Great Worm

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The Great Worms, also known as worm-cities, are gigantic creatures that dwell in the Amber Steppes of Ghur.[1][2a] They are the spawn of an ancient god-worm and were originally from the caverns beneath the Steppes, until the Age of Myth when they were driven out of those depths by great rains.[1][3a]

Biology

Growing from the backs of these mighty worms are bristle-like setae, these are as stone. The scales that make up the skin of these great beasts are equally durable.[1]

Behaviour

They crawl ceaselessly across the Steppes, devouring everything in their way.[1]

History

Age of Chaos

At least twelve of the worm-cities were part of Devadatta's Grand Alliance and participating fully in the apocalyptic battle in Wrothquake Valley against the mountain-sized Daemon Prince Doombreed. At least two of the worms were slain by the daemon but Shu'gohl, greatest of their number, escapaced.[5a]

Age of Sigmar

Several of the Great Worms, and the cities upon them, were freed in the Realmgate Wars, with Shu'gohl, Guh'hath, and Rhu'goss all rejoining Sigmar's Empire.[1][2a] Shu'gohl in particular has arisen to become one of the Cities of Sigmar.[6]

Relationship with mortals

People of Ghur have made their way onto the back of the worms and over time raised cities and bastions there.[1] Some clans of the Amber Steppes, known as Vurm-tai nomads, have taken to following thsee migration routes and picking over what was left in their wake, or raiding the caravans that travelled to and from the worm-cities.[2]

Known Great Worms

By the Age of Sigmar there are at least ten remaining Great Worms that crawl along the Amber Steppes, upon which sprawling cities have been built.[1][2a] The decaying carcass of at least one other is found upon the Steppes as well, it was within this dead worm that the Hunt Horn of Kresh’ta was rediscovered.[4a]

  • Shu'gohl: Known as the Crawling City.[1] Shu'gohl is considered the greatest of all the worm cities and has developed into the central trade hub of the Amber Steppes, with thousands of people traveling to the city as pilgrims, merchants, and simple travelers.[2a]
  • Guh'hath: Known as the Brass Bastion and was populated by Khorne Bloodbound [1] until the Realmgate Wars when it was cleansed of Chaos by Stormcast Eternals of the Sons of Mallus. It still bore ancient wounds, runes carved by the efforts of thousands of slaves into its hide boasting of the glory of Khorne, but they had begun to heal and fade.[2a]
  • Rhu'goss: Known as the Squirming Citadel it was occupied by the Tzeentchian sorcerer-king Terpischore the Unwritten and his crystal automatons until the Realmgate Wars when it was cleansed of Chaos by Stormcast Eternals.[1][2a]

Sources