The upcoming MMORPG Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, or W.A.R, introduces Chaos as a playable faction. But what is Chaos? And how do we role-play a Chaos character?

In W.A.R the developers decided to only allow players to create chaos characters following Tzeentch, so this page will mainly deal with creating such a character. I won't be dealing with numbers and stats, nor am I trying to dictate a certain way to role-play your character. Consider this page an inspiration and guide to creating your own unique character. Most of the background information is taken from the Liber Chaotica, a highly recommendable read.

Who are the Chaos Gods and what is Chaos?

Tzeentch is one of four Chaos gods known as the Ruinous Powers: Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh and Tzeentch. Khorne is a warrior god, known as the Blood God to his followers, usually portrayed as a large, dog-like creature in brass armour, seated upon a throne of skulls. Slaanesh is the god of pleasure, excess and hedonism, portrayed as a beautiful hermaphrodite, while Nurgle, the patron god of resilience, contagion and despair, is usually seen as a gigantic green pustulous creature. Tzeentch is the god of magic, hope, change and deceit, and has innumerable different appearances.

The Chaos gods dwell in the Aethyr alongside other beings of power and consciousness of near infinite proportions. The Aethyr is sometimes known as the Sea of Souls because of its spiritual reflection of life, but it is also known as the Realm of Chaos, the Warp or the Empyrean. It is a non-place that both exists as its own reality and has no physical dimensions or scales. It is pure energy without boundaries (Chaos), and as such is neither good nor evil, and yet it is linked to life and the physical universe in ways that cannot be severed. It is the same place as all the various heavens and afterlives of every religious and cultural tradition in the Warhammer world. The Aethyr is affected by psychic energy generated by the thoughts, emotions and intellectual activity of living beings. The Aethyr, to a much lesser extent, is also influenced by plants and animals.

All living things exist in the Aethyr as much as they do in the Mortal Universe, although by far the vast majority of all living beings are unaware of - or at best have a very cloudy understanding of - this fact. Just as the body is part of the Mortal Universe and made of physical matter, so the soul is part of the Aethyr and is made from the stuff of raw Chaos. In fact, souls could be seen as a coherent pocket of Aethyric energy, maintained as a separate whole by its anchor to the physical body of a mortal within the Mortal Universe.

All emotions (and their related concepts) converge together within the Aethyr. It is a case of like attracting like, with every scrap of anger or every scrap of ecstacy, slowly being drawn to one another until they create what could be described as a kind of of vortex of psychical energy within the Chaos Realm - a vortex of emotion and thought. That vortex creates such a disturbance across the Chaos Realm (and therefore our own psyche) that whatever emotions or concept the Chaos-vortex is made from, is then reflected back into the Mortal Realms once more.

This has the effect of further promoting within our mortal psyches the emotions that the vortex itself is made from. Let's take anger as an example. If a man or woman feels a lot of anger, so over time, mortals will not only have their own naturally inspired and mundane anger, but will also experience a slightly more unnatural anger that has been reflected onto them by the Aethyr's anger vortex. This process is cyclic and never-ending, and in time the Aethyr's vortices become so powerful that they cease to accidentally promote in mortal minds the emotions they embody, but actually begin to do so deliberately - although perhaps subconsciously before they do so consciously.

Khorne, Tzeentch, Slaanesh and Nurgle were all created by the thoughts and emotions of intelligent creatures coming together, especially humans. However, by becoming self-aware, they are also more than just the sum of their parts.

It's perhaps a common misconception that Khorne, Tzeentch, Slaanesh and Nurgle are the only Chaos Gods, but in fact, all the gods in the warhammer world dwell in the Aethyr. That includes Sigmar, Shallya and Asuryan and all the other more benign and orderly gods.

Tzeentch

Tzeentch is a god of many names: The Changer of the Ways, The Great Sorceror, The Great Conspirator, The Great Schemer, Father of Lies and Deception, Architect of Fate and many more. To some tribes in the north he is known as Tchar: The Great Eagle. In the east, the horsemen of the Man-Chu, Kuj and Khazags know Tzeentch as Chen Chi-En: Lord of the Shifting Breeze. In the jungles to the far south he is simply known as Shunch. Tzeentch is the god that more than any other embodies the energy and momentum of Chaos. Tzeentch is change, personifying every mortal's recognition of, and desire to and for, change.

Tzeentch represents civilization’s constant curiosity and discontent gone too far, changing and creating until reason and law are dissolved in an ever-shifting mass of change. He feeds upon the need and desire for change that seems to be a natural and elemental part of human life. Tzeentch also represents the temptation to use knowledge and power to manipulate others. To follow Tzeentch is to surrender to subtle, inner corruption.

Tzeentch is closely associated with sorcery and magic, as well as dynamic mutation, and grand, convoluted schemes. It is said that Tzeentch knows the fate of everything, and all events transpire according to some great plan beyond mortal reckoning. Others believe he with his almost limitless knowledge of the past and present, added to his omniscient intellect, can predict with amazing (although not complete) accuracy the most likely course of future events.

Tzeentch is not content to merely guess at the future, though. The subtle skeins of probability and chance are his to manipulate. He is the master and personification of plot and intrigue, and he has desires and purposes of his own. Some believe Tzeentch's plans and schemes are so vast and complex, and so tightly woven across time and space that they touch the lives of almost every being in existence, whether they know it or not.

His diametric opposition is Nurgle. Where Tzeentch uses evolution and change to achieve his goals, it is Nurgle who disrupts Tzeentch’s plans through his random diseases, decay and entropy.

The Servants of Change

Throughout the kingdoms of men exist cults and covens worshipping Tzeentch. While the cults of Slaanesh are the most populous, the highly secretive cults of Tzeentch tend to hold greater power, having an influence over the affairs of the Empire far greater than the relatively few numbers suggest. This is probably a product of Tzeentch's ability to attract educated men and women of great drive and ambition.

By merit of Tzeentch's apparent omniscience and presidency over the highly complex arts of sorcery, many scholars have turned to his worship, perhaps in an effort to attain even deeper knowledge about their chosen subject. Yet Tzeentch, at his core, is the embodiment of the desire for change, and any being who wishes to alter their own or other's state are targets. Especially people who possess a revolutionary spirit, or visionaries who dream of, or actively try, changing the world will attract the attention of Tzeentch.

The followers of Tzeentch aren't only interested in promoting the needs and goals of their own deity, they have a much wider agenda that often involves the active participation of the followers of other gods, whether those followers know they are participating in Tzeentch's machinations or not.

As an example, if a particular Tzeentchian magus is seeking to undermine the political infrastructure of a particular region, he or she would be far less likely to take the risk of direct action, preferring instead to form a cult or organisation that would slowly infiltrate and destabilise the infrastructure in question. If it happens that the magus considers that his target group would be more susceptible to the seductions of Slaanesh than Tzeentch's own blandishments, then that magus would set a plan in motion to form a Slaaneshi cult to do the work for him.

Therein lies the secret of the unparalleled power of Tzeentch's cults - there are countless cults of other gods and daemons that are puppeted, albeit unwittingly, by the few known and named Tzeentchian cults. The cults of Tzeentch are wholly comitted to the goal of overthrowing the civilisation of men, and subverting all other religions and magical organisations to the worship of their master.

There are three well-known Tzeentchian cults: The Cult of the Red Crown, The Cult of the Purple Hand and perhaps the most dangerous of all, the Cabal.

The Cult of the Red Crown
The Red Crown is thought to be the third most influential Chaos cult within the Empire. Where other Tzeentchian cults tend to favour blackmail, intrigue and quiet subversion to attain their goals, the Red Crown is said to favour more direct and overtly militant methods to destabilise the lands of men. The red Crown's seat of power is suspected to be in Altdorf, the capital city of the Empire. The cult has close ties with the numerous bands of beastmen and mutants that exist just beyond the patrolled borders of the Empire's great forests, and the Red Crown's leader can call on these considerable resources whenever the need arises.

The Cult of the Purple Hand
The Purple Hand is the largest of the Tzeentchian cults within the Empire, but only second in power. Like other Tzeentchian cults, all the resources and endeavours of every branch of the Purple Hand are bent towards the subversion of whatever legitimate social organisation they are based within. Agents are often found within, or even directing, the various crime syndicates that stretch across the Old World. Despite their near omnipresence, they are quite disorganised, as communications between the prospective cells of the Empire are patchy at best, and this proves to be their weakest point. The sheer bulk of communiqués passing between the numerous magi and acolytes of the cult means that it is inevitable that some of them are intercepted by agents of the military or Sigmar's Holy Church. The witch hunters have managed to foil several plans this way.

The Cabal
The Cabal of Egrimm van Horstmann, a former patriarch of the College of Light, came into being a long time after the Cult of the Red Crown and the Cult of the Purple Hand, but it has, by merit of the frightening power of its magi and it's master's dark genius, become the most feared and influential of all Tzeentchian cults. Its members are almost to a man powerful sorcerers and daemonologists. It is rumored that through their flawless machinations and subtle manipulations, the Cabal holds indirect control over both the Red Crown and the Purple Hand. The Cabal resides in Silver Towers that cannot be seen at daylight, and are wrapped with powerful enchantments. At night they shift and travel across the landscape, vanishing and reappearing at random. The Cabal's agents are everywhere, and it is said that nearly two thirds of all the Chaos cults in the Empire were either created indirectly by their agents, are controlled in some tenuous and roundabout way by them, or indeed owe direct allegiance to the Cabal.

The Footsoldiers of Change

Despite his position as a god of magic and conspiracy, Tzeentch, like his brother gods, indulges frequently in warfare, and he has vast armies that obey his every whim. The aspects of war that seems to interest Tzeentch and his servants most can be found in the arts of strategy, espionage, politics, and of course, sorcery.

Where the armies of Khorne comprise of supremely powerful and savage warriors intent only on acts of unbounded violence and the venting of their endless rage, the armies of Tzeentch seem to be more interested in planning and executing complex strategies. The armies are renowned for plotting their militaristic engagements to such a degree that it appears that almost every eventuality in battle has been planned for in advance. Even should an army of Tzeentch be destroyed or scattered, it's not always possible to discern whether that is a defeat, or simply another step in some unfathomably long plan by the Lord of Change.

A large majority of the warriors of Tzeentch adopt a style of armor that evokes the appearance of giant insects, crabs or scorpions, and they seem to favor curving, curling designs and elaborate headdresses, with helmet adornments of flowing crests or dramatically sweeping horns. Many have a fascination with odd trinkets and fetishes, be they small chiming bells, twisting bangles and torques, or even tiny cages containing chirping crickets or dancing dragonflies.

By far the majority of mortal warriors who fight in Tzeentch's armies are the savage barbarians from the cold lands that lie in the shadow of the Chaos Wastes.

Slumber now, Child of mine,
Until they come with torch aflame,
But do not run,
Your time has come,
The men of the North stake claim.

They come to claim, Child of mine,
They come to claim your life,
With hearts of stone,
And splitting bone,
Their wake is deadly strife.

So sleep tonight, Child of mine,
For tomorrow morn, the sun won't shine,
So stay aware,
And offer prayer,
For the men of the North march time.

(Traditional lullaby from northern Kislev)

The Norse

Norsemen means literally 'men of the north', and as such is not the name by which they call themselves, but rather a moniker their victims have given them. They live in Norsca, a harsh and cold land, that borders Kislev to the south, the Sea of Chaos to the west, and a vast glacial shelf to the north. The Norse are made up of many different families and tribes, with little to connect them but a similar tongue and way of life. Thus such a warrior would never call himself a "Norseman", but instead a "Bjornling" or a "Varg", for their only loyalty is to their families and their kin.

They are constantly in bloody strife and war amongst themselves, pausing only to launch raids by land or sea upon the people to the south, slaughtering, defiling their holy places and enslaving their children.

Blood feuds are common among the Norse and can last for many years between tribes and settlements. Feuds can also occur within towns and villages as well as between different groups of close kin. When these take hold, they are settled quickly and bloodily. But it is unto their gods that the Norse owe their highest fealty. They care only for the material advantages that their Lords can bestow.

For the Norse there is no kingdom of Morr, there is nothing after death except for the realm of their gods, and they will only travel there to be lauded and praised as true and strong warriors, or to be reviled and tortured as betrayers and cowards. Thus every Norseman fights with an insane fervour driven by this belief.

The Kurgan

The Kurgan live on the Eastern Steppes, massive plains with seemingly endless stretches of dry, tree-less grassland. The Empire could fit many times over in the lands the Kurgan control. In truth, however, not even this expanse gives proper extent to their dominion, for the Kurgan recognise no borders or boundaries. No obstacle can stop them; their driven mounts carry them like the wind over high mountains, great deserts and gushing rivers.

The Kurgan live in tribes and families like the Norscans do, but these are not settled towns or villages, but rather travelling groups that wander the vastness of the Steppes and the Wastes with their livestock. They are led by chieftains who claim a special connection with their gods, who dictate to them the direction they ride.

They travel with their entire families, so that it is literally the case for many of them to be born in the saddle. Most of these show some taint of Chaos upon them, whether it be benign or otherwise, and these marks are flaunted and displayed to show the interest the lords of darkness have already shown them.

The Kurgans are constantly on the move, and it is this fluidity that allows them the greatest favour when the dark legions march forth. For them there is nothing but advantage in attaching themselves to a larger horde, for they may ride ahead as scouts and take the easiest of the plunder, and when the horde is reversed and gain stayed, they may always escape the forces of retribution that move against them.

The Hung

Further even than the lands of the Kurgan lie the lands of the Hung. Like the Kurgans, the Hung are a roving people, and thus their tribal boundaries cannot be marked by a simple frontier on a map. While they pay more regard to their greater tribe over and above their itinerant kin, these tribes hold no compunction about merging with others and form great alliances, or devolving and reforming as the winds of circumstance change. This ever-shifting loyalty does lead them to consider as irrelevant bonds and bargains made with other races. They feel no dishonour in breaking these pacts, or indeed in killing the other parties.

Hunting forms a major part of the Hung existence. At the lowest level it provides them their food and sustenance in the form of game, at its highest it is a challenge to their champions and heroes to venture north into the desolate mountains and hillsides of the wastelands, and there prove their worth to their gods by bringing down fierce mutated creatures and ferocious spawn.

Priests and shamans hold positions of great influence among them. They claim to be able to commune with the gods and relay their messages to their leaders, as well as seeing into the world of the dead, where according to them the lives of the Hung are very similar to that in this world.

The ultimate belief of all Hung is that they have been sent to conquer the world for their dark masters, and they fight as though victory and domination is their birthright.

The Tribes of the Great Eagle

Beyond the lands of Norsca, the people who eke out their existence upon the icepacks and in the shadow of Chaos, worship the Chaos gods quite openly. Amongst them are those who worship Tzeentch in the form of Tchar.

To these people, Tchar is the Great Eagle who soars high over the world with his all-seeing eyes. Air is Tchar's element, and his shaman from amongst the tribes believe that by entering into a trance they can ascend to the heavens and fly with their Lord, communing with him and learning his will. It is he, they maintain, who understands the hearts and minds of men better than any other of his brother Chaos gods.

The tribes that dedicate themselves to the Great Eagle are renowned for their cunning and treachery. Yet despite that reputation, the Great Eagle's tribes are most active and successful when it comes to establishing alliances or negotiating treaties with the other tribes in the far north. The Great Eagle's tribes are second in strength and prestige only to those tribes who have sworn themselves to Khorne.

Shamans of the tribes of the Great Eagle are both numerous and powerful - far more so than all the other tribes put together. These shamans are said to be the most powerful magic-users of their kind, able to spirit-walk to commune with demons and their gods. The most successful of Tchar's shamans go on to become some of the most dangerous Chaos sorcerers ever to have pitted themselves against the lands of men, and pose one of the greatest threats to the Empire.

W.A.R specific information

W.A.R is set outside the timeline of the rest of the Warhammer universe. The official W.A.R site has a backstory I recommend everybody reads.

Paul Barnett from Games Workshop explains the Chaos faction briefly in this video:
"Chaos is humans that have been totally corrupted. Tentacles, crab-claws, extra eyes, horns. Some people get confused and say; 'so chaos is like the devil'. No, no, no it's not fire and brimstone, it's Chaos. It's custard falling from the sky, it's an arm that turns into a sword, it's the ability to cut open your arm and mice pour out instead of blood. It's Chaos, it's corruption."

Creating a Tzeentch Follower

Details regarding the Chaos Warhost in W.A.R are starting to get fleshed out; we know we'll only be able to play humans, and we know the four classes: Chosen, Magus, Marauder and Zealot. Fortunately there are many choices we can make with humans:

Where do I come from?
First, decide where you are born. Do you come from the Empire? Perhaps you're from Norsca? Or from the lands of the Kurgan and the Hung? Or from one of the Great Eagle tribes north of Norsca? The choices are many, so many that I can't describe all the different human cultures and regions here. I suggest searching the web for background information on the various human cultures in the Warhammer universe, if you don't already have an idea of who you want to be.

How did I become a Tzeentch follower?
Was I born into the worship by growing up in one of the northern cultures where worship is overt? Or did something happen while growing up that made me worship him, like a tragedy, or I stumbled across a cult of Tzeentch? Is it lust for more magical knowledge? Whatever you choose, just keep in mind what Tzeentch embodies, as described above.

Personality and traits
Apply some personality to your character. This can be hard to do convincingly. You can perhaps get inspiration from a movie or book character that can fit into the Tzeentchian values and go from there. Or take your own personality and warp it to fit the Tzeentchian values. Keep in mind that the gods are very real in Warhammer, and they demand complete devotion to them and their goals. Willingly or not, you will become a religious fanatic.

Goals and Motivations
This one is harder because we know so little of the game yet. There are of course the over-all goals of any Tzeentch follower, like doing Tzeentch's bidding and overthrowing civilisation as we know it, but the more personal goals of improving your magic skills or battle tactics, are also both important and apt. Perhaps you are a member of a Tzeentch cult and aim to increase the numbers and strength of that cult. There can easily be more obvious goals becoming apparent as we get more information about the game.

But I wanted to play a Khorne follower!!
I have seen several people wanting to play a follower from one of the other Chaos gods. Unfortunately for them this will not be possible. The Chaos classes Mythic have revealed are very iconic and most definitely followers of Tzeentch, and should be roleplayed as such too. Mythic left no room for interpretation in that matter.

v2.62 January 2008
Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions or suggestions regarding this page.