To Discern the Heavens: Seraphon Lore

Today I wanted to reintroduce the Seraphon, an enigmatic and alien faction within Grand Alliance Order. Let's chat origin theories, sub-species and more!
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[@Takeda10K]

“Who are the Seraphon?” Every little kid’s dream, space traveling dinosaurs who ride dinosaurs.

[@MisterDragon]

Aaaand Skink are not more limited in intelligence. They are scouts and such but also wizards, priests, diplomats, emmisaries, advisors. They are very intelligent.

[@adambielen8996]

Don't forget artisans and craftsmen.

[@TheLagiacrus1]

Yeah skinks are the core of Seraphon society and they are a full-on civilization

[@ce4879]

The lore master is back in the glorious Mortal Realms! Also on this point: “I don’t know what Dracothion is doing out there, maybe just hunting for garbage that floats past” That is what he does. In the AoS1 books his favorite hobby is collecting debris of destroyed worlds Chaos rampaged through and recycling them for new celestial objects in the Mortal Realms. That’s how he met Sigmar when he was floating through the void on the molten core of the World-that-Was, Dracothion named it Mallus and planned to turn it into a moon but then saw Sigmar and breathed life into him where their friendship began.

[@ce4879]

Oh also yeah, 100% recommend to get the new Seraphon for the lore. Really fantastic stuff in it like their interactions with the other races, surreal space stuff like landing on the underside of realms & one Slann and his court ascending into beings of pure energy and their map is a fantastic depiction of the Arcane Cosmos with some details on where their major fleets plus closer looks at the realms like Chamon being a bunch of floating islands instead of a disc like most of the others. Also look into the Soulbound: Stars and Scales rpg supplement. Good stuff there like Saurus needing sign language or old one tech to communicate with other races.

[@chaosmike89th]

So he's playing Raft?

[@ce4879]

Haha, actually an astute comparison! The void near Azyr even has shoals of aether fish and void-megalofin(space shark megalodons) that the Azyrite aether-fleets make a fishing industry out of that goes with your Raft comparison. :D

[@chaosmike89th]

@@ce4879 "well, I guess we know the name of that aether megalodon; it's definitely grace"

[@jakea3950]

Very interesting!

[@TheBobcatlover]

Good to see you back in the Mortal Realms, Doug!

[@alejandrochalco6893]

THE PROPHECY WAS TRUE! It’s DinoTIME. Hey Dough, I think there are a few problems with the audio.

[@MisterDragon]

And the battletome now makes it explicit that the Starborne are also tangible living beings still. They aren't purely magical energy beings anymore canonically and come from Azyr touched spawning pools. That is at least what the 3rd edition battletome says.

[@ce4879]

Yeah the last battletome was big on that too and the memory thing was just a misinterpretation from people and some Starpriests because the Starborne are so bizarre with their daemon-like physiology making them like phantoms in other Realms until a Slann mentally constructs them a “bodysuit” to interact with the lower realms and gain physicality that just calling them memory creatures was easier. However the new tome does have a interesting bit that the energy beings assumption may become a reality again: “ A cabal of slann lead by Starmaster Tuomoq propose a radical notion. They posit that it was not Chaos that devoured the world that was but Sotek, for the Serpent God desired for the slann to abandon physical limitations and, in a new cycle of creation, become creator-god energy-beings of unbound potential. As visions continue to assail him, Tuomoq's proclamations become increasingly esoteric, until he and his inner circle suddenly vanish; their vessels are last seen bound for the uppermost reaches of Azyr, where the strangest cosmic entities convalesce. Though many slann mourn him as finally being overwhelmed by the mental strain of aeons, private adherents to his teachings continue to lead many Starborne constellations.”

[@jakea3950]

I wasn't a fan of them being light objects. They are based on biological beings in our own world. Much more fitting giving them that back.

[@chriswolfe403]

Azyr is the realm of the heavens, celestial magic, and the warhammer fantasy lizardmen were a faction who were based on astrological and heavens magic, so it makes sense that they are naturally suited to Azyr. As they moved to other realms, it makes sense that GW wanted to have them take on aspects of those realms superficially for the sake of modelling and painting, and also to not re-write or ignore the first incarnation of the lore for AoS

[@patton631]

It’s so good to have a AoS lore video from you again!

[@blighboy1]

The Lizard men were always most strongly associated with the Heavens and Beasts winds of magic, which I think is what the coalesced/Starborne divide is meant to represent and why you don't see "aqshy" Seraphon for example in the lore.

[@yehiahuzayyin7972]

Regarding Dracothion, the Seraphon believe him to be a servant or creation of the Old Ones. Some of the Skinks even believe him to be an aspect of the Serpent God Sotek.

[@xar9499]

Hey welcome back to AoS!!

[@kevinr8953]

Nice to have you back, I couldn’t help but imagine a army of captured lizard men stuck in the eight points, slowly turning into chaos because they’re absorbing the realm.

[@hangebza6625]

The biggest thing I wonder about is how they maintain their numbers. Not for Skinks and co, but onna societal level. In WFB they started as a global empire with all kinds of scifi weapons like laser spears, artifical limbs and such. However they took the brunt of the attack of chaos and were reduced to fragments in Lustria and the Southlands. Especially no new Slann would be spawned after the coming of chaos, so each was irreplacable. And many spawning pools were lost, how to make new ones was unknown or never done. Next to loosing most of their high tech, except for relics for chosen heroes. Those which escaped the End Times were a fraction of a remnant so to speak. Not enough to dominate a single planet even, and the mortal realms are much more massive. And even their temple ships are lost. So how do they maintain themselves on a societal level?

[@quibberlin425]

The slan who survived were fully awake so made the seraphim out of magic to serve them. Then some settled down into the land and the slan made the spawning pools again since they dis not forget. Practically no lizard men apart form the slan survived i think

[@hangebza6625]

@@quibberlin425 its not just spawning pools, when I talk about their society, but the overall cultural infrastructure. What about their spaceships? If one settles down or got destroyed, its less overall for the whole fleet. Same for any dead slann. And given how comparativly small theor numbers must have been, when they arrived in the MR, how could they spread themselves accross the mortal realms to a significant degree? What if a Slann dies? Are they still irreplacable?

[@quibberlin425]

I think the slann can be spawned but very rarely and the more powerful the slahn the more serphon spawns so they can create full arms of skinks and krockigors who could make new ships fast or spawn pools so they could spread fast

[@jonathanwatson4484]

OK the slan are the most important as they remember some of the old tech to rebuild as well having the knowledge of ancient prophecy, however if they lose there ship or slan, there society wouldn't collapse, skink starseer would maintain the lore and culture however it would be a downgrade to the slan, sometimes the slan can still live as a spirit since there magic powers are great like Lord kroak but it rare, however if a ship falls then the survivors would become hermits protecting there homes from all dangers till they unite with the larger faction using guraller tactics as well working to protect, however I don't know how they trade.

[@ce4879]

@hangebza6625 On the temple-ships, it’s been noted in other sources they self-replicate like 3D printing golden puzzle boxes. It usually happens at random intervals where they begin shifting around and “clone” themselves to spawn more ships or if a landed temple-city expand itself instead. The known two instances this has happened on a big scale is when Dracothion found them and through his revivifying breath he super-charged their whole lost fleet(this likely how their numbers exploded so they could orbit across the cosmos of the Realms) and recently with the Rite of Life. The Life energy flood caused their temple-cities to energize and spread further(some implication these can make new ships to launch as well) and lost or damaged ships to take off and heal so they called it a little bit even with the Sylvaneth even though they’re angry about how out-of-whack the Life Rite made the Arcane Cosmos and unleashed Kragnos and the Elementals. The Slann are a larger concern of the two it Skinks can take over where needed and I’m sure if the Slann ever do die out the spawning pools will activate a hidden contingency plan the old ones planned for to make either more or a new more hardier leader species.

[@Angel0fSleep]

I have my first game with my Seraphon next Saturday. I had been really struggling with what to do until I started watching your videos.

[@AngloSaxonWheatFarmer]

I love how they just dipped during the end times

[@evanraynolds8699]

since we are back in AOS, i have gotten new battle tomes recently and there is so much i want covered. but i will be keeping it one thing at a time. from beasts of chaos 3e, i would like you to cover the turnskin plague/curse on page 21 in the timeline and on page 12 under The Great Howling, its essentially a curse/plague that causes humans to become beastmen, and whats really scary about it is the transmission vector; that being stories or tales about the beastmen. its not even safe to talk about them. so yeah, i would like you to cover that.

[@RyanCunningham]

I want to know who is going to be heading the Age of Sigmar Cinematic Universe, there is so much in the universe that you can make an adventure or a 3 part movie on

[@MisterDragon]

Actually. Lizardmen can communicate with the other factions. Skinks are perfectly capable of learning and speaking with other species and some cities of sigmar have skink diplomats communicating the wills of their slann masters to mortal races.

[@adambielen8996]

Thank you, I was going to bring this up.

[@Farmers-Almanac]

very happy to see more AoS content! Thank you Mr. Tough

[@KamekazeKuban]

So after binging your Seraphon video mix, I gotta say I’m pretty excited to get my collection growing! I think I’m gonna do two constellations: one being a coalesced and the other being a starborne because that new paint scheme for them is amazing. I just have to figure out what realm my coalesced will have settled in. I’m more of a 40K guy but the chunkier units like the annihilators and the kroxigors always have me looking at AoS every time I’m in my local Warhammer store. I’ve put together a bunch of armies and I gotta say I’ve been loving putting together the Seraphon and I can’t wait to get paint on them and play. I just wish they had faction specific endless spells but maybe one day. Thanks again for the information!!

[@TattooedTabletop]

There is also an incredible short story called Dying Star that explains the beginning of the Coalesced when a Skink Priest sees his Slann dying from Nagash blotting out the stars from the Necroquake. The Skink goes deeper into the Temple Ship and has an awesome dialogue with a Saurus Oldblood and decides to reawaken the Spawning Pools to bring the Seraphon back into permanent existence. One of my absolute favorite stories!

[@knightofthetabletop]

Good to see another AOS video from you 🙌

[@bubger]

Great to have you back in AoS. Ive been listening to your backlog while painting.

[@rocomet]

Awesome to see some content on the Seraphon. Although the video has a lot of weird audio transitions, sometimes the last word of your sentences were getting cut off.

[@Dj_PushStart]

Doug + Lizardmen Lore = joy ❤

[@corbingovers7559]

I've loved most of the seraphon line for years, but the saurus being bad sculpts kept me off for a really long time. Jumped at the chance to get the new box. Can't wait to stock up on saurus!

[@nathanchennault6104]

YES!

[@Streygenmoment]

Who would win, the W'adrhun or the Seraphon? Or would they look at each other and become friends because of big dinos?

[@jakea3950]

Hi sir! Thanks for the content. If like to know more about the old ones. In the most recent tome there are two pages on them and its very intetesting. Might make a good video! Definitely rich in lore and would make for a great segment imo.

[@samuelrobertosborne]

Not Just Gamin' is still in business, at least currently. :D

[@kalebeckart1009]

Great stuff!

[@TJBHorror]

Hey Doug! Are you still planning on making a Great Plan video? I thought it’s interesting that with the launch of the Old World, the new lore strongly suggests that the death of the Old World wasn’t a failure of the Great Plan but a known part of it. Heresy or something else? Would love a video exploring your thoughts on this and the make-up of the Great Plan in AoS. 🙌🏻 🐸

[@mrraisbeck]

Is the cat okay? I need assurance the cat is being supported! Awesome content as ever

[@alastairtivy-harris8129]

I always love listening to your lore stuff Doug! I was actually under the impression that the Skinks were capable of verbal communication with other species. Granted they would speak in their own, lizard-esq dialect, but could still do so. Also, and I mean this only as constructive feedback, it seems that the editing of this video is a little strange. Many of your sentences cuts off and immediately transitions into your next thought. Keep up the good work!

[@niallgeary94]

Good to see you back on aos king

[@grimmhammerfist5174]

The new sculpts are F'n awesome !!!!!!

[@JennFaeAge]

I should say that I enjoy all your content, but I'm delighted to have the Warhammer content 🙂

[@fumarc4501]

I like your idea of other types of magic infused Seraphon. Makes me want to paint some red and say they bleed fire, or black and bleed shadow.

[@chaosmike89th]

HE'S BACK!

[@Samuel.U]

Missed these vids

[@miniaturestash]

Thanks good love your AoS lore! Does anyone know where I can find pics of seraphone Starships, or are the models like(lord kroak, start master, and starseer) all we have to go on?

[@jonathandavis4819]

The lore master returneth.

[@Artemyst]

I just love dinosaurs.

[@patrik9328]

Seraphon new battletome slaps

[@Icesong]

Is there any reason not to think the world's destruction was part of the Great Plan, and all that business about realigning continents and maintaining the Geomantic Web was about creating the conditions for the Mortal Realms to form in the aftermath?

[@ce4879]

As of Broken Realms that’s what Lord Kroak said. The world being inevitably destroyed and acting as fragments to set-up the Realms for an even greater cosmic battle against Chaos was just steps in the Great Plan. (Though there is some vagueness here if that’s 100% accurate or Kroak fine-tuning things a bit to keep spirits up even though that wasn’t actually part of the plan but can still work out)

[@adambielen8996]

It seems more likely that the world's destruction was foreseen as possibility and that the Realms are a contingency plan for if that future happened, which it did.

[@Icesong]

@@ce4879 Nice to know my headcanon has some basis in lore. It certainly keeps my spirits up to think of it this way.

[@BidnessGoose]

I just want the seraphon to get a big win at some point

[@josephzipprich775]

their name was also the name of malekiths dragon Seraphon

[@BassmentBoysTv]

Nice info in the video but it's massively let down by the visuals. Came here to learn but I have no idea what the difference is visually between saurus and kroxigor, or the starborn and coalesced. Seems like an easy addition that would elevate the whole video

[@gamingborger]

i love the seraphon. but for some reason i have always thought the slann model absolutely sucked

[@Basil_Ghothickovitch]

I didn't expect this! I thought this guy abandoned Warhammer Age of Sigmar forever. In general, it's a shame that Games Workshop makes very little effort to promote and publicize of Age of Sigmar. Why don't they repeat the method of SEGA, which bribed a lot of journalists, bloggers, KZbinrs and Chinese tiktokers, so that everyone would hear the praises of Total War from every teapot?