"Zhatan the Black, Commander of the Tower of Zharr, orders that a thousand swords be made of good black iron, a thousand corselets of ruddy bronze, a thousand arrowheads of 5 shekels of steel and ten thousand of 2 shekels, and that this be delivered to the Fortress of Zharr when the moon is full. Let it be known that Zhatan plunders to the west and returns within the month with slaves for the service of Hashut. So say I, Zhatan the Black, Commander of the Tower of Zharr, Glory to Zhatan, Glory to Ghorth the Cruel, All praise Hashut Father of Darkness."
- —Proclamation made by Zhatan the Black, Commander of the Tower of Zharr[2a]
Zhatan the Black as depicted in Total War: Warhammer III.
Zhatan the Black is the Chaos Dwarf Lord who serves as the commander of the garrison of the Tower of Zharr in the Chaos Dwarfs' capital of Zharr-Naggrund and a servant of Ghorth the Cruel, the second greatest of the ruling sorcerer-prophets of the Chaos Dwarfs. As a result of Zhatan's success in battle, Ghorth's workshops and forges can barely keep up with his commander's demand for weapons and munitions.[1a]
History[]
Zhatan the Black, commander of the Tower of Zharr, armed with the Obsidian Axe and a Chaos Rune Shield and wearing the Armour of Gazrakh, as depicted in Total War: Warhammer III.
Acts of the most cruel and heartless nature are everyday occurrences in the Plain of Zharrduk. Thousands of slaves endure unimaginable agonies in the pits of Zharr, mining out the poisonous wealth amidst choking fumes and impenetrable darkness. In the workshops of Zharr-Naggrund untold slaves are worked to death in their chains so that their masters can enjoy a lifetime of ease. The Hobgoblin overseers in the Vale of Woe beat their pitiful charges so that their flesh hangs from their backs like bloodied rags. Even amongst such wanton cruelty there is one whose deeds of brutality are remarkable: Zhatan the Black, commander of the Tower of Zharr.[1a]
Concept art for Zhatan the Black as created for Total War: Warhammer III.
Zhatan serves the Sorcerer-Prophet Ghorth the Cruel, most potent of all living Chaos Dwarf sorcerers. It is said that when Ghorth presides over the sacrifices of Hashut the only sound louder than the screams of his victims is the gloating laughter of Zhatan, his general.[1a]
Zhatan is kept busy by his master's insatiable demand for fresh slaves. The Chaos Dwarf has led many successful slaving expeditions to the west, crushing every Orc army that has dared to stand up to him. All the Goblin tribes between the Plain of Zharrduk and Mount Grimfang have bowed before his armies, sending thousands of their kind in tribute to the Lords of Zharr-Naggrund. The workshops and mines of Ghorth can scarcely keep pace with Zhatan's demand for weaponry. Every expedition he undertakes brings further slaves whose labours fuel fresh conquests.[1a]
As a melee-focused warrior, Zhatan can smash bones to bits on foot, soar through the skies mounted atop a Lammasu, scorch the lands from a Great Taurus or pin prospective new labourers with his sadistic snare nets. His aura of boundless cruelty strikes fear into the hearts of those who oppose him. After all, the only thing louder than the screams of his broken foes is Zhatan's gloating laughter.[3]
Total War: Warhammer III[]
The banner of the Warhost of Zharr commanded by Zhatan the Black in Total War: Warhammer III.
In the PC game Total War: Warhammer III, the various lords of the Chaos Dwarfs' ruling Conclave, including Zhatan the Black, are in search of one thing: the Blood of Hashut, an alchemical substance that ignites metal on contact, bursting it into molten flame. To acquire it by drilling deep into the earth where the veil between realities grows thin, the Chaos Dwarfs must build the Great Drill of Hashut.[3]
To build this arcane machine, the Chaos Dwarfs must collect and corrupt four Dwarfen artefacts. They intend to bind these to Daemons, forging them into components required for the construction of this hellish drill. Once complete, they intend to dig into the fabric of reality and breach Hashut's domain in the Realm of Chaos to obtain the blood of their god.[3]
But...the hated Chaos Dwarfs' western kin hold grudges. They are not happy about their precious heirlooms being tainted with the forces of Chaos. And they will seek vengeance.[3]
Wargear[]
Zhatan the Black wears heavy plate armour known as the Armour of Gazrakh and wields a warhammer and the Obsidian Axe. He may ride a Great Taurus or a Lammasu. Such is his stature amongst his kind and such is the power of his master Ghorth the Cruel, that he can carry up to four magical items.[1a]
- Armour of Gazrakh - A suit of finely-made, Chaos Dwarf-sized plate armour.[3]
- Chaos Rune Shield[3]
Videos[]
Sources[]
- 1 Warhammer Armies: Chaos Dwarfs (4th Edition)
- 1a pg. 63
- 2 Warhammer: Battle Book (5th Edition)
- 2a pg. 116
- 3 Total War Blog - Forge of the Chaos Dwarfs - Introducing Zhatan the Black
Gallery[]
![Zhatan the Black by Mark Gibbons[1a]](/wiki/File:Zhatan_the_Black_B%26W_Mark_Gibbons_Illustration.jpg "Zhatan the Black B&W Mark Gibbons Illustration.jpg (24 KB)")