within the Realm of Chamon, but it is Tzeentch that focuses his efforts in the realm. The Changer of Ways shows special interest in the highly magical sub-realms of the Spiral Crux, the Hanging Valleys of Anvrok, and the Spined Sphere Golgeth. Anvrok comes to the attention of Tzeentch for it is here that the hammer Ghal Maraz has been hidden, Golgeth due to time itself being malleable there, and the Crux because the very air is filled with transmutational magic.^[1b]
Daemons flock to the Realm and easily overrun the fortresses of the rich nations of the Crux, they come in search of Chamonite and find it in abundance. The mortal defenders of these bastions can do little to hold back the invaders.^[1b]
The Duardin of the Crux hold out valiantly against the daemonic legions, but as ancient mountain kingdoms are overrun they are forced to retreat to militarised sky-ports and Gyrocopter launch platforms. Thanks to rapid science and the aether-gold mined by the steamhead pioneers, several holds manage to construct entire fleets of sky-faring vessels.^[1b]
- The growing sky fleets of the Duardin defeat winged and disc riding minions of Tzeentch. ^[1b]
These fleets and isolated sky-ports continue to grow, throwback daemonic incursions on dozens of fronts, and manage to advance by leaps and bounds.^[1b]
The Time of Reaving begins as the duardin sky-ports fight over resources and mining rights.^[2]
- The Conference of Madralta establishes the Kharadron Code unifying the sky-ports under the same laws. Thus the predecessors of the Kharadron Overlords and their empire were formed.^[1b]^[2]
- For many generations the Duardin vanish above the clouds, unseen by man nor mutant during the Sky Exodus.^[1b]
The Great Sky War is fought between the Kharadron Overlords and the Disciples of Tzeentch, both trying to claim dominion over the skies of the Mortal Realms.^[6a]
- The Battle of the First Coalition see the outnumbered Kharadrons defeat the Disciples of Tzeentch in a massive aerial battle, this victory ensures the kharadron dominance of the skyways.^[6a]
Tzeentch uses the immense power gathered by his daemons to cast a spell that rains meteors of bloodglass and tainted crystal on the Spiral Crux, Whirling Bay, and Kaleidos Expanse. ^[1b]
A vast island of shimmering crystal, the Crystal Isle, is conjured into being, overwhelming the Seedgate Isle, its power further twisting the inner lands of the Spiral Crux. ^[1b]
The Forge-City of Grungni is overrun by the Skaven^[1b] and the last duardin Karaks fall in the battle of Zaruk, refugees flee to the fledgeling sky-ports and aerial mining stations.^[2]
Barak-Nar, one of the greatest of the sky-ports, engages in the Hydrox Wars where they wipe out many of the sky predators known as Hydroxes.^[1b]
The nations of Odrenn, Ayadah, Viscid Flux, and Prosperis bring war upon the daemonic legions, while the traitorous humans of the Kairic Hordes and Beastmen of many Tzaangor Warflocks pour across the lands of the Crux, burning and pillaging every settlement in their way.^[1b]
War rages throughout the age between the Kharadron Overlords and the Disciples of Tzeentch. ^[4a]
Many worshippers of Tzeentch seek their god's blessing and become Tzaangor, they raise crystal temples and hoard precious metals that are his due. ^[4a]
The Steel Dervishes of Scimitar Point hold back hordes of daemonic Horrors and the Chaos Spawn they create from local beasts. But their fate isd sealed when the Argent Nail, the Silver Tower of the Warden King descends over the Alloy Ocean. The dervishes are all wiped out within a month.^[1b]
The central sky-rift becomes the domain of daemons who dwell there in huge numbers.^[4a]

Age of Sigmar

Sigmar's Tempest breaks across the skies of Chamon, ushering in a new era. This great, celestial storm drives potent veins of aether-gold out into the open and the Kharadron rush to claim them.^[1b]
The agents and armies of Sigmar seek to renew old alliances with the Duardin of the Spiral Crux, and fight their way to ancient peaks and mountain holds, only to find that corpses and ruins are all that remain of the Khazalid Empires.^[1b]
The Stormcast Eternals win many swift and decisive victories at first, as the foul tribes and warbands of Chaos are caught off-guard by the arrival of this new foe. But the forces of Chaos do not remain bewildered forever, sorcerous warlords of Tzeentch begin using their powers to predict where the Stormcast will strike next and plan accordingly. These warlords are aided by vast herds of Tzaangor, armoured thralls, and even entire tribes of Ogroids. Only when dozens of heavenly lights pierce the sky, do the Stormcast have enough forces to carve out strongholds in Scimitar Point, Barrier Peaks, and the Gnarwhal Coast. These regions are then used by the forces of Order to expand further across the Crux.^[1b]
Despite the valiant efforts of the Stormcast, the wars become ones of attrition. Only swinging in the favour of Order when the people of the Crux, those who have survived the horrors of the Age of Chaos, rise up to aid the Stormcast. Warriors of Ayadah, Odrenn, Azgal, Viscid Flux, and Cold Iron Anvil join the ranks of the faithful. These forces are then joined by a host of Free Peoples of Azyr. Together they smash apart the fractious warbands of Tzeentch, recover many Realmgates, and begin rebuilding civilization across the Spiral Crux. New cities are built, and while they often come under siege, they become beacons of civilization, safety, trade, and sanity.^[1b]
The Great Sky Purge: Though the lands of the Spiral Crux remain firmly under Tzeentchian hands, the Kharadron Overlords’ control over its stratosphere is cemented by a united push with their new Hammers of Sigmar allies.^[1b] The efficiency of this mutually beneficial alliance is such that the Aetherstrike Force is legitimised in the Kharadron Code.^[4b]
- The Angelos Conclaves of the Hammers of Sigmar join forces with the Kharadron Overlords, who had long fought aerial battles against flying daemons and Tzaangors. One such battle results in an alliance formed between Captain Hrolf Alespitter of Barak-Zon and Knight-Venator Vindt of the Gilded Pinion, together they and their forces banish an army of daemons above Spinrikk's Forest.^[1b]
- Many islands of the Crux are cleared by their forces but the Griffon's Eyrie remains an impassable no man's land where only the chosen of Tzeentch can resist its aura of change. ^[4a]
The super-ship Thantanik battles the Argent Nail, the Silver Tower of the Watcher King. It is heavily damaged by a sorcerous strike and begins to sink. Before it can the ship rams into the Silver Tower, hitting it hard enough to activate its wards and cause it to teleport away. This victory proves Pyrrhic, as Thantanik crashes into north-east Moltania. The Kharadron consider this a sobering lesson, proving that building too large of a ship is a fool-hardy endeavour.^[1b]
With the airs around above the inner islands of the Spiral Crux further cleared of Chaos forces by the Kharadron Overlords and their Hammers of Sigmar allies, those duardin whose homes are the farthest from the war-fronts return to sky-mining. Abandoning the lands below which still suffer under Brayherds, cult uprisings, and Tzeentchian daemons.^[1b]
Barak-Zilfin discovers a string of sky-castles at the edge of the Crux's atmospheric limits, their fears that this is another Tzeentchian scheme prove well-founded and the war for the Realm escalates once more as the castles descend.^[1b]
During the Arcanum Optimar, hundreds of thousands of lives were lost in the Rusted Wastes when a Suffocating Gravetide crashed over it. Three covens of the Eldritch Council worked together to successfully unbind the deadly spell. The fragments of the spell were later reforged into a powerful blade, strengthened from the souls it had claimed^[3]
Barak-Nar and Barak-Zilfin send new expeditions into the Griffon's Eye, seeking the deposits of aether-gold there. ^[4a]