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So, just a question that's been in my head lately. I don't have access to the new fluff books, so apologies if this has been answered there.

Basically, can one of the Stormcast make the choice to not serve in Sigmar's army? Could they attempt to return to the people or land they originally lived and try to rejoin them, if they're still around?

How much choice do they have in their role in the world?

The rulebooks picture them as being bound by some sacred oaths to Sigmar (which vary from serving in battle to not venturing in the forbidden vaults of his palace). Additionally, being infused with some part of his divine power, I'd guess that their souls, as well as their honour, are bound to his will (atleast to some extent). This is a question that has not been fully answered yet and is connected to the matter of the reforging. It is implied here and there that they are akin to daemons (though not being a daemon in the warscrolls) by having free reign of action but ultimately being bound to the will of their master. I'd expect so see some kind of horus heresy rebelion in the future judging by what the reforging does to the stormcast. Here's an interesting snippet of dialogue from a scene with Vandus and Thostos. Thostos is being depicted as speaking in flat and monotonous tone just before the dialogue.

"Lord Thostos"-ventured Vandus-"Forgive me me, but I must ask. Your Reforging. Has it... has it changed you? Are we truly eterrnal?"
Thostos stopped and met Vandus' gaze. Behind the mask, Vandus saw blue fires burning. They were much like will-o-wisps - the soul stuff of those cursed forever to a twilight existence.
"Yes." said Thostos turning away to march onward."

The answer is ambiguous. It is implied that they are changed for the worse and they are truly immortal but with only battle to look forward to for the rest of eternity. Much like daemons.

But with the most recent book, there's evidence that Stormcast can be intentionally corrupted in body, if not mind.

So I guess it may be possible to have 'renegade' Stormcast, but similarly to the day job, it wouldn't be their 'choice'.
They wouldn't be Eternals, either - as their immortality is by the process of Sigmar reforging them when they die.

There's a paragraph in the new Stormcast battletome which explains the competition of all gods (Sigmar, Nagash, Chaos gods etc) for mortal souls. The Lord Relictors' main role is to ensure the stormcast hear only Sigmar's call when they die => if they weren't on the battlefield someone may get lost...

Remember that they are inside armour, some fluff work and that armour could be chaos or even something else... Change sigmar to nagash or khorne etc

I had the same sort of query because as they are written how do you have Stormcast vs Stormcast battles?

 BlackLobster wrote:
I had the same sort of query because as they are written how do you have Stormcast vs Stormcast battles?

magic fluff?

 BlackLobster wrote:
I had the same sort of query because as they are written how do you have Stormcast vs Stormcast battles?

They've been training, in Azyr against each other, for a long time. Not to mention the little tourneys Sigmar sets up to determine who is worthy of bearing his standard.

 CoreCommander wrote:

 BlackLobster wrote:
I had the same sort of query because as they are written how do you have Stormcast vs Stormcast battles?

They've been training, in Azyr against each other, for a long time. Not to mention the little tourneys Sigmar sets up to determine who is worthy of bearing his standard.

There is reference in the books that Sigmar's idea of 'training' makes a live-fire exercise look like a cake-walk; why use wooden swords when you can come back from the dead...

RoperPG wrote:

There is reference in the books that Sigmar's idea of 'training' makes a live-fire exercise look like a cake-walk; why use wooden swords when you can come back from the dead...

Yes, ofcourse. Additionally, there was something about enchantments around his arena/Gladiatorium (whatever it was called) that allows battle to be commenced without holding back. I remember reading something like this.

This is definitely going to one of the big plot twists in AoS.

The guy in the first novel in the second book who gets lost in the garden of nurgle, which is the best bit of story telling yet in AoS fiction, is my bet for stormcast to get turned.

RoperPG wrote:

 CoreCommander wrote:

 BlackLobster wrote:
I had the same sort of query because as they are written how do you have Stormcast vs Stormcast battles?

They've been training, in Azyr against each other, for a long time. Not to mention the little tourneys Sigmar sets up to determine who is worthy of bearing his standard.

There is reference in the books that Sigmar's idea of 'training' makes a live-fire exercise look like a cake-walk; why use wooden swords when you can come back from the dead...

That Sigmar guy is a Dick.
Now where did our all loving lord of Slaanesh go?

-Matt

Didn't someone meet a Stormcast in the garden of nurgle in one of the End Times books? Has to be the same guy, right?

RoperPG wrote:

 CoreCommander wrote:

 BlackLobster wrote:
I had the same sort of query because as they are written how do you have Stormcast vs Stormcast battles?

They've been training, in Azyr against each other, for a long time. Not to mention the little tourneys Sigmar sets up to determine who is worthy of bearing his standard.

There is reference in the books that Sigmar's idea of 'training' makes a live-fire exercise look like a cake-walk; why use wooden swords when you can come back from the dead...

Good point. Hadn't considered that.

Interesting answers, and I'm still not sure what to think. I wouldn't be surprised to see some stormcast guys getting turned to chaos, if only because that's always been a major occurrence in fantasy and 40k. And it could certainly make for a good story.

But I'm actually not interested in that. I'm still wondering if an individual stormcast eternal could, after arriving on one of the mortal realms, choose to stay and serve or live with the people there? Could a band of them work as mercenaries? If there's a contract with Sigmar, could they choose to break it, and if they did, would they just up and die?

The more I think about, the more of a despot Sigmar seems to be.

 toasteroven wrote:
Interesting answers, and I'm still not sure what to think. I wouldn't be surprised to see some stormcast guys getting turned to chaos, if only because that's always been a major occurrence in fantasy and 40k. And it could certainly make for a good story.

But I'm actually not interested in that. I'm still wondering if an individual stormcast eternal could, after arriving on one of the mortal realms, choose to stay and serve or live with the people there? Could a band of them work as mercenaries? If there's a contract with Sigmar, could they choose to break it, and if they did, would they just up and die?

The more I think about, the more of a despot Sigmar seems to be.

It would be a good reason to marry Stormcast with other factions and model them that way

The fluff kinda leaves it open for potential corruptions. However, it's more implied that the Eternals become less interested in saving other mortals as they become more detached from their mortal self.

I can easily see in the future of Stormcast Eternal "outcast". Not necessary evil, but simply tired of getting bossed around by Sigmar. Similar to the Brotherhood Outcast from Fallout 3.

I'm actually considering creating a Knight-Azyros that is a "rogue" eternal, set about on his own path. Similar to Cypher in 40k.