Welcome to Warhammer: The Dark Ages. Issue by issue, this column will explore the world of warhammer some 500 years before the present day. And thus we first turn our attentions to…

Shadowlord

AKA, Father Shadow, Lord of Power, The Gnawing Hunger.
Chaos God(ling) of worldly power, slavery & the cold darkness

"And thus the worlds where torn asunder and did join. And from the place of creation, the realm above, was cast forth to the hinter. And lo, in the space between the forms, dith the void above become as stone. And upon this new realm dwelt elder powers. Yet, cast forth from the void as they where, their powers where manifold diminished. Yet, such above us where the gods, as to make no matter to Manne bellow.
"Upon the void made real, powers grew as the form of the world below them swelled with energies, such as to nourish them into growth. And lo did they rise up, and, gathering those beneath them, did make realms for themselves in the circle of darkness that hung above.
"Though at first weakened by his passage from the Great Void, out lord was not lost, and through power gained from the world below, rose up, greatest of the lords. And upon the Sphere Of Great Darkness, he did stir, and became ruler of all, and all the gods upon the sphere where in his thrall, although betwixt themselves war did rage. And our lord looked beyond the sphere and did desire more. "However, the Lord Of Dreaming Death stood betwixt him and the realms of Manne.
And thus did our lord rise up, for he knew that the younger powers would ne'er allow him passage to the world below, and with him a full third of the powers of that realm of Shadow, and did declare war upon the void.
"And thus did they extend their powers to return home. "
- from 'The Book Of The Shadow', circa 2013 IC

Perhaps the most interesting item of the Dark Age setting, is that of Mordheim. Central to this myth, this the legend of the Shadowlord. Much is hinted as to the nature of this apparent Chaos god, and the following exploration of it's relevance extrapolates much from given facts.

Origin Chaoticus

Shadowlord came from Morrslieb, the Chaos moon. Here dwell many such minor Chaos gods, cut off from the Realm Of Chaos. Here, sometime before 2000 IC, a war occurred between the gods. It's looser was cast forth from the moon in a prison of Warpstone, eventually impacting with the city of Mordheim on [new year's eve], 1999IC. The resulting crater burnt into the ground devastated the city, and shards of the prison scattered over the city.

However, the shards where inexorably tied up to the powers of Shadowlord. Being his only link to the realm of chaos, they are bound up with his life force, hence becoming more than Warpstone. They are, in fact, Wyrdstone.

Cult Of The Possessed

In time, a cult formed for this new god, although his powers where limited. Trapped in the crater until such time as all the Wyrdstone was gathered to him, he granted great favours to his followers, who scoured the city for the essence of their god, all the while performing vile acts to increase his power.

Such tales, however, have since been told…

Cult Of The Shadows

The Cult Of The Shadows is what became of the cult of possession as it spread from Mordheim. Dedicated to recovering the Wyrdstone fragments which had left the city. This cult was no easy road to power, but in those dark days, this road was often easier than the alternatives. The cult drew to itself the power hungry, the cruel and the callous.

The Cult was not often successful in direct assault, but they soon learnt to use cunning to gain what they required. Bribing corrupt Sigmarite priests with easy ways to get promoted, or assisting the merchants of Marrienburg in the body trade, all for the tiniest slivers of Wyrdstone.

The Realm Of The Shadowlord

The Shadowlord's concern is power. Power over others, be this sociologically, or actual power by force and slavery. The corrupt tyrant, the sadistic torturer, and the callous slaver all give power to the Shadowlord. Every soul that cries in the night in horror or anguish fuels his might.

The Cult Of The Possessed gave themselves over to slavery to daemons, while the Cult Of The Shadows held slaves themselves, in the most appalling conditions.

Interestingly, in the dark ages, a growing movement of Slaves worshiped Shadowlord, believing themselves to be his chosen people. The worse they where treated, the more they believed themselves blessed. These Cults Of Slavery, while officially outlawed in most places, effectively continued unchecked - the world had larger problems on it's hands than a few deranged slaves.

Powers Diverse

The powers of the Shadowlord are limited to the amount of Wyrdstone present in the area. In and around The Pit in the centre of Mordheim, his will is absolute.

To his followers he has given certain powers to further his ends. To the Cult Of The Possessed, he grants mutations, possession, and unsubtle magiks with which to fight free his essence from the other warbands. To the Cult Of The Shadows, more subtle powers have been given, allowing them to insinuate people into power, or prevent the disobedience of a subject.

On The Other Gods

Shadowlord hates the other Chaos gods, their plans interfering with his. The Gods of Law are a problem only while he strives to re-make the world in his own image, whence he will join them to hold the world in perpetual agony, slavery and darkness. Directly opposed to this stands the Old Faith, and, to a degree, the Young Gods, who seek a world of natural freedom.

Next Issue
Next issueI'll take a detailed look at the cults of Possession, Shadows, and Slavery their beliefs, tactics and powers.

Slev