Cult of Pleasure

"They will betray you, my son, they always do. Let me end them first." All Elves were once as one, living in contentment in their island paradise of Ulthuan. Alas, nothing endures forever. The Daemons came and Aenarion strode forth to vanquish them. At first a mighty hero… then he drew the Sword of Khaine and doomed his line. The Daemons were banished, the Great Vortex created, but in victory came the Elves’ ultimate defeat. A schism was rent between those who had been most loyal to Aenarion’s line, and the rest of Ulthuan. Soon Elf fought Elf and the Dark Elves, or, more accurately, the Druchii, were forged in war, blood and murder. The events that led to this sundering happened millennia ago, and yet, the grand architect of a whole race’s tragedy not only still lives but remains one of the most powerful of all their rulers. She is the mother of the Witch King; she is Morathi, the Hag Sorceress of Ghrond. Morathi was Aenarion’s second wife. He rescued the beautiful seeress from a Slaaneshi host. As the legends tell it, they soon fell in love, and Morathi’s influence became absolute. Through their union came a son, Malekith, destined to become the Witch King. This alone guarantees Morathi a place in history, but she is far more than a mother alone. It was Morathi that broke apart the magical spectrum to fashion Dark Magic. It was she that spread the Cult of Pleasure throughout Ulthuan, fermenting the seeds of discord and ensuring that Malekith’s followers were ready when he made his move against the usurpers of Ulthuan. To this day, Morathi is both revered and hated by her own kin. While the Witch King tolerates his mother, she is more likely to be manipulating events that furnish her own agenda. Seduction and assassination are her favoured weapons, although she is no stranger to open war. Over millennia the Cult of Pleasure’s influence has waxed and waned, but it has always remained under Morathi’s sway. And so - even as Malekith banishes the Hag Sorceress away from the traditional powerbase of Ghrond to the Ancient City of Quintex - her followers are ready and waiting.