The Trueborn, also called Master Vampires[1a] , the "True Blooded" [2d] and the "First Children,"[2e] were the original Vampires spawned in the Nehekharan city-state of Lahmia by the altered Elixir of Life created by Neferata, the first of her kind. They are the progenitors of all Vampires in the world of Mallus today and the originators of the Vampiric bloodlines.
History[]
There are two mutually conflicting stories surrounding the origins of the Trueborn Vampires in Warhammer lore. The first is the more common version found in most sources, and the second is that found only in the Time of Legend novels. Both origins are outlined below.
Common Story[]
The Trueborn numbered twelve.[1a] Neferata, the queen of the ancient Nehekharan city-state of Lahmia, had been encouraged to spread the use of the reconstituted Elixir of Life she had created in imitation of Nagash's original to other nobles of Lahmia, before they began to question her unchanging beauty and incredible physical vigour.[3a]
In time, emnities and feuds arose between the Trueborn Vampires of Lahmia, only furthered by the fact that each original Vampire passed part of themselves on to their blood-children with the Blood Kiss. Thus, the rivalries of the Trueborn were fought over by those that carried their blood.[2c]
After Lahmia's destruction by the combined army of the other city-states of Nehekhara once they learned of the true depths of corruption that had been plumbed by the city's Vampire elite, only seven Trueborn Vampires survived.[1a] They are listed below:
- Neferata - Neferata was the Queen of Lahmia and the creator of the flawed version of Nagash's Elixir of Life with the aid of W'soran. Neferata joined Nagash after Lahmia's destruction and became one of the nine Dark Lords of Nagash, yet she turned on him after the fall of Vashanesh.[2b] Neferata is the creator and Mistress of the Lahmian Sisterhood, and the founder of the Lahmian bloodline.
- Vashanesh- Vashanesh was the King of Lahmia, the consort of Neferata, a former general of King Setep and a descendant of the 3rd Dynasty of Khemri. The great Vampire general joined Nagash after Lahmia's destruction and became one of the nine Dark Lords of Nagash. Vashanesh was raised by Nagash to serve as the supreme ruler of all Vampirekind, yet allowed himself to be cut down by Alcadizaar the Conqueror to free his fellow Undead from Nagash's magically-imposed yoke, knowing he would return to unlife eventually because of his possession of the Carstein Ring. It is possible that Vashanesh is the founder of the von Carstein bloodline. [2b]
- W'soran - W'soran was Neferata's tutor in the Dark Arts of necromancy and an agent of Nagash, who created the flawed Elixir of Life that gace birth to the Trueborn Vampires with her.[2a] W'soran rejoined Nagash after the fall of Lahmia, though his exact status in the court of the Undying King is unknown.[2b] W'soran was the only Trueborn Vampire to remain at Nagash's side after the fall of Vashanesh, and he was later slain by Melkhior. W'soran was the founder of the scholarly Necrarch bloodline of Vampire necromancers.
- Ushoran - Ushoran was the brother of Neferata, serving as her Lord of Masques and master of festivities.[2a] Ushoran joined Nagash after Lahmia's destruction, though his exact status in the court of the Undying King is unknown. Ushoran abandoned the Great Necromancer's service after the fall of Vashanesh. [2b] Later, Ushoran became the King of Mourkain and was slain at the Battle of the Plain of Dust. Ushoran was the founder of the Strigoi bloodline of Vampires.
- Abhorash - Abhorash was originally the captain of the Palace Guard in ancient Lahmia.[2a] See Canon Conflict below for different versions of his activities. His fate is unknown but he was the founder of the Blood Dragons, a Vampiric bloodline and order of Undead knights.
- Maatmeses - Maatmeses was originally the Chief Judge of Lahmia.[2a] He joined with Nagash after Lahmia's destruction, though his exact status in the court of the Undying King is unknown. Maatmeses abandoned Nagash's service after the fall of Vashanesh.[2b] Maatmeses allegedly fled into the Southlands.[3c]
- Harakhte - Harakhte was originally the Vizir of Lahmia.[2a] Like his comrades, Harakhte joined Nagash after Lahmia's destruction, though his exact status in the court of the Undying King is unknown. Harakhte abandoned Nagash's service after the fall of Vashanesh. [2b] He allegedly fled into the Far East, where it is possible he was the founder of the Jade-Blooded bloodline of Vampires well-known in the lands of Grand Cathay.[3c]
Rumours claim that one other Trueborn Vampire survived the fall of Lahmia, but did not follow their brethren northwards and instead fled into the Chaos Wastes.[1a]
Time of Legends[]
The Trueborn detailed in the Time of Legends novels are very different, omitting several of the individuals usually mentioned in other sources.
In this account, it wasn't the flawed Elixir of Life that gave rise to Trueborn Vampires, but rather the venom of the Sphinx and a magical ritual of Arkhan the Black that were intended to save Neferata, the Queen of Lahmia, from its deadly effects. [4a] Rather than being high-ranking officials of the court of the Nehekharan city-state of Lahmia, the first Vampires recruited themselves from a conspiracy led by Queen Neferata who had discovered the experiments of her brother-husband, King Lahmashizzar, and found his attempts to make use of Nagash's necromancy to achieve immortality too tame and cautious for their liking.[5a]
- Neferata - Neferata was the Queen of Lahmia, and later the hidden mistress of the Cult of Blood that was established in Lahmia to replace the Mortuary Cult and provide the city's Trueborn Vampires with all the Human blood they required to feed.[4b] Neferata never entered the service of Nagash after the destruction of her city, instead fleeing across the mortal world to escape his grasp and conmtrol. Neferata later served Ushoran as spymaster in his kingdom of Strygos.[6a]
- W'soran - W'soran was a renegade Mortuary Priest and an aspiring servant of the Great Necromancer Nagash. He was one of the Liche Lord's primary lieutenants after the fall of Lahmia.[5b] W'soran later joined with Ushoran in his rule of the Vampiric kingdom of Strygos as the head of its Mortuary Cult.[6b]
- Ushoran - Ushoran was a distant cousin to the Lahmian royal line. He served as the Spymaster of Lahmia and a servant of Nagash, and later became the King of Strygos.[6a] His fate is unknown.
- Abhorash - Abhorash was the captain of the palace guard in Lahmia who left the city after being turned into a Trueborn Vampire and instead chose to dwell in the jungles of the Southlands.[4b] He returned to the city-state to defend Lahmia from the assault of the other Nehekharan cities,[5a] only to vanish again after the city's fall, entering the service of Ushoran's kingdom of Strygos as one of its generals.[6a] His fate is unknown.
- Ankhat - Ankhat was the seneschal of the royal court of Lahmia.[4b] He abandoned his fellow Vampires after Lahmia's fall to live as a freebooter in the Sea of Claws.[7a] His fate is unknown.
- Zurhas - Zurhas was a cousin of Queen Neferata and her brother-husband King Lahmashizzar.[4b] He was slain at the hands of Alcadizaar, the future King of Khemri who later led the Nehekharan assault on Lahmia and destroyed it.[5c]
Canon Conflict[]
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Night's Dark Masters states that Abhorash never joined with Nagash, instead rampaging across the Badlands.[2b]
In contrast, the Liber Necris claims that Abhorash, along with the six other surviving Trueborn Vampires of Lahmia, came to Nagash's fortress at Nagashizzar and entered into the Great Necromancer's service under the magically enforced command of Vashanesh.[3b]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Armies: Vampire Counts (6th Edition)
- 1a: pg. 4
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Night's Dark Masters (RPG)
- 3: Liber Necris (Background Book)
- 4: Time of Legends: Nagash the Unbroken (Novel) by Mike Lee
- 5: Time of Legends: Nagash Immortal (Novel) by Mike Lee
- 6: Time of Legends: Neferata (Novel) by Josh Raynolds
- 7: Time of Legends: Master of Death (Novel) by Josh Reynolds
- 7a: Ch. 5