Ortam Vermyre

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Ortam Vermyre was High Arbiter of Excelsis and a leader of the Tzeentch Cult of the Fated Path.

Appearance

Before the Cult of the Fated Path's uprising, he was a small man with a weak chin and a round, slightly boyish face. His hair was black, cut short, with just a hint of grey.[1b]

Following his defeat in Excelsis, Vermyre wore a mask of gold to hid his disfigurement.[2]

History

Before the Uprising

Ortam Vermyre was the High Arbiter of the city of Excelsis. As such he had control over the judiciary and constabulary of the city.[1b]

Working with local Witch Hunter Hanniver Toll and his Sigmar-given authority, the two of them slowly helped build Excelsis into a thriving City of Sigmar. They also developed a strong friendship; Vermyre became the only one Toll ever trusted as a member of the Order of Azyr.[1b]

At some point, Vermyre became disillusioned with Sigmar believing the Chaos Gods would triumph eventually and he wanted to be on the winning side. To that end, Vermyre believed Tzeentch was the only one who could provide salvation and was worthy of his worship. He joined the Cult of the Fated Path and began preparations to bring Excelsis to its knees.[1b]

Vermyre quickly spread his corruption. First, he turned his hand-picked Palantine Guard to the worship of the Dark Gods.[1b] Then he focused on the Prophesier's Guild, he soon murdered the members of the Guild loyal to Excelsis and replaced them with his own cronies. Vermyre also turned the entirety of the Coldguard Freeguild regiment and gathered an army of Tzeentch Arcanites. Finally, Archmage Velorius Kryn was also brought into the fold, after several years of careful manipulation, in order to control the Occulum Fulgurest and tear the veil of reality between Excelsis and the Realm of Chaos.[1c]

To ensure his plan went smoothly, Vermyre had a prophecy sent out showing Orruks of the Shattered Shins gathered under Warboss Grukka. Believing that this was a chance to annihilate the Shattered Shins, the armies of Excelsis marched to war including all three chambers of Stormcast Eternals, seven of the Freeguild regiments, and two Witch Hunters with Flagellant warbands. This left only the Coldguard, Iron Bulls of Tarsus, and Firewolves Freeguild regiments in the city.[1a]

The Uprising of the Cult of the Fated Path

Vermyre's plan would have gone off without a hitch had it not been for Freeguild Corporal Armand Callis. Three days before the uprising began Callis stumbled upon an illicit shipment of Glimmerings. After a desperate fight with the smugglers, Callis saw, via inhaling the shattered Glimmerings a glimpse of Vyremer's plan coming to fruition.[1a] Two days later, Callis was brought before Vermyre by Hanniver Toll to recount his vision and prevent it from coming to pass.[1b]

Vyremer had both of them captured and killed Hanniver's companion Kazrug. After trying and failing to turn Toll to his side Vyremer had both thrown in his palace dungeons. They escaped that night with help from Fleetmaster Arika Zenthe, who killed dozens of his Palantine Guard. The two warned the Knights Excelsior Lord-Veritant Cerrus Sentanus and the Iron Bulls of Tarsus the next day.[1b]

At the same time, Vyremer's forces had openly taken the Prophesier's Guild and Kryn began the ritual to summon a crystalline fortress of Tzeentch over Excelsis. Whilst Vyremer's other men took over key areas of the city, the Iron Bulls of Tarsus, led by General Synor rallied and marched on the Prophesier's Guild.[1c]

By this time the fortress appeared in the sky and Daemons rained down on Excelsis. The fighting was fierce but Vyremer's forces including his Fatesworn cultists, Tzaangors, and Daemons of Tzeentch were able to keep the Iron Bulls of Tarsus at bay. Until a phalanx of Knights Excelsior came in a bolt of lightning led by Cerrus Sentanus. These Stormcasts broke through the Cult's lines and took the battle to the Occulum Fulgurest itself.[1c]

Vermyre fought Hanniver Toll in single combat and once again tried to convince Toll to join him. Toll refused again and cut off Vermyre's right hand, but Vermyre escaped Toll's wrath with a Tzeentch charm.[1c]

Kryn, on the other hand, was killed, burnt alive by the light of Sentanus' lantern. The fortress in the sky was unsummoned, only a fragment of the gigantic fortress fell into reality and crashed into Vermyre's palace along with several other districts. The remainder of Vermyre's forces were killed or driven into hiding once more. The plan that Vermyre had spent decades tending was snuffed out.[1c]

Quest for the Silver Shard

Maimed, bereft of allies, and hunted by his former friend Hanniver Toll; Ortam Vermyre fled the city of Excelsis. While in hiding, Vermyre received a curse of flesh-change from Tzeentch for his failure to destroy Excelsis.[2d]

Vermyre spent the next years searching for a way to cure the corruption that crippled his body. He exhausted all his remaining wealth and contacts among the healers, wise men, and agents of the Dark Gods trying to escape his inevitable.[2d]

Vermyre only found a solution after returning to Excelsis and finding Velorius Kryn's journals telling of the one artefact that could save him, the Silver Shard.[2d]

From there he discovered the location of the tomb of Occlesius the Realms-Walker in the abandoned city of Quatzhymos from the Age of Myth. After piecing together a map with help from Shevanya Arclis, Vermyre, now under the alias of The Golden Lord, with his last coin set up an expedition with her to find the abandoned city in the jungles of the Taloncoast.[2c]

Much of the expedition would die along the way, but those who remained did find Quatzhymos and reached the tomb. There Vermyre discovered, from the Shadeglass captured soul of Occlesius himself, the location of the Silver Shard; the lost city of Xoantica in the Fatescar Mountains.[2a]

Shev betrayed him then, taking Occlesius' captured soul into the arms of Callis and Toll who had tailed Vermyre to Quatzhymos. Vermyre abandoned the rest of the expedition to predations of the Greenskinz and fled on a summoned Disc of Tzeentch.[2a][2b]

Vermyre then bent another herd of Tzaangors to his will and set out for Xoantica.[2d]

Vermyre still needed Occlesius to get to the heart of Xoanitca. To that end, he set up a trap for Hanniver Toll and his allies at Bilgeport by warning the High Captains of Bilgeport of the arrival of Arika Zenthe, ally of Toll, and arch-nemesis to their business of plunder.[2e]

Toll escapes and contracts the Kharadron Overlords fleet to kill the High Captains and take him and his allies to Xoantica. Vermyre was still able to recapture Shev and Occlesius and reach Xoantica before Toll.[2f][2g][2h]

Vermyre used Occlesius to quickly pass the illusion that protected the city's heart. While his Tzaangors delayed Toll. The Tzaangors also kept the Seraphon guarding the Silver Shard at bay while he claimed it.[2i]

Vermyre having finally stolen the Silver Shard from its guardians, fought and fatally wounded the keeper of the Silver Shard, Lord Pa'tha'quen'tos. Toll then taunted Vermyre to a duel and Vermyre, empowered by the Silver Shard, quickly cut his arm from his body. Toll's companions distracted Vermyre long enough for the still breathing Pa'tha'quen'tos to cast Vermyre's soul into the shadeglass gem that previously held Occlesius' soul and sent him and the Silver Shard into the Aetheric Void.[2j][2k]

Sources

Tzeentch Arcanites
Units Curseling - Fatemaster - Gaunt Summoner of Tzeentch - Kairic Acolyte - Magister - Ogroid Thaumaturge - Tzaangor (Warrior - Enlightened - Shaman - Skyfire) - Vulcharc
Characters Daughter of the King of All Ravens - Sharizad - Tri'chlan - Yuhdak - Zagul - Ompallious Zeyros - Tzanghur - Zyclaw
Arcanite Cults Blazing Hand - Burning Eye - Contortiad - Distorter Cult - Eldritch Cult - Cult of Blessed Transition - Cult Cognita - Cult Esoteric - Cult of Oracles - Cult of the Fractal Demise - Cult of the Majestic Blue Flame - Cult Pandemonious - Cult of a Thousand Eyes - Cult of the Transient Form - Cult of Twisted Fate - Guild of Summoners - Inglorious Transition - Lazulites - Pyrofane Cult - Ninety-Nine Feathers - Ninth Brotherhood - Majestic Blue Flame - Transcendental Flames
Armoury - Artwork - Miniatures - Vehicles