The Mortal Realms are the eight interconnected planes of existence that form the setting of Age of Sigmar. Each realm is shaped by one of the eight Winds of Magic: Azyr (Heavens), Aqshy (Fire), Chamon (Metal), Ghur (Beasts), Ghyran (Life), Hysh (Light), Shyish (Death), and Ulgu (Shadow).
The Mortal Realms are the foundation of everything in Age of Sigmar. They are not planets or continents but entire planes of existence — vast, potentially infinite dimensions where the laws of reality are shaped by the magical wind that suffuses each realm. Understanding the eight Mortal Realms is essential for understanding the setting, the factions, and the conflicts that drive Age of Sigmar’s narrative. Each realm has its own character, its own dangers, its own civilisations, and its own wars. Together, they form a cosmos of extraordinary diversity and richness.
The realms were formed from the debris of the World-That-Was — the original Warhammer Fantasy world that was destroyed during the End Times. When the old world ended, its magical energy coalesced into eight distinct realms, each aligned with one of the eight Winds of Magic. These realms are connected by Realmgates — magical portals that allow travel between them — and by the cosmic void that separates them. At the centre of each realm, the influence of its associated magic is relatively subtle; at the edges, the magic becomes overwhelming, creating regions of extreme magical saturation that are often uninhabitable by mortal life.
Azyr — The Realm of Heavens
Azyr is the Realm of Heavens, suffused with Azurite — the Wind of Heavenly Magic. It is Sigmar’s home realm and the seat of his power. When the Age of Chaos descended and the other realms fell to the forces of darkness, Sigmar sealed Azyr’s Realmgates, creating a fortress-realm where civilisation could survive while the rest of the Mortal Realms burned.
Azyr is a realm of stars, celestial bodies, and astronomical phenomena. Its landscapes include floating mountains, crystalline plateaus, and cities built among the clouds. The Realm of Heavens is the most “civilised” of the Mortal Realms, as Sigmar’s protection allowed its societies to develop during the Age of Chaos while the other realms were ravaged. Sigmaron — Sigmar’s celestial palace — sits at its heart, and it is here that the Stormcast Eternals are forged from the souls of mortal heroes.
Key factions: Stormcast Eternals (forged here), Cities of Sigmar (many originated from Azyrheim populations). Notable locations: Sigmaron, Azyrheim (the greatest city in the Mortal Realms). Recent history: Azyr itself is relatively secure, but it is the staging ground for Sigmar’s campaigns across the other realms, including the Dawnbringer Crusades that carry settlers out to found new cities. The strain of constant war shows, with resources stretched thin and the Reforging taking a heavy toll on the Stormcast Eternals.
Aqshy — The Realm of Fire
Aqshy is the Realm of Fire, shaped by the Wind of Aqshy — the magic of passion, fury, and flame. It is a realm of extremes: searing deserts, volcanic mountain ranges, oceans of liquid fire, and continents that drift on tectonic plates of molten rock. The landscape is defined by heat and flame, but also by passion — the inhabitants of Aqshy tend toward emotional intensity, fierce loyalty, and explosive tempers.
Aqshy was one of the realms most heavily contested during the Age of Chaos, and its landscapes bear the scars of millennia of warfare. Khorne’s forces were particularly drawn to Aqshy, as the realm’s inherent aggression and passion resonated with the Blood God’s nature. The Fyreslayers — duardin who worship the shattered god Grimnir — are closely associated with Aqshy, mining the ur-gold (fragments of Grimnir’s divine essence) that is found throughout the realm’s volcanic regions.
Key factions: Fyreslayers, Blades of Khorne, Kharadron Overlords. Notable locations: The Great Parch (the most detailed sub-continent in AoS lore), Hammerhal Aqsha (twin city straddling a Realmgate). Recent history: Constant warfare between Order forces and Chaos warbands. The Fyreslayers search for ur-gold while defending their lodges. Hammerhal Aqsha is a major power centre but faces threats from all directions. Read more about Aqshy here.
Chamon — The Realm of Metal
Chamon is the Realm of Metal, shaped by the Wind of Chamon — the magic of logic, alchemy, and transmutation. It is a realm where the landscape is literally metallic — mountains of iron, rivers of mercury, forests of copper and tin, deserts of golden sand. The physics of Chamon are influenced by alchemical principles: substances transmute spontaneously, gravity shifts unpredictably in some regions, and the very concept of “solid ground” is unreliable in areas where transmutation magic is strong.
Chamon’s metallic nature makes it extraordinarily valuable. The raw materials for weapons, armour, and war machines are literally everywhere, and the realm’s alchemical properties mean that some of these materials have magical properties that cannot be replicated elsewhere. The Kharadron Overlords — the sky-dwelling duardin who operate from floating cities — have a major presence in Chamon, mining its resources and trading them across the realms. Tzeentch, the Chaos God of change and sorcery, is drawn to Chamon’s transmutative nature, and his forces maintain a strong presence in the realm.
Key factions: Kharadron Overlords, Disciples of Tzeentch. Notable locations: The Spiral Crux, the Hanging Valleys of Anvrok. Recent history: Tzeentch’s forces seek to control the realm’s transmutative magic. The Kharadron Overlords defend their mining operations and sky-ports. Dawnbringer Crusades attempt to establish footholds in a realm where the ground itself cannot always be trusted. Read more about Chamon here.
Ghur — The Realm of Beasts
Ghur is the Realm of Beasts, shaped by the Wind of Ghur — the magic of savagery, predation, and primal instinct. It is the most dangerous of the Mortal Realms for travellers, because in Ghur, everything is alive and everything is hungry. The landscape itself is predatory — mountains are sleeping mega-beasts, rivers are the tentacles of subterranean creatures, forests actively hunt creatures that enter them, and the very ground can open up to swallow the unwary.
Ghur was the main setting of Age of Sigmar 3rd Edition, the period known as the Era of the Beast, when the realm’s primal energy surged after the events of Broken Realms and mega-beasts stirred from ancient slumbers. That era has now passed into the setting’s history, but Ghur remains one of the most fought-over realms. The Orruks — particularly the Kruleboyz, a cunning and cruel breed of Orruk — thrive in Ghur, as the realm’s kill-or-be-killed nature suits their culture perfectly.
Key factions: Orruk Warclans (especially Kruleboyz), Sons of Behemat, Ogor Mawtribes, Stormcast Eternals. Notable locations: Excelsis (major free city, site of Kragnos’s assault), the Gnarlwood, Thondia. Recent history: During Broken Realms and the Era of the Beast, Kragnos, the self-proclaimed god of earthquakes, rampaged across the realm and attacked Excelsis, while the Kruleboyz waged a war of ambush and trickery against Order settlements. Ghur’s frontier cities remain under constant threat. Read more about Ghur here.
Ghyran — The Realm of Life
Ghyran is the Realm of Life, shaped by the Wind of Ghyran — the magic of growth, vitality, and renewal. It is a realm of overwhelming fecundity where life grows with uncontrolled vigour. Forests can grow to maturity in days. Wounds heal at accelerated rates. And the cycle of growth and decay operates at a pace that makes Ghyran simultaneously the most bountiful and most dangerous of the Mortal Realms for those who seek to build permanent structures.
Ghyran is ruled by Alarielle, the goddess of life and queen of the Sylvaneth — the tree-spirits who are the realm’s native inhabitants. During the Age of Chaos, Ghyran was invaded by Nurgle, the Chaos God of plague and decay, whose forces corrupted vast swathes of the realm. The war between Alarielle and Nurgle is one of the defining conflicts of Age of Sigmar — a cosmic struggle between life and entropy, growth and decay, hope and despair.
Key factions: Sylvaneth, Maggotkin of Nurgle, Cities of Sigmar. Notable locations: The Jade Kingdoms, Hammerhal Ghyra (the other half of the twin city), Greywater Fastness. Recent history: The long war against Nurgle’s forces continues, with Alarielle’s power waxing and waning as territory is gained and lost. Greywater Fastness — an industrialised free city — creates tension with the Sylvaneth through its deforestation and pollution. Read more about Ghyran here.
Hysh — The Realm of Light
Hysh is the Realm of Light, shaped by the Wind of Hysh — the magic of illumination, knowledge, and enlightenment. It is a realm of brilliant radiance where darkness is literally alien, and the pursuit of knowledge and perfection drives the cultures that inhabit it. The landscapes of Hysh are crystalline, geometric, and mathematically precise — mountains form perfect symmetries, rivers follow optimal paths, and even the weather follows logical patterns.
Hysh is the home realm of the Lumineth Realm-lords — the aelven faction that follows Teclis, the aelf god of light and wisdom. The Lumineth seek spiritual enlightenment through harmony with the elements of Hysh, and their society is structured around temples devoted to different aspects of the realm’s nature: mountain (Alarith), wind (Hurakan), river and zenith. (Ymetrica is one of the Lumineth Great Nations, not a temple.) Hysh’s emphasis on perfection and enlightenment makes it a realm of extraordinary beauty but also of extreme arrogance — the Lumineth consider themselves superior to all other mortal races, and this attitude has won them few friends.
Key factions: Lumineth Realm-lords, Slaanesh (drawn to the realm’s perfection). Notable locations: The Ten Paradises, Settler’s Gain. Recent history: Slaanesh’s followers are drawn to Hysh’s perfection, seeking to corrupt it. Teclis’s interventions during Broken Realms have had consequences within Hysh itself. The Lumineth’s relationship with other Order factions remains strained by their arrogance. Read more about Hysh here.
Shyish — The Realm of Death
Shyish is the Realm of Death, shaped by the Wind of Shyish — the magic of endings, mortality, and the afterlife. It is the realm where mortal souls go when they die, and it contains countless underworlds — each reflecting the death-beliefs of a particular culture. A warrior culture’s afterlife might be an endless battlefield. A peaceful farming community’s afterlife might be an eternal harvest. Each underworld is real, sustained by the collective belief of the living and the dead.
Shyish is ruled by Nagash, the Supreme Lord of the Undead and god of death. Nagash’s ambition is to control every mortal soul — living and dead — and he views the existence of independent underworlds as an affront to his authority. His ongoing campaign to consolidate control over Shyish’s disparate underworlds drives much of the conflict in the realm. The Necroquake originated from Shyish, and its effects have permanently altered the realm’s landscape and metaphysics.
Key factions: Ossiarch Bonereapers, Nighthaunt, Flesh-eater Courts, Soulblight Gravelords. Notable locations: Nagashizzar (Nagash’s fortress), the Shyish Nadir, the Underworlds. Recent history: Nagash was badly weakened during Broken Realms, which left openings for rival undead powers. The Ossiarch Bonereapers continue their methodical conquest. The Nighthaunt remain a persistent threat to settlements near Shyish’s boundaries. Read more about Shyish here.
Ulgu — The Realm of Shadow
Ulgu is the Realm of Shadow, shaped by the Wind of Ulgu — the magic of deception, illusion, and secrecy. It is a realm of perpetual twilight, shifting mists, and unreliable geography where nothing is quite what it seems. Paths change when you are not looking. Landmarks shift position. Distances expand and contract without warning. Navigation in Ulgu is an art form, and those who master it gain enormous advantages over those who do not.
Ulgu is associated with Malerion, the aelf god of shadow, formerly known as Malekith in the World-That-Was. Malerion rules a powerful shadow kingdom in Ulgu, and for most of the setting’s history his forces stayed in the background of the story, with little detail published about their goals and methods. Check the latest Age of Sigmar releases for how much of his realm has now been revealed.
Key factions: Daughters of Khaine (Morathi’s base is in Ulgu), Malerion’s shadow aelves. Notable locations: Hagg Nar (Morathi’s temple-city), Misthavn. Recent history: Morathi’s ascension to full godhood during Broken Realms shifted the balance of power in Ulgu. Her relationship with Malerion, her son, has always been tense, and the Daughters of Khaine continue to expand their influence from Hagg Nar. Read more about Ulgu here.
The Mortal Realms in Age of Sigmar 4th Edition
Age of Sigmar 4th Edition moved the story on from the Era of the Beast. Its launch storyline, Skaventide, centres on the Skaven bursting out of their tunnels into cities across the realms in a vast invasion, with the Stormcast Eternals and the free cities fighting back. Because the Skaven tunnel networks reach almost everywhere, no realm is entirely safe from them.
The “Recent history” notes under each realm above summarise the major events of earlier editions that still shape each realm. For the setting’s current events, check the latest Age of Sigmar battletomes and campaign books.
How Are the Realms Connected?
The eight Mortal Realms are connected primarily through Realmgates — magical portals that allow instantaneous travel between realms. Realmgates vary enormously in size, stability, and accessibility. Some are permanent, stable portals large enough for armies to march through. Others are temporary, appearing and disappearing according to magical cycles. Some are controlled by specific factions, while others exist in wild, uncontrolled territory.
Control of Realmgates is one of the most strategically important objectives in Age of Sigmar. A faction that controls a Realmgate controls the flow of trade, reinforcements, and information between realms. The Realmgate Wars — the narrative of AoS 1st Edition — were fought specifically over control of these portals, and their strategic importance has only grown as the setting has developed.
The city of Hammerhal is unique in that it straddles a Realmgate, with one half (Hammerhal Aqsha) in Aqshy and the other half (Hammerhal Ghyra) in Ghyran. This twin-city configuration makes Hammerhal one of the most important and strategically valuable locations in the Mortal Realms, as it provides permanent, defended access between two realms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Mortal Realms planets?
No. The Mortal Realms are planes of existence — flat (or at least non-spherical) dimensions that extend potentially to infinity. They are not planets orbiting a star but self-contained realities shaped by magic. Each realm has its own sources of light and heat, its own weather patterns, and its own physics, all influenced by the Wind of Magic that defines it. Read our full guide to the Mortal Realms concept here.
Can you travel between realms without a Realmgate?
In theory, yes — powerful magic users, gods, and certain artefacts can breach the boundaries between realms without using established Realmgates. In practice, Realmgate travel is by far the most common and reliable method. Attempting to breach the inter-realm void without a Realmgate is extremely dangerous and beyond the capability of all but the most powerful entities.
Which realm is the most dangerous?
Ghur (Beasts) is generally considered the most dangerous for travellers due to its predatory landscape. However, Shyish (Death) is arguably more hostile to living beings, and the edge regions of any realm — where magical saturation reaches extreme levels — are lethal regardless of which realm you are in. The “safest” realm is Azyr, thanks to Sigmar’s protection.
Are there more than eight realms?
The eight Mortal Realms are the primary planes of existence. However, there are also sub-realms, pocket dimensions, and the Realm of Chaos itself. The Eightpoints — Archaon’s fortress — exists at the intersection of all eight realms and the Realm of Chaos, occupying a unique position in the cosmology. Some lore suggests additional dimensions or planes exist beyond the known eight, but these have not been fully explored in the published material.
How were the Mortal Realms discovered?
Sigmar discovered the Mortal Realms after the World-That-Was was destroyed. He drifted through the void clinging to Mallus, the metal core of the old world, until the celestial drake Dracothion woke him. Sigmar then found the eight realms that had formed from the old world’s magic, explored them, and built the Pantheon of Order to rule them during the Age of Myth.
What is realmstone?
Realmstone is the solid form of a realm’s magic, found most where that realm’s wind of magic is strongest. Every realm has its own type, and the factions fight over it as a source of power. The most famous example is Shyish’s grave-sand, which Nagash gathered and used to build the Black Pyramid of Nagashizzar, the ritual that caused the Necroquake.
What is the Realm of Chaos in Age of Sigmar?
The Realm of Chaos is the domain of the Chaos Gods, separate from the eight Mortal Realms but always pressing against them. Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, Slaanesh and the Great Horned Rat rule it. Their armies reach the Mortal Realms through the Eightpoints, Archaon’s fortress-realm between the realms, and through corrupted Realmgates. This was how Chaos overran most of the realms during the Age of Chaos.