Nemesis Crown

At some point in his career, Alaric the Mad devised a new Master Rune, the Master Rune of Ages. This Rune would not only retain and distill the wisdom of each of its wearers, passing it on to those who followed, but give the bearer control of their very destiny. Any who wore it would become master of his fate, and that of his entire race. The rune was a more powerful variant of the Master Rune of Kingship, but such was the power of the rune, no substance could take the strain of bearing it. However, upon finding some warpstone ore, Alaric was finally able to craft an item bearing this powerful rune. This item was the Nemesis Crown, but then Alaric discovered the crown would not distill the destiny of those that wore it but would instead draw out even the smallest shred of evil intent and transform its wearer into the vessel for all the malice of all those who wore it before. Thus upon realizing his folly, he hid the crown deep beneath the Great Forest of the Empire in The Howling Hills.

Years later a mighty earthquake shook the Howling Hills, bringing tales of fresh gromril seams and wealth to be had in the area of the old mine. A band of Dwarf miners was despatched to investigate. They found far more than they had bargained for. Discovering the uncovered mine workings, they came upon the breached chamber. What happened next is unclear, for only a single Dwarf emerged, blood-splattered and raving, into the light.^[7]

A short time later, a band of Night Goblins, ever on the search for new cracks and crannies to infest, came upon the mine, finding the insane Dwarf and his dead companions. The lone miner was captured by Greenskins, who discerned from his rantings that an object of great power was to be found somewhere in their new lair. The Goblins tortured the mad Dwarf, yet could get little more from him. Perhaps the location of the crown would thus have remained secret, but a Dwarf rescue force led by Thane Grombold of the famous Krud clan came in search of the lost miners. During the chaos that followed, a black-hearted Night Goblin came upon the crown by chance, slaughtered his fellows and fled with it into the forest.^[7]

Now, armies muster to retrieve the crown. The Dwarfs seek to return it to their holds where Alaric's madness can be hidden for all time. Grimgor Ironhide thinks that, should he gain it, the strongest warriors in the land will come to fight him. The Emperor sees in the crown an invaluable artifact of the age of Sigmar, and believes that its power could be harnessed for the good of Man. Whoever succeeds, they will do so only at a terrible cost in blood — a cost each is prepared to pay in the return for possession of the Nemesis Crown.^[