Warhammer: The Old World – Origins of the Tomb Kings

How did the lands of the Nehekhara become land ruled by the dead? It all starts with a little bit of magic from a particular practitioner of the dark arts.

Nehekhara was the first human civilization to emerge in the Warhammer world, originating as a cluster of kingdoms, all of which eventually came under the nominal rulership of the King of the city of Khemri.

The Ancient Times

Legend states that the people who would become the Nehekharans made a great Pilgrimage from the East, with Ptra leading them to the River Vitae where Geheb sowed the earth with crops so that they would grow strong and healthy. Tahoth showed them the secrets to building with stone and creating pyramids before Asaph arose from the reeds to give them the wonders of civilization.

More than 2,500 years before Sigmar, the people of the land built a great civilization creating roads, cities fleet to connect with each other, raising powerful armies to destroy any that might invade their lands. The greatest city was Khemri, with its king considered the first amongst equals. Their domains expanded as far as the area now claimed by the Empire, the Southlands and the even into the Great Ocean.

Finally, the rulers of the cities each determined that they should hold supreme power and began to war upon each, each claiming the Crown of Nehekhara. Other races saw opportunity and attacked with the Greenskins descended from the north as did barbarian tribes and Lybaras was sacked by the Lizardmen. Plague and drought struck the land and the whole civilization stood on the brink of collapse.

In -2500 IC, the new king of Khemri was called Settra and although cruel, vain and arrogant he also paid homage to the gods of the land, restoring their temples and creating new statues to their glory. On his first anniversary, he begged the gods to restore Khemri to its lost glory and sacrificed his own children to them. He was rewarded by the Great Vitae River flooded, washing away disease and providing a plentiful harvest. Settra was anointed as not only a ruler but a Priest King who wielded the power of both his people and the gods.

Now his legions marched, subduing all the other cities and once more establishing Nehekhara as a mighty empire. The empire fought off the Greenskins to claim new land and defended against the desert dwellers who stole food and pack animals. His armies and fleets ranged as far as Lustria but as he grew older he searched for the cure to death forming the Mortuary Cult but although they prolonged his life, eventually he too succumbed to death in -2350 IC, angry and frustrated. The Cult promised that he would awaken in a golden paradise to rule for a million years and his body was placed within a great tomb in a pyramid that loomed over Khemri.

Nagash’s Rise

Prior to the time of Nagash, Nehekhara was at its peak, its people wealthy and its lands beautiful but Nagash would change all of this. He was originally the High Priest of Khemri but was still not content. He plotted to seize the throne from his younger brother Thutep and become both King and High Priest. One night in -1950 IC, he had the young king killed and placed in the tomb of Khetep. The next morning, he proclaimed himself king and sat upon the throne with no-one daring to confront him.

The reign of Nagash was one of pain and suffering for the people. He demanded total loyalty and massive tributes from the princes appointed to rule the lands. Nagash had the Black Pyramid built, towering over all others. He also created an “Elixir of Life” using human blood, which would be drunk by Nagash’s closest followers, including Arkhan, and later recreated by Neferata, the Queen of Lahmia. Due to the high tributes, starvation racked the lands, but Nagash didn’t care.

Eventually in -1600 IC, the princes had had enough and rallied their armies to attack Nagash and Khemri. To defend against these invaders, Nagash summoned long dead warriors to do his bidding, the first time that the dead had walked at the command of another, and many fled in terror from the battle. Eventually, after a titanic battle, Nagash was defeated. Many believed him dead and destroyed, but he had actually escaped to the north to plot his revenge, his Black Pyramid abandoned for hundreds of years, but he had vowed revenge on the living.

The Revenge of Nagash

Nagash sought utter vengeance, and poisoned the waters of the Great River at its source, which in turn corrupted the lands which the river had once made fertile. Pestilence spread rapidly and the dead soon outnumbered the living. Alcadizaar could do nothing, for he could not fight this enemy with weapons. When Nagash attacked again he was met by little resistance. Nagash finished off the civilization of Nehekhara and took prisoner Alcadizaar, the last living Nehekharan.

It was after this that Nagash began the greatest spell of all time. The skies darkened for miles around and a great wave of energy left his body. All life was destroyed in seconds, crops withered and animals died. Now Nagash planned to raise the dead to make an all-conquering army which would overwhelm any opposition.

Nagash was assassinated by Alcadizaar, with the help of the Skaven, who freed the King as well as created the Fellblade, a deadly blade forged specifically to kill the Great Necromancer. Nagash however was still able to complete his ritual before his death, awakening all the dead of Nehekhara from their tombs.

The Undead Rise

The dead raised by the ritual were not bound to Nagash’s rule, but only the Tomb Kings and Lich Priests were sentient. Having expected to be reborn as gods in the afterlife, the awakened Tomb Kings were enraged to find their bodies were little more than desiccated husks. The Tomb Kings then proceeded to reestablish control over each other and their now dead subjects and went to war with only the Great Pyramid of Settra remaining silent.

It was the head of the Mortuary Cult, Grand Hierophant Khatep who broke the seals to the tomb of Settra as battles raged between the various rulers. Settra came forth with his legions and as in life, would allow no rival to his rule, destroying for ever dozens of lesser kings who stood against him until all present bowed their head to him, Arkhan the Black fleeing the area.

This state of affairs has remained the same for more than 3000 years with the lesser Kings and Princes are (more or less) ruled over by Settra, first and greatest of the Priest-Kings.

For more on the Tomb Kings of the Old World check out the Lexicanum

Writer, Editor, Texas Native, and now Tex-Pat, Adam covers all things Tabletop Gaming. Which includes Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, D&D, Board Games and everything else that involves dice, boards, cards and a table.
A hobbyist, player, and collector of miniatures and games, Adam’s current obsession are his Death and Chaos Armies for Age of Sigmar, his Blood Angels and Tyranids for 40k, an expanding collection of Marvel: Crisis Protocol minis, and his ever growing Arkham Horror: The Card Game Collection.

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