History TabletopGame / WarhammerTheEndTimes

* QuirkyMinibossSquad: ''The Return of Nagash'' spends a good part of it's length following Manfred's vampire Templars, which are only mentioned as his elite cavalry unit elsewhere. There's an ambitious female power-behind-the-throne type, a thug she manipulated into power, a suicidally depressed newbie who's her former lover ([[spoiler:who she's [[SlapSlapKiss still]] in love with]]), the old leader who has devolved into a near bestial state, and a character who's blatantly the Warhammer version of [[Series/SesameStreet Count von Count]], complete with purple fuzz on his face.

* SecretTestOfCharacter: Book 3 reveals that [[spoiler:Malekith has been undergoing one of these ever since he failed to withstand the fires of Asuryan. The first time.]]

** Malekith: He was directly responsible for the three elf factions in the game. The elves who chose to serve him during the civil war became the Dark Elves, while the elves who lived in the colonies he founded on what is now Bretonnia went on to become Wood Elves. The Wood Elves were then instrumental in the founding of Bretonnia. Malekith also indirectly caused the War of the Beard.

* DownerEnding[=/=]TheBadGuyWins:

''Warhammer: The End Times'' is a campaign and range of products for the 8th edition of TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}. This relates what seems the final days of the world and the events that leads to said end. The producs of this new line cand be sorted in Game Books, Novels, and Models. So far, The End Times has been released in several parts. The first part, centered on Nagash, was released in August 2014, with all the products related to it released in the same month. The second part, centered on the [[SiblingsInCrime three brothers]] Glottkin, was released in October 2014. The third part, centered on the [[Main/CivilWar Elvish Civil War]] Khaine was released in November 2014. The fourth book Thanquol was released in January 2015 and focused on the Skaven unification and asasult on the world.

[[caption-width-right:300:[[ZombieApocalypse Death rises.]] [[ThePlague Empires rot.]] [[TwilightOfTheGods Gods perish.]] [[SwarmOfRats Kingdoms fall.]] [[spoiler: [[DownerEnding Chaos reigns.]] ]] ]]

* BadassBoast: '''"SETTRA DOES NOT SERVE! SETTRA RULES!"'''

* OutOfFocus: The Knights of Blood Keep have a major part in the first book, but Abhorash and the rest of the Blood Dragons vampire bloodline has been completely absent. [[StealthPun In the same vein]], the Necrach vampire bloondline (mad-scientist/wizard vampires who worship Nagash as a god and seek his return and would've leapt at the opportunity to bring him back), have been completely absent except for a brief mention of Zacharias who was quickly killed off and the mention that the Master of Shadows in End Times:Glottkin was originally a Necrach. Yet it is implied that several Necrach's joined the Von Carsteins and assumed the identity of that bloodline.

* '''Warhammer The End Times book 3: Thanquol''': The fourth book in the End Times series, centered around the Skaven all-out assault on the Dwarven and Lizardmen homelands. It confirms that the Skaven are for the moment fully united, and more than capable of destroying most of the world.

** The Ogres and Orcs combining into one force, the death of several leaders from both groups in the ensuing power struggle, and their subsequent destruction of the Chaos Dwarves civilization are mentioned only in passing.

* EvilvsEvil: Several evil forces of various allegiances clash, such as repeated clashes between the forces of Chaos and the Undead Legions.

* GameChanger: The return of Nagash is viewed as serious threat by everyone up the Chaos Gods in-universe. It also even the event that was used to introduce The End Times to the Warhammer fanbase and has been one of the End Times better received aspects. Nagash's return had many effects on/in the story including, but not limited to, the weakening of Bretonnia, [[spoiler:the destruction of Nehekhara]], exacerbating the elven civil war and inundating the entire world with death magic and undead (represented by all wizards from all factions being able to use the new [[NightOftheLivingMooks Lore of Undeath]] in the game).

* TheHeavy: While each individual book is mostly driven by the character it's named for, the overall plot is driven by [[spoiler: Mannfred]]. He's the one who [[spoiler: made Nagash's resurrection possible, was partly responsible for Aliathra's death which spurred her father Tyrion to draw the Sword of Khaine and exacerbate the elven civil war, sicced Be'lakor on Lileath and revealed her true nature to the Bretonnians leading to Haven being lost, and in the end he's the one who sabotages the Incarnates and prevents them from saving the world.]]

* BoringYetPractical: When Manfred attacks a Skaven colony in the first book he just floods the tunnel network with zombies until they clear a way to last bastion and then steps in with his elites. Even the characters point out how dull this is.

*** It turns out that the mentioned silver armored human [[RedHerring is not what people claimed to be]](probably because the author). It's a [[spoiler:[[TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar Stormcast Eternal of the Hallowed Knights]], who look an awful lot like the Grey Knights. Probably the skaven didn't contacted an Eldar, but an Aelf. This makes quite the {{Foreshadowing}}, but the above interpretations seemed much more likely at release than that it was a reference to a setting that wouldn't be announced for months.]]

* GameChanger: The return of Nagash is viewed as serious threat in-universe to both the forces of Order and the forces of the Chaos, even up to the plans of the Chaos Gods themselves. It was even the event that was used to introduce The End Times to the Warhammer fanbase. Nagash's return had many effects on/in the story as well including, but not limited to, the weakening of Bretonnia, [[spoiler:the destruction of Nehekhara]], having an indirect effect on the elven civil war and, most importantly, inundating the entire world with death magic and undead (represented by all wizards from all factions being able to use the new [[NightOftheLivingMooks Lore of Undeath]] in the game).

*** It turns out that the mentioned silver armored human [[RedHerring is not what people claimed to be]](probably because the author). It's a [[spoiler:[[TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar Stormcast Eternal of the Hallowed Knights]], who look an awful lot like the Grey Knights. Probably the skaven didn't contacted an Eldar, but an Aelf. This makes quite the {{Foreshadowing}}, but people did not get it.]]

[[caption-width-right:300:[[NightOfTheLivingMooks Death rises.]] [[ThePlague Empires rot.]] [[TwilightOfTheGods Gods perish.]] [[SwarmOfRats Kingdoms fall.]] [[spoiler: [[DownerEnding Chaos reigns.]] ]] ]]

* SpannerInTheWorks: Malagor [[spoiler:tries]] to be this to Arkhan's plans to resurrect Nagash, [[spoiler:and fails]]. Mannfred [[spoiler:is this to the Incarnates plans]].

* BigBadEnsemble: Thanquol is actually a fairly minor character in his own book, only being involved in one of the featured battles. Queek Headtaker, Ikit Claw, and a rotating group of Clan Pestilence leaders share the main focus.

* GameChanger: The return of Nagash is viewed as serious threat in-universe to both the forces of Order and the forces of the Chaos, even up to the plans of the Chaos Gods themselves. It was even the event that was used to introduce The End Times to the Warhammer fanbase. Nagash's return had many effects on/in the story as well [[spoiler: including, but not limited to, the weakening of Bretonnia, the destruction of Nehekhara and spurring the Skaven to ally themselves with the Chaos Gods]].

* '''Warhammer: The Lord of the End Times''': The GrandFinale. Archaon's forces descend upon Middenheim, and the remaining factions, both living and undead, are forced to unite in a final, desperate defense. [[spoiler: [[DownerEnding They fail]].]]

* TheBusCameBack: After several years away from the setting, Drachenfels has returned and now serves as Mortarch of Nagash. Though he has lost his memory, and part of his reasons in serving the great necromancer is under the belief that he can restore his memories. [[spoiler:In End Times: Archaon he betrays Nagash, possesses Luthor Huss and turns to Chaos]].

[[caption-width-right:300:[[NightOfTheLivingMooks Death rises.]] [[ThePlague Empires rot.]] [[TwilightofTheGods Gods perish.]] [[SwarmOfRats Kingdoms fall.]] [[spoiler: [[DownerEnding Chaos reigns.]] ]] ]]

* LeftHanging: A number of plot threads from the game books are resolved in the novels or not at all, including the eventual fates of major characters.