Gotrek & Felix

From Lexicanum

Gotrek Gurnisson

Felix Jaeger

Another image of Gotrek, notice the details of his axe

Gotrek Gurnisson - the two different Miniatures for tabletop and the Collector's Miniature

Gotrek Gurnisson and Josef Bugman serve as Grombrindal's Shieldbearers

This article is about the two wandering heroes. You may be searching for the novels: Gotrek & Felix (novel series).

Gotrek Gurnisson and Felix Jaeger are two famous heroes. Gotrek is an extremely powerful Slayer who travels through the Warhammer world seeking a heroic death. Felix is his companion, and travels with him after making an oath to record Gotrek's quest.

Together they have eradicated numerous bands of aggressive mutants, exposed many Chaos cults, and defeated several hordes of Skaven, besides slaying powerful monsters like Trolls, a Dragon, a Bloodthirster, and a Giant. They are also responsible for the destruction and sinking of a Black Ark.

Gotrek

Gotrek, son of Gurni, was born in 2370 IC and raised in the corridors of Karaz-a-Karak. Like all citizens of the King’s Council he did his military service in the depths below the Everpeak as a youth.

He was part of an ill-fated attempt to find the lost city of Karag Dum. Finding and claiming a magical and ancient Rune Axe Gotrek was one of only three survivors to return from the Chaos Wastes.

This axe is extremely powerful, capable of slaying Dragons and Greater Daemons.

A vision of Arek Demonclaw shows that after returning from the Chaos Wastes Gotrek found his wife and children dead. The vision then shows Gotrek in the court of an unnamed dwarf lord, and Gotrek arguing with said lord. Afterwards the dwarf lord sends Gotrek to an unnamed fate (it is never made clear what was said as we do not hear what was said in the court). Gotrek kills the Lord and his bodyguard and all others that do not flee. Wrecked with guilt and shame Gotrek shaved his hair, becoming a Slayer.

As a Slayer, Gotrek sports a bright orange crest and numerous tattoos. He is huge and though he only comes up to his companion’s chest, he outweighs him by a substantial margin, all of it muscle. A gold chain runs from nostril to ear and he wears a leather eye patch.

He lost his left eye in an epic battle against a horde of Wolf riders. This is perhaps the most noticeable injury the Slayer has sustained and though there have been a few close calls. Much to his chagrin, Gotrek inevitably lives on to fight another day.

He drinks almost as well as he fights, which is saying something indeed, and he hates boats, trees and Elves with a vengeance.

Felix

Felix Jaeger is the younger son of a long line of successful merchants. Well educated, he was expelled from the University of Altdorf for duelling. He had accidentally killed a fellow student in a duel. He fancies himself a bit as a poet.

He became a drifter and an agitator and participated in the Window Tax riots. Emperor Karl Franz was forced to send out the Reiksguard to break up the frenzied protests but in the confusion many were trampled. Felix was only saved by the intervention of Gotrek who slew many of the Reiksguard to save him.

After the epic pub-crawl that followed, Felix awoke to discover that he had sworn blood kinship to Gotrek and as a Rememberer is honour bound to follow Gotrek and to record the Slayer's doom. Fleeing Altdorf as outlaws, the pair began their many adventures.

Notable actions

• Fight against the Reiksguard during the Window Tax riots in the city of Altdorf.
• Disruption of a dark rite of Slaaneshi cultists, in the Great Forest during Geheimnisnacht of 2495.
• Battle against Greenskins at Fort von Diehl in the Border Princes in 2496. Gotrek lost his left eye and Felix lost his first true love.
• Expedition into the deeps under Karak Eight Peaks, also in 2496, where Felix found his magic sword.
• Stopping in an small town in southern Empire, where Gotrek lost his memory for a short period and where they destroyed a local cult of Slaanesh.
• Fight against a female Champion of Khorne and her army of Beastmen.
• Fight against a rather incompetent Chaos Sorcerer and creator of mutants.
• Confrontation with some Imperial aristocrats and secret followers of Tzeentch and with a female Werewolf in Midwinter.
• Saving Nuln from a Skaven invasion lead by Grey Seer Thanquol in 2514.
• Present at the magical resurrection of Mannfred von Carstein in Castle Drakenhof in Sylvania.
• Travel inside a Dwarf Airship to the Dwarfen City of Karak Dum in the Chaos Wastes and killing a Bloodthirster.
• Saving Ulrika Magdova from a Skaven expedition lead by Grey Seer Thanquol in Kislev.
• Hunting down a Dragon in the World Edge Mountains.
• Defending against the chaotic Hordes of Arek Demonclaw during the Siege of Praag in 2500.
• Hunting the Vampire Adolphus Krieger from Kislev to Sylvania - during this action they lost Ulrika Magdova.
• Travel through the webways of the Old Ones to the foggy island of Albion, battling against Chaos Hordes, Orcs, and a Chaos Giant with the help of Teclis.
• Returning to the Old World after twenty years of travel to the Far East. Rescuing Karak Hirn.
• Travelling from Nuln upon the Spirit of Grugni (a Dwarf Zeppelin) foiling a Chaos plot.
• Meeting Felix's father and being imprisoned upon a Black Ark of the Dark Elves. Destroying said Black Ark.

• Battle at Talabheim against an extremely large Horde of Orcs and Goblins - there died Gotrek's friend Snorri Nosebiter

It is reported that Gotrek, Josef Bugman and Grombrindal appeared during a nearly lost battle in the ruins of Karak Varn where they saved the day for the Dwarfs. While celebrating the victory they swore that they would come back and save their Dwarf brothers again if there was real need. In this case the three heroes would fight like one and Gotrek and Josef would serve Grombrindal as shieldbearers. Because of the strong and individual character of each Dwarf Grombrindal's wisdom of age will not dominate the trio all the time: sometimes Josef Bugman may decide that it was time for a little break and a mug of ale to regenerate their energies, or Gotrek may run wild because of his unfulfilled slayer oath and start attacking the mightiest enemy he will find. ¹

Miniatures

Games Workshop has produced three different miniatures of Gotrek Gurnisson: Two for use in Tabletop-Games and a larger Collector's Miniature. For the 30th anniversary of White Dwarf magazine the special trio of Grombrindal, the White Dwarf, with Gotrek and Josef Bugman, serving as shieldbearers, was created by Aly Morrison as a Limited Edition miniature.

Notes & sources

• The novel series begun by William King and later by Nathan Long.
• 'The Old World Timeline' from 'Konrad' by David Ferring (1993 printing by Boxtree)
• ¹White Dwarf, English, 330 (June 2007)