Have you ever ever puzzled how Arkhan grew to become Arkhan The Black? It’s now the way you would possibly assume. However how did a minor noble develop into Nagash’s proper hand?
Arkhan the Black is a good Liche and certainly one of Nagash‘s foremost and earliest servants within the historic metropolis of Khemri in Nehekhara. Each in life and in demise, he’s essentially the most ready and trusted of Nagash’s lieutenants.
Mortal Life
Rising up as a minor noble within the metropolis of Khemri, Arkhan gained a popularity as a petty legal and a serial gambler, however with a wealthy, aristocratic household. He earned the nickname “the Black” from his appalling dental hygiene and his love of chewing the juseh root, that means his enamel had been become hideous shards. Most of his ill-gotten good points have been spent on “favours” at Asaph’s temple in Khemri, however seemingly he needed to pay double earlier than any of the priestesses went close to him.
Vizier of Khemri
When Nagash sought a cabal of followers to help him in usurping the throne of Khemri he discovered them Arkhan and his compatriots. Particularly they have been satisfied by an illustration of his newly created artwork of necromancy. The group supported Nagash by kidnapping victims off the road, this served to each provide Nagash with our bodies for his experiments and to undermine his brother’s rule. Arkhan and the others began to be taught to rudiments of necromancy themselves throughout this time, and he was the primary of Nagash’s followers to partake of the elixir which granted everlasting life, changing into the primary of Nagash’s so-called ‘Immortals’.
When Nagash lastly usurped his brother’s throne, declaring himself king of Khemri, Arkhan was appointed his vizier. In response the Priest Kings of Nehekhara shaped an alliance in opposition to Nagash, and Arkhan served as the nice necromancer’s foremost lieutenant within the wrestle that adopted. Battle after battle was waged, however inevitably the extra quite a few forces of the Priest Kings proved an excessive amount of, and Nagash and his armies have been compelled again into town of Khemri. When town lastly fell, Arkhan lead a suicidal counter assault with the intention to permit Nagash to flee. Arkhan’s guard fell one after the other, till solely Arkhan remained. It value the Priest Kings the lives of many males, however Arkhan lastly fell, to a spear thrown by an unknown soldier. The spear pierced the center of Arkhan, who stared in disbelief on the spear shaft, earlier than collapsing lifeless among the many nice pile of the slain. Inside seconds, Arkhan decomposed right into a blackened skeleton.
In his demise, Arkhan was honoured by his enemies, being buried, together with all those that he had slain, below a tough cairn shaped by a pile of stones. The remainder of Nagash’s followers have been beheaded and burnt, and their ashes scattered to the winds.
Lahmia
This in actuality was a lie unfold by Lamashizzar, king of Lahmia who had seen the unimaginable powers Nagash and his immortals wielded and needed their secrets and techniques for himself. To this finish he had actually had Arkhan trapped himself, and secretly smuggled again to Lahmia together with as a lot of Nagash’s works as may very well be discovered. There he was saved as a prisoner of Lamashizzar and his cabal so he may train them Nagash’s magic.
Lamashizzar was a idiot and had no expertise of mystical information and so was compelled to convey his queen Neferata into the cabal as her coaching as a priestess gave her the background wanted the make use of Nagash’s methods. Having lengthy since bored with her husband-brother she desired to rule herself and so used her appeal and sweetness to try to persuade Arkhan to assist her. In an odd twist Neferata grew to genuinely sympathize with the imprisoned sorcerer and shaped a real rapport with him that grew into one thing extra. Arkhan gladly taught her magic till she was capable of overthrow Lamashizzar and take the throne for herself with the king lowered to a figurehead below her thumb.
This turned out to be a grave error nonetheless when the king, nonetheless supported by many members of the cabal, tried to have Neferata assassinated with a lethal magical poison. Arkhan tried to save lots of Neferata, however his strategies reacted with Neferata’s blood and he or she appeared to die. Livid and decided to have his revenge Arkhan sneaked into the royal palace and assassinated Lamashizzar in return. The king’s bodyguard Abhorash, although too gradual to save lots of his king, beheaded Arkhan in private fight for his crime. Unbeknown to Arkhan his magic actually had saved Neferata and turned her into the primary vampire. She had Arkhan discretely however respectfully buried within the Lahmian necropolis.
Nagashizzar
A few years later Nagash, now secured in his northern fortress Nagashizzar, determined to take his revenge on the Priest Kings of Nehekhara. Though generations had handed, he had not forgotten his most loyal lieutenant. Figuring out he would quickly have want of him Nagash had Arkhan rise from his tomb and be part of him within the north. As soon as once more he led his grasp’s forces in opposition to the united Priest Kings and regardless of a protracted marketing campaign was as soon as once more was unsuccessful, the management and army prowess of king Alcadizzar of Khemri proving to be too nice.
When Nagash enacted the primary a part of his Nice Ritual, Arkhan commanded Nagash’s undead military as soon as extra and this time simply defeated the plague riddled Nehekharans, taking Alcadizaar prisoner. Staying in Khemri to take management of Nagash’s supreme military of the entire undead Nehekharan nation when the second a part of the ritual was forged, he as an alternative was compelled to flee when Nagash’s assassination left the risen kings with their very own willpower. United below Settra, the wrath of the Tomb Kings was just too nice.
Liche King
Intent on wreaking vengeance on the residing for the demise of his grasp, Arkhan ransacked Nagashizzar (preventing his very long time rival W’soran and different returned Immortals within the course of) he then turned his military in the direction of Araby, and for generations battered its kingdoms in what Arabyan chroniclers would come to name the Wars of Demise. Inhabiting the desert wastes that encompass Araby, Arkhan would lead his armies upon an Arabyan metropolis, razing it to the bottom earlier than withdrawing once more to the deserts.
One of many cities he sacked was Bel Aliad, itself within the grip of a civil struggle as Neferata attemtped to take management. He knowledgeable her that the tomb Kings and Queens sought to destroy them each and he or she fled these lands
Later he established himself as soon as once more in Nehekhara in his fortress of outdated, the Black Tower. From right here his repeated raids and incursions, whereas not a serious risk, quickly grew to become greater than only a mere nuisance. Repeatedly Settra can be compelled to do battle with Arkhan and while he had a vastly superior sense of technique and higher troops at his command their battles at all times resulted in a stalemate as Settra may by no means hope to match the nice necromantic energy of Arkhan. Subsequently Arkhan would undergo Settra’s authority and swear fealty earlier than as soon as once more defying him just some brief years later. This stalemate may need been damaged had the opposite Tomb Kings assisted however most thought of Arkhan a invaluable, if untrustworthy, ally.
Over the next centuries, Arkhan busied himself with searching down numerous treasures of Nagash with the intention to serve his grasp on the day of his return. Nevertheless he didn’t re-join Nagash when he was resurrected and engaged in his northwards marketing campaign in opposition to Sigmar.
He did nonetheless go to his former love in her new place of energy the Silver Pinnacle (-15 Imperial Calander) the place he tried to enlist her in his masters camapigns however she refused, stating that she had defied his will earlier than and would achieve this once more. She did nonetheless give him a vampire, the traitorous Khaled al Muntasir as Nagash had demanded, however with the suggestion that Arkhan use him to realize his freedom by offering the king of demise with a brand new lieutenant.
Arkhan had for a very long time foreseen the Finish Instances coming and knew Nagash was one of many few beings who may very well be relied upon to defeat the Chaos Gods. With a purpose to restore Nagash he wanted to realize most of the objects Nagash had imbued along with his energy through the years. Already possessing a lot of his 9 books, Arkhan sought Nagash’s workers. By allying himself with Khalida of Lybaras to assault the vampire lord Mandregan in Sylvania, Arkhan acquired certainly one of Nagash’s lesser staffs, and shortly discovered the situation of his main workers Alakanesh; Bretonnia.
The Finish Instances – Restoration
Arkhan allied himself with Mallobaude, the bastard son of Leon Leoncoeur and self-proclaimed Duke of Mousillon, in Bretonnia. First arranging to have ‘The Serpent’ obtain the reward of vampirisim, Arkhan then lent his necromantic would possibly to swell Mallobaude’s forces earlier than encouraging him to start his lengthy awaited marketing campaign in opposition to his father the king. Arkhan did this not as a result of he owed any loyalty to the Serpent nor as a result of he cared concerning the destiny of Bretonnia however as a result of he had found that Alakanesh rested in la Maisontaal abbey. He had provoked Mallobaude into beginning the civil struggle hoping that it will function a distraction whereas he raided the abbey’s vaults. His plan may need been profitable had the revelation of the Inexperienced Knight as Gilles le Breton and his defeat and slaying of Mallobaude not ended the struggle.
Having failed in Bretonnia Arkhan then travelled to Sylvania. Right here he was confronted by Mannfred von Carstein, vampire depend of that land. After an epic magical duel the place no victor may very well be established they entered into a really tenuous alliance with the objective of resurrecting Nagash. Arkhan entered into the alliance as a result of Mannfred had acquired numerous relics and hostages that will be instrumental to the ritual, and Mannfred entered into it confidant that on the opportune second he may betray Arkhan and bind the newly restored Nagash to his personal will.
After Arkhan devised a ritual to assist them escape Balthasar Gelt‘s wall of Religion, Mannfred travelled to the Border Princes to get better the Fellblade whereas Arkhan marched to again to Bretonnia to strive as soon as once more to get better the workers at la Maisontaal abbey. To this finish he allied with the Lichemaster Heinrich Kemmler and his monstrous bodyguard Krell. The 2 had been enemies of the Bretonnians for hundreds of years and la Maisontaal had develop into an obsession of Kemmler’s. Collectively they simply overwhelmed the defences of Duke Tancred and each Kemmler and Arkhan entered the vaults of the abbey. Right here nonetheless Kemmler revealed that he had no intention of helping within the resurrection of Nagash, favoring the unsure way forward for a world of Chaos over the static and sterile imaginative and prescient of the Nice Necromancer. Arkhan and Kemmler engaged in a titanic magical battle, however Arkhan was profitable and claimed his prize whereas Kemmler was destroyed. Returning to Sylvania, he and Mannfred (who had been equally profitable) ready to assert the ultimate required artifact which was being saved on the close by Imperial fortress of Heldenhame, dwelling of the Knights of Sigmar’s Blood. Working collectively the 2 undead lords breached the fort and recovered their prize.
By Geheimnisnacht all the things was ready and Arkhan and Mannfred rode with their hostages and artifacts to the stone circle often called the 9 Daemons to enact the ceremony. Mannfred’s plan to usurp the ritual on the key second was disrupted by the well timed intervention of a Excessive Elven military led by Eltharion the Grim tasked with rescuing the Everchild, one of many hostages they have been utilizing for the ceremony. Pressured to confront this military Mannfred was unable to sabotage the ritual as he supposed and whereas the elven military was defeated (with Mannfred himself destroying the legendary loremaster Belanaar and Arkhan slaying Eltharion) Nagash was returned to the world free and unfettered from Mannfred’s management. As soon as extra Arkhan grew to become Nagash’s first and most trusted servant. Nagash created a brand new order of Darkish Lords to enact his will known as the Mortarchs, led by Arkhan who was granted the title Mortarch of Sacraments.
The Black Pyramid
When Nagash started his marketing campaign to overcome Nehekhara, three armies (commanded by Krell and Dieter Helsnicht, Mannfred and Luthor Harkon, and Queen Neferata) led the best way whereas Arkhan travelled to Nagashizzar to summon Nagash’s elite guard entombed there. He joined the others on the gates of Khemri the place they confronted the united forces of Nehekhara led by Arkhan’s outdated opponent Settra. Settra’s forces proved the stronger with Nagash’s armies being held again and Arkhan being minimize down in fight by Settra himself. Settra then took Arkhan to the temple in Khemri to be completely destroyed as soon as and for all, when Nagash’s plan was revealed. Arkhan had smuggled Nagash previous Settra’s forces inside his personal physique. Now contained in the temple advanced itself Nagash was capable of enter the Nehekharan underworld, eat the demise god Usirian and use the facility gained to shatter Settra’s forces, destroy the nice king himself and raze Khemri to the bottom. Solely the Black Pyramid was spared which rose from the bottom and returned with Nagash’s victorious forces to Sylvania.
In Sylvania, Arkhan served Nagash as he drew in demise magic and saved it in his pyramid. When an enormous Nurgle daemonic military invaded Sylvania (and swiftly overcame the defensive forces of Mannfred and Harkon) Arkhan commanded the defence of the Black Pyramid. The battle was laborious pressed and solely finally received by the forces of undeath because of the direct interference of Nagash himself. Nevertheless the entire invasion had merely been a distraction. A Skaven group led by Ikit Claw had tunneled into the pyramid and simply because the battle outdoors reached its conclusion they detonated an enormous explosive gadget that destroyed it and scattered a considerable amount of Nagash’s cautious horded energy. This loss compelled Nagash to lastly work with the opposite incarnates.
The World’s Unmaking
The incarnates had gathered their remaining forces within the wooden land realm of Athel Loren. When Nagash’s military arrived Mannfred was despatched to parley with the assembled Council of Inarnates who in opposition to their higher judgement reluctantly welcomed Nagash. Their value nonetheless was a excessive one. The sacrificed Everchild, lengthy assumed to have been the daughter of the Phoenix King and the Everqueen had actually the product of a bootleg affair between the Everqueen and the Elven hero Tyrion. In fee for his or her acceptance of him, Nagash supplied them the architect of the Everchild’s homicide. Believing his long-time rival Arkhan was about to be humbled finally, Mannfred was dismayed when Nagash as an alternative supplied Mannfred himself up as scapegoat, sacrificing a servant whose loyalty was questionable to say the least with the intention to defend a devoted one.
Alongside Vlad von Carstein Arkhan continued to function Nagash’s proper hand all through the incarnates planning and after they and their assorted armies have been teleported to Middenheim, the stronghold of the Everchosen Archaon, he led the forces of undeath alongside his grasp. Finally Arkhan was left behind by Nagash as a distraction as he and the opposite incarnates went to attempt to cease Archaon’s world ending plan. After their failure, Arkhan stayed behind to sacrifice himself to permit Neferata, who he nonetheless cared for in spite of everything this time, time to flee Middenheim to face the ending of the world on her personal phrases again in Sylvania.
Study Extra of Nagash
Lexicanum
~Arkhan the Black survives and was reborn within the Mortal Realms the place he serves at his grasp’s facet to this present day.
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