The Horn of Magnus

Lore & Background

The Horn of Magnus is an ancient Dwarfen war-horn, said to be able to rally the defenders of Ubersreik in times of dire need. Forged in the soot-choked forges of Karak Izor, it was gifted to the city centuries ago as a thunderous symbol of the alliance between Men and Dwarfs. When the Skaven horde of Clan Fester and Clan Skryre erupts from the sewers in a surprise assault, the city watch is butchered in the first wave, and the Horn becomes the last desperate gamble—a call for reinforcements that must reach the countryside before Ubersreik drowns in vermin.

In Their Own Story

The five heroes—Markus Kruber, Victor Saltzpyre, Sienna Fuegonasus, Kerillian, and Bardin Goreksson—are thrown together in the chaos of the attack. They fight through the burning streets, the sewers, and the city's central plaza, battling Skaven slaves, Stormvermin, and Ratling Gunners. Reaching the Horn atop the Magnus Tower, Bardin sounds it, but the call is answered not by human soldiers but by a Skaven war party. The Horn is destroyed in the ensuing battle, and the heroes barely escape as Ubersreik falls to the vermin tide.

Reader's Guide

The campaign begins in the streets of Ubersreik, where the heroes fight through burning buildings and Skaven ambushes. They descend into the sewers to bypass enemy lines, facing Gutter Runners and poison wind globes. Emerging near the Magnus Tower, they battle through the plaza against waves of Clanrats and a Rat Ogre. At the tower's summit, Bardin sounds the Horn—but it draws a massive Skaven counterattack. The Horn is shattered, and the heroes flee as the city is overrun. This campaign establishes the Skaven as the primary threat and sets the stage for the Drachenfels and Karak Azgaraz expansions.

Did You Know?

• The Horn of Magnus is named after a Dwarfen king, not a human, reflecting the Dwarfen alliance with Ubersreik.
• The campaign was originally released as the first of three acts in the base game, with the other two following later.
• Bardin's dialogue when sounding the Horn includes a Dwarfen war chant, referencing the Horn's origins in Karak Izor.
• The destruction of the Horn in the campaign is a major divergence from the tabletop lore, where it remains intact.