70: Chaos Dwarf Society Pt1 | Warhammer Old World Lore

We journey east into the Mountains of Mourn, where jagged, storm-wracked peaks rise above the Dark Lands and the howling winds can freeze even an Ogre solid, and where hunger, violence, and survival shape every moment of existence. This episode explores the Ogre Kingdoms themselves: a brutal homeland ruled by endlessly warring Tyrants, where gluttony is power, strength is law, and the ever-hungry Great Maw is both god and justification. We break down how Ogres live, fight, and think—why raiding, mercenary work, and extortion are simply efficient ways to eat, how their immense bodies and gut-centered anatomy make them nearly unstoppable, and why size and bulk define status more than bloodline or intellect. From their ancient destruction of the Skytitan empire to the long memory of a lost eastern realm and a looming future of renewed expansion, the episode paints the Ogres not as mindless brutes, but as a terrifyingly practical culture whose population is rising once more—raising the chilling question of what happens when a people who believe “might makes right” grow hungry again.Chat with us on DiscordPatreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠SHOW IMAGES:Maps: Map1  -  Map 2Art: Ogres 1 - Ogres 2 - Greasus GoldtoothMiniatures: Ogre army - Ogre Tyrant - Ogre Bulls - Greasus Goldtooth3rd Edition: Army List - Ogre Ad 1 - Ogre Ad 2Theme Music: Tavern by Alex Rufire

In our final episode on the Chaos Dwarf we look at their army design across Warhammer Fantasy editions, focusing on the transition from the 3rd to 4th edition lists, the focus of the episode, and closing out with the 8th and Old World lists. We look at the hodgepodge nature of their introduction to warhammer which included solid blocks of “Chaos Warrior Dwarfs” supported by a plethora of warmachines. We dive into the 4th edition list and some of the rules which combined heavily armoured Chaos Dwarf infantry, numerous Hobgoblin units, and goblinoid slave contingents. All augmented with Bull Centaurs, monsters, and crude but powerful artillery such as the Earthshaker Cannon. We close out the episode with a look at how Forge World radically reshaped the faction into a smaller, more elite force dominated by Sorcerer-Prophets, Infernal Guard, and  daemon-bound war machines.Chat with us on DiscordPatreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠SHOW IMAGES:3rd EditionChaos Dwarf Army list - Hobgoblin army list - Ass Cannon4th EditionHeroic Infantry - General on Great Taurus - Sorcerer on LammasuChaos Dwarf Infantry - Bull CentaursHobgoblin Warriors - Archers - Wolfriders - Sneaky GitsEnslaved OrcsWarmachinesThe Old WorldLegends Chaos Dwarf Army ListTheme Music: Tavern by Alex Rufire

In this episode we have a look at the most important figures in Chaos Dwarf society, focusing on how their power is exercised through sorcery, industry, cruelty, and political intrigue. We start with Astragoth Ironhand, the ancient High Priest of Hashut and de facto ruler of Zharr-Naggrund, whose mastery of dark sorcery, religious authority, and mechanical augmentation has allowed him to dominate Chaos Dwarf politics for centuries despite the creeping Curse of Stone. We then turn to Drazhoath the Ashen, a rival Sorcerer-Prophet exiled to the Black Fortress who transforms banishment into strength by building the Legion of Azgorh and later exploiting the Tamurkhan invasion for profit and prestige. We close out with Gorduz Backstabber, a Hobgoblin warleader whose unparalleled treachery and survival instincts make him a uniquely valuable intermediary for Chaos Dwarf armies. All three point to the Chaos Dwarf worldview: power is maintained by fear, industry, ruthless ambition, and absolute devotion to Hashut.Chat with us on DiscordPatreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠SHOW IMAGES:Astrogoth Ironhand: 4th Edition miniature - TWW3 ArtDrazhoath the Ashen: 8th Edition miniatureGorduz Backstabber: 4th Edition miniature - TWW3 Concept Art

We start this episode by exploring the Eastern Steppes, an immense, war-torn expanse of cold grasslands bordering the Chaos Wastes, Cathay, and a great southern desert. We detail its history of nomadic cultures, including the Chaos-worshipping Kurgan, the Hung, and especially the vast Hobgoblin Empire ruled by the Hobgobla-Khan. We look at the  Steppes’ violent past, the rise of the Hobgoblins as the most feared and treacherous Greenskin civilisation, their perpetual warfare with Cathay and neighbouring tribes, and the infamous Great Horde capable of blotting out the horizon. We briefly look at Hobgoblin physiology and culture—defined as it is by treachery, poison, and ruthless self-preservation, and recount their relations with the Chaos Dwarfs and Grand Cathay. We conclude with a look at Oglah Khan’s Wolfboyz, a notorious mercenary band who encapsulates the Hobgoblins’ blend of cunning warfare and opportunistic loyalty.Chat with us on DiscordPatreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠SHOW IMAGES:Map of the Great SteppesHobgoblin Art 4th Edition - Warhammer OnlineHobgoblin Minis 4th Edition Hero - Regiment  - Blood Bowl3rd Edition Hobgoblin Army ListHobgoblin Hero on Temple War DogOglah Khan’s WolfboyzTheme Music: Tavern by Alex Rufire

This episode we focus on the Black Fortress, an immense volcanic citadel on the Chaos Dwarfs’ south-eastern frontier, a militarised outpost garrisoned by the brutal Legion of Azgorh. We look at the disgraced-but-fanatic Infernal Guard and their elite Ironsworn. We detail the fortress’s role as both a seat of harsh power and a place of exile, its internal culture of punishment and redemption. We examine the wider military forces that support the tower, including Bull Centaur guardians and a vast arsenal of daemon-fused war machines such as the Iron Daemon, Skullcracker, Magma Cannon, Deathshrieker, Dreadquake Mortar, and Hellcannon. We round out the episode with an overview of the Chaos Dwarf fleet. Theri massive steam-driven iron warships, or boats?, that extend the empire’s power across the seasChat with us on DiscordPatreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠SHOW IMAGES:Infernal Guard WarriorsInfernal Guard CommandInfernal Warrior art (Cral’s fav)Infernal Iron swornBull Centaur RendersIron DaemonSkullcrackerMagma CannonDeathshrieker Rocket launcherDreadquake MortarChaos Dwarf Man O War fleet

We start with an overview of Zharr-Naggrund, the immense obsidian ziggurat-city, hellish industrial landscape, and unending forges that are the heart of the Chaos Dwarf Empire. We outline the Chaos Dwarfs’ mastery of daemon-bound engineering, including their unofficially official elite castes such as the Alchemagi, Immortals, and Ashodar Enslavers. We also explores the origins and hierarchy of their magical rulers, the Daemonsmiths and Sorcerer-Prophets, whose power is balanced by the horrific petrifying Curse of Stone, leaving their fossilised (naked?) forms as eternal sentinels unless they turn to the rare alchemical Blood of Hashut to divert the curse. Chat with us on DiscordPatreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠SHOW IMAGES:Immortal Warrior of House HarganDaemonsmithK’Daai Fireborn

In this, our Christmas special video episode, we play the 2012 Path to Victory (Choose your own adventure) title Beneath the City of the White Wolf by M F Bradshaw. Battling the forces of evil (and Dhar's dyslexia) we come to the aid of TODDY! and the city of Middenheim. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it. Dhar, Ben & Cral. xxChat with us on DiscordPatreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠

In this episode we continue the turbulent history of the Chaos Dwarfs, starting with their rebuilding after the Black Orc revolt, their expansion through alliances with Hobgoblins and Ogres, and the catastrophic events that repeatedly weakened their population—from the Black Plague to the Night of the Restless Dead and a devastating Khornate siege. Them turn to look at the Tainted, mutated Chaos-warped Dwarfs who form brutal, clan-based societies in the northern mountains and increasingly threaten nearby realms. We close out with a look at the present day, the Chaos Dwarfs remain powerful yet critically depopulated, relying on slavery to sustain their industry and religious practices while expanding their raiding operations and navigating unstable alliances with Hobgoblins and Ogres. Dwindling slave supplies, strained relations with Greenskins, and the aftermath of the Storm of Chaos leave their future uncertain and perilous.Chat with us on DiscordPatreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠SHOW IMAGES:None

We start this episode with a dive into the lore of Hashut (Ha-Shoot) and his role within Chaos Dwarf society. We then return to our trudge through their factional history. We rejoin the story with the Runesmiths finally being conquered by the newly empowered Sorcerer-Priests, but after months of fighting they were enslaved and sacrificed to Hashut, marking the birth of the Chaos Dwarfs. We discuss the Sorcerer-Priests raising Zharr-Naggrund, enslaving greenskins and humans, and triggering a great Orc, Goblin, and human migrations westward, weakening Karaz Ankor while concealing their own survival. Skaven also emerged, becoming a new source of slaves for the Chaos Dwarfs, who thrived on trade and exploitation. We close out with the most dangerous creation of the Chaos Dwarf, the Black Orcs, who eventually lead a massive revoltChat with us on DiscordPatreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠SHOW IMAGES:Sanctum of a Temple of HashutChaos Dwarf Lord on TaurusHellsmith (Age of Sigmar)Map of The Dark LandsHobgoblin Archers

In this episode we turn to the history of the Chorfs in some detail. We start with the tale of the inventor of the Whirlwind and Tenderiser warmachines and his rearing of Boar Centaurs. We discuss the lack of solid lore for the faction before diving into an apocryphal work from the 1st edition of WFRP. We look at the history of the Dwarfs of the Dark lands before Chaos came, the Dark Lands were fertile, roamed by Orcs, Goblins, and Hobgoblins. We describe the impact of the Warpgates collapse as the Dwarfs sealed themselves underground, seemingly betrayed by their own kin from the west. Now trapped beneath impenetrable rock they search for a route back to the surface, they uncover an obsidian gallery and a sealed door inscribed with arcane glyphs. The seals are broken by a Rune Lord, unleashing Hashut, Father of Darkness with hilarious consequences. We close out the episode with Hashut blessing his followers, and twisting their enemies into monstrous servants.Chat with us on DiscordPatreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quartermaster⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen Ad-Free⁠SHOW IMAGES:3rd edition Warmachine artSwivel gun and Crossbow artChaos Dwarf Juggernaut1st Chaos Dwarf advertGreat TaurusLamassuBull Centaur