In your games of Runewars Miniatures Game, you become the general of a fantasy army, battling to decide the fate of Terrinoth. But what is Terrinoth? Who are the peoples that fill this realm? What are the stories behind Waiqar the Undying and the magical runebound shards? How did the Daqan Lords fall so far from their once-proud origins of their great nation? What part will the Latari Elves or the Uthuk Y’llan play in the unfolding wars?

Fortunately, you’re not without a guide to this realm. In addition to everything that you need to become a general and lead your massive armies into battle in the game, the Runewars Miniatures Game Core Set contains a Lore Guide to give you a glimpse into the realm of Terrinoth and the forces of the Daqan Lords, Waiqar the Undying, the Latari Elves, and the Uthuk Y’llan.

You've already had the chance to learn about the gameplay of Runewars, as we looked at the command tools, movement, combat, and your objectives, but today, we’ll give you just a taste of the tales you’ll find within the Lore Guide.

The Tale of Timmorran

In early days, the great enemy of Terrinoth was Llovar, the Locust. The land was laid bare by Llovar’s armies, and many a great man and woman perished at their hands. But in the end, the heroes of old defeated him, and the Locust was silenced. Among those heroes were Daqan, Triamlavar, Grumson, and Waiqar, among many others. Yet greatest among those heroes was the wizard Timmorran Lokander. It was he who slew Llovar, and it was under his stewardship that the remnant kings set out to build a new peace.

Timmorran settled in a quiet vale, and there built Meryngir, a great tower of magical learning. Yet for all Timmorran’s wisdom and power, he was old and he must have felt the arid winds of mortality in his bones. He wanted to pass his magic to future generations, and so he made his terrible mistake.

Timmorran began to craft a mighty artifact, which he called the Orb of the Sky. The orb was an enormous crystal, holding pure magical power, unbound and easily channeled by lesser wizards. Yet that power was neither good nor evil. Without Timmorran’s judgment, without his sense of right and wrong directing it, it was simply power.

And so it was that Timmorran was betrayed by the power he sought to harness. One night, Waiqar Sumarion, the greatest general of the age and Timmorran’s friend, rode with his army into Wizard’s Vale and surrounded Meryngir. Waiqar demanded the Orb of the Sky, and it was only then that Timmorran realized his folly. He had naively believed that the stain of evil was washed from the world along with the Locust. But the tides of the Ynfernael wax and wane, and they had swelled within the heart of Waiqar.

The wizard had little time, for Waiqar’s warriors began to assault Meryngir, and it would not be long before they breached its defenses. With his most trusted student, Lumii Tamar, Timmorran ascended to the top of Meryngir. There, using the last of his earthly powers, the wizard destroyed the Orb of the Sky, the most powerful artifact this world has ever seen, shattering it into thousands upon thousands of pieces.

Timmorran took one piece, and with its power he channeled the great hoard of shards into a small pouch, no greater than the size of your hand. Then it is said that Lumii Tamar transformed himself into a great crow, and Timmorran tied the pouch to Lumii’s leg. With Lumii on his shoulder, the wizard moved to a great window, and using one of the forgotten words of the Yrthwrights, he summoned the crows of the nearby mountains.

As the tower door finally fell to Waiqar’s soldiers, the crows appeared in legion and soon circled the night sky around the tower in untold numbers. It was into this great flock that Lumii took wing, and the archers of the Betrayer could not discern him among the murder of crows that choked the sky. So it was that Lumii Tamar escaped the Night of Betrayal and Timmorran placed the Orb of the Sky beyond Waiqar’s reach.

The Betrayer found Timmorran alone in the orb’s chamber, and when he realized the artifact had slipped beyond his grasp, Waiqar was enraged. He killed Timmorran without hesitation, and as he did so, storm clouds began to gather in the sky above. When the Betrayer pried a single blue shard from the hand of the dead wizard, he understood what had transpired.

With his old friend’s lifeblood still hot on his hands, Waiqar strode from the tower. Under the gathering storm, Waiqar swore that until he possessed Timmorran’s power, he would never rest. As Waiqar made this vow, the skies above Wizard’s Vale curdled with ancient, malignant power. So it was that Waiqar cursed himself to undeath.

But the curse was not satisfied with Waiqar alone. One by one his soldiers fell dead. The rain turned black and became a poisonous, torrential downpour, rendering flesh from bone as easily as boiling acid. A thunderous wail of suffering echoed through Wizard’s Vale in a gruesome cacophony.

In the clamor, Waiqar held his arms out to the rain, and the deadly drops slid off his white skin without effect. It is said that every child in the realm woke at that moment, lending their frightened cries to those of the damned trapped in Wizard’s Vale.

Only Waiqar remained standing as the rain stopped. As he lowered his arms, the clouds broke, and the moon revealed the grotesque scene upon the valley floor. What had been a living army hours before was a silent field of bones and liquefied flesh. Thousands upon thousands of armored skeletons lay before him, each twisted by the pain inflicted upon them in their final moments. Wet armor and fallen weapons glistened in the moonlight like shining stones in a black lake. The feathers of crows flurried across the ground, fallen leaves from the tree of death.

Suddenly compelled, Waiqar begin to chant in a voice that was not his own. Though he did not know his words, he knew their meaning. They spoke of dust and the grave, of dirt and worms, of rotten sinew and cold earth. As his chant rose, an icy wind blew across the valley floor. The wet armor of the dead bloomed with frost. And the dead began to rise.

Slowly, one by one, the soldiers stood, their eyes vacant except for the tiniest violet sparks. These were proud warriors who in life had been ensnared by lies and usurped by an unholy rite. Alas, as they rose in the death, they were as fiercely loyal to their general as they had been while breathing…

The Shadow of the Past

From the Night of Betrayal on through the centuries, Waiqar the Undying has never stopped in his efforts to recover the Orb of the Sky—at any cost. Only the Daqan Lords now stand in his way. Join us next time for a closer look at the armies and lore of the Daqan Lords, and remember to pre-order your copy of Runewars Miniatures Game at your local retailer today!