Warriors of Chaos
The Warriors of Chaos are a faction that features in Warhammer Fantasy.
Contents[hide] |
History
The Warriors of Chaos were mortals who served the Chaos Gods in the Old World. They consisted primarily of humans that inhabited the lands of the North. Those harsh and unforgiving lands were inhabited by savage war-like tribes of barbarians. Long before the coming of Men upon the fertile lands of the Old World, the mortal world was originally a lush paradise guarded by the powerful, alien beings known only as the Old Ones. These intelligent and benevolent entities originally had a purpose for this world's creation, and went about drawing it closer to its sun and seeding the earth with the first forms of life. However, a catastrophic event had occurred at an unknown point in time that has since cursed the Known World to its inevitable damnation. Then a great calamity befell the Known World. Something glorious, wonderful, and powerful died, and when it did, the great polar Warp Gates, once marvels of technology and magical artifice, collapsed, and with it, the raw stuff of Chaos that was magical energy in its purest form which flowed like a river upon the harsh lifeless lands of what became the Northern and Southern Chaos Wastes. Boiling out from the wound within reality itself were the Daemons of Chaos and their warping powers of magic. The effects of the Polar Gates' destruction created all manner of abominations, and from these abominations came the first incursion of Chaos into the mortal world, remembered as the Great Catastrophe. Since those ancient times, Chaos has corrupted all those that would dwell so near to the north, and whose influence on Mankind will forever plague their history till the end of time itself.
No one now knows when Humanity first entered the Old World or from whence they truly came, though the most ancient records of the Dwarfs record the steady movement of Men over the Worlds Edge Mountains over a period of several centuries, sometimes fleeing more powerful tribes of Men, other times fleeing the rampaging hordes of Greenskins. Other sources say that Humanity spread north from the southern continents, and established their first true communities along the coast of the Tilean Sea and the Black Gulf. Some of these tribes migrated so far afield that they even colonised the territories of what is today the Dark Lands and the rolling plains of the Eastern Steppes, a frigid land bordering closely to the Northern Wastes. And though Chaos wended its ways into the hearts and minds of these people, and launched attacks from the swirling regions in the north, it was limited in its hold on Mankind. Throughout the millennia, Chaos would produce Daemons and let them loose, but these creatures were not of this world and could not venture too far south. The corruption of warpstone deposits and the lashing Winds of Magic created herds of Beastmen to inhabit the dim places, but still Chaos could not thrive within a world still filled with hope and peace, for without mortals to fear and worship them, they could not sustain their will. It was then, however, that one of the first true followers of Chaos was born unto this world. A savage primitive from an unknown land, Be'lakor is remembered as the first mortal to give his soul to the Ruinous Powers. A powerful warrior and stalwart Chaos Champion, the Dark Gods favoured him the most, luring him north to the Chaos Wastes, where he penetrated deeper and deeper into this bleak land until he came face-to-face with the maddening Realm of Chaos itself. The Dark Gods rewarded his courage by destroying his mortal shell and recreating him in their image: that of the very first Daemon Prince, in this case of Chaos Undivided.
Overview
Due to their ties to the North, they came to also be known as Northmen. When their armies gathered, they were also known as the Hordes of Chaos.
Among the tribes included the:
- Norscans :
- Kurgans :
- Hung :
- Tong :
The Legions of the Damned march out from the north, cruel soldiers alongside towering Daemons and beserkers. In the cold Chaos Wastes of the far north, the followers of the Dark Gods gather. Hordes of barbaric Chaos Marauders and plate armour-clad Chaos Warriors pour forth from their bleak wastelands to wage war against their soft-bellied, civilised brethren who inhabit the lands to the south. At their head march unholy Chaos Champions and Chaos Lords, and monstrous aberrations advance with them, proof that they are truly the favoured of the Chaos Gods. The northern barbarians are universally bloodthirsty, barbaric and fierce. War is their natural state and they wage it without prejudice, rejoicing in battle and strength at arms. When Chaos is ascendant, the Men of the North are more willing to put aside their rivalries and disputes. As word spreads of a coming conflict, the tribes gather together in great marauding hordes under the command of a fell Champion of Chaos, whom they will follow to the ends of the Known World in the name of conquest.
Among the Warriors of Chaos included:
- Chaos Marauders :
- Marauder Champions :
- Skullreapers :
- Chaos Warrior :
- Chaos Chosen :
- Forsaken :
- Skin Wolves :
- Marauder Horsemen :
- Skullcrushers :
- Hellstriders :
- Chaos Knights :
- Chaos Ogres :
- Dragon Ogre :
- Chaos Lord :
- Chaos Sorcerer Lord :
- Daemon Princes :
- Exalted Daemons :
- Marauder Chieftains :
- Chaos Champions :
- Aspiring Champions :
- Chaos Sorcerers :
Raiding parties of Marauder tribes who dwell below the malign Realm of Chaos and worship the Dark Gods come south every year but when the Winds of Magic blow strongly, then huge armies of Chaos worshipers form. The Marauder tribes are joined by Chaos Warriors and Knights as well as monsters from the deeper wastes - they then head south to lay waste to the lands of men, Elves and Dwarfs.
Members
- Archaon :
- Vardek Crom :
- Wulfrik the Wanderer :
- Harald Hammerstorm :
- Count Mordrek the Damned :
- Asavar Kul :
- Scyla Anfinngrim :
- Valkia the Bloody :
- Arbaal the Undefeated :
- Vilitch the Curseling :
- Aekold Helbrass :
- Egrimm van Horstmann :
- Festus the Leechlord :
- Gutrot Spume :
- Orghotts Daemonspew :
- Bloab Rotspawned :
- Morbidex Twiceborn :
- Valnir the Reaper :
- Tamurkhan, the Maggot Lord :
- Sigvald the Magnificent :
- Dechala, the Denied One :
- Galrauch :
- Kholek Suneater :
- Throgg :
Notes
- The Warriors of Chaos were created by Games Workshop where they feature in the setting of the Warhammer Fantasy universe.
Alternate Versions
- In the Storms of Chaos event, an alternate version of events were depicted that were later deemed non-canon. The foundations of the Storm of Chaos invasion were set when Archaon, warlord of Chaos managed to obtain the Six Treasures of Chaos, thereby becoming the Everchosen of Chaos. Archaon gathered a mighty host of Chaos worshippers and united many tribes of Marauders and began sweeping south from the Chaos Wastes with the ultimate goal of crushing The Sigmarite Empire. Kislev was the first nation of Men to feel the wrath of the Storm of Chaos, leading to its devastation. The Grand Theogonist Volkmar of the Cult of Sigmar well realised the threat that was posed by Archaon and led an army to counter the Chaos Warlord as he marched through Kislev. Volkmar however never realised the true extent of the threat posed by Archaon, and his army was swiftly crushed and he himself was killed. Meanwhile the Emperor Karl Franz was gathering men and allies together to counter the Storm of Chaos, in a great council known as the Conclave of Light which included not only men, but High Elves and Dwarfs aswell. At the same time the prophet of Sigmar, Luthor Huss had discovered a young man by the name of Valten, who bore the same physical characteristics as Sigmar himself and was even as strong willed as the founder of the Empire. Valten also bore a birthmark shaped like a Twin-tailed comet which was the symbol of the Cult of Sigmar. Luthor Huss proclaimed the man the reincarnation of Sigmar, and they both marched towards Altdorf gathering thousands of fanatical followers as they went. Upon reaching Altdorf Luthor Huss demanded that Valten should be made Emperor as he was the reincarnation of the first Emperor and founder of the mighty Empire. Karl Franz was in a very difficult position, the Empire needed to be united and strong as Archaon was on the march, but whether he refused or accepted the request for Valten being proclaimed Emperor, either way the Empire would fragment with supporters of both men on either sides. Karl Franz, like the great politician he was found a way to divert the disaster, he proclaimed Valten the spiritual heir of Sigmar and granted him Ghal Maraz as a symbol of his authority. The Storm of Chaos continued to shatter through the lands of Men and Archaon eventually reached the great city of the White Wolf; Middenheim. Upon arrival the Chaos Horde began to lay siege to the city. However they were soon forced to lift the siege because of the impending arrival of the armies of Bretonnia, Kislev, Karl Franz, and also the Greenskins. The armies of the Empire, led by Valten, met the hordes of Chaos in a massive battle to decide the fate of the realm. The two great armies ravaged each other and soon Valten and Archaon found themselves face to face. Valten slew Archaon's steed with a mighty blow from the Hammer of Sigmar as retribution for the Chaos hordes slaying his own steed with a blast from a cannon. Archaon dismounted and the duel began. The champions battle long and hard but eventually Archaon gained the upper hand. With a blow from his Daemonsword the Slayer of Kings he struck Valten and tore through his armor. Upon this the Lord Of the Endtimes saw the birthmark upon the warrior's chest and backed away in horror. Luthor Huss saw this as an opportunity and assaulted the shocked Chaos Champion and dealt several blows towards him. Archaon hit the Huss with his right hand and sent him flying over the battlefield. Immediately after this the Orc Warlord Grimgor Ironhide saw this as an opportunity to prove his supremacy and assaulted Archaon. Upon seeing their own allies turn upon them, the Chaos army began to falter. The Orc defeated Archaon but did not slay him, instead Grimgor stood triumphant over the Everchosen and proclaimed "Grimgor iz da best!". After this defeat the Chaos Warlord led his army in a retreat.
In other media
Video games
- In Warhammer: Mark of Chaos, the Hordes of Chaos appeared as a playable faction within the strategy game and could be played in the campaign setting. During the story mode, the campaign followed the actions of the Chaos Champion Thorgar the Blooded One who found alongside the warlord Asavar Kul during the Great War. In the aftermath, Thorgar sought to build his forces to launch a new attack against the Empire with him being guided by the sorcerer Sudobaal that led him to a Chaos shrine to gain the favour and patronage of the Chaos Gods. The sorcerer then instructed the Chaos Champion to find an Elven mage that knew the location of the bod of the warlord Asavar Kul. Afterwards, Sudobaal betrays Thorgar who kills the sorcerer and his plans for elevation to Deamonhood with the city of Talabheim being destroyed. Players could choose the 3 sub-factions of Chaos that were cults of the Chaos Gods Nurgle, Khorne or the entire pantheon as Chaos Undivided.
- In Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, Chaos appeared as a playable faction within the MMORPG video game. Players were part of the Raven Host that consisted of barbaric Northmen tribes that resided in the lands of Norsca and the Northern Chaos Wastes where the people were followers of Chaos from the time of their birth. These warriors lived according to the will of the Champions of the Ruinous Powers who brought them into warband's that worshipped either one of the Chaos Gods or more rarely all of them. Tchar'zanek was a favoured Chaos Champion of Tzeentch who had been tasked with raising a massive host of warriors to crush the Empire of Man. The warhost was the Raven Host who drew its warriors from many of the Northmen tribes that were accompanied by Beastmen and even Daemons as they travelled south. Their worship of their Chaos God was in the hope that they were rewarded by becoming gifted with mutation, magical weapons and armour in order to become champions themselves. However, their god was equally capable of punishing them by transforming them into hideous mindless Chaos Spawns. The Raven Host operated independently of the main Chaos hosts with their mission being different from that of a direct invasion of the Empire. Instead, they were dispatched behind enemy lines to secure magical relics which Tchar'zanek sought in order to further a secret master plan in defeating the Empire of Man with the Order of the Griffon arising to combat his efforts. Players could choose to become one of the four playable classes that included Chosen, Magus, Marauder, and Zealot.
- In Mordheim: City of the Damned, Chaos was represented by the Cult of the Possessed that were a playable faction in the tactical roleplaying video game.
- In Warhammer: Vermintide 2, Warriors of Chaos appeared in the setting of the first-person action video game. A Chaos Warband known as the Rotbloods who were dedicated to Nurgle and served as allies of the Skaven Clan Fester.
- In Total War: Warhammer, the Warriors of Chaos appeared in the setting of the mobile video game.
- In Total War: Warhammer II, the Warriors of Chaos in the setting of the mobile video game.
- In Total War: Warhammer III, the Warriors of Chaos in the setting of the mobile video game.
- In Warhammer: Chaosbane, Chaos appeared in the setting of the action role-playing game. Set 200 years ago after the Great War Against Chaos, the events depicted were shown to follow the decent of the Everchosen Asavar Kul. A Chaos sorceress of Tzeentch called the 'Harbinger' who was a Nuln native named Helspeth Bale planned to take control of Magnus the Pious's body to usurp the Empire. This saw her and her cultists sneaking into the heros' tower in order to place a curse on Magnus the Pious. Meanwhile, Uthgrim Redaxe a Champion of Khorne was laying waste to the city of Praag. The Champion of Slaanesh Vigrun Skraeling was in the Forest of Knives where he sacrificed himself to summon a Greater Daemon of Slaanesh. It was later determined that Helspeth had been eliminating her rivals and collecting their artifacts. She then fled to safety to the Daemon Prince Axarath the Desecrator within the Realm of Chaos. Within his fortress was the Fane of Forbidden Secrets that was the source of Axarath's power whose destruction defeated the Daemon Prince.
Appearances
- Warhammer Armies: Warriors of Chaos:
External Links
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