Icon of Ghur and the Amber Order of wizards who wield it.
Ghur (pronounced "Gur" or even "Grrrr"[10a]), also called Garrack[9a], Ghurrag[9a] Gur-maan[9a], the Lore of Beasts, and the Eighth Lore and known in Grand Cathay as the Elemental Wind of Wood, is the Brown Wind of Magic, which is the manifestation within the Aethyr of the wild and bestial spirit of the mortal world and its animal inhabitants. Ghur is used by the feral Human wizards of the Amber Order, also known as "shamans," to shape spells of beastcraft and communion with the creatures of the wild.
In strange shamanic rites, these Magisters can call Ghur into their bodies, allowing it to shape them into wolves and ravens, clawed savages and gentle horse whisperers. It is known as a savage Wind of Magic, the antithesis of civilisation and domestication, as primal and unreasoning as it is devoid of malice.
Ghur is attracted to animals and wild places in equal measure, retreating from the ordered existence of Man and his cities. This is reflected in the misanthropic ways of the Amber Wizards -- shunning all civilisation for the wild mountains and moors, where the Wind of Ghur blows free.[8a]
Amber Magic[]
Ghur's Magisters have embraced the savage Brown Wind of Magic, allowing them to have control over all manner of wild beasts and even communicate with them. Amber Magisters can also call upon the attributes of various spirits of the wild and are able to summon the strength of the bear, the swiftness of the hare, the eyesight of an eagle, and the heightened senses of smell and hearing of the wolf. Amber Wizards are said to be able to shape-shift, travelling on the paws or wings of wild creatures and birds if they so desire.
Amber wizards are also able to communicate with beasts, or even summon them to battle.[8a]
The Amber Brotherhood uses the Brown Wind to call upon the power of the wild spirits of nature. Their world vision is an animistic one, where every living thing, every plant, every animal and insect, and even the soil itself, has its own independent, living spirit. The world through the eyes of an Amber Magister is a hard one, where the spirits of all living things must compete to live. It is a world of survival only for the fittest; where every creature has its place as predator or prey.
Amber Magisters are said to be able to merge their spirits with those of animals and go on vision-quests to learn more about themselves, the land, the ways of the spirits and how they can be pacified or bound to service.
Lore of Beasts Notable Spells[]
The Lore of Beasts, also known as Amber Magic, totem-calling and shapeshifting, is the set of magic spells that drink from the wild Brown Wind of Magic called Ghur.[3a]
A[]
- The Amber Spear - Sounding a gnarled horn, the wizard summons a glowing amber spear of pure Ghur. Seizing hard upon the spear's translucent shaft, he hurls it at the foe with uncanny accuracy.[3a][8b]
- Amber Talons - The caster's nails grow into cruel amber talons.[8b]
- The Amber Trance - The Amber Trance mesmerizes a single individual. They will fall into a rigid trance, and their body slowly turns to transparent amber. The entranced individual cannot be moved or harmed in any way. When the spell wears off the victim returns to normal, remembering none of the "lost" period of time.[5a]
- Awakening the Wood - On casting this spell, a circular area of woodland 48 yards across comes to life with the power of Amber magic. Powerful winds blow through the trees, hurling a storm of branches and leaves at anyone caught within the wood, or who is within 24 yards of the affected area. Shortly after, the storm subsides and the trees fall into their usual slumber.[5a]
B[]
- The Beast Broken - The shaman breaks the wild spirit of a single nearby animal (that can be domesticated). These animals include horses, dogs, and some birds of prey. It does not include normally wild animals like wolves, bears, snakes, and so on. Failure to resist results in the animal remaining docile towards Humans, Elves, Dwarfs, and Halflings forever, though it is still likely to be afraid -- and rightly so -- of creatures like Greenskins, Skaven, and those tainted by Chaos.[1c]
- Beast Form - The wizard infuses their very flesh with Ghur, transforming into a beast for a matter of minutes. While in beast form, they appear as a standard version of a common beast, with brown or amber coloring. As an animal, they cannot speak, and thus cannot cast spells.[8b]
- The Beast Made Well - Touching an injured animal, the caster heals its wounds. Only natural animals may be healed by this spell; magical creatures (including familiars, even if animalistic) and monsters are unaffected.[1c]
- Beast Master - The wizard is able to gain the absolute loyalty of one nearby beast, convincing it that they are its pack leader. The beast will fight to the death to protect their new master, and even understand basic commands. Even after the spell wears off, the beast will have a residual respect for the caster.[8b]
- Beast Tongue - The shaman infuses their throat with the power of Ghur, causing their words to come out as the growls, hisses, or roars of any animal that they attempt to speak to. Although, just as with humans, there is no guarantee that the animal with respond, or even listen, most beasts will be curious enough to pay attention. While this spell is in effect, the caster may not speak in any civilized languages, meaning that they cannot cast other spells.[8b]
- The Beast Unleashed - Unleashes the primal savagery of the caster's allies, driving them into a frenzy and enhancing their combat abilities. This spell does not work on animals; they are already beasts.[1c]
- The Boar's Hide - The recipient of this spell finds that their skin has become as tough as a wild boar's.[1c]
C[]
- Calm the Wild Beast - With a soothing and hypnotic voice, the caster calms one animal, and is able to approach the beast and touch it without fear, as it remains placid. If a mount, their skill in riding it is improved. The animal remains friendly towards them for a time unless the shaman attacks it, in which case the enchantment is broken immediately.[1d]
- Claws of Fury - The caster's fingernails turn into razor-sharp claws as they take on a feral aspect. The drawback is being unable to wield any weapons while the spell is in effect.[1d]
- Consume Strength - The shaman gives his chosen allies strength by sapping it from his enemies.[7a]
- Cowering Beasts - The shaman thunderously rebukes their foes, comparing them to base animals that had best cower before their master. This panics between two or even twenty nearby foes, starting with those closest to the caster, unless focused on a single target.[1d]
- Crow's Feast - Summons a murder of supernatural crows anywhere within forty-eight yards that swoops down upon the caster's enemies. These are Aethyric creatures of vengeance, with iron-shod beaks and bleeding feathers. They may be summoned anywhere, as they are capable of passing through any form of non-sentient material -- trees, rocks, metal, etc. These crows always appear in huge flocks -- which then scatter as quickly as they appeared, but not before assaulting anyone deemed a threat, intent on attacking the heads of their victims (eyes, ears, face, etc.) if given the chance.[1d][1e]
- Cruelty's Desserts - While touching an animal, wild or domestic, the caster makes it so that any intelligent creature who harms or is otherwise cruel to that particular animal before the next full moon will be spurned by others (or otherwise become unlikeable) until the full moon after that one.[1e]
- The Curse of Anraheir - At the shaman's command, nebulous nature spirits assail the foe, clawing at them with hands not nearly as insubstantial as they appear.[3a]
E[]
- Embodiement of Ghur - The shaman snarls, embracing the form of the beast within and becoming a terror to their foes.[7a]
F[]
- The Flock of Doom - With a mighty bellow, the wizard invokes Corvus the Crow Lord, summoning his servants to peck at the foe's eyes.[3a]
- The Flying Bower - The caster is swallowed up by a whirlwind of swirling amber magical energy and transported a multiple of 100 yards in any direction. This spell may be used to carry the wizard into close combat, in which case said caster can be considered charging while approaching. The wizard can only move to a place within his line of sight -- it is not possible to reappear inside buildings, even if it is possible to see through a window or door. The spell cannot be cast on anyone else.[5b]
- Form of the Puissent Steed - Works exactly like Form of the Soaring Raven, but the shaman transforms into a destrier instead.[1e]
- Form of the Raging Bear - Works exactly like Form of the Soaring Raven, but the shaman transforms into a bear instead.[1e]
- Form of the Ravening Wolf - Works exactly like Form of the Soaring Raven, but the shaman transforms into a wolf instead.[1e]
- Form of the Soaring Raven - Transforms the caster and all the equipment they were carrying into a raven for up to an hour. The shaman retains their mental faculties, but otherwise possesses the attributes of a raven. Said-caster cannot talk or use magic while in raven form, but may end it at any time to revert back to normal. The spell ends automatically if they become gravely wounded.[1e]
H[]
- Hunter's Hide - A cloak of pure Ghur envelops the caster, protecting them against those who would defile the wilderness.[8c]
- Hunter's Moons - The shaman howls and the moons glow red as blood, their ruddy rays lending fresh fortitude to those that battle below.[2a]
K[]
- Kadon's Bestial Surge - Uttering a spell that Kadon himself first devised, the shaman infuses a Scroll of Binding with all the savage energy of Ghur, magnifying the target creature's animal fury.[4a]
L[]
- Leatherbane - The shaman causes a character, creature, or animal and all leather goods they're carrying or wearing -- belts, pouches, straps, scabbards, and even armour -- to shrivel immediately and turn permanently to dust. This is a touch spell.[1e]
M[]
- Master's Voice - Commands one animal to do the caster's bidding. Soon after, the caster decides what actions the animal will take, and it will do as commanded.[1e]
- Merciw's Monstrous Regiment - The shaman calls upon the strength of the wild world and bestows it upon his chosen allies.[2a]
- A Murder of Crows - Calling upon Corvus the Crowlord, the Amber Wizard summons a voracious flock of carrion birds to tear flesh from bone. Similar to Crow's Feast, but lasts longer, and harms anyone caught within the area of effect.[2a]
O[]
- The Ox Stands - The shaman shouts out to all allies within earshot. Any who are currently fleeing in terror, or who are currently paralyzed by fear, are relieved of those effects.[1e][1f]
P[]
- Pann's Impenetrable Pelt - Calling upon the beast-spirits of the wild, the shaman sheathes his vulnerable flesh in unyielding fur and hide, granting him greater protection from weapon strikes and other forms of trauma.[3a]
R[]
- Repugnant Transformation - Mighty magic transforms the shaman's target into its basest form, revealing its true character. Unless the victim is able to resist, they undergo a terrible transformation, sprouting hair all over their body, losing the capacity for speech, and behaving in strange and inexplicable ways. This is a permanent condition unless the spell successfully cast on the target again, which reverses it, or dispelling magics are cast on the target. This is a touch spell.[1f]
S[]
- The Savage Beast of Horros - The beast within is a formidable thing if unleashed to its full potential.[3a]
T[]
- Taal's Fury - The shaman utters a primal yell, instilling in his allies the wrath of the god of wild places himself.[7a]
- The Talking Beast - If cast immediately before taking on animal form, the caster can speak while so transformed. The spell can also be cast on an animal to gift it with the power of humanoid speech for a short period of time.[1f]
- Tangling Thorn - This spell may be cast on any point within a hundred yards of the caster. At that point, vegetation erupts from the ground, rapidly covering an even larger area. Creatures in the area as the vegetation sprouts are entangled, unable to move. The growth will only last until the following sunrise, unless burned off or killed with a suitable spell.[5b]
- Transformation of Kadon - Kadon was a master of forms, able to shift his shape to that of any monster. One day he found he could not change back.[3a]
V[]
- The Vengeful Hood - A cowl of amber-coloured light forms around the caster, which will absorb the force of any non-magical attack against the caster. If the caster is in hand-to-hand combat, any absorbed blows will be repulsed and turned against the originator.[5b]
W[]
- Wings of the Falcon - This spell causes wings to grow from the caster's back, which are strong enough to bear them aloft. The stronger their magic, the faster they fly. Obviously, simple folk, seeing someone transformed by Wings of the Falcon, will assume they are some form of Chaos Daemon or mutant and react appropriately.[1f]
- The Winter's Long Slumber - The caster touches a willing character, creature, or animal, causing it to immediately fall into a deep sleep akin to a bear's hibernation. This state persists for many months, until the solstice or equinox after the next (that is, the remainder of the current season, plus the full season after that). During this period of slumber, the character need not eat or drink. Due to the magical nature of the hibernation, any diseases, poisons, or other similar afflictions the character endures are interrupted. No further damage or symptoms accrue from them, though any penalties or other maladies already in effect continue while the character hibernates. (A progressive poison would not continue to get worse.) Natural healing, however, does occur. The recipient of this spell cannot be woken by normal means; the caster must will a premature awakening. They may also cast this spell on themselves. In the event that they do, they may -- at their option -- designate one other individual, who must be present when casting the spell, who may wake them before the spell's natural expiration. This is a touch spell.[1f]
- The Writhing Worm - The caster summons a slithering worm of Amber magical energy which drops to the ground and wriggles up towards a single enemy at unearthly speed. The magical Worm crawls over its victim and swiftly cocoons and renders helpless said-victim. If the spell is cast again without dispelling the first Worm, a new Worm is not summoned; instead, the existing Worm releases its first victim and slithers to a new one.[5b]
- Wyssan's Wildform - The shaman unleashes the beast within, shaping its fury to transform his allies into bestial forms.[3a]
Unnamed Spells[]
- Amber Wizards have also been known to transform themselves into various animals or groups of animals -- wild boars, flocks of ravens, serpents, mice, and even earthworms.[6]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Realms of Sorcery (RPG)
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy: Storm of Magic (8th Edition)
- 2a: pg. 35
- 3: Warhammer: Rulebook (8th Edition)
- 3a: pg. 493
- 4: Warhammer: Blood in the Badlands
- 4a: pg. 81
- 5: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition : Realms of Sorcery (RPG)
- 6: Warhammer Quest (Video Game)
- 7: White Dwarf 389 (UK)
- 7a: pg. 65
- 8: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Core Rulebook (RPG)
- 9: Orion: The Tears of Isha (Novel) by Darius Hinks
- 9a: Ch. 1
- 10: White Dwarf (December 2019)
- 10a: "Worlds of Warhammer" by Phil Kelly, pg. 9