Lammasu

"I swore that the Lammasu had a keener mind than the wizard who claimed to control it. Alas, I was right."

—Captain Grumman of the Averland Militia

^[2a]

Lammasu

The Lammasu is Manticore-like Chaos creature with the body of a gigantic bull, a powerful mace-tipped tail and a massive, ugly head. The Chaos Dwarfs believe that the Lammasu is a rare mutation of the Great Taurus, a creature whose forbears were once Chaos Dwarfs, but which has become twisted by the powers of Chaos into a huge bull-shaped monster. The Lammasu's ancestry is evident in its tusked head, its thickly curled beard, and its considerable intelligence. It is a creature with magical properties. It breathes not ordinary air but the power of magic itself, drawing into itself the power of the Winds of Magic. As it exhales the creature breathes out whirling clouds of black sorcery which wreathe themselves around the Lammasu, enwrapping it with protective power by protecting it from hostile spells. The Lammasu is the favourite mount of the Chaos Dwarf Sorcerers.^[1b]

Overview

Chaos Dwarf Sorcerer on Lammasu, by Mark Gibbons.

The Lammasu is a wise and crafty beast that makes its lair in the Dark Lands. The Chaos Dwarfs believe it to be a rare mutation of Great Taurus, one that is not only acclimated to magic, but that also lives and breathes the very stuff of sorcery. Indeed, the Lammasu possesses a minor, but potent, spellcasting ability, the backwash of which manifests as sorcerous black clouds that curl about the beast every time it breathes. This magical exhalation protects the Lammasu from hostile spells. Furthermore, enemies fighting Lammasu in melee often find the smoky threads of sorcery befouling their magic weapons, dampening their power and preventing them from striking the beast to full effect.^[2a]

Lammasu rarely seek to enter battle themselves, at least not as first resort. A Lammasu would far rather convince other beasts to do the dirty work for it. In stark contrast to its breathtakingly ugly appearance, the Lammasu possesses a peculiar and insidious charisma that it uses to further its own agendas. When reinforced by the Lammasu's magical artifice, this can leave the creature's victims befuddled and suggestible in the span of a few short minutes. Great Tauruses, Wyverns, Pegasi, Griffons - all are susceptible to the Lammasu's honeyed words and cunning manipulations. Only the most maddened and ferocious of monsters can withstand the Lammasu's voice, and then only out of red-fogged rage, rather than any conscious resistance. Whilst the Great Taurus is undoubtedly the king of the Plain of Zharrduk, it only reigns because the Lammasu is content to let it. Chaos Dwarf Sorcerers have used Lammasu as steeds for thousands of years, but who's to say whether it is mount or rider that commands the partnership?^[2a]

Miniatures

• Chaos Dwarf Sorcerer on Lammasu (4th Edition).
• 4th Edition.

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Source

• 1 Warhammer Armies: Chaos Dwarfs (4th Edition)
  • 1a: pg. 8
  • 1b: pg. 49
• 2 Warhammer: Storm of Magic
  • 2a: pg. 129