WARHAMMER® ONLINE: AGE OF RECKONING™

ZONE OVERVIEW

The Chaos Wastes

Official information from EA Mythic

The Chaos Wastes, also known as the Umbra Chaotica, lie far to the north of the Empire of Men, near the top of the world. Found beyond even the farthest reaches of Norsca and the Sea of Swords, the Chaos Wastes are comprised of terrain both frigid and desolate, wherein few natural things grow and only the most desperate or highly mutated creatures can hope to survive for long.

The Chaos Wastes exist as a buffer between this world and the Realm of Chaos. While the outskirts of the Chaos Wastes are analogous to the tundra-like conditions of Norsca or Troll Country, the landscape changes dramatically further to the north. Inland from the shores of the Sea of Chaos, the land is rife with the corrupting influence of the Ruinous Powers. It is here in the birthplace of magic that the breath of the gods blows more strongly than anywhere else in the world. From here, the blasphemous promises of power and glory are carried on the winds to all who can hear them.

These promises draw a constant stream of power-seekers hoping to curry favor with the Dark Gods, for the Chaos Wastes are the forge in which the greatest of their champions are tempered and shaped. For every chosen acolyte of the gods that journeys deep into the Chaos Wastes in search of his patron's approbation, hundreds are never seen or heard from again.

These would-be champions are constantly at war with one another, as each strives to prove his worth through conquests in the name of his god. The twisted landscape is littered with evidence of their conquests and their defeats. The most macabre of these displays are often found near defaced monuments to mighty warriors long since fallen, for the Dark Gods are both fickle and capricious.

It is here that, after defeating a powerful servant of the Lord of Decay atop a mountain of corpses, Tchar'zanek ascended to his destined role as a Champion of the Changer of the Ways. Now imbued with the power of Tzeentch, the mighty warlord prepares for his greatest test, bringing about the downfall of the Empire in the name of the Raven God.

In an epic and bloody war of conquest, Tchar'zanek unites hundreds of Norse tribes under his banner, raising one of the largest armies to ever cross the Sea of Swords. Slowly but inexorably, this nightmare host marches southward toward the Empire, striking first at Nordland. As one victory follows another, the warhost of the north cuts a swath of destruction and ruin through Ostland, Talabecland and finally, the Reikland.

Determined to divert the impending assault on his capital city until more help can arrive, Karl Franz devises a desperate gambit. The divinations of the Celestial College have revealed that the evil Champion of the Raven God derives his power from a mighty fortress-city far to the north, in the very heart of the Chaos Wastes. The Emperor sends word to the commanders of the Order of the Griffon to take their forces north in an effort to find and assault this mysterious city. If they are successful, Tchar'zanek will surely have no choice but to abandon his campaign in the south and return to protect his city.

The soldiers of the Order, already weary and in short supply from their taxing battle to reclaim Praag, must somehow find the strength to march into the hellish depths of the Chaos Wastes. Their burden is immense, for they truly represent the final hope of men.

Within the Wastes, this ragtag army will confront the blasphemous legions of the Changer of Ways, for he knows full well their purpose and will stop at nothing to keep the frostbitten warriors from finding his great Inevitable
City.

The Daemons of Tzeentch are not the only threat, for in the Chaos Wastes, nothing is certain. Even time follows its own unseen topography. One may enter a valley and wander for weeks only to find that mere moments have passed outside. Conversely, men have ventured into areas of the Chaos Wastes only to find no trace of their companions save dust and fragments, upon their return. Every twist and turn of the land is fraught with insanity, temptation, and hopelessness, and the minds of uncounted men have been broken while wandering this dreadful place.

Even those with the most courageous hearts and the most unshakeable faith have reason to fear the Chaos Wastes. Nothing that enters this baleful landscape will emerge unchanged. Those that can steel themselves against the corruption of the spirit may yet be affected by the corruption of the flesh.

The significance of this knowledge is not lost on the men and women who are marching into this icy, desolate wasteland. Most know that they will not return whole, if at all. Nevertheless, the steadfast warriors of the Order march on, for the final hour has come and they alone now bear the last hope of escape from the dire fate that awaits their kinsmen in the south.

The Ten Ton Thought:

This will likey be a high level zone. I mean, you're marching into the heart of darkness. Not something for the faint of heart or the inexperienced and underpowered. As the endzone for the Empire, Chaos' main city will be located deep within the zone. It's spawned their champion, Tchar'zanek, and is his "Main source of power" so expect some of the tougher Chaos soldiers to make your aquaintence. Since the Soldiers Karl Franz has sent are few in number, it'll be up to you to support this attempt to thwart the forces of Chaos and save the Empire.

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