"Be'lakor was the very first mortal raised to the exalted rank of Daemon Prince, though what sacrifices he made and what horrors he inflicted to do so are lost even to the oldest tales. However it was Be'lakor that drew the Chaos Gods' gaze -- he somehow managed to intrigue all four of the dark brothers sufficiently that each granted him a portion of their godly might. This soon proved a mistake. The Chaos Gods seldom share anything for long, and so it was with Be'lakor..."
- —Be'lakor, the First Damned[9]
Be'lakor the Dark Master, the first Daemon Prince, servant of Chaos Undivided
Be'lakor, called the "Dark Master," is the first Daemon Prince of Chaos, a servant of Chaos Undivided, and "Father-in-Shadow" to the current thirteenth Everchosen of Chaos Undivided, Archaon. He is known by many other names, including: the "First Damned," the "Harbinger," the "Lord of Torment," the "Messenger of the Great Undivided," the "One Who Heralds the Conquerors," the "Foretoken" and the "Bearer."[1a][6] Dwarfs know him as the Shadow-in-the-Earth, his misdeeds written down as early entries in the Great Book of Grudges.[12b]
What his mortal name truly was, and whether he was originally a Human, Elf, Dwarf or a member of some other, long-forgotten mortal race, are facts lost to history.[10a]
Quick Answers
What sacrifices did Be'lakor make to become the first Daemon Prince?
How did Be'lakor draw the attention of the Chaos Gods in Warhammer 40k?
Why did the Chaos Gods regret granting Be'lakor a portion of their godly might?
What is the significance of Be'lakor in the 'cursed skies' narrative?
Why is Be'lakor also known as 'the Dark Master'?
History[]
Origins[]
"Be'lakor, Chaos Daemon Prince, has known many different names. He is a creature who wields unholy weapons and abilities, and a figure who once commanded legions of unnatural beings."
- —Description of Be'lakor[5]
Be'lakor, the First Damned
At the dawn of the mortal world, Be'lakor, a savage primitive from an unknown land, became the first mortal to pledge his soul to the Chaos Gods. A fierce warrior and stalwart Chaos Champion, the Dark Gods favoured him, luring him north to the Chaos Wastes, where he penetrated deeper and deeper into this bleak land until he came face-to-face with the maddening Realm of Chaos itself. The Dark Gods rewarded his courage by destroying his mortal shell and recreating him in their image: that of the first Daemon Prince, though he served Chaos Undivided as a whole, and was not the thrall of any one of the major Ruinous Powers. In this new form, he was a terrible force.[7a][9]
As the first -- and at that time, the only -- Daemon Prince, Be'lakor was an incomparable prize. Thus did the Chaos Gods war for control of Be'lakor's tainted soul, each one determined to force his brothers to relinquish their claim. As battle raged, each of the Chaos Gods offered Be'lakor ever greater power, if he would simply consent to lead their armies to victory. Such a bargain was little to Be'lakor's liking, so he tricked each of the Chaos Gods into granting their proffered gifts and then fled back to the mortal world without fulfilling his part of the bargains.[9]
Be'lakor arrived at a time rife with opportunity for one such as he. The great Polar Gates had collapsed, and magic unimpeded coursed across the world. Daemons had followed in the magic's wake, and Be'lakor wrested many of them to his will, forging an army to serve his own purpose, rather than those of the Chaos Gods. Thus did the Daemon Prince conquer the primitive Men of the north, though many tribes came willingly to his service, for they had already pledged themselves to the Chaos Gods, and rightly saw their reflection in Be'lakor's dark majesty. He was a creature of living shadows, tangible only when he wished to be, a master of terror and illusion who feasted upon mortal fears.[9]
For many generations of the Human barbarians, Be'lakor, now worshipped as a god in his own right, revelled in his new station. He crushed races whose names are now long-forgotten, and brought war upon the nascent realms of the Elves and the Dwarfs. Few could withstand Be'lakor, for the stuff of Chaos blew strong across the world, and it was his weapon and sustenance both. Cities fell beneath his wrath, their names erased from history and their peoples trampled into dust.[9]
With each victory, Be'lakor ordered monuments raised to his glory. Thus were the toppled stones hewn into new shapes: thrones, statues and skull-set monoliths, and they throbbed with the power of Chaos. Winding stairs reached into the sky, the better for the Daemon Prince to bask in the life-giving Winds of Magic, and wells were sunk deep into the ground, so that he might sup from the Chaos energies that had seeped into the bedrock.[9]
However, each conquest not only made Be'lakor more powerful, it also edged him closer to downfall, for even in rebellion, he had unwittingly performed the Chaos Gods' bidding. Be'lakor had done much to spread the creed of Chaos across the world. In time, the Daemon Prince's mightiest mortal followers drew the unblinking gaze of the Chaos Gods, and were raised to daemonhood themselves as Daemon Princes.[9]
This time, the dark brothers made no effort to share their mortal prizes, and nor was there any need, for there was no shortage of suitable champions. In a comparative eyeblink, Be'lakor became but one Daemon Prince amongst many. Where he had once ruled without challenge, he now found himself beset by dozens of would-be usurpers. Worse, with each new Daemon Prince who ascended, Be'lakor felt his own powers ebb, as the gifts bestowed upon him were stripped away and granted to more loyal servants. For long years, battle raged across the mortal lands Be'lakor had claimed, as the newborn Daemon Princes sought to carve out their own territories in the mortal realm. Yet none could achieve dominance, not even Be'lakor, for all his wit and guile.[9]
The icon of the Shadow Legion, the Warriors of Chaos army commanded by Be'lakor in Total War: Warhammer III.
Countless thousands of Humans perished in the wars of the Daemon Princes, yet out of this great evil, some good emerged. So many daemonic legions had been drawn into this conflict that the realm of Ulthuan was not so beset as it might have been, and this allowed the Elves the opportunity to marshal one last desperate attempt to stem the tide of Chaos -- a Great Vortex that would siphon all the ambient magic from the world, making it impossible for the Daemons to manifest in the mortal realm.[9]
The Elves' great success was the Daemon Princes' downfall. As magic faded from the world, the Daemons were drawn back into the Realm of Chaos. Be'lakor was the last to be banished, for his connection to the mortal plane was greater than any, but even he could not resist the vortex's pull. With a thin, screeching wail, the Daemon Prince departed the mortal world. In the moment of Be'lakor's banishment, his monuments collapsed, the ruins swallowed by the hills as if they had never been. No trace of his dominion remained.[9]
For thousands of years, Be'lakor's essence drifted through the Realm of Chaos. He yearned to set foot upon the mortal world once more and, feigning repentance, beseeched the Chaos Gods to send him forth once more. Yet the dark brothers remembered all too well how Be'lakor had once deceived them, and had devised a suitable punishment. Thus, for the second time in his existence, Be'lakor had succeeded in uniting the Chaos Gods with a common goal, though he found the second occasion less to his liking than the first.[9]
Unlike other Daemons, Be'lakor would not be permitted to cross to the mortal world whenever the Winds of Magic blew strong. Instead, he would leave the Realm of Chaos only at the Dark Gods' wish. This was a boon they granted sparingly, and then only to crown a mortal as the Everchosen of Chaos -- a ceremony which served to assure the celebrant of his gods' favour, and torment Be'lakor with his fall from grace. Each time the coronation was concluded, Be'lakor was compelled to visit his rage upon the world as advisor to the Everchosen. Infused with unwanted subservience, Be'lakor led daemonic armies at the command of this Everchosen, only to be banished once more when his unwanted mortal liege was inevitably defeated.[9]
Yet once again, Be'lakor proved his guile, and found ways to stretch forth his will upon the mortal world. In his times of formlessness, he whispered through the dreams of madmen and warlords, offering his service if only they would summon him into the mortal realm. Too often, such men accepted Be'lakor's promises, foolishly believing that they could control the Daemon Prince for their own ends. Once given a gateway to the mortal world, invariably Be'lakor slew his liberator, seized the fool's followers as his own and set them to rebuilding the glories of his halcyon days.[9]
Yet such freedom seldom lasted long. Be'lakor's power was but a fraction of that which he had commanded in ancient days, and his ambition ever outstripped his ability. Thus, time after time, a mortal champion laid Be'lakor low and sent the Daemon Prince's wounded spirit back to the Realm of Chaos, there to plot another escape, or await the rise of the next Everchosen.[9]
Twelve times now has Be'lakor fulfilled his destiny as harbinger of the Everchosen, each time attempting to escape his pre-ordained fate, but ultimately meeting with failure. Now, as the hour of the thirteenth coronation draws near, Be'lakor is driven as never before to throw off his shackles. He is determined that this time, the daemonic legions will not march at the whims of the thirteenth Everchosen Archaon, but in accordance with his own plan, whether the Chaos Gods wish it or no...[9]
Year of Light and Law[]
In 1586 IC, the year known by the Tileans as the "Year of Light and Law," Battista Gaspar Necrodomo, known to history as "Necrodomo the Insane," was tried in Remas by the inquisitors of the God of Law Solkan for his visions regarding the End Times and the arrival of an Everchosen of Chaos who would finally bring the mortal world to its end.[15a]
He was judged a heretic and false prophet. During his interrogation, the immaterial Daemon Prince Be'lakor decided to intervene, viewing Necrodomo as a fitting instrument for his plan to bring about the end of the mortal world. Be'lakor entered the torture chamber, killed the priest, and, finding Necrodomo mostly broken and incoherent, sat down to write the heretic's memoirs himself.[15a]
Other stories tell that the Daemon Prince asked for but one boon in return for his help: that the ravaged Necrodomo scribe a prophecy that would change the world forever. Within it, the quivering, broken madman named the champion of Chaos who would bring about the final glory of the Dark Gods -- Archaon.[16a]
Roughly eight centuries later, the first fruits of those insane ravings came to pass when an unwanted child was left upon the steps of a temple of Sigmar. This child, destined for a stern upbringing in the care of Sigmar's templars, would later become known as Diederick Kastner. Unknown to him, he shared the same Daemonic patron as the pitiful Necrodomo, and the inexorable hand of fate guided Diederick -- later Archaon, the thirteenth Everchosen of Chaos Undivided -- towards his destiny.[16a]
Crowning the Everchosen[]
Morkar[]
Be'lakor first conducted his dark coronation thousands of years before the rise of Archaon. The first Everchosen, Morkar the Uniter, had risen a great army and, with the blessings of the Dark Gods, was given the task of making the world a permanent beacon of Chaos. Screaming his rage to the winds, Be'lakor descended into his own realm of madness -- not seeing the battles won by Morkar, nor the rise of the man who would be a great bane of Chaos, Sigmar.
Sigmar met Morkar in combat in a battle that would determine the fate of the world. The battle was likened to that between gods, but in the end Sigmar struck the killing blow, destroying Morkar and ending his incursion. From the ashes of this battle, Sigmar became the first emperor of the united tribes of Mankind, forging the newborn Empire of Man. For thousands of years since, the Empire has endured as a beacon of Humanity in a dark and perilous world.
Avoiding the Coronation[]
Such has been the fire of his hatred, that from time to time Be'lakor has managed to escape his curse. First, and most famously, in 1999 IC by binding his essence to the Warpstone meteorite that destroyed the cursed city of Mordheim. Amongst the city's blighted streets, Be'lakor was worshipped as the "Shadowlord," the Prince of Nightmares. Through the power of the Warpstone he had bound his essence to, Be'lakor gathered his will enough to lure to Mordheim the one who was to be the next Great Uniter of Chaos Undivided, Khaardun the Gloried, and possess his body. But the Shadowlord was deceived, for by the very act of binding his essence to the Warpstone meteorite, he trapped himself within the cursed city.[7b][10a]
With vast quantities of Warpstone, Be'lakor believed he would be able to restore his former glory, so he began hoarding the vile substance. While this seems the likeliest explanation, little survived after the city was struck by the meteor. What is known is that he ruled the city as the Dark Emperor, and his word was law. His minions were the Cult of the Possessed, former Men who had surrendered themselves to the Ruinous Powers and daemonic possession. Daemons walked the streets, and all of Be'lakor's servants gathered more and more Warpstone to create even more of these abominations. In the end, Be'lakor's rage and hatred consumed the fragile Warpstone shell that housed him, sending him screaming back to the Realm of Chaos.[7b][10a]
Asavar Kul[]
Hundreds of years later, Asavar Kul the Anointed became the twelfth Everchosen, leading a campaign of death and destruction through the decadent and corrupt lands of the Empire. However, as in ages past, a champion of light rose to challenge Chaos at Mankind's darkest hour. Magnus the Pious, the future Emperor of Sigmar's Empire, joined with Ar-Ulric Kriestov and High King Alrikson to oppose the tide of Chaos coming from the north, led by Asavar Kul and Engra Deathsword. During the siege of Kislev, Magnus and Asavar Kul met in single combat, just as Sigmar and Morkar had millennia earlier - and, like that titanic battle, the Everchosen was again destroyed.[1a]
Be'lakor, watching from the heavens, screamed in fury as the chosen conqueror again fell in combat. He knew that if the Dark Gods had not cursed him, he would have destroyed Sigmar himself millennia earlier -- and the Everchosens would not have been required.[1a]
City of the Damned[]
"The Master will rise, has risen, will arise again."
Despite the destruction of the Imperial city of Mordheim by the armies of Magnus the Pious, temporal remnants of the city remained, kept in existence through the corruption unleashed by Dark Magic in its walls. Be'lakor was trapped within these shards of Mordheim where time stood still, and where the events before its destruction still played out and its moments of existence were stretched into eternities that never ended, perpetually trapping the city in the year 2303 IC.[11d][11e] These various versions of Mordheim were overtaken by the Dark Master's mortal servants, though the spirits of the city's former inhabitants remained trapped in eternal damnation as their cycles of time repeated endlessly.[11c]
The Daemon Prince, unable to either return to the Realm of Chaos or crown another Everchosen, hatched a plan to escape his imprisonment. Using enslaved mutants and Skaven, he searched for the bones of the former Everchosen Kharduun the Gloried he had once failed to possess and built himself an army of Daemon Engines powered by the cursed souls of those who had perished in the city.[11g]
Be'lakor hoped that he could use the bones of Kharduun as a magical conduit in order to possess his favoured Chaos Champion Golkhan to give himself a physical form that would free him from the curse Tzeentch had laid upon him. Then he would reunite the fragments of Mordheim, drag them into the 26th century IC, usurp the place of the Everchosen and begin the End Times.[11f]
The Dark Master's plan was foiled by the arrival of the adventurers Gotrek and Felix in the ruins of Mordheim, who disrupted Be'lakor's ritual with aid from the inhabitants of nearby Sigmarhafen. Mordheim was partially reunited, but Be'lakor was ultimately banished back to the Realm of Chaos. Before he vanished, the Dark Master told the Dwarf Slayer Gotrek Gurnisson that it would be his hand that would guide the Dwarf to his final doom.[11g]
Shadows Over Albion[]
Since being defeated at Mordheim, Be'lakor roused few times from his nightmares to crown another Champion of Chaos, to send warriors in a futile effort to sack Cathay or other lands. He finally stirred in 2520 IC, awakening with a perfect vision to free himself from the bonds placed on him by Tzeentch. Be’lakor knew a new Champion was rising. But, before he placed the Crown upon this Champion’s head, he escaped the Realm of Chaos and searched the world for the power that would restore him to his destiny. The key to his power lay in the Crown of Domination, the symbol and artefact that offered a Champion the power to unite Chaos under one banner.[7]
Be’lakor’s curse prevented his incorporeal form from seizing the Crown. The only way he could take the artefact for himself was to restore his mortal form. Only the mightiest magic could achieve this. Be’lakor believed this magic lay within far-flung Albion.[7]
He flew to the misty isle, bringing with him a mantle of blood and destruction. There, he tore the life energies from the very rock of this mystic isle to weave for himself a new body. Be’lakor was thwarted once more by the denizens of this strange and legendary place, their forces bolstered by Bretonnian crusaders and Imperial soldiers. Alas, while the Daemon Prince and his Dark Emissaries were defeated, it was not before he stole enough magic to form a semi-solid body...[7][8]
Archaon[]
"You think you are the first to bear such dark honours? You are a nothing. Born of nothing. The hollow fruit of an empty womb. All that you are I put in there. But think not that I afford you any affection for that. My half-breeds roam the world. Thousands more serve me not in flesh but in deed. They carry my mark. They live for my favour. They know their place. They do not carp and question. They serve the darkness of this world through the darkness they find in themselves. They serve their father-in-shadow -- the darkness that is Be'lakor..."
- —Be'lakor greets Archaon[6]
Be'lakor was subject to another End Times prince when Archaon started to subjugate the northern tribes while claiming the necessary relics to be named the Everchosen. Be'lakor held the Crown of Domination, and was the only one who could conduct the coronation -- and only the Everchosen could receive the crown.[1a]
Furthermore, this would-be Everchosen was unlike any who had come before him, for he was of Be'lakor's own daemonic flesh and blood. He had been born from the rape of an Imperial peasant-woman, one of many such half-breeds that Be'lakor had fathered in his long existence. Despite this, however, he would give no quarter to the one who sought to become the Lord of the End Times.[6]
Be'lakor, in his guise as the Dark Master, had planned to take the Crown of Domination for himself, gather enough power to gain physical form by holding Albion in his grip, then descend on Archaon and feast on his soul in the view of the Dark Gods. However, his plans fell apart and, his immortal spirit filled with fury, Be'lakor was once again forced to perform the dark coronation. Descending like a dark angel, Be'lakor knelt before Archaon, hatred and rage filling his soul. He would once again be on the sidelines in the next great Chaos War.[1a]
Magewrath Throne[]
The Dwarf line met that of the northlanders with a clamour that shook the valley. At once, the booming war-song of the Dwarfs melded with the harsh cries of the plate-clad Chaos Warriors. The clash of steel upon gromril and the first cries of the wounded sounded soon after.[9]
Be'lakor watched it all from the top of the Magewrath Throne, and hissed with amusement. Of all mortal creatures, Dwarfs were amongst his favourite to torment. Few creatures had such brittle pride as the Children of Grungni, who refused to acknowledge the terror Be’lakor evoked even as it consumed their will to fight.[9]
The Daemon Prince did not know how the Dwarfs had learned that he sought to raise the throne, to release the magics bound to his former glories, but he was glad they had come, nonetheless. Be’lakor knew that Archaon would soon demand his presence once more, and relished the opportunity for a malevolence of his own choosing.[9]
With a guttural laugh, the Daemon Prince drew upon the magic buried in his skull-borne eyrie. At once, the shadows of the valley floor came to life. Some crawled across the withered grassland as flickering tendrils, grasping at Dwarfen legs, and holding the stocky creatures fast as northlander axes hacked down. Others became vaporous clouds that forced their way through close-set helms and smothered their victims. Dwarfs dropped their weapons and clawed uselessly at their throats, ravaged lungs gasping for air that would not come.[9]
As the shadows struck home, the trickle of terror became a flood, and Be'lakor drank it in like the headiest of wines. He could feel the panic rising in the minds of his foes, could sense limbs growing numb and reactions slowing as fear set in. Yet Be'lakor saw a defiant soul spark brightly amongst the growing darkness. Consumed by indignant wrath, the Daemon Prince took wing, resolving to slay the wretch himself.[9]
A crack of handguns sounded as Be'lakor sped across the battlefield, but the heavy bullets passed harmlessly through his intangible form, skeins of smoke-like essence spiralling in their wake. In response, the Daemon Prince called forth a great shadowy scythe and sent it arcing through the Thunderers' ranks. A dozen Dwarfs fell dead as the blade passed through them, their bodies unmarked, but each face frozen in a rictus of terror.[9]
With a sweep of wings, Be’lakor landed behind his chosen prey, a red-bearded fool who strode to battle naked save for his tattoos. There was no sound to herald his coming, but the Dwarf knew it all the same. Wrenching his axe free from the bloody ruin of a Chaos Warrior’s skull, he spun on his heel and swung at the Daemon Prince. The runes upon the axe-head glowed blue as the blade touched Be’lakor’s billowing form, and the Daemon Prince snarled in sudden pain. His return blow would have disembowelled the Dwarf, had only it connected, but the Slayer had foreseen the attack, and stepped out of the blade’s swing.[9]
The Dwarf was laughing now, making unlikely claims about the Daemon Prince's parentage, and besmirching his prowess in other endeavours. The insults mattered little to Be’lakor, but the Dwarf’s continued defiance was another matter. The Daemon Prince could sense the nearby warriors taking heart from their fellow's courage – a malaise that could not be permitted.[9]
As the Slayer swung his axe once again, Be’lakor caught the Dwarf’s strike on his own blade and willed the shadows within his own daemon sword to life. They came at once, oozing from the sword to entwine the axe-blade, locking it in an unbreakable grip. Thus, when Be’lakor swept his sword away, the axe was torn from the Slayer’s hands, leaving him defenceless before the Daemon. Even then, the Dwarf did not lose his valour, but came forward with meaty hands balled into fists. A moment later, he died as defiantly as he had lived, the point of Be’lakor’s sword lancing through his belly. Steaming, blood-slicked innards slid across the ground. The Slayer made one involuntary mewling noise, then fell still.[9]
At once, the courage awakened by the Slayer’s defiance was smothered like a candle flame beneath an ocean. Be’lakor gave a savage smile, and took wing in search of fresh prey. There was time for a little more torment yet, before the Everchosen summoned him...[9]
Total War: Warhammer III[]
"One by one, I will kill the gods and harvest their strength. All will be mine!"
- —Be'lakor[14]
Prior to the events of the Realm of Chaos campaign in Total War: Warhammer III, Be'lakor managed to trap the bear god Ursun, patron of Kislev, in the Forge of Souls of the Realm of Chaos under unknown circumstances. When Yuri Barkov, a prince of Kislev, went north with a Kislevite expedition to find what happened to the god after winter failed to end in the northern lands, the Daemon Prince enacted his scheme.[14]
On his way north, Barkov heard a voice he believed to be that of Ursun, but which actually was a disguised Be'lakor. At the urging of the voice, Barkov pushed further north to Dervingard and then even further into the Chaos Wastes, where the voice urged him to abandon restraint and wield the weapons of his enemies to fight Chaos.[14]
By the time Barkov reached the Howling Citadel in the Chaos Wastes to face the Chaos Champion Slavin Kurnz, he had sacrificed his troops and his brother, now carried a Chaos Weapon and had commandeered a Bloodthirster to serve him. He stepped through a portal within the citadel to reach Ursun and found the bear god chained in the forge, with his shadowy jailer revealing himself to be Be'lakor.[14]
The Daemon Prince showed Barkov the broken body of Ursun, and the Kislevite prince now found his god in this state as weak and unworthy of his worship, with this weakness the very reason his people now suffered from perpetual winter. Filled with hatred toward his god, a shot from Barkov's Chaos-tainted pistol mortally wounded the Great Bear and the bear god's roar churned the Winds of Magic into a maelstrom that prevented others from accessing the Realm of Chaos.[14]
Be'lakor sought to use the blood of Ursun to break the curse Tzeentch had laid upon him so long before and channel the divinity of Ursun into himself to ascend to become the fifth major Chaos God. He then intended to lead an army of Soul Grinders constructed from the souls of those who had come to claim the corpse of Ursun to begin the End Times.[14]
While many other factions -- including those led by the Greater Daemons Kairos Fateweaver, Ku'gath Plaguefather, N'Kari, Skarbrand, the freshly ascended Yuri Barkov, now a Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided called the Godslayer, the Storm Dragon and the Iron Dragon of Grand Cathay, Greasus Goldtooth and Skrag the Slaughterer of the Ogre Kingdoms -- sought to claim the dying Ursun for their own purposes, it was the forces of Kislev that finally managed to penetrate the Forge of Souls and defeat Be'lakor, robbing him of his new-found strength and saving Ursun from certain death.[14a]
End Times[]
Vermintide[]
"You cannot defeat me! My schemes are legion, my ascent inevitable."
- —Be'lakor[13]
During the End Times, Be'lakor was imprisoned at Castle Drachenfels under unknown circumstances.[13] A Rotblood Chaos Sorcerer named Nurgloth the Eternal learned that a powerful Daemon had been imprisoned in the castle and went there to unbind him with a large force of Pactsworn.[13]
The Grey Wizard Olesya Pimenova theorised that Be'lakor had been splintered across Ulgu due to a warpstone comet that had landed near Maisberg in the Reikland and had shattered the Weave, causing portions of the Daemon Prince's essence to remain bound in Castle Drachenfels, part of his essence to travel to the Northern Wastes, and other portions of his essence to remain unaccounted for.[13]
Nurgloth's attempt to free the Daemon Prince had been noticed by Franz Lohner, who sent the Ubersreik Five to investigate. While the Five managed to defeat Nurgloth, the unbinding had already occurred, with Be'lakor attaching himself to the adventurers as a whispering voice inside their heads, following them back to Taal's Horn Keep.[13]
The Daemon Prince took credit for inspiring the Ubersreik Five to search for the Citadel of Eternity within the Northern Wastes, a place where it was said the gods could directly communicate with the mortal plane. The place also became a region of interest to the Pactsworn. The servants of the Dark Master and the Pactsworn waged a vicious war against each other in which Be'lakor's servants triumphed for a time.[13]
Amassing a force of corrupted Skaven and Warriors of Chaos led by his "Shadow Champions," who were Chaos Warriors directly empowered by Be'lakor, the Dark Master plotted to attain godhood for himself, only to be challenged again by the Ubersreik Five.[13]
Athel Loren[]
"You think to banish me?" Be'lakor roared. He smacked a fist into his chest. "I am the First Damned, and older than any exorcism or right of banishment. I have more right to stride this world than you, and I will not be cast out -- not now, not ever!"
- —The Dark Master faces the Lady of the Lake.[12a]
"There is no escaping destiny. There is only pain. Inevitable and unending."
- —Be'lakor[12a]
When the Skaramor attacked Athel Loren under Skarr Bloodwrath, Be'lakor accompained the host, seeking to usurp the might of the Incarnates for himself.[2a] Facing the armies of Balthasar Gelt, Incarnate of Metal, and Caradryan, Incarnate of Fire, the Khornate army was destroyed. This provided an opening for Be'lakor to infiltrate the forest, with the goal of ending the world faster than Archaon could by destroying the Oak of Ages. Drawing on the daemons trapped in the Vaults of Winter, the First-Damned corrupted Hellebron and her outlawed cult to his service and made a pact with Drycha and her master Coeddil to drive the elves from the forest, without revealing his true motive.[2b] His army assaulted the King's Glade, but was driven back thanks to the valiant defense by Malekith and Alarielle. When Be'lakor attempted to bury his talons in the bark of the oak, the Weave itself fought back, with Teclis bringing his dead brother Tyrion back to life thanks to the stolen power of the Flame of Ulric, elevating him as his co-Incarnate of Light. The Daemon Prince stood no chance and was forced to flee under the mocking laughter of the Dark Gods, leaving his pawns to be slain.[2c]
The Daemon Prince later relocated to Athel Loren, where he conspired with Mannfred von Carstein, who had been handed over by Nagash as a token of goodwill for the alliance between the Incarnate of Death with the other Incarnates. In exchange for the location of the sole remaining goddess not yet consumed by Chaos, the vampire bartered for freedom from his imprisonment in the forest and a chance to pledge himself to the armies of Chaos. The daemon prince granted him his wish.[12a]
Meanwhile, Be'lakor himself had been lurking in the shadows as Lileath, goddess of the Elves, revealed to the Bretonnian Duke Jerrod that she was the Lady of the Lake. The Lady explained how she had been creating another world, known as the Haven, inhabited by all who had supped from the Grail. Jerrod found himself rocked to the core by what he saw as a betrayal. Lileath tried to explain to the enraged Duke that she had chosen his forefathers to serve a greater goal, that she had risen them up from a tribe of primitive horsemen, that she had given them a purpose.[2d]
Jerrod could not be bandied by words, however. His rage at the goddess grew. Drawing his sword and taking it in a two-handed grip, he levelled the point at Lileath's neck. Jerrod never truly knew whether he would have gone through with this act of murder. Certainly, the fury and sense of betrayal rushing through his blood urged him to do so, but some semblance of honour held him back. His sword wavered, then steadied. It was at that moment that Be'lakor - fearing that his prize was about to be slaughtered before him - burst from the shadows. The sight of the daemon at last forced Jerrod to a decision - or at the very least drove the Duke's instincts to take over.[2e]
Be'lakor bore down on Lileath, writhing darkness trailing behind him. Jerod took a long step to stand between them, dropping his sword down into a guard pose as he did so. Be'lakor did not slow, but lashed out with his shadow-sword, thinking to cut down the arrogant mortal who stood before him.[2e]
Jerrod's blessed blade gleamed as it intercepted the stroke, shining steel clanging home against a sword of misery and deception. The First Damned swept his wings back, climbing briefly away before diving back down with a sibilant hiss, his shadow-sword outstretched like a spear. As Jerrod cursed himself for not bringing his shield, Lileath shoved past him, her staff in her hands. She raised it, and bolts of blinding light lanced from its tip to strike the approaching daemon. Or they would have, had they not passed through Be’lakor’s form like arrows punching through fog. She had lost much of her power.[2e]
Jerrod reached out and grabbed the goddess by her shoulder, flinging her aside as Be’lakor swooped down over them. He caught the creature’s blow on his sword once more, and pain pulsed through his shoulder joint. Again, he parried, turning aside a strike before it could pierce his heart. This time, however, Be'lakor lashed out with his free hand. The talons raked across Jerrod's exposed face, ripping three bloody lines across his skin. The Duke slammed into the ground, skidding through the mud. Blood streamed from his wounds, and from an eye that would never see again. Jerrod moaned with pain and tried to stand, but his arms had lost their strength and he collapsed into the leaves.[2e]
Be'lakor dropped to the ground beside the injured Duke. The First-damned regarded him for a moment, then brought a clawed heel down upon Jerrod's left calf. The Duke screamed as the force of the blow buckled his armour, pulverising the flesh beneath and snapping the bones.[2e]
Be'lakor turned to the goddess as she attempted to banish him, but the First-Damned was older than any exorcism, and could not be so easily cast into the Realm of Chaos by the young magic of the Elves. The shadow-sword lashed out, cutting deep into Lileath's forearm. Be'lakor lunged forward to seize the stricken goddess. His claws brushed her arm, but did not close. For at that moment Be'lakor screamed in agony. Behind the daemon, Jerrod released his grip on the sword he had just thrust deep into the Daemon's back, and collapsed once again, this time lapsing into a fevered unconsciousness. Be'lakor gave another bellow of pain as he twisted the Bretonnian's sword free, a spill of dark blood flowing from the wound.[2e]
Jerrod had bought much needed time. Soon, the injured Be'lakor was forced to flee from the forest, or face destruction at the hands of the now oncoming Incarnates.[2e]
Unfortunately for the wounded Daemon Prince, he was captured by the Incarnates and brought before their council. Breaking free from the magical chains that bound him, the First Damned attacked, only to be trapped inside a perfect ruby, left there to languish as a powerless shadow once again.[2f]
Storm of Chaos[]
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Attention, Empire Citizens!
This article or this section of the article contains information regarding the Storm of Chaos campaign and its aftermath, which is now considered a non-canon, alternate timeline.
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"Be'lakor! A name that has spread across the northern Empire in recent times, spoken in terrified whispers. Now the nightmare hinted at by the doomsayers has become a reality..."
During the alternate timeline of the Storm of Chaos, Be'lakor's curse was lifted upon the crowning of Archaon and he rejoiced in his freedom. A thing of shadow and terror, the Dark Master conjured up a great portal for his ancient armies to march through, accompanied by raucous blaring of horns and guttural shouts of triumph. In the wake of Archaon's advance, Be'lakor drove his legions southwards towards the lands of men. Leading a vast horde of Daemons, he paused on the battlefield where Archaon had killed Volkmar, who had earlier attempted to end the Everchosen's threat. Sensing a means to assert his superiority over Archaon, Be'lakor drew forth his most ancient magics and dragged the Grand Theogonist's soul back into his body. Returned from death, Volkmar was chained to Be'lakor's battle standard, where the priest's screams would unnerve the enemies of Chaos.[3]
Be'lakor's name began to spread across the northern Empire, spoken in terrified whispers. Now the nightmare hinted at by the doomsayers had become a reality. The magical winds increased in strength for many days, and omens of evil plagued Middenheim and the surrounding area. At Krudenwald, a great magical storm enveloped the town for several hours, culminating in the sky splitting asunder and pouring forth a tide of daemonic beasts spawned from the twisted imaginings of a madman. At their head soared the Dark Master, a palpable wave of terror spreading out before him.[3]
When Be'lakor and his unholy army marched upon Middenheim, they still carried Volkmar's tormented body upon their war-banner. The Imperial defenders were horrified, and terror began to visibly spread amongst their ranks. Hundreds of men kneeled and clawed at their eyes as the great, winged figure of Be'lakor rose into the air above his unnatural legion. Hope was not lost, however, for the knights of Bretonnia had witnessed the Dark Master's coming, and charged into his ranks.[3]
In the melee that followed, the Bretonnian King and his knights battled fiercely against the daemonic host. Protected from the evil sorceries of the Daemon Prince by enchantments of the Lady, Louen Leoncoeur engaged Be'lakor in single combat. As the King of Bretonnia fought bravely against the Dark Master, an anguished cry was heard over the battlefield. Volkmar the Grim had ripped free of the chains binding him to Be'lakor's army standard, and laid about the surrounding daemons with those self-same enchanted chains. Bloodied but unbowed, the injured Volkmar was carried free upon the back of Louen's hippogryph and taken to the Temple of Shallya in Middenheim.[3]
The defenders of Middenheim were ultimately victorious, and Be'lakor's legion was greatly diminished. Forced northwards, the Dark Master was pursued by an army of Sigmarites and Ulricans, led by Count von Raukov and the Ar-Ulric, Emil Valgeir.[3]
When Karl Franz and Valten attempted to assault Archaon's personal army as he regathered his strength at the village of Sokh, Be'lakor's daemonic hordes came at them from the west. The imperial army was only saved thanks to the intervention of the High Elves. While the Swordmasters of Hoeth held the line against the daemons, it was Teclis who did cast a mighty spell of banishment that flung Be'lakor and his servants back to the Realm of Chaos.[4a]
Wargear and Abilities[]
"He is the First, the Harbinger of Doom. Where he treads, the shadows writhe, and the light flees in terror. Speak not his name."
In his incarnation as the first Daemon Prince, Be'lakor was a god-like being of terrible power. Even now, in his humbled state, he remains one of the Dark Gods' deadliest creations. He is a master of the Lore of Shadows and his mere presence can cause entire armies to rout in fear.[9]
- Blade of Shadows - Be'lakor wields an esoteric, daemonic blade known as the Blade of Shadows, its ghostly form in eternal transience between shape and shadow; solidity and silhouette. Mastery of this weapon enables Be'lakor to scythe through armour, scale, flesh and bone without resistance, its essence changing in an instant from formless shadow to murderous edge at its master’s whim. Whether the weapon is a part of the Daemon itself, or perhaps an ancient gift bestowed upon him by the Dark Gods that Be'lakor somehow retained in spite of his fall from favour, none can truly say.[9]
Miniatures[]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Armies: Storm of Chaos (6th Edition)
- 1a: pg. 25
- 2: The End Times Vol V: Archaon (8th Edition)
- 3: Storm of Chaos - The Loremaster's Journal (Background Book)
- 4: Darkness Rising - The Complete History of the Storm of Chaos (Background Book)
- 4a: pg. 75
- 5: Games Workshop Webstore: Be'lakor, Daemon Prince
- 6: Archaon: Lord of Chaos (Novel)
- 7: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Tome of Corruption (RPG)
- 8: Shadows Over Albion: Dark Shadows (6th Edition Summer Campaign)
- 9: Battlescroll: Be'lakor (8th Edition)
- 10: Liber Chaotica: Undivided (6th Edition)
- 10a: pg. 28
- 11: Gotrek and Felix: City of the Damned (Novel) by David Guymer
- 12: The Lord of the End Times (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
- 13: Warhammer: Vermintide II (Video Game)
- 14: Total War: Warhammer III (PC Game)
- 15: Archaon: Everchosen (Novel) by Rob Sanders
- 15a: ch. Prologue
- 16: White Dwarf Weekly 58
- 16a: pg. 26