Realms of Men

All of the featured human nations are based in the Old World.

Bretonnia
Bretonnia is based on real-world medieval France; its name is clearly derived from the French
province of Britanny and it draws heavily from Arthurian legends which are associated with
Medieval Brittany; for instance with The Lady and The Green Knight who both have parallels in
Arthurian lais.
Brettonia was founded when the knight Giles drove the hordes of orcs and chaos out of Brettonia in
the name of the Lady, the goddess which the Brettonians place their faith in.
Bretonnian armies rely on powerful charges from their many heavily armed and armored knights in
order to achieve victory. Bretonnian knights are arguably the best heavy cavalry in the game, along
with being the most varied. Bretonnian armies can also contain cheap and expendable units of
unskilled peasant longbowmen and men at arms to serve as fodder.[1]

The Empire
The Empire is one of the mightiest nations of the Old World. The Empire is based upon the
real-world Holy Roman Empire, especially during the early modern period. The Empire
benefits from a great diversity of units and magic. They also field an extensive variety of
black-powder weapons.[2]

Smaller states of the Old World

The Wasteland Akin to the Low Countries, this low-lying land at the mouth of the River
Reik is home to Marienburg, one of the largest cities in the Old World. This region used to
belong to the Empire when it was referred to as Westerland, but is now fiercely independent.
Marienburg is a single city-state and is not covered by its own army book for Warhammer
Fantasy Battle. Although the previous edition of Empire Army book contains a listing for a
Marienburg army.
Tilea South of the Irrana Mountains and the Vaults. The fractious city-states of Tilea
embrace trade, exploration and civil war with equal passion. There are many mercenary
companies form the bulk of armies in these lands, often fighting on behalf of the wealthy
rulers of the many republics and principalities, or further north in the service of the Empire.
Tilean armies can be represented by the Dogs of War army list. Tilea roughly corresponds to
real world's Renaissance Italy.
Estalia A peninsula southwest of Bretonnia. They are far from the threat of Chaos, this
land is home to a kingdom, akin to the Iberian peninsula prior to the Reconquista along with
some Renaissance Italy influences. The name "Estalia" is a mix-up of the names Espaa
(Spain) and Italia (Italy). Estalia was once occupied by forces from Araby (which mirrors
the real life Iberian peninsula which was once under Berber/Arabian princes) but these were
driven out by a combined effort by other Old World human realms. There is no official

Estalian army book or list published by Games Workshop at this time. However, one could
use a Dogs of War army list as a basis for a royal or mercenary force from the peninsula or
use one of the unofficial books published by independent players. Estalia's position in the
Old World mirrors that of Spain and Portugal in Europe.
Norsca- Bordered to the North by the Chaos Wastes, to the South by the Sea of Claws, and
to the East by Troll Country. Norsca is a wild country based on Scandinavia. The tribal and
Viking like Norse worship a large pantheon of gods, the most significant of which are the
Chaos Gods, and are often found among the ranks of the Warriors of Chaos forming the
majority of the Hordes as both marauder foot soldiers and Chaos Warrior shock troops.
Kislev A northern nation and an ally of the Empire under constant threat due to their
close proximity to the maddening Realm of Chaos. This nation is reminiscent of medieval
Muscovy, Mongolia, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and relatively similar to the Slavic
countries. In the most recent incarnation, the Kislevites are remarkably similar to the
medieval Russians, with Boyars, Kossars and the Tsar and Tsarina all being very similar
adaptations of Russian realities. Kislevites can be taken as allies by some armies, and can be
fielded as their own army through an Army Book published as a supplement with White
Dwarf (in 2004) [1].

The North, East, and South

Albion - based upon the British Isles. Albion is an island surrounded by mist and fog.[3] In
2001, Games Workshop ran a worldwide summer campaign based around control of the Isle
of Albion which included rules for adverse weather conditions and stone circles, which
enhanced the abilities of magic users.
Cathay - based upon ancient China.[4]
Nippon - based upon ancient Japan
Araby - based on the Islamic Near East during the medieval period with units based largely
on Arabian Nights style fantasy. Earlier background describes it as being divided into
several theocratic states comprising a large empire ruled by the "Sultan of All Araby".[5]
Kingdoms of Ind - The Kingdoms of Ind are a fictitious location in the Warhammer Fantasy
role playing games. They are the equivalent to the Indian Subcontinent in the real world. In
the relevant Army Books of Warhammer, there is little reference to the Kingdoms of Ind.
The southern half of Ind is covered in forests containing a high concentration of Beastmen.
There is an island just off shore of Ind, the equivalent of Sri Lanka, mostly covered by forests on
which a High Elf fortress known as the Tower of the Sun is situated. A collection of smaller islands
are bunched up close to Ind, one of which has another High Elf outpost known as the Tower of
Stars. Separating the Kingdoms of Ind from Grand Cathay is a leg of mountains from the Ogre
Kingdoms, the equivalent of the Himalayas, where the Land of the Celestial Dragon Monks is. Just
inside the nation of Ind is a coastal city called the City of Spires. The rulers of Ind are said to be
attended by many servants and slaves, as well as being wealthy and generous.
The Sea of Claws is roughly equivalent to the real world Baltic Sea. The Sea is mentioned in the

many of the settings sourcebooks and maps. Its name comes from its abundance of sea creatures.
On the shores of Sea of Claws are Empire, Kislev, Bretonnia, Norsca and also the great city of
Marienburg roughly equivalent to 17th century Amsterdam. On the shores of sea is located Norsca
city of Olricstaad.

Elves
The Elves were the third civilized race to walk the world. Brought from creation by the Old Ones,
the Elves showed an adeptness to magic. Torn asunder many thousands of years ago by a great civil
war, there are three major nations of Elves.
Dark Elves The relentless and bitter Druchii of Naggaroth still follow Malekith, who
was exiled but still claims to be the rightful heir to the throne of the Elven Kingdoms of
Ulthuan. The dark elves are sworn enemies of the high elves and try incessantly to invade
Ulthuan. Dark elves enjoy nothing more than inflicting pain and suffering on others, they
frequently launch raids throughout the Old World in order to capture more slaves to feed
their hunger for cruelty. The Witch elves of Khaine perform blood rituals to rejuvenate their
youth.[6]
High Elves The Asur carry on the ancient traditions of the Elven people on the island
continent of Ulthuan, as well as the burdens of many millennia of arrogance and warfare.
Without them only daemons would exist.[7]
Wood Elves The ruthless Asrai abandoned their kin to both protect and restrain the
strange sentient forest of Athel Loren in the Old World. They resemble the Elves of Tolkien's
Lothlrien. They appear to be neither good nor bad, as likely to kill lost travelers as to aid
them. They are mortal enemies to the Beastmen, and wage a silent war against them.[8]
In the first edition of the game, there were two other Elven armies noted: the "Sea Elves" and the
"Night Elves". Sea Elves were essentially the Elves of the more practical and worldly Outer
Kingdoms of Ulthuan, and the Night Elves are now considered part of the Dark Elves.[citation
needed]

Dwarfs
The Dwarfs live in city fortresses dug into the mountains of the Old World. Their Chaos brethren
occupy one huge towering city in the lands to the south east of the Old World.
Dwarfs An ancient, grim, and determined race were integral in the founding of the
Empire, the Dwarves spend their days avenging grudges and counting gold. Dwarfs are the
greatest craftsmen in the Warhammer World and in addition to enjoying fine arms and
armor, they implement the best heavy infantry and artillery in the game. Dwarf armies are
well suited to defensive warfare, however due to their lack of mobility they do not do well
when forced to go on the offensive. Dwarfs are legendary for their ability to never forget nor
forgive a wrong against them, their finely crafted weapons and armor, ability to consume
large quantities of ale, extreme stubbornness, mistrust of elves, and hatred of greenskins.
Dwarfs are the closest ally to Humanity, although the Elves of Ulthuan have united with the

Humans as well in the last few hundred years.[9] Due to the horrid War of the Beard,
Dwarves hold a grudge against the High Elves.[2]
Chaos Dwarfs Tireless overseers of soulless industry. The Chaos Dwarfs worship their
own Chaos God; Hashut, the Father of Darkness. Their braided beards and Lamassu
monsters are drawn from Mesopotamian art and mythology.[citation needed] As of 2011, the
Chaos Dwarfs are available as a Forge World exclusive army, as well as three working as the
crewmen of the Hellcannon in the Warriors of Chaos army, and as one of the ships in
Dreadfleet.

Lizardmen
Lizardmen Have undergone successive changes through the history of the Warhammer
game. Originally the 'native' race of the Warhammer World was driven underground by the
Slann prior to their vast terraforming (which created the distinctive form of the continents
compared to those of Earth). They fought an eons-long guerrilla war against the amphibean
aliens whose armies were then made up of Amazons, Pygmies, Lobotomised Slaves and
Slann warriors.
In recent editions they have been reimagined to have been originally created by the Old Ones, thus
being the second civilization to come to the warhammer world. Preceded by the old ones and
succeeded by the elves to aid in their great genetic works, the Slann now lead the Lizardmen
through prophesies containing ancient instructions from their gods, who may or may not some day
return. Lizardmen are also based on the Aztec and Mayan cultures and are in the New World
corresponding with South America.[10]

Orcs and Goblins (Greenskins)

Main article: Orcs and Goblins
The tribes of Orcs, Goblins and other Greenskins are spread across the Old World and into the east.
They are mostly referred to in general as 'Greenskins' due to obvious reasons. The magic they use is
called Waaagh! magic and is drawn from the power and energy of fighting Greenskins. A large
horde led by a great Orc Leader (or sometimes a Goblin one) of Orcs and/or Goblins is called a
Waaagh![11]
Another relative of the Common Goblin is the Gnoblar, which is found living with the Ogre Hordes
in the Mountains of Mourn.[12] East of the Mountains of Mourn, upon the borders of Cathay, live
the Hobgoblins; a race of greenskins somewhere between the size of a Goblin and an Orc, but more
cunning than either. Hobgoblins can also be found as slaves of the Chaos Dwarves.[13] Smallest in
size of all the Greenskin races are the Snotling. They are considered the lowliest of greenskins and
are most often bullied around by their larger, greener cousins.[11]
The toughest and most disciplined of the Orcs are the Black Orcs. These mean beasts are 'armed to
da teef' and are covered in heavy black armour. This is one reason why they are called Black Orcs,
the other being their unusually dark skin. The most unusual thing about these Orcs is that they take
care of their weapons and armour (to an extent), cleaning them after each battle.

Another form of Orc are the Savage Orcs, who, rather than use the modern technology of armour,
language, and crafted weapons, stayed in their previous savage form. Using mainly stones as their
weapons, the Savage Orcs go in to battle madly, some clinging off wild boars with only their feet.
The Savage Orcs put so much faith in their warpaint that it works for intimidation.

Chaos
The phrase "Slaves to Darkness" is used to cover all those who have fallen under the control of, or
pledged themselves to, the Forces of the Chaos gods. While the energies of chaos touch all things
magical, there are those who fully give themselves to the deities of this realm, and seek to conquer
not just the works of the Old Ones, but the very fabric of reality itself.
There used to be a combined Chaos Army in the early 1990s, which was later split into the Beasts of
Chaos and Hordes of Chaos army books. These books then subdivide the armies of Chaos further
into Bestial, Mortal (humans), and Daemonic armies.
Beastmen Are either born bestial to human parents or raised among mutants. Beastmen
hate all that is civilized and untouched by the glories of chaos.
Warriors of Chaos Primarily humans who are favored by the Four Great Gods of chaos.
These marauders emerge from the areas below the Northern Warp Gate and also possess one
of the strongest cavalries and infantries in the game.
Daemons of Chaos - Servants of the chaos gods. They are made out of pure energy emerging
from the northern and southern warp gates. These daemons only come out in times when the
Chaos energies in the Warhammer World are strong.

Skaven
Skaven or "Children of the Horned Rat", are a Chaotic mockery of Man's nations. Inventive and
insane, the ratmen live in a vast network of tunnels beneath all the Warhammer World, referred to as
the Under-empire. Many human denizens of the Old World do not believe the Skaven exist, much to
their detriment. The crazed mechanics of Clan Skyre create powerful yet unreliable weapons to aid
their rampages. It is said that one day the Grey Seers will unite them and take over the Old World.
The Skaven have a general Steampunk motif, in that the Skaven use primitive and magic-driven
science similar to alchemy and medieval proto-science.
Some Skaven concepts might be inspired by the Old World's view of technology as imbalanced, or
knowledge/science not held in check by morals. This is a theme which runs through the background
of The Empire, in which wizards, gunpowder manufacturers and Sigmarite priests all try to limit or
free themselves from the others influence.

The Undead
Main article: Undead (Warhammer)
All undead in the Warhammer world are a result of the black sorceries devised by the first
necromancer, Nagash, in the long distant past. The Undead are effectively split into two distinct

armies: that of the Tomb Kings which has a strong ancient Egyptian feel with mummies and
chariots driven by skeletons, and the army of the Vampire Counts which features vampires, zombies
and so forth. They are colloquially known as "dry" and "wet" undead, respectively.
Vampire Counts Disciples of Nagash who stole his secrets of eternal life, the Vampires
and their minions have spread across the Old World, furthering their own aims. There are
five playable vampire families, each with different ambitions, habits and powers: Von
Carsteins, Necrarchs, Blood Dragons, Lahmians and Strigoi. Their armies consist mainly of
classic undead, such as zombies, skeletons, vampires, bats, and ghosts.
Tomb Kings In the hot desert lands of Nehekhara to the south of the Old World a race
was once ruled by the necromancer Nagash. After a successful rebellion against his rule, he
killed every mortal being in order to raise an unassailable army of the undead to conquer the
world. He was stopped by the last king of Khemri. The aftermath of Nagash's great spell
awakened several thousand years worth of the buried dead and their Kings as an undead
army. Their armies consist mainly of Egyptian-style units, such as bowmen, light infantry
and several chariots.

The Ogres
Ogre Kingdoms Massive Eastern barbarians who will do any work for gold and will eat
anything and anyone. They ride large beasts resembling mammoths and sabre-tooth tigers.
Since ogres are guided solely by their stomachs, they spread devastation and destruction
wherever they go. Ogres are often considered to be a "neutral" army, and can end up fighting
for any side, they hire themselves out as mercenaries to feed their lust for food. They have a
resemblance to humans from the ice age or cave man.[12]

Characteristics
Like much of the Warhammer setting, the Empire resembles a period of European history but with
the addition of fantasy elements, such as the presence of magic and non-human races. Both visually
and in geography it is based on Europe during a mixture of the Dark Ages, middle-ages & Early
Modern periods. There are wealthy city-states that bear similarity to Hanseatic league cities, such as
Hamburg, and place and character names are Germanic in tone; for example, the capital of the
Empire is the city of Altdorf, which translates as "old village" and is the name of several real-world
places.
The Empire is the largest and most powerful of all the nations of the Old World. The Empire is
bordered by the nation of Kislev to the north east and the Sea of Claws, the World's Edge
Mountains to the east, and the Great Ocean, Black Mountains, Grey Mountains, the land of
Bretonnia to the west, and the Border Princes to the south. To the east, the Empire is threatened by
the Orcs and Goblins. A large part of the Empire is heavily forested and large numbers of Beastmen
can be found in the deepest forests.

Political structure
The Empire is a confederation of ten large provinces: Averland, Hochland, Middenland, Nordland,
Ostland, Ostermark, Reikland, Stirland, Talabecland, Wissenland, each of which is ruled by an
Elector Count. There were originally two more provinces Drakwald (lands now under the
jurisdiction of the Elector Counts of Middenland) and Solland (lands now under the Elector Counts
of Wissenland). Another, Westerland, was originally the areas around Marienburg.
The provinces and their counts are derived from the twelve chieftains that followed the Sigmar who
would become the first Emperor, and in time, worshiped as the patron deity of the Empire. The
naming of some provinces of The Empire are also derived from the river that flows through them,
like the river Reik flows through The Reikland, the Talabec through Talabecland and Talabheim and
such. Also, some of the major cities of the Empire became more important and as such are classed
as city-states; namely:

Altdorf, in Reikland.
Nuln, on the borders of Wissenland, Averland and Stirland.
Talabheim, in Talabecland.
Middenheim, in Middenland.

Sudenburg is an Imperial enclave in Araby

The Empire is nominally ruled by the Emperor, who is chosen by majority voting of the various
electors. The electors are the ten Elector Counts, the Grand Theogonist of the Sigmarite Church, the
two "Arch Lectors", who are also clerics of the Sigmar church, the High Priest of Ulric and the
Elder of the Moot (representing the halflings). Karl Franz, of the Holswig-Schliestein family, is the
current Emperor during the 1st edition and most of the written adventures. The Emperor is usually
also one of the Elector Counts; Karl-Franz is the Elector Count of Reikland.

Religion
The religion of the Empire is polytheistic, with the god Sigmar being the most important. Sigmar
was a mortal man, who was elevated to equal status with the other gods of the Old World Pantheon
after his disappearance following the establishment of the Empire. The Grand Theogonist is the
leader of the Church of Sigmar and is analogous to the Pope. Sigmar's worship is strongest in
Altdorf, but runs throughout the Empire. Some regions, however, have a stronger link to other older
gods now known as the Old Faith, such as the Middenheimers who revere Ulric before all others
and Talabecland who revere the god Taal. Other gods commonly worshipped in the Empire are
Manann along coastal regions and rivers, and Morr by the grieving or those facing death. These
gods of the old faith are still worshipped throughout though Sigmar is considered the patron deity of
the Empire only.

Military
The armies of the Empire are amongst the most diverse in the Old World. Older forms of troops like
spearmen, swordsmen and halberdiers, crossbowmen, and archers especially the personal
bodyguard of the Elector Counts the Greatswords who fight alongside more 'modern' troops like
cannon, Handgunners and Pistoliers. The inventiveness of the Empire has produced war-machines,
such as a steam-powered tank, rocket batteries and volleyguns, and in the last edition such steampunk elements as mechanical horses are also present.
The Empire is also noted for having excellent cavalry in the form of its Orders of Knights. The
Empire also often fields state-trained Battle Wizards and religious fanatics known as Flagellants.
The armies can be led by Imperial Generals, Grand Masters of the various Knightly Orders,
Captains chosen by the Counts, Warrior Priests and Arch Lectors of Sigmar, or even the mighty
imperial warlord Emperor Karl-Franz himself.
The historical example for this army is the Early Modern German army, especially that of Holy
Roman Emperor Maximilian I and the Landsknechts.

Alliances
The Dwarfs are the Empire's closest ally and have been from its very founding. This alliance
provided not only military support but also technological and commercial trading. A large
contingent of Dwarfs has settled in the Empire and owe their allegiance to the Emperor rather than
their ancestral homelands.
Bretonnia is an oft rival of the Empire in both trade and war, but in the most dire situations
Bretonnia has supported the Empire with a few troops, notably in the recent Storm of Chaos. The
wintry kingdom of Kislev to the north and east has been on good terms with the Empire ever since
the Great War against Chaos and the then-Tzar declared Magnus the "Eternal Friend of the People",
and their forces have fought together against common enemies many times since. Ties with the
High Elves are strong and growing.
The Wood Elves have also been one of the Empire's allies in times of turmoil, fighting against the
beastmen inside the Forest of Shadows, and killing Morghur, master of skulls when he was reborn

in that place.
The Empire maintains a cool relationship with its former province of Marienburg, the city of
merchants. Trade and travel are maintained with the countries of Tilea/ Italy and Estalia/ Spain.
Great caravans transverse the mountains and continents to bring sought-after goods and treasures
from Ind/ India and Grand Cathay/ China in the east. Although Imperials know little of the East, it
appears that they are unwitting allies against Chaos.
In the desert lands of Araby,/ a combined land of Arab countries, the Imperial colony of Sudenburg
has been established along its coast. Arabian trade is also heavy, and extravagant tales are told of
the fabulous and wondrous realm of the Sultans.

History
Battle of Black Fire Pass
The First Battle of Black Fire Pass was the culmination of Sigmar's campaigns to cleanse the lands
of the Empire of Orcs and Goblins, this battle saw the power of the Greenskin races broken in the
lands of Men, and drove them into the Bad Lands, their current domain. Taking place in the year IC
-1, a year before Sigmar's coronation as the first Emperor, this battle is looked upon as Sigmar's
greatest victory and the site is now a site of pilgrimage for members of the Sigmarite faith.
Black Fire Pass lies in the south of Averland, where the Black Mountains part and the Old Dwarf
Road moves out into the Border Princes' Realm and toward Karaz-a-Karak, the greatest of the
Dwarf holds and the seat of their High Kings. Along with Axe Bite Pass in the west, which leads
into Bretonnia, High Pass to the far north-east and Peak Pass to the east, Black Fire Pass is one of
the few routes through the mountains.

Magnus the Pious

Perhaps the greatest Emperor after Sigmar, Magnus the Pious saved the Old World in the "Great
War against Chaos".
Magnus Von Bildhofen was a noble of the Empire born over 2,300 years after the ascension of
Sigmar. The Empire had long been marred by civil war, and was bereft of a single leader. In the
Imperial year 2302, the largest Chaos incursion since ancient times erupted, threatening to conquer
the Old World. Led by the warlord, Asavar Kul, the Chaos horde swept over Kislev, taking Praag
and sacking Erengrad in swift succession. After defeating a large Chaos uprising in his home city of
Nuln, Magnus travelled across the Empire, delivering great speeches condemning the invaders and
restating the Empire's duty to oppose the evil surging over the north.
Magnus assembled the largest army in Imperial history, splitting it between infantry and cavalry.
Flagellants marched next to the mercenaries and state troops of all the Elector Counts, hedge
wizards trained by the Elven High Mage Teclis advanced alongside ordinary citizens who hated
Chaos. This force marched north to Kislev to meet the Chaos legions, which were opposed only by
the remnants of the Kislevite armies and a small Dwarven force. Their arrival was aided by the
High King Alriksson of the Dwarfs. At the Battle of Four Gates, Magnus and his allies vanquished
Kul and his horde.

After the Great War, Magnus "the Pious", as he posthumously became known, was elected Emperor
and re-established Imperial government, moving the Imperial capital from Altdorf to Nuln. One of
his first acts after the War was to co-found the Colleges of Magic. Throughout Imperial history, the
practice of sorcery was punishable by death. Under Magnus' approval and Teclis' guidance, a new
weapon was added to mankind's arsenal - the Imperial Battle Wizard. Magnus also granted the
Artillery and Gunner's School the Imperial Charter for their contribution to the war.

History of the provinces

As of 2522 in the Imperial Calendar, the latest date given in game materials.

Averland
During the The Enemy Within the elector of Averland was the 77 year old Grand Countess Ludmilla
von Alptraum. Since the 4th edition, the elector became Marius Leitdorf. Marius was famous in the
Empire for two reasons; first, for being one of the best swordsmen in the Empire, and second, for
being completely mad. This prompted some unsubtle 'guidance' from Karl Franz, via Ludwig
Schwarzhelm, to curb the worst of Leitdorf's excesses. Leitdorf was eventually slain by an Orc
Warlord at the Third Battle of Black Fire Pass in 2520, though it was his holding action
(accompanied by his Greatsword bodyguards) that gave time for the Reiksguard to rally and rout
the invaders. According to the newest edition of Warhammer Armies: Empire, the position of
Averland Elector Count is in dispute, since the last Elector Count never returned from the Storm of
Chaos.

Hochland
"Baroness Hildegarde Tussen-Hochen" was elector of Hochland prior to the 4th edition, when the
elector of Hochland was retconned to "Count Aldebrand Ludenhof". It has a reputation for being a
wooded and sparsely populated province, as well as having a history of being attacked by enemies
from the forests, primarily Goblins and Beastmen. The provincial capital is the city of Hergig.

Stirland
The Moot, or Mootland, was established on Stirland territory around the year 1,000. At the end of
the Vampire Wars, Stirland annexed the then-independent Imperial province of Sylvania to the east
of Stirland. Since then, it has officially been a vassal of Stirland. The priests of Morr maintain a
watchful presence along the eastern borders of Stirland proper. The current Elector Count is Graf
Alberich Haupt-Anderssen the "Hawk of Wurtbad".

Middenland
"Grand Duke Leopold von Bildhofen," elector of Middenland, was retconned out of the background
in the 4th edition Empire army book, which also made the separate city state of Middenheim the
capital of Middenland. Both are ruled by Graf Boris Todbringer.

Nordland
The province is ruled by Count Theoderic Gausser. Previous background had "Baron Werner Nikse"

as the ruler of the Nordland. The Nikse noble family was closely tied to the Todbrigner family of
Middenheim through intermarriage. Nordland's border encompass the Laurelorn Forest, home to
one of the few communities of Wood Elves The Old World.

Ostermark
Chancellor Maximillian Dachs was killed during the war of 2514 in a terrible slaughter, along with
some 4,000 of the men that he was leading. His body was found two days after the battle in a watery
ditch, punctured by pikes, his limbs hacked apart by halberds and swords. Wolfram Hertwig took
command and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, leading the remaining Ostermark troops to
vanquish their Talebecland rivals at the Battle of Wolfenburg. With Maximilian dead and with no
surviving heirs, Wolfram Hertwig assumed control of Ostermark and consequently gained electoral
powers.

Ostland
Grand Prince Hals von Tasseninck died in battle against the Nordlanders, slain by a barrage of
crossbow fire as he charged headlong, at the head of a squadron of heavy cavalry into the opposing
Nordlander regiments. His only son and named heir Prince Hergard had prior disappeared on an
expedition to the Grey Mountains and thought dead, his father claiming it a Talabecland plot.
However, his son later returned and claimed his father's title. Currently Valmir von Raukov is
Elector Count of Ostland.

Reikland
The richest and most powerful province in the Empire, whose Elector, Karl Franz, is also Emperor.
Reikland extends from the frontier with the Wasteland along the course of the river Reik and the
Grey Mountains, across from the Kingdom of Bretonnia. It contains Altdorf, the Imperial capital
and largest city in the Empire, home of the Colleges of Magic. Helmgart and Ubersreik are heavily
fortified towns at the eastern edge of the Grey Mountains, guarding the Axe Bite Pass and Grey
Lady Pass respectively from human and Greenskin intruders. Reiklanders are the most forwardlooking and confident people of the Empire, proud of their Unberogen heritage and convinced the
brightest days are yet to come - and that as the people of Sigmar, they should naturally take the lead
in Imperial endeavours. Unsurprisingly, such an attitude wins Reiklanders few favours in the wartorn north...

Talabecland
As with the Elector of Middenland, Grand Duke Gustav von Krieglitz was found guilty of
instigating the 2514 war. The 2515 Volkshalle Edict stripped von Krieglitz of his status as Elector
and Count Helmut Feuerbach, a Talabeclander noble who stayed out of the war, was elevated to
succeed him. Though no direct evidence was found to prove her complicity, there were strong
suspicions that Grand Duchess Elise Krieglitz-Untermensch provided loans to her cousin, von
Krieglitz. Rather than submit to harsh imperial questioning and possible execution for treason,
Grand Duchess Elise abdicated her Electoral status, but was able to secure the continuance of the
city's Freistadt status under her rule.
The current Elector is Helmut Feuerbach, who went missing shortly after the most recent Chaos

invasion. Though he has not been formally declared as dead, the nobility of Talabecland are already
fighting amongst themselves to be his successor.

Wissenland
Wissenland is contrasted between the dour and hardy people of the countryside and the expressive
city-dwellers of the great city of Nuln, former Imperial capital and persistent centre of learning in
the arts and sciences. The wealth and power of Nuln paid for much of the reconstruction of the wartorn Empire. Grand Countess Emmanuelle von Liebewitz of Nuln exercised her own form of justice
and took over the rule of Wissenland from her errant vassal, Count Bruno Pfeifraucher in 2514.
Today she remains Elector Countess of Wissenland, yet has also retained her rule over Nuln.

Former provinces
As of 2522 IC, these provinces are no longer politically individual parts of the Empire.

Drakwald
One of the founding provinces in the time of Sigmar Heldenhammer, located in the centre of the
eponymous Drakwald forest, this province was stripped of its assets, its territory divided between
Middenland and Nordland.

Solland
Once a province on the southern frontier of the Empire, Solland was lost in the face of a massive
Orc invasion, led by Gorbad Ironclaw, its Runefang seized by the invaders after the Battle of
Sollands Crown and only retrieved at length. Solland's territory has been subsumed by Wissenland,
where there is a profound sense of tragedy at the fall of their once-neighbours. Kurt Helborg
however now carries the Solland Runefang.

Sudenland
In former editions of Warhammer, Sudenland was a province in its own right, with the background
noted here. However, after Bryan Ansell left Games Workshop, Sudenland became Solland, and was
destroyed by Gorbad Ironclaw and subsumed into Wissenland. This was part of a short-lived but
deliberate strategy to remove aspects of the background thought to be overly influenced by Bryan
Ansell and Kim Newman.[citation needed] Former background appears to state that Sudenland had
only been separated from Wissenland and ruled by the von Mecklenberg family since the time of
Magnus the Pious in recognition for their outstanding services in the Great War against Chaos in
2303. Johann von Mecklenberg abdicated the rule of the province in 2505 to his cousin, Grand
Baroness Etelka Toppenheimer. For undisclosed reasons, the Grand Baroness surrendered her
Electoral status in 2515 and the province was reunited with Wissenland. Rumours have it that
Toppenheimer's heir and adopted son of a distant relative, Baron Olaf Sektliebe, was somehow
involved with this strange turn of events.

Westerland
When the great port city of Marienburg lay within the Empire's borders, it was part of the province

of Westerland, at the mouth of the river Reik. Upon declaring independence, the region is now
referred to as the Wasteland, yet those within the Empire who would seek 'reunification' retain the
use of the previous term.

Sylvania
Sylvania (an obvious homage to Transylvania) is an area now in the Province of Stirland that has
been the source of an Undead threat on many occasions.
Sylvania was long considered a cursed and backward area, and gained an ill reputation for being
both a refuge for sorcerers and necromancers, and where the dead did not rest long in their graves. It
first came to infamy after the necromancer Vanhel ruled it with an Undead horde and drove off a
massive Skaven incursion that had been ravaging the Empire. After Vanhel's death, the province
came under the rule of the mad Von Drak family until the heiress of that family, Isabella, was
married to a foreigner - a move by the ruling Count to deny his brother the throne. The man was
Vlad Von Carstein, an ancient and powerful vampire. For many years, Vlad ruled using a variety of
different names so as to not draw suspicion, and under his leadership, Sylvania was transformed
into an efficient province of the Empire. Vlad built a huge army partly made of undead. With this
horde, he attacked the Empire, launching the Vampire Wars. After nearly destroying the Empire,
Vlad was slain by Grand Theogonist Wilhelm.
Vlad's heirs continued the war for over a century before Mannfred Von Carstein, last and greatest of
Von Carstein's bloodline, was slain by Count Martin of Stirland at the Battle of Hel Fenn. For his
bravery in the battle, Martin laid claim to Sylvania and the province was absorbed into Stirland.
Since no one else actually wanted the cursed land, no one gainsaid him. Mannfred Von Carstein has
since returned and rebuilt his strength, leading a huge army to Middenheim at the peak of the Storm
of Chaos. Other vampiric factions, including vampire nobles in Sylvania, have often taken steps to
hinder the Von Carstein's attempts to restart the Vampire Wars for the simple reason that hiding
amongst their prey is much harder if the humans are actively hunting vampires.

Gaming
In Warhammer Fantasy Battle, the forces of the Empire are the most diverse of the human armies.
They field a number of different troop types as well as artillery and war machines.
Cavalry
The Cavalry of The Empire is among the best in the old world, at the forefront are the
knightly orders, well equipped, well armoured (in full plate armour) Heavy cavalry equipped
primarily with lances. Not quite as good as the Bretonnian knights, it is far superior to other
races nevertheless, with possible exception of High Elves. The Empire also maintains light
cavalry in the form of the Pistolier corps, primarily equipped with a brace of pistol firearms,
although some units of specialised outriders who act as scouts are equipped with much more
potent firearms, namely the repeater handgun. References are made in some novels to the
existence of other cavalry such as demi-lancers although no rules have been provided for
these troops. In game terms the knights fielded by the empire player have a 1+ armour save,
making up for the minus 1" movement restriction due to barding.
Infantry

The Empire has a wide variety of infantry and maintains the only standing professional army
in the Old World. Every Elector Count has a regiment of elite Great Sword troops as their
personal guards. The Imperial Army can call upon units of state troops, which include
Spearmen, Halberdiers, Swordsmen, Handgunners and crossbowmen. They can also include a
variety of Militia units, such as free companies, archers and hunters. Notably, the armies of
the Empire sometimes make use of Mercenary crossbowmen, in particular Tileans. Empire
infantry regiments are ceaselessly drilled and can fight as detachments, giving them various
abilities and tactical options unavailable to any other infantry in the Warhammer world.
Artillery
The Empire has an artillery school at Nuln that supplies the gunners and engineers to operate
their artillery. The majority of the artillery are Cannon and Mortars. The Empire also uses
experimental artillery in the form of the Helblaster Volley Gun, a carriage mounting several
barrels similar to a repeating Handgun but on a larger scale, as well as the Helstorm Rocket
Battery. Both of these are available in plastic kits. When used in games, the Helblaster Volley
Gun and the Helstorm Rocket Battery are extremely unreliable, but are potently devastating
and capable of wiping out ranks of the enemy with good dice rolls (or blowing up in your face
with bad rolls).
Magic
After the great war against chaos, Teclis founded the eight Colleges of magic in Aldorf:

The Light order known as the Lore of Light studying the wind of Hysh.
The Golden order known as the Lore of Metal studying the wind of Chamon.
The Jade order known as the Lore of Life studying the wind of Ghyran.
The Celestial order known as the Lore of Heavens studying the wind of Azyr.
The Grey order known as the Lore of Shadow studying the wind of Ulgu.
The Amethyst order known as the Lore of Death studying the wind of Shyish.
The Bright order known as the Lore of Fire studying the wind of Aqshy.
The Amber order known as the Lore of Beasts, studying the wind of Ghur.

Models
The aesthetic for the miniatures that comprise an Empire army are largely based on Renaissance
styles. For example, Empire State Troops, Greatswords, Handgunners/Crossbowmen and cannon
crew are modeled on German Landsknechts and Swiss mercenaries, while light cavalry is modeled
similar to Dragoons from the 17th century.
The range of Empire models also includes elements of Steampunk, including larger contraptions
like the coal-fired Steam Tank and repeater blackpowder cannon, as well as certain upgrades like
gatling pistols and robotic horses as mounts.
These are in addition to more classical fantasy elements, such as wizards and heavily armored
knights.

Notable characters
Past Emperors

Sigmar Heldenhammer, the now deified founder of the Empire.

Hedrich, Emperor presented with Runefangs created by Alaric the mad.
Sigismund II, Emperor at the time of Marienburg's absorption.
Ludwig the Fat, Emperor responsible for granting autonomy to the Halflings of the Moot.
Boris Goldgather, famously incompetent Emperor during the Skaven induced plague of
1111.
Mandred Ratslayer, responsible for the defence of the Empire during the Skaven wars, later
elected Emperor.
Ottilia, Countess of Talabecland and self-proclaimed Empress during the Age of Three
Emperors.
Siegfried, Count of Middenland and self-proclaimed Emperor during the Age of Three
Emperors.
Ludwig, Count of Reikland and self-proclaimed Emperor during the Age of Three Emperors.
Martin, Count of Stirland responsible for the absorption of Sylvania after his defeat of
Mannfred von Carstein.
Magnus the Pious, revered as the saviour of the Empire and greatest Emperor after Sigmar.
Leopold, Emperor after Magnus.
Dieter IV, Emperor deposed after the Marienburg scandal.
Wilhelm III, Emperor after the Marienburg scandal.

Current Electors

Marius Leitdorf, deceased former Elector Count of Averland.

Aldebrand Ludenhof, Elector Count of Hochland.
Graf Boris Todbringer, Elector Count of Middenland.
Theoderic Gausser, Elector count of Nordland.
Vlamir von Raukov, Elector Count of Ostland.
Wolfram Hertwig, Elector Count of Ostermark.
Karl Franz, the reigning Emperor, Elector Count of Reikland.
Graf Alberich Haupt-Anderssen, Elector count of Stirland.
Helmut Feuerbach missing Elector count of Talabecland.
Emmanuelle von Liebewitz, Elector Countess of Wissenland.
Hisme Stoutheart, Elder of the Moot.
Volkmar the Grim,Grand Theogonist of Sigmar, recently reinstated.
Kaslain and Aglim, Arch Lectors of Sigmar.
Emil Valgeir, Ar Ulric.

Notable characters
Johann Esmer, Grand Theogonist of Sigmar during the storm of Chaos, now fled to
Marienburg.

Luthor Huss, Prophet of Sigmar.

Valten, the Exalted of Sigmar. Assassinated by Skaven after the battle of Middenhelm.
Johann Helstrum, first Grand Theogonist.
Wilhelm III, Grand Theogonist responsible for destroying Vlad von Carstein.

Other notable figures

Eldred, last Count of Solland.
Konrad Aldrech, last Count of Drakwald.
Kurt Helborg, Captain of the Reiksguard Knights, Reiksmarshall of the Imperial armed
forces.
Ludwig Schwarzhelm, the Emperor's Champion.
Balthasar Gelt, incumbent Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic.
Thyrus Gormann, former Supreme Patriarch, prior to Gelt's succession.
Morgan Bernhardt, The commander of the mercenary army The Grudgebringers.
Mathias Thulman, an infamous witch hunter in the days of Karl Franz
Stefan von Kessel, Elector Count of the Ostermark during the reign of Magnus the Pious.

Army structure
In April 2012, a new Warhammer Army book was published for Empire. While most of the Army
structure is the same there are several new units and characters. In Warhammer, these are divided
into Characters, Core Units, Special Units and Rare Units. Each figure is worth a certain number of
'points' and it is by balancing these points that two battling armies are kept fair. Also if you purchase
the Empire Army Book or the Warhammer Rulebook you can get a complete points value for the
troops.
Special Characters in the 8th Edition:

Karl Franz (Lord)

Volkmar the Grim (Lord)
Kurt Helborg (Lord)
Marius Leitdorf (Lord)
Balthazar Gelt (Lord)
Ludwig Schwarzhelm (Hero)
Luthor Huss (Hero)
Markus Wulfhart (Hero)

Rest of Army:
Lords

General of the Empire:

Grand Master:
Arch Lector:
Wizard Lord:

Hero

Captain of the Empire:

Witch Hunter:
Warrior Priest:
Master Engineer:
Battle Wizard:

Core Units

Halberdiers:
Spearmen:
Swordsmen:
Crossbowmen:
Handgunners:
Archers:
Free Company Militia:
Knightly Orders:

Special Unit

Great Swords:
Demigryph Knights:
Reiksguard Knights:
Huntsmen:
Pistoliers:
Outriders:
Great Cannon:
Mortar:
Flagellants:

Rare Unit

Helblaster Volley Gun

Helstorm Rocket Battery
Steam Tank
Celestial Hurricanum
Luminark of Hysh

Dwarfs
History
(This is the in-game history of the Dwarf race)
The Beginning
There are no written records of the earliest years of the Dwarfs history, though legend states that the
first Dwarfs migrated northwards from their southern ancestral homes along the World Edge
Mountains, following open veins of ore and tunnelling into the mountains in search of gold, iron
and gemstones. As they progressed, many clans built fortified settlements and mines called holds
around the richest deposits. Eventually they reached the northern most edge of the mountains - the
majority turned back, while some ventured north-west into the lands that would become Norsca and
others turned east and crossed the Great Skull Land (these would eventually become the Chaos
Dwarves during the Coming of Chaos).
It was written in the Great Book of Grudges that a time of great calamity fell when the storms of
Chaos erupted across the Old World from the far north, colouring the sky, splitting the earth and
tearing apart the mountains themselves. It was also in this period that the great Ancestor Gods
emerged - Grungni, Grimnir and Valaya - who helped lead the Dwarfs to safety by leading them to
dig deep under the mountains to escape the storm ravaging the world above. After the catastrophe of
the Coming of Chaos, the Dwarfs emerged to find their world changed and warped. Mutated
Beastmen roamed freely throughout the land, slaying everyone in their path. Warriors of the Chaos
Gods murdered and pillaged at will, and Daemons created nightmare realms, enslaving entire tribes
and peoples. The sheer power of Chaos threatened the entire world with eventual destruction.
To battle against such enemies, Grungni forged the first weapons and armour, while teaching the
Dwarfs the skills of metalworking, smelting and mining. He also forged the first magical runes,
capturing the wild winds of magic and harnessing their power into them, creating even more potent
weapons, axes and hammers, as well as runes that gave runic protection into armour and talismans.
He armed Grimnir with two mighty axes and armour harder than the bones of mountains, and he
and his first Runesmiths armed the rest of the Dwarf race. Soon after, they marched forth from their
stronghold and battled against Chaos, where Grimnir slew many deamons and Valaya protected
them from the dark magics of their foes. Though they could not fully destroy the forces against
them, they drove them from their mountain homes and defended them from further onslaught.
Soon after their re-emergence and battles with Chaos, the Dwarfs encountered the High Elves of
Ulthuan. An army led by Grimnir, as they were chasing a marauder warband into the lowlands, met
a fleet of Elven warships led by the mage Caledor Dragontamer, who had been blown off course
while searching the Old World for clues as to the source of Chaos. Though uncertain of each other,
the armies combined to defeat a fresh onslaught by Chaos forces, the spells of Caledor working in
conjunction with the axe-work of Grimnir. During the aftermath, the Dwarves learnt from the Elves
of the wars in their homeland and their vast struggle against the magic of Chaos, while the Elves
learnt of the great storm that erupted from north. Realising that a Chaos Gate had opened at the
polar north, Caledor began to devise a plan to trap the power of Chaos in a vast vortex, and returned
to Ulthuan to plan his endeavour. Grimnir, upon learning of the Chaos Gate from Caledor, decided

to journey northwards and close the gate himself. Though Grungni and Valaya warned him such an
endeavour might not succeed and he would surely die, Grimnir replied it was worth the risk.
Shaving his hair and beard except for a mohawk, he gave one of his mighty axes to his son Morgrim
and journeyed northwards to close the Gate. He was never seen again and his fate remains
unknown, even as Caledor's plan succeeded in trapping the power of Chaos and banishing it to the
dark corners of the world.
Soon after this victory, Grungni and Valaya vanished, with many saying they had returned to the
mountains awaiting the day the dwarf race would need them most. With the defeat of Chaos, the
Dwarfs prospered and expanded all across the World Edge Mountains, establishing mighty
strongholds and vast passageways beneath the earth. As the Elves returned to the Old World and
established their colonies along the coast and in the forests, trade flowed between the two races and
strong bonds of friendship grew between them.
The War of Vengeance
The War of Vengeance was the Dwarf name given to cataclysmic war that erupted between the
Dwarfs and the High Elves. Though the two races had enjoyed peace and prosperity with each other
for over a thousand years, the elves increasing colonisation of the Old World, in conjunction with
apprehensions and mistrust amongst several of the dwarf kings and leaders, began to create tensions
between the two civilisations, though many endeavoured to maintain the alliance. The first sparks of
the war were begun when Dark Elves, under the orders of Malekith, began attacking Dwarf colonies
and trading parties in disguise as High Elves, culminating in the slaughter of Agrin Fireheart, one of
the most ancient Runelords of the Dwarf race and the Runelord of Barak Varr. High King Gotrek
Starbreaker, though a strong proponent of continuing friendship with the Elves, soon exhausted all
attempts at peace and reconciliation both with the elves and amongst the more warlike of his fellow
kings (including his own son Snorri Halfhand). As a final act to prevent conflict, he sent his most
skilled ambassadors to demand recompenses from the High Elves for the attacks and losses the
dwarfs had suffered, but the arrogant Phoenix King Caledor II, after hearing news of the destruction
of the city of Kor Vanaeth by Snorri Halfhand (acting against his father Gotrek and in conjunction
with the kings of Barak Varr and Zhufbar) seized the ambassadors and shaved off their beards in
anger. To lose one's beard is the ultimate insult and shame to a Dwarf - thus the war that followed
was known as the War of the Beard to the Elves while the Dwarves, not to take such things lightly,
called it the War of Vengeance.
After 437 years of continuous battle, the war culminated in the seventeenth and final siege of the Elf
city of Tor Alessi. After several hours of fighting in single combat, High King Gotrek Starbreaker
killed Caledor II, thus ending the war. He took the Phoenix Crown as recompense, where it remains
in Karaz-a-Karak. As the remaining High Elves prepared to launch a suicidal attack on the Karaz
Ankor, news reached them that the Dark Elves had attacked their homeland, thus forcing them to
withdraw and shattering the Elven empire in the Old World. Those elves who chose to remain
became the Wood Elves.
The Time of Woes
The Time of the Goblin Wars
The Birth of the Empire

The Present Day (Imperial Year 2523)

Timeline
(All dates are told using the Warhammer Fantasy Imperial Calendar)
4500 = The Time of the Ancestor Gods. No written records of these times survive, but
legend relates that the Dwarfs began their slow colonization of the Worlds Edge Mountains
about the year -5000. This age came to a close with the coming of Chaos, the disappearance
of the Ancestor God Grimnir into the Chaos Wastes, and the disappearance of the other
Ancestor Gods shortly afterwards. Dwarf tradition holds that Grimnir closed the mighty
Chaos Gate after battling with the Chaos gods, thereby saving the world from certain doom.
Shortly before Grimnir's disappearance, the Dwarfs and High Elves meet for the first time,
and friendly relations are established between the two races.
4119 = Snorri Whitebeard, High King of the Dwarfs, and Malekith of the High Elves
combine their mighty armies and finally drive out the last remnants of Chaos from the Old
World. Afterwards, trade between the Dwarves and Elves flourishes and the Dwarfs
establish many new strongholds.
2839 = The High Elf Phoenix King visits the newly founded Dwarf stronghold of Karaz-aKarak where he is made welcome by the venerable Snorri Whitebeard. The two kings seal
an oath of friendship, and Malekith remains in Karaz-a-Karak as his king's ambassador. For
a while, Elves and Dwarfs prosper, until the Elves are drawn back to Ulthuan where civil
strife is tearing their land apart.
2188 = After many centuries, the Elves return once more to the Old World. The Dwarfs learn
of the civil war amongst the Elves and the treachery of Malekith. The two races begin to
trade again, and Dwarf craftsmanship reaches new height of accomplishment.
2005 = The Great Betrayal mars the relationship of the two races. Dwarf traders are
ambushed and murdered, Dwarf settlements are plundered and honest Dwarf craftsmen are
cheated of their gold. The Dwarves believe the High Elves are to blame, when the attackers
are in fact Dark Elf raiders sent by Malekith to sow dissent between the two races. Many
Elves are soon slain by Dwarf travellers believing themselves under attack, to which the
High Elves respond in kind. Preparations for war are made.
2000 = The hold of Karak Zorn sends word that it has come into conflict with a large force
of Lizardmen. No contact is heard soon afterwards.

Homeland
The Dwarf homeland is primarily the World Edge Mountains of the "Old World", which they
inhabited since the earliest days of their recorded history. Their original homeland was located in
the mountains of the Southlands, but they migrated northwards in search of new veins and minerals
to mine, gradually settling in the World Edge Mountains. At their peak, their lands encompassed
nearly the entirety of the World Edge Mountains, in addition to settlements in the Grey and Black

Mountains and many smaller hill settlements in the lands of what would become the Empire.
However, their pyrrhic victory in the War of Vengeance, combined with the vast destruction of the
Time of Woes and the onslaught of the Goblin Wars, caused the loss of several holds along with
hundreds of smaller settlements and mines. The Dwarf name for their homeland is the Karaz Ankor
- the everlasting realm.
There are currently nine holds where the Dwarfs still rule:
Karaz-a-Karak - the biggest, oldest and most fortified Dwarf stronghold and the ancient
capital city of the Dwarf race. In the tongues of Men, it can be translated as Pinnacle of
Mountains or The Most Enduring; to many, it is known as Everpeak. The lord of Karaz-aKarak is the High King of all the Dwarfs and his lineage stretches back to the Ancestor Gods
themselves. The city has never fallen to an invader and is known for its adherence to
tradition and ritual; the main temples to Grungni, Grimnir and Valaya were built here as is
the colossal throne room of the High King, which is dominated by a forest of stone pillars
which stretches over a mile along its nave. The current High King is Thorgrim
Grudgebearer.
Karak Kadrin - known as the 'Stronghold of the Pass'. This hold is situated south of Peak
Pass which in ancient times allowed the Dwarves greater ease of travel between the western
and eastern edge of the World Edge Mountains; this declined in importance after the Dwarfs
abandoned the eastern edge during the Time of the Goblin Wars. Now the Dwarfs guard the
pass against marauding tribes of Orcs and Goblins who travel through on their way to the
Empire and Kislev. Though it has been besieged many times it has never fallen, and remains
a wealthy centre for trade. The most famous characteristic of the hold is that it is the home
of the Slayer cult; within its walls dwells the Shrine of the Slayers, where the names and
deeds of all Slayers are kept and remembered. The lord of Karak Kadrin is known as the
Slayer King, as he and his predecessors are bound both by their desire to seek out a glorious
death against the forces of darkness, but must also honour their duty to their kinsfolk; they
balance this problem by acting as the patrons of the Shrine, which also worships the
Ancestor God Grimnir, known as the first Slayer. The current Slayer King is Ungrim
Ironfist.
Zhufbar - known as the 'Torrent Gate'. This hold is located around a deep chasm and by a
vast waterfall which runs to the Black Water lake. Around the waterfall, the dwarfs have
constructed thousands of water wheels and forges to help smelt ore and build new weaponry.
It is the principal shrine of the Engineer's Guild and is famous for the quality of its war
machines. In the past, the gromril of Karak Varn was smelted here and forged into powerful
armour and weapons. The current king is Baraudin Stoneheart.
Karak Azul - known as 'Iron Peak'. This hold is located in the south of the World Edge
Mountains, and is the only southern hold still ruled by the Dwarfs. Within its lands lies the
richest deposits of iron ore in the whole mountain range, as well as other rich veins of other
minerals and gemstones. It is known as a centre of metalworking and for its weaponsmiths,
who forge some of the most powerful weapons of the Dwarfs, which it supplies to many of
the other holds. The current ruler is King Kazador.

 Karak Hirn - known as the 'Hornhold'. This hold is located in the Black Mountains, and its
name derives from an especially large cavern which, when the wind blows through, creates
sounds like a mighty warhorn. Over the years, the dwarfs have built chambers and doors to
create different sound effects. It is a smaller and younger hold, founded later after the great
settlements of the World Edge Mountains, and has only limited quantities of veins and
minerals to mine. The current king is Alrik Ranulfsson.
Karak Norn - this hold lies in the Grey Mountains, above the forest of Athel Loren. It is a
small and somewhat poor hold, with very few mineral deposits and veins, all of which are
hard to mine. Like with Karak Hirn and Karak Izor, it has grown in importance since the
Time of the Goblin Wars, as many dwarves come to live in its isolated lands, though
likewise many young dwarves from the hold journey eastwards to become prospectors and
miners.
Karak Izor - known as 'Copper Mountain' in the tongues of Men. It is located near the
Vaults at the junction between the Black and Grey mountain ranges, where there are many
deep valleys and inaccessible peaks. Despite its isolation, there are many rich lodes of iron,
copper, tin and other metals, and as such it has some of the deepest mine workings outside of
the World Edge Mountains. Many of the Dragonback Dwarves came to inhabit these lands
after the loss of Dragonback Crag and the mines of Ekrund, where they use the seclusion to
work and plan their return.
Barak Varr - known as the 'Gateway to the Sea'. This hold is located in the lands of the
Border Princes and is unique as the only Dwarf hold built by the sea. It is built deep into the
vast caves and cliffs where the Howling River joins the Black Gulf. It is the principal trading
hold of the Dwarves, remaining open to trade all throughout the centuries and enabling the
dwarves to enjoy a more cosmopolitan lifestyle to many other holds. Merchants from all
over the world come to both trade for dwarven items, and enjoy dwarven hospitality. It is
also the home of the Dwarf navy, which houses the powerful steam and paddle-driven
Ironclads and Dreadnoughts. The current ruler is King Byrrnoth.
Kraka Drak - this hold is located far to the north in the lands of Norsca. It is a highly
isolated hold, inhabited by the Norse Dwarfs. Though dwarf by blood, they are seen as very
different by the other dwarfs of the Old World, with different speech, customs and attributes.
One of the most well-known of these differences is their 'Beserkers' - warriors who are
similar to Slayers in their utter determination for battle, but who drink powerful beers to
imbue them with somewhat suicidal tendencies and enhanced strength.
Beginning during the Time of Woes and continuing throughout the Time of the Goblin Wars
and ever since, there have been ten holds that have fallen to the Goblins, Skaven and forces of
Chaos:
Karak Ungor - known as the 'Delving Hold'. This hold is located to the north-east of Karak
Kadrin, built upon a great natural fault line in the earth. Vast seams and veins of minerals,
gems and precious metals reside in the earth beneath the hold, and as such the dwarves built
the deepest and most expansive network of mines and workings throughout the whole of the
World Edge Mountains. However, such was the extent that they dug that eventually even

they lost track of the entire layout and numbers of their mines. In the immediate aftermath of
the Time of Woes, in the Imperial Year -1500, after suffering extensive damage in the huge
earthquakes, the Night Goblins invaded the lower workings and abandoned mines,
eventually driving upwards and overwhelming the Dwarfs before they could organise their
defence. After the Dwarves were forced to abandon the hold, it was fully taken over and
renamed Red Eye Mountain. At the current moment, it is the home of the Black Orc warlord
Grimgor Ironhide.
Karak Varn - known as the 'Stronghold of Lake enclosed by Mountains'.
Ekrund
Mount Gunbad
Mount Silverspear
Karak Eight Peaks - known as the 'Queen of the Silver Peaks'.
Karak Azgal/Karak Izril - now known as the 'Hoard Peak'; formally known as the 'City of
Jewels'.
Karak Drazh - known to both Dwarves and other races as 'Black Crag'.
Karak Vlag
Karak Dum

There is also the lost hold of Karak Zorn, considered to be the very first Dwarf settlement. Located
in the mountains of the Southlands, it is fabled as a highly wealthy settlement, with towering
zigurats made of gold. However, all contact with the hold was lost around the Imperial Year -2000,
with the last messages being of large armies of Lizardmen attacking the city. Any expedition that
has set out to find the city has never returned.

Physical characteristics
Dwarfs are on average a good deal shorter than either Men or Elves of the Warhammer world,
making them ideally suited to the tunnels in which they live and work (the average dwarf being
estimated to be at approximately 4'5"-5'0"). They are immensely strong and resilient, with bodies
seemingly purpose-built for manual labour, with solidly formed muscles, broad-shoulders and large
thick fingered hands that are capable of considerable manual dexterity. This physical toughness
allows them to carry heavy loads and endure many hardships and work for long lengths of time
without tiring.
Dwarfs are a very long-lived race with life-spans that can run into centuries, or rare occasions even
into a millennium. As a dwarf becomes older so his beard becomes longer and thicker. Since
dwarves have a deep inbuilt respect for age it would be unthinkable for a dwarf to cut off or even
trim their beards. Like the Orcs, dwarfs appear to become stronger the older they get, but unlike the
Orcs, there appears to be a breaking point where their general health rapidly declines, always
happening just a few years before the dwarf dies of old age.
Female dwarfs are very rarely seen outside dwarf realms which has led many people to believe that
dwarf males can give birth or that dwarf women have beards. However they are fairly similar to
their male counterparts in that they are broad shouldered and heavily built, but instead of long
beards they have long hair wound into similar braids, worn beneath the helmet which they treasure

as greatly as males do their beards.

In terms of mental ability, Dwarfs are incredibly determined. They are supremely confident in the
values and virtues of their civilisation, and openly scorn the achievements of other races. Their
mental strength, in combination with their physical abilities, makes them steadfast fighters who will
often fight to the last rather than admit defeat or run away.

Magic
The Dwarfs have little knowings of magic as it is practiced by Elves and Men, as well as having no
wizards. They distrust, and even loathe, the chaotic power and unpredicitability of magic in its usual
forms;the general consensus is that magic is too erratic and volatile to fool around with, let alone
rely on in battle.
However, Dwarfs do place considerable emphasis on embedding magic within certain items through
their skills of craftmanship. In particular weaponry, such as axes, hammers, shields, and armour
suits, can be enhanced through their knowledge of rune lore and the skill of runesmithing, through
which magic is entrapped into a rune and placed upon an object. The Dwarves who practice this
skill are the Runesmiths, under the influence of the Runesmiths Guild. Aspiring Runesmiths will
spend many decades as an apprentice to a Runelord who will gradually teach them to inscribe items
with runic symbols and powers, for runes are often expensive and take years to make, even for the
most experienced Runesmiths.
The most powerful magical device the Dwarfs possess are the Anvils of Doom. These devices were
forged many thousands of years ago under the guidance of the Ancestor Gods, and only the most
skilled Runelords can even attempt to use them. When used, they are capable of wreaking
devastating magical destruction upon any foe foolish enough to challenge the Dwarfs in battle.
Magical stones are placed upon the anvil and runic symbols are hammered into them which results
in astonishing elemental power that can be directed against the Dwarfs foe or add to the dwarves'
battle prowess.

Other characteristics
Gold fever For some unknown reasons, dwarves have a strong attraction to gold. Dwarfs will seek
to amass gold, even to the point of acting unreasonably (such as refusing to abandon gold in order
to save their lives). The exception to this refusal to leave gold is any gold that is going to be buried
(such as by a cave in). As far as a Dwarf is concerned, any gold that is "lost" underground is as easy
to regain as a coin dropped in the street. This addiction is sometimes called "gold lust."
Gromril What most people do not know is that the Dwarf's true favourite metal is Gromril, a
fictional metal which is said to be harder than diamond. The Dwarfs take this metal much more
seriously than Gold and only Royalty, Generals and the Legendary Ironbreakers can afford to have
it as their armour. In Warhammer, where "Armour Saves" that are taken after a model takes a wound
are governed by a roll of a die, Gromril Armour lets the Character survive on a roll of 4 or more
while normal heavy armour only gives a save of 5+.
Grudges Dwarfs take their obsession with gold seriously, but they take grudges even more

seriously. A Dwarf is said to never forget a grudge. A Dwarf will even end a lifelong friendship over
a grudge of the "lightest" matter. To a Dwarf, the source of the grudge (no matter how absurd) does
not matter so much as that it is a grudge. Grudges can be ended amicably, though the stubborn
nature of Dwarfs makes compromises difficult and grudges must always be fulfilled. In the case of
"lesser matters" gold can suffice to end a grudge. Felix Jaeger did end a grudge between Gotrek
Gurnisson and Gotrek's childhood friend by taking the source of their grudge, a book of bad poetry,
and ripping it in half, giving half to each (all the Dwarves present found this incredibly funny,
which is probably the only reason they did not kill Felix on the spot or declare a grudge upon him).
Killing a Dwarf sparks a grudge that is similar to a vendetta, in that the grudge will transfer down
the generations (both in the dwarf family and the family of the focus of the grudge) and it MUST be
paid in blood. The only offence worse than killing a dwarf is damaging or destroying a Dwarf's
beard - such an offence sparked the devastating decade long War of the Beard.

The Dwarf Army

A small Warhammer Fantasy Battle army of Dwarfs, featuring the heroes Gotrek Gurnisson and
Felix Jaeger
The Dwarfs are a martial race hardened by thousands of years of constantly defending their holds
from would be invaders both above and below the ground.

Warriors
Dwarf Warriors are drawn up from the citizenry of Dwarf society. Dwarves are mostly craftsmen
and artisans and there are few professional Dwarf soldiers, but in times of war Dwarfs may be
called up by their clan leaders who will organize them into regiments ready to fight. Dwarves are
physically strong, resilient and broad of shoulder enabling Dwarf armies to force march at great
pace across hard country, a feat of endurance seldom seen in other races. They will fight with a
mixture of axes and hammers, often being passed down through a family line for generations, and
gird themselves in heavy armour, often with a large round shield.
Within the game, Dwarf Warriors are well armoured and resilient defensive infantry with a high
leadership characteristic meaning that they'll seldom panic and run away, also when armed with
double-handed axes they make cheap and effective shock troops easily capable of taking on many
an army's finest.

Longbeards
Longbeards are old and wise Dwarfs and are very experienced warriors, such is evidenced by their
longer beards. A Longbeard's long beard grants them total respect from other Dwarfs. Longbeards

are veterans of many wars and have endured far more hardships than most beardlings (young
Dwarves) can even imagine and as such they grumble about how everything is less scary or well
made as it was in their day. Nothing can stop a Longbeard from a good grumble. Longbeards on the
field of battle are very powerful and do not suffer distress about minor shifts in the battle situation
which might panic a younger dwarf.
Within the game, Longbeards are equipped in much the same way as dwarf warriors but due to their
experience they are better at hitting enemies and wounding them and are immune to panic.

Slayers
Slayers are dwarves who have lost their honour, brought shame to their families or broken an
important oath. Such a crime would be solved by death, but because Dwarves see suicide as a
waste, to regain their honour, slayers seek glorious death in battle against the strongest of
opponents. Upon taking the Slayer's oath, a slayer will often sever all ties from home and travel to
the Shrine of Grimnir at Karak Kadrin.
Spotting a Slayer on the battlefield isn't difficult. They have mohawks which are put up with pig
grease, and beards dyed orange along with the mohawk - this is as Grimnir did before he journeyed
north to battle against Chaos. They refuse to wear armour of any sort and are often next to naked
except for the exotic tattoos that cover their body. In battle they carry an assortment of axes,
typically a pair of axes or a large two-handed great axe, which they can alternate between.
Within the game, Slayers have conquered their fear of death and as a result, fear very little. They are
brave, stubborn and incredibly violent when in battle.

Ironbreakers
Ironbreakers are the guardians of the lower deeps. They are experienced tunnel fighters and often
fight against Skaven and goblins attempting to tunnel into a Dwarf hold. Without their efforts, the
majority of dwarf holds would have almost certainly fallen to enemy attacks. Ironbreakers are
professional soldiers in that they are perpetually under arms - due to their status as professional
tunnel fighters they wear powerful gromril armor, which can protect a Dwarf from enemy blades
and rock falls. Ironbreakers also find themselves fighting battles on the surface and they form a
bulwark against enemy attacks, but for every battle they fight on the surface, they've faced dozens
below the ground.
Within the game, Dwarf Ironbreakers have high weapon skills, good strength and great armor and
leadership characteristics. As a result of this hardiness, many opponents would avoid fighting them
and would attempt to tackle less armored soldiers, counter with their own heavily armored units, or
use range units.

Hammerers
Hammerers are a Dwarf king's personal body-guard, chosen by the king himself. The history of the
Hammerers goes back to when the High King was visiting the mines of Ekrund when a large cave
in occurred. Suddenly with all manner of foul creatures pouring in, the king's bodyguard was soon
overwhelmed. The craftsmen of the mines picked up their hammers and beat a path for the King to

escape. Ever since then, the Hammerers have been a Dwarf King's personal guard. Hammerers are
stubborn, even by Dwarf standards, and are known for an unswerving loyalty to their lord; a loyalty
solidified in the gift of the heavy warhammer from Lord to Hammerer.
Within the game, Dwarf Hammerers are heavily armoured and exceedingly strong shock infantry;
which due to their stubbornness will almost never run away. If joined by their liege lord, they are
completely fearless.

Dwarf Thunderers and Quarrellers

Dwarf Quarrellers and Thunderers form the bulk of the missile contingent in a Dwarf Army. There
was once a time when Dwarf powder weapons had not been invented and Dwarf Quarrellers
reigned supreme with their crossbows. Over time, as the Dwarf Handgun came into common usage,
the Crossbow lost its dominance. Nowadays, most Dwarf armies see a pretty even split of
Quarrellers and Thunderers. Dwarves are naturally methodical and slow to panic; and so are suited
to reloading and firing both weapons calmly, even when the enemy is right on top of them. The
competition between various engineers is such that in the efforts to make increasingly better and
more reliable weapons Dwarf Handguns have become the most effective weapons of their type in
the world. Most Thunderers have crafted their own weapons and over the years add many
augmentations and improvements; and are as a result very proud of their weapons. Despite this,
many Dwarves stick to the good old and reliable crossbow as they begrudge the cost of powder
when a bit of brute force will propel a bolt as far as a bullet. There have even been known instances
of dwarves improving their crossbows, though of course this is strictly prohibited without the
Engineers' Guild's knowledge and permission.
Within the game, both units are highly effective at shooting with the choice between the two often
being kept more as personal preference rather than any real advantage offered by either one; while
Dwarf Thunderer is more effective at shooting but is more expensive points wise, the Dwarf
Quarreler may carry a shield and a heavy axe or hammer, making them more effective troops in
close combat. The difference is also the inches (") and other bonuses. The Thunderer gets +1 to hit
from the handgun, but has a 24" reach and a strength of 4 and Armour Piercing (-2 armour save
total), then the Quarreler has a standard crossbow with 30" reach and strength 4.

Chaos Dwarves
In ancient times, some Dwarfs moved far to the east over the mountains, and were caught by the
onslaughts of Chaos. Dwarfs are very resistant to the forces of Chaos, but these Dwarves gradually
changed over time, becoming the evil natured Chaos Dwarves.
In many ways they are the antithesis of the Dwarfs that remained. Where Dwarfs shun most magic
except for Runic magic (which is unique to them) Chaos Dwarves have embraced it; where Dwarfs
worship their Ancestor Gods, Chaos Dwarfs worship "Hashut, Father of Darkness". Dwarfs abhor
slavery and hate the "Greenskin" races (Goblins, Orcs and the like) but the Chaos Dwarfs rely on
slaves and are allied with or are overlords of many Greenskin tribes, most of them Hobgoblins. The
Chaos Dwarfs are even responsible for the creation of the Black Orcs.
While the Dwarfs continue to resemble their counterparts in medieval Tolkien or Dungeons and

Dragons fantasy, Chaos Dwarfs evolved into a semi-Assyrian/Babylonian style by the fourth edition
of Warhammer Fantasy.
Games Workshop, however, has not developed much further back-story detailing the rivalry
between the Dwarfs and Chaos Dwarfs, unlike that of the Dark Elves and High Elves. The Chaos
Dwarfs are no longer a supported army starting with the seventh edition.

Beliefs and mythology

Dwarfs venerate their ancestors and their deities are the "Ancestor Gods" which are said to have
been formed from the very stone of the world itself. There are three main ones: Valaya, Grungni,
and Grimnir.
Grungni is the patron of the forge and miners, and is depicted as the wisest of the Ancestor
Gods, typically taking place as the "head" of the gods. In-game, the Master Rune of Grugni
protects Dwarfs by giving them a magical kind of shield to protect them from enemy missile
attack.
Valaya is the patron of Runesmiths. It is said she is sleeping deep within the mountains until
a time when she is needed again. In-game, the Master Rune of Valaya protects Dwarfs from
enemy magical assault.
Grimnir was a great warrior with two rune axes. He helped the High Elves defeat Chaos at
the northern Chaos Gates and although no evidence of his fate exists, it is assumed that he
died there, or perhaps some far more sinister fate befell him. Of his weapons, one axe is now
held by Thorgrim Grudgebearer and the other axe was taken with him to battle the chaos
forces of the northern gate in the first chaos invasion. Some believe the second axe is the
weapon wielded by the Slayer Gotrek Gurnisson. In the game the Master Rune of Grimnir
(which may only be used by Dwarf armies using the storm of chaos slayer list) has a similar
effect as the Master rune of Grungni but with a larger area of effect.

Notable Dwarf characters

Gotrek Gurnisson is the most (or perhaps the least, since a Slayer's goal is to die)
successful Slayer and travels with his human companion and Rememberer Felix Jaeger, in a
series of novels by William King; the series later picked up by Nathan Long. Gotrek
Gurnisson is also thought to possess the second of the axes of Grimnir. He has achieved the
Slayer "rank" of Daemon Slayer and in his time has fought representatives of almost all the
armies in Warhammer.
Malakai Makaisson is thought to be the best engineer who ever lived. He was drummed out
of the Guild of Engineers after the first airship fiasco, (just the first, there were others!)
which exploded on take-off, killing 30 experienced Engineers and became a Slayer, though
he still works as an Engineer. Inside the game he can be fielded as using a goblin hewer- a
large axe throwing war machine. In the background story, he appears in several of the
adventures of Gotrek and Felix, as an old friend and companion of Gotrek. His manner of
talking is humorously different from other Dwarf characters and is likely inspired by a

common fantasy stereotype of Dwarves having a Scottish-like accent.

Snorri Nosebiter was a Slayer who once travelled with Gotrek and Felix. He was notable
for his skill in battle, dull wits, and ingenuity in overcoming his baldness and acquiring a
Slayer's crest. Since Snorri was bald and could not grow a crest, he painted several nails
orange and had them hammered into his skull. Snorri has also "earned" the title of Vampire
Slayer (though arguably this was done by accident, since Snorri killed the vampire whilst
unconscious). In recent books, he has been suffering from dementia some time after the
event of Giantslayer.
The First Edition Characters: Sigurd Strongarm, Sigrat Blackbrow, Sigrun Slenderhank,
Skeggi Brokenback, Saugron Brittlebone and Thorgrim Branedimm. Thorgrim wields
the magical warhammer Foebane. They are the characters in the scenario The Ziggurat of
Doom (situated in Dwarvestrangle).
Perhaps the most famous of all dwarfs is Josef Bugman. Bugman was a master dwarf
brewer who was world-renowned for his famous beers, known as Bugman's XXXXXX.
However one night, returning from a trading trip in the Empire, he found his brewery ablaze,
attacked by a raiding party of Goblins. Since then Bugman and his rangers have travelled the
old world fighting against the Goblins and Orcs.
The High King of the Dwarfs is Thorgrim Grudgebearer who carries the Great Book of
Grudges and has sworn to make sure all of them are avenged. Inside game terms he is
carried into battle by four shield bearers atop the golden throne and carrying one of the axes
of Grimnir.
A well-known character amongst readers of the White Dwarf magazine is one who shares its
name with the magazine. The White Dwarf (often called Grombrindal) is possibly the most
feared and respected of all the Dwarf heroes (by his enemies and fellows alike). He has had
5 miniature incarnations (the 4th being released for 26 May 2007 only and the 5th only
available from a White Dwarf subscription boxed set) and has had varying background
details over the years. Many rumours persist about his true persona, the most common being
that he is the ancient dwarf king Snorri Whitebeard, the only king to be shown proper
respect by the elves, and a great warrior who swore to return to the aid of his people in their
time of greatest need. Often he will appear and fight alongside Dwarf forces in dire peril,
and when he joins them, the Dwarfs are always victorious. He was "employed" by White
Dwarf to write the Editorial for the magazine but recently the editorial has been taken up by
Andrew Kendrick with Grombrindal having been described to having gone out to pursue the
enemies of Dwarf kind.
Another well-known character is King Alrik Ranulfsson of Karak Hirn. He was depicted
as a traditionalist by even Dwarf standards, King Alrik's armies could not include more
Thunderers than Quarrellers. Alrik stood on top of a shield carried by shield bearers in a
manner similar to that of Vitalstatistix from the Asterix books. Although once represented as
a character inside the previous edition of the Dwarf army book, Alrik has now largely passed
out of common usage. Rules for him, however, can still be found on the Games Workshop
website.

 Thorek Ironbrow is a dwarf Runelord and master of the weapon workshops of Karak Azul.
Thorek Ironbrow is one of the few runelords that use the power of the anvil of doom. Inside
game terms he is seen fielded with his anvil of doom and his assistant Kraggi, as a result of
his superior experience Thorek Ironbrow strikes runes at ancient power more easily than
other Runelords making him very reliable and powerful.
Thane Uthor is a notable person because of his heroic attempt to re-take the lost hold of
Karak Varn with nearly 300 dwarves against over 10,000 skaven.
Kragg the Grim is perhaps the oldest Dwarf in the world, and known as one of the best and
wisest Runelords there is. Creator of the Master Rune of Kragg the Grim, he currently
resides in Karaz-a-Karak.

Technology
The dwarfs are by far Warhammer's most technologically advanced race, and are regarded as
consummate engineers. Where other races use wooden ships to travel overseas, the dwarves use
ironclad dreadnoughts and nautilus, the Warhammer equivalent of early battleships and submarines.
They have also pioneered the development of black powder and steam technology such as cannon,
handguns and Gyrocopters (helicopters). They have shared some of this technology with Humans,
but still consider the work of the 'Manlings' to be shoddy in comparison to good Dwarf work.
The most innovative examples of Dwarven engineering are the Organ Gun (a cannon with multiple
light-calibre barrels and a high rate of fire), the Flame Cannon (a massive flamethrower artillery
piece with the capacity to destroy entire units), and the Ungrim Ankor, a vast hub of mining tunnels
connected to all the Dwarf Strongholds in the Old World.
Dwarfs are a naturally conservative race, however, and most treat technological innovation with
suspicion and distrust. Most of their technology is of a highly traditional nature, and their
engineering guilds dissuade members from coming up with anything novel or innovative. As such
human, Skaven and Chaos Dwarf engineers often produce more unusual, impressive and powerful,
albeit less reliable, technologies, such as the Imperial Steam Tank or the Skaven Ratling Gun. A
comparison may be found between the Dwarf Organ Gun and the Imperial Hellblaster Volley gun;
both artillery pieces are based on the same concept, a ribauld, however while the Dwarf Organ gun
can cause a maximum of 20 casualties a game turn and the Hellblaster may cause 30, it is far more
likely that the organ gun will be able to cause eight or ten casualties a turn and it is far less likely
that the organ will explode, thus emphasising the Dwarf focus on reliability.

Gyrocopter
In the Warhammer Fantasy world, a Gyrocopter is a small one-Dwarf, steam-powered helicopter,
built by the Dwarfs. It is fielded as a unit in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle wargame.
It is seen as an example of and possibly the pinnacle of Dwarf engineering although older and more
traditional dwarves view the idea of flying with a great deal of suspicion; Dwarfs, as a general rule,
being happiest when they have solid rock over their heads. Any dwarf that volunteers to travel
around hundreds of feet in the air in an "untested contraption" such as a gyrocopter is seen as being
just a little strange. Hence, the "Kings Flying Corp" (KFC) which operate them tends to attract the

youngest and most adventurous dwarf engineers. It is thought that the instability of the Dwarf
tunnel system connecting their mountain strongholds and the spread of the "Greenskin" menace
across the old overland trade routes is thought to have prompted its development. Originally
designed to act as couriers and messengers between dwarf holds, an unknown Dwarf Lord saw its
potential as an army scout and ordered it to be fitted with a small forward-firing cannon and bombs.
Gyrocopters are designed to be as light as possible in order to attain flight and so most of the frame
is built of canvas and wood, with thin bands of reinforcing metal. They are powered by a small,
lightweight steam engine which uses a chain linkage system to drive the main rotor blades. As a
result gyrocopters are lightly armoured and rely on speed and maneuverability to stay out of trouble.

Army tactics
Due to the slow movement of the dwarf army[1] the most common advice given to gamers wishing
to play as this race, is to take a defensive stance.[2] This can be done in a variety of ways, the most
often advocated being aligning the units along the edge of the gaming area or utilising other aspects
of the gaming area such as scenery to protect the units' flank from attack.[3] Dwarf armies will
frequently utilise their immense capacity for heavy firepower to destroy their opponents from afar.

Chaos
Hordes of Chaos

In the fictional world of Warhammer Fantasy Battle, the inter-dimensional gate that brought the
"Old Ones" to the world collapsed, ripping a hole in the fabric of reality. The hole was located at the
worlds north pole, and led to the "realm of Chaos". From this realm came the energy known as
magic, but also the beings known as Daemons. The daemons would have destroyed the world, but
the Slann and High Elven Arch-mages were able to create a vortex to drain most of the magic away.
Without magic the daemons faded back to the realm of Chaos.
The area around the entrance to realm of Chaos is known as the Chaos Wastes. Because the wastes
are so close to the realm of Chaos, the laws that govern Order are fluid, the weather can change
instantly and the wastes are full of monsters.
The humans that live in the wastes are savages compared to humans from the Old World. They tend
to live in tribes that move from area to area. Each tribe has its own beliefs and customs, but all
worship the four great gods of Chaos in some form. Life is hard in the wastes, tribes are always
fighting monsters and each other, making them natural born fighters. They are tall and heavily built,
often dressed in furs and scraps of armor. Their bodies are covered in symbols and runes, which
they believe will protect them. Like all from the chaos wastes, they likely have some form of
mutation, but see this as proof that the gods favor them.
The men from the north are great sailors, and during peace times they will trade with and fight for
other races. Most of the time they will be raiding the other races for plunder, slaves or glory.
At times the hole to the realm of Chaos will expand, making the Chaos wastes unlivable. This
forces the southern tribes to attack other races. These incursions are rare but difficult to defeat.
The Two incursions were:
The "Great war against Chaos" was an incursion led by Asavar Kul that nearly destroyed the nation
of Kislev. The incursion was stopped by the armies of Magnus the Pious at the gates of Kislev city,
but the city of Praag was warped in to a living nightmare and most of Kislev was destroyed.
The "Storm of Chaos" when Archaon, Lord of End Times led his army to destroy the city of
Middenheim.

Army structure
Warriors of Chaos armies tend to be close-combat oriented, with few to no ranged capabilities, other
than magic. Their primary tactic is simply to engage the enemy in close combat. When playing
against a chaos army it is best to avoid contact via close-combat, and instead stay at a distance and
utilize a gun line or magic. Almost all available units of the Warriors of Chaos may take a "Mark".
A mark is a symbol that represents the one of the four gods of chaos that has granted favor upon the
bearer. A marked unit gains an ability that is oriented with the mark of their God. In older editions

of the army, all units were required to have the same mark.
"Marauders" are the savage tribesmen from the North, coming from the Norse race, predominantly,
but also from the Kurgan realms. They are stronger fighters than the average human, and less likely
to panic. "Marauders Horsemen" from birth share a destiny with their steeds, serving as a light
cavalry.
"Chaos Warriors" are men who have sold their souls to the Chaos gods for power. They are one of
the strongest units of the game. They wear Armour forged by the Chaos Dwarfs, that can never be
removed due to the bonding of metal and flesh. The "Chosen" are the most favoured of the warriors.
The Chaos gods will give them abilities like great strength and tough skin. The strongest will
become "Chaos knights". They ride "chaos steeds" (strong mutant horses), and carry magical
weapons. The most powerful will become "Exalted heros" and "Chaos lords". Some Chaos lords
become a "Daemon prince". Some ride in Chariots or deamon steeds.
"Chaos Sorcerers" are warriors gifted with the ability to use magic. Their spells are some of the
most destructive in the game, and unlike most wizards they are good in close-combat. Away from
battle, they serve as priests to the Chaos gods.
The "Forsaken" are men who have been given mutations that reduce them to animal like
intelligence (the men of the north see all mutation as a blessing from the gods). They serve as
berseker troops. "Chaos Spawn" are those that have received one too many mutations. They look
like large piles of flesh with flailing appendages and mouths. Most of them are insane or completely
unaware of their own mortality. In battle they lurch towards the nearest enemy at random speeds.
The men of the north breed wolf-sized mutant dogs called "Chaos Hounds". In battle they are used
to support other troops and chase down fleeing enemies.
They also use mutant versions of monsters like Trolls, Ogres, Giants, and Dragons. The army can
also make use of half Ogre/half dragon monsters called Dragon Ogres.
They can use a Chaos Dwarf hellcannon.

Characters
Morkar the Uniter: The first Everchosen of Chaos. Once a young Norseman child who saw
his village destroyed by vengeful Imperials, he was marked by the Gods from an early age.
After winning innumerable victories and bringing the Norse tribes to his banner, Morkar
went on even greater quests to earn the blessings of all the Chaos Gods and was crowned by
Be'lakor as the Everchosen, the greatest Champion and leader of Chaos. He then invaded the
Empire and nearly destroyed it before he was narrowly defeated by Sigmar in a great battle.
Centuries later, Archaon sought Morkar's armour from his tomb and claimed it to show his
worthiness as his successor.
Galrauch, First of the Chaos Dragons: The two-headed Chaos Dragon is said to be the
father of many of the hideous monsters that prowl the Chaos Wastes. Once a valiant enemy
of chaos, until he was possessed by a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch, but some part of him
still remains and fights it.

 Vardek Crom, Herald of Archaon: Also known as Crom the Conqueror. A powerful
warlord of the Kul tribe, Vardek Crom is allied with Archaon. During the Storm of Chaos,
Crom led his army to attack the Empire from the east while Archaon attacked from the
north. Crom also defeated Waaagh! Grimgor in the beginning of the campaign, thus earning
the honor of being the first mortal to fight Grimgor to a draw in single combat.
Archaon, Lord of the End Times: A former Sigmarite templar, Archaon read a forbidden
tome and learned the hidden secrets of his faith. He renounced his allegiance to Sigmar and
quested for six powerful Chaos artefacts, becoming the Everchosen of Chaos and leading a
massive army against the Empire. He has almost managed to slay Teclis and his brother
Tyron.
The Four: Archaon's generals during the Storm of Chaos were known as the Four, and they
were all exceptionally powerful servants to their respective Gods. Archaon gathered the
Four among the Norse tribes. They were known as Harrgroth, the Blooded One (champion
of Khorne), Feytor the Tainted (champion of Nurgle), Styrkaar of the Sortsvinaer (champion
of Slaanesh) and Melekh the Changer (champion of Tzeentch). Of these Four, only two
survived the campaign, with Harrgroth being slain by Ar-Ulric Emil Valgeir, and Melekh
being executed by Archaon for failing to advance his troops fast enough across the Middle
Mountains (to the north of Middenheim). Melekh was then replaced for the rest of the
campaign by his son, Cyspeth.
Be'lakor, the Dark Master: The first Daemon Prince, Be'lakor spent thousands of years in
an insubstantial state for angering the Chaos Gods. Upon returning to a physical form,
Be'lakor was forced to crown Archaon the Lord of the End Times. Be'lakor's battle standard
has the broken, reanimated body of Volkmar the Grim pinned to it. Following the campaign,
Be'lakor was banished to the Realm of Chaos by the magic of Teclis.
Prince Sigvald: A Chaos Lord of Slaanesh. He was born from an incestuous relationship
between a powerful warlord and his sister. Sigvald was beautiful from birth, save for a
horned birthmark on the back of his neck, and was spoiled by his father until expelled from
his tribe by his father due to his "fondness for human flesh". Sigvald proceeded to murder
his father in his sleep and departed for the Chaos Wastes, earning Slaanesh as his patron.
Now, Sigvald marches at the head of an army devoted to himself, eradicating anyone he
deems to be ugly, crude or irritating. Sigvald has burnd down cities on a whim; one story
suggests that he destroyed the town of Chamburg because the wine there was not to his taste.
He is spoiled by Slaanesh and is described as being extremely self-centered: his body-guards
bear mirrored shields so that he may preen himself in the midst of battle. His gifts from
Slaanesh have left him beautiful on the outside, but rotten inside. The ground literally
reshapes itself for him and his feet float and inch above the world's surface. He wears an
armor of ensorcelled gold that never rusts or gets dirty and fights with Silverslash: a rapier
of silver forged from the sword of Slaanesh.
Valkia, the Bloody: A Daemon Princess of Khorne; said to be the consort of Khorne. Valkia
was once the queen of a great tribe and gained the attention of Khorne when she slew
anyone that questioned her right to rule. She then moved on to killing other Chaos lords and

mighty followers of the other gods, including Locephax: a daemon prince of Slaanesh that
was attracted to her. Angered when he asked her to be his slave girl, Valkia slew him in a
duel and subsequently placed his head on her shield. Khorne was from then on her patron
God. In gratitude, she vowed to fight her way north to the realm of Chaos and place her
shield on the throne of Khorne in his honor. Yet, on her journey north she was killed in
battle. Khorne, enraged over her death, brought her from the dead and elevated her into a
Daemon Princess. She is described as having the legs of a Bloodletter of Khorne and the
wings of a bat. Valkia carries The Spear of Slaupnir, The Scarlet Armor, and her
Daemonshield.
Vilitch, the Curseling: A Chaos Sorcerer of Tzeentch. He was born wretched and tiny yet
his twin brother, Thomin, was a strong and capable warrior. Thomin became the favored
child of the family, thus Vilitch was forced to do the chores around the home. To compensate
for his weakness, he learned magic from the village shaman. Tired of his wretched life
Vilitch prayed to Tzeentch for aid one night to become the strong child. Vilitch awoke fused
to his brother, who became his mindless servant. Vilitch then destroyed the village, killed
everyone, and is now the leader of a mighty army of Tzeentch.
Festus, the Leechlord: A Chaos Sorcerer of Nurgle. Festus was a once famous doctor of
Nordland who sold his soul to Nurgle in exchange for knowing how to cure all disease. This
knowledge drove him insane, and now he now travels the roads with his army of Nurgle,
spreading pestilence across the old world.
Scyla Anfingrimm: A Chaos spawn that was once a Chaos Lord of Khorne. Scyla is still
favored by Khorne, so is greater than a normal Spawn. Many warriors wish to challenge him
so, in battle, characters may challenge to a duel. He carries the brass collar of Khorne.
Wulfrik the Wanderer: A great warrior who drank too much beer one night and boasted
that he was the greatest warrior alive. The Chaos gods sought to punish him and he is cursed
to hunt other great warriors for all eternity. The gods gave him the gift of speaking any
language and he must declare challenges on the battlefield. He has a flying ship called
Seafang.
Throgg, King of Trolls: A Troll who was given by The Chaos Gods the gift of intelligence.
He was then named King of Trolls and one day decided to conquer everything. He now
plans to lead an army of trolls and other monsters of Chaos to destroy the lands of men.
Kholek Suneater: A giant Dragon Ogre who is believed to be the second oldest Dragon
Ogre. He is consider a god by some and was once frozen in an ice glacier by Teclis but he
was freed. It is known that during the Great war of Chaos, he was in Kul's army and was the
one who destroyed Kislev's wall at the battle of Kislev's Gates.
Arek Daemonclaw: A former noble of the Empire who became disillusioned with the
Empire and slowly turned to Chaos, seeking out various forbidden tomes and gaining
knowledge by infiltrating cults dedicated to Tzeentch. After journeying to the Chaos Wastes
he pledged himself to Tzeentch and over the next century was granted many gifts for his
dedication to the Changer of Ways. After meeting the mages Kelmain Blackstaff and

Lhoigor Goldenrod he rose to power in the Wastes, gathering an army of hundreds of

thousands before marching on Kislev. Slain at the Battle of Praag by Gotrek Gurnisson.
Kelmain Blackstaff & Lhoigor Goldenrod: Immensely powerful sorcerers dedicated to
Tzeentch. Albino twins with vulture-like features and taloned hands, their only difference
was that Kelmain dressed in black and wielded an ebony and silver staff in his right hand,
while Lhoigor wore gold with a golden staff in his left hand. They worked with Arek
Daemonclaw to bring ruin to Kislev, but his rash actions led them to abandon him when they
foresaw his death at the hands of Gotrek Gurnisson, and the imminent failure of his plans.
So powerful were they that they summoned and sustained an army of daemons, and infected
the centuries-old dragon Skjalindar with chaos. They moved on to Albion, there to try to
manipulate the Paths of the Old Ones to allow the armies of Chaos to move through them,
corrupting an immense giant in the process. There they were thwarted by Gotrek Gurnisson,
Felix Jaegar and Teclis, the Elven Archmage (considered to be the greatest living sorcerer in
the world), and both Teclis and Gotrek accounted for one of the sorcerers. It should be noted
that, together, they seemed capable of defeating Teclis, and were regarded by the Skaven
Grey Seer Thanquol as the most powerful magick-users he had ever come across.
Azazel: a Chaos Lord of Slaanesh who lived during the time of Sigmar. He was once a
tribesmen of Sigmar's tribe, the Umberogens, and his name was Gerron. In fact, his twin
brother, Trivonates was one of Sigmar's best friends, but was killed during a battle with
Orcs. Afterward, Gerron blamed Sigmar for his brother's death. During this time, Sigmar fell
in love with Gerron's sister, Ravena. Seeking help to avenge his brother's death, Gerron went
to a witch, referred to as the Old Lady of the Breckenwalsh. She agreed to help, believing
that doing so would guide Sigmar down the path needed to create The Empire. She gave
Gerron a cryptic message and, when he finally understood it a few years later, he planned his
attack on Sigmar. However, pretending to befriend Sigmar made Gerron realize he truly
liked the man but a corrupting power (whether that of Slaanesh or the witch can be debated)
made him nearly kill Sigmar and kill Ravena; believing that by having relations with Sigmar
no longer made her his sister. He escaped to Norsca, believing he escaped Sigmar's hunters
when he never sent any. There he became a Chaos Lord of Slaanesh who aided Cormac
Bloodaxe, a Chaos Lord of Khorne, in conquering the newly formed Empire. He raided The
Empire's coast, killed the witch, who hadn't foreseen Gerron becoming a worshiper of
Slaanesh let alone a Chaos Lord, and helped Cormac in a siege of Middenheim. During the
battle, he faced Pendrag, one of Sigmar's closest friends and Azazel's former best friend. He
killed him, but felt remorse for his death and fled the battlefield weeping, before being shot
in the shoulder with a crossbow by Myrsa, second-in-command of Middenheim. He then
fled into the forest still weeping. He was later found in a Norse village, and after dispatching
Imperial raiders, found himself now travelling with a young Norse child from whom he felt
the favour of the Gods' radiating. This child's name was Morkar, who would later be known
as Morkar the Uniter; the First Everchosen of Chaos.

In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes, Chaos
refers to the malevolent entities which live in a different timespace, known as the Warp in

Warhammer 40,000 and as the Realm of Chaos in Warhammer Fantasy. The term can refer to these
warp entities and their influence, the servants and worshippers of these entities, or even the parallel
universe in which these entities are supposed to reside. The most powerful of these warp entities are
those known as the Chaos Gods, also sometimes referred to as the Dark Gods, Ruinous Powers,
or the Powers of Chaos. Similarities exist between the Warhammer idea of Chaos and the concept
of Chaos from Michael Moorcock's Elric saga,[1] which also influenced D&D's alignment system.
Further similarities can be seen with the godlike extradimensional Great Old Ones of horror writer
H. P. Lovecraft's stories.

Conceptual origins
Both Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 depict universes that are out of spiritual balance.
The concept of Chaos Gods has been more or less integral to both ever since they were first
conceived. The Chaos Gods in Warhammer are essentially deities worshipped and feared by various
groups and that is what makes these groups followers of Chaos. In this idea there is evidently a
strong influence from the English fantasy writer Michael Moorcock. Many different Chaos Gods
were named in the various early miniature catalogues released by Citadel in the early eighties. But it
was never clearly explained what the fictional pantheon looked like. The idea of "Four Great
Powers of Chaos", i.e. Chaos Gods, was first introduced in the two Realm of Chaos sourcebooks
released 1988 and 1990 respectively. To date these remain the original and amongst the most
detailed pieces of work published by Games Workshop regarding Chaos. The Black Library
"artbooks" of the Liber Chaotica series (released from 2001 to 2006) and Black Industries'
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay supplement, the Tome of Corruption: Secrets from the Realm of
Chaos (published 2006) contain as much detail as the original Realms of Chaos sourcebooks (and,
in the case of the Liber Chaotica, taken directly from the original books), but with the various
additions and changes to the Chaos imagery that GW has introduced over the years although these
latter two books focus mainly upon Chaos as perceived through the Warhammer Fantasy imagery. A
major factor in both universes about Chaos is that all four of the gods represent things that are good
in moderation, but are taken to extremes: In Warhammer: The End Times Glottkin, The chaos God
nurgle's curse on the world is unfettered life; Nurgle is the god of life, but the unrestrained,
unwholesome life, such as a tumor.

Chaos Gods
The four Chaos Gods appear in both Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy. The two settings
are not actually related to each other despite their names, but in concept the Chaos Gods are the
same in both.
Khorne: God of bloodlust, war, death, blood, and skulls. Khorne favours close combat,
abhorring wizards (in Warhammer Fantasy) or psykers (in Warhammer 40,000), considering
them cowardly. In addition to blood and war, Khorne is also the god of courage and honor,
but these trappings are always eventually discarded in favor of the primary goal of killing.
While he blesses his followers by granting them strength and martial prowess, Khorne does
not truly care who spills blood, so long as the blood continues to be spilled. Khorne is
arguably the most powerful of the four Chaos Gods.

 Tzeentch: God of change, fate, mutation, hope, and knowledge. Tzeentch's followers are
powerful sorcerers who prefer to channel the energies of the Warp (Warhammer 40,000), or
Winds of Magic (Warhammer Fantasy) at a distance rather than get close to enemies.
Tzeentch is always scheming, his every action feeding into his great plots that only he can
comprehend. Tzeentch controls and manipulates the fates of all and weaves them intricately
into his devious web of manipulation and hunger for power.
Nurgle: God of plague, despair, disease and death. Represented by the color green and the
symbol of three circles and arrows. He is the oldest of the Chaos Gods. Nurgle is a warm
and welcoming god who gifts his followers with poxes and boils, rashes and sores. His
power comes from the inevitability of death and decay, and Nurgle is often referred to as
'Grandfather Nurgle', as entropy is the most ancient of forces, and he is the only one who
cares for his followers. Nurgle thrives in death and decay, growing more powerful as great
plagues spread, and his servants seek only to spread disease. Nurgle prides himself on the
achievements of his followers, "gifting" them with hideous diseases while sheltering them
from pain, and his followers rejoice in their blessings, shrugging off lethality and
disfigurement in a state of rapturous undeath. People in sickness might pray to Nurgle for
relief, but rather than heal the sick, Nurgle helps them endure their illness by removing their
pain and misery, all the while exacerbating their physical degeneration.
Slaanesh: God of lust, pleasure, desire, and excess. In both settings, he is the youngest of
the four gods; he is typically considered androgynous, and while he is usually referred to as
being male, in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Eldar races consider him to be female.
His followers seek only to indulge in whatever fleeting whims and desires they feel, and
they tend to become graceful, beautiful warriors who harbor selfish, cruel souls. In the
Warhammer 40,000 background, he was birthed from the excesses and hedonism of the
Eldar society. His birth created a psychic shockwave that spread across the galaxy, killing
most of the Eldar population and their gods; the survivors split into the various Eldar
factions. It also created the largest warp storm in the Milky Way, the Eye of Terror, which
later became the main residence of the scattered Chaos Space Marines. The fall of the Eldar
empire paved the way for the rise of the Imperium of Man. In Warhammer Fantasy, his
followers are partly responsible for the corruption of an important Elven leader named
Malekith, and the subsequent schism that led to the formation of the Dark and High Elf
races.
Chaos stems from the Realm of Chaos, a mysterious dimension of raw magical energy and the
home of the four Chaos Gods. Long ago, massive amounts of raw Chaos energy spilled forth into
the world, its mutating power giving rise to many monsters such as trolls and the Skaven. Most
forms of magic practiced by wizards use some form of refined Chaos energy, which are classified as
the Winds of Magic. For instance, when Chaos energy filters through the natural world, it
transforms into the Green Wind of Magic, which Jade Wizards and Druids can use for healing
spells. Jade Wizards are at their most powerful wherever life is most abundant, and at their weakest
where life is sparse (deserts, winter, etc.). Dark Magic makes use of unrefined Chaos energy and is
thus the most dangerous.

Skaven are a race of man-sized anthropomorphic rat-creatures in Games Workshop's Warhammer

Fantasy setting. They were officially introduced as a new Chaos race in 1986 by Jes Goodwin. The
Skaven are likely inspired in part from the intelligent rats that are the villains of the 1968 fantasy
novel, The Swords of Lankhmar, by Fritz Leiber.
In the background of the setting the Skaven are described as a clan-based society in which the
number 13 holds important significance. All Skaven pay homage to the Horned Rat, their only deity,
whom they worship primarily out of fear of retribution. Skaven are portrayed as sneaky, conniving,
selfish, cowardly and backstabbing. They are also closely linked to plague and disease (particularly
the Skaven clan Pestilens). The Skaven believe themselves to be superior to all other races,
especially those that live above ground.
Despite its large population, the existence of an organised Skaven society is carefully and violently
concealed from humans and other races of the Warhammer universe. Even when presented with
irrefutable proof, the common man regards them as an urban legend or merely another form of
Beastmen, although there is no direct link between the two species. It is a widely held belief that if
the Skaven could put aside their in-fighting and distrust of each other, they could potentially take
over the world: fortunately their innate paranoia and deceitful, treacherous natures make such an
occurrence all but impossible.

Release
Skaven were officially introduced into the tabletop wargame Warhammer Fantasy Battle in the
Spring 1986 issue of the Citadel Journal magazine. They were billed as "a new Chaos race".
However, the race had appeared a few months earlier as a free 'giveaway' Blood Bowl team in an
earlier 1986 issue of White Dwarf magazine.
Jes Goodwin sculpted the original 1986 Skaven range of Citadel Miniatures. Goodwin also
provided the original background found in the 1986 Citadel Journal. This background introduced
core elements of Skaven lore, including clan structure, the Council of Thirteen, Grey Seers, and the
Skaven God - "The Horned Rat".
The miniatures proved very popular[citation needed], and the range was expanded by Goodwin
over the next few years. Today, they are one of the main fifteen armies of Warhammer Fantasy
Battle.
Skaven also formed the core opponents of Games Workshop's popular Advanced HeroQuest
adventure game, released in 1990.
Skaven comprise one of the two armies of the 2010 Island of Blood starter set released for
Warhammer 8th edition.

Skaven in Warhammer
The background and character of the Skaven race in the Warhammer setting has been developed by
various authors since their introduction in 1986. The most significant additions were made by Andy
Chambers in the army list for the fourth edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battle.

History
The origins of the Skaven are for the most part unknown. The only background information
provided in Games Workshop literature is a poem called "The Doom That Came to Kavzar" which
loosely describes how the first Skaven came to be. It is presented in a myth-like fashion, detailing a
building project by Dwarves and Men which is cursed by a mysterious stranger, resulting in a
warpstone shower which mutates the rats of the city, and new-born Humans, into Skaven. The rats
proceed to exterminate or enslave the Human and Dwarf population of the city, remaking it into the
Skaven capital of Skavenblight.
The introduction of the Skaven supplement to Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay answers these
questions with the dogma of the Horned Rat, although Skaven philosophers have questioned the
nature of the mysterious stranger, wondering whether this entity is indeed a deity or a merely a
Daemonic entity.

Appearance and culture

Skaven are described as a cross between a rat and a man. They worship a deity known as "The
Horned Rat," who is also often referred to as simply "The Horned One." Skaven have the
appearance of large bipedal rats and possess a conniving and distrustful intelligence. They can make
tools, converse in a developed language and develop and use advanced weaponry. They often steal
technology from other races and improve upon it which usually involves warpstone. The Skaven
wizards will consume warpstone to boost their power to great heights. The Skaven centric
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay supplement "Children of the Horned Rat" gives the average Skaven
an expected lifespan of about 20 years, asserting that, were it not for the (often violent) internal
competition of their species, they might live well past 50. More powerful members of Skaven
society such as the dreaded Council of Thirteen tend to live far longer, even hundreds of years, due
to the use of drugs, of magic, or frequent use/exposure to the unstable magical substance,
warpstone.
Skaven represent the worst aspects of humanity, with none of its redeeming features. All Skaven are
selfish, spiteful, paranoid, cowardly, treacherous, greedy and hateful. Concepts such as love, loyalty,
self-sacrifice and honor are alien concepts to the ratmen. From birth to death all Skaven attempt to
climb the rungs of power by backstabbing, cheating and killing to gain any position ahead of their
rivals.
Skaven are roughly man-sized, the typical specimen being between four and five feet tall on
average. Most have brown or piebald fur, although this can vary. White and grey-furred ratlings are
prized among Skaven litters, as they often become Grey Seers (the Skaven equivalent of priests and
wizards). Black fur is looked upon as the sign of a true killer, so the elite Stormvermin corps draw
their members from black furred ratlings, it is also common for lighter colored Skaven to dye their

fur. Whole Skaven clans sometime dye their fur as well to represent their clan allegiance, an
example of this is Clan Volkn whose warriors dye their fur dark red. Albino Skaven are rare but not
unheard of. The Stormvermin in charge of protecting the Council of Thirteen (the Skaven ruling
body) are all albino.
Male Skaven are Warriors or workers/slaves. Females are called breeders and are docile, barely
intelligent creatures who spend much of their lives hidden away in the nest to breed. Though they
are far larger than the average Skaven (about 10 foot tall), female Skaven can't take care of
themselves and rely on eunuchs to feed and protect them. Female Skaven typically produce three to
five litters a year, each containing about 20 young called ratlings.

The Council of Thirteen

The Council of Thirteen is the ruling body of the Skaven race. They rule from a giant horse shoe
shaped hall which contains thirteen raised diases on which thrones are placed. a 13 sided black
pillar made of pure warpstone and engraved with the Horned Rat's commandments sits behind the
middle one. The order for the seats from left to right is 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7. The
13th Seat (the very middle of the horseshoe table) is the symbolic seat of the Horned Rat, and it acts
as a tie-breaker in votes amongst the other members, with the "Horned Rat's" vote typically being
interpreted by the Seer Lord. The 1st and 12th places (the right and left of the Horned Rat)are
therefore the most powerful, while seat six and seven are the weakest. The council are constantly
shifting allegiances, backstabbing, cheating, lying, or otherwise trying to undermine each other,
even hiring assassins to dispatch their rivals, much to the amusement of their malevolent god.
This back story helps justify why a rapidly reproducing, disease-resistant race does not rule more of
the world; they are too busy fighting each other. Indeed, if not for the race's constant infighting, the
Skaven could easily have the means to overrun the entire surface world. Each member of the
council is open to replacement at any time. The applicant must simply challenge his rival to a fight
to the death; if he wins, he takes the place of the loser on the council. Though rare, more than one
member of the Council has been replaced this way. The latest council of Thirteen members however
has not changed in the last century. Another mystery is how the dreaded Council members maintain
such long lifespans especially when a Skaven is considered ancient at 30 years (60 years for a grey
seer). It is speculated that the magical warpstone enchanted council seats might be an explanation
for the unusual longevity of its occupants.
The Council chambers are guarded by mute Albino Stormvermin known as the Council Guard. The
Council guard are taller than average Stormvermin and wear blood-red armour of the highest
quality (as far as Skaven standards go). The guard are as loyal as it is possible for any Skaven to be
and are thus immune to bribes to betray their masters on the Council of Thirteen. It is unknown how
the council of thirteen installs such loyalty into their stormvermin.
The Current known Council members (and their seat numbers) mentioned in the background are
Position 13: held by the Horned Rat.
Position 1, Lord Kritislik the Seerlord, head of the Order of the Grey Seers . (Deceased,
leaving the spot free.)
Position 12, Lord Morskittar, Lord Warlock of Clan Skryre .

Position 10, Lord Nurglitch, Arch-Plaguelord of Clan Pestilens

Position 4, Lord Paskrit, Warlord-General of all Skavendom
Position 9, Lord Verminkin, Packlord of Clan Moulder
unknown position, Lord Sneek, Nightlord of Clan Eshin
unknown position, Lord Gnawdwell, Warlord of Clan Mors
unknown position, Lord Kratch Doomclaw, Warlord of Clan Rictus
unknown position, Lord Vrisk Ironscratch, Fleetmaster of Clan Skurvy
unknown position, Lord Griznekt Mancarver, Warlord of Clan Skab

Kritislik occupies Seat number 1 on the Council, and Morskittar occupies seat 12 ; hence these two
are the most powerful of the Lords of Decay (although Kritislik, being the Seerlord, gets two veto
votes (one for his position and one for the absent Horned Rat) making Kritislik the most powerful
member of the council.)
Below the council in the fictional hierarchy of the race are the Grey Seers, prophets of the Horned
Rat himself, and powerful sorcerers. Grey Seers have prophetic powers and are usually grey-furred;
hence the name. While the Grey Seers are often physically weak, they make up for this in cunning,
guile, and the use of magic. Most other Skaven fear and hate Grey Seers in equal measure. The
most feared symbol of the Seers is the "Screaming Bell," a massive, horned bell mounted on a
carriage and pushed into battle, the daemonic chimes enthusing the Skaven hordes. This holds a
fairly unique place in the game as it is based like a monstrous creature, but fielded within a unit of
Skaven troops, granting bonuses to both the unit, and the larger army with its effects.
The rest of Skaven society is organized into innumerable clans. Four clans are traditionally more
powerful than the rest: Clan Pestilens, Clan Moulder, Clan Eshin, and Clan Skryre. These four are
collectively known as the Greater Clans, and dominate the back-story of the race and of most army
units.
In prior editions of Warhammer (and now restored in the most recent edition), the Skaven at times
would be led by daemonic beings called Vermin Lords. Believed to be some sort of Avatar of the
Horned Rat, Vermin Lords were greater daemons that even the Grey Seers feared and acquiesced
themselves to. Grey Seers often threaten to summon a Vermin Lord to ensure obedience, but in
truth, they are loath to do so as these creatures are more powerful and cunning than any living
Skaven and their lust for power and love of betrayal are legendary.

Clan Moulder
Clan Moulder is based in the far north extremely close to Troll Country. Their stronghold is known
as Hell Pit and is where Master Moulders use warpstone in a mad combination of alchemy and
genetic engineering to breed all sorts of monstrous beasts for war. They are a very wealthy clan, and
rent out their beasts for other Skaven to use in battle. Their war-beasts are reflected in the game by
wolf-sized Giant Rats and the enormous Rat Ogres, to an Ogre, what a normal Skaven is to a man.
To reflect their lower intelligence, they are led by Packmasters on the battlefield, and suffer severe
penalties if the Packmaster is killed. A recent creation of Clan Moulder is the Hell Pit Abomination:
a huge deformed Blind Wyrm that has been mutated beyond recognition and grafted with multiple
rat ogre parts, used to both dig new tunnels and as a terrifying beast of war. Clan Moulder is the

wealthiest of the four Greater Clans.

Clan Pestilens
Clan Pestilens is based in the southern part of the world, and has been the cause for both of the two
Skaven civil wars (the first war was caused by their demands for wealth and position following
their resurgence, and only ended after the activities of Clan Eshin assassins forced Pestilens to sue
for peace, while the second war was caused by Clan Pestilens trying to seize power after the
Council of Thirteen ousted them, and only ended after the Grey Seers summoned the Horned Rat
itself to restore order). The clan was considered lost in the jungles of Lustria, but when it
resurfaced, it was changed. The rats of the clan had become completely devoted to The Horned Rat
in his role as the harbinger of disease and plague. They are immune to most diseases and use the
very plagues they worship as deadly biological weapons against the other races. Due to their
diseased bulk, their plague monk troops are extremely tough, and deliriously fanatical in combat,
providing a needed role of holding up powerful enemies without breaking in the relatively lowleadership army of the Skaven. They also use rats infected with various foul contagions, and the
deadly plague censers, flails laden with burning warpstone, that emit lethal poison gas. Clan
Pestilens also use catapults that fire their foul diseases upon the enemy ranks. Their own leaders are
subject to the diseases and includes the plague Priests which can preach to their demented followers
from a top a Plague Furnace, a foul wheeled carriage that spreads disease in its wake. The current
leader of clan Pestilence is Plaguemaster Nurglitch, which may refer to the pestilent chaos god
Nurgle.

Clan Eshin
Clan Eshin was also considered lost for a long time, having traveled to the far Eastern lands of
Nippon and Cathay. When they returned, they, too, had changed. They ended the first Skaven civil
war by assassinating the leaders of Clan Pestilens and their allies. They had become the assassins of
Skaven society, skilled in the art of the silent kill. In the background literature, they provide a type
of secret police for the Council of Thirteen. They played a large role in the back story of the Storm
of Chaos worldwide campaign, as the ones who placed the Doom Hemisphere (see below) under
Middenheim. They are represented in the army by Night Runners, cheap expendable units of
skirmishers; Gutter Runners, who function as a scout force; and Assassins, elite close combat
characters who can hide in units of regular Skaven until they strike at enemy characters. All three
are described as being on one development path. The best Night Runners become Gutter Runners,
the best of which become Assassins. The most feared and deadly Assassin in all of Skavendom
however is Deathmaster Snikch. The current leader of clan Eshin is Nightlord Sneek (Temple of the
Serpent)

Clan Skryre
Currently, the most powerful Clan is Clan Skryre. These Skaven have devoted themselves to the
study of magic and blending it with insane science and engineering. Their engineers are used to
explain Skaven warmachines: the Ratling Gun (a warpstone-based Gatling gun with an obvious pun
on rat), the Warpfire thrower (a warpstone-based flamethrower), the Jezzail (an extremely longranged warpstone rifle which is so large that it has to be carried by two Skaven), the Poisoned Wind

Mortar (a device that fires delicate spheres filled with poison gas upon the enemy) and the fearsome
Warp-Lightning Cannon. They also employ Warlock Engineers, who harness the winds of magic to
devastating effect. In earlier versions of the game, there was a Skryre machine known as the
"Doomwheel", something like a hamster's exercise wheel crossed with a chariot. This was replaced
by the Warp-Lightning Cannon in the sixth edition rulebook, as the team working on the (then) new
Army Book explained in White Dwarf 267 that it was too blatantly a hamster wheel and wanted
something more serious; however, an updated Doomwheel was recently released to coincide with
the latest version of the army book.
This clan was also responsible for the creation of the "Doom Hemisphere", a device much akin to
an atomic bomb, which was placed underneath the Imperial city of Middenheim. The device was
intended to be detonated after Archaon's siege had either succeeded or failed, which would level
much of the city and leave the Skaven to overwhelm any survivors of the blast. Fortunately for the
residents, the device malfunctioned, detonating without enough force to obliterate Middenheim but
resulted in a significant change to the caves and tunnels found beneath the city, as well as killing
hundreds of Skaven and men in the tunnels who didn't escape the blast in time.

Other Clans
Clan Mors, One of the most powerful Warlord Clans.
Clan Rictus, known for vast armies of Stormvermin.
Clan Skab, nearly wiped out during the invasion of Nuln.
Clan Skurvy, possesses the largest fleet in Skavendom whose lair is Spineport.
Clan Volkn, a pyromaniacal clan that dyes its fur a reddish orange.
Clan Septik, has close ties with Clan Pestilens.
Clan Skuttle, possess the second largest fleet in Skavendom. Arch rivals of Clan Skurvy.
Clan Mordkin, whose warriors fight against undead.
Clan Carrion.
Clan Gritus.
Clan Gangrous, warriors from this clan are the most vicious tunnel fighters in the underempire.
Clan Gnaw, orc hunters.
Clan Ektrik, obsessed with harnessing and channeling warp lighting.
Clan Rigens, a clan responsible for governing and controlling Skaven Bloodbowl teams
(spin-off universe)

Skaven Tactics
In the tabletop war game Warhammer Fantasy Battles, Skaven players typically bring many more
models to the table than their opponents. Multiple large units of Clanrats, Skavenslaves, Giant Rats,
and Stormvermin form the bulk of the Skaven horde. Units such as Rat Ogres, Plague Monks, the
Warp Lightning Cannon, and the many and varied weapon teams support these vast numbers with
more raw killing power-though these devices and creatures can often lead to as many Skaven
casualties as their enemies, if not more.

Enemies and allies

The Skaven hold the same opinion of other races as do the Dark Elves: everyone is their inferior.
However, the Skaven extend this belief to include each other, with each Skaven believing himself to
be the epitome of Skaven superiority. As such, the Skaven usually see no need to ally with anyone,
but believe that they are always intelligent enough to manipulate their inferiors into fighting their
enemies for them. Those in higher rank view their lesser kin as completely worthless and have no
problem sending thousands to their deaths - many as a result of friendly fire.
It should be noted that due to these views and their tendency for back-stabbing, no one (not even the
minions of Chaos) ever wants to count the Skaven as their allies. Everyone who knows about the
Skaven knows that there is only one rule for trusting a Skaven: don't.
While virtually all races of the Old World loathe Skaven, humans, for the most part, believe them to
be a fairy tale or just another kind of Chaos Beastmen, and even cities they've attacked only hold
memories of the plague for two or three generations. The only two races to hold Skaven in utter
contempt are the Lizardmen, who feed them as choice offerings to their gods, and the Dwarfs who
war with the Skaven constantly for control of their many tunnels and underground lairs
The only race the Skaven can generally trust is the Dark Elves, who honour their treaties because of
their similar nature (except for the Skaven's enormous cowardice).

Skaven army list

Skaven forces as of eighth edition, are currently composed of the following units (for the standard
army list)
Lords and Heroes
Grey Seer
The representatives of the Council of Thirteen, these grey-furred wizards can cast spells from both
the Lore of Ruin and the Lore of Plague, as well as cast the Dreaded Thirteenth spell, which turns
enemy soldiers into Clanrats. If need be, they can summon a Vermin Lord, though they only do this
in times of dire need.
Warlord
Warlords are the leaders of Warlord Clans, and as such usually have the most powerful items they
can carry. They are fearsome warriors, having risen through the ranks via backstabbing, petty
politicking and in some rare cases duelling, and usually the only thing they need to worry about is if
one of their lieutenants decide to attempt to claim the title of Warlord for themselves.
Chieftain
Second-in-command to the Warlord Clans, the Chieftains are a treacherous lot, betraying and
backstabbing one another endlessly in the hope of becoming Warlord of their Clan.Their relative
prestige means they have access to some powerful items.
Assassin (Clan Eshin)

Assassins are the most powerful of the ninja-like warriors of Clan Eshin, who hire their services out
to Warlords, Chieftains and the like. These services range from killing off a rival, to stealing a
valuable item to poisoning the water supply of an Imperial village. They wear thick black cloaks,
and carry all sorts of killing implements drenched in poisons.
Warlock Engineer (Clan Skryre)
Warlock Engineers are the driving force behind Clan Skryre's inventions. Thanks to warpstone
tokens, along with their insane inventions, these maniacal scientists can cast spells from the Lore of
Ruin, such as shooting bolts of lightning out of their fingertips to cracking the ground in front of
them, sending enemy soldiers plummeting to their doom.
Plague Priest (Clan Pestilens)
Vermin Lord (Greater Daemon-esque Character)
Core Units
Clanrats
Skavenslaves
Giant Rats (Clan Moulder)
Night Runners (Clan Eshin)
Rat Swarms
Stormvermin
Special Units
Gutter Runners (Clan Eshin)
Plague Monks (Clan Pestilens)
Plague Censer Bearers (Clan Pestilens)
Rat Ogres (Clan Moulder)
Warplock Jezzails (Clan Skryre)
Poisoned Wind Globadiers (Clan Skryre)
Rare Units
Warp-Lightning Cannon (Clan Skryre)
Doomwheel (Clan Skryre)
Plagueclaw Catapult (Clan Pestilens)
Hell Pit Abomination (Clan Moulder)
Special Characters
Grey Seer Thanquol & Boneripper
Throt the Unclean
Warlord Queek Head-Taker (Deceased)
Deathmaster Snikch
Ikit Claw
Tretch Craventail
Skweel Gnawtooth
Lord Skrolk
Most of the available choices reflect the four clans mentioned above, and some of the Special

Characters are mentioned at length in the Army book as major powers in the Skaven world. These
clan designations do not affect the playing of the army, though players are free to 'theme' an army
around a particular clan, and alternate lists for each major clan exist, emphasizing 'their' troops.

ORCS
Stories
Orcs & Goblins contains a number of short stories that provide an illustrative fictional history of the
Orcs in the Warhammer Fantasy universe. These stories center around the formation of Waaagh!s
and the resulting campaigns.

Gorbad Ironclaw
Gorbad Ironclaw, atop his vicious boar Gnarla, was the mightiest Warlord that ever lived (in the
warhammer fantasy universe). Gorbad Ironclaw and his tribe, the Ironclaw Orcs, absorbed the
Broken Tooth tribe along with the local Goblin and Night Goblin tribes, to create a massive force of
Greenskin warriors. The tribe marched through Black Fire Pass to attack the Empire under the
Emperor Sigismund. Gorbad's army conquered the territories of Solland and Wissenland, but
Gorbad himself was wounded in the fighting. At the fortress of Altdorf, the Waaagh! was kept at
bay outside the city walls. Gorbad unleashed Wyverns upon the city, who threw the defenders into
disarray but were ultimately repelled without achieving their main objective, which was to destroy
the city gates. Eventually, the lack of progress and Gorbad's injury took their toll on morale, and the
army disintegrated. The remnants of Gorbad's tribe were ambushed and defeated on their way home
by a Dwarf army under the King of Karaz-a-Karak. It is not known if Gorbad survived the
encounter.

Azhag the Slaughterer

An already powerful warlord who ruled over a great many tribes in the Badlands, Azhag's tale truly
began after he unearthed an ancient magic crown in the ruined city of Todtheim. But this was no
simple trinket: this was the Crown of Sorcery, an ancient artifact of the Great Necromancer, Nagash,
and the ancient Liche's insidious spirit still clung to the artifact. When Azhag put the crown on,
Nagash's spirit began to dominate the Orc's crude, uncomplicated psyche, and from then on,
Azhag's primal power was combined with Nagash's tactical genius and arcane fury.
The power of the Crown allowed Azhag to destroy the rival Warbosses and ensure the loyalty of his
followers. Prior to battle, Azhag would lay out his plan of attack, speaking in a decidedly un-Orcy
voice heavy with the weight of centuries, then bellow at his ladz to get moving. However, Azhag's
continued victories ensured the support of his greenskin followers: they didn't care that he "talked
funny," only that he showed them "where da fighting wuz!"

Armed with Nagash's tactical skill and sorcerous might, which granted Azhag impressive magical
skill, and mounted on the back of his pet wyvern Skullmuncha, Azhag's uncannily organised and
tactically skilled WAAAGH! invaded the Empire, laying waste to the eastern province of
Ostermark. They ravaged the province for many long months before Azhag's force was finally
defeated at the Battle of Osterwald. In the ferocious fighting, Werner von Kriegstadt, Grand Master
of the Knights Panther, killed Azhag in single combat and recovered the Crown of Sorcery. Without
his tactical mind and force of will to lead them, the Orcs that had followed Azhag fled into the
forests and hills of Ostland. As for the Crown of Sorcery, after much debate between those who
wanted it preserved and studied, and those who wanted it destroyed so its evil could pose no more
threat, the Grand Theogonist took it back to Altdorf and sealed it in the Imperial Vaults, where it
would remain for all eternity.

Grimgor Ironhide
Grimgor Ironhide is the most violent Black Orc Warboss ever to exist. He leads tribes of vicious
Orcs to lay waste all across the Old World. His personal bodyguard of Black Orcs are known as "Da
Immortulz" and they are almost as dangerous as he is. Grimgor is a fearsome fighter who can inflict
enormous casualties upon opposing units. He "rests" by going into the tunnels of Red Eye Mountain
(the Former Dwarf hold of Karak Ungor)that is held by Night Goblin allies. Here he slaughters vast
numbers of Skaven, who are constantly trying to take the keep from the Greenskins. Unknown to
Grimgor he has often got close to the Skaven area known as "Hell Pit", where the Skaven carry out
their twisted experiments. Grimgor leaves the tunnels when he becomes bored with killing Skaven,
but invariably returns for another "rest" when the urge to explore and kill reasserts itself.
Grimgor's fighting skill is such that he has been fought to a standstill only once - by the Champion
of Chaos Crom the Conqueror. This is partly explained by the mauling of Grimgor's army on that
occasion and the fleeing of the survivors, which left Grimgor alone on the field of battle.

Army list in 8th Edition

Special Characters

Grimgor Ironhide
Azhag the Slaughterer
Gorbad Ironclaw
Grom the Paunch
Skarsnik
Wurrzag
Furgit Gutslasha
Gitilla the hunter (new)
Snagla Grobspit (new)

Lord Choices
Black Orc Warboss
Savage Orc Warboss

Orc Warboss
Goblin Warboss
Night Goblin Warboss
Savage Orc Great Shaman
Orc Great Shaman
Goblin Great Shaman
Night Goblin Great Shaman

Hero Choices

Black Orc Big Boss

Savage Orc Big Boss
Orc Big Boss
Goblin Big Boss
Night Goblin Big Boss
Savage Orc Shaman
Orc Shaman
Goblin Shaman
Night Goblin Shaman

Core Choices

Orc Boyz
Orc Arrer Boyz
Savage Orcs
Goblins
Goblin Wolf Riders
Night Goblins
Forest Goblin Spider riders

Special Choices

Black Orcs
Orc Boar Boyz
Savage Orc Boar Boyz
Orc Boar Chariot
Goblin Wolf Chariot
Goblin Spear Chukka (bolt thrower)
Night Goblin Squig Hoppers
Night Goblin Squig Herds
Snotlings
Trolls

Rare Choices
Goblin Rock Lobber (stone thrower)

Snotling Pump Wagon

Doom Diver Catapult
Arachnarok Spider
Mangler Squigs (new)
Stone Trolls
River Trolls
Giants

Orcs
Main articles: Orc (Warhammer), Black Orc and Savage Orc
Orcs are large creatures with long arms and short legs, huge slabs of muscle move under tough
green skin, and their jaws are lined with vicious fangs that jut out from their underbite. They have
beady red eyes, a generally foul demeanor, and are naturally bald. Normally six feet tall, they are up
to seven feet tall when stretched out of their characteristic stoop. They respect power and strength,
and naturally tend towards becoming bigger and stronger as they rise through their society. While
they lack the education of more advanced races, Orcs possess immense cunning and are quick
learners, but rarely adopt new tactics to replace their fondness for close quarters brutality.
Black Orcs were originally created by the Chaos Dwarves to use as slaves, but have since rebelled
and found a place in regular Orc armies. They are even bigger, stronger and meaner than regular
Orcs, and so tend towards command roles. They are not above forming their own units though.
Though other Orcs tend to look down on Black Orc intelligence, Black Orcs are, if not smarter, at
the very least better organized. They are above the petty infighting (called Animosity in-game) that
happens in most tribes and settle their differences with other Greenskins with orderly head-butting
contests. Being the largest of Orcs and having an air of authority, Black Orcs confiscate large
amounts of the heaviest armour from the camp and march to battle carrying a variety of weapons.
Savage Orcs are a different culture of orcs; their tribes have a stone-age level of development, and
are even more shamanistic and savage than their regular Orc cousins. They are most well known for
riding giant boars into combat, and paint their bodies with magical tribal designs which provide
them with some level of supernatural protection. In game, this gives them a 6+ Ward saving throw
on a six sided dice.

Goblins
Main articles: Goblin (Warhammer) and Hobgoblin (Warhammer)
Goblins are much smaller and skinnier than the Orcs and have long, pointed noses. They are
between 4 and 5 feet high, seldom reaching the height of a man. Goblins are more common than
orcs, and deceitful to a fault. They prefer attacking their opponents in the back or from a safe
distance. When pressed into battle Goblins seek safety in numbers, attacking in large mobs. They
are afraid of Elves because they "stink funny."
Goblins tend to be bossed around by orcs because they are smaller and weaker, but the Goblins
outsmart their larger cousins when trading scavenged goods.

 Common Goblins - are, like the common Orcs, the most numerous of the Goblin kind
Night Goblins - inhabit underground places and hate to go out during the day. The night
goblin fanatics are famed for their random power of destruction, just as you would expect
from a mad goblin with a ball on a chain!
Forest Goblins - are a goblinoid group at a primitive level like Savage Orcs, living in the
Southlands
Hobgoblins are a race of large goblins living out on the Eastern Steppes where they are ruled by
Khans and fight in huge wolf-mounted hordes. They are so underhanded that normal Greenskins
refuse to have dealings with them but are used by the Chaos Dwarfs.

Snotlings
Main article: Snotling
Snotlings are smaller and weaker than goblins; about half their height, although there is no set point
where a large snotling becomes a small goblin, or vice versa. They are far less intelligent than
goblins and can do little except in imitation of others. They congregate on the edges of greenskin
villages, hunting (and being hunted by) squigs, although they are often too terrified to approach
these strange creatures. In battle, they usually gather in large swarms that are too stupid to know
when they're beaten. Sometimes they manage to cobble together examples of the infamous snotling
pump wagon; a gigantic, uncontrollable wrecking machine. To Orcs, as long as they're smaller than
themselves, they're all just weedy little "grotz" to be bossed around.

Gnoblars
Gnoblars were not well known to the Old World until expeditions from the Ogre Kingdoms became
commonplace. They serve as "pets" who are used to scavenge battlefields and carry luggage.
Gnoblars are between normal goblins and snotlings in size and hence hierarchy. Gnoblars are not
part of the Orcs & Goblins army in Warhammer Fantasy. Gnoblars do jobs for the Ogres in return
for the Ogres' protection.

Beasts
Accompanying the greenskin hordes are a variety of unusual non-greenskinned creatures. Squigs
are strange two legged creatures part fungus, part animal. Slightly larger than a goblin, they appear
as a ball of tough flesh with large chasm like mouths filled with razor sharp teeth, they vary in
colors and some even have spines or spikes growing from their bodies, some have tails. They are
captured and then goaded or ridden into battle by goblins. A sub breed of squig is the much larger
cave squig. Cave squigs are physically similar to regular squigs except that they are much larger.
They are found in caves and are much more ferocious than their smaller cousins. They feed off of
dwarves they run into or night goblins who fail to capture them.
Trolls are large dimwitted creatures with immense strength and toughness. They can also regurgitate
recently eaten meals in the form of highly corrosive acid which is a very useful offensive ability.
Trolls also have the ability to regenerate. There are two sub-breeds of trolls: the river and stone

trolls. River trolls are slightly more agile than the other breeds. Stone trolls have hard scales
covering parts of their body as well as a resistance to magic. Both sub-breeds of troll are considered
better than the average troll but are also much rarer.
Giants are extremely huge and consider anything smaller than themselves as food. In some rare
cases they can be persuaded (with shiny gifts) into joining an orc warband. Some giants will join
these warbands of their own choosing. Usually because they are hungry or just bored.
Wyverns can be captured, broken and used as powerful (if reluctant) steeds for Orc Warbosses in
battle.

Machines
The greenskins have invented or stolen many contraptions over time. These include war machines
such as catapults and spear chukkas (bolt throwers). The most interesting inventions are the pump
wagon and the doom diver catapult. The pump wagon is a large wagon ridden by snotlings. The
snotlings on the pump wagon will often insult and throw rocks at any foes surrounding them but the
real damage is done by the wagon itself. Ramming blocks of enemy soldiers it cuts and squishes
those before it with large rotating blades. The Doom Diver catapult is an oversize sling that
launches goblins (with home-made wings) towards the enemy troops.

Squigs
These mad, bouncing beasts are captured by night goblins for pets or (more usually) for food.
Squigs are described as orange balls of fungus and muscle with tiny legs and mouths covering
almost their whole body. They are powerful creatures and can cause as much damage to their allies
as to the enemy. The more well-known term "Squig" is short for "Squiggly Beast."

Reproduction
The Orcs will continue to grow larger and stronger as time goes on until they are killed. As the Orcs
travel to find new enemies to kill they will spread their spore from place to place creating more
Orcs.

ELVES
WOOD ELVES:
Background and History
The Wood Elves (known as "Asrai" to themselves) were once members of the High Elves, the
original group of elves in the Warhammer world. Setting sail from their homeland of Ulthuan, an
island-continent in the ocean to the west, the High Elves colonised the lands later inhabited by men,

including the forest of Athel Loren. After many years of peaceful existence, these colonists came
into conflict with the Dwarves, a conflict which escalated into open war. Known as the War of the
Beard (Dwarves sometimes call it the War of Vengeance), this centuries long conflict saw Dwarfen
forces through Athel Loren, felling trees to fuel their furnaces, and to spite the nature-loving Elves.
Some Elven colonists took to the woods to prevent this destruction, ambushing the Dwarfen forces
when possible.
Eventually the High Elves, after the death of Caledor II and with the Dark Elf invasion of Ulthuan,
made the decision to retreat back to their homeland to its defense. However many of the colonists
felt little loyalty towards that distant land and, having formed a bond with the woods of Athel
Loren, chose to remain. They became known as the Wood Elves. Over time the forest's other
inhabitants, spirits such as dryads, treemen and spites, have come to accept the elves, although some
such as the branchwraith Drycha still resent their presence, and parts of the wood, such as the
Wildwood, still remain closed to them.
The Wood Elves have learnt to wield Athel Loren as a weapon against invaders, leading invaders
down magical pathways to wander for centuries, only re-appearing many years later before quickly
ageing and dying. Such 'tree-singing' is also used to form great cities in the trees, cities which few
outsiders are ever permitted to see. The Wood Elves cannot be described as morally 'good' or 'bad',
lacking the clear definition of their cousins, the High Elves and Dark Elves. Despite this, Wood
Elves are counted amongst the "Forces of Order" in the current rules. Like nature itself, they can
appear as fickle and capricious as the winter chill, yet also as warm as the summer sun. Athel Loren,
the enchanted forest of the Wood Elves, is ruled by two powerful elves called Ariel and Orion who
are possessed by deities which are manifestations of aspects of nature. Ariel being the peaceful
regenerative representation of nature, and Orion is the warlike unpredictable side.

The Wood Elven Army== OBSOLETE ARMY BOOK :

CHECK FOR 8TH EDITION
A Wood Elven army is made of two major groups: Elven soldiers, and the forest itself. 'Forest
Spirits' can and will be awakened in a time of need to fight for the well-being of the entire forest.
These Forest Spirits usually take the form of leafy tree-like creatures (called Dryads, Tree Kin and
Treemen). Dryads present themselves as lithe and lovely maidens who entice the unwary into
entering the forest. At a time that the dryads find amusing, the lovely, near-human aspect is shed
and the violent aspect manifests as a tree-like vengeful monster that tears the erstwhile guest to
shreds. Tree Kin are more nebulous spirits that normally move freely through the forest, unbound to
any physical instrumentality. When the need arises, however, the Tree Kin embody a collection of
dead limbs and trunks, which then shambles along with the elven horde, smashing and crushing all
that it meets. Most terrible of all the forest spirits, however, are the Treemen, which result when an
exalted spirit makes the choice to bind itself permanently to a tree. The resulting creature lives for
centuries: indeed, the eldest of, the Ancients, recall a time when the meaty nuisances of elves and
men, orcs and dwarfs, did not trouble and pollute (and, worst of all, cut down) the forest. Also
found in the forest are 'Spites'- the lowest form of spirits Athel Loren has to offer, who attach
themselves to a unit, place or character and which confer a wide variety of unusual benefits.

Lords
Highborn
Highborns are the upper, ruling class of Elven society. They lead the Wood Elves in time of
peace, and it is expected of them to be equally capable generals in times of war. They are far
more skilled than the average elven foot troop. Highborns (and nobles) can take up special
areas of training (called kindreds), which give them various skills and abilities. Most notably,
the kindreds include the "Alters," who are characters that have been changed by the forest.
They take on the aspects of the creatures of the forest, through which they move as rapidly as
cavalry, and when they come upon the intruder they visit it with a torrent of attacks.
Highborns, like most characters in Warhammer, can use magical equipment and ride on war
animals. Athel Loren has a wide variety of steeds to choose from- a Highborn could ride on
anything from a well-trained horse to an enchanted forest dragon
Spellweaver
The Lord-level Mage is similar to mages in every other army, they have access to all eight
lores of magic, or the Elf-specific High and Dark magic with a different lore attribute and
have a variety of mounts to choose from, including Elven Steeds, Great Eagles, and Unicorns.
Treeman Ancient
Treeman Ancients are the oldest and wisest of the treemen that live in Athel Loren. They are
just as large and strong as their brethren, but their knowledge of the past and workings of the
Forest give the abilities much stronger than those of the average treeman. They cannot
"purchase" kindreds as the elves do, nor can they carry magical items, but they can, like the
branchwraiths,

Heroes
Noble
The basic Wood Elf Hero Choice. He is similar to a Highborn, but with lower status, both on
the battlefield and off. He can also choose a kindred for an additional points cost, but he
cannot be mounted on a dragon, and can't take as many magical items as the Highborn.
However, he is still a valuable addition to an army. Also, he can be chosen to carry the army
battle standard, becoming a beacon for the elves in the near vicinity.
Spellsinger
The Spellsinger is the basic wizard in the elven ranks. Like the Spellweavers, they have
access to all eight lores of magic, but not high and dark magic the spellsinger can be upgraded
to a higher level wizard.
Branchwraith
Branchwraiths are the most powerful dryads. They are only slightly more proficient than
dryads in combat, but they can be upgraded to low-level wizards, making them an expensive,
but much more durable alternative to the spellsingers.

Core Units
Glade Riders
Forming a friendship of trust and understanding with their horses, Glade Riders move swiftly
through the forest branches to bring their deadly bows to bear on the less mobile intruders.
Glade Riders are capable of both ranged combat and close combat, though it is often better for
them to weaken a target for another unit to assault. They often provide a curtain force on the
front ranks, to delay and channel the intruder into a prepared devastating attack by
wardancers, dryads, treekin and treemen.
Glade Guard/Scouts
Renowned for their impressive longbows, the Glade Guard are skilled bowmen whose
understanding of the woods allows them to move seemingly unhindered through thick brush
and dense undergrowth. Both Scout and Glade Guard are best suited to ranged combat.
According to the background, they are feared throughout the whole world for the deadliness
of their archery and rightly so. They also benefit from special rules that allow wood elves to
move and fire on the same turn without penalty.
Eternal Guard
Using a unique fighting form with deadly spearstaves called Saearath, Eternal Guard will
solidly stand against any who threaten Athel Loren. Eternal Guard are frequently utilised as
bodyguards for Highborn and Noble Elves. They are the only ones standing between the
enemy and the destruction of the forest during winter time. During other seasons they have
mostly ceremonial roles and of course, the right hand of the royals.-Note that Eternal Guard
are only a Core Unit as long as a highborn leads the army. If otherwise, they are a Special
Unit.
Dryads
Forest spirits that are the embodiment of nature's duality: Beauty and Ferocity. Dryads will
lure intruders off roads and trails, then let their sharp branches and thorns teach the intruder
the folly of trespassing in Athel Loren. Dryads are some of the most capable assault troops in
the Wood Elf host, being fast, strong, tough, fear causing, magically protected and nigh
unstoppable.

Special Units
Wardancers
Wardancers are the elven equivalent of berserkersthey have no armor, move fluidly, weave
'dances of death' around their opponents, and are immune to psychological effects such as fear
and terror. In Wood Elf folklore, Wardancers are treated with the utmost respect. Wardancer
Kindreds are known for dancing at great feasts and banquets.
Warhawk Riders
Warhawk Riders are light, flying units used mostly for march-blocking and hit-and-run
tactics. They are highly skilled elves riding agile, giant hawks, and resemble a sort of 'flying
cavalry.'

 Tree Kin
Tree Kin is the name given to the spirits of Athel Loren that bond themselves with dead trees
to create an abominable, moving tree monster. They are, in essence, lesser forms of Treemen.
Tree Kin tactics closely resemble that of other monsters its size, like a Troll, due to their high
toughness and magical ward saves. They are great monsters that induce fear.
Wild Riders
As the personal guard of Orion, Wild Riders are aggressive and impulsive cavalry and are
much more resilient than Glade Riders. They have transcended the status of elf and, through
Orion have become akin to the forest spirits. They, like all forest spirits, become dormant
during the winter but experience a violent rebirth in the spring, raiding lands from allied
Bretonnia to the far north. Killing everyone from Bretonnians, Orcs, Beastmen, and even
Wood Elves who accidentally cross paths with the wild hunt.

Rare Units
Great Eagle
A Great Eagle is just thatan eagle of epic proportions. They live in the Grey Mountains, or
on the very highest treetops of Athel Loren and have a special connection with elves. Wood
elves use eagles as deadly flying monsters. Some heroes of the Wood Elf race are even known
to ride them to battle.
Treemen
Treemen are the most powerful spirits in Athel Loren. They, unlike Tree Kin, are permanently
bound to a living tree, making a connection that only death can sever. Also, Treemen are
ancient beings -some are old beyond mortal reckoning- of gigantic size and have many
abilities that Tree Kin do not. One example is the mystical power of tree-singing, which can
enable trees to walk or attack nearby enemies, another is strangle root, the ability to shoot
roots out to damage enemies a short distance away.
Waywatchers
Waywatchers are elite scouts/rangers that have honed their skills to a point where they can
remain concealed and unmoving for days on end and then let loose a volley of arrows
instantly and with deadly precision, without the foe ever seeing their attackers. They are the
best non-hero archers in the game and use similar tactics to scouts. They can pierce armour
and even slay the most powerful heroes with just a single shot. If ever an unfortunate visitor
comes to Athel Loren uninvited, he will likely already been spotted by waywatchers. If the
visitor is lucky, the waywatchers will guide him out of the forest without showing themselves.
If the visitor is unlucky, he will join the many skeletons on the outskirts of the forest, with
arrows protruding from both his eye sockets.

Notable Characters
Orion, King of the Woods
The immortal Consort King of Athel Loren, Orion is the rampaging Avatar of the elf god
Kurnous. He is a terrifying sight to behold, standing over ten feet tall and his green skin

ripples with muscle. Although he must die each winter, he is reborn each spring, and reaches
the peak of his power in mid-summer. Such is the way of things, the "continuation of the
never-ending process of death and rebirth". Orion is normally accompanied by his baying
hounds and the Wild Riders of Kurnous. Orion counts as both a Lord and a Hero choice. At
the height of his power in midsummer, Orion is a terrifying being of majesty and power. And
his lithe, green-tinged body ripples with barely contained anger. As the moons align overhead
on midsummer's eve, a beautiful cloak crafted by his Queen is draped over his shoulders, and
the great horn of the Wild Hunt is placed reverently before him. As the time of the
conjunction draws near, he takes up his weapons from their shrine within the Oak of Ages. At
midnight, Athel Loren goes utterly silent not a creature stirs for all know that the ride of
the Wild Hunt has come.
Drycha
Drycha is the most powerful Branchwraith in Athel Loren. The Asrai believe she was driven
mad when the blood of the powerful beastman Morghur was spilled in her glade, though in
truth, she was malevolent and capricious long before that. She hates all who enter into Athel
Loren, and blames the Wood Elves for all the evils that threaten the enchanted forest. In recent
years, she and the forest creatures that serve her have taken to attacking villages around Athel
Loren, leaving no survivors and showing no mercy. Drycha is believed to have entered the
service of Coeddil, a tree-man whose hatred of the Asrai is legendary, and it is rumoured that
she is forming a resistance to exterminate the Asrai. She counts as a lord choice and any army
led by Drycha may only contain "Forest spirits" (refer to the Wood Elves army book).
Naestra and Arahan, the Sisters of Twilight
The Sister-Twins of Athel Loren are a mysterious pair who occupy the alpine slopes of the
Pine Crags. The story of their existence has been retold throughout the ages by the
wardancers. They tell that a small Asrai child, Naestarahan, was lured into the woods by
glowing faerie lights to a place where even the Waywatchers feared to tread. There she was
split into two halves: identical in looks, save that one has hair as dark as night and the other
has hair of the purest white. Both command the forest: Naestra, out of love, Arahan, out of
fear. As long as one endures, both will endure. They always ride to battle either Ceithin-Har a
forest dragon, or Gwindalor, a Great Eagle. Both sisters take up a single hero choice, while
Ceithin-Har takes up an 'additional hero choice.
Scarloc
Scarloc is a champion to the Asrai. He is known for his skill with the bow and his stealthy
abilities. He is also the leader of the masterful scouts. In Imperial year 2007 he and his scouts
slew Morghur, or Cyanathair, Child of Chaos, by piercing him with a hundred arrows.
Ariel, Queen in the Woods
The opposite of Orion, she is the incarnation of Isha and represents the very nature of Athel
Loren itself. She takes the form of a beautiful maiden with the wings of butterfly. Ariel is the
most powerful spellcaster available to a Wood Elves army.
Durthu
One of the eldest of the Treemen Ancients, he suffered at the hands of many races trying to
desecrate the forest (particularly the Dwarves, who left him scarred beyond recognition). As
such he now hates all races, and only has limited trust of the Wood Elves

Araloth
Araloth is known for being particularly brave. However, this was not always so. He was once
a cowardly noble who shrunk from battle and only enjoyed hunting. One night while he was
out, he found himself thrown off his horse and separated from his companions. Hopelessly
lost, he wandered for hours. When the moon had just risen, he wandered into a clearing. What
he saw there was a four-armed daemon and the elf-maiden it was torturing. Forgetting his
fear, he charged into the glade with his hunting spear and slew the daemon. After the daemon
had been killed, the maiden revealed herself to be an unknown goddess. She bestowed three
gifts on him. The first was he would be freed from his fears. The second would be his firstborn daughter; to be a saviour. The third is still yet to be found.

High Elves in game

Fictional History
This section is split into information about each High Elf king in Chronological order. Before Chaos
entered the world, the Everqueen ruled. This is known as the Golden age of Ulthuan. Not much is
said about the Golden age of Ulthuan, except that the elves lived contentedly with their Old One
creaters looking after the world.

Aenarion the Defender

After the powers of Chaos entered the world with the disappearance of the Old Ones and the
destruction of their interstellar gates at the roof of the world, all seemed lost. As hordes of daemons
and men corrupted by Chaos sallied forth to destroy everything in the name of their masters, a hero
rose from among the ranks of the Elves to fight back. His name was Aenarion, a warrior and
adventurer who had travelled the world and returned home in his people's time of need. Knowing
his people had no chance of holding off the Chaotic hordes, Aenarion travelled to the Shrine of
Asuryan and implored the god to save his people. After countless sacrifices and libations failed,
Aenarion hurled himself into the sacred flames of the shrine as a sacrifice. But to the amazement of
all present, he did not die. Instead he emerged from the fire, unharmed and blessed by the power of
the Creator God of the Elves. Armed with that power, he led his people to victory after victory on
the battlefield and finally succeeded in driving the daemon hordes from Ulthuan.
In this brief time of respite, Aenarion found peace for a while. He befriended Caledor Dragontamer,
greatest of all the realm's mages and lord of the realm of Dragons, and added the power of that land
to his armies, taking Indraugnir, greatest of all dragons as his steed. He married Astarielle, the
Everqueen, and she bore him twin children: a daughter, Yvraine, and a son, Morelion. But the
daemon hordes came again, in far greater numbers and with much more ferocity. The war dragged
on for a century, and faced with a numberless, relentless foe, even Aenarion began to lose hope of
victory. Caledor presented a desperate scheme that might present a chance of victory: to create a
great magical vortex that would drain the powers of Chaos from the world, thus saving its
inhabitants. But Aenarion didn't want to risk the repercussions of such a plan. However, news came
of a terrible event that would alter the course of his life: word reached him that the daemons had
attacked his wife's realm of Averlorn. Astarielle was dead, and his children by her could not be
found (unknown to him, the pair had been taken by the tree-man Oakheart and his people to the
safety of the Gaen Vale).
Believing his family dead, a vengeful Aenarion travelled to the Blighted Isle and drew the Sword of
Khaine from its resting place in the Shrine of Khaine there, ignoring the knowledge that to do so not
only damned oneself but their descendants as well. It is said that on his journey, all four of the
Chaos Gods urged him to reconsider and that the ghost of his wife appeared at the entrance of the
Shrine, begging him not to go through with it, but Aenarion did not turn away.[1] Blessed by the
power of the Creator God and armed with the very weapon of the God of War, Aenarion became an
Avatar of death and destruction: none could stand against him. Off the battlefield, though he never
stopped mourning Astarielle, Aenarion took a new wife: the beautiful seeress, Morathi, who he had
rescued from a Slaaneshi Chaos warband, and she bore him another son: Malekith. Aenarion made
court in his bride's homeland of Nagarythe, at the castle of Anlec, where the most bloodthirsty and
vicious of Elves flocked to his banner, and the castle and the kingdom became synonymous with
misery, suffering and death. Eventually, Aenarion and Caledor fell out over the new age of cruelty
and violence Aenarion had ushered in and Caledor stormed out of court. But before Aenarion could
take action against his old friend, disaster struck.
The daemons came again, this time in such great numbers there was no hope of victory. With little
other choice, Caledor assembled the greatest mages in Ulthuan and began to create the vortex.
Realising he had no choice, Aenarion assembled his armies to defend Caledor on the Isle of the

Dead. The battle that followed was long, bloody and savage and thousands of Elves were slain, but
the ritual worked: the vortex was created, draining away the power of Chaos and without it, the
daemons faded out of existence. Victory had been won, but the cost was high: thousands were dead,
Ulthuan lay in ruins, Caledor and his mages were trapped inside the vortex, doomed to keep it open
forever, and Aenarion was wounded unto death. Though dying, Aenarion travelled back to the
Shrine of Khaine and returned the Sword of Khaine to its resting place. He died on the island and
his body was never found, leaving only a kingdom in ruins and a legacy that would haunt his people
for long ages to come...
Bel-Shanaar the Explorer
A new Phoenix King was chosen, named Bel-Shanaar, later titled The Explorer.
Bel-Shanaar was chosen by the Council of Princes over the more obvious successor, Prince
Malekith, the son of Aenarion, due to their inclination for a more peaceful ruler. In spite of great
support from his homeland and his insidious mother, Malekith did not contest the ascension and
Bel-Shanaar was crowned king. Initially Bel-Shanaar's reign was peaceful and prosperous: Malekith
made contact with the dwarves and together the two races established many settlements in the lands
that would become the Empire, destroying hordes of Orcs, Daemons and other creatures of Chaos in
great battles. Trade flourished between the two realms and Bel-Shanaar and Snorri Whitebeard,
High King of the Dwarves, signed a treaty of eternal friendship between Elves and Dwarves. It
seemed to all that the elves had entered a golden age, one all thought would never end.
However, late in Bel-Shanaar's reign, a canker began to infect Ulthuan: cults dediated to the
Cytherai, the darker elven gods began to flourish and spread, despite all efforts to curb their
excesses. Malekith returned to Ulthuan and led a series of great purges against the cults across
Ulthuan, but it did little save push the realm towards civil war. Finally, Malekith declared BelShanaar to be a follower of the cults. Before this claim could be ratified, Malekith murdered BelShanaar and claimed the Phoenix King had killed himself. Malekith demanded the crown pass to
him, but the Council was skeptical. Unfortunately, this didn't stop Malekith, and he tried to take the
crown by force. Too late, the Council realised Malekith and his mother Morathi had been
controlling and orcheastrating the cults for their own purposes all along. Unfortunately, their plans
were undone when Malekith was horrifically burned trying to prove his right to be king by passing
through the sacred Flame of Asuryan. As his followers fled with their badly injured master, they left
Ulthuan without a king and poised on the brink of civil war...
Caledor I the Conqueror
Civil war gripped Ulthuan. Imrik, the prince of Caledor, was chosen and crowned to oppose
Malekith. He gathered an army of pure elves, and upon his coronation took the name Caledor the
First. Caledor was a silent and resolute elf, but he was also a mighty leader, and unequaled warrior.
He united the Elves and personally defeated Malekith. As part of a final, desperate plan; Malekith
attempted to collapse the vortex created by Caledor Dragontamer, thus releasing the minions of
Chaos fully into the world again. The apocalyptic plan failed, and in the magical backlash, Caledor
Dragontamer and the mages stuck in the Isle of the Dead overcame their prison and disrupted the
spell; Consequently, large portions of Ulthuan sank beneath the sea. This is the event known as the
'Sundering'. Malekith, along with Morathi and their followers, used their magic to transform the

great northern cities into the huge floating 'Black Arks', which are mobile fortresses created to
plague the oceans of the Warhammer World. They traveled to the western lands known as
Naggaroth, by means of the Black Arks.
The Asur retook the Blighted Isle toward the closing of the war: Caledor went to the Shrine of
Khaine, but ultimately, though he felt its call, refused to draw the Sword of Khaine, even though he
knew it would give him the power to destroy Malekith and the Dark Elves once and for all. As his
fleet headed for home, Caledors ship was swept away by a freak storm and driven towards the
coast of Naggaroth. Morathi alerted Malekith to this turn of events, who set a fleet of corsairs the
task of finding and capturing Caledor. As their ship drifted, it was caught and boarded by Dark Elf
pirates, against whom Caledor and his men fought off desperately. However, in the end, the Dark
Elves were too many, and the crew were annihilated. Wounded and surrounded, Caledor jumped
into the sea in full armour, choosing a quick death by drowning, rather than face the long, slow,
torturous end Malekith would inflict on him if captured. A tragic ending, for the great king,
Caledor...
Caledor II the Warrior
Caledor's son ascended to the throne, taking the title Caledor II. Unlike his father, Caledor II was
arrogant and foolish. When the Dark Elves sought to inflame the Asur-Dwarf relations, Caledor II's
arrogance only worsened the situation. The Dark Elves began raiding Dwarf trade caravans,
disguised as High Elves,but when the Dwarves demanded an explanation and recompense for their
loss, Caledor arrogantly replied that he did not answer demands but granted pleas and send the
Dwarf emissaries away with nothing. The Dwarf High King, Gotrek Starbreaker, replied he made
no plea to elf, man or god and demanded twice the weregeld price for the implied insult. Outraged
by this, Caledor had the Dwarf emissary sent back with his beard shaved off: the ultimate insult in
Dwarven culture. This atrocity sparked off the War of the Beard, a millennia spanning conflict that
saw the empires of the Elves and Dwarves crumble into ruins.
Dwarf armies started to attack the Asur colonies all across the Old World. Arriving from Ulthuan,
Caledor II took personal command of the Elf armies. He slew the Dwarven King Gotreks son,
Snorri Halfhand, and routed many dwarf armies. At the 14th siege of Tor Alessi, the war reached its
conclusion. Caledor II allowed the Dwarves to enter peacefully, but the Dwarves attacked instead.
The Asur claim Caledor II refused to slay Gotrek to preserve some hope of peace. The Dwarves
claim Caledor II was simply arrogant who habitually squandered the few opportunities for peace
that occurred. The Dwarves claim that Caledor II was killed by High King Gotrek at Tor Alessi after
Caledor II charged straight into the heart of the dwarf army unsupported. According to the Asur,
however, Gotrek fought his way to Caledor and killed him at the centre of the field. Gotrek returned
to Karaz-a-Karak with the Crown of the Phoenix King, having taken it from Caledor's corpse as
recompense. It remains in Dwarf hands to this day.
Caradryel the Peacemaker
As the High Elves planned to launch a suicidal attack on Karaz-a-Karak to recover the Phoenix
Crown, word came that Malekith had initiated a new invasion of Ulthuan. Having learnt the error of
hereditary kingship, the Asur's next choice for Phoenix King was the pragmatic Prince Caradryel
from the outer kingdom of Yvresse. Caradyrel recalled the Elven forces from the Old World to deal

with the Dark Elves, thus abandoning the few remaining colonies who had refused to return to fend
for themselves against the Dwarves. The survivors of these migrated to the forest of Athel Loren
and became the Asrai, or Wood Elves, slowly integrating themselves with this sentient forest and its
denizens.
Not being a warrior, Caradryel appointed a number of skillful generals to battle the Dark Elves.
Because of his foresight, the Druchii were held at bay in the northern provinces for much of his
reign. Despite numerous attempts by Malekith's assassins to kill him, Caradryel survived and was
remembered as a wise and noble king. After a rule of over 700 years, Caradryel the Peacemaker
became the first Phoenix King to die peacefully in his sleep.
Tethlis the Slayer
For their next king, the Asur chose a warrior noble of Caledor, one who would seek to end the threat
of Naggaroth for all time. His name was Tethlis and he loathed the Druchii with a passion, for they
had murdered his family when he was but a child. At the start of his reign, the Dragons of Caledor
began to succumb to a strange malaise, making them difficult to summon to war or even awaken
from deep slumbers, and so Tethlis had to find new ways to compensate for the loss of these mighty
beasts in his army. He began to train more and more soldiers, until he had rebuilt the Asur armies to
a strength not seen since the time of Aenarion.
When this was complete, Tethlis launched the Scouring, a long campaign to drive the Dark Elves
out of Ulthuan. The armies of Ulthuan and Naggaroth waged war against each other for centuries,
the course of the war changing on the outcome of a single battle. The war reached heights of
ferocity not seen since the days of the Sundering, as seen at the siege of Griffon Gate, where a
Druchii army was ambushed by Tethlis's forces: only a counterattack led by Malekith himself was
enough to save the Dark Elves from destruction, or the siege of Tor Lehan, where the Asur and
Druchii forces wiped each other out down to the last Elf, leaving no survivors. After many years,
Tethlis pushed the Druchii back into Nagarythe. He laid siege to Anlec and when it fell, gave the
order for all Druchii prisoners- men, women and children- to be put to death: an action which only
inflamed the hatred of the Dark Elves. Tethlis's commanders were also worried that the Phoenix
King's hatred and bloodlust would spread to the elven armies until they became no better than what
they fought against.
In his 303rd year of rule, he led a great armada to the Blighted Isle where he inflicted a mighty
defeat upon the Druchii: he also found the armour of Aenarion himself and had the great heirloom
passed onto the descendants of Morelion, Aenarion's son by his first wife. He later died under
mysterious circumstances: some claimed that he was slain by a Dark Elf assassin hiding among the
bones surrounding the Sword of Khaine, others that he attempted to draw the weapon and as it
began to come free, he was murdered by his own bodyguard, who feared the unleashing of the
sword's terrible power. Whatever the truth of the matter, Tethlis did not return from the Blighted Isle
and the Asur armada sailed home.
Bel-Korhandis the Scholar King
After the great cost in Elven lives, the Asur chose a more peacefully inclined ruler. They
compromised, and chose a wizard prince of Saphery, Bel-Korhandis. His relatively unremarkable

rule was marked by one notable event: the building of the Tower of Hoeth, the greatest library and
repository of magic and knowledge in the world. The King died shortly after its completion, and
was buried beneath the Tower's foundations. It is claimed his ghost still wanders the Tower, offering
wisdom and advice to scholars in need of it.
Aethis the Poet
After Bel-Korhandis came Aethis, also of Saphery. During his rule, art bloomed and music was
heard through Ulthuan, combined with a great sense of joy, as rumours spread that the Dark Elves
were all but extinct and Malekith himself had finally died. It was during this time that the shrinking
number of births was first noted and that the elves were diminishing. During this time, Dark Elf
infiltrators sneaked back into Ulthuan and the Cult of Pleasure spread once more: in the end, several
Swordmasters of the White Tower were sent to investigate, and a long and bloody war was waged in
secrecy between the Swordmasters and the cultists. Ultimately, Aethiss High Chancellor, Girathon,
was unmasked as a Dark Elf spy. Girathon chose to fight rather than come quietly, and in the
struggle drove a poisoned dagger into Aethis's chest. Thus was the Phoenix King slain by a man he
trusted as a friend.
Morvael the Impetuous
Next came Morvael, High Loremaster of the White Tower (although originally from Yvresse). He
was not well versed in statecraft or warfare. His first act was to order a punitive attack on
Naggaroth to avenge Aethis's murder: unfortunately, the army he sent was massacred as it made
landfall (an event the Druchii fondly refer to as "The Day of Blood"), and word of its failure spread
panic across Ulthuan. It transpired that, far from being an extinct race, the Dark Elves had simply
been amassing their strength for a return to hostilities with the Asur, and Malekith took advantage of
the reduced military presence to once again assault Ulthuan. Having learned from his mistakes,
Morvael appointed Mentheus of Caledor as his field commander of the Asur armies, and introduced
the levy system, requiring that every elf spends part of the year as a soldier. As Mentheus won the
war, Morvael became ever more despondent at the high cost in Asur lives, and was driven deeper
into paranoia and insanity through horrific nightmares Malekith's sorcery inflicted on him. During
the final assault on Anlec, Mentheus forces took the castle, but Mentheus himself was killed: his
dragon, Nightfang went berserk and broke the back of the Druchii armies, and the survivors fled
back to Naggaroth, Malekith in the lead. Weary beyond bearing, Morvael committed suicide by
walking into the Flames of Asuryan once again.
Bel-Hathor the Sage
Once again the Asur found themselves leaderless during a time of war. The clear candidate,
Mentheus of Caledor, was dead, and none could agree on a suitable replacement. In the end BelHathor, a wizard prince of Saphery was chosen and crowned. He was chosen because many in the
Elven court believed that he could easily be manipulated to their own ends. They were proven
wrong, and Bel-Hathor became a ruler as famed for his resolve as for his wisdom. The most notable
example of this was his refusal to agree to an invasion of Naggaroth: while he was aware that the
High Elves could likely destroy the Dark Elves in their weakened state, he feared that such a bloody
and bitter war would leave so many dead that the extinction of the Elven race would be assured. For
the sake of his people's survival, he chose to leave the Dark Elves be and not continue the war.

After many years of raiding by Norse tribes, the Elves began to hear of the human Empire in the
Old World, and became uneasy. Bel-Hathor decreed that no human would be allowed to set foot on
Ulthuan, but sent Finubar of Lothern to investigate what had become of the Old World in the Asur's
absence. Finubar sailed to the Old World and found that the humans had some measure of
civilization, and rediscovered the Asrai of Athel Loren. He opened relations with the Empire,
Bretonnia and even the Dwarfs. He returned to Ulthuan with his knowledge and Bel-Hathor
revoked his decree, causing trade to flourish. After 548 years of rule, Bel-Hathor the Sage died
peacefully.
Finubar the Seafarer
Bel-Hathors successor, Finubar, is the current Phoenix King. Under his rule, trade has flourished,
and Ulthuan survived the last Great War against Chaos, with help from the twins Tyrion and Teclis.
At present, Finubar leads the Asur against Malekith's latest invasion.

Fictional History of the Dark Elves

Thousands of years ago, the Elves were a unified race living in the island kingdom of Ulthuan.
The first Phoenix King, Aenarion the Defender, was the greatest warrior to walk the earth. It was by
his hand that the first great invasion of Chaos was thwarted. Aenarion was married to Astariele the
Everqueen who bore him two children, Yvraine and Morelion. During the war Astarielle was
murdered and Oakheart the Treekin took the children and hid them safe within the Gaen Vale.
Thinking them dead, Aenarion in a bloodthirsty rage, drew the Sword of Khaine from its resting

place and waged a new war of vengeance on the forces of Chaos. During the next war, he rescued
an Elven seeress from a Slaanesh warband. Her name was Morathi, and she was beautiful beyond
description. Aenarion fell deeply in love with her, and she bore his son Malekith. Under the tutelage
of both his father and mother, Malekith became a formidable warrior, a skillful general and an
accomplished sorcerer.
According to birthright, Malekith was the rightful successor to the throne of Ulthuan. But when
Aenarion died, everybody gathered in the Glade of Eternity to decide who the next Phoenix King
shall be. It turned out that Yvraine was now the Everqueen and she had decided to marry Bel
Shanaar of Tiranoc, saying that Aenarion's line was tainted by the Sword of Khaine's bloodlust and
despite Malekith's claim and achievements, Yvraine could not marry her half-brother. Morathi was
outraged, yet she soon found they had tried to make her part of this decision, but she had had no
part of it. Malekith was the first to accept the successor and bent his knee to the new king, silencing
a major outcry from his people and mother in support of him.
Malekith was relegated to the rank of High General and supreme commander of the armies. This
suited him well, as he was an outstanding warrior and peerless general in the manner of his father.
During his time in the army he wandered the globe, and with his mother's guidance, started
experimenting with Dark Magic. After a few years Malekith became discontented. In his mind the
Elves must be a warlike people to face the ever-growing menace from the forces of Chaos. He
became increasingly critical of the nobles, who grew soft and complacent under the protection of
his armies. Worse yet, the Cult of Pleasure; a society of poets and artists founded by Morathi
herself; had become a front for a Chaos cult of Slaanesh (In more recent history, these cults were of
the darker aspects of the Elven pantheon), was taking root in Elf society, being particularly strong in
his homeland of Nagarythe. Malekith took personal command of the investigation and used this
power to eliminate his political enemies, accusing them falsely of being cultists and executing them
without trial.
Then events turned critical. Malekith claimed Phoenix King Bel-Shanaar was a worshipper of
Slaanesh and Bel-Shanaar died of poisoning shortly afterwards. Those loyal to the Council accused
Malekith of assassination. Those loyal to Malekith claimed Bel-Shanaar committed suicide because
he couldn't live with his failures. The argument between Malekith and the Council of Princes turned
violent and Malekith and his followers ended up killing most of the Princes in the name of saving
Ulthuan (or to simply destroy all opposition to his ascension; both sides say different).
Now the Council was out of the way, there was only one thing left to do in order to become Phoenix
King. Malekith had to pass through the Sacred Fire of Asuryan, king of the Elven gods. Malekith
stepped forwards, confident he would pass the ordeal just as his father had done. Yet the Sacred
Flame would not suffer Malekith's polluted body and it burned him, scarring him horrifically.
Malekith's followers claimed treachery - that the Sacred Fires of the Creator God Asuryan must
have been corrupted to reject even the rightful heir, while his enemies claimed Asuryan would never
accept an elf with as tainted a soul as Malekith's as king. Malekith's vassals fled back to the
province of Nagarythe with their leader. In confusion over the death of their king and council, the
High Elves did not pursue.
Near to death, Malekith was taken to one of his mother's temples. His body had healed sufficiently,
but, according to the High Elves, his mind was destroyed beyond repair and Malekith was

completely lost to insanity. He knew of the need to lead his followers into battle against the High
Elves, but also knew his withered body would not survive the rigours of battle. To that end, Morathi
commissioned Hotek, a renegade priest of Vaul, the Elven smith god, to forge a suit of armour that
would give life and strength to Malekith's flame-ravaged body. Malekith had the armour, still whitehot from the forge, fused directly to his skin, forming a sorcerous shell granting him immense
supernatural powers. From that day forth, Malekith was known as the Witch King, for he truly had
become a figure of dread.
Once healed, Malekith was consumed with a bitter hatred for those who had resisted him. He
summoned those Elves who were loyal to him to aid him in taking the throne by force. This
included a large part of the standing military, most of his home province of Nagarythe and many
other Elves throughout the kingdom who believed in Malekith's cause.
Meanwhile, the High Elves started organising themselves and elected a new Phoenix King, Caledor
the First. Caledor gathered his armies to him and a bloody civil war erupted between the High Elves
and the followers of Malekith. Great victories were won on both sides, but in the end the scales
tipped in the favour of the High Elves. Although their stronghold in Nagarythe was nearly
impenetrable, Malekith's followers were slowly becoming outnumbered, and Caledor was proving
himself to be as skilled a general as Malekith himself. Finally Malekith and Caledor faced each
other directly at the head of their mightiest armies. Finally Caledor managed to defeat the Witch
King, driving his army into the marches of Maledor.
Desperate, Malekith decided on a final gamble: he gathered his sorceresses and attempted to
unravel the Vortex of Ulthuan that prevented the return of the full force of Chaos. As Malekith and
his coven began this dark ritual, the mages of the Isle of the Dead intervened, weaving powerful
counter spells. The resulting magical backlash caused the cataclysm known as The Sundering; a
tidal wave a thousand feet high struck the northern coast of Ulthuan, drowning thousands of elves
and submerging great parts of Nagarythe and Tiranoc beneath the sea.
As the province sank, several of the great fortress-cities of Nagarythe were pulled from the bedrock
by sorceresses and kept afloat by their magic. Malekith and the surviving loyalists sailed their
fortress-ships, which would become known as "Black Arks", to the continent called the new world
and established a new kingdom that they named Naggaroth in honor of their destroyed home.
As a result of the Sundering, the overriding obsession of Malekith (and by proxy much of the Dark
Elf society) is the death or subjugation of the High Elves of Ulthuan and the restoration of Malekith
to the throne of the Phoenix King.

Naggaroth, Land of the Chill

When the Dark Elves were driven from the Elven homeland of Ulthuan following a cataclysmic
civil war, they fled northwards on giant floating citadels of rock to the dark and forbidding lands of
Naggaroth, "the Land of Chill". The name is an appropriate one, for the unwelcoming home of the
Dark Elves is a harsh wilderness of frozen tundra and great forests of black pine trees.
After exterminating the native barbarian tribes of Naggaroth they constructed six heavily fortified
cities:

Naggarond: the Tower of Cold, Dark Elf capital and seat of the Witch King
Ghrond: the North Tower where the sorceresses study the Realm of Chaos
Karond Kar: the Tower of Despair, largest slave port of the Dark Elves
Hag Graef: the Dark Crag which is never touched by the sun's rays
Har Ganeth: the City of Executioners and religious capital of Cult of Khaine
Clar Karond: the Tower of Doom and largest Dark Elf shipyard

The Dark Elves also constructed a series of fortified watch towers along their northern border to
ensure the forces of Chaos did not trespass into their domain.
These cities have innumerable black towers rising like pinnacles of ice from the cold, hard rock of
Naggaroth. Due to the harsh and unforgiving nature of Naggaroth, few live outside the cities and so
the Druchii cities are some of the most densely populated centers in the world. All of these cities are
dark and evil places. Their dungeons are crammed with captives whose wailing fill the air and
whose moans seep through the thick walls of the high towers, saturating the place with pain, despair
and the souls of the dying. At the tips of these towers, the Sorceresses of Naggaroth cast their
malign magic over the world.
The society of Naggaroth is a hierarchical one, with their Witch King, Malekith, at the top. At his
right hand is his mother and rumoured consort, Queen Morathi. It has been argued, however, that
the Dark Elves are in truth a Machiavellian society, with one man at the top and several powerful
underlings in competition with each other, all vying for power but simultaneously preventing others
from getting it. Malekith allows this to continue because it keeps all sects strong by culling the
weak, but also keeps them under his complete control.

Dark Elf economy

Dark Elves have one major source of income: slave labor. Dark Elves raid all other lands,
particularly Ulthuan, home of their enemies the High Elves. They take food and treasure, but the
main purpose of their raids is to obtain slaves. Slaves play an important part in Druchii society, as
they perform the menial chores that an enterprising Druchii deigns too be below him. Slaves also
make up the bulk of the ritual sacrifices to the god Khaine. Dark Elves do not value their slaves'
lives, and often kill one or two to show the other slaves their brutality. Slave revolts are rare,
harshly suppressed, and due to the brutality of the Dark Elves, usually only the "new stock" have
the will to participate in any revolt. The only "successful" revolts usually occur at sea, aboard either
the slave ships or the Black Arks. In the former case, the surviving slaves tend to sail the captured
ship to their freedom. In the latter case, the slave revolt is usually focused on stealing ships and
escaping rather than taking over the Black Ark.
The Dark Elves take to sea in their Black Arks which are huge floating citadels of stone. Kept afloat
by magic, the Black Arks travel far and wide to procure slaves. Each Black Ark is home to a small
army of Dark Elf raiders and a small fleet of raiding vessels. These forces can be landed on the
coast of an unsuspecting kingdom, perform a lightning raid, and be off before any of the local
defence forces are able to react (the raiders do not do well in stand-up fights). In this way, countless
millions of doomed souls have been taken back to Naggaroth to a fate worse than death.

Religion
The Druchii primarily worship the Elven god Kaela Mensha Khaine, the Bloody-Handed God and
Thousand Faced Lord of Murder. While their kindred, the High Elves of Ulthuan, only invoke this
wrathful god in times of war, the Dark Elves are wholly devoted to him. Each city has temples and
shrines devoted to Khaine where blood sacrifices are made. Dark Elves are required to donate a
percentages of the slaves they capture on raids to the temple but most Dark Elves make several
additional sacrifices a year.
The most savage sect of Khaine worshippers are known as the Brides of Khaine, more commonly
called Witch Elves (or Maibd in the Dark Elf language). They are an all-female cult of warrior
priestesses. Witch Elves consider the battlefield to be a holy place and are suicidally fanatical in
proving their worth to Khaine by spilling the blood of their enemies. The cult is led by high
priestesess called hags, who bathe in blood to retain eternal youth. Although they are cruel and
savage in combat they are still extremely beautiful and many weak-willed men have told them
secrets in foolish attempts to win their love. Morathi founded the cult of Khaine, but on a day-today level her rival Crone Hellebron, eldest of the hags, rules the cult, although in truth, the vast
majority of the cult are loyal to Morathi.
The holiest time of the year for Dark Elves is Death Night. During this night the Witch Elves rule
the streets of the Dark Elf cities, capturing anyone they find (whether they are slaves or Dark Elves)
and either dragging them back to the temples or simply killing them on the spot as sacrifices to
Khaine. The Witch Elves will even go so far as to break into houses, which has led to Dark Elf
families barricading windows and doors during this night. On Death Night, the Witch Elves will
also steal away a number of children and babies from their families. Girls captured like this will be
trained to become Witch Elves while boys are tossed in a cauldron of boiling blood: those that
survive are trained to be true adepts of Khaine- the feared assassins. As dawn breaks after Death
Night, it is customary for those who lived through the night to make a sacrifice from their own
household (usually a favoured slave or elderly relative) as a thanks to the Lord of Murder for
sparing their family. It is doubtful that anyone would even attempt to defend themselves against the
Witches, as the retribution for successfully doing so would be cruel even by the standards of the
Dark Elves.
Besides the worship of Khaine, a sizeable portion of the population has also secretly kept alive
worship of the Chaos God of Pleasure, Slaanesh. The Cult of Pleasure, led by Morathi, played a
major role in the Sundering of the Elves of Ulthuan, but was considered heretical after the founding
of Naggaroth and was brutally suppressed as the worship of Khaine became prevalent. Centuries
passed, and the Cult grew stronger in the shadows and secret places of the six cities. The Convents
of the Sorceresses, also headed by Morathi, are implied to be power bases for the Cult (this is why
there is a sect enmity between the Convents and the Cult of Khaine). As the Storm of Chaos
engulfed the Old World, the Cult rose to prominence once more when Morathi and her sorceresses
raised a substantial army from warbands of Slaaneshi-worshipping Hung tribesmen (human
followers of Chaos) to the Cult, and marched them through Naggaroth. In response to this,
underground members of the Cult openly joined Morathi's growing war host. Using her supernatural
beauty, shrewd political mind and powerful magic, she turned the Cult and its allies into her own
private army and invaded the lands of Lustria to the far south, seeking to plunder the vast wealth of

riches and magical artifacts kept by the Lizardmen and their Slann masters.
Though they were repulsed by the reptilian denizens of Lustria, the Cult of Pleasure returned to
Naggaroth in strength, having acquired much physical and magical wealth from the invasion, and
have openly displayed their status as devotees of Slaanesh. This open display of prowess and hubris
enraged Hellebron, the current leader of the Cult of Khaine and Morathi's chief rival, who has
begun to gather the Cult of Khaine to confront Morathi and her Slanneshi allies. Because of this,
and with the armies of Malekith (who both hates Chaos and views the Cult of Slannesh as a threat
to his power) attacking far-off Ulthuan and thus unable to intervene, Naggaroth currently stands on
the brink of civil war.