Alcadizaar the Conqueror

Alcadizaar, the last of the Priest Kings

Alcadizaar the Conqueror was the last and perhaps the greatest Nehekharan Priest-King to have ever lived, having sacrificed himself and his entire civilization to stop Nagash and his diabolical plot to turn the entire World into an Undead wasteland. Unbeknownst to most, Alcadizaar was one of the few Nehekharan to drink from the Elixir of Life, given to him by Neferata in her bid to make him her newest and greatest consort and King of all Nehekhara. Yet Alcadizaar was a man of righteouss, a light which shone through the darkness which began to envelope him and his world. As such, Alcadizaar managed to fight pass the powers of the Elixir and became a King that Nehekhara had long deserved. Through him, Nehekhara shone with light and majesty that has never before seen in its history, so powerful that it may have eclipsed Settra's own dynasty. Yet like all bright flames, this grand and mighty empire of Mankind was extinquished, with Alcadizaar being the last to die before he and his entire people were now dust upon the winds. 

History

"You are mine, Alcadizzar. Together we shall rule Nehekhara until the end of time."

—Neferata, Vampire Queen of Lahmia

Alcadizaar was the eldest son of King Aten-heru, Priest King of Khemri. The Queen of Rasetra and wife of Aten-heru had a troubled pregnancy and fearing the death of her first child, the Queen desperately came to the city of Lahmia and begged for her childs life at the Temple of Blood. There, Neferata gave the woman an infusion containing her blood and when the boy was born, claimed him as her own saying he would stay in Lahmia until he came of age and took his throne in Khemri. This child would be called Alcadizzar. Neferata grew to believe that Alcadizzar would become her latest partner and had him trained in every aspect of war and statehood. Given unnatural life by Neferata's blood, Alcadizaar stayed within Lahmia for many decades, postponing his rights to the throne of Khemri in hopes of achieving greater glory and prosperity for his kingdom should Alcadizaar promise to marry Neferata and join the two citys in holy union. By his fiftieth year, Alcadizaar, still as young, vigours and handsome as he was in the prime of his youth, Alcadizaar finished his indoctrination and drank from the Exilir of Life, thus becoming a Vampire. Disgusted by his own Queen's treachery, Alcadizaar managed to escape her grasp when Ubaid, his former mentor sacrificed himself.

When he escaped, Alcadizaar joined up with a bandit tribe out on the Golden Plains of Nehekhara.

Alcadizaar eventually returned to the city of Khemri and began a conquest of unification against all the remaining city-states of Nehekhara. Alcadizaar reigned in the period of about -1200 IC by the Imperial Calendar. His reign was highly successful, as he reunited Nehekhara under an iron grip. The kings of Zandri, Numas, Mahrak, Lybaras and Rasetra all bowed their heads to him and offered the greatest of tributes. He was a wise ruler and the land experienced great prosperity and joy. When the truth about the Vampire Cult within Lahmia came into light, Alcadizaar personally lead a coalition against the city-state, sacking the city and forcing the Vampires out of Nehekhara.

When Nagash returned with his army of Undead and Vampire captains, the lands of Nehekhara were at the zenith of their power. The ensuing Wars stained the sands of Nekehara red for many years. The Vampires were mighty sorcerers and fell warriors, and they were determined to reclaim their kingdom no matter the cost. Wherever they appeared, terror and dread came upon the enemy, yet the Vampires, for all their claims of power and immortal, can still be cast down to the cold furrow of death. The war swayed back and forth for nearly a decade. At first, the legions of the Undead had the upper hand, but then the armies of Alcadizaar struck back with displays of tactical genius. The war finally came to an end when Vashanesh purposefully allowed himself to be killed by Alcadizaar himself, which allowed the Vampires to break free from Nagash's unbreakable will. With his death, the war was finally brought to a close.

By the time of the war's end, Nagash sent forth a deadly plague that struck the life-giving waters of the Vitae River. The rivers ran red with blood and poison and every living thing suffered from the cursed waters. The Liche Priests were the only unaffected people as they were beyond death. This is when the land became desolate, the dead outnumbering the living. Alcadizaar sat upon his throne and wept, for he could not fight this enemy with swords and arrows.

Nagash returned for the second time, and this time, the great empire of Nehekhara was laid low and Alcadizaar was taken prisoner. Alcadizaar was brought forth within the dungeons of Nagashizaar, where he waits helplessly while the World finally meets its doom. The salvation of Alcadizaar, and perhaps the entire world, came about when a lone hooded Skaven opened the doors to the dungeon, giving Alcadizaar one of the mightiest and most fell-handed weapons of that dreaded age. Gripping the hilt of the weapon, Alcadizaar was guided by an unknown force as he wandered into the throne room of Nagash, with the dreaded Fellblade in hand.

With the dust-clouds of a titanic Undead Horde coming nearer by the hour, the King knew that he needed to end all this now. With faltering steps, the king approached, hesitating before the towering figure. Aided by a malevolent mental urging, the King struck. At the last moment, Nagash raised a claw to ward off the blow. The Fell-Blade was far to powerful to ward and clove through Nagash spell and cleaved the Necromancer's upraised wrist. In retaliation, the Great Necromancer snapped out of his stupor to unleash a deadly blast at the King. It was an epic struggle to behold as the King of the Dead and a King of the Living fought for dominance of the mortal world. With his last bit of strength, the King once more drove on and struck once more upon the Necromancer's decaying body. The king went mad with vengeance, hacking at Nagash with ever bit of strength he still possess until at last his swords deadly enchantments took hold. Soon the deadly blade smashed through the iron-hard bones of the Liche Lord, until finally it laid shattered in a thousand pieces, and the threat to the world was over.

With his death, Alcadizaar stagger away as the King looked across his once beautiful land. His land and his people were no more, and the King wept at the sight, despair washing over the fire within his heart. The King aimlessly tried to walk back to his homeland, as the Fellblade took more and more of his life and soul away. The King walked, his body and soul being eaten and drained until he finally fell upon the River Mortis. There, the King died, and the legendary hero's body was never seem again. And so came the end of Alcadizaar, the unsung hero of the mortal World.

Source

• Warhammer Armies: Skaven (7th Edition) -- pg. 4-16, 34-76.

• Warhammer Armies: Tomb Kings (6th Edition) -- p. 7.

• Blood of Nagash: Neferata (Novel), by Josh Reynolds.