Talk:Cities of Sigmar
From Age of Sigmar - Lexicanum
Subfactions
The Free Peoples is the collective term for the many cultures and subfactions that make their homes in the Cities of Sigmar. The majority of these cultures and subfactions are dominated by Humans, Duardin of the Dispossessed Clans, and the Aelves, the latter of which are sometimes collectively known as City Aelves. But members of other races such as Ogors, Sylvaneth, and Seraphon are occasionally counted among the Free Peoples.[20a][51a] The following are the most well-known and prolific organizations and factions that live and operate within the Free Cities of the God-King's growing empire:
- Collegiate Arcane: A loose alliance of tower and palace dwelling mages, seers, wizards, alchemists, elementalists, and other practitioners of magic. The organization is academic in nature and serves as a safe place for the magically gifted to explore their abilities and study. The most skilled of these sorcerous artisans create magical devices and artefacts to assist the Cities of Sigmar both on and off the battlefield. Others personally take to the field as Battlemages.[17d][10a]
- Darkling Covens: These matriarchal cults are dedicated to the acquisition of resources, power, and influences. Each Darkling Coven is comprised of a Sorceress and her personal entourage of thralls, lieutenants, and followers. Members, or at least spies, of the Covens, can be found wherever the forces of Order congregate.[17h][10a]
- Devoted of Sigmar: The Azyrite Church is led by Arch War-Priestess Asvai Stormwright and nominally her authority extends to the entirety of the Devoted of Sigmar, but there are many sects and denominations within the Devoted. Notably the Order of Azyr is said to answer to the God-King alone. Whatever their denomination or form of worship, the Devoted are the zealous followers of Sigmar, seeking to purify the Realms in his name.[10a]
- Dispossessed: The Dispossessed clans are the remnants of the mighty Khazalid Empires that fell in the Age of Chaos, they have clung to the arts of smithcraft, masonry, and rune-shaping of their ancestors. They now use their expertise to build some of the mightiest fortifications of Sigmar's empire with their hammers and when the need arises they take up their axes and defend those same walls.[17g][10a]
- Freeguilds: Many of the military guilds known as the Freeguilds serve as the standing military and city watch of the Cities of Sigmar, while many others contract themselves out as mercenaries. Still, others are employed in a wide range of duties from guarding palaces to clearing sewers.[17e]
- Ironweld Arsenal: This conglomeration of human and duardin weaponsmiths was formed in the aftermath of the closing of the Gates of Azyr. They have since become the creators of some of the most innovative and deadly inventions made by mortalkind. Their guilds are scattered across the Cities of Sigmar.[17f]
- Order Serpentis: An ancient order that once ruled over the empire of Narkath in the Realm of Ulgu, long ago during the Age of Myth. Though the empire was mighty indeed, it fell in only a few mere decades when the forces of Chaos invaded Ulgu. Those that survived the slaughter fled to Azyr like so many others and brooded over their losses during the entire span of the Age of Chaos. Though they fight alongside and within the armies of Sigmar, they are known to be cruel and brutal to both foe and ally alike. The Dreadlords that lead the order see the crusades of Sigmar as their best chance to regain power and influence in the Realms.[17m]
- Phoenix Temple: This martial order serves the Godbeast known as the Ur-Phoenix and its members fight alongside the fiery and icy spawn of the great godbeast.[17k]
- Scourge Privateers: Often employed by the ruling conclaves of coastal Free Cities such as Anvilgard and Excelsis. Once they were pirates and reavers who commanded vast, ocean-spanning empires, and there are any among the ambitious Fleetmasters who dream of one day rebuilding those empires, beyond the authority of Sigmar and his lieutenants. But for now, they turn their talents to hunting beasts of the sea and those fleets that would endanger the Free Cities, such as those of Orruk freebooters.[17i][10a]
- Shadowblades: No one knows the exact origins or nature of this secretive order of assassins, but many tales and legends surround their legendary exploits, and the enemies of Order have learned to fear them. Whatever their origins may be, the Shadowblades are dedicated to destroying the enemies of Azyr.[17j]
- Wanderers: There was a time when Aelven kingdoms and their inhabitants served as guardians of the Realm of Life and lived in its great canopy-cities. Initially when the legions of Chaos fell upon the Ghyran valiantly fought to defend their homes, but in the end, they joined Sigmar in his flight to Azyr, a betrayal that Alarielle and the Sylvaneth have never truly forgiven. With the coming of the Age of Sigmar, the Wanderers return to the Realms to save, secure and purify their wild places[17l][10a]
Guilds
- Underjack Guilds
- Black Pipers: A freelance guild of Underjacks, who specialize in hunting Skaven.[10a]
- Alchemist Guilds
- Guild of Certified Thaumaturgists: A guild of alchemists comprised of students expelled from the Alchemists' Guild for their unethical experiments. The organization has a dark reputation of being as dangerous and unethical as their experiments but will sell their products to anyone willing to pay their prices. Though they are based in Hammerhal, their guild's influence extends to many other free cities.[23a]
- Prophesiers' Guild: A powerful guild based in the Free City of Excelsis. They are responsible for the distribution and refining of the auguries gleamed from the Spear of Mallus.[4b]
- Seapath Guild: A powerful and mysterious guild of helmsmen within Misthåvn. The people of the free city rely upon them to safely navigate the 'streets' of the city.[52f]
Other Organizations
- Aetherguard: Aelven and Human rangers who maintain watchtowers and Swifthawk Rookeries throughout the Talons that encircle the Titanspear, the mountain upon which the Free City of Tempest's Eye is built.[4]
- Blackscale Coil: A massive criminal syndicate that ruled Anvilgard from the shadows for years. When Morathi-Khaine and the Daughters of Khaine staged a coup in the city, the coil revealed themselves to be collaborators secretly working to destabilize the city for that very invasion.[37a]
- Council of the Forge: This august body is comprised of the wealthiest and most influential Duardin lords and clan chiefs in Greywater Fastness. The power and influence of this organization far outweighs even that held by the city's Grand Conclave.[17p]
- Eldritch Council: The Council is comprised of Azyrite Aelves trained in the arcane arts by Teclis and given the lofty duty of preserving the ways of their ancestors. Members of the Council study all forms of magic, rather than focusing on one, and their mastery is called upon to cleanse areas too tainted for the Devoted of Sigmar to purify.[20a]
- Everspring Circle: A group of druids that tends to the trees of the Living City. They work tirelessly to ensure bileworm and poxstinger infestations are kept at bay and away from the city's ironoak bulwarks.[17o]
- Folly: A traveling troupe of Aelven acrobats and singers. They specialize in exposing Slaaneshi cults.[10a]
- Hawthorns: A loosely connected network of professional killers, with a knack for rooting out and hunting Vampires.[10a]
- Lanternmen: A mysterious group of of hooded figures that warn the people of Misthåvn imminent danger with their harbour bells.[52f]
- Lion Rangers: The Lion Rangers are descended from the rangers that once hunted along the mountain ranges around Azyrheim. They have become a warrior brotherhood specialized in close-quarter combat. In the Age of Chaos they were nearly wiped out but have since been bolstered with the aid of other Free Peoples. They do not linger overlong in the Free Cities, as fortresses failed them in the Age of Chaos, and instead prefer to roam the natural places of the Mortal Realms.[20a]
- Order Draconis: In the Age of Myth, Sigmar united many of the aelves of the Realm of Heavens. Some of these aelves found kinship with the noble stallions and wild drakes, these were the ancestors of the Order Draconis. The noble aelven knights of this order follow in the wake of the storms signifying the presence of Sigmar's Stormhosts, ever eager to join the fight against Chaos.[20a]
- Order of Azyr: While technically the Order of Azyr operates as an extension of the Devoted of Sigmar, its agents are said to answer to no authority except that of Sigmar himself. It is their duty to root out corruption and heresy in the Free Cities and the rest of Sigmar's empire.[10b]
- Order of the Dove: A mendicant order of the Church of Azyr comprised of priests and priestesses who attach themselves to armies to act as healers and erect field hospitals to attend to the wounded. In exchange for their service, they are often granted the right to build hospices in newly conquered territory.[14c]
- Order of the Eye: In the Free City of Tempest's Eye, this organization of mages, engineers, and observers are dedicated to watching over the city and keeping it safe.[5]
- Order Posthumous: The Raven Priests are the clergy dedicated to Morrda, Master of the Bleak Raven. They are found widespread throughout the Free City of Lethis.[52p]
- Road Agents: A loose coalition of couriers operating throughout the Cities of Sigmar. They are often employed by conclaves and local lords to carry messages for the average citizens of the cities and their holdings.[75a]
- Swifthawk Agents: The Swifthawk Agents serve as messengers and agents between the armies of the Free Peoples, relay messages between armies and aiding in coordinating plans while simultaneously disrupting the communication networks of foes.[20a]
Languages
- Celestial: One of the forms of Azyrite that serves as a lingue franca for the Free Cities.
- High Azyri: One of the Azyrite languages, used as an administrative language in Excelsis.
- High Azyrite: A sacred language, belonging to the Azyrite language group, used by priests and scholars of the Church of Sigmar.
- Language of the Worm-Folk: Local language of the native peoples of the Free City of Shu'gohl.
- Lost Language of the Shy-gwythiar: A language known to members of the Aelves and the Great Hawks of the Swifthawk Agents.
- Modern Khazalid: The forms of Khazalid used by the Dispossessed have much changed from the Old Khazalid of the Khazalid Empire.
- Deep-cant: One of the descendants of Old Khazalid used by the Dispossessed.
- Priestly Language of Dracothion: Serves as a sacred tongue to priests of Dracothion, the Celestial Drake.
- Swifthawk Script: This written form of Aelfish is used by the Swifthawk Agents to encode the messages they deliver on behalf of the forces of Sigmar.
- Thondian: A written variation of Azyrite used throughout Thondia, its letters are distinguishable from other Azyrite languages.
- Trickster's Tongue: A secret language that borrows from Azyrite and Arcanti, though to those unfamiliar with it is seems like jumbled gibberish. It was developed in the Age of Myth to be used by the Guilds of the Cat. It endures in the Age of Sigmar as a language of thieves and killers in the Free Cities.
- Wanderers' Tongue: A language used by the Wanderers.
Table of Noises
| Name | Language Group | Type | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celestial | Azyrite language | Common Tongue | Celestial is one of the Azyrite languages that has become a lingua franca throughout the Cities of Sigmar. | Common Bean |
| High Azyri | Azyrite language | Administrative Language | This Azyrite language is best known for its use in the official documents of Excelsis. | Lord Bean |
| High Azyrite | Azyrite language | Sacred Language | This variation of the Azyrite tongue is used by the priests of the Church of Azyr. | Bishop Bean |
