The Darkoath aren’t just fearsome warriors with rippling muscles, fabulous hair, and a never-ending feud against the forces of Sigmar. They also make up much of the ‘mortal’ population of the Mortal Realms, the descendants of those who were left to fend for themselves during the Age of Chaos. Their rich culture provides a fascinating perspective from which to view the Mortal Realms – a dark counterpoint to the Cities of Sigmar, fuelled by the temptations of the Ruinous Powers.
Darkoath: A Gunnar Brand Novel is an all-new Black Library novel written from the Darkoath perspective. It’s also the first full Warhammer novel from Chris Thursten, whom you may recognise from the Grombrindal tales serialised last year in White Dwarf. Chris has been a huge fan of the Darkoath for years, and we really wanted to know what it was like to finally flesh them out.
Warhammer Community: The Darkoath are a significant background faction in the Age of Sigmar – how did you go about giving a voice to the unvoiced?
Chris Thursten: Very eagerly! I've been invested in the idea of these characters for a long time. My personal involvement began back in 2016, with the Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower boxed game. The first miniature from that set that I was drawn to was the original Darkoath Chieftain, and I was immediately invested in this new take on Chaos barbarians – proud and powerful warriors on one hand, mortal human beings on the other. Survivors walking their first steps along the Path to Glory, wrestling with dark forces beyond their understanding. In the years since, I've watched those themes continue to develop as the faction has found focus. To get to play a part in firmly establishing these characters after such a long build-up has been a real privilege.
In order to find their voice, I focused on the traits that have been present since that original miniature – confidence, ruthlessness, and most importantly humanity. The atmospheric introductory text that accompanies most Warhammer Age of Sigmar books bundles the Darkoath Tribes in with “cannibal barbarians and deranged murderers” – this is the Sigmarite perspective, but it is absolutely not how the tribes perceive themselves.
The Brands, for example, understand themselves as survivors. They are descended from the original tribes of Aqshy, and they have managed to hold on to their lives – and their sanity – through the long darkness of the Age of Chaos. They've managed to do so without surrendering their freedom, and they're proud of that. And here's the important thing – they're right to be proud. It's no small feat to walk the knife-edge of death and damnation in a world completely lost to Chaos. That experience should have destroyed them, but it hasn't. And most importantly, they're still human.
This, as well as physical strength and violent prowess, is what makes the Darkoath such a compelling foil for the Cities of Sigmar. They offer a contrary perspective on what it means to survive in a world of gods and monsters, which hinges on the notion that you can bargain with the gods while retaining control of your own destiny. Rather than present the Darkoath as villains, I wanted to ensure that they too, in their own ruthless way, embody the themes of heroism, strife and hope that underpin the Age of Sigmar.
WarCom: Gunnar and his people put a face to the very human Darkoath Tribes. What was it like writing from the perspective of Chaos worshippers?
Chris: I took a two-layered approach to presenting Chaos in this story. First and foremost, this book explores the Ruinous Powers as the Brands (and other Darkoath tribes) perceive them. In the grand scheme of things, these are characters with a rudimentary, ground-level understanding of Chaos. They do not know the true names or sigils of the Dark Gods, and they distrust those who claim to. To them, the power offered by Chaos is witnessed in signs and portents, in the boons that accompany the fulfilment of their oaths and the curses that threaten to follow in the event of failure.
Their understanding is also inflected by their connection to their home realm – in this case, the Realm of Fire. They have always lived in a domain of turbulent forces, and they've carved out a place for themselves in it. However, they don't think of themselves as “Chaos characters”. As it happens, I believe the word 'Chaos' doesn’t appear in this story at all! Yet it very much is a Chaos story. It's about the primal forces that shape mortal lives – anger and ambition, hope and hubris.On the other hand, I wanted to play with the fact that many readers will already be intimately familiar with how Chaos works. Fans of Warhammer have their own awareness of the themes and symbols associated with each of the Chaos Gods. I've enjoyed playing with that element of dramatic irony. Gunnar might not be well versed in the nature of the powers that he's dealing with, but if you are, then that should hopefully provide you with an extra layer of insight.
WarCom: Gunnar is unlike many of the Chaos champions in the Mortal Realms, in that he actively resists the temptations of the Ruinous Powers. How did you approach writing this conflict?
Chris: The theme of temptation has been at the heart of Chaos stories since time immemorial. To some extent, it's the Chaos story – the warrior who sets out along the Path to Glory and is transformed into a plaything for the Dark Gods. In Gunnar's case, we have somebody whose wariness of the gods has taken root relatively early. His fate is not yet decided… but his resilience isn’t iron-clad. He's very much on that precipice.
Part of my approach to building out Gunnar as a character was to give him contrary traits that embody that conflict. He's strategic, pragmatic, and fiercely loyal to his people. He feels a strong sense of duty to the Brands, and the survival of the tribe is more important to him than personal glory. At the beginning of this story, we meet the Brands at a point where their survival truly hangs in the balance, and therefore, at least in principle, Gunnar has plenty to focus his attention.
Yet he does have an ego, and a darker, more spiritual side. He – and his brother Jorvak, whose fate we witnessed in the Monsters episode of Hammer & Bolter – have reason to believe that they're meant for greater things. And the Dark Gods indulge this belief. Because here's the thing – being resistant to the promises of Chaos tends to make you more compelling to the Ruinous Powers, not less.
And while this story has Gunnar at its heart, he's surrounded by others who are all walking the Path in their own, contrary ways. Warqueen Tanari maintains steely control over her powers while fully indulging her reputation as a daemon-touched conqueror. Gunnar's daughter Singri, on the other hand, is even more suspicious of the Ruinous Powers than he is, but has started to develop sympathy for a very different devil – the Sigmarites. Gunnar's personal trials and tribulations are interwoven with those of the people around him.
WarCom: You've already written stories about the long-standing legend that is Grombrindal – how did writing about a relatively fresh character like Gunnar differ?
Chris: It's really interesting to contrast the two! I've certainly enjoyed my time with both of these characters. While you're right to say that Gunnar's an absolute newcomer when compared to Grombrindal, there are some similarities. Grombrindal is an iconic figure, and carries the weight of many years of Warhammer lore, from the dawi to the duardin. Respecting and celebrating that while providing the character with new challenges was the key to writing those stories. Similarly, Gunnar represents something just as iconic – a soul in the grasp of the Dark Gods, whose fate is yet undecided.
Where they differ is in terms of perspective. Grombrindal is a powerful, storied being, reforged by Grungni himself and tasked with building bonds among the duardin diaspora. He has a unique, highly informed perspective on the Mortal Realms and their history, stretching all the way back to the World-that-Was. He provides a great opportunity to reflect on themes that span the history of Warhammer as a whole, to take a god's-eye-view of the Mortal Realms and the designs of Order.
Gunnar Brand, by contrast, was born in a cave in a remote, dangerous part of eastern Aqshy. He's a child of the Mortal Realms in every sense, and though he might be ignorant of the broader workings of the cosmos, he knows his home very well. I really enjoyed the freedom that this afforded me, to set up camp in a particular part of the Mortal Realms and explore it in intimate detail, starting from first principles, at an inflection point in the history of the Age of Sigmar.
WarCom: Gunnar may be relatively immune to the temptations of the Ruinous Powers, but few of us have the mettle (or hair) of this stalwart warrior. What Chaos God is most likely to bend your ear?Chris: First and foremost, let's not pretend that anybody is immune to the temptations of the Ruinous Powers – least of all Gunnar Brand! As much as he'd like to believe otherwise. I have pretty large Disciples of Tzeentch and Blades of Khorne collections for Warhammer Age of Sigmar, but I'm not sure that either of those gods are the ones I'd actually fall prey to. I prefer my books without eyes or teeth, and given the choice I'd rather sit on cushions than skulls. I'm also quite vain about my hair and I wish I rolled more sixes. Slaanesh it is!
Thanks so much for your time, Chris. You will be able to pre-order Darkoath: A Gunnar Brand novel later in the year. Keep checking in on Warhammer Community for all the latest news from the Mortal Realms.