Valkia the Bloody

Valkia the Bloody, known also the Gorequeen, the Bringer of Glory, and the Sword-Maiden of the Blood God is a dread Daemon Prince of Khorne, who is charged by her god to bear the worthy warriors of Norsca and beyond who die honourable deaths in battle to fight on in Khorne's hall for all eternity. Once a fell warrior-queen of a Norse tribe dedicated to Khorne, Valkia rose in the Blood God's esteem by leading her warriors to vanquish tribes dedicated to the other Chaos Gods, and by slaying any who questioned her right to rule.

When a Daemon Prince of Slaanesh came into her hall, intrigued by her feral beauty, and commanded her to leave her rulership and join him as a slave girl, the warrior-queen took up her great spear, Slaupnir, and flew into the berserker rage. Slaying the daemon swearing that she would lay its head at the base of Khorne's throne in the realm of Chaos. Though she died on the journey, Khorne was impressed with her devotion enough to raise her up from death and grant her daemonhood. Charged with descending onto the battlefield to choose those worthy warriors of Norsca who will fight on in the Halls of the Blood God for all eternity after their deaths, Valkia has served her dark master well for uncounted centuries. She descends upon the field of glory, her armour drenched in blood and rays of light shining from her spear. The warriors of Norsca who praise mighty Khorne (which is to say, many of them) redouble their efforts in her presence, knowing that the Blood-Father despises cowards and will strike down those who flee or show weakness. And also that to gain the prize of fighting on in his hall for all time and becoming his chosen is a prize beyond all measure.

Mortal Life
In her original existence, Valkia was a warrior-queen of one of the savage tribes of Norsca. Having shown her mettle in battle as a shield-maiden, she ascended to the throne when her father, King Merroc, died in battle. Valkia became infamous throughout the North for slaying any who challenged her right to rule. This pleased the god of her tribe -- Khorne, known amongst her people as the Axefather, for this meant that Valkia had slain many agents of the other Chaos Gods. When a servant of Slaanesh, a Daemon Prince known as Locephax, came into Valkia's hall and, smitten by her feral beauty, commanded that she abandon the life of a monarch to service his depraved needs as a harem-girl, the proud warrior-queen truly flew into the berserker rage and struck off the Daemon Prince's very head with her barbed spear -- Slaupnir -- in a battle that lasted many days and many nights. Valkia affixed the severed but still whispering head of the daemon to her shield, and swore before her tribe that she would carry it to the Chaos Wastes and place it at the very foot of Khorne's throne.

As she traveled north, the daemons of Slaanesh dwelling within the Wastes fell upon Valkia, eager to avenge the insult she had made to their master. Though Valkia was a fierce warrior of Norsca, not even she could stand long against such a horde of abominations. Though she and her followers fought valiantly, the Queen was eventually torn to pieces  by the daemons. In spite of her failure, her valour and courage had pleased Khorne, and so the Blood God saw fit to intervene. The sagas of the Norse say that Khorne's roars shook the very foundations of the earth, that his bellows made the mountains themselves tremble and woke Valkia from death. Khorne then took Valkia in his burning grasp and twisted her into a more pleasing form -- forging her anew in the fires of his wrath. He bent back great horns from her skull, gave her the long, bestial legs of a Bloodletter and pulled back great, bloody wings from the flesh and muscle of her shapely back. Reborn as a mighty Daemon Queen, Khorne set upon her a new task: She would now descend every dawn onto the battlefields of the mortal realms, and fight alongside those worthy warriors of Norsca and beyond who served Khorne and from the ranks of their dead she would bear warriors who died in glorious battle to the Halls of Khorne where they would fight on the Blood God's legions for all eternity. Thus, the Gorequeen, the Shield-Maiden of Khorne, was born.

This ascension was prophesized in the oral traditions of some tribes of Norsca -- having spoken of great, winged daemons with mighty spears bearing warriors to the Realm of Chaos. On her return to the North, Valkia was met by some such tribesmen, who had invariably fallen to their knees in adoration of her before she had even spoken a word.

The Bringer of Glory
Though she was already honoured and famed in the violent societies of the Norse, it was in the year of 1396 IC that the civilized races would first encounter Valkia the Bloody. In that year, in the icy wastes of Norsca, a warband of Norscans waged war against the Northern Dwarf Hold of Karak Ghulg, led by their king, a Chaos Champion known as Bothvar. Valkia descended from the High realm of Chaos to bless Bothvar's efforts, a good omen for any Norseman. Valkia had also come with a commandment from Khorne, that Bothvar's warriors must perform a rite known as the Blood Raven upon the defeated Dwarfs. Valkia joined Bothvar in leading the warband and overran the Dwarfen positions surrounding Karak Ghulg before they overran the citadel itself. Valkia then led the Norsemen in the practice of the Blood Raven, unfolding the bloody ribs of the Dwarfs, making naked their hearts and spread out their lungs upon their shoulders, making it seem as if the tortured Dwarfs bore bloody wings upon their backs. Thus the battle was won, and this torture forever became an important practice amongst the vicious tribes of Norsca. In this way, Valkia had again impacted her people's 'culture' greatly. Amongst some tribes of Norsca, this act was also termed as the Blood Eagle.

This was not the last the civilized races would see of Valkia. In 2398 IC, Valkia came once more to the Norse tribes and bade them to follow her to war. Thus, the Northmen took to their longships and sailed south with Valkia at their head to Nordland. Under Valkia's leadership, the Norscans fell upon the towns and villages of the northern province and slaughtered all who dwelled therein. No force could withstand the berserk warriors as they made all they surveyed into a bloody sacrifice for their war-god. The nobility in Salzenmund sent no aid to the beleaguered towns, whether out of fear or a genuine inability is a matter of some debate. Regardless, in the end, it was left to the common folk of Nordland to defend themselves. Led by a simple fisherman known as Harold Dreizacker, the fishermen of Nordland beat their boathooks into halberds and patrolled the coastlines and manned the abandoned coastal forts of Nordland, ever watchful for any signs of Norse raiders. A small fleet of boats was organized by Harold to be ready to respond to the sights of the Gorequeen's red sails upon the horizon. As a cold Geheimnistag wind blew, the people of Nordland made a collective sigh of relief, for the close of the summer heralded the end of the Chaos Marauders' raiding season. However, their relief proved to be short-lived, for only three days later, the Norscans fell upon Dietershafen, causing great slaughter and havoc there. Harold and his fleet sailed to intercept the longships of the Marauders, but the bloody queen of the Norse threw her great spear with such force that it smashed Harold's vessel to matchwood, and sent the fisherman tumbling into the waters. All was thought lost, and it seemed as if the town of Dietershafen would be destroyed. However, at the fateful moment, the town was saved by the appearance of a Dwarfen vessel, steel-clad and belching smoke, no doubt drawn by the chance to avenge Valkia's desolation of the Norse Dwarf hold of Karak Ghulg.

The great steel-clad ship was more than a match for the wooden longships of the Norscans, and it tore through their comparatively fragile fleet. As a result, the raiders were forced to retreat back to Norsca; but none could say what became of Valkia herself. Though, as Khorne's shield-maiden, it was clear her existence continued. In the aftermath of the battle, it was found that Harold Dreizacker had survived. He was found frozen on a nearby shore, barely clinging to life. Nursed back to health and hailed Hero of Nordland for standing tall and unwavering against a terrible foe -- for without Dreizacker, Nordland's people surely would have fallen to the bloody axes of the Norse. Yet the damage was done, and the ruin brought to the townships and the plundering of much of the province's food and fuel supplies meant that only the most hardy of men lived past the winter of 2398 IC. A few months later, tragically, Harold Dreizacker was killed on route to Salzenmund, capitol of Nordland province. Some say by the spies of the vengeful Norsemen, others by the hand of the nobility he had shamed with his bravery against the Norse and their daemonic queen. Ultimately, it did not matter, for the Norsemen had triumphed regardless, having slain mightily in the name of their god and having spilled rivers of blood for his glory -- for Khorne cares not from whence the blood flows, only that it flows for all eternity, without cease.

According to Norscan sagas, Valkia has only been matched in battle once: When the famed champion Lord Mortkin journeyed into the Chaos Wastes to earn the favour of the gods. To receive the favour of Khorne, Mortkin bested a massive two-headed giant in a direct contest of strength. Impressed, Khorne sent Valkia to further test the great champion. The Black-Iron Reaver fought the Gorequeen to a stand-still, matching her every spear-stroke with a sweep from his mighty axe, thus earning the grudging respect of Khorne's shield-maiden. With that, the Lord of Battles blessed Mortkin with his boon of unmatched strength.

Indeed, Valkia is sent as many times to test the worthy as she is to fight alongside them and lead them on to Khorne's Brazen Halls. When she emerges onto the battlefield, the warriors of Chaos fight on with even greater vigour in her presence, eager for the chance to become Khorne's chosen. However, should falter, Khorne's wrath shall descend upon them through Valkia, and they shall be cursed never to know the glory of Khorne after their deaths. Indeed, Valkia herself shall mete out their punishment, laying about with lethal strikes from Slaupnir.

When Archaon, anointed of Chaos, was still upon his quest to become the Everchosen, it is said that Valkia came to his aid in a battle against the Dark Elves. When Archaon tore out the heart of a Dark Elf assailant and held it before a Warshrine dedicated to the Khorne, he had pleased the war-wont god, who saw fit to send forth deliverance to the Favoured One. Lightning bolts red as blood rent the sky, heralding the arrival of the Bringer of Glory. Howling bloody songs of war, she charged towards the Black Dragon at the head of the opposing army. Moving with the fury of the wind, Valkia loped off the head of the Dark Elf Sorceress astride the beast with one fell blow. Bereft of its rider, the dragon flew into an uncontrolled rage but its petty anger was little compared to the berserker's rage that burned within Valkia's veins. Her spear tore great gashes in the dragon's hide, and with her final stroke, she tore apart the creatures throat and sent it crashing to the ground. Howling again a cry of victory, she plunged into the enemies below, slaying all within her reach. With her weakening the enemy line, Archaon led his warriors in a devastating charge that scattered the elves. When victory was achieved, Valkia vanished from the battlefield as quickly as she had come. But ever does she descend every dawn onto the fields of carnage of the Old World, and where she flies, blood flows. So it has ever been, so it shall ever be.

Abilities
Valkia is one of the most favoured of Khorne's fell servants. In life, she was a truly mighty warrior, as evident in how she slew a Daemon Prince, the greatest of the servants of Chaos, in single combat. The daemonic boons of her master further augmented her prestigious strength and power. She bears several powerful artefacts of Chaos which make her a terror on the battlefield.


 * Slaupnir: The Gorequeen's spear was forged for her in her former life by a great blacksmith of Norsca, named for a terrible daemon of Norscan myths. he barbed spear of Valkia has slain kings and paupers alike, ripping out their hearts or striking their heads from their body with single, mighty blows. The weapon bears the blessings of Khorne and can tear through the mightiest armour and toughest hide with ease.


 * Scarlet Armour: The mail of Valkia is eternally drenched with blood. It has been blessed with the power to sap the strength from those who face the battlemaiden in melee combat.


 * Daemonshield: Valkia still bears the horned head of Locephax upon her shield, the daemon's black eyes beguile those who seek to strike her, causing them to become distracted in battle, and causes their resolve to weaken.