According to Nehekharan beliefs, in the afterlife the gods would bestow each king with a body of gold. Thus, when Prince Kharnut awoke from his death-sleep he was horrified at his withered, skeletal visage and demanded the Mortuary Cult fashion for him a magnificent golden death mask. However, when the mask was being sealed around Kharnut's head, a drop of molten gold fell upon the Prince's embalmed body, immolating him in a fiery blaze. The Prince's spirit was not destroyed, but was mystically bound within the expressionless mask. The taint of death hangs heavy upon the death mask, gripping the hearts of all who gaze upon it.[1a]
Canon Conflict[]
In Warhammer Armies: Tomb Kings (6th Edition), the mask is known as the Death Mask of Kharnut.[2a]