Khemri, called the "City of Kings," the "Land of Khemri,"[3a] and in ancient times "The Living City," was once the capital of the empire of the Tomb King Settra,[4a] jewel in the crown of the ancient Human land of Nehekhara and the greatest and most powerful of its city-states.[1a]
History[]
Chief amongst the cities of Nehekhara is Khemri, the oldest, largest, proudest and most powerful of all the ancient cities of the Great Land. The monuments built in this grand necropolis are vast and majestic to behold, crafted by the most skilled Necrotects in the land. Graven images of gods and monsters peer down from every rooftop, and statuary marks the corner of every dust-scattered street.[1a]
Icon of Khemri as depicted in Warhammer: The Old World.[2a]
Throughout Nehekhara's long history, the greatest of all the Priest-Kings were those of Khemri. It became established early on that whoever ruled the City of Kings was the mightiest sovereign in all the Great Land, he to whom the other kings would pledge allegiance and offer tribute.[1a]
In the heart of Khemri lies the lavish royal palace in which Settra the Imperishable sits upon a throne made of gold, soul-diamonds and a wealth of other gemstones worth more than the combined treasures of a dozen lesser kings. Beside this court of power looms one of the most magnificent structures ever created by Mankind -- the Great Pyramid of Settra. Within this ivory edifice, Nehekhara's fearsome legions await the king's command, standing ready to march to war and destroy his enemies. However, even this majestic monument, rising hundreds of times the height of a man, is dwarfed by the Black Pyramid of Nagash -- a wonder and a terror to all who behold it, lying silent and ominous on the outskirts of Khemri.[1a]
Geography[]
The Land of the Dead, formerly Nehekhara
The city of Khemri, as described, is an ancient, decaying necropolis that lies at the heart of the desert of the Land of the Dead, marked by its vast scale and inhuman grandeur. Once the thriving capital of ancient Nehekhara, a great empire of Men, it now stands as a testament to a fallen civilisation consumed by death and corruption. The sun-baked sands have swallowed much of its once-glorious structures, but the remnants that remain are both awe-inspiring and terrifying.[5b]
Khemri is characterised by its colossal tombs, temples, and palaces, constructed from precious materials like marble, alabaster, onyx, and porphyry. These buildings, despite their dilapidated state, exude a faded magnificence that hints at the city's former glory. The architecture is grandiose in the distinctive Nehekharan style, with each structure seemingly built to outdo its neighbours, reflecting a culture obsessed with power, legacy, and the afterlife. However, centuries of exposure to the harsh desert elements have left these structures crumbling and eroded, their once-exquisite carvings barely recognisable.[5b]
The city is dominated by towering pyramids, the largest and most imposing of which is the Black Pyramid of Nagash. This obsidian monolith, untouched by time or sand, looms over the city like a dark sentinel, its mirror-black surfaces flickering with emerald lightning. The pyramid, surrounded by statues of skull-faced guardians, exudes an aura of malevolence and dark power, drawing the eye and instilling a sense of dread in all who behold it.
The atmosphere in Khemri is one of silent, oppressive evil. The air is thick with a miasma of necromantic corruption, and the city's emptiness is unsettling, as if something dark and ancient still lingers beneath the surface. The ruins of Khemri are not just relics of a dead civilisation; they are haunted by the malevolent forces that once ruled here, making the city a place of both awe and horror.[5b]
Notable Locations[]
Black Pyramid of Nagash[]
The Black Pyramid of Nagash in the Khemri necropolis.
The Black Pyramid of Nagash is the greatest legacy of the Liche Lord Nagash, the Great Necromancer, in the land of Khemri.[1b]
1,111 years after the "death" of Nagash, the necromancer used the Black Pyramid as the location for his rebirth. He was unable to tap its power, as the Skaven had long since mined most of the warpstone in Cripple Peak, and the Tomb King Settra, unafraid, was able to bring together his own Undead Tomb Kings forces to force the Great Necromancer to retreat to his fortress at Nagashizzar, leaving the Black Pyramid behind with its enormous stores of magical power.[1c]
Great Pyramid of Settra[]
The Great Pyramid of Settra is an immense monument dwarfed only by the Black Pyramid of Nagash. It was meant to be the final resting place of the priest-king Settra the Imperishable, whose body was interred in -2350 IC, in preparation for when he would arise to his Reign of Millions of Years.[1d]
Mausoleum of Stars and Bone[]
The Mausoleum of Stars and Bone is a great pyramidal structure built to house the mummified body of the Amaranthine Queen in the time of King Alcaidizaarby the great necrotect Ankhata Raa.[5a][5b][Note 1]
The stonework of the Amaranthine Queen's tomb is still smooth and relatively free of the damage suffered by many other structures within the city.[5b]
Notable Inhabitants[]
- Thutep - Priest-King of Khemri around -1750 IC.[4a]
- Neferem - "Daughter of the Sun," Queen of Khemri around -1750 IC.[4a]
- Nagash - Firstborn son of the slain priest-king Khetep, Grand Hierophant of Khemri around -1750 IC, future master of necromancy, Liche Lord and the individual responsible for the awakening of the Undead Tomb Kings.[4a]
- Amamurti - Hierophant of Ptra around -1750 IC.[4a]
- Khetep - Former priest-king of Khemri, slain in battle around -1750 IC.[4a]
- Ghazid - Khetep's Grand Vizier around -1750 IC.[4a]
- Arkhan the Black - A dissolute minor Nehekharan noble of Khemri; he later served as Nagash's vizier around -1750 IC.[4a]
- Raamket - A dissolute minor noble of Khemri who lived around -1750 IC.[4a]
- Shepsu-hur - A dissolute minor noble of Khemri who lived around -1750 IC.[4a]
Notes[]
- Note 1: Alcaidizaar could be a typo of Alcadizaar the Conqueror, the name was spelled by an Old Worlder in the novel who may have misunderstood the reference.[5a]