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"Twice during this stretch of our journey we come into contact with the warrior women known as Amazons, and on both occasions I don't mind admitting they scared the living snot out of me. The first time, it was a drug-fuelled berserker, lithe and fast, yet gripped by the desire to shed blood. Purple and blue feathers hung from intricate plaits in her hair. Her body was spattered with the blood of three of my men who blundered into her upon the path. My men retreated before her fury, a score of bold lads sent scurrying by a maid. The second time, it was one of their leaders, a woman of serene countenance who bore magical artifacts. She cut down a dozen foes in a single actinic blast. That time, the woman made common cause with us against Lizardmen ambushers, though I have no doubt she would have wielded her weapons against us had we given her reason."

—The journal of Johann Besksbein, day 48[1b]
Amazons (2)

A group of savage Amazon warrior-women[4]

The Amazons, also called the Amazon Sisterhood, is an ancient civilisation and unique race of altered Human warrior-women who have made the dark jungles of the New World continent of Lustria their home. Deep within the Lustrian jungle, death comes in many forms. No surer way exists than to incur the wrath of the elusive tribeswomen that dwell in its darkest heart.[1a]

Though the continent-spanning empire of the Lizardmen encompasses all the jungles of Lustria, these reptiles are not the only intelligent beings that dwell there. Those few explorers gifted, or lucky, enough to return from the interior tell all manner of tales. Many are dismissed as the ravings of men who have spent too long in the sun, such as those of diminutive, copper-skinned tribesmen akin to the Halflings of the Moot, or jungle spirits reminiscent of the Dryads of Elven lore. But, of all the accounts of the denizens of Lustria, it is stories of the warrior women known as the Amazons that have proved the most enduring.[1a]

History[]

Rigg[]

The goddess Rigg is the main figure in the Amazonian Pantheon and the deity the Amazons claim to be their creator. She was an Old One like the beings now worshipped as gods by the Lizardmen and yet she was an outsider; an outcast among her peers.

Emergence of the Amazons[]

According to Amazonian mythology, during the High Age of Southern Lustria in around -8000 IC, when the Old Ones still roamed the Known World, the goddess Rigg, along with an Elven god named Amex, sired a child known as Kalim, Mother of all Amazons, and together, Kalim and Rigg founded their own kingdom of Amazonia, with their Amazon daughters as their eternal handmaidens.[1b][3]

This creation myth implies that the Amazons are the direct biological descendants of their goddess, though other sources imply the reality is more scientific and that Rigg wasn't the only Old One involved in their creation.

They state that the Old Ones chose from somewhere a group of Men and by some means tampered with their genetic structure, using these subjects to create the race of Amazons in Lustria. Whether the Amazons were created to be workmates of the Old Ones' other servants, the Slann, or whether they were nothing more than a whim of these god-like creatures is uncertain.[4a]

Reign of the Old Ones[]

The Amazonian Sisterhood originated in the High Age of Southern Lustria; a golden age of science and technology. This was the time when the Old Ones created the many mortal species that now live upon the Known World and reshaped the very surface of the planet as part of their Great Plan. Even then, Amazonia was a wild and fiercely independent land. The other Old Ones, along with the wise and technocratic Slann, accepted this and respected Rigg and her Amazonian daughters' newly-founded society. While other Humans were regarded as inferior and were enslaved and treated little better than cattle, the Amazons retained their freedom.

The Lizardmen and the Amazons were able to co-exist almost entirely peacefully, side by side. There was even a measure of trade and cooperation between the two races. Amazons were particularly valued as acolytes, viziers and thralls by the Old Ones and the Slann of the First Spawning. 

Through this aeon of creation, the Amazons were the right hand of the gods; they possessed tremendous wisdom, and each was clean of limb and never grew old. For as long as they stood at the side of their creators, they were nigh immortal.[1b][3]

Other legends claim that the Amazons were actually a creation of the Slann themselves.[8a]

Great Catastrophe[]

When the Old Ones' Polar Gates collapsed, a flood of Chaos energies swept the Known World and devoured all in its wake during the terrible cataclysm known as the Great Catastrophe. The Old Ones fell, passing into myth, and with them fell the Amazons. While the Old Ones fled or perished, their servants fought a desperate war against a veritable tidal wave of Daemons. The Amazons, severed from their creators, found their powers greatly diminished and retreated to the depths of the jungles of Lustria. Here they established secret havens they would defend against all others for the rest of time.[1b][3]

Biology[]

The strangest thing of all about the Amazons is that their population is almost entirely composed of Human females. Whether as a result of long-forgotten magic used at the time of their creation or by natural means, Amazons are adapted to reproduce through fluctuative parthenogenesis, meaning they can reproduce as other Humans do, but they can also reproduce asexually as some other animals can, simply giving birth to a genetically identical female child.[4a]

The process of reproduction is strictly controlled by the Amazonian Sisterhood, whose priestesses use various natural drugs to induce pregnancy and determine the gender of the child. Traditional reproduction can happen but is rare due to the introverted and cloistered nature of Amazon society.[4a]

The more common tales suggest that the Amazons are master herbalists who prepare distilled potions of tropical plants for use in their sacrificial ceremonies. One story from Juan Cornetto, a Tilean mercenary captain suggests that the Amazons have discovered a way of brewing the "elixir of youth." Indeed, death among the Amazons is uncommon, occurring only from mortal wounds or natural disaster.[2b]

Society[]

7th edition map

7th Edition map of the continent of Lustria with known Amazon settlements highlighted.

The dense tropical jungle of the Cadiz Basin is inhabited very sparsely. Occasionally, primitive bands of nomadic hunters will pass through, or wary traders from the Norscan settlements on the coasts will brave the treacherous rivers in order to ply their wares. By far the most populous of the native groups are the wild and matriarchal Amazons. They live in hundreds of scattered villages throughout the jungle and in the Amazonian city of Genaina.[3]

Genaina, although incorporating many stone buildings of considerable size, is mostly built of grass and mud in the same way as the smaller villages. Amazon villages can be easily recognised by their manner of construction, for the builders nearly always erect their dwellings upon tall poles of solid wood, so as to raise the living areas away from the ground. In this way, the Amazons avoid the worst excesses of periodic flooding.[3]

Religion[]

The Amazons worship their own gods who comprise the Amazonian Pantheon. They hate all worshippers of Quetzacoatl (Tepok), particularly the Slann. In addition to the many small villages and way temples dotted throughout Amazonia, there are two main cult centres: the Temple of Kara in the Aamzon capital of Genaina and the Great Shrine of Rigg that stands on the shores of Lake Lokka.[3]

The mysteries of the Temple of Kara and the untold riches of the Royal Palace of Genaina, remain a mystery to all outsiders who dare venture close.[3]

High Age Artefacts[]

The sacred places of the Lustrian jungles hide many strange and valuable artefacts. Invaders seek such items as they are made from gold or gemstones, others because they hold magical power that wizards may draw upon. Some are covered in mysterious text said to be the script of the gods themselves, and scholars covet these above all others.[1a]

Of the utmost rarity are weapons of the so-called "High Age of Southern Lustria." These can be staffs, rods, blades and other shapes, and many are more deadly than any other weapon known to the world. Some High Age weapons project shimmering bolts of magical light, others propel small projectiles many hundreds of metres that bury themselves within the flesh of their target, only to explode, ripping it apart in a shower of gore.[1a]

Such items are highly valued, more than the most potent of magical artefacts, and are the subject of legend amongst scholars. Entire armies have been raised at the mere hint that such a weapon may be found, and any cost will be paid just for the chance of acquiring one. To date, only the Amazons have been witnessed bearing such mystical weapons, and it can only be hoped that no invader gains the power of High Age artefacts.[1a]

Mythology Surrounding the Amazons[]

"The more I learned of the gods of the lizard people, the more incredulous I became. Their pantheon was at that point indecipherable to me, and appeared to include one whose place is to exist outside said order, and to be worshipped by no 'True Children of the Gods'. Yet it is written that this outsider shall be tended to unto the end of time by her 'Faithful Half-kin'. Was this being one of the Old Gods? or a mortal chosen to bear their seed? The answer came after many long months of patient research, and even then, I would question everything I had come to believe..."

—Prelude to Chapter 3, 'In the Garden of the Gods', by the noted mage of the Jade College, Cyrston von Danling.[1c]

Central to the tales of the Amazons of Lustria is the mass of often-contradictory mythology surrounding them in the outside world. There are at least two explanations for the existence of the Amazons, and a tangled web of historical and mythological strands that appear to connect them to the Lizardmen, the Elves and the Norscans.[1b]

Diatribes of Drivot[]

One source is to be found in the somewhat curious writings of one Drivot the Diatribist. This bizarre character, thought to have been an erstwhile White Wizard of the Order of Light, wrote extensively about the creation myths of the Lizardmen, the Elves and of other mortal races. Though there is no clear evidence that he actually travelled to any of the places of which he wrote, nor met any of the beings he professed to know so intimately.[1b]

Not for nothing is Drivot known as the "diatribist," for his writings are full of ranting meanderings that frequently lead the reader along paths of reasoning only a madman could hope to navigate. With wild abandonment, Drivot relates his tale of a previously unheard of Elven god of the sea, wealth and happiness, and his union with the Amazon goddess called Rigg. The result of this marriage was the "Mother of all Amazons," Kalith.[1b]

The children of Kalith were given a special role in the creation of the world, Drivot claims. Alongside their godly creators, they became the favoured servants, the viziers of the masters of creation, the handmaidens of the gods. The Amazons shared in an age where the forces of boundless creation were worked upon the surface of the Known World, and other beings raised up by the servants of the Old Ones. Through this aeon of creation, the Amazons stood at the right hand of their creators. They were possessed of tremendous wisdom; each was clean of limb and never grew old. They were exclusively female, for as long as they stood at the side of the creators, they were nigh immortal, and had no need of conventional reproduction. They also wielded the power of the creators, going out into the world and transforming it according to the Old Ones' plans.[1b]

Most readers of Drivot's writings would slam the book shut at such preposterous nonsense, but he goes on to make even more astonishing "revelations." The Old Ones fell, claims Drivot, and with them fell the Amazons. Chaos was unleashed upon the world in the Great Catastrophe, and while the Old Ones fled or perished, their servants fought a desperate war against a veritable tidal wave of Daemons. The Amazons, severed from their creators, found their powers much diminished and retreated to the depths of the jungle. Here they established secret havens they would defend against all others, until the very end of the world.[1b]

Norscan Mythology[]

Though there have been Old Worlders in Lustria for centuries, their interest in the continent has remained largely financial. Though individual academics have set out on journeys of exploration, few officially sanctioned efforts have been mounted. This is perhaps due to the nature of the subject -- Lustria is a savage land of mystery and enigma, and the world is full of more relevant and pressing challenges. Scholars have also not studied the true nature of the denizens of Lustria -- both reptilian and Human -- for fear of academic ridicule. As a result the truth as to the actual roots of the Amazons, aside from these tales, is likely to remain hidden indefinitely.​[1c]

Many stories suggest the Amazons were, at some point since the arrival of the Old Worlders in Lustria, in danger of dying out for lack of numbers. Since then, the frequency of contact with them has noticeably increased, and it has been postulated that their numbers were artificially swelled. Perhaps this explains the Valkyries' disappearance -- were they lured off into the jungle, to replenish the depleted numbers of the Amazons? In so doing, were they granted the secrets of eternal youth and vitality that legend states, however unlikely it may sound, are enjoyed by the Amazons? Whatever the case, it is surely only a matter of time before outsiders go in search of the secrets of the Amazonian Sisterhood, and it is certain that when they do so, blood will flow.​[1c]

Stilmensch's Theory[]

Stories of the legendary Amazons have abounded since Men from the Old World first arrived in Lustria. In the Old World, the few scholars who believe the Amazons exist, or at least once existed, are generally of the opinion that these feral women were outcasts from the Norscan settlement Skeggi.[7a]

This theory is also supported by the records contained in the Journeys to the Dark Heart by the brilliant yet notoriously eccentric scholar Stilmensch.[7a]

Other, more controversial scholars, have written that the Amazons were an entirely separate yet related race of Humanity created by the gods for a specific divine purpose, although this theory has been much derided by the more respected authorities on such matters. Regardless, the mythology of the Amazons continues to flourish, and tales of vicious warrior-women wielding strange weapons of power can still be heard in the drinking dens of Swamp Town and Sartosa.[7a]

First Contact with the Amazons[]

"We are joined by a guide, a native of this very jungle. She is a woman of tremendous presence and beauty, and she knows the jungle intricately. I only hope I can control the men, for their sake more than hers, for she is a devil with the spear."

Johann Becksbein[6a]

There are many versions of the tales of first contact with the Amazons, dating back to when the Norscans made their first landings upon the shores of the New World. The Norscans, led by the infamous Losteriksson, quickly realised the extent of the riches to be found there, and set to plundering it with all the abandon for which their kind are known. Whilst Losteriksson sought to establish the settlement that eventually grew into the colony known as Skeggi, other chieftains led their men south, following the Cactus Coast, past the islands of Yuldca and Quetzl, and into the mouth of the River Amazon.[1a]

Amidst the strangling mangroves, stifling humidity and coiling vapours, they spied an island in the midst of the river. Upon its shores reared the indistinct form of a mighty statue. Though they could not determine its exact shape, it appeared Human and female. The invaders explored no further, for their longship was assailed by a storm of arrows and other, more arcane projectiles. As warriors fell, those not killed by their wounds soon fell victim to the terrible effects of the bizarre weapons.[1a]

The chieftains reluctantly ordered their men back to the sea. As they retreated, it is said that the ships' crews saw behind them a mass of warrior women, stood defiantly upon the shores of their island, intense hatred burning in their eyes. According to the sagas of the Norscans, many battles have since been fought between the proud Northmen and the fierce Amazons. Many descriptions of their appearance and society exist, but as ever, most accounts are contradictory.[1a]

Another tale states that many Norscan wives had lost husbands after arriving in Skeggi and when the city was attacked they took up arms alongside the small number of remaining menfolk, defeating the attackers. However they were told after the battle that axe-wielding was men's work and not for women! They were given a longship and banished. Taking the name of "Valkyries" for themselves, they settled on a island in the middle of the Amazon River. Many years later, Dwarf and Elf adventurers raided, thinking it was a Lizardmen city. When they were swiftly defeated they brought back tales of strange Human warrior women who they called Amazons, naming the island they defended so fiercly as the Heart of Darkness.[5a]

Outsiders' View of the Amazons[]

The earliest mentions of the Amazons are to be found in the Saga of Rothnikson, a bold explorer who was first to pierce the jungles south of Axlotl. Rothnikson describes their society as exclusively matriarchal, claiming never to have encountered a single male in over a dozen instances of contact with them. He states that the Amazons are ruled over by a priesthood of warrior-mystics, known as the "Sisterhood," and every warrior is a devout follower. Many are said to be crazed zealots, berserker-women permanently in the grip of a jungle-brewed narcotic. Whilst under the influence of this highly poisonous substance, these women are the fiercest of warriors, said to equal the much-feared Norscan berserkers.[1a]

Other details of the Amazons' world remain vague. Rothnikson describes their habitat as flimsy wooden dwellings built upon stilts amongst the ruins of Lizardmen temples. But although he mentions a number of such cities, he fails to provide any clue as to where such settlements might be located. Furthermore, Rothnikson goes on to offer tantalizing glimpses of further mysteries -- the Temple of Kara in the Amazon capital of Genaina, the great Shrine of Rigg upon the shores of Lake Lokka and the untold riches of the otherworldly Royal Palace of the Sisterhood.​[1a]

Every account of the Amazons makes it clear that they are an overtly warlike people, but there are tales of them finding common cause with others. They appear to have a complex and ritualistic approach to their interactions with outsiders, and none can be sure whether they will remain on even remotely friendly terms for long.[1c]

This is particularly evident when it comes to relations with the Lizardmen. It would appear that the Amazons occupy at least one, and possibly more, sites that outsiders would take for being sacred to the Lizardmen. The ruins of temples within which unknown Lizardmen Gods were once worshipped now form the foundations of Amazon settlements. The high priestesses of the Amazon Sisterhood bear items of undoubtedly Lizardmen origin, yet the Lizardmen make no obvious move to retrieve these. Rather, it appears as if the Amazons are accepted by the Slann mage-priests as part of the natural order of things.[1c]

This is not to suggest, however, that the two parties never come to blows, for it is known that they do. It has even been reported that an Amazonian priestess was encountered by a merchant of the Empire adorned with the hide of a white-skinned Skink Priest, indication, if any were needed, that conflict exists between the two races.[1c]

Relations with other mortal races are much simpler. The Norscans, upon their first contact with the Amazons, attempted to plunder their treasures, beginning an age of conflict between the two that has lasted many centuries. Contact with other races is of a similar nature, and there have been some distinctly unpleasant instances of the warrior women themselves being the targets of raids sponsored by Imperial nobles seeking to abduct them and ship them back to the Old World as curiosities for the Imperial Court.[1c]

But not all contact with other races has been made upon the basis of conflict. On occasion, one or more Amazons have appeared to guide, advise or even aid an army fighting within Lustria. In most instances, this has taken the form of a priestess lending counsel and magical aid to an army, forming a temporary peace until the battle is resolved. Exactly why the Amazons choose to help some armies and not others is an utter mystery, though some believe the Amazons follow some arcane prophecy that leads them to offer assistance in the defeat of certain foes, or the defence of certain sacred sites.[1c]

Furthermore, there are several instances of priestesses of the Amazon Sisterhood aiding opposing armies. Though the priestesses have not been observed to directly attack one another, they have aided their respective allies in the defeat of their foes. It is possible the priestesses regard such battles as ritual combat, but with the blood of others shed in place of their own. Perhaps they seek the ruination of both warring armies, guiding each towards inevitable, and mutual, destruction.[1c]

Forces of the Amazons[]

Amazon Warrior

An Amazon warrior[4]

Heroes[]

  • Eagle Warrior - Eagle Warriors are veteran Amazons that have participated in dozens of war parties over the years. They have adopted the totem of the great eagle that reflects their great might in combat. Their exotic headdresses are made from these holy birds of the Lizardmen.
  • Piranha Warrior - Piranha Warriors prefer ranged weapons and are often found at the head of an Amazon warband. They are the only Amazons to use a great seashell horn to warn their warband of approaching enemies.[2a]

Infantry[]

  • Amazon Warriors - Every Amazon woman is trained in the ways of war and is hardened by a life in the unforgiving nature of their jungle environment. They are skilled in fighting with a variety of weapons, including the legendary claws of the Old Ones.[2a]
  • Jaguar Warriors - The Jaguar Warriors are known for their exceptional speed and agility. They are the protectors of the Amazon tribes and keep invaders at bay. They are especially adept at hunting Skinks and Sauruses, their most common foe. Jaguar Warriors' favored method of attack is to steal away into the foliage and become part of the very jungle itself while they wait for the perfect moment to strike.[2a]

Cavalry[]

  • Culchan Riders- Some Amazon warriors are said to ride this creature.[6]

Notable Amazons[]

  • Dekala - An Amazon Serpent Priestess of the Pale Hide tribe in Lustria.
  • Kalith - A goddess of the Amazons, known as the "Mother of All Amazons."
  • Mother Samantha - Born into a nomadic tribe, Samantha eventually became a member of the Cult of Kalim and from there, joined the Devout.
  • Penthesilea - Penthesilea is counted among the mightiest of all Amazon warrior-women.
  • Pirrana - The war-musician of Anakonda's mercenaries.

Miniatures[]

Canon Conflict[]

Amazon Laspistol

An Amazon armed with a Laspistol, one of the ancient, advanced technologies they were said to possess in early editions of Warhammer.

In earlier editions of Warhammer, the Amazons had access to highly advanced weaponry resembling that featured in Games Workshop's other setting, Warhammer 40,000, such as Laspistols. Such technology was removed from the Amazons after the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 settings were more clearly separated from one another.

Trivia[]

The Amazons were inspired, obviously, by the Amazons of ancient Greek mythology. They were a group of female warriors and hunters, who matched men in physical agility and strength, in archery, riding skills and the arts of combat. Their society was closed to men and they only raised their daughters, either killing their sons or returning them to their fathers, with whom they would only socialize briefly in order to reproduce.

The Warhammer Amazons' background seems to share many similiarities with the Amazons of the DC Comics universe.

Sources[]

  • 1 White Dwarf 307
    • 1a: pg. 32
    • 1b: pg. 33
    • 1c: pg. 34 - Note that this is the *fanfiction* section of the White Dwarf magazine. Not an actual piece of canon lore.
  • 2: Town Cryer 15
    • 2a: pp. 18-24
    • 2b: pg. 50
  • 3: Citadel 2nd Edition Compendium
  • 4: Warhammer Armies: Battle Bestiary (2nd Edition)
    • 4a: pg. 12
  • 5: Warhammer Armies: Lizardmen (5th Edition)
    • 5a: pg. 13
  • 6: Warhammer: Lustria
    • 6a: The Battle of the Obsidian Column, pg. 14
    • 6b: Lustria Campaign Rules, pg. 40
  • 7: Warhammer Armies: Lizardmen (6th Edition)
    • 7a: pg. 16
  • 8: Warhammer Fantasy Battle Rulebook (3rd Edition)
    • 8a: pg. 197

Gallery[]

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