The icon of the Skaelings in Total War: Warhammer.[3]
The Skaelings are among the most infamous Norscan tribes to have ever blighted the Old World. Great sea-reavers, they are ancient enemies of the Bretonni, having spearheaded some of the largest invasions in Bretonnia's history. The Skaelings are also close relatives of the Nordlanders, having invaded, colonised and intermingled their bloodlines with those of that Electoral Province of the Empire during the invasions of the 14th century IC.[1]
Like other Norscan tribes, although considered a monolithic cultural group by outsiders, the Skaelings are many and varied, and scattered across the southern coast of Norsca and the great mountains that lie behind it. Ardent worshippers of the Chaos Gods, particularly of Khorne, the raiders of the Skaeling set sail for the thrill of battle and to praise their mighty god with the spilling of blood, though they are perhaps not quite as monomaniacally bloodthirsty and insane as the brutal Vargs and Aeslings that lie to the uttermost north beyond their lands. Yet such is their ferocity and adherence to Khorne's will that they regard any Northmen with an insufficiently eager appetite for blood sacrifice as weak and faithless. They retain special scorn for the Bjornlings, whom they regard as mere traders and cowards.[4d]
The Skaeling are a nation of sea-faring berserkers -- being crafty shipbuilders and mighty raiders both. The civilised peoples of the Old World certainly agree with that assessment, albeit with a few more pejoratives attached. Yet despite their great affinity for the waters, it has struck some observers passing odd that Skaelings' capital -- the great Chaos fortress known as Doomkeep -- lies so far from the ocean.[4d]
That the seat of the Skaelings' king lies so far inland may be down to reasons of devotion, for it lies deep in the Shadow of Chaos, after all. Some commentators have offered that the Doomkeep commemorates the site where an ancient king of the Norsii defeated the most terrible of the fell spirits called the Treeblood, back in the mythic days when the ancestors of the Norscans first conquered Norsca from its original, primeval inhabitants. Yet others have said that a terrible relic of Chaos itself lies deeply guarded within the halls of Doomkeep -- an arcane artefact of terrible power that, if brought into proximity with the sea, would unleash a terror that could consume all the mortal world. For the Skaelings' own part, when asked why their tribal capital is where it is, they simply shrug and change the subject.[4d]
The proud Skaelings boast that they are not truly Men at all, but the Human descendants of a great Drake that once roamed the lands of northern Kislev. It is in honour of this supposed ancestor that they brand their skin with tattoos of fire and swirling Dragon shapes.[1][2]
Due to their proximity to Nordland, the Skaelings share a close blood-relation to their Imperial cousins, the half-Norscan Nordlanders. Raids and retaliatory raids between these two people are so ingrained in their history and culture that most cannot fathom any other way of living.
Lands[]
Being fierce sea-raiders, most Skaelings live along the treacherous Skaeling Coast, where their longships can make anchor.
The Skaeling Coast is a ragged Norscan coastline of mighty cliffs, countless deep, twisting fjords, and innumerable rocky islands. Fish, orca, and whales fill the sea, along with sharks and far more terrible marine monstrosities. Although cold and often bleak, the land is not sterile, as its more sheltered valleys and southern slopes are covered with forests of fir and pine. Thickly-furred animals, from squirrels and goats to wolves and bears, live among the trees and in hidden caves. Unnatural reptiles live here too, from rock lizards, wyverns, and basilisks, to true Dragons -- thankfully mostly asleep.[4c]
The region is dominated by the Skaelings, who live, fight, and survive in the cold lands and waters. Their longships are common here, and even the crews of fishing vessels are capable warriors. Their attitude to outsiders is variable to say the least, making travel to and exploration of the Skaeling Coast an uncertain, nerve-wracking experience.[4c]
Many mysteries lie hidden here. Besides the known Norse Dwarf Holds, there are said to be secret ones tunnelled into the cliffs, inhabited by reclusive clans who avoid their brethren for their own reasons. Towers seen from the sea blink with bizarrely coloured lights, hinting at the magic of Chaos Sorcerers.[4c]
Strangely carved monoliths record forgotten histories and promise gifts from dark powers. Despite the many dangers, the Skaeling Coast lures many from the Old World and beyond. The Skaeling tribes have few creative industries beyond the forging of weapons and armour, leatherworking, and textiles. This provides Old World merchants with great opportunities to trade their southern luxuries for rare timbers, gold from Norscan mountains, and high-quality weapons. The port of Kirkjugarður Langskipa is arguably the safest trading destination, but it is not for the faint-hearted. Alongside the merchants are explorers, scholars, and warriors, seeking adventure, secrets, and glory.[4c]
The Tribe[]
"Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne! Souls for the Hunter!"
A Skaeling warrior dedicated to Khorne.
The Skaelings rightfully boast of their consummate prowess as warriors, as well as their deep devotion to Khorne, whom they refer to as "Kharnath." They regard mutations that increase battle prowess or which enhance one's capability for survival as proof of the Blood God's favour, and believe those who are visited by mutations that create weakness to have been cursed by their god and thus worthy only of scorn. Mutations that neither help nor hinder are considered merely to be a sign of the god's attention, and may destine the recipient to one day become a seer of Khorne.[4d]
Due to their bloodthirsty devotion, the Skaeling unashamedly uphold both Human and animal sacrifice, although the Skaeling believe that all slain in battle, whether in raids, honour duels, or in glorious war, are naturally Human sacrifices to Khorne. Those individuals who must be trussed up and brought to the altars like animals and considered to be animals, and thus less worthy as a sacrifices -- being cowards, oath-breakers, traitors, or those unable to repay wergild.[4d]
Though spectacularly bloody, the sacrifices of the Skaelings are swift, for being true followers of Khorne, they do not indulge in the ritualised torture of sacrifices, for that is not honourable battle, and worse, it is the domain of the hated Slaanesh. While they do not seek to inflict inordinate torment upon others, the Skaeling nonetheless believe that there is worthiness in shedding their own blood in ritual so long as it is Khorne who is honoured, and most practise some ritual scarification, carving the devices of the Blood God upon their naked flesh.[4d]
The reverence for blood-spilling is such that the Skaeling will extend respect to any who would shed blood for their own gods, even if that god is a weak, craven thing of the south. The priest who carves the dove of Shallya upon their backs may be extended some degree of respect, for instance, though this is invariably lesser than that which is extended for the Skaeling who accepts Khorne's Skull-Rune.[4d]
The southernmost expanses of Skaeling lands abutt the dominions of the Sarls -- another tribe of vicious Norscan warriors whom the Skaelings regard as their main rivals in battle and territory. Yet the Sarls and Skaelings are united in at least one aspect -- their mutual devotion to mighty Khorne. The Altar of the Crimson Harvest -- a mighty Chaos fortress, port, and altar dedicated to the Blood God, is thus shared between the two tribes, to their mutual benefit. The Skaeling raids that take place regularly to capture weakling southerners from Kislev, the Empire, Bretonnia, and elsewhere to die upon the altar's stones are known collectively as "the Crimson Harvest."[4c]
As for the great altar itself, it lies atop a prominent spur of the cliffs overlooking the docks, a rough block of granite bearing a terrifying Human-shaped indentation. Every winter solstice, water is splashed over it and a single victim quickly thrown down and held there until the water freezes, which happens quickly in the howling winds that bite like daggers of purest cold. The sacrifice is left there overnight, and in adherence to Khorne's Will, if they are able to free themselves, it is reckoned by the Bloodfathers that the sacrifice had earned Khorne's blessing and is thus worthy of life. If not, then their blood shall reach the Blood God by way of god-touched beasts.[4c]
Skaeling warriors duel at the Bay of Blades.
Another site sacred to the Skaeling, shared between them and the Sarls, is the Bay of Blades, though it is ordinarily a shrine to the gods Nurgle and Mermedus. Yet for the Skaeling it is a duelling site, and thus sacred to the Blood God. The Skaelings use the site as a place where disputes between their lords and those of the Sarls may be settled without recourse to full-scale war. Two vessels bearing the participants sail alongside each other, with blood and offal cast into the waters to attract maddened sharks. Then a sturdy plank is laid between the two vessels, upon which the contenders stand and fight to the death.[4b]
They are, all in all, a ferocious tribe of blood-maddened warriors, openly venerating Khorne with an enthusiasm that shocks and appalls all those who are not of Norsca. For a Skaeling warrior, life is a constant struggle between Khorne's call to eternal warfare and the stability needed for survival. When the Shadow of Chaos expands and their mighty Chaos Champions and warlords call their kinsmen to war, the Skaeling sail forth for slaughter and ruination.[4d]
Even when the shadow recedes and they return to a more settled existence, the Skaelings chafe under the thought that their god might be displeased. So it is that in war the Skaeling seek no quarter and offer none, and reject all terms and tribute. Their raids are bloodthirsty, and they fight to the death, slaughtering all before them unless they can be forced back, often at great cost, by force of arms and tenacity.[4d]
Notable Skaelings[]
- Svengar - Svengar is the titanic Lord of the Skaelings who assaulted the northern coast of Bretonnia.
- Egil Styrbjorn - Egil Styrbjorn is the High Jarl of Strovengaard, a mighty warrior-king and Chaos Lord of Khorne.
- Son of Styrbjorn - The Son of Styrbjorn was the half-Norscan son of Egil Styrbjorn, born with the soul of an infernal Daemon.
- Knut the Bloody - Knut was a legendary Skaeling Berserker who rose to become a Daemon Prince of Khorne.
- Harald the Roarer - Harald was an infamous Skaeling raider who sacked and conquered the grand port-city of Marienburg during the time of the Black Plague and the Skaven Wars in the early 12th century IC. When the Skaven attacked the city in 1114 IC, both Nordlander and Norscan fought together for the first time and pushed the ratmen back to their holes.
- Angmar Moltke - Angmar Moltke was the half-Skaeling Elector Count of Nordland and scion of the Imperial House Moltke who ruled that Electoral Province during the 14th century IC. Having grown up as a Skaeling raider, his ascension saw the cultural and political union of the Jutones and Skaeling-descended inhabitants of Nordland, and the creation of the present-day cultural and social landscape of Nordland.
Trivia[]
The Skaelings may be a reference to the Skræling, the name given to the Native American tribe that Norse Vikings and adventurers encountered following their settlement of North America in the early 11th century, such as the colonies they placed in the lands they named "Vinland." The term "Skræling" has several meanings, including "dried skin," "barbarian," "to shout or yell" and "weakling."