Cormac Bloodaxe

Cormac Bloodaxe was a king of the Norsii and champion of Kharnath in the time of Sigmar. He invaded the new Empire and laid siege to Middenheim. ^[1a]

Appearance

His face was battered, his eyes hooded and malicious with a flattened nose that had been broken many times and taly scars marking his cheeks, each representing a great mound of skulls offered to Kharnath. A life lived in the north had weathered his skin and his hair was copper coloured. ^[2a]

History

He was part of the army that his father had led to the southern lands and who were defeated by Sigmar and his allied kings. The few survivors of the destruction of their fleet were forced to cannibalise their wrecked ships to provide primitive shelters. He was told by Kar Odacen to walk along the shoreline with him, and there he found the malnourished Gerreon in a small boat who Kar Odacen renaned Azazel. ^[1a]

In 3 IC Cormac and Azazel led their wolfships to plunder the settlements of the Roppsmenn, capturing their leaders and women and demanding their warriors serve them for the forthcoming season to ensure their safety. Then they and the Norsii began raiding the Udose, ^[2b] killing Count Wolfila and his family and burning his castle, leaving the bodies of the family crucified on the remaining tower. ^[2c]

Over the course of a year he assembled a fleet of nearly 400 wolfships using materials plundered for sacked Udose settlements. He also gathered a great host of chaos worshipping tribes, assembling a force of more than ten thousand warriors from the Avag, Gharhar, Hung, Iron Wolves, Khazag, Kul, Mung, Tahmak, Varg, Wei-Tu and Yusak tribes. ^[2d]

They spent the next two years training before confronting and defeating the army of Sigmar at the Battle of the Northern Ridge. Following his victory, he fought and killed two dozen prisoners in a hastily-dig battle-pit. ^[2e] He planned to ravage the Empire when Sigmar retreated to Middenheim but Kar Odacen convinced him that he must attack the city of the White Wolf to extinguish the Flame of Ulric. ^[2f]

As the Siege of Middenheimhad continued the Norsii gathered and decapitated every corpse that fell from the spire, the skulls hurled into a huge pit, exactly eighty yards wide and eight yards deep. Cormac descended into it depths, champions from the various tribes (except the Shornaal worshipping Hung) standing at its edge, each with a dagger at the throat of a fierce warrior. ^[2g]

He ritually took the heads of 88 captives, letting their blood wash over his iron-hard skin and feeling the wall between the mortal world and the void grow thin. Kar Odacen was energised by the power being drawn to the pit and spoke the first words of death which echoed the birth of Kharnath. The warriors had their throats slit and in answer, crimson bolts of lightning slammed into the pit and Cormac became a Bloodthirster. ^[2g]

The Bloodthirster successfully ruined the Temple of Ulric but then was shattered by Sigmar with his warhammer Ghal-Maraz.^[2h]

Weapons and Equipment

Kar Odacen bound the spirit of Varag Skulltaker to his axe. ^[2g]

Quotes

It is a mistake to think yourself invincible, shaman. Over-confidence will see us defeated. Think like that and we will make mistakes, leave openings for the enemy to exploit. We must assume nothing, and expect that our enemies will come back from this defeat stronger and more prepared. The master of the Empire is no fool and will surely learn from his humbling. ~ Cormac to Kar Odacen. [2f]

Sources

• 1: Legend of Sigmar (anthology): Heldenhammer (novel)
  • 1a: Fifteen: Union, pg. 227-230
• 2: Legend of Sigmar (anthology): Empire (Novel)
  • 2a: Northern Fire, pg. 456
  • 2b: Northern Fire, pg. 457
  • 2c: Thirteen: A Warning Unheeded, pg. 519
  • 2d: Fifteen: The Price of Betrayal, pg. 539-540
  • 2e: Seventeen: Wolves of the North, pg. 574
  • 2f: Seventeen: Wolves of the North, pg. 576-578
  • 2g: Chapter Twenty: The Last Days, pg. 619-621
  • 2h: Chapter Twenty Two: The Doom of Men, pg. 640-643