The Realm of Beasts has ever been a place of savagery and destruction, defiant in the face of Sigmar's feeble attempts at liberation. But now, deep within the mountains of the Ghurish Heartlands, something ancient stirs. A god long-trapped is about to awaken, and the drumbeat of war calls. Ferocious Ironjawz, gluttonous Ogors and towering gargants all set their sights on the human interlopers, determined to cast down their keeps.

Cado Ezechiar is a wanderer who has outlived the memory of the age that made him. A Soulblight vampire who accepted the curse as his people and kingdom fell to Chaos, he now roams the Realm of Death and beyond seeking retribution and salvation for the ones he failed. Aided by the bound spirits of those he lost, Cado follows a path of revenge, hunting the servants of Chaos to slake his need for blood while seeking the Sorcerer of Change who destroyed his kingdom.

Far above the highest mountain peaks, a new power has arisen. The duardin have developed new technology and weapons of war, and now they sail the skies in their amazing airships, seeking wealth and plunder. Brokrin Ullissonn, Captain of the Ang Drak, has a reputation for bad luck. Unless his fortune turns, and soon, he will lose his ship and his livelihood. When he and his crew discover the location of a source of aether-gold of unparalleled quality, the temptation is too strong to resist. No matter what dangers present themselves, the duardin desire wealth beyond all.

When calamity befalls their home, Gunnar Brand must step up to lead his tribe, embarking on a grim and perilous exodus through a Realm of Fire ravaged by war. Haunted by an unfulfilled oath, his duties as chieftain soon conflict with his deep-rooted sense of destiny, and he discovers that the attentions of the Dark Gods are not so easily ignored.

Hell-bent on ridding himself of the Fyreslayer rune buried in his chest, Gotrek Gurnisson, the greatest slayer to ever live, travels deep into the strange, alchemical realm of Chamon. Using their mysterious aether-science, the Kharadron overlords of Barak-Urbaz offer an end to Gotrek’s quest. But, as the Bad Moon rises and murderous Gloomspite Gitz threaten to destroy the sky-port, Gotrek pits himself against the most ancient enemy of his people - the greenskins.

After fleeing the authorities in the Imperial city of Altdorf, Felix Jaeger swears a drunken oath to dour dwarf Gotrek Gurnisson to record his death saga. In the cold light of day, Felix's worst fears are confirmed as he learns that Gotrek is a Trollslayer - a dwarf doomed to seek out a heroic death in battle to atone for an unknown personal disgrace. Their travels throw them into a string of extraordinary adventures as Felix tries to survive his companion's destiny.

For Ianthe, war is all too familiar. A former soldier in the Astra Militarum, she now serves Inquisitor Covenant as an agent of the Throne. Her first mission sees her investigating a cult called the Children of Eternity. Falling foul of the local Enforcers, Ianthe soon learns that war in the shadows is seldom straightforward and that the local, angry law-keepers are the least of her troubles.

Deep in the wilds of Ghyran, a former warrior priest preaches for humanity to reject the gods. The sole survivor of a massacred Dawnbringer Crusade, Amara Fidellus believes that Sigmar has betrayed her – and when she faces execution for such blasphemy, it’s only the intervention of a drunken, taciturn and incredibly violent Slayer that saves her life. Now bound to Gotrek Gurnisson by a life-debt, Amara finds herself caught up in his quest for revenge.

Gotrek Gurnisson is the greatest Slayer of the age. He is a relic of a dead world, a sworn enemy of Chaos and a stranger in the Mortal Realms. Now, reborn and hungry for vengeance, he crosses the war-torn lands of Chamon armed with new oaths, pitting himself against the forces of evil. Accompanied by the aelven assassin Maleneth Witchblade, Gotrek marches to war with the Fyreslayers of the Grymm Peak Mountains, with a newfound sense of purpose. The fire in the Slayer's soul has not gone unnoticed, however. Far beneath the sea, the Idoneth Deepkin are stirring.

As the War for the Realm of Life continues, Lord-Castellant Lorrus Grymn leads the battered remnants of the Steel Souls warrior chamber against the sargasso-citadels of the Verdant Bay. The Hallowed Knights claim victory, but at a terrible cost - Grymn is lost to Realm of Chaos. Now Gardus, newly reforged and fresh from the destruction of the Scabrous Sprawl, must lead his warriors into the foetid heart of Nurgle's realm in search of the Lord-Castellant, where they must once more brave the horrors of the Realm of Decay....