Skeleton Warriors (Tomb Kings)

"The mighty army of the Necropolis awaiting the command of their lord. Valiant soldiers all, who rise up at the call of their lord and master..."

—Hieroglyphic inscription over the Tomb Pit of the Skeletal Legions of Settra.^[2a]

Warhammer Tomb Kings Skeletal Warriors — The loyal and unliving warriors of Nehekhara.

The Skeleton Warriors of the Tomb Kings are ancient and eternally loyal warriors whom have willingly followed their mighty rulers unto death, forming the very core of all of Nehekhara's untold armies. Rising up from the dusty dunes, rank upon rank of these Skeleton Warriors stand ready to kill once more in the name of their immortal monarchs. Holding curved swords and long spears, ancient forms awake from their deathly slumbers, forming up in vast regiments with a supernatural discipline that few living warriors can hope to match. The mighty armies of Nehekhara, made up of regiment after regiment of valiant soldiers, swore oaths of eternal loyalty before the gods to serve their monarch in life and beyond into death.

Thus, the bones of those who perished in battle were collected from the field of war and interred in the great tomb pits of their king's necropolis by the Liche Priests. Soldiers who yet lived after their liege lord had died marched on, as if in a victory parade, to the necropolis on the day of the king's entombment.

Overview

Warhammer Tomb King Skeleton Warrior — A Regiment of Skeleton Warrior awaken from their slumber.

All those unliving warriors that still haunt the shifting sands of Nehekhara are the very same warriors that whom willing walked to their dooms in order to follow their mighty Kings in the afterlife. They strode into cavernous vaults and mighty walled courtyards, their Master of Arms leading from the front. Here they stood in regiments with their full paraphernalia of war, everything that would be needed to serve in the king's eternal army. Arranged in ranks, icons held proudly, the legions were entombed alive. No soldier flinched as the great stones were heaved into position, blocking out the light of the sun. Bravely, these warriors stood to attention as hot sand was poured into the tomb pits until the tops of standard poles disappeared from sight. There they remained until summoned by the incantations of the Liche Priests to heed the will of their king once more.^[1a]

The Skeleton Warriors of Nehekhara are not mindless automatons slaved to the will of an evil necromancer. The incantations of the Liche Priests summon the spirits of long-dead soldiers from the Realm of Souls and bind them into corporeal forms. However, without the extensive mummification lavished upon their lords and betters, the spirits of these warriors do not retain the full memory of their former existence. Upon awakening from their death-sleep, the only things that every one of these Undead soldiers can recall with perfect clarity is their unswerving loyalty to their king and the ways of war that were drilled into them in life. Thus, the skeletal regiments of Nehekhara obey every command of their Tomb King without hesitation - as they served him in life, so they serve him in death.^[1a]

Warfare

The Skeleton Warriors of Nehekhara are the backbone of a Tomb King's army. Under the shadow of gold-topped banners, vast phalanxes of skeletal troops advance in perfect unison towards the enemy, their polished weapons dazzling in the desert sun. As one, the skeletal soldiers turn and raise their large shields, presenting a hedge of deadly spear points to their foes. At an unseen command the Undead advance, wordlessly slaying those in their path without any thought of mercy. Skeletons are implacable warriors that know neither fear nor fatigue.

Only a mortal who can overcome his fears and steady his trembling sword arm may land a blow that can destroy such unnatural creatures. At battle's end, the Skeleton Warriors walk back, alongside their king, to their tomb pits. The only soldiers to break ranks are those that gather up the splintered bones of their former comrades, carrying the broken remains back to their tombs as the living might carry the bodies of fallen heroes. Upon their return, the Skeleton Warriors are once more buried until their sovereign has need of them again.^[1a]