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The Elixir of Life was a magical concoction created by the Great Necromancer and Liche Lord Nagash of Nehekhara that was derived from Human blood and was intended to provide its imbibers with immortality and eternal youth. [1a]

While the elixir was extraordinarily successful at this, a later version was created by Neferata, the queen of the Nehekharan city-state of Lahmia, who sought to live forever. But her lack of necromantic skill led to the creation of a corrupted version that granted its users immortality only by transforming them into the first Vampires.[1b]

History[]

One of the Nehekharan necromancer Nagash's chief successes during his early life was the creation of the cursed Elixir of Life, distilled from the blood of Humans.[2a] With it, Nagash finally unlocked the long-sought secret of eternal youth. He then allowed Arkhan, his trusted vizier, and his other principal lieutenants to imbibe the elixir, granting them immortality and incredible superhuman strength but, unable to recreate the potion themselves, they became little more than slaves to Nagash's sinister will in order to keep imbibing it and holding death at bay.[1a]

Years later, Queen Neferata of Lahmia would attempt to replicate the elixir with the help of the High Priest W'soran, creating a corrupted version of it. This new elixir, though it extended her life indefinitely, also cursed this vain and selfish woman for all eternity. Having possessed neither the skill nor the knowledge of Nagash when she created her version of the Elixir of Life, Neferata and her court became stricken by an unquenchable thirst for mortal blood. The Nehekharan city-state of Lahmia thus became the birthplace of the first Vampires -- fell Undead creatures whose individual strength and unholy power exceeded that of a dozen men.[1b]

Notable Users[]

Canon Conflict[]

In the Warhammer Legends trilogy of novels about Nagash by Mike Lee, the original Elixir of Life created by the Great Necromancer granted Nagash's early followers traits similar to those of Vampires, such as an aversion to sunlight and the capability to draw power from blood. Furthermore, the later variant of the Elixir of Life that created true Vampires was said to be a creation of Arkhan the Black instead of Neferata, who used it to reanimate her dead body.[1a] This was later retconned into the above version of the tale by the Tomb Kings armybook for the 8th Edition and End Times Volume I: Nagash for the 8th Edition.

The Warhammer Legends trilogy novel Nagash Immortal also explains that King Alcadizaar of Khemri had been given the Elixir of Life as a youth by Neferata when he was held hostage in Lahmia, with Neferata hoping to make him her servant. The future Priest-King of Khemri, however, proved resistant against its power and remained a mortal man, becoming one of the most bitter foes of the Undead. This conflicts with the description of the Elixir of Life's effects in every other source outside those novels, which transformed its recipient into a Vampire instantaneously regardless of their moral character.

Warhammer novels have often been known to add or even alter lore that was held as canon within Warhammer armybooks, only to be ignored in subsequent entries, making Alcadizaar's drinking of the Elixir a major, unresolved conflict in the Warhammer universe's lore.

There were also implications in Nagash Immortal about the transfusion of Vampiric blood and the Elixir of Life to Alcadizaar's mother while she was pregnant and then Alcadizaar's later consumption of the Elixir of Life as the reason he was able to consume it without being instantly transformed into one of the Undead.

Sources[]

  • 1: Warhammer Armies: Tomb Kings (8th Edition)
    • 1a: pg. 13
    • 1b: pg. 14
  • 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Night's Dark Masters (RPG)
    • 2a: pg. 33
  • 3: Nagash: Unbroken (Novel) by Mike Lee
    • 3a: Ch. 11
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