Few survive in harsh Ash Wastes, only the most desperate of outlaws and mutants flee here, to scratch a living as scavengers and bandits, living a nomadic existence. Amongst these outcasts are Shaman, strange religious madmen living as isolated hermits, ranting to themselves and the occasional passer-by. Why these deranged individuals choose to live in such an inhospitable place can only be guessed at. Some believe they are worshippers of a strange cult sent in to the wilderness as a test of faith, others that they are just criminals fleeing justice in the Hive. One theory is that they believe the Underhive is a corrupt and blasphemous place, abandoned by the Emperor, condemned to sink into barbarity and chaos. They flee to the Ash Wastes, a place unsullied by mankind's corruption, to seek absolution and enlightenment, and escape the impending doom.