In the Northern Wastes, on the Skarlings Tribe's shore, thousands of Norscan warriors were gathering.
They were all warriors who worshipped Chaos, ranging from basic Norscan Marauders to Norscan Champion warriors and Chaos Chosen. A vast, densely packed army boarded Dragon Ships—almost as large as aircraft carriers—and headed toward Marienburg.
The three hundred elite chieftain bodyguards known as the Crimson Guard stood atop the cliffs, protecting their leader.
Amid the biting cold wind, Red Eye, chieftain of the Skarlings Tribe, stood at the bow of a Dragon Ship, gazing out toward the distant ocean, still hidden from view.
Two people stood behind him.
They were his most trusted Chaos Champion, Haldorn, and his adopted son, a powerful Chaos Sorcerer named Chakoi.
A small Bretonnian fishing boat had drifted into the northern waters and run aground near the tribe. After rescuing the boy aboard, the tribe had planned to make him a slave. But his eyes blazed with defiance, born of boundless hatred and despair.
Red Eye had been moved by the strength and resolve in the child's eyes. He had clearly sensed the mark of the Dark Gods: during his days adrift, the boy had been corrupted by Chaos energy and had gained the ability to manipulate the Magic Winds.
The chieftain believed the child was a gift from the gods, so he adopted him as his own. He taught him to embrace the Skarlings' way of life—a life of war—and how to bring glory to the Dark Gods and earn honor in life and in death. Following Norscan naming traditions, he gave the boy the name Chakoi. He called him "Little Bear" as a nickname, and, as he grew up, Chakoi became the tribe's Chaos Sorcerer.
This was what happened when children were allowed to awaken their magical talents.