Official Backstory

[Daedraug]

Since it came up in the other thread, the official backstory for WAR is here:

http://warhammeronline.com/gamebackstory/index.php

And as for Khaine, he's not the same guy as Khorne (which, while theologically debatable, is at least a separation that their respective worshipers make.)

[Roth'rili]

Thank you! I was going to say the samething to him, he even mentioned that the Dark Elves worshipped a chaos god (besides the cult of Slaanesh) to any hardcore DE player and you would likely be hanging from a wire. There is a lot of heated debate of the whole thing, does believing in Khaine and following him also feed the emotions to Khorne, probably but they are not the same being.

[Swerto]

Under the reign of Bel-Shanaar the Explorer, the Cult of Pleasure had originated and gained influence among the nobility of the Elves. Malekith, the son of the former Phoenix King Aenarion and his wife Morathi had become an outstanding warrior and great general like his father. He held a strong belief that in order to defeat the forces of Chaos once and for all, the Asur had to become a warlike people, unlike the nobles who he regarded as soft and complacent. When an investigation into the Cult of Pleasure was ordered, he took charge of it. For a while, he had great success in uprooting the cult, securing him the gratification of the people.
But then he claimed Bel-Shanaar was part of the cult himself and killed him with an undetectable poison, claiming that the Phoenix King had killed himself to avoid an interrogation. The council loyalists accused Malekith of murder. Then, an army of Malekith's supporters swept in from Nagarythe, slaughtering the Princes in order to save Ulthuan as they believed. Malekith then proclaimed himself Phoenix King, but as he entered the sacred Flame of Asuryan according to the coronation ritual, he was horribly burnt and maimed, supposedly because Asuryan would not accept such a wicked being as his avatar in the mortal world. He was barely able to cast himself out of the fire, his injuries leaving him on the brink of death.


You linked that to us, if I interpreted it wrong I apologize. I am a newbie to Warhammer lore, as I was to Warcraft Lore a year ago, I'm still trying to get it hard and down before I even think about creating a character.

[Roth'rili]

The cult of pleasure is a very hush hush thing hence its a cult. The High Elves/Dark Elves dispise chaos and this cult was actually a great problem cause people were worshipping a god of their enemy. They are by far not the majority, Dark Elf society is surrounded by Khainite worshippers and Slaanesh as a few followers but its VERY secretive cult. Even Dark Elves would kill their fellow Dark Elves if they found out they were part of the cult.

To explain the quote, I believe that happened after they were able to force chaos to remain in the northern wastes. When word got out of a cult of Slaanesh the High Elves went to root them out and exterminate them. Malekith was doing so but he was also corrupt himself and it didn't help he was beign manipulated by his mother, which happened to also be the leader of the cult of pleasure. He offed the Pheoniz King to become it himself but was denied. Since he believes in the High Elves being more of a war like people, him and his followers became the Dark Elves and followed Khaine. Which is the High Elf god of War, Murder and Death, but chaos and Slaanesh is still taboo, you worship it in secrecy or probably die.

[Daedraug]

Yeah - the cult of pleasure is in part what cost Malekith the throne in the first place, so they'd likely be on the edge of civil war if his mom ever went public.

[Nazshakul]

Tch, Malekith is just a Momma's boy. ;) Anyways, Dark Elves look like they'd be awesome to roleplay. Maybe a Disciple, or Black Guard...

[Swerto]

From what I read anyone who RP's a blackguard and rps that they have a living relative should be a very bad blackguard (as according to that guide they have to sacrafice their entire family to Khaine upon becoming a blackguard)

[Daedraug]

Yeah it will be interesting to see how many people play the characters as extreme as they're supposed to be, especially DE's and Chaos. Order's by no means excluded from that, though.

Tch, Malekith is just a Momma's boy.

Eww. Don't remind me.

[Nojinbu]

I thought I'd post this to you guys regarding the DOK and their following of khaine. This comes from a mythic dev conference where someone asked about this possible lore breaking class:

Brannoc - *Elthrai* A lore question which never got answered: Why did you choose for DoK to get their powers from Khaine (which is lorebreaking) and not let's say from the convents. Have you ever thought about the alternatives about the Background of the DoK (with still maintaining the look and mechanics but not being lorebreaking)
[WAR]Gersh - Loaded gun here eh?
[WAR]Josh - DUCK!
[WAR]Gersh - So short story long.. I got put in a room with Mr Allen Merrit
[WAR]Josh - Merrett
[WAR]Gersh - the defacto God ruler of gamesworkshop lore
[WAR]Gersh - Merrett
[WAR]Josh - THE Alan Merrett.
[WAR]Gersh - oh god please forgive
[WAR]Gersh - I shall be slain
[WAR]Josh - SPEAK NOT HIS NAME FALSELY!
[WAR]Josh - *ahem*
[WAR]Gersh - And the disciple was a really good comprimise in new lore vs old lore
[WAR]Gersh - remember Khaine is granting you favors for the sacrifice of the souls and life energies you gather
[WAR]Gersh - this is similar to witch elves bathing in the blood of sacrifices for power and eternal life
[WAR]Gersh - etc etc

If you wish to read more, there are several nice tid bits here for everyone to read.

http://war.stratics.com/php-bin/show_content.php?content=27140

[Villayna]

ooh, someone let Nojinbu out of his cage! *cracks whip* Back to work!

[Guduk]

i.e. They got permission to bend the lore

[Nazshakul]

I'll say...

I think it's BS they won't make female Chosen or Marauders, when some actually exist in Lore, yet make female Dwarves playable when they're virtually non-existant from what I can tell.

[Swerto]

They got permission to bend the lore by the person who is in charge of the lore, therefore the lore is changed... capiche?

Nothing gets put into this game without game workshops consent (as was said in the early pod casts when he was about to show images <said they might be blurred off by the time we see them>

[Nojinbu]

i.e. They got permission to bend the lore

Its not lore breaking if the class is using a mix of old lore and new lore. Both were created by the same folks, and either way picking old or new, would offend SOMEONE in their choice. This way they had a chance of taking elements from both versions and appeasing more then 1/2 of the populous by choosing one side. Also, if you think of it, by choosing which lore that also sinks in the time line or lore line of the other factions, which could cause even more trouble.

My best guess on the subject of course. Nothin' official.

[Raziel]

At least when GW changes their Lore, (ork = sponges / Khaine = DE too) it's to bridge their Old stuff and their new stuff together FOR continuity.

When Blizzard changes their Lore, it's because they actually forgot they wrote the shit beforehand, and BREAKS the continuity.

[Belzebeus]

i.e. They got permission to bend the lore

Did George Lucas have his own permission when he wrote Star Wars I, II, and , III?


Midicholorians, my ass!

[Nojinbu]

Did George Lucas have his own permission when he wrote Star Wars I, II, and , III?


Midicholorians, my ass!

Well now your just going to "is this a good idea, or bad idea?" not, "is this still within the lore?"