Difference between revisions of "Albion"

From Warhammer - The Old World - Lexicanum
Jump to: navigation, search
m
Line 8: Line 8:
 
A [[Tilea]]n explorer and conqueror, Curious Gesar, the so-called First Citizen of [[Remas]], at one time reached the shores of the misty islands and tried to bring the native barbarians his view of Tilean culture. He wasn't successful, taking [[Hengus the Druid]] and the two biggest [[Giants of Albion]] with him as hostages. Back in Tilea he was assassinated and the giants roam now the Old World as [[mercenaries]].
 
A [[Tilea]]n explorer and conqueror, Curious Gesar, the so-called First Citizen of [[Remas]], at one time reached the shores of the misty islands and tried to bring the native barbarians his view of Tilean culture. He wasn't successful, taking [[Hengus the Druid]] and the two biggest [[Giants of Albion]] with him as hostages. Back in Tilea he was assassinated and the giants roam now the Old World as [[mercenaries]].
  
The [[Ogham Circle]]s that dot Albion were erected by the giants of the land, under instruction from the human Truthsayers during the [[First Great War against Chaos]] and work to calm down the [[Winds of Magic]] that blow from the [[Realm of Chaos]] at the north pole of the [[Warhammer world]]. The really awful weather and the degeneration of man on the island to [[Barbarian]]s of the stone age or - at best - early iron age are consequences of this magical influx.
+
The [[Ogham Circle]]s that dot Albion were erected by the giants of the land, under instruction from the human Truthsayers during the [[Coming of Chaos]] and work to calm down the [[Winds of Magic]] that blow from the [[Realm of Chaos]] at the north pole of the [[Warhammer world]]. The really awful weather and the degeneration of man on the island to [[Barbarian]]s of the stone age or - at best - early iron age are consequences of this magical influx.
  
 
After the second Great War against Chaos the cursed [[Daemon Prince]] [[Be'lakor]] managed to escape his fate of madness and imprisonment and started to materialize in the [[Citadel of Lead]] in the north eastern Albion. He misguided some of the Truthsayers to became his [[Dark Emissary|Dark Emissaries]] to help him regain corporeal form. The Dark Emissaries roamed the Warhammer World in search of any evil, warmongering, ambitious or at least greedy leader to the Islands of Albion to divert the energies of the Stone Circles and allow their [[Dark Master]] to materialise. On the other hand those Truthsayers that weren't corrupted also travelled the world to find help against their fallen brothers. So fleets of all States and Races set sail to reach the shores of Albion to help or to stop the Dark Master and to earn the artefacts of the [[Old One]]s. Both Dark Emissaries and Truthsayers summoned the mindless [[Fen Beast]]s to do their bidding.  
 
After the second Great War against Chaos the cursed [[Daemon Prince]] [[Be'lakor]] managed to escape his fate of madness and imprisonment and started to materialize in the [[Citadel of Lead]] in the north eastern Albion. He misguided some of the Truthsayers to became his [[Dark Emissary|Dark Emissaries]] to help him regain corporeal form. The Dark Emissaries roamed the Warhammer World in search of any evil, warmongering, ambitious or at least greedy leader to the Islands of Albion to divert the energies of the Stone Circles and allow their [[Dark Master]] to materialise. On the other hand those Truthsayers that weren't corrupted also travelled the world to find help against their fallen brothers. So fleets of all States and Races set sail to reach the shores of Albion to help or to stop the Dark Master and to earn the artefacts of the [[Old One]]s. Both Dark Emissaries and Truthsayers summoned the mindless [[Fen Beast]]s to do their bidding.  

Revision as of 04:17, 8 February 2015

This map shows the position of Albion in the Old World (upper left corner).
The island of Albion
The recent incursions into Albion are shown in this map.
An outdated map of Albion. It appeared as the frontispiece in the novel Storm Warriors, published in 1991 by GW Books. This map is now outdated.

Albion is a small island located in the Great Ocean, near the Old World. It is said that it rains every day in Albion, and the islands are shrouded in mist and heavy fog and the land is predominantly bogs, marshes and fens. This damp and gloomy environment is roamed by human tribes, led by Truthsayers, guardians of the mysterious Ogham Stones, and inhabited by creatures such as Giants and the strange Fimir.

History

A Tilean explorer and conqueror, Curious Gesar, the so-called First Citizen of Remas, at one time reached the shores of the misty islands and tried to bring the native barbarians his view of Tilean culture. He wasn't successful, taking Hengus the Druid and the two biggest Giants of Albion with him as hostages. Back in Tilea he was assassinated and the giants roam now the Old World as mercenaries.

The Ogham Circles that dot Albion were erected by the giants of the land, under instruction from the human Truthsayers during the Coming of Chaos and work to calm down the Winds of Magic that blow from the Realm of Chaos at the north pole of the Warhammer world. The really awful weather and the degeneration of man on the island to Barbarians of the stone age or - at best - early iron age are consequences of this magical influx.

After the second Great War against Chaos the cursed Daemon Prince Be'lakor managed to escape his fate of madness and imprisonment and started to materialize in the Citadel of Lead in the north eastern Albion. He misguided some of the Truthsayers to became his Dark Emissaries to help him regain corporeal form. The Dark Emissaries roamed the Warhammer World in search of any evil, warmongering, ambitious or at least greedy leader to the Islands of Albion to divert the energies of the Stone Circles and allow their Dark Master to materialise. On the other hand those Truthsayers that weren't corrupted also travelled the world to find help against their fallen brothers. So fleets of all States and Races set sail to reach the shores of Albion to help or to stop the Dark Master and to earn the artefacts of the Old Ones. Both Dark Emissaries and Truthsayers summoned the mindless Fen Beasts to do their bidding.

So the events of Shadows over Albion took place.

The Orcs and Goblins made landfall at the Muddy Point on southern Albion and the cursed Vampire Trashlar of the Strigoi bloodline started his campaign of terror while the Dark Elves beached two of their Black Arks onto the northern shores of Albion and created Nagronath - a new, black city. Men of the Empire successfully conquered some territory and established the new province of Neuland. At the end the Slann magically changed the weather on the island and the Lizardmen started to grow a new jungle around the Forge of the Old Ones in a deep valley in the centre of Albion and founded a new city, called Konquata.

In the aftermath of the Shadows over Albion the Dark Emissaries fled from the island and the Truthsayers followed them to hunt them down. Both sold their service to other armies in the whole Warhammer World as mercenaries, using their ability to raise and control Fen Beast for the benefit of their employers.

Notes & sources

Albion is clearly inspired upon Celtic Britain:

  • Most tellingly, 'Albion' is an ancient name for Britain.
  • The Truthsayers are sometimes described as druids, conforming to romantic notions of these priests.
  • 'It always rains in Albion' is an exaggeration of British temperate (and often wet) climate.
  • 'Ogham' is the name of the Druids written language used in the iron age.
  • Several geographic features have similar names and locations to real-world British counterparts: