Walking around in a peaceful forest in the Empire, climbing the cliffs, bathing in the cool streams that run over the landscape, listening to the birds' happy singing, feeling the nice warmth of the sun in your face. As a first impressing, things look very idyllic and very peaceful.
However, people who know the Old World are wiser. Even in the friendliest surroundings, even in the coziest inn - yes, even in your own home - you are never safe. For death lurks behind each and every corner - that is the most basic knowledge of the Old World. Whether you are rich or poor, handsome or ugly, evil or good, faithful or heretic - one odd movement might cause your certain death.
You never know what is hidden behind the next rock. Or what was that sound just behind you? Every step you take takes you one step closer to death, and every second that passes pulls your string of life until it finally breaks. Things are rarely what they appear to be. Your friendly and open-handed neighbor might be your murderer, the baker your assassin and your son your traitor.
The trees of the forests might suddenly surround you with their mighty branches, grab you and eat you, and you never know when you've run into a hostile Goblin camp on the warpath. The surface of the world is a dark, unpredictable and incredibly dangerous place to be.
Now picture what the underground is like, a place with no forgiveness, no respite and no mercy. This is where the very most evil creatures dwell - creatures impossible compare with beasts that live on the surface when it comes to terror, power and chaos.
Historians are still discussing when these Catacombs are established. Some even refuse to talk about these, claiming them to be unreal and just a sick result of the imaginative mind of a man. And true: There is no evidence that proves that the Catacombs are really there. It is all based more or less on myths and old tales that have survived for thousands of years – just like the mysterious Skaven, the Golden Dragon and other fabled monsters and places.
Whatever is the truth, mankind has experienced unimaginable horrors when having explored lost and forgotten mines, abandoned sewers, deserted caves and other underground tunnels.
Of that fraction of survivors that have returned from such perilous journeys few have told about the real Catacombs - the Catacombs that Man was not meant to know. Mercenaries, the Dogs of War. If you want to find a Mercenary, go to where there are treasures to uncover and gold to earn. If you want to find gold, go to where the Mercenaries are to find.
Somehow these seasoned warriors seem to be attracted to wherever it is possible to earn money or find wealth in ruins or dungeons, just as flies seem to be attracted to fresh crap.
Being a Mercenary is not only about fighting - it is just as well about being all ears and get the very latest rumors about hidden treasures and hoards. Every night, all inns around the Old World are booked by the prying Dogs of War that all meet up hoping to catch a word about huge buried treasures - rarely with any good result, though.
For the rumors are not few. The very biggest part of what is told is just made up stories, probably only for giving the peasants something to talk about - but a very small part may contain a nucleus of a truth, and that is what the Mercenaries are trying to catch up with. A good Mercenary and treasure hunter has the ability of filtering the stories, finding out what is true and what is false. For in trusting in the wrong rumors may lead to the death of the Mercenary rather than the richness and wealth that was promised.
Throughout the Old World there are numerous spots that seem to attract Mercenaries more than others. Townsfolk and innkeepers feel that, and many a successful inn is situated beneath a gold mine of hidden treasures and other secrets that can bring wealth and fame with them. Amongst the most famous places can be mentioned many of the lost and deserted Dwarven halls that are told to contain unimaginable amounts of gold; the ruined temples of Lustria; the mountains around the Black Water where the former pirates had their strongholds and secret haunts and many other places.
However, nothing seems to surpass the doomed city of Mordheim. Since the horrific tragedy where a mighty meteor struck the city, myths and rumors have been running like a forest fire telling about some mystical but extremely powerful stones. Many a soldier has entered the city, mostly without any luck at all but suffering a slow and painful death while getting more and more insane, but some have returned and achieved what they wanted.
The road to success is perilous. Apart from the many deadly monsters that lurk in the black ruins there are countless other hostile war-bands that are searching for the same thing. It is impossible to trust in anybody - for the darkness and perversity of the city may drive even the most down-to-earth soldier crazy, and treachery and heresy is all daily life in Mordheim.
Enter your darkest nightmares; imagine all the gold in the world and all the power in the continent - enter Mordheim. Beware though, treasure-hunter, for this is not a dream...
To enter the gates of Mordheim is one of the slowest sorts of suicide.
