The Gilded Skulls were not always known by that name. They began as Arkanax’s Butchers, a warband that carved its way into Chamon, the Realm of Metal, drawing local tribes into its wars against Sigmar and his servants. Among those tribes was Moranak, a warrior who quickly earned Arkanax’s favor and rose through the ranks, only to see the rot at the heart of his leader’s rule. Arkanax sought only his own glory in Khorne’s name, driving his warriors into battles that brought slaughter but no true victory. Moranak would not suffer this failure. He challenged Arkanax to a duel for leadership, a brutal contest that lasted eight long hours, until Moranak finally cleaved his rival’s head from his shoulders. He stripped the skull clean and plunged it into the molten gold of Chamon, and with that act both leader and warband were reborn as the Gilded Skulls, bound by new rites of gilding worthy skulls and hardened by countless victories under Moranak’s rule.
In time, the warband’s camp was visited by a pack of Flesh Hounds, unmistakable heralds of Khorne’s attention. Among them was one unlike the others—Ashmaw—who stood calm before Moranak and even allowed the warlord’s touch, a clear sign of divine approval. Yet favor came with purpose. Zorrath, the Slaughterpriest of the Gilded Skulls and Moranak’s closest advisor, received a vision through blood divination: the warband was to follow the hounds into Aqshy, the Realm of Fire, and bring slaughter in Khorne’s name. There they reclaimed the ancient forge-fortress of Cinderhold, awakening its dormant fires and binding the Bloodmaster Vorrkar after Moranak defeated him in single combat, forcing the daemon to kneel in recognition of mortal strength.
From Cinderhold, the Gilded Skulls waged brutal campaigns along the Ravaged Coast, clashing with orruks and Stormcast Eternals alike, spilling blood to fuel dark rituals and claim Emberstone for the forge. Vorrkar was destroyed and reforged in agony, and through Zorrath’s rites was ultimately reshaped into a bound Greater Daemon, chained to the burning heart of the fortress. When the forges finally roared at their brightest and the ritual was complete, Moranak did not remain to rule beside daemons—he left Cinderhold behind, entrusting its infernal halls to Vorrkar and his kind to slaughter and forge as they pleased, while the mortal core of the Gilded Skulls marched onward into new campaigns, fewer in number but tempered by fire and loss, carrying their gilded scars into the unknown as the forges of Cinderhold continued to burn in Khorne’s name. thus Gilded Skulls had there divine task. And they brought it to fruition. they fought many battles against many foes. They also reawaken a forge fortress that was under Khorns control in the Age of Chaos but was conquered by the factions of Order. With the reawakening of the forge they also freed Khorns deamons that were sealed inside. Moranak defeated and bound there leader Vorrkar and with these new warriors he brought lot of bloodshed to the Ravaged Coasts and brought back lots of Emberstone, magical metal of Akshy perfect for imbuing weapons and warriors.
In the end Gilded Skulls collected enough Emberstone to reforge Vorrkar into a greater deamon, a bloodthirser. Thus Moranak finally understood what Khorn tasked him with. To travel the realms to find these old strongholds of Khorn and to reawaken them to bring everlasting bloodshed. Thus Moranak took his man and left the Ravaged Coast to the deamons of Cinderhold as his task was done there yet more were awaiting him.