Daemons inhabit the magically saturated other-dimension which the sorcerers of the Warhammer World call the Realm of Chaos. Fortunately for men and other material creatures, it is difficult for daemons to manifest themselves in the ordinary world, for they need to be surrounded by the magic of Chaos to sustain them. To a daemon the world of mortal creatures is like a barren desert, devoid of sustenance, bearable for short periods, but ultimately destructive in the long term. For a daemon to find itself in the ordinary universe is rather like man trying to breathe underwater, or a fish deprived of water, and the daemon will eventually dissolve into nothingness.

On occasions daemons can be sustained by potent and evil sorcery, though usually for a short time only. The most powerful magic of all is created, often unwittingly, by the followers of Chaos in the Warhammer World. Every drop of blood they shed, and every victory they achieve, draws fresh magical power into the world. Given sufficient bloodshed and destruction daemons can draw succour in the Warhammer World, enabling them to march to the annihilation of mankind and all mortal creatures. As the power of Chaos grows stronger by the day so the threat to the people of the Warhammer World grows ever greater, until the whole world is swallowed amidst the bellowing laughter of the Chaos gods.