Age of Sigmar: Origins of the Beasts of Azyr – PRIME
Even the mightiest Stormcast Eternal needs a companion, but from where?
The Stormcast Eternals are the finest warriors in the Mortal Realms, the combination of noble soul, Sigmarite steel, and the lightning of Azyr, forged into the perfect soldier by the artifice of Sigmar and Grungni. With the approaching threat of Kragnos and the vile spell concocted Be’Lakor, the two gods have created a new, more powerful kit of armor called the Thunderstrike armor, allowing them to burst through the arcane haze and repay enemies who dare strike them down in kind.
However, for all their weapons of war and thick armor, the Stormcast would be nothing without the loyal beasts of Azyr that fight at their side. From dog-sized Gryph-Hounds that bark warnings to their beloved masters to the towering Stardrakes that can call down a rain of comets, the menagerie of Azyr is filled with incredible creatures. Just like with all things, each of these creatures has at least adjacent roots in the mythology of the real world, and several of the creatures that ride to battle alongside the Champions of Order can be found in the storybooks of modern children.
Gryph-Charger
Noble beasts of the Azyr mountains, a Gryph-Charger is a proud, swift beast, and one of the fastest creatures in the Realms. With the head and forelegs of large birds of prey and the hindquarters of strong horses, these creatures are capable of transforming themselves into living lightning, allowing them to traverse great distances at impossible speeds. To gain the trust of one of these noble beasts, a Stormcast champion must join them on the hunt and share a kill, bonding themselves as equals and packmates. In some rare instances, however, a Gryph-Charger will witness a Stormcast warrior fighting against impossible odds and rush to help, turning away the would be foe. If the Stormcast performs well enough, the Charger will allow themselves to be cleaned by the warrior, a high honor and sign of a fully cemented bond. On the battlefield, they run circles around their hapless foes, shredding their armor with their claws and beak before vanishing in a brilliant flash to strike elsewhere.
Meet the Hippogriff
As the name and description would suggest, the Chargers are heavily based on Hippogriffs, the smaller cousins of griffins that have the hindquarters of a horse rather than a lion or other large feline. Buckbeak of Harry Potter fame is a good example of a hippogriff, sharing the pride the Gryph-Chargers are famous for, and they are often confused for griffins in medieval art. However, the Chargers lack wings, able instead to run across aetheric winds in their lightning form (a far superior ability if you ask me), but beyond that they are almost identical. Even the horn-like feathers on a Chargers head are reminiscent of the Harpy Eagle feather patterns usually present on hippogriffs.
Dracoth
Large draconic creatures, Dracoths are some of the most aggressive creatures in Sigmar’s arsenal, wanting nothing more than to sink their long fangs into their enemy’s flesh. As if all the strength of a charging rhinocerous wasn’t bad enough, a Dracoth can also unleash balls of lightning from their mouths to soften up their foes before they arrive, making them an extremely dangerous adversary. Only the mightiest Celestants or Paladins dare to try to same such a deadly beast, and the trails to earn one’s respect is perilous and unique, each tailored to challenge the aspirant individually. However, once the bond has formed, the Dracoth makes a powerful ally, and takes great joy in ferrying their charge to sunder their foes with hammer and blade.
Enter the Drake
As expected, the Dracoth has several similarities with common drakes, wingless dragons from ancient real-world mythology. They are usually less intelligent than proper dragons, but no less vicious, and it is believed that early explorers mistook Komodo Dragons and other large monitor lizards for drakes. Drake has become synonymous with dragon in some media, but it is more accurate to see drakes as a distinct breed of dragon. It would be like making Labrador synonymous with dog; technically correct, but not entirely.
Dracoline
A majestic fusion of large predatory cat and ferocious drake, the Dracoline combines some of the speed of a Gryph-Charger with the power of a Dracoth. Bearing either a Lord-Arcanum or Evocator into battle, they pounce on their enemies like Ghurish tigers, unleashing a blast of Azyrite energy to further power its leap. Combined with the arcane might of their charges, they are a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, carrying their arcane masters to where they can do the most damage.
Meet the Guardian Lions
With its armored feline body, the dracoline has several similarities to guardian fu lions of Chinese and Japanese mythology. The male and female variation of the lions represent either yin and yang or life and death depending on which culture you consult. They play an important role in both Buddhism and feng shui, and have served as guardian spirits for many generations.
To read up on more Age of Sigmar monsters, check out this link.
Tune in next week for more Azyrite monsters!
