The Fimir are amphibious humanoid monsters that haunt bogs, fens and desolate moorlands throughout the northern and western Old World. Their strongholds take the form of forbidding, craggy piles of rock, crudely built in the semblance of the castles of more civilised races. Such dwellings are seldom seen by outsiders, for they are wreathed in thick mist, a miasma which is magically generated by the Fimir to shield their fortresses from prying eyes, and themselves from the harsh glare of the sun.
Long before the rise of Man, the Fimir worshiped the Chaos Gods, and for a time enjoyed their favor. Alas, the Eye of the Gods was swiftly drawn to the more vibrant and amusing race of Man, and the Fimir were abandoned, reduced to seeking boons from bound Daemons where once they had enjoyed the blessings of gods. Nowadays, the Fimir are a dwindling and reclusive race, little given to leaving their swampy fastnesses, save for the occasional raid for food and slaves. Only the Fimir sorcerers, known as Dirach or sometimes as Balefiends, spend prolonged periods in the lands beyond the mists. Such creatures have but one goal —to destabilize the barrier between the mortal world and the Realm of Chaos, thus aiding the Chaos Gods to their ultimate victory, and so regaining their favor.
A Balefiend's sorceries seem crude and ritualistic compared to the magic of Elves or even Men, but they are no less potent, for they are woven with power stolen from Daemons. A Balefiend's cyclopean eye can see the ebb and flow of the Winds of Magic in the same way a Man's perceives light and shade, which allows them to make the best use of whatever magical power is available.