The Founding of the Ubersreik Five

Lore & Background

In the grim world of Warhammer Fantasy, the city of Ubersreik was a prosperous trade hub in the Empire, until the Skaven—a race of vile rat-men—launched a surprise assault from beneath, tunneling into cellars and bursting through cobblestones. The city's garrison was overwhelmed within hours; watchmen were dragged screaming into sewers, and noble houses burned. Amidst the fires and screams, five individuals from vastly different walks of life converged: Kruber, a hardened Empire soldier haunted by a past betrayal; Saltzpyre, a fanatical Witch Hunter of Sigmar who saw heresy in every shadow; Sienna, a Bright Wizard struggling to contain her volatile fire magic; Bardin, a dwarf ranger seeking vengeance for his lost kin; and Kerillian, a Wood Elf waywatcher with her own secretive purpose. Their first meeting was one of necessity, not choice, as they fought back-to-back through smoke-choked streets to reach the relative safety of the Red Moon Inn.

In Their Own Story

The night air stank of smoke and blood. Kerillian loosed an arrow into a charging Skaven, its squeal cut short as the shaft punched through its throat. 'Elf, watch your flank!' Bardin bellowed, his axe cleaving a ratman's skull with a wet crunch. 'Keep moving, fools!' Saltzpyre snarled, his pistol barking as a clanrat crumpled. Sienna's flames lit the alley, casting writhing shadows as Kruber parried a rusted blade. 'To the inn!' he shouted, shoving a clawed corpse aside. They were strangers, bound only by survival, but in that moment, they were the only hope Ubersreik had left.

Reader's Guide

The Founding of the Ubersreik Five is the starting point for players in the first Vermintide game. The Red Moon Inn serves as the hub, where the heroes rest and plan between missions. Key locations like the Ubersreik streets, the Magnus Tower, and the Horn of Magnus are central to the campaign. The Skaven are the primary foes, with their under-empire and warpstone technology explained through item descriptions. Vermintide's retelling streamlines the complex Warhammer Fantasy lore, focusing on the personal conflicts and banter between the five characters rather than deep political history. Players will hear references to the Empire's fractured state, the Witch Hunters' authority, and the Wood Elves' isolation, all woven into dialogue.

Did You Know?

• The Ubersreik Five were never an official military unit; their name is a fan-coined term that stuck, much to Saltzpyre's irritation.
• Each hero's backstory is gradually revealed through in-game banter—like Bardin's grudge against a specific Skaven warlord or Sienna's flight from the Bright College—and collectible lore pages hidden in the city's ruins.
• The group's dynamic was inspired by classic fantasy adventuring parties, but with a grimdark Warhammer twist: they argue constantly, distrust each other's gods, and only cooperate because the alternative is death.
• The Red Moon Inn is a recurring safe haven across both Vermintide games, its creaky floorboards and crackling hearth symbolizing the fragile alliance that somehow holds against the tide of vermin.