Salzenmund (Book of Crows 4:47-65)

Three did stand at the walled city of Salzenmund.  Ravious, the first and forsaken, heralded the Changer of Ways by thus prior causing ruination from within.¹⁴  Mondhund, marauder from the North, looked forward with his one eye, his one arm in the shape of a bloody sickle.  And thus did a Dark Elf disciple, Athankiel, contribute to the cause of the Lord, for even Malekith must bend his steeled head to change.

The workings of the Raven Host were thus that the food and medicine were meager within the city walls.  The priests and guards of the Empire were weakened in constitution, and could not defend the city walls with cannons and prayers.  And so did the Host enter the body of Salzenmund.

Two mighty champions did stand in the way of the three.  Captain Heirgen was the first to fall.  His body impaled from behind by the changed arm of Mondhund.  The city guards ran screaming from the raised corpse, and so did the lowly marauders come to join Mondhund set upon the cowardly prey.  Broghen Kausel did stand in front of Ravious and call to the false light of Sigmar.

And thus did Ravious say, “Your flesh is weak.  Your armor is rotted.  Your mind is clouded.  Hand over your soul, a new world awaits you.  We demand it.”  And thus did the shadow of the Raven cast itself upon the face of Broghen Kausel.  And thus did he die.

As Salzemund fell, one of the firetouched did appear so as to burn the spoils of war to ash.  Arguise Flamewalker did cause an inferno to wash through the city obliterating the just and unjust alike.¹⁵  Ravious did shield the three from the flames, and so did the Dark Elf cut the wizard with a hundred slashes.  Each slash did erupt in molten flames, but the Lord of Change did instantly mend Athankiel as his pale skin burned.

And thus did the Raven Host move on from the ashes of Salzenmund.

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From the notes of Librarian Nicola:
¹⁴ By crossreferencing the Book of Crows with the notes of Priest Adelmar of Salzenmund at the time the city was sacked it is obvious that the good Priest was foiled by Ravious, or one of his cohorts, to condemn the good Captain and Steward of the city. By the time the Raven Host came to the city walls, the Host merely ended the lives and conflict that had erupted between the church (and commoners) and the miltary of Salzenmund.
¹⁵ There are many conflicting views as to why the city actually was burned during the Age of Reckoning. Other scholars believe that the Raven Host began the conflagration of the city and bright wizard Arguise Flamewalker appeared to draw the flames to himself so as to put them out.

Destruction of the Weak (Book of Crows 2:12-20)

And so did the Raven Host fall on the prey in the Wulfsiege Forest.  A caravan of Empire goods were thus pillaged, and the weak Empire guards did try to foolishly defend their overturned carts.  Three times did a hero arise from the splintered wood and bodies of the fallen, and three times did the Chaos warparty smite the Empire heroes.  Such was the fury of the Host, that Ravious barely healed or warped any flesh.  His was the mastery of Tzeentch’s agony upon the heroes.  When they fell their wounds and skin bubbled and warped with Change.

A steady stream of gold, bodies, and souls found passage back to the Sorceror’s Axiom.  And so did a group of magus overlooking the forest begin to cast the magics of the Lord to clear a path through the wreckage such that the might of the Raven Host would continue to move south.

Ruinous Powers (Book of Crows 1:17-31)

There on the river was the village of Thorshafn ground to dust. And though the pillaging produced many spoils, which would fuel the Raven Host onward to the Empire’s heart. The view of Thorshafn was thus commanded by a bright wizard’s tower. And there did many righteous attackers besiege the tower. And there did they withstand the flames to kill many of the wizard’s acolytes. However, the path to the wizard above was barred. And the newly emerged Host could not yet cause the tower to fall.

Thus, did four priests of Change build a structure to summon a servant of thy Lord from the Warp unto the tower.  The Raven Host defended the structure for hours against the Thorshafn defenders. And the souls of the fallen men were reaped to fuel the dark summoning of a daemon of change.  The wizard lord Mathus, the coward of from the tower, did come to the structure.  And a ball of fire from the heavens did come down on the summoning portal.

Tzeentch’s sorcerors did cry out, “the daemon of change eludes us.” And their souls were ripped from their body as a beast of Khorne, Kar’Thok the Bloodhowler did emerge from the portal. The wizard lord Mathus was smote by Kar’Thok, and thus Thorshafn fell. The uncontrolled beast was then slain by the Raven Host as this victory would not be Khorne’s.

Proving Ground (Book of Crows 1:4-16)

The Raven Host did emerge. And it would cleanse the world as blood washes blood. There did the mighty Host behold the simple village of Thorshafn. And there did the Host with a herd of the beastmen claim the village. It was not tooth and blade that destroyed the defenses of the Empire. It was the fear of the Raven God’s everlasting knowledge. Thus did He give thy servants power to awaken the crypts. And thus did the village quake with fear. And thus were many slaughtered in the name of Tzeentch.

The Raven Host was there firstly emerged. And it still had yet to cull the weak of its own flock. Thy servant Ravious found a warrior gifted with Change. He had begged the unworthy Empire defenders for mercy. And thus did the marauder hide, praying to false gods for mercy. Thy servant was quick to deal him death. And Ravious did show the weapon of the weak marauder to the Host. That they remember there will be no mercy. May it be so.

Genesis (Book of Crows 1:1-3)

And a herald for thy Lord stepped from the swirling whispers of Change.  The Zealot Ravious raised his knife to the air, and called forth the power of the Changer of Ways.  Thy will be done.