A Norscan warleader
A Norscan warleader is a proven, elite Norscan warrior who has seen countless battles and are entrusted by their jarls and tribal kings to lead detachments of other warriors and Chaos Marauders against their enemies. Typically, Norscan Warleaders bear many strange tattoos, ritual scars, and most, if not all, have one or more mutations, showing they have the favour of the Chaos Gods.[1a]
Norscan warleaders take great pride in their scars, tattoos and, especially, mutations. When two warleaders meet, unless it is in direct battle, they will spend some time comparing these things, bragging about how they acquired them, and so on. To have identical or similar patterns to another warleader is a great insult, and violence will inevitably erupt.[2a]
Role
To lead those sworn to Chaos is never easy; to lead Norscans sworn to Chaos takes a brutal ferocity and savage charisma that is almost impossible to describe. A warleader must take a band of savage, insane murderers and point them all in the same direction, even sometimes forcing them to follow a plan more complicated than "if it moves, hit it until it stops moving."[2a]
A warleader begins his day with rites rededicating himself to the Chaos Gods, before surveying his warband. He will make sure that everything is ready for the day's activities, which will generally be a) marching to a place of slaughter, and/or b) slaughtering.[2a]
He will also have to deal with any challengers to his position. While some will try (and fail) to kill him in his sleep, most would-be Norscan warleaders prefer to fight in the open, to show all of their soon-to-be followers their prowess. If a week goes by without a serious challenge, the warleader might begin to fear something is wrong; if his followers are too complacent and willing to obey, they are not truly infused with the power of Chaos![2a]
If it is a good day, there will be battle -- a village to overrun, or a wilderness fortress to seize and burn. Blood will flow -- that of the foe, that of his own warband, all is good -- and if the warleader is victorious, he has brought glory to the Ruinous Powers. If he is fortunate, the Dark Gods will grant him with a mark of their favour -- a new mutation of his body; a living badge of the Chaos Gods' pleasure.[2a]
Children of Tragedy
In the course of their pillaging, Norscan warleaders often leave behind tragic reminders of their passing in the form of children born to the women they ravished, who come into the mortal world tainted with the energies of Chaos. Many of these babes are killed by their parents or by witch hunters, but a few manage to grow to adulthood.[2a]
Most heed the call of Chaos and flee to the lawless Chaos Wastes or forests, or seek out secret Chaos Cults to join, but a rare few defy their heritage and become great crusaders, hiding their deformities and masking the shame of their corrupt bloodline by persecuting the worshippers of the Dark Gods.[2a]