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Being Evil

The Warhammer world is a large and complex world. Being a terrible person in this world is one thing, but being a straight up embodiment of all things hated is different.

In the Warhammer world there are 6 “big” evils:

• Everyone knows Chaos. These guys are the one thing that the whole world knows and fears. Chaos has terrorised the world for thousands and thousands of years.Openly following one of the Chaos powers will be impossible to play in Sudenburg (unless you opt to play two separate characters – a non-Chaos one for the town and a Chaos one for the battlefield).

  If you wish to play a single Chao aligned character then the only option would be one who is a member of a secret cult – this could work in the lawless lands of the Border Princes, but think about what will happen when you reveal yourselves? A consideration would be to consider playing the long game with the cult. If you reveal yourself at the first event then every event you go to after you will be hunted and killed and destroyed. Plan ahead and really think about how a cult would try to stay hidden for as long as they could.

• Vampires are a scourge on society. They prey on mankind and have caused countless deaths over the centuries gone. All vampires are also cursed. They must all drink the blood of sentients to survive and have various other curses as well (see Swordcraft Team for this). And many vampires cannot abide sunlight and sleep during the daylight hours…In the current time (2019) the vampire wars are being waged in the Empire. This means that most people in the Empire who travel into the Borderlands will know of stories of the blood suckers and will do their best to warn others. You will struggle to really play vampires properly in this game unless you act as described above – hidden until the time is right. Remember, there are entire Knightly Orders dedicated to vanquishing the blight of vampires from the world, along with the cult of Sigmar. People will panic when they learn of vampires in the town of Sudenburg.

  Like with Chaos, there is the option to play two characters – a mortal for daylight and a vampire for night.

• Most humans do not believe the Skaven exist. Some Tileans and Estalians may have an inlking that there are mysterious ratmen. But, Skaven are still a horrible plague in the world. They seek to manipulate, kill and hunt humans simply to expand their empires, they infiltrate Tilean city states via the sewers and using the unstable Warpstone to fuel their magick. Tileans have a serious concern for Skaven as they know there is  nothing more frightening than seeing human sized rats destroying your cities. Skaven will find it easier to RP in the Borderlands with some groups, but to many the Skaven are known and will most likely kill on sight. Consider engaging with the Swordcraft team to how this can be done right.

• Mindless beings of undead risen by necromancers to wage a war against the living is a pretty evil thing to do. There really isn’t much room for undead as a playable group in the setting unless you want to run two characters – a mortal and an undead. You could play a necromancer in hiding trying to learn magic to enhance their strength but, again, what do you think will happen when caught out? You’ll be hung before the night.

• Orcs, Goblins and Hobgoblins. Many consider orcs and goblins as a single-minded race hell bent on waging constant war against everyone. Devout members of the cult of Sigmar and Dwarves hate orcs and goblins with a passion.In the setting of Swordcraft, there is still room to play Orcs, Goblins and Hobgoblins. Think of the Orcs from D&D, World of Warcraft, or the Tolkien universe. Orcs and Goblins in the Borderlands are savage barbarians, not mindless brutes. Hobgoblins come from the largest empire in the entire world – the Hobgobla Khanate (think Mogol Empire). In saying this, be prepared to be scorned by most of society and be prepared to deal with the prejudice from many who have fought against orcs, goblins and hobgoblins in the past.

• Dark Elves. Humans and dwarves do not understand the difference between the various types of elves. So playing a Dark Elf is possible (you will need to get this ticked off by the Swordcraft team). High and Wood Elves will recognise Dark Elves and if they meet face to face, there will be blood spilt – they are not going to be friends. If Dark Elves openly engage in their dark practices, they will be hunted down by the Sudenburg authorities (and potentially set off an anti-elf pogrom…).It is also possible to play a Dark Elf on the battlefield as an alternative character.

The key to playing one of these “evil” races is how covert you will be (if playing a single character). This game will continue on for years to come. Do you really want to reveal yourselves day one? Plan a head and really think about how you want to Roleplay and enhanced the game.

If you opt to play an evil race as a second character, you will need to make them appear sufficiently different to your non-evil character that other players understand the difference.  You will need clearance from the Swordcraft team if you take this approach.

Consequences. Consider this, there will be consequences in this game. You will no longer just be able to go into a store and kill anyone you want. You will not be able to assassinate anyone on the street. If you are spotted, there will be consequences which will be dire and real.

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Chaos, what is it and what kind of character can I play?

There is some understandable confusion and misunderstanding with regards to what Chaos is and how this relates to the Warhammer setting.

In terms of pantheons, there are many gods for the races and species of the Warhammer setting, but no devil –  the four great powers of Chaos are what amounts to this. While some of the other gods team up, Chaos is not that way inclined. Chaos in terms of a story can be summed up as the prime evil. Chaos may not be reasoned with or bought; its aims and directives are its own with total indifference to others. The absolute uncompromising nature of Chaos appears in the rewards it bestows on its chosen few and damnation it brings to its failed followers.

To the common citizen of the Old World, and the elf and dwarf kingdoms, Chaos is both an apocalyptic force that ravages from the Chaos Wastes and an insidious hidden presence blamed on and causing all manner of harm and misfortune within.

For a close example from real world history on how most folk relate to Chaos, consider the fear of witches from the mid to late fifteenth century. Common people were in a religious terror and believed in the end of days and the devil walking amongst them. The accusation of being a witch often lead to torture and death – the same is true for an accusation of following one of the Chaos gods.

The physical armies of Chaos include Daemons, monstrous humanoids and twisted beasts. These reside at the top of the world in a place that shares connection to the immaterial worlds that the Chaos powers originate from – akin to Hell. This is a crossover where reality warps and changes to the whim of evil. The four great Chaos powers reach out and actively burden all peoples of the world, which is in stark contrast to the other gods, some of who are silent and most of which have no influence outside their peoples and lands. There is no place that doesn’t feel the touch of these corrupt beings.

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