""Khorne!" they roared, invoking the sacred battle-name of Kharnath, the Blood God, Lord of Battles. "Khorne!" they howled until it seemed the walls must fall from the violence of their voices alone. "Khorne!" they shrieked as they gnashed their teeth and bit their shields.""
- —A description of Sarl Berserkers at the destruction of Wisborg.
A fearsome Berserker.
Marauder Berserkers, also known as Savages, are a brutal sect of Northmen warriors, known chiefly for being subject to terrifying battle-frenzies.
Overview
The feats of Berserkers fill the songs of the Skalds and loom large in the sagas of the North and the nightmares of Imperial soldiers who have faced them on the battlefield. Bred from the hardiest stock of the already hardy folk of the grim Northlands, the Berserkers of Norsca are a rightly feared warrior-cult. Most purposely go into battle without protection in order to display the bravery to their foe, to their kinsmen, and to their Dark Gods. They are possessed of a dark, brutal madness which compels them to fight on until they have slaughtered all about them, or are themselves slain.
Marauder Berserkers are driven by one thing alone; a lethal intent to inflict unparalleled brutality upon their enemies. Like all Marauders, they are unrelenting combatants who habitually take what their own lands cannot provide from lesser men, but are set apart by their bizarre pre-battle rituals and unequalled fanaticism for killing. They immerse themselves in a psychotic state of mind before a fight, always consuming vast quantities of beer and indulging in head-butting contests prior to entering the battlefield. Once they see their enemies they attack without regard for their own lives, wild-eyed and frothing at the mouth. Upon reaching their target, the Berserker turns into a human whirlwind – with an axe in each hand, he spins, chops, and dismembers with a strength only achievable by a madman.
Berserkers are often devotees of the Blood God Khorne, which is apt given Khorne's status as the Norse god of war and battle-frenzy. Indeed, in order to will themselves into the rage, the Berserkers bellow the sacred battle-names of the Lord of Battles, invoking him and thus gaining a measure of his fury that they might destroy all who oppose them on the battlefield. In addition, many, if not all of these Berserkers tend to become Champions of the Blood God, receiving his Mark and blessings that they might become even deadlier on the field.
However, while they are most often associated with Khorne, there are some Berserkers who do not worship the Lord of Battles exclusively. These warriors deign to worship each of the dark gods equally as a Pantheon. Others have dedicated their souls to an individual god, such as the Savages of the Nurgle-worshipping Rotblood tribe. Expatriate Berserkers found within the Empire give allegiance, publicly at least, to Ulric.
Infamous Berserkers
- Knut the Bloody - A legendary Berserker who became a Champion of the Blood God Khorne. Knut fought alongside the Everchosen Asavar Kul, slaying thousands by his side, and also under the command of Engra Deathsword during the Great War Against Chaos.
- Hrolf Wyrdulf - Prince of the Vargs, Ulfwerener and lieutenant to the legendary Khornate Chaos Lord, Garmr Hrodvitnir, Hrolf and his pack fought under their lord's command during Garmr's battles against the Dwarfen hold of Karak Kadrin, in his quest to establish the Road of Skulls and bathe the world in the sanguine majesty of Khorne's Halls. Hrolf met his end at the hands of the famed Dwarf Slayer, Gotrek Gurnisson.
- Njarvord - A Baersonling and sword-brother of Wulfrik the Wanderer, Njarvord was a particularly brutal warrior who fought while clad in heavy steel plate and using a massive double-bitted axe. He fought valorously on many of Wulfrik's raids, but was eventually slain during an incursion into Ulthuan by a High Elf noble, having been impaled on the Elf's pike. Njarvord's final act, however, was to pull himself down the noble's pike, much to his horror, and with a mighty bellow, strike a terrible blow that beheaded the lord's horse, crushing him underneath it and allowing Wulfrik to finish him off, thus avenging the Berserker's death.
