A map showing the high concentration of Beastfiends in the Southern Chaos Wastes.
The Southern Wastes of Chaos, also called the Southern Wastes and the Southern Chaos Wastes, are the counterpart to the northern Chaos Wastes. Unlike the wastes of the north of the Known World, little to no information exists about those in the south.
The Southern Wastes once housed one of the Old Ones' two Polar Gates and after its collapse during the Great Catastrophe, the landmass it stood on was flooded by the power of Chaos.[1a] Unlike its northern counterpart, however, this landmass was not connected to the other continents of the mortal world and as a result, the only way to reach it is to cross the sea. The mortal races avoid it and maps often only describe the region with the warning that "Here be Daemons."[2a]
The lands of the bleak, corrupted shores of the Southern Wastes of Chaos as depicted in Total War: Warhammer III.
The only mortal race with some kind of stronghold in the Southern Wastes are the High Elves, who control the Gates of Calith between the Southern Chaos Wastes and the Far East.[2a]
Of the Southern Chaos Wastes' natives, not much is known. Rumours point the origin of Warpfire Dragons to this desolate land.[3a] Daemons and other monsters hold sway here. Beastfiends, variants of Beastmen that have little resemblance to Men, but are instead fusions of beasts and Daemon, battle each other for supremacy and the favour of the Dark Gods.[4b]
Archaon the Everchosen visited the Southern Chaos Wastes on his quest to find the Daemon Prince Agrammon and steal Dorghar, the Steed of the Apocalypse, from his stables.[4a]
Notable Locations[]
- Gates of Calith - The Gates of Calith are two opposing peninsulas that form the southernmost point of the Hinterlands of Khuresh and the northernmost region of the Southern Wastes. They are separated by a narrow sea strait that connects the Sea of Dread with the Far Sea.
- Haemorrhagia - So named for the bloody, black pitch that bled up from the earth to scorch the surrounding lands, Haemorrhagia was a land of earthquakes and ruptures. Its warmth drew many Beastfiend herds to it. Awash in pitch and fire, it was the birthplace for many Daemons of Chaos who entered the mortal world from the Realm of Chaos.[4b]
- Mount Ceno - Mount Ceno is likely a volcano of the Southern Wastes. Here, Archaon pushed the Chaos Dragon Flamefang into a lava stream, wounding the creature enough that he could escape its clutches.[4c]
- Floating Chaos Island - Floating Chaos Island lies close to the Realm of Chaos, and thus time has no meaning here. Daemons and mortals can be found here fighting each other for a victory that will never come. Floating Chaos Island lies southeast of Grotrilex's Glare Lighthouse and southwest of the settlement of Daemon's Gate. The location is also not constant, which is not surprising for an object so close to the remains of the southern Polar Gate.[5a]
- Abyssal Glacier - The great Abyssal Glacier is located south of Churling Gulf and Serpent Coast. This land is subject to Nurglish corruption. [5a]
- Fateweaver's Crevasse - Fateweaver's Crevasse is a Tzeentchian provincial capital in the Southern Wastelands located on the Abyssal Glacier. Glacial caves thread throughout Fateweaver's Сrevasse.[5a]
- Volulltrax - A port settlement of the Abyssal Glacier located on the southern ocean.[5a]
- Skull-Carver's Abode - Gold is mined in this region of the Abyssal Glacier.[5a]
- Lost Palace - Furs are taken by the local inhabitants from the animals native to this region of the Abyssal Glacier.[5a]
- Daemonium Hills - Located to the southeast of the Southlands. The coast of this region of the Southern Wastelands is also called Daemonium. The land is subject to Slaaneshi corruption.[5a]
- Okkam's Forever Maze - This region of the Daemonium Hills serves as a provincial capital for the forces of Chaos located in this region.[5a]
- Altar of Facades[5a] - A location found in the Daemonium Hills.
- Crucible of Delights - Marble mining is conducted in this region of the Daemonium Hills.[5a]
- Castle of Splendour - There is a menagerie belonging to the Daemon Prince of Slaanesh named Agrammon in this castle of the Daemonium Hills. Iron mining is done here.[5a]
- Ice-fire Plains - The Ice-fire Plains are located in the western Southern Wastes, south of the Lustria Strait. The land is tainted by Khornate corruption.
- The Godless Crater - Provincial capital of the Ice-fire Plains under the control of the Lizardmen.
- Mount Athull - A mountain of the Ice-fire Plains.
- Never-ending Chasm - A great chasm wneding its way through the Ice-fire Plains.
- Southern Wastes - The Southern Wastes are located south of the Great Ocean. The coast is known as Daemon's Landing. The land of this region is subject to Tzeentchian corruption.
- Daemon's Gate - Provincial capital for the forces of Chaos in the region. The name may refer to the southern Polar Gate of the Old Ones whose collapse created the Southern Chaos Wastes.
- Grotrilex's Glare Lighthouse - A port settlement located on the channel of the Lustrian Strait.
- Sinhall Monolith - Tusks are mined from the skeletons of great beasts located in this area. This settlement is controlled by the followers of Tzeentch. [5a]
Notable Inhabitants[]
- Skullfest Warherd - The Skullfest Warherd was a Khornate herd of Beastfiends, led by Ograx the Great, a Beastfiend Champion of Khorne.[4b]
- Agrammon, "The Cagelord" - A Daemon Prince of Slaanesh whose main interest was a large and ever-expanding collection of exotic beasts.[5a]
- Yien-Ya-Long, "Flamefang" in Reikspiel, also Dar-Sorakshi - Yien-Ya-Long was a massive, serpentine Chaos Dragon sworn to the service of the Chaos God Tzeentch that once laid waste to Grand Cathay. It was slain by Archaon, the future thirteenth Everchosen of Chaos, during his quest to claim the Eye of Sheerian.[4c]
Total War: Warhammer III Notable Factions[]
- Ghosts of Pahuax - The Ghosts of Pahuax are a Lizardmen army commanded by Oxyotl, a Chameleon Skink.[5a]
- Brazen Throne - The Brazen Throne is a Khornate faction led by Varach, a Herald of Khorne.[5a]
- Flaming Scribes - The Flaming Scribes are a Tzeentchian faction led by Chronos, a Herald of Tzeentch.[5a]
- Oracles of Tzeentch - The Oracles of Tzeentch is the Tzeentchian army commanded by Kairos Fateweaver, the two-headed Lord of Change.[5a]
- Bubonic Swarm - The Bubonic Swarm is a Nurglish faction, led by Pincheye, a Herald of Nurgle.[5a]
- Rapturous Excess - The Rapturous Excess is a Slaaneshi faction, led by Abyssa, a Herald of Slaanesh.[5a]
Trivia[]
The term "Here be Daemons" used on maps of the Southern Wastes of Chaos is a reference to the term "Here be Dragons," used in the real world by European explorers of the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance to denote regions of the world that were left uncharted on their maps.
In the imaginations of these early explorers, it was thought that mythological creatures such as dragons and sea monsters lived in these unexplored areas and represented a real, potential danger to any who travelled there.