The Gryndrn Lodge

The Gryndrn Lodge

In the Dûnweald, the great jungles of East Ghyran, the ancient ruin of a broken volcano rises above the trees. This is the Shattered Caldera and in its walls is buried Ember’s Heart, the central magmahold of the Gryndrn Lodge. They are travellers who worship Grimnir as the Wanderer and as such much of their lodge is dispersed through Ghyran and beyond as wandering fyrds, merchant caravans and lone travellers, to the extent that the bright fiery crests of the Gryndrn are a common sight across Ghyran. Yet their successes are underlied by great struggle, through the long Age of Chaos they suffered many tragedies at the hands of the Maggotkin, and so despite the influence the Gryndrn have gained they still cannot boast the strength of lodges such as the Vostarg or Greyfyrd.

Inside the towering walls of the Shattered Caldera there is little sign of the great magmahold beneath and the few structures that rise above the surface are hidden. For the dense jungle continues inside, a vibrant and unique ecosystem thriving on the rich volcanic soil. This is the lifeline of the Gryndrn living in Ember’s Heart. Rangers prowl the jungle in and around the caldera, hunting the native Dýr and predatory Djarux to provide for the lodge. The jungle also provides bountiful fruits and berries and edible plants. The merchants of the Gryndrn provide for the rest of the Lodges' needs, trading for foods and animals from the free cities of the Dûnweald.

In appearance the Gryndrn are pale of skin, and like other fyreslayers they wear little to cover it, trusting instead to the Ur-Gold in their flesh to protect them. Their hair and beards are bright and fiery, deep red at the roots and bright yellow at the tips. The weapons they bear are hewn from the deep black heartwood of the Kapok tree, with blades of fyresteel.

History

Deep in the towering volcanoes of Salamander’s Spine lay the Vosforge, home to the Vostarg, greatest of the First Forged. Throughout the Age of Myth and into the Age of Chaos they thrived. Yet eventually they were brought low by the death of Thorgar-Grimnir which scattered the lodge. In his place his sons took their followers and the lodges Ur-Gold and spread across the realms. One son, Kirnabad-Grimnir travelled to the realm of life where he and his followers founded the Gryndrn lodge and soon settled and founded Ember’s Heart in the Shattered Caldera amongst the great Jungles of the Dûnweald.

For centuries the Gryndrn stood strong against Nurgle’s tide of filth as legions of mortals and daemons were thrown against them. And throughout this they thrived, their fyrds marched to war, the surrounding kingdoms paying fortunes in gold for the protection the fyreslayers could offer. But soon, Nurgle turned his bloated eyes onto the Caldera…

The Maggotkin began to close in on the Caldera and each day saw greater and greater legions, each barely repelled by the fyreslayers. Yet the might of Nurgle was inevitable, and his plagues were beginning to reap their pestilent toll. However the exhausted defenders were broken not by the armies of Nurgle, nor by his plagues. They were betrayed, at the crucial moment of the 77th assault the great Runefather, Askr-Grimnir was impaled upon the wyrmslayer javelin of his son Ultric Half-forged. The remnants of their forces were scattered and broken, hunted by the Maggotkin. Yet in the midst of the Chaos the scattered survivors found hope, Daedgrom, 3rd son of Askr-Grimni, gathered his brothers and together they managed to lead their lodge - or what remained of it - out of the ruin of Ember’s Heart.

Cast out into the wilderness, they chose Daedgrom to become Daedgrom-Grimnir and under his leadership the Gryndrn would begin their return to their former glory. To survive in Nurgle’s corrupted lands the lodge was split into four, each led by one of Daedgrom’s brothers. From these the Emberholds were born, they were never to be a replacement for what they had lost, but instead to be strongholds, defensible in times of need, but most importantly hidden from the gaze of Nurgle.

As the centuries passed the Gryndrn grew in strength and in number, expanding their influence across Ghyran, their fyrds marched forth from secret gates and hidden doors to the aid of beleaguered kingdoms and the last dregs of civilisation. To this end they became largely nomadic at this time, fyrds would travel the realm fighting for whoever they found willing to pay, before eventually returning to an Emberhold with their spoils sometimes many years later. They turned to the worship of Grimnir the Wanderer, seeing, in this aspect of their God, a mirror of their own situation. Their nomadic lifestyle, and their hidden holds kept them alive, hiding them from the maggotkin and the greedy eyes of Papa Nurgle. And so, they began to recover, growing once more in size and strength, their fyrds marched out in greater numbers to challenge the grip of Nurgle. And still the Emberholds remained hidden. So when Sigmar’s tempest broke upon the realms, they were ready to take the fight to the Maggotkin in full force…

As the Stormcast Eternals began to strike across the Realm, the Maggotkin were sent reeling, and Daedgrom seized the opportunity. Horns of Grimnir echoed in defiance throughout Ghyran as the fyrds were called in. It took months for the scattered armies to gather. But in due time the Grand Fyrd of the Gryndrn Lodge was assembled, and they were desperate for vengeance. The battle for Ember’s Heart would last for several days as the Gryndrn forced their way through narrow corridors and towering halls clogged with droning daemons and bloated warriors. But after days of bloody fighting the Gryndrn stood victorious atop the tangled corpses of the Maggotkin and of their own dead.

From their restored magmahold, the Gryndrn stood defiant against the Rotbringers, redoubling their raids and attacks whilst still maintaining their lifestyle as wanderers and travellers. The Emberholds became vital in this, serving as waypoints and places for the wandering fyrds, travellers and merchant caravans to find rest and safety. Yet as they continued to move outwards, they still turned their focus inwards to the Maggotkin infesting the forests and sought to drive them from the Dûnweald even as they were weakened the Stormcast Eternals striking at Realmgates and beginning to unravel Nurgle’s hold on the Realm. With Free People’s flocking into the realms at this time and the founding of many Cities of Sigmar the wandering fyrds have found much work and good pay fighting to defend these fledgling groups, whilst the Gryndrn’s merchants have been a lifeline, trading food, raw metals and powerful artefacts.

The fortunes of the Gryndrn were truly turning now, and with the closing of the Genesis gate the Maggotkin were further weakened and the Gryndrn only grew stronger. Yet they were soon ravaged by the Necroquake, when over half of the warriors defending Ember’s Heart were slaughtered by the Nighthaunt host, risen by the Death magics. Despite the losses, the Gryndrn tore down this new threat, Ember’s Heart would not be taken from them again.Through the Age of Chaos and into the Age of Sigmar, the Gryndrn have stood defiant against all their enemies, have thrown at them and have overcome. Yet Chaos still ravages the Realms, and so the fyrds Gryndrn march forth, for vengeance, for blood and gold and for Grimnir.