"The Three-Eyed King has long awaited this moment, the hour of which his destiny is at last unveiled. He leads an army of madness and rage, against which no sane being would willingly stand. Perhaps I am not sane, as I will fight one last time. Not for victory, but for survival, for the hope that a spark can ensure. It is a slender hope, and the laughter of the Dark Gods rings loud in my ears.....These are the End Times..."
- —Lileath, Goddess of Prophecy
The Ends Times (2521-??? IC) is the great cataclysmic apocalypse that was prophesied to bring about the end of theWarhammer World. It was heralded upon the arrival of the Twin-Tailed Comet, both an omen of hope and destruction, which signaled the coronation of the new Everchosen; Archaon the Three Eyed King, and his bid to bring destruction upon the Human nations of the Old World. As the world slowly gives out its last dying breaths, the mortal nations of the world are fighting to ensure the survival of their race.
To the West, upon the lands of Naggaroth, the armies of Khorne are descending upon the gates of this icy kingdom, but the Dark Elves would not be able to stop it, for their King Malekith has abandoned them for one last assault upon the Isle of Ulthuan. Even in the Ten Kingdoms, the High Elves are besieged by the very powers of Chaos, as a mist of dreadful power sweeps across the land, summoning forth deamons and other foul things that run amok, killing without mercy. With this time of strife, and the lost of their former Phoenix King, another Elf has arisen to watch over his kingdom in this dire time. Within the lands of Lustria, the massive jungle-realm of the Lizardmen Empire, Chaos has begun to pour upon the sacred Temple-Cities of this ancient civilization, pillaging and looting the precious treasures it once held. However, these marauders were not met with sharp arrows or blunt clubs, for the Lizardmen race has vanished from this world, as their Slaan have finally realized that this world it lost.
To the East, the prospect of battle brought about by the end of the World has stirred the Greenskin race into a frenzy. The Greenskins have always thrived on war, always fighting each-other as any other foe. However, an overwhelming urge soon captured the simple minds of their race as they felt something big brewing in the north. Soon, the infighting that has plagued their race vanish, and an urge to unite upon one banner has made the Greenskin race ready for the coming conflict. Even the Dwarves, staut allies of the Empire and Sigmar's people, have felt this encroaching doom as they saw volcanic fire spew out from the Mountains of Mourn, resulting in the call for massive military mobilization that has never been seen since the first Chaos Incursion. Soon, artifacts of Old are being found, and the Dwarves stood ready in their hopes of bring about a new Golden Age for their people as they seek to summon forth the Ancestor Gods themselves back to this world.
But it is upon the Human realms of the Old World where the fate of this world truly lies. Everywhere you see, the Nations of the Old World are beset by evil forces both Old and New. In the more southern lands of Tilea and Estalia, the mortals of those distant nations are beset by a nightmarish hordes from the depths of the World itself. Soon entire cities are lost as the Skaven race have once more invaded in order to bring about the return of their vile god. In Bretonnia, the land and its people are ravaged as a costly battle was won between Men and Elves against the Forces of the Undead led by the bastard son of their King. With the death of their king, soon this nation will also fall, and denizens of the war-raved Old World have begun flowing in towards the Empire, the last bastion of Hope in this dark time. It is here that refugee's beyond counting are streaming in unchecked, for upon those powerful Imperial lands stand the greatest defiance against the doom that seeks to destroy them. To the north, upon the lost lands of Kislev, the Auric's Bastion, the greatest magical wall ever created, loomed higher then the Bastion in Eastern Cathay, so high that it would reached the clouds themselves. This great wall is the only thing holding the darkness at bay, and should it fall, then the Empire will go with it.
In the End however, this world is doomed, and from the ashes of the Old, a New World shall emerge out of the Darkness.
Origins
The World stands in the brink of Annihilation. It has done so since the beginning of time itself, when the great Old Ones of ancient times were destroyed long ago. The Polar Gates of the Old Ones, once a marvel of technology, have collapsed and with it, Chaos flowed like water into the cold harsh lands of the northern and southern waste. Since then, every few hundreds years, the Gods of Chaos will reach out their hands towards this dying world and demand a claim of it as their own. So it is fitting that a Champion of Chaos shall unite the warring tribes of the North and put about the End of Times as we know it.
The threat of Chaos comes in many guises, from the mutating winds of magic that pours across the known world, to the vile beastmen tribes that lurks within the dark forest of the Old World, and the numberless hordes of barbaric warriors who lives within the Chaos Wastes. However, it is the corruption of souls, the pollution of ideals and dreams that is its most subtle and deadliest weapons, for within every person lurks the heart of Chaos. It is perhaps fitting then that the greatest threat to the Empire came not from a Kurgan Warlord, nor a Beastmen Chiefian, but from one of their very own.
This man held the name of Diederick Kastne, a highly devout and zealous Templar of the Twin-Tailed Comet, born scant few years after Magnus the Pious and the first Great War against Chaos. Though Diederick Kastner, the man who would in his despair take up the dread mantle of Archaon, was born as an Imperial in the province of Nordland, it was foretold in the Liber Caelistior, the dread Book of Divination penned by Necrodomo the Seer (The Insane), that North and South would meet in the Everchosen's blood. And indeed this was so; for Archaon bears mixed Norscan and Nordlander heritage, his father having been a champion from the Varg tribes who forced himself upon a cowering innocent during a raid that had seen his birth-village of Hargendorf burned to the ground in 2390 IC. With the death of his mother, and the hatred of his step-father for his origins, the rape-spawned child would later go on to adopted by a local Sigmarite Priest and become a Knight-Templar of the Order of the Twin-Tailed Orb, fighting valorously and faithfully in the service of the God-King Sigmar. But once his true heritage and destiny was revealed to him, Diederick Kastner dispaired and looked for salvation. Upon the massive Temple of Sigmar in Altdorf, the cursed Templar knelt before the Golden Statue of Sigmar and begged for a sign, to ask for his help from the darkness that has come to consume him. But the golden statue stood silent, and with it's unspoken words, the Templar knew that it is hopeless. He renounced the gods of the south but still affirmed his hatred for the dark gods of his father, accepting the cruel destiny engineered for him as a final means to repay the fates for the evil they had done upon him. Thus did Sieur Diederick become Archaon the Everchosen, the Three-Eyed King, greatest of all the champions of Chaos. His deeds legend and his armies vast, innumerable foes of dauntless might lying bleeding in his calamitous stride. But deep inside, he wholesomely resent the Gods of Chaos and the misery they have brought upon him. Thusly the half-Norscan warlord stands ready to fulfill his destiny and to usher in the end of all things, for there cannot be good with evil, and the destruction of Order, shall bring about the End of Chaos as well. And upon the Ashes of the Old World, a New World shall arise out of the Darkness.
The Six Treasures of Chaos (??? to 2520 IC)
"Forged from the other world, six treasures shall he possess....Upon his head the crown shall see all, and open eyes will prove woe to mortal kind"
- —Prophecy of Fate, taken by the Book of Divination by Necrodomo the Insane
So it was that Archaon journeyed to the waste for nearly 100 years, searching for the legendary Artifact that would exalt him to his true destiny. The first treasure he sought was a unique "Mark of Chaos", that bears the blessings of all four powers in unison. It combines all of the advantages of the individual Marks of Chaos, blessing the bearer with all their power. The first part of Archaon's dark quest was to go to the Altar of True Darkness in Naggaroth and offer himself to the Gods to gain their favour and recognition. He gathered a small band of Chaos Warriors he called the Swords of Chaos and battled his way to a citadel so tall it appeared to pierce Morrslieb itself. Inside the citadel, it was said to be blacker than even the heart of a Dark Elf soul, for when one of Archaon's followers attempted to light a torch, it was snuffed out instead by the all-consuming darkness. Archaon was unafraid, and marched off alone into the darkness. As he continued to marched, an untold host of creatures has thrown themselves upon the potential Everchosen. In this dire moment, his loyal steed was consumed by these monsters, and realizing the death of a loyal friend since his early years as a squire has boiled Archaon into a killing frenzy. Soon he was able to slay hundreds of the misshapen monsters that have infested the mighty citadel, until finally his sword-arm turned numb and the ground grew slippery with the blood and gore of the fallen. Rising up from the filth, Archaon reconsecrated the altar for the Gods of Chaos, offering up the hearts of the creatures that had crawled in and defiled it. When he emerged he bore the eternally burning Mark of Chaos on his forehead.
The next artifact he sought was the "Armour of Morkar" the armour worn by the very first Everchosen. It makes the wearer invulnerable to all but the most powerful of attacks, making the wearer nigh-unstoppable in the heat of combat. After leaving Naggaroth on a stolen ship made of black metal and pulled by a massive sea-drake, Archaon took leadership of a seafaring war band along the way to his destination. They sailed to a mysterious land populated with savage half-humans. Neither sun nor moon had ever touched their pallid skin and after six days and six nights of battle after battle, the city of these creatures had been reduced to rubble. Archaon delved deep into their necropolis until he found the Tomb of Morkar and the armor he sought. However, as Archaon reached out to take it, the spirit of Morkar animated the armour and attacked him. The vengeful spirit laid down a relentless flurry of blows until Archaon cursed it in the language of the Unberogen tribe. The attack ceased for a moment, and Archaon smashed him aside, banishing the spirit of Morkar and allowing him to claim the armour as his own.
Then there was the "Eye of Sheerian", which is named after the Tzeentchian Sorcerer who discovered it. Although on its own it grants the bearer prophetic powers, when placed in the Crown of Domination its prophetic powers can be used to their true ability and allow the bearer to predict and avoid the attacks of the enemy. After claiming the Armour of Morkar, Archaon set out to retrieve the Eye of Sheerian. At that time it lay in the lair of the Chaos Dragon Flamefang, who valued the Eye above all of it's other treasures. Archaon placed his claim for the Eye by smashing his axe into Flamefang's head. Long did man and monster battle at the base of the Cliff of Beasts. Flamefang breathed fire and even swallowed Archaon whole, but the Armour of Morkar protected him from its acidic stomach. Archaon hacked his way out of the Dragon's gullet with the ferocity of a Flesh Hound, until Flamefang's throat was hacked to shreds and it died of exhaustion and blood loss. Archaon plucked the Eye of Sheerian from its place on the belly of the Dragon and hung it around his neck as his rightful reward.
The next treasure to be won was the dreaded demonic mount of Agrammon. Alternatively known as "Dorghar", "Ghurshy'ish'phak", "Yrontalie", or the "Steed of the Apocalypse", this daemonic beast was stolen from the menagerie of the Daemon Prince Agrammon in the Realm of Chaos. Archaon battled his way past the Daemons guarding Agrammon's palace and sneaked inside, hiding beneath a beast that was part man, part mammoth and part insect. Inside was every beast imaginable, and some that are not. Archaon tracked Dorghar through the menagerie by its sulphurous stench. When he found it he vaulted on to its back. The Steed of the Apocalypse changed shape and burst into flames, but Archaon was able to break it like a wayward stallion and escape from the Realm of Chaos.
Eventually he sought a legendary Chaos Blade, known by many as the "Slayer of Kings" which was the sacred blade of Vangel, the second Everchosen. He bound the Greater Daemon U'zuhl into the blade, and the millennia of imprisonment have sent it insane with rage and fury. It was said to rest at the top of Chimera Plateau, located near the roof of the world, where Archaon and his steed Dorghar has journeyed. The warriors battling around the plateau saw the determination and destiny of Archaon, and he quickly gathered a huge horde of followers to wage war against the Chimera's. They swiftly defeated the Chimera hordes guarding the higher passes where Archaon and his three companions climbed to the top of the plateau. From the top, Archaon looked down on the world, swearing that he would one day rule over all of it. Suddenly, what he had taken for a mountain behind him turned over in its sleep, causing a series of earthquakes in the lands below. Archaon soon realised that the mountain was actually the father of the Dragon Ogre race, Krakanrok the Black. Even he could not defeat such a foe, so instead he and his companions sneaked past the titanic monster, only to find that the Slayer of Kings was clasped into its chest. Prince Ograx the Great, the strongest of Archaon's companions, was able to lift up one of Krakanrok's talons high enough for Archaon to retrieve the Daemonsword. However, the Daemon bound inside began to shriek with deafening volume. As Krakanrok began to stir, Archaon thought fast and plunged the Slayer of Kings into Prince Ograx's chest. With the blade's thirst quenched with royal blood, Archaon was able to sheath it and return from the plateau to the cheers of his followers, carrying his blade with him throughout all his battles.
After many years of endless journeying, Archaon has finally gathered all Five of the Artifacts except one. Forged before the dawn of man, the "Crown of Domination" once held the Eye of Sheerian, but had since been lost to history. It strikes terror into the bearer's foes and gives strength to his very allies. Decades after finding the Slayer of Kings, Archaon still had no clue as to the whereabouts of this ancient battle-helm. Eventually Be'lakor revealed its location, planning to steal the crown after Archaon found it. The crown lay in the First Shrine to Chaos, high on an icy peak in the Worlds Edge Mountains. Be'lakor led Archaon up the mountain, the Steed of the Apocalypse carrying him over the most difficult terrain. After a day and a half of ceaseless climbing, Archaon stood before the massive double gate that was the entrance to the Shrine. Through the gateway was a labyrinth filled with dire beasts and vengeful Daemons. Archaon was tested by each of the Chaos Gods to see if he was truely worthy to be the Everchosen. Nurgle sent deadly diseases that Archaon fought off with sheer willpower. Tzeentch created a labyrinth of crystal, but Archaon blindfolded himself and used instinct alone to navigate it. Slaanesh sent temptation after temptation, but Archaon resisted, never diverting from the path to the inner gates of the Shrine. After passing through the inner gates, Archaon found himself on a narrow causeway surrounded with hellfire that scorched his skin and burnt away his hair. Suddenly, a mighty Bloodthirster of Khorne erupted from the flames and attacked the potential Everchosen.
The Greater Daemon was strong, but Archaon drew strength from the Slayer of Kings and wrested the Bloodthirster's weapons away and strangled it with it's own whip. The hellfire died away, leaving Archaon gravely injured and standing in a simple shrine. A throne stood at the back of the shrine, with a withered corpse sitting on it. On the top of its withered skull sat the Crown of Domination. Archaon took the crown and, with his wounds healing and frame swelling with power, he held it to the heavens. After over a century of searching, he had claimed the title of Everchosen. All that he needed now was a coronation. Upon retrieving the Crown, the daemon prince Be'lakor performed the coronation that made Archaon the Lord of the End Times, and begins mustering the largest army ever seen by mortal kind.
The Beginning of the End (Late 2520 IC)
"Then shall he ride unto the World...Then will the World know that the last war has begun"
- —Prophecy of Fate
So it was that the End Times have truely begun. From here on forth, the world was doomed, and nothing the mortal nations of the entire world, no matter how powerful or how brave, could hope to stop it. As the Gods of Chaos gathered in the Court of Covenants, all Four have agreed to put aside their differences for a time in order to bring the world to their rule. With their unbounding power, each of the respected Gods of Chaos has moved their pawns in place and makes ready to set their plans into motion. To the north, the Winds of Magic has grown from a tranquil breeze, transforming it into a thunderous hurricane as it blows southward, granting the world magical possibilites that has never been seen since the dawn of this planets creation.
To herald the beginning of the end, the Twin-Tailed Comet soured through the night-sky like the birthing of a second sun. No mortal could deny its existance, for the comet's bright aura of light would illuminate the very night sky. Many Imperials who saw the sign believed it to be a symbol of hope and the returning of their great god finally coming to fruition. But to those of more wiser and darker knowledge, they knew that the Age of Mortals is over and the Reign of Chaos has finally begun.
The Wars of Reclamation (Late 2522 IC)
"The cycle of history repeats itself, much to the Dark God's merriment. We approach the hour of the last pheonix, when only Asuryan's fading power can save us from thirsting Khaine. The Fate of the Elves now relies upon two realms; one doomed to perish in fire and slaughter, and one that shall ensure whilst I have the strenght to defend it. mortals shall assume divine roles, the heirs of Aenarion will fight the final battle, and the accursed Widowmaker shall be freed form its prison of stone.....These are the End Times..."
- —Lileath, Goddess of Prophecy
Wars of Reclamation
As war looms over the horizon, it was perhaps fitting that the first nation to feel the wraith of the Dark Gods were actually the first to stand against them in the earlier years of this world's existence. In the massive island continent of Ulthuan, discontent runs rife amongst the many noble courts of the Phoenix King. The Daughter of the Everqueen, Aliathra has been captured by the Vampire Count Mannfred von Carstein, taking her to the nightmarish undead Fortress-City of Nagashizzar. To come to her rescue was the legendary warrior, Prince Tyrion and his intellectual brother, Loremaster Teclis. However, as they near the prison from which she was kept, the Vampire stole her away and vanished without a trace. Dishearten, the duo returned to Ulthuan empty-handed, and worse so was Tyrion, who was the true father to Aliathra herself.
But as they returned, they saw their land ruined by war and destruction. The Phoenix King and Everqueen had vanished from Ulthuan's shores in mere hours of a daemonic onslaught. A terrible mist from the highlands of the Annulii Mountains have disgorged untold numbers of daemonic host upon the tranquil lands of Ulthuan. In retaliation, the Princes of the Ten Kingdoms have mustered their own mighty armies, defending every village, mansion and Elven city with stoic determination against impossible odds. However, the daemonic hordes could not be killed like any mortal army, and they thusly return once more again and again. With the Winds of Magic blowing strongly in the north, the entity from which anchors these daemons persist, eventually granting them enough time and strenght to overcome even the most hardiest of obstacles. The Kingdom of Chrace had borne the brunt of the fighting, resulting in Lion's March becoming nothing more then a massive graveyard, with unburied bodies stretching as far as the eye could see, with the capital city of Tor Achare lying in ruins. The resulting clashes between Elven and Daemon armies has led to the deaths of thousands upon thousands of irreplaceable Elven lives, and the only Kingdom to have any semblance of Order in this dire time was the fallen Kingdom of Nargarythe. But for the mighty Aesanar, known by many as the Shadow Warriors, these daemons were nothing but one more invader to be cast into the sea, and soon refugees by the hundreds are streaming into well-guarded fortress.
As the war ragged, the dire consequence of politics have threatened to tear the Ten Kingdoms apart. Without the wisdom and guidance of Phoenix King Finubar, and their loving Everqueen Alarielle, the Phoenix Court soon fell into disagreements, with Prince Imrik of Caledor calling for the election of a new Phoenix King to guide the war effort. None doubted Imriks true intentions for himself to be the next ruler, but too many has spoken their voices in support for his cause that none could hope to dismiss it outright. The salvation of Ulthuan came once more by the hands of Prince Tyrion. Though his heart was weary with other burdens, Tyrion knew his kingdom needed him now more then ever, and so Tyrion faced Prince Imrik down and took command of Ulthuans armies. Those who would have opposed him were quickly silenced when the entire host of Phoenix Guard offered their blades and loyalty to Prince Tyrion. In retaliation to this, the enraged Prince of Caledor has ordered his kingdom to split their ties with the other Nine, but this disturbance was trivial as Prince Tyrion still commanded a significantly larger force, with a multitude of lesser Caledorian Princes taking up their blades for Prince Tyrion instead.
With Caledor isolated and alone, Prince Tyrion has moved his armies north through the Kingdom of Eatatine, beating back daemonic host after daemonic host. Driving his men onward to the point of fatigue, Tyrion fought on constantly at the forefront of these battles with unparalled fury. As the Dragon of Cothique led his army north, Tyrion and his host have broken the sieges of several villages and cities along the coast. But as the war continues, Tyrion's mind and heart slowly began to grow grim, even enraged as the thought of his lost daughter and the disappearance of the Everqueen has sadden the Prince beyond belief.
This burden eventually made Tyrion more reckless as the Elven army pushes north, winning battles at Port Elistor, and Cairn Avon. However, in his arrogance Tyrion suffered a fatal wound far to great to ignore during the battle at Cairn Avon and upon his arrival at the Siege of Hoeth, the wounded Tyrion was bested by his long-ago nemesis, N'kari, Keeper of Secrets. Close to death, Tyrion was miracously saved by the valiant efforts of Korhil Lionmane and the determined onslaught of the Phoenix Guard, forcing N'kari to retreat into the hills. With the battle over and Saphery being refortified against fresh assaults, Teclis has delved deep into the Library of the White Tower in an effort to seek ancient lore from the time of Caledor Dragontamer, in hopes of permanently removing the daemons from this land.
The Series
Sources
- Warhammer: Nagash, Volume I (The End Times: Book I)
- Warhammer: Khaine, Volume III (The End Times: Book I)