The in-game realms of power (the blessed, the ruinous powers, the normal world) in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay interact in numerous ways, often with some contradiction and churn in the game materials. A quick and easy way to characterise the realms is to say that the divine is ineffable, that chaos is ever churning, and the mundane realm is where they mix. There is a strength in storytelling to keep a simple approach, and lean into the story they find around them.

That said, there is more the realms might do in service to the characters in a story, meaning there is more to be said by the characters themselves as they are communicating about their understanding of the world; and also a little more material to draw examples from might help.

This discussion is by npcs who might have observed “the realms” over many years, and some implied knowledge elders could have accumulated which allows the characters to behave with more depth than “my god gives me these powers”, or “chaos is crazy right!”.

Blessed Brother Arnulf Schussler, Suppressed Abbott of Genshill Sigmarite Monastery, abridged letter of correspondence.

I will not enter a long debate on the existential realms as mentioned in your letter prior. I cannot.

Amongst the Blessed there is little debate as such metaphysical matters of faith are both fundamentally obvious to those touched by Sigmar, and insistently silent of commentary except by the most holy prescribed publications. Simply stated, the iron will of Sigmar guides the hand of all His practitioners including the Blessed, and from Him all holy power is derived. There is no relationship or connection to the ruinous powers used by the servants of chaos, or those sorceries long suffered by the Imperial Colleges of the Empire. Indeed the maladies of corruption from the dark Gods are indistinguishable from the rotten powers of those chaos winds.

The Blessings are proof of Sigmar’s overt hand in our lives, and are equally profound as the guidance we feel in all matters.

The questions which remain outside the spheres of His will yet still present due to followers of other faiths is challenging. I can no more answer that academic perplexity of which other followers of other holy Gods gain their powers through Sigmar, as has been written, and thus confused as gifts from Him; or if they are acted upon by separate divine influences. Their Blessed powers seem as true and forthright as my own, and I now choose to leave those questions for wiser and more senior priests to ponder.

By Sigmar’s Hand,

Brother Arnulf.

Magister Woodrow of Carnolm, hastily written annotations of instruction from Wizard Lord Leopold Jaeger, Pyromancer, at the “Crimson College” school.

That you ask is a problem Herr Carhold. We will cover this once more and you will learn.

There is only chaos and law. There is no room for error when prescribing the source of energies of the aether among the various incantations of the winds; it is all chaos. Even the high words of the elves which are too dangerous for us. Chaos is to be eliminated. Expunged from the realm of man. A practitioner such as yourself must be sure that the need to draw the aether into form is sufficiently dire, and that you will take responsibility for the form of such magicks.

Except the divine truth, all supernatural powers in our realm are sourced from chaos. Natural and unblemished animals and men are to be preserved and protected, and it is our role to protect the Empire from chaos, and also to perfect our purpose as destructive weapons of war. A skirmish, some bandits, or even the disagreements of noblemen are not our concern. We, meaning you directly will give a life of service to destroying the enemies of the Empire. Anything less is a betrayal which will be punished, and my oath guarantees that I will force you to answer for any failure of character. And your oath will do the same to those who eventually must come after you.

I make no secret of the treatment of those who use magick as a parlour trick, or a source of miscreant power – those who cannot be re-educated are introduced to the inquisition. Misuse of magick is one of the most terrible crimes a Wizard may perform, as each whisper of aether carries the peril of corruption. Our purpose is as weapons of the Empire, and as such we must be forthright, deadly, and pure. By my hand many unnatural creatures, chaos worshipers, witches, and dark servants have been destroyed; that I exist to expel the corruption with the greater power of aether is the great contradiction of the Colleges.

Man, and specifically the continuation of the Empire is our goal. Individuals may die or fall out of grace, or even fall to chaos. Be conservative in speaking the winds, and they will answer you more directly when the need is dire, because you will have purpose. A vanity I used to entertain was that my own purpose was assisted by some divine hand. That pride was a mistake – the winds serve no master, move with no plan, and any pattern in the winds you may see is a coincidence of folly. If you need a divine plan to maintain a purpose then you have chosen a poor tool to execute your purpose.

I say too that the influences of the divine are truly the works of the gods themselves. While a priest may fall from grace or perform some task askew, the ability of those priests to invoke powers beyond the reach of any magicks is staggering. Leave them aside, and respect those holy men and their Gods. Just as they are marked by their blessed powers, we are marked by the energies of chaos; we are their dark imitation. We are terrible and necessary.

Anonymously written in a sharp angular handwriting, decrypted from cipher.

My friend in change,

What was once whispered has grown to a shout, and once taught as a pathway has spread into a maze, and it delights me. I cannot wait to show you the proof of the conjunction. You will leave transformed by the elementary truth I have discovered by using the remaining texts of our associates.

The Colleges keep quiet the truth which the elves have always known – that the Dhar draws from all winds, and is also drawn from the font of the Hand! Even to say we have a set of formed winds is false, and I have the proof. There is no Aqushy to be feared, but a rite which changes the paradigm of aesthetic essence. That which should expunge enhances, that which should conflict grows, and we have access to such power which breaks the common laws of low magick.

The midsummer festival three years past was a bounty of broken spirits when the master’s plan erupted. In his death we have a convergence of principals. I know you feel as I the disappointment of the meddlers actions, but I offer hope. Travel here and we will push aside the conventions of aether, and show the power of this conjunction.

Brother in purpose, M.