"A bunch of fools."
On the blood-soaked battlefield, a daemon of Chaos Undivided prowled through the fighting.
His silhouette flickered in and out of view amid the smoke and flames, his body bearing no obvious marks of Chaos.
His name was Mardell, and he was a powerful daemon of Chaos Undivided.
He belonged to no Chaos God's host and served none of them. He was loyal only to himself and pursued only his own goals.
In the gaps between the Chaos Gods' struggles for power, unaligned daemons like him could often find opportunities of their own.
While the great powers were busy fighting one another, they could leisurely pick up the spoils, taking treasures that had been overlooked.
He, too, had set his sights on Lorgar.
While the Four Gods focused their attention on that warship, and Khorne's Bloodthirsters fought fiercely against the Word Bearers' guards, he slipped silently onto the battlefield.
He attracted no attention. Neither the daemons nor the warriors locked in battle noticed his unobtrusive figure. Like a drop of water merging with the sea, he moved naturally through the chaotic battlefield, evading every gaze.
And so, amid the slaughter, he crept to Lorgar's side.
Mardell stood beside Lorgar's bed, looking down at that peaceful face.
Greed glittered in his eyes, and a satisfied smile curled his lips.
He could feel the power within Lorgar's body: pure, mighty psychic energy, blazing as fiercely as the sun. Even while his soul slept, it continued to radiate a warm glow.
"Perfect. So utterly perfect..."
Mardell's voice was low and hoarse, filled with excitement he could barely contain.
His fingers trembled slightly as he slowly reached toward Lorgar's face.
"I cannot wait to claim your soul. Your power will be the stairway to my ascension, and your body the instrument