The Grimnyr are the Kin who speak for the Votann. Blessed with rare psychic ability, they act as the Leagues of Votann’s sages, advisers, and living links to their Ancestor Cores, which makes them some of the most respected figures in Kin society.
What a Grimnyr actually is
A Grimnyr is a Kin born with a rare psychoactive Cloneskein, a genetic quirk that leaves them as one of the few quasi-psychic beings their kind can produce. The Kin also call them Living Ancestors.
That gift comes with a job. Their main duty is communing with an Ancestor Core, the vast machine-minds the Leagues revere, and this is why they’re held in such high regard across Kin society.
Powers and wargear
Their abilities, sometimes called the REDACTED Discipline, let them channel the Warp through Barrier-Tech rather than raw exposure, which is a lot safer than the way human psykers usually go about it.
In practice that covers precognitive mindsense, protective wards, telepathy, physical enhancement, lightning and fire, force field negation, and even turning their own anger into physical weight.
- Barrier-Tech: the method that makes Warp use survivable for them
- Two CORVs: hovering mechanical drones that defend and augment them
- Ancestral Warding Stave: the weapon carried by a Lord Grimnyr
Lords Grimnyr and the Votannic Council
A Kindred usually keeps exactly one Lord Grimnyr, also called a High Grimnyr. Nobody outside their order knows how one gets chosen, only that it demands real wisdom and insight.
On the Votannic Council the Lord Grimnyr is treated as the voice of the Ancestors, a walking conduit for their lore and combined psychic might. That’s more than a ceremonial title either, since they fight with an Ancestral Warding Stave when the shooting starts.
Where they fit in Kin society
Beyond the psychic role, Grimnyr serve as wise sages, spiritual advisers, messengers, and record-keepers. They’re reserved and stern even by Kin standards, and they keep their deepest knowledge of the Ancestor Cores to themselves.
Even so, they know their services matter and make themselves available to any Kin who needs them. Their presence steadies wavering resolve and lifts flagging spirits, which is a big part of why they’re seen as inspirational.
Key facts
- Grimnyr are Kin with rare psychoactive Cloneskeins, making them quasi-psychic
- Their chief duty is communing with an Ancestor Core
- They’re also known as Living Ancestors
- Two CORVs hover alongside them for defence and augmentation
- A Kindred usually has exactly one Lord Grimnyr, who sits on the Votannic Council
- Their powers include telepathy, wards, lightning, fire, and force field negation
FAQ
Are the Grimnyr psykers?
Sort of. They’re described as quasi-psychic rather than full psykers, since their power comes from rare psychoactive Cloneskeins and is channelled through Barrier-Tech instead of raw Warp exposure.
What’s the difference between a Grimnyr and a Lord Grimnyr?
A Lord Grimnyr is the highest rank of the order, and a Kindred normally has just one. They sit on the Votannic Council as the voice of the Ancestors and fight with an Ancestral Warding Stave.
What are the CORVs?
Two mechanical drones that hover alongside a Grimnyr, defending them and boosting their abilities.