Races

From HammerWiki

For a list of races playable in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, see Armies.

In the Warhammer world there are a number of different peoples and nations. The most important of these feature as individual armies in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.

Contents 1 Humans 2 Elves 3 Dwarfs 4 Halflings 5 Lizardmen 6 Greenskins 7 Chaos 8 Skaven 9 The Undead 10 The Ogres

[edit] Humans

The race of humanoids generally found in the Old World. Men were one of the last races to become civilized. However, they are now one of the most powerful with Nations spread throughout the world. They are the chief practitioners of Sigmarism, as well as the main opponent of Chaos' incursions into the Old World.

The Nations of Man include:

• Albion - An island surrounded by mist and fog. Home to the mysterious Ogham Stones and tribal, woad-wearing humans. ("Real world" equivalent: England, Ireland (?))
• Araby - A nation west of The Land of the Dead ("Real world" equivalent: Asia Minor)
• Bretonnia - The nation directly west of The Empire. Bretonnia is its chief rival, and its knightly cavalry remain the best in the Old World. ("Real world" equivalent: France (?))
• Cathay - A large nation on the far eastern edge of the Old World continent. Like the Old World they are in constant conflict with the Ruinious powers of the north. Another enemy they face are the Ogre kingdoms to thier west, north west. ("Real world" equivalent: China)
• The Empire - The mightiest nation of the Old World but also deeply corrupt. The Empire benefits from a great diversity of units and magic, and is the home to The Cult of Sigmar.  ("Real world" equivalent: Germany)
• Estalia — A peninsula southwest of Bretonnia, far from the threat of Chaos, this land is home to a number of rival kingdoms. Estalia was once occupied by forces from Araby but these were driven out by a combined effort by other Old World human realms. ("Real world" equivalent: Spain)
• Khuresh - Khuresh or the Hinterlands of Khuresh are in the far east of the Warhammer World. ("Real world" equivalent: South East Asia)
• Kingdoms of Ind - An eastern nation south west of Cathay and west of the Ogre Kingdoms. ("Real world" equivalent: India)
• Kislev — A northern nation and an ally of the Empire under constant threat due to their close proximity to the maddening Realm of Chaos. ("Real world" equivalent: Russia, East Europe (?))
• Nippon - The most eastern of nations, Nippon is an island off of the eastern coast of Cathay. ("Real world" equivalent: Japan)
• Tilea — South of the Irrana Mountains and the Vaults, the fractious city-states of Tilea embrace trade, exploration and civil war with equal passion. Mercenary companies form the bulk of armies in these lands, often fighting on behalf of the wealthy rulers of the many republics and principalities or further north in the service of the Empire. ("Real world" equivalent: Italy or more aptly the Italian City States)
• The Wasteland — This low-lying land at the mouth of the River Reik is home to Marienburg, one of the largest cities in the Old World. This region used to belong to the Empire — when it was referred to as Westerland, but is now fiercely independent.
• The Northmen are a loose collection of tribes, in three ethnic groups which inhabit the Chaos Wastes, while technically human, many are so far mutated and hopelessly lost to the Ruinous Powers that they cannot be compared to the more civilized men of the south. Due to the harshness and lack of resources of the Chaos Wastes, they constantly raid the more propserous regions of the south, the Old World and Cathay both for slaves and resources. One must wonder why such people still live in such harsh envrionment as the Wastes, but the truth of things is not as simple as it seems in the desolate north.  The Ruinous Powers to the nations of the south are but mere whispers on the wind, to the Northmen, they are the truth, for they live under the very real presence and watchful eyes of the Ruinous Powers.

[edit] Elves

The Elves were the second civilized race to walk the world. Created by the Old Ones, the Elves showed an adeptness at magic and boast extremely long lives, upwards of 2000 years (though some Elves are much older), allowing them many centuries to train a skill and hence most Elves are extremely proficient at their given role. Torn asunder many thousands of years ago by a great civil war called the Sundering, there are three major nations of Elves.

• Dark Elves — The relentless and bitter Druchii of Naggaroth still follow Malekith, who was exiled but still claims to be the rightful heir to the throne of the Elven Kingdoms of Ulthuan. The dark elves are sworn enemies of the High Elves and try incessantly to invade Ulthuan. Dark elves enjoy nothing more than inflicting pain and suffering on others and frequently launch raids throughout the Old World in order to capture more slaves to feed their hunger for cruelty.
• High Elves — The Asur, as they call themselves carry on the ancient traditions of the Elven people on the island continent of Ulthuan, as well as the burdens of many millennia of arrogance and warfare. The High Elves are ruled by the Phoenix Kings, the first of which was Aenarion, and the current Phoenix King is Finubar Seafarer.
• Wood Elves — The ruthless Asrai abandoned their High Elf kin in the Sundering to both protect and restrain the strange sentient forest of Athel Loren in the Old World. They appear to be neither good nor bad, as likely to kill lost travellers as to aid them. They are mortal enemies to the Beastmen, and wage a silent war against them in the shadowy glades of the world's forests.

[edit] Dwarfs

The Dwarfs live in city fortresses dug into the mountains of the Old World. Their chaotic brethren occupy one huge towering city in the Dark Lands to the east of the Old World. Please note that "Dwarves" and "Dwarfs" are interchangeable.

• Dwarfs or Dawi are an ancient, grim, and determined race integral in the founding of the Empire, the Dwarfs spend their days avenging grudges and counting gold. Dwarfs are the greatest craftsmen in the Warhammer World and in addition to enjoying fine weapons and armor they have the best heavy infantry and artillery around. Dwarf armies are well suited to defensive warfare, however due to their lack of mobility they do not do well when forced to go on the offensive. Dwarfs are legendary for their ability to never forget nor forgive a wrong against them, their finely crafted weapons and armor, ability to consume large quantities of ale, extreme stubbornness, mistrust of elves, and hatred of greenskins. Dwarfs are the closest ally to Humanity, although the Elves of Ulthuan have united with the Humans as well in the last few hundred years.
• Chaos Dwarves — Tireless overseers of soulless industry, the Chaos Dwarfs worship their own Dark God; Hashut, the Father of Darkness. The Chaos Dwarves were separated from the rest of the Dwarfs in the coming of Chaos and chose to bow down before Hashut in the face of certain destruction. They now reside in Zhar Naggarund in the Dark Lands and command armies of slaves to build their arcane weapons of war.

[edit] Halflings

Halflings are a race of short-humanoids who dwell primarily in The Moot. Halflings are renowned for their hospitality and agriculture produce, but are often discriminated against; in part due to a common bias that they are all thieves.

[edit] Lizardmen

Lizardmen — Originally created by the Old Ones to aid in their great genetic works, the semi-conscious Slann, now lead the Lizardmen through prophecies containing ancient instructions from their gods, who may or may not some day return. However what these prophecies mean is entirely from the perspective of the Lizardmen's Saurus race, who take the role as the warrior class of their collective races. One such example: one of the Ancient Slann preordained that a tragedy would befall the Elven race, but the prophecy was very vague, as they often are. The ever strict fanatical Saurus species saw this as a sign that meant that the Elves should never have left their Island of Ulthuan. As a result, they wiped out several of the coastal settlments on the edges of the new world. It should be noted that the Chaos gods are the Lizardmen's nemesis, and they attempt by all means to destroy such influences throughout the world. Due to the Slann being the most powerful sorcerers through out the world, nothing is out of their reach.

Lizardmen are based on the Aztec and Mayan cultures and reside in the deep jungles of Lustria and to a lesser extent the Southlands. The Lizardmen are cold blooded reptiles and possess a cold intelligence quite unlike the warm-blooded races. The Lizardmen fiercely defend their jungles and temple-cities from intruders and treasure-hunters. Lizardmen include Saurus, Skinks and Kroxigors.

[edit] Greenskins

The tribes of Orcs, Goblins and related races are spread across the Old World and into the east, and are collectively known as Greenskins. They sometimes come together in a giant crusade like war called a Waaagh!. Greenskins have a primitive culture based around their gods Gork and Mork and have primitive but effective technology.

Another relative of the Common Goblin is the Gnoblar, which is found living with the Ogre Hordes in the Mountains of Mourn. East of the Mountains of Mourn, in the Eastern Steppes upon the borders of Cathay, live the Hobgoblins; a race of Greenskins somewhere between the size of a Goblin and an Orc, but more cunning than both. Hobgoblins can also be found as slaves of the Chaos Dwarfs. From this cruel, mystical race also comes the most powerful of the greenskin races, called Black Orcs due to the dark tone of their skin and dour demeanor. They were created by the Chaos Dwarfs in attempt to breed an army of slaves. A warrior elite with the hulking arms of the orcs, but with enhanced strength, and what could even come close to be called a brain. They also, whether it was intentional or not, came to understand the basics of metallurgy, and comprehension of armor and weopons. Although savage and berserker by nature, the Black Orcs developed a sense of military discipline, which also led to their freedom. In a series of powerful rebellions, the Black orcs escaped the Chaos Dwarfs' realm and joined their weaker cousins, the natural orcs, in battle. Smallest in size of all the Greenskin races is the Snotling, they are considered the lowliest of greenskins and are most often bullied around and even eaten by their larger cousins or kept as pets. But oddly . Trolls andSquigs are sometimes also associated with Greenskins but are not technically Greenskins themselves, are either instead goaded into combat or drawn to the refuse, that Greenskins are likly to leave behind.  

When the Greenskin race amass for a Waaagh!, it is by no means a reckless army of Barbarians. Several armies of every banner have underestimated this critical fact. It is somthing more, stopping a Waaagh! is like trying to stop somthing as elemental as a flood, which threatens to overwhelm anything in its path.

[edit] Chaos

The phrase "Slaves to Darkness" is used to cover all those who have fallen under the control of or pledged themselves to the Forces of Chaos gods. While the energies of Chaos touch all things magical, there are those who fully give themselves to the deities of this realm, and seek to conquer not just the works of the Old Ones, but the very fabric of reality itself.

These races include:

• Beastmen - Whether born bestial to human parents or raised among creatures of Chaos, these deranged mutants attack from the forests and foothills. Beastmen hate all that is civilized and untouched by the glories of chaos. The include Gors Ungors and Centigors, among others.
• Hordes of Chaos — Primarily humans who are favoured by the Four Great Gods of chaos, these marauders worship the Chaos Gods fanatically and are either Northmen native to the Chaos Wastes and Norsca or more civilized humans who have chosen to devote themselves to chaos, usually forming Chaos Cults.

[edit] Skaven

Skaven or "Children of the Horned Rat" are a Chaotic mockery of Man's nations, ruled by the secretive Council of Thirteen and worshipping their dark god, the Horned Rat. Inventive, cruel and, insane, the ratmen live in a vast network of tunnels spanning beneath all of the Warhammer world, called the Under-Empire.

Many human denizens of the Old World do not believe the Skaven exist, they are considered mere fairy tales to frighten children or the preaching of madmen and greedy dwarves. But such stories are indeed part of the greater designs and mechnisms of skaven intrigue and deceit.

In their anonymity the skaven take as they please, several people in the empire and armies of every banner would not reach their final destinations. Even entire hamlets would simply disappear; their once inhabitants, much to their dismay, waking to the nightmares of their childhood. These "nightmares" in of themselves, take various forms in their Under-Empire; where survival of the fittest is law, not even fellow skaven are spared remorse.

Indeed among the legions of slaves under their whip are in fact, skaven. The society itself of skaven is in a constant struggle for supremacy against each other, by any means necessary where the victor takes as he pleases, while the defeated lay broken or in bonds of slavery; where cunning individuals plot and scheme against one another for the better scrapes of meat and power. It would be through these trials of Tooth-and-Claw or survival of the fittest, however you want to call it, that no Rat-kin are left unscathed. Thus gaining thier name sake, Skaven.

Vying for this supremacy are the clans of skaven society. The clans themselves range in various numbers, controlled by individuals who control with an iron grip, keeping one eye open for that almost inevitable backstab. However in all of the hundreds of skaven clans there are a few who stand out as the strongest of skaven clans, each holding twelve seats in the Council of Thirteen, the last being the Horn Rat himself.

One such clan is the Clan of the beast masters, Clan Moulder, who in their lack of compassion for anything, capture and experiment on the living things that can be of value to them. Using warpstone and various techniques, this clan breeds the ultimate killing machines. One such creature from the menagerie of this clan's insanity, are the behemoth like Rat-Ogres who with their brute strength and speed, crush all who stand in their way. In their capitol city of Hellspit, there is never a quiet night, for it is filled with the screaming, clawing, screeching, crying, howling, and gnawing of its denizens, it truly keeps to its namesake.

The crazed mechanics of Clan Skyre, the most powerful of Skaven clans, create powerful yet unreliable weapons to aid their rampages and it is said that one day the Grey Seers will unite them and take over the old world. Until that day, the Skaven spread their vile diseases and gnaw away at society from underneath, working their Machiavellian schemes. As their Horned Rat preordain, one day, "We shall inherit."

[edit] The Undead

All Undead in the Warhammer world are a result of the black sorceries devised by the first necromancer, Nagash, in the long distant past. The Undead are effectively split into two distinct groups: the skeletal armies of the Tomb Kings; and the legions of the Vampire Counts.

• Vampires — Disciples of Nagash who stole his secrets of eternal life, the Vampires and their minions have spread across the Old World, furthering their own aims. There are five vampire families, each with different ambitions, habits and powers: Von Carstein, Necrarchs, Blood Dragons, Lahmians and Strigoi. Their armies consist mainly of classic undead, such as zombies, skeletons, vampires, bats, and ghosts, with a focus on the occult and the dark arts of Necromancy.
• Tomb Kings — In the hot desert lands of the south of the Old World was mankind's first civilisation, Nehekhara. The Kings of Nehekhara ruled for hundreds of years until Nagash became King in the capital, Khemri. After a successful rebellion by the Kings of the other cities, Nagash cast a great spell killing everything in the land. Though Nagash was defeated by the last King Alcadizaar, the land was destroyed and the ancient Kings rose again, reborn as the Tomb Kings.

[edit] The Ogres

Ogres are massive eastern barbarians who live in the Ogre Kingdoms in the Mountains of Mourn and will do any work for gold and eat anything or any one. The Ogres domesticate Sabretusks and Rhinoxen and worship their god, the Great Maw. As Ogres are guided solely by their stomachs, they spread devastation and destruction wherever they go. Ogres are often considered to be a "neutral" power in the world, fighting for both Destruction and Order to feed their lust for food and gold. Various types of Ogre-related creatures also exist such as Yhetees and Gorgers.They are also known to eat "anything." And it is becuase of this fanaticism of "eating," that Ogre society is fundementally defined through all things related to eating.