The year-long recruitment drive for the Slaves to Darkness continues apace, with the Chaos Legionnaries and Horns of Hashut recently being added to the ranks. Despite the benefits this increased manpower brings, some say that Archaon is beginning to regret his popularity and is struggling to keep a handle on all the cults in his army.

Reports indicate that cracks began to show early this year, when Archaon mistook a band of Spire Tyrants for the Corvus Cabal. A dozen Tyrants had already thrown themselves off the edge of a cliff before Archaon realised they were not the airborne killers he had assumed them to be. Tragedy was also narrowly avoided as the Scions of the Flame were recalled moments before marching into the ocean to combat the Deepkin, a strategy approved by the Everchosen who understood the flame to be metaphorical.

That this steady stream of new cults might be a cunning ploy by a rival to undermine the Varanspire’s warmachine has certainly crossed Archaon’s mind. Suspicion has fallen onto Be’lakor, who only a month ago was seen brazenly adding cohorts of Chaos Legionnaires to the Everchosen’s host. Be’lakor has rejected these accusations, insisting that the Legionnaires “have always been a thing.”

Until Archaon is able to consolidate control over his bloated army, a moratorium has been established preventing the adding of new warbands. Applicants are instead encouraged to seek employment with other factions to gain experience and try again later.

Eternus – Blade of the First Prince, Champion of Black Lightning, Intellectual Property Thief? That is the accusation being leveled at the dark despoiler by the Knights-Solicitor of Sigmar.

The Sigmarite lawyers have lodged a lengthy complaint in the Azyr Tribunal listing the many aspect of Eternus’ character and bearing that bear a striking resemblance to Sigmar’s own Stormcast Eternals. From oversized pauldrons and his storm-themed reincarnation, to his distinctive pose on the battlefield, almost every inch of Eternus has been labelled an illegal imitation.

Be’lakor himself, Eternus’ patron, has refused to entertain these allegations. He instead insists that any similarities fall under fair use as satirising aspects of the Stormcast Eternals and their allies. Our analysts have suggested that this may have been part of the Dark Master’s schemes all along, a plot to position Be’lakor as the peoples’ champion against an overbearing Sigmar. Whether he is able to harness this energy to propel his own original works, or will simply continue to imitate others, remains to be seen.