Root-King
| Grand alliance | Order |
| Origins | Ghyran |
| Languages | Khazalid |
| Type | Mortal |
The Root-King are Duardin native to the Realm of Ghyran who dwell within the roots of towering stoneoak trees.[1a][2a][3a][4a]
Contents
History
Age of Myth
The civilization of the Root-Kings first arose in the early Age of Myth, when Alarielle was establishing her rule across the Realm of Ghyran. They, like many early mortal civilizations of the Realm, worshiped the Everqueen.[4a]
Age of Chaos
It is claimed that the Root-Kings chose to abandon the Mortal Realms when Alarielle went into hiding in Athelwyrd, hiding within their own citadels.[1a]
Sometime after they had went into hiding, the Root-Kings were deceived by servants of Tzeentch into war with the blighted legions of Nurgle led by Torglug the Despised and his allies, the Most Suppurating and Blightsome Order of the Fly. They could not stand against the armies of their enemies and were eventually defeated, with Torglug himself felling the Hearth-Trees of fourfold clans in a single day.[2a][2c]
Age of Sigmar
During the Siege of the Living City the Root-Kings stood with the Hallowed Knights and Alarielle's Sylvaneth to defend it against the flyblown forces of Nurgle.[2b]
Society
Crafting
The Root-Kings are known for working with the plantlife of their home realm, rather than metal. It was they who taught the knights of the Order of the Furrow how to craft blades from a devourer plant. It is a long that takes weeks of effort. To do so the seedpod must be removed from the plant and then shattered, excess sap and fibres are then removed. The layers of the pod are then layered onto one another, sap slathered to keep them together. Finally, it must be pressed for days, until it is flat. Only then can it be carved into a blade.[1a]
They are also well-known for the shields they crafted and bore into battle, which they carved from Ironwood trees [2a][3b]
Culture
The Root-Kings are a proud but shy Duardin people who are organized into clan-based societies that dwell within citadels, carved into the roots of the expansive stoneoak trees of the Realm of Ghyran. They rarely come out of these citadels, and when they do it is typically to engage in trade.[1a][2a][3a][4a]
Fashion
They are known for dyeing their beards green.[2c]
Warfare
When the Root-Kings marched to war, while singing battle hymns, they did so clad in armour and bearing weapons made from the plants of Ghyran. They marched in phalanxes that marched in serpentine manoeuvres, their units undulating and curving around their foes.[1a][2a][3b]
Notable Locations
- Palace of Roots: A palace once belonging to the Root-Kings.[3b]
Sources
- 1: Eight Lamentations: Spear of Shadows
- 1a: Chapter Six: Tools of the Maker
- 2: Plague Garden (novel)
- 3: Nagash: The Undying King (novel)
- 4: Battletome: Sylvaneth (2019)
- 4a: The Cycles of War, Pg. 18-21
