INTRO - Kings of the Dead
The Tomb Kings are the true monarchs of the Undead. They ruled a vast and mighty civilisation at a time when other men were still barbarians, and now, thousands of years after their deaths, they have been awakened. Rising from their sarcophagi, the mummified Tomb Kings possess the same thirst for conquest that drove them in life. They are coming to reclaim their rightful dominion over the kingdoms of the living, and woe betide any that stand in their way.
A Tomb Kings army arrayed on the battlefield is a spectacular sight to behold. The undead legions comprise rank upon rank of skeletal soldiers — great phalanxes of gleaming bone decorated with bronze and gold — regiments of Undead cavalry and gilded chariots, mummified heroes and immortal kings, and towering war-statues carved in the images of mythical monsters and ancient gods. The Tomb Kings are a merciless and implacable force, one that will not stop until its foes have been utterly crushed.
So if you wish to stand with the ancient kings, read on! You and your forces shall aid them in reclaiming their ancient empire, and show the living who the true masters of this world are. Remember, Death... is only the beginning...
LORE OF NEHEKARA
The magic of Nehekhara's Liche Priests is based on long, monotonous enchantments that connect the mortal world to the world beyond. The wording of these arcane spells has been recorded on dusted papyri, written in the mysterious hieroglyphs of Nehekhara's ancient language. These incantations, uttered in rituals unchanged for uncountable millennia, cannot reach the peaks of sheer power achieved by their perverted versions that are the necromatic spells taught by the heretical Nagash to his disciples. On the other hand they are far more reliable and, when relentlessly intoned in unison by several of the unliving Liche Priests, they are almost unstoppable. Like other undead lores, when cast on friendly units this can help restore undead units to life.
Khsar’s Incantation of the Desert Wing: Harnessing the power of Khsar, god of the desert winds, the Liche Priest summons forth a sandstorm that engulfs the undying warriors of Nehekara and carries them across the battlefield while protecting them from harm. Can be cast on all unengaged units within 50 meters or, with increased magical effort, all within 300 meters. Allows for quick tactical redeployment.
Djaf’s Incantation of Cursed Blades: As the Liche Priest utters this ancient mantra, he imbues the weapons of the Nehekharan warriors with the essence of Djaf, the jackal-headed god of the dead, who hungers for the souls of the living above all things. This makes the effected units attacks more powerful. Can be cast on any unit within 50 meters, or, with increased magical effort, 300 meters.
Neru’s Incantation of Protection: As the Liche Priest intones this blessing, his foes find their sword strokes mysteriously turned aside as Neru, wife of Ptra and goddess of protection, reaches out tho shield Nehekhara's warriors from the evils of the night. Can be cast on any single unit within 50 meters of the caster or, with increased magical effort, all units within the same area. Essentially while it lasts it makes it extremely difficult for these untis to be hurt with mundane weapons, and magically enchanted or particularly powerful weapons are needed to break this ward.
Pta’s Incantation of Righteous Smiting: As the verses of this incantations are spoken, a fierce light emanates from the empty eye sockets of the Nehekharan Undead as the power of Ptra infuses these warriors with the speed and fury to smite their foes. Essentially everyone gets a speed boost - archers fire faster, melee fighters attack faster ect. Can be cast on all Nehekaran units in 50 meters or, with increased magical effort, all units in 300 meters.
Uisiran's Incantation of Vengeance: Skeletal hands burst from beneath the surface to drag those above into a grave as the Liche Priest invokes the names of Usirian. Has a range of 100 meters or, with greater magical effort, 500 meters. Essentially the targeted enemy unit must constantly fight to even move and will struggle to do anything while this spell is under effect. Some will die as the hands succeed in pulling them into the earth.
Usekhp's Incantation of Desiccation: As the Liche Priest intones the curse of desiccation, every syllable strips the moisture from his victims' bodies, sapping their vitality. Has a range of 300 meters and cast on a single unit, with the longer its cast the weaker that unit will become.
Sakhmet's Incantation of the Skullstorm: A whirlwind of skulls tears across the battlefield, devouring everything in its path in the name of the goddess Sakhmet. With an average diameter of 12 meters, more likely than not the soldiers in the path of the storm are eaten. More durable opponents could potentially survive, but would still take damage.
RECON:
If the need arises the Tomb Kings will send out their Skeletal Horsemen to scout out the land for them, possibly harassing the enemy as they go. Magic can be used by the Liche Priests to spy on the enemy, as well as taking advantage of undead insects and birds to aid in the endeavor. They can also pray to their gods for signs or visions to help them prepare for the coming battle.
PRIMARY:
Mobility: 4
Training: 4
Max Range: Long spear
Preferred Range: Melee
As the punishing midday sun blazes, the sands begin to shift, and thousands of sun-bleached skulls pierce the endless tracts of the desert - sand pouring out through empty eye sockets as the Undead break the surface. Rising up from the dusty dunes come the eternal legions of the Tomb Kings; rank upon rank of Skeleton Warriors ready to kill once more in the name of their immortal monarchs. Holding curved swords and long spears, ancient forms awake from their deathly slumbers, forming up into vast regiments with a supernatural discipline that few living warriors can hope to match.
The Skeleton Warriors of Nehekhara are the backbone of a Tomb King's army. Under the shadow of gold-topped banners, vast phalanxes of skeletal troops advance in perfect unison towards the enemy, their polished weapons dazzling in the desert sun. As one, the skeletal soldiers turn and raise their large shields, presenting a hedge of deadly spear points to their foes. At an unseen command the Undead advance, wordlessly slaying those in their path without any thought of mercy. Skeletons are implacable warriors that know neither fear nor fatigue. Only a mortal who can overcome his fears and steady his trembling sword arm may land a blow that can destroy such unnatural creatures.
At battle's end, the Skeleton Warriors walk back, alongside their king, to their tomb pits. The only soldiers to break ranks are those that gather up the splintered bones of their former comrades, carrying the broken remains back to their tombs as the living might carry the bodies of fallen heroes. Upon their return, the Skeleton Warriors are once more buried until their sovereign has need of them again.
Offense: Long Spears, Khopesh swords for melee
Defense: Bronze Shields. Many Skeleton Warriors wear a handsome, gold-edged breastplate with their King's icon prominently placed at the throat. Etched, gold-chased bracers and greaves and a rune-inscribed golden helm complete the armor. As they are nothing but skeletons, they can take hits no living being could.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: The Undead Warriors of the Tomb Kings are no longer beings of flesh and blood, but sun-bleached bones animated by ritualistic magic. They know neither pain nor fear. In battle, they can be petrifying to behold, causing lesser warriors to flee as they stride inexorably forwards.
-The mighty armies of Nehekhara, made up of regiment after regiment of valiant soldiers, swore oaths of eternal loyalty before the gods to serve their monarch in life and beyond into death. Thus, the bones of those who perished in battle were collected from the field of war and interred in the great tomb pits of their king's necropolis by the Liche Priests. Soldiers who yet lived after their liege lord had died marched on, as if in a victory parade, to the necropolis on the day of the king's entombment. They strode into cavernous vaults and mighty walled courtyards, their Master of Arms leading from the front. Here they stood in regiments with their full paraphernalia of war, everything that would be needed to serve in the king's eternal army. Arranged in ranks, icons held proudly, the legions were entombed alive. No soldier flinched as the great stones were heaved into position, blocking out the light of the sun. Bravely, these warriors stood to attention as hot sand was poured into the tomb pits until the tops of standard poles disappeared from sight. There they remained until summoned by the incantations of the Liche Priests to heed the will of their king once more.
-The Skeleton Warriors of Nehekhara are not mindless automatons slaved to the will of an evil necromancer. The incantations of the Liche Priests summon the spirits of long-dead soldiers from the Realm of Souls and bind them into corporeal forms. However, without the extensive mummification lavished upon their lords and betters, the spirits of these warriors do not retain the full memory of their former existence. Upon awakening from their death-sleep, the only things that every one of these Undead soldiers can recall with perfect clarity is their unswerving loyalty to their king and the ways of war that were drilled into them in life. Thus, the skeletal regiments of Nehekhara obey every command of their Tomb King without hesitation - as they served him in life, so they serve him in death.
Mobility: 4
Training: 4
Max Range: Bow & Arrow
Preferred Range: ^^
The Skeleton Archers of Nehekhara nock and loose volleys of arrows as they advance towards their foe without ever breaking stride. Raising their bows as one, the archers fire, reaching into quivers for another arrow before the first salvo has even reached the zenith of its trajectory. These Undead archers unleash great clouds of death that darken the sky moments before falling amidst the ranks of the enemy. Riders are pitched from mounts, and swathes of enemy infantry fall dead as bronze tipped arrows rain down upon them and pierce their bodies.
The kings of ancient Nehekhara knew the importance of delivering death from afar, and all of them maintained legions of highly disciplined archers. Loyal soldiers for all eternity, Skeleton Archers continue to practice their ways of war as they did in centuries long past. Awakened from the tomb pits of their king's necropolis by the magical incantations of the Liche Priests, every Skeleton Archer arises with a bow still clutched in one hand and a quiver of arrows held in the other.
Offense: Every arrow fired by the Skeleton Archers of Nehekhara has been blessed by Asaph, the goddess of vengeance and magic, so that they seek out their foes with unerring accuracy. When loosed, these arrows swerve in mid-air, darting towards their prey with the speed of a striking snake. The ritual bestowing each arrow with Asaph's blessing is long and arduous. The wooden shafts are inscribed with incantations using the claws of dune scorpions and the black feathers of desert vultures are used to fletch them. The most important part of the ritual is performed by chanting acolytes in the heart of Asaph's sacred temples, where bronze arrowheads are cooled in the blood of a hundred sacrificed serpents.
Defense: Undead Attributes, but other then that, none.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warriors
-There was a strong tradition of archery in ancient Nehekhara, and hunting was a popular sport amongst young princes. However, upon reaching adulthood, a prince was expected to leave behind such pastimes and devote his life to ruling his people. It became tradition for a newly crowned king to honor the greatest marksmen amongst his legions with his royal bow. This chosen warrior was bestowed the title of Master of Arrows, a position that held much prestige among the common soldiery. However, it was said that should the Master of Arrows miss his target the first time he fired the bow on the field of war, his life was forfeit - such was the punishment for betraying the king's trust.
-Skeleton Archers are unencumbered by the large, heavy shields of the Tomb Kings' other legions, allowing them the freedom needed to fire their long, curved bows. This leaves them with little protection against the swords and axes of their enemies, but any foe wishing them harm must first cross the killing ground, weathering a hailstorm of lethal arrows every step of the way. Only the most heavily armored of foes can withstand such withering salvos. Less protected targets may instead turn and flee from the onslaught, but once an enemy has entered the sights of Skeleton Archers, the Undead will not stop until their foes have been killed. Skeleton Archers will relentlessly pursue their opponents, for hundreds of leagues if needed, loosing a volley of arrows every time their retreating foes re-enter range. Whilst their enemies will grow weary, the Undead warriors no longer have such concerns and will only pause in their advance when the last of their quarry lies dead. Surrounded by the arrow-pierced bodies of their slain enemies, these Skeleton Archers will then stand perfectly still, awaiting the orders of their king. If that order is not forthcoming, they stand motionless and forgotten beneath the glare of the desert sun, until they are buried by the shifting desert sands.
LINEBREAKERS:
Mobility: 6
Training: 5
Max Range: Bows or Thrown Spears
Preferred Range: Varies
The pride of a Tomb King's army is his charioteer legions. Their advance is heralded by a cloud of dust thrown high into the air as they drive across the sands. Moments later, units of these deadly machines crest the dunes, their wheels whirring as they careen towards their foe. The legions impact with bone-shattering force, wave after wave of chariots crushing bodies beneath heavy wheels as their Undead crew lay about the disorientated foe with lethal effect.
Nehekhara was the first great civilization of Mankind and the place where men first used horse and chariot in battle. This was a great accomplishment, for horses had only recently been bred as beasts of war, but it was considered undignified for those of noble blood to touch such lowly brutes, let alone ride them. However, with the invention of the chariot, the ruling classes of Nehekhara could take to battle with the speed of a stallion. The ancient armies of Nehekhara included vast forces of swift chariots and each carried an arsenal of weaponry. To fight from such an armored platform was thought to be the height of civilized warfare. As such, only royalty and nobility were permitted to fight as charioteers. As befitted their status, charioteers were bedecked in fine armor, precious metals and valuable jewels. Their chariots were created by skilled artisans, often gilded in gold and covered with images of skulls, bones and other symbols of the Mortuary Cult.
Squadrons of chariots were entombed beside the pyramids of the Tomb Kings of Nehekhara, ready to serve their lords upon their awakening and trample over their enemies as they had done in his mortal reign. The mere sight of Skeleton Chariots arrayed for war and riding to battle is enough to strike fear in the hearts of all who oppose them. As the chariots rumble towards their quaking foe, slowly gathering speed until they are ready to charge, that fear turns to outright panic as the pride of Nehekhara crashes into them and the slaughter begins.
Offense: Swords, halberds, axes, and bows for most chariot crews. If ridden by a Tomb King, then an enchanted blade. The Chariot may have scythes attacked to the wheels, reaping a grim harvest as it mows through enemy rank and file. The chariot itself can also just run right over people, trampling them with horse and wheel.
Defense: The Chariots are heavily armored and decorated in fine metals and precious stones. The crew may have light armor, but are mostly just enchanted bones. Tomb Kings will have what is seen in their profile (See Specialist Support). The driver and riders have undead attributes.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warriors
-The fighting quality of the king's charioteers was a reflection of his own power and martial prowess. As such, the king entrusted the training of these regiments to the Master of Chariots. These scarred warriors were typically a minor blood relation to the royal family, such as a cousin, and thus had the aristocratic superiority to back up his years of fighting experience. The Master of Chariots was a ruthless disciplinarian, and under his command, the noble-born charioteers were drilled until they were elite warriors fit to fight in the king's name. They would ride into battle fierce and proud, the legion's standard carried high as they bore down upon their foes.
-Ever since their invention, chariots have been the chosen means of transport for the kings of Nehekhara. Upon awakening from their deathly slumbers, Tomb Kings have continued to lead their armies to war from atop these ancient machines. Not only does a chariot have an armored carriage, to protect him from harm as he slays his foes with every sweep of his enchanted blade, it also provides him an elevated platform. This grants the Undead monarch a superior view of the battlefield, enabling a Tomb King to better witness the movements of enemy formations and direct his own troops to inflict the most damage.
-Very, Very Common
Mobility: 4
Training: 5
Max Range: Melee
Preferred Range: Melee
"Sentinels at the portal of eternity, mighty ones who stand before the king, valiant heroes whom none shall pass, guardians of the king's tomb." —Hieroglyphic inscription over the sarcophagi of Settra's Tomb Guard
The Tomb Guard are the partially mummified remains of the king's elite guard. They are exceptional warriors, maintaining all the discipline and martial skill they had in life. In battle, the Tomb Guard form unwavering ranks of armored warriors. They have spilled the blood of their enemies for countless centuries, and numerous armies have been dashed against their implacable shield walls.
The Tomb Guard were entombed with their armor and weapons. Their bodies were further decorated with gold bracelets, headdresses and scarab-shaped brooches that fastened parchments proclaiming their deeds of bravery and devotion. The Tomb Guard rest, until awakened, in their stone sarcophagi, arranged upright around the royal tomb chamber of their king. Here they stand to attention as palace guards until the time comes when they are again needed. If intruders violate the tomb, they will awaken and defend their slumbering lord. If the king rouses from his death sleep, ready to go forth to conquer the lands of the living, they arise and form an honor guard at his side.
Offense: Khopeshes, Axes, Great Swords, or whatever else would be most pleasing to their King. In addition, these weapons have had powerful incantations of cursing imbued into them, with which they carve through the ranks of their enemy, cutting through necks and felling their foes with every blow.
Defense: As befits warriors of their standing, Tomb Guard were gifted with fine suits of leather armor and bronze scale studded with jewels and precious metals. They carry lavishly crafted shields, inlaid with skulls, bones and other symbols of death. They are also undead, making them far more durable then the living.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warriors
-The bravest and best soldiers served as bodyguards for the ancient kings of Nehekhara. Elevation into the ranks of the Tomb Guard was perhaps the only way that a warrior not of noble-birth could ever hope to enter the royal palaces. The Tomb Guard lived in comparative luxury, each having a dozen slaves to tend to their wargear so they could keep their attentions focused on their sacred duties - the preservation of the king's life and dominion. However, worldly wealth was the least reward granted to these warriors, for in respect of their position, they were honored with the privilege of sharing his immortality. Upon their death, or that of their lord's, they were mummified by the Liche Priests and buried in close proximity to their king's sarcophagus. Just as they guarded the palace in life, so now they guard the inner sanctum of the necropolis in death. The prospect of sharing in the eternal beauty and immortality of their king, and serving him for all time, inspired these soldiers to heroic acts of bravery. They would die where they stood rather than retreat and charge against the most hopeless odds without thought of their own survival. Time and again this selfless heroism would bring victory to the king's army and earn a place in his pyramid for the honored fallen.
-Although the Tomb Guard were rewarded with a form of mummification, the embalming rituals used were nowhere near as elaborate as the ceremonies that the Tomb Kings and Tomb Princes underwent. However, the Tomb Guard have been reborn with immortal bodies far stronger and more resilient than the flesh and blood forms they wore in life. Furthermore, Tomb Guard retain more of their former personalities than the massed soldiery of skeletal warriors. They awaken with memories of heroic deeds, bloody victories and the unyielding will to destroy their king's enemies still burning strongly in their minds. Above all they remember their duty to protect their Tomb King from harm, and any that threaten their charge are slain, cut down without pause.
Mobility: 7
Training: 6
Max Range: Melee
Preferred Range: Melee
Necropolis Knights are the elite warriors who ride atop giant snake-shaped statues. They are tethered to their mounts by a sharp hook, held firm in one mummified hand as the other wields a heavy spear that carves through mortal flesh. Their monstrous mounts shatter bones with every swipe of their tails and sink scimitar-sized fangs deep into soft flesh.
Necroserpents were built to guard the entrance-ways of the Mortuary Cult's temples. They are vast in stature, and even coiled they stand at least twice the height of a man. Though the Necroserpents standing sentinel outside some mortuary temples depict images of skull-vipers or double-headed blood-asps, the vast majority of these statues are created in the image of a hooded Khemrian cobra, for Qu'aph, the Nehekharan god of Cobras, took this as his corporeal form in the Great Land before the coming of Man. The god would lie in ambush beneath the surface of the desert before lunging towards his prey and sinking his spear-sized fangs into their scaly throats. The venom of the Khemrian cobra is so potent that even a single drop is enough to kill a dozen warhorses or scores of fully grown men. Those bitten die with a rictus grin of agony on their faces as every muscle in their body contracts to the point where their own bones and teeth snap and break. The fangs of the Necroserpents mysteriously drip with this very same poison.
When Necropolis Knights are awakened to serve in the Tomb King's eternal army, the Necroserpents coiled above their resting places magically slither to unlife as well. Rider and mount are animated by the same warrior spirit, and they move as one being, riding to war in perfect ranks of terrifying cavalry. Necroserpents travel beneath the ground at a relentless pace, emerging from the depths with sand cascading off their forms, warriors standing proudly upon their hooded backs with spears lowered, ready to spill the blood of their foes. Serpentine bodies weave through the battlefield, blades, fangs and tails lashing out in all directions, leaving a trail of death and woe in their wake. There are few who can stand against the charge of a Necropolis Knight, for they are incredibly powerful and difficult to destroy. As mount and rider share the same soul, only by destroying both can an opponent truly defeat a Necropolis Knight. Few foes are equal to such a task.
Offense: The Necroserpent has saber sized fangs that constantly drip a deadly poison, a drop of which can kill scores of men or a dozen war horses, while a full bite could likely slay even giant monsters. The venom is clearly magical in nature (as it never runs out and is produced by a sentient statue), allowing it to affect magical beings such as undead and daemons. It can also crush with its body, lash out with its tail, or constrict an enemy to death.
The rider carries a long spear. Despite its heavy weight, he wields it with superhuman strength.
Defense: The Necroserpent is made of solid stone, while the Knight has full armor on. As their souls are connected, they both have to be destroyed for them to die.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warriors
-At the base of every Necroserpent is a pedestal in which there is a hollow alcove. Within each rests the sarcophagus of a Necropolis Knight. In their lifetimes, these warriors served in the sacred ranks of the Tomb Guard. They were all loyal soldiers and battle-scarred veterans, however, the constant years of violence and slaughter had become so deeply ingrained in these warriors' psyches that their bloodlust threatened to overcome their famed martial discipline. Such soldiers would break ranks without warning and could no longer be trusted to stand their ground whilst a foe still lived - actions that placed the life of the king in mortal jeopardy. When faced with the dishonor of exile, many committed ritual suicide, but some instead chose an agonizing death for a chance to serve their king again in his eternal army. These brave soldiers would slit their palms and smear blood onto the belly of one of the giant Necroserpents before holding the wound under the venom dripping from their fangs. As the poison wracked their bodies, it was believed that Qu'aph would judge their souls, and those that were found worthy would be reborn in the next life as Necropolis Knights - warriors blessed with the skill, power and strength of the gods. Upon their death, these elite warriors were mummified and buried with their full panoply of war beneath the very same statue that they had sacrificed themselves before.
-The Necropolis Knight can burrow through the ground. This allows them to easily ambush an enemy, bursting up from beneath their feet to attack.
Mobility: 4
Training: 6-7
Max Range: Artillery
Preferred Range: Varies
Carved into the likenesses of the gods and goddesses of Nehekhara, Ushabti stand as guardian statues around the perimeters of the necropolises and within the passageways of the great pyramids of the Tomb Kings. Ushabti are imposing monuments, and all who pass through their shadows tremble. In times of need, the Liche Priests awaken the Ushabti with powerful incantations, and with the sound of cracking stone, the Ushabti step down from their plinths and daises, silent and ready for war. In ancient times, the living warriors of Nehekhara took great strength from the fact that the Ushabti fought alongside them, for who could fail to be inspired by the physical representations of their gods marching into battle at their sides?
The rituals needed to animate these towering god-statues are far more difficult than those needed to awaken the legions of Skeleton Warriors. As a result, Ushabti are far more resilient than the skeletal warriors of the Tomb King's eternal army, and their warrior-spirits are bound with far more powerful magic.
In the ancient language of Nehekhara, the name Ushabti translates literally as 'chosen of the gods'. Indeed, the divinities do not consent to any mere mortal inhabiting statues made in their image. Only the most powerful souls, those of particularly brave warriors and heroic champions, are judged worthy enough to animate an Ushabti's sculpted form. Thus, Ushabti are possessed by the souls of Nehekhara's mightiest heroes. Ushabti stride through the battlefield like gods of war, infused with the temperament and strength of their form's pantheon deity. Their statuesque bodies can withstand enormous damage, and they are incredibly strong. With a single hand, an Ushabti is capable of crushing an enemy's steel helmet, and its contents, with contemptuous ease.
Offense: Ushabti wield huge ritualistic weapons, from large-bladed staves that would take the combined strength of three mortal men to lift, to great bows that fire arrows the size of spears. These arrows are naturally blessed by Asaph, same as the Skeleton Archers. These mighty weapons are as elaborately crafted and decorated as the Ushabti who brandish them, their gilded surfaces engraved by a dozen sculptors with intricate patterns and hieroglyphs. In battle, Ushabti wield their massive weapons effortlessly. Every sweeping arc of their blades cutting a bloody swathe through their foes and every arrow fired punching through their targets in an explosion of bone and gore.
Defense: They are made from stone, marble, or sometimes jade. They are incredibly durable, both to mundane attacks and have a slight resistance to magic.
The most ancient hieroglyphs etched into the burial complexes of the Nehekharans tell of ancient warriors, who have walked the earth and fought the enemies of the Great Land long before the rise of the Tomb Kings or the Mortuary Cult. These great warriors were not fighting for such petty things as the honor of their king or the glory of their native city – they were fighting in the name of the Desert Gods of old. They were mighty warriors and it is written that they could invoke the powers of the very gods themselves! By calling out the name of their patron god and offering the soon-to-be eradicated foes as a sacrifice, they were filled with heavenly might, their blows cleaving through armor and flesh alike.
The powers of the Desert Gods are much greater and the blessings varied from patron to patron. Some warriors were unharmed by the first, crude attempts at magic of that time, while others could miraculously decapitate even the fiercest of monsters with a single blow. Some tales, carved into broken obelisks and half buried under the desert sand claim that the most devout followers were given the gift of turning into magnificent aspects of the gods, warping into great and terrifying avatars to fight beside the rest of the first bearers of Nehekharan civilization.
When the Liche Priests perform the Incantation of Awakening onto these Ushabti no spirits are drawn forth from the Underworld and bound to the statues. Instead the Ushabti come to life by a power other than the one of the Liche Priest and it is believed that the gods themselves send forth the spirits of their early champions to imbue the statues with unlife. They then step down from their ornate plinth with a thunderous step and take up their massive ritual blades. They stride into battle alongside the newer constructs of Nehekhara’s artisans and a sliver of powers beyond imagination can be felt emanating from them.
In battle an Ushabti Ancient imbues its lesser cousin with the very powers and blessings of the gods they are modeled after. Projectiles harmlessly bounce of stone hides, while the Ushabtis plough through the foes of the Great Land and the might of the gods manifests within the statues to bring ruin and damnation to anyone opposing the glory of Nehekhara.
Special: Blessing of the Gods: When an Ushabti Ancient marches with an army, its patron deity bestows a blessing upon it and the unit that it travels with. Only one Blessing is tied to an Ancient, but different Ancients can have different blessings and travel with the same unit if necessary.
-Blessing of Djaf, God of Death: The unit gains a powerful killing blow, felling enemies with ease, and in some cases bypassing regenerative powers.
-Blessing of Geheb, God of Earth and Giver of Strength: The strength of the unit is greatly increased.
-Blessing of Phakth, God of the Sky and Bringer of Justice: The unit's speed is greatly increased.
-Blessing of Sobk, God of Water and War: The unit becomes luckier, is and is much less likely to miss when attacking in close combat.
-Blessing of Asaph, Goddess of Magic and Vengeance: Each time a wound is inflicted upon the Ushabti unit in close combat, no matter how severe, they will make an attack of their own, eager to repay the damage in kind.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warriors
-It was the ancient Nehekharans' belief that their gods and goddesses dwelt in the Great Land before the birth of Man. It is said that the span of the deities' lives numbered in the thousands of years. After this golden era, when gods walked as men, they became invisible spirits, able to take on any form they desired. Thus it was that Asaph, the beautiful goddess of vengeance and magic, chose the form of the asp, while others chose the crocodile, the lion, the vulture or some other fearsome animal of the desert. Most depictions of the gods in this grand pantheon show them in these powerful forms, and their visages are commonly carved as guardian Ushabti in the necropolises of Nehekhara. Some of the most common statues depict the image of Djaf, the jackal-headed god of war and the dead, and Phakth, the hawk-faced deity of the sky whose piercing gaze is said to be able to see the sins of the deceased. Sculpted from stone, marble and even jade, this magnificent statuary is decorated with filigreed gold and dazzling polished jewels.
RAPID RELIEF:
Mobility: 6
Training: 4
Max Range: Melee
Preferred Range: Melee
Regiments of Skeleton Horsemen race across the sandy plains of Nehekhara mounted on the fleshless remains of their once-proud steeds, weapons lowered as they gallop towards their foes. These skeletal riders drive their heavy spears into their foes with bone-jarring force, using well-aimed thrusts that punch clean through torsos and rip open throats in a spray of blood. Those not impaled by the cavalry rider's razor-sharp spearheads are trampled into the ground by the thundering hooves of skeletal steeds.
Unencumbered by heavy armor or barding, a Tomb King's skeletal cavalry legions maintain a punishing pace as they traverse the scorching deserts of Nehekhara. Skeleton Horsemen often form the spearhead of a Tomb King's army and, as such, they are among the first of the Undead warriors to engage the foe. These vanguard warriors are not heavily armored knights, but fearless riders who launch devastating attacks where their opponents are weakest, luring the enemy into overextending their reach before withdrawing to strike again. However, Skeleton Horsemen are not completely without protection, for they carry large, sturdy shields in battle to deflect the panicked blows of their foes.
When the Liche Priests summon the Tomb King's army from their sandy graves, fully formed cavalry columns stride out of the pyramids at the head of the foot legions. When the enemy is sighted, the cavalry regiment's hornblower signals the charge and a deep unsettling discord reverberates about the desert. This otherworldly sound shakes the dust from statues, and a disquieting feeling of dread permeates across the battlefield. As one, the Undead steeds gallop towards their quarry, the skeletal riders on their backs raising their shields and lowering their spears in perfect unison. Paralyzed with fear, it is a brave foe indeed that does not flee as these deathless horsemen bear down upon them.
Offense: Spears
Defense: Large shields, Undead Attributes
Special: Mount: Skeletal Steed: Skeletal steeds instinctively obey the will of their riders, displaying the same supernatural discipline as the soldiery of the Tomb Kings' army. Only occasionally do these Undead horses twitch their heads as a vestigial memory of life surfaces. Even though their flesh has long since vanished, skeletal steeds are as powerful as they were in life, and they can crush a man's skull with a single kick.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warriors
-Cavalry were a relatively late addition to the armies of ancient Nehekhara, for horses needed a great deal of water to survive the desert heat. As such, steeds were expensive - worth considerably more than the soldiers who rode them. Only those warriors who had proven themselves, and slain a dozen foes in mortal combat, were inducted into the ranks of one of their king's valued cavalry legions. These warriors would then spend the rest of their lives fighting from the saddle, drilled under the tutelage of the king's Master of Horse - a grizzled veteran bearing the scars of several bloody campaigns. In life, these champions often formed part of the Tomb King's council of war, for their knowledge and experience of mounted warfare were second to none, and their expertise was highly valued.
-The oldest Tomb Kings have few if any horsemen or chariots; those that came after had more chariots than horsemen while the youngest (relatively) Tomb Kings had more horsemen than chariots in their armies. The later kings recruited many fierce riders from among the desert dwellers, ancestors of the Arabians.
Mobility: 6
Training: 4
Max Range: Bow & Arrow
Preferred Range: ^^
"Lightning will sunder the skies, the rivers will flow with blood and war will come to the land. The legions of the long-dead kings shall once more rise in eternal conquest, and death shall ride beside them." - Settra, The Eternal King of Nehekhara.
The Skeleton Horse Archers of Nehekhara are likened to an angry desert wind, one that appears suddenly and leaves only the dead and the dying in its wake. Skeleton Horse Archers move relentlessly across the battlefield, firing volleys of magically blessed arrows into their foes before turning about and escaping retribution. As the Undead cavalry turn, they disappear from view as they ride into the cloud of dust thrown up by the hooves of their skeletal steeds. Before the cavalry archer's stunned victims can recover their wits, the Undead horsemen reappear, loosing another deadly salvo.
When Skeleton Horse Archers attack, they strike without warning or mercy. The first an enemy soldier knows that he is in danger is when a black fletched arrow plunges into the throat of the man next to him, the gurgling cry of pain a ghastly prelude of the slaughter to come. An instant later another comrade falls to the ground, an arrow shaft protruding from his blood-slick chest as his pierced heart empties its contents onto the desert sands. With every passing second more arrows find their mark, falling among the enemy like a deadly rain. As the Skeleton Horse Archers close upon their foes, their enemy sees them for the first time, appearing through the haze of the desert heat like a terrifying mirage. At a silent command, the skeletal riders urge their Undead mounts forwards and the archers' grinning skulls turn to face the panic-stricken survivors. With eyeless sockets never wavering from their targets, the Skeleton Horse Archers raise their weapons and draw back bowstrings once more. As mortal warriors turn and flee for their lives, the last thing they ever feel is the searing agony of an arrow slamming into their backs.
Offense: Arrows of Asaph. They can also ride enemies down beneath their skeletal steeds if necessary.
Defense: Undead Attributes, and riding away quickly.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warriors
-The horse archers of ancient Nehekhara were very different to the other living warriors in the king's army. They were not soldiers, raised and trained within the vast cities of Nehekhara, but nomadic tribesmen that dwelt in the deep desert. Such warriors knew the ways of the parched plains better than any city-born man, and with their swift mounts, they could traverse the shifting dunes without fear of getting lost. Such was their skill on horseback that they were said to have been born in the saddle and their marksmanship, unhindered by the jarring motion of their galloping mounts, was renowned throughout Nehekhara. The kings had great need of such warriors and guides, and they would pay much gold to hire their services as mercenaries. It was not until the reign of Rakaph III, of the second dynasty, that horse archers became a permanent feature in the armies of Nehekhara. Rakaph granted these tribes the freedom of the desert, the protection of his grand armies and as much gold as their chieftains could carry, in exchange for an annual tithe of warriors who would swear an oath of unswerving loyalty and obedience to the king. Ever since then, the kings of ancient Nehekhara maintained strong contingents of horse archers among their armies.
-Skeleton Horse Archers are the outriders and scouts of the Tomb Kings army. Whereas mortal horses need regular rest and water, skeletal steeds cross the vast tracts of open desert at a relentless pace. Even in death, these Undead horsemen maintain an innate ability to track and hunt their quarry through the shifting dunes, and no sandstorm can obscure their targets from them. As scouts, Skeleton Horse Archers hinder the movements of the enemy and harass their flanks in fleeting, yet bloody skirmishes. These attacks do much to slow the advance of the Tomb King's enemies, pinning them in place while the Tomb King maneuvers his own warriors into position.
Mobility: Varies (Some can fly, all can burrow)
Training: 1 (Instincts)
Max Range: Biting
Preferred Range: Crawling inside the flesh of the living
"Behold! The dead, stinging ones shall come forth from their abodes beneath the sands. Their numbers shall be beyond counting..." —Kharrahtut, Liche Priest of Quatar
The tombs of the necropolises are infested with the dried husks and shells of countless poisonous insects and other vicious creatures of the desert. Though long dead, the mere presence of the Liche Priests and Tomb Kings fills their empty shells with animation, and they scuttle from their hiding places around the mortuary temples and beneath the scorched sands. The Liche Priests have long since gained mastery over these creatures and can summon them forth at will through their magical incantations. Thus, when the Tomb Kings' legions stride to war, they are accompanied by a scuttling swarm that spreads across the land in a black tide of crawling bodies. Those foolish enough to stand against a Tomb Swarm will drown beneath an unstoppable wave of Undead beetles, biting, clawing and burying themselves into the warmth of living flesh. Victims who gasp for air or cry out in fear are quickly silenced as a deluge of insects surge down their screaming throats, muffling cries of pain as they are devoured from the inside out.
Tomb Swarms are drawn to the magic animating the Undead, but it is to the Liche Priests and Tomb Kings that they are most keenly attracted. Not possessing a spirit of their own, they are easily controlled by the implacable will of the Tomb Kings. Left to their own devices, they revert to an instinctive lurking behavior, making them ideal guards for the pyramids of slumbering Tomb Kings. Trespassers foolish enough to dislodge a capstone will find themselves quickly overwhelmed by a surging swarm of creatures. They are drawn to the warm blood of the living, trying to feed a hunger that no amount of flesh can ever sate. A Tomb Swarm's victims, poisoned by hundreds of bites and stings, are rapidly devoured as the vicious creatures quickly consume flesh, clothing and bone alike.
Offense: Biting, scratching and stinging. Many of these are done by poisonous insects, making the attacks more potent. While a single one is probably nothing to worry about, as a swarm they can easily devour a man in seconds.
Defense: None… sort of. On their own you could easily kill them. But when they attack in a massive swarm of bodies, any damage done is negligible. You'd have to take out massive amounts of them to be able to do anything. And there are always more coming…
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warriors
-Tomb Swarms are capable of both flight and burrowing beneath the ground. There can be no escape from a Tomb Swarm, for the size of the creatures is such that they can crawl through the smallest of gaps without hindrance. Tomb Swarms can easily travel under the shifting sands of Nehekhara's desert and burrow beneath the feet of their unsuspecting prey. Without warning, a Tomb Swarm can erupt through cracks in the ground, flowing over the surface like a flood, dragging their victims kicking and screaming beneath the sands with the sheer weight of scuttling bodies.
-Of all the dead creatures that make up the bulk of a Tomb Swarm, two had special significance in ancient Nehekharan society. The flesh-eating, skull-carapace Khepra beetles were believed to be messengers of Usirian, god of the Underworld. They were his agents in the mortal world, and through their eyes would Usirian know the sins of all men. It was whispered that those who displeased Usirian were punished in death. Forbidden to enter the golden paradise of the afterlife, they were instead condemned to the lowest depths of the Netherworld where a hive of Khepra beetles would burrow into their immortal bodies and gnaw on their insides for all eternity. The other creature of importance was the black-clawed desert scorpion. The scorpion is the form chosen by Sokth, the god of treachery and murderers. Ancient Nehekharans believed that the scorpion would not sting one of Sokth's murderous followers, so those accused of killing another were pushed into a pit of scorpions. If a victim somehow managed to survive his trial by scorpions and drag himself out of the pit, then it was taken as sign that they were indeed favored by Sokth and hence guilty of their crime - the punishment for which was death by being thrown into a pit of snakes. Those who perished died in agony as scorpion venom coursed through their veins, but they were at least innocent.
-Tomb Swarms can be summoned magically
Mobility: 7
Training: 1 (Instincts)
Max Range: Biting
Preferred Range: Feasting on the dead or dying
"The Carrion of the Desert, whose mighty outstretched wings darken the sun on the day of slaughter" —Climax of an invocation chant of the Liche Priests used at the Temple of the Sun in Khemri
Carrion are giant Undead birds of prey that feast on the carcasses of the fallen. Their broad wings, covered in feathers as black as midnight, darken the sky and spread the shadow of doom upon those dying in the desert. Carrion can smell blood from leagues away, and they are drawn to battlefields like moths to flame. Wherever Carrion are seen to fly, death and carnage are surely nearby.
Carrion resemble the black desert vultures that inhabit the plains of Nehekhara, but they are far larger and more dangerous creatures. Carrion are repulsive scavengers that stand taller than a man and have vast wingspans. They have bodies that are decayed and bloated with death. Putrefied ropes of muscle hang from their frames as they fly with slow, sorrowful strokes of tattered wings. Bones poke through the rotten skin of Carrion, and gashes in their distended bellies often expose the skeletal contents of their last rotting meal. Carrion are bald headed creatures, and in life they would push their long necks deep within their prey's bodies, emerging slick with blood and viscera. They have razor-sharp beaks used to rip flesh from their victims and crack bones for the marrow within. The feet of these Undead scavengers are tipped with viciously hooked claws that can rend and tear their prey apart with frightening ease.
Carrion will feast on the flesh of anything they can find. These scavengers are not fussy eaters and will gorge themselves on both freshly slaughtered corpses and cadavers that have festered for too long under the baking heat of the desert sun. Because of their immense size, Carrion will also prey upon the living. When Carrion hunger for live prey, they prefer to hunt the wounded and weakened, for in life they were notoriously cowardly birds, hesitant to battle foes that were able to fight back. When their victims are isolated and outnumbered, however, their ravenous hunger overcomes their craven nature and, with a hissing cry, they swoop down upon the enemy, eviscerating them with flurried swipes of their talons.
Offense: Razor Sharp Claws and Beaks
Defense: None, save undead attributes and flight. As cowardly creatures, they prefer to not attack anything that looks like it could fight back, unless they have the numerical advantage.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warriors
-Carrion lived in the mountains to the east of Nehekhara and also the deserts to the west. Huge numbers of Carrion also nested in the towers and spires of Nehekhara's tomb-cities. After a great battle, with the slain strewn over the stricken field of war, the Carrion descended to feed in flocks so vast that they blotted out the light of the sun. According to inscriptions, the Carrion were sacred beasts, agents of Ualatp, the vulture-headed god of scavengers, who bore the spirits of lost warriors to the sky to fight in endless battles against the Daemons of darkness. This belief led to the Mortuary Cult burying corpses of Carrion in the necropolises, entombing many thousands of them within the pyramids of the Tomb Kings from the time of Nekhef I (who claimed to be the first ruler to use Carrion in his army of eternity) onwards. Each one was accompanied by a soldier who had trained to ride the beast while both still lived. These troops acted as messengers and also as a vanguard for the king's army as it marched across the parched plains. Nothing on the ground below could be concealed from the piercing gaze of these fearful birds. Thus when the carrion were entombed, they were given eyes of polished obsidian with which to see again when they served the king once more, at the time of awakening. At the will of the Liche Priests, these revered avian creatures are imbued with magical essence and once again take to the skies, their horrifying forms spreading fear among those who feel the chill of their shadow. Fortunately, as the revered birds eventually died out, only those that were entombed remained.
Once awakened from the slumber of death, the Carrion never again return to rest within the tombs and vaults of the pyramids. Instead, they soar above the lands of Nehekhara as they did in life, never tiring in their search for prey. Being primitive beasts, Carrion are driven by the need to feed their insatiable appetites, and they will go to great lengths to find their next meal. These ugly creatures learned long ago that when armies clash they leave a swathe of corpses in their wake, and so when the Tomb Kings go to war, they are accompanied by great flocks of Carrion that circle high above.
SHOCK &AWE:
Mobility: 6
Training: 5
Max Range: Varies (Melee to Dozens of Meters)
Preferred Range: Melee
Khemrian Warsphinxes are giant leonine statues that wade through the ranks of their foes, crushing them underfoot as if they were nothing more than bothersome insects. They are almost impervious to harm, and their stone-hard hides protect them from all but the truest strikes; anything less than a direct hit from a war machine is likely to glance harmlessly away. Atop each Khemrian Warsphinx is an ornate howdah in which several Tomb Guard ride. These elite warriors direct their mount's actions as if it were an extension of their own mummified bodies, laying into the foes below with great, double-handed spears.
Khemrian Warsphinxes are terrifying foes to face, and enemies that do not flee before them are swatted aside by stone claws or torn apart by fanged jaws. However, this is just a fraction of their full destructive power. When a Khemrian Warsphinx rears up above its prey, those lurking in its shadow are doomed. As the leonine monster crashes down, it smashes its boulder-sized limbs into the ground with appalling force. The resultant shockwave knocks foes of their feet, pulping organs and splintering bones. Those that survive this earth-shattering impact find themselves in a crater of broken, twisted bodies. However, there can be no home for anything caught directly underneath the point of impact. All that remains of these crushed unfortunates is a fine, red mist that sprays over the victim's stunned comrades.
Offense: All Warsphinxes have large teeth and claws. They can perform a powerful charge that shatters the enemy lines like matchwood. They can also rear up on their hind legs, then come crashing down like the hand of a vengeful god. The Howdah crew on its back carry long-bladed spears. They may also, occasionally, have a crew of archers.
Defense: The Warsphinx is made from stone, metal, and sometimes precious stones, making them incredibly difficult to destroy.
Special: Upgrades: Necrotecs are incredibly vain, and love trying to outdo each other. Thus, no two Warsphinxes are going to be exactly alike. Some Warsphinxes may have a long scorpion tail with a venomous sting, while others may be able to breath fire like a dragon.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warriors (Howdah Crew Only)
-Warsphinxes were first constructed in Khemri to guard the entrance-ways to the kings' inner sanctums. Over time, the rulers of other cities demanded similar guardians, and before long warsphinxes stood sentry within every burial pyramid. Here, inside the vast amphitheater chambers, they are said to roam, preying on intruders whilst the king slumbers. Some kings even had a Warsphinx constructed to stand watch over their own sacred sarcophagi, and these were especially lavish and ornate. Upon awakening, a Tomb King would ride his royal Warsphinx into battle, leading his army out of the burial chambers and into the blinding light of day.
-As with any Nehekharan sculpture, no two Khemrian Warsphinxes are quite alike. The Necrotects were always looking to build grander and more impressive creations than those of their predecessors. Some Warsphinxes have scorpion tails filled with potent venom, whilst others breathe fire, immolating their foes in blazing conflagrations. It is rare indeed for a new Khemrian Warsphinx to be constructed, and most of those that are seen prowling alongside the Tomb Kings' armies have existed for thousands of years. If one of these giant constructs is somehow destroyed in battle, its sacred pieces are gathered up by skeletal work gangs and dragged back to the cities of Nehekhara to be restored and re-sculpted by the Necrotects of the necropolises.
Mobility: 6
Training: 5-6
Max Range: Artillery
Preferred Range: Varies
"That which was stone, arise! Bone and bronze and leather and tar, creature of power awake and visit destruction on the enemies of Khemri!" —Part of the awakening ritual performed by the High Priest Kharnut during the time of the Second Dinasty
The Necrolith Colossus, or Bone Giants as some have called them, are mighty statues of venerated heroes and ancient kings who stride to battle, towering over the Undead armies of Nehekhara and the Tomb Kings.
Made to resemble immense heroes of old, Necrolith Colossi stand noble and proud. Their forms are covered in skulls, bones and mortuary ornamentation. Indeed, such was Nehekhara's obsession with death and immortality that some Colossi have even been carved to resemble giant skeletons. Breastplates, vambraces and sometimes great crested helmets were hammered onto the stone bodies of these constructs, each lavishly decorated and engraved.
As the skill of the priesthood grew, they turned their talents towards binding the souls of Nehekhara's foremost warriors into these vast statues, for who could face such a creation in battle? The incantations of summoning required were long and arduous, demanding the combined power of a score of Liche Priests. Such is the magic instilled into Necrolith Colossi that once spirits are bound within their mighty frames, they will never again need the incantations of Liche Priests to prompt them into wakefulness. Necrolith Colossi will react immediately to the presence of unwelcome strangers and move to strike them down. Stirring from their vigil, they shake loose the sand and dust that has settled on their immense forms and stride relentlessly towards the intruders.
In battle, Necrolith Colossi are terrifying to behold. The desert itself trembles at their passing, the impacts of their heavy footfalls sounding a mighty drumbeat that heralds impending doom. They are nigh impossible to stop, crushing foes beneath their feet and sending dead and broken bodies flying in all directions. Few are the foes that can face these unnatural monsters, for they do not feel pain, they do not know fatigue or fear. Able to feed on the escaping life force of those they slay, the Bone Giants can carve through enemy regiments with a single devastating charge.
Offense: A Necrolith Colossus is armed with traditional weapons, only on a massive scale, carrying vast bows or giant swords that stand taller than a Troll. A Necrolith Colossus is a supremely powerful foe, and its weapons can carve through an armored knight and his barded steed in a single stroke. Should they be armed with a bow, the arrows are blessed by Asaph, and can be as long as ballista bolts.
Defense: Their bodies are made from hardest stone. Some have armor hammered onto their bodies, only adding to their durability. Only sustained fire from the most powerful weapons in an army, or truly epic levels of magic, are going to do lasting damage to a Colossus.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warrior
-Rare: It is a rare thing to create a new Bone Giant, and most of those that are at times seen marching to battle alongside the Tomb Kings' armies have been in existence for thousands of years. If one of the constructs is destroyed, its sacred pieces are gathered up and used to recreate it.
-In ancient times, before the rise of Settra and the Mortuary Cult, many were the legends of mighty beings of immense stature walking the land and smiting all who stood in their path. Nehekhara's gods to stand watch over the lands, immortal sentinels who would guard their realms against evil Daemons. So it is thought that the most ancient of the Necrolith Colossi were created by the gods themselves. However, the ancient Nehekharans constructed countless more - hewing their forms from mighty pillars of rock and carving them directly into the faces of cliffs and pyramids. Every necropolis in Nehekhara is now watched over by at least one of these imposing figures. Outside the ancient cities, Necrolith Colossi stand as motionless figures, guarding important valley entrances and gateways from rampaging monsters and enemy warbands for aeons at a time.
-The War-Statuary of Nehekhara: It was not just the elite soldiery of Nehekhara's legions that achieved great status in ancient times. The names of countless war-statue are recorded on the surfaces of tombs and sarcophagi as well.
The Bone Giants of Bhagar were such creations, magnificent Necrolith Colossi whose bodies and limbs were carved from a white marble said to be indistinguishable from actual bone. Time and again the Bone Giants strode out to battle, and not even the bravest heroes could stand against the skull-faced giants of death. The Alabaster Army of Quatar was perhaps even more feared, for their ivory ranks crushed whole armies underfoot. Those towering Ushabti fought like the gods they portrayed, and they would return after a battle won to stand once more in the alcoves of the White Palace, their flanks still slick with the blood of the slain.
The Emerald Sentinels of Lybaras, the Golden Warsphinx of King Anubekh, the Skull Guardian of the Charnel Valley, the list of legendary constructs goes on. However, all these statues are said to be eclipsed by the size and majesty of the Hieroscropion of Khemri, whose titanic form, as large as a burial pyramid, was forged from jet obsidian and blood-cooled bronze. This gargantuan creation prowls the desert to this day, preying on any who dare trespass into the Land of the Dead.
 |
| A Hierotitan towering over a Tomb King Army |
Mobility: 6
Training: 4
Max Range: Battlefield
Preferred Range: Artillery
A Hierotitan is a gigantic animated statue whose face is carved in the likeness of one of the Nehekharan deities of death. These idols radiate a sinister aura of magic, and it is said that those who stand within their shadow can hear the cruel laughter of ancient gods. Hierotitans were constructed to stand within the uppermost chambers of the Tomb Kings' burial pyramids. It was believed that they would act as spirit guides for the souls of deceased kings, responsible for ushering the eternal spirits of monarchs between the mortal world and the Realm of Souls.
Interred within the chest of a Hierotitan is the mummified body of an ancient priest. These were the high priests of the Mortuary Cult that lived and died as mortal men, before the time when their knowledge was such that they could walk the lands of Nehekhara for all time. In their lifetime, these priests studied the art of communion with the gods. Thus, as they served their king in life, so their soul would continue to serve him in death. It is the magically attuned spirit of the deceased priest that allows the Hierotitan to walk in two worlds at once, acting as a conduit between the two realms.
To a Hierotitan, the world appears as a dream. Their very presence on the battlefield creates a direct link between the mortal world and the Realm of Souls through which the gods hear the rituals of the Liche Priests. When a Hierotitan strides across the land, the incantations of the Mortuary Cult are lent great power. Entire regiments of enemy soldiers are dragged beneath the sands at the uttering of the simplest incantation, and a single syllable read from a magical scroll can summon a vast plague of desert locusts that envelops and consumes their foes.
Offense: No expense was spared in sculpting a Hierotitan, a towering effigy whose form was lavished with gold and gems. In one hand, a Hierotitan carries an elaborate staff, known as the Icon of Ptra, which bears the hieroglyph of the sun god and lights the Hierotitan's path as it walks in the abyss that separates the mortal world from the Realm of Souls. This light wards away the evil spirits that dwell in the dark, Daemons who would otherwise prey on the souls of those wandering the void. The Hierotitan's other hand grasps a giant pair of scales, called the Scales of Usirian.
According to legends, it is upon these scales that the king's soul is judged by the god of the Underworld to see if it is worthy enough to enter the realm of the honored dead, or whether it is to be cast into the fiery pits of the Netherworld. Both these items are wrought with powerful incantations, for the fate of the king's eternal spirit depends upon them. In battle, the Hierotitan can infuse his staff with the light of the sun god, causing those caught in the dazzling rays to burst into flames. Likewise, the Hierotitan can unleash the power contained within its foreboding scales, and ethereal claws will stretch out and rip their foes' souls from their bodies.
In addition, their sheer size means they can squash most opponents like bugs.
Defense: They are massive statues made of the finest metals and gems. In addition, they are conduits of the gods themselves, so they have a high degree of magical resistance
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warriors
-Very Rare
-Spirit Conduit: Hierotitans act as magical loci for the army's Liche Priests. When a friendly Liche Priest is within 200 meters of a Hierotitan, the power of their spells can increase drastically.
The Crater of the Waking Dead
Such was the rivalry between King Imanotep of Mahrak and King Ushtep of Rasetra that they drove their Undead Legions across the desert to end a feud that mortal death had not settled.
The two armies clashed in a giant crater situated between the two cities, and the mummified rulers met in personal combat beside a half-buried Hierotitan. The Tomb Kings dueled for hours, but their immortal bodies never grew weary and the thrill of battle soon ebbed to be replaced with a joyless bitterness. In frustration, the warring Tomb Kings vented their anger upon the gods, blaming them for their cursed existence and uttering a string of insults. These words did not go by unheard, for the Hierotitan in whose shadow the monarchs were fighting was literally a conduit between the mortal plane and the Realm of Souls. The deities heard the profanities as clearly as if they had been uttered to their faces, and their anger was great.
The gods cursed the rival Tomb Kings to wage an endless war. Countless thousands of skeletal warriors now battle across the vast crater, chariots smashing into each other and crushing their foes into the dust. However, the crater is saturated with magical energy, and the instant a Skeleton is cut down its broken bones mend anew and the warrior staggers to its feet, ready to continue the fight. The battle has now raged for over three millennia, and in the center of the crater are the two ancient kings - locked in a perpetual duel. It is said that a hundred Hierotitans now line the crater's edge and the gods themselves watch the eternal war unfold through their eyes.
Mobility: 7 (Flight)
Training: 5
Max Range: Melee
Preferred Range: Melee
Necrosphinxes are nightmarish beasts of destruction that glide through the air in bounding leaps before falling amongst their terrified prey, scything down the living as mortals reap the wheat of the field. None can stand against such terrifying beings, and only when all before them have been butchered will they stop.
A Necrosphinx is a bizarre and horrifying statue - a strange amalgamation of the mythical beasts that are said to inhabit the Nehekharan Underworld, maintaining order amongst the honored dead. A Necrosphinx has a torso and face of a man, and is armed with gigantic, scything blades that can sever the neck of a Dragon in a single slice. Many also have a scorpion-like tail, better enabling them to stand sentry against the predations of evil. Finally, sprouting from the statue's back are a pair of ornate wings which mimic those of the falcons that circle the highest levels of the Underworld, keeping watch so that the souls of the damned may not escape.
The Liche Priests do not think that a Necrosphinx is animated by the soul of a valiant warrior like the other war-statues that walk beside the Tomb King's skeletal legions. Instead, they believe that the sinister gods, Pha'a and Usekph, breathed life into these horrifying creations. These malevolent deities are said to dwell within mighty tombs beneath the sands, buried by the other gods for their destructive ways. If the Liche Priests are right, then the mysterious gods have finally found a means by which to vent their fury upon the world. Whatever the truth, deep within every Necrosphinx is the burning need to destroy, and the incantations of servitude laid upon them are the only things that keep them from turning upon their creators and tearing Nehekhara asunder.
Offense: Scything Blades, Claws, and being able to crush most foes by dropping down on top of them.
Defense: Massive stone bodies and flight.
Special: Some Necrosphinxes have a scorpion tail, full of magical venom capable of killing undead and demons.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warriors
-It was believed that by combining all these forms the ancient Nehekharans were creating the ultimate warrior, one that possessed the strength to destroy all their enemies. However, many of the Mortuary Cult's Liche Priests believed these sculptures to be an abomination, whose presence would curse the land, for surely such beasts had no right to exist on the mortal plane. Following a century of plague and famine, the superstitious kings of Nehekhara agreed that the Necrosphinxes were to blame, but none dared destroy them in case it angered the gods of the Underworld. Instead, vast pits were dug in the desert in which the Necrosphinxes were buried and all but forgotten with the passage of time.
The Necrosphinxes did not see the light of day again until millennia later, when a mighty Orc Waaagh! swept down from the Badlands into Nehekhara. The greenskin horde attacked with a score of monstrous Wyverns at their head, destroying everything in their path. As the Waaagh! pushed towards Khemri, Settra himself ordered the Mortuary Cult to reawaken the ancient Necrosphinxes. More fearful of Settra's wrath than anything else, the cowering Liche Priests obeyed and began a week-long magical ceremony. Upon the ritual's completion, a deep rumble reverberated throughout the desert. Moments later, fountains of bone-dry earth exploded from the ground as a dozen Necrosphinxes broke the surface.
Without pause the stone monsters pounced upon the greenskins, slaughtering the savages with every sweep of their massive claws. Not even the mighty Wyverns could halt their murderous rampage, for the nightmarish statues cut through the greenskin's monsters' thick, scaly necks with single strokes of their razor sharp pincers. All Necrosphinxes have since been reclaimed from the desert sands to stand proudly in the sun once more, forming an important part of the Tomb Kings' eternal armies, and wherever they travel they spread death and destruction.
Mobility: 1
Training: 4 (Crew only)
Max Range: Artillery
Preferred Range: Artillery
The catapults of a Tomb King's eternal army are akin to the stone throwers of other races, but instead of flinging rocks at the foe, they throw volleys of flaming skulls. The Liche Priests cast terrible curses upon every one of these skulls, enchanting them so that they scream hideously as they are hurled through the air, rising to a deafening crescendo just before they strike their target. These are the very death screams of the skulls' former owners, the wailing shrieks of those slaughtered on the field of battle and the agonized cries of prisoners captured at the moment of their execution. Many battle-hardened warriors are driven to the edge of insanity by the blood-curdling sound. This horrific ammunition bursts into hellish, ethereal flames when it is launched, and as the skulls arc through the air, they blaze an eerie trail of green-fire behind them. Most of these skulls explode on impact, sending fragments of splintered bone in all directions and engulfing those nearby in a wash of balefire. Others smash into their target with horrifying force, infernal flames spilling out of empty eye sockets as the skulls chew through armor and warm flesh alike.
Every Screaming Skull Catapult is crewed by a trio of Skeleton Warriors. They load and fire their war machines with silent efficiency, unperturbed by the dreadful sound of their ammunition. The artisans of ancient Nehekhara wrought Screaming Skull Catapults into the very image of destruction. The catapults' arms were shaped to resemble twisted bones, and their cradles were fashioned into vast skeletal claws - the so-called hands of death. The chassis of the catapults were carved to resemble the skeletal remains of a vicious desert predator, and sprouting from their spines are great towers of skulls. These are the remains of enemy champions, nailed to the mast of the catapult as grisly trophies. There they wail in perpetual torment until plucked from their fastenings and fired at the enemy. Even the stoutest heart trembles with fear knowing that such a fate awaits them should they fall against the Tomb Kings.
Offense: Piles of enchanted, forever burning, forever screaming, Skulls. Skulls which will either explode when they land, or start gnawing on anything that gets close, setting fire to all around them as they do.
The crew have swords
Defense: The crew have light armor and undead attributes. The catapult itself is made of bone. It can be repaired by magic if necessary.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead (Crew Only): See Skeleton Warriors
-This device can induce terror and in some cases outright revolt, as the skulls of former comrades rain down on the army, and fear that they might be next takes hold.
-King Behedesh of Zandri was the inventor of the Screaming Skull Catapult and he ordered many to be built during his reign. He used these extensively in many wars, and most famously to defeat the rulers of Araby who rebelled against him. These treacherous kings refused to submit to Behedesh's will, but when their armies were bombarded by the skulls of their own comrades, they fled and their cities burned. At every battle's end, the catapult crews scoured the battlefield for the bodies of slain foes, decapitating any they found and carrying the severed heads back to be cursed by Zandri's Liche Priests. However, such was not the fate of the rebel kings. Behedesh decreed these traitors were to be mummified alive and strapped atop his catapults so that they could watch the destruction of their cities first hand. Even now, many centuries later, some catapults still have withered corpses bound to their timbers. Whether these are the same renegades that opposed Behedesh, or the remains of other tormented souls, has long been forgotten. Occasionally, a muffled sound, as faint as the rustling of dried parchment, ushers from their cadaverous lips, begging for mercy. However, the skeleton crews are oblivious to their pleas, and even if they were not, they could not be heard over the banshee wailing of their enchanted ammunition.
Mobility: NA (Summoned to the Keeper)
Training: 4 (Casket Guards), 5 (Keeper), NA (Casket)
Max Range: Artillery
Preferred Range: ^^
"Damnation eternal awaits those who would disturb his rest! Here be the souls of those that are lost..." —Inscribed on the Casket of Souls within the tomb of King Setep
At the heart of each tomb of the mightiest kings there lies a casket, sealed with pitch and inscribed with hieroglyphs of malediction and warning. Within this sacred sarcophagus reside the tormented souls of those who have committed the sacrilege of inciting a Tomb King's wrath. Whether consumed by ravenous Tomb Swarms or cut down by the Tomb Guard, the spirits of those thus condemned have been ensnared by the dire power of the casket and trapped within it for eternity. Powerful binding inscriptions ensure that these souls cannot leave their prison until the moment when the casket is opened.
A Casket of Souls is not physically carried into battle, but is summoned through the incantations of a Keeper of the Casket - a priest of the Mortuary Cult whose sole responsibility is the custodianship of this revered object. As a Keeper of the Casket intones the proper chants, a fountain of skulls bursts from the ground below. These gush forth, forming into a mound that spills over revealing the Casket of Souls atop a dais of bone, with a nimbus of sorcerous energy swirling around its infernal form, and two Undead guardians by its side. The power surrounding the Casket of Souls is such that nearby Liche Priests can infuse their incantations with a portion of its energy.
When the seals are broken and the lid of a Casket of Souls is opened, blinding light spills across the battlefield as countless souls scream into the air, seeking freedom from the madness and torment of their confinement. Such an escape will never come while the casket is intact, for the pull of the damned sarcophagus is so great that it draws the souls back within no matter how hard they try to fight it. Crazed and desperate, these insubstantial spirits plunge through the hearts and minds of the Tomb Kings' enemies, hopelessly seeking an escape. As the screaming forms of these souls pass through the physical bodies of living creatures, the life force of that creature is sucked dry. They feel an intense pain deep within them, and their bodies age centuries with every passing second. In mere heartbeats, they are little more than a dried shell and they fall to the ground. To die thus is far worse than a physical death, for the very souls of those who perish in this manner become ensnared by the power of the casket, becoming just another of the countless lost souls held within its unholy confines for an eternity of torment. A Casket of Souls is a devastating weapon, for all who look upon it risk eternal damnation and imprisonment.
Offense: See Description
Defense: See Skeleton Warriors (Casket Guards). The Keeper of the Casket would have robes. The Casket Itself is a stone box, with no defense besides the guards.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead (Keeper and Guards Only): See Skeleton Warriors
-Rare
-Covenant of Power: A Casket of Souls gives off so much magical energy that Liche Priests can use some of it to power their spells.
-The spirits affect even creatures that do not truly age or have a soul, as the magical energies that bind them together or keep them on this plane of existence are absorbed.
-Only the attendant Keeper knows the incantations that will open the casket, and if he is interrupted the souls of the damned are instantly sucked back inside. If a Casket of Souls is ever destroyed, the tortured souls will escape their confines in a raging maelstrom of destruction, feeding on anything caught in the magical backlash as they wreak their vengeance.
Mobility: 7 (Can Fly and Burrow)
Training: 9
Max Range: 300 Meters
Preferred Range: Varies
Beneath the shifting and endless sands of Nehekhara dwell age-old secrets and timeless horrors to freeze the soul of any who dare disturb their slumber, and many are the legends and whispered tales that are gathered about them. Of these one of the most fabled and feared is that of the gigantic scarabs and carrion-beetles said to dwell beneath the sands. While there are those who scoff at stories of scarabs the size of fortress keeps raising up wrathful sandstorms against all who intrude upon the ancient lands of the Tomb Kings of Khemri, there are too few beyond the Lands of the Dead who know that a terrible truth lies behind them. Known to the loremasters of Tilea and the Empire as Khemric Titans, these giant arcane constructs of stone and onyx, bejeweled and enameled with the wealth and glory of a bygone age, tower above even the dreaded Necrosphinx in size, animated by the mightiest incantations of the fallen glory of the south.
It is unknown how many were fashioned in ancient days, and how many even of those few have survived, but it is known they were set to slumber as guardians far away from the funeral armies of their kings of old, set to stand watch over sites of terrible evil and the haunts of foul monsters from the dawning of the world, and there are few forces of creatures able to contest them in battle. The root of their great power stems from the fact they are no mere beast of animate stone, for contained within a Khemric Titan is the resting place of a long dead hero of Khemri, and sometimes, more rarely, an entire dynasty of warrior kin, fallen satraps of the great kings who were heroes while they drew breath, sworn to guard the borders of their lord's domains in death as they were in life. The funerary incantations of these shrines of eternities are lodestones for the winds of magic, gathering and storing their tremendous power there over the years, and when the winds of magic grow tempestuous they flare into life and unbidden by any Liche Priest the Khemric Titan walk.
Offense: Khemric Titans are strange creature-constructs whose inhuman minds perceive and deal with threats in a manner seldom explicable to mortal minds, and have at their disposal a host of means to do so, each more horrific than the last.
The ways that a Titan can kill you include: Lashing out with massive scythe-bladed forelimbs, unleashing a swarm of flesh-eating scarabs from its jaws that can strip flesh from bone in seconds, a mouth made from obsidian and onyx that can slam shut with enough force to shatter stone and crush steel, or most horrifying of all: Becoming a howling gate to the realm of the dead and sucking in the souls of the living into the pitch black abyss beyond.
Defense: They are massive creatures made of metal, stone and jewels, able to soak up a ton of damage. And, while their size does make them a large target, they can also fly.
Curse of the Fallen: "Should the Khemric Titan be slain it shatters apart, unleashing the potent incantations and magics bound within its frame in a deathly blast of power that can age anything caught in its howling grip into dust in mere seconds." This happens if the Titan is slain by any means, then anything from melee range to up to 75 meters will be caught in the blast and aged to death.
Special: Shrine of Eternities: "The Shrine of Eternities, in which the resting place of the long-dead lord within the Khemric Titan is located, is swathed with funerary incantations and ritual spells to animate the monolithic creature. The arcane power of a storm of magic fires these ancient spells to life, granting them destructive force on the battlefield." Basically the Khemric Titan can unleash these bound spells, though only one at a time. These three spells are:
-The Gaze of Dust: A magic missile type spell that only the most powerful of magic users or even gods could defend against, with a range of 300 meters and can penetrate ranks in the same manner as a Bolt Thrower. Any unit that cannot be protected from its effects withers into a dry husk in a matter of seconds before ultimately crumbling to dust.
-Wrath of the Sands: A moderately powerful spell with a 300 meter range that kicks up a small but blinding sandstorm, making vision for shooters difficult and slowing down attempts to charge. The sandstorm only lasts for a few minutes or until the Titan casts a new spell.
-Reawakening of Ancient Might: A moderate spell that can only be cast on the Titan itself. When successfully cast, it heals the Titan slightly.
Breath of Night: "The air around the Khemric Titan is filled with crawling darkness redolent with the chill of the grave, filling mortal souls with panic and terror." While not an attack itself, it does fill the Titans enemies with such terror that assuming they don't flee from it outright, renders them to scared to even fight back.
Additional Factors:
-As an animated construct, the Titan does require magic to function. If the Liche that summoned it dies or stops feeding it magic, it will slowly grind to a halt. However, should the winds of magic be blowing hard enough, it can sustain itself without a Liche or other summoner.
-While technically magical constructs, because they often contain one or more heroes of Khemri, they can also be treated as Undead (including having undead attributes and being effected by attacks or abilities specifically designed to target the undead).
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Tomb Barques of Usirian
Mobility: 7
Training: NA (9 for the Crew, Tomb King and Possible Liche)
Max Range: Arrows (Battlefield if carrying Liche Priest)
Preferred Range: High Above the Battlefield
When the legions of the Tomb Kings march to war then above them, bone-ribbed war-barques sail majestically above the sands in mockery of the laws of nature, banks of oars stirring the dry air, whilst flocks of giant vulture-like Carrion circle in their wake in a parody of flight. Built in the likeliness of the many vessels that once sailed up and down the bountiful river Vitae and provided every city and village along its banks with goods from near and far, the war-barques serve a very different purpose.
When a soul starts out on its journey into the Underworld to have its worth judged and its place in the afterlife assigned, it is said, that at some point it will come onto the banks of a river not unlike the mighty flows of the Great River Vitae, the River of Souls. It is here that the necessity of a way across it arises, for should a soul step into or even fall into the River of Souls, then it will be forever damned to an eternity of nothingness, as it is magically sucked underneath the gloomy waters.
There are large barques for the common people of Nehekhara, which transport several hundred souls with each eerie crossing. For the nobility and the kings, themselves, however, such mundane transports are beneath them. Thus, they had large barques of their own built during their lifetimes, so that they might serve them as a way to not only cross the River of Souls, but to travel the entire journey atop their lavishly decorated decks, tended by dozens of servants and protected by their finest warriors. Having awoken to unlife, the Tomb Kings ordered the Liche Priest to bring forth the Tomb Barques out of the Burial Pits, for they no longer will serve their intended purpose. Now they lazily drift upon the Wind of Shyish, high over the Tomb Kings’ forces, imbuing the endless ranks with the same power meant to protect their rulers in the Underworld.
Offense: The ship itself has no weapons, but is crewed by only the most elite warriors in the Tomb King's retinue. Archers standing only the deck fire Blessed Arrows of Asaph (See Skeleton Archers) down onto the enemy below. A Liche Priest may potentially ride along as well.
Defense: To protect them against the horrors lurking in the River of Souls and the perils on the way to the Gates of Usirian, the barques were inscribed with mighty hieroglyphs of protection and enchanted with wards containing the power of the gods of Nehekhara. The soldiers accompanying their liege into the afterlife were amongst his best, having trained for this journey their entire life and even the barques themselves were outfitted with modes of defending themselves, either by enhancing the warriors fighting spirit or unleashing swarms of ravenous Khepra beetles to devour everything in the way.
Khepra Beetles: The way towards the golden afterlife in Usirian’s realm is riddled with the souls of the damned and cursed, criminals on their way to an eternity of torment. Knowing what is to come, they desperately seek ways to escape their looming predicament and many of them have the audacity to try and board the magnificent Tomb Barques of their kings. Khepra beetles sense the presence of such wretched souls and should one of them really have the intent to carry through with this blasphemous act, then the Khepra beetles nesting in the barques’ keel will swarm forth and descend upon the bold intruders, hastening their eternal demise. When the barques fly forth in the realms of the living, the Beetles to accompany the ship, just as willing to devour the living as they are the dead.
High Flyer: The War-Barque soar high above the battlefield, making them very difficult to hit from the ground by non-fliers.
Hieroglyphs of Protection: The War-Barque is covered in glyphs and runes of protection empowered by the gods themselves. Thus it, and those friendly units directly on the ship or below it on the ground are granted a powerful magical barrier.
And under all of that, the Barque is made of the finest materials available to the Tomb King at the time of his life, so it won't go down easy.
Special: Wards of the Gods: At the Tomb King's command a special set of magical wards may be activated to grant the Barque some particular effect. While Barques have three such wards, only one can be activated at a time.
-Ward of Qu'aph: This causes the War-Barque to become Ethereal, causing all non-magical attacks to pass through them.
-Ward of Sokth: Enemy units within 150 Meters of the War-Barque will find the odds of hitting the ship decrease while this is activated. Even attacks that seem like they should be sure things will suddenly veer slightly off course. This doesn't necessarily stop every attack and sometimes the enemy gets lucky.
-Ward of Tahoth: This grants a magical boon to all Liche Priests (or friendly wizards) on or directly under the War-Barque, increasing the strength of their spells and decreasing the risks of miscasting.
Additional Factors:
-Undead Attributes: The Crew
Mobility: 2
Training: 4 (Crew)
Max Range: Artillery
Preferred Range: Artillery
A Tomb King's Bone Thrower is a device fashioned from bones and designed to hurl osseous missiles upon the enemy. As with the larger artillery pieces the undead build smaller bolt throwing machines and for the same reasons their chief material is bone. These machines are based upon those once used by the living armies of the Kings that have long-since crumbled to dust. It is essentially a big crossbow made of bone... a very big crossbow indeed! The missiles it fires are as long as spears and can skewer a whole line of troops.
Offense: See Description.
Defense: Made of bone and rope. It is guarded by Skeleton Soldiers armed with spears and swords.
Additional Factors:
-Undead Attributes: The Crew
Mobility: 3
Training: 5 (Monstrous Instinct)
Max Range: Lunging
Preferred Range: Biting
Ammuts are massive but bizarre creatures, an amalgam of several iconic beasts of Khemri. The head of a crocodile up front, the mane and torso of a lion, and the hindquarters of a hippopotamus lead to an almost comical appearance. They are covered in fur ranging from sandy-colored to dark brown, with shorter fur on their back and a long mane behind its head down to the shoulders. Its large snout and fearsome face are layered in reptilian scales. The wickedly curved claws on the creature’s forepaws pale in comparison to the danger of its mighty jaws.
Ammuts are beastly but cunning creatures that consume souls in an attempt to satisfy their insatiable hungers. They are scavengers from the realm of Usirian, the Underworld. There they roam the depths in search for the tasty morsels of the ones found unworthy and damned by the God of the Underworld – murderers, cowards, thieves and the like. Although their power pales in comparison with the terrible Dread Abyssals, they are still to be feared.
It was the High Priest Henut of Numas who first wrote down the words and ritual to summon forth the ravenous creatures and to bind them to his will. The ritual itself is an arduous and long one, requiring the blood of someone outcast and shunned by society. One might think that a person like this is very hard to come by in the Land of the Dead but to the Nehekharans anyone who disturbs the peace of their burial complexes and trespasses into their lands is considered a criminal. As such the Liche Priests are provided with a steady stream of suitable subjects, since the looters and tomb robbers seem to be never-ending. Once summoned, Ammuts are bound to the will of the Liche Priests so far that they join the armies of the Tomb Kings when they march to war, prowling ahead or on the flanks looking for the souls of the evil and wicked, tasty morsels they have been denied for so long.
Offense: Tooth and claw, they have the powerful jaws of a crocodile, and the arm strength of a lion. As spirit creatures, all of their attacks are magical in nature.
Defense: Thick, scaly skin. In addition, any time they consume someone, they also consume its soul. This feast gives the Ammut minor regeneration and heals some previous damage.
Additional Factors:
-Ammuts never tire, and once one notices a creature that it considers suitable prey, it’s unrelenting— stalking its prey for hundreds of miles if need be before running it down. The only way to truly escape an Ammut once it selects you as its quarry is to confront and defeat the beast.
-After Nagash’s Great Ritual, Ammuts and all the other beastly denizens of the Underworld were found wanting, as the flow of souls started to diminish first and then slowly trickled to a halt. Starved of their most favourite prey and unable to perish in the Realm of Usirian, the Ammuts grew restless, wandering about the various levels of the Underworld and fighting each in a futile attempt to sate their bottomless hunger, only to be materialize again after some time, starting the cycle anew.
-Given their vicious nature and the fact that they eat souls, Ammuts can easily cause fear on the battlefield, causing lesser soldiers to route.
-Ammuts have no trouble crossing even the most turbulent of waters.
-As they are bound to the Liche Priests who summoned them, Ammuts are immune to psychological attacks or mind control.
-Unstable: If the being who summoned and bound them dies, their link to this world becomes unstable. Any time they are struck could cause that link to break entirely, and cause the Ammut to be dragged back to the underworld.
-Hunter of the Evil and the Wicked: While Ammuts can be made to fight anyone, they prefer to target evil and destructive souls. As such, they will hunt targets that match that description above others, and attack them with even greater ferocity, as their souls are the most delicious and most desirable.
SPECIALIST SUPPORT:
Mobility: 4 (6 in Chariot)
Training: 7-9, depding on the age of the Tomb King
Max Range: Varies
Preferred Range: Melee
Tomb Kings are the ancient, long-dead rulers of Nehekhara. There have been countless kings during the long history of that ancient land. Each city was ruled by a separate dynasty and these were ousted from power and replaced by others over the span of centuries. The Tomb Kings regularly waged war upon each other to spread their influence over the entire land of Nehekhara. Greatest of all the kings were those of Khemri, which was the largest and most proud of the ancient cities. It became established early on that whoever ruled in Khemri was the mightiest king in Nehekhara, to whom the other kings would pledge allegiance and offer tribute. All the kings shared the same lust for worldly wealth and power. and the same ambition to defy death. To this end they founded the Mortuary Cult in order to reawaken them after death. They directed the building of great pyramids surrounded by extensive necropoli as strongholds for all eternity, and ordered that they be mummified and entombed within to preserve their physical bodies for all time.
Their mummified corpses have been awakened by magical incantations, and their bodies are now inhabited by their undying, vengeful spirits. The Tomb Kings have been reborn to a mocking imitation of life, transformed into hideous cadavers whose kingdoms have been plundered and lost. Bitter and twisted, the Tomb Kings' rage fuels an unremitting need to conquer; they are the true monarchs of the dead, and they are coming to reclaim their rightful dominion.
Offense: Any weapon they desire, for none would deny their king. High probability for magical weapon.
Defense: Any armor, for the same reason above. High chance for magical defense. They will also be protected by a group of elite bodyguards. As they are the king, the army is also inclined to protect them at all cost.
Special: Mount: Any mount, though Tomb Kings tend to prefer chariots if they are to ride into battle.
Special: Tomb Princes: Tomb Princes are the sons of the Tomb Kings. Each of the kings of ancient Nehekhara had many heirs, doubtless the result of their extensive harems, but only one could succeed their father to the throne. This was typically the second son of the king, for the firstborn were given to the gods to serve in the Mortuary Cult.
The king's younger sons served as the generals and lieutenants of his armies and enforced his will over his subjects. Some died heroically in battle, and their bodies were brought home to be mummified according to the same rites and entombed in a place within the king's pyramid, as befitted captains of high rank. They also wear amulets and are entombed with their chariots, favourite steeds and weapons of war. There they await in the sleep of death, ready to recommence their military duties at the time of their awakening. Others lived on to serve their brother as officers and were thus entombed in his pyramid to continue to serve him after death.
The Tomb Princes rest in their vaults beside the great tomb chamber of their sovereign in an eternal council of war, waiting for the moment of awakening when they shall resume command of their contingents. Those few who, through jealousy or intrigue, attempted to usurp the throne were denied the privilege of mummification and their bones were thrown to the carrion of the desert.
Additional Factors:
-Undead Attributes
-Upon their first death, the Tomb Kings were embalmed in elaborate ceremonies. Their bodies were wrapped in pitch-soaked bandages inscribed with magical wards and incantations meant to preserve their corpses for all eternity. Bedecked in gleaming crowns and the regalia of kingship, they retain all the majesty that they exuded while alive. Amulets and talismans of gold inset with precious stones, hang around their necks, and they often wear the breastplate of a military commander strapped over their death-shroud wrappings. Entombed within the same deep chamber is their kingly chariot and steeds, ready for them to ride forth from the tomb shaft into the light of day. Despite the skills of the Liche Priests, the Tomb Kings now resemble dried skeletal husks. They are, however, possessed of an incredible strength and can withstand injuries that would slay a mortal man outright. The only known way to truly destroy a Tomb King is to set their bone-dry forms ablaze.
-The Curse: A powerful curse hangs over the mummified royalty of Nehekhara, striking down those who seek to do them wrong. Countless tales abound of tomb robbers aging a lifetime in mere seconds, dropping dead as their blood magically turns into sand or they are engulfed in a ravenous swarm of desert locusts that strip flesh from bone. The most horrible fates are reserved for those that dare strike down these ancient lords in combat — those who would willingly, and foolishly, bring about such a demise are truly damned.
-Revived by the rituals of the Liche Priests, a Tomb King awakens from the sleep of death possessing all the ambition and lust for power he had in life and are bent on restoring their ancient realms. Every Tomb King seeks to reclaim his plundered treasures and restore his ancient glory. If this means the subjugation and destruction of foreign lands, then the Tomb King's army, loyal even in death, rises from its rest at his command and is ready to march at his side once again. Although it is the magic of the Liche Priests that animates the Tomb King's army, it is by the indomitable will and force of personality of the Tomb King himself that they move and fight. Every Tomb King is an aggressive warlord, able to instill their warriors with their own unyielding vigor.
Mobility: 3
Training: 8-9
Max Range: Battlefield
Preferred Range: Behind the Scenes
The Liche Priests are the undying members of Nehekhara's Mortuary Cult, and they hold the secrets to unlife. They know the rituals needed to draw forth spirits from the Realm of Souls and bind them once more into corporeal bodies. It is the Liche Priests who rouse the Tomb Kings and their courts from their slumber and awaken their armies for war. Liche Priests are also the keepers of Nehekhara's arcane lore.
When Settra calls for war, the Liche Priest gather to answer the call. Hunched and frail, their dry, wizened skins are stretched like old parchment over their brittle skeletons. Each is garbed in an elaborate headdress, and clutched in their skeletal hands are ritual knives and rune-inscribed staffs, which act as both the Liche Priests' crutches and symbols of office.
Through ritualistic incantations, they call upon the power of ancient gods to bestow blessings upon the warriors of the Tomb Kings, infusing their ancient bones with magical energy. Similarly, Liche Priests cast terrible curses upon their foes, summoning vengeful desert spirits to feast on their souls.
Offense: Liche Priests are wizards who use spells from of the Lores of Nehekhara, Light, and Death, though typically not all three.
They also carry ritual knives and staves.
Defense: Magical Barriers, and due to their importance they are often heavily guarded and far from the front lines. These are all important, as without them, the Liche Priest is very old, brittle, flammable and could easily be smashed to bits.
Additional Factors:
-Undead Attributes
-Since its founding, the Mortuary Cult was commanded to study the arts of mummification and communion with the gods. Steadily, over many centuries, the priests learned how to preserve a corpse from decay until the art of embalming had become very elaborate. The priesthood also devised a vast lore of magical incantations and rituals intended to bind the souls of the dead kings back into their royal bodies. Since a king depended on the Mortuary Cult's knowledge and loyalty in order to live beyond his own death, the Liche Priests held great power in ancient Nehekhara. Indeed, Liche Priests were the only subjects who could not be executed. In this way, the priesthood became a formidable power behind many thrones. Liche Priests acted as advisors and viziers to the kings of Nehekhara, and their status was second only to that of the ruling families.
-Each necropolis, with the burial pyramids of the Tomb Kings at its core, has a temple dedicated to Nehekhara's Mortuary Cult, and it is here where the Liche Priests preside. In addition to the rituals of summoning, Liche Priests have many duties to perform in the necropolis, including renewing the seals upon the portals of the tomb vaults, maintaining the incantations of preservation, and determining the moment of a Tomb King's awakening. The Liche Priests continue to perform these duties for centuries because they cannot die a natural death, cursed forever by their own lust for immortality: Long ago, the Liche Priests used their accumulated knowledge to trap their own souls within their bodies, and in doing so they extended their lives far beyond those of mortal men. However, whilst their spirits never passed into the Realm of Souls, their bodies have withered with the passing of centuries, and it is their spirit alone that now animates their forms. Without realizing it, the entire priesthood cursed itself — not to eternal life, but to eternal undeath. Liche Priests' physical bodies are now little more than withered corpses.
-The Liche Priests believe the Winds of Magic to be the breath of their gods, a power that connects the mortal world to the realms beyond. The magical incantations of Nehekhara's Liche Priests have been perfected over millennia, and they have remained unchanged since that time. The wording of each and every incantation is recorded on dusty papyrus scrolls written in the mysterious hieroglyphs of Nehekhara's ancient language. Uttered in long, monotonous rituals, the incantations of the Liche Priests must be precisely pronounced, for the slightest mistake can incite the wrath of the gods. It is not unknown for the angered deities to snap the bones of the offending Liche Priest, set his form ablaze or even rend his soul asunder as punishment — such are the risks when harnessing the power of gods.
Mobility: 4 (5 on horseback)
Training: 7
Max Range: Varies (Usually Melee)
Preferred Range: By their charge's side.
A Tomb Herald is the personal champion and trusted bodyguard of a Tomb King. Obedient to a fault, these mummified warriors cut down their lord's enemies without pause or hesitation, slicing through flesh and bone with every strike until all their foes lie dead or dying at their feet. Tomb Heralds were selected from the ranks of the elite Tomb Guard, devout warriors who had honed their skills through years of warfare. Every candidate for the rank of Tomb Herald first had to pass numerous trials of bravery and loyalty to prove worthy of the honor. Anyone wishing to harm a Tomb King must first get past his Herald, a sworn bodyguard who moves to intercept a mortal blow, heedless of the danger.
A Tomb Herald was not just a bodyguard, but also a soul-guard - his life was intrinsically bound to that of his charge, for upon his king's death he was expected to slit his own throat and serve his monarch in the Realm of Souls. A Tomb Herald was then embalmed and buried at the right-hand side of his lord in order to watch over and protect the king's spirit for all eternity. A Tomb Herald's golden armor was placed over his death shrouding and his enchanted blade placed in his hand. Thus, when the Tomb King awakens from his sarcophagus, his most loyal retainer is already standing at his side, ready to slay his liege-lord's foes and enforce his will over the lands once more.
Offense: As they are the King's personal champion, they can wield a plethora of weapons, be they Khopesh, flail, spear, or whatever weapon they are given by their lord. Very rarely they may have some magical weapon.
Defense: See Tomb King, though slightly less extravagant armor.
Special: Mount: Skeletal Steed
Additional Factors:
-Undead Attributes
-Sworn Bodyguard: Should the Tomb King's life be in danger, the Herald will happily throw himself in front of his charge, taking any damage meant for his liege. The only exception to this would be if the Tomb King or Prince accepts a personal challenge. Then it is a duel of honor, and the Tomb Herald may not interfere.
-A Tomb Herald had many duties aside from the protection of his king. Disputes between Tomb Kings of different cities would be settled by a ritual duel between their nominated champions, and the Tomb Heralds often fulfilled this role. Sometimes these battles were fought to first blood, but such were the Tomb Heralds' skills in the art of slaughter that the first blow struck was often a killing strike. A Tomb Herald was also the envoy and harbinger of his Tomb King. Only when given the duty of bearing their lord's commands to distant parts of the realm would a Tomb Herald leave his charge's side, but when they did, they were empowered to speak with the king's voice. Thus, to disobey the orders of a Tomb Herald was treason, and was met with death at the champion's own ruthless hands.
-The king's personal icon is often carried into battle by his Tomb Herald. This honor is reserved for only the most trusted of warriors, for each banner is a priceless heirloom. These lavish standards were crafted by master artisans, encrusted with a fortune of jewels and inlaid with finely lacquered wood, gold and lapis lazuli. Emblazoned upon their imposing surfaces are images of death and immortality, and pennants declaring the king's conquests hang below them. The passing of centuries has not tarnished the magnificence of these icons, and they are held as high as they were in ancient times, proudly announcing the deathly majesty of the Tomb King and his eternal army. However, the Tomb King's personal icon is not only a symbol of his wealth and power; they were also magical relics infused with powerful incantations meant to preserve and protect his legions in the next life. It was even said that the breath of Nehekhara's gods touched these icons, blessing them with a portion of their power. The king's most trusted warrior thus protected these artifacts, for superstition had it that if they fell in battle, the gods themselves would curse the king for all eternity.
Mobility: 4
Training: 4-5
Max Range: Whip
Preferred Range: By Constructs
Necrotects were the artisans of ancient Nehekhara. They were not common laborers, but architects of extraordinary skill whose ambitions far outpaced what could be achieved in a mortal lifespan. In death, the Necrotects have lost none of their frenetic drive. They are filled with a compulsive need to pull down the inferior, vulgar cities of their enemies and supplant them with vast monuments of their own design.
Necrotects were stern taskmasters who oversaw tens of thousands of Nehekharans as they toiled under the blazing sun. Under their gaze, an army of masons carved huge slabs of rock out of cliff faces before vast columns of slaves dragged the stones across the desert and hauled them into position. All Necrotects were foul tempered, and they would dispense summary punishment at the slightest provocation. They hated anything and anyone that threatened their art. In death, much of their work lies broken or damaged by the greed of tomb robbers and invading armies. Necrotects have been driven to a blinding rage by the wanton desecration of their beloved masterpieces, and they have sworn to have revenge. In battle, Necrotects lead the Tomb King's regiments like the work gangs of old. They exude the same aura of hatred they possessed in life, and their mere presence instils a magical state of fury in the Undead warriors of Nehekhara. Necrotects no longer need to extort their followers to work faster, and they reserve the lash for those who would defile their art instead, attacking these ignorant wretches with the crack of a whip strong enough to split open backs and leave spines exposed to the elements.
Offense: Long, often magical, whips and lashes. Strong enough to easily remove flesh from bone, being struck by one can cause untold agony. They may also carry the tools of their trade, such as hammers and chisels.
Defense: Light armor
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead
-The skills of a Necrotect were in high demand, for every king needed monuments to pronounce his majesty and a vast tomb to house his mortal remains upon his death. Indeed, Necrotects were so valued that, upon completing their work, they were rewarded with a ritual execution followed by an elaborate embalming ceremony. Many Necrotects were entombed within the same pyramids they had built, buried with the tools of their trade and an intricately carved death mask made by their own hands. The reasoning behind their sacrifice was twofold. Firstly, the king would need artisans to fashion palaces of gold in the next life. Secondly, it ensured that no rival kings could hire their services to commission a more elaborate tomb for themselves. Many Necrotects went to their graves willingly, perhaps for the honor of their beloved king, or because they were unable to live knowing that nothing they created would ever surpass their lord's tomb. Other Necrotects, particularly those whose creative desires still burned strongly, tended to meet with unfortunate accidents such as falling through rotten scaffolding, tripping on slippery stairwells, or drinking poisoned wine.
-Wrath of the Creator: The Necrotects possess such fury at their enemies that they magically pass it along to all they fight with, instilling hatred in their undead hearts.
-Stone Shaper: Necrotects saw to the fine details of construction personally, for only they possessed the skills necessary to carve the likeness of the gods into their sculptures and engrave intricate hieroglyphs onto their surfaces. These were not merely ornamental, for the Necrotects were schooled by the Liche Priests in the ways of crafting potent symbols of preservation. Necrotects may not know the full range of the Liche Priests' incantations, but they could inscribe powerful wards nonetheless. In unlife, Necrotects constantly repair their work, for many hieroglyphs have faded through the passage of time. When a Tomb King awakens, the Necrotects redouble their efforts as they attempt to finish their work. They tirelessly restore the great war-statues that stride to battle alongside the Tomb King's skeletal legions, renewing the hieroglyphs of protection. In battle, as Necrotects chant sinister mantras, these inscriptions glow, and the cracked stone of these animated statues flows to repair itself.
Mobility: 7 (Tunneler)
Training: 4
Max Range: Melee
Preferred Range: Melee
"Beware the guardians of the Underworld who stalk among us!" —Inscription carved into a Tomb Scorpion of Numas
Tomb Scorpions are powerful creations of the Mortuary Cult, formed from a combination of stone, metal, lacquered wood and fused bone. Burrowing beneath the surface of the desert, they attack suddenly and without warning, exploding into the fray in a shower of sand. They are lethal foes, for a Tomb Scorpion's tail carries a potent sting that can incapacitate the largest foes, and they have powerful pincers that can slice a man in half. As they scuttle forward on eight segmented legs, they hack apart anything in their path.
Tomb Scorpions also serve as sarcophagi, for the shell of each construct is formed around the cadaverous body of an ancient Liche Priest. Although Liche Priests are unable to die a natural death, many have perished through wounds sustained in battle. Those that fall are embalmed and interred within a Tomb Scorpion. Canopic jars containing their vital organs, or what withered remains are left of them, are embedded within the scorpion-tombs in a ritualistic pattern that symbolizes death. However, some remnant of a Liche Priest's spirit always remains trapped within their mummified corpses. Through incantations, these embers are rekindled, infusing the inanimate shells of the Tomb Scorpions with power. This magical source also provides Tomb Scorpions with a degree of protection against the spells of enemy wizards, whose sorcerous bolts of energy unravel and fade as they are absorbed harmlessly by the Undead constructs' carapaces.
When the Tomb Kings go to war, the Liche Priests send out their magical call and summon the Tomb Scorpions into wakefulness. Those Tomb Scorpions that respond to the incantations will travel for leagues beneath the ground before clawing their way to the surface and falling upon their enemies with razor-sharp claws and stinging tails. It is a truly terrifying sight to behold the sands parting to reveal the monstrous form of a Tomb Scorpion, and very often, the last thing their enemies will ever witness.
Offense: Massive claws that can easily tear a man apart and do damage even to fairly large creatures. Its tail is filled with venom so potent it can effect the undead and demons. As a magical construct, all its attacks are magical.
Defense: The construct is made from rock, metal, and bone. Thanks to the spirit of the Liche Priest housed inside them, they are given powerful magical resistance.
Additional Factors:
-Undead Attributes: See Skeleton Warriors
-Tomb Scorpions often ambush the enemy by bursting out from beneath the sands (or ground) under their opponent.
-Tomb Scorpions are carved and moulded into the representations of the giant, mythical scorpions that are said to guard the entrance to the Nehekharan Underworld. These fabled creatures are said to protect the Realm of Souls from the predations of dark Daemons who wish to feed upon the spirits of dead kings.
-Each scorpion-shaped sarcophagus is inscribed with hieroglyphs of preservation, and a ceremony of awakening is spoken by a Liche Priest to animate them. If the ritual has been performed correctly, the Tomb Scorpion will become infused with the residual power of the corpse within it. This ritual is exceptionally complex and lasts from moonrise until the first rays of dawn. The slightest mistake or mispronunciation can have dire consequences; a swarm of Undead scorpions may burst out of the desert and sting the Liche Priest to death, or desert spirits may turn the wizard's body inside out and feast on his withered remains. At the very least the ritual will fail and must be recited from the very beginning. Occasionally, despite every syllable being uttered correctly, some of these ancient ones no longer respond to the incantations of awakening. That these constructs are truly dead is doubtful, as a spark of power can still be felt radiating from their carapaces. Rather, it is thought that by binding their souls to the mortal plane, the Liche Priests cheated the god of the Underworld out of his rightful due. Thus it is thought that this jealous deity is not always willing to give up his long awaited prizes by allowing the spirits of the Liche Priests to leave the Realm of Souls.
Mobility: 6-7 (Can move beneath the ground with ease)
Training: 5
Max Range: Line-Of-Sight
Preferred Range: Ambush!
Sepulchral Stalkers were created by the ancient Nehekharans to delineate the borders of a king's realm. Over the centuries, the Sepulchral Stalkers have been swallowed by the shifting sands of the desert, and they now lie hidden beneath the dunes. Sepulchral Stalkers are statues that have the body of a snake and the upper torso of a man. Atop the statues' curved spines sit inhuman skulls, inside which glow eerie, baleful lights. Lying beneath the surface of the desert, they wait for intruders to pass by before launching a devastating ambush. When the trap is sprung, several horrifying, snake-like forms burst from the ground to surround their prey. The Sepulchral Stalkers impale their foes on ornate staves before they even realize they are under attack. However, it is not for the skill with which they wield these weapons that Sepulchral Stalkers are so feared, for those who gaze into their eyes are turned into pillars of sand, standing as still as statues until a gust of wind blows them apart and scatters the grains into the desert.
Offense: Long bladed staves (similar to glaives) and lashing tails.
Defense: They are made of stone.
Special: Transmogrifying Gaze: The most powerful and deadly aspect of the Stalker is its gaze. Those who are foolish enough to face Sepulchral Stalkers are magically turned into sand. Even foes who only catch a momentary glimpse of these creatures may find that one of their limbs crumbles in a shower of golden grains before their eyes - those that stare any longer seal their own doom.
Additional Factors:
-Undead Attributes: See Skeleton Warrior
-The incantations required to awaken Sepulchral Stalkers are complicated and difficult. First, a Liche Priest must collect the remains of a fallen Nehekharan warrior, one whose skeletal body is broken beyond all hopes of repair. The Liche Priests then walk out into the open desert under a full-moon, where they scatter these fragments on the ground, casting powdered bone to the wind as they speak a magical incantation. At the ritual's end, they throw the eyes of a desert cockatrice onto the sand, and the offerings sink beneath the desert surface. The spirit of the warrior's remains is thus bound into the stone frame of one of the buried Sepulchral Stalkers. They are imbued with powerful enchantments and compelled to patrol the lands against invaders for all eternity.
-Sepulchral Stalkers can burrow underneath the desert as quickly as they can move across its surface. They are instinctive hunters who can sense their prey trudging across the ground above, and they can prepare their ambushes without ever being seen. Sepulchral Stalkers are said to be the desert's vengeance made manifest, and as suddenly as an attack begins, it ends. A lucky survivor might just witness the tip of a tail burrowing back under the dunes as the Sepulchral Stalkers leave in search of other prey.
-It is claimed by foolhardy heroes that a Sepulchral Stalker can be tricked into staring at its own reflection, for these monsters are not immune to the sorcerous enchantments of their own stares; rumors abound that they can be defeated with only a polished breastplate or a mirrored shield. However, it is perhaps safer to attempt to creep up behind a Sepulchral Stalker and strike off its head, but even then care must be taken not to look at the decapitated beast, for in death, a vestigial hint of arcane power remains in their infernal eyes.
Mobility: 5
Training: 5 (Beastly Instinct)
Max Range: Battlefield
Preferred Range: Melee
The ancient Nehekharan Kings often kept great cats as pets, using them to protect their homes or aid them when hunting. Upon the death of the king, his favoured companions were often entombed with him, guarding their master in death as they did in life. As all felines were considered divinely favored, they were carefully preserved, with as much effort going into their mummification as that of their Human lords. This included carefully prepared bands of linen, inscribed with hieroglyphs of praise for Basth, Goddess of Grace, Love and Cats. These inscriptions preserved not only the body of these great felines but also their agility and speed. Now they strike even quicker in Undeath then they did in life.
These Undead felines are reservoirs of necromantic power, causing other Undead near them to become more dangerous, even raising nearby corpses as Skeletons. Necromancers sometimes seek out Bastethi in order to strip them of their power or use them as servants, but to date, only the Undead Liche Priests of Nehekhara have managed to secure their loyalty.
Offense: Teeth and claws. In some cases, those who mummified the Bastethi capped their claws in bronze or other precious metals, making them harder then a normal cats' but no less deadly.
Defense: In addition to undead attributes, some Bastethi have collars or other ornamentation made of gold or precious gems to protect them. Aside from this decoration though, little else.
Special: Necromantic Reservoir: A Bastethi is considered a minor wizard in the Lore of Nehekara, though it only knows the spells "Djaf's Incantation of Cursed Blades" and "Ptra's Incantation of Righteous Smiting". The more undead gather in one location around the Bastethi, the greater their casting power becomes. Should a Bastethi miscast a spell, it will take damage. Should an enemy target a friendly wizard, the Bastethi may take the affect instead, so long as they are fairly close (like, in the same unit).
Additional Factors:
-Undead Attributes
-Guardian Undead similar to the Bastethi have also been found amongst the ancient barrows of the Old World, particularly in the Border Princes. Scholars still debate whether these barrows are evidence of a Nehekharan colony in the Old World or if the primitive inhabitants of the region were merely imitating the practices of the great civilization to the south.
"We found them just inside the entrance of the tomb. There were two of them, lying in alcoves on either side of the tunnel. They stood as we approached, bronze tipped claws scraping against the stone floor. Despite the stained, yellow bandages wrapped around their bodies, they maintained a sort of regal grace. Gold torcs encircled their necks, and green emeralds shone in their eye sockets, reflecting the light of our torches. Suddenly, they leapt at us, displaying a speed and agility not usually found in Undead minions. I barely had time to fire my pistol before they were upon us." —Heinrich Johannes, procurer of ancient artifacts
"While Heinrich stripped the dead cats of their gold and jewels, I began to examine the faded hieroglyphs still visible on the walls. As I had expected, they depicted the ancient Nehekharan Gods ruling over their subjects. In every picture, there could be seen a cat, who the Nehekharans believed served as the messengers, guardians, and spies of the Gods. The Tilean scholar, Rosillito Ippolini, believed these peoples kept various types of felines as pets, hoping that they would bring good luck or the blessings of the Gods. It would seem that they chose to maintain this custom in death." —Professor Eliot Denheim, adventuring scholar
HEROES & LEADERS:
Mobility: 6
Training: 9
Max Range: Battlefield
Preferred Range: Melee
"Lightning shall sunder the skies, the rivers will flow with blood and war will come to the land. The legions of the long-dead kings shall once more rise eternal in conquest, and death shall ride beside them." - Settra, The Eternal King of Nehekhara
Settra the Imperishable was a king of Khemri. Born in a time when Nehekhara was plagued by drought, famine, disease and war he was determined to lead his people to greatness. He was an arrogant, vain and tyrannical ruler, but also especially devout and instigated the building of many great temples so as to earn the favor of the gods. On the first anniversary of his coronation he beseeched the gods to restore Khemri to it's former glory and to give him the strength to unite all of Nehekhara under his rule. He sacrificed his own children in a grand ritual to demonstrate his dedication, commitment and worth. The gods were pleased and when the Great Mortis River flooded for the first time in decades Khemri was purged of it's sickness and collected a harvest of unparalleled size. Seeing this as evidence that he was the chosen of the gods Settra became the first Priest King of Nehekhara.
Between the great legions of Khemri and Settra's own ruthless military genius he swiftly conquered the other cities and became the first king to unite all of Nehekhara under his rule. He established an empire and instated various leaders in other cities to provide tribute. As the undisputed king of both Khemri and Nekhara as a whole he was adored by his people as the land entered a golden age. Still not content, his armies set sail in mighty war fleets and conquered lands across the globe, with much treasure and slaves brought back to labor on the great monuments that Settra commanded built to glory both the gods and himself.
For all his conquests, he was still frustrated. He knew that there were still lands out there to claim, more than could ever be reached in a single lifetime and also that one day death would take away from him all he had created. In his supreme arrogance he vowed that the grave would never have him, and that he would cheat death. He set his greatest, wisest and most powerful priests on the mission to find a way to achieve this. This group would become the Mortuary Cult a priesthood dedicated, not to any god, but rather to discover the path to life eternal.
The priests searched for years and discovered many incredible things, including the art of mummification, but could not find what Settra sought. He lived far beyond any mortal span thanks to their arts, but he could not be kept alive indefinitely. On his death bed, the priests promised that one day he would return and rule over another golden age, a paradise. He died with a curse on his lips and his body was interred in a great pyramid of unsurpassed majesty and bound with the mightiest incantations of power and preservation the cult knew, until his appointed day of awakening. He was succeeded by King Ahtaf I.
Centuries later the Usurper King Nagash cast a great ritual over the entire of Nehekhara, causing countless dead to rise from their graves bound to his will. However, with the Great Necromancer's assassination at the hands of Alcadizaar they were left with no guiding force. Interestingly the hundreds of risen Priest Kings found they had been brought back with their minds, memories and willpower intact - though without the golden bodies and a paradise to rule they had been promised. Immediately they went to war with each other, various dynasties and even families battling for control of their tomb cities. Desperate to stop these Tomb Kings from finishing the work Nagash started Khatep, Grand Hierophant of the Mortuary Cult and oldest, wisest and most poweful of their kind breeched the tomb of Settra so he could restore order.
In death Settra was no less mighty than in life and he quickly dominated or destroyed all who would challenge his absolute authority. Even the so-called Liche King Arkhan the Black was forced to flee before him. After taking control he summoned his priests to explain what had happened. Hearing the tale of Nagash and the failure of his cult to deliver on their promises of an eternal golden age Settra cast his priests away, knowing that they had lied to him and kept most of their powers to, and for, themselves. Khatep in particular was exiled from Khemri and Settra's presence - on pain of his ultimate destruction. Settra vowed to restore his empire to it's former glory and create the paradise on earth he so desired himself. He called this his Reign of a Million Years.
Settra ordered many Tomb Kings to return to their chambers and await the call to return to life, for they would only create unrest and disturb the peace. He commanded that contact with the living be forbidden (unless he commanded it himself of course) and thereafter the Tomb Kings mostly only rode to war in their own defense or to reclaim relics stolen by treasure hunters from around the world.
As well as marching to war against the regular dangers of marauding greenskins, greedy treasure hunters and crusading templars, one of the greatest threats to Nehekhara was the return of Nagash. 1,111 years after his assassination by Alcadizaar Nagash returned to the land of the living, seeking to reclaim his throne in Khemri - in particular Nagash sought his Black Pyramid which dominated the Khemri necropolis. The Tomb Kings immediately followed Settra in his campaign against the Usurper. Leading the united strength of Nehekhara against the foe that brought low his mighty empire Settra defeated Nagash and drove him back north to his fortress of Nagashizzar.
Fortunately for all living creatures the alliance of the Tomb Kings and the huge Undead armies under their control did not last long. Settra was as vain, self-centered and evil in death as he had been in life. As the first of the Tomb Kings he felt that all of those that followed owed allegiance to him, and he was outraged when they refused to carry on obeying his orders after Nagash had been banished.
Determined to impose his will on the others, Settra turned his army on his former allies. The battle that resulted raged continuously for seven days and nights, the combatants neither tiring or growing dispirited. With the teaming living dead population of Khemri under his control Settra was by far the most powerful of the Tomb Kings, but he was heavily outnumbered by the combined forces of all of the other Tomb Kings, and finally he was forced to retreat or face complete annihilation. As Settra led his forces back to Khemri he cursed his enemies and vowed revenge against all of them.
Since that time Settra has continued to spread his evil empire, sending his armies to battle against the other Tomb Kings, and launching his fleets to raid the coasts of Tilea, Estalia. Bretonnia and Araby. These raids have earned Settra a fearsome and evil reputation, for the Undead fleets do not raid in order to steal gold, corn or other booty, but in order to capture the living. The unfortunate victims are dragged off to Khemri to be slain in horrifying rituals so their bodies can swell the ranks of Settra's Undead host. Often Settra will lead the raiding force himself, landing his army on the coast and cutting a bloody swathe through the lands of the living, leaving burning towns and villages devoid of all life in his wake. The army will then return to the fleet with a rich haul of living victims, and disappear as silently and as quickly as it appeared.
Settra rides to war upon his magical chariot, the Crown of Nehekhara resting majestically upon his head as a symbol of his might. Settra is a bloodthirsty and skilled warrior, and he drives his enemies before him without pity, scything through the ranks of mortals with every sweep of his blessed blade.
Settra alone among the Tomb Kings knows the secrets of the Liche Priests. He understands their language, but to his eternal frustration, Settra has never been able to fully master their magical arts. Though he has not forgiven the Mortuary Cult for their lies, Settra still has need of their abilities to summon forth his vassal kings and maintain his realm. However, it is a foolish Liche Priest who thinks he can wield power over the King of Khemri. Any that invite Settra's wrath, Liche Priest or otherwise, are torn limb from limb.
Offense: Settra is a minor wizard, able to use the weakest spells of the Lore of Nehekhara.
The Blessed Blade of Ptra: This revered weapon has been blessed by the sun god, Ptra. The blade's white-hot edge, infused with the heat of the desert sun, sets the air itself ablaze, and glows so brightly that it blinds Settra's foes.
The Chariot of the Gods: This mighty chariot carries with it the blessings of all the gods and goddesses of Nehekhara, and its wheels blaze with mystical flame. A scythed chariot drawn by four skeletal steeds, all attacks from this chariot (from being run over to being cut by the wheels) are magical.
Defense: Armor of Golden Magnificence: "Settra wears a suit of age-old, kingly armor that was said to have been crafted and worn by the Jackal god, Djaf, when he walked the land. It is impervious to the ravages of time, and nothing can tarnish this shining golden armor." Magical Heavy Armor
The Scarab Brooch of Usirian: Made in the image of a skull-carapaced khepra beetle, this talisman surrounds the wearer with the protective energies of Usirian, god of the Underworld. Thus, Settra is defended against all but the most powerful magical attacks.
In addition, Settra will have some of the most elite bodyguards in the entire kingdom to protect.
Special: The Crown of Nehkhara: The crown that Settra wears represents his kingship over the entire land, and incorporates several crowns in one. This crown carries with it the blessing of all the gods and goddesses of Nehekhara, and is topped with a golden cobra that rears and spits whenever enemies are near. This regal headdress allows Settra to instil his unyielding will into all those nearby.
Additional Factors:
-The Curse: As with all nobles of Nehekhara, if Settra IS killed, an ancient curse will make sure his killer does not long outlive him. At the moment of Settra's death, the killer will be consumed by a swarm of flesh-eating khepra beetles which bite and sting the enemy before flying back to his pyramid to slowly regain his immortal form.
-The mummification process has made Settra flammable.
-Settra's will is absolute, none would dare defy him.
-Settra bows to no one, man or god.
-Incredibly arrogant.
Mobility: 6
Training: 8
Max Range: 300 Meters
Preferred Range: Melee
"Bow, pilgrims, bow before the Wisdom of Asaph made flesh, the Voice of the Vengeful, the Lioness of the Hills, She Whose Legions Blot Out the Sun With Their Arrows, High Queen Khalida, Guardian of Damned Lahmia, the Watchful Soul and the Serpent Queen. Kneel, so that you might bask in her radiance!" —Djubti, Liche Priest of Lybaras
High Queen Khalida Neferher, the Warrior-Queen of Lybaras, was highly respected across all the lands of Nehekhara and adored by her subjects. Her intelligence, temper and bravery were as legendary as her beauty, as was her intense sense of honor and justice. Her reign was tragically short, cut down as she was in her prime. All of Nehekhara mourned her passing, for they knew she would have brought great glory to the empire.
As the embodiment of the Asp Goddess in full fury, a wave of pure terror rolls over those who look upon her. With divine energy flowing through her limbs, Queen Khalida brings war and death to any who threaten her realm. Venom runs in Khalida's veins, and she moves with the speed of a striking asp. Only when all her foes lie dead at her feet does she lead her legions back to Lybaras and sit upon her throne again. However, though Khalida sleeps, her soul is troubled. Deep within the High Queen burns a loathing for those tainted by Nagash's vile sorcery, and only when the last vampire has been slain will she finally rest in peace.
Khalida was killed by her cousin Neferata, the Queen of Lahmia, in ritual combat during a great celebratory feast. The sensuously beautiful and alluring Queen of Lahmia had falsely accused Khalida of treason and attempts of assassination, and proclaimed these allegations loudly during a banquet feast. Khalida had risen to defend her honor, and in her anger had refused to nominate a champion, accepting the challenge personally. Neferata desired the death of Khalida, for the Warrior-Queen had grown suspicious of Neherata and her Lahmian court. Indeed Khalida was right to be suspicious, for Neferata had been studying the blasphemous texts of the Great Necromancer Nagash, and had drunk from the cursed Elixir of Life - she had been reborn into a cursed existence, becoming the first of the vampires, and if Khalida was not silenced then the Lahmians' deadly secret would become known.
The two women fought before the shocked nobility, their blades weaving a delicate and deadly dance. Khalida was a skilled and powerful warrior, and yet she could not match the preternatural speed or unholy strength of Neferata. As she lay on the tiled floor, her blood flowing from a terrible wound in her stomach, Neferata sunk her sharp teeth into Khalida's neck, sucking deeply. Biting hard on her own tongue, the Queen of Lahmia placed her lips over Khalida's, and her vampire blood flowed down the dying Queen's throat.
As the life began to leave her dying body, Khalida knew that the cursed blood now flowed through her veins. In desperation, she cried out to the gods to save her from the same abominable fate that had taken hold of Neferata. Asaph, the Goddess of the Asp, heard her pleas and appeared to the dying Queen in a divine vision. The blessing of the Goddess purified the vampiric taint from Khalida's veins, though it drained the remaining life from her. In sorrow she was borne back to Lybaras.
The priests and priestesses of the Asp Goddess undertook the burial of the Queen, for they recognized that the blessing of their divine mistress was upon her, even in death. Khalida was embalmed and placed in a seated position within a specially made reliquary within the temple of the blessed Asp in Lybaras. There she sits unmoving, her face concealed behind a beautiful death mask created in her likeness. In times of dire need, when her homeland is threatened, the power of the Asp Goddess infuses her ancient limbs. Gracefully, she rises from her seated position, and glides across the temple floor, commanding the doors to open with a delicate motion of her hand. Her flesh slowly starts to return to its former beauty, gradually becoming as pale and hard as pristine white marble. Her famed archer legions, buried in vast tomb pits beside the temple, arise at her bidding, marching alongside their immortal Warrior-Queen as they did in life, bringing death to those that intrude upon her realm.
Offense: The Venom Staff: "From the shriek of a Terrorgheist to Festus’s Vials of Putrescence, there are few weapons as strange as the Venom Staff of High Queen Khalida. This tall staff, which at a glance appears to be a simple rod of metal fashioned in the image of a snake, is actually something entirely more dangerous. The Venom Staff has the power to writhe and lunge at Khalida’s foes, acting as if a live animal. Worse even than that, however, is that it spits at her enemies, unleashing volleys of magic energy imbued with the power of the Khemrian goddess Asaph." Khalida wields a staff shaped like a striking asp that writhes as if alive and spits at its enemies with the anger and spite of Asaph herself. This magical missile has a range of 300 meters and ignores material armor. Khalida is an extremely experienced combatant, and is so swift she can often deliver a decisive blow before her enemies even know what is going on.
Defense: See Tomb Kings. In addition, she is the incarnation of the asp goddess (Asaph), and her power flows through Khalida's veins. Poisoned attacks do not affect her, unless they are of such godly potency as to overcome Asasph's protection. Her skin is described as being as hard as marble. Finally, she is incredibly agile, like a striking snake, allowing her to weave around most attacks.
Additional Factors:
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warriors
-See Tomb Kings
-The mummification process has made her flammable.
-Khalida possess a burning, near all consuming hatred of Vampires.
-The Curse: See Tomb Kings
-Blessing of Asaph: The asp goddess smiles on Khalida and her followers. The Skeleton Archers near Khalida have their aim enhanced, and their arrows magically coated in a divine poison.
-Divine Presence: As the avatar of the Asp Goddess, lesser mortals who gaze upon Khalida feel awe and terror. Only those of strong willpower can overcome this.
Mobility: 9
Training: 7
Max Range: Several Hundred Meters
Preferred Range: Melee
Apophas was a jealous prince who lusted after the throne of Numas. To this end, he slit the throats of the entire royal line while they slept and proclaimed himself king. However, the people of Numas rebelled against him, and those loyal to the murdered king broke into the throne room and dragged the usurper to the temples to be judged. Of all the crimes in Nehekhara, the most terrible was regicide. Typically, those who attempted to seize the throne were denied the privilege of mummification, and their bones were thrown to the carrion of the desert. Denied access to the lands of the honored dead, these unfortunates were consigned, at best, to the torturous depths of the Nehekharan Underworld, or at worst, to utter oblivion. Apophas' crimes warranted a more severe punishment; he was entombed alive within a sarcophagus filled with flesh-eating scarabs. It is said that his death screams could be heard through the temple walls, but when the lid was opened, there was no trace of the beetles. All that remained was a skull picked clean of flesh. Before this was thrown into the deep desert, it was inscribed with a single magical hieroglyph cursing Apophas' soul for all eternity.
Upon his death, Apophas' soul was claimed by Usirian, god of the Underworld, to be tormented in perpetuity for his crimes. However, being of noble birth, Apophas was able to strike a bargain with Usirian, promising that, in exchange for his release, he would claim for the god a soul to stand in his stead, a perfect match for his own. Usirian agreed, and thus Apophas was reborn as the Cursed Scarab Lord.
Apophas appears from a swarm of beetles that flow up from the ground until they reveal a black-swathed figure in their midst. Apophas is not a reanimated corpse but a desert revenant whose body is formed from a writhing swarm of scarabs. Atop this undulating mass, his skull looks upon the world in search of his chosen victim - a soul he believes can buy his freedom. In Apophas' hand is the same blade he used to slit the throats of his family, and it drips with their blood to this day. Only by slaying the perfect soul with this weapon can Apophas hope to earn his freedom.
The scarabs making up Apophas' form scuttle over rubble and through gaps in ruins without impediment. Apophas' body can even burst apart in an explosion of chitinous wings, flying across the battlefield before reforming into the mocking semblance of a man. Apophas sweeps aside those that stand between him and his prey, and when he opens his jaw, a tide of insects erupts forth to drown his foes. No matter how hard his enemies swipe and hack at his horrifying form, insect bodies flow over to fill open wounds and re-grow lost limbs. Apophas is utterly implacable, and he will not stop until his enemies lie dead by his hand.
Apophas then binds his target's spirit in a mystical soul-cage before returning to the depths of the Underworld. Here the soul is placed on a pair of scales and compared with Apophas' own cursed spirit. However, the truth is no two souls are ever equal, and the scales are never balanced. Though he doesn't know it, Apophas has doomed himself to roam the lands for all eternity.
Offense: He carries the cursed dagger that murdered his family, which he uses to assassinate those he believes will help him balance the scales.
In addition, his entire body is made up of countless scarab beetles. These flesh eating horrors can strip groups of enemies down to the bone in moments. Apophas can also magically conjure yet more scarabs, vomiting them at his enemies.
Defense: His entire body is made from scarabs. No matter how much damage he takes, there will always be more. It would take an extreme amount of damage, be it by weapon or magic, to put him down. Even then, as his soul is bound to Usirian, he can eventually come back.
Additional Factors:
-Is capable of flight, and burrowing beneath the ground.
-Can invoke terror in the enemy.
-Desert Revenant: No Tomb King will want to be anywhere near Apophas. He must always work alone.
Mobility: 4
Training: 7
Max Range: Battlefield (Morale, Commanding Presence)
Preferred Range: With his statues
Ramhotep the Visionary was perhaps the greatest Necrotect in history. His craftsmanship was second to none, and it is said that his statues in the Valley of Kings were so lifelike that the kings of Nehekhara believed the gods themselves had returned to the mortal world. He designed the Grand Necropolis of Rasetra, the Monuments of Eternal Death in Zandri, the Monoliths of the Great Plains and many other architectural wonders. However, Ramhotep took credit for not one of these grand monuments, for to do so would have been tantamount to signing his own death warrant.
In ancient Nehekhara, the finest artisans were commissioned to build grand burial tombs and upon completions, they were expected to commit ritual suicide. Ramhotep was aghast at the thought, for it would deny the world the beautiful creations he had yet to make. Thus, Ramhotep would manipulate the more arrogant Necrotects of the age to take his place. Ramhotep posed as an eager student to the renowned Ramakat the Creative, as a pupil to Emrah the Artisan, and as an assistant to a dozen other legendary architects. These great artisans were stricken with blood-lotus addiction shortly afterwards, consumed in a drug-addled stupor as Ramhotep crafted a mask in their image - one so perfect that none could tell the difference. Ramhotep assumed their identities and oversaw the construction of many magnificent monuments. Each time, shortly before the projects completion, he disappeared and a very confused Necrotect was sacrificed and interred within the tomb in Ramhotep's stead. It is said that they protested loudly - but these were dismissed as the ravings of a mad artist.
In life, Ramhotep was consumed by a frenzied compulsion to create and build. No matter how quickly his underlings accomplished their tasks, it was not fast enough for Ramhotep, for there were always more ambitious and grander projects that needed his attention. However, Ramhotep's vision reached past his mortal lifespan, and as he withered in old age, he realized that the only way he could finish his work was if he was granted the honor of mummification. Thus, after several decades of careful anonymity, Ramhotep removed his mask and agreed to build a pyramid that would rival the majesty of the Great Pyramid of Khemri. Thousands of work gangs slaved and died under the desert sun to build the Sepulchre of the Heavens in Quatar, none dared slacken their pace in his presence, for Ramhotep was quick with the lash and would dole out fierce punishments to those who would jeopardize his art. In his final days, before the last cornerstone was heaved into position, Ramhotep fashioned for himself a death mask and prepared himself for his interment. The king of Quatar was mightily pleased with his tomb and rewarded Ramhotep with an exquisite burial ceremony. For countless centuries afterwards, the artisan's corpse rested within his splendid monument.
Few of Ramhotep's works have endured unscathed through the ages. Half his creations lie forgotten beneath the sands, and those that have remained have been battered by centuries of war and eroded by time and sandstorms. Upon awakening from his death sleep, Ramhotep was horrified, and he set about excavating and restoring his marvels at once. Ramhotep's skill in undeath is as great as it was in life, and the statues that receive his attentions are restored to their former majesty, striding into battle as if they were carved only yesterday. He works relentlessly to maintain his masterpieces, and such is the likeness between these effigies and the gods they represent, that the ancient pantheon blessed them and protects them in battle. With this army of walking statues, Ramhotep intends to pull down the cities of those who defiled his work, slay the inhabitants of these uncultured civilizations, and construct his greatest monument to date: A vast mausoleum built from the bones of his foes. Those who stand in his way feel the lash of Ramhotep's whip, and their flesh parts from their bones as the ancient architect vents his frustration and anger.
Offense: A Whip, and Ramhotep is strong enough that each lash can remove entire chunks of flesh from bone.
Defense: Minimal. He's usually at the back with the statues, which will protect him. He is, however, more durable then most undead troops.
Additional Factors:
-Master Artisan: Ramhotep can make the animated constructs of the Tomb Kings much more durable then they would be normally.
-The mummification process has made Ramhotep flammable.
-Ramhotep is in a near constant state of frenzy as he attempts to drive his forces forward and maintain his statues, and punish his enemies.
-The current state of Ramhotep's works has filled him with a deep hatred for those that don't appreciate them.
-Stone Shaper: Animated constructs in the proximity of a Necrotect can heal minor cracks and breaks sustained in battle, making them even more dangerous foes. This has a range of roughly 50m.
-Ramhotep's Revenge: When the Empire army from Reikland invaded Quatar in the Imperial year 2141, they damaged dozens of Ramhotep's works as they looted the city's tombs. This desecration was bad enough, but when the Steam Tank 'Deliverance' smashed through Ramhotep's Terracotta Wall, the Necrotect entered a fit of apoplectic rage, and he swore he would have his revenge. Ramhotep worked for over a century to complete the restoration of his Marble Army, an awe-inspiring host of hundreds of towering constructs. Such was the demented architect's need for vengeance that, in exchange for eight jade Warshinxes, he enlisted the aid of Arkhan the Black, who raised a mighty bridge of bone through dark sorcery to span the Black Mountains. Ramhotep's statuesque army marched across, and the cities of Ubersreik and Grunburg were all destroyed, despite the fact that every soldier to have been involved in the destruction of his precious masterpiece had been dead for at least 170 years.
Mobility: 6
Training: 9
Max Range: Battlefield
Preferred Range: ^^
"You have read the signs as clearly as I. The growing power of Chaos makes no distinction between the living and the dead. Nagash must rise, or our realms of silence will fall. " —Arkhan the Black, loyal servant of Nagash
Arkhan the Black, known now and forever as the Liche King, was the first and most loyal of the evil Nagash's followers. Arkhan helped lead the coup which brought the arch-necromancer to power, and he was the first, after his lord, to imbibe the Elixir of Life. Arkhan was the most adept of Nagash's pupils in the study of dark sorcery, and he quickly rose to become the necromancer's trusted vizier and principal lieutenant. Arkhan led many armies against Nagash's enemies and was never defeated in open combat. In the end, however, the sheer numbers of the Priest Kings' soldiers forced Nagash to retreat. It was Arkhan who led the suicidal counter-attack that gave Nagash the opportunity to escape.
For over an hour Arkhan held back the Army of the Seven Kings through feats of martial prowess and powerful sorcery. Arkhan finally fell, not to a hero's sword, but to a single spear hurled by an unknown soldier. Arkhan stared in horror at the shaft protruding from his chest, knowing that it had pierced his heart. With his dying breath, he threatened that a terrible curse would befall any who touched his corpse, and with that, he slumped to the ground. Within seconds, dark flames had consumed Arkhan's flesh leaving behind only a blackened skeleton. Whilst the rest of Nagash's followers were beheaded and burnt, none dared risk desecrating Arkhan's remains, and so they covered them under a cairn of stones instead.
Nagash did not forget his most able lieutenant, or that he had died so that he could escape. While Arkhan rested in his rough stone tomb, Nagash built a mighty Undead empire and returned to finally defeat the Priest Kings and their followers. Once the Priest Kings were defeated Nagash cast an immensely powerful Necromantic spell which woke all of the dead warriors that lay in the Priest Kings' realm. When the spell was cast, Arkhan was reborn as the Liche King. With a mighty roar he hurled aside the stones of the cairn and stood once more, both less and more than he had been in life. Arkhan became the first of Nagash's nine Dark Lords, the foremost of Nagash's captains, and they brought despair and destruction to his foes.
When Nagash was defeated by the last surviving Priest King Alcadizaar just hours after casting the great spell, Arkhan gathered a vast Undead army from those creatures that had been awakened by Nagash's spell. Determined to wreak revenge on all living creatures for the destruction of his lord and master, Arkhan turned south towards the nearest living opponents he could find. For generations Arkhan and the Undead host under his command battered the kingdoms of Araby, in what the Arabian chroniclers came to call the Wars of Death.
For countless generations, Arkhan the Black vented his anger on the lands of the living, butchering the inhabitants of the world from the kingdoms of Araby in the west to the fledgling Empire in the north. Arkhan and his army inhabited the desert wastes that surround the lands of Araby, uncaring of the sweltering heat and total lack of water which would have destroyed any living army. From here they would swoop on an unsuspecting Arabian city, destroy it and burn it to the ground. and disappear hack to the desert from whence they had come. However, Arkhan the Black retained his master's unquenchable thirst for dominion over the realms of Nehekhara above all else, and he finally returned to the Land of the Dead. From his cursed Black Tower, Arkhan has carved out a powerful realm. The other Tomb Kings tolerate Arkhan, for he is a powerful ally to those who can afford his price.
Of all the rulers in the Land of the Dead, Arkhan's greatest rival remains Settra the Imperishable. The two have fought against each other a dozen times, and though Arkhan's army cannot rival the might of Settra's, neither can the King of Nehekhara overcome the Liche King's dark sorcery. Their battles thus end in stalemate, and only when Arkhan bows his head and utters false promises of fealty does Settra return satisfied to Khemri. Whilst Arkhan feigns servitude, he is secretly plotting for a way to hasten the inevitable return of Nagash. To this end, he has scoured the globe in search of the Great Necromancer's enchanted items, for a fraction of his evil will still resides within each. Arkhan the Black wields his master's own magical staff, plucked from the clutches of the Vampire Mandregan, and with it he channels the Winds of Magic to his whim. However, Arkhan's most prized possession is the Liber Mortis, one of the nine Books of Nagash that hold the secrets to necromantic magic. One day Arkhan the Black will succeed in resurrecting his dark master, and on that day the Tomb Kings shall be destroyed, and the world shall drown in death.
Offense: Arkhan is an incredibly powerful wizard, capable of using spells of Nehekara, Death and Undeath.
The Tomb Blade of Arkhan: The flesh of those slain by this dread blade burns away, leaving behind only a charged skeleton enslaved for all eternity to Arkhan's dark will.
Staff of Nagash: This staff was created by the Arch Necromancer Nagash to harness the reservoirs of dark magic within the accursed black pyramid.
Defense: Magical Barriers. Every time he kills someone with his sword, he regains some health.
Special: The Liber Mortis: This accursed tome is one of the fabled nine Books of Nagash, the most potent source of necromantic magic in the world. Using this, Arkhan can increase his magical potency to near godly levels.
Special: Mount: Skeletal Horse / Undead Bat Monster
Additional Factors:
-The Curse: See Tomb Kings
-Nehekharan Undead: See Skeleton Warriors
-The mummification process has made him flammable
-Highly loyal to Nagash. Thus, his relationship with Settra is rocky at best. Only a threat to their homeland would cause them to unite their forces, and even then they would both be on the lookout for backstabbing.
Mobility: 4
Training: 8
Max Range: Battlefield
Preferred Range: Battlefield
"Revered One, Venerable One, lord of Secrets, High Priest of the Temple of Millions of Years, Keeper of the Pyramid of Eternity, Interpreter of Mysteries, Prophet of the Lord of the Tomb, Master of Awakenings, Bearer of the Serpent Staff, Khatep the Enduring" - Names and titles of Khatep, Liche High Priest of Khemri.
Khatep is the Grand Hierophant of Khemri, the head of the Mortuary Cult's hieratic council, and he alone knows all its secrets and unwritten lore. Khatep is the oldest and wisest of all the Liche Priests and the first member to truly deny death's embrace, if not the ravages of time. He is ancient beyond memory, cadaverous and hunched over as if he carries the weight of epochs upon his shoulders.
Following the casting of Nagash's Great Ritual, civil war threatened to destroy Nehekhara. Khatep therefore took it upon himself to restore order. He broke the magical seals of the Grand Pyramid of Khemri and awoke the greatest of the Tomb Kings - Settra. At the end of the mighty incantation Settra arose and smote any who opposed him. Before long all bowed their heads to Settra, and though he once more sat upon the throne of Khemri, his wrath was great. Settra was angry foremost with the Mortuary Cult, believing they had whispered lies about the extent of their powers. In his fury, he exiled Khatep from Khemri and forbade him to set foot within any of the great cities until such time as he could fulfill the Mortuary Cult's ancient promise and reinstate the golden age of Nehkhara. Thus, Khatep wanders the desert in search of scrolls, inscriptions and relics of power that he believes will restore his beloved kingdom to its former glory.
Khatep roams the Land of the Dead to this day, lending his aid to the Tomb Kings when he can. When King Dhekesh of Mahrak battled with the Lizardmen of the south, their ferocity proved too great for his skeletal legions. As reptilian soldiers smashed through ranks of Skeletons, and towering war-statues were hewn by powerful magics, Mahrak stood on the brink of destruction. Then, through a whirling cloud of dust, a single figure appeared and he intoned a single word that silenced the sorceries of his enemy. This stooped being then raised his copper staff, and across the battlefield the broken bones of thousands of fallen skeletons were whole again. The Lizardmen found themselves surrounded and outnumbered, and the sands were soon awash with their blood. Before King Dhekesh could greet the mysterious stranger, he had vanished into the dust-storm. This and a hundred other such tales have been attributed to Grant Hierophant Khatep, the Liche Lord of Khemri.
Offense: Khatep is an incredibly powerful wizard who uses spells from the Lore of Nehekhara.
The Liche Staff: This ancient copper staff is inscribed with the names of all the gods and goddesses of Nehekhara and it grants Khatep mastery of their magical power. This allows him to recast all spells, allowing him to better prevent a miscast.
Defense: Magical Barriers, Undead Attributes
Special: Scroll of the Cursing Word: This scroll curses those who utter vile sorceries, filling their mouths with dung beetles or replacing the air in their lungs with sand. When an enemy casts a spell, Khatep can read from this scroll instead of attempting to dispel it. The caster must take a test of toughness, fortifying their mind and body against the assault on them. If they fail, the spell is not cast, and the Wizard cannot cast any more spells for a while, as they spit out a mouthful of foul-tasting insects. If they really botch the test, they die, as their lungs fill with sand. This scroll can only be used once.
Additional Factors:
-Grand Hierophant of Khemri: Hierophant is the title used to describe the army's highest ranking Liche Priest. The army's Hierophant is responsible for awakening the Tomb King's legions from their ancient slumber. Without his magic, the spirits of these warriors will be dragged back to the realm of souls. Khatep, in the city of Khemri, would be the leader of all other Hierophants. In battle, most Hierophants will defer to Khatep's leadership.
-As a result of the mummification process, he is flammable.
Mobility: 4
Training: 8
Max Range: Melee
Preferred Range: By Settra's side
"Kneel before the might of Settra the Imperishable, Khemrikhara, King of Nehekhara, Lord of the Earth, Monarch of the Sky, Ruler of the Four Horizons. Mighty Lion of the Infinite Desert. Great Hawk of the Heavens, Majestic Emperor of the Shifting Sands. Eternal Sovereign of Khemri's Legions." - A small fraction of Nekaph's speech demanding his foe's unconditional surrender.
Nekaph is Settra's chosen herald, his personal champion and most trusted servant, loyal unto death and beyond into the next life. When Settra left the mortal realm, Nekaph was the first to commit suicide, and his body was entombed beside his lord. When Settra the Imperishable awoke from his centuries of slumber, Nekaph's mummified form was already standing by, prepared to fulfill his king's indomitable will and smite his enemies once more.
The Herald Nekaph was not born of noble birth. Indeed, it was whispered that he was not even born of Nehekharan blood and that his parents were from the uncivilized tribes to the north of the Great Land. Thus, as Nekaph grew into a man and joined the legions of Khemri's army, he was considered by all to be little more than an uncouth barbarian. Despite his heritage, however, Nekaph's strength, feats of skill and unswerving loyalty to his king were unsurpassed. Nekaph distinguished himself in battle time and again, and before his eighteenth year he was inducted into the prestigious ranks of the elite Tomb Guard. Within two years, Nekaph had risen to command Settra's royal guard, and soon after he was appointed as his personal herald, for there was no more incorruptible a warrior in all of Nehekhara. As a mark of Settra's trust in his chosen champion, Nekaph was gifted with the Blade of Mourning - an unmistakable symbol of Settra's power and a weapon that the ruler of Khemri himself once wielded on the field of battle.
Nekaph was a formidable man in life, renowned for his powerful physique and uncompromising sense of duty. Even unarmed, Nekaph was deadly, and he could cave in the skulls of his opponent's with a single blow of his fist. Though he slew many enemies at the behest of Settra, it was only when he fought duels on behalf of his king that the Herald Nekaph's true warrior potential was reached, for he would fight all the harder knowing that the honor of his lord was at stake - something far more important than his own life. Nekaph would deflect the blows of his opponent with consummate skill before delivering a fatal blow of his own. Nekaph was not only a mighty warrior, he was also possessed of a great intelligence. This is an essential quality in any Tomb Herald, for they must be able to remember their lord's many and elaborate titles. Indeed, such was Settra's power and achievements that reciting his entire list of titles took Nekaph almost two hours.
Nekaph rides from city to city, as he did in life, at the head of one of Settra's eternal legions. When they arrived at the enemy's gates, Nekaph halts and demands an audience with the city's rulers. When the cowering leader come forth, the Emissary of Settra addresses them and offers them a single chance to surrender. Though his jaw does not move, and no discernible sound ushers from his lipless mouth, Nekaph's trembling foes hear a deep voice in their heads. Rulers of nations quake with fear as Nekaph demands their fealty, and they realize that their doom as arrived. Those that refuse to kneel before the might of Settra, or those that foolishly choose to attack Nekaph's assembled legion, must face the unbridled wrath of Khemri. Leading from the front, Nekaph advances towards his foes, smashing them asunder with every blow of the Flail of Skulls. As the bodies of the enemy stack up and the Undead legions continue their implacable advance, the defenders realize the futility of their resistance - but the Herald Nekaph shows no mercy. The time for surrender has long since passed, for once battle has been joined no parley can be entered into. Defiance is met only with death and, at the battle's end, the skull of another conquered king will hang from Nekaph's magical flail.
Offense: Any weapon he desires, or his lord finds fitting, but most commonly he uses the Blade of Mourning: "Forged in the heart of Settra's pyramid on the centenary of the king's death, the Blade of Mourning leaves sorrow and despair in its wake." A magical weapon, this blade deals double the damage for each wound it gives. Even without it, Nekaph is so strong he can smash a man's skull with a single hand.
Defense: Heavy Armor, Vambrace of the Sun: "These ancient armbands of intricately decorated bronze are infused with the intensity of the sun. In battle, this harnessed power dazzles the wielder's opponents." All enemies that attempt to strike Nekaph must try to target him through the dazzling haze of light.
Special: Special: Amulet of Neru: "Shaped like the rising moon over the dunes, the Amulet of Neru projects a disruptive magical energy that counters the defenses of the foe." All Talismans, Enchanted Items and Arcane Items belonging to enemies in melee range with Nekaph cease to function while they are in melee range. Should they move out of CQC range, they will return to normal.
Additional Factors:
-Settra's Champion: If able, Nekaph will always issue and accept challenges presented to him.
-Herald of Despair: Such is Nekaph's presence and reputation that those who come to battle with him find themselves faced with true fear. They will need to rally themselves, or else be reduced to a panicking wreck.
-Settra's bodyguard: He is utterly loyal, and will not leave his master's side unless ordered to by him. Even then, it is reluctant.
-Flammable: As a result of the mummification process, Nekaph is flammable.
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| It doesn't say, but I like to imagine a tiny Sehenesmet poking out of the top of the head. |
Mobility: 6
Training: 8
Max Range: Battlefield
Preferred Range: Battlefield
Before the curse of Nagash swept across Nehekhara like a plague, the city of Quatar was renowned as the center of worship for the ancient Nehekharan gods. Named the White City, Quatar stood at the entrance to a wide pass across the Worlds Edge Mountains, called the Valley of the Kings. Here great statues stood guard over the pass, and any wishing to travel east or west across the mountains had to travel through Quatar and pay homage at the many temples that filled the city. No king ever reigned in Quatar, instead it was the only city to be ruled by the priesthood, and the head of their order was known as the Vizier.
Now Quatar lies in ruins, brought low by the treachery of Nagash. The once beautiful city is a desolate place, haunted by wailing spirits. As the winds of death unleashed by Nagash swept over the city, the priests and worshipers were infected by a horrid plague that bloated their bodies, burned their skin and choked them to death on their own blood. The streets were littered with the dead until finally nothing truly alive stirred within the high walls. Now Quatar is known as the Palace of Corpses, and only a single creature lives within its boundaries.
He is Sehenesmet, the last and greatest of the Viziers of Quatar, and master of magic and artifice. He alone of the priests survived the onslaught of Nagash and has spent the long millennia since the fall of the old kingdoms rebuilding the might of Quatar. Since the priests did not have whole armies entombed with them when they died, as the Tomb Kings did, there are few soldiers for Sehenesmet to command. Instead, he has constructed a vast legion of Ushabti, Bone Giants and Tomb Scorpions to serve him. With this unnatural force he continues to guard the passage across the mountains, long since renamed the Charnel Valley.
Now at the pinnacle of his power, Sehenesmet has perfected his arcane art and melded his own body with that of a Bone Giant. He strides the world on massive legs, and unbelievable strength flows through his immortal body. Combined with his powerful incantations, there are few who can stand against the ancient Vizier and live to tell the tale.
Offense: Sehenesmet is a powerful wizard who uses spells from the Lore of Nehekhara
His Bone Giant Body has incredible strength, and wields a giant scimitar appropriate for its size.
Defense: Magical Shields, and a mild magical resistance (which he can confer to other Tomb Kings near him). He also wears heavy Nehekharan armor.
His Bone Giant Body is enchanted bone, able to take repeated shots from powerful artillery and not slow down. If his body does take damage, Sehenesmet can channel magic into the wounded area and begin healing it.
Special: The Sacred Crook of Shapesh: Sehenesmet took all of the religious symbols and statues from the great temple of Shapesh, god of the underworld, and melted them down to make this staff. It is shaped in the image of the crook Shapesh uses to herd the souls of the dead to their resting places and holds the power of life and death. Just holding it doubles the range of Sehenesmet's spells. Also any wound dealt by the Crook in CQC is 'remembered' by it, and stored inside of it. At any point, Sehenesmet may unleash those stored injuries as a magical missile with a maximum range of up to a kilometer. This blast bypasses all earthly armor and cannot be magically dispelled. A unit struck by this blast will be afflicted with all the wounds previously dealt by the Crook all at once. Once unleashed, the number of wounds stored in the Crook resets, and the blast cannot be fired again until more injuries are dealt with it.
Additional Factors:
-Sehenesmet is a master of animating and controlling large numbers of Nehekharan constructs, from Ushabti to Bone Giants and everything in between.
Mobility: 4 (6 in Chariot)
Training: 9
Max Range: Melee
Preferred Range: Melee
When Settra first began his domination off the Kings of Nehekhara he faced fierce resistance from rival kingdoms. Under his skilled generalship, Settra's armies were able to conquer all opposition before them, until they marched east through the Valley of the Kings. Word had spread of Settra's coming and one King was determined to defy this all conquering army. Under his rule the lands around Mahrak had been scoured clean of the greenskin menace and the city had prospered. An arrogant and proud leader, King Phar deemed himself too important to bow down before any mortal. He was able to ambush Settra's force as they marched through the Valley of the Kings, preventing the army from taking his beloved city.
For decades his people held out, besieged many times by the armies of Khemri and, even with his dying breath he cursed the name of Settra, remaining the only King who refused to pay him tribute. Finally, with Phar's passing, Settra's armies were able to conquer Mahrak and the last free city of Nehekhara fell under Settra's rule. Phar was among the first of the Kings to rise from his eternal slumber. Upon awaking, such was his fury that his successors had bowed down to the lineage of Khemri that he broke into the tombs of his descendants as they woke. Ordering their pyramids toppled, he dragged their mummified corpses from their resting places, burning them and shattering their charred skeletons with his mighty Flail of Skulls. Even in death, King Phar continues to fight against Settra, and his Undead legions wage war against all who try to subject him to their will.
Offense: Flail of Skulls: The Flail of Skulls is made from the gilded skulls of conquered enemies, most often kings. Enemies struck by the skulls are lacerated and savaged by their sharpened teeth and bleed profusely from their wounds. This is considered a magical weapon.
Defense: Armor of Eternity: Forged from the bronze of Mahrak, cooled in the blood of the giant Lybrasian scorpion, and gilded with red and gold from Lahmia, the ancient breastplate known as the Armour of Eternity can turn aside even the strongest blow. This magical armor is actually very light, and requires enemies to try twice as hard to injure King Phar.
-Shield of Ptra: This mystical shield contains the energy of the Sun God Ptra, unleashed in a blinding flash of light. Any time Phar parries with this shield, it releases a blinding flash of light that effects all units in CQC range of him.
Special: Mount: King Phar can arrive on foot, or choose to ride in a golden chariot.
Additional Factors:
-The Curse: See Tomb Kings
-Flammable: The mummification process has made King Phar flammable.
-Undead Attributes
-King Phar the Proud: Much like his eternal rival Settra, Phar bows to no one, man or god. King Phar will lead his army as general, and does not welcome any other Tomb King (be they standard or Legendary Heroes) in his army.
-King Phar does not work well with others. The only time he and Settra put aside their differences was when Nagash came back during the End Times and was threatening their whole country. Even then, they never worked together, they simply didn't try to screw each other over or fight during the war with Nagash.
Amanhotep the Intolerant - The High-Handed Avenger of Zandri
Mobility: 4 (6 in Ship)
Training: 9
Max Range: Artillery
Preferred Range: Melee
King Amanhotep the Intolerant, known as the High-Handed Avenger of Zandri, was one of the most spiteful and unforgiving of all his kind. During the time of the Desertblood Crusades, a regiment of Bretonnian Knights returned from Nehekhara with the remains of what they believed to be Duke Cheldric, a hero whose daring quest into the Land of the Dead was the stuff of legend. However, the Knights had actually returned to the Old World with the mummified body of King Amanhotep the Intolerant, who awakened after unknowingly being paraded up and down the length of Bretonnia and carried across a score of battlefields by zealous Battle Pilgrims. Amanhotep's wrath was great indeed, and he singlehandedly slaughtered the inhabitants of dozens of towns before returning to his sarcophagus in Zandri.
Yet it was the city of Zandri that Jaego Roth chose to raid in order to secure his new fortune. When Captain Roth was in search of the bounty he needed to muster the sea-lords of Sartosa to his cause, he undertook a daring raid into the southern seas, fighting his way through the perilous Neheharan waters and making landfall on the borders of the coastal city of Zandri. Using the Heldenhammer as a sea-going fortress, Captain Roth mounted a lightning raid upon the tomb-structures that clustered around the walls of the city of Zandri itself.
Though these tombs were the resting places of lesser nobles, they contained enough treasure to make a merchant prince weep – treasure to which the audacious Roth and his men helped themselves, narrowly escaping the desert revenants and animated statuary that rose to block their escape.
Roth was not fool enough to believe that he would escape retribution entirely, but in seeking to recruit more allies to his cause with stolen gold, he had earned a powerful and determined enemy. King Amanhotep, a miser in life and a madman in death, knew the location of every gold coin and jewel in his empire. Vowing revenge, he summoned the mightiest war barque in his navy, the Curse of Zandri, and commanded that the tombs Roth had raided be taken apart, stone by stone, and rebuilt into the warship itself.
Thousands of Skeleton Warriors and living Ushabti statues laboured night and day to build pyramids, obelisks and colossi into the war barque's hull. The hooded Necrosphinx of Zandri was torn down and reconstructed as the Curse's figurehead, and the four Necrolith Colossi of the city walls were built into its hull, ready to power the warship forward or sweep the decks of enemy vessels clear with massive ritual halberds when the time of battle came. The Liche Priests of Necrotects of Zandri used their ancient magic to bind the animated titans fast to the vessel's sides, and King Amanhotep himself oversaw the mounting of the Great Blade of Kharpesh upon its prow.
Finally, the arcing structure that rose above the mighty warship's deck was rebuilt to hold a gigantic sapphire – the fabled Jewel of the River Mortis, heirloom of the sun god Ptra himself. By channelling the solar energies harvested by King Amanhotep's pyramidal tomb into the Jewel, the Curse of Zandri could direct a great beam of burning light from its arcing stern into an enemy vessel.
The Curse was complete – a warship built specifically to locate and destroy the impudent humans who had raided Zandrian property. Amanhotep vowed that for every ounce of gold stolen, he would consume a human pirate's soul. Under the blinding sun he swore an oath that he would find Roth and destroy him utterly as a lesson to the upstart civilizations of the north.
Through the divinations of his Liche high Priests, Amanhotep learned that Captain Roth was on a quest of his own. The human sought to destroy one of the Vampire Counts that had once roamed the Land of the Dead. Using the ancient star-magic of Nehekhara, Amanhotep journeyed through the stormy seas to the Galleon's Graveyard. There he made pact with the Vampire Count, intending to use him as bait until his quarry revealed himself.
Offense: Crook and Flail of Radiance: These gleaming, golden weapons represent the high status of the bearer, and all in his presence are humbled by the aura of majesty these weapons convey. Only the most powerful and influential leaders, from the Tomb Kings and the Tomb Princes, can bear these sacred symbols of rulership. These magical paired weapons give off an aura that makes his enemies wish to put down their arms and bow before him as their master. Requires intense strength of will to overcome.
Defense: Armor of the Ages: This armor imbues its wearer with the ability to continue fighting even when horrendously injured. When close to death, this light armor will cover Amanhotep in a moderate magical barrier. This barrier does not come into effect if Amanhotep is killed instantaneously, or by an attack that cause multiple wounds at once.
Special: The Curse of Zandri: Even by the standards of the Undead fleets of Nehekhara, the Curse of Zandri is a strange and wondrous gift. It is propelled though the waters by hundreds of skeleton oarsmen, undying soldiers whose strength is drawn from the tides of magic so that they will never tire in their task. The Great Blade of Kharpesh, forged anew, has been mounted as the Curse's prow. The blade bears the most potent curses the Liche Priests of Zandri can muster; aside from the physical damage it can inflict, any craft that it strikes will find itself plague by the most terrible misfortunes.
Along the flanks of the Curse are massive statues of the Nehekharan gods, given unlife in order to hasten the demise of their prey. Gigantic Screaming Skull Catapults line its deck, ready to rain shrieking death into the decks of Amanhotep's enemies, and eight-foot stakes of sharpened dragonbone shoot out from the triangular apertures in its flanks as the Curse draws near to its prey.
The most lethal weapon at the Curse of Zandri's disposal is the tomb complex it bears to war, a mystical structure capable of harnessing the rays of the sun god Ptra. The mirrored pyramidal tomb projects searing energies from its crest in a coruscating column of light – a column align with the legendary Jewel of the River Mortis set into the Curse's arcing stern. At a single word from King Amanhotep, the sunlight stolen by the Jewel shoots out in a blinding beam of raw energy that can swathe even the mightiest of enemy vessels in flame. With such power at his bidding, Amanhotep seeks to make examples of these who would defile his lands.
Additional Factors:
-The Curse: See Tomb Kings
-Flammable: The mummification process has made Amanhotep flammable.
-Undead Attributes
-Amanhotep possesses a hatred for living humans that makes even other Tomb King's pale in comparisson. In addition, he as a special, near all consuming hatred for pirates.
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Prince Tutankhanut - The Golden Prince of Numas
Mobility: 4 (6 in Chariot)
Training: 9
Max Range: Melee
Preferred Range: Melee
Tomb Prince Tutankhanut, the only son of the wealthy King Ahken of Numas, was famed throughout Nehekhara for his handsome features. Tragically, the young prince was slain before he had even come of age at fifteen. He had been hunting lions, for he was renowned as a particularly skilled bowman, even when speeding along the plains on his war chariot. Separated from his hunting party, a crude spear hurled by a savage northern tribesman smashed into his chest and threw him from his chariot. Adored by his wealthy father, prince Tutankhanut was given an elaborate burial. When the young King awoke from his death sleep he was horrified at his withered skeletal form. According to the Nehekharan beliefs in the afterlife the gods would bestow each king with a body of gold. Tutankhanut was furious to find this was not the case and demanded that his priests fashion him such a body.
Under his rule, life has returned to the desert and once again crops grow around the city of Numas. Numas is a marvellous place, and over many centuries the pyramids have been restored to their former glory. It is populated by the Scythans, a formerly nomad tribe who came to the city to worship their god – for they believe that the Prince of Numas is a manifestation of their deity and so have dedicated themselves to his service. Each day they tend to the necropolis, guarding the tombs from those who would seek to defile them.
Prince Tutankhanut now rules over the living and the dead and both live in strange harmony. These black-robed nomads patrol the deserts, warning their divine ruler of any intruders to his realm. In return the nomads are allowed to live in the city under the protection of soldiers who do not sleep. It's said that when a Scythan warrior dies, his body is left in the desert for the carrion to pick his bones clean. After forty days and nights his skeleton is carried back to the tombs where it is prepared so that he may continue to serve the Prince in death as he did when he was alive.
When Tutankhanut arises from his tomb, resplendent in his golden body and death mask, the still living people of Numas hearken to his call, perceiving him as blessed by the gods. When the Prince goes to war his chariots race alongside the white Arabian steeds of the Scythan warriors: living and dead fighting side by side. Tutankhanut has led his army to many victories. Fighting in the thick of battle his golden form deflects even the most powerful attacks.
Offense: Blade of Ahken: This highly ornamented curved blade once belonged to King Ahken of Numas, and its edge shimmers with blue energy that can shatter armor. A magical halberd that either passes through or totally shatters an enemy's armor.
Defense: Golden Form: Tutankhanut's skeletal body is covered in a golden facsimile of a body, and his face hidden behind a beautifully carved death mask. The prince had his priests labor long and hard on this body, allowing it to take as much damage as any decent set of armor.
-Golden Ankhra: Shaped in the Nebekharan symbol of eternity, the Ankhra surrounds the wearer with protective energies. This talisman gives the Prince a powerful magical barrier.
-Golden Eye of Rah-nutt: This sigil was carved into the war chariot of the Tomb King Rah-nutt, and imbued his chariot with great power. It is said that arrows and spears bounced off the chariot's sides as Rah-nutt rode into battle. Should the prince choose to arrive in his chariot, he and it will be protected by a magical forcefield.
Special: Scythan Warriors: Living humans who believe the prince to their god given form, they follow him into battle with fanatical determination. In battle they are similar to Skeleton Horse Archers, but do not have the Arrows of Asaph, ride Arabyan Steeds, and of course are not counted among the undead. Scythan Warriors will always treat Tutankhanut as their general for all purposes, even if another Tomb King already fills that role for the rest of the army.
Additional Factors:
-Arrows of Asaph: Such is Tutankhanut's blessing that all Skeleton Archers who fight by his side gain the Blessing of Asaph.
-The Curse: See Tomb Kings
-Flammable: The mummification process has made Tutankhanut flammable.
-Undead Attributes
-Unlike many of his fellow Tomb Kings, Tutankhanut doesn't have a problem incorporating living units into his army or working with the living in general. So long as they bend knee to him, and recognize him as their king, they'll get along just fine.
ARMY X-FACTORS
Morale: 90: The vast majority of the Tomb King armies are incapable of fear, no matter the circumstances. Their leaders are extremely arrogant, and unlikely to back down save in the most extreme of circumstances. Only if the leaders themselves back down (or die) will the main force consider retreat (though they also just collapse into a pile of bones if the leader was also the one supplying them with magic)
Logistics: 85: The Tomb Kings do not eat, sleep, or tire. They have no need for supplies save what they bring with them when they march to war. They are nearly impossible to beat in a war of attrition… save for their reliance on the Liche Priests. If these units are destroyed, the ability of the Tomb Kings to constantly resurrect their forces (or summon new ones from old Nehekharan Tombs) becomes severely limited. Still, a very high score.
Espionage: 35: Aside from scouts they can also have Liche Priests possess insects or birds to spy on the enemy. They can also try and pray to their gods for information.
Discipline: 90: The majority of the Tomb Kings have no will of their own, obeying their leaders without question or hesitation.
Army Intimidation: 75: They are an army of the living dead, returned to reclaim their lands from the living. Rank upon rank of skeletons moving with robotic precision, backed by massive living statues, all consuming insects, and terrifying magic.
Reinforcement Rate: Very High - Swarm: The Tomb Kings can reuse the same troops over and over again, so long as the bones are not totally destroyed. They can pull troops from their empire's entire history, which could potentially give them a staggering number of troops to work with. However, they refuse to resurrect the bodies of the enemy into their ranks. So, if they needed more troops, it would take some time for word to get back to Nehekhara, the troops to be resurrected, and then marched out to the main force. It could be done, but it would take time.
ADDITIONAL INFO
Motivation: Restore Former Glory: Through blasphemous necromantic magic, the entire population of Nehekhara was cursed to a living death. The corrupt sorcerer Nagash instigated a great catastrophe that at once destroyed every living thing in Nehekhara, and raised the dead from their tombs. The Tomb Kings arose from their sleep of oblivion prematurely, albeit immortal and more powerful than ever. The once-proud rulers of Nehekhara have been reborn into a mocking travesty of life. They have awoken from the slumber of death to discover that they are repulsive Undead creatures; bone-dry cadavers whose once palatial realms are but a shadow of their former splendour. They found Nehekhara plagued by hordes of barbaric invaders; its ancient cities and proud statuary crumbling from long centuries of warfare and its bountiful riches plundered by countless tomb robbers. The Tomb Kings now fight to restore their vast empire to its former majesty, striking forth from the desert to reclaim the world from the living.
The Curse of Undeath: The Tomb Kings reign from their necropolises as they have always done, imitating the life they once knew. Many Tomb Kings behave as if nothing were awry, ruling as if they were still beings of flesh and blood. Perhaps some are truly unaware that they are Undead, whilst others are in denial of their cursed existence or have been driven mad by the sight of their own hideous visage. A Tomb King may demand a bowl of sweet figs and a goblet of fine wine, seemingly oblivious that the contents of such a meal would spill through their desiccated bodies onto the floor. When the proffered meal arrives, a Tomb King will simply stare at the fruit, wondering what such a thing is for, until it either rots to dust or a vestigial memory surfaces allowing a moment of clarity to reassert itself. In that instant, the Tomb King recalls all the pride, majesty and greatness of what he was and the cruel parody of what he has become. Realizing that he will never know the taste of food, the quenching relief of cool water, the sensation of touch or any other simple joy ever again, the Tomb King will enter a fit of incandescent rage. Ancient and wrathful, all that is left for the Tomb Kings is their hunger for power, their thirst for conquest and their need for vengeance. The Tomb Kings are unremitting in their eternal war upon those who have the temerity to live whilst their rightful rulers languish in undeath.
Theirs is the wrath of the cheated, for they were promised an eternity of beauty, but were instead reborn in the form of hideous, leather-tough cadavers. The Tomb Kings enact a terrible vengeance upon those who would plunder the treasures of their arid homelands.
The Undying Legions: In ancient Nehekhara, a ruler was only as powerful as his force under arms. Thus, the kings maintained vast legions and proclaimed their victories proudly so that rivals would know of their strength and tremble. In this way, the names of many legions became legendary. King Nekhesh's Scorpion Legion, for example, halted several barbarian invasions and felled their foes with spears whose tips were fashioned from the black claws of giant scorpions. Similarly, Prince Sekhef's Heralds of Death were feared for their grisly standard, from which the skulls of a dozen conquered kings hung, cursed by the Liche Priests of Numas to wail in perpetual torment. These and a thousand others have now awakened from death, striking fear into the hearts of their enemies once more.
It was the duty of every soldier to serve his king, not only in life but beyond into death. Countless thousands of loyal warriors were buried alive in the great tomb pits of the ancient kings. Assembled in serried ranks as though on parade, the legions of each king were entombed with all the weapons and regalia of war needed to protect their lord in the next life — bronze- tipped spears, curved swords and sturdy shields. Many archers were also buried with their masters, together with huge stockpiles of magically blessed arrows. Alongside the foot soldiery of the king's legions were regiments of cavalry and gilded chariots, which awaited the day when they would gallop out of the mortuary-pyramids and crush their enemies once again.
There are some necromantic spells that reanimate long- dead corpses, creating Undead automatons that serve the necromancer in a mindless fashion. Such is not the way of the Tomb Kings' soldiers; each Skeleton in the numberless legions is inhabited by the soul of an ancient Nehekharan warrior. Through the magical incantations of Liche Priests, spirits of loyal soldiers are summoned from the Realm of Souls and bound within corporeal remains. These warriors are not, then, slaves to the will of an evil wizard, but dutiful soldiers who unswervingly obey their king's commands in death, just as they once had in life. However, without the extensive mummification techniques and magical wards of preservation laid upon the bodies of the Nehekharan royalty, the Skeletons of the Tomb Kings' legions perceive the world very differently to mortal men. They retain only the most pertinent aspects of their former lives: the endless years of training and discipline, the martial skills honed on countless fields of battle and, above all else, their oaths of fealty to their king. Personality and ambition are ephemeral, and even their names have faded like half-forgotten dreams.
The Towering Statues: To protect the corpses of the kings throughout eternity, the ancient Nehekharans wrought magnificent statues to guard over their royal tombs. These towering sculptures, made in the images of gods, kings and mythical creatures, were placed in and around the necropolises. Titanic warriors hewn from cliff-faces and giant beasts built from whitest marble, darkest obsidian and blood-forged gold stood sentry beside every entranceway. Ranks of imposing Ushabti — statuary carved in the images of a pantheon of ancient gods — lined the labyrinthine corridors of the burial pyramids. Monstrous sphinxes loomed over the sacred sarcophagi of the Tomb Kings themselves and countless other, more terrifying statues, lay buried and forgotten beneath the baking sands.
The Liche Priests learned long ago that the same incantations used to summon forth warrior-spirits could be adapted to animate the hulking stone forms of Nehekhara's fearsome statuary. Ever since, when the Tomb Kings have made war upon their enemies, constructs of animated stone have fought beside them. These imposing figures wade through the ranks of mortals, crushing their opponents with terrible blows as enemy arrows and sword-strokes rebound harmlessly from their rock-hard frames.
Re-Conquest of an Empire: The reborn Tomb Kings look upon their shattered lands and skeletal legions, and they are greatly angered. Nehekhara was once a powerful and proud nation, and its enemies cowered before the might of its kings and the strength of their armies. Year upon year its borders expanded, and with the conquered wealth magnificent monuments were raised to honor kings and gods.
From their tombs the Tomb Kings have re-ordered their kingdoms. Their peoples, mostly interred without the benefit of royal magic, are little more than automatons. Undead armies wheel and manoeuvre with ingrained military instinct, continually re-fighting old wars or pursuing new ones amidst the dry deserts. The terrible spell that created them binds them to their land but offers no succour. Those that perish in battle rise each dawn whilst even those that are destroyed entirely, burned to smoke or vaporised by sorcery, live on as spiteful spirits that can be heard in the wailing of the wind and groaning of great stones in the mountains. If the Tomb Kings take any comfort it is only in the recreation of their ancient empires - a shadow of former existence that evokes memories of the lives that they once led.
The Tomb Kings have vowed that all of Nehekhara must be restored. They will not stop until every city is rebuilt, every land re-conquered and every stolen treasure, even the most insignificant of trinkets, is recovered. At their behest, legions of merciless skeletal warriors rise from the sands of Nehekhara and march forth to reconquer the world.
So as it once was, so will it be again.
Loyal Servants: When a king died, his people would begin a week of great mourning. During this time the king's body would be embalmed and his personal wealth and treasures gathered. The king's most loyal servants would pay their respects to the dead king and drink from his chalice in order that they might accompany him into the afterlife. The chalice contained a potent poison that would kill these favored companions instantly. To die in such a manner was seen as a great privilege as it would mean they too would be granted immortality. On the final day of mourning a huge procession would follow the king's sarcophagus to the pyramid. The high priests would then begin the solemn burial ritual. The king's guard would accompany their lord into the pyramid and as the final words of the ritual were chanted, the doors to the crypt were sealed. Customs varied as to the manner in which the warriors would join their king in the afterlife. Some would drink from a small vial containing the same poison as the chalice, others would be buried alive in great chambers that would fill with sand. In this manner each king would be entombed with an army to accompany him into the afterlife.
Over the centuries that the kings ruled in Nehekhara each necropolis grew in size. The wealth contained within these necropolises must have been immense, but even in times of great disorder such was the faith of the people of Nehekhara, that they never sought to steal from the tombs. To do so was a concept beyond their beliefs, and even during great wars when kings sacked each other's towns the dead were left to rest in peace. These kings knew that one day they too would rest in such tombs, and to encourage such actions would be against their future interests.
The Necropolis: Nehekhara is a society completely obsessed with death and immortality. Deities such as Djaf, the god of the dead, and Usirian, the god of the Underworld, became as widely worshipped as Ptra, the king of the gods. Skulls and skeletons became common symbols of immortality and everlasting life, and such motifs were emblazoned on the shields, banners and chariots of the Priest Kings' armies. Heroic warriors were rewarded not with riches and luxuries in life, but with the promise of mummification upon death and the chance of sharing in their lord's eternal rule. It was not just the culture of Nehekhara that changed as the Mortuary Cult grew in power; as the Nehekharans' obsession with death flourished, the architecture and landscape of the Great Land irrevocably changed as well.
Every Priest King demanded that his pyramid outdo the efforts of his predecessors in order to prove his superiority. Though none had the audacity to surpass the majesty of the Great Pyramid of Settra, ever-bigger monuments were raised to honour the achievements of the kings. Titanic statues were carved to stand guard over their remains, keeping them secure through all eternity. Before long, all efforts of the people were expended in building and maintaining the necropolises. Necrotects directed the construction as Liche Priests oversaw the mummification rituals that the Priest Kings believed would one day lead to their resurrection. Soon, lesser nobles demanded similar rites and had tombs of their own constructed beside the royal pyramids. Over centuries, as hundreds of royal lines and their armies were entombed, the shining necropolises of the dead outgrew the now meager- looking dwellings of the living.
The Realm of Souls: The Realm of Souls is the revered afterlife of the ancient Nehekharans. It was believed that upon death, the deceased's spirit would enter the Realm of Souls — also known as the Underworld or the Netherworld. Here the Kings of Nehekhara would reside in fantastic palaces until such time as a golden paradise worthy of their status was prepared, whereupon they would rule for a million years. It would be filled with all their servants, soldiers and worldly possessions, and so these were necessarily buried beside their monarch upon his death.
However, not all inhabitants in the Realm of Souls would be afforded such luxury, for in the lowest levels, the cursed and the damned would be subject to an eternity of torture for their sins. Only the wretches, the unworthy and the traitors of Nehekharan society were condemned thus, and the idea that those of noble blood could be damned to such a fate was unthinkable.
The Liche Priests of the Mortuary Cult believe that their magical powers originate from the Realm of Souls. With the proper incantations, the Liche Priests are able to summon forth the spirits of deceased warriors from this mystical plain and bind them into corporeal bodies to fight for Nehekhara once more.
PAST OPPONENTS:
The Empires of Men:
Treat Level: Minor
Status: Active Across the World
Living humans, be they from Bretonnia, Araby, Tilea or even the Empire, have often come to blows with the Deathless Kings of Nehekhara. Some have tried to raid their pyramids for the wealth inside, some have tried to wipe them out, mistaking them for common undead filth. Whatever the reason, it seems each human nation has, at one time or another, gone to war with the Tomb Kings.
Composition:
-The Empire: Regimented units of Halberdiers, Pikemen, Archers, Knights, etc. They have moderately powerful wizards schooled in Eight Types of Magic. The Empire has the best artillery of the human races, ranging from cannons to steam tanks (though these are rare). The Empire is the current strongest (living) human faction.
-Bretonnians: More Knight focused then the Empire, Bretonnians believe in a strong Code of Chivalry that can give them near unbreakable resolve. They are supported by a greatly undertrained peasant class, and magical support from Maidens who draw their magic powers not from the Winds of Magic, but from an elven deity referred to as 'The Lady'. They are less advanced then the Empire, but the strength of their knights and cavalry still make them the second strongest human nation in the world. More about them can be learned from the Bretonnian Profile.
Implications: Tomb Kings have faced regimented Reinessance Era Troops with diverse magic and moderate artillery, and powerful knights backed-up by a large but untrained peasant class.
Norsca/Men of Chaos:
Treat Level: Low (Norsca), Moderate-High (Men of Chaos)
Status: Ever present
The men of the North often sail down and try to raid coastal kingdoms of Nehekhara, stealing wealth that is eternally guarded. Other times, Men of Chaos, spurred by dark gods, challenge the Tomb Kings while seeking fame and glory.
Composition:
-Norscans: Fantasy Vikings, they rely on melee type units, often utilizing strength or berserker tactics over more conventional styles. They do have more fantastical units, like giant wolves or war mammoths. More can be learned from the Norscan Profile.
-Men of Chaos: Those who have given their souls to the Ruinous Powers, these men are truly cursed. Savage and cruel, they are backed up by the darkest magics and the vilest of creatures. Servants of Nurgle utilize deadly plagues while being exceptionally durable, Servants of Tzeentch utilize mostly magical units and complicated schemes, Servants of Slaanesh utilize more mobile units and units designed to distract, entice or terrorize, and Servants of Khorne are the most fanatical warriors who abstain from magic (and are often immune to it in return) and focus on melee combat while trying to claim skulls and blood for their patron.
Implications: In the Norscans the Tomb Kings have experience against savage humans with a few powerful monster type units. With the Men of Chaos they have similar, but with more powerful magics and even worse units. That being said, the Forces of Chaos and the Tomb Kings are rarely in conflict with each other, as the Ruinous Powers have little interest in the undead as a whole. Plagues have little to no effect on the undead unless tailored to them. Most of their army is unaffected by the wiles of Slaanesh, and their lack of blood makes them of little interest to Khorne (though great honor can still be had by claiming the skull of a Tomb King, so they do occasionally go after them), and they are so set in their ways that the Changer of Ways Tzeentch rarely chooses to weave a complicated plan around them.
Greenskins (Orcs & Goblins)
Treat Level: Low-Moderate (Depends on the size of the WAAAGH!)
Status: Ever Present
The savage war-mongers of the Old World, Orcs and Goblins care only for fighting and rarely plan beyond where the next big fight will be. Thus, on more then one occasion has a WAAAGH! made its way into the desert with the express purpose of fighting the legions of the Tomb Kings. The idea of smashing (or trying to smash at any rate) the giant living statues or beheading some great monster from beneath the sands is their idea of a good time.
Composition: Orcs are very large and very tough, while Goblins are small and slight. Orcs prefer to slice from the front, Goblins prefer to attack from the rear (unseen if possible). Only Black Orcs seem to be able to appreciably apply strategy and tactics rather then charge blindly in. Larger units, like Giants, Wyverns and Massive Spiders are also part of the Greenskin Retinue. They can also call on their gods Gork and Mork for magical support. More can be learned from the Orcs and Goblins Profile.
Implications: The Tomb Kings have experience against both fighters and schemers and their monster companions. Their general lack of tactics would normally make them less of a threat, but they often travel in massive hordes, and are known to be extremely persistent once they find a source of 'entertainment', and can be hard to drive off (though goblins are, by their nature, more cowardly).
Skaven
Threat Level: Varies
Status: Varies, but they are ever-present in the world
The Skaven have a long history with the Tomb Kings. It was them that aided in the death of Nagash, but they are not allies. Rather, they believe themselves the superior race, and have often tried to rob from, trick, or otherwise destroy the Tomb Kings. They are a short-lived race, and their goals vary from leader to leader.
Composition: Depending on the clan, the Skaven may specialize in a variety of things. Pestilens uses plagues, Moulder uses biologically enhanced monsters, Eshin uses assassins and sabotage, and Skyre use strange and horrible fusions of magic and technology. Overall though they tend to rely on massive overwhelming numbers of crude, disposable infantry.
Implications: Tomb Kings have faced an army that tries to overwhelm with numbers, while supplementing with specialists in either plagues, monsters, sabotage, or techno-magic.
Vampire Counts
Threat Level: Moderate-High
Status: Settled in their own nation
The bastard children of Nagash, the Vampire Counts believe themselves to be the rightful rulers of the Undead. They have engaged in long and brutal wars with the Tomb Kings over this, and yet no winner has managed to claim the title. In recent years the Vampires have moved to afflicting themselves on the mortal world, or playing their courtly games among each other. But the Tomb Kings have not forgotten the old grudge, and they know the Counts haven't either. Thus, while the current war may have gone cold as the grave, it wouldn't take much to reignite the ancient hatred.
Composition: Vampire Counts are the elites with powerful magic and superior bodies, leading massive hordes of rotting corpses and skeletons raise from local graveyards or even from the field of battle itself. Occasionally they are backed up by some unit designed to aid one or the other, or a monster to serve as some shock & awe.
Implications: The Tomb Kings have experience against the undead, those who would use necromancy freely to bolster their numbers quickly, and the occasionally dark monster who does the vampires bidding. Vampires themselves are superhuman, and more or less immortal like the Tomb Kings themselves, making them often experienced and formidable commanders and soldiers.
Tomb Kings
Threat Level: Low to Non-Existent
Status: An uneasy peace beneath Settra's Rule
Before Settra the Imperishable forced all Tomb Kings to submit to his will, Kings from all eras strove to enforce their will on all others. Massive civil wars waged across the kingdoms as each Tomb King raised an army against his neighbors, his ancestors and his descendants.
Composition: See This Entire Profile!
The Tomb Kings have experience against the undead, highly disciplined troops down to the infantry level, massive constructs, and extremely powerful magic.
Miscellaneous Threats:
While the races of Dwarfs, Elves, Beastmen, Ogres, Lizardmen, and Daemons are not given larger sections, that does not mean the Tomb Kings are unaware of them. It just means that their interactions with these races is not as common, and experience against them less likely to be widespread.
GENERAL STRATEGY
Opening Setup: The first thing the Tomb Kings would do as part of a campaign would be to have their Liche Priests consult the gods for answers, scry the land to spy and gather information, possess Carrion for fly overs, and other general recon. If possible, they would lock down their immediate surroundings and start fortifying them to be worthy of the kings that now occupy them.
Foreign Relations: The Tomb Kings have little interest in foreign relations save for domination or killing them. Those they view as enemies will be slaughtered to the last man, or broken and made into a slave. Third party factions would do well to bend knee to them quickly and put up little resistance, less they be treated the same way. As far as the Tomb Kings are concerned, all the world is their kingdom, they are simply coming to finally claim it.
Initial Strategy: For the Tomb Kings, the strategies they are the most likely to employ are those that have worked for thousands of years. Archers will hang in the back, firing in such volumes as to darken the sky. Chariots will race ahead and to the flanks while Skeleton Warriors march behind, as unrelenting as the sea. Carrion will circle the flanks, picking off stragglers and harassing artillery crews. Tomb Kings will either head for where the leader or champions are, or hang back and observe if they don't think the battle is worth their time. Liche Priests will likewise stay back, enhancing the troops while attacking the enemy. Constructs are rarely deployed in initial confrontations, unless the Tomb Kings really desire a show of force or to wrap things up quickly.
Adaptions: Tomb Kings, by their nature, do not adapt well. They often replay the same actions and battles they did in life over and over, fighting the same wars with the same tactics, rising the next day to do the same. In battle against non-Tomb Kings, they rely on the same strategies that worked for them a thousand years ago, expecting similar results. In the event that is not the case, or the Tomb Kings are faced with something that is outside his/her experience, they will likely struggle. They would consult their Liche Priests and generals, but most would still fall back on strategies and tactics of the past. In the end, they may end up calling for backup, raising past generals or heroes that specialized in whatever predicament the Tomb King faces to have them deal with it. However, this could take awhile, as the Tomb Kings are proud, and do not like admitting difficulty or weakness.
Withdraw: Tomb Kings are loath to withdraw, as they are prideful in the extreme. As most of their subjects have little minds of their own, they are unlikely to route due to 'casualties', and Liche Priests can usually raise them again later if they feel so inclined. However, should the Tomb King or Liche Priest in charge feel they are personally threatened (remember, if both are present, the Liche Priest will defer to the Tomb King on when to retreat), they will consider a retreat. Tactical retreats are common, to lure the enemy into a false sense of victory and perhaps cause them to overextend in pursuit. In a true withdraw, however, the Tomb King will simply turn his chariot and ride away, having his troops cover him, dying where they stand to give him a chance. As far as he is concerned, only he matters, all others are replaceable. And in the case of his race, he is right.
STRENGTHS
Vast Experience: The Empire of the Tomb Kings stretches back thousands of years. During that time a lot of experience was accumulated by kings and warriors of different eras. Experience that can now be drawn on by the Liche Priests for the current campaign's benefit. In addition, Tomb Kings that have been awoken can have fought in countless battles over centuries, giving them all fairly high levels of experience on the battlefield.
Can Draw on Legends or Specialists: Somewhat tying into the above, but because all of the Nehekharans can more or less draw on their entire history to aid them, this means they can call on any legendary hero or specialists they need. Need better charioteers? Liche Priests can summon up the best chariot fighters in their nation's history. Enemy champion making a mockery of your elites? Call up every great hero your nation has ever produced and put him in his place. Because death is not the end in Nehekhara, any legend or specialist can potentially be called up to serve once again for the good of the Tomb Kings.
Resilience: The people of Nehekhara were a resilient people, and the Tomb Kings even more so. Even when their great afterlife turned out to be a lie, and the dreams of generations became ash, the Tomb Kings didn't wallow in sorrow or give up. Instead, they picked themselves up and resolved to shape the world how they wanted it, no matter what. After all that, it would be extremely hard to shake the Tomb King morale.
Power of the Gods: In Nehekhara, the gods are both always present, and easily contactable. Liche Priests have known for centuries how to call upon the power of literal deities to aid them in a variety of ways. Some rituals may take longer then others, but the rewards for such are often proportionally better.
Immortal-Ish: Tomb Kings are eternal. Such is the magic that binds them to the mortal world that, even if you were to strike a lethal blow against a Tomb King or Prince, they would arise anew from their coffin eventually. Now, it may take decades, perhaps centuries, depending on the nature of the wound that killed them, but they will always come back, so long as their tombs and the magic that binds them remain. And when they come back, they will want revenge. Even if the person that killed them is long dead, the Tomb Kings will seek out their descendants or allies and repay the insult that was their deaths.
Undead Attributes: In their current state, the Tomb Kings have the benefits one expects from the Undead: They do not need to sleep, eat or rest, making targeting logistics a nightmare against them. The vast majority cannot be tempted, corrupted or frightened. Against a living target they can easily wear them down through attrition alone.
WEAKNESSES
Undead Attributes: By the same token, however, they have the weaknesses associated with the Undead as well. They are vulnerable to Holy Magic and magic specifically designed to hurt the undead will affect them as much as it affects any zombie.
Difficulty Adapting: Due to their nature, many Tomb Kings find it difficult to adapt. They find themselves repeating the same actions of the past over and over. In battle, they are likely to try and use a strategy from the past then invent something new. As such, an army that constantly changes their tactics in battle would leave them very confused, unsure and sluggish in their response. And while they have done their best to adapt to the more modern weapons they come up against, like cannons or rocket batteries, weapons that would be unfamiliar to them can cause massive damage as they reel and try to decide what to do about this new element.
Arrogance: Tomb Kings believe they are the rightful rulers of all the world, and everyone on it. They regularly build massive monuments to themselves, their deeds, and their own deaths. Most races are seen as less then nothing to them, worthy only to be slaves or sacrifices. As such it can be very difficult for them to achieve things via diplomacy, as they often expect others to simply bow and scrape at their passing. This can also lead to them underestimating their opponents, and those that can seize on that can snatch victory right out from under them.
Flammable: The mummification process that the upper echelons of Nehekhara society underwent has left their bodies well preserved, but also very flammable. Thus, flame based attacks work especially well on them. It should be noted that the higher ups in Nehekhara society are more vulnerable to this weakness then the common soldier or peasant, who often could not afford or was not given the option of the mummification process.
Reliance on Liche Priests and Hierophants: The vast majority of the Tomb Kings army are little better then automatons, reliant on the magic of Liche Priests or Hierophants to keep them tethered to the world of the living. Should those units be killed, the magics that bind them will slowly (or in some cases rapidly) unravel and they will collapse into bone and dust. Now, in locations where the winds of Death blow very strongly they can sometimes last longer, or another Priest/Hierophant can pick up the slack of one slain, but these are still weaknesses the Tomb Kings that can and have been exploited.
VICTORY GAINS
Likely very little. The Tomb Kings want nothing from the living but to be left alone. They wish to reclaim their lost empire, but they have little interest in those that currently occupy it, save removing them. They don't believe in raising outsiders to join their ranks, and they don't adapt new technology to their own. There is a slight possibility that some of the more liberal minded Tomb Kings may hire mercenaries, but they offer only harsh conditions and demand total obedience.
