| rdfs:comment
| - The Tomb Kings, known as the Priest Kings in their former lives are the undying rulers of Nehekhara, an ancient Human civilization that formed a great and powerful empire some two thousand five hundred years before the birth of Sigmar Heldenhammer and the founding of the Empire of Man. Out of all the unliving creatures that would claim dominion over the dead, only the Tomb Kings could truly claim such masterful sovereignty, they who once ruled a mighty and far-flung Empire during a time when the rest of Mankind were little more than savage barbarians.[1a]
- The Tomb Kings were once rulers of Nehekhara, a vast, fertile kingdom. Nehekhara was a land of many war-torn kingdoms. The divided land was eventually unified by the First King of Nehekhara, King Settra. King Settra was a beloved ruler that led Nehekhara into a golden age, yet time was not on his side. As Settra grew older he began to turn his gaze towards extending his rule into the afterlife. He charged his priests of the 'Mortuary Cult', who tended the mummified remains of the past rulers, to use their magics to develop a spell for everlasting life. After many years the priests were able to develop two spells: the first was one that would simply prolong life, the user would still age indefinitely, and the other would allow for the resurrection of the user. With promises that they would
|
| abstract
| - The Tomb Kings were once rulers of Nehekhara, a vast, fertile kingdom. Nehekhara was a land of many war-torn kingdoms. The divided land was eventually unified by the First King of Nehekhara, King Settra. King Settra was a beloved ruler that led Nehekhara into a golden age, yet time was not on his side. As Settra grew older he began to turn his gaze towards extending his rule into the afterlife. He charged his priests of the 'Mortuary Cult', who tended the mummified remains of the past rulers, to use their magics to develop a spell for everlasting life. After many years the priests were able to develop two spells: the first was one that would simply prolong life, the user would still age indefinitely, and the other would allow for the resurrection of the user. With promises that they would find a spell for true eternal life, the priests cast the magics that would allow them to reanimate the dead onto King Settra as he died. It would be this spell that would cause the eventual damnation of all of Nehekhara. Huge necropoleis of the dead, full of pyramids and temples eventually surrounded and dwarfed all the inhabited cities. Over hundreds of years, the necromancer Nagash waged a series of wars with the Nehekharans. His failure to dominate the region was bittersweet, as a final curse of epic proportions slew the populace and rendered the once-fertile kingdoms desert. Through the polluting side effects of Nagash's curse combining with the ancient Nehekharan magics, and the manner of burial, the Tomb Kings were reborn. Unlike the other mindless creations of Nagash the ancient Kings were reborn with their mind and will intact, due to the embalming rituals performed on them before their deaths. Instead of being reborn in paradise with healthy young bodies as promised by the priests they were born in rotting corpses, the once fertile land they ruled now a barren desert. Their armies are based around deployments typical of Mesopotamian/Egyptian antiquity. Large blocks of light infantry armed with bows, axes, maces, spears, and shields are supported by chariots and light cavalry. One such cavalry are Necropolis Knights, ancient elite warriors mounted on animated serpentine statues of bone, metal and marble. Tomb Kings are also able to summon swarms of scarabs to aid them in battle. The Tomb King army also fields other large Undead constructs assembled from bone, marble and ancient statues these include gigantic undead scorpions, carrion Vultures of the desert and even the animated skeletons of ancient giants. Other Sand animated statues of the ancient gods of Khemri also march with the undead horde such as the mighty Ushabti, the Snake like Sepulchral Stalkers, Warsphinxs which can serve as monstrous mounts by either a squad of elite tomb guard or a Tomb King himself, The most deadly construct in a Tomb King army however is the Giant Necrosphinx, an animated statue capable of decapitating a dragon with a single strike of its ancient blades. Every Tomb Kings army must be led by a King or Prince (the army's General). His force of will drives the host forward, while the accompanying Liche Priests or High Priest (one called the Hierophant is compulsory in every Tomb Kings army) animates the dead. An army can usually survive the death of its General, but once the Hierophant is slain, it is only a matter of time before all non-character models collapse into the sand. 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. They 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. With unstoppable force, the Warsphinx can crash down upon enemy units, pulping bones and splintering organs. For those caught beneath this titanic creature there is little hope of survival. The Necrosphinx is a nightmare beast of destruction that glides through the air in bounding leaps before falling amongst their terrified prey, scything down the living as mortals reap the wheat of the field. Only when all before them have been butchered will they stop. Enemy warriors are easy prey to these bizarre Undead constructs and even mighty monsters will find themselves struggling for survival. The Necrosphinx is truly the king of brutal, unending carnage. Tomb Kings are the ancient, long-dead rulers of Nehekhara. Their mummified corpses have been awakened by magical incantations, and their bodies are now inhabited by their undying, vengeful spirits. They are a mocking imitation of life, transformed into hideous cadavers whose kingdoms have been plundered and lost. They are bitter and twisted, full of rage and ready to wage war for all eternity. Some Tomb Kings will ride into battle on a chariot, leading their mighty war-host from the fighting platform on the back. The combination of deadly warrior and fast-moving war machine is the perfect spearhead for a regiment of Skeleton Chariots.
- The Tomb Kings, known as the Priest Kings in their former lives are the undying rulers of Nehekhara, an ancient Human civilization that formed a great and powerful empire some two thousand five hundred years before the birth of Sigmar Heldenhammer and the founding of the Empire of Man. Out of all the unliving creatures that would claim dominion over the dead, only the Tomb Kings could truly claim such masterful sovereignty, they who once ruled a mighty and far-flung Empire during a time when the rest of Mankind were little more than savage barbarians.[1a] Long ago, during an ancient and forgotten age, the civilization of Nehekhara stood as the shining beacon of Human civilization and achievement; a golden age where its cities shone with a majestic splendor, its buildings crafted from magnificent marble and limestone, its armies conquering entire kindgoms from the face of the earth and their mighty rulers reigning as living Gods amongst Man. But this great realm was razed millennia ago through acts of great treachery and powerful sorcery. The living of the land had long ago perished in a single, mournful night, and in their absence, the dead stirred from their graves and claimed the land anew.[1a] Even as their ancient civilization now lies buried beneath the sand, their once verdant plains turned to searing desert and their mighty and glorious Empire fractured and in ruin, the Tomb Kings have once more awoken from their long sleep. Rising from their decrepit sarcophagi, the mummified rulers of Nehekhara awoke with eyes of burning balefire, their thirst for power, conquest and vengeance just as strong in death as they were even in life. They are coming to reclaim that which was rightful theirs, their legions innumerable, rising up from the scorching sand brandishing weapons of polished bronze and priceless gold. Ancient, emotionless and spiteful to all those that had slighted them, woe and behold those that would be foolish enough to stand before their silent onslaught.[1a]
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)