"You have come too soon, Beast of Chaos. This blade has drunk deep of your kin's blood before. It will do so again. You know it's power. Look on it, horror of the void, and know despair!"
- —Ludwig Schwarzhelm, battling the Doombull Raghram
Ludwig Schwarzhelm, the Emperor's Champion and his Sword of Justice
Ludwig Schwarzhelm, known as the Emperor's Champion or the Emperor's Sword of Justice is the personal bodyguard of Karl Franz and bearer of his personal battle standard. Ludwig is a towering figure of a man, renowned throughout the Empire for his mighty physique, stern expression and deadly martial skills. The Emperor's champion is said to have never smiled in his life and his reputation as an uncompromising, incorruptible warrior is one Ludwig has consciously cultivated over the years.[1a]
His role is to uphold the Emperor's Justice during trials of combat, which are the judicial right of all high-ranking nobles accused of breaking one of the Emperor's laws. Such is Ludwig's deadly reputation that many accused nobleman have confessed their guilt before a sword has even been drawn. Ludwig is also Karl Franz's principal bodyguard and his mere presence has so far proven enough to discourage any Imperial attempts on the Emperor's life.[1a]
In addition to his formidable skills as a master swordsman, Ludwig also acts as a potent reminder of the Emperor's authority, travelling to various provincial capitals to ensure that Imperial Edicts are being obeyed. Karl Franz has an unyielding sense of fairness and honor, and he does not look kindly upon those lords who flaunt their wealth whilst their populace languishes in abject poverty.[1a]
The arrival of Ludwig at the gates of an Elector Count's castle is greeted with some trepidation, even amongst those loyal to the Emperor, for Schwarzhelm is notoriously inflexible and critical of those he perceives as lacking in strong moral fibre and faith. On one occasion, Ludwig was forced to fight for his life after unmasking a Chaos Cult hidden at the very heart of the von Rauken family of Ostland. However, as dawn broke the following morning, it was the Emperor's Champion who marched alone, but victorious from the castle - his armor rent and battered and his sword dripping with blood.[1a][3]
When the Emperor travels the land, it is with the unsmiling Ludwig at his side, and Karl Franz's diplomatic words are often backed up by the silent yet ever-present threat of his Champion's keen blade. In battle, the Emperor's Champion rallies the Empire army to Karl Franz's banner, and takes on the role of his bodyguard, saving his lord's life on more than one occasion.[1a]
History
"There is much wrong in the way that the Empire runs itself, Bloch. Many who rule do not deserve to. Many who are ruled could make a better fist of it. You’re a fighting man. You’ve seen armies commanded by fools and good men led into ruin by them. But there’s opportunity in battle. Mettle will always show itself. There are men in the Empire who know how to reward talent and how to ignore low birth. The Emperor, Sigmar keep him, is one. It is to him I owe my station, not to my breeding. And so it is with me. I need good men around me. I’d like you to be one of them."
- —Ludwig Schwarzhelm, Emperor's Sword of Justice
Very little is known about Ludwig's earlier history. What little little can be speculated is that Ludwig, like most Imperial warriors, rose through the ranks as a common soldier of the province of Averland, his birth province. He was tutored by Heinrich Lassus, a former Imperial General of the Army, and under his tutelage, Ludwig became a great warrior. As he grew up and learned more about the Empire's bureaucracy, he can't help but to find the corruption which festers in its heart. He see's leaders born of wealth and hubris who do little to help uphold the protection and values of Sigmar's Empire, whilst the lowborn struggle day by day, dying by their hundreds to keep the lands free from corruption. Yet the day he became Karl Franz' Champion, he saw within him the makings of a leader unlike any seen within the Old World. As such, Ludwig had strove hard to uphold the justice of a true leader of Mankind, and going about creating his own retinue of like-minded warriors, hoping that one day they too will become leaders in their own right.[2c]
Darkness within Ostland
The incident with the von Raukove family was an infamous tale which in some ways haunts the reputation of Ludwig, yet also strengthens his image as the Emperor's Justice. When Schwarzhelm travels to Ostland, alone except for his squire, they were welcomed into the mansion of the powerful van Rauken family. The lord of the manor puts on a lavish feast, but Schwarzhelm touches nothing, saying he prefers strips of rough jerky from his belt. As the feast ends and the company heads upstairs to bed, Schwarzhelm advises his squire to be on his guard, and not to touch the food - even as Schwazhelm lifts a stuffed pig's bladder from the table and decides to take it to his room.[4a]
Later that night, an assassin enters Schwarzhelm's room and stabs the knight in bed with a dagger - but is shocked to see the lump under the sheets is a pig's bladder, just before Schwarzhelm steps out of the shadows and kills him. Without his armor, Schwarzhelm rushes downstairs to the cellar kitchens, where the other inhabitants of the castle are "enjoying" a grotesque parody of the earlier feast, stuffing each other full of delicacies and gleefully allowing themselves to be devoured by daemons of Nurgle. Schwarzhelm frees his squire from the daemons and tells him to run outside and fetch help, while Schwarzhelm fights his way to the leader, a spider-like creature who disguised itself as one of the scullery maids.[4a]
The daemon taunts Schwarzhelm that his life would be richer if he unbent enough to enjoy the odd bit of luxury, be it food or women; after all, his great rival is a notorious womanizer, but it only enhances his heroic reputation. Unmoved, Schwarzhelm cuts the daemon in half with the Rechstahl. After setting the mansion to the torch, Schwarzhelm goes outside and finds his squire, half-blinded by terror, and already showing the telltale signs of infection - his hunger got the better of him, and he could not resist grabbing a tainted morsel from the feast table. Sadly, Schwarzhelm raises his sword to dispatch the boy, knowing he has no choice.[4a]
Sword of Justice
Many years later, in response to the latest Beastman uprising, the Empire dispatches not one, but two armies to destroy this new threat; one led by Schwarzhelm and another by Helborg. Schwarzhelm led a campaigning army of State Troops deep into the heart of the Great Forest, there to dispatch a mighty Beeastmen warherd led by a might Doombull. Schwarzhelm's force takes heavy losses, largely because part of his strength has been posted to keep the road open for Helborg's advance, though Helborg is nowhere to be seen. Though grossly outnumbered by the Beastmen, the Imperial Army is victorious when Schwarzhelm slays their leader, the Doombull Rahgram, in single combat. Just then, Helborg and the Reiksguard arrive to pursue the retreating beastmen. Helborg promises that full credit for the victory will go to the Emperor's Champion, but Schwarzhelm is unable to hide his resentment that Helborg was late in arriving, nor shake his niggling suspicion that Helborg deliberately delayed his march, for his own reasons.[2b]
After the campaign, Schwarzhelm offers a junior halberdier officer, Markus Bloch, a place in his retinue, as commendation for his bravery and initiative during the battle. Bloch does not hesitate to accept. Back in Altdorf, Schwarzhelm and Helborg are feted in a victory parade (a charade that Schwarzhelm absolutely loathes), and then he is summoned to the Emperor's presence. Karl has a new task for his Champion: years have passed since Marius Leitdorf's death, yet no new Count has been elected for Averland. There are two contenders, neither of whom is an ideal candidate, but Karl says the issue has remained undecided for too long, and asks Schwarzhelm to preside over the dispute. Schwarzhelm protests that he is not a diplomat or a legal scholar, but Karl replies that he is something much more important: a living symbol of Imperial law. Before leaving Altdorf, Schwarzhelm consults with his chief spy, Pieter Verstohlen, and his old swordmaster, retired Imperial general Heinrich Lassus, who brief him on the succession dispute.[2d]
Seeds of Suspicion
The electorship is contested by two men: Rufus Leitdorf, second son of the old elector, and Heinz-Mark Grosslich, a relative unknown. During the long months of conflict between them, Averland has drifted into misrule. Reports arrive of orcs massing in the east, and most of Schwarzhelm’s forces are sent to secure the distant marches. Back in Averheim, Schwarzhelm is subject to severe pressure. When reports reach him that his commander in the east has been killed, he immediately rides out to avenge him. Meanwhile, Verstohlen investigates the origins of the narcotic traffic in joyroot, and stumbles across Leitdorf’s wife Natassja at the centre of a Chaos cult. Barely escaping with his life, Verstohlen flees to the safety of Grosslich’s forces. Promising him the electorship if he will declare war on the Leitdorfs, Verstohlen instigates open conflict between the two camps, and prompts the city Steward to send messages to the garrison of Reiksguard in Nuln.
These are commanded by Schwarzhelm’s great rival, Kurt Helborg. Schwarzhelm is swiftly victorious over the orcs and rides west back to Averheim. On the way to the city, Schwarzhelm discovers the bodies of messengers and half-burned orders which seem to implicate Leitdorf in their murder. Nuln is referred to as well, fanning the flames of Schwarzhelm’s already heightened suspicion of Helborg. In Averheim, Grosslich and Verstohlen drive Leitdorf’s forces to the edge of the city. As Helborg and his Reiksguard arrive, they see Averheim in flames and Grosslich’s men running rampant. Helborg moves to quell the fighting, takes Leitdorf into custody and begins to orchestrate the capture of Grosslich. Schwarzhelm arrives just as the fighting reaches its climax.
Seeing Helborg riding against Grosslich, he leaps to the conclusion that the Reiksguard have turned traitor. Schwarzhelm’s anger, stoked by days of fatigue, breaks. He fells Helborg with a terrible blow. Before he can kill him, the Reiksguard manage to pull their leader from danger. Taking Leitdorf with them, they flee the city, pursued by Grosslich’s forces. In the aftermath of the battle, Schwarzhelm fulfils Verstohlen’s pledge and crowns Grosslich Elector of Averland. He returns to Altdorf, and is removed from active duty by a devastated Emperor. Disconsolate, Schwarzhelm confides in his old mentor, the swordmaster Heinrich Lassus. During the conversation, Lassus unwittingly betrays the truth: that Helborg and Leitdorf are innocent, and Grosslich was given over to Chaos, together with Natassja. The two devotees of Slaanesh begin to enact their terrible plan for Averland with all the resources of the elector’s office at their disposal. Working alone now, Schwarzhelm vows to return. Leitdorf and Helborg are hunted by Grosslich’s troops, moving from safe house to safe house in an effort to evade detection. As Helborg fights for his life, surrounded by enemies, the Sword of Vengeance lies in the vaults of the Imperial Palace, far from its owner’s hands.
Wargear
- Sword of Justice - The Sword of Justice has been passed down from champion to champion through the reigns of many successive Emperors. It is a mighty magical weapon, studded with ancient Dwarf runes of vengeance and retribution.[1a]
- The Emperor's Standard - Ludwig is entrusted to carry one of the Emperor's personal battle standards. This magnificent standard has been wrought with subtle magic so that the hearts of all true soldiers of the Empire who gaze upon it are filled with righteous courage.[1a]