The Lumineth Realm-lords are perspicacious paragons who present a gleaming template for all other mortals to follow. These effortlessly superior aelves bring enlightenment to the realms, driving out corruption with blade and sorcery and striving for true perfection. But is perfection the enemy of the good?
This life of illumination was not always so, and the Lumineth Realm-lords are tainted by a tragedy that is still felt to this day. Born during the Age of Myth, they inherited the Ten Paradises of Hysh and all the wisdom of their creators, the twin gods Tyrion and Teclis. Living in pursuit of excellence and prestige, they yearned to master the most powerful sorceries in existence, until friendly rivalries gave way to an arms race that unleashed weapons powerful enough to wound the very fabric of reality.
Their hubris, arrogance, and unchecked avidity left them susceptible to the cloying influence of Slaanesh, and the Lord of Excess in turn fed deeply on their bitter, all-consuming war. Kith and kin turned terrible magics of annihilation upon one another, in a tragedy known as the Ocari Dara – or ‘Spirefall’ in the Azyrite tongue. Daemons of the Dark Prince streamed into Hysh through the scars in reality, revelling in wanton slaughter before they could be fought back.
Only Teclis was able to rescue his children, teaching them how to commune with the Realm of Hysh to help heal its deep wounds, and how to temper their emotions through rigorous spiritual self-conditioning. This gave the Lumineth a chance at redemption, and while they still strive for perfection in all things, they must also aspire to be the most humble creatures in all the realms.
Overview
The Archmage Teclis did not solve his children's tragedy on his own – it was only through communing with Celennar, the Spirit of the Hysh, that he found the answer to their woes. Rather than pursuing enlightenment through mastery of their reality, the Lumineth would instead put the needs of Hysh first, seeking counsel from geomantic entities known as the aelementors, living a life not of domination but of sustainable co-existence.
As the Lumineth drove the daemons of Slaanesh out of Hysh, the spirits of the land – its rivers, winds, mountains, and even satellites – began to mellow. Aelementiri temples were formed where the most devout aelves could go to study, drinking deep of the knowledge of the realm spirits, and learning to wield their elemental powers against Chaos.
The core of the Lumineth Realm-lords’ armies are made up of the Vanari, who fight with weapons of magically conductive sunmetal. Swift Dawnriders are joined by shining companies of Auralan Sentinels and Wardens, all fighting in harmonious synchronicity following the Tyrionic traditions. Their luminous excellence is enhanced further still by the aelementiri temples.
The Alarith are the disciples of Hysh’s great peaks, wielding the strength of the mountain in combat, immovable by all but the most devastating of opponents. Supported by Spirits of the Mountain, colossal warforms animated by the animus of the realms, they are the anvil upon which their foe breaks.
The Hurakan wind temples instead entreat and emulate the power of the gale. Hurakan Windchargers bound into combat with gravity-defying leaps as zephyrous Spirits of the Wind race upon the winds, unleashing tornadoes and volleys of gale-guided arrows.
The Ydrilan temples follow the rivers of the Realm of Light, learning to weave and flow like the waterways they honour. Ydrilan Riverblades move with impossible fluidity, dancing across the battlefield and crashing upon foes like a bladed wave.
The Scinari are the capstone to any resplendent Lumineth warhost, transcendent spellcasters who wield the arts aetheric with terrifying skill, unleashing beams of searing light with a gesture. When working in harmony, the Lumineth Realm-lords are a power beyond equal, but the path to repair what their arrogance wrought is an arduous one, and only by spreading light to the rest of the realms may they fully atone for their sins.
Battle Traits
With Lightning Reactions, the Lumineth Realm-Lords act decisively in combat, picking two units in a row to use the FIGHT ability. Each battle round, they can also call upon a Facet of War, enhancing one of the prongs of their multi-disciplined approach to battle.
In addition to tactics that focus on the VANARI or SCINARI, the indomitable warriors of the ALARITH temple can become as Enduring as Rock, subtracting 1 from the Rend characteristic of weapons that target them, or their HURAKAN allies can Move Like the Wind, taking advantage of their preternatural agility to outmanoeuvre their foe.
Battle Formations
The warhosts of the Lumineth are made up of warriors of different disciplines, all striking in synchronised fashion – though usually one aspect takes the lead. The Alarith Temple battle formation draws on the Alarith Fortitude its acolytes are well known for, allowing it to use the Enduring as Rock Facet of War alongside another, every battle round.
Vanari battlehosts, Scinari councils, and the adepts of the Hurakan temples are also common Lumineth formations, each calling upon their own signature Facet of War in the same way.
Arcana and Incantations
The matchless mages of the Lumineth are fully aware of their importance as assets of war, and when the air fills with enemy spells and artillery fire, they can summon the Sanctum of Amyntok to protect themselves or their allies.
This ritual circle is focused on a manifestation of the rune Yngra, which symbolises rescue and imprisonment. Its luminous power is drawn from the outer edges of Hysh, protecting those within it with WARD (4+) while also extending their reach and power.
These supercilious spellcasters can also call on the glowing power of the Realm of Light to grant their allies speed and protective barriers, or overwhelm their enemies with oppressive heat.
Unit Focus
As the twin aelven prodigies Ellania and Ellathor rose to prominence, Teclis noticed within them echoes of himself and Tyrion at a young age. They were dubbed the Eclipsian Warsages and elevated to become champions of the twin gods, who send them far and wide to fight for the fate of the realms and hone their skills.
As Equal Prodigies, the twins instinctively know when to allow the other to take the lead, with Ellania enhancing their spellcasting prowess and Ellathor measuring up their foes to improve his combat skills.
The aetherquartz sword that Ellathor wields comes straight from Tyrion’s own arsenal, its power almost too much for him to handle. With a Sudden Translocation, Ellania can remove herself and her brother from harm, allowing them a moment to Heal (D6) and renew their harmonised assault.In dire times, the Lumineth may beseech mighty aelementors to aid them in battle. Sevireth, Lord of the Seventh Wind is one of the mightiest of these spirits, invoking Searing Desert Winds to scour and blind his enemies, dealing mortal damage in the process.
The Living Gale is almost impossible to target with ranged attacks, which are redirected by the same raging cyclonic currents that the Spirit of the Wind uses to augment the already lightning-fast movements of his disciples.
In contrast, the Alarith Stoneguard provide Lumineth Realm-lords with a solid and unshifting anchor to orchestrate their fluid tactics around.
While holding crucial objectives, they summon the Fortitude of the Earth via practised stances, deflecting incoming blows with WARD (5+).
The Vanari are the beating heart of the Lumineth war effort, their dependable and highly skilled units forming the core of entire warhosts. Each excels at a specific task, like the Vanari Auralan Wardens, whose phalanx formation is used to blunt charges.
When charged, these disciplined companies can plant feet and raise a Wall of Blades that provides little ingress for enemy attacks, letting them Strike-first – a tactic that is especially effective against enemy CAVALRY.
Word From the Studio
Matt: “The Lumineth Realm-lords have seen a significant overhaul in their Battle Traits, in order to minimise their reliance on tokens and help speed up their Hero phase. Your massed units are no longer spellcasters, and instead many of their abilities are present in the new Facets of War, which can be activated on every unit of that type.
The Battle Formations for the Lumineth Realm-lords allow for a second Facet of War to be used in unison with the first, which encourages army lists which combine different aspects of the army working together in harmony, just like the fiction.”
Spearhead Spotlight
The culture the Lumineth embody is keen to employ subtlety and precision over overwhelming force where possible. The Glittering Phalanx is a surgical force striking quickly and effectively to maximum impact, comprising 10 Vanari Auralan Wardens and five Vanari Bladelords, with fire support from two units of five Vanari Auralan Sentinels. These warriors are led by a Scinari Cathallar, who wards off the obsessive madness that lurks within Lumineth aetherquartz.
This Spearhead uses its own version of the Facets of War, calling on the Power of Hysh to superheat their sunmetal weapons, invoking Lightning Reactions to outplay an embattled opponent, or forming a resolute Shining Company to deflect incoming attacks.
The elite Vanari Bladelords are the razor-sharp edge of the Glittering Phalanx, a unit of consummate Swordmasters that fight with a meticulous synergy, applying exactly enough pressure to fell their foes without expending more effort than necessary. They ensure their Scinari Cathallar can complete her purifying rituals without interruption.
We’re transferring from the chaste to the excessive tomorrow, as we shy from the purifying light of Hysh and indulge in a lascivious Faction Focus on the Hedonites of Slaanesh.
