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"Its blade shone like captured moonlight, its edge keen enough to cut the veil between worlds. Etched runes ran along its length, carved into the very heart of the blade. Sigmar had never seen a more perfectly forged weapon."

—Descption of how Sigmar was presented with the first of the Runefangs.[3a]
Colmillo Rúnico-Ralph-Horsley

The Runefang of Solland, Grudge Settler, now wielded by Reikmarshal Kurt Helborg.[8a]

A Runefang is one of the twelve magical swords which serve as the badges of office of the Elector Counts of the Empire of Man.

History[]

The Runefangs were created by the renowned Dwarf Runesmith Alaric the Mad, and were intended for the 12 tribal leaders of Men in the northern Old World who had united under the first Emperor of Man Sigmar's rule. However, such was the skill and time required to make them, that it was not until 100 years after the Battle of Black Fire Pass that Alaric was able to deliver them all to the new emperor. Runefangs are blades of unsurpassed power able to carve through gromril and Dragon scale.

Only one of the Runefangs, most likely the one that currently belongs to the Elector Count of Middenland, was used in battle before this. It was given to Sigmar's childhood friend, Pendrag, the newly appointed ruler of Middenheim, who used it when a Chaos army besieged the city. When Pendrag fell during the ensuing battle, the sword went to Myrsa, his successor.[3]

Although there are 12 Runefangs, there are currently only ten Elector Counts. The province of Drakwald was stripped of its statehood in the early 14th century IC, while Solland was destroyed by the Waaagh! of Gorbad Ironclaw in the early 17th century IC. The Orc warboss took the sword (along with the Elector Count's head) as a trophy, and it was lost for many years before being recovered in the Worlds Edge Mountains and returned to the Imperial capital of Altdorf.

In the dark periods of civil war known as the Age of Wars, the Age of Three Emperors and the Dark Ages, Runefangs became highly sought after artefacts. Wars were fought between noble families for the possession of a Runefang, as the ownership of one gave a noble house the right to claim itself a royal house of the Empire.[7a]

Today the Runefangs are divided between the 10 Elector Counts, (with the emperor himself choosing to wield his home province's Runefang or Ghal Maraz into battle), while one, formerly belonging to the province of Solland, is wielded by the Reikmarshal Kurt Helborg. The last one, the Runefang of Drakwald, is kept locked away in the Imperial Armoury, and is sometimes, temporarily, wielded by worthy Imperial generals during times of strife.

As Nordland was not among the founding Great Provinces of the Empire, but was granted its electoral privileges later under Boris Goldgather, the Runefang of the Endals changed hands from the now independent province of Westerland to Nordland. As the Elector Count of Nordland, Theoderic Gausser also held the title of Prince of Marienburg, however he was forbidden to enter the city on pain of death.

List of Runefangs[]

  • Runefang of Solland, known as Grudge Settler[1a], Grollhalter (meaning "the Grudgebearer"), Lightshard, Helbringer, Warpsbane and Klingerach (meaning "the Sword of Vengeance").[4a]

Sources[]

  • 1: White Dwarf 325 (UK)
    • 1a: pg. 73
  • 2: Warhammer Armies: The Empire (7th Edition)
  • 3: The Legend of Sigmar: Empire (Novel), by Graham McNeill
    • 3a: Chapter Twenty
  • 4: Sword of Justice (Novel) by Chris Wraight
    • 4a: Ch. 3
    • 4b: Ch. 18
  • 5: The End Times Vol I: Nagash (8th Edition)
    • 5a: pg. 259
  • 6: The Lord of the End Times (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
    • 6a: Prologue
  • 7: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Enemy in Shadow Companion (RPG)
  • 8: Runefang (Novel) by C. L. Werner
    • 8a: Front Cover
  • 9: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Rough Nights and Hard Days (RPG)
    • 9a: pg. 48
  • 10: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: The Enemy Within Campaign Vol 3 - Power Behind the Throne (RPG)
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