Volkmar upon his Battle-Altar
The War Altar of Sigmar is a magnificent and awe-inspiring golden battle-altar that invokes the faith of Sigmar to all those loyal sons of the Empire answering the call to war. Commissioned by Magnus the Pious after his ascension, the War Altar is a colossal chariot, ornate and gleaming with a towering effigy of a golden Griffon carried upon it. Crafted by the most skilled artisans in the Empire, this statue was ceremoniously blessed in the Temple of Sigmar in Altdorf with the blood of the Grand Theogonist and Emperor Magnus themselves. The Golden Griffon has thus ever been a source of great, and some say divine, aura of power.[1a]
An Arch Lector of Sigmar can draw forth this power with the sheer conviction of his faith and unleash a blinding white light. For creatures that are bound to the mortal plain by means of dark magic, this light is anathema to them and they are utterly scorched by its touch; bursting into flames and crumbling into dust in but an instant. Against the forces of Chaos, where the danger of spiritual malaise and moral corruption is as great a danger as death, the Grand Theogonist may deem it necessary to unleash the War Altar to battle once again. He may trust this solemn duty to one of his trusted Arch Lectors under his command, or in times of particular crisis, ride it to war himself. The sight of the altar inspires acts of heroic bravery in the forces of the Empire, steeling their resolves to face the manifold horrors that the world throws at them.[1a]
The War Altar has seen battle on hundreds of battlefields and bears the scars of enemy blows as proudly as any soldier of Sigmar. It is the duty of each Grand Theogonist to tend to his holy relic. They renew scrolls of benedictions, repair sigils of faith and attach new artifacts and holy icons to the War Altar's redoubtable frame. These modifications are made completely at the discretion of the incumbent Grand Theogonist. As such, the War Altar has reflected the personality of each man who held that grand title over the centuries. In the time of Grand Theogonist Richter, a fiery orator who sought to bring the light of Sigmar to the darkest corner of the Empire, the War Altar sported a pair of burning braziers. Volkmar the Grim instead affixed the mighty Horn of Sigismund to the chariot's sturdy carriage, so that his enemies would tremble at his approach. Whatever improvements are made, the Golden Griffon mounted atop the War Altar remains untouched, forever standing proudly as a symbol of the Empire's might.[1a]
Wargear
- The Horn of Sigismund - Emperor Sigismund was gifted this enchanted horn by the Dwarfs after the Battle of Grimgrill Dale. Following Sigismund's death, it passed into the keeping of the Temple of Sigmar where it is blown three times on the anniversary of the deceased Emperor's death. It is said that when the horn is blown, the enemies of the Empire hear the angry roar of Sigismund the Conqueror himself, and they flee the before the wrath of the vengeful dead.[1a]
- The Golden Griffon - The Golden Griffon is the best known emblem of Magnus the Pious and a source of raw magical power. In battle, it unleashes a blinding light that is anathema to the unholy.[1a]
