Norsca

Norsca is a fictional place in Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy world setting. It is analogous in position within the "Old World" to Scandinavia and its human occupants, the "Norse", are a fantasy version of the Norse peoples (including the vikings).

Norsca has a heavily indented coastline and is otherwise mountainous. To the North lies the Realm of Chaos (also called Shadowlands by Norse, Kurgans and Hung and known as Chaos Wastes), to the south beyond the Sea of Claws lies the Empire and to the east and South east the Eastern Steppes and Kurgan nation and the kingdom of Kislev, respectively. Between Norsca and Kislev is a wilderness area called Troll Country. Norsca is usually referred to be part of the Chaos Wastes; as the area is very close to the Wastes and is suffused with the corrupting power of Chaos.

Norsca was originally populated by both High Elves and Dwarfs. Humans came to this land long after them. Norse Dwarves still remain and often come into conflict with the Norse tribes, but Elves have left the land. There are many ancient elven ruins. One of these mysterious places is the Forest of Knives, in the middle of Norsca, where an ancient Elven temple is located. But this place is extremely difficult and dangerous to reach.

Norse Dwarfs

The Norse Dwarfs are the most northerly of the Dwarfs of the Old World. While related to the Dwarfs in their strongholds to the South the separation over the years has led to some changes and the Norse Dwarfs have taken on some more wild characteristics compared to the mainstream of Dwarf society.

Norse Dwarfs are featured in the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP1) supplement Dwarfs: Stone & Steel and also in the (WFRP2) supplement Tome of Corruption.

The Norse

The Norse are in description and in the models produced similar to the Vikings. They are described as great sea borne explorers, traders, reavers and slavers who have built and maintain colonies in Lustria (the Warhammer world's version of South and Meso America). Models released and entries in publications such as Warhammer Armies for 3rd edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle and the Man O' War naval game are clearly based on the Vikings.

Main information about Norse can be found from the Liber Khorne which is Volume I of Liber Chaotica (other Volumes also have stories involving Norse characters), Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP2) supplement Tome of Corruption and Hordes of Chaos supplement for Warhammer Fantasy Battle. Some information can be found from many other Warhammer sourcebooks, for example Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP2) supplement Realm of the Ice Queen, which has little information about Norsii migration. There was also large article about Norse for the use of Warhammer Fantasy Battle in the Citadel Journal Issue 6. Also Norse Marauders make an appearance in the mercenary supplement Dogs of War and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP3) Liber Carnagia adventure Crimson Rain (there is some information present on Norse customs and culture as well), which is part of Omens of War supplement. Various novels dealing with Norse characters, such as Wulfrik, Palace of the Plague Lord, Valkia and so on, also includes a lot of information regarding their culture.

Norse religion

Norse religion is dynamic and complex, featuring a broad pantheon. Norse worship mainly Dark Gods using human sacrifices. These Dark Gods include Chaos Gods Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh and Tzeentch. Norse have many names for these Gods. But Norse also worship other beings (many seem to be Daemon and Daemon Princes) and spirits of ancestors and heroes. There also seems to be other Gods, which might be Gods that are not related to Chaos.

Main themes for Norse pantheon include: War, Desire, Decay and Hope. Their Pantheon rarely features just a single God per theme, rather they may have several. Norse religion is featured in the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP2) supplements Tome of Corruption and Tome of Salvation. Also Liber Chaotica features Chaos Gods. In the Hordes/Warriors of Chaos supplements for Warhammer Fantasy Battle, it is stated that the all the Norse recognize the Chaos Gods as the masters of these various lesser deities and pay their highest religious devotion to them.

Fiction

Outside of games, there have also been numerous novels and short stories by various authors set in the Warhammer world. Some happen also in Norsca. Some novels involving mostly Norse characters and places are C.L. Werner's Palace of the Plague Lord, Forged by Chaos and the Wulfrik, Valkia and Sigvald novels for Warhammer Heroes. The Legend of Sigmar novels also display the Norse as the main antagonists of the first two books. Slaves to Darkness, by Gav Thorpe, also shows the Norse tribes as important supporting characters to the Imperial born Chaos Champion protagonist.

Norse in other games

Miniatures

Citadel released a range of Norse miniatures in the 1980s but these are now out of production but examples of individual Norse models are still available for Blood Bowl.

Miniatures of Norscans mostly exist now as Marauder and Chaos Warrior miniatures. Though they can be painted and assembled in such a way as to portray any of the three main Chaos humans—Norse, Kurgan or Hung.

References

Bibliography

External links


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