Walach Harkon

Walach Harkon, Grand Master of the order of the Blood Dragons.

Second only to Abhorash in fame is the great Walach Harkon. It was he who created the greatest order of Blood Knights, the Blood Dragons.

History

Many years ago Harkon came to Blood Keep. The fortress guarded the mountain pass to Bretonnia, and the knightly Order of the Blood Dragon stationed there were pledged to the protection of the people of the surrounding area. In a single night he challenged and slew all the inhabitants one by one, turning those he considered worthy opponents into vampires and the reanimating the rest as mindless undead. Thereafter the once noble Order of the Blood Dragon became monstrous Blood Knights with Harkon as their Grand Master. The living people of the area, long protected by the knights, now became the prey of the fallen order. When the truth was uncovered, the keep was put under a lengthy siege by an Imperial army. At the end of the siege the order was destroyed as an organisation, although a number of the knights, including Harkon survived.^[3]

Harkon does not share his master’s piety - he does not, for example, feed only on criminals - but he does share his devotion to perfection and believes the vows of knighthood are the best way to achieve it. Many believe Harkon takes this too far, as he insists on mimicking every aspect of knightly ceremony, including, since the death of his great love Aurora, absolute chastity. Harkon hears no argument, however, and considers anyone who does not follow his traditions to the letter to be undisciplined swine, better culled with the humans than allowed to further insult the purity of the order.^[1]

Storm of Chaos

Attention, Empire Citizens! This article may contain older content that is now considered non-canon.

Harkon was also greatly insulted by the mortals who removed him from his glorious Blood Keep. His goal, now that he has returned, is to make both the upstart mortals and his fellow Vampires recognise once again the singular superiority of Blood Keep and its knights. Walach has sent word to all the Blood Dragons that those who consider themselves worthy should join him in rebuilding the keep and in his new vision for the order. This is not just to reinstate the keep but to use it as the centre for his campaign for total extermination of the human race. With the main body of Empire troops still in the west after the Storm of Chaos, there would be little to stop an army of Vampires from the east, and if Harkon gathers his strength quickly, he could very easily make his dream a reality.^[1]

End Times

Attention, Empire Citizens! This article contains information regarding The End Times, the final campaign that ended with the destruction of the world, which is considered canon by Games Workshop.

During the End Times, the newly resurrected Nagash started recruiting many of the world's most powerful undead lords to form his generals. Harkon joined and became one of the Mortarchs. To this end he played a vital role in the defense of the Auric Bastion in the northern Empire. Under the command of Vlad von Carstein, Harkon fought at the Battle of Alderfen. Here a Nurgle force breached the bastion and started butchering the Imperial forces beyond it. All looked lost until the surprise undead counter charge, led by Harkon and his knights, halted the Chaos advance long enough for the breach to be sealed. However, in his zeal Harkon and his knights had penetrated far beyond the Bastion itself and then found themselves trapped behind it.^[2]

It wasn't until the Battle of Heffengen that Harkon would resurface. After the collapse of the Bastion, Von Carstein sought an alliance with the Empire and to this end planned to fight alongside the Imperial forces at Heffengen to hold back the Chaos hordes led by Crom the Conqueror. Just as he was about to reveal himself and be recognised by the Emperor as a hero and ally, Harkon and he knights charged onto the battlefield from the Chaos lines. It was revealed that while trapped behind the Bastion, Harkon had fallen to temptation and pledged himself to Khorne the Blood God of slaughter. This treachery reached its peak when Harkon, riding a skeletal dragon, engaged in an aerial duel with Karl Franz, defeating him and casting him low.^[2]

With the apparent death of the Emperor the Imperial forces retreated and the battle was lost. However, with the armies of the Empire now unwilling to accept the undead as allies, von Carstein would not let Walach's actions go unpunished. When Harkon swept from the sky and pinned von Carstein to the ground, Vlad used his superior magical abilities to wrest control of the skeletal dragon from Harkon and had the beast rip its former master in two, destroying the traitorous Blood Dragon.^[2]

Wargear & Abilities

Walach Harkon was one of the mightiest Blood Knights in existence, he was second only to Abhorash in fame, and only beings such as the Red Duke could compare to him in might. 

• The "Crimson Blade" was the sword that Walach used to cut down the true Grand Master of the Order of the Blood Dragon. Its keen edge means red ruin to any who dare oppose him. 

• The "Blood Chalice" contains the life blood of the greatest opponents Walach has slain in battle. Their pure and noble blood is a potent source of power to any Vampire who drinks it.

• The "Blood Dragon Standard" was held by Mikael, second in command to Walach. After his death the Grand Master has carried the banner himself, to remind his knights of the legacy of vengeance.

Trivia

• Despite having his own rules and statistics, Walach Harkon never received a miniature for Tabletop.

Sources

• 1: Warhammer Fantasy RPG 2nd ED -- Night's Dark Masters (pg. 49).
• 2: Warhammer: The End Times Compilation
• 3: Warhammer Armies: Vampire Counts (5th Edition)