Rob, the Design Manager for Warhammer: the Old World, and writers Jonathan and Dan reveal some of the macabre details of the Land of the Dead and its tyrannical monarch.
Warhammer Community: After the excitement of the previous Old World Development Diary, it’s fair to say that fans of the Old World have been champing at the bit for more. What have you got for us this time, guys?
Rob: In our previous article, we looked at the very heart of the Old World, the Empire of Man. What we found was a realm both familiar to fans of Warhammer – but also subtly different, not the unified nation you might remember from Warhammer Fantasy Battle.
This time, we’re going to take a look at something that will be extremely familiar to long-time fans – the Land of the Dead and the tyrannical rule of Settra the Imperishable, the Undying King of Khemri. The supreme monarch of Nehekhara and the other Tomb Kings are going to be major players in the stories we will tell in Warhammer: the Old World, and it has been wonderful to come back to them after all these years. They’re not technically denizens of the Old World, but their invasions play a key part in the narrative at this time during the history of the setting.
Warhammer Community: Settra has been a prominent character in Warhammer for a long time, but what interest does he have in the lands of the living and the people of the Old World?Jonathan: In life, Settra expanded the borders of Nehekhara until his realm stretched far beyond the horizon. Eastwards and westwards, his legions marched across deserts and mountains until they reached distant coasts and to the north his dominion included the lands now known as the Empire and Bretonnia. In the years that followed his death, lesser monarchs lacked the will and ambition to maintain such a massive kingdom and over the centuries, it shrank to a shadow of its former glory.
When Settra awoke from death, following the Great Necromancer’s diabolical ritual, his wrath was unmatched – not only had the Liche Priests failed to return him to an eternally youthful body, but his dynasty had crumbled to insignificance in his absence. Since that day, Settra has been plotting the reconquest of the lands that were once his and the subjugation of the usurper kings, queens, and emperors who dare rule in his stead – no doubt we will see these plans of conquest set into motion when the time is right…
WC: Can you give us any clues about how a Tomb Kings army will wage war upon the denizens of the Old World?
Dan: We've taken a great deal of care to make the Undead work. It was vital that the rules presented balanced game mechanics while evoking the frightening image of rank upon rank of skeleton warriors marching in unison, as chariots speed towards the enemy flanked by monstrous constructs animated by the ancient magic of the Mortuary Cults. You will be able to wield the powers of a Liche Priest once more, commanding skeletal hordes to Arise! from their tombs and march upon the lands of the living.
WC: With Settra’s attention seemingly fixed upon foreign affairs, will we get much chance to explore the Land of the Dead itself?
Rob: Our main focus is going to be on the role that Settra and the Tomb Kings of Khemri played in the Old World. But there’s nothing to stop us returning to Nehekhara in the future. There are plenty of instances of Tomb Kings waging war on one another while Settra’s attention was elsewhere, and that’s before we even get started on raiders and invaders from far-off lands. Many have scoured the blistering deserts of Nehekhara in search of ancient treasures, some hoping to stumble upon wealth beyond imagination, while others sought long-forgotten secrets or legendary artefacts worth far more than gold…
Thanks guys! It’s always exciting to hear about what’s going on behind the sealed doors of the design studio. We’ll have more information about Warhammer: the Old World to look forward to before long, so be sure to sign up to the Warhammer Community newsletter to stay up to date.