A slaver from Norsca.
A Norscan Slaver is a pirate or Chaos Marauder from Norsca who engages in the capture and sale of slaves from their own region or elsewhere among the people of the Known World. Norscan Slavers are a common sight in the north, but in the past, slavery was also quite common across the Old World.[1a]
Role[]
The practice of slavery is as old as Humanity, originating in the ancient empire of Khemri, and continued through the various civilisations that rose and fell in the intervening years, leading to the present day. In an evolving commercial economy like that of the present in the Old World, slavery is simply impractical. In places like Bretonnia, serfs perform all the work and live lives little better than slaves, but in the Empire of Man, men and women, whilst peasants, are in charge of their own destinies.[1a]
Of course, in some remote corners of the Old World, the practice still flourishes. Araby is famed for its flesh markets as is the pirate isle of Sartosa and even some dark corners in Marienburg. The Norscans still take slaves as well, either from surrendered adversaries or as plunder from one of their raids. Occasionally, they have reason to traffic with unsavoury flesh dealers, and some enterprising Norsemen take up the profession themselves.[1a]
The most wretched existence for any Old Worlder is life as a Norscan Thrall. Each raid along the coasts of the Empire and Bretonnia results in more and more people captured and brought back to Norsca for a fate some consider to be worse than death. In many cases, death is not far away for the slaves as sacrifice by disembowelment is a common practice before any Norscan raid or battle. Still, some thralls have value and drive what little economy Norsca has. Any slaves observed to be adept at beast tanning or metalwork, for example, live the short remainder of their able-bodied lives doing hard labour.[2]
Sources[]
- 1 Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Tome of Corruption (RPG)
- 1a: pg. 149
- 2: Total War: Warhammer (PC Game)