Yaghur

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The Yaghur were an ancient people who lived near Cripple Peak. [1c]

History

Nomadic tribes from the Northern steepes first used Cripple Peak to shelter beneath in the winter, calling it Ur-Haamas- the Hearth-stone. as they grew stronger, it became Agha-Dhakum - the Place of justice and a 1000 years later, Agha-Rhul - the Place of Oaths with the tribes settling permanently in the area creating a sprawling city [2a] and building a small empire around the what had been the Crystal Sea. However one night a huge warpstone meteor struck the mountain, shattering it and burying itself at its heart. [1c]

Witnessing the fall of the star-stone and the devestation it caused, the High Chieftain and his people offered up sacrifices and named themselves the Yaghur - The Faithful and the shattered mountain - Khad-tur-Maghran - the Throne of the Heavens. [2a] They built a temple-city, the priests using the warpstone to dominate other tribes and peoples. However, the warpstone seeped into the waters transforming it into the Sour Sea, killing or mutating all life within and around it. [1c]

As madness took the rulers, a brutal civil war raged, devastating the city before an exiled prince arrived with a new god, Malakh. The remaining nobles were sacrificed to the Master of the Fourfold Path. However, it was not long before repression triggered a new civil war and the Yaghur split into two peoples - the Forsaken who sought to sacrifice to Malakh all those who who still called themselves the Yaghur. War raged between the two with the Forsaken often being triumphant. [1c]

In -1598 IC Nagash, seeking the wapstone struck at the Keepers of Mountain, slaughtering all that stood against him until he had gathered a force of a more than a thousand skeletons. Although several assaults on their mountain fortress-temple were driven back, Nagash himself shattered their final defences and killing the High Keeper to claim the gold circlet that held the God's Eye. [1a]

Without the Keepers, the Forsaken destroyed two villages, killing all within. [1b] In -1597 IC Nagash intervened once more, this time on the side of the remaining Yaghur after Hathurk had proclaimed to them that Nagash was the god of the Mountain as had been prophesied. The inital night assault with the dead nearly ended in disaster as not only were the warriors harder to defeat but powerful Witches supported their defence. Disdainful of his new followers, when they asked for a reward he commanded them to devour the dead Forskaken to gain their strength and knowledge. [1c]

Although the Forsaken were mighty warriors with magical support from their witches and priests, the undead of Nagash ground them down, preventing them wherever possible from planting and harvesting their fields. Over centuries, most of the Yaghur were transformed into Ghouls with a taste for the soft flesh of women and children. [1d]

The war continued until -1350 IC when the last Forsaken priests of Malakh were burnt at Maghur'kan, their final stronghold were burnt. Nagash then commanded that from then on 2/3 of the remaining warriors would serve in his army and shiipments of meat and grain would be sent to Nagashizzar twice a year. [1d]

Military

By the time of Nagash, the warriors were armed with nothing more than crude clubs and spears although the Hetmen had bronze weapons from better times. The Forsaken had much larger warriors with leather kilts and vests, favouring long swords or huge axes whilst leaders could even muster full suits of scale armour. [1c]

Notable

  • Aighul: Hetman: Powerfully built man with a third eye in his forehead. [1c]
  • Akatha: Last of the Forsaken Witches. [1d]
  • Bragadh Maghur'kan: Last of the Forsaken Warlords. [1d]
  • Hathurk: Former acolyte of the Keepers who worshipped Nagash. [1b]
  • Thestus: A former chieftain of the Forsaken who served Nagash. [1d]
  • Zoar: He was claimed by W'soran who recognised his intelligence and transformed him into a vampire. [3a]

Religion

The Keepers of the Mountain were the priests of the Yaghur, led by the High Keeper who had claimed God's Eye - a large piece of Warpstone. They kept warpstone in reliquaries of bronze to fuel their magics. [1a] Hundreds of acolytes and junior priests would move between the various villages to tend to the dead, totems and ceremonial duties. [1b]

Sources

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