Warhammer Lore: Age Of Sigmar – Slaves To Darkness

The Slaves to Darkness are one of the most iconic factions in Warhammer Age of Sigmar, representing the mortal followers of the Chaos Gods—Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, and Slaanesh. They are the unholy warriors and champions who have devoted their souls to the dark powers of Chaos, seeking strength, immortality, and godhood in return for their service. The Slaves to Darkness march under the banner of the Dark Gods, spreading war and corruption across the Mortal Realms in their endless quest for power.

Origins and Lore

The Slaves to Darkness are bound by their unwavering loyalty to the Chaos Gods, their ultimate ambition being to ascend to daemonhood or achieve untold power through conquest. In contrast to the daemonic hordes of the Dark Gods, the Slaves to Darkness are mortals who have turned to Chaos, willingly giving up their free will in exchange for dark blessings and strength beyond measure. They exist in every corner of the Mortal Realms, waging unending wars in the name of their twisted gods.

At the heart of the Slaves to Darkness’ hierarchy is Archaon, the Everchosen, the ultimate champion of Chaos. Archaon has ascended to become the supreme leader of the armies of Chaos, uniting the warring factions under his iron fist. He is the chosen of the Chaos Gods, wielding the title of Everchosen—a position of unmatched power and responsibility. His goal is nothing short of the complete destruction of the Mortal Realms, heralding an era of eternal Chaos. Archaon rides into battle atop the monstrous three-headed steed Dorghar, and his coming is seen as a herald of the apocalypse.

Archaon leads the Varanite, his personal warband and the most elite of the Slaves to Darkness. These warriors are handpicked by Archaon himself, and their strength is matched only by their devotion to Chaos.

The Chaos Gods

The Chaos Gods are the dark patrons of the Slaves to Darkness, each representing a different aspect of corruption and malevolence. While the Slaves to Darkness might swear loyalty to a single god, many remain Undivided, worshipping Chaos in its entirety rather than any one deity.

Khorne: The Blood God, representing violence, slaughter, and martial prowess. Khorne’s followers are obsessed with battle and bloodshed, seeking to earn their master’s favour through relentless killing.

Tzeentch: The Changer of Ways, god of magic, deceit, and ambition. Tzeentch’s followers seek power through knowledge, manipulation, and sorcery, using their cunning to reshape the world to their advantage.

Nurgle: The Plague Lord, god of decay, disease, and endurance. Nurgle’s followers revel in corruption and pestilence, spreading sickness in the name of their benevolent lord of rot.

Slaanesh: The Prince of Pleasure, representing excess, desire, and decadence. Slaanesh’s followers are driven by their pursuit of sensation and indulgence, seeking the extremes of pleasure and pain.

Many warriors of the Slaves to Darkness, however, serve Chaos Undivided, acknowledging the power of all four gods without fully devoting themselves to any single one. This allows them to draw on the dark blessings of Chaos in a more general sense, often aspiring to emulate the path of Archaon.

The Everchosen and the Eightpoints

The Eightpoints is the realm of Chaos and the seat of Archaon’s power. It is a cursed land that serves as a gateway between the Mortal Realms and the Realm of Chaos, where Archaon has established his fortress, the Varanspire. From the Varanspire, Archaon commands his forces, launching invasions into the Mortal Realms and attempting to claim dominion over the Realmgates that connect the worlds. The Eightpoints is a place of constant war, inhabited by warbands, marauding beasts, and daemonic entities.

The Eightpoints serves as a hub for Chaos worshippers and warriors from across the Mortal Realms. It is the proving ground for aspiring champions who seek to win Archaon’s favour or rise to prominence in the eyes of the Chaos Gods. Within its twisted landscape, the Slaves to Darkness clash with other warbands, testing their mettle and ambition in endless combat.

Slaves to Darkness Society and Structure

The Slaves to Darkness are not a unified empire but rather a loose affiliation of warbands, each with its own goals, hierarchy, and loyalty to different gods. The factions are constantly fighting amongst themselves, driven by ambition, greed, and the desire to gain favour from the Chaos Gods.

Chaos Warbands

The basic unit of Slaves to Darkness society is the Chaos Warband, a group of warriors united under the leadership of a champion or chieftain. Each warband follows its own path to power, whether through martial conquest, dark sorcery, or daemonic pacts. Some warbands are composed of marauding Chaos Marauders, wild and savage mortals who have thrown off the trappings of civilisation to serve the Dark Gods. Others are led by Chaos Lords or Chaos Sorcerers, powerful individuals blessed with dark magic and divine favour.

The warbands are constantly vying for dominance, raiding settlements, and clashing with other warbands. Those who prove themselves in battle may earn the favour of the gods, receiving blessings in the form of mutations, enchanted weapons, or even ascension to daemonhood.

Marks of Chaos

Many warriors of the Slaves to Darkness dedicate themselves to a particular Chaos God, bearing the Mark of Chaos associated with that god. These marks represent the warrior’s devotion and grant them supernatural abilities tied to the deity they serve. The Marks of Chaos are:

Mark of Khorne: Grants enhanced strength and combat prowess, driven by bloodlust and fury.

Mark of Tzeentch: Bestows magical power, allowing warriors to manipulate fate and wield sorcery.

Mark of Nurgle: Provides unnatural endurance and resilience, making the bearer almost immune to pain and sickness.

Mark of Slaanesh: Enhances speed and precision in combat, as well as the ability to manipulate the desires of others.

Those who do not choose to serve a specific god can remain Chaos Undivided, gaining more general blessings and the ability to call upon the powers of Chaos as a whole.

Iconic Units and Characters

The Slaves to Darkness are known for their heavily armoured warriors, terrifying monsters, and powerful champions. Their armies are versatile, blending brute strength, magical prowess, and the blessings of Chaos. Some of the most iconic units and characters include:

Chaos Warriors: The backbone of any Slaves to Darkness army, Chaos Warriors are heavily armoured and elite troops who have fully embraced the path of Chaos. They are brutal, relentless, and completely loyal to the Dark Gods. They march into battle as an unstoppable wall of steel and hatred, wielding powerful weapons and fighting with unholy strength.

Chaos Knights: Riding into battle atop twisted steeds, Chaos Knights are fearsome cavalry who strike with overwhelming force. These elite warriors are terrifying shock troops, charging headlong into enemy lines and crushing foes beneath their hooves. Chaos Knights are often seen as the personal champions of the gods, marked with unholy symbols and bestowed with dark blessings.

Chaos Chosen: The Chaos Chosen are the greatest mortal champions of Chaos, handpicked by the gods for their strength and devotion. These warriors are more powerful than regular Chaos Warriors, often serving as commanders or bodyguards for Chaos Lords. Their weapons and armour are infused with dark magic, and they are driven by an unquenchable thirst for glory and power.

Chaos Lords: Chaos Lords are the leaders of Chaos warbands, often blessed by their gods with supernatural strength and abilities. These champions of Chaos wield immense power and are feared across the Mortal Realms. Chaos Lords are often mounted on powerful beasts or daemon steeds, leading their forces into battle with the favour of their god.

Chaos Sorcerer Lords: The Chaos Sorcerer Lords are powerful spellcasters who use the dark magic of Chaos to unleash devastating spells on their enemies. These sorcerers have made pacts with the Chaos Gods in exchange for immense magical power, allowing them to manipulate the forces of the Mortal Realms to their will. Their abilities are unpredictable and often dangerous, both to their enemies and to themselves.

Daemon Princes: A Daemon Prince is a mortal champion who has ascended to immortality through the favour of their chosen god. These individuals are transformed into powerful daemons, possessing incredible strength, magical power, and immortality. Becoming a Daemon Prince is the ultimate goal for many Slaves to Darkness champions, as it represents the pinnacle of their devotion to Chaos.

Aesthetics and Miniatures

The aesthetic of the Slaves to Darkness reflects their devotion to Chaos and their warlike nature. Their models are heavily armoured, often adorned with chaotic symbols and twisted mutations. The design of the miniatures emphasises a dark, corrupted nobility, with intricate armour, savage weapons, and grotesque daemonic features.

Chaos Warriors are depicted as towering figures clad in ornate, spiked armour, wielding massive weapons with brutal efficiency.

Chaos Knights ride into battle on vicious steeds, their armour and weapons radiating dark power.

Daemon Princes and Chaos Lords feature a blend of human and daemonic traits, showcasing their ascension to the ranks of the Dark Gods’ favoured.

The colour scheme of the Slaves to Darkness typically involves dark tones—such as black, deep reds, and purples—combined with metallic accents of gold and brass, emphasising their connection to the infernal powers they serve.

Conclusion

The Slaves to Darkness are the mortal champions of Chaos, embodying its relentless, destructive force across the Mortal Realms. Whether through brute strength, magical prowess, or the dark blessings of the Chaos Gods, the Slaves to Darkness seek to conquer and destroy all in their path. Their versatile armies and compelling lore make them one of the most iconic and formidable factions in Warhammer Age of Sigmar, embodying the eternal struggle between order and chaos at the heart of the setting.