"I pledge myself to serve you heart and soul, Valkia. When your call comes, I will be there."
- —Radek, pledging himself to Valkia
Radek, also known as Radek the Betrayer, was the warspeaker of the Schwarzvolf tribe, a nomadic group of Norscan barbarians dedicated to the Blood God Khorne. A life of battle had deeply disfigured him, particularly the left side of his face, which had been all but sliced away.[1a]
Radek was the nephew of Ammon, and the mentor of Valkia the Bloody, taking up the mantle after his uncle's death. When Valkia had come of age, she was set upon by suitors for her exquisite beauty; Radek, however, had been conspicuously absent from among them and this had angered Valkia. However, in the same way, Radek had also made himself of interest to the tribe's princess.[1a]
Radek was in truth deeply smitten with Valkia, as she was with him, and when Valkia decided to become the new leader of the Schwarzvolf tribe over her newborn half-brother, Edan, by any means, Radek pledged his allegiance to her. This he did, even as he abhorred the murder of an infant, and warned Valkia not to tread that path.[1a]
However, it was Radek who ended Chieftain Merroc's life, leaving Kata a widow and her three children with the former chief fatherless. The warspeaker killed Merroc to spare Valkia the trouble and consequences of having to do so, knowing that it would mean his own death.[1b]
Valkia acted as expected, angered that Radek stole her kill, but also intelligent enough to see the opportunity her old friend had provided for her. In thanks, she slit Radek's throat and his corpse was dragged back to the Vale, where the Schwarzvolf were settled. Strapped to a pole at the edge of the tribe's camp, Radek's corpse was ravaged by both the elements and carrion birds.[1b]
Radek was succeeded as the Schwarzvolf tribe's warspeaker by Hepsus.[1b]