Zhatan the Black

"Zhatan the Black, Commander of the Tower of Zharr, orders that a thousand swords be made of good black iron, a thousand corselets of ruddy bronze, a thousand arrowheads of 5 shekels of steel and ten thousand of 2 shekels, and that this be delivered to the Fortress of Zharr when the moon is full. Let it be known that Zhatan plunders to the west and returns within the month with slaves for the service of Hashut. So say I, Zhatan the Black, Commander of the Tower of Zharr, Glory to Zhatan, Glory to Ghorth the Cruel, All praise Hashut Father of Darkness."

- Zhatan the Black, Commander of the Tower of Zharr

Acts of the most cruel and heartless nature are everyday occurrences in the Plain of Zharrduk. Thousands of slaves endure unimaginable agonies in the pits of Zharr, mining out the poisonous wealth amidst choking fumes and impenetrable darkness. In the workshops of Zharr-Naggrund untold slaves are worked to death in their chains so that their masters can enjoy a lifetime of ease. The Hobgoblin overseers in the Vale of Woe beat their pitiful charges so that their flesh hangs from their backs like bloodied rags. Even amongst such wanton cruelty there is one whose deeds of brutality are remarkable: Zhatan the Black, Commander of the Tower of Zharr.

Zhatan serves the Socerer-Prophet Ghorth the Cruel, most potent of all living Chaos Dwarf Sorcerers. It is said that when Ghorth presides over the sacrifices of Hashut the only sound louder than the screams of his victims is the gloating laughter of Zhatan, his general. Zhatan is kept busy by his master's insatiable demand for fresh slaves. The Chaos Dwarf has led many successful slaving expeditions to the west, crushing every Orc army that has dared to stand up to him. All the Goblin tribes between the Plains of Zharrduk and Mount Grimfang have bowed before his armies, sending thousands of their kind in tribute to the Lords of Zharr-Naggrund. The workshops and mines of Ghorth can scarcely keep pace with Zhatan's demand for weaponry. Every expedition he undertakes brings further slaves whose labours fuel fresh conquests.