| 1 | !!![[Characters/TotalWarWarhammer Click here to return to the main character page]] |
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| 3 | [[center: [-[[{{Characters/TotalWarWarhammer}} Main characters index]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheEmpire The Empire of Man]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheKingdomOfBretonnia The Kingdom of Bretonnia]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheTzardomOfKislev The Tzardom of Kislev]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheEmpireOfGrandCathay The Empire of Grand Cathay]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheDwarfenKingdoms The Dwarfen Kingdoms]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheHighElves The High Elves]] | '''The Dark Elves''' | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheWoodElves The Wood Elves]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheLizardmen The Lizardmen]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheVampireCounts The Vampire Counts]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheTombKings The Tomb Kings]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheVampireCoast The Vampire Coast]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheDaemonsOfChaos The Daemons Of Chaos]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheWarriorsOfChaos The Warriors of Chaos]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheNorscanTribes The Norscan Tribes]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheChaosDwarfs The Chaos Dwarfs]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheBeastmen The Beastmen]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheGreenskins The Greenskins]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheSkaven The Skaven]] | [[Characters/TotalWarWarhammerTheOgreKingdoms The Ogre Kingdoms]] ]]-] |
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| 5 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/6ecn5s1.jpg]] |
| 6 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Death to the Asur!"'']] |
| 7 | |
| 8 | ->''"We shall strike down our foe with sharp steel and cold hearts. The weak die so that the strong shall be spared. Then and only then will our enemies know the true meaning of fear."'' |
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| 10 | Once, the Elves of Ulthuan were a single people, until their race was torn apart by one of the foulest betrayals in history. After the death of the first Phoenix King, Aenarion the Defender, his son Malekith was passed over to succeed his father by the council of princes, in favour of Bel Shanaar. Though he outwardly abided by the decision, inside Malekith's heart a dark flame of resentment burned, fanned by the insidious whispers of his mother, the sorceress Morathi. From this denied birthright were the Druchii, or Dark Elves, spawned. |
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| 12 | Eventually, Malekith made his move, poisoning Bel Shanaar and attempting to take the throne. Thus began a civil war of cataclysmic proportions between Malekith's supporters and the rest of Ulthuan. At the height of this conflict, Malekith and his cabal of sorcerers attempted a terrible ritual to destabilize the Great Vortex and sink Ulthuan into the waves, but it backfired on them. Cast out and forced into exile, the Dark Elves fled across the sea and settled into the northern half of the New World, a bleak, barren and unforgiving land they named "Naggaroth", the Land of Chill. |
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| 14 | The society of the Druchii is one of greed, hatred and malice, where the strong thrive and the weak are ruthlessly culled. They are raiders and reavers of the highest degree, their Black Arks and corsair fleets plying the great waters of the world to despoil and enslave all before them as a tribute to their avaricious desires. Thousands are brought back to Naggaroth as slaves, condemned to a miserable existance of exhausting labor under the cruel whips of their overseers, or simply tortured and offered as ritual sacrifices to Khaine, the bloody-handed elven God of Murder. |
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| 16 | In war, the Druchii are cruel and bloodthirsty, a relentless shadow of death that consumes all who stand in their path. They favour highly aggresive shock tactics, seeking to inflict as much pain and misery as possible to quickly break the enemy's morale and capture any stragglers as slaves. Blood-drenched Witch Elves dance amongst the carnage slashing in frenzied abandon, ferocious War Hydras and Cold One Knights crash into the enemy ranks, and the black-hearted Sorceresses unleash dark and forbidden spells that strip flesh from bone and soul from body. |
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| 18 | With malevolent eyes, the Dark Elves watch this dying world knowing that it is theirs to dominate, all upon it born to do nothing more than grovel at their feet. Yet, even if every other land were to bow to their rule, the Dark Elves will never be truly satisfied as long as their despised kin, the High Elves, endure. Thus do the Druchii of Naggaroth scheme and wait, building up their strength upon the backs of slaves and plunder from from far-off lands. Soon, the day Ulthuan falls will finally arrive, and a vengeance thousands of years in the making will see its bloody conclusion. |
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| 20 | Introduced in ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerII'', the Dark Elves are playable in the ''Eye of the Vortex'' campaign, as well as the ''Mortal Empires'' combined campaign for owners of both ''I'' and ''II''. In ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerIII'', they are playable in the ''Immortal Empires'' combined mega-campaign for owners of ''I'', ''II'' and ''III''. |
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| 22 | ------ |
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| 24 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 25 | |
| 26 | [[folder:General Tropes]] |
| 27 | [[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/naggarond.png]] |
| 28 | [[caption-width-right:256:Naggarond]] |
| 29 | [[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cult_of_pleasure.png]] |
| 30 | [[caption-width-right:256:The Cult of Pleasure]] |
| 31 | [[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_blessed_dread.png]] |
| 32 | [[caption-width-right:256:The Blessed Dread]] |
| 33 | [[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wh2_main_def_har_ganeth_crest.png]] |
| 34 | [[caption-width-right:256:Har Ganeth]] |
| 35 | [[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wh2_main_def_hag_graef_crest.png]] |
| 36 | [[caption-width-right:256:Hag Graef]] |
| 37 | [[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thousand_maws.png]] |
| 38 | [[caption-width-right:256:Thousand Maws]] |
| 39 | |
| 40 | * AchillesHeel: |
| 41 | ** Battles of attrition. The Dark Elves are very reliant on finishing a fight quickly, getting into their Murderous Prowess as fast as possible to crush the foe since most of their units are not meant for prolonged combat and their Murderous Prowess will only activate once per battle. Though they deal heavy and rapid damage compared to most races, they struggle greatly against those units who survive the initial onslaught of carnage with their relatively low armor. |
| 42 | ** On campaign, fighting far inland. Dark Elves have no global recruitment and rely on Black Arks to recover losses quickly, making long campaigns away from the sea impractical. This isn't a big problem on the Vortex Campaign, but makes capturing and holding areas in the Old World in Mortal Empires - especially the Badlands and the World's Edge Mountains - slow and difficult. Campaigns in Immortal Empires in the landlocked centre of the world map get downright brutal. |
| 43 | * AdaptationalAttractiveness: In the tabletop game's background lore, [[OurGorgonsAreDifferent bloodwrack medusae]] are described has being hideous monsters -- indeed, a central part of their creation story is that they were dark elf sorceresses who were cursed by a goddess with an eternity in horrific forms as a punishment for their vanity and hubris. This is also supported by [[https://whfb.lexicanum.com/wiki/File:Bloodwrack_Medusa_M01.jpg their tabletop models]] and [[https://whfb.lexicanum.com/wiki/File:Bloodwrack_Shrine.jpg artwork]], which depict them as rather ugly. [[https://warhammerfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/File:Total_War_Bloodwrack_Medusa_Render_1.jpg Their in-game models]] retain the snake hair, torsos, claws and such, but give them significantly more well-formed, elegant, and symmetrical facial features that still mostly resemble those of the elven sorceresses that they were. |
| 44 | * AffablyEvil: Dark Elves are still Elves, and on the best of days some can be rather polite and even act on an ([[BlueAndOrangeMorality albeit twisted]]) sense of [[NobleDemon personal honor]]. That said, the majority will as quickly sacrifice people, souls, and their [[FauxAffablyEvil own ethics]] if works to their ends. |
| 45 | * AmbitionIsEvil: A faction-wide case. Each and every Dark Elf is aiming for the spot above them while simultaneously keeping an eye on their subordinates, and it's highly implied that Malekith [[MiseryBuildsCharacter designed this]] to weed out the weak and promote the strong. In-game this is reflected by the loyalty mechanic, where if you don't treat your commanders right with loot or prestige, they will rebel against you to get what they want. |
| 46 | * AgonyBeam: The "Word of Pain" spell from the [[BlackMagic Lore of Dark Magic]], which impedes an enemy's ability to fight by wracking them with pain. |
| 47 | * AllCrimesAreEqual: Due to the extreme civil strife that struck the city of Har Ganeth in the past, the city has some of the harshest laws in all of Naggaroth. The punishment for breaking any of these laws is execution by beheading, even for things such as public debauchery and murder, which wouldn't be considered crimes in other Dark Elf cities. |
| 48 | * AmazonBrigade: The Witch Elves, or Brides of Khaine, a cult of blood-crazed warrior priestesses dedicated to the elven god of war and murder ((the male devotees join the ranks of Executioners or Assassins instead), and the Sisters of Slaughter, an order of gladiators dedicated to the god Eldrazor, the Lord of Blades. They represent some of the most murderously powerful light infantry in the game, but are [[GlassCannon completely lacking in armor]]. |
| 49 | * AmazonianBeauty: PlayedWith with the [[AmazonBrigade Witch Elves]]. Creative Assembly's incarnation of them is intended to invoke this, being scantily-clad beauties with toned bodies, hardened by years of battle and slaughter. But the way this is implemented in their models can make it comes across as an InformedAttribute since while their models have prominent abs, their legs and arms are still the same slender shapes as other elves. |
| 50 | * AnimalMotifs: Various kinds of [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent reptile]], namely their massive and savage Cold One mounts, dragons and, in Morathi's case especially, [[SnakesAreSinister serpents.]] |
| 51 | * ArchEnemy: To the High Elves. The start of their war against the Asur dates back to millennia ago with regular raids and full-scale invasions that were repelled each time, further fueling their enmity. All Dark Elf factions have huge diplomatic maluses against High Elf factions, making diplomacy between them near impossible. |
| 52 | * ArtifactOfDoom: The Sword of Khaine (otherwise known as the Widowmaker and the Slayer of Gods), doubling as an EvilWeapon. The cursed blade was wielded by the AxCrazy Elven God of War Khaine, which he used to fell immeasurably amounts of people. To drive back the first incursion of Chaos, the first Elven king, Anerion, picked up the sword, which granted him power unimaginable...at the cost of turning him into an AxCrazy beserker. The Resurgent Update added this in as an in-game mechanic, as it lets Dark Elf, Wood Elf or High Elf players build the Shrine of Khaine. After which, if one is ''very desperate'' (or incredibly stupid), gives the player an option to have one of their generals draw the infamous blade from the shrine, turning them into unimaginably powerful OneManArmy...[[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity at the cost of turning them insane, with truly horrible effects mounting on the campaign map the longer the wielder holds the weapon.]] |
| 53 | * TheArk: The Black Arks of Naggaroth, once landlocked coastal castles that have been thoroughly enchanted to crack themselves away from the land and propel themselves across the sea at the whim of their masters. The sight of one of the Black Arks on the waves, loaded as they are with bloodthirsty Druchii, inspires fear in all but the most deluded sailor. In-lore they were made when Malekith and his followers caused the Sundering, when the land of Nagarythe began to slip beneath the ocean. In an attempt to survive the onrushing waves, the sorcerers of the rebel Elves used their dark magic to protect their castles and towers, causing them to float free of their sinking land and sail to safety. In-game the arks function as [[BaseOnWheels mobile bases]] that not only serve as additional recruitment centers but enable armies to use battlefield bombardment abilities when fighting nearby. To get one, most Dark Elves have to sacrifice a portion of their Slaves to Mathlann, the Cytherai LordOfTheOcean; the Blessed Dread, Lokhir's faction, can recruit one Black Ark per major port settlement they own. |
| 54 | * AthensAndSparta: They and the High Elves are a textbook example of this dynamic; with the Druchii as Sparta, obviously. |
| 55 | * AutomaticCrossbows: Dark Elf repeater crossbows, their signature ranged weapons, called "Uraithen" (lit. "Death Rain") in their tongue. Darkshards and Dark Riders lug around large, two-handed variants (alongside protective Pavise shields), while Shades and Corsairs use smaller handcrossbows. Darkshards, Dark Riders and Shades are notable for their armour piercing ranged attacks that also have indirect fire, allowing them to fire from behind the frontline -- a luxury not many armour piercing skirmishers enjoy. |
| 56 | * AxCrazy: Pretty much the entire race, with the [[ReligionOfEvil Cult of Khaine]] taking this up to eleven. Their faction ability "Murderous Prowess" grants a huge offense buff, but only once enough casualties have been done, ''to either side''. |
| 57 | * BadassArmy: The Druchii are no less skilled in battle than their High Elven foes, and they combine this prowess with a [[BloodKnight Blood Lust]] to rival that of the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Greenskins]] and [[HornyVikings Norscans]]. |
| 58 | * BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Unlike the Empire, Bretonnians, and ''even'' the Greenskins, who all display genuine affection for their BeastOfBattle, Dark Elves treat their war beasts with extreme cruelty, with their beast tamers being ''incredibly'' sadistic, and horrid to their charges, [[WhipOfDominance primarily using whips to subject them]]. A casual glance at the state of their [[BodyHorror scarred horses]] should tell you all you need to know. The only animal that seems to be treated with ''any'' form of respect are the Dark Pegasi, most likely due to their significance as religious icons. Even then, only Morathi's personal Dark Pegasus was deemed fit to have its own name. |
| 59 | * BaseOnWheels: Black Arks, once recruited, function as mobile settlements that can support conventional landfaring armies from the coast or nearby if at sea. They provide replenishment, unit recruitment and special bombardment abilities to help with battle. They are also commanded by Dreadlords who can have their skills upgraded to make them better fighters and can recruit armies of their own to attack port settlements or enemy armies at sea. |
| 60 | * TheBeastmaster: A very literal example, in the form of the High Beastmaster, a Lord option. They are Dark Elves who, during their childhood, were taken to the Slave-City of Karond Kar to be tutored in the profession of handling and breaking beasts for the Dark Elf war machine. It is said that not even the proudest of Dragons can remain defiant for long underneath the [[WhipOfDominance torture and discipline of a skilled Beastmaster's whip]], for the Druchii have black hearts, and do not treat their animals well. They go into battle on foot or on Scourgerunner Chariots, armed with a spear and a whip. They provide a myriad of niches, including buffing any Monstrous Unit in your army in battle and the campaign, as well as dealing a great deal of dedicated Anti-Large damage. |
| 61 | * BeastOfBattle: They utilize a large number of monstrous creatures in battle, such as the raptor-like Cold Ones, Manticores, Black Dragons, Harpies and their famed War Hydras. |
| 62 | * TheBerserker: The Brides of Khaine imbibe [[PsychoSerum hallucinogenic drugs before battle]] and whip themselves up into a rapturous frenzy of religious ecstasy focused on spilling blood in Khaine's name, and then when combat is joined go completely off the leash, losing themselves to both the ''Frenzy'' and ''Rampage'' special rules. |
| 63 | * {{BFS}}: The executioners of Har Ganeth, an order of elite holy warriors devoted to Khaine, are renowned for their use of the "Draich", a vicious two-handed blade. Unlike many other Dark Elves the Executioners are notably not sadists, but cold and efficient killers who see it as a religious duty to kill their foes as quickly as possible. A variant of Shade is also armed with a greatsword. |
| 64 | * BlackKnight: Several of their high-tier troops, such as the Black Guard and Cold One Knights, fit this trope to a tee. Being dark armoured elite warriors in service to an EvilOverlord. |
| 65 | * BlackMagic: The Dark Elves are the foremost practioners of 'Dhar' or [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Dark Magic]], one of the most destructive and malevolent of all magical lores.[[note]](Specifically, Dhar is the name of the "pure" magic that blows into the world from the polar warp portals before it splits apart into the more easily controlled, differentiated colored, Winds of Magic. This makes Dhar both extremely powerful and extremely dangerous as it is inherently corrupting, and only those most absolutely certain of their magical channeling abilities or insane with lust for arcane power would attempt to use it. The Dark Elves check both boxes.)[[/note]] The necromancy practiced by the Vampire Counts originated as a subset of Dark Magic devised by Nagash, the first human necromancer, who in turn obtained his knowledge of it from a trio of Dark Elves he had taken prisoner. |
| 66 | * BloodBath: Something the matriarchs of the [[AmazonBrigade Brides of Khaine]] engage in once a year as part of a BloodMagic ritual to [[ImmortalityImmorality rejuvenate themselves]]. The process was first invented by [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Morathi]] and by withholding all but the most basic details of the ritual, thereby keeping the Witch Elves largely dependent on her, she has established no small degree of control over the Cult of Khaine. |
| 67 | * BloodKnight: All Dark Elves qualify to some extent, as Khaine -- [[WarGod a god of war and murder]] -- is the patron deity of their civilization. This is represented in-game by the Murderous Prowess mechanic, a boost given after they've been in battle long enough, relishing in both the slaughter of their foes, as well as their ''own forces''. The Cult of Khaine, of course, are the biggest offenders in this regard. More specifically, the Witch Elves are living weapons of mindless violence, cruelty and destruction, whilst the [[NobleDemon Executioners]], are colder and more reserved, but no less bloodthirsty. |
| 68 | * BodyHorror: The Doomfire Warlocks are ''horrific looking'', their gaunt bodies torn and shredded with jagged scars, and their disgusting faces perpetually stuck in a look of pure agony. |
| 69 | * BornUnderTheSail: The call of the sea is considered sacred in Druchii society, to the point that corsairs are afforded great respect throughout Naggaroth and embarking on their first raiding cruise is an important rite of passage for young nobles. |
| 70 | * BreathWeapon: Black Dragons breath clouds of toxic fumes, while war hydras breathe gouts of flame. |
| 71 | * CastFromHitpoints: The "Power of Darkness" spell from the [[BlackMagic Lore of Dark Magic]], which damages the caster but temporarily [[PowerAtAPrice increases their power reserve recharge]] rate. |
| 72 | * ChainmailBikini: |
| 73 | ** The Brides of Khaine (AKA, the Witch Elves and Death Hags), whose combat armor seems to consist largely of a loincloth, a metal bikini, warpaint and above-the-knee boots. Of course considering they're [[TheBerserker blood-crazed berserkers]] with next to no sense of self-preservation any "armour" they wear is purely decorative in nature as they are pure {{Glass Cannon}}s. Further, they ''like'' the way [[BloodSplatteredWarrior fresh blood feels as it splashes against their skin]]. The Sisters of Slaughter are also dressed similarly. |
| 74 | ** Sorceresses heroes and lords tend to be similarly attired; though they [[SquishyWizard rarely involve themselves in physical combat]] to begin with. |
| 75 | ** Other Dark Elf women, such as female Dreadlords, avert this trope however; typically dressing identically to their male counterparts in full plate armor and helmet. |
| 76 | * ChallengeSeeker: Because the regular fights in the arena have come to bore them, the Sisters of Slaughter regularly try to walk real battlefields and seek foes that will truly pose a challenge to them. Their special rule, Trial of Blades, makes them fight better when they are ''losing'' reflecting how much they enjoy a worthy challenge. |
| 77 | * ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: The Druchii can rival the ''Skaven'' in this department, and like the Skaven, Dark Elf lords possess a loyalty meter, enabling them to betray you should they not feel sufficiently appreciated or intimidated. The only real way to manage this is to give these Lords loot, victory, or hire a Khainite Assassin to constantly "remind" them of their duty. Indeed, Druchii society promotes unrestrained ambition, arguing that constant intrigue will weed out the weak and encourage those who have the potential to best their superiors, leading to a constant state of mutual suspicion and omnipresent treachery. |
| 78 | * ColdBloodedTorture: The Dark Elves' favorite pastime. Often overlaps with TortureForFunAndInformation. |
| 79 | * ACommanderIsYou: An ''Elitist/Generalist/Brute'' faction. Like their counterparts they have a versatile roster of high-quality troops, though their soldiers, especially the high-tier ones, tend to be less numerous than average. However, unlike the High Elves, they emphasize sheer force and aggression over espionage and defense. In addition their "Murderous Prowess" mechanic gives them a significant boost to their combat abilities once a certain number of units have been slain, encouraging offense over defense. Their campaign mechanics also encourage aggressive strategies, with the slavery system and numerous boosts to raiding and sacking allowing them to enhance their economy through RapePillageAndBurn. |
| 80 | * DarkActionGirl: The Dark Elves have by far the largest amount of dark, dangerous ladies, a large mix of both female heroes, lords, and units, such as the Witch Elves, Death Hags, and female Dreadlords. |
| 81 | * DarkIsEvil: The Druchii take this trope and run with it, perhaps more than any other faction. They're called the Dark Elves for one, they dress in colours like [[EvilWearsBlack black]] and purple and practice dark magic. Generally speaking if you took a shot every time the words dark or black were used in relation to the Druchii or their units, you'd likely be dead within an hour. |
| 82 | * TheDarkArts: The ''Lore of Dark Magic'' is certainly the most dangerous Lore one can study outside of Chaos lores. Since it involves the manipulation of the raw Winds of Magic directly out of the Chaos Realms, with all the dangers and corruptive side effects it has. The Sorceresses do not mind, as all they want is power. Fittingly, there's a sorcerer's school where it is taught. |
| 83 | * DanceBattler: Sisters of Slaughter have an instinctual fighting style, stated to perform beautiful choreographies when killing their prey in the arena. |
| 84 | * DecadentCourt: Depends on where you are in Druchii lands, but most courts around a Tyrant and even Malekith’s are particularly deadly places, where treachery is the name of the game in order to acquire a better place under Malekith. Morathi’s own court places more emphasis on the decadent part, with untold rites performed in Ghrond. In-game, the various loyalty events show this "game" rather well. |
| 85 | * DeadlyGaze: The Bloodwrack Medusa's ranged attack consists of a bolt energy fired from their eyes. In the lore the gaze of a Bloodwrack is said to cause the blood of a victim to be violently expelled from every pore. In-game this is represented by a missile attack. These projectiles are some of the fastest in the game, faster than most artillery even, while also being nearly invisible. |
| 86 | * DragonRider: Malekith, and the generic Dreadlords, can ride Black Dragons to battle. It's actually revealed that the Dark Elves are trying to monopolize the whole dragon riding thing; their various army books blatantly state that Malekith is responsible for the strange, sorcerous affliction that is making it harder and harder for the High Elves to wake their dragons for battle, not to mention the Black Dragon Breed was created by the tyrant himself. |
| 87 | * DivideAndConquer: The Dark Elves caused the War of the Beard, driving a wedge between the High Elves and Dwarfs and weakening the latter so they struggled to deal with the disasters/Orc invasions afterward. During the war, Malekith managed to assault Ulthuan and actually conquered some of it for a time. |
| 88 | * DomesticatedDinosaurs: The Dark Elves have Cold One Knights and Cold One Chariots, heavy cavalry and chariots units relying on the dinosaur-like Cold Ones that were “tamed” and used as mounts. In lore, riding a Cold One is considered PowerAtAPrice since the riders must cover themselves in poisonous slime in order to even get near the lizards without being smelling like prey; in time [[SenseLossSadness these riders lose all their senses of touch, smell and taste due to the slime damaging their nerve endings so they can't enjoy mundane pleasures anymore]]. |
| 89 | * ElvesVersusDwarves: A complicated example. The Dark Elves instigated the War of Vengeance but only to weaken Ulthuan so they don't have quite as much personal bad blood with the Dwarfs as the High Elves and Wood Elves do. That's not to say that the Dark Elves ''don't'' hate the Dwarfs but it's more a result of their FantasticRacism. It's played much more conventionally straight with the Chaos Dwarfs -- Chaos Dwarfs take Elven slaves to flay them for alchemical reagants while Dark Elf corsairs come into conflict with them in the Dragon Isles. |
| 90 | * TheEmpire: A [[BloodKnight highly militant society]] with an economy [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil sustained by slave labour]], [[TheSocialDarwinist Social Darwinist]] ideology, ambitions of territorial expansion and rule by an [[EvilOverLord all-powerful autocratic tyrant]]. Naggaroth is one of the straightest examples in the entire setting. |
| 91 | * EvilCounterpartRace: Again, to the High Elves. |
| 92 | ** In lore, the High Elves are traditionalists, and are known for their discipline and belief in all that is good. They also worship the Cadais, more benevolent Gods of Heavens. They are haughty in a way that makes them believe in their moral superiority. Finally they use the purest form of magic, High Magic. In contrast the Dark Elves only believe in strength and cunning, easily replacing the old and inadequate for better tools and they follow nothing but their cruel whims. As a result, they pray to the dark gods of the Cytharai for strength. They also use raw undiluted magic power in the form of Dark Magic. |
| 93 | ** This also applies in-game. Dark Elves have an universal rule named ''Murderous Prowess'' that directly contrasts the High Elves' ''Martial Prowess''. |
| 94 | * EvilIsDeathlyCold: The Dark Elves come from a kingdom known as the "Land of Chill", some of their most iconic spells are associated with ice and cold, and their temperament overall is a bit, well, [[AccidentalPun icy.]] |
| 95 | * EvilSorcerer: The Sorceress make many dark rituals and bloody sacrifices in order to gain even greater power and they tend to use make use of [[BlackMagic magic that is associated with evil in the Warhammer universe]], which in-game is represented by the lore of Dark, Fire, Shadows, Death and Beasts. |
| 96 | * EqualOpportunityEvil: While ''horribly'' xenophobic, when it comes to gender, Dark Elves are ''very'' pragmatic. There is no stigma attached to women serving in the military, and can advance in rank just as easily as the men. The only real gender restriction is when it comes to magic users, and that's only because of a prophecy involving Malekith getting killed by a sorcerer. It also extends to sexuality, as the Druchii are quite progressive in that regard, as Felicion and her female lover command high positions despite their apparent public interest in other women. A common campaign event card [[https://i.imgur.com/8Xr6VZK.jpg depicts a Dark Elf Dreadlord alongside his harem, which includes two male pleasure slaves]], further implying taking a same sex lover is common and accepted in Dark Elf culture. |
| 97 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: As horribly cruel, xenophobic and sadistic as they are, the Dark Elves despise Chaos and will make war against them at any opportunity. |
| 98 | * EvilTowerOfOminousness: The Dark Elves love this trope. Naggaroth is positively carpeted by towering black citadels. |
| 99 | * EvilVersusEvil: Notably, the Dark Elves probably spend more time fighting the "evil" races than any of the other evil races do. On top of nearly perpetual civil war amongst themselves, they will spend most of the early game fighting [[YouDirtyRat Skaven]], [[HornyVikings Norscans]], and [[BeastMan Beastmen]]. This is taken even further in the lore; the Druchii (other than Morathi) despise Chaos and slay [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Daemons]] whenever they can, and Dark Elven colonies west of Naggaroth frequently butt heads with the [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent Hobgoblins]] and the [[TheMagocracy Chaos Dwarfs]]. |
| 100 | * EvilVersusOblivion: The evil to the Chaos forces representing oblivion. While unquestionably evil, the Dark Elves are more interested in ruling Ulthuan rather than seeing it destroyed. They also despise Chaos (Morathi notwithstanding) and they're far more likely to spend time fighting Chaos-aligned factions on the campaign map by virtue of their proximity to the Northern Wastes. Even Morathi only dabbles with Chaos to further her own interests, and just happens to be a powerful enough sorceress to not become completely corrupted by it. |
| 101 | * EvilWearsBlack: The entirety of the Dark Elves army is clad in black clothes, black armors, and have mostly black hair, with typically black mounts. The occasional red, purple or golden ornaments are present to break the monotony. No units respect black as much as the aptly named Black Guard of Naggarond. |
| 102 | * TheExile: An entire faction of them. |
| 103 | ** The Dark Elves originated from the province of Nagarythe in northwestern Ulthuan. After being driven out of Ulthuan during the Sundering they settled in the frozen wastes to the north, naming their new kingdom Naggaroth in memory of their old home. |
| 104 | ** The Shades, or Autarii in Druhir, are exiles even among the Dark Elves; their ancestors were cast out of the cities millennia ago as the result of a feud or similar occurrence. Nowadays they dwell in the wilds of Naggaroth, living mainly as hunters and bandits. Shades are considered savage even by other Druchii, and are even reputed to indulge in [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalism]]. While in general they're no friends to their city-dwelling cousins, Shades will occasionally be enticed into service in Naggaroth's armies with the promise of plunder, or sometimes just the promise of bloodshed. In battle they make superlative scouts and skirmishers. |
| 105 | * ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: There's very little question what the ''Torture Post'' building does. |
| 106 | -->Essentially we tie you to this post. Then we torture you. It's... Very literal. |
| 107 | * FantasyCounterpartCulture: Like the High Elves they are heavily inspired by the Ancient Greeks. But whereas the Asur are analogous to the Athenians, the Druchii, with their martial society, reliance on slavery and Social Darwinism, correspond to the Spartans. They also represent the darker aspects and stereotypes of the Greco-Roman world in general, as evidenced by their love of [[GladiatorGames blood-sports]] and hedonistic depravity. In addition, many of their monstrous units are drawn from Myth/ClassicalMythology. By contrast the activity of their [[{{Pirates}} Corsairs]], and the coastal raids they carry out to collect plunder and slaves, are reminiscent of the Barbary Coast Pirates. From a geographical perspective, most of the Dark Elves live within and around Warhammer's version of the North American continent, occupying the same areas as the USA and Canada. |
| 108 | * FantasyPantheon: Although they technically have the same ones as the High Elves, they tend to lean more toward the [[GodOfEvil Cytharai]] than the [[GodIsGood Cadai.]] Chief among them Khaine, the god of war and murder. |
| 109 | * FantasticRacism: While all elves are guilty of this to some degree, the Druchii regard the various non-elven races of the world as nothing more than slaves to serve their whims or vermin to exterminate. Even the other elven races are subject to their disdain; the High Elves they consider effete weaklings, while the Wood Elves are regarded as little more than primitive savages. |
| 110 | * FantasticRaceWeaponAffinity: Their ranged units all specialize in repeated crossbows, in contrast with the Wood and High elves who prefer bows. |
| 111 | * FateWorseThanDeath: |
| 112 | ** Anyone with the misfortune to be taken captive by the Druchii can be expect to be subjected to one of these. Death is the kindest fate they can bestow upon you. As for the Druchii themselves, men who are unlucky enough to be born with the innate gift to control the Winds of Magic are given one of the darkest fates in the setting; turned into Doomfire Warlocks, who will have their soul eventually stolen by [[GodOfEvil Slaanesh]], after a lifetime of physical agony and torture. |
| 113 | ** This is the fate for any Dark Elf who falls in battle. After death, all elven souls are sent to Mirai (also called the Black Pit) where they becomes slaves to the Pale Queen, Ereth Khial. The only other option is being devoured by Slaanesh, the Chaos god of depravity. While High Elves mitigate this by binding their souls to the Waystones guarding their homeland and Wood Elves bind theirs to Athel Loren itself, the Dark Elves consider "preparing to die" to be the same as "planning to fail", and the prospect of damnation makes their troops doubly motivated to triumph. |
| 114 | * FightingForAHomeland: The Dark Elves are the descendants of a failed ''coup d'état'' that ended with their home kingdom of Nagarythe shattered forever and themselves forcibly exiled from Ulthuan. They've been trying to fight back to Ulthuan in the time since then. |
| 115 | * {{Foil}}: The High Elves and Dark Elves contrast each other aesthetically and mechanically. While the High Elves wear primary colors with white highlights, the Dark Elves wear secondary colors with black highlights. The mechanical buffs to the High Elves start out at maximum and degrade as a battle drags on, the mechanical buffs to Dark Elves start out at minimum and get stronger as a battle drags on. |
| 116 | * ForTheEvulz: The Dark Elves are considered one of the most overtly evil factions in a setting already overflowing with BlackAndGreyMorality. For while factions like Chaos are capable of committing atrocities, they do so because they believe their gods demand it. Dark Elves on the other hand will commit atrocities simply because it will cause pain and suffering in others. Fittingly summed up in this bit of flavor text: |
| 117 | -->''Better to be cruel just for the sake of it than hold insincere notions of kindness.'' |
| 118 | * GladiatorGames: Various [[BloodSport blood sports]] are popular forms of entertainment in Naggaroth; appropriately enough considering the depraved Greco-Roman theme of the Dark Elves. Arenas and fighting pits even serve as public order buildings for the Druchii. An order of gladiators, the Sisters of Slaughter, are even available as an infantry unit for Dark Elf armies. |
| 119 | * GlassCannon: Dark Elf units tend to have low health and deal high damage, and their Murderous Prowess mechanic encourages being aggressive. Very few of them have shields and only their elite units have high armor. Witch Elves in particular have no armor and not much melee defense, but can quickly cut down low and medium-tier infantry. This is PlayedWith with the Sisters of Slaughter units, who have no armor like the witch elves, but have high melee defense, making them quite durable against melee units but very fragile against missiles and magic. |
| 120 | * GlobalCurrencyException: Dark Elves use [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slaves]] as a kind of ''currency''. Their economy is based on slavery, and so having too few slaves reduces their gold income. However, having too many slaves in one area can have negative effects on public order, requiring more enforcer oversight to prevent a [[SlaveLiberation slave revolt]]. Finally, slaves can be [[HumanSacrifice expended in large numbers]] to [[BloodMagic enact]] RitualMagic. If the Dark Elves require more slaves ([[WeHaveReserves and they often do]]) they can be gained by [[RapePillageAndBurn raiding lands, defeating armies in battle, or sacking cities]]. |
| 121 | * GrimUpNorth: Their homeland, Naggaroth (lit. ''Land of Chill''), is a desolate, frozen land in the New World just south of the Chaos Wastes, and is infested with Chaos-worshiping tribes. |
| 122 | * GuysSmashGirlsShoot: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]], the female Dreadlord variant specializes exclusively in melee combat, while their male counterparts serve as a melee/ranged hybrid. This is in direct contrast to the High Elves, who [[PlayedStraight play the trope straight]]. |
| 123 | * HarpoonGun: The dreaded Scourgerunner Chariot has a pair of Harpoon launchers mounted on its metal frame, pulled by a pair of Dark Steeds. These colossus Chariots are used to capture some of the greatest beasts that prowl the Land of Chill, and as such offer a rather large bonus against monsters, both from their barbed harpoons, barbed nets they carry to ensnare foes, and their spiky frames. Crewed by a pair of Beastmaster Apprentices, these are some of the most potent anti-large warmachines in the game. |
| 124 | * HarpingOnAboutHarpies: Like the Beastmen and other Chaos races, the Dark Elves employ harpies in battle. They're an OneGenderRace of winged humanoids resembling elven women with batlike wings and cruel talons. Many lair in desolate islets and sea stacks and use their entrancing songs to lure sailors to their doom, but others perch among the towers of the Dark Elves' strongholds and follow their armies and fleets to war. The Dark Elves themselves consider the harpies to favored by Khaine, and greatly admire their bloodthirst and cruelty. |
| 125 | * HatedByAll: The Dark Elves are not here to make friends, which is good because they don't have any. They are (mostly) staunchly opposed to Chaos, and every other faction has come to detest a race that marries the natural arrogance of elves to constant, indiscriminate slaving raids and complete amorality. Only the Skaven can claim to be more universally loathed. In-game this translates to the Dark Elf leaders often having a tough time in the early game, since everyone nearby will want them dead. |
| 126 | * HatePlague: The Witch Elves can infect nearby enemies with this, forcing them to fight to the death instead of retreating. One has to be careful with this one as it would be a ''very'' bad idea to use it on heavily armored foes that rely on getting stuck in a fight in the first place, such as Greatswords or Black Orcs, instead of something lighter like Archers or Spearmen that the Witch Elves outmatch entirely. |
| 127 | * HellishHorse: The Dark Steeds of Naggaroth are horribly emaciated, covered in scars and even have ''hooked spurs of bone protruding from the backs of their legs''. To say nothing of the horned, [[GoodWingsEvilWings bat-winged]] Dark Pegasi. |
| 128 | * HorrifyingTheHorror: They are hated and feared the world over as profane killers, torturers and slavers, yet all Dark Elves are deathly afraid of the vengeful High Elf Alith Anar and his Shadow Warriors, who conduct a campaign of espionage, assassinations, ColdBloodedTorture and crucifixions against them in retaliation for their betrayal. He even abducts Dark Elf children to raise as Shadow Warriors. |
| 129 | * HorseOfADifferentColour: The Dark Elves utilize raptor-like reptiles known as "Cold Ones", or "Nauglir" in their own tongue, as mounts. Cold Ones are notoriously vicious and difficult to train so mastering one is a major status symbol in Druchii society. The Lizardmen also utilize the creatures, although theirs are a separate, jungle-dwelling breed. |
| 130 | * HotWitch: Sorceress are powerful magic users who are also tend to be [[HeadTurningBeauty incredibly beautiful]], [[{{Stripperiffic}} scantily-clad]] and [[FemmeFatale seductive in nature]]. |
| 131 | * HumanSacrifice: A staple of their religion, though it need not be humans; any intelligent race will do. All of their Rites involve sacrificing their slaves to the Cytherai to receive their blessings. |
| 132 | * HunterOfMonsters: Beastmasters personally hunt down the monsters they will then whip into obedience, driving Scourgerunner Chariots across the mountains of Naggaroth to get their quarries. |
| 133 | * ItAmusedMe: This is the only reason Dark Elves need to torture, kill or pillage any of the "lesser races", or in other words, everyone except them. |
| 134 | * InterserviceRivalry: The three main core Dark Elves warrior types do not appreciate each other. The crossbow-wielding Darkshards are looked down upon by the other two groups for not risking their lives in close quarters, but they pride themselves on their sharpshooting skills. Meanwhile, the ConsummateProfessional spearmen Dreadspears have a TechnicianVsPerformer relationship against the BloodKnight sword-wielding Bleakswords. |
| 135 | * JackOfAllStats: Black Ark Corsairs. Armour-wise they're the first heavy infantry available to the Dark Elves, but lighter armoured (and faster) than Black Guard and Executioners. They have an infantry-killing role in melee, which they do decently but not as well as Witch Elves. They can get hand crossbows that trade their anti-infantry trait for a ranged attack, but they're not as good at shooting as Darkshards or Shades. Their stats are balanced between melee defence, melee offence, speed and armour to protect them from shooting, and as a result Corsairs have no truly excellent match-ups but are a solid unit against almost anything that's not high-tier and armour-piercing. |
| 136 | * KlingonPromotion: The standard method of advancement in Druchii society, only the direct subordinates of Malekith himself are considered immune [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou for their lives belong to the Witch King alone]]. Not that this makes them much safer, Malekith's typical [[BadBoss tolerance for error]] is [[YouHaveFailedMe low.]] |
| 137 | * LadyOfBlackMagic: Thanks to the prophecy of Malekith's demise at the hands of a male sorcerer, [[MagicIsFeminine only women]] are permitted to practice magic in Naggaroth (save for Malekith himself). These Sorceresses are notorious for using the ''Lore of Dark Magic'', based on using the corrupted raw Winds of Magic, also invoking daemonic entities to assist them, and other unpleasant rituals. They come in both hero and lord variants. |
| 138 | * LifeDrain: The spell [[YourSoulIsMine Soul Stealer]], which damages an enemy while healing the caster. |
| 139 | * MagicIsFeminine: An interesting case in that the vast majority of magical practitioners in Naggaroth are female, and males who practice dark magic (other than Malekith himself of course) are to be put to death or turned into [[FateWorseThanDeath Doomfire Warlocks]]. The reason for this is because Malekith has heard of a prophecy that he will be killed by a sorcerer "of male aspect", and believes that he is averting the prophecy by only permitting female dark elves to become sorceresses. Male sorcerers do exist, but they remain incognito for fear of the Witch-King's wrath. |
| 140 | * MasterSwordsman: Har Ganeth Executioners are famous for constantly training in swordsmanship with their draichs when not performing guard duty or executions. They are particularly renowned for their ability to dispatch foes with a single precise strike. |
| 141 | * MasterPoisoner: Khainite Assassins are masters of creating and using poison through PoisonedWeapons but also secretly administering it inside of food. In-game one of their final unlocks is a powerful ability that lets them coat their weapons with this, doing a special, especially devastating, variant of poison towards single targets. |
| 142 | * MagicKnight: The Doomfire Warlocks. Haggard, decrepit, and frighteningly pale figures, that appear as if they're horsemen of the apocalypse, and are what any Dark Elf male whose unlucky enough to be "blessed" with the gift to use magic eventually become. Their souls are forfeit to the Great Devourer, and so they desperately try to forestall their own horrible final fate by capturing the souls of others and offering them in place of their own. They ride gaunt, dark horses clad in barded plate, and many wear hideous black masks to hide their haunting visages. For the magic part, they have attack animations where they throw sprawling cones of purple flame towards their enemies, and have two spells bound to them. For the knight part, they're very fast, able to deal both magic and poison damage, and despite their lack of armour are able to take plenty of damage because they have a whopping forty percent ward save. |
| 143 | * MagicCauldron: One of the most unique Dark Elf weapons and magic tools are the Cult of Khaine’s ''Cauldrons of Blood''. Installed on a special altar, ''Cauldrons of Blood'' are powerful items for performing BloodMagic in the name of Khaine. In the lore, they are always full of blood without ever overflowing and through a BloodBath in them, they allow Death Hags to regain their youthful appearances. In-game, they have several abilities buffing the Brides of Khaine, and can make enemy units enter into a frenzy. |
| 144 | * {{Medusa}}: Serpentine humanoids, known as Bloodwrack Medusae, who have served Morathi for thousands of years. In the lore, these were originally [[VainSorceress sorceresses who used magic to make themselves more beautiful than the goddess Atharti]], who then cursed them for their hubris. In-game, they work as a single-entity monstrous unit capable of not only delivering magical scream projectiles but also being able to ride Blodwrack Shrines to empower themselves and their allies. It's said they have just enough of their rational minds left to remember what Atharti stole from them, which makes them mournful and bitter and more than happy to share that pain with everything around them. [[spoiler:A Medusa known as "the Oracle" is sought by Makelith to find a way to destabilize the Vortex, and appears in a cutscene, only to be ''murdered'' when it's no longer useful.]] |
| 145 | * MixAndMatchCritters: Their iconic manticores (human-faced bat-lions with vaguely scorpion-like stinging tails) and technically their [[HarpingOnAboutHarpies harpies]] (half elf-maid, half bat-like monster). 8th edition gives them the Kharibdyss which can be loosely described as a mashup of a hydra, a kraken, a cluster of lampreys and a whorl shark (a prehistoric shark distinctive for its buzzsaw-like lower jaw). |
| 146 | * MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Naggarothi Black Dragons possess maws filled to the brim with large, jagged, irregular fangs. They almost make other dragon breeds seem dentally challenged by comparison. And that's not even getting into the Kharybdis, the bastard lovechild of a hydra and a lamprey. |
| 147 | * NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: The Dark Elves actually [[InvokedTrope invoke this trope]] deliberately in their naming conventions. Druchii nobles will usually assign themselves a suitably intimidating epithet, for instance "Soulflayer", as a form of boast, and are said to go to almost theatrical lengths to prove said boast. If the noble in question fails to live up to their self-proclaimed title, however, they can expect nothing more than a gruesome death at the hands of their countrymen, typically in a manner ironically reminiscent of the title itself. These customs are actually reflected in-game via the ability to assign various titles to your characters and receive boosts accordingly. |
| 148 | * NameOfCain: The Dark Elves worship several gods but none as furiously as Khaine, their chief god. They dedicate thousands of sacrifices to the Cult of Khaine, and its followers are numerous. |
| 149 | * NemeanSkinning: Corsairs and Fleetmasters all wear a ''Sea Dragon Cloak'' taken from the iron-hard skin of the eponymous monsters. |
| 150 | * NostalgiaFilter: Many Druchii, and Malekith in particular, practically worship the memory of old Nagarythe and are almost fanatical in their desire to preserve its traditions. |
| 151 | * ObviouslyEvil: [[LongList Let's see]], between the [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slave driven economy]], [[FantasticRacism master race ideology]], [[SpikesOfVillainy spiky armour]], [[BlackMagic dark magic]], [[EvilTowerOfOminousness massive black fortresses]], [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast naming conventions]], [[ReligionOfEvil murderous cultists]], [[{{Sadist}} rampant sadism]] and [[DarkIsEvil colour palette]], it's not subtle at all that they're very bad news. |
| 152 | * OurDragonsAreDifferent: The Black Dragons of Naggaroth are descended from a clutch of eggs stolen from Caledor by the Druchii during the Sundering. The eggs were then corrupted with dark magic, producing vicious, feral monsters that spew noxious fumes rather than flame. They come as both independent units and as mounts for Dark Elf generals. They are held in utter disgust by the dragons of Ulthuan, who view them as savage degenerates. |
| 153 | * OurElvesAreDifferent: Of the dark elf variety, obviously, an archetype which they embody very well with the culturally-ingrained wickedness, the sadism and the spikes. However, unlike many other examples of dark elves, they do not have dark skin -- [[EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette quite the opposite most of the time actually]] -- nor do they live underground. |
| 154 | * OurHydrasAreDifferent: War hydras, gigantic, fire-breathing quadrupeds with five heads, can be fielded as powerful monster units. They are far more outwardly snakelike than their tabletop inspiration, having fully adder-like heads, forked snake tongues, and rattlesnake tails. There's also a Regiment of Renown version in the form of the Chill of Sontar, a legendary frost-breathing hydra with ice-blue scales. |
| 155 | * OurManticoresAreSpinier: Manticores are held as sacred to Khaine in Naggarothi society, and as of ''The Queen and the Crone'' update are available for use as either mounts or standalone monsters. The Manticores native to the Land of Chill, however, are ''much'' larger and far more fearsome than the ones prowling the Chaos Wastes. |
| 156 | * {{Pegasus}}: Dark pegasi, which are essentially this trope combined with HellishHorse, are favoured as mounts by Druchii sorceresses, including Morathi herself. |
| 157 | * {{Pirates}}: As Naggaroth is so barren, the Druchii are constantly raiding other lands for goods and slaves. This in turn has made them the most infamous and prolific seaborne raiders in the world. This aspect of the faction is represented on the battlefield by the Black Ark Corsairs, vicious reavers largely responsible for providing Naggaroth with a steady flow of slaves and who march to battle with the rest of the Druchii legions when called to war. |
| 158 | * ThePowerOfHate: It would be fair to say that the Dark Elves are practically fueled by this concept. Their entire race is both consumed and driven by their hatred for the High Elves, and for nearly all the other races for that matter. The mindset is perhaps best exemplified by a quote from the ''Literature/MalusDarkblade'' novel series: |
| 159 | -->'''Malus Darkblade:''' Through hate all things are possible, and my hate is strong. |
| 160 | * PowerUpLetDown: The titles presented to Dread Lords can be underwhelming, depending on which of the randomly given two you're presented with. |
| 161 | * PraetorianGuard: The Black Guard of Naggarond, the personal guard of Malekith himself and the most [[EliteMooks elite warriors]] in all of Naggaroth. Each one is taken as a baby from one of the highest noble families in the capital and put through TrainingFromHell. Each guardsman is then expected to give 200 years of service, which they are highly likely not to survive. Those that do however are guaranteed a place in the elite of Naggarothi society as Malekith's generals and lieutenants. |
| 162 | * ProfessionalKiller: The Khainite Assassins, an order of, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin assassins]], within the Cult of Khaine. All begin as male infants[[note]]The females are trained as Witch Elves[[/note]] abducted from their families on 'Death Night', the most important Dark Elf religious celebration. They are then submitted to the judgement of Khaine by [[WouldHurtAChild being thrown into a cauldron of boiling blood]]. Those favoured by Khaine survive the ordeal and are trained as new assassins. |
| 163 | * ProudWarriorRace: Since the days of Aenarion, the elves of Nagarythe were always the most martially inclined of the elven realms. In the millennia since their descendants have lost none of their warlike nature, becoming a race of AxCrazy [[BloodKnight Blood Knights]] obsessed with [[TheSocialDarwinist Social Darwinism]]. |
| 164 | * PsychoSerum: The Witch Brew imbibed by Death Hags, which sends the drinker into a state of frenzied blood lust. |
| 165 | * RageHelm: Most closed helmets are sculpted in the likeliness of a screaming face, most notably the Executioners' helmet which resembles bone-bleached skulls. Likewise, the Sisters of Slaughter have grimacing golden masks. |
| 166 | * RedBaron: Dark Elves love to give themselves impressive and intimidating titles. See NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast. |
| 167 | * ReligionOfEvil: The Dark Elves worship the Cytharai, the gods of the elven underworld, most prominently [[WarGod Khaela Mensha Khaine]], the lord of war and murder. While the other elven races try to appease these deities, outright worshipping them is frowned upon.[[note]](The priests of those deities among other elven factions preach restraint, only beseeching them in appropriate situations and seeking to avoid their attention and wrath otherwise.)[[/note]] The Dark Elves have no such reservations. |
| 168 | * RapePillageAndBurn: They tend to inflict this on costals settlements all over the world. In-game, they're even encouraged to do so, as they get bonus gold for raiding ''and'' gain slaves by doing so. |
| 169 | * RavenHairIvorySkin: Almost all Dark Elves are tall, dark, and handsome, a stark contrast to their [[PlentyOfBlondes fairer]], [[HairOfGoldHeartOfGold generally nicer]] cousins. |
| 170 | * {{Sadist}}: One of their defining characteristics. You would be hard-pressed to find a Dark Elf who isn't one. It says a lot that they have been called "the cruelest of all mortal races" in various ''Warhammer'' sourcebooks, considering the competition they have. |
| 171 | * ScaryImpracticalArmour: Dark Elf armour, particularly that of high-ranking individuals, tends to emphasize intimidation over practicality. [[SpikesOfVillainy Spikes, blades]] and other such adornments are especially common. |
| 172 | * SeaMonster: The Druchii employ numerous oceanic monstrosities in addition to land-bound creatures such as the Hydra. Most of these are utilized by Naggaroth's naval forces, often pulling black arks, but the nightmarish Kharibdyss is noteworthy due to it's ability to fight on land. Resembling a hideous amalgamation of hydra, Kraken and lamprey, these monstrosities dwell in the abyssal depths of Naggaroth's seas and are infamous for the effort required to both locate and subjugate one, to say nothing of their power and ferocity once goaded into battle. As such, they bring great wealth and prestige to any beastmaster able to acquire one. In-game the Kharibdyss serves as a poisonous anti-large monster, but are more than capable of tearing through infantry formations as well. |
| 173 | * SinisterScimitar: In contrast to the Asur, who usually prefer straight-bladed swords, the Druchii tend to favour curved, jagged blades. |
| 174 | * SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: The Dark Elven kingdom was built on the backs of countless slaves, who to this day form the backbone of its economy and workforce. This focus on slavery is often used to emphasize just how vile the Druchii are. In-game, the Dark Elves use slaves as a secondary resource which can be utilized to enhance their economy, or [[HumanSacrifice sacrificed]] to perform various rites. However, having too many slaves in one place with too-lax oversight may cause [[SlaveLiberation public order issues]]. |
| 175 | * SnakePeople: The Medusa are very snake-like, and fully count as SnakesAreSexy. |
| 176 | * TheSocialDarwinist: Druchii society runs on this philosophy. In Naggaroth, if you aren't strong, ruthless, and cunning you are dead. |
| 177 | * SpikesOfVillainy: Like the Warriors of Chaos the Dark Elves are very fond of these, both in their armour and in their architecture. |
| 178 | * StormOfBlades: The aptly named Bladewind spell, which conjures a vortex of spectral blades to carve through enemy ranks. |
| 179 | * TokenGoodTeammate: Downplayed with the Executioners of Har Ganeth. They're ''still'' cold and ruthless killers, but unlike ''practically'' every other Dark Elf, they do not torture, they kill swiftly and cleanly, and fight with both pride and honor, being ''saints'' compared to the rest. |
| 180 | * TradingBarsForStripes: One research upgrade mentions that Dark Elf criminals are quite willing to serve in the army... once it's made clear the alternative is death. |
| 181 | * UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: The Dark Elves are ''behind'' ''a lot'' of what makes the ''Warhammer'' universe the CrapsackWorld we all know and love in the background lore, knowingly or not. First, they indirectly caused the War of the Beard, driving a permanent wedge between the High Elves and Dwarfs, along with weakening both sides so they struggled alone to deal with various subsequent disasters and invasions. Second, they have also "allied" the forces of Chaos on several occasions, along with distracting the Lizardmen from their anti-Chaos duties. In addition, a few Dark Elf sorcerers washed up on the shores of Nehekhara, where they ended up teaching Nagash Dark Magic, which caused him to invent necromancy, creating all undead by extension, and caused a massive apocalyptic mess that was only stopped by '''[[EvenEvilHasStandards the Skaven]]''' of all races. And while the Dark Elves aren't always aware of their actions causing problems for the other races, they'd likely just consider it an amusing bonus if they found out. |
| 182 | * TheVamp: Dark Elves are known to be great seducers and, due to their love for [[TheHedonist hedonism]] and debauchery. This is especially true of the Cult of Pleasure, whose members are said to [[SexGod excel in the arts of carnal pleasure]]. This is the main reason why Slaanesh has such an influence amongst their culture, despite Malekith constantly trying to put it down. |
| 183 | * WarGod: The Elven FantasyPantheon includes Khaela Mensha Khaine, the god of war and murder, and all Elven factions venerate him to some degree. But while the other Elven nations treat Khaine worship as situational, emphasizing restraint and the need for propriety when committing violence, the Dark Elves make thuggish Khaine worship a central part of their spiritual life, seeking to invoke his favor by the forceful taking of unwilling life in their ReligionOfEvil. |
| 184 | * WhipOfDominance: The Dark Elves, or the Druchii as a whole are commonly associated with whips, due to their sadistic and hedonist culture that is obsessed with domination in all its forms: |
| 185 | ** Dark Elf slave overseers and taskmasters carry whips in order to control and [[ATasteOfTheLash punish slaves]]. They're so sadistic with their whips that they often go overboard, which is partly why dark elf slaves are known to meet a premature end. |
| 186 | ** [[TheBeastMaster Dark Elf beastmasters]] are known to be [[BadPeopleAbuseAnimals extremely cruel]] in handling and taming their animals, from horses to War Hydras and other BeastOfBattle. This is symbolized by their weapon of choice being long barbed whips, which they don't only use to just tame and goad their beasts, since these whips are ''designed'' to inflict pain on large thick-skinned monsters, making them quite deadly against conventional enemies. |
| 187 | ** Sisters of Slaughter are a [[AmazonBrigade female unit]] of gladiatrixes armed with barded whips designed to mutilate their enemies. They are infamous for their fanatical devotion to Khaine (The elven god of murder) and they fight with sadistic glee. |
| 188 | * WickedCultured: Dark Elves are no less urbane than their cousins, just instead of sipping wine from glasses to music, they prefer drinking drug-laced blood to the sounds of tortured prisoners. This is really underlined when Malekith fights a host of Chaos warriors in one of his quest battles, and he states that the Dark Elves' idea of torture is much more refined and inventive than ''theirs''. Let that sink in for a bit. |
| 189 | * WizardingSchool: The dark convent of Ghrond is the [[AcademyOfEvil evil]] version of this trope; training Naggarothi sorceresses in the ways of TheDarkArts. As one would expect, many prospective sorceresses never live to see graduation. Furthermore, if the Dark Elves take the White Tower of Hoeth it will be [[EvilMakeover corrupted]] into a similar institution. |
| 190 | * YourSoulIsMine: |
| 191 | ** It is stated that upon death, all Dark Elves souls are either consumed by Slaanesh or enslaved to Ereth Khial, as no one feels the desire to protect dead and irrelevant souls. It only serves to fuel further atrocities as Dark Elves believe that since they will suffer one of two horrible fates, they might as well live to the fullest and make everyone suffer. |
| 192 | ** Doomfire Warlocks revolve entirely on this trope. Being male sorcerers, Malekith curses them and so Slaanesh has a direct grip on their souls. Directly feeling a Chaos God’s claw around their souls, the Doomfire Warlocks will do anything to stall Slaanesh, stealing others’ souls and making offerings to the Dark Prince to stave off their inevitable devouring. |
| 193 | [[/folder]] |
| 194 | |
| 195 | !Legendary Lords |
| 196 | |
| 197 | [[folder:Malekith]] |
| 198 | !! Malekith, the Witch-King of Naggaroth |
| 199 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/8e93s0eon44s.png]] |
| 200 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Ulthuan will be mine!"'']] |
| 201 | ->''"Those that thought to betray me, know that I hold no grudge, for betrayal is part of our way. But now... now I expect you to die for me."'' |
| 202 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RamonTikaram |
| 203 | |
| 204 | Malekith, the Witch King of Naggaroth, is the ruler of the Dark Elves, or Druchii as they refer to themselves, and the son of Phoenix King Aenarion, the greatest Elven hero to have ever lived. Malekith is ancient and powerful beyond mortal reckoning, a being who has lived for thousands upon thousands of years, gathering a great treasure trove of magical power that few can rival within the world. Long ago, this mighty Lord of the Elven race sought to claim the Isles of Ulthuan by sheer force of will, cruelty and bloodshed, but the Flames of Asuryan denied his right to rule and left him scarred by fire and twisted with hatred. |
| 205 | \ |
| 206 | Near death, Malekith would be taken away and healed by his mother, Morathi and taken to the lands of Nagarythe. From there, Malekith was encased in a suit of magical black-metal, the plates literally searing itself upon Malekith's own flesh. To the brow of the great horned helmet was welded the Circlet of Iron, and with his body transformed, Malekith took the persona of the Destroyer and now sought to reclaim that which was denied to him. |
| 207 | \ |
| 208 | In the years since, Malekith has lead many great wars against the High Elven usurpers, but each time has been undone by cruel fate or the incompetence of his craven underlings. Yet the Witch King is immortal and knows he will outlast those who foolishly believe themselves his betters. The day is fast approaching where old debts and insults will finally be paid, and Malekith will do anything within his power to hasten its arrival. Malekith firmly believes that if he can't rule Ulthuan, then no one else will. |
| 209 | \ |
| 210 | Malekith leads the Naggarond sub-faction, which always starts in control of the titular Druchii capital, in northern Naggaroth. In ''The Eye of the Vortex'', this is in the Naggarond province. In ''Mortal Empires'' the province has been merged with that of the Chill Road and uses the latter's name. In ''Immortal Empires'' it is in a separate province again, named the Iron Foothills. |
| 211 | ---- |
| 212 | * TwentyFourHourArmor: As stated previously, Malekith is permanently trapped inside his armor, which was fused to his ruined flesh while still hot from the forge. Pieces of lore even state that the armor plates were actually riveted to his bones. |
| 213 | * TheAce: Before his fall he was considered as possibly the greatest general and warrior in all of Ulthuan, as well as a sorcerer of prodigious skill. [[TheParagonAlwaysRebels Naturally]], this [[{{Pride}} went to his head]]. |
| 214 | * AntagonisticOffspring: Zig-Zagged. Malekith does not trust his mother by any stretch of the imagination, and primarily keeps her close in order to keep an eye on her. He also knew very well that it was Morathi who organized the death of his wife, Allisara, and while he publicly forgave his mother, he forbade any aid being sent to her and didn't shed any tears when the vengeful Wood Elves breached Ghrond. That said, he may end up patching things up with her (kinda) during the campaign unless the player deliberately brings conflict between them, and the allegations that [[VillainousIncest his mother was also his lover]] further muddy the waters. |
| 215 | * AntiVillain: Of the NobleDemon and JerkassWoobie variant. He's alot more sympathetic when you know his backstory, as well. |
| 216 | * AnnoyingArrows: In the Dark Elves In-Engine Trailer, arrows harmlessly plink off Malekith's armor as he slaughters a squad of trapped High-Elven warriors. [[FridgeBrilliance In both the lore and the tabletop game]], Malekith was depicted as being all but impervious to non magical damage. Of course, in the game itself this is toned down to 20% physical resistance for balance reasons. |
| 217 | * ArchEnemy: A number of characters can be said to have filled this role to Malekith over his long existence. Currently he seems to hold the most enmity for the twins Tyrion and Teclis, particularly the latter, who were largely responsible for thwarting his latest major invasion of Ulthuan at The Battle of Finuval Plain. Alith Anar, however is his ultimate nemesis, being the crown prince of his old home, Nagarythe, and the one person who's been a continual thorn in his side for the last five ''thousand'' years. Alith's notable acts include: foiling invasion after invasion preventing Malekith from claiming his so-called birthright, stealing one of his most precious possessions, the Shadow Crown of Nagarythe (which is held by its true ruler) and in general being one colossal problem. It's said, whilst Malekith has respect for some others, the only person he's truly afraid of is Alith Anar. |
| 218 | * ArtifactOfDoom: The Circlet of Iron, an ancient crown of unknown origin which Malekith found in a primordial ruined city before The Sundering. The crown enhances the arcane abilities of the wearer, but also appears to exert a malign influence over them, encouraging the study of dark magic. It's heavily implied that wearing the circlet took a [[SanitySlippage heavy toll on Malekith's sanity]]. |
| 219 | * AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: The Dark Elves [[TheSocialDarwinist respect strength above all else]] and ultimately, regardless of birth rights or any other such claim, Malekith's authority hinges on the fact that he is the most powerful being in Naggaroth. A fact which he is fully aware of. In-game this is reflected by one of his lord traits: any lord with a higher level than Malekith has a chance to [[TheStarscream lose loyalty and potentially rebel]], on account of believing themselves stronger than him. |
| 220 | * AxCrazy: The flames of Asuryan ravaged more than just his body. On a good day he's a cold pragmatist bent on conquest, on a bad day a raging psychopath who would see the world destroyed for the sake of his own pride and vengeance. |
| 221 | * TheBadGuyWins: In the event of a Dark Elf campaign victory, he uses the potion he made to drain the power of the Vortex within himself, making him powerful enough to become a minor god, supercharging his ability to conquer the world. |
| 222 | * BadassBoast: He's fond of these in general, but his speech during the Circlet of Iron quest battle manages to stand out, due to ''[[TheLegionsOfHell Chaos Warriors]]'' being the recipients of his disdainful comments about how slaughtering them all will be simply a tedious chore. |
| 223 | * BadassCape: A rather regal looking red one, fit for a king you might say. |
| 224 | * BadBoss: Malekith does ''not'' tolerate failure or dissent from his underlings and is more than willing to inflict [[FateWorseThanDeath horrific]] punishments on servants who [[YouHaveFailedMe disappoint]] him. Or simply to ensure their complete cooperation, as seen by his blackmail of the sorceress Felicion. However, he is also said to be generous when rewarding success; but one can only stay on his good side for so long... |
| 225 | * BeingEvilSucks: Ultimately, the path Malekith took led to just more pain for him, the death of everyone he loved, and has left him perpetually bitter towards life. The fluff implies, deep down, he ''knows it'' and secretly despises himself, but chooses to continue on because [[IveComeTooFar he feels since he's started the path, there's no turning back anymore]]. |
| 226 | * BigBad: To the High Elves, being the primary instigator of [[CivilWar The Sundering]] and Ulthuan's greatest and most persistent foe for thousands of years. |
| 227 | * BlasphemousBoast: |
| 228 | ** His speech before the Destroyer quest battle has him blaspheming against Vaul, the elven smith-god. |
| 229 | -->'''Malekith:''' Let the king approach the god, and have the god kneel! (...) Vaul will deign to bless my sword; he will marvel at my creation -- or I will destroy all of his! |
| 230 | ** In his Circlet of Iron speech, he makes a point of noting that he intends to claim the Chaos shrine not in Khaine's name, but in his own. |
| 231 | * BlingOfWar: His armour is as gilded and ornate as it is frightening. |
| 232 | * BloodKnight: Unsurprisingly, he thrives in battle. |
| 233 | -->'''Malekith:''' I crave battle! |
| 234 | * BodyHorror: Courtesy of the Flames of Asuryan. Whatever he looks like under that armour, you can bet it isn't pleasant. Furthermore, some interpretations of the Armor of Midnight state that it's ''riveted to his bones''. |
| 235 | * ClassicVillain: Malekith embodies [[AmbitionIsEvil Ambition]], {{Pride}} and [[GreenEyedMonster Envy]]. |
| 236 | * CoolSword: His blade, '''The Destroyer''', a [[{{BFS}} large]] [[SinisterScimitar falchion]] forged by Malekith's own hand and named to symbolize his determination to annihilate the High Elves and all their works. |
| 237 | * CrownOfHorns: His RageHelm includes two sets of large, hooked horns on either side of his head, giving him a regal appearance and [[HornsOfVillainy an utterly menacing silhouette]]. |
| 238 | * DarkLordOnLifeSupport: A {{downplayed|Trope}} example, but Malekith's body is covered head-to-toe in burns [[WoundThatWillNotHeal that have remained agonizingly fresh for centuries]], and the Armor of Midnight was created to help alleviate the constant pain. |
| 239 | * DeadlyGaze: Implied by the unique bound spell "Gaze of Malice", which is a tear-shaped magical attack. The description even says "If looks could kill... Oh wait, it turns out they can..." |
| 240 | * DragonRider: Malekith rides to war upon the Black Dragon named Seraphon, a particularly vicious and ill-tempered creature even by the standards of her breed. It's said that upon hatching, her first act was attempting to destroy the eggs of her siblings. Malekith, impressed by her ruthlessness and savagery, took the young dragon as his own. |
| 241 | * TheDreaded: Malekith is unquestionably one of the single most feared beings in the setting, inspiring dread in anyone from Asur Princes to Chaos Warlords. It says a lot when you can keep a race of bloodthirsty psychopaths in line mostly through the sheer terror you inspire. Fittingly, in-game he causes fear right off the bat, and terror once mounted on Seraphon. |
| 242 | * EliteArmy: Malekith's campaign skills grant a significant upkeep reduction to Black Guard, allowing him to amass an army of EliteMooks at a greatly reduced cost. |
| 243 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Holds nothing but respect and admiration for his father Aenarion, and in his youth much of his behavior was born out of a [[WellDoneSonGuy desire to emulate him and prove a worthy successor]]. He also holds affection for his mother Morathi, [[VillainousIncest too much according to some]], although their relationship is rather volatile at the best of times. |
| 244 | ** He dearly loved his [[TheLostLenore dead wife, Allisara]], even after falling to darkness. Part of the hatred that plagues his complicated love/hate relationship with his mother is derived from the fact Morathi had her murdered, which nearly caused him to murder her in a fit of extreme rage. |
| 245 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: ''Deeply'' despises Chaos in all forms, and will massacre any Chaos followers he comes across (with the exception of his mother, though her dealings with Chaos-aligned people have caused friction between the two in the past). In fact, one of the reasons he desired to be Phoenix King so intensely was a genuine belief that only he could lead the elves against the forces of Chaos with any hope of victory. He has no problem trying to dominate or enslave various Chaos forces and entities for his own benefit however, so his attitude towards Chaos seems to lean into EvilerThanThou nowadays, at least in his own mind. In his speech before the Circlet of Iron quest battle he even seems downright ''dismissive'' of the Chaos Warriors sent to oppose him. |
| 246 | -->'''Malekith:''' These Chaos dredges bore me. At least with the Asur I can enjoy their death screams. Yet it is a labour that must be undertaken. ... Savants of the desperate gods, I advise you stay out of my way! If not, you shall face the might of the Druchii, and our ways of killing are far more inventive than your own! |
| 247 | ** He also chides his mother for her extreme pettiness in the vortex campaign intro cinematic. |
| 248 | * EvilFormerFriend: Before he fell to evil Malekith was a close friend to the Dwarfen high king of the time, Snorri Whitebeard, who is heavily hinted to be the true identity of Grombrindal, the White Dwarf. |
| 249 | * EvilIsBigger: Malekith is noted in the lore to be of far greater stature than a mortal elf [[note]]and Elves are naturally tall to begin with[[/note]]. In the vortex campaign intro he clearly ''towers'' over Felicion and Morathi [[note]]the latter of whom is typically described as tall herself[[/note]], and of course his in-game model is as oversized as other lords; which is actually [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in his case. The exact reason for his unnatural stature is unknown. |
| 250 | * EvilIsHammy: He's about as dramatic and grandiose as you'd expect. When speaking normally, such as his lines on the campaign map or in the trailer, he leans toward ColdHam; before crossing straight over into LargeHam on the battlefield. |
| 251 | -->'''Malekith:''' ATTEND ME! |
| 252 | * EvilOverlord: An ancient, tyrannical sorcerer-king clad head to toe in black armour who rules a desolate wasteland from a massive dark citadel and has aspirations of global conquest. Malekith is one of the straightest examples of this trope to be found in the ''Warhammer'' world.[[note]]Indeed he plays the trope straighter than even Archaon, who is more of an OmnicidalManiac.[[/note]] |
| 253 | * TheEvilPrince: Before openly trying to declare himself Phoenix King he was this, though [[FallenHero not to begin with]] and not towards his own father, whom he idolized. |
| 254 | * EvilSorcerer: An immensely powerful practitioner of dark magic, he isn't known as "The Witch King" for nothing. |
| 255 | * EvilSoundsDeep: He has a cold, deep, and metallic voice. |
| 256 | * EvilUncle: Although distantly related, he is this to both Tyrion and Teclis as they share the blood of Aenarion and he has clashed with the twins a few times during his invasions of Ulthuan. |
| 257 | * {{Expy}}: Between his backstory and his looks he is in many ways a fantasy version of [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader.]] Creative Assembly have rather leaned into this by having one of the Dark Elf trailers give Malekith his own version of Vader's corridor scene from Film/RogueOne and have a piece of random dialogue in which Malekith declares [[Film/AttackOfTheClones "I don't like snow."]] |
| 258 | * FallenHero: Once he was one of Ulthuan's greatest champions. Now he is its bitterest foe. |
| 259 | * FounderOfTheKingdom: Malekith was the one who established and built up the civilization of the Dark Elves more than 5,000 years ago. |
| 260 | * HotBlooded: Malekith's anger is very easy to rouse; his Circlet of Iron quest chain even references his "legendary" temper. |
| 261 | * LeakedExperience: He has a trait that causes him to leak a portion of all experience he earns to other lords in his faction, enabling Naggarond lords to steadily grow in power even if they're mostly consigned to supporting/defensive roles while Malekith does the heavy fighting. It also brings the threat of them gaining too much experience if they're actively fighting battles and becoming a higher level than him, which causes their loyalty to swiftly plummet. |
| 262 | * LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: The Supreme Spellshield, which grants the wielder [[AntiMagic enhanced resistance to magical attacks]] and drains the magical reserves of casters in its immediate vicinity. |
| 263 | * MagicKnight: A powerful sorcerer and a mighty warrior. |
| 264 | * MalevolentMaskedMan: The face plate of his helm is a snarling golden mask, and he is definitely malevolent. |
| 265 | * ManipulativeBastard: One of his specialties. It was largely due to the machinations of Malekith that the infamous [[ElvesVersusDwarves War of Vengeanance/War of the Beard]] began. By sending agents disguised as High Elves to ambush Dwarfen trade caravans he set the two races at each other's throats, ultimately culminating in one of the most destructive wars in ''Warhammer'' history. A war from which neither the Dwarfs or High Elves have ever fully recovered or forgiven each other for. [[LikeFatherLikeSon Like mother, like son]] after all. |
| 266 | * MookHorrorShow: During the Dark Elves trailer he showcases his power by emulating Darth Vader's famous airlock scene from ''Film/RogueOne'' on High Elven {{Red Shirt}}s. |
| 267 | * NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: '''Malekith the Witch King''' is not the name or title of a friendly person. Indeed the root words that make up the name Malekith suggest a meaning along the lines of "friend of evil". |
| 268 | * NobleDemon: While Malekith may be a cruel, ruthless and treacherous tyrant, with one of the worst tempers this side of the Chaos Wastes, he has still managed to retain a certain degree of honor and responsibility. At least on a good day. It's also worth noting that, in general, his personality seems to be defined by either [[PragmaticVillainy cold pragmatism]] or [[HotBlooded pure rage]] and he usually seems less prone to the acts of [[ItAmusedMe pointless]] sadism associated with his subjects. Considering that Malekith was [[FallenHero born a prince of Ulthuan]] it isn't that surprising he would retain at least some [[EvenEvilHasStandards standards]]. By contrast most living Druchii were born into the corrupt and twisted society of Naggaroth, and have had their values shaped accordingly. |
| 269 | * OffWithHisHead!: His unique kill animation has him lopping of the head of whatever unfortunate infantry unit he happens to be fighting at the time. |
| 270 | * OneManArmy: With his high stats, magical prowess, good mount selection, and a plethora of special abilities and items, there is very little he can't handle; ''especially'' once he has been sufficiently leveled up. It's not just possible but ''likely'' for a player to get hundreds or occasionally ''thousands'' of kills with him per battle. Of course, this means he doesn't come cheap; in custom/multiplayer games a fully kitted out Malekith is currently ''the'' most expensive lord in the game. |
| 271 | * ParentalIncest: Rumors have gone around to this effect about him and his mother, which may well be actually true based on Morathi's interactions with him, and yet it still wouldn't be the worst thing he's ever done. |
| 272 | * PetTheDog: |
| 273 | ** [[spoiler: At the climax of the Dark Elf campaign he actually honours his word to the now deceased Felicion by giving her soul cage to her brother Shadowblade, allowing the assassin to possibly resurrect her. Even noting that the sorceress had served him well. He still tempers this by warning against any plots against him though.]] |
| 274 | ** One of his diplomatic lines toward Lizardmen (if friendly) has him call their dedication to the Old Ones "touching, but foolish". |
| 275 | ** He's oddly... affectionate(?) towards friendly Skaven. He claims that even though he doesn't really trust them, he is quite intrigued by their particular culture, and will admonish them like a father if they make a diplomatic request he declines. |
| 276 | * PhysicalGod: At the end of the Dark Elf Vortex Campaign, [[spoiler:he becomes this after drinking the ritual potion and absorbing the vortex into himself]]. |
| 277 | * ThePowerOfHate: All Dark Elves are vicious and hateful creatures, but Malekith makes them all look like amateurs. He will destroy the world if it means attaining his vengeance, and it's been implied that only his hate allows him to bear the combination of his armor and the still-smouldering Flames of Asuryan that burn within him. |
| 278 | * ProudWarriorRaceGuy: As the son of the legendary warrior king Aenarion, and the prince of Nagarythe, the most warlike of all the elven realms, Malekith was always one of these. This actually proved detrimental when he was passed over as phoenix king due to the belief he would be too harsh and bloodthirsty to rule in an age of peace, setting the stage for his eventual betrayal. |
| 279 | * RageHelm: As noted above his helm sports a golden mask styled after a snarling face. |
| 280 | * RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: His general colour scheme, black armour and a red cape, screams this trope. |
| 281 | * RightfulKingReturns: His overriding obsession. Malekith sees himself as the one true king of the elves and will stop at nothing to achieve this. He would rather Ulthuan, and the world itself, be destroyed than see it in the hands of another. |
| 282 | * ScaryImpracticalArmor: Elements such as the various spikes and the horns on his helmet would make his armor rather impractical if it, and he, were purely mundane. But it is one of the more heavily enchanted sets of armor in the setting, [[TwentyFourHourArmor he never removes it]], [[DarkLordOnLifeSupport ever]], and his considerable magical talents more than make up for what might get in the way of his fighting. |
| 283 | * SecretTestOfCharacter: Failed one of these and paid a heavy price for it. The Phoenix Kings of Ulthuan undergo one by stepping into a massive arcane pyre called the Flames of Asuryan, which are said to only spare those who are fated to be the true, rightful ruler of Ulthuan. After murdering the second Phoenix King, Malekith attempted to legitimize his usurpation by entering the Flames, only to end up being nearly charred to a crisp, [[WoundThatWillNotHeal and the burns continue to eat away at him even millenniums later]]. The [[DarkLordOnLifeSupport Armor of Midnight]], and his [[TheDeterminator overpowering]] [[ThePowerOfHate hatred]], are what allow Malekith to live and function. |
| 284 | * TheSocialDarwinist: Malekith actually encourages the brutal infighting in Dark Elf society in order to cull the weak and keep his people strong. |
| 285 | * SorcerousOverlord: It's literally his title, "The Witch King of Naggaroth". |
| 286 | * SpikesOfVillainy: His armour is bristling with spikes and blades of various kinds. |
| 287 | * TheStarscream: Not Malekith himself, but he does have a character trait that makes all the lords under him into one. They take a ''serious'' [[YouLoseAtZeroTrust penalty to their loyalty score]] if they ever exceed him in level. |
| 288 | * StartOfDarkness: The seeds of his were ultimately sown when Bel Shanaar was elected king rather than him, though they took a long time to fully bear fruit. |
| 289 | * TakeOverTheWorld: His ultimate ambition is to create a globe spanning elven empire where he reigns supreme over all mortal beings. Of course to even attempt this he must first achieve his most immediate goal of claiming Ulthuan for himself. |
| 290 | * TimeAbyss: Malekith was born during the days of the first great Chaos incursion, making him one of the oldest mortal beings in the ''Warhammer'' world. |
| 291 | * TinTyrant: Completely encased in an irremovable suit of black armour called the Armour of Midnight. In addition to providing protection on the battlefield the suit also keeps Malekith's ruined body alive after he was ravaged by the Flames of Asuryan. |
| 292 | * TragicBromance: His relationship with Snorri Whitebeard in a nutshell. Snorri's death drove Malekith to [[DespairEventHorizon ''complete despair'']], further darkening his outlook on the world and pushing him further down the path of darkness. He even reflected later that "Part of him had died with that noble dwarf". |
| 293 | * TyrantTakesTheHelm: [[spoiler: It's possible to ''take'' the Phoenix Shrine (now known as the "Corrupted Shrine of Asuryan") from the High Elves, and for Malekith to proclaim himself the true Phoenix King. It grants a ''massive'' diplomacy buff to ''both'' Dark Elves, and High Elves, allowing you to easily confederate or form vassals, implying the High Elves suffered a race-wide FaceHeelTurn out of fear.]] |
| 294 | * WeaponAcrossTheShoulder: His stance when standing idle or moving. |
| 295 | * WoundThatWillNotHeal: The severe burns he sustained across his body when he entered the Flames of Asuryan remain fresh, even millennia after he got them. The Armor of Midnight was designed specifically to alleviate the endless pain and allow Malekith to function. |
| 296 | * YourSoulIsMine: Keeps the soul of Felicion Heartkeeper to ensure that she does not betray him. [[spoiler: Though it was Morathi who stole it in the first place.]] |
| 297 | [[/folder]] |
| 298 | |
| 299 | [[folder:Morathi]] |
| 300 | !! Queen Morathi, the Hag Sorceress of Ghrond |
| 301 | [[quoteright:268:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/morathi_total_war.png]] |
| 302 | [[caption-width-right:268: ''"Heed me or perish."'']] |
| 303 | ->''"My son will learn that I am not a doll that can be cast aside when he tires of me! I shall take this sanctuary, and from the souls within compose a song of screams and torment."'' |
| 304 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/NatashaLittle |
| 305 | |
| 306 | After the Witch King himself, Morathi is the single most powerful Dark Elf in all of Naggaroth. Born to scheming and politics, and a talented sorceress, Morathi has spent five thousand years teaching her son all she knows of statecraft and magic, and works to maintain his grip on the throne of Naggaroth. Morathi is totally dedicated to her son, as he is to her. Between them they rule Naggaroth with an iron grip and bloodied sword. |
| 307 | \ |
| 308 | Morathi has always had the taint of Chaos about her – She met with Malekith's father, Aenarion, when the Elven lord rescued her from a Chaos attack. Many believe that it was during her time as a captive that the insidious claws of the Dark Gods first crept into her soul. It was Morathi who founded the Cult of Pleasure on Ulthuan, which eventually led to bloody civil war and the cataclysm of the Sundering. Morathi was the first to perfect the Dark Art, opening up gateways to the realms of Chaos to steal vast and unimaginable powers. Combined with her stunning beauty and keen intellect, it is Morathi's magical abilities that allow her to hold sway over her enemies. |
| 309 | \ |
| 310 | Morathi leads the Cult of Pleasure sub-faction. In ''The Eye of the Vortex'', she begins the game in the Iron Peaks of southern Naggaroth. In ''Mortal Empires'' and ''Immortal Empires'', she starts in the same area, but the province has been renamed to Titan Peaks. |
| 311 | ---- |
| 312 | * AdaptationalModesty: As hard as it might be to believe due to how revealing her outfit is in-game, she used to wear ''even less'' in the tabletop game! |
| 313 | * AdaptationalSexuality: In the prequel short story "The Mage and the Sorceress" she violently forces herself upon, and [[DepravedBisexual kisses Felicion]] after defeating her in a WizardDuel. Nowhere in the original lore is she implied to enjoy the company of other women. Of course this act may have been simply intended to [[TakeThatKiss mock her defeated rival]], rather than indicating any genuine attraction. |
| 314 | * AdaptationDistillation: Morathi's portrayal in this game features her pre-8th edition characterization as an independent-yet-malevolent active force, but also brings back concepts of her character that were benched in previous editions for one reason or another: her worship of the Chaos God Slaanesh, the subtext of an incestuous relationship with her son, her and Malekith being on tense terms and occasionally being at each other's throats... |
| 315 | * AlienBlood: In the ebook ''The Mage and the Sorceress'', she stabs herself with Felicion's knife to smugly illustrate how pointless such an action is. The blood that comes out of her wound is described as [[BlackBlood black and viscous.]] |
| 316 | * TheArchmage: The greatest Druchii sorceress and one of the most powerful magic users in the world. Only Teclis, Nagash, or the Slann can match or exceed her. In-game, this is demonstrated by the fact she's one of the few characters that has the Greater Arcane Conduit ability. |
| 317 | * AxCrazy: PlayedWith, she usually keeps a [[FauxAffablyEvil mocking if polite facade]] but when it drops she's possibly even ''more'' insane than her son. |
| 318 | -->'''Morathi:''' This world, and everything that's in it, will burn! |
| 319 | * BadBoss: Even by Druchii standards. She has a tendency to berate, abuse and outright murder her subordinates for the slightest infractions. Or sometimes simply out of boredom. |
| 320 | * BeautyIsBad: She's an EvilSorcerer who is considered one of the WorldsMostBeautifulWoman. It's heavily implied her supernatural beauty is related to her worship of the chaos god Slaanesh. |
| 321 | * BeautyIsBest: She's a ProudBeauty, and sometimes seems to value it even more than her considerable magical power and cleverness. |
| 322 | * CassandraTruth: She received visions about the coming of Chaos since she was a child, but none of the elves believed her warnings. It outraged her back then, but now she looks back on it with amusement and proof of Asur foolishness. |
| 323 | * TheCorrupter: Acted as this to Malekith, being one of the principle causes of his fall to evil. When he was alive she also served as this to Aenarion. |
| 324 | * TheCorruption: She and her faction spread Chaos corruption, thanks to her various dealings with the Dark Gods. |
| 325 | * CurbStompBattle: Fights a brief and very one-sided WizardDuel against Felicion in the prequel short. |
| 326 | * DarkActionGirl: In addition to her magic Morathi is no slouch in physical combat either. Notably, and unusually for a spellcaster, her skill tree features a full line of combat upgrades. |
| 327 | * DealWithTheDevil: The Chaos Gods, and Slaanesh especially. |
| 328 | * DistractedByTheSexy: [[WorldsMostBeautifulWoman Extremely beautiful and seductive]], even by elven standards. So much so that she even has a skill called "Enchanting Beauty" which weakens enemy troops in her vicinity out of the sheer desire her visage provokes. |
| 329 | * DragonWithAnAgenda: Officially Malekith is the ultimate authority in Naggaroth, with Morathi as his chief counsellor and general NumberTwo. However she finds it far easier to ensure others accept her son's authority than accept it herself, and indeed brooks no outside interference to her rule at her personal fortress of Ghrond. Originally she even wanted to use her son as a political pawn to rule over Ulthaun and later Naggaroth but Malkeith was able to retain his fierce independence, much to her dismay. It remains to be seen if she and her son can maintain their tense power dynamic or fall at each other's throats. |
| 330 | * EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Morathi's skin is almost unnaturally pale, likely as a result of her millennia-long immersion in dark magic. It's often used to contrast with her long dark hair. |
| 331 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: In spite of her villainy she is said to have genuinely loved her husband Aenarion, in her own twisted way. Likewise for her son Malekith. |
| 332 | * EvenTheGirlsWantHer: So darkly enchanting and utterly beautiful, her aura that causes men to hesitate to attack her for her unmatched looks also affects female units. |
| 333 | * EvilCounterpart: Essentially one to the High Elven Everqueens, in particular Astarielle, the first wife of Aenarion. It could even be said that Morathi embodies the darkness of the elven spirit in the same way the Everqueens embody the light. |
| 334 | * EvilIsPetty: She enjoys playing cruel games with her servants out of simple boredom. |
| 335 | * EvilMatriarch: Malekith's mother, the Queen-Mother of the Druchii and one really bad lady. |
| 336 | * EvilSorceress: She's a master of magic and the greatest practitioner of [[BlackMagic Dhar]]. |
| 337 | * ExtremeOmnisexual: As both a follower of Slaanesh and the Elven God of Pleasure, this should be hardly surprising. From [[HornyVikings Norscan Chieftains]], ''entire tribes of Hung'', to [[DepravedBiSexual fellow sorceresses]], all the way to [[VillainousIncest her own son]] [[note]]Allegedly[[/note]], there's ''nothing'' Morathi won't bed. If she wants someone, she'll take them. |
| 338 | * FauxAffablyEvil: Mockingly polite, and courteous, it's all just an act to hide her loathsome true nature. |
| 339 | * FemmeFatale: She has used her great beauty to gain influence and seduce others even before she became corrupted. |
| 340 | * FemmeFatalons: Sports a set of long, black, pointed nails. |
| 341 | * GameplayAndStorySegregation: Morathi's lair is usually in the tower of Ghrond, but instead her faction starts down in the Iron Peaks while Ghrond is controlled by a minor faction. This is given an in-game [[JustifiedTrope Justification]] in the FlavorText for her quest chain, which states Malekith has banished her from Naggaroth proper after a disagreement between the two. The meta reason is that Ghrond is too close to Naggarond, making her and Malekith's start positions far too close. |
| 342 | * GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: The queen mother of the Druchii and one of the most depraved and malevolent individuals in Warhammer canon. |
| 343 | * TheHedonist: Good Sigmar. A worshipper of, depending on the version of the lore you subscribe to, either Atharti, the Elven goddess of pleasure and indulgence, or the Chaos God Slaanesh, the dark prince of pleasure. [[TakeAThirdOption Or perhaps both]]. Morathi will engage in any pleasure of the flesh, be it fine wine, rich food, sex with men and other women, [[InterplayOfSexAndViolence killing]], ''anything''. She even wanted to wait out the end of the world with her husband Anerion in one final, giant sex orgy, and even nearly had him convinced. Her in-game faction is even called "The Cult of Pleasure". |
| 344 | * HotAsHell: In ''Total War: Warhammer III'', the Cult of Pleasure gains the ability to recruit Daemonettes and Exalted Daemonettes, minions of Slaanesh that resemble scantly-clad androgynous humanoids bearing fangs and pincer claws. They're {{Fragile Speedster}}s even compared to Witch Elves, but they have an ArmorPiercingAttack, they spead Fear and have 20% physical resistance, and their Devastating Flanker trait gives them attack bonuses when engaging a target from the flanks or rear. |
| 345 | * ImmortalityImmorality: She's managed to keep herself alive and youthful for well over [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld 7000 years]]. Suffice it to say that the methods she has used to achieve this feat have been anything but pleasant. |
| 346 | * ItsAllAboutMe: Fittingly for a Slaanesh worshipper, she is a narcissist of the highest order, putting herself, her pleasure and her ambitions at the fore in everything she does. The ''only'' exception to this is her son, whom she seems to care for genuinely. Whether or not she cares for him more than herself or at least on the same level is far less clear. [[spoiler:In the final cinematic of the Dark Elf Vortex campaign, she watches him take control of the vortex, taking revenge and becoming king of Ulthuan, and [[SoProudOfYou seems genuinely proud of his achievement]], but one never knows for sure.]] |
| 347 | * KingmakerScenario: She had great influence in pushing Malekith to become Phoenix King of Ulthuan and most of his supporters during the Sundering can be traced back to her. |
| 348 | * LadyOfBlackMagic: Nobody fits this better than Morathi in ''Warhammer Fantasy''. An exceedingly ancient, powerful, and beautiful sorceress who is as cruel and wicked as she is potent, and who utilizes some of the most corrupt and destructive forms of magic in the setting. |
| 349 | * LivingAphrodisiac: Her "Enchanting Beauty" causes enemies around her to be debuffed due to being intoxicated by her beauty. This is heavily implied not to simply occur because she's a HeadTurningBeauty, but as a side-effect of her being favored by Slaanesh. |
| 350 | * LovesMeNot: A variation. In the Dark Elf campaign cinematic, she is scene plucking a rose to decide which of her servants live or die (purely for her own [[{{Sadist}} amuse]][[ItAmusedMe ment]]). This actually prompts Malekith to chide her for her [[EvilIsPetty pettiness]]. |
| 351 | -->'''Malekith:''' The dragon with two tails hangs in the sky, and you amuse yourself with petty games? |
| 352 | * LoveMakesYouEvil: While she was never a good person, much of what Morathi has done was originally for Malekith. Now, that's a bit more difficult to figure out. |
| 353 | * MagicalBarefooter: She's a sorceress who doesn't wear any kind of footwear. Notably, she's the only sorceress who does this. |
| 354 | * MagikarpPower: Compared to the other Dark Elf legendary lords, who all start the game as capable fighters, Morathi takes a while to become truly powerful, starting the game with only one of her spells unlocked on top of being extremely vulnerable in close combat. By late game however she's not only a magical powerhouse but a remarkably durable and effective melee combatant thanks to a laundry list of resistances, items and various other effects. |
| 355 | * TheManBehindTheMan: She aims to be this to Malekith when he reclaims the Throne of the Phoenix King and thinks of herself as this in Naggaroth. Their relationship isn't quite that clear-cut, but she is at the very least heavily responsible for his fall. |
| 356 | * ManipulativeBitch: One of the premier examples in ''Warhammer Fantasy'', her entire existence has been based around scheming and manipulation. Appropriately many of her skills and bonuses reflect this, such as making hero actions 50% cheaper and starting with an additional +20 to diplomatic relations with other dark elf factions, thereby making it easier to sway them to your side. |
| 357 | * MechanicallyUnusualClass: In ''Warhammer II'' she was already unusual amongst the Dark Elfs for [[TheCorruption naturally spreading chaos corruption]] (which was actually an inconvenience when the game first released and she got confederated by other factions, but this was eventually patched). But in ''Warhammer III'' she was updated and now also has unique interactions with Slaanesh corruption and is even able to recruit Daemonettes (both regular and Exalted variants). |
| 358 | * MsFanservice: Not only does she have a very seductive personality, but her {{Stripperiffic}} design is also easily one of the most sexualized in the series. |
| 359 | * NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Morathi's name checks the "sounds like death" box. |
| 360 | * {{Narcissist}}: ''Incredibly'' vain and self-obsessed. She could give Sigvald a run for his money in this department. |
| 361 | * NonIndicativeName: In terms of appearance at least she is about as far from [[EvilMakesYouUgly the traditional meaning of the word hag]] as it is possible to get, as she is considered a strong contender for the title of WorldsMostBeautifulWoman, even if she ''does'' fulfill the "[[TimeAbyss extrmely old]]" and "practitioner of BlackMagic" parts. |
| 362 | * NoSell: Completely shrugs off any of Felicion's attacks in the prequel short, before [[YourSoulIsMine stealing her soul]] with [[HoistByHisOwnPetard her own soul trap]]. |
| 363 | * {{Pegasus}}: Rides the dark pegasus '''Sulephet'''. |
| 364 | * ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: She may look as young as any sorceress, but is actually over 7000 years old and is one of the oldest elves in the setting, having been around even before Chaos invaded. She has only maintained her youth and beauty due to [[ImmortalityImmorality dark rituals]] that she keeps a closely guarded secret. |
| 365 | * ReallyGetsAround: Her reputation for taking lovers is staggering in its scope, and given both her [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld long lifespan]] and [[TheVamp dedication to indulgence]], is hardly an exaggeration. She's taken elves, humans, and even daemons as lovers across her very long life. |
| 366 | * RedRightHand: Her hands and feet appear to be blackened by some form of corruption. |
| 367 | * ReligionOfEvil: Of a different sort than the rest of dark elf society. Morathi operates the Cult of Pleasure, which illegally worships the [[EldritchAbomination Chaos God]] Slaanesh. As a result, Morathi's faction spreads chaos corruption, poisoning the world map wherever she travels. By the third game, her faction is able to recruit [[HotAsHell daemonettes]] as well. |
| 368 | * ReplacementGoldfish: It is made disturbingly clear throughout Warhammer lore that she appears to see Malekith as one for his deceased father Aenarion. How much of one? [[ParentalIncest Too much]], maybe. Meanwhile, she was this herself for Aenarion, after the death of his first wife Astarielle. |
| 369 | * RescueRomance: Fell in love with the warrior Aenarion after he rescued her from a Slaaneshi warband, although even InUniverse some theorize that she had already had become a Slaanesh cultist by then and deliberately seduced Aenarion. |
| 370 | * {{Retcon}}: In previous editions, it was established that Morathi was a follower of the Chaos God, Slaanesh. In 8th edition, she was changed to a worshiper of the Cytharai (the Elven Gods of the Underworld) and devoted to Atharti (the Goddess of Desire and Slaanesh's equivalent). In the second game, despite majorly being based on 8th edition, it is stated [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DJNZjfxWsAAD4W7.jpg:orig here that she is aligned with the Chaos Gods]], likely meaning that she is back to worshipping Slaanesh. However, in-game she can also be heard beseeching various Cytharai gods such as Khaine and Atharti, the flavour text for her quest battle even notes that her current patron is Hekarti, the elven goddess of dark magic. So her portrayal seems to mix both older and newer lore, presenting her as someone willing to deal with any form of malignant entity if she thinks it is to her benefit. |
| 371 | * SexGoddess: As a worshipper of Slaanesh/Atharti and the head of the Cult of Pleasure (which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin) her sexual prowess is second to none among the Druichi. |
| 372 | * SignatureHeadgear: She has a huge gilded headdress she's almost always wearing, to the point is specifically noted that she's ''not'' wearing it when Felicion ambushes her in the privacy of her bedroom. |
| 373 | * SquishyWizard: She's not very durable, probably as a result of her {{Stripperific}} outfit. Before the Sundering, Malekith defeated her in a duel by punching her in the face and capturing her when she was still stunned. In-game she starts off this way, but can become much more durable thanks to her quest items and skill tree, which can grant her regeneration and high resistance. |
| 374 | * {{Stripperiffic}}: Her attire doesn't leave much to the imagination, to say the least. |
| 375 | * ThirdPersonPerson: She has a tendency to speak this way, likely due to [[{{Narcissist}} enjoying the sound of her own name]]. |
| 376 | * TimeAbyss: Though you wouldn't know it by looking at her, Morathi is one of the oldest living mortals in the world, having been born in the days prior to the first great Chaos incursion. |
| 377 | * ToxicFriendInfluence: Or lover in this case, but nevertheless she's been this to both her husband and son, bringing out all their darkest vices and dragging them down the path of darkness. Even when the world was about to come to an end, she convinced Aenarion to host unspeakable orgies of such depravity, instead of fighting back against the never-ending tide of daemons. She succeeded with her son, and nearly did with her husband, if it wasn't for the best efforts of his best friend, Caledor, who inspired him to [[DeathEqualsRedemption die a hero]]. |
| 378 | * VainSorceress: She's a vain ProudBeauty who famously uses dark rituals and magic to preserve her beauty and youth, and keeps it a closely guarded secret. This is partly why Hellebron hates her so much. |
| 379 | * TheVamp: She's a villainous seductress, and has used her skills to manipulate elven society for thousands of years. Even after The Sundering, it's not unusual for her to manage to get rival Asur and Druichi to end up in bed with her, only to meet their ruin not long after. |
| 380 | * VillainousIncest: One of her most disturbing traits is the various InUniverse rumors about her being ''lovers'' with her son. Older editions of the tabletop, instead of being rumors, downright ''stated'' she and Malekith had a thing going on. The trailer showcases what seems like IncestSubtext as she strokes his arm amiably while assuring him of the coming of their revenge. Furthermore, her sole quest battle speech has her sounding like a jilted lover out to get her man back. |
| 381 | -->'''Morathi:''' My son will learn that I am not a doll to be cast aside when he tires of me! |
| 382 | * WarriorVersusSorcerer: Has this dynamic with Hellebron, as Moriathi in magic while Hellebron is a melee fighter. |
| 383 | * WomanOfWealthAndTaste: She enjoys basking in luxury and her rooms are always described as being full of elegant tapestries and the finest of silks. |
| 384 | * WorldsMostBeautifulWoman: Her beauty is legendary. Among the elves, only the Everqueens of the High Elves rival her in this regard. |
| 385 | * YourSoulIsMine: In the prequel story "The Mage and the Sorceress" it's revealed she, not Malekith, was the one who originally pulls this on Felicion. |
| 386 | [[/folder]] |
| 387 | |
| 388 | [[folder:Hellebron]] |
| 389 | !! Crone Hellebron, the Blood Queen of Har Ganeth |
| 390 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/z6m3sah_7.png]] |
| 391 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"Khaine has spoken and he demands slaughter. To war!"'']] |
| 392 | ->''"Hear me Khaine, I dedicate all the following deaths to you. Give me your bloody hand, so that I may hold it and let it guide me to victory!"'' |
| 393 | %%->'''Voiced by:''' |
| 394 | |
| 395 | Crone Hellebron the Blood Queen of Har Ganeth is one of the most ancient of the Hag Queens and second only to Morathi in Khaine's sight. However, while the youth and beauty of Morathi never fades, that of Hellebron is now almost expended, for the Hag Sorceress deliberately withheld from her the deepest secrets of using the Cauldrons of Blood. Therefore, ever more sacrifices are needed to fill Hellebron's cauldron each year, and yet the rejuvenating effects last for less and less time. Once beautiful beyond measure, the Blood Queen must now endure many dark months with the visage of an old and ugly crone for each stolen day of vibrant youth. It is chiefly for this reason that Hellebron hates Morathi, and her wrath at the deception is only deepened by the knowledge that she would have performed the exact same betrayal had their positions been reversed. |
| 396 | \ |
| 397 | So it is that for many nights of the year, Hellebron holds court hooded and cloaked to conceal her haggard appearance. Only her closest attendants are permitted to see the full horror of her aged and withered form, and they are sworn to silence under pain of death. It is only on the days following Death Night, where her flesh and form are renewed to full vigour, that Hellebron walks the world unveiled, reveling in the power and sensations of youth. Those who wish a boon of her are well-advised to seek it in this brief window of joy, for at other times her mood is capricious and sour, and an audience with her is very likely fatal. |
| 398 | \ |
| 399 | Ugly and worn as she may be, Hellebron remains the greatest of the Brides of Khaine. Her mastery of the many ways of murder eclipses even that of Morathi -- who is often too distracted by her sorcerous pursuits -- and far outstrips the skill of the other Hag Queens. It is she who leads the Lord of Murder's unholy rites and dictates the holy creed that all Witch Elves must follow. She is so steeped in the ways of death that her merest touch can kill, and a single whispered word from her withered lips can open up old wounds to bloody life. Wherever Hellebron treads, the gaze of Khaine follows. Inevitably, insane fervour sweeps over all those in her path, driving not only Witch Elves, but Dark Elves of all callings, into a maddening frenzy fit to drown the world in blood. |
| 400 | \ |
| 401 | Hellebron is a Legendary Lord available to those who purchase ''The Queen and the Crone'' DLC. Hellebron leads her own sub-faction, Har Ganeth, in the ''Vortex'', ''Mortal Empires'' and ''Immortal Empires'' campaigns. |
| 402 | ---- |
| 403 | * AdaptationalAttractiveness: When compared to how [[http://whfb.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/f/f5/Hellebron.jpg her crone form]] looked before, Aged Hellebron is ''much'' more attractive. |
| 404 | * AmazonianBeauty: PlayedWith. Much like the rest of the [[AmazonBrigade Witch Elves]], Creative Assembly clearly meant to invoke this with her incarnation. But not only does she share the same model issue the Witch Elves have with having prominent abs but slender limbs, but her model doesn't reflect her supposed beauty when she's restored it via her Death Night mechanic. |
| 405 | * AmbiguouslyBi: One of her skills FlavorText state she has a ''massive'' pleasure harem, composed of members of all races... without conveniently mentioning what gender they belong too... |
| 406 | * ArchEnemy: Views Morathi as this. She is almost as ancient and influential as Morathi and thus views the Sorceress as her primary rival. |
| 407 | * AxCrazy: Even for a Witch Elf, whose kind already take the normal Dark Elf kill happiness up a notch, Hellebron is a ''crazed animal'' on the battlefield, butchering enemies with sadistic glee, and someone who's ready to snap at any second out of it. And unlike Morathi, [[FauxAffablyEvil who hides her murderous insanity behind a veer of politeness and sophistication]], Hellebron fully embraces this side of her. |
| 408 | * TheBerserker: Like all Witch Elves, she charges into the fray with wild abandon, wearing little in the way of protection and paying no heed to her personal safety. |
| 409 | * BloodKnight: What else would you expect from the head of the Cult of Khaine? Hellebron ''lives'' to spill blood in the name of her god. |
| 410 | * BloodMagic: Whilst Hellebron doesn't have the BlackMagic of Morathi, she commands horrific power through her lord Khaine, being a practitioner of vile, sorcery unique to her. She can cast several extremely powerful augments, such as the Gaze of Khaine, that turns allied units into blood-crazed berserkers, significantly buffing them, at the cost of infecting them with the [[AxCrazy madness of Khaine]]. |
| 411 | * DarkActionGirl: As a Hag Queen of The Cult of Khaine this comes with the territory. |
| 412 | * DualWielding: Wields a longsword and shortblade, '''Deathsword and the Cursed Blade''' in unison, with frightening skill and finesse. |
| 413 | * EvenTheGirlsWantHer: A Witch Elf becomes DistractedByTheSexy watching the fully rejuvenated Hellebron [[SexySurfacingShot rising out]] of her yearly BloodBath, which Hellebron finds amusing. |
| 414 | * EvilOldFolks: An ancient, withered woman who truly deserves the title "Crone", most of the time; and a depraved, sadistic, blood-mad fanatic. |
| 415 | * EvilSorcerer: An unconventional one, as she has no access to any lore of spells and she's primarily a close-range fighter, but she still commands vile sorcery, and powerful ritualistic magic. |
| 416 | * EvilVersusEvil: Whilst she's somewhat fond of her son, Hellebron ''really'' hates Morathi, who has always been a thorn in her side, and blocked her from taking full control of the Cult of Khaine. The two are always at each other's throats, and on the best of days it's just extremely heated passive-aggressiveness, but it's spilled into open conflict a handful of times throughout the centuries. This being ChaoticEvil vs NeutralEvil, it's really hard to tell who's worse. |
| 417 | * {{Foil}}: To Alarielle the Everqueen. Both are the highest religious authority in their respective societies, but apart from that the two contrast each other in essentially every way. Whereas Alarielle is a woman of peace, who only fights when necessary in defense of her home, Hellebron is a crazed BloodKnight who lives to wage war in the name of her god. Where Alarielle is a spellcaster who wields magics of life and light, Hellebron is a melee combatant of superlative skill and ferocity. While Alarielle is young and beautiful, Hellebron is old and haggard. And of course, Allarielle is the servant of Isha, and represents life, nature and healing, Hellebron is the world's foremost servant of Khaine, the bloody-handed god of war and death. |
| 418 | ** She is also a foil to Morathi. While Morathi is an eternally-youthful sorceress and the head of a borderline-illegal cult dedicated to [[SexGoddess Atharti]]/Slaanesh, Hellebron is a warrior-priestess cursed with AgeWithoutYouth and the leader of a state-supported religion dedicated to [[WarGod Khaine]] (who, DependingOnTheWriter, is one-and-the-same as Khorne). Needless to say, Hellebron and Morathi ''do not get along''. |
| 419 | * FullyEmbracedFiend: If there's anything that makes her slightly better than her rival, it's that unlike Morathi, who hides her evil behind [[FauxAffablyEvil a layer of sophistication and friendliness]], Hellebron dosen't even bother to pretend. |
| 420 | * GameplayAndStorySegregation: Her Death Night mechanic is meant to reflect her body aging, but her actual model doesn't change whether she's really old or really young, making her supposed great beauty or ugliness depending on her form an InformedAttribute. |
| 421 | * GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: Rivaling Morathi, as the Blood Queen of Har Ganeth, she rules the coastal city and Cult of Khaine with an iron fist. She personally participates in the ritualistic festival of Death Night. |
| 422 | * GreenEyedMonster: What actions she doesn't take for the sake of pleasing Khaine or her own bloodlust, she does in an attempt to outdo Morathi due to her immense jealousy and envy over her power and persisting beauty. |
| 423 | * HealingFactor: Courtesy of her "Blood Queen" skill. |
| 424 | * HighPriest: The leader of the Cult of Khaine, and by extension the highest ranking religious figure in Naggaroth... besides Morathi, which has caused her to have been locked in a power struggle with Morathi for centuries. |
| 425 | * HotWitch: Normally {{Downplayed|Trope}}, whilst she's elderly, she's still a good deal attractive, surprising considering she's a crone. Played ''very'' straight, when she emerges from her yearly {{blood bath}}s, when she becomes [[https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/011/845/609/large/helder-almeida-dlc-10-event-5.jpg?1531741345 dead drop gorgeous]], with only Morathi being able to rival her beauty among the Dark Elves. |
| 426 | * ImmortalityImmorality: She attempts to do this, but Morathi keeps a total monopoly on the ''effective'' way of staying eternally young and refuses to tell Hellebron. Hellebron has to settle with blood baths that only manages to renew her body to when she was younger for increasingly shorter spans of time and she is understandably bitter about it. |
| 427 | * IWasQuiteALooker: She was noted to have been extremely beautiful in her youth, but, thanks to Morathi withholding knowledge regarding blood magic, has been unable to keep her looks; save for short periods of time following a Death Night. |
| 428 | * LifeDrain: When losing in combat, Hellebron will use her fell magic to drain the life out of ''everyone'' surrounding her, restoring some of her health, and taking away her enemies. |
| 429 | * LightningBruiser: She's ''extremely'' fast and hits very hard. Nothing short of a dedicated HeroKiller can match Hellebron when it comes to causing immense damage within seconds, whether she's on foot or mounted on her Manticore. |
| 430 | * NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: It contains the word ''hell'' for starters, and that's before you even get to the "Blood Queen" part. |
| 431 | * NeverMessWithGranny: She's an ancient, and aged-looking woman who truly fits the measure of the term "crone" most of the time, but she can ''butcher'' anything you throw her against in close quarters combat, due being frighteningly fast, skilled and strong. If you look closely, beneath her wrinkles and liver spots, she has ''chiseled abs'', which serve as an indicator to show how despite being so old she still hits like a truck. |
| 432 | * OurManticoresAreSpinier: Can ride a Manticore as one of her mount options. |
| 433 | * TheRival: To Morathi. The pair have been at each other's throats for thousands of years. |
| 434 | * ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: Her city of Har Ganeth is noted to have particularly draconian laws, in order to keep the blood-crazed cultists from tearing the city apart on a daily basis. Breaking these laws is typically punished by an executioner's blade. Hellebron is happy to bend these laws for those who manage to gain a measure of favour with her however. |
| 435 | * SexSlave: Fond of these. Her pleasure harem is legendary for its vastness and the variety of races she enjoys. |
| 436 | * ShowingOffTheNewBody: Usually revels in her newly gained youth whenever performs her annual {{Blood Bath}}s. |
| 437 | * SilverFox: Somewhat. She's still fairly striking for an elderly witch, and very fit. |
| 438 | * SmugSnake: She truly believes she's Morathi's equal in power and influence, but it's clear Morathi simply entertains the idea to manipulate Hellebron and that her cult of Slaanesh in Naggaroth is far bigger than Hellebron and her witch elves know about or could possibly deal with. |
| 439 | * TimeAbyss: Like Malekith and Morathi, she was born before The Sundering; and unlike Morathi, most of the time [[AgeWithoutYouth she looks it]]. |
| 440 | * VainSorceress: She [[ProudBeauty greatly values her appearance]] and ''loathes'' the fact her beauty is fading with her. That fact Moriathi keeps to herself the rituals to preserve her youth is one of the reasons Hellebron hates her, as Hellebron is forced to make it do with rituals that are far less effective. |
| 441 | * VillainousFriendship: "Friendship" may be stretching it a little, but, in spite of the mutual hatred she shares with his mother, Hellebron and Malekith are on reasonably good terms. The fact that Hellebron is the daughter of Malekith's old lieutenant Alandrian probably helps in this regard. Of course, Hellebron still ''strongly'' disapproves of Malekith's tendency to use the Cult of Khaine for his own political benefit, and is fully aware he is not truly the "Chosen of Khaine" as he is wont to claim. |
| 442 | * WarriorVersusSorcerer: Has this dynamic with Moriathi, as Hellebron specializes in melee combat while Moriathi is an EvilSorcerer. |
| 443 | * YoungerThanTheyLook: Despite being centuries younger than Morathi and a few other elves who were born before The Sundering, she looks far older than so many of her elders. |
| 444 | [[/folder]] |
| 445 | |
| 446 | [[folder:Lokhir Fellheart]] |
| 447 | !! Lokhir Fellheart, the Krakenlord of Karond Kar |
| 448 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lokhir_fellheart_battle.png]] |
| 449 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"I will not linger here, for the jungles are ripe for pillaging."'']] |
| 450 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/ChristopherTester |
| 451 | |
| 452 | Lokhir Fellheart, the Krakenlord, is a Dark Elf corsair of noble birth, hailing from the mighty Fellheart family. He comes from a long line of raiders and naval generals. He is a relative of Laithkikir Hellheart, a raider and cartographer active 1103 IC whose maps allowed other Dark Elves to raid the rich coasts of Ind and Cathay. |
| 453 | \ |
| 454 | Some Dark Elves take to the seas in search of plunder or revenge, but many more do so to escape the dangers of Naggaroth. Not so Lokhir Fellheart -- he was born to ply the rolling seas, to bring fire and terror to the shores of other lands. It was his great-great-grandfather, Menreith Fellheart, who first commanded the Black Ark Tower of Blessed Dread, and the doom-bringing flagship has answered to a Fellheart ever since. Lokhir is the latest in his line to rule over that great vessel of war and, by all accounts, the most daring. |
| 455 | \ |
| 456 | Following his father's death at an Assassin's hand. Lokhir inherited command of both the Tower of Blessed Dread, and its mighty fleet. He acted quickly to ensure both the loyalty of his crew and the favour of Mathlann by sacrificing the chief troublemakers to the sea god's glory. That very night, with the decks of the Black Ark still slick with the first officer's blood, Lokhir led his new fleet out onto the open sea and a glorious future. |
| 457 | \ |
| 458 | Released as a free downloadable Legendary Lord for the ''Curse of the Vampire Coast'' DLC, Lokhir leads the sub-faction of the Blessed Dread, starting out in Chupayotl, along the southeastern coast of Lustria in both the ''Eye of the Vortex'' and ''Mortal Empires'' campaigns, and the Plains of Xen in northeastern Cathay in ''Immortal Empires''. |
| 459 | ---- |
| 460 | * AdaptationalBadass: A {{Downplayed}} example as Lokhir has always been highly formidable and one of Naggaroth's top dogs. But in the tabletop game he was a hero rather than a lord choice and more importantly lacked any sort of mount. Here he has been promoted to a full on Legendary Lord, and given his own unique Black Dragon to boot. |
| 461 | * AdaptationExpansion: Lokhir is not known to have any personal mounts in the lore, but the games give him an unique Black Dragon named Maelstrom as a mount option. |
| 462 | * AnimalMotifs: Krakens, of course. To be more specific, his family crest is a Kraken, and his helmet is fashioned like one. |
| 463 | * ArchEnemy: He seems to share a mutual enmity with the High Elf admiral Sealord Aislinn. The pair have crossed blades on numerous occasions. |
| 464 | * BadassBoast: A particularly ''awesome'' one [[spoiler: in the Battle of the Eternal Tides.]] |
| 465 | -->'''Lokhir:''' Prepare to face...'''the Krakenlord!''' |
| 466 | * BadassCape: A cloak of Sea Dragon hide, in typical corsair fashion. It gives him a certain air of regality, giving him a more privateer feel, than a classic pirate. |
| 467 | * BadassNormal: Malekith is a terrifyingly powerful sorcerer, fighter and encased in a tough suit of armour, Morathi is the most powerful and cunning sorceress of their race, Hellebron is a competent sorceress and warrior blessed by Khaine himself, and Malus is infused with the power of a demon. By contrast, Lokhir gets on by with his skill, experience and enchanted blades and mask. |
| 468 | * BattleTrophy: [[spoiler: What his mask becomes at the end of the Vampire Coast campaign, which depicts one of the Legendary Lords lifting it in victory.]] |
| 469 | * BenevolentBoss: One of the reasons he's survived so long. He treats his crew surprisingly well, and is by no means a BadBoss. He splits the loot evenly, treats them with respect, and generally the only thing he expects in return is equal loyalty, and hard work. |
| 470 | * BigBad: [[spoiler: The main antagonist of the Vampire Coast vortex campaign.]] |
| 471 | * BloodKnight: Predictably for a Druchii corsair, Lokhir is driven by two things: plunder and bloodshed. |
| 472 | * CoolMask: The '''Helm of the Kraken''', an ancient mask recovered from the sunken city of Chupayotl. Not only does it give him ''glowing red eyes'', it's fashioned in the shape of its namesake, giving him a very distinct appearance. |
| 473 | * {{Cthulhumanoid}}: He himself is a regular Dark Elf, but the Helm of the Kraken invokes the look. |
| 474 | * DragonRider: Unlike in the tabletop game, Lokhir can ride a unique Black Dragon named Maelstrom. |
| 475 | * TheDreaded: Few can equal Lokhir's infamy as a pirate and slaver. The mere thought of [[FateWorseThanDeath being captured by him]] is enough to frighten enemy units. |
| 476 | * DualWielding: Wields a pair of [[SinisterScimitar scimitars]] called '''The Red Blades'''. When he sacked the Temple of Gilgadresh, he took a statue made from Indan bloodsteel. Upon his return to Naggaroth, he had the statue melted down, and the metal forged into the deadliest pair of swords on the high seas. |
| 477 | * EvilSoundsDeep: Lokhir's voice is appropriately deep and menacing. |
| 478 | * FamousAncestor: His ancestor Laithkir Fellheart was renowned as the first corsair to reach Cathay via the underworld sea, and opened a massive new source for plunder and slaves. |
| 479 | * FinalBoss: [[spoiler: Of the Vampire Coast vortex campaign, "[[FinalBattle Battle of the Eternal Tides]]". He reveals he had been following the Vampire Coast's progress in tracking The Merwyrm Amanar and wants it for himself. The player has to fight wave after wave of the brunt of his Dark Elf army, while Lokhir himself leads a flanking force behind the player's position.]] |
| 480 | * FourStarBadass: One of the highest ranking naval commanders in Naggaroth, and easily the most skilled in waging war at sea. |
| 481 | * GameplayAndStorySegregation: [[spoiler:His role as the FinalBoss of the Vampire Coast vortex campaign is independent of his status in the actual campaign map. You'll have to face and likely kill him in the Battle of the Eternal Tides even if the Blessed Dread faction is already wiped out, or even if they're your ''military ally'', as the mission uses a generic Dark Elf faction as enemies as opposed to his actual one. And the final battle has no effect on the Blessed Dread either; you can kill Lokhir there and then chat up with him as your Trusted Friend before the next turn like nothing happened.]] |
| 482 | * HealingFactor: The Helm of the Kraken grants him regeneration. |
| 483 | * MalevolentMaskedMan: Perpetually masked, and a bloodthirsty corsair. |
| 484 | * NobleDemon: [[{{Downplayed}} Somewhat]]. He very much understands the concepts of loyalty, family, and to a degree, honour. He's a BenevolentBoss to his crew, he loves his family, served his father with UndyingLoyalty, and seldom engages in acts of petty cruelty. That being said, he's still very ruthless, and is, by all means, a brutal corsair. It's pretty telling a {{Pirate}} is probably one of the more amiable named characters in the race... |
| 485 | * TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: In the Vampire Coast campaign, this turns out to be [[spoiler:his attitude towards Amanar, and the High Elves as a whole -- he refuses to let the vampires slay the beast because he views it as his right alone to do so]]. |
| 486 | * PaletteSwap: His dragon mount, Maelstrom, uses a common black dragon's model with an indigo tinge. |
| 487 | * {{Pirates}}: The most infamous of all Druchii corsairs; Lokhir has made a living for himself by scouring the seas, attacking shipping lanes, conquering ports, and bringing a massive amount of slaves back to his homeland. Fitting, basically all of his abilities go to buffing up any corsairs in his faction, and he inherently starts with a whopping ''fifty'' percent reduction to them faction wide. |
| 488 | * RedEyesTakeWarning: A pair of [[GlowingEyesOfDoom glowing]] red eyes are all you need to see Fellheart is bad news. |
| 489 | * TheRival: To Rakarth, at least in gameplay terms. Both are vying for control of Karond Kar, which is reflected in the fact that both gets a quest that allows them to confederate Karond Kar early, provided they collect enough slaves, ostensibly in a race to upstage the other. |
| 490 | * SignificantAnagram: [[spoiler:He goes by the alias "Kharlil Lothreef" in the Vampire Coast's Vortex Campaign, where he has the highest score on the Infamy chart.]] |
| 491 | * ThickerThanWater: The Fellhearts are said to be one of the few Naggarothi families who actually subscribe to this mentality. Notably, Lokhir ''didn't'' ascend to his position by killing his father. A practice all too common among the Druchii. |
| 492 | * UndyingLoyalty: ''Very'' atypically for a [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder Dark Elf]], Lokhir had this for his father, dutifully acting as one of his officers, until the time came for him to inherit the ship. The Fellhearts view family as something unbreakable, a very rare thing in Dark Elf society. |
| 493 | * UnderestimatingBadassery: [[spoiler: He completely dismisses the Vampire Coast as a bunch of water-logged corpses that will be no match for his legion of corsairs in the Battle of the Eternal Tides, without acknowledging the true threat they pose by the time they become powerful enough to go after Amanar. Borders on TooStupidToLive, as by this point, he's observed them butcher dozens of other fierce pirate crews, and very likely lay waste to entire ''nations''. Guess what happens?]] |
| 494 | * UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler: Has been using the Vampire Coast for his own ends from the shadows, having them put all their effort and resources into tracking down Amanar, so he can swoop in and steal the kill for himself.]] |
| 495 | * WalkingSpoiler: [[spoiler: His role isn't revealed till the final battle of the Vampire Coast questline.]] |
| 496 | * WorthyOpponent: Despite his immense hatred of his Ulthuan kin, he seems to have a grudging, but deep, respect for them as well, as much as a Dark Elf can. [[spoiler: One of the reasons why he's so angry at the Vampire Coast for hunting the Great Merwyrm is that they're interfering in their millennia-long feud, which he feels is far beyond the Zombie pirates.]] |
| 497 | [[/folder]] |
| 498 | |
| 499 | [[folder:Malus Darkblade (and Tz'arkan)]] |
| 500 | !! Malus Darkblade, the Tyrant of Hag Graef |
| 501 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/malus_darkblade.png]] |
| 502 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"With hate, all things are possible. And my hate is strong!"'']] |
| 503 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Jon Edgley-Bond |
| 504 | |
| 505 | Malus Darkblade, the Tyrant of Hag Graef, was always ambitious, even by the lofty standards of Hag Graef's warring families. For long years, he played the deadly game of politics and assassination and played it well, but finally his thirst for power led Darkblade into the clutches of a being darker even than he. Rumours of a great power hidden in the distant north set Darkblade on a quest that led him deep into the Realm of Chaos. |
| 506 | \ |
| 507 | It is a testament to Darkblade's determination that he not only survived his journey, but at last came before the temple of Kul Hadar, in which his prize could be found. Alas for Darkblade, the great power within the temple was something not easily bent to mortal will. Long centuries ago, the Daemon Tz'arkan had been bound within Kul Hadar, and Darkblade now unwittingly presented it an opportunity for escape. Blinded by avarice, Darkblade was possessed by the Daemon. In that instant, his life and soul were forfeit. He had but one way of escaping his fate -- to find five artifacts of power that would fully free Tz'arkan from his ancient prison and thus see Darkblade's soul restored. He had only a year to succeed, or else remain in the Daemon's thrall for eternity. |
| 508 | \ |
| 509 | Though the search took every waking hour of the allotted year, even killing his own father to get one of the artifacts, Darkblade finally succeeded in his quest. Upon the eve of his doom, he returned to Kul Hadar with the artifacts, and performed the ritual that would set the Daemon free. But Tz'arkan had tricked the Dark Elf -- upon escaping from Darkblade's body, the treacherous Daemon stole his black soul. From that moment on, the fates of Darkblade and Tz'arkan were forever intertwined. In the years since, Darkblade has become legendary in Naggaroth, as a great warrior and leader whose hatred can overcome any opposition. Wielding the Warpsword of Khaine, the only surviving artifact from that long-distant quest, Darkblade has hacked a path of bloody ruin across the frozen north, drawing upon Tz'arkan's power when needed, but relying first and foremost on his own dark determination and limitless reservoir of hate. |
| 510 | \ |
| 511 | Malus is the main character of the ''Literature/MalusDarkblade'' book series. |
| 512 | \ |
| 513 | Malus is playable Legendary Lord for ''The Shadow & The Blade'' DLC. He leads the sub-faction of Hag Graef, but starts out in the Sea of Dread in the ''Eye of the Vortex'' campaign, the Dragon Isles in the ''Mortal Empires'' campaign and the northern Chaos Wastes in the ''Immortal Empires'' campaign. |
| 514 | ---- |
| 515 | * AbusiveParents: His father, Lurhan Fellblade, has tried to have him (discreetly) killed since Malus was born. The only reason why Lurhan didn't outright execute Malus is due to fear of his mother, Eldire (a powerful sorceress). Malus' mother does love him in her own twisted way, but she is not above using her son as a pawn for her schemes. |
| 516 | * AdaptationDeviation: Malus's Cold One, Spite. In the books, it is established that Spite was the runt of his litter. Having to deal with his larger brethren, Spite is more intelligent, cunning and vicious than most Nauglir. In the game, it is stated in his description that Spite is larger than most of his kind. However, while this differs from the books, it does adhere to the version of Spite found in the original ''Darkblade'' comic series. |
| 517 | * AffablyEvil: Malus can be sincerely affable to the (admittedly few) people he actually likes. He's also generally a good leader who treats his soldiers with respect, if not tenderness. To everyone else, however, he's more FauxAffablyEvil, or just outright hostile. |
| 518 | * AssholeVictim: Invoked in the FlavorText of the "Malus in Underworld" trait earned when defeating him in combat. |
| 519 | -->''"Do not shed a tear, for this darkest, most murderous of Druchii may now be with the Cytherai, deep within the Mirai, where he surely belongs!"'' |
| 520 | * AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: He's the third most powerful Dark Elf in all of Naggarond both politically and by all means in strength as well; the Tyrant of Hag Graef, the Captain of his own Black Ark, and the Champion of the Witch King himself. Darkblade got here by littering the cold ground with thousands of bodies, and through his own will. |
| 521 | * AxCrazy: Normally Malus is pretty composed, if violent, but when under the effects of Tz'arkan he ''loses it'', gaining a bunch of new animations that have Malus acting like a '' insane'' beast on the battlefield, violently jerking around as he charges forward into combat. |
| 522 | * BadassCape: He wears an ornate Sea Dragon cloak, a memento from his days as a Corsair. |
| 523 | * BaitTheDog: In one of his most infamous and iconic scenes from the first novel, ''The Daemon's Curse'', Malus offers that a single prisoner will be set free before his raiding ship reaches Clar Karond. Just before the ship enters the city port, the prisoner in question -- after hearing what the druchii did to his lover -- is simply thrown overboard for the mer-creatures in the water to devour. Needless to say, it's an EstablishingCharacterMoment for our "hero". |
| 524 | * BastardBastard: He's the illegitimate offspring of Vaulkhar Lurhan and Eldire the hag-sorceress, both pretty high people in Dark Elf society, and he's definitely a ''huge'' bastard. He is also very resentful of both his parents, even Eldire who loves him in a messed-up way. |
| 525 | * BlackKnight: Gives off this appearance, wearing pitch-black armor, and riding an overgrown Nauglir into battle as a mount. All of his unit bonuses are even centered around buffing Cold One Knights, and Dark Elf Dreadknights, so he's he encouraged to have a retinue of other Black Knights to be around him. |
| 526 | * BlackMagic: Malus has dabbled in dark sorcerer, taught to him by his mother, which gives him a handful of special abilities to use on the battlefield, and on the campaign (him summoning a horde of monsters through his unique ''Rite of the Warmaster'' is described as him using this). His ''Blood Price'' ability has him using this to augment his combat stats. |
| 527 | * BloodMagic: Tz'arkan, being a very powerful Keeper of Secrets, gives Malus access to this. His first spell is ''Reaper of Souls'', a direct damage LifeDrain that allows Tz'arkan to draw the life energy of everyone around him, and bring it into himself, and the second is ''Bloodstorm'', which is an AOE sphere of destruction around Malus that does a massive amount of damage, and gives Tz'arkan a large damage reduction in turn. |
| 528 | * BigScrewedUpFamily: His makes ''Malekith's'' family seem somewhat tame in comparison. |
| 529 | * BrotherSisterIncest: Oh boy. Malus's family is, simply put, ''fucked up beyond belief'' in this regard. He and pretty much every one of his half-brothers and sisters have intentions toward/is actively having an affair with one of their half- or full-blooded siblings. Malus himself has very complicated feelings towards his half-sister Nagaira, and they have carnal knowledge of each other. This isn't that uncommon in Dark Elf society, siblings (and parents) screw each other all the time. This sort of thing is generally accepted if kept out of the public's view. |
| 530 | * ByronicHero: He's modeled after [[Literature/TheElricSaga one of the most famous, after all]]. Malus is... complicated... He certainly embraces and even exemplifies some of the famous vices of his people, certainly, but there's a certain [[NobleDemon nobleness to him]] that's hard to ignore. He can act like a monster, but is just as likely to act with surprising kindness and care... [[BaitTheDog and then go back to skinning people's faces]]. Not to mention the books in particular emphasize his tryst with [[BrotherSisterIncest his half-sister]] and all the baggage that came after that. Ultimately, Malus still has his own morals as troubled as he is, as twisted as they are, and he will not break them. |
| 531 | * TheCaptain: He's a ''very'' skilled seaman, and has been on, captained, and owned several vessels, including his own Black Ark. He's no Lohkir, but a skilled sailor nonetheless. |
| 532 | * CatchPhrase: |
| 533 | ** One of the most famous and iconic in the series. |
| 534 | --->'''Malus:''' ''With hate, '''all''' things are possible.'' |
| 535 | ** His second one whenever he demands Tz'arkan's silence. |
| 536 | -->'''Malus:''' ''Shut up, Daemon!'' |
| 537 | * CoolSword: The '''Warpsword of Khaine''' his iconic black blade, an ancient relic Malus obtained along with four others to expel the daemon Tz'arkan from his soul and the only relic that wasn't destroyed in the process. This blade emanates heat and grants the user a portion of Khaine's terrifying power. It can be said to be a weaker version of the Widowmaker, and, whilst it's far less powerful, it doesn't have the same potent [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity effects]] the Widowmaker has on its user, but is still very dangerous with extended use. In-game it provides both ''regeneration'' and a flat damage reduction as long as Malus is in combat. |
| 538 | * CombatPragmatist: Why he's survived as long as he has. Malus fights dirty, uses the scenery when necessary, and will sacrifice his own soldiers' lives if it means potentially getting the upper hand. |
| 539 | * TheCorrupter: Malus isn't a good person by any stretch of the imagination, but Tz'arkan has been a very dark influence on him, encouraging him to even darker, and more depraved actions after another. On a literal example, the more he actively uses its power, the more corruption seeps into his body and the more he succumbs to his own damnation. |
| 540 | * DeadpanSnarker: Both he, and the daemon within him, are very dry in their humor, which is usually relegated to BlackComedy. They even frequently engage in SnarkToSnarkCombat. |
| 541 | -->'''Tz'arkan''': You ''need me'' Darkblade. Or will arrogant pride end this ''miserable'' existence?.\ |
| 542 | '''Malus''': ''Shut up Daemon!''. |
| 543 | * {{Determinator}}: Indeed, after most would have given up or surrendered, pure spite and unwillingness to let someone else have success will keep him fighting. There is nothing unachievable for Malus with the power of hate and his own will. |
| 544 | * DemonicPossession: His defining characterization, and the reason for his quest, Malus Darkblade was partially possessed by a powerful Daemon while searching through the ruins of an ancient civilization, and as a result he has to contend with the Daemon Tz'arkan trying to ''fully'' possess him. He must drink a special elixir that slows the Daemon's influence over him; though the elixir is costly, Malekith will provide him with more if he helps him in his bid to control the Vortex. In battle, he can allow Tz'arkan to [[SuperpoweredEvilSide take control of him, greatly amplifying his capabilities]], but bit by tiny bit Malus is actually surrendering his soul to the daemon by accepting his help. His struggle with Tz'arkan will present unique challenges throughout his campaign. |
| 545 | * TheDragon: He's described as Malekith's [[TheChampion champion]] and main enforcer, having ascended to this position after decades of political maneuvering, assassinating his rivals, and more than a little luck. While Malus himself seeks to become a DragonAscendant, Malekith is somewhat fond of Malus, and respects him. |
| 546 | * TheDreaded: Malus is one of the most feared Dreadlords in the entire world. Combined this with Tz'arkan being one of the most feared servants of the Dark Prince, most people would rather run away than face him. His special hex, ''The Daemon's Curse'' drops enemy leadership, and melee defense by a ''huge'' degree, and is described as his enemies feeling Tz'arkan's coldness emanating off Malus. |
| 547 | * EmbarrassingNickname: Whilst "Darkblade" does sound like a cool name, it is actually a derogatory term in Druchii society to describe his status as a bastard; Darkblade is an epithet for a "faulty creation", like a blacksmith trying to make a blade and screwing up the process. |
| 548 | * EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: His mother is one of the very few people Malus has any respect for. |
| 549 | * EvilMakesYouMonstrous: When under the control of Tz'arkan, Malus's pretty boy face becomes horribly wrinkled as if he's aged fifty years in an instant, covered in scars of purple, crackling energy, his eyes become pitch black, and his hair whitens. |
| 550 | * EvilSoundsDeep: Tz'arkan manifests himself through Malus while speaking with an impossibly deep, guttural VoiceOfTheLegion. |
| 551 | * {{Expy}}: A wandering edgy elf AntiHero who carries a sentient sword of daemonic origins. Are we sure this guy is not [[Literature/TheElricSaga Elric?]] |
| 552 | * AFatherToHisMen: Surprisingly enough, Malus developed certain qualities of this kind near the end of his journey; taking genuine concern for the needs of his subordinates, giving awesome motivational speeches and even risking his own agendas to avoid excessive casualties. He treats his men well, but still isn't afraid to spend their lives if he sees the need for it. |
| 553 | * FauxAffablyEvil: Tz'arkan plays this trope much more straight. He maintains a polite, if ''very'' mocking tone, when interacted with Malus, but as soon as he dosen't get what he wants he shows his true colors. |
| 554 | * FlayedAlive: Very fond of doing this to his captured victims, though he usually has a bit of "decency" to put them out of that state instead of prolonging their pain. |
| 555 | * {{Foil}}: He's ultimately one to Alith Anar. Both Elves are motivated by hatred and revenge, both wield awesome weapons of power to their advantage, both are entirely unscrupulous in their methods, both are rather just and noble despite their reputation, and both share the same goal on getting the respect they deserve. Those similarities fall to the wayside in whereas Malus does this all for himself for his own benefit, Alith's drive is about not just personal revenge, but revenge for his entire people and kingdom. He intentionally puts himself in harm's way against the Dark Elves so that them High Elves won't have to. |
| 556 | * FourStarBadass: Even more impressive than his considerable combat ability, are his leadership qualities. He's an amazing tactician, on both land and the sea, as well as a master speaker. All the while leading his troops from the front. |
| 557 | * TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: In the campaign, you'll notice the screen flash in bizarre colors and a voice speaking out in distorted shouts, with the effect getting worse the more Malus gets corrupted. That's pretty much Tz'arkan not only taunting Malus but ''taunting the player as well''. |
| 558 | * HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic: "Heroic" part aside, yes, Malus is the VillainProtagonist of his book series, and even though Malus is nothing if not pragmatic to the core and nearly constantly wears armor, he hates helmets, because they limit his vision, and he sees it as a larger threat in battle than the prospect of receiving a head wound. |
| 559 | * MascotsNameGoesUnchanged: Unlike all the other Dark Elves characters (who had their names and/or titles translated when appropriate), Malus's last name was kept in its English form even in non-English versions of the game, presumably because he has a book series named after him and his name wasn't translated in it either.[[note]]Interestingly enough, his name ''was'' translated in some versions early on. If you switch the game to French, the narrator uses a French translation for "Darkblade" in his or the Snikch Vortex campaign intro, and early beta/DLC previews had his name translated in-game as well, before it was changed to its English form.[[/note]] |
| 560 | * MasterSwordsman: Malus is a very proficient and skilled swordsman, honed by decades if near constant warfare, adventures, and typical Dark Elf backstabbing. Combine it with his hate and CoolSword and he's a force to be reckoned with to be sure. |
| 561 | * MeaningfulName: "Malus" literally means ''bad'' in Latin. Not to mention ''Darkblade.'' |
| 562 | * MountedCombat: An undisputed master of this. He rides his own Cold One, Spite, into battle and gives a huge range of buffs to Dark Elf Calvary under his command. |
| 563 | * NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: |
| 564 | ** ''Malus Darkblade''. |
| 565 | ** Tz'arkan, '''The Drinker of Worlds'''. |
| 566 | * NobleDemon: Malus still holds himself to certain standards, and retains a twisted sense of honor. Tz'arkan (a actual daemon) has no such standards. |
| 567 | * OneManArmy: On top of his sword giving him ''Regeneration'' while in combat, letting the possession meter reach its maximum when playing as him will make Malus an incredible fighter by giving him multiple combat bonuses (biggest of all a flat ''40''% damage reduction) at the cost of heavy penalties to the rest of his faction (increased upkeep, entirely removed replenishment, etc...). When playing as another faction, he'll have the possession boni baseline, which can make fighting him incredibly difficult. |
| 568 | * {{Patricide}}: Malus killed his father in order to obtain one of the five artifacts needed to free Tz'arkan. Though Lurhan had it coming, considering that he was a horrifically abusive parent who had long sought Malus' death. |
| 569 | * PetTheDog: In in this case Cold One. Malus's mount, Spite, is one of, if not THE only being he doesn't hate and actually treats as a friend. |
| 570 | * {{Pirate}}: Malus was a corsair early in his career like many young nobles seeking to prove themselves to Druchi society, and still maintains piratey mannerisms, viewpoints, abilities, and an unmatched sense of {{Greed}}. |
| 571 | * ThePowerOfHate: A driving force of his. Thanks to it, Malus managed incredible feats of Dark Elf awesome which in the end resulted in him becoming Tyrant of Hag Graef. |
| 572 | * PunnyName: "Malus" sounds similar to "malice". Fitting as he emphasizes ThePowerOfHate. |
| 573 | * SelfHarm: All of Malus's powerful combat augments have this as a price tag, when he taps into his dark power, it does a small sliver of damage to himself. Using Tz'arkan will also start a clock in which Malus will gradually lose health until he's ''dead''. |
| 574 | * SelfMadeMan: He went from an [[TheUnfavorite unfavorite]] retainer of his father to being one of the most powerful Dreadlords in Naggarond, second only to Malekith himself. |
| 575 | * SparedByTheAdaptation: Malus can add several characters from his book series as followers, even ones who are long dead. For example: He can obtain his eldest half-brother, Bruglir, as a follower (even though Bruglir was killed in the second book, ''Bloodstorm''). |
| 576 | * SuperpoweredEvilSide: Tz'arkan is effectively this to Malus, practically turning him into a daemon right there so he can use nasty claws and supernatural strength and speed to fight his way out of an impossible situation. He can barely control himself when he's like this, and he gives more of himself to the Daemon every time he does this. In-gameplay he can tap into this power to massively increase his strength, and even change his appearance, but he will eventually become even more reviled by his Dark Elf kin than he already is from overuse of this ability. Of course, since Malus was so evil in the first place, there might not be a lot of difference. |
| 577 | * TheUnfavorite: Malus suffered from this since childhood. His father, Lurhan Fellblade, never loved him. His siblings from different mothers hated him (except for his half-sister Nagaira with whom he was in a [[BrotherSisterIncest "relationship"]]) and the only other person who showed him some affection was his mother Eldire, yet even then she used him as a pawn. |
| 578 | * WhiteHairBlackHeart: When the Drinker of Worlds takes over, Malus goes from evil to ''monstrously evil'' and his hair becomes as white as freshly fallen snow. |
| 579 | * WorfHadTheFlu: Despite his unparalleled tactical knowledge, his trailer has his army being ''decimated'' by a vastly superior Clan Enshin force, with Malus himself undergoing a gradual VillainousBreakdown at the thought of crossing blades with the Deathmaster. It takes encouragement (and power) from Tz'arkan to fully face down the legendary assassin. |
| 580 | |
| 581 | !! Tz'arkan, the Drinker of Worlds |
| 582 | ->''"I care nothing for pitiful little worlds, or the nations of pale grubs that writhe upon them. I am like unto a god, Malus. You could be, too. If you are worthy."'' |
| 583 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/BradleyClarkson |
| 584 | |
| 585 | An ancient and extremely powerful Daemon of Chaos, Tz'arkan is spawned from and a servant of Slaanesh, the Chaos God(dess) of passion, hedonism and pleasure, among other things. Sealed within a crystal of Warpstone by a cabal of Chaos Sorcerers known as the Lords of the Black Stone, Tz'arkan languished for countless years in a temple in the Chaos Wastes, used as a power source by his captors until he was able to break free, lead an army of Daemons into Naggaroth and eventually be re-sealed after losing to the Dark Elves. Eventually, an ambitious Dark Elf known as Malus came upon his temple and unwittingly bound himself to the Daemon by donning a ring from a pile of treasure in the temple. Now, Tz'arkan lurks within the consciousness of Malus at all times, trying to tempt him to give himself over to Tz'arkan's influence with the promise of great rewards. |
| 586 | ---- |
| 587 | * TheCorrupter: Granted, Malus is pretty terrible already, but T'zrkan is happy to try to make him ''even worse'', undermining his self-control and making him do terrible things with the promise of rewards, which just so happens to give him further control over Malus' soul. |
| 588 | * DemonLordsAndArchdevils: Tz'arkan is a Keeper of Secrets, a ''extremely'' powerful Greater Daemon of Slaanesh. |
| 589 | * EnemyWithin: Not that he ''identifies'' as such, but it's pretty clear he doesn't have Malus' best interests at heart, being loyal only to himself and his master/mistress Slaanesh, and is only marking time until he can find a way to truly free himself. |
| 590 | * EvilSoundsDeep: His terrifyingly deep voice is just another mark of his wicked countenance. |
| 591 | * EvilerThanThou: He's literally MadeOfEvil and tries to goad Malus into throwing away what few scruples he has in the name of power. This is even a game mechanic -- the more Malus gives himself over to Tz'arkan's influence, the more he suffers a penalty to Public Order as the populace begin openly revolting at the idea of serving a Daemon's thrall. |
| 592 | * AFormYouAreComfortableWith: [[https://i.imgur.com/7QXjkFM.png His true form is an utterly horrifying mass of tentacles, crab claws, and dark flesh.]] Within Malus' mind, however, he appears as a reflection of Malus but cast in shadow. |
| 593 | * OurDemonsAreDifferent: As a Daemon of Chaos, he is a fragment of the Chaos God that spawned him, can usually only exist in [[EldritchLocation the Warp]] or places where [[NegativeSpaceWedgie portals or tears to the Warp]] open, and is bound to the mortal whom he has possessed. |
| 594 | * PurpleIsPowerful: His form in Malus' mind has a purple glow about it, with purple lines appearing on Malus' body if he allows Tz'arkan to possess him. This is a mark of being a Slaaneshi Daemon. |
| 595 | [[/folder]] |
| 596 | |
| 597 | [[folder:Rakarth]] |
| 598 | |
| 599 | !!Rakarth, the Beastlord of Karond Kar |
| 600 | |
| 601 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beastlord_rakarth_warhammer_ii.png]] |
| 602 | [[caption-width-right:350: ''"Manticores. Hydras. Dragons. All obey ''me''."'']] |
| 603 | ->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/IwanRheon |
| 604 | |
| 605 | The Dark Elves have always made great use of enslaved monsters, both for their fleets and for their land armies, but although there have been many famous Beastmasters in the past, none have approached Rakarth's consummate skill or expertise. It is said that the dungeons of Karond Kar are filled with creatures that Rakarth has tamed, and that amongst them can be found one or more of all of the creatures known in the world. |
| 606 | \ |
| 607 | When Rakarth was just a child his father was attempting to break and train a particularly vicious Dark Steed named Bracchus. However, the horse was more than a match for even his father's considerable skills and in a fit of rage the Dark Elf Beastmaster ordered the steed to be slain. Rakarth made a deal with his father to allow him to keep the beast if he could ride it, and his father duly agreed. |
| 608 | \ |
| 609 | Rakarth fixed the Dark Steed with his piercing stare, and there was something in the young Dark Elf that the horse recognised. Bracchus saw the innate cruelty and bloodlust of Rakarth, and knew that a kindred spirit approached. The Dark Steed acquiesced to Rakarth without a fight, and he has ridden Bracchus into battle ever since. |
| 610 | \ |
| 611 | Released on March 18, 2021 as a free Legendary Lord through Total War Access, Rakarth leads the sub-faction of the Thousand Maws, and begins the ''Eye of the Vortex'' ad the ''Mortal Empires'' campaigns in Albion, and the ''Immortal Empires'' campaign in western Lustria. |
| 612 | ---- |
| 613 | * AdaptationDeviation: For a long time Rakarth had a helmet with a [[MalevolentMaskedMan built-in mask]]. This iteration of Rakarth doesn't have it since its based off his oldest incarnation which didn't have one, possibly to ensure that he doesn't look too much like Malekith. It's also the version of him that had a model, which Creative Assembly has stated they always base on over art if they have the chance. |
| 614 | * ArmorOfInvincibility: His '''Beast Armour of Karond Kar''' , a set of ancient black armor forged for the greatest Beastmasters, allows him to buff monster units with a powerful effect. |
| 615 | * AscendedExtra: In the tabletop game, Rakarth had not been playable since 6th edition and his appearances in the wider lore were sparse at best, as he had effectively been replaced by Lokhir Fellheart as the primary Karond Kar character. |
| 616 | * BadassNormal: Malekith is a terrifyingly powerful sorecerer, fighter and encased in a tough suit of armour, Morathi is the most powerful and cunning sorceress of their race, Hellebron is a competent sorceress blessed by Khaine himself, and Malus is infused with the power of a demon. Rakarth gets on by his incredible connection with animals, but is otherwise a mere fighter. Even compared to Lokhir he's got a much more humble skillset, as Lokhir has a Black Ark, some enchanted items, and Storm God Mathlann's favor in his corner. |
| 617 | * BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Much of the flavor text for how he tames different beasts on his raids makes it clear that it involves quite a bit of torment. |
| 618 | * TheBeastmaster: He is considered the greatest beastmaster in all of Naggaroth. Most notably, he tamed his mount Bracchus (the horse one who was so untamable that his father gave up) when he was but a child! Also his skills and game-style focus heavily on beasts and monsters, with several skills, buffs, and abilities used to perfect the art of doing so (and his unique faction mechanic allows him to add monsters to his recruitable pool if he raids, wins a battle, perform his unique Rite, or occupy a settlement), thus he will have a lot of them in his army, including those from other factions. He's such an accomplished monster-tamer, his ''gaze'' can remove the rampage effect from enraged monsters and provide them with a leadership buff. |
| 619 | * CastingGag: With his love of training beasts and talking often of flaying people, is it any surprise that Iwan Rheon, AKA [[Series/GameOfThrones Ramsay Snow]], voices him? |
| 620 | * ChallengeSeeker: When approached by friendly Skaven for diplomacy he might ask them if they have any Rat Ogres that need taming simply because he loves the challenge. Not even the Skaven can really 'tame' rat ogres. |
| 621 | * DomesticatedDinosaurs: He can wrangle Tamed Cold Ones, Stegadons, alongside the brutal Carnosaur to his armies if he goes down to the Lustrian continent. |
| 622 | * DragonRider: He rides a fearsome Black Dragon named Bracchus (named after his first mount). |
| 623 | * EnfantTerrible: As stated above, as a child he could tame beasts and monsters others could not. |
| 624 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Maybe not love, but a very great fondness. Rakarth adored Bracchus to the point that [[WeNamedTheMonkeyJack he named his Black Dragon after him]]. |
| 625 | * EvilIsPetty: He hates Karl Franz because the man ''dares'' to have a zoo full of exotic creatures. He actually gets a quest to attack the capital of the Empire just for that. |
| 626 | * FauxAffablyEvil: He is remarkably polite and precise in his speech, but it's clear he's a total monster underneath it, frequently making suggestions of torture and flaying people apart if they get on his bad side. |
| 627 | * GoodScarsEvilScars: Rakarth has a nasty scar on his right cheek that reaches all the way to his upper lip. |
| 628 | * HybridMonster: His Breeding Program skill allows hydras to use the kharybdiss' Abyssal Howl and kharybdissi to use the hydra's BreathWeapon, suggested in the skill's description to be due to literal hybridization of the two monsters, in some black ritual or horrible experiment that is better left unsaid... |
| 629 | -->''[[Film/JurassicPark The beastmasters were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, that they didn't stop to think if they should]].'' |
| 630 | * MagikarpPower: Compared to other Dark Elf lords, he doesn't have the best combat stats early on and has to mostly rely on the aid of his beasts to stay alive. But once he gets Bracchus, along with many of the buffs for his animals, he becomes quite the monster-killing force. |
| 631 | * MookCarryover: His unique "Beast Pens" mechanic allows him to do this to a ''very'' large variety of other factions monsters. |
| 632 | * RedEyesTakeWarning: Has a pair of red eyes. Unlike Lokhir's, his appearance is entirely natural. |
| 633 | * TheRival: |
| 634 | ** To Lokhir Fellhart, at least in gameplay terms. Both are vying for control of Karond Kar, which is reflected in the fact that both get a quest that allows them to confederate Karond Kar early, provided they collect enough slaves, ostensibly in a race to upstage the other. |
| 635 | ** He also considers himself this to '''Karl Franz''' of all people; he gets a quest to attack the Empire's capital city to put him in place for ''daring'' to gather exotic animals and house them in the royal zoo. |
| 636 | * SavageWolves: Through his Monster Pen he can gather packs of vicious canines to be used as warhounds. |
| 637 | * SoftSpokenSadist: Iwan is clearly channeling his inner Bolton... |
| 638 | * TinTyrant: Wears a heavy set of platemail, giving him the appearance of one. |
| 639 | * WarElephants: Lumbering Norscan Mammoths can be trained to serve the Dark Elves, provided they risk the wrath of the Norscans to obtain them. |
| 640 | * WhipOfDominance: He wields the enchanted '''Whip of Agony''' in battle, as befitting a beastmaster. This weapon allows him to remove the ability of enemy monsters to cause Fear and/or Terror, making them easier to dispatch. His other monster ability he shares with the generic Beastmaster Lord, ''Whiplash'', has the cruel animal tamer strike the beast with it, giving them a heavy boost to combat stats.[[/folder]] |
| 641 | |
| 642 | !Others |
| 643 | |
| 644 | [[folder:Felicion]] |
| 645 | !! Felicion Heartkeeper |
| 646 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/felicion.png]] |
| 647 | [[caption-width-right:350: ''"I am willing to serve, to earn my soul's release"'']] |
| 648 | |
| 649 | A sorceress adept in lore and prophecies. Under the ([[YourSoulIsMine forceful]]) employment of Malekith, who orders her to aid him in controlling the Vortex, and in return he will return her soul. |
| 650 | ---- |
| 651 | * CanonForeigner: She's an original character created for the game. |
| 652 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: See HiddenDepths. |
| 653 | * EvilSorcerer: Par for the course with a Druchii sorceress. |
| 654 | * HiddenDepths: After the Ritual of the Lover, the player receives a mission briefing in which actually gives a lot to characterize the sorceress. This is mainly that she was extremely reluctant in slaying her Dreadlord lover, and upon reflection she's come to the realization she was [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes legitimately in love with her]]. She then remarks that she finally [[NotSoDifferentRemark understands Malekith]] and what [[DespairEventHorizon drove him to despair]] before finally declaring that since her lover's hand is no longer in her own, [[LoveMakesYouEvil all she wants to do is inflict suffering and pain on others]]. Rarely are Dark Elves so self-reflective. |
| 655 | * HoistByHerOwnPetard: Her attempt to assassinate Morathi ended with her [[spoiler:on the receiving end of the very [[YourSoulIsMine spell]] she had intended for the Hag Sorceress]]. |
| 656 | * MadeASlave: She was enslaved by Morathi and later given to Malekith, who's implied to treat her marginally better. Considering her words and her [[ForcefulKiss actions]], it's heavily implied Morathi did something [[SexSlave much darker to her]]. |
| 657 | * MissionControl: She serves this function in the Dark Elf Vortex campaign. |
| 658 | * OutGambitted: |
| 659 | ** She plans to [[spoiler:use the blood of her brother in the final ritual. Unfortunately for her, said brother turns out to be ''Shadowblade'', the deadliest of the Khainite assassins, and guess who that nameless assassin who's been following her around all game [[CanonCharacterAllAlong turns out to be]]...]] |
| 660 | ** In "The Mage and the Sorceress", [[spoiler:she suffers this again when she tries to assassinate Morathi, and subsequently becomes the victim of her own spell. Which is what got her into her current predicament in the first place.]] |
| 661 | * {{Seers}}: She's noted to be well-versed in lore and prophecies. |
| 662 | * {{Stripperiffic}}: As typical for the attire of sorceresses, she wears very revealing clothing. |
| 663 | * TeethClenchedTeamwork: There is absolutely no love lost between her and Morathi, to the point that she comes across as highly disparaging and passive-aggressive when addressing her. This is in complete contrast to her interactions with Malekith, who she acts borderline sycophantic towards. [[spoiler: Of course considering Morathi is the one responsible for her current situation to begin with it's not hard to see why.]] |
| 664 | * YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: |
| 665 | ** After she has [[spoiler:extracted the information she needs out of the [[{{Medusa}} Oracle]], she has her assassin companion kill the creature and uses its blood for the next stage of the ritual]]. |
| 666 | ** Later on, [[spoiler:she ''herself'' becomes subject to this when her brother, the master assassin Shadowblade, kills her in order to use her blood for the final ritual]]. |
| 667 | * YourSoulIsMine: Morathi stole her soul after a failed assassination attempt, and later gave it to Malekith as a gift. |
| 668 | [[/folder]] |
| 669 | |
| 670 | [[folder:The Assassin]] |
| 671 | !! The Assassin |
| 672 | [[quoteright:205:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shadowblade.png]] |
| 673 | [[caption-width-right:205:''"..."'']] |
| 674 | |
| 675 | A Khainite Assassin who accompanies Felicion, aiding in the completion of the rituals and disposing of her targets. |
| 676 | ---- |
| 677 | * CanonCharacterAllAlong: It turns out that he's [[spoiler:the legendary assassin ''Shadowblade'']]. |
| 678 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: [[spoiler:Despite killing her in order to complete the ritual, it's implied that he cared enough about Felicion to grieve over the act. At the climax of the campaign he even beseeches Malekith to give him her soul cage, apparently with the hope that she can be [[BackFromTheDead restored to life]].]] |
| 679 | * TheFaceless: We never see his face, he's [[InTheHood hooded]] and [[MalevolentMaskedMan masked]] the whole time. |
| 680 | * InTheHood: Standard practice for Khainite Assassins. |
| 681 | * NervesOfSteel: [[spoiler: The other advisers working on the ritual react in shock and terror when the Great Horned Rat manifests himself. Shadowblade, though, calmly stands his ground as the god gloats of his impending victory.]] |
| 682 | * ProfessionalKiller: Well of course, he ''is'' a Khainite Assassin after all. [[spoiler: And not just any Khainite Assassin - ''the'' Khainite assassin.]] |
| 683 | * TheQuietOne: He's only depicted speaking once, and even then only in the text-only epilogue. |
| 684 | * WalkingSpoiler: Pretty much everything about this guy and his identity spoils a plot point. |
| 685 | [[/folder]] |
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