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This is the page for all the characters form the Warhammer background involved in the End times. Because the majority of them already existed, some of the tropes regarding them in the original games also apply.

Remember: This page is about the tropes pertaining characters during the End Times, not before.

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     The Empire 
The Empire was always besieged, but now it's on the brink of destruction. Two of their major and most strategically vital cities, Middenheim and Nuln, are inoperative because of different disasters (The Plague and flagellant uprising, respectively). Add to this the recent events within Sylvania and the upcoming invasion of Archaon. The Empire has bolstered every force they could, but the situation is really dire for them.

Emperor Karl Franz

  • Back from the Dead: He dies to Otto Glott, but is resurrected immediately thereafter.
  • Came Back Strong: Strong enough to repel the Chaos invasion of Altdorf.
  • Demonic Possession: The twin-tailed comet that slams into Karl Franz's corpse and resurrects him after Otto Glott kills him actually contains the spirit of Sigmar. However, the resurrection was not complete until Sigmar was reunited with Ghal Maraz, at which point he takes control over Karl's body.
  • Empowered Badass Normal: Karl Franz Ascendant. Subverted as he's no longer Karl but Sigmar.
  • Enemy Mine: With Vlad Von Carstein during the siege of Altdorf.
  • Energy Weapon: After the twin-tailed comet slams into Karl Franz's corpse, he rises from the dead, wielding the Essence of Ghal Maraz, a hammer made of pure, golden light.
  • Fusion Dance: When he melds with the Wind of Heavens, he shares his body with Sigmar. By the time he recovers Ghal Maraz, Karl Franz is no more.
  • Holy Is Not Safe: His Ascendant form unleashes a wave of light that obliterates any undead or tainted creature in the city.
  • Never Speak Ill of the Dead: Karl calls out Balthasar Gelt for speaking badly of Volkmar even after his death.
  • No One Could Survive That!: His fall from several hundred feet during the battle of the Auric Bastion.
  • The Reveal: Karl Franz has merged with and been subsumed by Sigmar, who was bound into the wind of heavens.
  • Shock and Awe: After becoming the Incarnate of Heavens he gained the power to hit enemy units with lightning.
  • Shut Up, Hannibal!: Gives one to Walach Harkon in their aerial duel.
  • True Companions: Unsurprisingly, to Deathclaw, his gryphon, which he takes the time to liberate from the chaos army. Bonus points as Karl was broken, wounded and unarmed at the time.

Valten, Chosen of Sigmar

Valten was the simple son of a smith in the unimportant village of Lachenbad, his only strangeness was a mark in his chest with the shape of a twin-tailed comet: the symbol of Sigmar. During a Beastmen attach of his village shortly before the End Times, he grabs his father's smithing hammers and starts to fight the monsters. Afterwards, sensing what was growing up, he travels north to join the Empire army that was preparing there to face the Chaos hordes.


  • The Chosen One: Many people believe that is the avatar of Sigmar himself, and he certainly is badass enough for that.
  • Birthmark of Destiny: He was born with a twin-tailed comet on his chest.
  • Enemy Mine: He joins Vlad in his battles against the forces of Chaos.
  • Killed Off for Real: Despite his Healing Factor, Valten is finally killed during his duel with Archaon in Middenheim. In a reference to his fate in the aftermath of the retconed Storm of Chaos campaign where he was killed by a Skaven assassin, Valten is struck from behind by a a Skaven Verminlord.
  • Last Stand: Led the defense of Middenheim against the oncoming hordes of Archaon.
  • Multiple-Choice Past: His original background has suffered a minor Retcon. Instead of being discovered by Luthor Huss, he travels directly to the north on his own.
  • Off with His Head!: A Skaven Verminlord does this to him when he is in the middle of fighting Archaon.
  • Religious Bruiser: Ardent Sigmarite and all-around badass.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: Valten is reintroduced in End Times: Nagash, defending the Auric Bastion from Chaos incursions and geared up to be the potential savior of the Empire once again. And he accomplishes nothing earth-shattering, playing minor saviour roles before getting murdered by the Verminlord Deceiver Darkh'dwel as he duels Archaon in End Times: Thanquol. He does at least rack up an impressive list of slain Chaos Champions.

Balthasar Gelt, Grand Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic

The Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic and one of the greatest human wizards. He pulls the Faith Barrier, a barrier powered by faith rounding Sylvania to make sure that nothing leaves, and also the Auric Bastion on the border of Kislev to do the same against Chaos.


  • Barrier Warrior: Gelt creates a wall of faith around Sylvania to monitor the activities of the undead, and the Auric Bastion to the north against the warbands of Chaos.
  • In the Back: He gets run through by Mannfred while trying to contain the third Rift.
  • Klingon Scientists Get No Respect: Everybody makes clear their doubts about both the Faith Barrier and the Auric Bastion to him. He's not amused about this. This proves bad for the Empire after his apparent betrayal. The Church of Sigmar withdraws its support of the Auric Bastion, allowing entire sections of it to fall and leading to its subsequent failure, granting the "all clear" to the forces of Chaos
  • Never Speak Ill of the Dead: His opinions regarding Volkmar don't change (and weren't high to start with) despite his apparent death. Karl Franz calls him out on that.
  • Red Herring Mole: After he tries to kill Valten (believing him to be The Mole of Chaos) and using the undead to do so, everyone believes that he has been on the Nagash payroll all along.
  • Start of Darkness: Vlad convinces him to use the power of Necromancy.
  • Necromancer: He raises an army of undead to deal with the traitor within the Empire army, whom he believes to be Valten. It fails.
  • Unwitting Pawn: He is this to Emil Valgeir (a.k.a.: the Changeling) to cause havoc to make his assassination of Karl Franz easier. It works, but the daemon fails.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Becomes one in the End Times: Nagash fluff book, turning to Necromancy out of desperation when the magical wall he has created is sundered and mortal troops simply cannot hold back the tides of Chaos. It works, so he starts openly advocating that the Empire should start making use of the reanimated dead to spare the lives of valuable living warriors, especially against the terrifying foes of Chaos. Eventually, the negative reaction he gets to this, despite his own successes at using the walking dead to hold the line, leads to him Jumping Off the Slippery Slope and ultimately throwing in with Nagash.

Reikmarshal Kurt Helborg

  • The Chains of Commanding: Becomes weary from being in charge of the politics and the logistics of a war-torn nation.
  • Combat Pragmatist: Despite his skill with a Runefang and honorable reputation, he has no qualms about fighting dirty.
  • Godzilla Threshold: Considers allying with Vlad and making him an Elector Count to be this.
  • Heroic BSoD: Kurt Helborg briefly enters this state when Walach appears to kill Karl Franz.
  • Killed Off for Real: He dies defending Karl Franz from Otto Glott in the battle of Altdorf.
  • Off with His Head!: Decapitated by Otto Glott.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: During his tenure as Regent, he comes down hard on rioters and dissenters to preserve order in the city, even authorizing the knights to use lethal force on them.
  • You Are in Command Now: With his superiors either missing or dead he's briefly in charge of the Empire.

Ludwig Schwarzhelm

  • Mutual Kill: During the battle of Averheim, after a brutal combat against the Daemon Princess Valkia the Bloody, he meets his fate on the end of her spear as it pierces his heart at the same time he impales her on the end of his broken banner pole, the two falling dead at the same time.
  • My Greatest Failure: As Franz's bodyguard, Ludwig views Karl Franz's apparent death as this, even though Karl Franz was involved in an aerial duel and Ludwig was land-bound being mounted on a horse.

Grand Theogonist Volkmar the Grim

The Grand Theogonist of the Church of Sigmar, Volkmar recently lead a force to Sylvania in response to its declaration of independence that didn't end well. Captured for months, along several of the people who accompanied him to Sylvania, Volkmar resolves to break free or die trying.

It doesn't work. He was being kept prisoner because he is a direct descendant of Sigmar and he is needed in the ritual that brings Nagash back. He died in said ritual in terrible agony because his body is the main form of the present incarnation of Nagash.


  • Body Horror: Volkmar was a strong elderly human, but after Nagash remakes Volkmar's body it's sixty feet tall with torn, pallid, desiccated skin, a skull for a head and six spine-tentacles growing out of the back.
  • Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Why Mannfred keeps him alive.
  • Cold-Blooded Torture: Endures this from Mannfred's hands as the latter's prisoner. There's also the Crown of Sorcery's influence and the nightmares it induces in him.
  • Cruel and Unusual Death: His death is so horrific that even his tormentor and captor, Mannfred von Carstein, feels disturbed by it.
  • Defiant to the End: His last words are a taunt to his captor.
  • Fate Worse than Death: See above. His ultimate fate is so agonizing even Mannfred is horrified by it.
  • Grand Theft Me: Volkmar has one of his hands replaced with Nagash's original hand, which then took over his body and Nagash remade it as his new body.
  • Human Sacrifice: Arkhan the Black sacrifices his body to be used as a vessel to allow Nagash to return.
  • Royal Blood: It turns out that he's a direct descendent of Sigmar himself, making him potentially the legal ruler of the Empire, if he were not dead.

Luthor Huss

  • Demonic Possession: Huss was defeated and possessed by the Nameless.
  • Heroic Willpower: When Vlad von Carstein is fighting the Nameless, he attempts to reach whatever nugget of Luthor Huss that still resides inside the Nameless. Taunting the former priest for giving in so easily to the powers he had sworn to fight, Vlad is able to bring Huss to the fore once more. Holy light blazes from Hussā€™ body as he purges the Nameless from his form and banishes him to the void of true death.

Hans Leitdorf

Grand Master of the Knights of Sigmar's Blood, and brother to the late mad Elector Count Marius Leitdorf of Averland. From his fortress of Heldenhame in Talabecland, Leitdorf has watched his beloved Empire grow weak under the careless rule of squabbling and corrupt nobles to his west, and the resurgent Von Carstein dynasty of Sylvania to his east. As the End Times come, and Mannfred and Arkhan go on the march, Hans Leitdorf, his Order, and his citadel are put to the ultimate test...
  • Dead Guy on Display: Mannfred leaves what's left of his corpse for Eltharion and Eldyra to find.
  • Defiant to the End: His last action is to break free of the undead killing his knights and charge Mannfred, loudly declaring he will kill the vampire even as his own life is clearly forfeit. Unfortunately, he doesn't succeed.
  • Fatal Flaw: His single-minded devotion to finally annihilate the vampires of Sylvania leads him into several traps. First, Mannfred and Arkhan draw him out of his castle to leave the vaults of Heldenhame unguarded, whcih he realizes only when it's too late. Then his frustration leads him to abandon his High Elven allies in Sylvania and go after Mannfred alone. Predictably, he is ambushed and butchered.
  • General Failure: An interesting example, in that he is a skilled soldier and tactician who knows exactly how to fight the Undead on the battlefield. His obsession with killing Mannfred and one-upping Balthazar Gelt, however, leads him to ignore the broader strategic picture and fall for Mannfred's traps, which gets his fortress sacked and himself and his knights killed.
  • Hero Antagonist: Of Return of Nagash, as he opposes the principal viewpoint characters in their goal to resurrect the Great Necromancer.
  • Hot-Blooded: Tempers seem to run in the Leitdorf blood, patience less so. It gets him killed by Mannfred.
  • Jerkass: Hans Leitdorf is irritable at the best of times, and frequently rages at (perceived or real) slights. He is also a harsh disciplinarian of the Heldenhame garrison.
  • Jerkass Has a Point: He is, however, correct that his men need to be on high alert for a Sylvanian invasion, and that he does not have enough men to hold the castle in the event of a determined siege. In addition, as a veteran fighter of the undead, he knows better than his High Elven allies that while their campaign into Sylvania needs to be quick, it also needs to be thorough, burning out any of the several potential hiding spaces the Von Carsteins could retreat to.
  • Old Soldier: He is an old and experienced knight.

Thyrus Gormann

Patriarch of the Bright College and former Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic.
  • Acrofatic: Leitdorf notes he is very graceful for a man of his weight.
  • Playing with Fire: His College's specialty, and he is extremely good at it.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: He's last mentioned by Leitdorf as heading north from Altdorf to go reinforce the imperial defense against Archaon's invasion. After that, he disappears.

     Bretonnia 

Bretonnia narrowly averts destruction. Shortly before the End Times, Bretonnia faces a civil war instigated by a bastard son of the king: Mallobaude the Serpent. In 2521, Mallobaude launches his campaign and after initial failings, his pact with Arkhan the Black gives him the upper hand. Mallobaude kills his father in Couronne and several battles after meets his end in single combat against the Green Knight.

King Louen Leoncoeur

  • Character Death: After narrowly surviving his defeat at the hands of his bastard son Mallobaude, he dies leading Bretonnian knights to the defense of Altdorf...but then the Lady of the Lake ascends him to godhood.
  • Holy Is Not Safe: His blood has been blessed by the Lady of the Lake and a Greater Daemon of Nurgle is killed by Louen's holy blood soaking into its body.
  • Not Quite Dead: Presumably killed by his bastard son in a duel, only to later show up alive again after Mallobaude is slain.
  • Old Soldier: He was ninety years old before the End Times, but he still leads his nation's armies in battle from time to time. Justified; as a Grail Knight, he is far more resistant to age and fatigue.
  • Offing the Offspring: Fought his bastard son Mallobaude in a duel at one point but failed to kill him and was nearly killed himself.
  • Outliving One's Offspring: Louen outlives his bastard son Mallobaude, who nearly kills his own father in a duel before the Green Knight challenges and kills him.
  • Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: His supposed death at Mallobaude's hands.

Morgiana Le Fay

  • And Then John Was a Zombie: She's turned into a vampire after being captured by Mannfred.
  • Et Tu, Brute?: Implied towards Drycha, who sells her out to Mannfred.
  • Heroic Suicide: Well, she certainly tries. She knows Arkhan's ritual needs no fewer than eight people to perform, so she distracts Arkhan with a Mind Rape illusion and kills herself with his knife. Unfortunately, she has been vampirized by this point, and Arkhan brings her back in short order.
    Arkhan: No, my lady. Escape is not so easy as all that, I fear.
  • Killed Off for Real: She's one of the people sacrificed by Arkhan to bring back Nagash.
  • Mind Rape: Morgiana is able to temporarily trap Arkhan in a vision of his time in Lahmia, his witnessing of Neferata's vampirization, and his death at Abhorash's hands. Aliathra notes to Arkhan's extreme discomfort that this means a part of him is still alive.
  • Minor Major Character: She's a key figure in Bretonnia and one of the sacrifices needed to bring back Nagash.
  • Reluctant Monster: She's hesitant to feed on people after being turned into a vampire.
  • Slashed Throat: How Arkhan kills her to bring back Nagash.

The Green Knight, King Gilles le Breton

Mallobaude

Bastard son of King Louen Leoncoeur and self-proclaimed Duke of Mousillon. Lays claim on the throne and leads Bretonnia into civil war.


  • Animal Motifs: His heraldry features a golden snake on a black field.
  • Antagonistic Offspring: He goes to war against his father King Louen to take the throne.
  • Bastard Bastard: The king's illegitimate offspring, who starts a civil war to take the throne and allies with dark powers such as Nagash's lieutenant Arkhan the Black.
  • Black Knight: Said to be clad in black armor.
  • Combat by Champion: Issues a personal challenge to the leader of the seemingly slain Louen's remnant armies. Backfires for him when the Green Knight accepts the challenge and kills him.
  • Expy: Considering Bretonnia's Arthurian setting, Mallobaude is pretty much Mordred in all but name.
  • Off with His Head!: The Green Knight cuts off his head after revealing himself to be Gilles le Breton.
  • Self-Made Orphan: He kills his own father in a duel. Subverted, as after the Green Knight kills Mallobaude it's revealed that Louen has survived.
  • Snakes Are Sinister: His Animal Motif is a snake, and he's a Bastard Bastard usurper.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: He's a bastard by Louen Leoncouer, but who's his mother? Just who that is has never been stated.

     Dwarfs 

The dwarfs are preparing. The World's Edge Mountains are in unrest and several volcanos inactive for millenia have started erupting, an ill omen for the dwarfs. In the wake of the End times, an assemble of the dwarven kings are called in Karaz-A-Karak by Thorgrim Grudgebearer. In the assembly they decide the course of action in light of the recent events, and shutting up their fortresses wins by little, finding opposition from Kings Ungrim Ironfist and Alrik Ranulfsson. Despite that, circunstances lead to some of them taking arms and marching to the exterior or the dephts of earth.

High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer

  • Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Although he receives a debilitating injury he scorns any assistance and orders his attendants to leave him so they can't see his infirmity.
  • No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: He delivers one to Queek Headtaker that results in the latter's death.
  • Empowered Badass Normal: He becomes the Incarnate of Metal for a while. Sadly, it didn't stick and Chamon left him.
  • In the Back:He's stabbed in the back by Deathmaster Snikch's three blades. These are actually his dying words.
    'Thorgrim: "...in the back... of course, the cowards stabbed me in the back..."
  • Only Sane Man: The only Dwarf to acknowledge the importance of their alliances with the other races and attempt to help them (Ungrim's motives are less noble).

King Ungrim Ironfist of Karak Kadrin

  • Empowered Badass Normal: As the Incarnate of Fire.
  • Death Seeker: Comes with being a Slayer, but it's implied Ungrim is more so with the death of his wife and son.
  • Doomed Hometown: Karak-Kadrin, his city, is gas-bombarded by Clan Skryre.
  • Fiery Redhead: A male example. Becomes literal as well after he becomes the Incarnate of Fire.
  • It's Personal: He doesn't take the massacre of Karak-Kadrin well.
  • Last Stand: He leads his army against Archaon so the people of Averheim and the Dwarfs of Zhufbar can escape.
  • Playing with Fire: He becomes the Incarnate of Fire.
  • Religious Bruiser: He is devoted to Grimnir until the very end.

Runemaster Thorek Ironbrow of Karak Azul

  • Old Master: He's the Dwarf's greatest living runesmith.
  • Taking You with Me: He detonates his Anvil of Doom before dying of a fatal injury Neferata inflicted.

     High Elves 
The High Elves of Ulthuan aren't doing much better. After several attempts of rescuing Aliathra, the daughter of the Everqueen, time is running short for them. Also, in the beginning stages of the End Times, several daemonic incursions occurred. Initially short-lived, but they were increasing in frequency, size and length. Also, their dark kin have come ashore again on their coasts and the brothers Tyrion and Teclis are busy trying to fend them off.

General Tropes

Alarielle

  • Mama Bear: She went to great lengths to save her daughter and nearly attacked Nagash over her death.
  • Missing Child: Imagine that your daughter was kidnapped, and despite everything you and your friends and family did, you couldn't save her from a horrible death.
  • Morality Chain: To Tyrion and, to a lesser degree, Malekith after marrying the latter.
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business: She used to be a woman of peace. Not any more.
  • Took a Level in Badass: She became the vessel of Isha after fusing with Ariel. She goes on to become the Incarnate of Ghyran, the Wind of Life.
  • Would You Like to Hear How They Died?: Receives one from Nagash regarding hers and Tyrion's daughter.

Aliathra, the Everchild

  • Badass in Distress: She gets captured by Mannfred, but makes several escape attempts.
  • Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Averted. Due to the cold-blooded torture below, Aliathra has cuts and bruises, is starved, has trouble walking and is rendered blind.
  • The Charmer: Forged a successful alliance with the Dwarves, and was said to be able to charm a manticore to gently lay its head on her lap (note: the average manticore has the temperament and bloodlust of post-rabies Cujo).
  • Cold-Blooded Torture: She tortured within an inch of her life as Mannfred's prisoner.
  • Damsel in Distress: After being captured by Mannfred and Arkhan.
  • Face Death with Dignity: She's composed and accepting when Arkhan is about to kill her. She also performs a mysterious spell on him before he takes her life.
  • Handicapped Badass: Her torture at Mannfred's hands has left her blind.
  • Heroic Bastard: It's revealed that Tyrion had her out of wedlock with Alarielle.
  • Human Sacrifice: Aliathra is killed by Arkhan the Black as part of his ritual to resurrect his master Nagash.
  • Obfuscating Insanity: Pretends to be insane when she's really magically broadcasting their location to the High Elf armies.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: Serves as an Ambassador for her people.
  • Tracking Device: Aliathra herself is one, through her magic bond with her mother, the Everqueen, and a spell to inform the elf mages of her location.

Eltharion

  • Ancestral Weapon: His family blade, the Fangsword. It's destroyed breaking a magical barrier to try and rescue Aliathra, but restored by Eltharion's ghost and given to his nephew on Ulthuan.
  • Defiant to the End: He doesn't even flinch or relent in his task as Arkhan's spell takes hold of him.
  • The Determinator: No matter the fact that his quest is nigh-impossible from the start, his human allies are killed, his Dwarf and Wood Elf allies are forced to retreat, and he finds himself outnumbered and outgunned by Arkhan and Mannfred, Eltharion remains committed to his mission to rescue Aliathra, even unto death. Impressively, even when his sword is destroyed, he attempts to kill Arkhan with his bare hands.
  • Killed Off for Real: He's reduced to dust by Arkhan the Black while trying to rescue Aliathra.
  • Magic Knight: He's a highly competent warrior and able to use spells thanks to the Talisman of Hoeth.
  • Make Them Rot: Arkhan hits him with a supercharged Curse of Years spell, causing him to disintegrate and rot away in moments.
  • Master Swordsman: One of the finest swords in Ulthuan, and in Return of Nagash the first opponent Mannfred loses to in a fight.
  • Secret-Keeper: He is one of the few people in the world who knows Aliathra's true parentage.
  • True Companions: With his gryphon steed, Stormwing.
  • When All You Have Is a Hammerā€¦: Using his Fangsword to break through Arkhan's magical barrier resulting in the Fangsword's destruction. Then, without a weapon, he tries to kill Arkhan by breaking his neck, which didn't work and led to Eltharion's death.
  • The Worf Effect: He nearly kills Mannfred von Carstein in combat.
  • You Are a Credit to Your Race: His attitude towards his non-elven allies.

Tyrion

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tyrion_et.png
  • Back from the Dead: Tyrion is killed by Alith Anar during the elven civil war, but then returns to life as the Incarnate of Light.
  • The Berserker: Descends into this, especially as the Avatar of Khaine.
  • Big Brother Instinct: Despite everything Teclis did, when Mannfred indirectly kills Teclis, Tyrion lets Mannfred know how he feels about that via flaming sword in the gut.
  • The Chains of Commanding: Is declared Regent of Ulthuan and leads its armies in Finubar's absence, but is worried about his abducted daughter and missing lover, and despises politics. Gradually, the strain of leading the entire country's military, worrying for his family, and still having to fight his way through huge armies of daemons in between all that starts building up until he finally cracks when his daughter is murdered.
  • Dented Iron: His combined roles as the High Elves' primary beatstick and Frontline General mean that he's constantly racking up injuries throughout ET: Khaine, with a poisoned wound from a mechanical daemon being only the first of a long list. Deconstructed somewhat, because it's implied that Tyrion's repeatedly throwing himself into the thick of things and getting injured is because of how unstable his mental state is becoming, even before he draws the Widowmaker.
  • Despair Event Horizon: After Aliathra's death, Tyrion is left badly depressed, but unable to mourn her due to Malekith's invasion being ongoing, plus the people who he needed to help him work through things being missing. Then it turns out that then it turns out the person who he trusted the most, Teclis, had betrayed him and was responsible for the death of his daughter. Coupled with the Chains of Commanding from above, and mounting desperation in the face of a seemingly unwinnable war all lead him to the Widowmaker. At that point, between Morathi's seduction and his own heartache he just wanted to let go so he wouldn't feel pain anymore and be the hero his people wanted. Tyrion was poisoned by his own depression as much as he was by Khaine, leading him to draw the Sword of Khaine and descend into madness.
  • Dying as Yourself: After Alith Anar's arrow pierces true through Tyrion's breastplate, the Widowmaker falls from his hand. The madness of Khaine fades away, and he sees clearly for the first time in many months before Tyrion, heir of Aenarion and Avatar of Khaine, dies.
  • Empowered Badass Normal: Tyrion was already one of the best swordsmen in the world before becoming the Avatar of Khaine, and later the Incarnate of Light.
  • Faceā€“Heel Turn: Tyrion is driven to draw the Widowmaker by the death of his daughter, the revelation that Teclis was complicit in it, and the seductions of Morathi, becoming the Avatar of Khaine.
  • Fallen Hero: After he becomes Morathi's lover and draws the Widowmaker.
  • Heelā€“Face Turn: After Khaine dies and Teclis uses the flame of Ulric and the corpse of Ariel to resurrect Tyrion as the Incarnate of Light, he becomes his normal self again.
  • Hero Killer: Kills Malus, Orion and would have done the same to Malekith if not for the intervention of Caradryan and later Alith Anar. He also kills Mannfred in End Times: Archaon.
  • Infinity +1 Sword: He gains one when he draws the Widowmaker, the Sword of Khaine.
  • Lightning Bruiser: He's fast even by Elf standards and a skilled warrior. Exaggerated when he becomes the Incarnate of Light.
  • Light 'em Up: As the Incarnate of Light.
  • Machiavelli Was Wrong: His brutal methods gradually drive away Alarielle, many allies, and finally his horse.
  • Mercy Kill: Offers one to Malekith after the Incarnates fail and the Rift is about to destroy them.
  • Missing Child: Same as Alarielle, but with an added twist of the knife. Imagine that it was a member of your own family who was responsible for your daughter's death.
  • Necromancer: After becoming the Avatar of Khaine, Tyrion can raise the corpses of the slain to be his minions.
  • One-Man Army: He was already the greatest warrior the High Elves had, but when he draws the Widowmaker he becomes all but unstoppable, with a maxed-out Weapon Skill. The lore reflects this, with him being able to outfight pretty much everyone he goes up against, including Malekith the Phoenix King.
  • Papa Wolf: Even during a daemonic invasion of Ulthuan, Tyrion sent a second expedition to the Old World in order to save his bastard daughter Aliathra from the hands of Mannfred von Carstein. He would have lead it himself but his brother and most trusted companions insisted that he stay and lead the defence of Ulthuan instead.
  • Shut Up, Kirk!: When Teclis tries to talk him out of killing Malekith by saying that Morathi is just using him, Tyrion retorts that that puts her on equal ground with Teclis himself, then.
  • Tragic Hero: Tyrion, in retrospect, becomes this.
  • Would You Like to Hear How They Died?: Receives one from Nagash regarding his and Alarielle's daughter, causing him to nearly attack Nagash.

Teclis

  • The Chessmaster: He puts several events described in the End Times books into motion.
  • The Chooser of the One: The entire Incarnates thing is his invention, based on Nagash harnessing the Lore of Death in Khemri.
  • Despair Event Horizon: He knew in advance, by word of Lileath, that the End Times were coming. To try and stop it, he ended up provoking certain events which led to much of the events of the End Times happening in the first place.
  • God Was My Co-Pilot: Lileath was working with Teclis throughout the End Times; many of his plans were actually hers.
  • Godzilla Threshold: Where to start... First it's revealed that he broke the magical wards around Finubar's tower, allowing Malekith to kill him, then it's revealed that he communed with Arkhan and the spirit of Nagash, allowing Arkhan and Mannfred to capture and sacrifice Alithara (Teclis's own niece) in order to enable Nagash's return. Then he arranges for Caledor to turn to Malekith's side when he invades Ulthuan, and later on deliberately allows the madness of Khaine to start affecting Malekith's forces so that he will go for Teclis' plan of unbinding the vortex..
    • Said trope is ultimately deconstructed, whether intentionally or not, as most of Teclis's efforts end up making an already bad situation even worse (his 'unbind the vortex' plan causes the deaths of hundreds of thousands of elves when it goes wrong and causes the sinking of Ulthuan, in return for only managing to bind half the Winds) or removes potential allies (Nagash's return subjugating or annihilating all the members of the Tomb Kings, the doomed effort to rescue Alithara costing the High Elves two of their greatest heroes and driving Tyrion insane with grief).
  • I Did What I Had to Do: Teclis does all that he did in a desperate attempt at countering the Chaos Gods and ending their threat once and for all. In the end, it's All for Nothing.
  • Indy Ploy: His plan appears to be this until Lileath's involvement is revealed.
  • The Last Straw: Handing over Astarielle to Arkhan is what finally drove Tyrion to draw the Widowmaker.
  • Manipulative Bastard: If his plans are to succeed, many people don't need to know what's going on.
  • Never Found the Body: After the unravelling of the vortex, Ulthuan starts to sink and Alarielle starts to evacuate the High Elves through the worldroots to Athel Loren. Teclis, however, refuses to enter the worldroots, until Alarielle can no longer maintain them and has to leave. Imrik tarries a while longer, offering to carry Teclis away on his dragon Minaithnir, only to be refused as Alarielle was. Teclis is last seen rising to his feet and gathering Tyrion's corpse up in his arms with a strength Imrik didn't know he possessed, before the ocean crashes down on the Isle of the Dead for one last time, and Teclis is lost to Imrik's sight. He lived.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: When Teclis steals the flame of Ulric with the intent of using Ulric's power to resurrect his brother, because he thinks the world needs a champion more than an old god, he dooms the city to the hordes of Chaos without Ulric's protection. Unfortunately, he didn't know Middenheim was also the site of a doomsday device, and the city's fall leads to Archaon discovering and activating it. Teclis and the Incarnates are unable to stop the device before it destroys the world. All in all, in his desperation to prevent the End Times, Teclis ends up doing far more damage to his own side than the Forces of Chaos ever did.
  • Not Quite Dead: He survives after sinking beneath the sea with Ulthuan, and is later seen stealing the flame of Ulric to revive his brother.
  • Phlebotinum Breakdown: Once the Incarnates make it down to the doomsday device beneath Middenheim, Teclin is chained to the wall. Bereft of his staff and sword, he is unable to channel the Winds of Magic and so could not help until freed. His main contribution was to try and chain Aqshy and Ghur from their slain bearers to himself to add their might to the Incarnates as they attempted to contain the ever growing orb of blackness from the device. He barely managed able to contain the power of the two winds and began to be slowly torn apart by their might. Once Balthasar Gelt was killed he was forced to try and absorb Chamon as well. Despite his great power, this was too much even for him, and Teclis is almost instantly torn apart into nothing, the three winds let loose and the hopes of the world lost.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: He's willing to do anything to stop Chaos, knowing that the alternative is much worse. His plots include killing millions of people sunders kingdoms, returns ancients abominations who'll turn on him the moment the world is saved, but as far as he is concerned, as long as the world survives, is worth it.
  • Worthy Opponent: Nagash admits to himself that Teclis' intellect is almost as great as his own. Coming from Nagash, that is a tremendous compliment.
  • Your Approval Fills Me with Shame: Malekith and Nagash respect Teclis' ruthlessness when he explains to them the plan he enacted to save the world, though learning this just adds to Teclis' unhappiness.

Caradryan

  • Empowered Badass Normal: He becomes the Incarnate of Fire after Ungrim's death.
  • Playing with Fire: Again, as the Incarnate of Fire.
  • The Quiet One: Due to a magical vow never to speak until the battle on the Isle of the Dead. Even after that he almost never speaks until his dying breath.

Korhil

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  • Bodyguard Betrayal: He turns against Tyrion after realizing the depths of his madness.
  • Defector from Decadence: Steals the Widowmaker and attempts to give it to the Host of the Phoenix King in a desperate attempt to bring Tyrion back to his senses. It fails .
  • Family-Unfriendly Death: Following the above, he's tied to the back of a chariot and dragged back to Tyrion's fortress. The entirety of the following night, he's mercilessly beaten by the enraged Tyrion, to the point where even the hardened Khainites of the Aestyrion are unable to sleep because of the screams. By the next morning he's so badly broken that he has to be carried to the executioner's block, and is missing both his eyes. As a final adding of insult to injury, Morathi tells his executioner that nobody will think less of him if it takes more than one swing to behead him...
  • Heelā€“Face Turn: See above, though it's more motivated out of an attempt to save his friend than to save himself.
  • Killed Off for Real: Executed with his own axe after his attempt to steal the Widowmaker is foiled by Morathi.
  • My Master, Right or Wrong: Sticks by Tyrion in spite of everything the latter does after his Faceā€“Heel Turn, at least initially.

Imrik

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  • Defector from Decadence: Played with. He first abandons the Phoenix court after Tyrion sinks his attempt to secure himself the throne, leaving the rest of Ulthuan to fight off the daemons invading by itself.
  • God in Human Form: Imrik is the avatar of Nethu, the Keeper of the Underworld.
  • Fatal Flaw: Pride, subverted as it nearly gets him killed when he ignores the warning to not fight Tyrion, but Imrik survives.

Finubar

  • Back from the Dead: During the final battle on the Isle of the Dead, Finubar's skeleton is raised by Tyrion to do his bidding, while his spirit fights alongside Malekith against Tyrion.
  • Death Seeker: Ever since his ascension Finubar has felt guilty for faking the initiation rights of becoming the Phoenix King. When Teclis lets Malekith, the actual chosen of Asuryan, into Finubar's room to kill him, he doesn't resist and willingly accepts death.
  • Luke, I Am Your Father: He fathered Alarielle, who succeeded after death of the previous Everqueen at young age.
  • Parental Incest: Averted. It's why he never consummated his marriage with Alarielle.

Alith Anar

  • Team Switzerland: In the civil war between the Aestyrion and Malekith, Alith doesn't choose a side and Nagarythe becomes a haven for refugees from other kingdoms fleeing the war, with no invader tolerated.

     Dark Elves 

General Tropes

  • Evil Versus Evil: Against the armies of Chaos led by Valkia the Bloody, then later against the Aestyrion.
  • Salt the Earth: When Malekith decides to abandon Naggaroth for Valkia's Chaos hordes, he orders all cities burned, all sources of water poisoned and all slaves killed so as to leave nothing but a wasteland for the invaders.

Malekith the Witch/Phoenix/Eternity King

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  • The Archmage: After Teclis binds the Wind of Ulgu to Malekith, he becomes the Incarnate of Shadow. In-game, Malekith the Eternity King is one of the only four level 5 Wizards in the game (normally Wizard levels only go up to 4), the others being Nagash, Alarielle and Balthasar Gelt. Note that Malekith was already one of the most powerful Wizards in the world beforehand.
  • Arranged Marriage: With Alarielle, neither seems particularly fond of the other.
  • At Least I Admit It: When pointing out why they shouldn't ally with Nagash, Malekith freely admits his similar past actions.
  • Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Pulls this against the Incarnate of Beasts Grimgor Ironhide to secure his help against Archaon though Archaon killed Grimgor before Malekith could.
  • Casting a Shadow: As Incarnate of the Lore of Shadow.
  • Took a Level in Kindness: Despite still being, well, Malekith, he starts to open himself to his people and be a nicer person, culmitaning in the I Can't Feel My Legs! above. It helps that he was proven to be the rightful successor of Aenarion and obtained the kingship he'd pursued for millennia.
  • Tyrant Takes the Helm: After defeating the Aestyrion, he becomes the Eternity King and rules over all three elf factions, though his personality is still as ruthless as before, he is more patient, tolerant and pragmatic.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Now that he's king, he wants to save his people of the coming darkness.
  • Wound That Will Not Heal: The arrow that Alith Anar shoots him with. Subverted as it's later shown that he has removed it.

Morathi

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  • Fate Worse than Death: When the Vortex collapses, she's claimed by Slaanesh. No one knows what he/she will do to her, but surely it's not pleasant. Warhammer: Age of Sigmar reveals that it merely "changed" her.
  • Femme Fatale: Still her hat. Indeed, it's this that allows her to convince Tyrion to allow her into his inner circle, as he's hurting badly for intimacy after Alarielle's disappearance and his brother's defection to Malekith.
  • Lady of Black Magic: She's still a powerful sorceress in her own right, bringing a large amount of magical firepower to the Aestyrion. She believes herself to be the mortal incarnation of Hekarti, the elven goddes of Black Magic, but it's unclear if this is true or merely just her massive ego talking.
  • Lady Macbeth: Morathi betrays her own son and sides with Tyrion, seducing him with the aid of her magic. Previously, was this arguably to her own son - Malekith, especially before the 8th edition retcons.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Everyone thought that she had Malekith eating out of her hand. He abandons her when she refuses to evacuate when Chaos attack.
  • Offing the Offspring: In The End Times she sides with Tyrion, believing him to be Aenarion reborn, and allies with him against Malekith.
  • Replacement Goldfish: Remember how Malekith was Morathi's Aenarion 2.0? Well, Tyrion now fills the same role.
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: At the final battle at the Isle of the Dead, after she sees Tyrion fall she loses control and begins to attack Teclis. Determined to make all pay she dives headlong into the Vortex and kills all the mages maintaining it except for Caledor Dragontamer, allowing Slaanesh to reach through the hole in the fabric of reality and seize them both.
  • Stripperific: She wears a thong, a headdress, gloves, boots and, at points, a skimpy bra with one breast bared.

Shadowblade

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  • Neutral No Longer: Initially in the side of Malekith, but he turns on him. Down there is the result of said turning.
  • Killed Off for Real: His assasination attempt fails, and he pays for it, stabbed by Malekith and thrown from the back of a flying dragon
  • The Unreveal: With the betrayal of the Cult of Khaine, everyone knew that his loyalty to Malekith was merely a faƧade. In older lore it was said no-one saw his face and lived... and in the new lore his appearance behind his mask is not revealed even during and after his death.

Hellebron

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  • Designated Girl Fight: Against Alarielle during the battle of Middenheim.
  • Dying as Yourself: At Middenheim, as Hellebron prepares to kill an exhausted Alarielle, the Everqueen tries a last spell. Casting the healing powers of Ghyran onto the Hag Queen, the madness that had gripped her for millennia was cast aside, and Hellebron sees the world with a clear mind. Stunned by her own betrayals, the death blow is stalled. Taking advantage of the distraction that is sure to be short-lived, Alarielle grabs a nearby spear and thrusts it into Hellebronā€™s heart, ending her trail of destruction for good.
  • Evil Versus Evil: When he sends her cult against Morathi's force of Aestyrion to try and capture the Widowmaker that Korhil has stolen.
  • Faceā€“Heel Turn: She betrays the elves and throws her lot with Khorne after Malekith outlaws Khaine's cult, though whether she could be considered 'good' or not is debatable.
  • The Friend Nobody Likes: In the Host of the Eternity King, it's clear nobody likes Hellebron - her blood-crazed cultists are willing to kill both allies and enemies alike.
  • Heel Realization: Forced upon her by Alarielle in her final moments.
  • It's Personal: Implied to be the reason why she (initially) seeks to turn Tyrion over to her side, rather than just joining the Aestyrion herself. Avatar of Khaine Tyrion might be, but he still murdered Tullaris, her lover.
  • Sixth Ranger Traitor: Hellebron only joins Malekith after the elven civil war ends, and just as soon betrays him to Chaos.
  • Token Evil Teammate: In the Host of the Eternity King. While Malekith has become a (somewhat) better person, Hellebron is still a blood-crazed lunatic. It doesn't take much effort for Be'lakor to sway her to Khorne after Malekith outlaws the cult of Khaine.
  • Villainous BSoD: In The End Times V: Archaon, she has one when Alarielle uses the healing magic of Ghyran on her mind, clearing it of her madness and thereby stopping her final blow just long enough for the Everqueen to kill her.

Kouran Darkhand

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  • Colonel Badass: Commander of the Black Guard, a feat that requires some serious badassery already, and he's able to fight Valkia to a standstill.
  • Killed Off for Real: Gutted by Alith Anar on the Blighted Isle.
  • My Master, Right or Wrong: Still stays loyal to Malekith when it's clear that he's working with some High Elves and doesn't plan to wipe them out.
  • The Siege: Held Naggarond for three months against the forces of Chaos in Malekith's absence.

Tullaris Dreadbringer

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  • Killed Off for Real: Killed by Tyrion during the Battle of Reaver's Mark.
  • Mayā€“December Romance: It's unknown how old he is exactly, but it's certain that the four-thousand-something year old Hellebron is his senior.
  • Strike Me Down with All of Your Hatred!: Khaine informed Tullaris that Tullaris's murder at Tyrion's hands would start Tyrion down the path of being Khaine's avatar, so Tullaris encouraged Tyrion to kill him. It works.

Malus Darkblade

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  • Cruel and Unusual Death: Seeing him about to cut down the wounded Tyrion, Drusala actually Morathi hits him with a spell that reawakens Tz'arkan, causing the daemon to immediately manifest and rip Malus apart from the inside out.
  • Fate Worse than Death: Malus Darkblade meets his end when Tz'arkan breaks free of his bonds and completely takes over Malus, destroying his soul in the process.
  • Karmic Death: Malus is ultimately done in spiritually when the daemon he took into his body for power eventually claimed his soul and took his body for himself.

Lokhir Fellheart

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  • The Starscream: Even in-universe nobody's entirely sure where his betrayal of Malekith at the very end of the Elven Civil War comes from, after centuries of loyal service. It's suspected by some that he intends to try and seize leadership of the Elves for himself, but fails to accomplish anything more than acting as a ferry service to bring the Aestyrion to the Isle of the Dead.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: After getting shot in the back by Alith Anar, his troops carry him away but it is not confirmed whether he lived or died.

     Wood Elves 

Orion

  • Cool vs. Awesome: The avatar of the elven god of the hunt vs the incarnation of the elven god of war.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: He dies while fighting Tyrion to protect Alarielle, knowingly reenacting Kournos' defeat by Khaine.
  • Horned Humanoid: He has large, antler-like horns to mirror his god's own appearance.
  • Killed Off for Real: In End Times: Khaine, he dies to Tyrion and the Widowmaker.

Ariel

  • Killed Off for Real: Ariel is poisoned by a shard of true ice, formed in the world before the coming of Chaos, inserted into the Oak of Ages by her own daughter Lileath.

Drycha

  • Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Drycha first betrays the elves to Chaos and sides with Be'lakor; then, after seeing Be'lakor gnawing at the Oak of Ages, she realizes she's been used by him and attacks him.
  • Off with His Head!: When Drycha realizes Be'lakor was manipulating her so he could attack the Oak of Ages, she stops fighting Malekith and tries to stop him. Malekith cuts off her head because he considers her too unreliable.
  • Turns Red: After Coeddil is killed by Durthu, she and the remaining Chaos forest spirits are sent into a rage and fling themselves at Alarielle.

Durthu

  • Cain and Abel: The Abel to Coeddil's Cain in personality and morality, but Durthu kills Coeddil, though he had good reason to do so.
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The fact that the normally volatile and warlike Durthu is being more calm and insightful is a sign that things are very wrong.

Coeddil

  • Cain and Abel: The Cain to Durthu's abel morally, but but he is one who's killed by his sibling.
  • Fantastic Racism: Like Drycha, he hates anyone who's not a forest spirit.

Araloth

  • Weirdness Censor: Even with Lileath's power protecting him from going insane in the Realm of Nurgle, he still reacts with stoicism to sights, sounds and smells he knows should disturb him.

Naestra and Arahan

Naieth the Prophetess

  • The Bus Came Back: Comes back as a playable character since her absence after 5th edition.
  • Cruel and Unusual Death: Played with. She gets turned into a magical portal and is later mercy-killed by elven heroes.

     Lizardmen 

Lord Kroak

  • Back from the Dead: He wills himself back to life to stop the meteors descending on the world.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: As his ancient pupil Lord Mazdamundi collapses in his attempt to save the world from the falling shards of the Chaos moon Morrslieb, Lord Kroak wills himself back to life, contains the destruction only to Lustria and the Southlands, and ingurgitates the energy of his Shield of the Old Ones, creating several protective force domes and sending them beyond the world's horizon, above the destruction — a last selfless act before he is consumed in the conflagration that engulfed Lustria.
  • Heroic Willpower: The aforementioned willing himself back to life says volumes about his strength of will.
  • World-Healing Wave: Subverted. Lord Kroak uses all of his magic to undo the damage the giant warpstone meteors would have caused, containing the destruction to Lustria and the Southlands in addition to saving the last of the Lizardmen, but see Heroic Sacrifice.

Mazdamundi

  • Heroic RRoD: After destroying much of the fragments of Morrsleib, Mazdamundi exhausts his power completely to the point that he can no longer use magic, briefly loses consciousness and eventually dies.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: As the Skaven activate the Morskittar Engine, blowing up the Chaos moon Morrslieb and sending its debris of warpstone over the planet, Mazdamundi knew he had one chance to save the world. He sent out a message to all remaining Slann, calling for the great Exodus to begin immediately. Bending all of his will and power towards the task he began to batter each chunk of moon with his magical might, breaking them into smaller and smaller chunks. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to destroy all of the largest chunks, and now his power was spent. Wanting to feel the wind upon his skin one last time before the world ends he starts to make his way towards the outside pinnacle of the temple, but, drained of all energy, collapses dead on the stairs.
  • Horse of a Different Colour: He rides a Stegadon called Zlaaq.
  • Only Sane Man: He's the only one of the Slann who recognizes the true threat at the time and tolerates no nonsense or delays from his attendants.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: The ruler of Hexoatl and a key figure at the forefront of Lustria's defence.
  • Wham Line: Mazamundi delivers one in Warhammer: Nagash:
    "The Great Plan has failed. The Exodus must begin."

Kroq-Gar

  • Four-Star Badass: He's still the Lizardmen's best general.
  • Heroic Willpower: He resisted the disease Skrolk tried to use on him that reduced his steed to a puddle of flesh and pus.
  • Hold the Line: He's introduced leading an army against a non-stop daemonic incursion.
  • It's Personal: He attacks and kills Skrolk after the latter kills his steed Grimloq.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: Although he was ordered to an evacuation point and headed there, it's unknown if he made it in time.

Gor-Rok

Chakax

  • Hold the Line: He is the last line of defence for the Slaan under his care.
  • No-Sell: The unfortunate Skaven assassin thought that shoving a blade coated in magical poison through his chest would take him out.
  • You Can See Me?: Thanks to his magic helmet, to the horror of the Skaven assassin attacking the Slaan.

Oxytol

  • Improbable Aiming Skills: He is able to hit an assassin obscured by a rock in the neck using a blowpipe.
  • You Can See Me?: Due to possessing heat-vision, the Skaven assassin's magic cloak does nothing to conceal him.

     Orcs and Goblins 

Grimgor Ironhide

  • The Berserker: Even more so than usual.
  • Empowered Badass Normal: He becomes the Incarnate of the Lore of Beasts.
  • Handicapped Badass: He's still missing an eye.
  • Klingon Promotion: How do you become the Warboss of the Beast Waaagh? How do you get to be in charge of orcs, goblins, trolls, giants and ogres? Slaying their leaders, of course! That includes killing Greasus Goldtooth, with his own club.
  • Offscreen Moment of Awesome: It's revealed that he was the one who liberated the black orcs from slavery at the hands of the chaos dwarfs. In The End Times he takes his army, returns to Zharr-Naggrund with a vengeance and destroys them. And that's all we know about that.
  • Off with His Head!: Dueling Archaon wasn't his brightest idea.
  • The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Also a Continuity Nod from the Storm of Chaos, he goes to duel Archaon on his own as he considers him unworthy of the title of "Da baddest an' da mightiest". Malekith has a hand in that train of thought... Right up how it went.
  • Unwitting Pawn: The Incarnates needed someone to sacrifice himself to save time against Archaon. Guess who called.

Morglum Necksnapper

Skarsnik

  • Manipulative Bastard: He's cunning enough to employ Golfgag to betray the Dwarfs and conceal that from them.
  • Pet the Dog: He's genuinely sad when Gobbla is killed.
  • Villainous Breakdown: Gobbla's death at the hands of his former allies.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: No one knows his whereabouts after the last battle for Karak-Eight-Peaks. Word of God is that he was accidentally forgotten when the book was written and supposed to be at the battle for Middenheim with the other Incarnates, leading part of the Beast Waaagh! to chase fleeing Chaos Warriors.

     Undead 

The undead meets great changes in the End times, both Sylvania and Nehekhara. After the events of Blood of Sigmar, Sylvania is circled by a barrier that desintegrates every undead creature that touches it from the inside, trapping Mannfred von Carstein and the majority of the Vampire Counts within. After the fisco with Mallobaude in Bretonnia, Arkhan the Black approaches Mannfred with a deal: resurrect Nagash to avoid complete destrucion in the hands of Chaos and freedom for his people. Mannfred relucantly agrees, seeing no other option to free his people and in the next year, both focuses in retrieving the artifacts needed to the ritual. Despite the intense opposition they face, the ritual succeeds and Nagash returns to the world. Nagash calls forth his underlings and rises some useful people, among them Vlad Von Cartein, to the horror and bitternes of Manfred and Vlad before marching on Nehekhara.

General Tropes

  • Enemy Mine: The undead would be the greatest threat to the world if it weren't for Chaos. As such, Nagash forms a temporary alliance with the forces of Order to beat back their mutual foe.
  • Neutral No Longer: The Tomb Kings are forced to serve Nagash. The united undead later fight for Nagash, who fights only for himself, but are later forced to ally with the living against the forces of Chaos.
  • Our Angels Are Different: The Morghasts (armored, skeletal gargoyles with halberds) were formerly the Hammurai, heralds of the Nehekharan god Ptra that were sent to kill Nagash and that resembled winged, bronze-skinned humans.
  • We ARE Struggling Together: Everyone in the Undead Legion has their own agenda, most of which conflict: Arkhan wants to enact Nagash's Great Work, Mannfred wants to control Nagash to bring about his own domination, Vlad wants to bring back Isabella and take over the Empire, Neferata wants to keep control of her Lahmian network, and the Tomb Kings mostly serve Nagash out of fear or acquiescence, aside from Settra who, infamously, refused to serve at all. This doesn't even count the host of minor Vampires and other Undead who all have their own, pettier ambitions and plans. The only thing keeping them mostly together is Nagash's will and overwhelming power, and even that doesn't completely take.

Nagash, Supreme Lord of Undeath

Resurrected by dark ritual, Nagash, Supreme Lord of the Undead and father of necromancy has returned, and the Warhammer world will never be the same again. His ultimate goal since becoming undead is absolute power over all things. His first targets are the Tomb Kings of Nehekhara, for their armies would greatly bolster his and their defiance of his rule has long chafed at him.

Now that the Chaos Gods have made their move to claim the world, Nagash was forced to accelerate his plans. Once more walking the world again, he sought to bind the Wind of Death Magic to himself turn the dead of the entire world into a massive series of armies under his command. Following that his plan is to kill the last of the living, reach godhood, overthrow the Chaos Gods and rule as the only divine authority in existence.


  • Ambition Is Evil: Nagash is the poster child for this trope in Warhammer Fantasy. Especially in The End Times where he plans to kill and replace the Chaos Gods.
  • Arch-Enemy: Nagash might be this to the Chaos Gods, who apparently hate him as much as they fear him. Considering that he is one of the few beings powerful enough to end the world and deprive them of the souls they feed on, they might be right to do so.
    Kemmler:: And oh, they hate him. They hate him more than any creature that has yet walked this world. They hate him for his hubris, and they hate him for what he would do to this world.
    Arkhan: They hate him. And they fear him. Otherwise, this conversation would not be taking place.
  • The Archmage: He's a contender for the most powerful sorcerer in the game, being matched only by the First and Second Spawning Slann. In the game, he's one of the only four level 5 Wizards in the game (the others being Malekith, Alarielle and Balthasar Gelt after absorbing the winds of Shadow, Life and Metal). Nagash is just THAT powerful.
  • Ascended to a Higher Plane of Existence: Becomes the god of the dead for humanity.
  • Asshole Victim: Despite the fact that the third Rift means the world is doomed, it's almost impossible to feel sorry for Nagash as it rips his magic from him and he dies (possibly for the final time) after everything he did.
  • Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Took rule of the Tomb Kings from Settra by beating him and his entire army.
  • Badass Bookworm: Nagash wrote nine books of dark magic and necromancy, called the Nine books of Nagash, and they're arguably his most cherished artifacts. In the End Times, following his resurrection, he always carries them into battle.
  • Bad Boss: Nagash sees all of his servants as expendable and holds no regard for them unless it effects his well-being or his plans, some are just more useful than others. He sacrifices one of his lieutenants Mannfred by giving him to the Incarnates as recompense for some of his actions, and when that lieutentant calls him out on it, Nagash cheerfully and sarcastically thanks them for their sacrifice. The exceptions are Arkhan and Krell; both died many times in his service, but he always brought them back.
  • Came Back Strong: Inverted. Everytime he's killed, he ends up in a spirit realm where the ghosts of everyone he has killed torment him for a thousand years. When he eventually comes back he's slightly weaker. This was retconned to be because of the Fellblade, the enchantments are so deadly that each time Nagash came back he's weaker than before. When he rises again in the End Times he's at full power or better, it fluctuates due to events in the story.
  • The Chessmaster: Arranges to be brought back, then plans to take advantage of the last great Chaos incursion to replace the Chaos Gods. He hasn't accomplished the former but he did successfully unite the Vampire Counts and Tomb Kings, except for Settra, along with conquering Nehekhara to gain an army of undead and nearly reached godhood.
  • Enemy Mine: After the Skaven destroy the Black Pyramid and leave him much diminished in power, Nagash is forced to ally with the remnants of the elves, humans and dwarfs, whom he despises, against Chaos.
  • Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Arkhan muses to himself that Nagash did not forbid romance or love among the undead under his command as he had little understanding of it himself unless it was to manipulate others. Teclis also states that Nagash is incapable of regret.
  • Evil Hand: Nagash's method for regaining a physical form. The Claw of Nagash, the only original part of him not destroyed by the Skaven, is used to take over Volkmar's body and remake it into a form that Nagash prefers.
  • Evil Is Not a Toy: Mannfred planned to resurrect Nagash while binding the Great Necromancer to his will. Literally everyone else except Mannfred realizes how utterly insane that plan is. Nagash cannot be controlled by anyone.
    Vlad(as remembered by Mannfred): Nagash was not a man, but a disease that afflicted any who dared use his works. A pestilence of the mind and soul, infecting those who sought to use his power.
  • Evil Sounds Deep: His voice is often compared to thunder and his dialogue is rendered in capitals.
  • Evil Versus Evil: He fights against the forces of the Chaos gods, but see Nominal Hero below.
  • Forced to Watch: A big fan of this. He forces an incapacitated Settra to watch him destroy Khemri.
  • Godhood Seeker: His ultimate aim is divinity and eternal rule over the world. He plans to usurp control of the Warp from the Chaos Gods and replace them, and consumed the god of the Underworld.
    "I CAME NOT TO CLAIM NEHEKHARA, BUT GODHOOD!"
  • Horrifying the Horror: His return horrifies Mannfred and Neferata into allying with him, with Mannfred's fear of Nagash keeping him from betraying him. After Be'lakor is captured, the Incarnates threaten to give him to Nagash if he doesn't co-operate; Be'lakor chooses to co-operate.
  • Humanoid Abomination: By the time he is resurrected, it is clear to everyone that Nagash is no longer exactly human and is instead something much, MUCH worse.
    Was it the Nagash [Arkhan] remembered, the petty, spiteful, stubborn Undying King, who had killed his own people because they refused to bowā€¦ Or was it something even worse?
  • Kick the Dog: Even when the world is about to end he finds time. While offering "...THE ARCHITECT OF (Aliathra; Tyrion and Alarielle's daughter) DEATH, TO DO WITH AS YOU WILL." to Tyrion and Alarielle, he still takes the opportunity to taunt them about Aliathra's soul being consumed by Slaanesh. He also found time during the battle of Middenheim to murder a bunch of helpless slaves and raise them as a zombie army.
  • Kill the God: Nagash defeated and consumed Usirian, the Nehekharan god of the Underworld, who may also be Morr, the Empire god of the dead, and maybe even the god of the dead for all of humanity in the Warhammer World.
  • Kneel Before Zod: Has an almost innate habit of forcing undead in his presence to bow before him, even the likes of Mannfred and Vlad, who abhor servitude by nature.
  • Large and in Charge: Nagash's new body in the End Times is around sixty feet tall according to the art, much larger than before.
  • The Man Behind the Man: He is this to many of the most powerful practitioners of Necromancy, such as Kemmler and Mannfred until Kemmler swore to serve the Chaos Gods and Mannfred betrayed him.
  • Mutual Disadvantage: When he takes on Ka'bandha. He has powerful magic, but abhors using physical combat, where he is somewhat less effective.
  • No Immortal Inertia: After the Rift sucks out his magic, Nagash's body slowly disintegrates.
  • Nominal Hero: He's an Incarnate, so it's taken into account that he's saving the world. However, he won't change a bit because of that; it's repeatedly stated that he is the greatest evil in and threat to the world outside of Chaos and he's only fighting Chaos because it's getting in the way of his own attempt to take over the world.
  • Orcus on His Throne: After defeating the Tomb Kings and moving the Black Pyramid to Sylvania, Nagash spends his time in his sarcophagus absorbing the Wind of Death.
  • Person of Mass Destruction: Destroys the tombs in the Charnel Valley and later the city of Khemri by himself after defeating Settra. He then destroys the other cities of Nehekhara with the assistance of his armies.
  • Physical God: After consuming Usirian he now qualifies as one.
  • Skeletons in the Coat Closet: Several places. His size is at the point where he has the skull and ribcage of an adult human on the poleyns of his armour.
  • Token Evil Teammate: Among the Incarnates, which is notable as the group that includes Malekith.
  • Tyrant Takes the Helm: Nagash took over the Tomb Kings after defeating Settra and even overthrew the god of the Underworld.
  • Walking Wasteland: In the novels grass dies beneath his tread and trees wither in his presence.
  • World-Wrecking Wave: Summoned one that raised the dead across the world when he took the Wind of Death magic from the vortex and bound it to himself. Subverted as the dead aren't bound to him at first, like he planned, due to Aliathra being Tyrion's bastard giving him the Curse of Aenarion and denying him Asuryan's power.
  • Worthy Opponent: Settra the Imperishable is one of the very rare few beings in existence, besides himself, that Nagash has ever respected. To the point that Nagash offered Settra a place as one of his lieutenants, which Settra refused.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Hands Mannfred over to the Incarnates as a gift of goodwill, since he kidnapped and tortured her's and Tyrion's daughter; Arkhan (her killer, unbeknownst to the elves, was too useful to Nagash to hand over). Subverted as Nagash later ordered Arkhan to cover his retreat at Middenheim until dead.

Mannfred von Carstein, Mortarch of Night

The Grave Lord of Sylvania has shifted his base of operations from Castle Drakenhof to Castle Sternieste, separating his realm from the Empire with a wall of bone. Capturing the survivors of Volkmar the Grim's crusade, as well as the Everchild Aliathra, Mannfred has used their blood to turn Sylvania into a realm shrouded in eternal night, blocked off from the Empire. But Balthasar Gelt responded by erecting a wall of faith around his land, trapping all undead within Sylvania. Mannfred grows restless, as the world crumbles around him and the forces of Chaos begin to slip into his realm, all the while his vampires begin to plot his downfall and drink the province dry. Opportunity comes in the form of Arkhan the Black; after a brief duel, the two agree to work together to bring back Nagash. Mannfred's ambition to control the Great Necromancer, however, may be too much for even him to handle...


  • Badass Boast: Gives one to his prisoners, including Volkmar and Aliathra, as they attempt to escape his clutches.
    Mannfred: This castle is mine. This land is mine. I rule everything from horizon to horizon, every mountain, every bower, every ruin and river. All mine. Where were you going to go?
    Knight of Myrmidia: Back into the eyes of our gods. Back to the light.
    Mannfred: There is no light, unless I will it. There are no gods, save me. If you bow, I will not hurt you too much. If you crawl to me, I will not take your legs. If you beg me to spare you, I will not take your hands.
  • The Chains of Commanding: Mannfred unites most of the vampire population of the Empire under his rule, but then he struggles to keep all of them under control.
  • Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Hoo, boy. After Be'lakor frees him in exchange for the knowledge of Lileath's existence within Athel Loren, Mannfred betrays Nagash and starts to work with Chaos. Once at Middenheim, the vampire finds himself a tool of the Chaos powers, which suits him illy. He would have no master besides himself. After speaking to Vlad one last time before leaving him to the clutches of Isabella, Mannfred changes allegiances yet again, determined to show Chaos that he's no one's pawn. On his way to help the Incarnates beneath the city he switches sides one last time, either through the corrupting powers of Chaos or due to his own arrogance we will never know. Sneaking up upon the Incarnates as they try to contain the doomsday device, Mannfred plunges his sword into Balthasar Gelt, killing him instantly. Once Teclis also perishes, unable to contain the power of three Winds of Magic, the black orb tears the rest of the winds from the Incarnates and starts to consume the world. Though Archaon may have been the architect of the world's demise, it was the selfish and petty acts of Mannfred von Carstein that sealed its fate.
  • Cool Horse: Nagash awards Mannfred with Ashigaroth, a dread abyssal from Usirian's realm, after he makes him one of the Mortarchs.
    • Before that, Mannfred usually rides a skeletal horse.
  • Cruel and Unusual Death: Tyrion kills Mannfred by impaling him from behind and using Sunfang to light Mannfred on fire from the inside, giving the bastard a painful death though he deserved worse.
  • Dick Dastardly Stops to Cheat: Mannfred, in his selfishness, decides heā€™d rather serve Chaos than Nagash or help the world survive. He kills Balthasar Gelt, forcing Teclis to take in the Wind of Metal but is consumed and burns to ash in the process. As the device forcibly drains the rest of the winds from the Incarnates, Mannfred is transformed into a Chaos Spawn before Tyrion kills him.
  • Deal with the Devil: Makes a deal with Bea'lakor, giving him Lileath's name and location in exchange for freedom.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Mannfred, venal and selfish as he is, is horrified at Nagash and Arkhan's desire to annihilate all living things.
  • Evil Is Petty: Underneath all of the scheming, ambitious, ruthless vampire is a spoiled, selfish, petty child, who, in his arrogance, instead of aiding the Incarnates stabilise the doomsday device, gives in to Chaos in a megalomaniacal bid for power, ultimately dooming the world, himself included, by killing Balthasar Gelt and allowing the device to activate.
    Mannfred: Vlad told me to pick a side, and I have, master. Better to be the right hand of anarchy, than the slave of Nagash. Walach was right, the blood-soaked fool. Aye, and Kemmler as well. You are nothing but a disease, Nagash... a plague on all the world, and with this power, I shall drive your midnight soul into the void forever. And it shall be me who rules this world, and rides its corpse into eternity. The world shall have a new Undying King, and you shall be forgotten!
  • Fatal Flaw: Pride. Mannfred believes in his own superiority above all else; he is an ancient vampire, a powerful sorcerer, and an extremely skilled swordsman, but his pride blinds him to legitimate dangers. He's strong, but nowhere near strong enough to control Nagash. He's a threat, but absolutely not strong enough to make the Chaos Gods try and thwart him personally. And while he can inflict a Curb-Stomp Battle on almost anyone thanks to his sheer strength, it also leads him to underestimate those who match his physical power, but possess skills that exceed his own, like Eltharion. Overestimating himself and underestimating his opponents is ultimately what does Mannfred in.
  • Foil: Mannfred is one to Arkhan throughout the End Times, as both were Nagashā€™s undead lieutenants who had ensured his return and helped his plans long after. There are a few differences. The main one is their loyalties, as Mannfred is The Starscream who constantly tried to back-stab his allies and only wanted Nagash back for personal gain while Arkhan is the embodiment of Undying Loyalty. They also react differently when Nagash casts each of them aside (and he does so for different reasons); Mannfred flips out and seeks vengeance as soon as possible while Arkhan quashes his doubts and tries to make the most of it. Even their physical appearances contrast as Arkhan is a near-fleshless skeletal lich with awful teeth, while Mannfred is a bald, pale and handsome vampire.
  • Hearing Voices: Mannfred starts Return of Nagash hearing Vlad's voice in his head, and occasionally seeing hallucinations of him out of the corner of his eye.
  • Hero Killer: He stabs Balthazar in the back while the Incarnates try to stabilise the Rift.
  • Humiliation Conga: He is out-gambitted by Arkhan the Black, finds his swordsmanship lacking compared to Eltharion and is nearly killed by him (it didn't help that Mannfred's rival, Arkhan, killed Eltharion easily), is nearly killed by Tomb King Behedesh II of Zandri in single combat and at the battle for Khemri he realizes too late that if the Vampires and the Tomb Kings had united they could've stopped Nagash and the Chaos Gods.
  • Irony: Mannfred is troubled by Arkhan's desire to annihilate all life and admits he doesn't want to kill everyone. In the end, Mannfred ends up doing exactly that out of spite anyway.
  • It's All About Me: Even by the standards of vampires, Mannfred is remarkably self-absorbed. This culminates in him helping cause The End of the World as We Know It.
    Markos: You will destroy us — all that Vlad built, and for what?
    Mannfred: For me. Always, for me. This world is mine. It did not belong to Vlad and it does not belong to Nagash or the Dark Gods. It was promised to me in my cradle, and I will have what I am owed.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Even with his back to the wall, trapped in Sylvania thanks to Gelt's ritual, Mannfred still plays all the vampires against each other with aplomb.
  • "Not So Different" Remark: Other vampires note that he's ultimately not entirely different than Konrad, insane in only a superficially different way. Elsewhere, Arkhan notes that he might not have been so different from Arkhan when he was young.
  • Oh, Crap!: Mannfred has a massive one when he sees Nagash reborn. He believed Nagash was someone "...whose legend held more power than his body did". When confronted by Nagash himself, he's terrified into serving him.
    "...he knew he'd lost. He could no more command the being before him than he could command the gods themselves."
  • Prince In Rags: Relatively speaking. Mannfred is revealed to have been born into non-inheriting royalty in a much wealthier land to the south, and has since become the (comparatively) less glamorous Count of Sylvania. He still has a chip on his shoulder from it.
    Arkhan: How it must have galled you to take that name, eh? How it must have pricked that monstrous pride, that abominable vanity that you wear like a cloak. Tell me, did you weep bloody tears when you surrendered your silks and steel for wolf-skin and crude iron?
    "Vlad": You did. I remember it quite clearly. You whined for weeks ā€“ weeks! ā€“ and over a bit of frayed silk.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: The brooding, wroth, and theatrical Red Oni to Arkhan's calm, polite, and reserved Blue in Return of Nagash.
  • The Resenter: Mannfred practically seethes with resentment against everyone; against his birth father, against Vlad, against his underlings, against Arkhan, against Nagash. His defining motivation is to finally show up everyone he feels has wronged them and lord his power over everyone.
  • Retcon:
    • For years, it was established that Mannfred died in the battle of Hel Fenn (death by Rune Fang at the head) and centuries later he was resurrected (in previous editions there is a short story of this written by William King, with the presence of Gotrek and Felix). In "The End Times" they change this for no reason and simply say that Mannfred survived in Hel Fenn and was all these years acting from the shadows. Now the question is how he managed to survive that his head was split in half because of the Runic Fang of Stirland. The novels change this to having died at Hel Fenn and then being resurrected almost immediately (although still facing Gotrek and Felix somehow).
    • Mannfred is revealed to not be of the von Carstein bloodline at all, but a Lahmian that Vlad took under his wing. Word of Saint Paul is that he's Kaled al Muntasir from the Blood of Nagash series. This just opens further plotholes, since Kaled served Nagash in his campaign against Sigmar long ago but Mannfred is completely blindsided by how overwhelmingly powerful he is.
  • The Scapegoat: He is used as this by Nagash, who offers him as a prisoner to the elves as the one responsible for the sacrifice of the Everchild Aliathra (though Mannfred set the events in motions, it was co-developed with Arkhan; and Arkhan struck the deathblow on Aliathra).
  • Small Name, Big Ego: Despite being a threat in his own right, Mannfred finds himself increasingly less important compared to much more powerful beings like Archaon, Nagash, Vlad, and others. While Arkhan figures out that the pattern of Chaotic attacks on undead servants is part of an effort to stymie Nagash's resurrection, Mannfred assumes that they are meant to stop him personally. Mannfred ultimately can't accept a world where he is not in control of everything and is the most powerful being in the world.
  • Smug Snake: Despite being intelligent Mannfred is very arrogant, and can't help but mock his opponents even when he's at a disadvantage. He acknowledges this as a perennial flaw of the Von Carsteins.
  • The Starscream: Even Skaven would consider him unreliable; at least they honour their alliance with the forces of Chaos out of fear. See Wild Card below.
  • The Strategist: His role in his and Arkhan's Big Bad Duumvirate. While Arkhan is no slouch at war himself, Mannfred has a greater understanding of their enemies and their surroundings. As such, Arkhan typically defers to Mannfred in the military aspect of their plans.
  • Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: With almost everyone else in the Undead Legions.
  • Unwitting Pawn: Mannfred is this of Nagash, the unwitting part is how much independence he thinks he has.
  • Villainous Breakdown: He starts to get stressed over the demands of ruling Sylvania when the vampires are trapped. In the novel 'Return of Nagash' Mannfred is reduced to screaming and throwing a tantrum when Nagash brings back Vlad.
    • Even earlier, Mannfred finds himself outmatched by Eltharion, and pinned beneath the Warden of Tor Yvresse's dead griffon as he goes to face Arkhan.
      ā€˜No! Damn you, no!ā€™ Mannfred screamed, pleading with fate as he tried to extricate himself from the dead animalā€™s claws and beak. ā€˜No! Not now! Eltharion ā€“ face me, damn you!ā€™ he shrieked as Eltharion started up the slope with only a single backwards glance. ā€˜Eltharion,ā€™ Mannfred wailed, squirming beneath the corpse of the griffon.
  • Wild Card: His ultimate allegiance is to himself. He goes from serving the Von Carstein legacy, to Nagash, to Chaos, back to Nagash and then back to Chaos/himself.
  • Worthy Opponent: Mannfred admits to himself that Arkhan is his equal in magical ability, apart from Mannfred's magic reservoirs in Sylvania, and that Arkhan's cunning surpasses his own.
    "...here was a creature far older and craftier than himself."
    • He also considers Emperor Karl Franz to be this, grudgingly, as he worries that once Karl Franz repels the Chaos invasion he will almost certainly return to finally purge Sylvania, no matter the cost.

Arkhan the Black, Mortarch of Sacrament

The first and most loyal follower of Nagash, Arkhan the Black was turned into a lich after his death and serves Nagash loyally. The lord of the Black Tower and a grudgingly accepted presence in the deserts of Nehekhara, he was a dark force across the world, but always answered his master's call.


  • Anti-Climax: Arkhan is attacked by Eltharion; ruler of Yvresse, one of the High Elves greatest heroes and best swordsmen, the only general to successfully lead a raid on Naggarond and live to tell of it, who saved Ulthuan from destruction when Grom the Paunch invaded, who had defeated Mannfred von Carstein in combat... and kills Eltharion with as much effort and ceremony as taking out the trash. Arkhan may not have even known his name.
  • Back from the Dead: Brought back by Nagash when Isabella kills him.
  • Badass Boast: Arkhan says one to Heinrich Kemmler before their duel.
    Arkhan: "You call yourself the Lichemaster, do you not? To leave this chamber, you must prove that hollow boast."
  • Cool Horse: Arkhan rides on Razanak, the dread abyssal known as the Bane of Traitors - ironic since there are few more loyal to their master than Arkhan to Nagash, but Neferata suspects Arkhan chose Razanak as an unspoken warning to treacherous folk like herself and Mannfred.
  • Crazy-Prepared: Arkhan had brought about Nagash's resurrection hundreds of years earlier than originally intended. Since nearly a thousand years had passed between Nagash coming back to life, Arkhan had been planning; putting undead regiments in various locations around the world, retrieving ancient artefacts and making alliances with various powerful figures. That Arkhan's plans went off nearly off without a hitch isn't winning only because of the plot, but the culmination of hundreds of years of planning by an intelligent and experienced person; especially since Arkhan does not need food, sleep or comfort.
  • The Chessmaster: Very capable at turning events to his advantage, one example is when he masterminded Mallobaude's rebellion in Bretonnia. Even Mannfred von Carstein respects his ability.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Fairly stoic in the game books, but in the novels he's a complete smartass that never lets up.
  • Death Seeker: Arkhan ultimately wishes for the sweet release of death, which is why he serves Nagash.
    Arkhan: I am tired, vampire. I am so tired, but I cannot lay aside my burden, until the end of all things. I was a gambler once. I gambled and lost. And this is my debt.
  • Enemy Mine: With Khalida to retrieve a staff of Nagash.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: See Heroic Sacrifice and Old Flame.
  • Foil: Arkhan is one to Mannfred throughout the End Times, as both were Nagashā€™s undead lieutenants who had ensured his return and helped his plans long after. There are a few differences. The main one is their loyalties, as Arkhan is the embodiment of Undying Loyalty who brought Nagash back as it was his duty while Mannfred is The Starscream who constantly tried to back-stab his allies and only wanted Nagash back for personal gain. They also react differently when Nagash casts each of them aside (and he does so for different reasons);Arkhan quashes his doubts and tries to make the most of it, while Mannfred flips out and seeks vengeance as soon as possible. Even their physical appearances contrast as Arkhan is a near-fleshless skeletal lich with awful teeth, while Mannfred is a bald, pale and handsome vampire.
  • Hidden Depths: Beneath the face of Nagash's greatest servant is a man who displays courage, mercy, decency, and ultimately wishes to finally know the peace of oblivion.
  • Hero Killer: In the End Times Arkhan is Warhammer Fantasy's first Hero Killer. Of all the characters in the books, Arkhan is the most prolific Hero Killer in the End Times, with four to his name.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: It's heavily implied that Arkhan was killed trying to use his magic to hold back the energies of the Rift so Neferata could escape.
  • Kindhearted Cat Lover: Downplayed; Arkhan is an Affably Evil servant of Nagash who keeps a zombified cat around for the first part of The Return of Nagash.
  • Last Kiss: With Neferata in the Lord of the End Times novel.
  • Last Stand: In the game book he is ordered by Nagash to take two hosts of Morghasts and hold the line until dead. When Arkhan asks if there's anything else needed as well... Nagash: "DIE WELL, MY SERVANT." In the novel, his last stand is later holding the line so Neferata can escape.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Arkhan developed a talent at this, playing people off against each other to achieve his aims. In The End Times he plays Mannfred, himself a skilled Manipulative Bastard, like a violin (see Xanatos Gambit below).
  • Mouth of Sauron: He is in charge of the Undead Legions when Nagash isn't around. Several undead characters comment metaphorically that he speaks with the voice of Nagash.
  • No Immortal Inertia: After Nagash dies, it's implied his death will kill Arkhan as well, as he shows Neferata his slowly crumbling hand and states he knows of Nagash's death.
  • "Not So Different" Remark: Arkhan himself believes that, in their respective mortal lives, he and Mannfred once were probably very much alike.
  • Old Flame: Revealed to be this for Neferata.
  • Pet the Dog: Played with. Arkhan suggests to Nagash that they free the prisoners from the captivity of forces of Chaos, pointing out they would be useful as reinforcements while thinking to himself that it will foster good will with the other Incarnates and their forces (Nagash, of course, chooses a different interpretation of "freeing them"). A more straight example is sparing Isabella and allowing her to be rescued despite her killing him at one point (though she did it under the direct influence of Chaos).
    • When the vampire Erikan confesses he ultimately wishes for the death of all things, Arkhan places his hand on the vampire's shoulder in comfort and reassures him that Nagash will bring the "silence" he craves.
    • As he prepares to sacrifice the Fay Enchantress, he agrees to give her eternal peace and leave her in death, vowing that neither he nor Nagash will raise her from the dead. He comments that he has a small amount of mercy left in him.
  • Rage Breaking Point: Arkhan notably screams in rage as he cuts Aliathra's throat, his calm reduced to nothing by the elves' (and Mannfred's) attempts to disrupt the ritual bringing back Nagash.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: The calm, polite, and reserved Blue Oni to Mannfred's brooding, wroth, and theatrical Red in Return of Nagash
  • Seen It All: He gives off this vibe, and after thousands of years of extensive travel and war, he may well have.
  • Skeletons in the Coat Closet: His clothes are emborided/emblazoned with skulls and bones.
  • Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: With Mannfred von Carstein.
  • That Man Is Dead: Invoked, but ultimately Subverted. As much as he believes that he is no longer a wastrel aristocrat of a long-dead empire, and even muses on the possibility that he is not even the "real" Arkhan, he is still deeply connected to his past life, as Morgiana's Mind Rape showed.
    Aliathra: I thought dead things could not be ensnared thus. Then, you are not truly dead, are you? For that to have worked, there must be some kernel yet of the man you once were, trapped in the husk of you, Arkhan the Black. Some small touch of mercy.
  • Treasure Chest Cavity: Nagash magically hides himself in Arkhan's body (at least his upper half) and is carried into Khemri when Settra drags Arkhan's halves to the temple for the priests to perform a ritual that would've stopped Nagash from reanimating him. They nearly succeed but one of them betrayed the others to Nagash.
  • Undying Loyalty: Discussed, and ultimately Zig-Zagged. Mannfred von Carstein remarks Arkhan is less of an individual person and more of an extension of Nagash's will. Kemmler also ponders if Arkhan is even capable of questioning if he really wants to resurrect Nagash. Arkhan, for his part, muses on the possibility that he isn't the real Arkhan the Black, but a puppet constructed from Nagash's memory. There are even times where Arkhan contemplates deviating from his plan and taking power for himself. Ultimately, however, Arkhan remains on Nagash's side to the end, reasoning that Nagash will at least preserve the world and eventually let him die. It's clear Arkhan is not an unfeeling automaton, nor even an unquestioning servant, but he is still genuinely loyal to his master.
  • The Worf Effect: Killed by Isabella in the battle for the Black Pyramid to show how strong her new powers are. He gets better.
  • Worthy Opponent: Views Mannfred as this in magical ability.
  • Xanatos Gambit: Pulls a successful one against Mannfred to ensure his goal of Nagash's return. note 

Neferata, Mortarch of Blood

  • The Chessmaster: Indirectly arranged for the coup in Bretonnia and Mannfred's imprisonment.
  • Information Broker: Subverted as her spies and informants are almost completely wiped out.
  • Last Kiss: She manages one with Arkhan before he dies and the world ends.
  • Lightning Bruiser: Quick and agile enough to make elves look slow, and has gained a powerful mount that can fly.
  • Love Epiphany: Neferata realizes and reaffirms her feelings for Arkhan the Black just before the world ends.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Pays lip service to Nagash and gives him the gift of the Dwarf gods magic, but is willing to betray him.
  • Oh, Crap!: Neferata's reaction when she underestimates, and is nearly killed by, a Chimera. She also does this when she realizes Thorek plans to detonate his anvil.
  • Last Kiss: With Arkhan the Black
  • The Vamp: Downplayed compared to previous lore as she never has the opportunity to seduce someone who isn't already under her thrall or that she wants to.
  • Villain Forgot to Level Grind: Neferata is ambushed by Orcs, nearly killed by a Chimera and later nearly killed by an undead Khalida in a duel, despite her being the most powerful vampire through being the first, the one who killed Khalida in life and well-versed in warfare. Spending centuries at a time in hedonistic idleness or co-ordinating a spy network can do that.
  • Villainous Breakdown: She has one when she returns to the Silver Pinnacle when she finds out it's been attacked and looted.
  • You Can't Go Home Again: She returns to Lahmia's ruins after being forced to flee, but she doesn't get to dwell there before the world is destroyed.

Vlad Von Carstein, Mortarch of Shadow/Vashanesh

Vlad have been resurrected by Nagash to serve him. Despite that he doesn't serve out of loyalty or to gain anything: he serves because he could resurrect Isabella, his wife who didin't reunite with him in the Afterlife because Nurgle had taken her brought her back as a follower of Chaos. He was assigned to the northern front against Chaos, but acts like a wildcard in the Nagash army, mostly defending The Empire.
  • Back from the Dead: After Nagash's return, Vlad is resurrected by him to serve as one of his Mortarchs.
  • Big Damn Heroes: He comes to help The Empire, led by Valten and Karl Franz when the Chaos army attacks because the Auric Bastion has failed. He does so again later when Altdorf is besieged by another army led by the Glottkin.
  • Dark Is Not Evil: He admits that he's only Mortarch to protect the Empire, and that he had always cared about his survival.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Isabella of course. We get to see just how far Vlad's love for her extends, see below.
  • Heelā€“Face Turn: After getting resurrected by Nagash, he can hardly be called a 'bad guy' anymore: he's loyal to the Empire and is genuinely concerned about the world's fate.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: When duelling a daemonically-possessed Isabella in Middenheim, Vlad lets both of them fall onto the stakes... and in his last moments, removes the Carstein Ring from his fingers and puts it on Isabella's, causing him to die permanently and her to be reborn free of Nurgle's taint.
  • Master Swordsman: As an ancient vampire and warrior-king from Nehekara, Vlad is one of the finest swordsmen in the Undead Legion. Within minutes of returning to unlife he pulls off a complicated maneuver to disarm and incapacitate Mannfred, himself no slouch at combat.
  • Noble Demon: He admits that he's only Mortarch to protect the Empire, and that he had always cared about his survival.
  • Offing the Offspring: Attempted to his vampiric "son". The first thing he does after resurrecting is asking where Isabella is. Mannfred, bitter because of his returning, says that she's dead, as he is. After a short duel, Vlad bests Mannfred and was about to kill him before Nagash intervenes.
  • The Paragon: To the Von Carsteins, Vlad is the absolute epitome of what it means to be a vampire, and assuming the name "von Carstein" is generally considered to symbolize one's devotion to his ideals. Even Mannfred finds himself unwittingly emulating him. When he finally returns, most of Sylvania treats it as a Rightful King Returns situation.
  • Rage Against the Heavens: Swears revenge on Nurgle for what he did to Isabella.
  • The Reveal: He confirms that he's Vashanesh, the former husband of Neferata in Lahmia. Although given Vashanesh has only ever been referenced by him, makes no sense given Neferata's story-line and personality, and does not appear in any if the stories set in that time, he may be lying.
  • My Species Doth Protest Too Much: Unlike most of the other vampires, Vlad actually considers the living and would allow them to co-exist alongside the undead. He even attempts to strike up an alliance with the Dwarves in case he actually becomes Emperor (and he makes no attempt on Karl Franz). He offers the elves the same but they reject him before he's finished making the offer.
  • Token Good Teammate: Amongst Nagash's Mortarchs. While the rest range from too loyal to their master (Arkhan, Krell), too ambitious (Mannfred) or even sociopathic (the Nameless), Vlad genuinely wants to save the Empire and the world from Chaos, and only serves Nagash on the condition he'd bring his wife back.
  • Undying Loyalty: To Isabella. He's borderline Heroic BSoD after disovering her Accursed state and he sacrifices himself to free her.
  • Unholy Matrimony: Genuinely loved his wife, Isabella, and only made her into a vampire when it was the only way to keep her from dying of the plague. The chance to bring her back from the dead is the only reason he sided with Nagash.
  • Witty Banter: Engages Arkhan in this. It speaks volumes for Vlad's skill as a speaker that he usually wins these verbal matches against Arkhan.

Isabella Von Carstein

  • Come Back Wrong: Isabella is returned to life shortly after Vlad's... Unfortunately, she was resurrected by Nurgle, bound with a Nurgle daemon, and given a power that works against undead so Nurgle can have his vengeance against them.
  • Demonic Possession: She is resurrected and possessed by a daemon of Nurgle.
  • I Die Free: Just before Vlad kills Isabella he gives her the Carstein Ring, killing him permanently and letting her be reborn free of Nurgle's taint. She shortly after dies when the world ends, no longer a slave of Chaos.

Krell, Mortarch of Despair

  • Archenemy: Views Sigvald, a champion of Slaanesh as this, remembering his hatred from life.
  • The Brute: He is this among the Mortarchs.
  • Eaten Alive: Relatively, since he is undead, but Krell was swallowed by a Greater Daemon of Nurgle.
  • Emotion Bomb: Doesn't show up in the lore, but his in-game powers revolve around fear and feeding off it to heal himself.
  • Hero Killer: Decapitates King Kazador.
  • The Juggernaut: There is very little which can get in Krell's way and survive. Arkhan treats Krell's holding action against a horde of Beastmen as little more than a minor diversion.
  • Killed Off for Real: Dies to Sigvald the Magnificent during the final battle.
  • No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: He receives on at the hands of Sigvald.
  • Off with His Head!: He gets decapitated by a Golem Tomb Scorpion at the battle of Khemri.
  • Skeletons in the Coat Closet: His armour is emblazoned with skulls.
  • Wild Card: At first. No one is entirely sure whether Krell is more loyal to Kemmler or Arkhan the Black, and Arkhan decides not to put that question to the test. Subverted when it later becomes clear that Krell is loyal to Nagash.

Heinrich Kemmler

  • Armor-Piercing Question: Toward Arkhan the Black, of all people. Arkhan has no reply.
    Kemmler: Do you truly want [Nagash] back?
    Arkhan: What?
    Kemmler: It's a simple enough question. Do you want him back? Have you ever questioned that desire? Are you even capable of doing so?
  • Badass Boast: Gives an impressive one to the Bretonnian damsels at La Maisontaal Abbey before killing them.
    Kemmler: Mine ā€“ the abbey, the air you breathe, the ground you stand on, all of it mine. So listen and listen well to the master of La Maisontaal, witches. I am not the intruder here. You are.
  • Killed Off for Real: By Arkhan the Black.
  • Revenge Before Reason: Kemmler nearly causes the disintegration of his and Arkhan's army trying to pursue his personal vendetta against Duke Tancred of Quenelles, one of many things causing friction between the two.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Arkhan notes with some discomfort that when he last saw Kemmler, he was barely above a rambling madman. By the beginning of the End Times, however, he is at the height of his power, bristling with necromantic magic. It's the first thing that clues Arkhan into Kemmler's Deal with the Devil.

Zacharias the Everliving

Abhorash

  • Last Stand: According to Vlad von Carstein, Abhorash rode alongside Gilles le Breton to try and save Bretonnia in a final stand against the apocalypse. What happened to him following The End Times is unknown.

Luthor Harkon

  • An Arm and a Leg: Mannfred cut off his hand that he was using to grasp the flank of Mannfred's steed Ashigaroth, causing him to fall into what would eventually become his final battle.
  • Defiant to the End: When surrounded by Nurgle daemons he manages to keep them at bay. Even when they overwhelm him through sheer numbers and restrain him he shows no fear, he only screams in pain as Isabella kills him.
  • Killed Off for Real: By the Nurgle-infested Isabella.
  • Make Them Rot: How Isabella killed him, causing him to rot until he died for good.

Elize von Carstein

One of the Drakenhof Templars in Mannfred's service.
  • Control Freak: No one leaves her. Especially not Erikan.
    "Freedom is overrated, my love."
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Viciously Deconstructed. She genuinely loves Erikan Crowfiend, her co-Templar and get, but this manifests as an extremely possessive, petulant, even abusive relationship. Lampshaded when she wonders if this is the only form of love vampires are capable of.
  • Evil Redhead: An evil, abusive vampire knight whose most notable feature is her red hair.
  • Fallen Hero: Once she was a priestess of Shallya who spent her time healing people. Then she was unlucky enough to be at the bedside of Isabella von Carstein...
  • Fatal Flaw: Her love/obsession for Erikan causes her to act much more irrationally than she should. Arkhan uses this to play her like a fiddle.
  • Only Sane Woman: She sees herself as this, as she is one of the few vampires in Return of Nagash who is neither rapaciously hungry nor trying to bring back Nagash.
  • The Woman Behind the Man: Her two preceding Grand Masters were very thoroughly wrapped around her finger, and basically everyone knew she was the real leader of the Order.
  • You Are in Command Now: Mannfred makes her the new Grand Master after Anark's death, though in reality she had mostly been in control of the Order from the start.

Erikan Crowfiend

Yet another Drakenhof Templar, and Elize's spawn.
  • Born Lucky: Erikan is stabbed in the chest twice and, while wounded, escapes fatal wounds to his heart both times. One character notes he has "the luck of a von Carstein."
  • Dark and Troubled Past: Raised by a family of cannibals who were then slaughtered by Bretonnian soldiers. Then he was rescued and raised by Obald, a necromancer, as an apprentice. Then after he left Obald, he ran across Elize and became a vampire...
  • Death Seeker: Sides with Arkhan in the struggle to raise Nagash because he wishes to die. This causes the two to bond.
    "I am tired of surviving. I am tired of the world. I want an end, and I want to watch it all fall into the grave with me. I do not want fire. I want ash, and silence. I want night, silent and eternal, stretching from pole to pole, heaven to earth."
  • Odd Name Out: He is a von Carstein by blood, but notably refuses to take the name for himself. It marks Erikan as having different ambitions from Elize, Markos, or Anark.
  • Our Ghouls Are Creepier: He and his family were corpse-eaters, less degenerated versions of Warhammer ghouls. His heritage means that he is able to control and lead hosts of actual ghouls.
  • Master Swordsman: One of the best swordsmen in the Drakenhof Templars, an elite order of vampiric knights. It's still not enough to save him from Eldyra.
  • Red Baron: "Cannibal prince." It's also an Affectionate Nickname used by Elize.

Alberacht Nictus

Retired Grand Master of the Drakenhof Templars, an impressive feat in vampire circles.
  • Admiring the Abomination: Apparently the woman he once loved in life has turned into a Banshee, but the two still act very affectionate toward one another.
  • Affably Evil: A cheerful and jolly fellow, so far as monstrous vampires go. When Mannfred promotes Anark von Carstein as the new Grand Master after Tomas' attempted coup, Alberacht is the only one to be sincere in his congratulations.
  • Blue Blood: He's Isabella's literal cousin, one of the few known remaining members of the von Drak family.
  • Body Horror: More than other vampires; he's described as a cross between a bat, a man, and an ape, apparently because he's halfway to becoming a Vargheist.
  • Retired Badass: He's no longer the Grand Master of the Drakenhof Templars, but everyone else in the Order is still afraid of him for good reason.
  • Scatterbrained Senior: He's implied to be older than the rest of the Templars, and occasionally forgets little details like his retirement.

Anark von Carstein

Elize von Carstein's get, and newly minted Grand Master of the Drakenhof Templars.
  • 0% Approval Rating: Anark is disliked by almost all his cohorts, tolerated only for his genuine military prowess. Even Elize isn't too broken up about his death.
  • Authority in Name Only: In theory, as Grand Master of the Drakenhof Templars, he is one of Mannfred's chief lieutenants. In practice, everyone either gets their orders directly from Mannfred or from Elize.
  • Blood Knight: A literal example in the Warhammer universe, as a vampiric knight, but he's also a big fan of fighting in general. Mannfred notes with some pride that under his brief leadership he's turned the Drakenhof Templars into a force to rival the more famous Blood Dragons.
  • The Brute: His one skillset is killing, and in fairness he's very good at it.
    Erikan's thoughts: There was no subtlety to him, only raw power. He was nothing but one big muscle, all killer instinct without the cunning to mediate it.
  • Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Implied to be why he rescued Arkhan from Theoderic of Brionne at the Battle of La Maisontaal; he's under orders to kill Arkhan, but only after they acquire Nagash's staff.
  • Cruel and Unusual Death: He ends up beaten to a pulp by Arkhan the Black, then chained to a Sigmar temple and left for the sun.
  • Dumb Muscle: As subtle as a brick to the face, and usually as deadly.
  • Replacement Goldfish: Elize uses him as one for Erikan.

Settra the Imperishable

  • An Offer You Can't Refuse: The Chaos Gods revive him after being rendered merely a head by Nagash and offer him untold power and ruler ship of many realities in exchange for Nagash' destruction and his servitude to them. Surprisingly, he refuses to take revenge on Nagash, because the one thing he hates most of all is the idea of him being a servant rather than a master.
  • Berserk Button: Do NOT suggest him to serve anyone or any thing; he's flipped off no less than five literal gods of the setting and plotted to kill one of them for saying so.
  • Despair Event Horizon: Settra actually wishes he was mortal just so he could die after being stuck in the desert for days as a severed head after losing to Nagash. That says a lot since he was the one who started the Nehekharan obsession with immortality by trying to prevent himself from dying when he was mortal.
  • Defiant to the End: After charging Nagash with his entire army, Settra faces him off in a duel, with Settra able to land some blows but eventually he is frozen in place by the Lord of Undeathā€™s will. Holding the King of Khemri suspended in front of him, Nagash offers him the chance to bend his knee and serve as one of his Mortarchs. Settra yells:
  • Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?:
    • Nagash had Settra immobile in his grip, having just overthrown one of the gods Settra worshipped and defeated his army before promising Settra power if Settra served him and destruction if he did not. Settra responded with;
    "Settra does not serve... Settra rules!"
    • He also did something similar to the Chaos Gods, by taking their blessings and gifts and then spitting in their faces for even daring to suggest the notion of servitude to him.
  • Doomed Hometown: After defeating Settra, Nagash uses magic to destroy the city of Khemri.
  • Enemy Mine: Settra joins Archaon only to betray him and help Nagash when he comes with an army to Middenheim. However, he makes it clear that he isn't Nagash's friend, and swears to claim his skull eventually, only helping him because Chaos dared to offer him immortality in exchange for servitude.
  • Forced to Watch: Nagash leaves Settra (un)alive as a severed head facing Khemri, all so that he is made to see Nagash level the city.
  • Heroic BSoD: Settra is stuck in one of these after his defeat and Khemri's destruction until the Chaos Gods intervene.
  • Heroic Willpower: For a certain definition of hero, the End Times Settra was the only one who was able to defy Nagash's magic and willpower. In the finale he did the same to the Chaos gods at the height of their power.
  • Honor Before Reason: Executing Khatep for breaking his exile even though it was to help destroy their greatest enemy.
  • I Die Free: He hates the idea of serving and he is last mentioned fighting Kholek Suneater before the world is destroyed.
  • Knight Templar: He's willing to risk Nehekhara's other cities against Nagash's forces.
  • Losing Your Head: Nagash ripped Settra to pieces and scattered his bones across Khemri, forcing Settra's head to watch as he destroyed Khemri until the Chaos Gods put Settra's body back together.
  • No-Sell: He is the only Tomb King who was immune (or successfully resisted) the magic that emnates from Nagash after the latter consumed Usirian.
  • Revenge: Averted. Whilst Settra does want revenge on Nagash for destroying his Kingdom, he doesn't take the chance to kill Nagash because killing him would mean it was in service to the Chaos Gods rather than his own will. So he intends to kill the Chaos Gods first, then afterwards, Nagash.
  • Rightful King Returns: What Settra plans to do after the Chaos gods are defeated; "...claim (Nagash's) skull and take back (his) people."
  • Sixth Ranger Traitor: Settra prostrates himself before Archaon's throne in Middenheim, a few months after the fall of Averheim, then quickly betrays him when the Incarnates assault the city. He tells Nagash he will claim his skull eventually, but only after killing the Chaos Gods for daring to offer him immortality and the chance to conquer all realities in exchange for servitude. He then charges into battle against Chaos by himself. That makes Settra the ONLY being in any Warhammer setting who was offered literally everything there is to be offered, and give Chaos the middle finger in response.
  • Third-Person Person: Settra slips into this occasionally.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: He was still up and fighting when last seen in The End Times, but is one of the few major characters not to return in Age of Sigmar. His ultimate fate has not been revealed.
  • "What Now?" Ending: In the epilogue of game book End Times: Nagash, Settra is left standing and staring out in silent contemplation over the place where Khemri once stood after being put back together with an offer from what is later revealed to be the Chaos Gods.
  • Worthy Opponent: Settra the Imperishable is one of the very rare few beings in existence to have the respect of Nagash.

Khalida

  • Crazy-Prepared: Khalida went out of her way to try and make sure she would win the battle against Neferata.
  • Death Equals Redemption: Khalida and Neferata manage to reconcile just before the doomsday device under Middenheim consumes the world.
  • Know When to Fold 'Em: She chooses not to fight Nagash after he conquers the Tomb Kings so she can have another chance for revenge against Neferata.
  • Revenge Before Reason: Defied. When the Chaos Gods themselves attack the world, Khalida puts her grudge against Neferata aside to fight them.

Nekaph

Prince Apophas

Ramhotep the Visionary

  • What Happened to the Mouse?: He's mentioned as being present at Khemri for Nagash's attack, but nothing is said of his fate and he doesn't appear on the Undead Legion army list.

     Chaos 

Chaos has finally made it's move. Archaon has reunited every mortal, daemon and beast to drown the world in flames and blood. Fortunately for the world, things aren't going smoothly for him. Nagash has returned to oppose him and The Empire have raised a magic barrier made of faith that burns every tainted creature (everyone in his army) who touches it.

General Tropes

  • We Have Reserves: The marauders and Beastmen are viewed as such, especially the latter.
  • Zerg Rush: The Beastmen are used in this capacity.

Archaon, the Everchosen

  • The Bad Guy Wins: His plan to destroy the world succeeds, with only a single solitary figure and a spark surviving the end.
  • Battle Trophy: In End Times: Thanquol, Archaon took Ghal Maraz itself as a trophy, after conquering Middenheim. It is worth noting that he did not personally kill Valten, its bearer, due to a Verminlord's interference. Sigmar in Karl Franz reclaims it in the next book.
  • Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: He mocks Ka'bandha to his face, despite the fact that the Bloodthirster is strong enough to defeat him.
  • Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: He decapitates Kairos and uses his blood to summon Ka'bandha.
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom: He has this in the lore and all the art depicting him.
  • Hellish Horse: His steed Dorghar, which is implied to be one of its forms.
  • Hero Killer: He kills an Ulric-empowered Gregor Martak, Volker and Grimgor.
  • Irony: He hates the Chaos Gods, but decides to serve them since he feels that by destroying the world, he'll starve them. We'll say that again, in case you missed it: he plans to kill the Chaos Gods...by giving them exactly what they want.
  • Nay-Theist: He doesn't worship the Chaos Gods despite knowing they're real and only chooses to serve them as their goals briefly align. He also has this reaction to Sigmar upon learning that he is real.

Ka'bandha

One of Khorne's most powerful Bloodthirsters, he is summoned by Archaon after the latter kills Kairos Fateweaver. He wants to engage in battle and is allowed by Archaon to hunt the Emperor.


  • Berserk Button: When Archaon mocks him, Ka'bandha nearly attacks Archaon, only restraining himself because Archaon is the chosen servant of the four Chaos Gods.
  • Blood Knight: Ka'bandha enjoys the hunt and killing adversaries.
  • Breath Weapon: He can breathe fire on enemies. The lore states it's a supernatural expression of his rage.
  • Egomaniac Hunter: Has shades of this. It is his job to hunt powerful fighters or leaders who have offended Khorne and beating them in combat.
  • 11th-Hour Ranger: Only joins in on the End Times in their closing book.
  • Forced Transformation: When he runs short of hunting hounds he transforms some marauders into more.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: Comes with being a Bloodthirster, it's very easy to anger.
  • Implacable Man: Ka'bandha does not relent from his quarry of Karl Franz, smashing every character obstacle in his way except Nagash, who fought him to a stalemate.
  • Hero Killer: Kills Caradryan and his phoenix mount.
  • Mutual Disadvantage: This occurs between Ka'bandha and Nagash when they fight one-on-one. He excels in physical combat, but is ill prepared to face someone as well versed in death magic as his foe.
  • The Worf Effect: He is on both ends. The Incarnates are worfed by him as every time he takes them on except for Nagash and the fully restored Sigmar they come out worse off. This also comes around when Sigmar kills him with one blow to show how powerful Sigmar is.

Kairos Fateweaver

  • The Dragon: To Archaon, until he's executed through being sacrificed for treachery against the Everchosen.
  • The Starscream: Kairos serves as Archaon's advisor during the Chaos invasion of the Empire, though it was a given that the Fateweaver has been actively trying to undermine him.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: After the fall of Middenheim, Kairos is beheaded by Archaon, who decided that he needed Khorne's might more than Tzeentch's guile, and his blood is used to summon the Bloodthirster Ka'Bandha.

The Glottkin

Triplet brothers born to two well-meaning Talabheimers, a Life Witch and her spouse, a farmer, who sought to educate the Norse and so bring the cycle of hate between the Norse and the Empire to a close. Marked by Nurgle before they were even born, they swore themselves openly to his cause and to revenge against the Empire when their parents were murdered by an Imperial vengeance-raid on the Nordic lands where they lived.
  • Body Horror: All three, but especially prominent with Ghurek. His ravenous appetite turned him from a man to a horrific, obese spawn-thing so large that his brothers took to riding him to war. Great horns sprout from his shoulders, popping boils cover his back, and his arms are hideously mutated.
  • Boisterous Bruiser: Otto is this in the delightfully twisted way that only Chaos can supply. His immediate action after beating down Vlad von Carstein is to whistle a harvest tune!
  • The Big Guy: They're all large, but Ghurek is a monster so huge his brothers ride on his back without problems.
  • Body Horror: They were once three normal-looking people, Ghurek was even described as handsome. Now look at them.
  • Cargo Ship: Otto really likes his "curvy" scythe.
  • Dumb Muscle: Ghurek, who is mutated to such a monstrous size that his brothers ride him as a mount.
  • Fat Bastard: All three. Subverted with Otto and Ghurek.
  • Fate Worse than Death: After failing to conquer Altdorf at the last, an enraged Nurgle stuffs them into jars in his attic.
  • Hero Killer: Otto takes down Kurt Helborg and even Karl Franz. The latter gets better.
  • Horny Vikings: Essentially so, being Norscan warlords. Ethnically speaking, they're Taleuten, but they were raised Norse and consider themselves such, taking pride in their adoptive culture and all that entails.
  • Magic Knight: In-game, the Glottkin are both a terrifying fighter and a level 4 Wizard, because Otto (a warrior), Ethrac (a wizard) and Ghurek (a giant monstrosity) are all treated as a single model.
  • Multi-Armed and Dangerous: Ethrac, the sorcerer of the brothers.
  • Power Trio: All three brothers are a single unit on the tabletop, and cover their own weaknesses by moving and fighting as a team. It is rather appropriate, considering that Nurgle's symbol is three dots connected by lines.
  • Sibling Team: The triplets fight as one, being a terrifying mix of a monstrous unit, sorcerer, and Chaos Champion.
  • Too Spicy for Yog-Sothoth: Drinking Otto's blood essentially burns Vlad von Carstein from inside out and infects him with disease.
  • You Have Failed Me: When they fail to kill Karl Franz again after his resurrection and dare to escape rather than fight the divinely-empowered Emperor, Nurgle is enraged by their failure and puts their souls in jars as punishment.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: The Glott brothers are introduced at the beginning of End Times: Glottkin. At the end of the same book, they're stuffed into jars in Nurgle's garden.

Vardek Crom

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chaos_crom3.jpg

A powerful Kurgan chieftain who serves as Archaon's herald.


  • Dragon with an Agenda: He seeks more glory than Archaon is willing to give.
  • Dual Wielding: Crom is armed with both an axe and a sword alongside his shield. The game rules allows him to switch between fighting with both weapons or fighting with a weapon and shield, both of which grant him superior bonuses to other warriors fighting with similar styles.
  • Hordes from the East: He's a Kurgan nomad, which essentially makes him part of the Warhammer equivalent of the Cumans.
  • Red Baron: He's often referred to as the Conqueror.
  • Uriah Gambit: In End Times: Nagash, Archaon sends him off to assault the Empire with the express hope that he'll die in the process, and he does indeed get his head staved in by Valten wielding Ghal Maraz.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: He's introduced in the middle of End Times: Nagash, and dies ignominiously less than a chapter later.

The Maggoth Lords: Orgotts Daemonspew, Morbidex Twiceborn and Bloab Rotspawned

Three Nurgle champions who ride hulking maggot-creatures called Maggoths. Lieutenants to the Glottkin during their invasion of the Empire.
  • Half-Human Hybrid: Orgotts Daemonspew insists he is the son of a human witch and a Great Unclean One. Morbidex Twiceborn has been mutated into a fusion of human and Nurgling.
  • Horny Vikings: The Maggoth Riders tribe in general, due to being Norscan.
  • Rage Against the Heavens: Morbidex worships Nurgle because he hates Tzeentch, who he blames for his being born while his house burned and so being horribly burned from birth.
  • The Worm That Walks: Bloab Rotspawned was punished for constantly tormenting insects and vermin by being hollowed out from the inside and infested with brooding daemonflies, leaving him nothing but an animate skin over a cloud of buzzing hellish insects.

Gutrot Spume

A Nurgle-worshipping Norscan Jarl who famously got merged with an aquatic tentacled abomination after failing to kill a Plague Kraken. He was responsible for transporting the Maggoth Lords and the Glottkin into the Empire by his ships.
  • Combat Tentacles: His left side has seven of them due to being fused with a sort of mutant squid-thing after his arm was bitten off.
  • Horny Vikings: Complete with daemonic plagued longships!
  • Proud Warrior Race Guy: A Norscan, like most of the others in the Glottkin's horde, but he's more intense about being a warrior than many of the others.
  • Remember the New Guy?: It's implied that he's the warlord who led the Norse invasion of Nordland that was described in the eighth edition BRB.

Valkia the Bloody

  • Bad Boss: She kills those who, in her eyes, disgrace Khorne's legacy or flee.
  • Mutual Kill: When fighting Ludwig Schwarzhelm, they both end up impaling each other.

Skarr Bloodwrath

A Champion of Khorne.


Prince Sigvald the Magnificent

A vain and spoiled prince who is particularly favoured by Slaaanesh.


  • Asshole Victim: He's killed by Throgg in the End Times after throwing a tantrum about his face being scarred. Absolutely nobody mourns him, and to further add insult Throgg urinates on top of his corpse.
  • The Dog Bites Back: He constantly belittles and insults the Troll King Throgg, whom he sees as below him, during the march against Nagash's host. Consequently, while Sigvald rests next to Krell's skeleton in a stupor after defeating him, Throgg takes his revenge for all the insults. A giant club to the head ends Sigvald's tale for good.
  • Irony: He dissected the faces of his two wives. Come to the End Times, his last battle ends with Sigvald himself having been permanently scarred in the face.
  • Villainous Breakdown: Over an incredibly petty reason at that. He fights Krell, who manages to slash Sigvald's face, disfiguring him. This drives him into a frenzy, which allows him to overpower and kill Krell, but with his face permanently scarred he collapses and wails in petty frustration and anguish. Unfortunately for him, Throgg makes sure this is the last thing he ever does.

Throgg

The king of all trolls and a devout follower of the Chaos Gods.


  • Defiant to the End: His body broken, mangled and at the mercy of Nagash, the later laughing in his face and calling him a minor lackey to a bunch of ungrateful and pitiful gods, Throgg's only response is that serving the Chaos gods would still be preferable then bowing down to someone like him.
  • Deader than Dead: He has both his body and soul utterly annihilated by Nagash, leaving only a small pile of ash and a charred crown.
  • Kick The Son Of A Bitch: He smashes Sigvald's skull when the later is recovering from his fight with Krell.
  • Dumb Muscle: He and the rest of his forces are accused of being this by Arkhan.
  • Wrecked Weapon: His club is cut in half by a single swing of Nagash's mortis blade.

Dechala the Denied One

A serpent-bodied Slaneeshi warlord who participates in the attack on Naggaroth.


  • The Bus Came Back: The End Times marks her first appearance since her inclusion in the Liber Chaotica, following a rather lengthy absence from official material.
  • Evil Counterpart: She can be seen as one to Tyrion, as by the time of their duel they were betrayed by family members — Dechala by her parents, and Tyrion by his own brother Teclis — and both are incredibly skilled in swordplay. The difference is that, while Tyrion also fell, he's able to turn back and become The Atoner, while Dechala fully embraces villainy. Another parallel is that a major motivator for Tyrion's Faceā€“Heel Turn is the death of his daughter Aliathra, while Dechala's fall to evil was caused by being sold out by her father.
  • Killed Off for Real: She's killed by Tyrion in their duel.

Aekold Hellbrass

  • The Bus Came Back: After being absent from official works since Champions of Chaos, he returns in The End Times at the head of a massive Chaos army that breaks Kislev and is only held back by the Auric Wall.
  • Killed Off for Real: He crosses blades with Felix Jaeger and dies after Felix brings down the building they are in on top of him.

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