Wraith

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A Wraith

Wraiths or Cairn Wraith's are powerful undead beings. [4b]

Those who practice dark magic face many terrible dangers. Some try to extend their lives for decades or even centuries beyond their natural span. Sometimes they succeed, and the individual retains his physical body and mental powers, but more often the result is far more horrible than death itself. Age and the continual use of dark magic drains the soul and withers the body, until only an insubstantial husk remains, deprived of its substance and driven by a mind twisted by its most hideous fears.[1a][3a][5a]

Such cursed creatures are called Wraiths. Once they were great men, wizards of considerable power, Necromancers with legions of Undead at their command, but now they are just shadows held between life and death by their own desire for immortality. Their cloaks give them substance, but nothing remains of their physical bodies. Two glowing eldritch eyes glint from beneath their cowls, glimmering with malign knowledge. They are dangerous because their chill touch drains life from living creatures, sucking out the warmth and spirit, driving their victims wild with terror.[1a][3a][5a]

Ancient vampires are aware of the rituals to call forth and bind such powerful undead to their service where they can act as near invulnerable shock troops. Wraiths are ghostly creatures that are notoriously difficult to wound with conventional weapons. As beings of magic, they can be damaged by spells created by the Winds of magic or enchanted weapons.[4a]

Some remain as extremely powerful magic users in their own right meaning that one must be very skilled to best a Wraith in a contest of the arcane.

Weapons and Equipment

A wraith carries a Double Handed Weapon - the scythe, a symbol of death for most humans. [1b] Some ride Nightmares with or without Barding but they themselves do not wear armour.[2a][2b] They are able kill with their incorporeal hand - the so called Chill Grasp. [4a]

  • 4th Edition: Double-Handed Weapon [5b]
  • 6th Edition: Great Weapon, May ride a Ethereal Nightmare. May have Magic Items. [2b]
  • 8th Edition: Hero: Great Weapon. [4b]
  • 8th Edition: Unit: Great Weapon. May have Tomb Banshee. [4c]

Gallery

Miniatures

Notes

From their Warhammer 7th Edition army book onwards they were described as Cairn Wraiths and formed units led by a Tomb Banshee. [3a] In 8th ediition they reverted back to being Independent Hero Characters as well as units. [4b][4c]

Sources

The Vampire Counts
Units Abyssal Terror - Banshee - Bat Swarm - Black Coach - Black Knight - Blood Knight - Cairn Wraith - Charnel Guard - Corpse Cart - Coven Throne - Crypt Horror - Dire Wolves - Fell Bat - Ghost - Ghoul - Gloom‎ - Grave Guard - Hexwraith - Mortis Engine - Necromancer - Master Necromancer - Necromancer Lord - Shadow Druid - Simulacra - Skeleton - Spirit Host - Strigoi Ghoul King - Storm Riders - Strigany - Swain - Sylvanian Levy - Terrorgheist - Tomb Stalker - Vargheist - Varghulf - Vampire Thrall - Vampire Count - Vampire Lord - Wight King - Winged Nightmare - Zombie - Zombie Dragon - Zombie Pirate
Characters Abhorash - Aucassin - Adolphus Krieger - Alicia von Untervald - Andraste - Ankhat - Anmar bin Muntasir - Asteron - Brachnar - Caleb - Chandagnac - Chown - Constant Drachenfels - Crovan - Dieter Helsnicht - Druthor - Emmanuelle von Templehof - Estaban Valadische - Evegena Boradin - Faethor - Famke Leibrandt‎ - Frederick van Hal - Gabriella von Nachthafen - Galiana - Gashnag - Genevieve Dieudonné - Gorgivich Krakvald - Gothard - Gugula Skell - Gunther Spengler - Harakhte - Hathurk - Heinrich Kemmler - Helena von Culper - Helman Ghorst - Heloise Kalfon - Hermione von Auerbach - Imentet - Isodora - Jacques de Noirot - Johann Haifisch - Kadon - Kalledria - Kattarin - Khaled al Muntasir - Khemalla - Krell - Laskar Noircouer - Layla - Leanora Navrre - Louis Cypher - Lothar von Diehl - Lupa Stregga - Luthor Harkon - Mallobaude - Malvous - Mangari - Mara - Margritte von Wittgenstein - Mariato - Mathilda‎‎ - Melidere Valadische - Melissa d'Acques - Merovech - Morath‎‎ - Mordac - Morgul - Moriva Darkstalker - Mundvard - Naaima - Nathmar - Neferata - Nicodemus - Nitocris - Nourgul - Obadiah Glothman - Palatine Drego - Petra Hirkeit - Pitre Fonce - Raiza - Rametep - Rasha bin Wasim - Red Duke - Renar - Rolinda - Rudolph Brecht - Sanzak - Sofia - Sorn Ghoulskin - Sycamo - Talia - Theodora Margrave - Thrashlaar - Tiberius Kael - Ulrika Magdova - Ushoran - Urzen - Verek - Anark von Carstein - Antoine von Carstein - Ariette von Carstein - Emmanuelle von Carstein - Isabella von Carstein - Konrad von Carstein - Lydia von Carstein - Malachias von Carstein‎‎ - Mannfred von Carstein - Nyklaus von Carstein - Pieter von Carstein - Vlad von Carstein - Vorag Bloodytooth - Katherina von Dernsbach - Frich Von Haas - Rabe von Stahl - Rodrik von Waldendorf‎‎ - Rametep - Rudek - Ulffik - Ullo - Valnimir Valadische - Vangheist - Varis - Vorag Bloodytooth - Walach Harkon - W'soran - Yamina - Zacharias - Zoar
Organisations Dreadfleet - Lahmian Sisterhood - Necrarch Brotherhood - Order of the Blood Dragon - Vampire Coast - Von Carstein Dynasty
Images - Magic items - Miniatures - Vehicles