Asoborns

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The Asoborns or the Asoborn were an ancient human tribe who settled in what would become Stirland in the Empire. [2][3]

They were a fiercely matriarchal society. [1d]

Appearance

Both male and females tended to go bare chested to better display the tattoos that spread across breast and neck as well as the torques on their arms. [1e]

History

They were allies of the Taleutens [1c] and long before the time of Sigmar had formed alliance with the Dwarfs who gifted the royal family with exquisitely crafted weapons. [5i]

Queen Freya agreed to join the Unberogen's in their war against the Bloody Knife Tribe of greenskins, the price for the assistance of her warriors being that King Björn join her in her bed. [1b]

The Queen travelled to Reikdorf after the death of Björn for his funeral, arriving in a procession of chariots and planted her trident in the earth before Sigmar. She then pulled him forward, kissed him and grabbed him between the legs to test the strength of his loins. [1a]

After defeating the Norsii and Artur of the Teutogens, Sigmar travelled first to the Taleutens and then into the lands of the Asoborns seeking a sword oath from its queen. [1c] As his convoy of warriors and gifts moved through the grassland, they were suddenly confronted by several hundred female warriors who arose from the land all around them, led by Maedbh. [1d] She blindfolded Sigmar and Wolfgart and took them to Three Hills. [1e]

In the summer of 1 IC, Sigmar called for a great muster against Marius of the Jutones and with their allies, he marched on him with a combined force of around 10,000 warriors, Freya sending charioteers to join the muster. [4a]

Following the Siege of Middenheim and the campaign against the Norsii, Freya and Adelhard noted and warned Sigmar of increasing greenskin activity in the Worlds Edge Mountains, Beastmen in the south and bandit and reavers in the north. [5a]

When undead wolves began attacking her people and the dead virtually wiped out the Menogoth and Brigundians, Freya mustered a war host to face Nagash leaving Three Hills and her two sons in the care of Maedbh. [5e] She confronted the undead at the Battle of the River Aver. [5f] A week after the Queen left Three Hills, Alaric the Mad arrived with a hundred warriors to tell Maedbh that the Queen had been defeated at the Battle of the River Aver and was likely dead. Maedbh gathered the remaining Asoborn and headed for Reikdorf. [5g]

Around 600 people formed a long column but on the fifth day of the march the dead caught up with them and Maedbh resolved to make a last stand rather than leave the very young and very old. Honouring his life-debt to Wolfgart, Alaric and his century of warriors stood with her resulting in the Last Stand of the Asoborn. [5h] Although they fought bravely, they would have been overwhelmed if not for the arrival of Sigmar and a large force of heavy cavalry. [5i]

Locations

  • Three Hills: [1d] The settlement spread acrosss and under the thickly wooded hills, some buildings being created within or atop the trees. [1f]
    • Hall of the Queen: The walls curved upwards whilst snaking tree roots formed the ceiling, a single hole allowing smoke to disperse. The throne was carefully shaped fur covered roots, serving the queens for hundreds of years. [1e]

Military

They fought naked save for wrist guards, torques and loincloths, their heads either shaved or teased into wild cockades, their bodies painted with war-tattoos. They wore cloaks pierced with ferns and tufts of grass to conceal themselves for ambushes. [1d] Before Sigmar gifted them with iron weapons, they used bronze swords, [1e] favouring using a matched pair in battle. [1d]

They favoured chariots, originally pulled by hardy plains ponies, but the Asoborns recieved stallions from Wolfgart to improve their stock. [1f] After joing the new Empire of Sigmar, some of their warriors were also taught to fight in ranked-up sword bands. [2b]

Some regions of the land supplied different supplied specific warriors - the northern woodlands sent cavalry - lancers and horse archers, east mail clad fighters. [5d]

  • Queen's Eagles: Elite guardians of the royal family, they wore golden winged helms and iron breastplates chased with black and silver. They were armed with sword and lance. [5c]
  • Myrmidian Sects: Tatooed warrior women. [5d]

Notable

Sources

Great Tribes
Tribes Asoborn - Brigundians - Cherusen - Endals - Jutones - Menogoths - Merogens - Ostagoths - Taleutens - Teutogen - Thuringians - Udoses - Unberogen
Characters Adelhard - Aldred - Alfgeir - Aloysis - Alessa - Artur - Berongunden - Björn - Bysen - Conn Carsten - Cradoc - Cuthwin - Ebrulf - Egil - Eoforth - Freya - Fridleifr - Garr - Gerreon - Govannon - Griseldis - Henroth - Idris Gwylt - Krugar - Laredus - Leovulf - Maedbh - Marbad - Marika - Marius - Markus - Myrsa - Notker - Otwin - Pendrag - Petra - Ravenna - Redmane Dregor - Redwane - Siggurd - Sigmar - Sigulf - Trinovantes - Ulfdar - Ulrike - Wolfgart - Wolfila