The skeletal forces of a Tomb King emerge from a crumbling temple to protect his lands.

The armies of the Tomb Kings hail from the desert lands far south of the Empire of the Old World. Reanimated by the undying Liche Priests, the skeletal warriors of the Tomb Kings march forth to reclaim the lands they once defended in life and to exact vengeance from those who have wronged them in the past.

Long before the Old World was civilized, an ancient civilization known as Nehekhara came to power. The land was divided into city-states, each ruled by its own King and defended by its own army. Over the centuries, the power-hungry Kings, frustrated by their short mortal lifespans, sought ways to prolong their lives. Although true immortality eluded them, the rulers of Nehekhara came to believe that if they preserved their bodies after death, powerful magic could one day revive them and they could return to power. Elaborate tombs and pyramids were constructed to protect the remains of these dead monarchs and to house the many treasures and warriors that were buried with the Kings to serve them when they were reborn.

The plans of the Nehekharan monarchs would one day be twisted by an ambitious Priest-King of Nehekhara known as Nagash. Nagash raised an army of long-dead warriors to expand his lands and increase his power. It was the first time the dead were ever made to walk. Although Nagash’s mighty army was eventually defeated by a coalition of other Nehekharan kings, the mighty priest escaped to plot his revenge. Nagash released a powerful magic spell that turned the civilization of Nehekhara into a dead land. To this day, the land once known as Nehekhara is a barren, sun-blasted desert where only the dead stir.

There was one unforeseen result of Nagash’s great spell. The magics he had unleashed animated the Kings in their tombs and pyramids. The vast armies that had been buried with these rulers came to life once again, ready to defend their King in undeath. However, the Tomb Kings and their armies were not reborn as flesh and blood as they had expected. Instead, they were returned to life as skeletal, mummified parodies of men.

The Tomb Kings and Princes, assisted by the magically adept Liche Priests, lead a variety of troops into battle. Skeletal infantry, cavalry, and charioteers constitute the bulk of the Tomb King forces. More specialized forces include Tomb Swarms of undead scarab beetles, the enormous living statues known as Ushabti, great undead birds called Carrion, giant Tomb Scorpions, catapults that can hurl skulls at the enemy, and the terrifying and destructive Bone Giants. The Tomb Kings are a relentless, magically potent army that is resplendent on the field of battle.