- "Fools all. They know nothing of our great work, of what we have accomplished. Our kin will never progress while they continue to look to a meaningless past for guidance. The old Dwarf empires all fell, doesn’t that seem like a significant sign of their weakness? Their adherence to ‘tradition’ will be their downfall. I have accomplished feats with cannons, steam, and magic that they can only dream of. My people are prepared for the coming times, aligned with those who will be the final victors. We will have slaves in abundance for our aid to the forces of Chaos and that is well for it is blood that greases the cogs of Hashut’s sacred machines."
- —Vikram Flametongue, Chaos Dwarf Sorcerer.[3a]
A Daemonsmith forging a new fell weapon.
Daemonsmiths, also known as Hell-Workers or simply Chaos Dwarf Sorcerers, are both the priest and artificers of their society, ruling over the desolate empire of Zharr-Naggrund with iron-fisted malice. Their lore is terrible and ancient, and involves the study of machines, and the mastery of forge-craft, weapon making and the terrible Chaos magics gifted to them by Hashut. Combined, these create terrifying weapons and arcane devices of power and destruction.[2a]
Overview
Daemonsmiths are few in number, with perhaps no more than several hundred amongst the whole Chaos Dwarf race capable of wielding their savagely powerful combination of science and sorcery. They possess no absolute hierarchy or single leader, although form and tradition dictates many layers and ranks of fealty and loyalty amid the great conclave of evil that is Hashut's Daemonsmith priesthood. Each is a power in their own right, controlling sections of the great city of Zharr-Naggrund itself or one of the outer citadels, and each has their own workshops, forges, strongholds, slaves and soldiers who owe fealty directly to them. The strongest voice, however, belongs to the oldest and most powerful known as Sorceror-Prophets, as well as to those on whom Hashut's blessings are bestowed. Age and knowledge are respected by them just as much as by the Dwarfs of the West, but tied up with this is a merciless intolerance of weakness, and favour and respect with them is only maintained through strength, wealth and sorcerous might which makes the politics of the priesthood deadly at all turns.[2a]
In battle the Daemonsmiths of Hashut are terrifying and unpredictable opponents, their dark magics able to draw upon the fires of the earth and transmute the air to ash and choking smoke as well as fan the flames of hatred in the hearts of their followers. They are each also master artisans of war and may lend their skills to war machine crews or themselves bear savage and potent examples of their craft such as black powder weapons, mighty armour, flasks of burning alchemical oil, Daemon-bound blades and ensorcelled weapons. Each however must display great caution when they wield their occult power, for each spell they wield could also be their last.[2b]
Lore of Hashut
These are some of the spells taught by Hashut to his Sorcerer-Prophets. The flame of the Father of Darkness kindles best in living flesh, and hungers to destroy.[2c]
Spells
A
- Ash Cloud - The sorcerer summons up a cloud of hot volcanic ash which appears under any unit.[1e]
- Ash Storm - The sorcerer calls down a hellish storm of choking hot ash, scalding and blinding anything unfortunate enough to be caught in its path.[2c]
B
- Breath of Hatred - The sorcerer's malice infects his chosen allies like an insidious malady, spurring them on to ever-greater depths of cruelty and savagery.[2c]
- Burning Wrath - The sorcerer calls on the fires of the deep earth and conjures forth a torrent of burning lava to immolate his enemies.[2c]
C
- Curse of Hashut - Channelling the malediction that inflicts his own twisted body, the sorcerer turns the dark curse of Hashut on others, causing their bones to petrify and their flesh to grow brittle and crumble to dust.[2c]
D
- Dark Subjugation - Invoking the power of Hashut, lord of tyranny, the sorcerer wields his master's darkly malignant force to crush the will of their foes.[2c]
- Doomroar - The Sorcerer's eyes blaze with power and his head slowly begins to transform, taking on the aspect of the mighty Bull-God Hashut. Massive twisted horns spout from his temple and large flared nostrils belch forth smoke and fire. The transformed Sorcerer lifts his bull-head and bellows forth a deafening roar across the battlefield. Friends hearing it are filled with courage, while enemies suffer a feeling of doom and dread.[1c]
E
- Eruption - The Sorcerer chants words of power and smashes his staff on the ground. There is a low rumbling then the ground erupts spewing forth molten lava and clouds of hot ash.[1e]
F
- Fist of Fire - The sorcerer's hands are enwrapped with glowing bands of magical fire that snake out and envelope hand-to-hand- combat opponents.[1d]
- Flames of Azgorh - Fire leaps from the sorcerer's eyes and mouth as they call upon the most terrible incantations of fire and destruction, the ground cracking open and boiling magma exploding forth in a devastating eruption at their word.[1c][2c]
- Flaming Hide - The sorcerer may cast this spell upon himself or a single nearby person. The skin of the afflicted begins to glow red hot and flickers with sparks, limiting the effectiveness of wounding the afflicted.[1e]
H
- Hell Hammer - The sorcerer manifests the power of Hashut as a thunderous ram of roiling energy in the shape of an immense burning black hammer or a monstrous bull's head, which they can unleash across the battlefield with crushing force.[2c]
L
- Lava Storm - With a sweep of the sorcerer's arm the air fills with balls of molten lava.[1d]
M
- Magma Pool - The sorcerer begins to melt into molten lava which flows away into the ground. The sorcerer reappears in another part of the battlefield, slowly seeping through the ground, then gradually re-forming and solidifying.[1e]
S
- Shadows of Hashut - The air around the Sorcerer grows cold and a shadowy form begins to coalesce next to him. It forms into a visage of Hashut, the mighty God of the Chaos Dwarfs. With a deafening roar, the shadow bull charges forward smashing everything out of its way.[1c]
- Sorcerer's Curse - The sorcerer motions towards an enemy and instils him with the curse of the Chaos Dwarf Sorcerers. The victim slowly begins to turn to stone from the feet upwards.[1d]
Notable Daemonsmiths
- Astragoth Ironhand - Oldest living Sorcerer, current High Priest of Hashut.
- Ghorth the Cruel - Strongest living Sorcerer.
- Drazhoath the Ashen - Lord of the Black Fortress and commander of the Legion of Azgorh.
Gallery
Miniatures
Sources
- 1 White Dwarf presents Warhammer Chaos Dwarfs
- 2 Tamurkhan: The Throne of Chaos
- 3 Old World Bestiary (2nd Edition Fantasy Roleplay)
- 3a: pg. 19
