"To one as ignorant of the true state of our legal systems as I then was, it seemed all too possible that the entire apparatus of our mighty and extensive state might be bent to the apprehension of two fugitives such as ourselves. I did not then have any idea of quite how feebly and randomly the rule of law was applied. It was indeed a pity that all those sheriffs and all those bounty hunters who peopled my imaginations did not, in fact exist--for perhaps then.....evil would not have flourished quite so strongly within the boundaries of my homeland."
- —by Herr Felix Jaeger, (Altorf Press, 2505)
The Legendary Duo Gotrek and Felix, as they battle throughout the known world
Gotrek Gurnisson, a dwarf trollslayer, and Felix Jaeger, his human chronicler, are a duo of warriors traveling through the old world, battling chaos forces and stopping complots in Gotrek's quest for a heroic death against a terrible foe. The adventures of these warriors have been written down in the series of books: "My Travels with Gotrek" by Master Felix Jaeger, which outlines Felix's many adventures with his maniacal comrade throughout many of their endevours, recording everything till the day Gotrek has finally met his doom, and will finally be allowed to enter the hall of his ancestors.
The skills of these two heroes is near unequal in the known world, their deeds becoming near legendary in the eyes of many of their own people. Their exploits have led these two warriors to places only heard of in whispers and legend. Such extraordinary lands includes them travelling to the far north, towards the great ancient Hold of Karak Dum , or going to the mysterious west like the foggy swamp-lands of Albion , or heading to the scorching south as the sand-encrusted palaces of Araby, and even going as far east as the great cities and towers of legendary Cathay itself. In these distant lands, Gotrek has cleaved a mighty toll of beast, monsters, and warriors alike, as he tries his greatest to find the glorious deaths that seems to delude him on every duel, in every battlefield. Felix Jaeger, Gotrek's companion has always been at his side, having been through the worst in their travels with him, fulfilling his blood-oath with the Trollslayer to writing down all of Gotreks mighty tales of glory and slaughter in his many published and popular books.
Though sometimes considered vigilantes of the law, and sometimes having themselves locked up from those people they tried to protect, such is the deeds these two have fulfilled in their twenty long years of battles after battle that the Old World gives them a silent prayer of deliverance and thanks, for this duo has done things no mortal has ever been able to accomplished in many generations, having defended many mighty cities like Nuln and Praag from utter destruction, saved entire Kingdoms from the claws of ruination, and felling mighty warlords of the northern lands, who seeks to bring in the end of the world as we know it, but they will always be stopped, for these two are unrivaled in combat, and are considered one of the worlds most powerful heroes of this age, and many ages since.
History
This passage contains Spoilers
Prologue
Long before these two mighty heroes have made their sacred Blood-Oath in the great city of Altdorf, Gotrek Gurnisson was a talented Engineer of the Engineer's Guild of the Dwarven Empire of Karaz Ankor. For many years, his profession was not one of destruction and violence, but one of science and logic, building and making wonderous inventions for the benefit of his kin, but the strings of fate are moving this lone dwarf to a path both ridden with glory and misery, and Gotrek's life will be turned eruptly upside-down after his mighty journey to the northern waste. As part of an expeditionary force lead by Borek Forkbeard, Gotrek was entitled to aid in the protection and care of a convoy of heavily armored Steam Wagons, whos purpose was to reach the ancient lost hold of Karak Dum, deep within the Chaos Waste of the north. Though protected my armored steel and magical enchantments, the convoy was bogged down by the un-natural landscape of the waste, and one by one, the convoy's occupants died by dehydration, starvation, mutation, and far worser things still. One by one the wagons were destroyed or fled back, until one wagon remained, hopelessly venturing ever further through the lands unknown, until an attack from a Beastmen heard had destroyed the construct, leaving only Gotrek, Snorri Nosebitter, and the expeditionary leader Borek Forkbeard still alive.
Seeing the expedition as a lost cause the survivors trek back towards their homeland, but a mighty sand storm sprang out from the depths of the waste, huge dust clouds smothering the very sky until finally Gotrek was separated by the two, and seeking refuge from the storm Gotrek delved deep within a cold dark cavern. There he was beset by a horde of Beastmen, eagerly looking at him with hungry eyes. Trying desperately to find a way to fight against these monstrous foes, Gotrek went ever further into the tunnel. Deep within the cave, Gotrek's destiny has finally caught up with him, for there laid a lone dead dwarven prince, surrounded by a mass of mangled bodies of beastmen and daemons, and within his dead skeletal hands held an artifact of dreadful power, forged from ancient times long ago. Upon touching the axe, Gotrek's life will never been the same again. After butchering the horde that tried to kill him, Gotrek wearily traveled back to his homeland, growing more stronger and grimmer as he seeks desperately the comforts of hearth and kin. However, upon his arrival to his village there was nothing but ruin. The Dwarf entered a stone house, within sprawled the wretched body of a dwarven woman and her baby. Gotrek bowed his head at the sight, and wept. During an unknown length of time, Gotrek was within the halls of a Dwarven Lord, where there he stood, arguing passionately with a long-bearded noble on a throne. There was a sneer on the nobles lips. He spoke mockingly, it seemed, and made a chopping gesture with his hand, perhaps forbidding Gotrek to do whatever he wished to do, or perhaps even ordering his death.
The other dwarf shook his head and grinned darkly at Gotrek, and then ordered the guards to seize the axe-bearer. It was a mistake, both the Lord and Gotrek will never forget nor forgive. Within a span of a few mins, all that was left in the hall were bloodied dwarf corpses lying everywhere. Driven by shame and grief for what he had done, Gotrek took up a knife and hacked away at his hair. Soon it was shaved bared, saved for a small rough strip. And so Gotrek strode out of the world, and became the slayer he was destined to be.
Felix Jaegar, is a man not at quick glance a hero many believed him to be, for he was once a son of one of wealthy merchant families, and a poet at the University of Altdorf. His whole life, Felix had dreamed of the many great adventures he read about in books and stories of his childhood, and so decided on becoming a successful poet and writer in the University. However the grim realities of life has shattered that dream forever, upon the day Felix accidentally killed a student in a sprawling match during his years at a student. Having been kicked out of the University, Felix soon became an instigator to the infamous Window Tax riot. The Rioting became so bad that the Emperor and his Riekguard Knight came in to quell the fighting, where Gotrek saved the young Felix from the death charge of the knights as they cleaved through the tight masses of protesters and agitators. After the incident, the two came into a Tavern. There, young Felix drunk deep with misery, until he and Gotrek were both equally drunk. The two talked, and as they spoke Felix became more and more interested with Gotreks tales of his past, and so they drank more. In a drunken stupor Felix had unwittingly made a sworn blood oath to Gotrek to be his chronicler and write down his deeds and tales until the day he meets his doom. Gotrek thus took up a knife and so the unlikely pair swore their blood-oath of brotherhood. On that day, the destiny's of these two warriors will become legendary for ages to come.
The Night of Geheismnisacht Eve
"After the terrible events and nightmare adventures we endured in Altdorf, my companion and I fled southwards, following no path more certain than that chosen for us by blind chance. The extent and nature of the evil was to become very clear to me one dark evening after boarding a southbound stagecoach, on what is perhaps the most ill-omened night in our entire calendar..."
- —"My Travels with Gotrek" Vol. II, by Herr Felix Jaeger (Altdorf Press, 2505)
Gotrek and Felix, during the Night of Geheimnisnacht.
After the incident in the Imperial Capital of Altdorf, Felix Jaegar is now a wanted man for being the main instigator to the infamous Window Tax riot, along with his new companion Gotrek, an also wanted criminal for the killing of several Riekguard Knights during the suppose riot. In an effort to escape captivity and possible execution from the Emperor's forces, the duo fled south upon a stagecoach during the night of the Geheimnisnacht, where the demon moon Morrshlieb is at its largest and brightest of the year. During their travels, Gotrek got into an argument with the coach driver upon the matter of not being inside the coach. The argument eventually boiled into a full fight, and Gotrek and Felix had unwittingly been dumped into the Riekwald on the night of Geheismnisacht Eve.
Without any transport, the two heroes walked on foot through the road, hoping to find any Inns along the road. Gotrek was not pleased by the treatment by the coachers, and grumbled and cursed along the way. Felix was not feeling too good himself, for he felt ill, possibly a fever he caught during his travels. As they traveled, Gotrek grew with blood-lust, and demanded that the ancient evils of the night give him a champion worthy of his axe. As if answered by the ancient powers, far, far off in the distance, a large jet black stagecoach roared pass the duo, almost trampling them in their wake. Luckily Felix jumped out of its path onto a pile of leaves and bush before it reached him, while Gotrek stood in his way. Upon his recovery, he found Gotrek still alive, filled with rage and fury, and ordered Felix to follow the coach. Felix reluctantly followed. As they followed the Bogenhafen road, they were upon the doorsteps of a small Inn alongside the road, known as the Standing Stones Inn. At first the Inn looked deserted, not a single light was lit, and no sounds were heard of instead of the few ponies in the stable. Felix argued with Gotrek to at-least stay in for the night, before they go look for the coach, but only the mentioning of ale proved Gotreks downfall. The door to the Inn was barded and locked, Felix tried to convey a response, but only Gotreks axe proved to convince its occupants to open the door while its intact. Upon entrance, Felix apologize to the people about Gotreks rudeness, and then sat down upon the inns small tavern.
While there Felix managed to get some information about the jet-black coach seen earlier, by both the Inn keeper's family, and several commoners that were present in the tavern. They told him about the dark rituals at night and the son of the Innkeeper himself was missing. After drinking his fill, Gotrek burst into a vigor of activity, excited that maybe today he might finally find his doom at last. Together with Felix, they followed the trail along the road, and with the information they have gotten by the commoners, they followed the directions they were given. Deep within the forest of the Reikwald, the duo crept through the underbrush, silent and tense. Gotrek was especially talkative at the moment, Felix thought, probably because is doom is almost here. The pair exchange words for a time being until finally, Felix broke the tension by asking Gotrek a very demanding quesiton. What was it did you do to be attoned for?
The question rocked Gotrek, muscles bulging, as if restraining the fury with him. Gotrek response was that he would kill any other man if he asked that question to him, but due to Felix youth and ignorance and the bound of friendship they took, managed to spare him from a gruesome death. It grew tense and quiet for the few moments after, until the duo heard a maniacal laughter coming from deep within the forest. There a mutant walked idiotically towards Felix, reaching out to touch him. Gotrek was swift and cut the abominations head before he could leap at Felix. Then the two heard chanting coming from further into the woods. There the duo spy upon a disturbing sight, a dark ritual taking place with many mutants of all kinds writing in a mass of excess as they praise the word of Slaanesh. Felix watched, fear strucken at the sights of drummers with the head of goats, pipers with the head of dogs, mutant man and women all together in the ceremony, and finally the one thing the duo has been searching for; the Black Coach. The door swung open, and within it laid a man and a woman with robes caring a child. The drums increase in tempo until finally the man placed the child within an altar. There dancers begun to dance, and the robed man produced a knife and held it high in the sky, as a mist of eldritch energies appear over the altar. Felix couldn't take it anymore and together with Gotrek, they assaulted the Cultist.
A great battle ensured between the two heroes as Gotrek cleaved a hefty toll of dead with his mighty axe, while Felix is barely holding on his own. But their numbers were overwhelming and Gotrek was finally over-come by a wave of bodies consuming him. And so the Cultist leader held the knife high once more to finish the ritual, and the mist began to take shape into a monstrous demon. In desperation Felix gave a prayer to sigmar and threw a dagger at the cultist, and sure it was that it caught him by the throat killing him and discouraging the other cultist. Gotrek's body burst from the sea of mutants and began a massacre of gruesome proportions, and the mutants fled in terror. After the battle, Gotrek rescued the young still living infant, while Felix unmasked the Cultist leaders. Upon removal he found out who it was under the mask, it was the son of the Inn Keeper, and his bride to be alongside him, and with a sad sigh he told Gotrek:
"I don't think we will be going back to the inn".
The infant was later found within the doorstep of a Shallya temple a day later, a hammer necklace within the infants neck, a sack of gold aside it and wrapped within a red Sudenland cloack; Felix cloak. The two never returned to the Inn.
The Journey to Karak Eight Peaks
"It was perhaps typical of my companion that no more than this slim provocation, he was willing to risk life and limb in the wildest and most barren places imaginable. Or perhaps it was typical of the effect of "gold fever" on all his people. As I was later to see, the lure of that glittering metal had a terrifying and potent power over the minds of all of that ancient race. In any event, the decision to travel beyond the Empire's most southernmost borders was a fateful one, and it led to meetings with adventures the dreadful consequences of which haunt me still...."
- —"My Travels with Gotrek", Vol.II, by Herr Felix Jaegar (Altdorf Press,2505)
Gotrek and Felix, and their trek through the Border Princes
After the horrific endevour the duo has seen during Geheimnisnacht eve, the two warriors headed further south, in the hopes of reaching the ancient lost hold of Karak Eight Peaks. Having gotten information from an old dwarf prospector by the name of Faragrim working at a tavern, Gotrek seeks to claim the lost hoard of Eight Peaks himself, and also hoping to fight the massive Chaos Troll that suppose to guard it, granting him the doom he desires. The two traveled towards the most southermost borders of the Empire, passing the legendary Black Fire Pass, in order to reach the other side of the Black Mountains. Before moving further, the two took a stop at a local trading post in the southern reaches of the Worlds Edge Mountains. Once there, Gotrek had to deal with some business, leaving young Felix alone in the local tavern. Only a few moments after Gotrek left, Felix gotten into a brawl with three trappers over the issue of a girl. Felix, though well fit and tall, was no match for the three brawny men, and only the intervention of Gotrek stopped the three from harassing Felix even further.
After the brawl, Felix felt responsible to see care about the girl. The girls name was Kristan, a fellow maiden and resident of a large caravan heading east towards unclaimed lands near the Thunder River. With this information, Felix felt it a good idea to tag along with these travelers, providing Felix with security along the trek. Felix, though drunk, managed to get the stubborn Gotrek to agree with the plan, but only under the condition that they don't tell anyone of their quest, and also some gold and a free ride managed to tip the scale. Felix thus sought employment as mercenaries with the Baron that owns the caravan. A former noble of the Empire, the Baron thought having a Trollslayer with the party felt wise and employed the two with several glittering crowns.
Their travels took them through many harsh and untamed wilderness filled with danger and foul creatures, but one with beauty as well. Felix had time to take a look at this new frontier, tree-covered hills streched towards the horizon, and upon them the massive and imposing Worlds Edge Mountain, the realm of the dwarves, loomed like a giant in the far distance, while the great and mighty Thunder River flowed heavily by their side. There and again, Felix can see several walled towns as they trek through the wilderness, and just to the south, he saw another range of hill, all bleak and barren, a feeling of foreboding came into Felix's mind, and a shiver of fear crawled through his spine. Other then the journey, the caravan only met several attacks from Greenskin wolf-riders along the trail, but Gotreks ferocity managed to stem the green tide from coming in more numbers. The Baron finally marched into a walled town, and made Felix is herald in an effort to gain some aid from the towns residence.
Even with Felix's kind words of wisdom, the village chief would not risk his town being overtaken by the Baron's small army. However, the chief did tell Felix of some un-claimed lands just south of Thunder River, but he gave a grave warning about the trek south, and begged the Baron to under no account to cross the Geistenmund Hills, but along Thunder River itself. Felix relayed the Chiefs response, but going against the advice of his mountain guide, the Baron felt going through the hills would be much better, fearing that Wolf Riders would come in greater numbers near the river.
After treking for a while down the hills, the Caravan settled down for the night. Felix and Kristen talked throughout most of their journey, and eventually Felix had a deep affection for the young girl. It was during the night, that the two walked together near the river, and in the light of the moon, they kissed. Felix later got back towards the Caravan and took his nap, Gotrek taking his first watch, and his will be next. Though quiet and gloomy at first, Felix dreams of skeletal beings, and cries of terror were seemed to have been brought to life, as a horde of undead warriors ambushed the sleeping caravan. Gotrek's battle-cry was hurled through the night, and a cacophony of shouts and crack were heard all around the caravan. Felix rushed towards the location of Kristen and protected her from the horrid foes.
The raging battle lasted throughout most of the night until the Undead horde were driven back towards their graves. Those left living burned those that were dead in great funeral pyres, as to not see their loved ones rise up as the undead. While there Gotrek inspect the runes around the grave catacomb entrance. With a savage grin, Gotrek told Felix that somone within the camp did this. As they traveled the caravan finally found cultivatable lands, and an old fort to settle down. It was here that Gotrek felt it right to leave and head to Eight Peaks. But Felix loved Kristen, a feeling he never had so much longing for. Thus Felix climbed upon the forts battlements and there he saw Gotrek. There, Felix talk to him, about his relationship with Kristen, and settling down and making a family in this new land, each word feeling like a sting of betrayal to Felix conscious. Gotrek didn't say anything as he talked. Felling guilty Felix felt honoured to give just one more kind word of compliment and thanks to the deeds Gotrek had done for him in the past...... when suddenly Gotrek spied something in the distance. Filled with horror, Felix realized its a massive horde of goblin wolf-riders descending upon the forest edge. All around the fort, everyone grabbed their weapons and fought bravely against this blood-thirsty foe. Felix went after Kristen to protect her, while Gotrek swore to hold the walls as long as he can.
As he entered the keep looking for his love, to Felix's horror he found only the bloodied bodies of two woman. With tearful sorrowful eyes, he walked towards one and found that one of them was Kristen. Before her death, Kristen spoke a few heart-felt words of longing and love before she passes away to Morr's embrace, leaving Felix alone and heart-broken. Filling with rage, he sought after the murderers who done this, only to find that all that was in the keep was Mannfred. The nobleman smiled evily at Felix and explained to him, his entire plan from the start, how he became an agent of the dark powers and sought to end the line of Von Diehl line, and that all the incident that befallen the caravan was his. Driven with maniacal rage at this revelation, the two fought, parrying blows and swipes as the two battled each other. But it became apparent that Felix was slowly loosing, and with a smile, Mannfred said "Goodbye, Herr Felix". But Mannfreds over-confidence proved his downfall, for Felix managed to step on Mannfreds foot, mis-stepping him, and making him fall upon Felix sword.
Felix felt nothing after that moment, no feeling at all, no emotion, only the face of Kristen kept coming in his mind, and with a casual step, he walked onto the cold night air, Felix embraced his death from the Greenskins. Yet faith once again denied him this, for all Felix found was mangled bodies laid everywhere, human and greenskin alike. All that stood moving was Gotrek, at the center of the battered gate, bloodied and scared, and missing one eye, large number of bodies around him.
Felix watched as those few survivors of the battle took refuge with the other towns of the lands the next day, and surveyed the large graves that were dug out, the future with Kristen buried in one of them. Before leaving, Felix gave a long and sorrowful good-bye to Gotrek. Gotrek rubbed his new eye-patched and told Felix that there are still trolls in those mountian, and that he is going to get them. Before his departure, when Felix spoke, his voice was flat and devoid of emotion.
"Lets go and get them"
Gotrek and Felix looked at each other with mutual understanding. Gotrek grinned and simply said
"We will make a Trollslayer out of you yet manling".
The Dark beneath the World
"After the dire events at Fort von Diehl, we set off with heavy hearts towards the mountains and Karak Eight Peaks. It was a long, hard journey, one not made any easier by the wilderness of the country that we passed through. The hunger, the hardship and the constant threat of marauding greenskins did little to improve my state of mine, and it may be that I was perhaps particularly susceptible when I first looked on the fading grandeur of that ancient ruined city of the dwarfs, lost amid those distant peaks for all those ages. In any case, I now recall that I had a terrible sense of foreboding about what we would find there and, as was usually the case, my fears were prove amply justified..."
- —"My Travels with Gotrek, Vol.II", by Herr Felix Jaegar (Altdorf Press 2505)
Gotrek and Felix, and their descent to the lost hold of Karak Eight Peaks
With the memories of the fort behind them, the duo kept their trek towards the Eight Peaks. Felix felt emotionless about the memory during the past event, the memory of Kristen was still a pain stinging deep within his heart. But the doom that burns within Gotrek was much greater, and young Felix marched wearily to the mountains beyond with him. During their trek to the Eight Peaks, the duo has encountered several Orcish war-bands marauding the area around the lost hold. It was during their final trek through the road to the city that the duo heard thunderous fighting coming in the far distance. Felix strained to hear the fighting, but Gotreks sense were far keener than any human, and ran axe high towards the sounds. Gotreks climbed the steep hillside of the woodland areas with relative ease, while Felix struggled far behind, his footing not as keen as the dwarfs. Upon Felix reaching the top of the hill, he saw before him a battle ensuring between two ancient foes. Around a fast streaming river that leads towards the hold, laid a circle of armed Imperial soldiers, fighting off desperately against a war-band of Orcish warriors. Outnumbered 5 to 1, and already losing half their numbers, the soldiers were ripe for a slaughter.
Gotrek however was enrage at the desecration the Greenskins dared to defile the road to such a holy city to his people, and with frenzied eyes he came axe high to the battle. Felix was less reluctant, his footing still uneasy in the rough terrain as he run and slides down the slope of the hill. Gotreks axe cleaved a hefty toll of Greenskin warriors with every swing of his axe, but the damage was already done, and only three warriors are still fighting in the ambush. Felix has also entered the fray and managed to kill an Orcish greenskin, while also wrestling with another one trying to drown him and throw him off the ledge. But, by Sigmar's grace, Felix managed to live through the ordeal, and regroup with the band of Empire soldiers. The suppose leader, an armoured Knight by the name of Aldred, explained to the duo of their situation, and how they seek to go to the hold themselves, to seek a lost artifact of their order. Alongside him stood a Imperial Wizard named Johann carrying several scrolls of magic with him, along with a furred Bretonnian mountaineer Jules, the groups guide. Though Gotrek rejected it at first, the duo thought it alright to be tagging along with these mighty warriors as they head to the gates of the hold.
The group walked through the road that leads directly into the valley below, surrounded by eight mighty peaks that encircles a small stone city in the valley floor. Upon their entrance into the valley, Gotrek reminisce the olden days of his people, the golden age of his of this once mighty hold. However, his story became a tale of woe, as he foretold the great things beneath the world that had destroyed this mighty hold, the darkness beneath the world. Gotreks stories made the group very grim about the dangers that lies just ahead, upon the doors of the hold itself.
The group reached the gate of the hold just before dusk, where a sentry of dwarven warriors lead the group towards Prince Belegar, last kin of the royal blood-line to this lost hold. There the group gave the prince their pleas to enter the sacred hold, upon which the prince would allow, knowing that this group might be able to destroy the darkness awaiting them just two dungeons deep. As dark closes in, the group rested in their beds for the journey ahead tommorow when they were visited by the most strangest visitor that night. Magda Freydotter, the Runemaster of Karak Eight Peaks and the carrier of the Book of Remembering came in that night, forewarrning of the dangers that Gotrek will face down in the depth, and the ghost of the ancestors that haunts the tunnel beneath. Gotrek, for the first time ever felt pale, as if strucken by fear for the prospect of meeting such ghost of the past. But he knew that his doom laid just ahead, and he will not give up now.
The following day, the group departed to the tunnels below, via a large starcase that leads directly hundreds of feet below the city hold above. As they descended they come upon a large corridor that leads deeper into the tunnel networks that branches out of the main holds corridors, aided by glow stones that are engraved upon the ceiling. Their journey had led the group to many tunnelways that held many dangers within in, and in once instance the group faced off against two warbands of Greenskin warriors fighting over territorial claim, with the group right smack at the middle. Only Gotreks senses had saved the group from utter destruction. The group after walking for hours took a small break in one of the lost corridors for the time being, eating and resting for the battles ahead. Gotrek stood watch, but was not aware of the horror he'll face at that hour. A wail echoed through the tunnels, alerting all the group members on guard. An eriee greenish glow awashed the Trollslayers face as he faced the ghost of the anceint Dwarfs of the past. The ghost begged Gotrek for mercy and aid, but Gotrek, too frozen with fear, held no response. The ghost disentergrate soon after and the tunnel grew quit once more.
It was finally after hours of treking that they gotten to the vault from which Gotreks doom and Aldred's artifact laid. However, the group was surprised to find the door open, and the massive hoard inside to be un-guarded. Gotrek was deep in thought about this, but the revelation came like a sting of betrayal and rage to his lips as he relayed to the others that it was Faragrim that had open the door, knowing the darkness that might worm its way through once he did. Aldred was not detured, and rushed towards the pile of treasure to find an ancient dragon-hilted sword lying at the top. Aldred held the sword high, praising Sigmar for his deliverance to his quest, when suddenly a monstrosity, swat at the knights head, and with iron-hard claws ripped his head clean off. This is not any ordinary troll, this troll is mutated by the powers of Chaos, horned and deformed, with a third pincer arm and a baby faced shoulder, the source of this corruption laid within the large warpstone necklance around the creatures neck. Gotrek rushed at the creature with weapons high and chopped at it maniacly with his runed axe. The others however were still strucked with fear, and did not seem reluctant to enter the fray.
Gotreks axe cleaved and cleaved, but the creatures un-natural regeneration has made his attacks useless, but Gotrek with a mighty sweep, cut an entire section of the trolls baby faced shoulder. It lopped onto the floor in front of Felix, and Felix in reaction hacked at it franktily. But the thing will not die, and it was only when Johann came with a fireball in his hand did the thing finally stopped and burned to ashes. Jule however was still fearful and he lunged at the troll and hacked at his flesh in every angle, but was only swatted away like a pesky fly, his body crushing into a wall and blood splattered everywhere. Sensing the new danger from the Wizard, the troll caught the mage with his pincer arms. Johann was mad with fear and he blasted the trolls face with fire in hopes of being freed, but it only ensured his doom as the pincer closed in reaction to the pain. The troll has once again faced Gotrek once more and the two fought.
Felix looked at the bodies of the others and was filled with dread, Gotrek will not be able to keep this up, and onces hes dead, Felix will die too. He frankantly looked for a way to win this battle when he remembered Johann and the baby-faced shoulder before; Fire, thats what will kill it. He took out his knapsack and produced several vials of oil from his sack and told Gotrek to keep it busy. Once in position, Felix flung the vials at the beast back, and grabbed his lantern and flung it once more onto the troll. The beast howled in pain and was engulfed with rightous fire and died in the spot.
The room grew quiet, only the duo was alone in the chamber. Felix had thought the worse was over until a horn came, and upon the doorstep a horde of Goblin raiders came in, having followed the group after their encounter eariler. Outnumbered and tired from their battle with the Troll, the duo knew that this is how it will end. Felix felt no more emtions, the prospect of this death had dulled such petty feelings and he casually walked and picked up the sacred sword from its scabbard, a musical tune rang as he did. Gotrek looked at Felix and grinned:
"This is going to be a truely heroic death, manling. My only regret is that none of my people will ever get to hear it."
Felix did a few practical swings of the sword and responded.
"You don't know how sorry I am about that"
The duo knew that this was the end, and watched as the horde surges forth upon them. But the greenskins wavered and halted, as if fear had strucked their savage hearts. Cold green light streamed over their shoulders and hte spectre forms of ancient dwarven warriors cleaved through the horde with a furious vengance. It once more was the two of them left in the chamber, until a greenish light appeared and the ancient dwarf from before stood in front of Gotrek. The ghost had given the Trollslayer his greatest thanks, and he and his kin will never forget this deed for his people. The ghost seemed to coalesce into one cold green flame that glowed like a star in the darkness. The light changed from green to warm gold and then became brighter then the sun.
Felix closed his eyes and upon opening them, the room was empty once more saved for Gotrek. After long minutes, the Trollslayer shrugged and turned away. Felix followed and asked if they should bury the dead. Gotrek simply responsed:
"Leave them. They lie among the mighty. Their bodies are safe."
The duo stepped through the arch, and Gotrek paused to touch the runes according to the ancient pattern. The tomb was sealed. Then they made their way up through the old darkness towards the light of day.
The Dark Forest of the Empire
"As money was in short, we decided to return to the Empire to seek gainful employment of some sort. Our return from Karak Eight Peaks was in no sense an easy one.....In our desire to avoid any possible encounter with the agents of law, we wandered far from the normal haunts of man, and ended up deep in the forest, in an area long thought to be the site of a Black Altar of Chaos. Little did we suspect when we set out that we would soon meet startling proof that dire fane's existance, and also that we would soon do battle with the most powerful of all the followers of Darkness we had yet encountered......"
- —"My Travels with Gotrek", Vol.II, by Herr Felix Jaegar (Altdorf Press,2505)
Gotrek and Felix, and the dark forest of the Empire
As the duo made the long trek back towards Felix's homeland, the two heroes had faced fierce weather, orcish warbands, and trecherous terrain along the road leading to Black Fire Pass. Their first destination was the town of Fredricksburg, and upon their arrival Felix and his Trollslayer companion had managed to reveal the dreaded corruption that ran deep within the nobility of this small city. Fearing persecution from the nobles of this town the duo fled the region and followed the road that leads to the Wissenland capital of Nuln. After taking a small break at a local tavern, the duo drunkenly thought it wise to avoid the main road in order to avoid any agents of the law that are trying to seek them. This decision however was a dreadful mistake, for the two warriors were lead into woods long thought to be the site of an ancient Chaos sacrifical altar.
Their journey through the woods had lead them towards the ruined husk of a once mighty town. All around it, the two saw burned houses, charred bones, and overhead at the towns main keep laid heads of the towns occupants. Felix felt uneasy at the sight and told Gotrek that it best be moving on. Gotrek however wanted to know who did this, a good prospect of battles to come. Unknown to these two warriors that somewhere upon the ruins laid something still among the living. Gotrek heard the things, and motioned Felix to look. Felix, still fearful of the suppose danger present within the ruin ordered it to move out of its hiding place slowly.
What Felix saw come out was just a young girl, and Gotrek strodded towards the young child with grim determination. He demanded to know what happened here very harshly, while Felix spoke more soflty and asked the girl her name. The girl, still fearful of these two strangers told them her name and her story. A massive war-band of Beastmen came upon the town just the previous night, and destroyed all within the walled town, including the garrison within the keep. Felix felt pity for the girl, and reassured her that she will be safe for now. Gotrek however simply reassures his hatred for trees, and the two along with the girl moved on. When darkness felled, the group made a camp for tonight, and the girl named Kat fell asleep. The two heroes talked about what they saw the previous day, and talked about the girl also.
Felix was uneasy at the sight of the ruins, and he also felt there would be something wrong with the girl also. Gotrek however reassured him not to worry about it, and told him to get some sleep. Felix sighed and went over to his bedding of grass and leaves. He slept fillfully, yet old nightmares stalks his dreams once more.
Felix didn't know how long he slept, but something didn't felt right whilst in his sleep. It was finally Gotreks stone voice that finally awoke Felix from his troubled sleep. Felix roused slowly from his dreams, his neck ached and his back ached. Felix looked up at the sky, the moon was almost down today, which means dawn is just coming. Felix asked Gotrek what is happening, and he order him to listen. Felix listen and surveyed his sourndings, and found no movement except for Kat, who is wide awake near hte fire. Felix ordered Kat to hid somewhere, and told her no matter what happens to them, she must stay hidden.
Felix knew that Kat might have a chance at suriving this ordeal and walked shoulder ot shoulder with Gotrek. What first came was a howl from several location in front of them, with bestial forms forming up a half circle in front of the duo. They both faced each other, each one looking for who will make the first move. Gotrek asked Felix if hes ready, which he responds: "As I'll ever be"
The duo thus charged the beastmen, and fought savagely upon contact. Gotreks axe smashed through the guard of one beastmen, and severed another with his swing. Felix however struggled on, fighting against a scimitar wielding beastmen. The battle raged, but it was the duo that once again survived the battle. Gotrek and slain the pack-leader of the warband and they fled away in fear of the axe-bearer. Felix was glad, for again he might live to see another day.
The following dawn, the group headed out once more, upon a trail that lead to a suppose small village just past a fork in the road. Felix notices many stumps that littered the forest floor, with a few saplings here and there, and the smell of freshly cut logs in the air. There is obviously a large logging industry at works here, a sign of civilization not far away. Just before reaching the village they were ambushed by a band of forester that guarded this region of the forest. Gotrek, not the most diplomatic of sorts demanded the forester to show their faces, while Felix tried to advert any violence. It was Kat's soft and youthful voice that managed to convice the leader of the band, Messener to allow them entrance to their village.
Upon there, the group had told him about the dangers that the village will face soon, if they don't get prepared. Messener knew of this danger, and sent a pigeon with a messenge for the Duke that ruled this patch of land to come for aid. He thus ordered the village to fortify the surrounding areas with traps and stakes. For the whole day the villagers cared out this plan, foresters and trappers laid many pits and traps along the forest edge, while the women of the town gathered whats left of the crops within the walled settlement.
Felix stood upon the battlements along with Gotrek, after having a prayer at the local Church of Sigmar. Both of them looked at the forest edge with grim faces, but Gotrek seemed ready for the battle to come. He told Felix that they will be here soon. But that was what Felix was worried about. Just a moment later, a rustle was heard beneath the undergrowth of the forest edge. Gotreks keen senses was the first to see the metal beast that burst out of the undergrowth. As the beastmen army marched out of the forest, alongside them stood a metal abomination, a long-snouted multi-barreled cannon with a dragon head. Their twisted leader, cranked a large lever and aimed the cannon at the village wall.
The cannon roared to life, and hellfire had made massive gaps within the walls of the village. In response, the beastmen all charged down the forest edge towards the small village. The archers within the walls let loose a barrage of arrow tips killing dozens upon dozens with each volley. The traps along the valley floor had also reaped a hefty toll of beastmen as they ran down towards the gaps. Felix and Gotrek stepped down the battlements and joined the fray.
Main Characters
Minor Spoilers
Gotrek Gurnisson
Gotrek
A trollslayer, Gotrek has vowed to find death in the most honorable way possible to repay for a past fault. Even by dwarven standards Gotrek is incredibly strong. It is theorized that Gotrek's axe, which could be one of Grimnir's axes, has been changing him to make him the ultimate adversary of Chaos. Few things are known about the early life of Gotrek. During Gotrek and Felix's travel to the lost Dwarven hold of Karag Dum, it is revealed that Gotrek came in possession of his axe during a previous expedition to Karag Dum. While being pursued by a herd of Beastmen, Gotrek fled into a cave. In the deepest end of this cave he found a dead Dwarf, his fingers clasped around a rune axe. Seeing he had somehow broken or lost his weapons, Gotrek took the dead Dwarf's axe and slew all the Beastmen pursuing him.
During the Siege of Praag, the commander of the Chaos host, Arek Daemonclaw, saw the history of Gotrek's axe. It was revealed then that, when returning from the Chaos Wastes where he had found his axe, Gotrek found his village burned and his (possible) wife and child murdered. The vision then showed Gotrek in the court of an unnamed Dwarf lord, and Gotrek arguing with the said lord. Afterward, the Dwarf lord sentenced Gotrek to an unnamed fate, at which Gotrek kills the Lord and his bodyguard and all others that did not flee. Wracked with guilt and shame, Gotrek shaved his hair, becoming a Slayer.
Like all Slayers, Gotrek shaved his crimson hair into what usually is a crescent shaped mohawk. He drinks ridiculous amounts of ale whenever he gets a chance. He is broader than he is tall, though he is still tall for a dwarf, approaching five feet in height. He is hugely muscled, and wears a patch to cover an eye which he lost in battle with Orcs and Goblins. He wields a battleaxe imbued with unbelievably powerful rune magic, having gained this weapon during his first excursion into the northern Chaos Wastes, where he recovered it from the dead son of King Thangrim Firebeard. Gotrek's axe is as powerful as that wielded by the dwarven High King, Thorgrim Grudgebearer. This weapon was the Runemaster's Axe of the lost dwarven fortress of Karag Dum, and supposedly previously belonged to the dwarven deity Grimnir. The elven mage Teclis once read the magical aura of Gotrek, and determined that immense power is flowing from the axe and slowly changing the Slayer into something greater than an ordinary Dwarf. He is also able to perceive secret passageways in seemingly impenetrable tunnel walls and has shown signs of a formation as an engineer. He is, however strange for a Slayer, seemingly impossible to kill, having survived, among other things, single combat with a Bloodthirster of Khorne, being hit by a stone hurled by a trebuchet, multiple encounters with rat ogres, orc warlords and sorcerers and falling three hundred feet off a cliff.
Felix Jaeger
Felix
Felix Jaeger is Gotrek's reluctant companion and "Rememberer." The black sheep of a rich mercantile family, he was initially a poet but was expelled from university after accidentally killing a student in a duel. After Gotrek saved Felix from being killed in the Window Tax Riots in Altdorf, Felix, in a drunken stupor, swore a blood-oath to record Gotrek's doom so that his honor could be maintained and to let him be remembered by the world. A blood-oath was the gravest one a Dwarf could make, and so Felix was compelled to travel with Gotrek. Felix is a human with a swordsman's physique and long blond hair, who favors a chain shirt and red cloak.Over years of following Gotrek, Felix has become an accomplished swordsman and duelist. His own weapon is the rune sword Karaghul, a blade with a dragon hilt recovered from the fallen hold of Karak Eight Peaks. A relic of the Knights of the Order of the Fiery Heart, it was forged for the purpose of slaying dragons. As shown during the battles with dragons, it grants him a shield from a dragon's fiery breath, as well as providing a powerful confidence when facing such a creature. As the decades pass, old acquaintances comment that Felix has not aged a day. First shrugged off as niceties, this soon becomes fact when upon meeting his old friend, imperial wizard Max Schreiber, he verifies that Felix has indeed become immortal, or as close as to make no difference. Max attributes this immortal state to various causes, from both Felix's and Gotrek's magical weapons, to some force encountered during their sojourn in the Chaos Wastes, to his passing through the wormhole in Sylvania. Many of Felix's diaries concerning his and Gotrek's adventures have been published by his brother, Otto. The outlandishness and impossibility of the tales in question have brought most of its readers, including Otto, to believe it to be pure fiction.
Ulrika
Ulrika
Ulrika was one major character in the Gotrek and Felix series, as she was Felix's second lover, and possibly his most beloved one. She first appeared during the dwarven expedition through the Chaos Waste into Karak Dum,in the book DeamonSlayer in Middenheim's Elector Count's throne room. She is the daughter of a Kislevite March Boyar, who is a close friend of Gotrek during the first Expedition to the Wastes. She is described as having close cropped hair, with furred and leather armor clothing during her first appearance. She helped the duo guide their way into her home, after they lifted off from their dwarven airship "Spirit of Grungni" into Kislev. There Ulrika and Felix soon started to talk, and became good friends. Felix showed some interest in her, as do Ulrika. After Felix and Gotrek left to the Chaos Waste, she was left behind. A magical Wizard of the Light College, Max Schreiber had also shown interest in her and would regularly find ways to talk to her. However Ulrika soon fell in love with Felix instead once they returned, after an attack by Skavens of Clan Moulder lead by Grey Seer Thanquol.
From that point on the group composed of Snorri, Gotrek, Felix, Max, and Ulrika has been togather for the next few books along with several other slayers they met on their way to the Slayers Keep. The group fought on together during Arek Daemonclaw's invasion of Kislev. However as time goes by, Ulrika's relationship with Felix starts to stiffen and grow sour throughout the next few books where there are times when both can't stomach each other and times with both couldn't live without the other. Of course, this dosen't sit well with Max, who has a strong rivalry with Felix ever since. However after the invasion by Arek, she was kidnapped by a Vampire of Sylvannia when they found about an artifact of power the Eye of Nagash, was being used by the Vampire to fight and control all of the Empire and other vampire groups into his new kingdom. It was during this time that she was herself turned into a Vampire, due to the Vampire, Adolphus Krieger, having interest in her. She was eventually put into his own influence and sat by him during his Ritual. However Felix and Max, both deeply concerned about her, along with Gotrek and Snorri, and the father of Ulrika all went to Slyvannia in the dead of winter to rescue her.
In the end however, they were too late, Ulrika was a Vampire and during the fight in the throne room of Drakwald Keep, her father was killed by Krieger. Shocked with grief, she fought vigorously against his influence as the group tries to kill him. In the end, the Vampire died, but being changed forever, Ulrika could never return back to her normal life and left the group, leaving both Felix and Max heartbroken. She was taken care of by a Vampire Mistress after the fight. She returned in Manslayer, seemingly wanting to patch things up with Felix, but once again their differences (now predator and prey) prevented a complete make-up and she abandoned Felix and Gotrek to fight fellow vampires, forced to abide her "mother's" command to kill them. Ulrika also now has her own book series (which seem to chronicle her adventures between her last appearance in Vampireslayer and return in Manslayer) - "Ulrika the Vampire" series, beginning with Bloodborn and continuing with Bloodforged and Bloodsworn.
Snorri Nosebiter
Snorri Nosebitter
Snorri Nosebiter is a long time friend of Gotrek, a Slayer who is also on his quest to seek his death in battle. Snorri was a friend of Gotrek long before they became slayers. Snorri's personality is almost the opposite of Gotrek, while Gotrek is mostly serious and gloomy and has little respect for others, Snorri is always in a cheerful mood, slow to anger. But when he does he is a very formidable foe. Snorri is a larger Dwarf than Gotrek, but Gortrek is far stronger, due in part to Gotrek's link with his axe. He charges into battle swinging his axe and hammer. He is also much more ugly, having a cauliflower ear, a very broken nose, many scars and his most notable feature, three massive nails, painted orange, nailed into his bald head. Snorri first appeared in the series alongside a young beardling engineer in the first chapter of DaemonSlayer walking into a bar where Gotrek and Felix await. The group stay together from Daemonslayer to Vampireslayer, when Gotrek and Felix disappear. Snorri had many adventures of his own after their disappearance. When the dynamic duo finally met Snorri again, he was suffering from severe memory loss, which angered Gotrek greatly, for Snorri also forgotten the most important thing in his life, why he became a slayer. So the duo, along with some new friends met along the way, set out to try and get Snorri to Slayers Keep in order to help him get his memory back, or else when he dies he won't be able to go to Grimnir's Halls.
Maximilian Schreiber
Maximilian Schreiber also known by friends as Max is an expert magican of the Light Order. His exploits include traveling multiple times on the airship The Spirit of Grungni. Helped Gotrek Gurnisson and Felix Jaeger battle a Dragon, an Orc warband, a Chaos horde led by Arek Daemonclaw, a vampire in Sylvania, Dark Elves, and even an undead horde in Castle Reikland. Max's life was like most childhoods in the Empire with one exception; his entire family were killed by Beastmen. So from that day forward Max vowed to learn the dark secrets of Chaos and use this knowledge to combat it. Eventually he began to learn at the College of Magic in Altdorf. After many years he learned a good deal of magic, but was kicked out for "heresy" after having to much of an interest in forbiden knowledge. So he decided to use his magic for a living; warding various things for those who could pay. Through this he found himself under the employment of the Count of Middenheim. For some unkown period of time, he worked for the Count warding houses and vaults and such. Eventually he was hired by an expedition of Dwarfs, who asked him to ward their airship The Spirit of Grugni so they could be protected from their journey into the Chaos Waste. He rode the airship until they stoped at the March Boyar's house where he and Ulrika Magdova stayed while the rest including Gotrek, Felix, Snorri Nosebiter, and Malakai Makaisson. While there he began to fall in love with Ulrika though she didn't return his feelings. The night before the airship returned a force of Skaven led by Grey Seer Thanquol, who intended to kill Gotrek and Felix, and capture the airship for the Skaven to copy. But this failed, and so Max journeyed through the World's Edge Mountains. Here the airship encountered an ancient Dragon of immense power, but were saved by the intervention a dwarf who flew his Gyrocoptor straight into the beast's side injuring it and forcing it to retreat. After this they were forced to make repairs to the badly damaged airship so they flew to the Slayer Keep.
Once there Max learned through getting two mercenaries drunk, that a powerful Orc Warboss called The Manflayer was doing what Orcs did best: destroying the nearby towns. So Max then decided to acommpany Gotrek, Felix, Ulrika and her guards, Snorri Nosebiter, Malakai Makaisson, and four other slayers. Traveling their way to the Dragon's lair to slay it, they encountred a traveler who turned out ot be a scout for the local bandit army. They also fought through many Orcs to eventually get to the Cave. After a mighty battle with the Dragon, they found the Manflayer's army and the bandit army waiting outside. Both sides intended to grab the treasure after the slayers killed the Dragon. Realising this, Gotrek stood at the cave entrance and taunted the Orcs to come and get the treasure. Almost immediately afterwards both sides began to fight each other. The Manflayer busted through the ranks of his own men and the bandits alike. He reached Gotrek and the two fought an epic battle, leaving the Slayer as the victor. Max along with the rest of the survivors of the battle against the Manflayer, traveled to Praag to warn the Duke of the forces of Chaos led by Arek Daemonclaw, eventually during the battle Max destroyed a possesed siege towere through magic and hepled with his incredible Magic, but retreated into the inner city after the Chaos warriors were within the outer city. He witnessed the Chaos warband route from the Kislev flanking riders and the airship dropping large bombs and Alchemy Fire.
Max and the rest were then hired by a relative of Ulrika to protect his house against a "sorceror" (a vampire but nobody in the group knows this). So he investigates the item this sorcerror is trying to get, and is knocked out by the defense wards, but discovered Nagash made it. Later when he wakes up Ulrika has been captured by the Vampire and he travels to Sylvania eventually helping the rest to kill the vampire, but in the end Snorri kills it. Gotrek and Felix are seperated from the rest of the group by two powerful sorcerors, and soon afterwards Max begins to teach at the Colledge of Magic in Altdorf . Eventually Max meets the pair again after about twenty years, when they proceed to help him to stop the disaster that will soon happen. With many other adventures they would soon stop Dark Elves and Undead.
Kat
Kat (full name Katerina) is a young woman who serves as Felix's current love interest. Gotrek and Felix first encountered her in Trollslayer when she was a little girl, the only survivor of a Beastmen attack led by a female Chaos Champion. As the story unfolded, it turned out Kat was the Chaos Champion's daughter (the woman having been raped in her youth), who sought to murder the child and become a Daemon Prince, but the champion was killed by Kat, who stabbed her in the back with her own sword as the woman tried to kill Felix. After the battle, Kat begged Gotrek and Felix to let her go with them, but the pair refused, knowing a child wouldn't be safe travelling with them, and left her in the care of a woodsman and his family. However, they encountered Kat again in Shamanslayer many years later, now a woman in her late twenties and a deadly warrior, driven to kill all Beastmen to avenge the murder of her adopted family. As they journeyed together, Felix and Kat began to feel affection for each other; while Felix initially had misgivings about falling in love with a woman half his age, whom he'd known as a child, after rescuing Kat from bandits who'd abducted her, Felix accepted what he felt, and the pair became lovers. They survived the battle against the Beastmen and Heinrich Kemmler's zombie horde, though Kat was left behind accidentally as they tried to flee Castle Reikguard, and only just managed to avoid death by starvation before the Reikland army arrived, though she still had enough strength to assist in the final battle, distracting Kemmler long enough for Gotrek to reach him.
Supporting Characters
Borek Forkbeard
Borek is an ancient Dwarf who is near 500 years old. He was originally of the hold of Karag Dum where he and a group of other dwarfs escaped just before the Siege of Karag Dum to bring aid. He funded the first attempted rescue mission into the Chaos Wastes in armored Dwarf ground vehicles in which he, Snorri, and Gotrek were the only survivors. His second (ultimately successful) attempt was to fly over the Waste in an airship (the Spirit of Grungni) built by Malakai Makaisson. He was also a good old friend of Gotrek on their first attempt to cross the Waste.
Malakai Makaisson
Malakai is a dwarf Slayer and mad genius engineer. The creator of the Spirit Of Grungi, the great (and only) airship that carried the fateful expedition to Karag Dum, he has a peculiar accent similar to real world Scottish. One of Gotrek's and Felix's staunchest allies, he has helped them several times when no one else would. He is also the only known remaining living being, besides Snorri, Borek, and Gotrek and Felix, to have the traversed the Chaos Marches and returned alive, sanity intact. He was with the group from DaemonSlayer all the way to Beastslayer, acting as the captian and chief engineer of the Spirit of Grungi and also as a companion on Gotrek and Felix's travels. He reappears later on in Manslayer, as a reknowned engineer of Nuln's Artillery School. He was sent there to aid the Siege of Middenhiem, by transporting all available cannons to the city with his ship. However, it was later realized that the cannons were tainted and the Duo had to destroy the ship and its materials in order to save the city.
Rodi Balkisson
Rodi is another Dwarf Slayer, whom the pair encounter in Shamanslayer. Rodi, along with Snorri and another Slayer called Argrin Crownforger, had been travelling across the Empire since the Storm of Chaos, looking for their dooms. Rodi, being younger than most Slayers, got on Gotrek's nerves quite a great deal, as Rodi often made blunt and unsubtle comments about Gotrek's inability to find his doom after nearly twenty years (a subject Gotrek is exceptionally touchy on). After surviving the battle with the Beastmen and retreating from the zombie onslaught to Castle Reikguard, Rodi played an instrumental part in the castle's defence, but in the final undead attack, Rodi elected to stay outside the walls, bluntly telling Gotrek that he believed the older Slayer cursed; none near him would die, and Rodi didn't want to be afflicted with that curse. Rodi met his death fighting to the end against the undead champion Krell; later, when Gotrek and Felix returned with the Reikland army to stop Kemmler's ritual, they discovered that the necromancer had raised Rodi as an undead slave. Showing respect to the young Slayer for the first time, Gotrek killed Rodi to free him.
Enemies
Grey Seer Thanquol
Grey Seer Thanquol
Thanquol is one of the most recurrent enemies of Gotrek and Felix, a rarity in that he has encountered the pair more than once and lived to tell the tale. A Skaven Grey Seer of great power, Thanquol conspires to achieve a position on the Council of Thirteen and to bring about the day when the armies of the Skaven, led by him, will conquer the surface world in the name of the Great Horned Rat. Thanquol first came to prominence when he took command of the armies of the Skaven Clan Skab (after his predecessor, Warlord Vermak Skab perished in a 'tragic accident' involving a loaded crossbow and an exploding donkey) and used them for his own ends. He came close to his goal in the novel Skavenslayer, nearly conquering the city of Nuln, but the constant intervention of Gotrek and Felix thwarted his plans, forcing him to flee. Every time they encounter one another, Thanquol's (self-proclaimed) ingenious schemes are either confounded (as Thanquol paranoidly believes) by the incompetence of his lackeys or utterly destroyed by Gotrek and Felix (or both); as a result, Thanquol has lost much power and prestige in the Skaven Under-Empire.
Humorously, even though they have foiled many of his plans and ruined his status among Skavens, Gotrek and Felix had no idea of who Thanquol was when he finally was able to catch them. Thanquol has vowed to one day find and kill the pair for the many indignities they have brought on him, along with the loss of his health, sanity and his right hand which was chopped off by Gotrek's Axe in Thanquol's last encounter with the pair. Likewise, Gotrek and Felix have vowed revenge on Thanquol when they next meet, especially Felix as Thanquol was responsible for the death of Felix's father. Thanquol, like Gotrek and Felix is a proven survivor, though unlike Gotrek and Felix who survive on skill, bravery and honor, Thanquol survives mainly due to his cowardice and his willingness to put others in the line of fire. It is proven fact that most Skaven armies or forces led by Thanquol are either wiped out or suffer extremely high casualties (even by Skaven standards). Though Thanquol thinks himself a tactical genius, a mighty sorcerer and a brave leader, Thanquol is, like all Skaven, a maniacal egotist and a complete coward who flees at the first sign of trouble. While it is true he has phenomenal sorcerous skill and great cunning, Thanquol prefers to leave the dirty work to his underlings: in particular his bodyguard, the ferocious Rat-Ogre he calls Boneripper. There have been thirteen Bonerippers, nearly all of which have been killed by Gotrek and Felix. Thanquol has his own book series (which would appear to chronicle his schemes in the period between his last appearance in Beastslayer and his return in Elfslayer) which started with the novel Grey Seer and is continued in Temple of the Serpent and Thanquol's Doom. The fate of Thanquol's Rat ogre bodyguards:
- Boneripper 1. Slain by Gotrek in Skavenslayer.
- Boneripper 2. Slain by Felix in Daemonslayer after Felix threw a dwarf bomb at the creature which Boneripper accidentally swallowed.
- Boneripper 3. Slain by both Snorri & Gotrek in Dragonslayer
- Boneripper 4. Slain by Lord Skrolk in Grey Seer.
- Boneripper 5. Slain by Deathmaster Snikch in Temple of the Serpent
- Boneripper 6. Wounded by a gunpowder explosion in Temple of the Serpent and later eaten by Thanquol
- Boneripper 7. Is the Re-animated body of the first Boneripper. Made possible by Clan Skyre's combined use of sorcery and machinery. Gifted to Thanquol in Thanquol's Doom. Despite suffering heavy damage the seventh Boneripper is still up and running.
- Boneripper 8-12. ?
- Boneripper 13. Slain by Gotrek on the deck of a Skaven submersible in Elfslayer
Some other enemies Felix and Gotrek have faced (and defeated) in their adventures include:
The Bloodthirster of Karag Dum (Daemonslayer): An ancient and powerful daemon of Khorne who stalks the ruined city of Karag Dum in the Chaos Wastes. Slain by Gotrek.
The Manflayer (Dragonslayer): An Orc chieftain who wears the skins of humans as a cloak, armed with an axe and a magic cleaver, He wanted to take Gotreks axe so he could have a magic axe to match his magic cleaver. Slain by Gotrek.
Skjalandir (Dragonslayer): An old and dangerous dragon that dwells in the World's Edge Mountains, disturbed from his centuries-long slumber by Lhoigor and Kelmain. Killed by Felix.
Arek Daemonclaw (Beastslayer): A mighty Chaos Lord and follower of the god Tzeentch, who sought to conquer the ancient city of Praag in Kislev. Slain by Gotrek.
Adolphus Krieger (Vampireslayer): An insane vampire who once served Mannfred von Carstein, Adolphus sought to use an ancient artifact of Nagash to bind all vampires to his will and use them to conquer humanity. Slain by Snorri Nosebiter.
Lhoigor Goldenrod and Kelmain Blackstaff (Beastslayer & Giantslayer): Two powerful sorcerers of Tzeentch, Lhoigor and Kelmain first appeared briefly in Dragonslayer as sorcerous advisors and lieutenants to Arek Daemonclaw. In Giantslayer, they sought to use the ancient magic of the Old Ones to destabilise the very balance of the world and open gateways that would allow the forces of Chaos to strike all across the world. Lhoigor was killed by Gotrek and Kelmain was slain by Teclis.
The Sleeper (Orcslayer): A gigantic, Chaos-twisted insectoid creature buried beneath the Dwarven city of Karak Hirn, the Sleeper escaped from its imprisonment and used its powerful psychic abilities to enslave a large number of Orcs, Goblins and Dwarves to do its bidding, in preparation for a war that would allow it to spread its corrupting influence across the world. Slain by Gotrek.
Waldemar Lichtmann (Manslayer): An Imperial wizard, engineer, mutant and secret leader of a Tzeentchian cult in Nuln called the Brotherhood of the Cleansing Flame, that intended to destroy Nuln and sabotage Middenheim to allow Archaon's victory. Lichtmann explains he joined the side of Chaos as he had begun to mutate, despite doing nothing to provoke it, and saw Archaon as the only one who might allow him to live, for the Empire would execute him for being a mutant, and he believed his genius would go to waste. Slain by Gotrek.
High Sorceress Heshor (Elfslayer): A Dark Elf sorceress of great power, Heshor, acting under orders from Malekith himself, planned to use an ancient Elven artifact, called 'The Harp of Ruin', to trigger earthquakes and tectonic movements that would destroy Ulthuan and raise the sunken realm of Nagarythe. She planned to test the weapon's abilities by using it on the Empire, but her plans were thwarted by two things: Skaven under the command of Thanquol attacking her forces, trying to steal the Harp for themselves, and the intervention of Gotrek and Felix. Heshor is believed to have perished in the explosion caused by Gotrek's destruction of the 'Harp of Ruin'.
The Harbinger of Stromfels (Slayer of the Storm God): An Avatar of the Storm God, Stromfels, the Harbinger is a gigantic creature composed of the lower body of a human and the upper body of a shark. The Harbinger was created when a gem called the 'Heart of Stromfels', was fused to the body of a willing host: while the 'Heart' is attached to the Harbinger, it is invulnerable to all wounds. The Harbinger sought to destroy the city of Marienburg. The Harbinger, however, was slain by Gotrek in Marienburg: the Slayer tore the 'Heart' away, rendering the Harbinger vulnerable, then split its skull with his axe.
Urslak Cripplehorn and Gargorath the God-Touched (Shamanslayer): Two powerful Beastmen, Urslak is the titular shaman, while Gargorath is a powerful warlord who serves him. Urslak is goat-headed and grey-furred, wears old robes decorated with hundreds of birds' feet and carries a magical staff topped with a blue crystal held in the claw of a griffin. Gargorath, however, is black-furred and ram-headed, wears crude armour and carries a magical axe that 'eats what it kills': it steals the life from those it kills and uses it to heal Gargaroth. The pair planned, with the aid of Tzeentch to cast a spell that would transform everyone living in the forests of the Empire into beastmen, creating a vast horde of beasts that would allow them to conquer the Old World, but their plans were thwarted when Gotrek destroyed the enchanted menhir they needed to complete their spell. Urslak died after being disembowelled by Gotrek, before being sucked through a hellish portal opened by the destruction of the menhir, while Gargorath was slain by Gotrek in the battle then magically raised from the dead by a powerful necromancer (revealed in Zombieslayer as Heinrich Kemmler himself).
Heinrich Kemmler and Krell the Wight King (Zombieslayer): One of the most powerful necromancers to have ever lived, Kemmler was believed to have died in battle twenty years previous in Bretonnia, but has seemingly returned to plague the Empire. He was encountered initially by Gotrek and Felix in Shamanslayer, posing as "Hans the Hermit", an eccentric tomb robber who showed them a way to reach Urslak Cripplehorn undetected. Once the battle was won, Kemmler revealed himself, explaining that he couldn't perform his necromancy with the Beastmen's herdstone in place, but knew Gotrek could destroy it for him. Kemmler's army of zombies pursued the survivors of the battle to Castle Reikguard; Kemmler preferred to let his lieutenant Krell (an ancient and powerful wight who had long been a servant of Kemmler's, as well as an old enemy of the dwarves) do most of the attacking while preparing for some unknown ritual. In one attack, Krell managed to wound Gotrek with his axe; a lethal weapon that left slivers of its blade in a wound that worked their way to the heart, though Gotrek survived. When an army from the Reikland, including Max Schreiber, came to relieve the castle, it transpired that Kemmler had acquired the corpses of the count and countess of the castle and planned to use them as part of a spell that would, if successful, blight and poison all food and water in the Reikland, before his undead army marched on it. However, the count's son killed his undead parents, thwarting the ritual, while Gotrek severely injured Krell and wounded Kemmler before the necromancer used magic to escape. As he fled, Kemmler swore revenge, and ominiously remarked that his plans had only been delayed, not defeated. It is worthy of note that since both Kemmler and Krell escaped destruction at the hands of Gotrek and Felix, they are two of the few villains (along with Grey Seer Thanquol) to encounter the pair and survive.
Garmr Hrodvitnir (Road of Skulls): One of the mightiest champions of the Blood God Khorne to walk the earth, and one of the few characters in the series to have matched Gotrek in battle. Garmr is a Chaos Lord from Norsca who has carved a mighty path of destruction from the heart of the far north, paved with the skulls of his enemies to reach the Slayer Keep of the World's Edge Mountains, where his road of skulls is to end. Garmr intended to raze the Slayer Keep to the ground, claim the skull of Gotrek (whom he knew as the One Eyed Dwarf) and thus open a gateway to the Realm of Chaos which would thus consume the entire Old World and turn it into an endless daemonic battlefield which would allow him to fully indulge his bloodlust. He and Gotrek face each other in the climax of the novel and after a close battle, Gotrek decapitates him.
Books and Sources
The series comprises the following:
- Trollslayer (Part of the first omnibus)
- Skavenslayer (Part of the first omnibus)
- Daemonslayer (Part of the first omnibus)
- Dragonslayer (Part of the second omnibus)
- Beastslayer (Part of the second omnibus)
- Vampireslayer (Part of the second omnibus)
- Giantslayer (Part of the third omnibus)
- Orcslayer (Novel)
- Manslayer (Novel) by Nathan Long
- Elfslayer (Novel) by Nathan Long
- Slayer of the Storm God (written by Nathan Long) (Short story) (Audio Book Only)
- Shamanslayer (written by Nathan Long) (Part of the fourth omnibus)
- Zombieslayer (written by Nathan Long) (Part of the fourth omnibus)
- Road of Skulls (written by Josh Reynolds) - takes place after Vampireslayer
- City of the Damned (written by David Guymer) October 2011
- Curse of the Everliving
- Berthold's Beard
- Charnel Congress
Gotrek and Felix make (small) appearances in many Warhammer Army books during the fifth edition of the game as well as an old version of the magic rulebook for Warhammer Fantasy Battles:
- Warhammer armies: The Empire
- Warhammer armies: Skaven
- Warhammer armies: Dwarfs
- Warhammer armies: Undead
Characters in Gotrek and Felix with their own series: Ulrika the Vampire
- Bloodborn
- Bloodforged
- Bloodsworn
Grey Seer Thanquol*Grey Seer
- Temple of the Serpent
- Thanquol's Doom