A Realmgate leading from Aqshy, the Realm of Fire, to Azyr, the Realm of Heavens.
A Realmgate is one of the magical portals known to exist across the Cosmos Arcane that connect the eight Mortal Realms to each other and each Mortal Realm to the Allpoints planar nexus.
The Stormcast Eternals assault a warband of Khornate Bloodbound at a Realmgate to regain entry into the Mortal Realms.
Some among the mortal races believe that it was the enigmatic Old Ones, the creators of the reptilian Seraphon, who originally created the Realmgates at the dawn of the Age of Myth with their matchless science.
At the start of the Age of Chaos, Sigmar closed all the Gates of Azyr, the Realmgates that led to the Realm of Heavens, when the Stormcast Eternals were created. Their first job during the so-called "Realmgate Wars" that initiated the Age of Sigmar was to secure and reopen these Realmgates at their termini in the other realms from the forces of Chaos that had controlled them for five hundred years during the Age of Chaos.[1]
Some duardin Fyreslayers believe that the opening of the Gates of Azyr are a sign of their god Grimnir's return.[2]
The Flesh-eater Courts make their camps around Realmgates, knowing there will be a constant supply of food coming in through the gates.[3]
Baleful Realmgates[]
Baleful Realmgates are unstable and flickering, as these gates have been cursed by the Dark Gods.
Anyone that travels through them runs the risk of being devoured by daemons. Powerful wizards and priests can stabilise these portals for some time using their magic.
Gates of Azyr[]
The Gates of Azyr are those Realmgates that connect the Realm of Azyr to one of the other Mortal Realms. They were all closed by Sigmar in the Age of Chaos following the defeat of the God-King's armies in the Battle of Burning Skies and the forces of Order's retreat to Azyr.
During the Realmgate Wars, the Gates of Azye were opened once more to unleash the Stormcast Eternals and retake the Mortal Realms from the forces of Chaos which marked the beginning of the Age of Sigmar.
The most famous of the Gates of Azyr is the Whispering Gate located in Aqshy, the Realm of Fire, in the region of the Brimstone Peninsula. Its conquest was the first objective of Sigmar's liberation of the Mortal Realms and marked the start of the Realmgate Wars and the Age of Sigmar itself.
Arcways[]
Arcways are Realmgates that connect to the unique island realm floating in the Aetheric Void of the Cosmos Arcane known as the Allpoints, now named the "Eightpoints" by the forces of Chaos, which serves as a nexus from which any of the Eight Realms can be reached.
The Arcways are therefore among the most strategically important locations in all of the Mortal Realms since their control allows a military force to move rapidly across the whole of the Eight Realms.
Each Mortal Realm contains only one Arcway, which are heavily guarded by large fortresses called All-gates.
Prior to the start of the Realmgate Wars that marked the dawn of the Age of Sigmar, all the Arcways save the Arcway to Sigmar's realm of Azyr remained open and their All-gates were occupied and strongly defended by Chaos forces. The Arcways included the following:
- Brimfire Gate - The Arcway of Aqshy. Closed by the Stormcast Eternals.
- Endgate - The Arcway of Shyish. Controlled by the forces of Chaos.
- Mercurial Gate - The Arcway of Chamon. Controlled by the forces of Chaos.
- Mawgate - The Arcway of Ghur. Freed from Chaos by the Ironjawz Orruks, but it remains open to traffic to Ghur.
- Penumbral Gate - The Arcway of Ulgu. The fate of this Realmgate is currently a mystery, as all forces sent there do not return.
Other Realmgates[]
- Anvil Gate[4]
- Baneshard Realmgate - Connected to the Gulf of Regrets in the Realm of Shyish.[8]
- Bitterglass Realmgate - Connected to the ruins beneath the volcano Ashmaw.[5]
- Bladewood Gate - Connected to the Realm of Aqshy.[4]
- Gates of Dawn[1]
- Hazereach Realmgate[6]
- Starless Gates - Connected to the Realm of Shyish.[7]
- Tanglewood Realmgate - Connected to the Gargant's Plateau in the Realm of Ghyran.[2]
- Whispering Gate - Connected to Realm of Chamon.[1][6]
- Copper Falls - Connected to the Hellhaze Realmgate.[4]
- Hellhaze Realmgate[4]
- Hengegate[9]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Age of Sigmar (Rulebook) (1st Edition)
- 2: Order Battletome: Fyreslayers
- 3: Death Battletome: Flesh-eater Courts
- 4: Order Battletome: Sylvaneth
- 5: Chaos Battletome: Skaven Pestilens
- 6: Chaos Battletome: Khorne Bloodbound
- 7: Chaos Battletome: Everchosen
- 8: Chaos Battletome: Khorne Bloodbound
- 9: The Realmgate Wars: Godbeasts
- 10: The Realmgate Wars: All-Gates
- Warhammer Age of Sigmar Soulbound - Stars & Scales (RPG), pg. 2
- Warhammer Age of Sigmar Rulebook (2nd Edition), pp. 30-75