This section details some of the strangest and most famous (or infamous) characters to be found in Mordheim and the outlying settlements. Occasionally, these warriors join forces with a warband (usually demanding wyrdstone or a bag of gold in payment).

The following characters (known as 'special characters') are hard to find and expensive to hire -you must be lucky and wealthy to attract their attention.

This list does not, by any means, include all the famous warriors and cold-hearted killers you could encounter in Mordheim. There are famous Dwarf gold hunters, Burgomeisters of the Merchants' Guild, Theodor, the marksman of Hochland, and many others. In fact we hope that the characters detailed here will inspire players to invent special characters of their own.

You can only ever have one of a particular special character in your warband. A warband may employ as many special characters as it likes - if it can afford them!

After a battle, you can send any number of your Heroes to look for a special character. Only Heroes can look (Henchmen are rarely trustworthy enough). Heroes who went out of action in the last battle are unable to join the search because they are recovering from their wounds.

Heroes who are looking for a special character cannot look for rare items. Decide which special character you are seeking, and how many Heroes have been sent to look for him. Roll a D6 for each searcher. If any of the searchers rolls under his Initiative he has located the special character. You can, of course, only find one of a particular special character, no matter how many searchers roll under their Initiative.

The warband must pay the hire fee for the special character when he is recruited, and after each battle he fights, including the first, you must pay an upkeep fee. These fees are indicated in the entries. This money comes from the warband's treasury in the same way as buying new weapons or recruiting new warriors. If you don't have enough gold to pay for the special character he leaves the warband.

Special characters have their own equipment. Only they may use this equipment; it can't be given to other warriors. Furthermore, you cannot buy extra weapons or equipment for a special character.

Special characters do not earn Experience points, although they suffer serious injuries, just like Heroes, if they are taken out ofaction.

Each special character's description tells you how much to add to your warband's rating for including them (taking into account their experience and abilities).

Many famous swordsmen have come to Mordheim to make their fortune, but few can match the terrifying reputation of the Elf swordsman Aenur. This mighty warrior was responsible for slaying the entire Possessed warband of Karl Zimmeran, and single-handedly cleansed the Rat Hole, a settlement that had been overrun by Beastmen.

Rumours about Aenur's origin abound. Elves usually avoid human settlements, and Mordheim in particular, but for some reason the tall, pale swordsman has stayed in the proximity of the ruined city for months.

Some say Aenur comes from beyond the Great Ocean, from the fabled Elven kingdoms, and that he is the captain of the legendary Order of Swordmasters. Others claim that he is a Wood Elf prince in exile. Aenur himself says little about his past and those who are wise do not question him.

Whenever a warband prepares an expedition to explore the inner city, there is a chance they may hear a sharp rap at the gate of their encampment - their unexpected visitor will be Aenur, offering his services to their leader.

If, indeed, Aenur seeks something in the grim ruins of Mordheim, no-one knows what this might be. Some say that he wishes to explore the Pit itself, and slay the enigmatic Shadow Lord, though such a task must surely be above even this mighty warrior.

Aenur is tall even for an Elf, and beneath his finely woven Elven cloak he wears armour of gleaming ithilmar. He carries a sword of immense size which is rumoured to have arcane properties. Certainly no-one who has been struck by it has ever lived to tell the tale.

Hire Fee: 150 gold crowns to hire.

May be Hired: Any warband except Skaven, Undead and the Possessed may hire Aenur.

Rating: Aenur increases the warband's rating by +100 points.

Weapons/Armour: Aenur wears ithilmar armour, an Elven cloak and carries an enormous sword known as Ienh-Khain.

Aenur has the following skills: Strike to Injure, Expert Swordsman, Step Aside, Sprint, Lightning Reflexes, Dodge and Mighty Blow.

Invincible Swordsman. Aenur always hits his opponents on a roll of 2 + in hand-to-hand combat.

Wanderer. Aenur only ever stays with a warband for the duration of the battle. A warband who used Aenur in their last battle may not seek him out until they have fought at least one battle without him.

Ienh-Khain (the Hand of Khaine). Ienh-Khain is an incredibly long single-edged sword, which Aenur uses with consummate skill. This sword allows Aenur to parry, adds +1 to his Strength and causes a critical hit on a roll of 5-6 when rolling to wound.

Of the many cutthroats and assassins for hire that infest the settlements around Mordheim, Johann the Knife is the most famous. He exhibits his vocation as hired knife-fighter and assassin extraordinaire by the various lethal-looking daggers hanging from his belt, and the mean glint of his eyes. Johann wears dark leather gear, slightly out of fashion, which has never been washed (or so the barmaids say). His long face bears the scars of many a fight, and his unkempt hair is lank and greasy.

Johann's purse is always heavy with gold, and he takes no trouble to hide it, since only a fool would try to steal it from him. Many have tried, and all have died... very quickly. The craftsmanship and quality of Johann's daggers is beyond compare, as he has taken them from the bodies of the many wealthy, but unskilful, opponents he has despatched in vicious duels.

Hire Fee: 70 gold crowns to hire; +30 gold crowns upkeep cost. Johann is addicted to Crimson Shade, so you may hire him for one portion of Crimson Shade if you wish.

May be Hired: Any warband except Skaven, Undead and the Possessed may hire Johann.

Rating: Johann the Knife increases a warband's rating by +60 points.

Weapons/Armour: Johann is armed with countless throwing knives and several long daggers (he always counts as having two swords in close combat). His weapons are always coated with Black Lotus and he may take Crimson Shade before a battle if you want him to.

Johann has the following skills: Dodge, Scale Sheer Surfaces, Quick Shot, Eagle Eyes and Knife Fighter.

Knife Fighter Extraordinaire: Johann has a deserved reputation for being the greatest knife-fighter in whole of the Empire. Unlike normal warriors, he can combine the Knife Fighter and Quick Shot skills (yes, he can throw six throwing knives in one turn if he does not move!).

Nears ago, Bertha sought refuge in the strict discipline and devotions of the Sisters of Sigmar. Only the warrior god of the Empire was worthy of her esteem. Only He was constant and faithful. And had not holy Sigmar, in truth, chosen her to he one of his handmaidens?

The pure blood of the Unberogens runs in Bertha's veins, as evinced by her long golden plaits and fierce blue eyes, which can freeze a Goblin at twenty paces with an icy glare. Even her voice commands authority, turning strong, hairy-thewed men into trembling wretches.

The Sisters look up to Bertha as an example of holy womanhood. She rose rapidly through the ranks of the Sisterhood, and on her deathbed the revered Matriarch Cassandra named Bertha her successor, new High Matriarch, and Abedissa of Sigmar's Rock.

Hire Fee: None. Bertha will come to the aid of any Sisters of Sigmar warband if they send one or more of their Heroines to look for her in the normal manner, rolling under their Initiative (representing their efforts to gain audience with the High Matriarch). If she does grant an audience, she might decide that her personal help is needed in the forthcoming battle. She will only come to the aid of a Sisters of Sigmar warband if their enemy has a higher warband rating. Consult the table below, and roll a D6 to see whether Bertha will aid the warband.

May be Hired: Bertha Bestraufrung will only join Sisters of Sigmar warbands.

Rating: Bertha increases a warband's rating by +105 points.

Weapons/Armour: Bertha is armed with two Sigmarite warhammers, wears gromril armour, and carries a vial of blessed water and a holy relic.

Bertha has the following skills: Mighty Blow, Unstoppable Charge and Righteous Fury.

Bertha knows all six Prayers of Sigmar.

High Matriarch. As the High Matriarch of the Sisters of Sigmar's Mercy, Bertha will automatically be the leader of any warband she joins.

Veskit was already a talented clan Eshin Assassin when he was entrusted with his most difficult mission. He was hired by Clan Skryre to free one of their oldest and most experienced Warlocks who was being held hostage by a rival clan.

Veskit managed to take the prisoner back, fighting his way through the guards, but at a very high cost. He suffered terrible wounds and would have certainly died, but the Nightmaster of Clan Eshin made a pact with the Warlock Engineers. The Skaven scientist-sorcerers replaced various parts of Veskit's body with their part technological, part magical implants and made him into a walking arsenal of deadly weapons. Veskit is now more a machine than a living thing, and his thirst for killing has become almost uncontrollable.

When news of the wyrdstone came to the hidden fortress of Clan Eshin, the Nightmaster sent Veskit to Mordheim to deter the man-things from exploring the city, which rightfully belonged to the Skaven. From that day on, many adventurers have met their end in the dark allies of Mordheim. Veskit's unblinking eye misses nothing, and those he hunts on the streets of Mordheim never return to the Gargoyle Gate.

Hire Fee: 80 gold crowns to hire; +35 gold crowns upkeep cost.

May be Hired: Veskit may only be hired by Skaven warbands.

Rating: Veskit increases the warband's rating by +70 points.

Weapons/Armour: Eshin Fighting Claws (the extra attack is included in his profile). Each Fighting Claw incorporates an in-built Warplock pistol, so Veskit can shoot in every turn, and he fights in close combat with Strength 5 and a save modifier of -3 (note that he can still parry mice with his claws!).

Unfeeling. Veskit is a cold, calculating killing machine, and feels few of the emotions that living things do. He is therefore immune to all psychology.

No Pain. Veskit ignores knocked down and stunned results on the Injury chart. He must lose his last wound and be taken out of action before he is removed from battle.

Unblinking Eye. Thanks to the sorcerous devices built by the Warlock Engineers of Clan Skryre, Veskit can spot hidden enemies within twice his Initiative value in inches.

Metallic Body. These give Veskit his high Toughness and a 3+ armour save.