Horn of the End Times

Lore & Background

The Horn of the End Times is the personal war horn of Thorgrim Grudgebearer, the High King of the Dwarfs. Forged by Dwarf master smiths, it is not a necromantic artifact but a call to arms that signals the final, desperate battle of the End Times. When Thorgrim sounded the Horn, it was not to raise the dead but to unite the Dwarf holds for a last stand against the tide of Chaos and destruction. The Horn's power lies in its resonance with Dwarf history and honor, not in any connection to Nagash or the undead. Its sound is a thunderous declaration that the time for grudges has passed and the time for final battle has come. The artifact has no ongoing role in the Mortal Realms of Age of Sigmar, as its purpose was fulfilled in the Old World's End Times.

In Their Own Story

The forest fell silent as Mannfred raised the blackened bone to his lips. The air grew cold, smelling of wet earth and decay. He blew into the Horn of the End Times, a low thrum vibrating through the ground beneath his boots. From the mud, skeletal hands clawed their way upward, dragging rotting corpses from the soil. Green fire danced along the rim of the horn as an army of the dead answered the call, ready to march toward the living.

Reader's Guide

The Horn of the End Times functions as a conduit for raw necromantic energy, allowing its bearer to command death itself without relying solely on their own magical reserves. In battle, blowing the horn summons waves of zombies or skeletons directly onto the field, overwhelming enemies with sheer numbers and disrupting enemy formations instantly. Beyond summoning, it radiates an aura of dread that bolsters the morale of undead allies while instilling fear in living foes who witness its activation. This artifact is primarily sought by Vampire Counts who wish to emulate Nagash's dominion over mortality. While many necromancers desire it, Mannfred von Carstein has historically been its most prominent wielder within the Total War narrative. He utilizes the Horn not just for combat superiority, but as a symbol of his ambition to surpass his sire and claim mastery over the End Times prophecy. To use the Horn effectively requires immense magical focus; lesser sorcerers might find it too volatile to control safely. It acts as a beacon for the dead, drawing spirits from the afterlife to serve in the mortal realm.

Did You Know?

• The Horn of the End Times is the war horn of Dwarf High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer, not a necromantic artifact.
• It was used to signal the final battle of the End Times, not to summon undead.
• The artifact is exclusive to the Old World narrative and does not appear in the Mortal Realms of Age of Sigmar.