Swords of Chaos

All Champions of Chaos follow their gods with reverent faith, but to this warband the worship of Chaos is everything. They are more like a religious order than a band of warriors. The Swords of Chaos are not dedicated to any one of the Chaos gods alone. They follow Chaos Undivided, the Great Nameless One, the Thing That Should Not Be.

Their leader is called Archaon. He is mighty, cunning, unspeakably evil, and is said to be the greatest Chaos lord of the age. Rumours tell that he was a warrior-priest of a religious order in the Empire, but found his true faith in the worship of Chaos. He was granted a vision that he would unite the hordes of Chaos and march against the civilised nations, bringing upon the world an Age of Chaos that would last for eternity. Archaon is utterly dedicated to this cause, and he will let nothing stand in his way. He is a great orator, and his speeches whip his followers into a religious frenzy. His words touch the soul of anyone who has pledged himself to the cause of Chaos.

Archaon is constantly roaming the wastes, seeking other warbands. In battle the choice that Archaon gives to the other warbands is simple: join him or die. Followers of all Chaos gods are welcome, just as long as they swear fealty to Archaon. Chaos Undivided welcomes all its true sons.

Many disobey and die. But many others will be gripped by the zeal of Archaon and join him. Thus the Swords of Chaos have grown to be the largest coalition of warriors in the Northern Wastes. Many times have zealous defenders gathered armies and challenged Archaon, hoping to rid the world of his deadly threat. Now their bones litter the Northern Wastes and the plains of the Troll Country.

The warbands that gather under the banners of the Swords of Chaos are many and varied, but all of them are under the rule of the the merciless lord Archaon. All look to him for religious guidance. Their number grows daily, and many fear that Archaon will be the next one to gather the warbands of the wastes and bring unholy war to the Old World.

Middenheim's Last Stand
This mighty gathering of Chaos knights had been Archaon's loyal warband since long before the reign of Karl Franz. Each possessed their own dark saga, for they had been powerful champions of the gods even before they threw in their lot with the Everchosen. Yet Archaon's authority over the Swords of Chaos was absolute; even the greatest of them now did their master's bidding with an unquestioning instinct that went deeper than words. Indeed, some had stood so long before the open furnace of the Everchosen's will that they had lost their own altogether, becoming little more than automata. These lost warriors were no less deadly for all their mindlessness, still capable of reaping a bloody tally with sword and lance.

Siege of Averheim
The survivors of Archaon's old warband, the Swords of Chaos, were legend in the north. Unusually for their kind, the Swords made no attempt to earn the favour of the gods – they fought for Archaon's glory. In return, they shared in the Everchosen's rewards – the further Archaon rose, the mightier the Swords became. Such loyalty had a price. All but the most driven of the Swords were steadily subsumed by Archaon's personality. By the time of the siege of Averheim, all save the Everchosen's chief lieutenants were little more than extensions of his fearsome will. Thus were they truly the Swords of Chaos: weapons to be unsheathed and wielded at Archaon's pleasure.

The End of All Things
The Swords of Chaos had been ravaged during the final moments of Averheim's fall, but they were still an army fit to match the best that the Incarnates could throw at them. Whether driven by loyalty, personal ambition or the mere joy of battle, all felt the gaze of the Dark Gods upon them.

Source

 * Warhammer Armies: Realm of Chaos (5th Edition)
 * pg. 91


 * Warhammer Armies: Hordes of Chaos (6th Edition)
 * pg. 99


 * The End Times Vol IV: Thanquol
 * pg. 197

Las Espadas del Caos
 * The End Times Vol V: Archaon
 * pg. 34
 * pg. 231

[[Category:S]] [[Category:C]]