Stormkeep

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A Stormkeep inside a City of Sigmar.

Stormkeeps are imposing citadels that protect captured Realmgates and the cities created around them during the Age of Sigmar. Each is garrisoned by forces of Sigmar's Stormhosts.[1]

Construction

As Stormkeeps are built around Realmgates, they are often found in truly inhospitable places, however, the engineers and architects loyal to Sigmar are as tenacious as they are inventive and by artifice, engineering or sheer force of will, the challenges presented by each Realmgate are overcome. Then the Stormkeep is fortified with battlements while the Realmgate itself must be reinforced with arcane wards and heavy gates to prevent invaders from coming through to attack the keep from the inside. The first defences built around a claimed Realmgate are simple keeps and curtain walls which are then reinforced with towering buttresses and cannon nests built along crenellated ramparts to the exacting specifications of the Ironweld Arsenal. Moats are dug, rivers rerouted, and reservoirs and rain-gathering sluice networks are established in those lands too dry to sustain a swiftly growing population. A concentric ring of fortifications is completed around the original site and soon the work on another ring begins. These growing cities are under constant attack and for them no defence is too much.[2a]

The Lord-Celestants of the Stormhosts commission vast statues of the heroes that liberated the Realmgate, some of which are enchanted to breathe lightning or drop enormous hammers against attackers. As the Stormkeeps grow they are expanded with archery batteries, spiral staircases, star-fort walls, cloud-piercing spires, gilded minarets, spytowers, overseer colonnades, balustrades, boulevards and promenades. Lord-Castellants fit the Stormkeeps with colossal orreries to delve deeper into the secrets of the stars.[2a]

Dispossessed, such as those from Labour-Clans, are often employed by the Stormcast Eternals to aid in the construction of these mighty fortresses. The work-gangs of the Zhu'garaz in particular have aided in constructing many Stormkeeps, often on behalf of the Hallowed Knights.[24b]

Governance

Holy artefacts known as Celestine Writs are given to the leaders of the Stormhosts, granting Sigmar and his Stormhosts control over the Realmgates around which a Stormkeep will be built, as well as the lands surrounding it.[4a]

Functions

The main function of the Stormkeeps are to defend the realmgates and the Cities of Sigmar which grow around them. Within them Stormcast Eternals take up residence in a myriad of halls, temples and meditation vaults while their leaders look to the skies from scryer-arenas, observatoriums and cells open to the sky to read the celestial portents and even astral project their souls to divine the optimum deployment of troops and defences. In addition to their military functions, they also become centres of learning and study. Archives of lore are assembled from scholarly collections imported from Azyr and combined with soot-blackened tomes and cartographical texts recovered from the old cities burnt to the ground by the forces of Chaos which are further expanded with new texts penned by vast teams of scriptors and calligraphists committed to the parchment of the histories of the free cities. In the most civilized regions, texts and images are replicated via cog-wheeled printing presses, intaglio, etchings made with sulphur-vitriol, or simply the fine art of painstaking quillmanship. These archives have become so vast that the Stormcast Eternals are able to continue the fight against Chaos even when not in the field by studying histories and maps for local knowledge that could help tip the balance in the fight against the dark powers.[2a]

Together with the Lord-Arcanums and Knight-Incantors , the Lord-Ordinators have created vast crackling batteries of celestial power that form a metaphysical link between a Stormkeep and the underspires of the Sigmarabulum known as Star Bridges which speed the Stormcast Eternals back to Azyr when slain near a Stormkeep, ensuring swift and safe passage so they might be reforged quickly. This allows them to return in a matter of days and may even rejoin the same battle or siege that saw them slain. These cosmic links are maintained at full strength by the dissolution of souls, a resource provided by the Sacrosanct Chamber as they are experts at capturing errant spirits. In some cases Stormcast Eternals, who have committed acts they believe to be beyond redemption, willingly contribute their final energies to power the Star Bridges and are blasted to nothingness, their soul-stuff used to keep the Star Bridge bright. In return, their names are etched into the Annals Tempestus that line the walls of each Lord-Arcanum’s sanctum, their sins forgiven.[2a]

Known Keeps

Anvils of the Heldenhammer

Astral Templars

Lodge-Keeps

Lodge-Keeps are unique strongholds built by the Astral Templars. Within these strongholds are the preserved heads of foes they've slain.[30a]

Celestial Vindicators

Celestial Warbringers

Ghyran Guard

Hallowed Knights

Heralds of Casandora

Hammers of Sigmar

Iron Tridents

Knights Excelsior

Knights of the Aurora

Lions of Sigmar

Sigmarite Brotherhood

Sons of Mallus

Sundered Brotherhood

Tempest Lords

Multiple Stormhosts

Unknown Stormhost

Sigmarite Eyries

Sigmarite Eyries are specialized Stormkeeps that hover above the Cities of Sigmar. These imposing fortresses are reserved for the those warriors of Order that can fly to them, with a mortal support staff and resident Lord-Castellant being exceptions. Unknown to most these fortresses serve a secondary purpose, for in each is placed a Cognis Celestis.[14a]

Trivia

Sources

Stormcast Eternals
Units Command Echelon Drakesworn Templar • Knight-Arcanum • Knight-Azyros • Knight-Draconis • Knight-Heraldor • Knight-Incantor • Knight-Judicator • Knight-Relictor • Knight-Venator • Knight-Vexillor • Lord-Aquilor • Lord-Arcanum • Lord-Castellant • Lord-Celestant • Lord-Exorcist • Lord-Imperatant • Lord-Ordinator • Lord-Relictor • Lord-Veritant • Praetor
Angelos Conclave Prosecutor • Stormstrike Chariot • Vanguard-Hunter • Vanguard-Pallador
Corpuscant Conclave Evocator
Justicar Conclave Judicator • Castigator • Vanguard-Raptor • Vigilor
Ordinatos Conclave Celestar Ballista • Sacristan Engineer
Paladin Conclave Annihilator • Decimator • Protector • Retributor • Dracothian Guard (Concussor • Desolator • Fulminator • Tempestor) • Stormdrake Guard
Redeemer Conclave Liberator • Sequitor • Vanquisher • Vindictor
Questors Errant-Questor • Knight-Questor • Questor Soulsworn
Azyrite Beasts Aetherwing • Celestial Dracoline • Dracoth • Gryph-Charger • Gryph-Hound • Star-Drake • Star-Eagle • Star Falcon • Tauralon
Characters Inner Circle Celestant-Prime • Karazai • Krondys • Yndrasta
Lord-Commanders Bastian Carthalos • Golden Patriarch • Shining Lord
Lords of the Hosts Arkas Warbeast • Astreia Solbright • Aventis Firestrike • Balthas Arum • Cerrus Sentanus • Gardus Steel Soul • Gavriel Sureheart • Imperius (Loxia) • Ionus Cryptborn • Jactos Goldenmane • Lynus Ghalmorian • Orius Adamantine • Ramus of the Shadowed Soul • Sylas Beastbane • Tarsus Bull-Heart • Thostos Bladestorm • Tyberain Vost • Vandus Hammerhand (Calanax) • Victrian Cyrocco • Vorrus Starstrike • Zephacleas • Zenius the Dirge • Zeraphina Heldensdotter
Knights of the Hosts Neave Blacktalon (Blacktalons) • Hamilcar Bear-Eater • Tornus the Redeemed
Underworld Warbands Farstriders (Almeric Eagle-Eye • Elias Swiftblade • Sanson Farstrider) • Ironsoul's Condemnors (Brodus Blightbane • Gwynne Ironsoul • Tavian of Sarnassus) • Steelheart's Champions (Angharad Brightshield • Obryn • Severin Steelheart) • Storm of Celestus (Aphus • Drakan Celestus • Mellisan Star-Sighted • Sleek) • Stormsire's Cursebreakers (Ammis Dawnguard • Averon Stormsire • Rastus) • Xandire's Truthseekers (Calthia Xandire • Dhoraz Giant-Fell • Luxa Stormrider • Taros)
Stormhosts First Striking Angels Aetheric • Anvils of the Heldenhammer • Astral Templars • Azyrite Arbiters • Blades of Dawn • Celestial Vindicators • Hallowed Knights • Hammers of Sigmar • Helden Sons • Lions of Sigmar • Sigmarite Brotherhood • Sons of the Gladius • Stormblood Guard
Second Striking Blooded Dawn • Celestial Knights • Celestial Warbringers • Crimson Seraphs • Fists of Sigmarite • Ghyran Guard • Knights Excelsior • Knights of Azyr • Knights of the Aurora • Lightning Hawks • Maelstrom of Light • Radiant Suns of Sigmar • Silent Host • Sons of Mallus • Sons of the Storm • Tempest Lords
Unknown Striking Azure Guard • Barony of Thunder • Black Dracothians • Blackhammers • Celestial Lions • Cerulean Comets • Emerald Wardens • Gleaming Spears • Guardians of the Firmament • Hammers of Retribution • Heralds of Casandora • Iron Thanes • Iron Tridents • Justicars of Azyr • Knights Aurora • Knights Indomitable • Knights Merciless • Knights Tempestor • Kraken Blades • Sunbolts • Sundered Brotherhood • Tempered Blades • True Sons of Sigmar
Background Anvil of Apotheosis • Chamber Serf • Lord-Commanders • Reforging • Redeemed • Sigmarite • Stormhosts (Chambers • Conclaves • Retinues) • Transfigured
Artwork • Miniatures - Endless Spells

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