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Zone Overview - Praag
To the north and east of the Empire lies the wintry realm of Kislev. A land of barren steppes and arid tundra, Kislev is bordered by the Sea of Claws to the west, Troll Country to the north and the Worlds Edge Mountains to the north-east and east. The people of Kislev are a hardy race, well used to getting by with scarce resources and grappling with the many fearsome beasts that make their home in this cold and rugged land.
The nation of Kislev is sparsely populated, dotted with settlements and villages that are surrounded by miles of uninhabited land. There are only three large cities in Kislev; the capital, also called Kislev, Erengrad, and the northern city of Praag, which is closer to the dreaded Realm of Chaos than any other city in the Old World.
It is mainly because of this proximity to the lands of Chaos that the history of Praag is filled with conflict and strife. Time and again, hordes of Northmen have poured southward across the Lynsk river to descend upon the city with the intention of plundering its resources before razing it to the ground. These sieges are most deadly when led by a mighty Champion of the Ruinous Powers. One such siege so tainted the city with the foul energies of Chaos that the buildings and walls began to mutate, sprouting limbs, eyes and mouths that wailed and screamed. Realizing that Praag was utterly lost, the Kislevites burned the city the ground and built a new one in its place. It is easy to understand how Praag earned the unenviable nickname of "the cursed city". The inhabitants of Praag will find little respite in the Age of Reckoning, for war has once again come to their doorstep. As the Chaos warhost swept through the lands of the Empire, a handpicked band of Raven Host warriors were sent north on a mission pivotal to their master's plot to destroy the Empire. Now they are returning southward, bringing with them a terrible and ancient power long trapped in the icy wastes of the far north. The creature's name is Souleater, a powerful Daemon who fought against the ancestors of the Elves when the evil tides of Chaos first swept across the world. Able to possess a mortal host, the creature wreaked havoc on the Elven armies, taking control of their most powerful Mages and most capable commanders. The Elves knew that they could not destroy such an adversary by blade or spell without risking injury to one of their own. They instead devised a plan to trap the Daemon within a single host and prevent it from escaping. A courageous Sorceress named Sylvara ventured into the Chaos Wastes and tricked the Daemon into possessing her. This triggered a spell bound to an amulet she wore, and in as soon as the talisman detected the Daemon's presence, her body was flash-frozen in a prison of magical crystal. The Raven Host warriors have freed the ancient Daemon and are bringing it south to meet its new master, Tchar'zanek. In the millennia since its imprisonment, however, Souleater has grown weak and its power must be replenished if it is to serve its purpose. Like all Daemons, Souleater sustains its power by feeding upon the torment and suffering of mortals. To this end, the Raven Host's warriors have launched a siege against the city of Praag. As one Kislevite after another falls in the battle to defend the city, the Daemon's power grows. The denizens of the city fight back as best they can, but the situation is grim; even if they slaughter a hundred of the invading Northmen, Souleater will become stronger. Meanwhile in Altdorf, the Order of the Griffon's commanders finally piece together the clues they have been gathering in Ostland, Troll Country and Talabecland. At last, the terrifying scope of Tchar'zanek's plan is revealed. When word comes of the attack on Praag and the presence of Souleater, the Emperor knows that the pivotal battle of the war may well be at hand. The Daemon, still weak and trapped within its mortal host, is vulnerable. If the Order can meet the Raven Host head-on in Praag, they might have a chance to destroy the terrible creature and thwart Tchar'zanek's insidious scheme. Knowing that his window of opportunity is quickly closing, the Emperor commands the Order to make a forced march to Praag. Any hope of victory must lie in swift action, for if the Daemon's power should reach its peak, the Empire could be doomed. When the weary soldiers of the Order finally arrive at the city of Praag, they find that the Raven Host has already broken through the outer walls and are now rampaging through the streets. With the aid of the mighty Steam Tanks, the most powerful war machines in the Emperor's arsenal, the Order takes the fight to the enemy. Like a hammer-blow, the Order's soldiers charge into the scattered mass of marauding Northmen. The assault forces the warriors of Chaos to pull back and regroup, and both sides settle in for a long, protracted conflict. The battle for Praag spreads to every corner of the city. In the south, the soldiers of the Order clash with frenzied Northmen amid the headstones of the sprawling Russenscheller Cemetery. In the north, the warhost has established a battery of Hellcannons that hammer the Empire's defensive positions night and day. At the city's heart lies Gospodar Square, where the main thoroughfares of Praag converge. Here the fighting is fierce, for control of the square means easy access to other quarters of the city and use of the roads to ferry supplies and fresh troops. In his war to conquer the Empire, Tchar'zanek has masterfully manipulated events and concealed his true purpose. Only now, when the plans of the evil Warlord are perilously close to fruition, has the Emperor come to understand the true nature of the enemy's plot. The Order of the Griffon's soldiers and Wizards find themselves fighting not only to win the battle for Praag, but also to save the Empire, for this may be their last chance to thwart the dark machinations of the Raven God's Champion before it is too late. All the while, high above the battle, the Daemon watches with hate-filled eyes, its dread power growing with each passing day.
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