Archaon, the lord of Chaos: the Dark Beast, the Chosen One, the Dark Redeemer. The mere mention of his name sends fear into the hearts of the citizens of the Old World. For as long as Man can remember no other Champion of Chaos has risen to such infamy. But he differs from any other Champion of Chaos, for he has a purpose beyond the ambition of becoming a Daemon Prince: he sees that it is his destiny to lead the hordes of Chaos to the final war against the free people.

When Archaon was accepted into the service of Chaos no-one knows, but rumours say he was once a fanatic Templar, a priest-knight who fought against the enemies of mankind, pure in heart and thought.

He studied the ancient scrolls and grimoires of the temples of the Old World, trying to find a way to defeat the darkness of Chaos that stirred in the north. His studies proved futile until he stumbled upon a manuscript written by one of the acolytes of Necrodomo the Insane, the mad blind prophet who foresaw the destruction of the world at the hands of the Chaos gods.

What he learned from the manuscript is not known, but legend says that Archaon screamed in rage, calling the gods liars and then fled from the temple. He gave up his name and burned down the sanctuary where he had found the manuscript. He hunted down and slaughtered his entire family so nothing of his former life would remain. Only service to Chaos held any importance to him from that moment on.

Archaon travelled north, into the Chaos Wastes, to seek the patronage of Chaos. He was not like other Champions of Chaos: where other mortals beseech the Dark Gods to elevate them to Daemonhood, Archaon asked only to be the tool of Chaos in overthrowing order in the world.

His vast intellect and gifts were placed in the service of the Chaos gods. He did not sleep, eat or drink. Every moment of his life was dedicated to Chaos. Tirelessly he planned, prepared and trained so that now he leads the greatest and most powerful of all the warbands, a mighty coalition of warriors called the Swords of Chaos. These men are totally dedicated to Archaon and his cause, and revere him as a demi-god.

Archaon hates and scorns the achievements of the petty empires of men. Old races such as the Dwarfs and Elves are deemed worthless and weak. Only Chaos can bring salvation to the world. Only by wiping the face of the earth clean of the taint of civilisation and order can the kingdom of Chaos rule supreme.

According to the prophesy of Necrodomo, the Chosen One who unleashes the new age of Chaos will be recognised by the treasures he carries. These mighty artefacts were once scattered to the four corners of the world, but Archaon was utterly determined to gather them so that the prophesy would be fulfilled.

The quest for the treasures of Chaos is an epic story in itself, and is a terrifying testament to the determination, prowess, and ruthlessness of Archaon. Where thousands had failed, he succeeded.

He travelled to the Altar of Ultimate Darkness in the far off lands of Naggaroth, and when he returned on his forehead was stamped the burning mark of Chaos. Since then none who saw him dared to touch him, lest they summoned the wrath of Chaos.

On a ship made of black metal he travelled over the seas and returned with an ancient suit of armour, dating from a time beyond mortal reckoning. The suit is rumoured to be the same suit of armour that the first and greatest Chaos lord, Morkar, wore at the dawn of time when he fought against Aenarion, the first Phoenix King of the High Elves.

From the treasure hoard of the Chaos Dragon, Flamefang, he recovered the Eye of Sheerian, and hung it from his neck as a mark of his victory The Dragon and the man fought a great battle over the Cliff of Beasts, but finally Archaon prevailed. He touched none of the hoarded gems and gold, but took only the Eye.

He travelled to the very Gates of Chaos and returned riding W'Soraych, the Steed of the Apocalypse, stolen from the stable of the Daemon Lord Agrammon.

On the Chimera Plateau he wrestled the legendary sword, the Slayer of Kings, from the hands of the oldest of the Dragon Ogres. The titanic beast, said to be the size of a mountain, slumbered deeply, still holding its sword. Archaon wrestled the ancient weapon from the iron grasp of the monster, and since then he has been all but invincible in combat.

Only the one final, hidden treasure of Chaos eludes him, and once he has found it he believes he can unleash the Storm of Chaos and gather all the followers of the Dark gods under his banner. Then he will march south from the Chaos Wastes and break the backs of the mortal lords of the Warhammer world.

Over the years Archaon has carefully cultivated his power and gathered many warbands under his banner in preparation for the struggle to come. He has fought hundreds of battles, and the Chaos gods have always made him victorious.

Many Chaos warbands oppose Archaon and are crushed into submission when faced with his martial skill and the fanatical Swords of Chaos. Captives are always given the same choice: join his crusade or die. Many choose oblivion, but just as many others, especially if they already follow the path of Chaos, bow to the will of Archaon. In him the eternally divided followers of Chaos recognise a leader they are prepared to follow. Other Champions see him as the greatest Champion of Chaos to have ever risen. In this way Archaon has won the service of many of the greatest Champions of Chaos and as his foul deeds have grown in stature he has gained the support of many of these fell lords even without battle. Now his armies number in their thousands, and his power grows daily.

Archaon has launched many attacks and raids against the humans and Dwarfs of the north, razing border fortresses and putting the populations of entire towns to the sword. To the Kislevites his name is a byword for death, destruction and misfortune.

So great has his infamy grown that in the year 2515 the Arch-Lector of the cult of Sigmar gathered an army to rid the world of the evil that is Archaon. The two sides met in the shadows of the Screaming Hills and the carnage lasted for three days. But in the end all who opposed Archaon lay dead. Only the Arch-Lector himself was spared, his bodyguard and captains hacked down around him.

Once this terrible deed had been done, Archaon himself stepped forward, and using his powerful dark charm and commanding presence, he turned Kurt Mannfeld from the path of light. The priest joined the Swords of Chaos and embraced the path of Damnation becoming one of the most fanatical supporters of Archaon.

When word of Archaon's victory echoed throughout the Chaos Wastes, new warbands flocked to his banner. In the end his enemies had only managed to increase his power and influence.

Soon Archaon will have gathered enough forces under his command, and when the tide of Chaos rises again, he will ride out to challenge the mortal world. And when Archaon and the Swords of Chaos march south a new chapter of the Chronicles of Chaos shall be written in blood.