Battle at Nine Daemons

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Previous Battle of Red Cairn
Next Battle of Skull Chasm
Battle at Nine Daemons
Nine-daemons.jpg
Conflict End Times
Date Geheimnisnacht 2524 IC
Location The Nine Daemons stone circle in Sylvania
Outcome Undead victory,
Nagash reborn
Combatants
Undead commanded by Arkhan the Black and Mannfred von Carstein High Elven force commanded by Eltharion the Grim
Commanders
Arkhan the Black
Mannfred von Carstein
Eltharion the Grim
Belannaer the Wise
Princess Eldyra of Tiranoc
Strength
Unknown The Sentinels of Astaril; one band of Mistwalkers
The Knights of Dusk
Athel Tamarha Faithbreakersa company of Swordmasters of Hoeth
Losses/Survivors
minimal total destruction,
Eltharion dead
Belannaer dead
Eldyra turned into a vampire


Background

Arkhan the Black, premier servant of Nagash saw that the Chaos Gods were rising and the End Times beginning. He knew that the power of Nagash would be needed to prevent their destroying the world and so penetrated the wall of faith around Sylvania and allied with Mannfred von Carstein with the aim of resurrecting Nagash. Mannfred had no real sense of the End Times and only sought to use Nagash to increase his own power. They devised a ritual using a number of Mannfred's prisoners a number various relics of the Great Necromancer. Between them they collected the Nine Books of Nagash, his armour, staff, the Fellblade and crown. They traveled to the Nine Daemons circle of standing stones to perform the ritual.

The prisoners needed for the ritual were all of some form of priest or had a connection to some deity or another. They included;

However, in collecting the prioners and relics they had made many enemies. Malagor's Beastman horde, a throng from Karak Kadrin led by the Slayer King Ungrim, the survivors of the Imperial fortress Heldenhame, the Wood Elf force of Araloth and the High Elf force of Eltharion all entered Sylvannia to stop the undead lords, for various different reasons. The Dwarven army destroyed the Beastmen army at the Battle of Red Cairn but suffered heavy casualties and were forced to return home. The Wood Elves army was redirected by Lileath and travelled by mystical means to Ulthuan. The impatient Imperial force was ambushed and destroyed by Mannfred.

The only force left to stop the ritual was the High Elf force. They had been sent to Sylvannia to rescue Aliathra, who was the daughter of The Phoenix King Finubar and Alarielle the Everqueen, by Prince Tyrion (who was in reality secretly her real father). Aliathra had been captured by Mannfred the year before while on a diplomatic mission to Karaz-a-Karak. It was unknown to all concerned that the capture had actually been orchestrated by Teclis who, knowing the truth of her parentage, knew that the use of Aliathra in the ritual would mean that Nagash would not return at his full strength.

Stages of Battle

  • The High Elves battle Mannfred and his army while Arkhan performs the ritual at the Nine Daemons standing circle behind a magical barrier. It is Mannfred's plan to usurp the ritual at a vital moment to bind Nagash's will and power to himself.
  • The High Elves gain the advantage when Belannaer uses his magical abilities to prevent Mannfred using his own necromantic skills to raise the dead to restore his losses.
  • Mannfred orders a Spirit Host to attack Belannaer and his swordmaster bodyguard's position. When the Loremaster uses magic to destroy the ghosts Mannfred uses the momentary distraction to regain control of the Winds of Magic and starts raising new undead warriors. The advantage shifts to the undead.
  • Eldyra is taken captive
  • Mannfred confronts Belennaer in a magical duel. Mannfred controls the mind of one of the Swordmasters and uses him as a distraction. When his concentration shifts to confront the mentally enslaved bodyguard Belannaer is overwealmed by Mannfred's magic and destroyed.
  • Eltharion defeats and severely wounds Mannfred in a duel. He then uses his mystically enchanted sword to pierce the barrier, destroying the blade in the process.
  • Altharion confronts Arkhan just as he is about to complete the ritual. Attacking Arkhan, he is destroyed by the ancient liche's magic, being reduced to dust.
  • Arkhan completes the ritual by sacrificing Volkmar, Morgianna and Aliathra and the other holy figures. Nagash is reborn but the secret parentage of the Everchild means he is tainted by the Curse of Aenarion and not returned to his fullest strength. He rips the death wind Shyish from the Great Vortex but cannot bind it to himself, instead he temporarily binds it to the land of Sylvania itself
    • (this was according to Teclis and Malekith's plan; they wanted Nagash to destabilize the vortex but knew the curse would mean he would not be strong enough yet to become the first Incarnate before they were ready).
  • The huge influx of death magic results in the dead becoming restless and rising all around the world.
  • The last remnants of the High Elf army are wiped out.

Aftermath

Failing to become the master of death he intended, Nagash post-pones his war against the Chaos gods. He summons many powerful undead lords to be his new lieutenants; the Mortarchs. Others, such as Zacharias and Dietrich von Dohl are destroyed for challenging him. Three Mortarchs, the newly resurrected Vlad von Carstein, Walach Harkon and the Nameless are ordered to travel north to secretly support the Imperial forces fighting against Chaos.

Order of Battle


Notes

Eldyra's fate is contested. The novel Return of Nagash states she is overwhelmed by the combined efforts of the vampires Erikan Crowfiend and Elize von Carstein whereas the Warhammer: Nagash End Times supplement claims she was defeated in combat by Mannfred.

Sources

Johann van Hal-Small.jpg Attention, Scribe of the Lexicanum!

This article needs some improvement on its citations.
Please help us by finding, confirming, and inserting official sources at the proper places.