Once amongst the most feared champions of Vostarg lodge, Chargrimm earned countless battle honours in service to Runefather Bael-Grimnir. A Berzerker of molten ferocity, Cindermane battled alongside famed Grimwrath Arngard in defence of Vostrag lodge during the Clan Rictus invasion of Furios peak. A key conflict at the height of the realmgate wars which, for the surviving Fyreslayers, is remembered as a victory that came at great cost to the lodge’s lineage.
When Runemaster Vaegor reported the capture of Bael’s firstborn son during the battle Chargrimm was amongst Arngard’s chosen to relentlessly pursue the agents of Clan Rictus & rescue the heir of Vostarg lodge. Shoulder to ur-gilded shoulder with the lodges’ best, the berzerkers immediately descended into mountains’ lower halls, felling scores of verminkin in their wake.
Pouring through the skaventide like living lava the berzerkers soon sighted & engaged Baelson’s captors. With the threat of losing their hard fought prize imminent the cornered ratkin trembled & parlayed, secretly stalling the blazing retinue. The cowardly vermin’s prayers were answered when a foul gnawhole tore through reality, spilling forth the dark Patron of Clan Rictus, Verminlord Kratterklaw.
The Warbringer lept into the fray accompanied by it’s ‘loyal’ stormvermin, both the hulking rat daemon & elite infantry hacking & slashing at the duardin felling many of lodges’ greatest warriors. Sensing the smouldering power within Grimwrath Arngard, Kratterklaw called out a challenge while it’s underlings fled through the fell gnawhole with Bael’s Runeson. Seizing the opportunity to sever the skaven assault at its head, the Grimwrath bade Cindermane pursue the fleeing skaven into the corrupted warp tunnel & return with Bael-Grimnir’s heir.
Like molten rock leaping from it’s volcanic birth, Cindermane hurled himself through the stormvermin & into the dissipating gnawhole, ignited by the burning heat of his oaths to Arngard. Chargrimm blazed through the warren of madness before emerging into a vast antechamber far from Furios peak.
Within the centre of the dim chamber the duardin saw his Clan Rictus quarry squeaking & supplicating themselves before a looming dark figure. Squirting the musk of fear the cowardly vermin prostrated themselves before an unraveling darkness, begging for protection from the newly arrived berzerker. Out from the shadows unfurled the true architect of the royal abduction, Warpseer Skratchitt.
Forced to postpone his pursuit of Baelson until the Warpseer was slain, Chargrimm wasted no time & charged at the Verminlord as it’s acolytes scurried away with their captive once more. A furious battle ensued between two mighty combatants, the sickly green warp corruption emanating from Skratchitt & the blazing runic form of Cindermane were the only flashes of light within the cavernous chamber. Though both battled like true deities of their patron gods for what seemed like an age, the verminlord’s power eventually began to wane under the furious assault of the fyreslayer. The wounded Warpseer circlled the berzerker to put distance between them.
In an underhand move to obliterate the Grimwrath, Skratchitt pulled a scry orb from beneath its tattered robes & poised to hurl the infernal incendiary at the relentless berzerker. But fuelled by the rage of his mission’s failure, Cindermane was already pressing home his attack once more. Leaping through the warp tainted air as if gusted by the steam of the magma holds themselves, Chargrimm descended on the foul daemon and, in a downward arc of his fyrestorm greataxe shattered the arcane orb.
Thrown across the chamber by the ensuing calamitous detonation, Cindermane bounded across the cavernous floor as both the now quaking earth & ceiling shook. Rising from the splitting rock beneath him, sickly green smoke wreathed Chargrimm. The emerald fumes poured from scars where his holy ur gold runes had melted into his skin to ward against the arcane blast.
Across the chamber, the ruined flesh of Skratchitt dragged itself to a crouch, dripping with dark ichor from a dozen wounds. Finally defeated & sensing its imminent execution, the Warpseer raised a gnarled finger & began tracing arcane symbols into the darkness, tearing a rift in reality as the chamber continued to collapse.
Realising the foul daemon was attempting to flee Cindermane drew on all the burning strength remaining in his battered limbs & hurled his greataxe at the beast. Fixated on the emerging gnawhole before it, Warpseer Skratchitt was too late to realise the Fyresteel blade hurtling end over end towards it. The warp-calling finger was severed at the knuckle, the creature roaring at the pain of both the cleave & the eldritch backlash of its incomplete rite. Tumbling into the malformed gnawhole, the Warpseer escaped.
The dismembered digit sputtered & sparked, still twitching along the collapsing chamber floor. Muscle memory etched more gnawholes & warp passages all around the cavern. Charging amidst falling debris & the tectonic tears in the ground, Chargrimm grabbed the gnarled finger & lept through the nearest warp rift.
Since that epic clash with the vermin lord nothing is known of the fate of Chargrimm Cindermane. Some believe he fell through the warp tear into a lake of fire, his spirit engulfed in failure. Others believe he emerged deep within Clan Rictus’ lair and to this day fights a guerilla war in the under tunnels ambushing the skaven patrols forced into hunting him.
Those of Vostarg Lodge believe the Fyreslayer still searches for Baelson & his captors, swearing a BARAZAKDUM until the heir is returned & the Verminlord slain. Many clansmen claim to have sighted the ‘doom - seeker’ as he has appeared, and intervened, in pivotal battles at seemingly opportune moments. They also claim he bound Skratchitt’s still etching severed finger in a trinket carved in Grimnirs’ image until he can master it’s infernal compass, occasionally unleashing it’s fell energies to aid his relentless pursuit.
All those who claim to have encountered the slayer witness that he is forever changed. Not only by the weight of his failure, but by a maddening corruption from the endless realm walking in search of Baelson. That balefire dances within his eyes & a large chunk warpstone reforged into his Fyrestorm Greataxe slowly seeps into his shattered mind.
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