Horn and Hammer

by Lancer

Prologue

Hammer and Horn

Prologue

The Old World

The Old World is home to many factions and races, each striving for its continued existence in a world fraught with horrors and perils innumerable. Strongest of these nations is the Empire, for over 2500 years it has held against countless invasions. It is a nation that has never known true peace, a nation surrounded by hated enemies and bitter rivals, a nation where death and destruction is regrettably commonplace. Yet in spite of all this the Empire remains strong.

Since its founding by the warrior god Sigmar, the Empire has grown from a scattered collection of savage tribes into the mightiest nation of man. Through faith, steel and gunpowder the Empire perseveres.

The Colleges of Magic, founded by the Elves of Ulthuan, provide the Empire with Battle Wizards, a vital addition to the armies of the Empire. Harnessing the Winds of Magic they augment the abilities of their allies and fight the powers of dark sorcerers.

The Imperial Gunnery School creates ever more powerful and ingenious contraptions. Each capable of shredding enemy regiments wholesale or felling everything from dragons to daemon princes with a single precise shot. Its engineers can be found on many a battlefield supervising war machines and testing experimental weaponry on their unfortunate victims.

The Church of the Cult of Sigmar ministers to matters of faith. It gives citizens of the Empire hope in desolate times and its Warrior Priests, sworn to fight the enemies of order at all costs, stand alongside ranks of grim faced state troopers as they hold the foes of mankind at bay. In battle their mighty war hammers glow with golden light as prayers to Sigmar stiffen the resolve of their flock and litanies of destruction smite their foes.

The year is 2503 and the emperor incumbent is Karl Franz, having been elected to the throne a year previous. Advised by wizards of the Celestial Order, who had predicted a great invasion by the Norscans in the coming years, one of his first acts as emperor was to respond to the threat posed by the forces of the dark gods. In an unprecedented move he leads a grand army into the Shadowlands to decimate the barbaric tribes of the north before they can spill into the civilised lands of the Empire. An invasion a year in the making shatters Norscan tribes by the dozen. The Dark Gods however are not blind, nor are they idle. They scheme and play games with the souls of men and this invasion is certainly not free of such malevolent intent.

On the scarred plains of Norsca the Emperor’s advisors in the Celestial Order discovered the hand of Tzeentch, the Chaos God of Change, at work. Their scrying discovered two Tzeentch sorcerers casting a spell of unknown potential and purpose. Within the hour Arch Lector of the Cult of Sigmar, Markus Holstein, had been summoned and charged with leading a strike force of handpicked veterans alongside a magistrate wizard of the Light Order, two veteran captains and an engineer.

This expedition will take them further than they ever have been before in defence of their virtues and the realm.

The land of Equestria

Equestria is a land of peace, happiness, magic and friendship. Ruled by a diarchy of two alicorn princesses, the sisters Celestia and Luna have watched over their little ponies for countless generations, one from exile, the other her throne. In a new age the princesses are reunited and a timeless evil re-ensconced in stone by the most powerful magical artefacts the world has known. These Elements of Harmony have fallen to six young friends, as the embodiment of the Elements they became its bearers, they are the ones responsible for this new age.

In recent times a changeling infiltration threatened Equestria’s capital and again the bearers were there to help uncover and expel the threat. In the aftermath Princess Luna, furious that she was not on hoof to defend her subjects, has led half of Equestria's Royal Guard to pursue the scattered changelings and banish them from Equestria.

Unknown to the Equestrians, Chrysalis and a large number of her changeling followers have hidden within the Everfree Forest in an attempt to consolidate their remaining forces in an untraceable location. Embittered by her defeat, Chrysalis plots her next move.

Author's Note:

As a side note I would like to say that naturally the first chapter or two will lean towards the characters of the Warhammer world since they’re all OC and you all know and love the good ponies of Equestria already for the most part. Also a general disclaimer, all rights to the respective owners of MLP:FiM and Warhammer Fantasy (Hasbro and Games Workshop accordingly), you know the drill please don't sue me.

Comments

[Alex Wadegrove]

And we're off to a great start! This is exciting!

[Kamen Rider Dragons]

I LOVE IT

[Tresviri]

I am surprised I did not find this sooner!