Of all the factions and peoples of the Mortal Realms, the Seraphon are perhaps the most mysterious. Rumours abound regarding these scaled strangers – that their home regions were dreamed into existence by the Slann Starmasters who guide them, that they predate the gods themselves, that they can predict the future with crystal accuracy. As with most things, the truth is a little different, depending on who tells it.
The Draconith believe that the Seraphon were crafted by the Great Drake Dracothion to act as intermediaries between squabbling draconic factions. The Orruk Warclans theorise that they’re just frogs who drank too much of Mork’s phlegm, got ded brainy, and raised armies of servants. In truth, the Seraphon survived the destruction of the World-that-Was, skimming the void in their great temple-ships until the slann were able to commune with the Zodiacal Dragon, who ushered them into this new cosmos.*
Much of Seraphon history is debated even by the slann, who reinterpret events to match their inscrutable agendas. Contrary to what some believe, even the Starborne were not conjured out of thin air – these celestial lizards were instead born from spawning pools infused with energy from Azyr in their spacebound temple-ships.**
You might think these scaly sorts wouldn’t concern themselves with material affairs, but Chaos has been poking holes in the reality, corrupting the divine Astromatrix – the complex and fragile web of magic and mathematics that governs all creation. The slann understand it as an infinitely intricate cosmic equation, and these formidable frogs do not appreciate any daemonic interference in the algorithm.
Temple-ships descend into the Mortal Realms to ensure the integrity of the Astromatrix, seeking to deny Chaos any victory that may resonate along the strands of fate. Those Seraphon who must linger in the realms to guard geomantic nexus points often go native – becoming known as Coalesced. They trade the astral power of their Starborne cousins for sheer primal savagery, dwelling in glorious golden cities.
Despite the best efforts of Starborne and Coalesced alike, not even the mightiest slann could prevent the chain of interlocking events that caused Ghur to unleash its mighty howl. This bellow of rage seems to have awoken many long-dormant species, such as the Raptadons and Aggradons.
All this bestial energy has its downsides. At least one maddened cohort of Saurus Warriors turned on their skink allies with bloody results, a tragedy which troubles their slann masters.
Similarly, the rise of the incarnates has prompted many questions – great councils of Draconith and slann argue over whether these creatures are natural manifestations of the Astromatrix, or aberrations that could disrupt the Great Plan.
The venerable Lord Kroak has declared that no tool can be squandered in pursuit of the Old Ones’ will – but some slann still take it upon themselves to hunt down those incarnates that they regard as tainted. Stories persist among the skink population that incarnates have been witnessed bearing the totemic forms of Chotec, Sotek, Itzl, Tepoc, and more – dangerous rumours that the priesthood has been quick to clamp down on.
Battletome: Seraphon contains plenty more to read about the celestial and terrestrial forces of the Seraphon, and their attempts to undertake the Old Ones’ Great Plan. Pre-order the Seraphon Army Set tomorrow for your first look at all this secret knowledge – it’s the first place you can get hold of the battletome before a separate release later this year.
* Following a trail of Dracothion’s tears – disputed by some slann, but backed up by historical reports of azure meteor showers.
** This unique origin lends them ethereal qualities.