Wood Elves (8ed)

 WO  WOOD ELVES

INTRODUCTION

CONTENTS 3

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THE LORDS OF ATHEL ATHEL LO RE N The Wood Wood Elv es Athel Athel L or en The Great Seasons Seasons The Forgott Forgotten en Seaso n The Season Season of Reb irth The Season Season of Withering The Seas Season on of Revela tion The Season Season of Retribution The Seas Season on of Redemption Timel Timelin inee - The Seas Season on of D o o m

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THE THE DEEP DEEPWOOD WOOD H O ST

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THE LORE LORE OF DARK DARK M A G IC

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Army Special Special Rule s The A rmoury rmoury of Torgovann Highborn of Ath Athel el Lo re n Spellsingers Eternal Guard Glade Glade Guard & Deepwood Scouts Knight Knightss o f Athel Athel L or en Wildwo Wildwood od Ra nge rs Wardancers Sister Sisterss of the Th or n Wild Riders & Great Stags Waywatchers

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36 37 38 39 40 41 42 44 45 46 47 48

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THE LORE LORE OF HIGH M A G IC

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Dryads Tree Kin Treemen Fores Forestt Drag on s Durthu Orion Araloth Drycha  Naes  Na estra tra & A rah ra h an

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6 9 15 16 18 20 22 24 26 28

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THE DEEPWOOD HOST

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HEIRLOOMS OF ATHEL ATHEL LOREN THE GLORY GLORY OF THE ELVE S W OO D ELVE ELVESS ARMY LIST

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84 Lords 87 Heroes 89 Core Units 91 Special U n it s ............. ................... ........... ............ ............. ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ............ ......93 93 Rare Rare U nits 95 ..............................................

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SUMMARY

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PRODUCED BY THE GAMES WORKSHOP DESIGN STUDIO With thanks to Mythic Entertainment. Additional Playtesting: Playtesting: Ben Curry, Adam Ha ll, Ben Johnson, G reg Milne, M artin M orrin, E d M orris, Chris Taylor Taylor.. © Copyright Games Workshop L imited 2013. G ames Workshop, the Gam es Workshop logo, GW, Warhammer, the Warhamm er logo, Warhammer Armies, Citadel, the Citadel device device,, The Game of Fantasy Battles, Battles, the twin-tailed comet device, Warhammer: Wood Elves and all associated associated marks, logos, names, places, characters, characters, creatures, races and race insignia, illustrations illustrations and images from the Warhammer world are either ®, TM and/or © Games Workshop L td 2000-2014 variably registered registered in the UK and other countries around the world. All Rights Reserved. Reserved.  N o p art o f this pu blic atio n ma y be re pro duc ed, sto red i n a re triev al syste m, o r tra nsm itted in a ny fo rm or b y an y mean s, elec tron ic, me chan ical, pho toco pyin g, re cor din g or o therw ise, without the p rior permission of the publishers. This is a work of fiction. fiction. All the c haracters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental. coincidental. British Cataloguing-in-Publication Cataloguing-in-Publication Data. A catalogue record for this book is available available from the British Library. Library. Pictures used for illustrative illustrative purposes only. only. Certain Citadel products may be dangerous if used incorrectly incorrectly and Games Workshop does no t recommend them fo r use by children unde r the age of 16 without adult supervision. supervision. Whatever your age, be careful when using glues, bladed equipm ent and sprays and mak e sure that you read an d follow the instructions on the packaging.

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INTRODUCTION In the depths o f Athel L ore n live the isolationist Wood Elves. The y care little for the the outsid e world, regarding it it with suspicious eye s, and hearts ever w illing illing to avenge transgressions. Woe be tide h e wh o brings harm to th e fores t, and thus courts the Wood Elves’ wrath.

Th is volume is the definitive definitive guide to the Woo d Elves, the guardians o f Athel Athel Loren . Theirs is an existen existence ce shaped by the passage o f the seasons, by ancient magic and by folklore. folklore. Lea rn the tale taless of Ariel and O rion, the M age Q ueen and H un ter K ing, and prepare prepare to defend this this most wondrous of realms to your dying breath.

 WARHAMMER THE GAME OF FANTASY BATTLES I f you are read ing this book, then you have already taken your first step stepss into the W arhamm er hobby hobby.. T he Warhammer  rulebook contains all the rules you need to fight batdes with your C itadel miniatures, a nd every army has its own army bo ok tha t acts as a definiti definitive ve guide to collecting collecting and un leashing it upon the tabletop batdefields of the Warham mer world. This army book allows allows you to turn your collection collection of Wood E lves into a host o f vengeful warriors, ready to shield Athel Lore n from the evils evils of the world.

 WOOD ELVES The Wood E lves are an army of hunters, masters of the the arrow an d the spear. spear. Keen-eyed archers stride to war alongside ander-helmed knights, otherworldly enchantresses and cruel-hearted cruel-hearted forest forest spirits spirits.. T he Wood Elves are ranked amongst the finest finest warriors warriors o f the Warham mer world, and are seldom seldom overmatched. W hethe r you seek to vanquish your foe from afar or eye-to-eye, eye-to-eye, with sorcery o r spell-woven steel, steel, with the valour o f Elves Elves or the eternal wrath of the forest itself, itself, your Woo d E lf army will speed you to victory. victory.

HOW HOW THIS BOOKW ORKS Warhammer: Wood Elve s  contains

the following sections:

The first section introduces the Wood Elves, detailing their struggle to preserve their greenwood realm. Herein, you will find the tale of the founding o f Athel Loren, and o f the gathering doom against which the Wood E lves fight. fight.

• The Lords of Athel Loren.

In this section, you will find all the characters, un it types and m onsters available available to the Wood Elves. Tou will will find a full description of each unit that covers its role upon the battlefield, its specialised comb at abilitie abilities, s, in addition to any rules and unique skills skills it possesse possesses. s. T his section also also includes includes the full Lor es of H igh and Dark Magic, and the Heirlooms Heirlooms o f Athel Athel Loren - magic items items unique to the Wood Elves. Elves.

• T he Deepw ood Host. Host.

This section contains a stunning selection of Citadel miniatures from the Wood Elves range. From single models painted to a jaw-dropping display standard, to vast armies arran ged in dea dly battle battle on the tabletop, this glorious glorious showcase is sure to provide inspiration f or yo ur collection. collection.

• The Glory of the Elves.

Th e arm y list takes takes all of the models and units presented in the the Deepw ood H os t section section and arranges them so you can choose an army for your game s of Warham mer. Ea ch u nit type also also has a points points value to help you pit your forces against your op ponen t in a fair fight.

• W ood Elves Army List.

THE LORDS OFATHEL LOREN  Fro m bene ath the b oug hs o fA th e l Loren, the Wood Elv es regard the world with distrust ful eyes, neither mee ting nor  embracing anyth ing tha t lies beyo nd their  own borders. Yet the Woo d Elves know tha t the fate of A th el Loren is tied to that o f other  lands. Though they do n ot seek to act  as the worl d’s pro tect ors, nor enthrone

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themselves as its rulers, there are those times when the will o f Orion and Ariel, the  K in g and Q ueen in the Wo od s, m us t shape the fortun es o f other lands. Never has this been truer than in these dark days, where every broken bou gh o r withered lea f carries an omen o f darker times to come. A s the Wo od Elves seek to survive this, the darkest   seaso n o fA th e l Loren, they are willing to  p u t any ot her la nd to the swor d.

THE WOOD ELVES Th e history of the Wood Elves is a search for balance and solitude tem pered by ceaseless war. For th ousan ds o f years, they have lived in harmon y with the sen tient forest of Athel Loren , an d with the spirits that dwell beneath its boughs. H ere they have learnt to dwell in concord with the seasons and the weave o f life and death that binds all living things together. Unlike the other E lven races o f the world, the Wood Elves have never sough t to rule, and wish only to see their homeland persist throu gh all the com ing ages of the world. I t is this cause in which they fight, for no lan d endu res long if it cannot take up arms against those that wish it harm, and the waking woodland o f Athel Lore n has more than its fair share o f enemies. Th e humans see the forest as a brooding and malicious foe, and perhaps they are correct. N eithe r the Wood Elves, nor the forest spirits to w hich the ir fate is tied, care for the fives of outsiders. T hey think n othing o f resorting to slaughter to ease affront, and there are always those who seem eager to provoke their wrath. D warfs see Athel Lore n’s boughs as a resource to be harvested and put to work as fuel for their grea t machines. Re ckless wizards too see the forest as a we llspring of fuel, bu t it is not timber they crave, bu t the magical essence which gives fife to the trees and vi gou r to those that five within the forest’s bounds. Then there are those that seek to topple the trees and defile the gro und for no other reason than to cause destruction.

Th us does the host of Athel Lore n m arch to war, hidden by skeins of sorcerous mist. Th e b atde sta rts with a single arrow, fired by the greatest marksm an in the h ost and aimed at the enemy warlord’s heart. Th is signal given, Glade G uard and Waywatchers emerge from concealment and blacken the skies with th eir own volleys, each shot guid ed by an instinc t  be yo nd hu man co mpreh ension . Onl y th en do the hunt in g horns sound, loosing the Wood Elves to the fray. The demigod Orion, who dies in flame each year only to be  bor n anew in th e spring , lea ds the charge , scatte rin g enemies with every thrust o f his mighty spear. W ild R iders gallop in his wake, their furious steeds trampling any who survive the riders’ onset. Wardancers dart a nd spiral through their  be wild ered op po ne nts, th eir every cu t a nd pa rry an act o f worship to their trickster god. E ternal G uard an d Wildwood Rangers advance next, blades blurring as they strike. An d the Elves do not fight alone, for they are joined by the spirits o f the forest. Lith e D ryads rip throug h their foes, their quicksilver forms given purpose by the seething malice in their thorny hearts. Colossal Treemen smash throu gh the enemy fines, their gnar led fists pulverising all in their path. Overseeing these battles are the Spellweavers of Athel Loren, who direct both d ark a nd fight magics to wherever they are needed, bring ing balms to woun ded allies, and blasting enemies apart with searing bolts of the blackest magic.

THEELVEN RACES The Wood Elves, or the Asrai as they are named in some tales, are but one of three Elven races. Like the others, they sprang from the cradle of Ulthuan. Unlike the others, they did so before acts of jea lou sy an d spite sh atter ed th at grea t nation and its traditions. Fo r this reason, the Wood Elves hold themselves to be the only true Elves left in the world, for only they embrace the whole of their nature. T he folk of Athel Loren are unburde ned by ritual sanctimony and therefore capable of great extremes of thoug ht and deed. Th ey are at once capricious and gen erous, malicious and caring, servants of both the dark and the light. West of Athel Loren lies Ulthu an, dwelling place of the High Elves, and the Wood Elves’ ancestral home. To the Wood Elves, the Hig h Elves, or Asur, are misguided and sanctimonious, trap ped by a fallacious belief that only the strength of Ulthu an can prevent the world from slipping into chaos. Th e folk o f Athel Lo ren know it is folly to claim guard ianship of the entire world, and that it is only arrogance that drives their cousins to make the attempt. Further to the northwest lies the chill realm of Naggaroth, the home of the Dark Elves, the malevolent Druchii. Just as the Wood Elves see the princes o f Ulthu an as inflexible and staid, they  perceive the Nag gar ot hi as wild an d im petuou s child ren , lashing out at a world that has most bitterly wronged them. Perhaps the only commonality between the Dark Elves and H igh Elves, besides their shared ancestry, is the mix o f pity and annoyance with which the Wood Elves regard them  both. Despite efforts to the contrary, the folk o f U lthu an and  Nag garoth are fading from the w orld. T he Wood Elves, by contrast, neither grow nor dwindle, bu t are as timeless as the forest in which they dwell. Lo ng ago, at the very beginn ing of Elven history, a pact was forged between th e spirits of the wood and the Elves over the sea. Now, shaped by that accord, the Wood Elves stand at once on the cusp of greatness and on the b rink o f extinction, living in anticipation o f that day on which Athel Loren will burst its bounds and reclaim lost lands, or b e overwhelmed by the malice of outsiders. Irrespective o f the land from w hich they hail, all Elves are incredibly long-lived, though seldom immortal. They are slender and swift, with mind s and bodies that are capable of great dexterity. In such feats, the Wood E lves account themselves m ore capable than their cousins. A fter all, the folk of Ulth uan and Nag garo thi are chiefly city-dwellers, or else trapped aboard warships fo r weeks at a time. M eanwhile, the Wood Elves are constantly honing their skills in an environm ent that challenges them every day of their lives. Elves are sub tle creatures at heart, and live in the details o f thought and deed that lesser creatures seldom notice. They live for intrigue and find joy in a clever tongue w ielded by an accomplished mind. Th e speech o f a Wood E lf is particularly incomprehen sible to an outsider. Th is is not because the words themselves make little sense, but b ecause there are always at least two possible interpretations o f the intended meaning. In this way, a promise of assistance can sound disturbingly like a threat, and a death sentence like an offer of clemency. In this way does the speech o f the W ood Elves reflect their complicated relationship with the world. U ntil  back ed up with deeds, wo rds are ju st em pty p roph ecies that speak to possible outcome; sometimes, even the Wood E lves do not know what they intend un til the mom ent of action.

Taken together, an E lf ’s suppleness of mind and bod y ranks him amongst the deadliest of opponents. Th ough he may not be so hardy or so strong as the barbarians of the world, he knows a finesse and precision that no such creature will ever grasp. An E lf sees every chink in his oppo nent’s armour, every weakness of guard . M oreover, he has the speed and skill to exploit these opportun ities an d land a killing strike  befor e the foe has a chance to react. Fo r a W ood Elf, this is never true r than when he is armed with one o f Athel Lore n’s famed longbows —he can place a shot thro ugh the visor of a charging knight from an almost unbelievable distance.

THE TAINT OF CHAO S  N o matter wh at they mig ht like to think, Elves are not immu ne to the influence of Chaos; they are untouched  by physical mutation , but the power o f the D ar k Go ds has seeped into their souls. H ere it fans an arrogance that was legendary even in ancient times. T he unconditional compassion that was once the Elves’ defining trait has long since been extinguished, replaced by a belief in their own p re eminence that knows no denial. This arrogance has manifested differently amongst the Elven races. It has rem ade the D ark Elves as selfish despoilers of a world they see fit only for their pleasure. T he H ig h Elves it has made stubborn and conceited, the self-appointed  protectors of a realm whose fate lies f ar beyond th eir con trol. Only the Wood Elves reject the lure of bending other lands to their will, for in them, the influence of Chaos has awakened only distrust and isolationism. T he folk of Athel Loren crave nothing so much as to be left alone, to tend the groves of their woodland home in peace. On ly on those occasions where the fate o f the wider wo rld threatens A thel Lo ren do they even notice the lands beyond the forest’s eaves.

THE END TIMES For m uch of the Wood Elves’ existence, they spared little thought for the outside world unless it began to encroach on their daily lives. Ind eed, only the very youngest and oldest  pa id it any h eed. T he yo un gest did so becau se they yearned for an adven ture that could n ot be foun d within the forest’s  bo un ds , the oldest because they ha d bee n taug ht too many times that Athel Lor en was not so removed fro m the circles of the world as they m ight have wished. Aet, little by little, the Wood Elves have come to realise that the fate of other realms is theirs also. Th ere are rum blings of a doom that will see the world torn asunder, and th e sanctity of Athel Lore n forever lost. Such is a fate fit to shake even the Wood E lves from the ir millennia of isolation. Guid ed  by prop he cy an d the w isd om o f Arie l, their immor tal M ag e Queen, the Wood Elves seek to prevent the oncoming disaster from claiming their forest home. Now, the ir hosts march with a purpo se not seen for millennia. They know Athel Loren will not survive the coming disaster unscathed, and i f the price o f saving their beloved home is the  preservation o f othe r r ealm s, then so be it.

it>ed  the coming o f the Daemons, b ut they were but striplings o f mere centuries, and remembered not the days o f the fore st's glory.

THE SEASON OF REBIRTH  I) 1-4 0 5 (Imp eria l Cale nda r -1 5 0 0 t o - 1 0 9 5 )

It would be millennia before the destinies of the Elves a nd the great forest became entwined once more. U lthua n’s power was now at its height, an d Elv en colonies were established in many lands. Most were founded along the shores, but a great many Elves headed inland. Some were guided by dreams and visions, or by urges not easily explained. O thers were driven by wanderlust that set their feet on paths that had lain untrodden since the dawn of creation. It was these Elves who first encountered the great forest, and they were intrigued by what they found. At nigh t they saw strange lights dancing in the darkness beneath the bows, and huge shapes lingering on the outskirts of the glades. Captivated, the Elves attempted to push deeper, but found themselves thwarted at every turn by shifting paths. Despite this resistance, the Elves nev er once considered settling elsewhere. T he forest’s magic was in their blood, a legacy of Astarielle’s long-ago pact, and it could not be denied. Thus did the Elves name the forest Athel Lo ren, ‘Wood of the Daw ning o f the W orld’. They settled on its outskirts and  pla nted grea t w aystones ab ou t the bo un darie s to conta in the spirits within. De spite these precautions, folk occasionally vanished into the forest, driven by strange visions or lured by ghost-like nymphs. No ne o f these were ever seen again.

THE SUNDERING Far away, an age of tragedy was dawning. M alekith , son o f Aenarion by his second wife, soug ht to claim the Phoenix Th ron e by force and, in so doing, split the Elve n race forever.  N o long er was there one rac e o f Elv es —now there w ere the D ark E lves loyal to the traitor Malekith, and the H igh Elves who were true to the Phoenix Throne. Ulthu an was torn apart in the batdes that followed and, by the time Malekith led his defeated followers to the chill land o f Na ggaro th, the shattered n ation was but a shadow o f its former self.  N ev er again w ould the H ig h Elve s know peace. O n those rare occasions which they were not locked in vendetta with their hated cousins, their colossal arrogance sp arked conflict elsewhere, chiefly with the Dwarfs of the mountains. Many colonies were drawn into these fruitless campaigns, b ut the Elves o f Athel Loren refused to become involved. Wh en Phoe nix K ing Caradry el finally gave the ord er that all loyal folk o f Ulthuan should abandon their colonies and return home, only the Elves o f Athel Loren refused, and they soon declared their independence from the Phoenix Throne . As the H igh Elves withdrew westward, the Dwarfs advanced. As the first snows of winter began to fall, the grudg eful children of the mountains descended upon Athel Loren, hacking and burning. This callous action drove the forest into a fury, but its spirits had ever been sluggish during the months of frost. The Dryads were soon scattered or slain, and Durthu, the only ancient not yet at slumber, was ' wound ed near to death by keen Dwa rfen axes.

Realising that the forest could no t defeat the Dwarfs alone, D urth u bade it draw back from the encroachers, and open up pathways that thrust them onto the fringes of the Elven settlements. Thinking themselves under attack, the Elves assailed the Dw arfs, filling the air w ith volley after volley of arrows. As the forest had twisted the advance of the Dwarfs so too did it now guide the footsteps o f the Elves. W henever the Dwarfs turned to face this threat, the Elves slipped away into the trees, only to emerge impossible distances away mom ents later. Una ble to defeat a foe upon which they could not lay honest steel, the remainin g Dwarfs retreated. In the wake o f victory, the Elves be gan to dwell within the  bo rders o f Athel Lore n, for t hey fe are d rep risals fro m the Dw arfs m ore than they did the capricious will of the forest. The forest did not resist, and the Elves wondered why. The wayward children of U lthuan never heard the harsh words that raged between Adanhu and Coeddil as they argued over their fate. D urthu , instigator o f the c urrent situation, remained silent through it all. H e had suffered greatly from the Dwarfen axes; his once-kind nature had all but fallen away, and he no lo nger fully trus ted his own judgem ent. Ultimately, A danh u’s will prevailed, and the forest now opened up many of its secrets to the Elves, though the Dry ads and Treem en took care never to intentionally reveal themselves. At the very heart of Athel Lore n, A riel, foremost amo ngst the Elv en magi, spoke with the forest for the first time and before long, many Elves learnt this art o f treesinging. I t was then that the Elves , always respectful o f all things natural, truly embraced Athel Loren as their home. More than that, the Elves treated the forest with the awe and reverence it deserved and demanded, seeing the essence o f their ancestral gods in its seasonal cycles. Th ey vowed never to take from the forest without giving back equally in service and sacrifice. When the Elves needed wood to burn in o rder to survive the icy winters, they would take only fallen  branches, an d in the sp rin g they wo uld nu rtur e an d te nd to new saplings, encoura ging them to shape graceful halls above and below the ground. W hen the Elves hunted the animals of the forest for food and clothing, they used all that they took, and gave thanks to Athel Loren in ceremonies of blood.

THE GREAT CO UNC IL Before long, D warfs marched upon Athel Loren once more. This time they came in a throng m any tens of thousands strong, with warriors drawn from dozens of holds. When they learned o f this threat, the g reat lords and ladies o f the Wood Elves held council at the foot of the O ak o f Ages, and even the trees o f the glade crow ded close, as if paying attention to what was said. The devotees of the trickster god  pe rfo rm ed their rit ual dances, an d t he seers an d pro phe tesses read the skeins of fate in the stars and patterns o f flame. In that fire-lit glade, beautiful Ariel foun d h erself drawn to the Lo rd O rion. H e was the bravest and most handsome of his folk as Ariel was the wisest and fairest of hers. Wh ilst the council debated how best to oppose the Dwarfs, Ariel and Or ion were deep in a conversation o f their own, seemingly oblivious to the great matters that were discussed around them. Finally, they slipped away, unnoticed an d un remarked .

Th e m ood o f the council was otherwise bleak, for it was appare nt to all that they could not best the Dw arfs in battle. Worse, the seers had determined that the Dwarfs were but the lesser of two nascent threats —a great horde of greenskins was but a few days from launc hing their own assault. I t was in that mo men t of despair that Adan hu finally revealed himself to the Elves. H e pledged that the spirits o f the forest would fight alongside them if only the battle was brou ght  before winter cam e. Em bo ld en ed by A da nh u’s word s, the Elves prep ared their plans anew. In their enthusiasm, they were heedless of the ancient one’s warning th at a great sacrifice would be requ ired. I t was not un til many hou rs later, when the feast was over, that the absence of Ariel and Or ion was noted, but w hen no am ount o f searching would reveal them, the erra nt lovers were reluctantly forgotten.  N ex t day, the gr ea t host o f Athel L ore n br ou gh t the Dw arfs to battle. As Adanhu had promised, the Elves did not fight alone. Colossal Treemen strode am ongst the E lven lines, and great hosts of Dryads swarmed about the flanks. M ighty Durthu led the charge, an unstoppable force of nature who sought revenge upon those who had scarred him. Against this host, the Dwarfs stood little chance. Th oug h they strove with all the stubb ornness of their race, they eventually broke and ran, leaving the mo untainside heavy with their dead.

THE WINTER OF WOE Alas, scarcely had the last arrow found its ma rk in Dw arfen flesh when an icy wind whisded through the boughs of the forest and a chill grippe d the land like never before. T he cold only hastened the greenskin onset. In an orgy of destruction, the O res bu ilt great pyres in orde r to warm their calloused hides. The Elves fought with all their might under skies stained with the ashes of living wood, b ut the O res were too many an d their forest spirit allies add led by intense cold. Little by little, Athel L ore n fell to the invaders. Th e Elves prepared their last stand before the O ak o f Ages. Th ey did so with heavy hearts, for they did not believe that they could win, bu t knew there was no choice save to fight. Th en, at dawn, they saw that the forest was transformed. The snows were in retreat and blood-red blossoms had  pu sh ed th ro ug h the ha rd gr ou nd . Anim als ha d rous ed from hibernation a nd a resdessness could be felt on the air. As the sun rose, the haun ting cry of a great hor n echoed on the wind. As the note faded, the mighty form of Kurnous, god of the hunt, crashed throug h the woods. A pack of shadowy hound s was baying at his heels, and all the Elves w ho looked upon him were filled with fresh vigour. Th e ho rn was winded a second time, an d the greenskins m et their doom.

At battle’s end, many Elves - the vibrant song of the hu nt deep in their being - were drawn to O rion and welcomed a portion o f his godly power into their hearts. Th us they  becam e the W ild Riders, the equerries whose service and rituals maintained the eternal spirit of the hunter. Summer faded into autum n, and w hilst Ariel’s powers o f healing and reb irth rem ained as potent as first they had in the early days of spring, Orion ’s power gradually faded and his anger diminished until finally, as winter’s iron grip took hold of Athel Loren , he was all bu t spent.

As the snows fell on the forest, a mighty pyre was built in the centre of the King’s Glade. In a ritual that would echo down the centuries, the Wild Riders and Orion marched into the clearing. O n the stroke of midnight, the K ing of the Wild H un t raised his arms to the heavens and stepped naked into the flames. In the mor row’s cold light, no trace of Orion remained save his ashes; these the Wild Riders bore away and brought before Ariel. Without a word, the Mage Q ueen sealed both herself and her con sort’s ashes inside the O ak o f Ages, and was naught b ut a mem ory while winter lasted. M any E lves wept for their lost king, for they did not understand w hat had occurred. O nly with next spring, when Orion was reborn, did they fully understand that the nature of Ariel and O rion, and indeed the Wood E lf race entire, was now bo und forever to the Weave o f existence —the web of life and death tha t boun d all living things. So would life in Athel Lo ren continue for years. Eac h spring O rion was reborn , only to sacrifice him self on w inter’s eve. As the centuries passed, Ariel grew ever m ore skilled at harnessing the powers o f the Weave, and gradually healed the forest of its wounds. Through it all, Adanhu and the other Elders looked on with satisfaction. Under the guardianship of the Elves, the forest was flourishing an d its wildness was  be ing k ept in check. | * Th en, one ill-starred night, the spirits o f the forest cried out in agony, and Ariel wept a single perfect tear as she felt a great disruption amon gst the Weave. Som ething terrible had  been bo rn into the world...  —

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THE REBIRTH OF ORION 

Kurnous smashed into the O res, slaying all before him in an orgy of destruction. Newly awakened Dryads swarmed in his wake, eager to bestow their cruel mercies. As th e living god  plun ge d de ep er into the greenskin lines, the Elves joined the charge, eyes and blades afire with their god’s furious power. By the time the sun set, not a single Or e rem ained alive. In the battle’s aftermath, the exhausted Elves came before the Oa k o f Ages to pay homage. H ere they discovered the enthroned figures of Ariel and Orion, now become avatars of Isha, the mother goddess, and Kurnous, the hunter. Another great council was swiftly called, and all the lords an d ladies of the forest knelt in worship to Ariel and O rion, now and forever the Quee n and King in the Woods.

When the snows retreat and the breath o f spring is felt once more on the air, the forest trembles with Orio n’s wakin g dreams. So on after, the Wild Riders come fo r the E lf chosen to take up the mantle o f the consort-king. Their metho d o f selection is shrouded  in mystery, an d other Elces hold it to be ill-luck to attract the attention o f Orion ’s riders lest this influence the choice. On the last day o f winter, the El f chosen to become the new Kin g o f the Wild Hu nt is garlanded with flowers an d his na ked skin decorated  with ancient sigils. Finally, he is led into the O ak o f Ag es. The  follo wing morning, on the fir st day o f spring, Ar ie l awakens fro m her slumbers and the reborn Orio n thun ders fro m the trees, the Wild Hun t howling at his heels.

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To begin with, Ariel did not truly understand the blight that had risen to wakefulness - only that it posed a great threat to Athel Loren. Determined to discover the truth, the M age Queen took council with the Elders of the forest, and sent her ca nniest scouts to scour distant realms. L ittle by litde, Ariel was able to glean the n ature o f the creature she sought.  N o Wo od E lf h ad yet seen the bea st an d lived to speak of the encounter, but the w orks it left behind w ere testament to its unspeakable ways. Wh ere the crea ture walked, the fabric of the world twisted in hateful transformation: trees writhed into terrible and unnatural shapes, blackened crops bled und er the scythe, and flesh reformed like clay in the hands of some crazed sculptor. W here it passed, sanity became drooling madness, and measured nobility became wanton abandon. By these works did A riel finally put a name to the foe: Cyanathair, she called it the Corruptor , incarnation o f disorde r and chaos. To his own vile kin he was known as Mo rghur, M aster of Skulls. Th e existence of this being was of great offence to Ariel, for its ruination of the Weave represented everything that she opposed. D esperate to learn how to com bat this new foe, Ariel took a great risk. Adopting a spirit form, she wen t out into the lands where M org hu r had known free rein. After long mo nths o f tracking the creature’s spoor into lands no mortal E lf could tread without harm , she finally discovered the beast capering madly in the com pany of other abominable

things. So lumpen and wretched was the creature that Ariel almost laughe d to see it. She had expected some poweraddled Mage, or a vengeful sorcerer of the ancient times; what she beheld was a crude and ignorant beast that lacked the wit to understand its own nature. Without hesitation, Ariel called cleansing flame down upon the Corruptor and its yowling herd. H er task complete, the M age Q ueen returned home. In h er arrogance, she believed that M or gh ur ’s threat was ended. In time, she was sure, the living world would heal from the Corruptor’s touch and the Weave would gradually  be res tored. W hat Ariel did not realise was that M orgh ur was not so easily destroyed. Even as the Mage Queen turned to leave, the beast’s wounds had begu n to heal. Worse, M orgh ur had taken her measure just as she had taken his. The beast had u ndersto od little of what he had seen, for his warped mind was a mad spiral in which thoughts and words were alien concepts; but Morghur was not so addled that he did not recognise Ariel for what she was. Having tasted a small measure o f her power, he hun gered for more. Slowly  bu t surely, M org h ur’s m ea nd ering p ath bega n to creep southwards to Athel Loren.

THE COMING OF MAN It was at about this time that human barbarians began to cross westward over the Grey M ountains. The Elves had long aba ndoned this land, leaving in their passing only abandoned fortresses and settlements. A great many of these elegant halls had been torn down and burnt, for greenskins had overrun the land as the Elves had retreated. Th e superstitious and ign orant barbarians avoided these places, fearing that they were haunted, and fought hard to drive Ores and G oblins out o f other domains. The Wood Elves looked with amusement upon these battles  between primitiv e tribes, co nten t to let one set o f bar barians eradicate the other. Only w hen the fighting spilled close to the borders of Athel Loren did the Elves take action, driving  back the interlopers with spear a nd bow before va nishing  bene ath the trees onc e more. T hus began the trad iti on of the W ild H unt . E ach summer, when the battles ‘twixt men and greenskins were at their most sprawling, Orion led the most hot-blooded o f his folk across the W ild H eath and into the  ba rbarou s lands beyon d, hu nt in g thei r two-leg ged qu arry as they would any other prey. Soon the glory and te rror o f the Wild H un t passed into the barbarians’ legends, and they learned tha t to threaten the forest was to invite a swift and merciless death. As time passed, the Elves came to delight ever more in making sport with the lives of M en and O res. Th ey even  bega n to manipulate the two side s i nto ever-esc alating confrontation —though in truth the greenskins needed little encouragement. The Elves told themselves that they did this to control their enemies’ numbers as they would with any dangerous beasts. Th e further afield the folk of Athel Lore n  plied their sport, the less crede nce this idea held, bu t they cared little and co ntinued to fom ent war in all the lands north of the moun tain range known as the Vaults.

MORGHU R’S REVENGE

THE BETRAYAL

Yet whilst the Wood E lves cowed the thre at from without, they failed to notice the danger growing within. There had  been Beastmen in the forest as lon g as any o f the Elves could remember, great warherds that roamed beneath the  bo ug hs, ha ck ing an d despoil ing as they travelled. Eac h year, the Elves hu nted these interlopers without mercy, but each year there were always more. S ome lords and ladies of the wood believed that the creatures had some instinctive understanding of Athel Loren’s timeless paths, and so used them to avoid extermination. Ind eed, they said, given the curious passage of time ben eath the b oughs, it was entirely  possible th at they foug ht only the sam e w arhe rd tim e and again, its warriors trap ped forever in a cycle of defeat. Such theories appealed to the E lves’ arrogance, a nd so few of them noticed when the numbers of Beastmen began to increase. It happene d slowly at first, so slowly that n o-one noticed. By the time the Woo d Elves awoke to the danger, it was too late —  M orghur was upon them.

Five hundre d years after the Battle of Anguish, Athel Loren once more knew internal strife. The tree lord, Coeddil, driven perhaps by a last taint of M org hu r’s madness, and who had begun to harbo ur a deep resentment o f the Elves, sought to disrupt Orion’s rebirth. That winter, Coeddil and his Dryad handmaidens did not sleep, but bided until Ariel  began he r own long slu mbe rs within the O ak o f Ages. W ith much of the forest quiescent, and the Elves unaware of his intent, the ancient strode to King’s Glade and slaughtered all he could find, for if no Wild Riders survived to lead the ritual of rebirth, O rion w ould be severely weakened —if indeed he could be summ oned at all.

It was now more than two centuries since M org hu r had grown aware of Ariel, and he had spent that time gathering to him w arherd o f incredible proportions. Thous ands of Beastmen and other horribly mutated creatures had responde d to his silent call, and now they hurled themselves at Athel Loren. For the passage of many seasons the forest was riven with bitter warfare. The war would have been dire enough i f the Elves an d forest spirits had fought as one, but M or gh ur ’s primal nature spoke to the forest’s heart, and  par ts o f Athel L or en rebelled. For a long a nd terrible year, the natural order o f Athel Loren was disrupted, for M org hur could seemingly not be slain  by t he we apo ns o f the Elves. Worse, he recovered fro m even the most heinous of wounds. M ost disastrous o f all, the trees and spirits of Athel Loren d id not succumb to M org hu r’s taint all at once. C ountless times, the E lves would be on the  brink of victory, only to have it snatched from th eir g rasp as madness seized spirits that moments before had been their allies. This insanity was not always lasting, bu t seemed to afflict the D ryads worst o f all, for they had ever been the most capricious and malevolent of all their kind. This terrible conflict was only ended when Morghur was slain at the Battle of Angu ish. Coeddil, one o f the most ancient tree lords, scattered the Corruptor’s forces and seized the beast himself. As Morghur attempted to free himself, Ariel smote the creature. This time, the Ma ge Queen was determined that the creature be destroyed, so she drew not only on her own power, bu t that of the forest as well. Before such an onslaught, not even M org hur could endure; Ariel  batte red th ro ug h the crea ture’s defe nces an d shattered his mutated form. T he battle had been won, bu t the forest would ever bear the taint of M org hu r’s passing. N o living being touched by the Corruptor’s blood would ever truly recover. A gnarled o ak tree, branche s twisted like claws, still marks the  place w here M o rg hur’s tainted blo od was spilt. T he site of M org hu r’s death was known ever after as the G lade of Woe, for it was home only to twisted and w ithered life thereafter. Alas, Ariel soon learnt that M org hu r was as immortal as she  —whenev er th e b east was slain, it was rebo rn elsewhere. T hus did the Battle of Anguish m ark the beg inning of a secret war  between the Wood Elves an d Beastme n, one th at would rage down all the ages that followed.

Ariel was abruptly awakened from her slumbers as the first Elven blood was spilt. In a great rage she sped to where the W ild Rid ers fou ght for their lives. Against Ariel’s fury Coeddil and his followers could not endure. Summoning all her awesome power, the Mage Queen scattered the ancient’s handmaidens and cast down the tree lord. Though Ariel dearly wished to slay the spirits for the dam age they had caused and the blood they had shed, Ariel could no more end th eir existence than sever a portion of her own soul, for Coeddil was still bound to Athel Loren, and Ariel was  bo un d to the forest. Inst ea d she im prison ed the Elde r, and the Dryads who had followed him, in the Wildwood —the dark southwestern corner o f Athel Loren where no Elves dwelt. The Wildwood was then encircled with waystones, and Coeddil was abandoned amongst the shadow-glades to brood upon his betrayal. Since that day, no E lf has set foot in Coeddil’s prison, for to do so is to walk with death as their only companion. Coeddil may silendy contemplate his fate, but his handmaidens have  been drive n mad by their exile, and resde ssly s talk the g lades with cruel desires in their hearts. ..

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THE FATE OF THE BODY  When a Wood E lf dies, their body is returned to the forest. Thus does their pas sing nurture the trees that have nurtured them every day o f their life. The precise manner by which this is achieved  varies from fam ily to family and kindred to kindred. Some bum their fallen kin on great pyres, echoing the rite tha t ends Or ion ’s time in the waking world. O thers bury their dead deep in the  ground, where the hungry ro ots o f the trees can easily draw nourishment from the mouldering remains. Such traditions are important to the Wood Elves, and form a key  pa rt o f their pa ct with the forest. I f an El f is slain in distant lands, they are brought home to A th el Loren, even though thousands o f leagues might lie in between. If th is is impossible, as is often the case during times o f war, Treemen and Dryads are bidden to  fea st upon the corpse, so th ey at least may gain fro m the tragedy. Such practices are abhorrent to the Elves o f other lands, but to the Wo od Elves they are simply an other aspect o f the Weave.

THE SEASON OF REVELATION  I I I) 1 -1 7 4 0 (Imp eria l Cal end ar -6 2 4 to 1 1 1 6 )

Athel Loren now enjoyed a golden age. Under Ariel’s careful guidance, Elves and forest grew closer than ever before, and the woun ds o f the previous season were healed. Fo r centuries as the outside world reckoned time, the Wood Elves ventured seldom beyond the waystones that bounded their home. On ly the W ild H un t openly rode forth, ever reminding the surrounding lands that Athel Loren was still a place of power. O f course, there were those who took the w arnings about Athel Loren as craven superstition. There always are such folk, whatever the land or the age of the world. Most such creatures were wandering seekers of treasure and glory whose dreams and bodies ended as mulch for Dryads. E very few years an O re Warboss or Dw arfen Thane would gather enoug h o f his followers to make a con certed foray, an d in those years the trees fed well on the blood o f outsiders. T he Wood Elves remember this as an era of great peace, though this was not strictly accurate. M ore correctly, this was a time in which Athel Loren suffered few ills from the forces of the outside world, and whatever battles were fought ended in victories so glorious tha t the lives lost were deemed well wo rth the price. Fed by the spoils of war, the forest grew ever more m ajestic, and its dwellers multiplied as never before.

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Yet such bountiful peace could not last. Morghur was reborn again, and a great warherd o f Beastmen soon gathered to him. This time the wild horde did not descend upon Athel

Lo ren, but ram paged through the hum an tribal lands west of the forest. According to the scouts who shadowed M org hu r’s trail, his destination was quite clear. I f the path of destruction held true, his herd was m aking for a mountain known to the Elves as the Silverspire —a shining pe ak from w hich the lifeblood of the western lan ds flowed. Ariel knew this as a site of ancient power, and knew also that M orgh ur could not  be pe rm itt ed to befoul its wa ters . T houg h no t so mighty as they once were, the roots of Athel Lore n dug deep, and drew sustenance from many o f the lands fed by the waters of the Silverspire. Ariel did not dare face M org hu r herself, for the  beas t’s touc h ha d weakened he r terribly w hen las t she ha d confronted him. Orion had no such misgivings. Indeed, he longed for the oppo rtunity to slaughter the beast who had dared to harm his beloved queen.

THE HUNT RIDES OUT Th e Elves that travelled with Orion w ere swept up in his great fury, and they unleashed great ruin on the human lands tha t lay in their path. Bu t the Elves ca red not, for the slain were only humans, and therefore o f little account. O nly when the W ild H u nt reached the slopes of the Silverspire was its wrath finally slaked. W ith spear and w ith arrow the Wood Elves drove the Beastmen from the sacred confluence and into the waiting claws of Dryads. Orion himself tore M org hu r limb from limb, and tossed the corrupt remains into a cleansing Starwood pyre. No other living being did the Elves encounter on the Silverspire, yet still Orion sensed another presence there, one not unlike to his queen, and whose unspoken whispers echoed through his mind. W hen Orion brough t word o f this back to Athel Loren, none were more intrigued than Ariel. The Mage Queen had long  believed th at M org hur w as scarcely aware o f his ow n actions, and that the Chaos Gods gu ided his steps. It was they who drove the Co rruptor to devour her and Orion, to consume the godly essence of Isha and Kurnous as his dark masters had all but consumed the Elven gods. Th us were the wars of the heavens echoed in the mortal realm. Seldom had Ariel given thoug ht to the idea that there migh t be others like her and O rion; certainly she had not encountered them. B ut if there were, it was likely that M org hur would be driven to devour these also. M any turnings of the world later, this theory seemed to  be all but pro ven. M org hur w as again re bo rn in the lands west of Athel Lo ren, and was drawn to the Silverspire once more. Again, the Wood Elves marched to thwart M org hu r’s advance. Th is time, however, they had allies in the strug gle against the Corruptor. Since last the Elves had striven with M orghur, the rough humans of the western lands had united und er the banner of a mighty champion. The Silverspire was sacred ground to these primitives, and they too now mustered to its defence. It would have gone ill for the humans had Orion led this second Wood E lf host, for the King in the Woods had little fondness for such humans. As it was, the midwinter snows laid heavy on Athel Loren ; Orion was naught but a memory and a hope, so cooler heads than his  prevailed and an alliance was struck . Together, M en an d Elves cleansed the land o f M org hu r’s taint.

 A SH IELD IS FORGED When the Beastmen were defeated, the Wood Elves shroud ed themselves in m ist and slipped away, despite the human s’ attempts to treat with them. T he Elves thought noth ing more o f their bri ef alliance —such things had happened before, and would doubdess happen again. T he hum ans did not so swifdy forget, and began to tell stories of the fair folk who h ad ridd en to their champion’s aid. M any years later, that champion’s son braved the perils of Athel Lo ren in the hope o f forging a lasting accord between the Elves and the kingdom his father had founded. Orion, reborn as hot-tempered as usual, had not looked favourably on the supplication, but Ariel overruled her consort in the matter. The M age Queen knew that whilst the spirit of the Silverspire endured, it would distract M orgh ur from feasting upon Athel Loren, and how better to ensure the spirit endured than to ensure that its human protectors thrived? Th us began a tumultuous friendship between the ancient realm of Athel Loren and the nascent kingdom of Bretonnia. O rion was displeased, and vocally so. H e wo uld not, he said, hold back the fury o f the W ild H u nt in service to his queen’s whim. Ariel had simply smiled and bade her husband ride wheresoever he wished; i f the lands he chose were those claimed by the Bretonnians, so much the better. Common cause had brought friendship, but it was only good sense that the humans should fear their superiors. Th e s pirit of Silverspire had, by this time, spread its influence far and wide across Bretonnia. The humans now worshipped it as their saviour, but A riel believed she shared m ore kinship with it than they. The humans called the spirit the Lady of the Lake, bu t the M age Que en ever after knew her as Corrigyn, Dau ghter o f M ists. There w ould never be lasting friendship between the two, but neither would there be enmity; each was too wary o f the ot her’s power for that. W ith a whole kingd om now slyly enlisted to serve as a shield against Morghur, it seemed that Athel Loren’s future could only grow brighter. Un fortunately, the Wood E lves soon found it was harder to fade from the world for a second time. Bretonnian bards soon carried tales concerning the ‘fair folk of the woods’ to many lands. Such stories could no t help but find the ears of warlords seeking new territory, and the Wood Elves soon fou nd their realm assailed by a succession of armies, each greater and more determined than the last.

 KIND REDS OF ATH EL LO REN  The Elves were not always united of pur pos e; th ose t ha t fir st   settle d the fo re st ha d been divided into several kindreds. To begin with, there was rivalry between these grou ps, fo r they were as defined as much by difference in ideology and tradition as they were by ties o f blood. Eventually the influence o f the for est saw the kindreds u nited in common cause. Over time, smaller kindreds - known as kinbands - arose as bloodlines combined and recombined, and as new traditions evolved from those th at had been brough t fro m Ulthuan. By the Season o f Revelation, there were not on ly the twelve grea t  kindreds whose lords and ladies ruled A th el Loren alongside  A ri el an d Orion, b ut also hundreds o f lesser kinbands, each dedicate d to a unique way o f life.

 ALLISARA’S BANE As stories of Athel Lore n began to spread in the outside world, so too did word c oncerning events in other lands trickle into the forest. M any o f the tidings were ignored, for the Elves concerned themselves little with the affairs of their inferiors. Reports concerning the ongoing vendetta between Ulthu an and N aggaroth were not so readily dismissed. M ost Wood E lves were filled with disdain tha t such a pointless war still dragg ed on, b ut to others the news broug ht only sorrow. Foremost among st these was Allisara, sister to Ariel and once, long ago, wife to M alekith o f Naggaroth. She had come to Athel Loren shortly before Malekith began his rebellion, and had ever since dwelt in solitude, seeking to still her troub led heart. In time she came to learn much of Malekith’s deeds, and came to feel guilt for the path her husband had taken. So it was that Allisara pleaded with Ariel for leave to depart Athel Loren and return to Malekith’s side, in order that she mig ht soothe the rage in his soul. Ariel was loath to grant this request bu t, seeing her sister’s determination, relented. Arran gem ents were made, and Allisara soon travelled west with an escort befitting her rank. Malekith strove to keep Allisara’s imminent return hidden from all in Naggaroth, but his mother Morathi flouted these  precautions with laughable ease. She di d no t w ant A llisara to return, bu t nor did she dare act directly. Instea d, she disguised h erself and charme d Valedor, a disgraced prince of U lthua n, a nd led him to believe that Allisara’s escort was, in fact, an army of a Elves who had pledged aid to Naggaroth. Blinded by Mo rath i’s spells and his own desire to regain high station, Valedor gathered w hat forces he could an d brou ght the Wood E lves to battle on the shores of Bretonnia. Mighty was the battle that day, though it is ill-remembered  by any save the Breto nnians, for whom it pas sed into legend as a battle between glorious and terrible gods. Though the Wood E lves foug ht withou t fear, it was a battle that they could not win. As it became clear that they could find no victory, the leader of Allisara’s escort bade her flee. Alas, an ill-fated arrow felled the eagle that carried h er away from harm, and she was left weaponless and alone before Valedor. As the prince m oved in for the killing blow, Allisara saw  plain the ma dness that M or ath i had placed up on him. Desperately, she sought the proper counter-charm that would set the prince free, but the H ag Sorceress was not so easily thwarted. Allisara was still trying to break the spell when Valedor’s spear pierced her heart. As Allisara collapsed, her dying breath formed the final syllable o f the counter-cha rm. All at once, the madness fell from Valedor’s eyes, and he wept for his deeds tha t day. O vertaken by despair, the prince cast himse lf from the bluf f and into the churn ing waters below. Allisara saw none o f this, for h er soul h ad already fled. W ith their comm ander’s death, the H igh Elves withdrew. Some thought that they had prevented a great evil; others suspected that same evil had been wrought by their own hands. Few of either group spoke of it ever again. O nly a handful of Wood Elves survived to bring word to Athel Lo ren and, when A riel learned of her sister’s death, a great quiet fell over King’s Glade, one tha t remained unbrok en for many risings and settings o f the sun. W inter came early to Athel Lo ren th at year. As the frost hu ng ever heavier on the  bow, Arie l’s gri ef became bitterness, an d bitterne ss bec ame wrath. The Season of Retribution was about to begin.

THE SEASON OF RETRIBUTION  I V ) 1 -5 8 6 (Im per ial C ale nda r 1 1 17 to 1 7 0 2 )

Ariel was determine d to discover the identity of those responsible for her sister’s death, and bent all the energies of Athel Loren’s seers to the task. She knew the murderers had been warriors of Ulthua n, b ut she sought the name of the enemy who had contrived the attack. Alas, Morathi had foreseen that such an attempt might be made, and had covered he r tracks with charms o f concealment. Ariel soon discovered that the even magics o f the Weave, from which she drew her power, could not break these enchantments. In vengeful desperation, Ariel delved ever deeper into forbidden knowledge and mastered the very darkest of sorceries. U sing her new power, the M age Quee n restored a portion of Athel Loren’s worldroots, and Orion used these pathways to loose a great host of war upon Ellyrion, the land o f Prince Valedor’s birth. Th e folk o f Ellyrion were slow to respond. Kurnous h ad ever been the chief deity of their land, an d they were slow to raise weapons against he who wore his aspect. Their hesitation was to cost them dearly. That summer, the  plains o f Ellyrio n ran red with the blo od o f its people. Finally, even Orion could find no joy in this work; it was no hunt, but a slaughter. This would surely have brought Orion to quarrel with his queen, ha d not Ariel finally shattered M ora thi’s enchantments, revealing at last the H ag Sorceress and her wicked schemes.

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 Now, the W oo d Elves ca rried their vengeance no rth west and into the bleak pine forests of Naggaroth. They h ad no desire to tarry in that land, for its woods were bitter and lifeless things, and the chill air sapped the h eart o f even the cruellest of Dryads. Th ey soon brou ght M orath i’s fortress of Gh rond und er siege. Th e Tower of Prophecy’s defences had been wrought to guard against attack from the frozen north, n ot one that had em erged from the forests of its own heartlands, and its outer walls soon shattered under the fists of Treemen. D esperate, M orathi sent messengers south to request aid from her son, the Witch King. Alas for the H ag Sorceress, M alekith ha d long since learned of his mother’s role in Allisara’s death. Though the Witch King had publicly forgiven M orathi her transgression, he now saw an opportunity to br ing he r to heel, and it was with grim amusement that he forbade any aid be sent north.

MORATHI HUMILIATED Finally, and at the cost o f many thousan ds o f lives, the Wood Elves breached G hron d’s inner citadel. Cornered and desperate, Morathi fell back upon deceit. Abasing herself  before Ariel a nd Orion , she ma de gr ea t show o f repentance. Orion wanted the business done with, and would have taken Morathi’s heart had Ariel given leave. Yet the Hag Sorceress had tasted the sorceries which Ariel had woven a bout herself, and now Morathi’s serpentine tongue offered deeper insight ' into dark lore, if only Ariel would spare her life.

At the last, Ariel relented and accepted Morathi’s bargain; after all, withou t the pow er of sorcery, she would never have been able to restore the long-sundered worldroots, nor overthrow Morathi’s dark citadel. Ariel should not have accepted that bargain. Indeed, the Ma ge Queen w ould not have accepted it had he r soul not been shadowed by the sorceries she had already employed, bu t the lure o f power was upon her. Morathi smiled inwardly as the deal was struck; she had no intention o f giving up her greates t secrets, but if a  po rtion o f he r k nowledge must b e shared to en sure surviv al, it was a price worth paying. So was M ora thi allowed to live, and begin the slow process of remaking her ravaged fortress.

 A DESCENT INTO DARKNESS U pon their return to Athel Loren, Ariel and O rion quarrelled greatly about the deal that had been struck. Lege nds tell how their arguments raged for days without meeting resolution, an d o f how that year the normally glorious autumn months were marred by icy cold. Next spring, the unthinkable happened —Orion was not reborn. Th e W ild Riders brought their supplicant to the O ak of Ages, b ut Ariel sent them away without explanation. Th e M age Que en now became ever more reckless. Indeed, many lords and ladies of the queen’s court believed that she had gone mad. Soon Ariel’s bitter nature spread to the spirits of the forest, and w ithout the oudet of Orion’s Wild H u nt to vent-their spite, they began to prey on the Elves in a way that hadn ’t been seen for centuries. W ithin a decade, life in Athel Loren had shifted from symbiotic harmony to a daily batde for survival. The Elves and spirits neither noticed nor cared, for their perceptions had insidiously shifted as the forest had changed. Indeed, none could recall living another way. Only a few had a sense that the balance had shifted, and to these life now became a waking nightmare. D urth u and Adanhu were am ongst those that kept the ir sanity, but they could do nothing in the face of the burgeon ing madness. The Wood Elves now became ever more aggressive, and at Ariel’s will journe yed far and w ide, avengin g the hurts of previous seasons. Bretonnian lords who expanded their domains too close to the forest’s bound s were driven back. Dw arf holds that had sent warriors against Athel Loren found their trade caravans slaughtered and their armies ambushed on the march. Greenskin tribes were exterminated, or driven from their lairs in the mountains. Ariel used her sorceries to reinforce many of these attacks. N ever again, she swore, would Athel Loren suffer from the greed or cruelty of primitives. W ha t she did not realise was that the more she drew on the forbidden magics, the more damage was done to the Weave and, as a consequence, the weaker Athel Loren —  and all who dwelt within it —became.

Before long, M org hu r arose again, this time in the Forest of Shadows. O n this occasion, Ariel resolved that the cre ature’s corrup tion w ould be stilled once and for all —she would consume his power as he had ever tried to devour hers. T he M age Quee n sent a host north through the worldroots, and they soon brought M org hu r’s warherd to battle. As they had before, the Wood Elves found the Co rruptor all but immune to their weapons, but Ariel had planned against this circumstance. Indee d, she relied upon it. At the battle’s height, Ariel directe d a great convocation of Spellsingers to snare Mo rgh ur and transport him through the worldroots to the O ak o f Ages. The re she bo und the foul creature with all the dark magics at her command, and began the ritual that would make his power her own. She would have succeeded in this disastrous plan had it not  been for D urt hu. T he E ld er ha d felt the disturba nc e as the Cor ruptor had been brough t along the worldroots, and was outraged that their sanctity could be so violated. Hastening to the Oa k o f Ages, he slew M org hu r before the ritual could be completed. Ariel screamed and railed at Durthu,  bu t da re d do no more. Eve n de lude d as she was, the M ag e Que en knew better than to harm one of the Elders, so she let him de part, claim ing ever after that it was mercy, rathe r than weakness, that stayed her hand.

THE PRICE OF POWER  Decade s passed. Still Ariel refused to allow Orion to be reborn, and still the Wood Elves cruelly pursued every slight inflicted on them. Dwarfen traders entered the Pine Crags, and were slaughtered without mercy. Wh en the mountain dwellers took revenge, the Wood E lves destroyed several holds in the G rey M ountains, though even they could not  breach the mighty fortifications o f Karak N orn . La ter, when a hopelessly lost Em pire army blundered into the Mead ow Glades, not only was it crushed without mercy, but Ariel loosed Dryads to raze the town from whence it had marched. Th e B retonnian cities of Parravon and Q uenelles suffered most of all, and teetered towards abandonment as peasants and nobles alike fled west to escape the cruelty of the Elves. But the W ood Elves were now dwindling. Some perished whilst warring in other lands, but most sickened and died as the imbalance Ariel had caused in the Weave took hold. M any of the newly-created worldroots withered and could not be healed, no matter what the M age Que en tried. Yet even this disaster would not turn Ariel from her path, so utterly had the Dark M agic tainted her soul. At around this time, the Phoenix K ing of U lthuan sent ambassadors to Athel Loren in an attempt to heal the wounds of the past. Ariel scornfully rejected the High Elves’ advances, an d trapped them w ithin the unseen paths of the forest. Un able to navigate Athel Lo ren so instinctively as the Wood Elves, the ambassadorial party remained trapped for long decades. T hey finally escaped only to blun der into an arm y of Bretonnians seeking recompense for the Wood Elves’ predations, and were soon after burnt at the stake by vengeful humans. At the last, the Elders of the forest could stand by no more. Spring came upon them, b ut there was no sign of renewal. Indeed, they could feel the forest withering and dying around them, and knew that disaster could only be averted i f the taint in Ariel’s soul could be cleansed. W ith the aid of a young

seeress named Naieth, who had herself resisted the madness of those times, they gathered what forces they could and marched on the K ing’s Glade. The re Ad anhu tried to reason with Ariel. He sought to turn the M age Queen aside from the path she had taken, but she denied him, and saw only an army come to dethrone her. Issu ing a great shriek, Ariel summoned the madd ened Elves and spirits to her side, and ordered her challengers begone. Battle then broke out in the heart of Athel Loren , though afterward no ne cou ld say which side struc k the first blow. The tide soon turned against Adanhu and his followers, for they were badly outnumbered. Thu s did the E lder resort to a desperate deed. Reaching out to Ariel through their shared connection with the Weave, Adanhu drew the taint from her heart and into his own. Alas, tha t selfless act was A danh u’s last —the burden which Ariel had borne those long years was too great for the m ighty Elder, and he perished instantly. All at once, the madness passed from the forest. Elves and spirits awoke as from a n ightma re, the cloak o f vengeance and spite that had clouded th eir vision for so long at least meltin g away like snow in the first days of spring. A riel saw none o f this. Ada nhu’s final gift had brou ght awareness o f all the harm she had wrought, of the natural cycles she had put out of balance by selfishness. Weeping, the Mage Queen fled and hid within the Oak of Ages, there to atone for her sins and focus on restoring the harm that she had done. Th e Season o f Retribution was finally ended, and a time of healing could now begin.

THE SEASON OF REDEMPTION V) 1-30 5 (Imperial Calendar 170 3 to 20 07 )

Ariel’s final act before sealing herself away was to return Orion to the world. Never had his return carried such sorrow, for though queen and consort exchanged many words, few of them were joyful. M any years would pass  before Ariel was seen again am on gst the glades o f Athel Loren. At the close of each year, the Wild Riders brought Orion’s ashes to the Oak of Ages, and each spring the King in the W oods was reborn. Yet for many long years he ruled alone. Ariel, in her sorrow and guilt, could not face her  peo ple, an d inste ad dw elt silent an d alone in the O ak of Ages. Th e Wood Elves were distraught tha t they should be so abandoned by she who was at once both mother and queen to them, bu t no amou nt of prayer or pleading would bring Ariel forth. So it was that the M age Que en’s throne o f silver and Starwood sat empty for many turn ings of the leaves. Des pite A riel’s absence, the cycle of fife continued. Th e  bo unda rie s of the fores t were gu ar ded against in trud ers, the ancient glades were maintained and roving Beastmen warherds were slaughtered. Naieth argued for the folk of Athel Lo ren to p ut aside their isolationism. Such a radical depa rture from tradition was litde to the taste of the lords and ladies, but a compromise was struck. Were it within the Wood Elves’ power to redress wrongs committed against the hum ans o r Dwarfs of nearby lands —in essence, the creatures whose past transgressions had been born of crude ignorance, rath er than w ilful malice —then they w ould do so. Such acts could only hasten the restoration of the Weave, and strengthe n Bre tonnia to a point where it could again serve as Athel Loren’s shield.

THE FATE OF THE SPIRIT   Ever since the coming o f Chaos, Slaanesh has fea sted on the 1  spirits of E be n dead, fo r no othe r race posse sses souls so  sweet and fi le d with sensation. Ala s, few Elven deities can offer   salvation, fo r the Ch aos God s broke the pow er o f the Elcen  pant heo n lon g ago. Those few that can still intercede are either  unreliable, or else offer an outcome scarcely less dire. To avoid this terriblefate, the Woo d Eloes make a pa ct with Ath el   Loren tha t extends fa r beyond their mortal bodies. When a Wood   E lf perishes, the fo re st he has tended fo r so long absorbs his  spirit and keeps it safe fro m th irsting Slaanesh. The fina l result o f  this transubstantiation can vary wildly. Mos t souls immediately lose all sense o f identity, and meld with the forest. Some spirits wander thepat hs they walked in life, hidden from the gaze o f all  but the m ost magically attuned, carrying messages and warnings to t hose who can hear their words. Others, driven by undying  need to protect their woodland home, take ro ot in deadwood  hulks, animating the barren timbers into the b attle-forms known as Tree Kin. Som e Elves even believe tha t they have encountered  love d ones reborn in the for m o f wild animals or as mischievous  spite-creatures tha t fli t between the boughs. Such things might seem unlikely to outsiders, but there is little tha t is impossible beneath the eaves o f A th el Loren. In this way, every grove and hall in the fore st is overlaid with echoes o f past,  prese nt and future, and home to both the living and the dead.

RIGHTING THE BALANCE For several decades, all seemed well. Th e Wo od Elves held true to their cou ncil’s decision, and many an incredulou s Dw arf king or Bretonnian duke found a losing batde reborn as victory throug h the aid of Athel Loren ’s keen-eyed archers. Many were the battles won, but the greatest without doubt were when the Skaven emerged from their U nderEmpire and besieged the cities of Brionne and Quenelles. For three nights a nd days, the fey warriors o f Athel Lor en fought alongside the flower of Breton nian chivalry, a nd finally drove the foul ratmen back into their tunnels. In honour of the victory, L ord Arda, Warden of Ygrysyll and com mander of the Wood E lf host, was accorded an honorary Knight o f the Realm by Du ke M erovech of Mousillon. Arda remained carefully polite whilst in the company o f the hum ans, b ut removed the gaudy decoration Merovech h ad pinned upon him as soon as he was out o f sight. It is doubtful that any guessed the Wood Elves’ motivation at this time, an d no explanation was given. A fter all, outsiders would never have understood the importance of maintaining the Weave. Even if they had been capable of grasp ing the concept, the Wood E lves were certainly not prep ared to share their secret guilt. Little by little, the Bretonnian s came to look upon the Wood E lves as allies once more. As for the Dw arfs, they took what aid was offered, bu t never a one considered striking an entry from the Book of Grudge s in thanks.  N o one foug ht ha rd er than Orion . H e kn ew full well the depth of his queen’s hurt, and sought to soothe it. If that meant fighting alongside filthy Dw arfs, then his soul would  bear th at bu rden . H e was a god, after all, an d there fore capable of feats beyond the reach of mortals. How ever, with each passing year Orion’s campaigns became longer and  bloodier. D ee p within the O ak of Age s, Ariel learned of this and grew troubled. It would serve the Wood Elves poorly if Orion’s unchecked fury repeated the previous season’s mistakes. The M age Qu een saw now that the balance  betwe en her an d he r c onsort was crucial to Athel L or en ’s survival. Unfortunately, the Mage Queen was not yet ready to leave the O ak o f Ages and rejoin the council —nor would she be so for many seasons. Th us she sent emissaries in her stead, two heralds who shared her power and spoke with her voice. Th ese w ere strangers to all but a few, who claimed to have fought alongside them in battles long past, even though the emissaries’ age belied such a claim.

THE SISTER S OF TWILIGHT Ariel’s emissaries were twin maidens named Naestra and Arahan; only by the shade o f their hair and their m anner could they be told apart. Dark-maned Naestra’s spirit was noble and chaste. H er touch could heal the rawest wound , and it was with heavy heart that she brought harm to even the foulest creature. By contrast, A rahan’s hair was as white and newly fallen snow, and belied a wild soul that rejoiced in the viscera of battle. She revelled in the th rill of life, and her conduct ever teetered on the brink o f the acceptable - even in a realm as permissive as Athel Lore n. In years to come, rumou rs would abound that Naestra and Arahan were but one being split in twain, the better to speak for the d ark 

and ligh t natures o f Ariel’s soul. A nd perh aps this was true. Certainly the twins were never seen apart. Mo reover, they often finished one anothe r’s sentences - thou gh whethe r the original intent was maintained when this happened, or was twisted to match the speaker’s will, it was impossible to say. Initially, the council did not accept Naestra and Arahan at their word, for they were strange rs to all living Elves, and the spirits of the forest remained silent on the matter. Th e twins were treated with cautious respect, but barred from the King’s Glade. Naestra took this distrust in her stride, never once raising her voice in ire; Arahan respon ded with anger and impetuous threats. O nly when summ er cooled to autumn, and O rion returned to the forest, was the matter settled. The King in the Woods instantly recognised the essence of his queen in the twins and, tho ugh he disliked the rebuke that their presence implied, grudgingly confirmed their authority. Thereafter, Naestra and Arahan took Ariel’s  plac e u po n the cou ncil. N eith er took he r thron e, but stood in attendance on either side of it whilst the council deba ted. Seldom d id the twins speak, except to counteract the  pre vailing mood. Nae stra addres se d the cou ncil mo st often in the sum mer months, and soug ht only to tem per wildness, whilst Arahan made outburst only in winter’s dull months, when needless caution and lethargy were rife.

 ARIEL RETURNS In all, Ariel spent more than three centuries hidden from the world. It is likely she would have tarried longer, had she not discovered that M org hu r had been reborn. Ariel sensed that this incarnation was more powerful than any that had  preced ed it, an d th at all of Ath el L ore n would need to unite to defeat him. In truth, the Mage Queen’s soul was still not fully cleansed, and she worried on the wisd om o f going forth unhealed. But she knew that dire times have ever required dire sacrifice, and em erged at last from the O ak o f Ages. Gre at was the rejoicing that day. The Wood E lves had all  bu t g iven up their queen for lost, an d now welcom ed her without reservation. Even the spirits of the forest, who had longer memories than the Elves and who had borne the  bru nt o f Ari el’s ma dness, felt jo y at he r r et ur n —tho ug h few would adm it it. M ost joyous was the reunion between Ariel and Orion, for they had spent long centuries of sadness and anger apart. Th e celebrations were tempered n ot one whit  by the know led ge th at Arie l’s re tu rn coinc ide d w ith the eve of another great battle. If the C orruptor had returned their queen to them, said the Elves, then at least the misbegotten creature ha d done so meth ing wholesome in his vile existence.  Non e of the m saw the da rk sp ark of malice th at still lurked in A riel’s spirit. A taint of darkness can n ever be fully driven once it has taken root, a burden the M age Q ueen w ould have to bear ever after. O ften its d arkness wo uld call to her in the still watches o f the nigh t, when hope seem ed lost. In the ages after, Ariel would never truly know w hich o f her decisions were made out o f malice, rathe r than reason. A mon th later, as the outside world reckons time, M or gh ur ’s warherd was brough t to battle in the Forest of Arden. T he  beast h ad alrea dy annihilated an army o f knights ridi ng from nearby Gisoreux, and doubtless believed that the host of Elves array ed before him w ould fall jus t as easily. H e was wrong. H aving been forced to confront the darkness within her own soul, Ariel had lost her fear of M org hur and had

accompanied her folk to war. Though she was content to let Orion command the battle, Ariel matched and overcame the dark sorceries of the Bray-Shamans with her own magics. Worse for the Beastmen was the fact that Naestra and Arahan too had accompanied the Elves to war. They fought not at their mistress’ side, as perhap s m ight have been expected,  but roam ed far an d free up on the back o f a m ighty D rago n.  N ae stra ’s pu rity was an athema to the Be astme n, an d he r ve ry  pre sence bu rn ed them like fire. Yet the Child ren o f Chaos did no t flee her coming, for A rahan fo ught ever at her sister’s side. T he shadowed twin’s dark n ature was an irresistible lure to the Beastmen, and they pursued her with mad hunger. Few survived long enough to reach their quarry, and those that did had their vile throats slit by Arahan’s wicked knives. At the last, their ranks scythed down by arrows, or scattered  by the hooves o f the W ild H u nt, the Beastmen could take no more. As one, the warherd turned and melted away into the woods. O nly M org hu r stood his ground, gibbering his wild madness at those who came to claim his life. The Corruptor was gravely wounded, his hide pierced by many arrows, but still the will of the Dark Gods drove him to defiance. Then a final bowstring sang, and at last M org hu r fell dead, a black arrow protruding from his eye socket. Great was the feasting in Athel Loren when the host returned. M any heroes had made their names that day. Mo st lauded of these was Scarloc, the arch er whose arrow had finally felled the M aste r of Skulls; but there was glory aplenty in which all the Elves could share. Thus passed the Season of Redemption. Ariel and Orion were at last reunited, and the Wood Elves’ sundered spirits were again made whole.

THE SEASON OF DOOM  VI, 1 A Dream o f Doom

 V I, 25 Alliances Denied

 V I, 16 7 Th e Defence of Yvresse

 As the season turned, the fa te o fthe Wood Elve s was

 Deeming tha t the Wood Elve s wo uld prov e valua ble

 Araloth , L or d ofTalsyn, led his householdgua rd 

changed forever. N aieth the Prophetess, High Seer 

allies in their ongoing wars, both the Witch King of 

through the worldroots to Ulthuan, an d to the aid o f 

o f Ath el Loren, ha d a vision in which the fores t 

 Naggaroth a nd Phoen ix Kin g Bel-H ath or elected 

 Lo rd Mora nion o f Ath el Tamarha. A t this time, the

was drowned in fire and Chaos. The details o fthe

to send emissaries to Ath el Loren. Finubar, the

kingdom of Yvresse, in which A lhe l Tamarha lay,

 premon ition were hazy, as such things often are, bu t 

ambassador from Ulthuan was particula rly ne rvous o f 

was under ceaseless assault fro m D ar k E lf Raiders.

 Na ieth was able to determine tha t this fa te a wa ited not 

this assignment, as the last ofhis kin d to enter the forest 

 Mora nion s surprise at the Wood E lve s’ ar riv al 

only Athel Loren, but the entire world.

ha d van ished un der mysterious circumstances.

quickly gave way to grim joy. Though he an d his eldest   son Elthario n h ad battle d the Naggaroth i at every

 Na ieth soon brought this news to the great council. Few o fthe lords and ladies believed her, but it mattered  not. O flate, Ar iel ha d experienced an unprecedented 

 As matters transpired, both delegations were welcomed  with great civility. The Wood Elve s wen t to great   pain s to keep the parties separated. Indeed, it is

turn, many o f Yvresse’s forces were overseasfighting  the Phoenix King’s wars, and those that remained  were toofe w to end the threat. Ar alo th’s kinbands

 shifting o fthe Weave, and divin ed that this tremor 

doubtful that either set o  fpetitioners eve r knew that 

o f Etern al G uard more than compensated fo r this

 per taine d to the disaster Naie th h ad foreseen.

the other was there. Ho wever, both ambassadors

deficiency, a nd the D ark Elv es w ere soon brought to

Gathering together fiv e hu ndre d ofthe r ealm ’s most 

were affronted to discover that A riel w ould not meet 

battle and defeated on the Isle o  fAestuniac.

accomplished Spellweavers, A riel an d Na ieth ventured 

w ith them, an d instead chose to conduct negotiations

 for th into the Dream ing Wood —a perilous reach o f 

through the lords and ladies o fthe great council. Both

 In the afterma th, Mora nion as ked Araloth wh y he

 Ath el Loren whose glades opened onto many times and 

ambassadors reacted w ith outrage, an d this di d little

ha d chosen to intercede. A raloth sim ply rep lied tha t his

 places. There, afte r many dangerous months amongst 

to encourage the Mage Queen to reconsider her position.

ancestors had sprung from Alh el Tamarha, an d that he

the Daemon-haunted groves, theyfina lly gleaned some

could not have stood idly by and seen the forests ofth eir 

o fthe answers they sought.

Ultimately, the Wood Elv es listened, an d refused, both

homeland destroyed. Strangely cheered by the Wood 

nations. The High Elve s had treated with A lhel Loren

 E lf ’s answer, Mo ranion bade far ew ell an d returned 

So fa r as Ar iel could determine, the fa te o fthe world — 

as if it we re stil l some wayw ard colony to be graciously

home. I t w as not u ntil years later tha t he discovered 

an d therefore Athel Loren —hinged upon the sur viva l 

draw n back into the fold , a nd not as the sovereign

that Araloth had spokenfalsely, and he never learned 

o fbeings such as herself, Orion an d the Lad y oft he

nation it was. B y contrast, the Da rk E lves ha d made

why the Wood E lf ha d done so.

 Lake. Du ring he r sojourn in the Drea ming Wood,

many promises o f shared glory, bu t the Wood Elv es

 A riel ha d discovered with dismay th at some ofthese

deemed tha t their words a nd hearts were hollow. Both

 VI, 19 5 Durthu’ s Rage

 godly aspects ha d already been slain —this ha d been

ambassadors were bidden to leave Ath el Loren, an d to

 By this time, th e E rra ntr y Wars in Bretonnia ha d 

the cause o fthe disturbance with in the Weave. Some

never return. The Wood Elve s w ould seek their own

 succeeded in dr ivin g greenskins fro m the heartlands

had falle n in battle —despite their power, they were

 pa th in the years to come, ju st as they h ad fo r centuries.

and into the w ild comers o fthe kingdom. As it 

not immortal. Others had been devou red by Morghur,

happened, one such w ild comer w as Ath el Loren,

an d these losses Ariel fe lt most keenly, fo r these were

and the middle reaches o fthe forest fou nd themselves

deaths she could have prevented. For centuries, the

inundated by a tide of greenskins.

 Ma ge Queen ha d used the La dy o fthe Lake to cheat   M org hu r’s hunger rath er than d eal with the creature

The welcome side-effect o fthis was tha t the Wood 

directly,for if the Corruptor did not threaten Athel 

 Elv es needed to do little about the Beastmen this year,

 Loren, then w ha t concern was he to the Wood El ve s?

as the rampaging Ores a nd Goblins soon crushed the

The Mage Queen foun d the answ er little to her liking. When Ariel a nd Na ieth left the Dreaming Wood,

 V I, 77 Ho rror from the Vaults

Children o f Chaos. So pleased were the Wood Elv es

The Winds o f Ma gic blew strongly through the

by this slaughter, tha t ha d the greenskins elected to

Vaults o f Winter in this year, a nd roused to life the

leave the forest peaceably a t this point, the Wood Elves

they did so in the company ofless than h a lfo fthe

 Daemons froz en in its enchan ted caverns. Daemonettes

Spellwe avers tha t had set out. The others had been

an d Fiendsflooded into Arranoc, slaughtering 

 such has neve r been the nature o f Ores and Goblins.

all who w ould not succumb to their w ild desires.

 Buoyed with confidence after destroying the Beastmen,

consumed by the horrors that dwelt amidst the glades, or driven mad by the glimpses ofdestiny. A t the next   great council, Ar iel conveyed wha t she ha d seen to the lords and ladies o fher court. S till they argued, fo r  none wanted to believe the onset of such dire times. The  Mag e Queen ove rruled the dissenters and decreed that 

 Am ad ri Dawnspear, war leader o  fArranoc, led the counterattack. Adas, the lo rd’s va lou r was fo r nought,

wo uld hav e allow ed them to do so unmolested. Adas,

the greenskins soon began hacking and bu rning as was their destructive wont.

and soon the warriors ofhis host lay de ad upon the  sun-dap pled ground, a nd Daw nspea r him selftaken captive as a plaything fo r cruel Daemons.

the realm o f Ath el Loren wo uld not stand idle wh ilst 

Unfortunatelyfo r the greenskins, the first groves tofeel  the bite o ftheir choppas were those und er D ur thu ’s wardenship. Scarcely ha d the fir st fire been lit when a

the rem aining aspects were slain an d the w orld came to

 Da wns pea r’s body did not endure long beneath the

 great host ofspir its swept out o f the deepwoods. D ryad s

ruin. The Wood Elve s would fight.

 Daemonettes ’ caresses, but his spirit refused to yield.

 fe ll upon the Goblins with vicious glee, tearing the

 Fleeing deeper into Alhe l Loren a t the moment o f 

dim inutiv e va ndals to bloody scraps. Tree Kin ground 

 VI, 19 Drycha’s Onslaught

release, th e w arlea der ’s soul took root in the bole ofa

their w ay through mobs of Ores, their hides all but 

 In this year, D rycha, Han dmaid en o f Coeddil,

dead tree. Thus was Ama dri Daw nspear reborn as the

immune to the greenskins’ w ild blows. Seeing his ladz 

Tree Kin Am adri Ironbark. When next Am adri entered 

on the brink o f retreat, Warboss Bra ka bellowed and 

 gathered to her a great war we ald affores t spirits, a nd  rampaged through southern Bretonnia. A fter defeating  the D uke o f Carcassonne at th e crossings o fthe Brienne,

 Arranoc, he did so with a great host o  fDry ads and 

roared at them to h old the line, on ly to be silenced when

Treemen at his back, and swe pt the fou l Daemonsfrom

 D urth u stomped him fia t w ith one massive, gnarled 

 she assailed the w alls o f La Ch ald Abbey. By the tim e

its ancient groves. H e then w ent alone to the Vaults o f 

 foot. Soon after, the mighty Treeman set about nursing 

 Bretonnian reinforcements arrived , th e abbey ha d been

Winter and dragged enormous boulders down from the

his slighted groves back to life using the bounty o fblood 

tom down and its relics stolen.

mountain peaks to seal its gates  forever.

and flesh th at the battle ha d provided.

 V I, 207 Battle at Shadow Fell  A t high summer, Ogre mercenaries, under the command o flegendary Firebelly G ragtar Flameheart,  fou nd the ir route home through the Grey M ountains

 VI, 229 Strange Aid Unforeseen

 Desperate was the battle in that glade, fo r the Wood 

When D aemons attacked the pitifu l Em pire village

 Elv es a nd forest spirits did battle not only with the

o f Lachenbad, the Wood Elv es saw fi t to intervene.

 Beastmen, but also the tw isted creatures o f Arden th at 

Und er the steady leadership of Nae stra a nd Arahan,

came at M org hu r’s call. Yet the warrio rs of Ath el 

cut by a spraw ling greenskin horde. Fortune seemed 

 Rangers o fthe Wildwoodfought the otherwordly

 Loren pressed on, ignoring the gobbets o f flesh tom from

bleakfo r the Ogres un til the trees themselves came

horrors to a standstill. Only w hen the battle was won

their limb s by fren zied mouths an d the poison loosed in

alive and a host o f Wood Elves descended from the

did the Wood Elves withdra w through the worldroots,

their veins by envenom ed claws.

 foothills. Though they join ed the battle on the Ogres’ 

leaving awestruck and mystified villagers behind them.

 side, Gragtar w as greatly disappointed when they

 Drya ds form ed the vang uard o fthe attack, the ir blows

refused to stay fo r a v ictory fea st o f flam e-gr illed Ore.

lent greater strength by kind led rage. With a mighty roar, a colossal Ghorgon rose up out o fthe warherd 

 V I, 2 13 Archer s of Renown

and scattered the Dryad s, b ut was soon overwhe lmed 

 In this year, Scarloc and his kinb and began their three-

and tom apart by the relentless Tree Kin who surged 

decade journ ey through the hum an kingdoms. Acting 

 for w ar d in the D rya ds’ wake. Waywatchers hung 

as sellswords, they uncovered much about the strengths an d weaknesses of the va rious realms.

 VI, 224 Th e Corru pto r Escapes

back under the shadow o fthe trees, their shots always

 VI, 239 Th e Battle of Arden

 seeking those whose bellowed commands directed the

 M orgh ur was once more revealed with in the Forest o f 

warherds. Doombulls and Beastlords fe ll dead upon

 Arden, an d Aralo th o fthe H ooked Blade begged leave

the scorchedglade, a rrows protrud ing from eyes and 

There was a great w ailing amongst the trees of the

to lead the hunt. A t first , A riel refused the plea, fo r she

open mouths.

Glade of Woe, a nd Ariel knew that Morghu r had been

knew fu ll w ell how revenge could wo und the seeker. In

reborn once more. Scouts soon located the vil e creature

this she w as opposed by Orion, who argued Ara loth’s

 In the centre ofthe glade, Bestigors clashed with

in the Forest of Arden and, no longer content to let 

case and, a t the last, convinced his queen to agree.

 Ara loth’s E tern al Guard, and fare d the poorer fo r the

others keep the Corruptor in check, the Mage Queen dispatched an army to kil l the beast whils t still young.

exchange. Spears flash ed like sunlight in the dark, and  When Araloth set out to hunt M orghur fo r the  second time, he d id so at the he ad o fa mighty host.

 slew m any o fthe fo u l creatures before their crude axes could be hefted. The Bestigorsfough t to the la st brutish

So it was that Araloth, L ord ofTalsyn, a nd Naieth

They passed overlan d through Bretonnia, concealing 

warrior, an d many an E lf was h ew ed before the last 

the Prophetess led many warrior kinbands on the hunt.

themselves from the curious eyes o f peasants and knights

 Beastman fled. Araloth hard ly noticed—he ha d eyes

They tracked Mo rghur and his warhe rd through the

alike by means o fa sorcerous mist. They arriv ed at the

only fo r Morghur, and w ith the Bestigors eliminated,

darkness of the forest, fellin g stragglers with bow an d 

 Forest of Arden tofin d it he avy w ith corruption, and 

the Lo rd ofTalsyn now h ad the chance to strike directly

blade. A t last, they routed M org hur ’s followe rs an d 

the scent of debased magic on the a ir —truly ha d this

at his foe.

cornered the beast. Mas, as Araloth readied his blade

now become the lai r o fthe Corruptor.

 fo r the killing strike, the air rang to the blare ofcrude horns and the bleating o funclean beasts. So inten t had  the Wood Elv es been on reaching their qua rry, th at 

 Before Araloth ha d left Athe l Loren, A riel ha d gifted  The Wood Elve s advanced through groves of blood-red   grass and trees tha t wep t black tears. Waywatchers

him a gourd of sap harvested from the O ak o f Ages, and he now unstoppered that container and flun g the

they ha d not noticed the Ungor scouts shadowing their 

advanced before and beh ind the m ain host —Araloth

enchanted contents into M org hur ’s face. N o purer 

every step. N ow, those trackers ha d led other Beastmen

had learnt the lessons of his previous hunt. For days,

liquid existed in a ll the world, and w here it touched 

to Mo rgh ur’s rescue and, b adly outnumbered, the Wood 

there was no sign ofthe beasts they sought, but other 

 M org hur ’s flesh, wh ite flam es rose up. Soon the

 Elv es w ere forced to retreat.

challenges there were aplenty. M any Dry ads a nd Tree  Kin ha d accompanied Ara loth’s host, a nd they seethed 

Up u ntil now, the Wood E lve s’ casualties had been

with rage at the fa te o fwhat had once been a verdant 

Corruptor was a ll ablaze, his strange mewling cries  provokin g both pity an d joy. Soon the creature was naught but ash, his threat ended fo r as long as it took 

light, fo r they h ad chosen the ground upon which each

 paradise. The fores t was hungry forfle sh, and m any

o ftheir battles had beenfought. N ow the Beastmen

 Elv es w ere devoured by gaping boles or tom limb from

took the ir bloody revenge. Glade G uar d fire d un til 

limb by vines. Here a nd there, theyfoun d the skeletal 

the ir quivers were empty, but there were alwa ys more

bodies of Bretonnian knights w ho ha d ended their 

 soon scattered. A raloth bade the herdstone be toppled,

Gr ail quests as mulch fo r the corruption. M utate d 

and a great pyre be lit in the centre o fthe glade, so

 foes to replace those tha t ha d been slain. With a heart 

him to be reborn. With M orghur ’s death, the rest of the Beastmen were

twisted by anger and sorrow, Araloth left a rearguard 

 fores t creatures scuttled through the undergrowth, ma d 

tha t the corrupted bodies o fthe foe could be cleansed.

o fvolunteers to hold back the raging Gors, an d led the

eyes shining horribly in the darkness and their razor-

This wo rk done, the Wood Elv es left the forest, bu t 

rest ofhis force on a desperate retreat out ofthe Forest 

 sharp teeth glistening with poison.

o f Arden.  M the last, only N aieth, Araloth an d a hand ful o f  others escaped the Forest o f Arden. They sur viv ed only because N aieth roused the slumbering trees to form walls ofbranch an d briar that barred the Beastmens  passage. Sham ed by his failure , A raloth soon returned 

they did so slowly. N ot a ll the sap had been used to destroy Morghur, a nd Araloth now placed a drop of 

 A t last, the host o f Ath el Loren came upon a blasted 

wha t remained at the base o feach corrupted tree tha t 

 glade, in w hich M orgh ur and his w arh erd were

he passed. Each time, the enchanted sap wroug ht its

 gathered. A colossal herdstone had been raised in the

magic, an d a purifyin g fir e sprang up. Yet the flames

very centre o fthe clearing the rubble o fits core the

did not consume the trees as they h ad Morghur, but 

remains of a once-proud Grail chapel, a nd it w as upon

merely burnt a way his corruption.

this sum mit tha t the Corruptor capered an d yowled.

to the Forest o f Arden as pa rt o fa fa r larger host, but 

Catching sight of his prey at last, Aralo th nocked an

Thus did the Lo rd ofTalsyn bring new life to the Forest 

 M orgh ur had gone —the Beastmen had used their 

arrow to his mighty longbow and let fly . The shot sped 

o f Arden. E ve r after, it w as accounted amongst the

 prim itive magic to spirit the creature away. It wo uld 

true; i t struck M orghur from the herdstone, wounded,

hallowed places in Bretonnia, though there was n ever 

be many years before Araloth wo uld have his chance

but alive. The signal fo r battle given, the E lves le t out 

a damsel or knight o fthat upstart realm w ho ever 

at revenge.

their w ar cries, an d charged into the glade.

truly learned the reason why.

 V I, 245 Slaugh ter at Bleak Meadow

 It was in this d arkest hou r that he lp arr ived from a

 VI, 255 Battle in the Black Forest

 In this year, th e Beastman wa rherd s w ithin Ath el 

most unexpected quarter. Finubar, now Phoenix King 

The chronicles of Naggaroth te ll o fhow, in this year,

 Lore n sw elled to unprecedented size a nd laid siege

o f Ulthuan, had long dwelt on how to repair relations

 M ora thi wa s ambu shed by Shado w Warriors as she

between the two great Elven nations. On learning that 

 searched fo r the lost Cro wn o f Hotek. The chronicles

to all its chief strongholds. In the east, N aestra and   Ara han led the defence of Pine Crags. In the west,

 A the l Loren wa s beset, he bade Prince E ldy r gather a

 Na ieth the Prophetess ma rshalled her household to

 great arm y an d march to the Wood E lve s' aid. Though

defend the Glade o f Ete rn al Moo nlight. E ve n the

they had been delayed by storms, the High Elves now

Wildwood came under attack, and the savage-minded 

add ed their strength to the ir cousins'.

also recount, and with some disbelief, how the Hag  Sorceress and her escort knew salvation only through the intervention o fa warweald of Dryad s.

 VI, 278 The Madness of Orion

 spirits o ftha t twis ted place fou nd much battle as the  Beastmen descended. Yet it w as in th e glades aroun d 

 Ev en combined, the E lven armies w ere greatly

the Oak o f Ages tha t the Wood E lve s were most sorely

outnumbered by the Beastmen, but determination and 

 A fter a w in ter fu ll o f ill omens, O rion wa s reborn into madness. The King in th e Woods ha d ever been given

beset; there were running battles amidst the trees as

renewed hope swiftly compensated fo r the paucity

Glade Gua rd and W ild Riders sought to drive the

o fnumbers. Ulthuani Mages called down storms of 

Cloven Ones away from this most sacred o  sites. f

lightning a nd blun ted the spells o f Bray-Shamans,

herself safe in his company. N o one could identify

leaving the Spellsingers o  fAth el Lore n free to rouse

whe ther the cause ofthis madness was a flaw in the

and invigorate the living forest. Cothiquan spearmen

ritual tha t granted him new life, or some incipient 

Great victories there were, but great tragedies also. On C arthad Knoll, Araloth, champion o fthe Mage

 foug ht shoulder-to-shoulder w ith E tern al Guard,

Queen led Glade G uar d against Ghorros W arhoo f’s

Wh ite Lions o f Chrace alongside Wildw ood Rangers.

kinherd; those Centigor the Wood Elve s d id not kill 

 Dragon P rinces an d W ild Rider s tipped the ir lances

were soon set to fligh t. Gr uarth the Beastmaster foug ht 

and spears as one, each brotherhood of E lfknights

an d died in the de ll that w as his home, his dea d hands

determined to prove their superiority. Scarloc foug ht 

locked about the throat o fthe Wargor who h ad slain

back to back w ith Ystranna o fthe Maiden Guard;

his be loved sabre-toothed tigers. Beastmen descended 

to a w ild and w rathfu l manner, but his behaviour now  seemed to be beyond a ll control —only Arie l considered 

mania o fthe E lfwho was chosen to bear his mantle. Worse, O rion's insan ity was contagious, and soon many of A the l Loren 's Elv es a nd spirits were at one another's throats. This year, the W ild Hu nt was nearly  fo u r times its no rmal size, a nd w rough t great damage even before it left the fore st an d brought its fu ry to the

 Ara loth the Bra ve a t Prince E ldy r's side.

lands o f Bretonnia.

they w ould w reak, only to be stopped dea d by a single

 Mo grak kn ew tha t a great victory h ad been cheated 

Great was the slaughter inflicted upon the domain o f 

wa rrior clad in golden armour. Da ith the master-

 from him, but he refused to yield. A t the shaman's

upon the Torgovann, roaring with joy a t the carnage

 sm ith ha d sworn n ever to let the vile creatures loose in

command, unclean w arriors h urled themselves

Quenelles tha t year, so great th at Fredfar, the duke o f  tha t city, ha d no choice but to rouse a host o fknights

his armouries; in this cause he ha d come for th arm ed 

 forw ard s un der storm-blackened skies. The ground 

with weapons he w ould allow no other to sully w ith

 shook as Mino taurs slam med into the E lven ranks.

counselledagainst such a course o faction, but Duke

war. In the eternal warmth o fthe Summerstrand,

 L ef t and rig ht the brutes hacked, each blow cu tting 

 Fredfar w as a m an in whom the vir tues o fchivalry

 Am ad ri Ironb ark le d hisfello w Tree K in against 

down two o r three Elves. M ograk how led into the

monsters sofou l tha t countless E lves had succumbedto

darkness, d rawing twisted monsters  fro m the depths o f 

madness w ith but a glance a t the ir horrific features.

the forest. The dead grasses o fthe Witherhold writhed 

an d bring Orion to battle. O ther nobles o fthe realm

blossomed true, a nd he refused to sit idly by w hilst a  great slaughter wa s wro ught upon his peasantry.

in revulsion as these creatures made themselves known

Thus passed Fredfar, D uke o f Quenelles, slain in

 Few slept durin g these dar k days, fo r there were

upon the field, once-noble creatures reshaped by the

battle w ith a force o fnature that he never stood any

always other battles tofight. None slept w ell, fo r the

dark will ofthe Chaos Gods.

chance o fdefeating. Ma ny o fthe duke's fine st knights

howling an d chanting o fthe Beastmen echoed on the

 perish ed alongside their master; so many, in fac t, tha t 

breeze. T he only respite offered by these bleak times wa s

 Mo grak h ad hoped to break the E lve s' spirit, but 

the defences o f Quenelles were left sorely weakened. As

that Morghur, Ma ster o fSkulls, w as not the driving 

the children o f Isha rem ained undismayed. Arrow s

a result, when the W ild Hun t veered northward to

hissed forth to fe ll Ghorgons an d Cygors. W ardancers

the city itself, the throng ofmaddened Elves and spirits

 force b ehind this particu lar incursion - ha d indeed  he been there, the situation wou ld have beenfa r more dire. Little by little, and a t the cost ofcountless lives,

 pirou etted into the hear t o fbattle, blades flash ing to cut  throats and sever spines. Outnumbered, b ut fa rfr o m

 soon breached the w alls an d ran am ok in the city.  Blood ran through the streets as the W ild H un t ven ted 

the Beastmen were driven out o fall Athel Lorens

outmatched, the Elves began to turn the battle's tide.

its fu ry , an d neither the v alou r o fknights nor the

regions, save one. A great warherd, many thousands

 By the tim e sun fe ll on tha  tfate ful day, the better pa rt 

bristling spears of M en-a t-arm s could check its ferocity.

 strong still ram paged across the ta inted glades arou nd 

o fthe w arhe rd was destroyed, a nd those Beastmen w ho

the Tree o f Woe, an d there gathered under the tattere d 

remained were in retreat. M ograk ha d fle d before the

banners o f Mograk, the Lo rd o f Crows.

end, preserving his fo u l hide by abandoning his minions

Orion's rampage carried him into the sacred grove

w hilst battle stil l raged. Th is one act o fdesertion cost 

at its ve ry heart. No sooner had he stepped within

Weary, an d burdened w ith grie  fo f r the ir lost kin,

the Beastmen greatly, for without Mo grak's leadership

the Wood Elves mustered to figh t one last battle tha t 

the re treat soon became a rout, an d the rou t a massacre.

wou ld drive the C hildren o f Chaos  fro m Ath el Loren.  A ll knew it w ould be the bloodiest figh t o fa long and 

 In the end, the glorious city was sa ved only when

those verdant bounds than a mist came down, and   stillness overtook him fo r the fir st tim e since his rebirth. There are fe w accounts as to w ha t happened next, fo r 

 As v ictory daw ned, the reserve between the tw o E lven

the skeins ofmists cheated the eyes o falmost all who

terrible year, but there was no time to heal the harm s o f 

races returned. The H igh E lves h ad suffered greatly

watched. A di agree tha t a slenderfigur e appeared in the

the battles that had preceded it. Winter wa s drawing 

in the battle, an d many now blamed the Wood Elve s

mists beside Orion, but none recount who that figure

in and, ifthe Beastmen wer e not defeated before the

 fo r the losses. A s fo r the Wood Elve s, they quickly took 

 fir st frost, Orion w ould be lost to them a nd the forest 

against their a llies' arrogance. Ea ch par ty ha d earned 

 spirits w ou ld fade; with out them, there could be no

was, or wh at words were exchanged between them.  Ait daw n the nex t day, Orion a nd the W ild H un t 

the o ther's respect, b ut friend ship wa s still a long way

left ravaged Quenelles behind and returned to Athel 

hope ofvictory. So it w as that those Elves still capable

off. Though kin d words were exchanged by individua ls,

 Loren. Tha t year, the King in the Woods surrendered 

o fbattle bound the ir wounds a nd h urled themselves

the bonds between the great nations o  fAth el Loren an d 

into the fra y one last time.

Ulthuan were little closer than they had been before.

himselfto the pyre many months earlier than in years  past, though no explana tion wa s forthcom ing as to why.

 VI, 29 4   Intervention in Avelorn  Far aw ay fro m Ath el Loren, the D ar k E lf Age o f 

trackers,felling them w ith arro ws or luring them onto  false trails. This w as dead ly wo rk, fo r the D aemons

Vengeance ha d begun, an d Nagga rothi armies raged 

were many a nd Scarloc an d his comrades  few . Worse,

across Ulthuan. A velo m ’s ancient groves burne d as the

the woods o f Av elom were th ick w ith D ar k E lves,

 D ar k E lves advanced, but the ir rea l pr ize —   Alar ielle

and many times Scarloc w as forced to break from his

the Radiant, Everqu een o f Ulthuan —was spirited 

mission to evade or eliminate Naggarothi patrols.

Warskald and the Spellsinger Kaia Stormwitch —  were lauded fo r the ir actions. As it happened, N ’ka ri  fina lly discovered his qu arry a fe w days later, only to be banish ed by the magics ofTy rio n’s brother, Teclis.  Amongst the D aemo n’s charr ed remains, Tyrionfou nd  a single arrowhead, somehow come safe through the fire an d lightning. I t was clearly not o f Ulthuani make but,

aw ay by Prince Tyrion. In response, M alek ith loosed  the Daemon N ’ka ri to the hunt, bidding him slay the

Only once did Scarlocface N ’ka ri directly, and then

though the brothers could not place the origin, i t was

 Everq ueen an d all w ho sheltered her.

briefly. A t that time, the Daem on w as but an ho ur’s

 soonforgotten in the days th at followed.

march from where the Everqueen lay hidden. With no

ip  j 

Great still were the ties between Avelorn and Athe l 

better tactic at hand, Scarloc an d his sur viving scouts

 V I, 33 3 Gashrak’s Fall

 Loren , a nd the pain caused by the D ar k E lfinvasion

revealed themselves to N ’ka ri and stung him to wra th

 A t high summer, Waaagh! Gashra k swe pt down fro m

echoed through the spirits o fthe great forest. A riel 

with a sw ift volley. Scarloc knew tha t he wou ld be

the Vaults and descended upon Athel Loren, but had 

was determined that her people w ould not become

hard-pressed to defeat a maddened Greater Daemon,

the m isfortune to charge headlong into Orion ’s W ild 

invo lved in this latest feu d between the ir cousins, but   saw tha t there were greater stakes amongst the carnage. So it w as tha t peerless Scarloc and a kinband o fhis  fine st scouts trave lled the wo rldroots to Ave lom , w ith

 so they did not try. Instead, they lure d the beast onto an

 H un t as it surged for th into the Pa rravon lowlands.

army of D ar k E lves who, pa nicked by N ’ka ri’s onset,

 A fter a b rie fbut bloody battle along the banks ofthe

loosed a flurr y o fcrossbow bolts an d thus earn ed the

 R ive r G rismerie, Ga shrak ’s lad z w ere rou ted into

 Keeper o fSecrets’fu ll measure o fretribution.

the mountains. Gashrak him selfwa s slain by O rion’s  spear, a nd his body staked out on the borders of Ath el 

instructions to harry the Daemon N ’ka ri with all the cunning at their command.

 As N ’ka ri tore through the Na ggaro thi ranks — Wood 

 Lore n as a wa rning to others o fhis kind.

 E lves an d Everqu een both temp orarily forgotten —   For weeks, Scarloc s scouts thwa rted the K eeper of 

Scarloc slipped away through the worldroots. Th at 

Secrets as it hunted. They d id not seek to engage the

last deadly chase had cost him many o fhis fellow s, an d 

beast directly, bu t par alleled its pa th through the forest.

he judge d that Alarielle must now attend to her own

Time an d again, Scarloc and his comrades ambushe d 

 fate. On th eir retur n to Ath el Loren, Scarloc and his

the Daemonettes and Fiends that N ’ka ri used as

comrades — Glam, the Laughing Warrior, Araflane

 V I, 378 Gru dge of Ages The Dw arfs o f Karak Norn marched again on Athel   Loren , ju st as they ha d many times since the long-ago death o f Grungni Goldfinder. As on previo us occasions, they were bloodily repulsed fo r no mea ningful gain.

a I fy t

r 

 V I, 42 5 Massacre in the Reikwa ld  D ryc ha ’s han dma idens atta cke d the Sh rine ofT aa l  in the Reikw ald. Though the vengeful Branchw raith  struck w itho ut w arn ing a w ily hu ntsm an slipp ed  through the carnage and managed to bring w ord to

 falle n wh en D ur thu wa s loose amongst Kem mler s

 V I, 49 1 Ro ck jaw’ s F east

ranks, smashing and pu lver ising a ncient bones with a

The Ogre Braggat Rockjaw and his Stonegut 

vengeance. Seeing tha t his minions stood little chance o f 

mercenaries crossed the Grey M ountains a nd into Mh el 

overcoming Durthu, the Lichemaster turned his dark 

 Loren . Inste ad o  fslaughtering the brutes, the Wood 

magics upon the mighty Treeman. D ur thu staggered 

 E lve s w elcome d them. A fter the Ogres had been plied 

under the assault, but kept coming. H ad K emm ler 

with a ll kinds ofwondrous meats a nd countlessflagons

were q uickly despatched, bu t were am bushed by

more time, perhaps he cou ld hav e brought down the

o f fae rie wine , they d epar ted the fore st unm olested 

 D rya ds a nd Treemen on the Altdo rf-W eism und road.

 E lde r o fthe Forest. B ut such wa s not his fate .

 A ltd o rfbefore dying o f his wounds. Reinforcements

the shrine h ad been levelled, its defenders slain an d the

(though there was a briefmoment o fdanger when one o fthe Ogres attempted to consume a live unicorn).

 By th e time the ba ttered arm y fin all y bro ke through,  Ar row s no w b urst out o fthe trees, thudding into shields

holiest relic —the Fang ofTaalroth —had been stolen.

and shattering bones. Lo rd Arias a nd L ord Edrael,

Thoroughly sozz led and stupefied, the Ogres didn ’t 

O f Dr ych a a nd h er handm aidens, there w as no sign.

rulers o fthe glades nearest to Kem mle r’s intrusions,

realise that the paths on which they left took them not 

ha d roused their hosts to battle. A s archers car ved great 

towards the Em pire, as they ha d intended, but into the

holes in the skeletons’ranks, the E terna l Gu ard o fthese

heart ofa Ska ven w arren on the edge o  fParra von.

two gre at houses advan ced into the gaps, spears  flash ing 

This they obliterated in short, an d drunken, order.

as they came. G lade Riders sp urred around the flanks,

When the battle was done, an E lfma id appeared to

raking the foe w ith volleys ofp inp oin t archery.

 Roc kjaw, an d presen ted him w ith wond rous riches; the agreed price, she said, for the battleju st conducted.

 V I, 488 Battle o f the Cairn s

 Kem mler no w grew desperate, a nd co mm itted 

 Ro ckjaw couldn’t rem ember agreeing to fig h t the ba ttle,

 He inrich Kemmler, Liche ma ster a nd ev er an

other forces. G iving a gr eat cry, h e ca lled a dozen

but took the gold anyway. Thereafter, he swore nev er to

unkno wing pa w n ofth e Chaos Gods, came to Alhe l 

bat-winged Terrorgheists fro m storm -laden skies. M 

enter Mhe l Loren again.

 Lor en in the w inte r oft hi s year. Cloaking him se lf in

the loathsome monsters tore into the E terna l Guard,

dar k enchantments, the Necroma ncer ghosted through

 Kem mler w ork ed to restore his crumb ling ranks. M 

the outer defences o fthe slumbering forest. A t last, he

his dusty command, sundered bones re-knitted an d 

When a great warherd o f Minotaurs threatened to

came to C almost, the fin a l resting place o fmany a

hu rled themse lves into battle once more. Seeing their 

cross the Grey Mo untains into M he l Loren, Ariel 

 V I, 496 Massa cre Along the Weiss

barbarian horde and began the sorceries necessary to

 foes rebornfro m the br ink o fdefeat, the Wood Elves

bade her Sp ellweavers dive rt the swollen w aters o fthe

raise a great army o fthe vengeful dead.

 faltere d, an d began to w ithdr aw . On ly D ur thu stood 

 R iv er Weiss an d force the beasts back into the Em pire.

 fir m —i f anything he fou gh t al l the harder.

 It wa s then tha t the E mp ero r K ar l Fran z d id tha t  which none o fhisforebears had ever done —he walked 

Glade Rider s soon spied the Ne croma ncer’s ritua l   fires, an d spur red to the attack. Ma s, the ir interve ntion

 I t n ow fe ll to Ar ias a nd E dr ae l to rally th eir forces.

beneath the eaves o  fM he l Lore n to seek aid. The great 

came too late. Ke mm ler’s forces wer e alread y risin g 

 Kn ow ing his actions w ou ld speakfa r lou der tha n his

council were little inc lined to accede to the Em pe ror ’s

and the E lves were pulled fro m the ir saddles by the

words, Lord Edrael mounted his noble Dragon ally,

demands, fo r they perceived tha t his greatness wa s

 Begeir Seun, an d charged into the h ea rt o fthe fray.

worn as a mantle, rather than flow ed from a source

 grasping finge rs o fthe long-dead. Soon, K emm ler ha d a  great horde o fmany thousands o  fskeletons and w ights at his command. Goaded by a m otivation he cou ld not  quite explain, the Lichem aster abandoned his initia l 

Together, E lf and Dragonfelled one o  fKe mm ler’s

within. Yet nor could they deny the logic o fhis plea.

dread Terrorgheists, and tha t act ofvictory rekindled   some spark o fhope in the Wood E lve s’ ranks. I t was

So it was that O rion led the W ild Hun t over the

intention to m arch w est against Bretonnia and the

then that L ord A rias reached out into the noblest o f 

mountains and to the Em pire’s aid. W hilst Kar l Franz 

upstart Duke o f Parravon, an d instead led his horde

magics and fed this spark un til it was a roaring flam e.

rallied the em battled army ofWissenland, Orion and 

deeper into the forest. M hel Loren ’s shifting paths could  not deceive one so knowledgeable as he, a nd soon the

 M mo st as one, the Wood Elv es fou nd th eir courage anew and descended into battle once more.

 Ke mm ler’s change o fm ind soon pro ved a mistake. Though the Lichemaster ha d timed his attack to take advantage o fthe for es t’s w intr y slumbers, not a ll o f   M he l Lore n w as ye  tfu lly at rest. As th e Un dead  advanced, th eir unwholesome presence roused Dryad s  fro m th e irf itfu l sleep. S udden ly, th e shrie king fores t 

The U ndead ranks shuddered as Wood E lfarrows

 Rid ers an d celebrants o f Kurn ous ca rried the ir spears

began to thu d home once more. A Terrorgheist knocked 

deep into the heart o fthe M inota urs’form ation. Soon

 Ed ra el spra wlin g fro m Begeir Seu n’s back, b ut D ur thu

after, the King in the Woods slew the Doo mbull whose

wrestled the un living beast to the ground an d crushed 

bloodrage had begun the rampage.

its bones to powder. R angers o fthe Wildwood carried  their glaivesforward , pa rrying the strikes o fwight 

 De cima ted by disciplined handg un volleys, torn bloody

blades w ith co ntemptuous ease, then riposting to scatter 

by cannon fire and their most ferocious w arrio rs

bones and rusted arm our across the clearing.

the Glade R iders before, these Dryad s were soon overwhelmed, but their battle-cries ha d rousedyet  more o fthe forest.

 fe lle d by the fu r y oft he Elv es, the M ino tau rs shra nk  back. Seeing theirfoes quaver, the men o fthe Empire

 spirits w ere amo ngst Kem mle r’s ran ks, the ir talons tearing an d slashing at the vile Undead. Lik e

 Lor en fa r afield an d struck a t the w arh erd ’ sflank s.  Following the path o fcarnage left by their king Glade

 Lich em aster ’s fee t were set upon a pa th to the Oak o f   Ages a nd the ve ry h ea rt o fthe Elve n realm.

 N aie th the P rophetess led the sw iftest ride rs o  fM he l 

This time, even K em mle r’s sorceries could not offer 

 gav e out a gr eat cheer; bu t they d id so too soon. T he

 salva tion fro m the Wood Elv es ’ onslaught. The Winds

w ind shifted, a nd the scent ofblood it ca rried drove

o f Ma gic w ere sp utterin g an d he could barely fin d the

the M inotaurs into afresh frenzy . Suddenly beset by

 po we r to rek nit his ow n w ounds, let alone those o fhis minions. B itterly accepting his defeat, the Necroma ncer 

an enemy they had thought beaten, the bra ve men o f  Wissenland suffered greatly. Regiments o  fHa lberdier s

 D urth u, greatest o fthe Treemen, w as one ofthose

 fled , s acrificing wh at w as le ft o fhis once-great army to

and Greatswords were hacked apart,filling the a ir 

roused by the D rya ds’ cries. N o sooner did h is spirit 

 pres erve h is own miserable life. Sum mon ing the las t o f 

with y et more blood-spoor and d riving the Minotaurs

 flu tte r to wa kefulness tha n he sm elt the w itch-scen t of 

the Terrorgheists to his side, the Lichemaster winged 

ever more berserk. Ka rl Franz mo ved to reinforce the

Und ead upon the breeze. H is torpor soon gave way

his wa y south into the mountains. It w ould be many

line, but was swept fro m the back o fhi s horse by a

to wakeful wrath, and scarcely had the last D ryad 

long years before he dared set foot in M he l Loren again.

Cyg or’s boulder.

■■

 Ev en from the other side ofthe battlefield, Orion’s

 V I, 500 Doo mstar’ s Revenge

 VI, 5 15 The Turn of the Season

keen eyes saw the Emperor fa ll. The King in the

The outlying workings and defences of Karak Kadrin

 For nearly two years, the E lves o f Ath el Loren

Woods was tom. He was weary, having been sorely

came under assault by vengeful Wood Elv es under 

had watched as the armies o f Louen Leoncoeur 

wounded in battle w ith a colossal Ghorgon, an d cared 

the comm and o f Thalandor. For nearly a year,

and M allobaude the Serpent tore Bretonnia apart;

little fo r K arl F ran z’s surviv al. As fa r as Orion was

Thaland or’s host m aintained the ir blockade, crushing 

watched, an d had done nothing to prev ent it. The

concerned, the hu man ’s puny life m attered nought in the

countless sorties by the defenders, an d twice repelling 

madness that N aieth ha d foreseen was overtaking the

armies from Zhu fbar tha t had been sent to break the

world, and th e supremacist struggles o f two h uman

wider context o fthe Weave. Even ifthe Wissenlanders were routed from the field, the Wood Elv es could   simply w ithdr aw behind the floodwaters o fthe Weiss

 siege. Only w hen the L ord o f Argwylon was satisfied 

warlords seemed insignificant by comparison.

tha t recompense ha d been takenfo r the ha rms o fthe  previous year, did he order the withdra wa l.

 N ow Mallobaud e fina lly gave the E lves cause to pay

on more thanju st those bom to godly mien. I t d id not 

 VI, 5 11 Coeddil Unchain ed

 struck pacts w ith the forces o fthe Undead, and there

matter, she said, i f the Em peror ’s reach exceeded his

 A fter a seemingly senseless campaign o f slaughter in

once more. Sensing O rion’s indecision, N aie th quie tly

attention to the ir borders. Desperatefo r victory, he ha d 

reminded her liege tha t the fat e o fthe w orld rested 

were soon more Ghouls and Wights in M allobaude’s

the lands surrounding Parravon, Dryc ha fina lly

ranks than there were living men, and rumours

acquired the last relic she had been searching for.

abounded that the traitor h ad even r eceived the Blood 

o f fu ry that the seeress fea red for he r life. Then Orion

Stealing into Athel Loren during the height o fwinter,

 Kiss and thus become a Vampire himself. Where the

laughed and sounded his great horn so loud that its

the Branchw raith unleashed the power o fher stolen

armies o f Mou sillon trod, the w orld w ithered and 

winding was h eard as fa r aw ay as Ath el Loren.

artefacts, and shattered the wards Ariel had placed 

the Weave cried out in pain. Adready, much o fthe

to bind Coeddil into the Wildwood. A lerted too late,

land w est o f Quenelles was dea d or dying. Unless

 Rangers o fthe Wildwood rushed to Coeddilsprison,

 Mallobaude was stopped, Bretonnia wo uld be reborn

only tofin d the E lder gone.

as a realm o fthe Undead on A thel L oren’s borders.

 grasp; w hat mattered was the nobility o fhis cause. Orion rounded upon Na ieth w ith an expression sofu ll 

 As one, the Wood Elves charged for w ard once more, this time towards the hum an lines and the fallen  Emperor. Los t in a ha ze o fbloodletting the Minotaurs

Thus did the Elves o f Ath el Loren prepare fo r their 

did not realise their danger un til it wa s too late. Bows

 gravest battle. G lade Gu ard and W ild Riders

 sang spears thrus t for w ard a nd the Min otaurs soon

assembled in the ir thousands. Sp ellsingers we nt 

 fou nd the tide o fbattle turned a gainst them.

amongst the glades, rousing Drya ds a nd Treemen to wakefulness. Dragons were stirred from their timeless

The King in the Woods fough t his way to the downe d 

chasms. Naestra, Arahan, Scarloc, Araloth, Sceolan,

 Emperor, plan ted his hooves either side of the wounded 

Ska w the Falconer; a ll the greatest heroes o f the forest 

man, and b ellowed a challenge that the bloodmaddened warhe rd could not deny. By th e time the  Min otaurs fina lly realised their pligh t andfled, near 

 V I, 514 A Friendship Betrayed? On T wilight’s Tide o fthis year, royal bastard 

threescore of their greatest champions had fallen to

 Mallobaude o f Mousillon rode out to wre st the crown

Orio n’s spear. The K ing in the Woods had been sorely

o f Bretonniafrom his father. No honourable knight 

wounded in exchange —his godly ichorflow ed freely  from a dozen ragged wounds —but K arl Franz had  not suffered so much as a single blow d uring the hours in w hich Orion ha d stoodgua rd over his unconscious

armed themselvesfo r war. Yet Ariel knew that this wo uld not be enough. On ly i f the realms o f Bretonnia and Athel Loren united was there a hope ofvictory.

would figh t in M allobaude’s cause, b ut the serpent o f 

So did the Mage Queen travel north to the Silverspire

 Mou sillon did not w ant forfollow ers. Long ha d he

once more. There she sought the La dy o fthe La ke’s

 plann ed this day, an d had gathered to him a vas t army o fwicked an d soulless men.

 forgivenessfo r the deed that ha d driven them apart. The spirit of the Silversp ire toofe lt the urgency o fthe times, a nd so accepted A rie l’s apology w ith reluctant 

 form . No t that the E mpero r had any opportunity to than k his rescuer, fo r as soon as i t w as clear the

 Ignoring Louen Leoncoeur’s decree that the arm ies of 

 Mino taurs ha d no stomach fo r fur th er battle, the E lves

 Bretonnia should combine tofigh t this threat, the army

retrieved their dead an d left thefield.

ofArmand, Duke of Aquitaine, met Ma llobaude in

 grace. With the Fay Enchantress gone, the L ady o f  the La ke no longer ha d a herald, b ut she was the  spirit o f the land, a nd her voice now called out to

battle. Ev en though he acted with the fav ou r o fthe

those pure-he arted knights who ha d been scattered 

 Fay Enchantress, A rm and w ould have been swiftly

by Ma lloba ude ’s onslaught. Some hea rd her song as

admitted to the palace of Altdorf. H e gave no name,

defeated had not Drycha le d a host o f forest spirits from

whispe rs on the breeze, others as a voice in the roaring 

but delivered both a gift and a message. The gift was

the Forest of Chalons to figh t at his side. Yet the Wood 

o fwaterfalls and weirs; a ll answered their L ad y’s

a single Griffon egg retriev ed, s aid the emissary,

 E lve s’ interest lay not in A rm an ds victory, and they

call. They rode to Quenelles, thoughfe w knew why.

 from the highestpeak in the Grey Mo untains. The

 soon stole away once more, leaving the duke to a fate

 A month later, an emissaryfrom Ath el Loren w as

message wa s simple, brough t infrien dsh ip, but ominous

delayed, rath er tha n unchanged. Worse, whe n the forest 

There the knights fou nd th eir king ’s army a rrayed 

nonetheless: ‘We w ill be watching. ’ 

 spirits had vanished, so too had the Fay Enchantress.

alongside Orion ’s host, the banners o f Breto nnia’s dukes

What her fa te was, no one in Bretonnia knew.

 VI, 499 Dwarfen Treachery 

hoisted pro ud alongside those of Ath el Loren. To the west, M allobaude ’s army advanced, quickened by dark 

 In this year, Ungrim Ironfist, Slayer K ing o f Karak 

 Du ring the Feast o f All-Sum mer, a naia d spirit 

magics, its shambling rank s fe d by those it ha d slain. A t 

 Kadrin, brought an arm y o f greenskins to battle on the

appeared in Athe l Loren. She carried word from the

the fore rode the Serpent himself, c lad in armou r dark 

edge of Ath el Loren. Seeing the justice o fthe Dwarfs’ 

 Lad y o fthe Lake, and demanded Arie l travel to the

as night, the Knights o fthe Black Gr ail at his side.

cause, T halan dor Doo mstar brought a host to the

Silverspire. To the surprise of all, the Mage Queen

moun tain-dwellers’ aid. The battle soon turned against 

acceded to the peremptory summons and journeyed 

 As the darkness descended, M en a nd Elv es dre w their 

the greenskins but, in the ho ur o fvictory; the Dwarfs

north. For three days a nd nights after, the northern

 swords. Prayers were w hispered to the Lad y, to Isha

carried their axes a gainst the Wood Elve s also, seeking 

 skies were lit w ith w ild magic. When A riel returned,

and to the Elders o fthe forest. Then a bow string sang 

to repay a m illennia-old grudge. S wearing vengeance

 she told the council tha t there ha d been a quarrel, as

and an arro w arced true towards M allobaude’s black 

 fo r his lost kin, Thalandor retreated.

amongst siblings, but th at the ma tter was now settled.

heart. The La st Ba ttle of Quenelles ha d begun...

THE ». DEEPWOOD HOST The W ood Elves consider themselves to be eternally at war, fo r their fores t home is surrounded on all sides by enemies who  seek to do it harm. There is no peac e, ju s t  mome nts o f silence between the clamour o f  battles. When the invaders inevitably return, then do the lords and ladies marshal their   gre at ho sts , a nd m ig ht y O rio n s um mo ns  fo rt h the W ild H un t. Ea ch battle the y figh t, whether upon the borders o f their own realm ''? £ or in the lands beyond, serves to pro tect   A th e l Lore n a nd pres erv e the balance o f the Weave upon which all living things depend.  In t his s ecti on y ou will fi n d deta ils fo r all  the different troops, heroes, monsters and  war machines used in the army o f the W ood   Elve s. I t pr ov ide s th e ba ckg roun d, imagery, characteristic profiles and rules necessary t o use all the elements o f the army, from Core 1 troo ps to special characters, to the magic items used by their m ost valiant heroes.

------------------------

 ARMY SPECIAL RULES O n this page, you will find special rules that apply to many units in the Wood Elf army. These rules are integral to the way that the arm y works. Special rules that apply to ju st one or two units are instead covered in the app ropriate entry.

BLESSIN GS OF THE ANCIENTS Any model th at has this special rule, and is within a forest, adds +1 to all attempts to cast spells.

 AM BUSH FROM THE WORLDROOTS A Wood Elf army can always place an additional forest (use a Citadel Wood) on the batdefield. This is done during deployment, before any units are deployed, and mus t be placed wholly in your hal f o f the batdefield. Th is forest is not my sterious terrain - declare its type when you place it. I f you ca nnot fit the forest on your ha lf o f the table, move othe r terrain features by the shortest distance necessary so that the forest can be  placed . I f you still c an no t place the forest, or i f the scenario means that the Wood E lf army does not have a table ha lf in which to deploy, this add itional forest is not used in this battie.

FOREST SPIRIT A model with this special rule has the Forest Strider special rule and its attacks (close combat and shooting) are magical. In addition, if the model is not a mou nt, it has a 6 + ward save and the Immune to Psychology special rule.

FOREST STALKER  A model with this special rule has the Forest Strider special rule. In addition, if at least ha lf of the models in a un it are within a forest: • All models in that unit tha t have the Forest Stalker special rule fire in one m ore rank than norm al (if the unit chooses to Volley Fire, this will norma lly mean that all the m odels in the front three ranks, and ha lf the models in the fourth and any subsequent ranks, are allowed to shoot). • All models in that unit tha t have the Fores t Stalker special rule can make supporting attacks with one extra rank than normal. This is cumulative with other special rules that allow models to fight in extra ranks. • All models in that unit tha t have the Fores t Stalker special rule (bu t not their m ounts) re-roll all To Wound rolls of a 1 when ma king close comba t attacks.

The Pantheonic Mandala  Every WoodEl f holds Kumous and Isha above all other beings, but beyond that they make little distinction between the Gods o f the Heavens and  the Gods o f the Underworld. Instead, they worship according to the calling o f their own natures, embracing the wildness ofKhaine as readily as the compassion ofLileath. 1. Kum ous, the H un te r/ Isha, the Mother  2. The Ancients 3. Estreuth, Lord o f Hunger  4. Add aioth , Bringer o f Fire 5. Loec, the Shadow Dancer  6. Hukon , the Sunderer  7. Lileath, the Maiden 8. Hekarti, Mistress o f Magic 9. Morai-Heg, the Crone 10. Vaul, the Maker  11. Mathlann, Lo rd o f the Deeps 12. Ladrielle, Lady o f Mists 13. Hoeth, Lord o f Wisdom 14.Khaine, the Bloody-Han ded God  15. Ereth Khia l, the Pale Queen 16. Nethu, Keeper o f the Last Doo r  17.Asuryan, the Creator  18 .A na th Raema, the Savage Huntress 19. Atharti, Lady o f Desire 20. Eldrazor, Lo rd o f Blades 21. Ellinill, Lord o f Destru ction 22 . Drakira, Queen ofVengeance

THE ARMOURY OF TORGOVANN In this section, you will find the descriptions and rules for a num ber o f weapons and up grades that are available to the units and characters o f the Wood E lf army.

 ASRAI LONGBOW 

Strength

12

User 

"

Combat

User 

Special Rules

Arm our Piercing, Fight in Extra Ranks

Asrai Spear (Mo unted)

Combat

Craftedfrom the boughs of bitter and malevolent trees, these  javelins are lethal to all blooded life. Strength

Strength

Range

BLACKBRIAR JAVELIN

Range

Range

Special Rules

Arm our Piercing, Volley Fire

30"

The spears of the Wood Elves are almost impossibly sharp. The blades, shaped and sharpened upon enchanted whetstones, slide between the links of chainmail as easily as they do the ribs. Asrai Spear (Foot)

To carry one ofth e fam ed longbows ofA the l Loren is to possess the  finest weapon a hunter couldpossibly wield. I f the eye is true, there is no quarry such a weapon cannot slay. Range

 ASRAI SPEAR 

Special Rules

Strength

+ 1*

Special Rules

Armou r Piercing

* The Strength bonus granted to a mounted model by an Asra i  spear only applies in a turn in which the wielder charged  into combat.

Arm our Piercing, Poisoned Attacks

ENCHANTED ARROWS Some models in the Wood E lf army have the option to purchase enchanted arrows. These are enchanted items, but do not  prev en t a mo del fro m ha ving a se cond en ch an ted item . E ac h type o f ench an ted a rro w rep laces the p rofile o f the Asra i longbow with the one shown in its entry. Th is is not optional - if a model has enchanted arrows, he must use them w hen shooting with an Asrai longbow. All Shooting attacks made with enchanted arrows count as having been made with magic weapons. Arcane Bodkins  Arm our is of noprotection against these ensorcelled arrows. Range

Strength

Range

Strength

Hagbane Tips These arrows are tipped with the tain ted shards know in A thel   Loren as ‘the Callach s C laws’. They are as deadly as their  namesake’s touch — even a scratch can prove fa ta l i fthe venom  settles in the target’s blood. Strength

30"

3

Special Rules

Arm our Piercing, Poisoned Attacks, Volley Fire

Moonfire Shot  Blessed under the light o fa tainted moon, these arrows bring   searing agony to creatures of noble heart. Range

30"

Strength

its i

Special Rules

Arm our Piercing, Flam ing Attacks, Volley Fire

H its from M oonfire Shot have a + 1 bonus on rolls To Wo und made against units where the majority of models are from the Forces o f Order.

Special Rules

Armo ur Piercing, Flam ing Attacks, Volley Fire

30" Wounds caused by Arcane Bodkins have a -3 arm our saving throw modifier.

Range

;sunclean; no truer weapon

Special Rules

Volley Fire

30"

Starfire Shafts The Starwood tree is anathema to can there be against corruption than

Hits from Starfire Shafts have a +1 bonus on rolls To Wo und made against units where the majority of models are from the Forces o f Destruction. Swiftshiver Shards These arrows are crafted from a wood so light and strong that they  seem tofly from the bow of their own accord. Range

Strength

Special Rules

Arm our Piercing, Multiple Shots (2), Volley Fire

30"

Trueflight Arrow s There is a rudimentary sentience buried deep within these arrows, an awareness that causes them to seek the target unbidden. Range

30"

Strength

Special Rules

Armour Piercing, Volley Fire

Shooting attacks made with Trueflight Arrows do not suffer To H it penalties.

HIGHBORN OF ATHEL LOREN Th e lords and ladies o f Athel Loren have ruled the Wood Elves for millennia. Each Highborn is required to keep his domain free from intruders and has the ultimate responsibility over the area o f the forest in which his followers dwell. M ost often, this is a task that is accomplished by the Highborn’s Eternal Guard and Glade Guard, though in more dangero us times, he o r she will entreat the spirits of the forest, or even Elves from other regions o f Athel Lore n, to lend aid. T houg h the inhabitants of Athel Loren are as proud as any of the Elven races, they never allow their own hub ris to endanger their home land. The defence of Athel Lore n is the one calling that is held above all others. Should a H igh bo rn fail in his responsibility to the forest, it is not unh eard o f for him to cede his position. Leav ing his great hall, he departs the safe paths o f the forest and travels to where the d ark pathways twist in upo n themselves and malicious spirits dart between the trees. There , the noble seeks atonement and forgiveness from the spirit of Athel Lor en. Some are not seen again save in dreams and memories. Others return, within a few hours of their departure, unnaturally aged, as though many decades had  passed . A very few re tu rn after many years, r ein vig orated an d filled with purpos e by their com mun ion with the forest. Unlike the E lves of Ulthuan, and indeed much o f the known world, the W ood Elves make no distinction between male and female when it comes to rank and duty, whether those responsibilities find their calling in war or peace. In the noble houses of Athel Lore n, the daug hter is as likely to inherit the family tide and rank as the son. Even so, not all Highborn are equal. E ach of the twelve realms o f Athel Lo ren is ruled  by a lor d or lad y o f impecc able sta nding. Answe rable to each of these are coundess sons an d daug hters o f noble houses ever seeking to improve their own situation. Though Wood Elves commonly inherit rank according to the station of their  birth, it is no t unk no wn for a particula rly v alo rous ind ividu al to be elevated to higher authority. When Athel Loren goes to war, the nobles direct the efforts of its armies, often com man ding a varied yet lethal assortment of Elves and forest spirits. In the sum mer months, when the forest is strong enough to defend itself against most threats, many are caught up in Orion’s great hun t, E ven so, there are always a handfu l of able war-leaders who remain within the borders of the wood, ready to defend their home to their dy ing breath.

 KU RN OU S, THE HUNTE R  Kurn ous is the Go d o f the Hunt, a nd the lord o f wild places. A ll   Elces venerate him, fo r he is the husba nd ofls ha , an d the fath er  o f their race, but none do so more than the Wo od Elces, who believe that it is only t hey th at lice the existence o f which Kurnou s would appro ve. Kurno us requires that a hun ter never kills animals fo r spo rt, but slays only ravening beasts or those whose bounty o f meat and hide are necessary fo r survival. Violating  this creed is dangerou s the worl d over, fo r Kurno us is a vengeful  deity, but it is never more foo lish than when in A th el Loren.

Th e culture of the hunt is strong in Athel Lore n and finds its way onto the battiefield even du ring the times o f Orion’s slumber. It is traditional for the Woo d Elves no t to launch themselves into batde until their leader, or one o f his captains, has loosed a shot at the he art o f the enemy leader. Th is du ty is allocated before the battie begins, and the firer is granted the honora ry tide o f ‘Talon of Kurnous’. Seldom does the Talon’s arrow kill the target, b ut such is not the intent. Ra ther it is a remin der o f mortality for the foe, and a final entreaty to the Hunter God for his blessings in the battie to come.

' '' T I Glade L ord Glade Captain TR OO P TYPE:

M 5 5

BS S T W I A Ld 7 7 4 3 3 8 4 10 6 6 4 3 2 7 3 9

\VS

Infantry (C haracter).

SPEC IAL RULES: Always Strikes First, Forest Stalker.

On ce bo th sides have deployed,  bu t before the first t urn begins, check to see i f the ene my Genera l is within 36" and w ithin line o f sight of at least one of your models with this special rule. I f he is, he imm ediately suffers a single Stren gth 3 hit against which no arm our saves can be taken. Otherwise, nothing happens. Th e Arrow of Kurnous:

SPELLSINGERS Elves are intrinsically magical beings. In most, this talent is too weak to be developed, presenting itself as occasional forebodings, but in truly gifted Elves, it can be shaped into a tool of great power. Such a boon is not withou t danger, for raw magic is a destructive th ing i f drawn upon unwisely. Whilst other Elves protect themselves from such ravages throu gh ritual, the Spellweavers and Spellsingers o f Athel Lo ren shield themselves by joinin g their m inds to the forest’s sleeping consciousness. As a result o f this connection, Wood E lf mages have an altogether unique relationship with Athel Loren. In some ways, they are a part o f a greater intelligence, much as the Dryads, spites and Treemen are. This bond allows them to commune with the forest, and some particularly powerful mages can use the ir bond to reshap e the forest itself. This can mean ch angin g the course o f a tree’s growth or, more dramatically, resha ping the pathways within the forest to slow enemies or hasten the progres s o f the Elves. S uch a ploy is by no means certain, for the forest often refuses such requests and m ust be persuaded - or tricked - into obeying. On the rare occasions that the Wood Elves willingly enter into discourse with o ther races, it is invariably the mages who  pe rfo rm dip lom atic dutie s, tra velling with small entou rage s to the courts of foreign kings. To avoid potential dang er while on such journeys, the mages focus their powers into spells of  protectio n, mo ving themselves an d th eir c om panio ns beyond the physical realm. Such groups often appear as translucent silhouettes an d pass throu gh physical obstacles without hindrance, giving rise to coundess peasants’ tales of ghosdy travellers that stalk the lands about Athel Loren. As they practise a magical discipline both un cluttere d by the stiff-necked morality of Ulthu ani M ages, and untainted  by the sadis m o f the Nag ga roth i, Wood E lf mages are able to draw upon both H igh and Dark Magic. Th e former is a legacy of the ancient tutelage their H igh E lf ancestors received, the latter a lingering aftereffect o f Ariel’s long years during the Season of Retribution. D espite the M age Queen’s  best efforts, eve ry g eneration of Wood Elves since th at tim e has yielded a handful o f magi attuned to the dangerous path of Dark Magic. Th us far, none have succumbed to the same madness th at claimed Ariel all those centuries ago, but it is impossible to say wha t the future will bring. I n the m eantime, Athel Loren cannot afford to reject such a potent resource.

TRO OP TYPE:

Infantry (Character).

Spellweavers and Spellsingers are Wizard s who use spells from one of the eight Lores of Battle Magic in the Warhammer  rulebook. Spellweavers can instead use spells from either the Lore of Hig h Magic or the Lore of Dark Magic (see pages 60 and 61). MAGIC:

SPEC IAL RULES: Always Strikes First, Blessings o f the Ancients, Forest Stalker.

 IS HA, THE MOTHER

So it is that mages sometimes take to the field in pairs composed of one H ighweaver and one Darkweaver. Wh ilst the D arkwea ver unleashes flesh-shred ding storms of sorcery, her Highw eaver counterpart employs H igh M agic to bolster their allies. Yet the High we aver has another duty also. Should the D arkweaver show signs o f being overcome by the sorceries she wields, the Highweaver becalms the Winds of Mag ic, shutting off the flow of corrupting power, and thus holding the incipient madnes s at bay —at least, for a while...

f&stsr 

M WS BS

 j Spe llweaver Spellsinger 

5 5

S

T

W

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A

4 4 3 3 3 5 1 9 4 4 3 3 2 5 1 8

Ld

 Isha is the god dess o f the harvest and bountifu l land. She is the mother no t only t o the Elves, but to all the noble creatures o f  the world. Wo od E lf legend tells that, in times pas t, Isha was  forbidden from treating directly with her mortal children by  As ury an, the Empe ror o f the Heavens.  However, those same legends go on to tell that Isha and her  consort, the Hunter G od Kurnous, chafed atA sury an's decree and, after the Elven panth eon was scattered and defeated by the  Dar k Go ds o f Chaos, chose t o take morta l for m a mongs t the only Elven peop le who had stay ed true to their teachings. Thus, tell the Wood Elves, were Ari el and Ori on reborn as somethin g  more than mortal, and A th el Loren tran sformed into a realm divinely blessed.

ETERNAL GUARD Th roug h the long winter months, the forest of Athel Loren is at its lowest ebb, made d orm ant a nd vulnerable by the cycle of the seasons. Th e Treemen slumber, and even the normally vigorous Dryads are sluggish and slow. During this time, guardianship of the most sacred of places falls to the Eternal Gua rd, sons and d aughters of Athel Loren ’s noble houses. On ly skill on the field of battle can earn an h onou red place within the ranks of the Etern al Gu ard, for that duty is a difficult and dangerous one. Should the forest be assailed in the frozen months, the Eternal G uard can depend up on litde or no aid from the spirits, and will be called upon to hold fast, no matter what threat comes to challenge them. Sometimes, in the bitterest o f weathe r when the sha dow spirits stir from the Wildwood, the threat comes from within and not from without. R egardless o f wh ether the foe be faerie spirit, maraud ing Beastman or lost Qu esting K night, the Eternal Guard stand firm before it. Each Etern al G uard is a formidable foe in her own right, trained to a pinnacle o f skill tha t other races cann ot easily match. W hen assembled in numbers, they form a phalanx, their spears thrusting and cutting with a graceful yet disciplined efficiency. The Eternal Guard themselves refer to such a formation as a ‘fortress of boug hs’. Th ey face the enemy with feet planted firmly upon their chosen ground, shields braced aga inst the enemies’ attacks, and the fine of spears rippling as the leaf-shaped blades da rt forward to kill.

Th oug h their chief duties are tied to the w inter months, the E ternal G uard are called upon to serve all year round, whether as the watchmen and arbiters o f the Elven halls, or as bodyguards for the greatest of E lf nobles. Indeed, it is all  but u nk no wn fo r o ne o f the great lords an d ladies of Athel Lo ren to travel anywhere without an escort of some hundreds of Eternal Gu ard, a nd this num ber can rise steeply if battle is expected at the e nd o f the journey. T he E ternal G uard hold duty to their lord high above the threat o f personal danger, and fight without thoug ht to their own safety whilst their lord or lady has need o f service. Thu s have they often fought on, long into the night, steadfastly defending their charge from a terrible fate, even though their allies have cast aside their arms a nd fled or he dead upon the field. Come one foe or one thousand, it matters not, the Eterna l Gu ard does not surrender. It is this undy ing loyalty that has preserved Athel Lo ren from civil war on mo re than one occasion, as it is custom for feuds  between nobles to be settled th ro ug h trial by comb at between representatives of each other’s Eterna l G uard. Combatants are chosen by the draw ing o f lots, m aking it in a lord’s best interest that all Eternal G uard u nde r his comm and be trained to as high a stand ard as possible. To be nomina ted to fight such a duel is the greatest honour an Eterna l G uard can know as, win or lose, they knows tha t their deeds in the arena of blades will save the lives o f thousan ds.

M

Eternal Guard Eternal Warden

5 5

W S BS

5 5

4 4

S

T

3 3

3 3

W 1 1

I

5 5

A 1

2

Ld

9 9

TR OO P TYPE: Infantry. SPECIAL RULES: Always Strikes First, Forest Stalker, Stubborn.

 ELDEAZOR , LORD OF BLAD ES   Eldrazor is thepatron o f duellists and o f those who yearn to  fig ht battles fo r the sake of honour. A s such, his favour is often  sought by warriors of the Eternal Guard - especially on the eve o f a trial by combat. Yet Eldrazor’s faoour is also valuable in battle - at least if the combatant fights fo r ajus t cause, rather  than out o f mindless barbarism. So it is that one o f the oldest traditions o f the Eternal Guard  is to ritually consecrate regions of Ath el Loren and mark them with crossed-daggerpendants and finger-bone totems. Thus are many o f the forest’s glades sanctified as mortal extensions o f   Eldrazor’s otherworldlyArena o f Death. It is said that the Lord  o f Blades pays special attention to those battles fou ght upon his holy ground, and will ecen intervene if he is moved to do so.  As a result, the Eternal Guard habituallyplan any defence o f At hel   Loren around these key sites. Mortal valour and skill is all very well, they say, but only a fo ol passes up the opportunity to have a god join the battle.

GLADE GUARD In time of need, every Wood E lf can answer the call to defend their forest home, for all are trained in the arts of the longb ow as soon as they can hold one. After all, in Athel Lo ren, archery is not just a tool of battle but one of many hu nte r’s skills vital to an E lf ’s survival. W hen an E lf comes o f age, he or she will be formally inducted into their household’s Glade G uard, and given responsibility for patrolling o f a section of the forest. Should such a sentry sight an in truder, he swiftly raises the alarm and awaits assistance. W ithin mom ents, the forest is alive with sharp-eyed Elven hunters, all focused on seeking and slaying the intrude r in their midst. Mo st who enter Athel Lo ren die without ever realising they are in danger. W hen Athel Loren goes to war, it is the Glade Gu ard who form the core of the army. Each Elven household fights together on the battlefield with several disparate kinbands combining to create one or more formal regiments und er the command of a lesser lord o r lady of the realm. T he Wood E lf army can often seem haphazard and slightly disorganised to outsiders, for each band of Glade G uard is expected to follow the broad dictates of the general but, a t the same time, is encouraged to take the initiative when the opportunity  presents itself . Such a p rin ciple oft en leads to an ov erlapp ing line of battle, with individual Glade G uard kinbands advan cing and retreatin g like leaves in a storm, all the while  po uring volleys o f arrow s i nto the foe.

•mm®?

M

WS BS

S

T

! Glade Guard Lord’s Bowman

5 5

4 4 4 5

3 3

3 3

“

TR OO P TYPE:

W

I

A Ld

1 5 1 5

1 8 1 8

Infantry.

SPECIAL RULES: Always Strikes First, Forest Stalker.

VAUL, THE MA KER Vaul is the go d o f the forge, the patro n o f artisans, smiths and  armourers. Wounded byKh aine during the long ago wars o f the  god s, Vaul is both crippl ed and blind. Yet still he labours, night  and day, to create weapons o f incredible pote ncy to aid both  go ds a nd Elves, his tears o f shame hissing upon the for ge an d   fall ing to the morta l world as shards o f flint. Vaul hates Khain e but toils wit hout once conside ring rebellion. The Mak er can see the coming doom o f the Elves and knows they will need all of   Kh ain e’s mig ht and fu ry to survive it. Glade Guards revere Vaul greatly, fo r a hunter is naught w ithou t  a quiver o f arrows that fly true. Regardless o f rank or station, all Wood Elves c raft their own arrows; some thing so crucial  to survival shou ld never be left to an othe r’s hand. Every Glade Guard carries a singleflint -head ed arrow, lovin gly cra fted fro m a stone fro m the realm ofTorgov ann inscribed with the words ‘Ethris Yl Idrion - the Mak er’s Tear. Such a weapon is used  against only the direst o f foe s; a shard o f go dly sorrow sh ould  no t be wasted upon inconsequent ial enemies.

DEEPWOOD SCO UTS Deepwoo d Scouts hold the responsibility of patrolling those areas of the forest deemed too dangerous for Glade G uard to enter. To tread such pa ths, an E lf must be invisible not only to a predat or’s sight, bu t to his other senses also - no easy matter when contending with otherworldly creatures to whom an E lf ’s soul manifests as a brightly burn ing light. Th e Deepw ood Scouts’ skills of stealth and concealment serve them well upon the battlefield. They are masters of amb ush and d istraction, the assassins of enemy artillery crews and of careless wizards who stray too far from the protection of their allies. Indeed , m any an invadin g army has been  bro ught to battle ut terly un aw are th at k in ba nd s o f Deep wo od Scouts have dogged its footsteps for days. Only when the  battle lines cla sh do the Dee pw oo d Scouts reveal themselves, sowing confusion and disruption am ongst the enemy lines.

' '- " I

^

I Deepwood Scout M aster Scout

"

M

5 5

W S BS

4 4

4 5

S

3 3

T

3 3

W

1 1

-----

I

5 5

A

1 1

Ld

8 8

TR O O P T YP E: Infantry. SPECIAL RULES: Always Strikes First, Forest Stalker, Scouts, Skirmishers.

KNIGHTS OF ATHEL LOREN W hen the Wood Elves go to war, they do so in partnership with the creatures o f the forest. M any of Athel Lore n’s beasts unde rstand the perils that constandy threaten the forest, and offer their services willingly. Othe rs are tamed through kindness and steeled to war though an empathic bond with their Wood E lf masters.

GLADE RIDERS The Glade Riders are perhaps the greatest horse-warriors of the world, their Elv en reflexes allowing them to perform an incredible variety o f seemingly reckless acts that are far beyond the abilities o f the lesser races. W heth er firing  backwa rds wh ile ridin g full pelt thr ou gh deep wo ods, or darting through the ranks o f surprised enemy outriders, Glade R iders routinely survive their escapades unscathed throu gh a formidable combination o f graceful skill and unflappable confidence. Unlike most cavalrymen, Glade Riders do not view their horses as property or subserv ient beasts. Ins tead, over a  period that can last many years, a deep con nection is formed  between ride r an d steed. Thi s bo nd goes b eyond frien dship and beyond family, so that horse and rider act as one being, comm unicating on a level that is impossible for an onlooker to detect. Where another would have to command his steed upon the path he needs it to follow, it is as though the G lade Rider need only think the command and the horse responds.

When their steeds are not needed for battle, Glade Riders  pasture th em deep within Athel Lor en . This is n ot bec ause they fear that their horses will stray but is done f or the  prote ction o f the steeds. O nly a very dete rm ined an d lucky horse thie f could find his way so deep into Athel Lo ren safely, and few have ever made it back out again. Those rare outsiders who catch a glimpse of a Wood E lf steed at  play often refuse to believe that it is tr uly a m ortal cre ature, assum ing instead that some strange fey beast has crossed their path. In truth , there is little more magical about the steeds of Athel Lor en th an any other inhab itant of the wood, merely the boundless joy o f a creature b orn into freedom, rather than into bondage.

M

5 5 9

Glade Rider Glade Knight Elven Steed TR OO P TYPE:

WS BS

S

T

4 4 3 4 5 3 3 0 3

3 3 3

A Ld 1 5 1 8 1 5 1 8 1 4 1 5

w

1

Cavalry.

SPEC IAL RULES: Always Strikes First (Riders Ambushers, Fast Cavalry, Forest Stalker.

only),

UNICORNS Th e U nicor n is an innately magical creature, but its selfish nature m eans that it tends to feel no kinship with creatures that were summoned or created through sorcerous means, despite their com mon origins. I f anything, it pities such  beings for the ir misf ortun e at ha vin g been created as anything other than a Unicorn. U nico rn ivory is a much sou ght after prize in certain corners of Bretonnian society, and many a gallant knig ht has m et his end pursuing a Unicorn deep into Athel Loren. Ju st as the  brave w ar rio r thin ks he has co rnered his prize, the creature disappears without w arning, conveniently within a few paces of a swarm of vengeful spites or vigilant Waywatchers. Curiously, Un icorns are drawn to female mages as moths to a flame, and find the taste of magic intoxicating. M ost Spellsingers find this an acceptable situation as a tame (or at least willing) U nicorn makes for an excellent steed. Furtherm ore, the bea st’s nature protects its rider against hostile magics, with a devastating spell often resulting in little more tha n a slightly inebriated and em boldened steed.

M WS BS

Unicorn TR OO P TYPE:

S

T

W

I

A

10 5 0 4 4 3 5 2 8 Mo nstrous Beast.

SPECIAL RULES: Fear, Forest Spirit, Magic Resistance (2).

Impale: A Unicorn’s close combat attacks have a +2 Strength bonus on a tur n in which it charges.

Ld

 WARHAWK RIDERS Many large birds of prey live in Athel Loren, especially where it covers the foothills, ravines and crags o f the G rey Mo untains. T hese hawks and shrikes grow to far grander  pro po rtions than sim ila r spec ies foun d els ewhere in the world, though why this should be remains a mystery. Some scholars speculate that such birds were once a common sight across many lands but have long since been hunted into extinction elsewhere, whilst others claim they have been changed by magic. Whe rever the truth lies, the hawks of the Grey M ountains commonly grow to such a vast size that their w ingspans th at can average fifteen to twenty feet. Th oug h m ost Elves live beneath the protective shade of Athel Loren, there are those who crave the more sparsely forested uplands o f the Grey M ountains, and so a strange kinship has developed between the two races. Upon the middle slopes of the mountains, Elven halls are fashioned close about the great rocky spires upon which the hawks make their nests, eyries adorned w ith the sun-bleached bones o f those who have dared intrude upon their territory. A fledging hawk raised by an E lf develops a powerful bond with its master, and will even bear him into battle. As time  passes, rider an d hawk become almost one crea ture, existing for the call of the hunt and the thrill of the chase alone. These Warhawk Riders scout their territory for invaders, and are skilful enough to guide their steed down through the trees to strike at intruders. Those w ho ride the Warhawks display  phenom enal agility an d balance, able to laun ch volleys o f arrows while their mount flits and darts through the forest at speed. In this way, an intr ud er who strays into the Pine Crags a nd other m ountainous realms faces not only the fury of the hawks, but also that of the Elves —as several Dwarf expeditions have found to their cost.

fsasser-

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WS BS

i Warhawk R ider Wind Rider Warhawk 

5 5 1

4 4 4 4 4 0

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3 3 4

1 5 1 5 3 5

I

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1 8 2 8 2 5

TROO P TYPE: M onstro us Cavalry. SPECIA L RULES: Always Strikes First (Riders only), Armour Piercing Forest Stalker.

(Warhawks only), Flying Cavalry,

Predator’s Desc ent (Warhawks only): O n a turn in which a Warhawk charges, it has the Killing Blow special rule.

 A N A T H R A E M A , THE SAV AG E HUNTRESS   A na th Ra ema is a vengeful godd ess an d the dark mirror to  Ku mo us, G od o f the Hunt . Where the disciples ofK um ou s venerate wild places, those who follo w A na th Raema see them only as bounteous lands where the dominant predator can  slake her fu ry in the blood o f the meek. Such selfish behaviour  is seldom tolerated in A th el Loren, fo r it is certain to upset the balance o f the Weave, but i t is rumoured tha t many embittered  warriors o f the Pine Crags have forsaken Kum ous in favo ur o f a more vindictive mistress...

GREAT EAGLES There has always been a great bond of kinship between the Elves and the G reat Eagles, stretching back to ancient times. T hat bon d remains strong between the Wood Elves and the noble avians, and many families of eagles choose to make their homes in the heights of the Grey M ountains, close by the borders o f Athel Loren. M ore intelligent and nobler of aspect than the smaller Warhawks that live on the lower mountain slopes, Great Eagles are creatures of unceasing vigilance, possessed of an abidin g loathing for creatures o f evil heart. E ver alert to the events occurring in the lands beneath them, the Great E agles unceasingly carry news to the Elven nobles that dwell far  below, g iv ing the m a welcome, an d often crucial, advan ce warning of invasion or strife. O n rare or desperate occasions, a Grea t Eagle may offer itself as a mount to a particularly trusted G lade Lo rd. T his is a great honour in the eyes of the Wood Elves, for it is a true  pa rtn ersh ip o f equals. Su ch a un ion inv ariably form s the start of a great and endu ring friendship that continues to bind  bo th parties, eve n after death.

M WS BS

Great Eagle

2

T

W

I

A

5 0 4 4 3 4 2 8

TROO P TYP E: Monstrous Beast. SPEC IAL RULES: Fly.

S

Ld

 WILDWOOD RANGERS Athel Lo ren is not a safe place, even for the Elves. Ev en now, thousands of years on from the first great council, there are those forest spirits who rese nt the Elv es’ presence, and visit upon them whatever cruelties are in their power. Banished to the sinister south-eastern corner o f Athel Loren , known as the Wildwood , these dark spirits rail against the waystone fence that confines them, a nd d ream darkly of revenge on those who have occupied their home. The task of guarding the borde r between this shadowy prison and the rest o f Athel Loren falls to the Wildwood Ran gers. Th eirs is an existence thoroug hly at odds with the gaiety and splendour known by other Wood Elves, for just as the creatures of the Wildwood do not rest, nor can those who have sworn to keep them trammelled. The waystone fence is ever under attack, and it suffers disruption more often than any care to contemplate. Any b reach, howev er small,  brings with it the risk o f carna ge as the da rk spirits slip loose from their bonds and wreak all mann er o f havoc in the forest  bey ond. T he Ran ge rs converg e on such bre aches w ith in moments o f their formation, holding back the tide of dark spirits long enou gh for Spellweavers to make the waystone  ba rri ers w hole once again. T hus mus t the Ran ge rs be eve rvigilant, so that th eir kinsfolk n eed n ot live in fear. Few take up the Ranger’s glaive without having suffered tragedy at the hands of the Wildwood’s denizens. M ost have lost a loved one to a chan geling; others have experienced

firsthand the destruction caused by the ram page o f an insane Treeman. A few, a very few, are purposefully recru ited by other Rangers. T here is hono ur in such an invitation, but  pride is tem pe red by forekno wledge o f the sacrifices th at will  be requ ire d. Onc e the R an ge r’s pa th has b een trod de n, it is not easily set aside. Rangers do not triump h th rough physical prowess alone,  but t hro ug h a steadine ss o f will t ha t o ther Elves find intimidating. M any of the Wildwo od’s spirits are horrifying  beyo nd me asure, able to dri ve reaso n from an un stee led soul with but a glance. O thers cloak themselves in glamour and appear in comely and seductive forms no less dangerous. For a Ranger to survive, he must therefore harden his soul to all emotion. N ot all are successful. Ea ch year, some are lost to terror-born madness, or have their hearts ensnared by some siren o f the Wildwood. O f the two fates, the former is by far  pre ferable. Terror can be overc ome in tim e, an d a fr ac ture d mind repaired; b ut there can be no escape for those seduced  beyond the w aystone fence, ju st a life o f stupefie d servitud e and false bliss that end s only in a death too lo ng delayed. Th oug h n ot answerable to any o f Athel Loren ’s lords or ladies, bands of Rangers will sometimes join a campaigning army. Here, a resolve hardened against the denizens of the Wildwood finds bloody employment against monsters  posse ssed o f vast an d te rri fying power. Always, the Ra ng er s meet such foes with stoicism, hacking a part M inota ur and D ragon, Vampire and D aemon w ith a calmness and discipline that few Elves, thoug h they be valorous souls  by n ature, can hope to ma tch. W ildw oo d Ran ge rs do no t  jo in such ba tdes ou t o f a desi re for glory, or eve n to show common cause with their kin; they are driven by a far deeper  purpose. M any da rk spirits are shapeshifte rs or changelin gs. M ost such creatures are driven by simple instinct and use their gifts only to imitate those they have murd ered . A few, however, have the wit to inveigle themselves into the ruling classes of Athel L oren ’s enemies, or to seek anony mity in the sprawling ranks of a ma rauding army. I t is such creatures that the Range rs of the Wildwood seek when they march to war, though they seldom tell even the army’s commander of their tru e goal. To destroy suc h a prey, they will battle for many years and across untold leagues, lay waste to cities and slaughter thousands of beings whose only crime was to be deceived. On ly when the changeling has been co rnered and killed, its body reduced to lifeless ash, do the Rangers return to Athel Loren and recommence their silent vigil.

M

| Wildwood Ranger Wildwood Warden TROOP TYPE:

5 5

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A

Ld

5 4 3 3 1 5 1 9 5 4 3 3 1 5 2 9

Infantry.

SPECIAL RULES: Always Strikes First, Forest Stalker, Immune to Psychology.

If a m odel with this special rule is in base contact with at least one enemy mo del with either the Fear or Terror special rule, it has + 1 Attack. Guardians o f the Wildwood:

!

 WARDANCERS Wardancers roam Athel Lore n in tighdy knit troupes, treading paths and secret ways that few others know or dare use. Othe r Wood Elves regard the W ardancers as wild and u npredictable, and n ot without cause, for they are the servants and worshippers of the Elven trickster god, L oec. Th e Wardancers lead the Elves in music an d rejoicing, and  pe rfor m th e intri cate danc e rituals th at re-e na ct th e histo ry of Athel Lo ren, a form o f storytelling more important to the Wood Elves than the more conventional method o f writing. To a Wardancer, even other Elves appear to be moving  painfully slowly, for every mo ve mad e by one o f the ki n of Loec flows into the next, and thence the next one after that without conscious thou ght or guidance. Forgoing armour, the Wardancers decorate themselves with swirling designs and dye their hair in brigh t colours, taking on the roles of mythical figures and ferocious warriors, their form of movement, and even their fighting style, paying homage to the one who inspires their dance.

SHADOWDANCERS Shadowdancers are the closest thing that the Trickster God has to a priesthood, and they are both respected and feared as a result. They, an d only they, know all the paths thro ugh Athel Lore n —indeed, it is said that they tread the paths o f the Dre am ing Woo d as surely as they do the mortal world. In batde, Shadowdancers are even more dazzlingly swift than other Wardancers. At other times they are less flamboyant,  pr efe rrin g to co nf ou nd othe rs wi th deceptions of the mind rather than swiftness of body. Ind eed, many Shadowdancers can create illusions, which they inevitably use to further distract their foes or mete out a much -needed dose of humility to Elves or spirits that have forgotten their station.

M

Shadowdancer 

5

W S BS

8

6

S

T

4

3 2

W

I

A

Ld

8

3

8

TROO P TYPE: Infantry (Character).

Wardancers are sublime warriors, made even more deadly throug h their war dances. For these, the favoured rituals of the Trickster Go d, no r hythm is called nor are orders issued. Instead, the dancers instinctively enact a pattern of lethal movements, complementing the dances p erformed by the rest of the troupe. Eac h Warda ncer leaps and pirouettes through the enemy ranks to music only she hears, gracefully evading her opponent’s clumsy blows and ending his life with an impossibly swift to strike o f her own.

M

5 5

| Wardancer Bladesinger 

W S BS

S T

W

I A

Ld

6 4 3 3 1 6 1 8 6 4 3 3 1 6 2 8

TROO P TYPE: Infantry. SPECIAL RULES: Always Strikes First, Forest Stalker, Immune to Psychology, Skirmishers. Talismanic Tattoos:

A m odel with this special rule has a 6 +

ward save. Shadow Dances o f Loec: At the start of each round o f close comb at in which they are fighting, models with this special rule (the dan cers) choose one o f the following dances, the effect of which lasts until the end of that turn or until a new dance is chosen. This is done before Impac t H its are resolved. All dancers in the same unit must choose the same dance. Dance rs cannot choose the same dance in two consecutive rounds of combat.

Th e dancers have the Armour Piercing and Killing Blow special rules.

Whirling D eath:

Storm o f Blades:

The dancers have + 1 Attack.

The Shadows Coil:

T he dancers have a 3 + ward save.

En emy un its in base contact with the unit receive no com bat result bonus for extra ranks.

Woven M ist:

MAGIC: A Shadowdancer who is a Wizard uses spells from

the L ore of Shadow. SP EC IAL RU LES : Always Strikes First, Blessings of the Ancients, Forest Stalker, Immune to Psychology, Shadow Dances of Loec Talismanic Tattoos (see left).

(see left),

SISTERS OF THE THORN Th e Sisters of the T ho rn are Ariel’s handmaidens. In many ways, they are equal and opposite to the Wild Riders o f Kurnous, a sisterhood pledged to sorcery and subtlety where Orion’s equerries know loyalty only to the glory of the hunt. W here the W ild Ride rs are borne into batde on steeds as reckless as they, the Sisters ride upo n Steeds of Isha —mou nts whose viciousness lies hidden beneath a graceful aspect. The Sisters’ nature and origins are shrouded in mystery. This has not prevented W ood E lf skalds from recoun ting stories that tell of such things. It is, after all, in the nature o f bards to weave tales to fill the voids left by absent tru th. I f they are to be believed, the Sisters of the Tho rn co uld be anything from Elf-maids possessed by Dry ads, splinters o f Ariel’s soul given life by Dark Magic’s influence, an exiled cabal of Nagga rothi sorceresses, or one of a hundre d even more outlandish theories. The Sisters have heard all these stories - little that occurs in Athel Loren escapes their notice, and their ten drils o f influence reach into almo st every hall —yet they do not care. Th e bards, by spreading these tales, have done m ore to obscure the truth than the Sisters ever could. Th oug h Orion’s Wild R iders are respected, but no t especially well-liked, the Sisters of the Th orn are both loved and feared  by almo st all W oo d Elves. Love d, because they resp on d readily to requests for aid; feared, be cause the price they exact for assistance is often m ore tha n the supplica nt is willing to  pay. T hey ma y im bu e y ou ng warrio rs wi th pee rless ba ttl eskill, but in exchange steal all kindness from their soul. They might answer the pleas o f an E lf-maid forlorn in love, then years later steal away her first-born child. I t is even within the Sisters’ power to stave off dea th’s hand , b ut th ey will only do so if a life is offered in exchange, an d the petitioner is seldom  pe rm itted to choose the vict im. In ot her land s, th e Sisters of the Th orn would be driven into the darkness or burn t at the stake, but in Athel Lo ren, they understa nd that there must  be a balance for everything, and th at th ose w ho deal w illingly with the Sisters must be prepared for the consequences. Ju st like their mistress, the Sisters of the T ho rn are eternal; they seem neve r to age and succum b to inju ry only briefly. Should one be slain, her siblings place her body u pon a bier o f root a nd ivy, and bear it away to the hallowed halls benea th the O ak o f Ages. Ther e she slumbers away the weeks and months un til the arrival of a new spring, where the riot of magic and life-energy restores her to vibrant existence. Only if her body is irretrievable or mutilated beyond all recognition does the fallen Sister’s spirit flee the mortal wo rld, leaving her  be reav ed sib lings to exa ct ven ge an ce on her slayer. An d the Sisters of the Tho rn can brin g death in so many ways. They know all the poisons o f branch and briar —not  ju st those th at cause a man’s bones to snap with his own desperate convulsions, but also the venoms that tur n the  bl oo d to fire, bri ng intoxicatin g m ad ne ss or cause th e body to rot from w ithin. So too are they versed in ancient curses, of words that can sap strength or cause their victim to fly into a rage so consuming that he slaughters his own kin without compunction. B ut such methods, tho ugh effective, are impersonal and provide litde sport. T he Sisters far prefer to kill with javelin o r knife where they can, that they m igh t see the fear fade fro m th eir victim’s dying eyes.

M WS BS 5 4 5 | Sister of the Th orn Handmaiden of the Thorni 5 4 6 9 3 0 Steed of Isha

S T w I A Ld 3 3 1 5 1 9 3 3 1 5 1 9 4 3 1 4 1 5

TROOP TYPE: Cavalry. SPECIAL RULES: Always Strikes First (Riders only), Fast Cavalry, Forest Stalker, Poisoned Attacks (Riders only). Daughters of Eternity:

A m odel with this special rule has a

4 + ward save. A unit o f Sisters of the T horn is considered to be a Level 2 W izard that knows the spells Shield o f Thorns (Lo re of Life) and Curse of Anraheir   (Lore o f Beasts). Th is doesn’t prevent o ther friendly Wizards from knowing the same spells. Th e u nit receives an additional +1 to cast for each rank of 5 or more mod els it has, after the first, to a maximum o f + 3 . E ach time the u nit casts a spell (or is targeted by a special rule that affects a Wizard), you must nominate one Sister or Han dma iden of the T horn as the caster (or target) for the purposes o f line of sight, range, etc. In the event o f a Sisters of the Th orn unit rolling a miscast, do no t roll on the M iscast table. Instead, the u nit suffers D3 Wou nds w ith no saves of any kind allowed. Deepw ood Coven:

 WILD RIDERS Th e W ild Riders o f Kurnous are Orion’s personal guard, each as aggressive and im pulsive as he. The y are fey and dangerous creatures who are no longer truly the E lves they once were. N ow and forever they are a part o f the W ild H u n t’s eternal glory. In appearance, Wild Riders are throwbacks to the ancient days o f the Elves. T heir weapons are things o f crude iron, or even flint; their ceremonial robes and armour seldom more than the pelts of animals slain during their sacred hunts. Yet there is an otherworldliness and nobility about the W ild Riders that cannot easily be denied; the power of Kurnous flows through them as surely as it does through Orion. Thro ugh out the winter months, while Orion’s spirit is dormant, the Wild Riders watch over the King’s Glade with eyes aglow, unspeaking save to challenge those who have intruded upon the most sacred o f groves. T heir authority is absolute, for in accepting the honour o f becoming a W ild Rider, they have become severed from Wood E lf society in all ways save that o f service to their king. Indee d, so alien are the W ild Riders to other Elves that few of their former kinsmen even dare speak with them , let alone challenge their deeds. W hen winter rolls into spring and the ritual of rebirth begins, the Wild Riders lead the ceremony, binding themselves anew to the ever-king. In a n ight o f magic and terror, when ghostly shapes and eerie cries haunt the glades, the lord of Athel Loren is roused once again from his death sleep. The clarion cry of Orion’s horn rings o ut across the W ild H eath and the hun t begins anew. All of Athel Loren trembles as Orion’s footsteps thunder through the forest, gathering speed and followers with every stride. In his wake come the W ild Riders, made stronger and more ferocious by the awakening of their lord. Th ey ride not mortal mounts, bu t Steeds of Kurnous —manifest aspects o f the h unt that are as tireless and determined as the Elves who they bear into battle. Only the bravest or most foolhardy individuals remain abroad when the horns of the Wild Riders are heard upon the breeze, for the ir otherworldly tones invoke the fear of the  pre y in all w ho hear them . Such an instinct is w ell-founded, for there is no mercy to be had from the Wild Riders once the hunt has begun. Thos e unlucky enough to be caught in their path are ridden down without mercy, their deaths a sacrifice to the timeless splend our o f the K ing in the Woods.

M WS BS s

T

5 5 9

3 3 3

! Wild Rider ’ Wild Hunter Steed of Kurnous

5 4 5 4 3 0

4 4 4

w

I

1 5 1 5 1 4

A

Ld

1 9 2 9 1 5

Cavalry. SPECIA L RULES: Always Strikes First (Riders only), Devastating Charge (Riders Forest Stalker, Frenzy. Talismanic Tattoos:

ward save.

only), Fast Cavalry, Fear,

A m odel with this special rule has a 6 +

GREAT STAGS  N o beas t in all o f Ath el L ore n is tre as ured mo re than the Great Stag, a creature that the Wood Elves revere as representing the true soul of the forest. W herever the tru th o f their nature lies, the Great Stags are unquestionably magical creatures, though they are undoubtedly of a nobler cast than Unicorns. Great Stags only ever seem to appear at portentous times, m ost often to serve as war-steeds for particularly bold and noble Elves. On occasion, a Great Stag will appear at a time of great celebration and feasting, and there the Wood Elves believe there is no sure r sign o f the forest’s blessing. Infrequently encountered as the Great Stags are, to see the W hite H art of Athel Loren, a m ighty stag of unsurpassed nobility and grace, is rare r still. O nly one o f these noble animals is ever sighted at one time, and it is a comm on belief amongst the Wood Elves that there has only ever been one —  that it is an imm ortal facet of the forest that n either grows old nor dies.

M

Great Stag

9

W S BS

S

T

W

I

A

Ld

5 0 5 4 3 4 2 7

TROO P TYPE: Monstrous Beast. SPECIAL RULES: Fear, Forest Spirit, Impact Hits (D3).

 WAYWATCHERS Waywatchers are silent sentinels, the guard ians o f the paths leading into Athel Loren. Th ey are masters o f concealment, and can lie unm oving and unnoticed for days on end before springing an am bush on a startled and u nfortunate prey. M ost commonly, the way of the watcher is the natu ral  prog ression fo r th ose w ho hav e tra ined as scouts , t ho ug h more rarely, unblood ed youths can feel the call of the forest coursing through their blood. O ver time, an E lf may find that he is more comfortable in the forest’s embrace than in the presence o f his kin. H e will drift furthe r from the halls, spending more and more time in the forest, honing skills of stealth and m arksmanship. M any never return from this journey, for there are corners o f Athel Lo ren that are dang erous even to the Elv es, yet those who survive are skilled  be yond co mp are an d ha rd en ed by th eir expe riences. Few warriors can ma tch a Waywatcher’s skill with a bow. Should they wish it, these silent stalkers can loose an unerrin g stream of black-shafted arrows in a heartbeat, or place a single shot precisely in the weak poin t of a foe’s armour. Furthermore, Waywatchers are highly adept at the arts of disruption and surprise, often appearing silently next to a vulnerable enemy an d vanishing as quickly before the  bo dy eve n hits t he grou nd . T hus do any wh o en te r Athe l Lo ren run the risk of being slain without warning by the Waywatchers, cut down by unseen archers or falling prey to their cunningly co nstructed traps.

M WS

| Waywatcher Waywatcher Sentinel TRO OP TYPE:

5 5

BS S

T W

I A

5 3 6 3

3 1 3 1

5 1 8 5 1 8

4 4

Ld

Infantry.

SPECIAL RULES: Always Strikes First, Forest Stalker, Scouts, Skirmishers.

Before a mod el with this special rule makes a shooting attack, decide w hether it will make a fas t   shot  or an aimed shot. I f the former is chosen, the m odel’s missile weapon has the Multiple Shots (2) special rule for the duration o f that attack. I f the latter is chosen, then armour saves cannot be taken a gainst Woun ds caused by the attack. Mod els in the same unit mu st choose the same type of shot. Hawk-eyed Archer:

 WAYSTALKERS Waystalkers’ personalities have become entirely submerg ed  by th eir obsession with stalking prey. The y are taciturn and solitary individuals, a nd the y may let years pass between visits to Wood E lf halls. Waystalkers are perfectly at ease within their forest homeland and effortlessly survive by their wits and cunning in the wilds. On the rare occasions when a Waystalker returns to the halls, he stands ap art from all others, for he is closer to the forest than to other E lves. A Waystalker’s marksmanship shames even that o f other Waywatchers. H e can pick out a single enemy from a seething mass o f troops an d place the one perfect shot that  bring s the target, lifeless, to the groun d. "Set the Waystalker finds no reason to exult in th e application of his skills —after all, what prey could h ope to escape one who has d edicated his entire life to the hu nte r’s art?

M

Waystalker  TR OO P TYPE:

5

WS BS

6

7

S

T

W

I

A

Ld

4

3

2

7

1

8

Infantry (Character).

SPECIAL RULES: Always Strikes First, Forest Stalker, Hawk-eyed Archer (see above), Scouts, Sniper.

-

’

 DR A K IR A , QU EEN OF VENG EANC E   A s the persecu tors o f trespassers and heade rs, many Waywatchers pay homage to Drakira, Queen ofVengeance. Like them, she is easily bored by the conoentions o f society and a willing outcast from her own kind. Drakira loves nothing more than to see the transgressions o f the pa st repaid in bloo d and fire. She is ever willing to aid a mortal El fin the search fo r vengeance, whether retribution is soug ht for a raw wound o f recent days, or a shadow -shrouded vendetta o f the ancientpast. Drakira's blessings are many a nd swiftl y granted, but are never entirely without a price. A ft er all, vengeance consummated brands the  perp etra tor ju st as surely as it does the victim.

DRYADS Dryads are spiteful creatures with hearts akin to shards of ice. In the soul o f a Dryad , there is neither room n or regard for compassion or mercy, merely an uncompromising dedication to Athel Loren that makes even the most heartfelt vows of E lf or M an seem trivial by comparison. To harm the forest is to invoke a deadly and unyielding vengeance that ends only when the transgressor’s body has been ru ined an d broken. On ly a fool deliberately offers insult to a Dry ad, bu t alas, these spirit-maids are so utterly different to mortal creatures that offence is often taken w hether it was intended or not. Few mortals make such a mistake twice, and then only if the individual in question is either very lucky or very swift. Dryads are able to shape-shift into different forms and often mimic the appearance of Elves. On such occasions, they appear as unearthly, lithe and beautiful m aidens —albeit with a greenish hue to their skin and twigs in their long, cascading hair. It is in this form that the Dryads walk the bounds of Athel Loren. They are not choosy in their victims, preying on tree-killers, invaders a nd lost innocen ts with equal malice. The only sensible course o f action when approached by such a creature is to flee as far and as fast as possible, bu t most  po ten tial victims fin d thems elves en ra pt ure d by the D ry ad ’s comely form or beguiled by the haun ting melodies o f her otherworldly song. Before long, the victim is sufficiently addled that he will do anything that the spirit desires, and so is swiftly enticed into the shadowy d epths of the forest. Only when the hapless prey is completely under her spell, his mind lost in a cloud o f desire and promise, does the Dryad strike. Sloughing o ff her beauteous form she transforms into a war aspect, the hatred and spite within her soul remaking her outer appearance into a thing o f horror. H er hair  bec om es a tw isted mas s o f thor ns , briars an d twig s, he r face distorts into a terrifying and savage visage, her limbs turn long and wood-like, and her fingers become vicious talons capable of rend ing and impaling her prey. B efore the victim has even registered his predicament, his blood is spilt upon the hung ry groun d o f the forest and his body ripped limb from limb with implacable savagery. W hen A thel Loren takes the field of batde, the Dryads assume their war aspect and hu nt upo n the flanks of the army. Their lithe and swift nature allows them to cover great distance at speed, falling with ease upon a foe who, until moments before, thought themselves entirely safe from harm. Indeed, a surprise attack by hissing and darting Dryad s is oftentimes the first tangible warning an enemy army has that Athel Loren marches against it. That, or their general disappearing from camp in the still watches of the night, only to be found shredded and lifeless in a nearby glade at dawn the next day. Dry ads are not kno wn fo r their mercy.

M

! Dryad Branch Nym ph TRO OP TYPE:

5 5

W S BS

4 4

4 4

S

T

3 3

4 4

W

I

A

Ld

1 5 1 5

2 3

8 8

Infantry.

SPECIAL RULES: Fear, Forest Spirit, Hatred.

BRANCHWRAITHS Branchwraiths are the oldest of the Dryads. They have ever served as the handmaidens to the Ancients o f Athel Lor en, and attend to the Treemen with a dedication bo rdering upo n the fanatical. Aiet before the com ing o f the Elves, the Branchwraiths were so much more. In those days, it was they who ruled the forest and they who tamed the W inds o f Magic to bring sustenance to bough and branch. Thus do few Branchwraiths think kindly of the Elves, and many hate them —it matters not that Du rth u bro ugh t the Elves into the forest precisely because he knew that the B ranchw raiths’ cruel nature would lead Athel Loren to great evil. N ow the Branchwraiths watch and wait for the seasons to shift once again. O ne day soon, they believe, the usurp ers will be cast down from their lofty perches and the natural ord er restored.

M

Branchwraith TRO OP TYPE: Infantry

5

WS BS

S

T

W

I

A

Ld

6 6 4 4 2 7 3 9

(Character).

A Branchwraith is a Level 1 W izard who uses spells from the L ore of Life. MAGIC:

SPECIA L RULES: Blessings o f the Ancients, Fear, Forest Spirit, Hatred.

TREE KIN A Tree Kin is a mighty brute, an animated h ulk o f deadwood formed into a twisted and monstrous parody o f an Elf. It does no t fight with finesse, but with gn arled fists that batter armou r apart and pum mel flesh to bloody ruin. Th e Tree Kin is implacable, fearing neither pain nor death, for its body no long er has the ability to feel sensation and the spirit that drives it is already long dead. At the heart o f every Tree K in resides the soul of a dead Elf, though this is not the fate of all. O nly the strongest and most driven souls retain enough individuality to become such a creature. M ost, eager to renounce the identity and struggles that sh aped th eir mortal lives, pass into the Weave o f the forest. Though their families and friends might occasionally fancy that they can hea r their loved one’s voice upon the wind, it is bu t an echo o f a life long abandoned . H owever, those souls that become Tree Kin are unable to completely abandon their grip on their former lives, and they forge themselves a new body ou t of dead timbe r so that they might continue to defend in dea th that w hich they loved in fife. Tree Kin seldom recognise those they knew in their former lives. So muc h o f mem ory is based in their physical senses, and thus lost alongside the physical form. As a result, those few flashes and fragments that remain to a Tree Kin are more confusing than informative. O f course, to all things there is an exception, and amongst the Tree Kin, that exception is Am adri Ironbark. On ce the renowned E lf lord Amadri

Dawnspear, he was tortured to death by vile Daemonettes. So eager were they to ensure that Amadri experienced the full measure of their tortures, the Daem ons placed a curse on him so that no detail o f it wou ld ever escape his senses. T hey soon came to regret this when Amadri’s mortal form perished, for their enchantme nt boun d also the Tree Kin he became in the hou r of his death. Fully aware of his fate and o f his tormentors, A madri soon took cruel vengeance of his own.  N ow an d forev er ha unted by a p ain he no lo ng er truly feels, the reborn A madri Iron bark rules Arranoc still. Fo r most Tree Kin, however, the world is a strange place, hidden beneath a shrou d o f forgotten memory. Th oug h the creatures might be drawn to guard particular glades or safeguard certain Elves, they are seldom aware of the importance that those places and people held to the mortal  being the y once w ere. In po in t o f fact, one su ch crea ture stood sentinel over its family halls for a thou sand years, neve r once aware that the same catastrophe that had slain its mortal form had killed every member of its blood-kin also. 'iet if a Tree Kin’s garbled m emo ry causes the creature sadness, it never speaks o f it. Indee d, it is rare to hear one speak at all. W hen roused to communicate, the creatures do so in slow, hollow tones, as if the th oug ht driv ing the words comes from somewhere far distant. However, they understan d instructions well enough a nd are even willing to abandon their self-imposed vigil when asked, should their strength be needed elsewhere. At no time is this more clearly seen than when the Wild H un t begins and hund reds o f Tree Kin emerge from the deepwoods to answer its call. Buried deep th oug h it is, the Tree Kin’s soul resonates to the striden t tones o f Orio n’s horn a nd stirs eagerly to meet the challenge. Thus can the Wild Hunt often seem to be nothing less than a forest come to fife, seething with rage and determined to reclaim the lands stolen from it in centuries past. There are few sights more glorious, or more terrifying.

I liwy

M w s BS

I Tree Kin Tree Kin Elder TRO OP TYPE:

s

-X W

I

A

Ld

5 4 4 4 5 3 3 3 8 5 4 4 4 5 3 3 4 8 M onstrou s Infantry.

SPECIAL RULES: Fear, Flammable, Forest Spirit, Scaly Skin (4 + ).

 ERETHKHIA L, THE PA LE QUEEN   Ereth Khi al is the supreme godde ss o f the Underworld, and  a cooeter o f souls. Before the rise ofSlaanes h, it was she who claimed the souls o f the Eloen dead, intending to fashion an army o f the dead to depose Asuryan from his lofty throne.  Now, she must con tent herse lf with such scraps as she can steal   fro m the Dark Prince’s table, or someho w seize tho se souls t hat  hare escaped his grasp. It is at her comm and that the shadow y rephallim spirits escape the Wildw ood to pre y upon the Tree Kin,  fo r it is said she treasures their indomitable souls aboce all.

TREEMEN Th e m ost powerful of Athel Loren’s spirits are able to entwine their essence with tha t of a living tree, mo ulding it to their will. I t is no t a decision taken lightly, for when a s pirit forms a b ond w ith a living tree, they become irrevocably merg ed an d ca nnot choose to leave —only death can sever the connection. From that m om ent on, the will of the spirit shapes and drives the tree, using knotted bark and gnarled  bra nc hes to serve where an insubstantial sp irit f orm canno t. Th us is a Treeman born. Treemen are revered by E lf and forest-creature alike, and are often infested with lesser spirits living amongst their  bra nches, roo ts an d hollows. Fo r t he ir part, the Treeme n cherish all lesser creatures —they have a warm th o f character wholly at odds w ith that of the Dryads. These incredibly old beings have seen entire races rise and fall like the ascent and descent of the sun, and un derstand the passing of time in a completely different way to mortal creatures. Ev en the long-lived Elves seem to pass into dust at an alarming rate to the Treemen, the oldest of whom can remember times before the footsteps of the Elves left a mark upon the world and can expect to remain when the Elves walk no m ore. A T reeman can be counted amongst the mightiest o f Athel Loren’s denizens. His gnarled form is almost impervious to harm, an d his strength a near match for the D ragons o f the deep glades. Treemen d o not fight with grace or finesse, but with huge sweeping blows that strike home with enough force to shatter stone. They can stomp their knurled feet into the ground , knocking foes to the ground, or even send writhing roots to drag foes deep underground where the tendrils can feast upon flesh and bone.

TREEMAN ANCIENTS M WS BS

Treeman TRO OP TYPE:

5

6

6

S

5

T

6

W

5

I

2

A

5

Ld

9

Monster.

SPEC IAL RULES: Flammable, Forest Spirit, Large Target, Scaly Skin (3 + ), Stub born, Terror.

A m odel with this special rule can choose to make a single Tree Whack in place of making his normal close combat attacks. If a model is making a Tree Whack, it must be declared before rolling To Hit.

Tree Whack:

To resolve a Tree Whack, nominate an enemy model in base contact. That model must pass an Initiative test or suffer D6 Wounds with no armour saves allowed. A character with this special rule m ay make a Tree Wh ack in a challenge.

O f all the Treemen o f Athel Loren, there are those —old  be yond mortal reck on ing —whos e name s are revered above all others; these are the Treeman Ancients. When first the  pa ct between fores t a nd E lf was for med, it was they who spoke on behalf of Athel Loren , and they were old even then. Treeman Ancients seldom rouse themselves to war; they find the colours o f the wa king world less vibrant as they get older and so steadily retreat into the dream ing lands o f sleep where their magics nurture and shape the forest’s growth. Thus do the Treeman Ancients pass through the centuries in a state of dormancy, tended by small groups o f Dryads. O nly when dire times befall are they awoken from slumber, fo r only with their leadership can A thel Lore n be rou sed to its full fury.

M

Treeman Ancient TRO OP TYPE:

UPGRADE:

12 "

4

4

S

5

T

6

W

6

I

2

Strength

Special Rules

Mu ltiple Shots (D6 + 1)

A

3

Ld

10

Monster (Character).

A Treeman A ncient is a Level 2 W izard who uses spells from the L ore of Life. MAGIC:

Strangleroots: A model with this upgrade can make the following shooting attack: Range

5

WS BS

SPEC IAL RULES: Blessings of the Ancients, Flammable, Forest Spirit, Large Target, Scaly Skin (3 + ), Stubborn, Terror, Tree Whack (see left).

FOREST DRAGONS At first though t, it seems incredible th at a creature as vast as a Dragon could make its home in the dense forests of Athel Lo ren. Yet, in the deepest recesses of the Chasm Glades, there lurk s a distinct race o f great sky wyrms who long ago adapted to life within the greenwood. Pr otected by the forest canopy and shielded f rom the attentions o f young heroes seeking to make nam es for themselves by the sheer rock faces of the chasms, these Forest Dragons thrived and multiplied. Such providence has proven itself a stark contrast to other  places in the O ld W orld, w here D ra go ns an d thei r k in have long since been either slain or driven into the m ountains.

Regardless o f the reason for its waking, a Forest D rago n is a ferocious foe and o ne not easily matched. Few can stand firm against its wrath unless they can mas ter the prim al fear its countenance provokes. This fear only grows when the beast descends, arrows and bullets s cattering off its scaly hide, to eviscerate and de vour all who oppose it. Even those enemies fortunate enough to find themselves beyond the crippling sweep of the Forest Dr agon ’s talons inevitably succum b to its soporific breath. T hose w ho breathe this cloying emerald vapour collapse into a stupefied daze, their will to fight or flee utterly spent.

 N oth in g dwells for lon g in Athel L or en w ith ou t being changed, and the Forest Dragons are no exception. Like certain groups of Wood Elves, the Dragons have slowly  become an extension o f the forest’s will to survive an d  prosper. T hough still vorac ious pred ators, the D ra go ns hu nt only when the forest has need o f them, resting in a state of hibernation for the remainder of the time. Should there be an intrusion by creatures too mighty fo r Athel Loren ’s spirits, the forest will occasionally goad one o r more Forest D ragon s to wakefulness in order to counter the threat. More often, the Elves will themselves petition the aid of a Drag on to serve as a steed for a Glade L or d —a request to which the beast cedes with reasonable grace, provided it wasn’t disturbed from a  pa rticular ly fascina ting d ream . O ve r time, a Glad e L ord might form a strong bond with a particular Forest Dragon , the two becom ing friends, more tha n m ere allies at need.

Despite their mo nstrous appearance, Forest Dragons are actually highly intelligent, an d m aintain a keen interest in events that occur far beyond the boundaries of Athel Loren. Th ey are particularly voracious for tidings that relate to their long months o f slumber. In part, this hunger is fed by the Elves who petition them for aid, but the Dragons do not necessarily consider the Elves to be wholly unbiased observers and often seek out others to provide counterpoint. Indeed, it is not unknown for a Dragon to spare a suitably intriguing opponent, providing that it has the potential to expand the D rago n’s knowledge. I f the captive’s news is sufficiently valuable or intriguing , the D rago n feels duty bo un d to spa re his life in exchange fo r the inf ormation; if not, the captive is invariably devoured on the s pot for unknowingly having squandered the Dragon’s precious time.

"

Forest D ragon

M

6

WS US

6

0

S

6

T

6

W

6

I

3

A

5

Ld

8

TROO P TYPE: Monster. SPECIAL RULES: Fly, Forest Spirit, Large Target, Scaly Skin (3 + ), Terror. Soporific Breath: A Forest Dra gon has a Strength 2 Breath Weapon. Arm our saves taken against Wounds caused by Soporific Breath suffer a -3 penalty. All models in a unit that suffers one or m ore hits from Soporific Breath gain the Stupidity special rule for the rem ainder o f the game.

 —1,1 •— - -—  LOEC, THE S H A D O W DANCE R Though Forest Dragons seldom pay heed or homage to the deities o f the Elces (few are prepare d to admit the existence o f beings nobler or more pow erful than Dragons), mo st have a grudging respectfo r Loec, the Lo rd o f Laughter. A t heart,  Dra gons are creatures o f cunning and intellect, and they admire the legerdemain by which the Sh ado w Dan cer rescues Elven  souls from Slaanesh as well as the trickery Loec em ploys to erode the Da rk Prince's vengeance once the deed is done. Indeed, many Forest Dragons h old true to the belief that Loec h oned his cleverness under the tutelage ofDraug nir, Father o f Dragons. The Wardancers, being Loec’s fore mo st devotees, ho ld th at the oppo site is true, and love to engage Forest Dragons in battles o f  wits to p rove theirpoint.

DURTHU Eldest of Ancients D urth u is an Elde r of Athel Loren, a Treeman so ancient that even Ariel’s millennia -long existence pales in comparison. It was he who first forged a union between Elves and forest, and he also who argu ed with his fellow Elders that the  bin di ng be mad e pe rm an en t. In those day s, he was ever a friend to the ch ildren o f Isha, always willing to help them  broa de n th ei r u nde rs ta ndin g o f the forest an d o f the W eave. Alas, those days are long gone. Centuries of destruction and carnage have taken their toll on D urth u’s valiant spirit. H e has borne witness to the rapacity o f bloode d fife, and of the wanton destruction it has heaped upon his homeland. H e has seen untold acres of trees felled for kindling o r from simple spite. H e has watched, time a nd again, as the Elves have invited calamity on the forest through an inability to sever their conn ection to the o utside world. W orst of all, he has seen his fellow Elde rs fall, one by one; some slain by their own foes but m ost destroyed by the enemies o f the Elves.

 Now D u rt h u ’s benevolence is g one, replac ed by an ab iding madness. No longer is he a healer and teacher; he has taken up a sword, forged specially for him by Daith, and become solely a destroyer. He makes no distinction between the lost, the innocent and the wicked - all who tread D urth u’s  belov ed glades witho ut leave are do om ed if the E ld er happens upon them. O nly the Elves are spared Du rth u’s wrath, for he does not blame them for what has come to pass, only himself. Yet nor does he any longer co nsider the children of Isha to be his friends, and now shuns their company as determinedly as he once embraced it. Allies they might be, through the common cause of survival, but that is all. For their part, the Elves mourn for D urthu . As long-lived creatures themselves, they k now well the cruelty o f the world,  but can only i ma gine the sorro ws an eternity o f destruction has inflicted on a creature older th an the ir entire race. Alas, it is beyond the power of the Elves to heal D urth u’s weary heart; but it is not, perhaps, beyond his own. Wh en an Eld er of the Fo rest is slain, his essence is absorb ed by his peers. As one of only two survivors, Du rthu now commands fully half the combined might of every Elder that ever existed —more than enough to heal his ravaged soul, and to achieve many miraculous things besides. Sadly, so clouded by rage and loss has his min d become, th at he is unaware o f the powe r at his command. W ha t little Durt hu employs, he does so only on an instinctive level to aug me nt his already formidable strength or loose swarms of ethereal spite-creatures against his enemies. M anifestations o f Du rthu ’s inner sorrow, these wraithlike apparitions chill the soul and spirit of any whom they assail. O n those rare occasions on which D urth u slumbers, they sing maliciously through his dreams,

ceaselessly reminding the Eld er of all the ways in which he has failed his beloved forest. % t still the potential rem ains for this being, once the noblest of his kind, to bring a new age of splendour to Athel Lore n, if only he can abandon his hatred.

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Durthu

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TROOP TYPE: Monster (Special Character). MAGIC: D urthu is a Level 1 W izard who uses spells from

the L ore of Beasts. SPECIA L RULES: Blessings o f the Ancients, Flammable, Forest Spirit, Frenzy, Hatred, Large Target, Sca ly Skin (3 + ), Stu bborn , Terror, Tree Whack (see page 51). A Lam entation of Despairs:

D urthu can make the

following shooting attack: Range

12 "

Strength

Special Rules

Kilting Blow, Mu ltiple Shots (2D6)

ORION The King in the Woods Orion is the king o f Athel Loren. H e is immortal, but his existence is irrevocably tied to the seasons. Thus does he pass willingly into his own funeral pyre each midwinter, only to be reborn into thun derou s life on the first day of spring. Each year, on the eve of the vernal equinox, the Wild Riders select a young prince who will bear the mantle of O rion for the coming year. This chosen one is led to the O ak o f Ages an d given over to Ariel’s keeping. Th ere, she works the m iracle of rebirth, sculpting her lost husband anew from the chosen one’s flesh and K urnous’ spirit. O n the following morning, the chosen one emerges from the Oak’s embrace, a mortal E lf no longer, but reborn as Orion, god-king o f Athel Loren. W hen his realm is threatened, Or ion is the first to fight in its defence. Tak ing up his mighty weapons o f war, he winds his great horn and calls Athel Lo ren to the W ild H un t. Every E lf feels the lure o f their king ’s wild summon s, and many are overcome by this most primal o f urges. D raw n to their king’s side, they gladly ab andon their civilised concerns for the thrill of the hunt and the heady tang o f blood upon the wind. T hou gh Orio n’s nature is always infused by K urnous’ joy of the hun t, his tempera men t can differ greatly from one year to the next. W hilst Ariel and I sha have long been one and the same, their desires me rged into a single whole, O rion’s

 personality is a meld ing no t only o f Kurnous an d the chosen one, but o f every E lf who has borne the mantle o f kingship since the very beginning. Th ese older m inds are faint, and seldom influence Orion’s actions directly, but still their voices whisper thr oug h his thoughts. At times, they offer advice, at others they adm onish and berate. K urnous is the strongest voice of all, and the only one tha t can actively supplant the chosen one’s wishes. Though the Hunter God’s personality has been eroded th rough the continual cycle of death and rebirth, his legacy of primal power an d divine wisdom is still great beyond mo rtal reckoning. Such is the reason that the chosen one m ust be stron g of will, for he m ust strive with the spirit of Kurnous and dominate the o ther spirits in his soul if he is not to be driven m ad. I t is a heavy burden , an d one that grows g reater with each passing year, for every cycle of rebirth adds a new voice to the choir. O n occasion, a chosen one will falter in his purpose, and in those years Orion’s  boun dless power is h eld by a splinter ed an d fractio us mind. Th e rituals of the chosen one’s selection are kept carefully hidden, for there are always those who wish to sub vert the  pro cess for the ir own reasons. At var iou s times, bo th the Elves of Ulthua n and Nagg aroth have sought to interfere in O rion’s rebirth, each party hoping to steer the Wood E lves in a direction to th eir liking. No r, alas, are the folk o f Athel Lo ren themselves entirely immu ne to the lure o f interference. Desp ite the sacrifice that the act o f Orion ’s rebirth calls for, many a noble family would be only too glad to see a mem ber of their kin elevated to the position of Ariel’s consort, thoug h it be only for a year. In fact, some of the m ore ambitious lords see the time o f the choosing as hav ing the potential for a double victory, that of basking in the reflected glory o f a relative’s selection, and of no long er h aving to com pete with that relative for further honours. Few Elves would admit to such a sentimen t out loud, of course, because Athel Lo ren society considers itself to aspire to better th an such intrigues,  bu t the truth o f the m atter lies plain be hind many eyes, i f one knows only how to look for it. It is not just m ortal intrigue that m ust be guarde d against, for there are many gods who wo uld delight to meddle in the act of Orion’s rebirth. C hief amongst these is Anath R aema, the Savage Hun tress . She long ago coveted Kur nous’ affections, and has ever since made no distinction between the godly  being for wh om she once lusted, an d the form he now assumes wh en striding the m ortal world. O n m any occasions, An ath R aema has sough t to force the selection o f a prince more attune d to her charms tha n Ariel’s. M ost o f the time, her efforts meet with failure, bu t not always. The Wood E lves speak seldom o f those seasons when Orio n’s heart is divided; they simply refer to them as the ‘dark years’ and pledge anew never to let such times occur again. On those occasions when Orion is reborn with a shadowed soul, there is only one consolation, just as there is one final unavoidable woe in those years when he eme rges from the O ak o f Ages as a paragon of Elvenkind. Wise or m ad, noble or haunted, each incarnation of Orion must end the same way; in the flames of the midw inter pyre.

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Orion Hou nd o f Orion

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6

T R O O P T Y P E : M ons ter (Special Character).

Orion may be accompanied into battle by two H o u n d s o f   Orion (War Beast).

M A G I C IT E M S : Ha wk’s Talon: Cra fted from a single smooth span o f rare wyth elwood, H a w k’s Talon is the pinnacle o fthe hun tsma n’s craft. O fall  the Elv es, only Orion possesses the incredible strength to dr aw this weapon. This is as it sh ould be, for as the fore st’sforemost h unte r  only he has the skill to w iel d H a w k ’s Talon to its full est effect.

M agic Weapon . H aw k’s Talon is a missile weapo n with the following profile:

S P E C I A L R U L E S (Orion): Alw ays St rik es First, Forest Stalker, Frenzy, Terror, Unb reakab le.

 _________ S trength ________ Special Rules _________ 

Range

30" Orion’s Equerries: If O rion is accompanied by Houn ds of Orion, they must be deployed as a unit (even though as a monster, O rion is not normally perm itted to join u nits). Orion cannot leave this unit, and cannot join other units.

S P E C I A L R U L E S (Ho und of Orion): Forest Spirit, Frenzy, Unbreakable.

I

THETALEOFATHERIN 

* J  Jf /  j '

 Ded icat ed thou gh the Wild Riders are to th e needs o f their  noble king, they have no pretensions to incorruptibility; indeed, it would be laughable for any being to make such a claim in A th el Lore n, where much is illusory, and the magics o f  enchantment are wielded by so many, and with such skill. I t was to guard against subversion that Ar iel placed the very firstW ild  Riders under a oath o f secrecy tha t has since bound all who have worn the h unt er’s mantle.

5

Spear o f Kurnous: This spear is a livi ng weapon. It was crafted  long agofr om the bole ofth e glorious birch tree tha t grew in Isha’s heavenly garden, an d bound with enchantments to nurture and  renew its flesh. The Spear o f Kurnous is irrevocably bound to its master, a nd always r eturns to Or ion’s ha nd should he cast it at  a foe, which he does often. The K ing in the Woods holds that a true hunter can bring down any prey w ith a spear as easily as a bow, and ev er seeks toprove the merit o fhis words. O f course, the Spear o f Kurn ous’ colossal size gives hi m a substantial advantage over other preyseekers —when driv en by his peerless might, it can disembowel a deepwood auroch as easily as it can a man.

M agic Weapon. Th e Spear of Kurnous can be used to make shooting attacks using the same rules as a bolt thrower with the profile below. T his attack can be made i f O rion moves (but not if he m arches).

 _________ S trength ________ Special Rules __________ 

Range

18" Only one Wild Rider, in all the years since, has broken that   geas. H is name was At he rin o f the Re d Horn, and he did so I not under duress, nor out o f pro mis e o f wealth or go dly favour, but to impress his beloved, Kalara, a princess ofW ydri oth, by  speak ing o f tho se hallo wed secrets. Legend tells that Ath eri n was struck dumb in the mom ent o f his betrayal and, sensing a  greater change overta king him, fled fro m his lov e’s side and deep into the fore st where no oth er wo uld witness his shame. Kalara was distraught with her loss, bu t no amou nt o f searching or   sorce rous scry ing wou ld revealAt he rin to her.  A long an d mournf ul year pas sed. Kala ra res olved to appea se  Kur nou s on he r lover’s behalf, and embark ed upon a hu nt in his name. For many months she roa med the glades and fields o f   A th e l Loren, searching fo r a quarry w orthy o f the Hun ter G od.  A t last, on th e win dswept plain s of El dr oth , she be held a suitable  prey, a migh ty sta g with a fu ll and gloriou s crown o f antlers. In one smoo th motion, Kalara no cked an arrow to her bow, and let   fiy. The princess d id not miss her mark. The sh ot to ok the stag in his right eye, and the beast fell dead in that same moment.  Eager to begin the rites that wo uld dedicate the kill to Ku rnous ,  Kalar a spurred her steed for wa rd throu gh the long grass. Al as ,  she fo un d no trace o f the stag, bu t lying amo ngs t the grasses  she disco vered the na ked and lifeless body o f her los t love, an arrow buried deep in his skull. Thus passe d Ath erin o f the Red   Hor n, t hou gh h is tale lives ever on as a warning to t hose who might be tempted to betray Kurn ous’trust. A s fo r Kalara, she wandered, broken-hearted and desolate, fo r many turnings o f  the world, unable to forgive herself fo r the par t she had pl ay ed in  A th er in ’s death. O nly in A th e l Loren ’s dark est hour would she  fin d redemp tion, bu t that is anothe r story...

M ultiple Shots (6)

7

M ultiple W ounds (D3 )

Arm our saves cannot be taken against W ounds caused by the Spear of Kurnous.

V A ''

>

'V y

Cloak o f Isha: This sacred garment is woven anew each spring  by the Mag e Queen Arie l herself. It is the only protection Orion wears in battle, an d the only one that he needs. It is through the Cloak of Isha t hat A rie l grants her beloved a portion ofh er ow n  strength, ensuring tha t the woun ds he suffers arefleeting.

Talisman. The C loak of Isha grants O rion a 5 + ward save and the Magic Resistance (2) special rule. At the start of each of your turns, roll a D6. O n a score of 6, Orion regains a W ound lost earlier in the batde. Horn o f the Wild Hunt: This horn is one o fthe oldest artefacts in all of At he l Loren. Legen d tells it wa s a gift fr om Kurnous to his mortal children at the dawn ofcreation, a token ofhis fa vo ur th at   plac ed them above the m yri ad brutish beasts o fthe world. Now the Horn ofthe W ild H un t has returned to its rightful master. In Orion ’s hands i t is more than merely a symbol of a god ’s fav our ; it  is the vessel ofthe Hu nte r G od’s savagery and determination, and  imbues a portion o f Kurnous’ wildness in all who hear its blare.

Enchanted Item. A t the start of each turn, the H orn of the W ild H u nt grants the Devastating Charge special rule to Orion, his unit, and all friendly Wood E lf units within 6". Th is lasts until the end o f that turn.

 ARALOTH Lord of Talsyn Araloth was n ot always a hero. In his youth, he was a craven lordling who had n ot the mettle to hun t any prey that could hun t him in return . W hilst others went to battle in his stead, Araloth caroused and hunted in the company of worthless friends, and tried to forget his shame.

closed his eyes, amazed b oth at his victory and at the courage with which he had won it. When he opened them once more, the Daemon’s body had vanished. Looking upon the maiden once more, Ara loth saw at last beyond her m ortal guise, and knew tha t he was in the presence o f a goddess.

It was upon one such hunt that Araloth was thrown from his horse, and sep arated from all companions save for Skaryn, his trusted hawk. After wanderin g lost for many hours, Araloth came to a strange glade. Tho ugh dawn had broken scant hours before, the lordling now beheld a crescent moon hanging low in a darkened sky. It was a scene to stir the heart, yet Araloth scarcely saw it. H e had eyes only for the E lf maiden who stood alone at the glade’s heart, and the monstrous four-armed D aemon that m enaced her.

Lo ng they walked und er the stars, the goddess and the lordling. They spoke o f many things, and she revealed to him many wonders. T he goddess told of how she had watched and counselled the Elves since the daw ning of the world, speaking plainly when the Cre ator allowed it, and thro ugh dreams when he w ould not. But even the power o f the gods mu st fade, she said sadly. H ers was nearly spent, but she still had three great gifts to bestow. Araloth, freed now o f his fears, was the first of these; a hero to defend the Elves in the coming dark. The second would be Araloth’s first-born daughter, a saviour to bring hope w hen it was needed most. O f the third gift, however, the goddess would no t speak, for there were some secrets even she could not share. Soon after, Araloth fell into a deep sleep. Wh en he awoke, he d id so in his hall, with friends at his bedside. H e h ad been thrown from his horse, they said, his senses scattered by the fall. When Araloth told them of his tale, his companions laughed, thinking that he had dreamt it all. Not wishing to be thought mad, Araloth laughed also, but his heart knew the truth.

Th ere, a t last, Araloth fo und his courage, for even his craven heart could not abandon the maid to the Daemon’s cruel  plea sures. Befor e h e realised it, Araloth was ru nn in g to he r aid, and his hunting spear soon gouged the D aemo n’s flank. Th e beast was swift, and Araloth wo uld have perished from its counterblow, h ad S karyn not des cended from the skies to tear out the Daemon’s eyes. Blinded, the beast flailed madly,  bu t A raloth du ck ed easily und er its claws an d th ru st his spear deep into its black heart. As the D aem on fell dead, Araloth

In the years after, Araloth became the fearless hero that the goddess had foretold, his triumphs the inspiration for many a song. Following the Battle of Ard en, in w hich Araloth slew Morghur the Corruptor, the Mage Queen decreed that he would thereafter be her royal champion, an honour not  bestowe d in living mem ory, 'le t despite the ren ow n an d the accolades, Araloth has never forgotten she who made him thus. So it is that on those nights wh en the crescent moon shines down upon Athel Loren, Araloth the Bold embarks upon the hunt with Skaryn as his only companion, hoping to meet with his beloved goddess once more.

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Araloth

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T R O O P T Y P E : Infantry (Special Character). SPECIAL R ULES: Always Strikes First, Forest Stalker, Stubborn. Boldest of the Bold: W hilst A raloth is a lone character, he has the Unbreakable special rule (this replaces Stubborn). Favour of the Goddess:

Araloth has a 4 + ward save.

Skaryn the Eye Th ief: At the start o f each of your turns, nominate a single enemy model within 18" of Araloth. T ha t model takes a Strength 4 hit. If the Wound is unsaved, and the To Wou nd roll was a 6, the m odel suffers a - J penalty to Weapon Skill and Initiative (to a minimu m of 1) for the rest of the game. A model can only suffer this penalty once.

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DRYCHA  Briarmaven of Woe Lo ng ago, Drycha held court amongst the roots of Addaivoch, the once-glorious creature known in recent times as the Tree of Woe. M ost believe that Dryc ha lost her mind when M org hu r’s death tainted that grou nd forever, but in truth , she was capricious and malevolent for many long years before that tragedy. Drycha remembers well the days  before the co ming of the El ves, an d has ever ru ed the folly that shackled the forest to mortal whim and fate. She rarely converses with others, even the Dryads who serve her as handmaidens, bu t instead chants a mantra of the names of all those fellow spirits whom she believes have been failed by the Elves. A s old as Dry cha is, she still possess a crystal-clear memory, and it is doubtful that she will ever reach the end of her tally; new names are ad ded w ith every battle between Athel Lo ren and the outside world. In the early years of the alliance between the Elves a nd forest, Drycha was ever in evidence about the glades and groves, watching the Elves and examining their every action for any sign o f betrayal. She has be en seen little in the years since M org hu r’s blood was spilt upon her glade, though she is known to com mune with C oeddil, a Treeman of great age and power, and serves as his hera ld while the great b eing lies shackled in the depths of the Wildwood. Such a thing cannot help but provoke unease, for Coeddil’s distrustful attitude

of the Wood Elves is legend. H e is so incredibly ancient that it is difficult to ascertain his motivation, fo r Coedd il has forgotten more than m any younger beings —the Elves includ ed —will ever know. I f these two emb ittered spirits have found common cause, as it appears, it can only be a matter o f time before the balance of Lo ren forest is thrown into disarray. In recent years, strange tales have come to Athel Loren, worrying rum ours of Drych a’s activities. O n the fringe of the great D rakwald Forest in the Em pire, the peasants tell stories o f the trees that come alive, hungry for blood. O n the edge of the Forest o f Arden in Bretonnia, villagers gather only deadwood for the ir purposes, citing tales of other setdements found ru ined a nd torn, the inhabitants left as scraps of tattered meat by the venge ance o f the trees. To many, these events seem as senseless as they are apparently random, but if they are indeed the work of Drycha and he r handmaidens, there must surely be a greater goal behind them than mere slaughter —though what that goal is remains to be seen. Alas, even Naieth the Prophetess cannot see the destination for which D rycha strives, for the road leading there is hidden by  bloo d an d horror.

Drycha

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4 4 3 7 4 9

TROO P TYPE: Infantry (Special Character). MAGIC: Dryc ha is a Level 2 W izard who uses spells from

the L ore of Shadow. SPECIAL RULES: Blessings of the Ancients, Fear, Forest Spirit, Hatred.

Each time Drych a suffers an unsaved Wound, her Attacks characteristic increases by 2 for the remainder o f the battle. Each time Drycha regains a Wou nd lost earlier in the battle, her Attacks c haracteristic decreases  by 2 fo r th e re mai nd er o f the battle. Fanatical Resolve:

This rule cannot be used i f there are no forests on the battlefield when it is time to deploy your army. Wh en y ou deploy, you may choose D3 units wholly composed of models with the Forest Spirit special rule - these are not deployed at the start of the game, bu t are ‘slum bering ’ somewh ere on the battlefield. Roused to Wrath:

At the start of the Remaining M oves sub-phase of your first turn, roll a D 6 for each slumbering unit. O n a roll of 1-2, nothing happens —roll again next turn. O n a roll o f 3-6, the un it awakens. Place it on the battlefield so tha t all models in the u nit are wholly within a forest, a nd a t least 1" away from other units and impassable terrain. Treat units that cannot  be pla ce d as ha vi ng rolled a 1-2. Any units th at have no t yet awoken by the time the game ends award victory points as if they had been destroyed.

NAESTRA 6 ARAHAN The Sisters of Twilight H igh in the alpine slopes of the Pine C rags, the Eyrie of Twilight dominates the skyline. H ere in lie the elegant halls of Naestra and A rahan, the Sisters of Twilight. T he twins are as different as night from day, not jus t in appearance,  but in personality. N ae stra ’s spirit is as pu re as starlight; Arahan’s as wild as an unbridled flame. W hile N aestra seeks  battle only in pu rs uit o f pre ve nting g reater harm s, Arahan welcomes it with a wanton joy. I f truth be told, Na estra always seems reproving o f her sister’s deeds, thoug h this only ever increases Arahan ’s delight. D espite th eir differences, the twins are inseparable —never has one been sigh ted without the other in all the time they have dw elt in Athel Loren. Th e Sisters of Twilight first appeared duri ng the lon g years of Ariel’s self-imposed exile from the mortal realm, acting as her representatives upo n the great council. No ne save for the Mage Queen know the sisters’ true origins, though there are many rum ours th at purp ort to fill this gulf. Some say that they are the splintered halves of a young E lf-m aid who  bec am e lost in the W ildwoods long ago, an d w as remade so that she might better serve the Weave. Others recount that the twins are the darkest and lightest aspects of Ariel’s spirit made manifest, her passion and mercy split apart from her soul so that they can no longe r dominate h er being as they have in the past. A few stories even claim that the sisters are as divine as Ariel and Orion, but most commonplace by far are the songs and tales tha t claim the twins are simply Ariel’s daughters, and thus princesses of Athel Lore n by right of  blo od an d lineage. Ultimately, however, the Wood Elv es debate an d retell these possibilities solely out o f their love o f storycraft. They know that N aestra and A rahan speak with the authority of their beloved M age Queen; no secret of the  past will eve r change that. Even amongst the fey folk of Athel Loren the Sisters of Twilight are notable for an other-worldliness o f spirit and manner. Any weapons the sisters touch become infused with a portion of their nature. T hose wielded by Naestra  bec om e anath em a to creatur es o f ana rchy an d discord, wh ilst Araha n’s tools of battle inflict great harm on beings w ith noble souls. A rm ed thusly, the sisters walk paths tha t even Waywatchers dread, a nd are said to tread the glades of the Dr eam ing W ood with as little concern as they do the eternally sunlit groves of Arranoc. Though inclined to seek battle from afar, Naestra and Arahan do not shirk the bitter press of melee should the situation require. All of their armamen ts, be they arrows or blades, are crafted upon Vaul’s Anvil by no lesser hands than those of Daith. T he master smith dotes upon the pair in the m anner o f a proud uncle, and indulges N aestra’s obsession with the perfect honing of her time-worn blade as uncomp lainingly as he does A rahan’s ardent insistence at carrying a freshly-fashioned spear into each battle. N o other, not even D aith’s fellow lords a nd ladies o f the great council, can command his time so completely as the Sisters of Twilight. Tet each time the twins present the smith with a new challenge, he simply gives a small smile and returns to the fires of the forge.

A foe would be well-advised to avoid confronting the Sisters of Twilight unless he possesses absolute certainty that he can fell them both in q uick succession. Th e harm s inflicted upon one twin are inconsequential so long as the other yet draws  breath; the ancie nt magics of the forest see the fallen sister restored within m oments o f the supposedly fatal event. Th is  prote ction extend s e qua lly to bo th N ae stra an d Arahan, bu t it is inevitably the latter who gains m ost freque nt benefit from it, and then invariably in the most s pectacular of fashions. To recou nt but a few such occasions, Arah an has hacked h er way out o f the belly of a Gh orgo n after be ing swallowed whole, emerged unscathed from a razor-sharp cloud of Dark Mag ic to slay its caster, and eviscerated a Vampire a heartbeat after her own decapitation. Th e fleeting mom ents o f Arahan’s ‘deaths’ are about the only times when Naestra casts aside her calm demeanour, and  becom es as furio us a fighte r as he r twin. It is imp ossible to say wh ether this is because Arahan’s wild spirit flows into he r sister for those brief moments that h er own body lies slain, or is simply a sibling’s natural w rath at the seeming slaug hter of her kin. Wh atever the cause, the consequences for the foe are inevitably bloody. Naestra’s bladework may not be as exuberant as Araha n’s, but w hat it lacks in brashness, it more than compensates for with lethality of precision. Inde ed, the slaughter Naestra wreaks when enraged is matched in scale only by the w ithering disapproval with which Naes tra  beh old s he r reck less sister once the mom ent has passed ; a disapproval that Arah an disrega rds as cheerfully as she does all others.

Th e Sisters o f Twilight seldom fight from the centre o f the  ba tde line but are inste ad ca rried thro ug h the w ar-to rn skies  by one o f the ir loyal steeds. Sw ift-w inged Gwinda lor is a wise and eve n-tempered ally, as would be expected of a beast whose lineage springs directly from Talyn, King o f Eagles. Moreo ver, he has an uncanny ability to brin g the twins to a position where their arrows can inflict the most harm. Ce ithin-H ar, by contrast, is as hot-blooded a creature as can  be fo un d in dr ag on kind . H e thinks no thing o f hurlin g bo th hims elf and the Sisters of Twilight into the thick o f the fray where arrows can be fired at point-blank range, and blades too can do the ir wicked work. Though it is sad to say, these two creatures know little fondness for each other. Gw indalor considers the drago n to  be reckless an d v entur esom e, wh ilst C eithin -H ar ber ates the eagle for his aloofness and co nstant caution. D ifferent in temperament though they might be, Gw indalor and CeithinH ar are nonetheless united by their bonds of friendship with  N aestra an d Arahan. Thoug h it is do ub tful th at eith er wo uld  pu t him se lf in ha rm ’s way f or the other, bo th would gladly die a hund red times over in defence of their mistresses.

r$ m *    Naestra i Arahan Ceithin-Har Gwindalor 

M

5 5 6 2

W S BS

s

6 6 0 0

4 4 6 4

6 6 6 5

T 3 3 6 4

w

I

2 2 6 3

7 7 3 4

Ld 3 9 3 9 5 8 2 8

A

TROO P TYPE: Infantry (Special Character). Naestra and

Arahan must be carried into batde by either their Forest Dragon Ceithin-Har (Mo nster) or their Great Eagle Gwindalor (Monstrous Beast). SPECIAL RULES (Naestra and Arahan):  Always Strike s First, Forest Stalker.

If either Arahan or N aestra is slain, do not remove the model from play unless the other sister is killed in the same phase. I f at least one sister has at least one W ound re maining at the end of a phase, both are restored to their starting num ber o f Wounds - otherwise, remove both models as casualties. If either Naestra or Arahan issues or accepts a challenge, the other can attack (and be attacked) as  pa rt o f the cha llenge. Sh ou ld thei r m ount be slain, the sisters automatically form a unit. T hey can join o ther units, but if one o f the twins joins a unit, so m ust the other. I f one twin cannot join the unit, neither can the other. Conjoined Destiny:

Sisters o f Twilight:  N ae st ra ’s close

comba t a tta cks receive a + 1 bonus To Wo und against models from the Forces of Destruction. Arahan’s close combat attacks receive a +1  bo nu s To W oun d ag ainst m odels from th e Forces o f Or de r. SPECIAL RULES (Ceithin-Har): Fly, Forest Spirit, Large Target, Scaly Skin (3 + ), Terror.

If C eithin-Har can declare a Charge during the Ch arge sub-phase, he mu st do so unless he passes a Lead ership test (which can be taken on N aestra or Arahan’s Lea dersh ip, i f they are still alive). Impetuous:

Sopo rific Breath: Ceithin-Har has a Strength 2 Breath Weapon. Arm our saves taken against Wounds caused by Soporific Bre ath suffer a -3 penalty. All models in a un it that suffers one or more hits from Soporific Breath gain the Stupidity special rule for the rem ainder o f the game.

SPECIAL RULES (Gwindalor): Fly.

W hen mounted on Gwindalor, Naestra and A rahan re-roll all failed To H it rolls when m aking shooting attacks. Hunter’s Mount:

 LILEATH, THE MAID EN   Lileath is the god dess o f the moon, the patron o f mages,  seers and scholars. She seldom spea ks directly to mortals, fo r   Asu rya n forbade such communio n lon g ago, and instead sends whispers throug h dreams. Lileath is ever ready to judge an El f by their heart’s intent, and offers redemption to those noble souls whose fate has taken a dark turn. Thoug h Lileath is fading slower  than the r est o f the Eloen panth eon, her days are numbered all the  same. It is said that she is spending her fina l days prepa ring her   fina l legacy fo r the Elves, though w hat that is, none can say.

MAG IC ITEMS: Talon o f Dawn:  Naestra s bowfires no mortal shot, but bolts of  blessed light that melt through armou r to sear the flesh beneath. It is  said that the souls reaped by this weapon yield their energies to undo the harm s they have wrought against the wielder’s allies.

M agic W eapon. Th e Talon o f Dawn is a missile weapon with the following profile: Range

Strength

Special Rules

Armour Piercing, Flamin g Attacks, Multiple Wounds (D6)

30"

I f an attack from the Talon of Dawn causes one or more unsaved Woun ds, N aestra’s mou nt regains a single Wound lost earlier in the battle (slain models cannot regain Wounds in this manner). Talon o f Dusk: The arrows of Arahan’s bow are craftedfrom the  spirit husks of the Wildwood’s bitterest Dryads. Once loosed, they  splinter into scores of poisonous thorns that seek the flesh ofAthel   Loren’s enemies.

Ma gic Weapon. T he Talon o f Du sk is a missile weapon with the following profile: Range

Strength

30"

1

Special Rules

Armour Piercing, Mu ltiple Shots (2D6 ), Poisoned Attacks

 A N C IE N T S ’ PR O TEC TIO N

THE LORE OF HIGH M AG IC W hen generating spells, a Wizard can swap a randomly generated H igh Ma gic spell for one of the lore’s two signature spells. Wizards who know two or more spells from the Lore of Hig h Mag ic can instead swap any two H igh Magic spells for both o f the lore’s signature spells.

DR AIN M AG IC (Signature Spell)

Cast on 7+

The wizard conjures a vortex ofanti-magic to calm the battlefield.

can be cast on any unit (friend or foe) and has a range of 18". If the target is a friendly unit,  Drai n Ma gic is an a u g m e n t spell. If the target is an enemy unit,  Dra in M agic is a h e x spell. In either case, all Remains in Play spells affecting the target unit are immediately dispelled, and the effects of all other spells on the target unit immediately come to an end. The Wizard can choose to have this spell target all units (friend and foe) within 18". I f he does so, the ca sting value is increased to 14 + .

 Dra in M agic

SOUL QUENCH (Signature Spell)

Cast on 8+

White light bursts forth, banishing the spirits o fthose i t touches.

is a ma gi c missile with a range of 18" that causes 2D6 Strength 4 hits. The caster can choose for this spell to instead inflict 4D6 Strength 4 hits. If he does so, the casting value is increased to 16 + .

(Lore Attribute)

Whe never a Wood E lf Wizard successfully casts a spell from this lore, and it is not dispelled, place a protection counter next to him once the spell has been resolved. W henever the W izard (or a model in the same unit as him) suffers an unsaved W ound and there are one or more protection counters next to him, remove a protection counter and treat the Woun d as if it had been saved.

3. WALK BETWEEN WO RLD S

Cast on 8+

 For a moment, the wiza rd's allies tread immortal pathways. Walk Between Worlds is an a u g m e n t spell that targets a single unengaged unit within 24". T he targ et gains the Ethereal special rule until the end of the phase and can immediately move up to 10” as if it were the Remaining M oves sub-phase. Th e Wizard can choose to cast a more powerful version o f this spell, in which case the target instead gains the Ethereal special rule until the end of the phase and can immediately move up to 20" as if it were the Remaining M oves s ub-phase. I f he chooses to do so, the casting value is increased to 16 + .

4. TE M PE ST

Cast on 12+

Without wa rnin g an eight-winded storm breaks about thefoe. Tempest is

a direct da ma g e spell. Place the large round template anywhere within 30" o f the Wizard —it then scatters D6". All models hit by the template suffer a Strength 3 hit (models with the Fly special rule suffer a Strength 4 hit instead). I f a unit suffers any unsaved W ound s from this spell, it suffers a -1 mod ifier to all To H it rolls (both shooting and close combat) until the start of the caster’s next Magic phase (shooting attacks that do not use Ballistic Skill must roll 4 + on a D6 before firing, or the shot(s) are lost).

Soul Quench

5. ARC AN E UN FO RG ING

Cast on 13+

The magic of unmaking flies true fro m outstretched hands.  Arcane Unforging is

1. APOTHEOSIS

Cast on 5+

Waves of pure magic infuse the wizard' s ally.  Apotheosis is

an a u g m e n t spell that targets a single model within 18". Th e target immediately regains a single lost Wound. The Wizard can choose to cast a more pow erful version o f Apotheosis. I f he does so, the target instead immediately regains D3 lost Wounds, in which case the casting value is increased to 10 + . Regardless of how many lost Wounds (if any) are recovered, the target also gains the Fear special rule until the start o f the caster’s next Mag ic phase.

2. HA ND O F GL OR Y

Cast on 5+

a di re ct d a m a g e spell with a range of 24" that targets a single enemy model (even a character in a unit). The target suffers a single Wound on a dice roll greater than or equal to the model’s unmodified armo ur save (models without an armour save cannot be wounded). N o arm our saves are permitted against a Wou nd caused by this spell. The owning player must then reveal to the caster all the magic items possessed by the target (if any). If the target has one or more magic items, randomly select one of them —  that item is immediately destroyed on the roll of 2 + and cannot be used for the rest of the game. Note that this spell has no effect on magic items that are mounts, magic items that contain bound spells that have miscast during the game, and any magic items labelled as ‘one use only’ that have already been used du ring the game - do not include these when randomly selecting a magic item.

With a simple sign, the wi za rd grants his allies the might o fold.  H an d of Glory is

an a u g m e n t spell with a range o f 18". Th e target unit’s Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Initiative or Movement (you choose which) is increased by D3 until the start o f the caster’s next Magic phase. The Wizard can choose to cast a more powerful version of this spell that instead increases all four characteristics (don’t roll a separate D3 for each - make one roll and apply it to all four characteristics). If he does so, the casting value is increased to 10 + .

6. FIERY CON VOCA TION

Cast on 19+

With a single secret word, fi re rages and flesh burns.

Remains in play.  Fiery Convocation is a di re ct d a m a g e spell with a range of 24". Ev ery model in the target un it takes a Strength 4 hit with the F laming Attacks special rule. At the e nd o f every subsequent Mag ic phase, every model in the target unit suffers a Strength 4 hit with the Flam ing Attacks special rule.

 WRA TH O F TH E W O OD

TH E LORE OF DARK MAG IC

(Lore Attribute)

Wh enever a Wood E lf Wizard successfully casts a spell from this lore, and the spell is not dispelled, place a vengeance counter next to each target once the spell has been resolved (do not place counters next to friendly units). W henever a unit with vengeance counters suffers hits from a spell from the L ore o f Da rk Magic, remove those counters and increase the num ber o f hits inflicted by D3 for each vengeance counter rem oved (roll separately for each counter). %

W hen generating spells, a Wizard can swap a randomly generated Da rk Ma gic spell for one of the lore’s two signature spells. Wizards who know two or more spells from the Lor e of Dark M agic can instead swap any two Dark Magic spells for both signature spells.

4. SHR OU D OF DESPAIR 

— ^

Cast on 10+

 A t the caster’s command, light is driven from the battlefield and numbing  darkness rushes tofi ll the void. Shroud o f Despair   is a hex

POWER OF DA RK NE SS (Signature Spell)

Cast on 8+

The caster draw s unstable pow er fro m the Realm o f Chaos to empower  their spells as well as their minions.

an augment spell that targets the caster’s unit. All models in the target unit have a +1 bonus to their Strength characteristic until the start of the caster’s next M agic phase. Then add D3 power dice to your power pool. I f three dice are generated, the caster suffers a Wound with no armour saves allowed.

that targets all enemy units within 12". Un til the start of the caster’s next Mag ic phase, the targets cannot  ben efit from the H old the Li ne or In sp iri ng Prese nce r ules. In addition, whenever a target unit fails a Leadersh ip test o f any kind, all target units (including the one that failed) suffer -1 to their Leaders hip u ntil the start of the caster’s next Mag ic phase (this effect is cumulative w ith itself).

 Power o f Darkness is

5. SO UL STEALER 

Cast on 1 1 +

Tendrils ofpure, solidified darkness writhe outfro m the w iza rd ’s outstretched hands, drain ing the lifeforce from their hapless enemies to renew their own vigour.

DO OM BO LT (Signature Spell)

Cast on 12+

The caster hurls a bolt o fblazing blackfir e at hisfoe.  Doombolt   is

a magic missile with a range of 18" that causes 2D6 Strength 5 hits. The Wizard can instead choose to cast a more  po we rful versio n, inf licting 4D 6 St reng th 5 hits. I f they d o so, the casting value is increased to 24 + .

1. CH ILLW IND

Cast on 5+

The wi za rd assails the enemy wi th afreezi ng gale. Chillwind  is a magic missile

with a range of 24" that causes 2D6 Strength 2 hits. If the target suffers any unsaved Wounds, all models in the un it suffer a -1 pena lty to their Ballistic Skill characteristic until the start of the caster’s next Magic phase.

2. WO RD O F PAIN

Cast on 9+

 As the caster utters a forbidden name, the enemyfi n d their limbs wracked  with cripplingpain. Word of Pain is

a hex with a range of 24". All models in the target unit suffer -D3 to both Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill until the start of the caster’s next Magic phase (roll once for both). T he Wiza rd can instead choose to cast a more powerful version of the spell that also inflicts the -D3 to Strength and Initiative (to a minimum of 1). I f they do so, the casting value is increased to 12 + .

3. BLA DEW IND

Cast on 9+

 A clutch o fhungry swords sweep across the battlefield.  Blad ewind  is a direct damage

spell with a range of 24". E very model in the targ et unit m ust pass a Weapon Skill test or suffer a Strength 4 hit with the Arm our Piercing special rule.

Soul Stealer   is a direct damage

spell. Place the small round template anywhere within 18" of the Wizard - it then scatters D6". All models hit by the template suffer a Strength 2 hit with no arm our saves allowed. Roll a D6 for each unsaved Wound inflicted by Soul  Stealer. For each roll o f 4 + , the caster imm ediately gains a single Wou nd (to a maximum o f 10). Th e W izard can choose to extend the range of this spell to 36". If they do so, the casting value is increased to 14 + .

6. AR NZ IPAL S BLA CK HORROR

Cast on 15+

The caster tears down the wall s between realities, a nd a black cloud of  roiling energy sweeps across the battlefield. As the darkness travels, slimy tentacles lash out from its depths, dragging unfortunate vict ims screaming  to an unknown fate.

Remains in play. Ar nz ip al ’s Black Hor ror  is a magical vortex that uses the small round template. Once the template is placed, the  play er t he n nomin ates a d irection in which the Bla ck H orr or will move. To determine how many inches the template moves, roll an artillery dice and multiply the result by the caster’s Wizard level. Any model touched by, or passed over by the template must pass a Strength test or be slain ou tright with no armou r saves allowed (a model may take a single ward save, if it has one - the model remains in play if the save succeeds). If the result on the artillery dice is a misfire, centre the template on the caster and roll both a scatter dice and a D 6. Th e template moves a num ber o f inches equal to the result of the D 6, in the direction shown on the scatter dice (if you roll a H it!, use the little arrow shown on the Hit! symbol). In either event, in subsequent turns, the Black Horror travels in a random direction and moves a number of inches equal to the roll on an artillery dice. I f a misfire is rolled in subsequen t turns, the Black Ho rro r collapses in on itself and is removed. A particularly brave W izard can infuse  Am zip aT s Black   Horr or   with more power, so that it uses the large round template instead. If they do so, the casting value is increased to 25 + .

HEIRLOOMS OF ATHEL LOREN O n t h e fo l lo w in g p a g es a r e m a g i c i t e m s av ai la bl e to W o o d E l f a r mi e s. T h e s e c a n b e t a k e n i n a d di t io n to

  rulebook. an y of the m ag ic items listed in the W a r h a m m e r   THE SPIRIT SWORD Magic Weapon

85 points

DAI TH ’S REAPER Magic Weapon

50 points

This b lade wa s crafted fro m the same crystal as the waystones  stationed aroun d the Wildwoo d. Within it are bou nd a host of  nebulous entities, once the most fea red denizens oft ha t benighted   place. These doomed creatures grant the S p r it Sw or d its power, fo r  when the weapon draws blood, the wielder can command them to consume his opponen t’s ve ry soul. There is no defence against such a  fate sa ve force o f will. I f the victim’s m ind is strong enough, he can  perhaps resist the po wer o fthe sword, a t least fo r a time, but no one can resist the Spirit Sword indefinitely.

 Du rin g the w ar between the E lven pantheon an d the Chaos Gods,  Khain e and Slaan esh soon came to blows. Though Kha ine was ultimately cast into the m orta l realm, he inflicted great ha rm upon the D ar k Prince, a nd gouged onto his otherwise perfectface a scar  that has never fu lly healed. Du rin g tha t battle, a sma ll shar d was  struck from Kh aine’s Widowm aker, an dfell upon the realm lat er  know n as Athe l Loren. It is this shard, reforged an d reshaped, that   for ms th e spine of D a ith ’s Reaper, a weapon tha t man y Elves hol d  to be the s mi th’s fine st work.

Arm our saves cannot be taken against Wound s caused by the Spirit Sword. Furthermore, immediately when an enemy character, champion or monster suffers one or more unsaved Wou nds from the Spirit Sword, both he and the wielder must roll 2D6 and ad d their respective Leadership values.

All failed To H it and To Wou nd rolls made with Daith’s Reaper m ust be re-rolled, as mu st all successful armou r saves taken against Woun ds caused by this weapon.

I f the woun ded mo del’s total is higher, or the totals are the same, nothin g else happens. If the w oun ded mo del’s total is lower, it immediately suffers a Wou nd for each point by which its total was exceeded, with no ar m our saves allowed.

THE BOW OF LOREN Magic Weapon

20 points

 Nev er closer to death has Ar iel come than d uring the assault on Ghrond, when an assassin’s knife w ould ha ve taken her heart, butfo r the timely intervention a nd peerless aim o f Galed, a n archer  o f La dy Morg alla’s household. A s rew ard for this heroic deed, Galed sought only a singleperfect ha ir fro m his queen’s head. This he eve r after us ed to string his enchanted longbow, trans forming an already exceptional weapon into a hu nte r’s tool worthy o fmighty  Ku mo us himself.

Th e Bow of Loren is an Asrai longbow (see page 37) with the M ultiple Sho ts (A + 1) special rule, which means it fires a num ber o f shots equal to 1 plus the w ielder’s Attacks characteristic. It can not fire enchanted arrows.

THE HELM OF THE HU NT Magic Armour

20 points

Gwythraul, Lo rd o f Nin e Crags, is a celebratedfigure in Athe l   Loren, his deeds recounted as a mix ture o fhistory an d wineblurred myth. Bidden tojourne y w ithin the Dreaming Wood by the goddess Lileath, he fir st trave lled the twelv e realms in search o f  enchanted treasures that wo uld ensure su rvi va l in tha t Daemo nhaun ted land. In each realm, Gwyth rau l perform ed a quest ofthe ru ler ’s choosing, deeds ranging fro m the destruction ofBe astlo rd   Brokar, to altering the course of the Rive r Brilienne. Laden with magical heirlooms, Gwyt hrau l at las t entered the Dream ing Wood, and was lost fo r ma ny generations. Only one item —the H elm o fthe Hu nt, Orion’s last remnant ofa mortal life —surv ive d  Gw yth rau l’s journey, an d only the bravest have da red don it  thereafter. Le gen d counts Gw ythr au l’s quest as successful, though it  is silent on its goal, an d on the fa te ofthe other treasures.

Th e wearer of the H elm of the H un t counts his armour save as being one point higher than normal. Furthermore, the He lm of the H un t grants the bearer the Devastating Charge special rule and + 1 Weapon Skill on a turn in which he charges into combat.

CAL AING OR'S STAVE Arcane Item

Enchanted Item

The Oak of Ages grows acorns all year round, but sheds them only when Ghyran, the Wind of Life, reaches its height. These magical   seeds are diligently gathered by Ar iel’s handmaidens, and planted  in those regions ofthe forest th at have been ravaged by war or  wildfire. Such is the bountiful magic in these acorns that they can  grow from seed to sapling, to towering oak in a matter o f seconds. This magic too is the reason that the seeds must be gathered swiftly upon their fall. The last squirrel that consumed an acornfro m the Oak of Ages stomped much of King’s Gladeflat, and was brougfit  down only by the combined armies of three high realms.

Crafted from an undying bough, this staffst ill pulses with the vibrant life force ofAth el Loren, connecting the bearer to the hearts and minds o fthe forest’s trees. By reaching out through the Winds o f   Magic, the bearer o fthe staff can rouse woodland to life, urging the trees to move, or assail those within their midst.

The bearer generates one less spell than is normal for his Wizard level, but knows the Tree Singing spell given below:

TREE SIN GING

On e use only. A t the start o f the game , after the battlefield has  been set up, but before de ployment begins, place D 3 Citadel Woods on the battlefield. A forest can be placed anywhere at least 1" away from a nother terrain feature and the edge of the batdefield. On ce all forests have been placed, scatter each 2D6". If this scatter causes a forest to end up within 1" (or on top of) other terrain, or within 1" of the batdefield edge, reduce or increase the scatter by the smallest amount necessary to avoid the obstruction. When this has been done, declare which type of forest you want these to be —choose from the types on the Mysterious Forest table. All forests created by the Acorn of the Ages must be of the same type.

MO ON ST ON E OF THE HIDD EN WAYS Enchanted Item

40 points

 In agespast, the worldroots linked Ath el Loren not only with every  forest upon theface o f the world, but thosefurther afield also. Much has changed since those days o f glory. Many pathways are now  forever closed, and those that remain can be unsealed only through the use of the ancient Moonstone that Adanhu gifted to the Elve s in the wake ofthe first great council.

If the be arer’s unit is wholly within a forest at the end o f your M ovem ent phase, and is not in close combat, it can forestwalk. I f it does so, remove it from the battlefield and immediately replace it, wholly within any forest o n the  batdefield, in the same formation, but facin g a ny direction. A forestwalking un it cannot be placed within 1" of an enemy unit or impassable terrain. A unit that forestwalks counts as having marched in the Move ment phase. HAIL OF DO OM ARROW Enchanted Item

30 points

 A Ha il o f Doom arrow splits into dozens ofdeadly shards upon release, each one seeking its target w ith unwavering purpose. The Wood Elves consider a Ha il o f Doom arrow too unsporting a weaponfo r the hunt, but a fi t chastisement fo r barbarians too stupid  to respect the sovereignty o f Athel Loren.

O ne use only. Mo del with Asrai longbow only. T he H ail of Do om arrow can be used instead of making a Shooting attack with the bearer’s Asrai longbow. Declare that the Hail of Doom Arrow is being used before any dice are rolled.

 _________ Strength _______ Special Rules _________ 

Range

30"

4

Arm our Piercing, Multiple Shots (3D6)

20 points

Cast on 8+

The wiz ard speaks in the dead tongue o fancient days, r emindin g the trees ofthe harms wrought upon them by blooded life.

Tree Singing is an augment spell that targets a single forest within 18" of the caster. I f there are no units within the forest, it immediately moves up to D6 +1" in a direction o f your choice. A forest cann ot move to within 1" of units o r other terrain features.

I f there is at least one unit (friendly or enemy) w ithin the forest, then the forest does not move. Inste ad, choose a single enemy u nit at least partially within th e forest; that unit immediately suffers 2D 6 Strength 4 hits. The W izard can choose to instead have this spell target all forests within 12". I f he does so, the casting value o f the spell is increased to 16+.

THE BANNER OF TH E ETERNAL QU EEN Magic Standard

100 points

This banner was woven by no lesser hand than that of Ariel,  Mage Queen of Athel Loren. The magic ofher touch lingers in every gossamer thread, protecting her kinsfolk from the onset o f fou l   sorcery. I t is said that those who fight beneath the Banner of the  Eternal Queen can hear Ar ie l’s voice whispering in their minds,  filling them with courage in theface o f impossible odds.

The bearer has the Magic Resistance (3) special rule. In addition, once per game, all models in the same unit as the Banner of the Etern al Q ueen have the U nbreakable special rule until the end of the turn, or until the bearer is slain (whichever comes first). Declare you are using this ability at the start o f any turn. THE BANNER OF THE HUNTE R KING Magic Standard

75 points

The tattered threads of this ancient standard resound with Orion’s eagerness fo r battle. None whofight in its shadow can help but be overcome by the glory o fthe hunt-, they close with thefoe asfast as they are able, the better to prove themselves in Kurnous’ eyes.

All models in the same unit as the Banner of the H un ter King have the Vanguard deploy ment special rule. In additio the be arer’s unit re-roll their first failed charge o f the game.

THE GLORY OF THE ELVES The army o f the Wo od Elves is a force fit to  face any foe. I t can harry the ene my fro m range, trounce them with bladework or  trample them with the unstopp able spirits o f the forest. With longbow and spear, magics o f light and dark, you will see the invaders cast into the wilderness beyo nd the  fo re st ’s eaves. This section presents a showcase o f  Citad el miniatures available in the W ood   Elves range. Within th ese pag es, y o u ’ll fin d  inspiration a plenty for summoning you r  own host of A th e l Loren.

 Araloth, Lo rdo fTa lsy n

 Battle S tan dard Bearer 

The Banners ofthe Hunter King and Eternal  Queen — Orion’s a nd A rie l’s royal standards

 Du rthu , Elde st o f Ancients

Cythral, also known as the Wildwood, lies to the southwest of Athe l Loren. I t is perm anent ly und er threat fro m malicious spirits who have little lovefo r the E lves. The warriors o f Cythral w ear d ark colours and hear heraldry steeped in shadow.

 A host o f Ete rn al Gu ard marc h to defend the Em pire village o f Lachenbad.

Tirsyth, the Ashenhall, is a realm for ever locked in an autum nal embrace. Its warriors bear symbols representing dwindling, and train

 M l E ter na l G ua rd bear a symbolic interpretation o fthe rune  Astia ‘  n, representing the ei

Torgovann, the Forge of Starlight, is a lan d blessed ofVaul. I t is the only place in all Athel Loren wherefire — representing  the forg e’s h eart —is a sacred symbol.

Glade G

d are the finest archers in the Ol d World, a nd in

realms b

d.

Wil d Riders are the oathswom celebrants of Kumous, and the personal guard o f Orion, King in the Woods.

 Anmyr, the W ith er ho ldwa s blighted by Beastmen long ago, a nd has n ever since beenfree o fth eir taint. No w A nm yr ’s war riors wear garb

 Dryc ha, Bria rma ven o f Woe

 Branch Nymp h

Treeman ofTirs yth, the Ashenhall 

 Argwylo n, the Moon spring Glades, dw ells e ver in the crisp light ofspring. It is a realm ofhope in days o f coming darkness, a nd the gaiety o f 

Warhaw k Rider s dwe ll upon upon the crag cragss ofthe of the mountains, mountains, their spirits attuned to the the Warhawks that d we ll ther there. e.

 Aty lwy th, the Winterheart, is a la nd o f perm  perm anen t winter. Thei r garb reflec reflects ts the chill colours colours oft he ir en virons and, some say, say, the sheen of  their hearts, hearts, w hich are not flesh  flesh an d bloo blood, d, but shards o f jagg  jagg ed ice ice.

The cold-eyed Sisters o f the Thom ride out to confro confront nt an expedition expedition ofthieving of thieving Dwarfs.

Waywatchers guard the secret paths o f Ath el Loren.

Waystalker 

 Arranoc, the Sum merstrand , basksfo rev er in golden sunshine. Its fo lk are  garbed in the bright colours ofthe mid -yea r solstice.

Glade R ider of Cavaroc

Glade Riders

 WOOD ELVES  ARMY  LIST ^

 A W oo d E lf army can seek victo ry in many ways, and has access to many sk illed  warriors with which to destroy the enemy.  A s its lor d or lady, it is yo ur d uty to m uster  and command the perfect assemblage o f   Elve s and fo re st spirits t o win another great  triumph for the realms ofA th e l Loren. This section o f the book helps you to turn  yo ur collec tion o f W oo d Elve s Cit ade l  miniatures into an un stoppable host, ready  fo r a tabletop battle. A t the back o f this  section, y ou will also fi nd a summ ary page , which lists every unit's characteristic  pro file fo r quick a nd easy reference during   yo ur games.

.

USING THE ARMY LIST

UNIT CATEGORIES

The army list is used alongside the ‘Choosing 'Your Army’ section o f the Warhammer  rulebook to pick a force ready for batde. Over the following pages you will find an entry for each of the models in your army. These entries give you all of the gaming information that you need to shape your collection o f models into the units that will form your army. Amongst other things, they will tell you what your models are equipped with, what options are available to them, and their points costs.

As described in the Warhammer rulebook, the units in the army fist are organised into five categories: Lo rds, Her oes, Core, Special and Rare units.

■■

.m »i

 AR MY LIST ENTRIES Eac h army list entry contains all the information you need to choose and field that unit at a glance, using the follow ing format:

*

-

ETERNAL GUARD (T ) M WS BS S

Profile

5 5 5 5

Eternal Guard • E ternal Warden ©

Unit Size:

10

+

*v^

T W I

4 3 3 1 5 1 9 4 3 3 1 5 2 9

Infantry Infantry ............................

..........................................

• Asrai spear  • Ha nd weapon • Light armour 

»

A Ld fA 'Iro o p Type

Special Rules: ^g^O ptions: • Always Strikes First • M ay upgrade one Eternal Guard to an Eternal Ward en S • May upgrade one Eternal Guard to a mus ician Forest Stalker  Stubborn M ay upgrade one Eternal G uard to a standard b earer   - May take a magic standard worth up t o The entire unit may take shiel ds

 f  5 \  Equipment:

—

(4)11 points per model

...............................

10 points 10 points 10 points

25 points 1 point per model 

  .....................................................

......................................................

\^1^-Name. The name by which the unit or  character is identified. Profiles. The characteristic profilesfo r  the model(s) in each unit are provided  as a reminder. Where seve ral profiles are required, these are also given, even if they are optional (such as unit  champions, fo r example). Troop Type.  Each entry specifies the unit type of its models (e.g. ‘infantry’, ‘cavalry’ an d so on). LHj Points valu e.  Ev er y miniatur e in the Warhammer range costs an amount of   points t hat reflects how effective it is on the battlefield.

^ E SSg p W .

.

.

r S ^ U n i t S i z e . This specifies the mini mum  size fo r each unit, which is the smallest  number o fmodels needed tofo rm that  unit. In some cases units also hav e a maximum size. Equipment. This is a list o fthe  standar d weapons an d armou r fo r th at  unit. The cost o fthese items is inc luded  in the basic points value. Special Rules.  Man y troops have special rules th at are fully described earlier in this book or in the Warhammer rulebook. The names of  these rules are listed here as a reminder.

-

-

The Eternal Guard on the left is equipped wi th an Asra i spear  an d shield. As you can seefro m the profile above, he w il l cost 11  points to include in you r army.  A unit o f 10 E ter nal G uard  equipped like this will therefore cost 110 points.

The Eternal Guard on the right  is an Ete rnal Warden. To upgrade an Et erna l Gua rd unit to include this champion w ill cost you an

(^8^ Op tion s. A list o f optional weapons and armour, mounts, magic items and  other upgradesfo r units or characters, including the points cost fo r each  particu lar option. M an y unit entries include the option to upgrade a u nit  member to a champion, s tandard bearer  or musician. Some units may carry a magic standard or take magic items at a  fu rt he r points cost.

LORDS GLADE LORD

M5 points

Profile

M

W S

5

Glade Lord

7

BS

S

T

W

I

A

Ld

7 4 3 3 8 4

T r o o p T yp e

10

Infantry (C haracter)

Equipment:

Special Rules:

Optio ns:

• Hand weapon • Asrai longbow • Light armour 

• Always Strikes First • The Arrow of Kurnous • Forest Stalker

• Ma y be armed with one of the following: - Asrai spear  - Additional hand weapon (unless mou nted) - Great we apon • May take a shield • Ma y take one of the following types of enchanted arrows: - Hagbane tips - Trueflight arrows -  Moonfire shot - Starfire shafts - Swiftshiver shards - Arcane bodkin s • May be mounted on one of the following: - Elven Steed - Great Eagle - Great Sta g - Forest Dragon • Ma y take magic items up to a total o f 

3 points .3 points 6 points 3 points

......................................................................................................

.......................................

.................................................................................................

.............................................................................................

...................................................................................................

............................................................................................

................................................................................................

...................................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..............................................................................................

3 points 3 points 4 points 4 points 4 points 5 points

20 points 50 points 65 points 300points 100 points

..................................................................................................

..................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................

............................................................................................

......................................................

185 points

SPELLWEAVER  Profile

M WS BS S

Spellweaver 

5

4

4

3

T

3

W

3

I

5

A Ld

1

9

Troop Type

Infantry (C haracter)

Eq uipm ent:

Special Rules:

Options:

• H an d weapon

• Always Strikes First •Blessings of the Ancients • Forest Stalker

• M ay be upgra ded to a Level 4 W i z ar d • M ay take an Asrai longb ow • M ay be mo unted on one of thefollowing: - Elven Steed - Great Ea gle - U nic orn • M ay take magic items up to a total o f 

............................................................

...........................................................................................................

Magic:

...................................................................................................................

  .............................................................

TREEM AN AN CIE NT

290 points

Profile

M WS BS S

Treeman A ncient

5 4

T

W

I

A Ld

4 5 6 6 2 3 1 0

Troop Type

M onster (Character)

Special Rules:

Magic:

Options:

• • • • • •

A Treeman Ancient is a Level 2 Wizard who uses spells from the Lore of Life.

•Ma y be upgraded to one o f the following: - Level 3 W iza rd - Level 4 W iza rd ' M a y takeStrangleroots

• Terror 

• Tree Whack 

20points 50 points 60points 100 points

............................................................................................................

A Spellweaver is a Level 3 W izard who uses spells from the Lore of H igh Magic, the Lore of Da rk M agic o r one of the eight Lores o f Battle M agic in the Warhammer   rulebook.

Blessings of the Ancients Flammable Forest Spirit Large Target Scaly Skin (3 + ) Stubborn

35 points 5  points

.....................................................................................

......................................................................................

......................................................................................

.......................................................................

35 points 70 points

HEROES 255 points

DRYCHA M WS BS S

Profile

5

Drycha

7

5 4

T W

I

A Ld

Troop Type

Infantry (Special Character)

4 3 7 4 9

Equipment:

Special Rules:

Magic:

• Hand weapon

• • • • • •

Drycha is a Level 2 Wizard who uses spells from the Lo re o f Shadow.

Blessings of the Ancients Fanatical Resolve Fear  Forest Spirit Hatred Roused to Wrath

275 points

N A E ST R A 6 A R A H A N Profile

M W S BS S

T

W

I

A Ld

Troop Type

 N ae st ra A rahan C eithin-H ar Gwindalor 

5 5 6 2

4 4 6 4

3 3 6 4

2 2 6 3

7 7 3 4

3 3 5 2

Infantry (Special Character) Infantry (Special Character) Monster M onstrous Beast

6 6 6 5

6 6 0 0

Equipment (Naestra & Arahan):

Special Rules (Naestra &  Arahan):

Special Rules (Ceithin-Har):

• Asrai spear  • Hand weapon • Light armour 

• • • •

• • • • • • •

Always Strikes First Conjoined Destiny Forest Stalker  Sisters of Twilight

Magic Items (Naestra):

• Talon of Dawn

9 9 8 8

Options:

• M ust be mounted on one of the following:  fre e - Gwindalor (Great Eagle) - C eithin-Har (Forest Drag on) 220 points

Fly Forest Spirit Impetuous Large Target Scaly Skin (34-) Soporific Breath Terror 

.................................

................

Magic Items (Arahan):

• Talon of Dusk 

Special Rules (Gwindalor):

• Fly • Hunter’s Mount

*

~ 75 points

GLADE CAPTAIN Profile

M WS B S S

Glade Captain

5

6

6

T W

IA

Ld

3 2

73

9

4

Troop Type

Infan try (Ch aracter)

Equipment:

Special Rules:

Options:

• Hand weapon • Asrai longbow • Light armour 

• Always Strikes First • The Arrow of Kurnous • Forest Stalker 

• May be armed with one of the following: - Asrai spear  - Additional hand weapon (unless mounted) - Great we apo n • May take a shield • May take one o f the following types of enchanted arrows: - Hagbane tips - Trueflight arrows - Moonfire shot - Starfire shafts - Swiftshiver shards - Arcane bodkin s • Ma y be mounted on one of the following: - Elven Steed - Great Eagle - Great Stag • Ma y take magic items up to a total o f 

2 points 2 points 4 points 2 points

.......................................................................................................

.................................................

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BATTLE STAN DA RD BEARER 

One Glade Captain may carry the battle standard for +25 points. The Battle Standard Bearer may carry a magic standard (with no points limit). A model with a magic battle standard cannot have any other magic items, or take enchan ted arrows.

3 points 3 points

...................................................................................................

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.............................................................................................

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5 points

..............................................................................................

10 points 50 points 65 points 50 points

...................................................................................................

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HEROES SPELLSINGER 

80 points

Profile

M \VS BS

Spellsinger 

5

4

Equipment:

Magic:

• Hand weapon

A Spellsinger is a Level 1 Wizard who uses spells from one of the eight Lores of Battle Magic in the Warhammer  rulebook.

Special Rules:

• Always Strikes First • Blessings of the Ancients • Forest Stalker 

4

S 3

T W 3 2

I A Ld 5 1 8

T r o o p T yp e Infantry (Charac ter)

Options: • May be upgraded to a Level 2 W iza rd • May take an Asrai longbow • May be mounted on one of the following: - Elven Steed - Great Eagle - Unicorn • Ma y take magic items up to a total o f 

.............................................................................................

...................................................................................................

^jCsHADOWDANCER 

100 points

J P r of il e

M WS BS

*? Shadowdancer 

5

Equipment:

Special Rules:

• Two hand weapons

• • • • • •

Magic:

-—

10 points 50 points 60 points 50 points

.............................................................................................

...................................................

A Shadowdancer who is a Wizard uses spells from the Lo re of Shadow.

35 points 5 points

.................................................

.......................................................................

8

6

S 4

T W 3 2

I A Ld 8 3 8

T r o o p T yp e Infa ntry (C hara cter)

[ W* f*

Options: • Ma y be upgrade d to a Level 1W iz ar d.................................................. 60 points 25 points • Ma y take magic items up to a total o f 

Always Strikes First Blessings of the Ancients Forest Stalker  Imm une to Psychology Shadow Dances of Loec Talismanic Tattoos

...................................................

_—

 WAYSTALKER 

90 points

Profile

M WS BS S

Waystalker 

5 6

T W

I

A Ld

7 4 3 2 7 1 8

Troop Type

Infantry (Character)

Equipment:

Special Rules:

Options:

• Two hand weapons • Asrai longbow

• • • • •

• May take magic items up to a total of .

Always Strikes First Forest Stalker  Hawk-eyed Archer  Scouts Sniper 

BRANCHWRAITH

. 25 points

75 points

Profile

M WS BS S

Branchwraith

5 6

T W

I

A Ld

6 4 4 2 7 3 9

Troop Type

Infantry (Character)

Equipment:

Special Rules:

Magic:

• Hand weapon

• • • •

A Branchwraith is a Level 1 Wizard who uses spells from the Lore o f Life.

Blessings of the Ancients Fear  Forest Spirit Hatred

MOUNTS Profile

M W S BS S

T W

I

A Ld

T roop Type

Elven Steed Forest Dragon Great Eagle Grea t Stag Unicorn

9 6 2 9 10

3 6 4 4 4

1 6 3 3 3

4 3 4 4 5

1 5 2 2 2

War Beast Monster  M onstrous Beast M onstrous Beast Monstrous Beast

Special Rules:  El ve n Steed:  Fast Cavalry.  Forest Dragon: Fly, Forest

Soporific Breath, Terror.

3 6 5 5 5

0 0 0 0 0

3 6 4 5 4

Spirit, Large Target, Scaly Skin (3+),

5 8 8 7 8

Great Eagle: Fly. Great Stag: Fear, Forest Spirit, Impact Hits (D3). Unicorn: Fear, Forest Spirit, Impale, Mag ic Resistance

(2).

CORE UNITS GLADE GUARD

12 points per model r r M WS BS S

Profile

Glade Guard Lo rd’s Bowman

5 4 5 4

T W

I

A Ld

4 3 3 1 5 1 8 5 3 3 1 5 1 8

Troop Type

f

Infantry Infantry

f” t

Un it Size: 104-

Spe cial Rules:

Options:

Equipment:

• Always Strikes First • Forest Stalker

10points • May upgrade one Glade Guard to a Lord’s Bowman • May upgrade one Glade Guard to a musician 10 points • May upgrade one Glade Guard to a standard bear er  10 points - One Glade Guard unit with a standard bearer may take a magic standard worth up to 25 points • The entire unit may take one of the following types of enchanted arrows: - Hagbane tips 3 points per model  - Trueflight arrows 3 points per model  4 points per model  - Moonfire shot - Starfire shafts 4 points per model  - Swiftshiver shards 4 points per model  5 points per model  - Arcane bodk ins

• Ha nd weapon • Asrai longbow

..............................

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- i -

4.

- ------

DRYADS

11 points per model M WS BS S

Profile

5 4 5 4

Dryad t Branch Nymph

T

W

I

A Ld

4 3 4 1 5 2 8 4 3 4 1 5 3 8

Troop Type

Infantry Infantry

Un it Size: 104-

Spec ial Rules:

Options:

• May upgrade one Dryad to a Branch Nymp h

Equipment:

• Fear • Forest Spirit • Hatred

• Ha nd weapon

» 10 points

..........................................

W*

 ——

.

i

CORE UNITS

m: A

..

_—

—r r

idf c

iii T H

TV