Warhammer Community has introduced the Ancestor Gods of the Khazalite Holds, the eight duardin deities at the heart of the new Age of Sigmar army. They matter for more than lore: the gods show up in the army's rules and in its prayer lores, so knowing who's who helps when you build a list. Here's a quick guide to all eight, in our own words, one day before the battletome goes up for pre-order on Saturday.
Published November 6, 2026.
The Ancestor Gods at a glance
| God | Title | What they stand for |
|---|---|---|
| Grungni | The Father God | Craft, the forge and unity of the clans |
| Valaya | The Mother Goddess | Protection, healing, fortresses and brewing |
| Gazul | God of the Underworld | Guarding the souls of the dead |
| Grimnir | God of the Axe and Battle | Fearless war, the patron of the Fyreslayers |
| Grombrindal | The White Dwarf | The wanderer who leads the search for lost karaks |
| Thorgrim | The Grudgebearer | Remembering every wrong done to the duardin |
| Inghilde | The Delver | Mining, prospecting and stonework |
| Hashut | The Fallen God | Cast out and cursed by all duardin |
The Khazalites believe all of their gods were once mortal duardin. Some are much older than others, but every one is honoured equally, with one big exception at the end of this list.
Grungni, the Father God
Grungni is the most respected of them all, the master smith whose legendary work includes forging lightning for Sigmar himself. To the Khazalites, his message is simple: the duardin only survive if they stand together. That's why his faithful see uniting the scattered clans as the most important job there is, which fits nicely with High Kyng Valankrom's drive to gather the holds under one banner.
Valaya, the Mother Goddess
Valaya is the protector. Builders of fortresses pray to her to keep their holds safe, healers call on her strength, and brewers treat her as the patron of every good ale. Legends say her shield once saved the karak of Thryngaz from being burned to ash, and that she purified a lake called Strufsson's Tarn so its breweries could keep going. Yes, the duardin really do have a goddess who saved the beer.
Gazul, God of the Underworld
Called the Stonebeard, Gazul watches over the duardin after death. He guides their souls on the last journey to his Gate and protects them with his runes, so that the death god Nagash can't claim them. His vigil never ends: he stands guard against both the undead and the forces of Chaos.
Grimnir, God of the Axe and Battle
Grimnir the Fearless is the warrior spirit of the duardin and the god the Fyreslayers live for. He fell fighting the godbeast Vulcatrix, but the Fyreslayers believe a piece of his spirit survives, and their whole culture of ur-gold and battle is about honouring him.
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Grombrindal, the White Dwarf
Old Whitebeard, the Wanderer. Every duardin knows the tales of Grombrindal, a traveller who never stops moving and never forgets a place. He guides the duardin in their search for karaks that were lost long ago. Long-time hobbyists will recognise the name: Grombrindal is the famous "White Dwarf" himself, as seen in our White Dwarf 530 coverage.
Thorgrim, the Grudgebearer
Thorgrim remembers every insult and every crime ever committed against the duardin and records it in his Great Library of Grudges. He is the vengeful side of duardin nature, but there's a clever twist: by carrying the grudges of the whole race, he stops that anger from eating away at their souls.
Inghilde, the Delver
The youngest god of the pantheon, Inghilde inspires the duardin to dig deeper, explore and mine. She's the patron of miners and stonesmiths. She and Grombrindal are a nice pair: both stand for the duardin urge to explore, him on the surface and her deep underground.
Hashut, the Fallen God
Every pantheon needs a black sheep. Hashut was cast out of the duardin gods: his statues are smashed and his name is used as a curse. He brings shame to the whole race, and when there was no hope left of redeeming him, it was Valaya who struck him down. Fans of the Helsmiths of Hashut will know exactly why the Khazalites hate him so much.
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Why this matters for your army
The Ancestor Gods aren't just background flavour. According to Warhammer Community, they appear in the Khazalite Holds' army rules and prayer lores, so your priests' prayers and some army abilities will call on specific gods. The full details arrive with the battletome.
When can you pre-order?
The Khazalite Holds battletome and the new miniatures go up for pre-order this Saturday. For prices and what to buy first, see our Khazalite Holds battletome guide, and get the Khazalite Holds battletome once it's listed. Want the whole story of the army first? Our Khazalite Holds and Fyreslayers lore guide covers it all.
My take
This is the kind of lore article I love: eight gods, each with a clear personality,, plus Hashut as the fallen black sheep. Valaya saving the breweries is my favourite detail. It's a great way to get to know the army before Saturday's pre-orders, and if you're picking a hold to paint, the god you like most is as good a reason as any.
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Sources
- Warhammer Community: Meet the Khazalite Ancestor Gods warhammer-community.com
Written by the WIZY creator
A lifelong gamer and Warhammer painter from Calgary, Canada, and the maker of the Crusade Journal and the WIZY RPG game. I write about games, hardware, Warhammer and crypto in plain English, and I check every fact against its source.
