November 22, 2024
Hi everyone,
At long last, the lore update is here!
Since its inception, the worlds of Grimdark Future and Age of Fantasy were meant to be rich and deep worlds for you to sink your teeth into, but until now there were only small placeholder snippets that you could find on the army book PDFs.
Over the last year we have been hard at work, re-writing all of the lore for all armies in both games, and now it's finally time to reveal it all. The new lore is available now on Army Forge, and we've updated the interface to make it easier to find the lore and learn more about each army.
For the next couple of months we're going to be making weekly posts to highlight the lore of 4 factions for each game, starting today.
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"Lost in a galaxy far from our own, humanity struggles to survive amongst the stars.
Earth is but a distant memory for those beneath the grim tapestry of war-torn worlds that form the new constellations of this sector. Looming over them, massive fleets of space born vessels creep over the horizon, blocking out the stars as they slowly approach a jumpgate.
Beyond this gate, lies the violence and beauty of the wider Sirius Sector. A myriad of systems, none left untouched by the ravages of war.
Bullets hiss across once lush worlds stripped bare by the greed of interstellar industry. Serrated claws, honed through genetic engineering, clash against energized plasma blades, as old foes fight bitterly through the wilds of uncharted worlds.
Matter is bent and shaped according to the will of powerful minds, whilst forces beyond mortal understanding pour forth from wormholes to wreak havoc on unsuspecting souls.
Vital trade routes are contested along the edge of remote systems by massive battle fleets, while the sector’s fate is meted out in dark smokey rooms by political envoys. On the streets of mega cities, zealous preachers and visionaries call out to the masses, hoping to foster their own grim ambitions.
As all this unfolds, dispassionate eyes watch on from a distance, carefully considering the outcome of each clash, as promising commanders and leaders rise and fall throughout the battlefields of the Sirius Sector.
How will you forge your path through this Grimdark Future?"
Battle Brothers
"The Battle Brothers are superhuman warriors that have been empowered through gene-mods and special training to bring about their Founder’s vision of an uplifted humanity.
Their pursuit of this vision at any cost led to a violent civil war which nearly destroyed humanity itself, and in pursuit of their enemies fleeing this conflict, they found themselves lost in the Sirius Sector. The Battle Brothers have not relented however, and they go to any length to unite and uplift all of humanity.
The Battle Brothers were created by a visionary scientist, known as the Founder, who used a series of gene-mods in order to enhance soldiers beyond their human limits. The Battle Brothers were soon deployed to maintain unity and peace over Earth and its nearby colonies, with the gene-mods proving wildly successful, and many seeking to join their ranks.
The Founder revealed his vision of a united and uplifted humanity, capable of thriving throughout the galaxy with the use of advanced gene-mods. In order to overcome political obstacles to his vision, the Founder led a daring coup to seize control of humanity’s colonies. Many Battle Brothers followed him, overtaking the previous administration in order to improve the lives of many within the colonies, whilst other Battle Brothers rejected the Founder’s ambitions, and soon a civil war erupted that engulfed all of humanity.
The civil war proved to be incredibly destructive. On Earth, the fighting was particularly fierce and some feared that it might render it uninhabitable, and a portion of humanity chose to flee the situation, commandeering one of the Founder’s fleets. The Battle Brothers pursued these refugees, eventually meeting them in battle at the edge of known space. They were met with a surprisingly fierce resistance, with the Founder losing his life in the ensuing battle shortly before a massive wormhole engulfed both fleets, and left them stranded in the Sirius Sector.
Scattered by the wormhole, the Battle Brothers have moved quickly to establish themselves in the Sirius Sector. Stranded far from the rest of humanity with their Founder slain, the Brothers still hope to carry out his vision. Even as advancements are made in gene-sciences, the Battle Brothers remain steadfast symbols of the Founder’s dream for humanity, and the their unwavering faith has turned them into a symbol of humanity’s potential and resilience.
The Battle Brothers now serve as the highly elite army of the Conduit, a genetic and mental duplicate of the original Founder. They seek to reunite the shattered human factions in Sirius under their rule, finding a means of recontacting Earth and enforcing their vision of a united humanity. Other factions and species are viewed as little more than impediments to this goal which the Battle Brothers will overcome, and nothing will cause them to relent in their pursuit of the Founder’s vision.
How will you unite humanity?"
Human Defense Force
"The Human Defense Force is the military force of the largest alliance of Human colonies and planets present in Sirius. Thanks to this alliance, the HDF is able to field large and diverse forces of infantry and vehicles suited to the situation at hand.
The scattered remnants of the fleet that arrived in Sirius faced many challenges to their survival in the sector. The surviving colonies began to trade and aid each other, eventually establishing the Great Human Alliance. Yet, as some members seek to exert their influence on others, many have begun to fear that humanity will repeat the mistakes they made on earth.
The rise of a messianic figure known to history as the Founder resulted in a devastating war that soon engulfed Earth and its colonies. As the war grew more devastating, many survivors began to seek a means to escape. A desperate group of refugees stole and commandeered the God Founder’s own flagship in order to escape the conflict, leading a fleet of like-minded survivors. They were pursued by the Founder’s forces until they were lost and scattered by the sudden appearance of a wormhole which brought them to Sirius.
The remaining refugee ships moved quickly to settle suitable worlds. Many of these colonies faced unexpected hardships, including discovering their world had already been claimed by one of the alien factions native to Sirius. Humanity quickly realized that they would have to band together in order to survive in this new galaxy. Many of the human settlements joined together in a defensive alliance to protect themselves and represent their interests to the other factions, known as the Great Human Alliance. These worlds set aside their differences and worked together to help ensure the safety of humanity’s new home in the Sirius Sector.
In order to protect member worlds, the Alliance created the Human Defence Force. Each member world contributes soldiers and equipment, but the force is commanded and maintained by the Alliance as a whole. The Alliance lacks much of the advanced technology of the Conduits and their followers, such as Battle Armour and gene-mods, and instead relies on using rapid deployment, heavy artillery, and sheer numbers in combat.
As the Alliance became established in the Sirius Sector both as a diplomatic and military force, humans were gradually accepted as just another species within Sirius. Human worlds grew prosperous and even branched outwards, claiming and settling new worlds. However, rifts have begun to form in the Alliance now that the immediate threats of Sirius have subsided.
Disputes over resources, settlement, and expansion, have led to more prosperous planets demanding more influence, while smaller worlds continue to demand autonomy. A delicate balance between the numerous factions is maintained by those dedicated to ensuring the alliance’s survival, but some fear that separatism or even a civil war may loom on the horizon.
How will you defend humanity’s new home in the stars?"
Blessed Sisters
"The Blessed Sisters are an elite force of religious warriors equipped with advanced armour and weaponry, which formed under the guidance of the God-Queen, a humble woman suddenly turned into a symbol of hope and resistance.
The sisterhoods act as mediators and rely on diplomacy rather than ruling through force. This has left them without the power and resources of other factions, dependent instead on an ever fragile web of alliances and donations.
The rise of a gene-scientist, known to history as the Founder, to supreme ruler of humanity, resulted in a devastating war that soon engulfed Earth and its colonies. As the war grew more devastating, many survivors began to seek a means to escape. A desperate group of refugees commandeered the Founder’s own flagship in order to escape the conflict, leading a fleet of like-minded survivors.
The Founder caught the refugee fleet and forced an engagement on the edge of known space. Seeking to recapture his ship, his forces lead a number of boarding attacks on the refugee fleet. The Battle Brothers easily outmatched most refugee forces, until a mysterious young woman began to rally them together, displaying an almost supernatural ability to inspire confidence in her forces and fear in her foes. Together they repelled the initial attack, and some began to hope that they might manage to escape.
Then, a massive wormhole formed around the fleets. In an instant, both fleets were further damaged and separated by the wormhole. The colony fleet was scattered, but many sought out and followed the mysterious woman, looking out for suitable worlds to settle. Under her command, a makeshift fleet settled a few dispersed worlds where her diplomatic skills allowed them to thrive in relative peace.
Soon after arriving in Sirius, she began to develop psychic abilities. These abilities drew many acolytes and followers, inspiring many to name her their God-Queen. Fearful of the return of the Battle Brothers, the God-Queen decided to focus on training her own band of hand picked warriors. These became the Blessed Sisters and many of them came to truly believe she was divine.
After she sacrificed herself to kill an Avatar of Lust, worship of the God-Queen spread, and many new orders formed in her honour. These orders are often called on to protect allied worlds as peace-keepers and as arbitrators. The Blessed Sisters rely on volunteers, supplies and other donations from faithful worlds and followers.
Many worlds take their help for granted, making donations hard to come by, and forcing their orders to go through long periods of fasting and self-reflection to survive. When all else fails, the orders find themselves forced to turn on those they were seeking to protect, and establish martial law in order to survive.
How will you remain a beacon of hope in this grimdark future?"
Havoc Brothers
"Havoc Brothers are what remains of Battle Brothers which have been corrupted by the forces of havoc. Havoc Brothers are effective and resistant, bringing a variety of warriors and monsters to battle, each endowed with unique blessings by the god they follow.
When the Founder’s fleet was scattered throughout the Sirius Sector, they faced new dangers in a strange galaxy, and some desperate survivors found new patrons who offered them the chance to adapt, in exchange for their allegiance. The Havoc Brothers embraced the philosophies of their godly masters, carving out a new home for themselves amongst unfamiliar stars.
On arriving in the Sirius Sector, the Founder’s fleet was scattered and damaged. Many of these ships and their crews were discounted as destroyed, but had in fact arrived in Sirius far from the rest of humanity. Many of these ships believed themselves to be the sole survivors of the fleet, and that they were likely the only humans in this strange new galaxy. Without any idea of how they might return to Earth, most of these scattered Battle Brothers were forced to contend with their inevitable deaths in a strange new galaxy.
Humanity was not alone in this galaxy however, and the arrival of these strange interlopers drew the eyes of powerful entities in Sirius: the Havoc Gods. These gods bid their time, and reached out to the Battle Brothers in their most desperate moments. The Havoc Gods offered a chance at survival in their new home, provided that they were willing to swear their allegiance to their new patrons, and renounce their ties to their Founder.
Many readily accepted the pact, becoming the first Havoc Brothers. These Havoc Brothers sought out their scattered kin and offered them the same choice that they had been given: hope for survival through the powers of the Havoc Gods, or death. These Havoc Brothers survived through scavenging and piracy, taking anything that they could find from vulnerable alien ships and any former comrades who refused to join them.
Eventually, the Havoc Brothers encountered the rest of Humanity and their long estranged kin in the Battle Brothers. Conflict quickly followed as the Battle Brothers realized the depth of their former comrades’ betrayal. Yet, some outcasts among Battle Brothers took the opportunity to join the Havoc Brothers and adopt their Gods. Some joined as individuals, others defected as entire Detachments. Soon, the domains of the Havoc Brothers grew into a patchwork of raiders, planets and fiefdoms scattered throughout the Sirius Sector.
The Havoc Brothers operate largely as independent warbands, loosely allied to others who follow the same Havoc God. Warbands vary in scale from system spanning empires to piratical raiders and mercenaries. Many fear that a time will come when, driven by necessity, a powerful ruler, or the will of their Gods, these warbands will unite and threaten to overrun the entire Sirius Sector. Yet for now, most Havoc Brother warbands have remained divided, determined to forge their own path in Sirius.
How will you earn the favour of your god?"
That's it for this week, we hope you enjoyed this lore focus. :)
Happy Wargaming!
– OPR Team
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