Casket of Souls

At the heart of each tomb of the mightiest kings there lies a casket, inscribed with hieroglyphs of malediction. Within this sarcophagus reside the tormented souls of those who have incited a Tomb King's wrath. 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 incarnations with a portion of its energy.

When a Casket of Souls is opened, blinding light spills across the battlefield as countless souls scream into the air seeking freedom from the suffering of their confinement. These spirits plunge through the bodies of the Tomb Kings' enemies, and the hapless victims suffer unbearable agony as their life essence is utterly drained. 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. A Casket of Souls is a devastating weapon, for all who look upon it risk eternal damnation and imprisonment.

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.

Source
Arca de las Almas
 * Warhammer Armies: Tomb Kings.
 * Page 40.

[[Category:C]]