In most fantasy settings, the undead represent pure evil, but not so in Warhammer Fantasy. There, a race of undead is among the more reasonable inhabitants of the world.
Undead abound in Warhammer Fantasy, available in several variations: powerful vampire lords like Mannfred von Carstein dwell in Sylvania and are one of the greatest enemies of the Empire of Man with their undead hordes.
On the seas, terrible vampire pirates roam, filling their ranks with dead sailors, sunken ships, and creatures of the deep.
In the great deserts of the south of the Old World, a very different kind of undead “lives.” They dwell in ancient cities with imposing pyramids amidst vast deserts. Once, they were kings of the first human civilization, but on the path to immortality, they left their humanity behind.
Now, they rule as mummies over a realm of the undead, known as the Tomb Kings. And unlike the vampire lords, who have living subjects, the realm of the Tomb Kings consists entirely of undead. Below, MeinMMO presents the royal decay in more detail.
By the way, here you can see the army of the Tomb Kings from Warhammer: The Old World in the trailer:
It all begins with a great betrayal
An important role in the transition from the old Nehekhara to the new realm of the Tomb Kings was played by the so-called cult of the dead. The goal of this religious cult was to transform Nehekhara into an eternal kingdom whose ruler lives forever. One of the most significant members of this cult was none other than Nagash, the first necromancer and one of the most powerful wizards of Warhammer Fantasy.
In a great ritual, Nagash first killed all life in Nehekhara and then resurrected it. All the inhabitants of the realm were meant to become his army, with which he wanted to conquer the entire world. This plan might have worked, had it not been for an unusual alliance between the Skaven and the last living king of Nehekhara that brought him down.
Now, the ancient kings of Nehekhara rule as mummies over the land, defending it with their vast legions of skeleton warriors. These are far more disciplined than the hordes of skeletons and zombies of the vampire lords or the vampire coast.
The necrotechs, virtually the engineers or mechanics of the Tomb Kings, build living constructs such as war sphinxes, gigantic scorpions, or the Hierotitan. The latter is a two-legged monstrosity that can even cast spells. And the Necropolis Knights of the Tomb Kings ride on large snake constructs.
There are some important figures and powerful rulers among the Tomb Kings: four of them will be introduced from the next page onwards.
