The End Times

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A period of time starting in 2519 and ending in 2528. This period marked a huge upheaval across the Warhammer World with every major civilization destroyed in a great Chaos Incursion led by Archaon. Ultimately the Warhammer World has ended and the vast majority of its population is dead. The End Times led on to the Age of Myth.

Storyline

2519

  • The Twin-Tailed Comet is seen in the skies once more. Meteors of warpstone start falling across the globe.
  • The barrier between the mortal realm and the Realm of Chaos weakens and daemonic incursions become more and more common in the following years across the globe as warp portals are randomly torn open.
  • Mass plagues break out across the world.
  • Archaon completes his collection of the 6 treasures of Chaos and is crowned the Everchosen by Be'lakor.

2520-late 2523

  • In 2520 The Grand Theogonist Volkmar the Grim sends a Witch Hunter to investigate rumours of activity in Sylvania. He is never heard from again.
  • In 2521 The Bretonnia civil war begins between Mallobaude the Serpent and forces loyal to king Louen Leoncoeur.
  • Archaon starts his campaign against the civilized world.
  • Mannfred von Carstein captures Aliathra the Everchild, the daughter of The Phoenix King Finubar and Alarielle the Everqueen while she's on a diplomatic mission to Karaz-a-Karak (he is secretly aided in this by Teclis and Malekith).
  • Mannfred von Carstein openly takes control of Sylvannia. The Grand Theogonist leads a failed crusade against him and is captured. The walls of bone and faith are created by von Carstein and Balthasar Gelt around Sylvania respectively.
  • Valkia the Bloody invades Naggaroth. In Malekith's absence the Druchii fail to unite, instead looking only to self defense. Clar Karond, Har Ganeth and Karond Kar are all laid waste and Naggarond itself is besieged.
  • Massive daemonic incursions in Ulthuan. The Phoenix King secludes himself in his tower and refuses to lead the defense (in reality he had been assassinated by Malekith with the assistance of Teclis). Tyrion is forced to abandon his rescue mission of the Everchild (secretly his daughter, not Finubar's) to defend Ulthuan, beginning the Reclamation Wars.. Tyrion sends Eltharion the Grim and Belannaer of Hoeth with a force to rescue her in his place.
  • Plague results in riots across the Empire.
  • Kislev is overrun and almost entirely obliterated by the forces of Chaos with Erengrad the only major city left standing. The northern border of the Empire becomes a major battleground, with Imperial forces led by the Emperor and Vilitch the Curseling being the most successful of the fractious northern hordes. Sigvald the Magnificent stays in Kislev beautifully slaughtering all he finds.
  • Balthasar Gelt constructs the Auric Bastion along the Empire's northern border to hold back the Chaos hordes.
  • Giant monoliths errupt from the soil across the globe, serving as herdstone rallying points for huge packs of Beastmen and their kind.
  • Battle of Quenelles. Mallobaude the Serpent (aided by Arkhan the Black) defeats and apparently kills King Louen Leoncoeur. Morgiana le Fay is kidnapped at the battle by Drycha the Branchwraith and delievered to Mannfred von Carstein.
  • Ariel of the Wood Elves becomes infected with a darkness by the goddess Lileath. The Oak of Ages and then all of Athel Loren begin to show signs of corruption. Alarielle, the Everqueen of the High Elves, comes to her and offers to aid her if the Wood Elves assist in rescuing the Everchild from Mannfred von Carstein. Araloth is given this duty and in return Alarielle merges her being with that of Ariel.
  • The Green Knight reveals himself to be Gilles le Breton returned and slays Mallobaude before being crowned king of Bretonnia.
  • The savage orc shaman Wurrzag begins to realise that The Once and Future Git, the prophecised great warlord that will unite all greenskins into the mightiest Waaagh! ever, might infact be two individuals, a Fist of Gork and a Hand of Mork. Meanwhile Grimgor Ironhide starts leading his forces eastwards while Skarsnik of the Eight Peaks resumes his attacks on the Dwarfs.
  • The Firemouth erupts in the Mountains of Mourn leading to huge seismic upheaval. The Ogres are forced to migrate south and westwards.
  • The Great Uprising of the Skaven begins. Skaven hordes surge from underground around the world. Tilea, Estalia, Sartosa and eventually Araby are all consumed.

2523

  • Arkhan the Black penetrates the walls around Sylvania and allies with Mannfred von Carstein with the aim of resurrecting Nagash. They travel to reclaim some of his lost relics.
  • Arkhan travels to Bretonnia and joins forces with Heinrich Kemmler. At the Twelfth Battle of La Maisontaal Arkhan reclaims Nagash's staff, destroying the traitorous Kemmler in the process. On the march back to Sylvania he is shadowed by a Beastman pack led by Malagor who has been tasked with stopping him.
  • Mannfred travels to the Border Princes and reclaims the Fellblade from the burrow of the Skaven Mordkin clan at The Battle of Mordkin Lair.
  • In Mannfred's absence Zacharias, Dietrich von Dohl and Cicatrix march on Castle Sternieste. They demand access to the vaults, presumably to prevent Nagash's rise. When refused they attack but are rebuffed, with Cicatrix being destroyed by Elize von Carstein, Mannfred's regent.

2524

  • At The Fall of Heldenhame the two undead lords fight together to reclaim Nagash's armour from an Imperial garrison.
  • Multiple armies converge on Sylvania. Malagor's Beastman horde, a throng from Karak Kadrin led by the Slayer King Ungrim, the survivors of Heldenhame and the Wood Elf force of Araloth and High Elf force of Eltharion, both tasked with rescuing the Everchild.
  • The Dwarven army destroys the Beastmen army at the Battle of Red Cairn but suffers heavy casualties and are forced to return home.
  • The Wood Elves army is redirected by Lileath and travel by mystical means to Ulthuan.
  • The impatient Imperial force is ambushed and destroyed by Mannfred von Carstein.
  • Malekith returns to Naggarond and breaks the siege, but quickly decides Naggaroth is lost, instead looking again at Ulthuan. He beginnings planning, sending to Prince Imrik hundreds of the dragon eggs his people had stolen over the years.
  • Malekith fights through the Chaos forces (including the daemon forces of Skarbrand the Exiled One to march to Ghrond in order to learn why his mother gave no warning of the invasion. She tells him it is the End Times and refuses to join him in his conquest on Ulthuan in person, but sent troops led by the sorceress Drusala. Malekith leads almost all of the remaining druchii still alive to attack Ulthuan.
  • The Reclamation Wars End with Tyrion and Teclis slaying the Keeper of Secrets N'Kari and the Battle of Moonspire. Teclis casts a spell of burning white fire that cleanses the land, banishing all daemons on Ulthuan.
  • The Slaughter at Eagle Gate. Dark elf forces led by Malus Darkblade attack the Eagle Gate fortress. Despite multiple failed assault by the druchii, even resulting in Darkblade unleashing the daemon Tz'arkhan, the fortress only eventually falls when the dragon lord of Caledor are proved traitors. They and their dragons attach their fellow high elves, slaughtering the defense and giving the dark elves victory.
  • Drusala captures the master assassin Shadowblade while hes eavesdropping on Malekith for Hellebron.
  • The corpse of Finubar is discovered. Tyrion is appointed Regent of Ulthuan. He is due to enter the flames and become the Phoenix King in a year's time.
  • Alarielle emerges from the Oak of Ages, having merged with Ariel.
  • Both high elf and dark elf armies march towards the Blighted Isle.
  • Geheimnisnacht (known to the elves as Twilight's Tide)

-Battle at Nine Daemons

-A dark elf force led by Malus Darkblade and Tullaris Dreadbringer surround the much smaller army of Caradryan at the Battle of Reaver's Mark. Their easy victory is snatched away by the timely arrival of Tyrion's forces, whose grief at feeling his daughter's death drives him to slay Dreadbringer and the daemon Tzárkhan who was finally released from the prison of Malus (resulting this time in the elf's destruction). He then uses the Warpsword of Khaine to bind the hordes of undead that Nagash's resurrection had resulted in. The dark elves are butchered as the high elves are swept up in Khaine's bloodlust.

-Malekith battles high elf forces in Chrace led by Ystranna, Handmaiden of the Everqueen. The Battle of Whiteweald is going in favour of Malekith when their battle too is disrupted by the waking of the dead.

  • 'Drusala' reveals herself to be Morathi to Tyrion. She joins him, though they disguise this from the outside world as she now claims the identity of 'Riselle'. She tells Tyrion all about Teclis's involvement in the death of his daughter and Finubar. When they meet Tyrion tries to slay Teclis in a rage, and Teclis flees rather than harm his brother.
  • Lileath, Araloth and a former priestess of Isha called Kalara travel to the Realm of Chaos. They break into Nurgle's Manse and free the godess Shallya from her prison, with Kalara sacrificing herself to become the new Poxfulcrum, Nurgle chief disease taster/tester.
  • 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.
  • Nagash marches south to Nehekhara to purge the curse in his Black Pyramid in Khemri.
  • In order to curry favour with Nagash, Neferata marches her forces towards the Lost Pass of the Dwarfs.
  • Neferata battles a greenskin horde at The Battle of Skull Chasm. Her victory is assured after the arrival of a second undead army led by Krell.
  • At The Battle for Valaya's Gate Neferata battle the Grand War-Throng of Karak Azul. She is victorious when both Thorek Ironbrow and King Kazador are slain. Her victory ensures her induction into the Mortarchs. Nagash enters the Dolmen of Valaya and consumes her, giving him great power.
  • The Changeling slays the ritual circle supporting the Auric Bastion at Alderfen allowing a huge Nurgle force to burst through. The 'Defense of Alderfen is won only thanks to the timely intervention of Valten and Vlad von Carstein. Walach Harkon is trapped behind the Bastion once the breach is sealed. After the battle Vlad secretly takes command of a portion of the Bastion based out of Rackspire.
  • The appearance of the undead at Alderfen lead many in the Imperial court to harshly criticize Balthasar Gelt. Gelt starts becoming emotionally unstable as a result and starts exhausting himself in defending the Bastion.
  • Gelt begins to suspect there is a shape-shifting daemon sabotaging Imperial efforts at the Bastion. Allying with Ar-Ulric Emil Valgeir they secretly start investigating.
  • Vlad von Carstein forces Gelt into a secret meeting where he proposes an alliance for the greater good of the Empire and gifts him a powerful necromantic tome before letting him go. Though suspicious, Gelt considers the idea.
  • The physical and emotional strain takes it's toll on Gelt. He starts using necromancy to defend the Bastion, rationalizing that it's for the greater good.
  • Gelt accidentally murders Elector Count Aldebrand Ludenhof when the later confronts him about his use of necromancy. Gelt begins working with von Carstein, still believing it is for the good of the Empire.
  • Valgeir convinces Gelt that the shape-shifter is in fact Valten and that it plans to assassinate Karl Franz at an upcoming ceremony to recognize Valten as the Herald of Sigmar. Gelt interrupts the ceremony and tries to convince the Emperor but reveals his necromantic powers and is decried as a traitor. Raising the dead to defends himself gives the Changeling, in reality Emil Valgier himself, an opportunity to assassinate the Emperor but he is stopped. Gelt, now utterly ruined, flees and the event becomes known as Gelt's Folly.
  • Gregor Martak of the Amber College is elected Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic.
  • After the revelations about Gelt Grand Theogonist Kaslain refuses to allow his priests to aid in the mystical reinforcement of the Auric Bastion. Breaches become more common along it's length until it eventually collapses. Chaos Hordes swarm into the northern Empire.
  • Imperial forces try to halt the Chaos incursion at the Battle of Heffengen. The Emperor gathers the main strength of the Imperial army and marches against the horde of Vardek Crom, once again secretly supported by Vlad von Carstein who plans to use the battle to cement an alliance between himself and the Empire. The appearance of Blood Knights led by Walach Harkon fighting for the side of Chaos costs the Imperial forces the battle, with the vampire himself defeating the Emperor in an aerial duel. The Emperor is presumed dead and the Imperial forces are devastated and retreat to Altdorf. Vlad slays Harkon in revenge for ruining his plan.
  • Malekith leaves Imrik in place to fight Ystranna in Chrace. The Dragon Prince slays the Handmaiden of the Everqueen.
  • Nagash's forces arrive in Nehekhara, split up and start marching on Khemri. Nagash and Arkhan go to his fortress Nagashizzar and Nagash uses the power consumed from Valaya to create a cloud of darkness that spreads across the whole of the Land of the Dead.

2525

  • Krell and Dieter Helsnicht defeat King Phar of Numas at the Battle of Blight Water and starts forcing their way south.
  • Luthor Harkon defeats the navy of Zandri in The Battle of Mortis Delta.
  • Harkon joins Mannfred von Carstein and together they destroy the army of Zandri before continuing south.
  • Neferata is defeated by Khalida of Lybaras in The Battle for Ruined Lahmia.
  • The forces of Nagash unite, reinforced by many Tomb Kings who have turned traitor and converge on Khemri. At The Battle Khemri's gate they face the forces of Settra. They are unable to defeat him until Nagash infiltrates the city, enters the temple of Usirian, travels to the underworld and consumed the Nehekharan god of the dead. Finally restored to his fullest power he defeats Settra, casts down Khemri, mystically transports the Black Pyramid back to Sylvania and obliterates Settra after he refuses to join Nagash. This event becomes known as The Humbling of Settra.
  • Some time after his defeat, Settra is resurrected by the Chaos Gods who offer him life in return for fighting with them against Nagash.
  • Battle for the Blighted Isle. Malekith's forces arrive at the Shrine of Khaine and defeat it's protectors. Tyrion's army arrives just as Malekith is about to claim the Sword of Khaine. Morathi has her traitors in Malekith's ranks (about a fifth of his force) reveal themselves. Malekith, Teclis, Alith Anar, Tyrion, Caradryn and Shadowblade (brainwashed by Morathi) all converge on the shrine. Shadowblade severely wounds Malekith, is wounded in return and flees when the injury causes him to regain his senses. Despite suffering severe wounds Tyrion defeats Malekith and claims the Blade of Khaine, becoming Khaine reborn. Teclis and Caradryan save Malekith with some (unintentional) help from Malekith's would-be assassin Alith Anar.
  • Malekith travels to the Shrine of Asuryan and enters the flames. He emerges as the true Phoenix King and the islands breaks apart and sinks into the sea.
  • The Glottkin are named the Champions of Nurgle. They are joined by Gutrot Spume and the Maggoth Riders of Icehorn Peak.
  • The god Taal is attacked and infected by Nurgle. In the mortal realm this is demonstrated by the increased spread of plague throughout the Empire.
  • Festus the Leechlord establishes himself in the Altdorf sewers and starts a dark ritual.
  • Spume lends the use of his navy to cross the Sea of Claws. On the way they devastate a large High Elf fleet with dark plague magic.
  • Spume lands the Glottkin forces at Marienburg, the Maggoth Riders in Kislev near Erengrad and his own armies on the Nordland coast. All three Nurgle armies start marching south.
  • Despite resistance from the native Marienburgers, a local vampire lord called Mundvard the Cruel and Imperial reinforcements, the city was quickly overwhelmed at The Battle of Marienburg by the Glottkin. Once the city is sacked they continue south.
  • In Altdorf Kurt Helborg acts as steward in the Emperors's absence. He starts preparing the city's defenses alongside three Elector Counts. He sends messages to various allies requesting aid.
  • Spume's forces enter the Drakwald and enter into an alliance with the local Beastmen led by The Harbinger. They defeat a Forest Goblin/Savage Orc warband at the Battle of the Drakwald before continuing south after Nurgle's throttlevines tear an easy path through the Drakwald vegetation for them as a reward for their victory.
  • The Maggoth Riders march through Kislev and the northern Empire to the Brass Keep in the Middle Mountains and recruit the followers of Nurgle who garrison the fortress.
  • Seeing the influence of Nurgle spreading across the land on his return from the Auric Bastion Vlad von Carstein resolves to once again try to create an alliance between himself and the mortal lords of the Empire. He and five vampires, including Munvard of Marienburg travel to Altdorf.
  • Louen Leoncoeur is revealed to be alive. Though no longer king he is still the Duke of Couronne and a knight of Bretonnia. When Helborg's request for aid reaches Bretonnia he calls an Errantry War and gathers a large force of crusader knights before marches towards Altdorf.
  • The Harbinger performs a ritual in the Drakwald where every herdstone in the forest explodes and becomes a portal to the Realm of Chaos. Hundreds of thousands of Nurgle daemons start pouring through, led by Epidemius the Tallyman.
  • The Maggoth Riders and their small force from the Brass Keep assault Talabheim but are repulsed. They retreat into the forest and meet up with Epidemius' daemons.
  • Epidemius and the Maggoth Riders release a plague against Talabheim, flooding it with a foul liquid, forcing it's citizens and soldiery march out to meet them. The Battle of Talabheim ends with the city's destruction.
  • The Glottkin destroy Carroburg.
  • Inspired by dreams and furious at the dismissive attitude of Kurt Helborg, Gregor Martak leaves Altdorf to search for the Emperor, who he believes to be still alive after the disaster at Heffengen. He finds him in the woods and the two slowly make their way back towards Altdorf.
  • Vlad arrives in Altdorf. Helborg agrees to an alliance out of desperation. The vampires resurrect the dead of the city, both recent and ancient, to fight in it's defense.
  • The three armies of Nurgle; The Glottkin, The Maggoth Riders and Epidemius and Gutrot Spume and The Harbinger all converge on Altdorf. A relief force in the form of Louen Leoncoeur's knights also arrive at the city just after the attack begins.
  • Festus' ritual is completed as the three Nurgle armies start to lay siege to Altdorf, opening a huge portal to the Realm of Chaos in the heart of the city, spewing daemons into the streets.
  • Battle for Altdorf

-A jungle of twisted, rotting growth spreads rapidly throughout the city.

-The bulk of the Bretonnian force charges the Nurgle armies while Leoncoeur himself leads his pegasus knights into the city on his hippogriff to the Temple of Shallya which is being assaulted by Festus and the Great Unclean One Ku'gath. Vlad also arrives at the temple. Leoncoeur slays Ku'gath before being decapitated by Festus. Vlad destroys Festus in return.

-Epidemuis is banished by the explosion of a misfiring Hellblaster Volley Gun.

-Munvard is destroyed by the Ethrac Glott.

-The Emperor and Martak arrive at the city. They, the Glottkin, Helborg, the Harbinger and Vlad all converge on the Imperial Palace.

-Vlad easily defeats Otto Glott in a duel, but is infected by the foul blood of the Nurgle Champion and is forced to flee before he can finish his opponent off.

-Defeated in a magical duel by Ethrac Martak flees into the Palace complex pursued by the Harbinger and his Beastmen. He leads them to the Imperial Menagerie where the Beastmen and their sorcerous master are immolated by the Imperial dragon.

-Helborg is killed by Otto defending the Emperor, but Karl Franz is still killed soon after.

-Karl Franz is reborn in a fiery conflagration of light that destroys or drives away the forces of Nurgle. Unknown to all save him, this is in fact Sigmar reborn in Karl Franz's body and he has become the Incarnate of Heavens.

-Shallya, fully recovered from her time as the Poxfulcrum, comes to Taal and heals him. This purifies the whole of the Empire from the plague god's influence.

  • Altdorf is secured.
  • Archaon starts his invasion of the Empire.
  • Imrik, acting as Malekith's chief general, captures Lothern, dividing the fleets of Sea Lord Aislinn between the Great Ocean and the Sea of Dreams. Lokhir Fellheart and Drane Brackblood take the fleets of the dark elves and start causing massive damage on their opponents.
  • Imrik continues to make slow but steady progress across Ulthuan until Tyrion recovers enough to start taking an active part in the war again. Naming himself the Phoenix King despite never been through the flames he quickly reverses all of Imrik's gains, severely wounding the Dragon Prince in battle at the shores of Lake Calliana (though Imrik does manage to breach Tyrion's armour).
  • Morathi is now openly Trion's consort. Rumours spread of foul, cruel, hedonistic practices in Tyrion's court.
  • Korhil of the White Lions leads an expedition to retake Lothern. Though unsuccessful due to Malekith's return, his distance from Tyrion and Morathi gives him the clarity to begin to see the evil at their court. With his ally the mage Adranna he returns to the court, protected from the Widowmaker's influence by her magics.
  • Malekith proves unpopular in Lothern. His tyrannical manner and harsh treatments (for example his execution of his own admiral Drane Brackblood) alienates much of the high elf court. Imrik starts to lose confidence and assassination attempts begin.
  • Battle of Withelan Tyrion marches to Avelorn to claim the newly returned Everqueen. She, seeing him for what he is, refuses. Battle breaks out between Tyrion's corrupted soldiers and Alarielle's wood elf allies. Daith the Smith is slain in combat. Orion, King of the Woods duels Tyrion and severely wounds him, once again using the wound Imrik caused to his advantage, but despite the damage he causes he is slain. The magic of the Everqueen and the driving from the field of Tyrion by Durthu cause Tyrion's army to flee.
  • Alarielle agrees to support Malekith and officially recognizes him as the Phoenix King by declaring her intention to marry him, as was tradition for the Everqueens. As the new ruler of the Wood Elves, this adds their forces to Malekith's own.
  • Korhil, still protected from Windowmaker's influence by Adranna's magic, was disturbed greatly by the state of Tyrion and resolved to steal the Sword of Khaine and deliver it to Hellebron, hoping that by removing it's influence from Tyrion might restore him to his senses. He was pursued by the forces of Morathi leading to the battle later known as Traitor's Due. Hellebron and Morathi's armies clash, determined to gain the Sword. Though she herself was scarred by Darkblade in revenge for his mystical enslavement, Morathi is triumphant and the Sword and it's thief were both captured.
  • Adranna flees Tyrion's camp and joins Malekith. Korhil is taken back to Tyrion who has him brutally tortured before executing him with his own axe.

2526

  • The elf war enters a phase of many smaller battles, all of which end in Tyrion's victory. Malekith repeatedly calls out Tyrion to single combat, but he refuses, knowing he is winning the war through sheer attrition as each victory leads to more elves falling under Khaine's influence and joining him. Only the support of the Wood Elves prevents Malekith losing the war entirely.
  • Teclis eventually convinces Malekith of the need to destroy the Great Vortex and creates Incarnates of the Winds of Magic. They travel towards the [Isle of the Dead].
  • While waiting for their ships to transport them, Malekith's forces come under attack by Tyrion's. Lord Sceolan of the Hooked Blade is slain and Malekith's forces only survive thanks to the Sealord Aislinn betraying Tyrion and coming to Malekith's aid at the Everqueen's behest. At the same time it is revealed that Lokhir Fellheart had joined Tyrion.
  • Aislinn goes to Tyrion on Fellheart's flagship. He is executed by Tyrion, but summons Mathlann's wrath on his fleet. A huge portion of Tyrion's forces are destroyed in a colossal tidal wave.
  • Battle for the Isle of the Dead. Tyrion and Morathi slain. Teclis destroys the Vortex, the Winds are released and the remaining 7 Incarnates are created. Ulthuan is destroyed
  • A new race of unified elves establish themselves in Athel Loren. Malekith and Alarielle are married by Lileath in mortal form. Malekith is recrowned as the Eternity King.