Chaos Wastes and History
Long ago, 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 commonly known as the Chaos Wastes. Because the wastes are so close to the realm of Chaos, the laws that govern Order are fluid. Time and space are matters of perception, and the weather can change instantly. The wastes are full of monsters. The humans that live in the wastes are savages when 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 where surviving a day is a victory. The tribes are always fighting each other and the monsters in the wastes, 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 will likely have some form of mutation, but they 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.
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" was when Archaon, Lord of End Times led his army to destroy the city of Middenheim.
Read more about this topic: Hordes Of Chaos
Famous quotes containing the words chaos, wastes and/or history:
“To study history means submitting to chaos and nevertheless retaining faith in order and meaning. It is a very serious task, young man, and possibly a tragic one.”
—Hermann Hesse (1877–1962)
“Manners have been somewhat cynically defined to be a contrivance of wise men to keep fools at a distance. Fashion is shrewd to detect those who do not belong to her train, and seldom wastes her attentions.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“One classic American landscape haunts all of American literature. It is a picture of Eden, perceived at the instant of history when corruption has just begun to set in. The serpent has shown his scaly head in the undergrowth. The apple gleams on the tree. The old drama of the Fall is ready to start all over again.”
—Jonathan Raban (b. 1942)