Nehekhara

Nehekhara and its cities, prior to the destruction of the latter in the End Times.

Nehekhara was the ancient land of the Tomb Kings, analogous to real life Egypt. It was a cradle of human civilization and prosperous enough to rival High Elves' culture. Thanks to one dick boner, Nehekhara became a bone-filled dry hellhole with majestic cities, then it later lost even those.

History

WFB

Unlike Egypt, it encompasses most of Warhammer Fantasy Africa as a giant desert where a whole topographical layer of skeletons sit beneath the sand (many of whom have a predilection to get up and get grumpy when disturbed). Originally a lush land that was rich in gold that developed civilization back when the rest of the humans in the world (other than possible Cathay) were tribal savages being kept as slaves by High Elf colonists or used as target practice by Dwarfs, Nehekhara was a paradise. It was ruled over by supreme rulers leading individual kingdoms which fought against each other constantly. Although there were fair differences between kingdom to kingdom, generally speaking the High Priests and the Kings (and rarely Queens) had supreme power over all. The pantheon of the Nehekharans was numerous and diverse, although death was a central theme in each important deity. Priests had their own magic Lore as a derivative of the Lore of Death due to the Winds of Magic tied to Death being the only one to blow through the land, making Nehekharans the first humans to not only discover but also master a form of magic independent of Daemon assistance.

Eventually, all of Nehekhara was unified under Settra the Imperishable, although with his death the kingdoms once again became independent. With the rise of Nagash the magic of the land became unstable, and in two wars all the kingdoms of the land united to wage war on the Undead threat. With the kingdom of Lahmia falling to Vampirism, the kingdom of Khemri (birthplace of both Settra and Khalida) lead the charge. In his (second) death throes Nagash cast a spell which killed all plant, animal, and human life in the land. The spell resurrected everything that had died as an Undead servant. With Nagash's death from Alcadizaar, who stabbed sleepy necromancer with a blade made of Warpstone, the spell was somewhat broken: the Nehekharans were still "alive" but no more slaves to Nagash's will.

Most Undead were devoid of much intelligence, only retaining enough to perform tasks with a degree of skill unseen in the skeletal servants raised by common Necromancy. But the nobility of the land, well-preserved in their elaborate tombs and burials, awoke with their personalities intact and their souls forever bound to the land that gave them birth and held their corpse in death.

Each former ruler sought to retake their throne, only to find a hundred generations of rulers prior and a hundred after also claimed the throne. The land became a giant battle of skeleton against skeleton, a whirling skull-tossing fight that would have made Khorne jizz himself watching had he known of it, until the former High Priests throughout the ages gathered and conducted a ritual to awaken the most powerful of the Tomb Kings who had not yet arisen. The greatest of them, Settra the Imperishable, immediately slapped the shit of EVERY other Tomb King and demanded them swear fealty to him. Those that did had their thrones and kingdoms divided between the families who all had a claim to them. Some, like Queen Khalida, were not particularly interested in rulership beyond what they saw as fair and became allies of Settra rather than servants. Others saw fit to rebel, and most were given fates worse than death (trapping their spirit in just their skull to be used as catapult ammunition is a popular one).

Modern Warhammer Fantasy History

More Tomb Kings continue to awaken, and each gets their shit slapped by Settra. Often, other races seek incursions into the land. Dwarfs invade seeking gold (which to them is not plunder, as non-Dwarfs are shit in their eyes and the dead have no claim to possessions...unless they're honored Dwarven dead anyway; good old Dwarven hypocris... honor). The Empire mounts expeditions for gold, or to seek alliances with the intelligent Undead (despite the heresy of it).

High Elves seek to establish Waystones in the land, sometimes with the aid and permission of the Tomb Kings and others against the will of the Undead. Bretonnians and Warriors of Chaos invade looking for challenges and loot, although this has never once turned out well for the invaders...

End Times

Despite being one of GW's more original ideas, the End Times was hard for Nehekhara. Nagash and Arkhan conquer Mahrak and Quatar by zerg-rushing them with all the skeletons from Nagashizzar, and Nagash using magic to entice a few of the remaining the Tomb Kings to turn traitor. After defeating Settra, Nagash used magic and sandstorms to pulverize Khemri, utterly destroying it. The rest of Nehekhara's cities only get a single sentence mentioning that Nagash and his armies destroyed them too. A bad end for an ancient (in-game) and relatively interesting setting.

The final nail in the fucking sarcophagus came in Age of Sigmar, with the Tomb Kings having been revealed to have been squatted.

Nehekhara and the Southlands as seen in Total War: WARHAMMER.

Regions

Prior to Settra there isn't much known about Nehekhara, so his (almost) unification of the nation is the start point of history. After his death it fragmented again, and every generation the cities had different histories based on the rise, fall, unification, and fall of empires; we also don't know much about this, mostly only if it was mentioned in the backstory of a particular TK. We also know little about who's in charge now, being given lists of names of characters who occupy the same city at times with no indication on if they managed to establish a treaty to share or if they're waging an active ongoing civil war. As a result, information varies wildly about the different regions, much of which comes from diverse canon sources such as Black Library and video games.

Most cities were built around a Necropolis where the pyramids were located, and due to the fact that no life exists in (almost) any Tomb King cities they can be fairly described as giant Necropolis, which is why the word is interchangeably used in some lore. Although technically all Tomb Kings would have a pyramid unless otherwise stated, ones that are specifically mentioned will be noted here as well as what we know about them.

Land Of The Dead

The center of Nehekhara, politically and literally. The land where human civilization first arose, where the most powerful rulers in history originated from, and the place worst affected by Nagash's spell. Most of the Great Vitae River (AKA The Nile) lies in this land, although out of spite Nagash polluted its source high in the World's Edge Mountains called the Vitae Tarn which turned it red and poisonous, which is why it is currently known as the Great Mortis River. The Mortis Delta is extremely large, with the greatest cities built along its banks. The Swamp Of Terrors is where it turns stagnant, and is the deadliest place in Nehekhara post-poisoning.

• Khemri

Home city of Settra, obviously currently ruled by him, and thus the capital of the Tomb Kings. The architecture is the most elaborate and stunning by far in the world of humanity, rivaling and/or surpassing the lands of the Dwarfs and Elves.

• Khemrian history begins with Settra, since we don't know who or when they founded the city (not that it matters, no king before Settra could rise as a Tomb King). The greatest king is of course Settra, but he is far from the only one since we know more Khemrian kings than any of the other cities.
• Since Settra sacrificed his children to attain immortality he left no heir (and if he'd attained immortality he technically wouldn't need one), so after his death a nobleman named Ahtaf I took the throne and attempted to build an even greater pyramid as his legacy although he was killed in the Zandri/Numas uprising that happened shortly after.
• Khutef was far more effective, strengthening Khemri and its remaining territory.
• Ahtaf II was notable for building the first Nehekharan navy, presumably after retaking Zandri unless it was built at an unknown port, and establishing trade routes which we know from other sources were with Elves and Dwarfs.
• Utep was not known for anything noteworthy other than living when the Liche Priests discovered how to extend the lives of mortals, ensuring his life was far longer than that of the preceding generations.
• Wakhaf (hehe, "whack off") was next, who fought desert raiders and did little else of importance.
• Sekhef followed him, causing a rift between the kings and the (now very decrepit) Liche Priesthood.
• Nekhesh, noteworthy for being the Tomb King on the cover of the 6th edition Army Book, reigned in a time of great strife where his kingdom was constantly under attack; in response the legendary weapon the Destroyer Of Eternities was created for him, used mostly when he personally executed prisoners due to its power to deny the victim an afterlife by damaging the soul.
• Rakaph I succeeded Nekhesh and created the Second Dynasties when he ended the civil wars, restored the rights of the Liche Priests, and returned lands to other kings; after rising again as a Tomb King he has lead three wars against desert raiders.
• Rakhash was next, establishing the city Rasetra (so we'll talk about him more in that entry) and conquering Mahrak, Lybaras and Lahmia.
• Rakaph II was known only for demanding higher tribute from the subjugated territory of his predecessor.
• Pharakh was known for building the Canal Of Abundance, which took ten years for ten thousand workers to complete and lived up to its name.
• Rakaph III ruled next, going to war against desert raiders three times and ruling so long that he outlived all his heirs and inspired rumors that he was somehow already immortal.
• After Rakaph III's eventual death a noblewoman seized the throne to prevent Zandri and Numas from exerting their influence. Queen Rasut ruled for many years and attempted to establish her son as the future king, but he died at the age of three and when she died he was entombed with her (making her a Nefertiti-expy and her son one of the two King Tutankhamen expies, despite Nefertiti not being his biological mother).
• She was succeeded by her son's intended regent Khetep, who managed to establish a golden age of Khemri despite also being extremely selfish and vain, working one million slaves to death over 25 years to build his pyramid. He had two sons, Nagash (yes, THAT Nagash) and Thutep. Was killed by sorcery from the king of Numas' Dark Elf allies.
• The reign of Thutep was short, and he was known as a major diplomat and peacemaker. He married the princess of Lahmia, Neferem, and had a son with her called Sukhet. Nagash had him kidnapped and sealed in their father's pyramid to die before declaring himself sole ruler.
• Nagash fancies himself a king of Khemri, but he was never acknowledged as such and people only obeyed Nagash out of fear or greed. Nagash also claimed Neferem for himself, raped her then killed Sukhet and her, which ensured that the royal line of Khetep died as well.
• Lahmizzar of course was next, waging war on Nagash with an alliance of Zandri, Numas, Mahrak, Lybaras and Rasetra although Nagash personally killed him in battle.
• Lahmizzash succeeded his father and won the war against Nagash, sacking Khemri and purging the corrupted priesthood before attempting to bury all information about Nagash. Unfortunately for everyone else, he'd secretly saved Nagash's nine books and captured Arkhan for information. In true Ancient Egypt fashion, Lahmizzash married his sister Neferatem (better known as Neferata; yes, THAT Neferata). Said sister secretly read the books, formed an alliance with Arkhan The Black, and created vampirism. A large part of her character and thus the results of her actions stem from her resentment over the fact he was the heir due to sexism, indicating that at least in this era Khemri was far more patriarchal than kingdoms like Lybaras. Upon learning of Neferata's actions Lahmizzash had Neferata assassinated, which she only survived by becoming a vampire, and he was assassinated in turn by Arkhan.
• Lakhashar ruled Khemri next, and nothing is known about him which means he likely was set to the task of rebuilding the city.
• Lahkashaz followed, but was an ineffective ruler who allowed the alliance against Nagash to lapse into infighting and was killed in a rebellion within Khemri.
• Setep followed, restoring the Necropolis and Liche Priests as well as being the only king of Khemri's fifth dynasty.
• Alkhazzar I, one of Setep's generals, was made heir and created a massive army of chariots which he used to conquer Numas.
• Alkhazzar II attempted to conquer Zandri but failed, and waged war on the desert raiders.
• Alkharad succeeded his father, recieving tribute from the desert tribes and conqueoring Rasetra although failing to take Mahrak and Lybaras; in the modern day as a Tomb King he fought against greenskins.
• Alcadizaar was the last king of Khemri, and indeed the last Nehekharan left alive given he survived Nagash's spell (and possibly had a line of descendants in the Old World as far as we know, since he sent some to other lands in the wake of Nagash's plague), but since he gets covered third only to Settra and Khalida in detail you can read about him everywhere else.

End Times also gave us King Behedesh II, who is actually a Zandrian king but guards Khemri. He doesn't actually live in the city due to his preferred warfare being in the desert where his army waits for invaders. Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay also introduced Amenemhetum the Great, a Khemrian king who intended to colonize the lands north of Nehekhara and ruled some time before Nagash usurped Thutep.

It should be noted that in Total War: WARHAMMER many kings can be awoken to serve which indicates they are active, including Wakhaf, Rakhash, Lahmizzash, Setep, Alkhazzar II, and Thutep. In Mortal Empires Thutep is awoken like any other King and leads an army on your behalf, but in the Vortex campaign he is your advisor; it is revealed he survived by becoming a Liche Priest named Priest Nerutep, and has been working directly against Nagash, being rewarded by Settra or Khalida with rulership of the Black Pyramid, which he trolls the ghost of Nagash about. Apparently outside of Mortal Empires he gets restored to true kingship by whatever character you are playing.

The greatest landmark is Settra's pyramid which suffered no decay during the years between his death and resurrection, made of glowing white stone that is covered inside and out with the most powerful glyphs and surrounded by eternally burning flames, where the largest army in Nehekhara waits at the ready, where the activity of politicians and heralds of all the other kinds move about as if still alive due to the active nature of the political situation, and Settra himself sits on his golden throne covered in the rarest and grandest of gems to ever exist in the setting.

Nagash's Black Pyramid, the only pyramid to ever surpass Settra's, lies within sight of Settra's. Made of Warpstone, black marble, and the corpses of slaves, it contains as many glyphs as Settra's although oriented towards channeling the power of magic rather than of protection and longevity. Due to the power of the Warpstone largely being drained by Nagash's Great Spell the effectiveness of the Black Pyramid is greatly reduced, and since his original sources have been mined by Skaven over the years the resurrected Nagash cannot replace it (easily) which enabled Settra to drive him out after his resurrection. Modern depictions of the Black Pyramid show it to actually float rather than just be taller than Settra's. A faction of Tomb Kings dedicated to Nagash called The Sentinels remain in the Black Pyramid, guarding it.

Pharakh, Rasut, and Khetep also have pyramids, with Pharakh's being noteworthy for its splendor. Thutmosa is the Necrotect that built Settra's throne, and thus is by default one of the most famous Necrotects of the ages.

• Zandri

Zandri is the oldest human city that still remains in the world, first founded by (a pre-Settra and thus non-Tomb King) ruler named King Zakash which makes it the first Nehekharan city and the root of Tomb King civilization. Human writing was first invented here, so the records that exist from this time are largely from oral tradition and mythology.

Nehekhara's main port through which the Great Mortis and the rest of the world are accessed by any king. The seas around the city are surrounded by the ships of those who thought the Tomb Kings would be easy pickings without the World's Edge protecting them. The fleets are partially kept still afloat with magic, while the crews still man their posts (including whip-wielding taskmasters, because that's just how its done in Nehekhara), all waiting in the ancient harbors for regal need. Despite being among the worst-affected cities by the ravages of time, looted many times by raiders particularly from Tilea, it remains second only to Khemri in power due to how important it is for any King wanting to reclaim their treasures from the descendants of looters.

The third great pyramid we know about in this region is the Pyramid of King Amenemhetum. According to old lore his tomb actually lies outside of Nehekhara given he was a naval king that conquered and established colonies thoughout the world, but in Total War: WARHAMMER his apparently non-tomb Pyramid lies in Zandri. According to 6th edition, the inscription on the doors says "And he did smite and destroy his enemies with great vengeance and furious anger...". Nehekharan, motherfucker, do you speak it?!

Technically there was an additional pyramid, but we'll get to that.

As noted above, Behedesh II was once a king of Zandri but no longer lives in the city.

Amenemhetum should be the ruler of the city, but as soon as he awoke he fucked off to Tilea to reclaim all his stolen shit. Although it attempted to rise against Settra after first being conquered alongside its sister city Numas, they failed and so far have accepted his second rulership after he first brought Nehekhara under his control. Despite being an early ally of Nagash during his first attempt at rulership, they joined the rebellion against him and contributed many archers and since then have been an enemy of his. Alkhazzar II conquered the city after the first defeat of Nagash, with its final ruler being Alcadizaar the Conqueror whom they joined willingly during the second war against Nagash.

Amanhotep the Intolerant (of Dreadfleet fame) is the current ruler of Zandri, and vassal of Settra. He's a comedically unlucky Tomb King, with the details of his mortal life unknown other than his legendary spite and bitterness. During the Bretonnian Crusades he was abducted by knights who believed them to be the legendary hero Duke Cheldric and paraded through Bretonnia carried by Grail Pilgrims until he awoke and rampaged through their lands on his way home. He returned just in time to find that a pirate named Jaego Roth had sacked the city while he was away, using the treasure to purchase the services of mercenaries in a quest for revenge against a pirate. Determined for an epic revenge to match the epic plundering, he had the tombs of the nobility that had been robbed deconstructed and rebuilt on his flagship surrounding his own relocated pyramid, a gigantic barge called the Curse of Zandri, turning the ship into literally a floating fucking pyramid manned by Ushabti, oared by Heirotitans, and with a Necrosphinx as a figurehead and a gigantic holy sword at the front while being powered by a gigantic sapphire that was once the capstone of his pyramid and was given to Nehekhara by the primary god of the pantheon. He joined the vampire that Roth had been attempting to kill, and failed spectacularly (Roth did die and the vampire returned in the TWW continuity, so he got revenge even if it was inglorious). In the End Times/Age Of Sigmar timeline he managed to return just in time to get his pyramid sunk AGAIN by Nagash's third rising. In the Total War: WARHAMMER timeline he is nowhere to be found, his city ruled by the fucking Strigoi vampires of all factions. So he's a pretty absent ruler, which is fine since Settra is the one that is actually in charge.

• The Salt Plain

Not much info on this. Its a settlement in the Vortex campaign of Total War: WARHAMMER, without any real lore.

Ash River

Originally known as the Golden River before Nagash poisoned the land. Where the Golden met the Vitae was once the most fertile land known to mankind and the site of Khemri, and afterwards is one of the most deadly places on the planet.

• Numas

The second ever human city, the third in Nehekharan importance, and sister city to Zandri. Known today as the Scarab City. While Zandri is located at the delta of the Mortis, Numas is located at the source near the Tarn where Nagash's poison was deployed. Despite the death found in the rest of Nehekhara, Nagash's curse wasn't enough to kill the life here; the only place in Nehekhara where 100% safe water can be found and food can be grown is located within the city borders.

The founder of the city was Zakash's successor named Khesek, who managed to subjugate the desert tribes and expand Nehekharan rule. Khesek's own successor Hekesh attempted to expand the rule of Numas by waging war on lesser kings, with unknown success. The subsequent ruler is forgotten, only that they were ineffective and the land became so unsafe that only the cities were safe due to safety in numbers. Settra conquered the city not long after, although it declared independence again after his death. Controlling both Khemri and Numas for a long period of time became the litmus test for wannabe uniter kings, and all failed to do more than attain momentary control for most of history. They sided with their fellow major cities against Nagash and fell into warring with their neighbors after. King Alkhazzar I finally conquered and kept them united with Khemri, which remained until the awakening of the Tomb Kings after Nagash's spell failed. Numas was the center of the great unending Tomb King civil war, directly resulting in the awakening of Settra. After putting his skeletal foot down and telling the kings of Numas to swear allegiance and play nice (turning the living skulls of those who refused into artillery for his catapults).

While we don't know which royal is actually in charge of the others in Numas, the only currently awake and active royal we know is Prince Tutankhanut, an obvious King Tut expy. The only son of King Akhen (who we know nothing about), he was known for being handsome throughout Nehekhara but was tragically killed at only 15 by a tribesman's spear through the chest while hunting on his chariot (the fact it was a "northern tribesman" suggests it may have been the ancestors of one of Sigmar's kin). He was even more horrified than most Tomb Kings when he woke up as a skeleton, but was satisfied when the Liche Priests turned his death mask wearable like Khalida's, only Tutankhanut's is a full-body false flesh suit. As soon as he was presentable, he set about administratio to the point of complete and total restoration of the city. He's the only Tomb King with a kingdom of living humans, as Scythan (Scythian expies?) refugees saw him as the avatar of their god and swore allegiance to him. The devotion goes both ways, with the living marching in his armies and sacrificing themselves without thought while Tutankhanut fiercely guards them as his subjects. Scythans wear black robes and have pure white Arabyan horses, and upon death are left outside the city for the Carrion to clean until they're prepared to join the skeleton soldiers of Numas. The Scythans also actively patrol the deserts, giving Numas more far more active scouting than the other Nehekharan cities. Its interesting to note that Tutankhanut was still only a Prince when he died, but was buried as a king; if like his namesake his father died before him then he likely ruled with a regent and simply wasn't given the ceremonial advancement from prince to king, but post-death the lore indicates that he himself is the one totally in charge with no mention of what his father is currently up to.

Two of the other kings we know about are Phar of Numas (one of 2(+?) Phar characters) and Imrathepis the Crimson King Of Numas. The two absolutely hated each other, and were known for their love of the color red and their wrath. Phar was a Chariot-lover who lead from the front, always dismounting to take part in duels. Imrathepis is more storied, preferring the back of the Warsphinx and participating in wars against Orcs and joining Alcadizaar in the war against the Vampires. When he awoke, Imprathepis immediately went north to drive the Orcs from the Badlands where his kingdom had once controlled, then moving against the Ogre Kingdoms. He badly underestimated the Thunderfoot Tribe, which unleashed their Rhinoxen which wiped out his army leaving him and his Warsphinx alone where he cut down Ogres until eventually they cracked the statue and the Tyrant used his leg as a toothpick. While he was regenerating his descendant Prince Rakaph III decided to get revenge, using an army of 12 Warsphinxes to cause an avalanche that wiped out the tribe of Ogres. Phar on the other hand survived to participate in the defense of Nehekhara during End Times. The only other major king we know about is King Antarhak, who wielded a legendary magic spear that steals the life force of those it kills.

The Pyramid of Prince Tutankhanut is the only local pyramid we know about, and we don't have any details about it. If he's anything like his namesake, it was hastily constructed but completely untouched and full of literal toys.

Inenna The Silent is the Necrotect who first built the city, and despite technically coming from before Settra he somehow survives as a Necrotect (unless the Numas before Settra was just poorly constructed huts that the later Nehekharans were too snooty to call a city).

• Quatar

The western entrance to the Charnel Valley. The post-death nickname is the Palace Of Corpses, with the pre-death city name being the Gateway of Eternity and the palace being the White Palace. It was once the largest Nehekharan city (technically "one of" the largest, but until they actually give us the names and ranking of the others its the largest as far as it matters). The path leading to said palace is lined with pillars and statues carved from the canyon walls.

The history of Quatar can be summed up by saying that if the final test for Khemrian kings was controlling Numas, the first steps of one is conquering Quatar; this apparently did nothing to diminish the beauty of the city, indicating it was likely never sacked by them.

The kings of Quatar somewhat broke the rules of succession for Nehekhara, giving the firstborn son to the Mortuary Cult like normal but having the secondborn son and hair ALSO be trained as a priest, making Quater ruled exclusively by Priest-kings. The palace was a beautiful place built into a mountain, surrounded by public parks and city squares full of fountains fed by the springs beneath the city, protected by anti-magic magic and carved from gleaming white marble. It was intentionally built to surpass Settra's great Khemri in beauty and splendor, although they chose not to build greater pyramids than his. Their military force, made up primarily of Tomb Guard, was the best in the land.

The current official ruler is unknown. We only know that there is a rumor that a Liche Priest (not a Priest-king) lives in the palace, and knows how to animate the statues surrounding it into a gigantic army of Ushabti and Hierotitans. Said priest is actually Sehenesmet, the Vizier of Quatar who is responsible for much of the statuary as well as their upkeep, not to mention the literal army of Ushabti and Hierotitans in the Valley Of Kings. A second rumor is that he managed to actually entomb himself in a giant statue, and controls it (so magic Mechwarrior) although he did this not for the power and durability, but to make EVEN BIGGER AND BETTER STATUES. A fanmade model of him actually was a finalist for the Golden Demon award, and in Warhammer Chronicles rules were added for playing him.

The local major pyramid is the Pyramid of King Phar. This is odd given that of the two Phar characters, neither of them are actually known to be from Quatar; most likely the more important Phar, King Phar of Mahrak, used to rule Quatar until it was taken from him by Settra and after his death Settra allowed him to be entombed there. Or maybe there's a third Phar, we don't know. Another noteworthy architectural feature is the Great Stone Guardian Of Quatar, a giant eagle/lion hybrid (so a Necrosphinx without a human face basically) that Sehenesmet brings to life when armies intend on smashing his fetishes statues march on the city.

• Springs of Eternal Life

We don't know anything about this, but the name is fairly descriptive and according to Total War: WARHAMMER the Necrarch begin the game with control of it and one of Khalida's quests involves restoring the shrine of Asaph there. It should be noted that according to a short story about an attempted robbery of Queen Rasut's tomb by Empire grave robbers, the hieroglyphics for "eternal life" on a fountain meant "immediate death" given it killed the drinker, possibly indicating a mistranslation, an odd quirk of language, or Nehekharan humor.

Shifting Sands

• Ka-Sabar

Known as the Temple of Sorrow, formerly the City of Bronze, the city is hidden by the desert and covered in glyphs by beings "older than Nehekhara itself", meaning its likely an Old One site where the human race was first created. Ka-Sabarans were known for their great height and strength, coming in at 7 feet tall on average and being expert miners and smiths who wore elaborate armor over their skin which was already hard enough to repel arrows (so these guys are like the prototype for humans and Ogres with some leftover Dwarf mixed in). Their army was known as the Legion Of Bronze, and was lead by iron leonine Ushabti of Geheb. They were the first city to oppose Nagash, and their king Akhmen-hotep was his first great foe. Unable to win by tactics, Nagash resorted to trickery and granted Akhmen-hotep's brother Memnet immortality and rulership of Ka-Sabar in exchange for Akhmen-hotep's assassination which enabled Arkhan to destroy the Legion Of Bronze. The city was liberated by the victorious forces of Lahmizzash, but by that point had been rendered a ruin. Whether Ka-Sabar was ever rebuilt is unknown, although in Total War: WARHAMMER it is still the most important city of the Shifting Sands and is controlled by the Necrarchs.

The pyramid here belongs to King Khatep according to TW:W, although we don't know who King Khatep is; the only character we know of with that name is Grand Hierophant Khatep, who is the head of the Mortuary Cult and for sure was never a king. The local Necrotect Hemiunus who built Ka-Sabar un-survived the razing of the city, and given he was notorious for his efficiency via effective applications of the whip he's probably not going to be too merciful when he gets his bony fingers on Arkhan.

• Bhagar

Known as the Eternal Necropolis after Nagash's spell. Originally the people of Bhagar were desert raiders and barbarians, although after Settra subjugated them he chose to spare them and civilize them. They retained their devotion to the horseback lifestyle even if they were no longer nomadic, which helped them keep the roads they had once preyed upon secure as they became the only route to the south from Khemri. Khsar, god of the desert winds, was their patron deity.

Bhagar refused to bow to Nagash, and as a result Arkhan attacked the city and enslaved half the populace as well as killing almost all of their prized horses. The survivors fled as refugees to the rest of Nehekhara, spreading the word of Nagash's evil and directly causing the alliance which formed to kill Nagash (the first time). Eventually, those survivors made their way west and became the people of Araby, their surviving horses being the magnificent Arabyan stallions.

Alcadizaar never died and became a Tomb King (as far as we know), but his pyramid was located here since he was likely a king of the rebuilt Bhagar before being given rulership of the united Nehekhara. Players can restore it like any pyramid in Total War: WARHAMMER, and given that Settra was specifically said to have respected Alcadizaar upon being informed about what happened while he was dead, he most likely would have in any continuity.

The closest we have about information of the current high ruler of Bhagar is that King Setep of Bhagar has raided the Border Princes in the past. End Times gave us Ramssus, "one of Bhagar's most famous kings" who's army is mostly made up of chariots. His own personal one is golden, and he leads the Golden Legion chariot corps. Behind them are the Desert Shrikes and the Al-Dru'dhafarr, the Wind that Bites. Presumably he has more in his army.

• Antoch

Technically not a Nehekharan city, just a city in Nehekhara. After the Bretonnians had finished their first Crusade against the Arabyans they built the fortress of Antoch along the Arabyan Coast (still counts as in the Shifting Sands), which became a resupply point for those wanting to travel to Lustria from the Old World. Eventually it was destroyed by the Lizardmen when they required a staff for its secondary function that had been stolen by Bretonnians as a trophy so the Lizzies could literally save the world from Chaos. Apparently, Antoch and the staff hadn't registered as important to the Tomb Kings or the Lizardmen prior. The fate of Antoch in most Warhammer timelines is unknown, but in Total War: WARHAMMER it has been conquered by Tomb Kings belonging to the Dune Kingdoms minor faction (which just represents the lesser kings that are not rebelling against Settra but not obeying him either).

• Plain of Tuskers

Very little is known about this area, but is included as part of Nehekhara in Total War: WARHAMMER in the Vortex campaign. Technically part of the Southlands, and home to the Lizardmen who created the Nehekharan culture (possibly intentionally, possibly by mistake). Cold Ones are almost extinct here, with the related species called Horned Ones which are rare in Lustria being common here instead. Only the younger Slann live here, with the low rates of Saurus available ensuring that all become Temple Guard. The Skinks are trained by the Saurus directly instead, making them superior fighters to Lustrian Skinks. The plans of the Old Ones that remain in the hands of the Southlands Lizardmen are nearly intact, giving them highly accurate predictions and making them far more amiable to races of Order, which is shown in their relationship to human explorers like the Arabyan Ibn Jellaba. In TW:W you claim the Plain as rightful Nehekharan clay, because the map says so!

Charnel Valley

The first Necrotect to work on the Valley was Pehenna in the First Dynasty.

• Mahrak

King Tharruk ruled Mahrak sometime around the time of Neferata. His daughters took a trip to Lahmia but never returned, and he assumed them dead. After joining the other kings in destroying the city and driving out the vampire he found that they had become Handmaidens of Neferata and was forced to kill them himself. In life and death he's since been sworn enemy to Neferata, running his foes down in his chariot and caving their skulls in with the Flail of Mahrak which he still wields.

Before he was retconned to be from Numas, the King Phar who was famous for not bending the knee to Settra was originally from Mahrak. He also at one point wielded the Flail of Skulls.

Devil's Backbone

• Lybaras

Beka is the name of the most famous local Necrotect due to his work on Khalida's tomb.

King Hassep was one of the first rulers of Lybaras, and was a vassal of Settra during the first unification of the First Dynasty. After waking as a Tomb King he swore allegiance to Khalida instead, serving as her top general.

Crater Of The Walking Dead

• Rasetra

The Great Desert Of Araby/The Coast Of Araby/Land Of The Dervishes/Shifting Sands

Technically occupied by mortal humans today, the Arabyans are the Warhammer Middle Eastern expies (since Orcs & Goblins and Dwarfs occupy the actual Warhammer Middle East). They used to be ruled by the Nehekharans and live in continual danger of a king deciding to expand into the area (among the many, MANY other threats such as Mahtmasi and the Crusades of Bretonnia, to say nothing of the monsters and Daemons). Araby has its own page, so only information relevant to Nehekhara will be relayed. As stated above the euphemism of "desert tribes" and "desert raiders" used elsewhere originally referred to the ancestors of the Arabyans who were civilized by Nehekhara then fled Nagash's apocalypse to form their own empire in the west, and in the modern day it refers to the tribes that fight against the modern day Arabyans.

• Bel-Aliad

Known as the City Of Spices during the era of Nehekhara when it was founded, now the City Of Dust. Nagash destroyed it during the war between Nehekhara and his undead, and it was eventually settled by the fledgling Arabyan civilization and became their capital. Arkhan later destroyed it again. Its rumored to be the location of great treasures, but the living have been unable to verify it and so far no Tomb King has risen up to claim the city. The local Necrotect (who survives and can be awakened in Total War: Warhammer) Imhetop was known as the "First Hammer" of the city and all the buildings (that remain) still bear his mark (this is probably the single most accurate reference to the real Imhotep in fiction).

Border Princes/The Badlands

Lore from the WFRP campaign Lure Of The Liche Lord reveals that the king Amenemhetum the Great had intended to conqueor the lands far to the north of Nehekhara. The regions now known as the Badlands and Border Princes were known as the Frontier Principalities to Nehekhara during this time for the eventual goal of establishing new kingdoms. A vicious but successful campaign was launched against human barbarians (ancestors to Sigmar's people before they were driven north) and the greenskins led by a Khemrian nobleman related distantly to Settra named Karitamen and a priest named Tetrahon who had learned Necromancy secretly. Note that while the actual lore of the city is WFRP, its still shown as being the former territory of Nehekhara in Army Books. So even if you only count those as canon, they owned something up here.

• The Death Scarab

The city established by Karitamen, sharing his nickname. Located somewhere in what is now the Border Princes, with its territory covering the western half of the Badlands. Determined to bring honor to his recently diseased parents as well as his famous ancestor, he became a wise king who carefully considered problems from all angles before acting, listening to Tetrahon as well as architects, craftsmen, and even commoners. The city quickly rose in splendor and influence until disasters and famine humbled it, forcing king Karitamen to lead another campaign against invading barbarians and Orcs. He turned his concerns towards the longterm survival of Death Scarab, largely due to his own children dying young and not trusting any of his advisors with the massive responsibility. He and Tetrahon began to advance their knowledge of magic and ritual together, with actual living immortality or at least a better assurance of resurrection with his immortal body both being out of reach. As he aged he obsessed more and more with immortality and began to make rash decisions and neglect his duties, causing unrest which he was quick and harsh to correct. Assassination attempts grew more common, but the advanced magic of the now Priest-King Karitamen had made him almost immortal. Eventually a grand conspiracy was formed by all the nobility of Death Scarab, revolving around a magic dagger created by a rogue Necromancer that would kill any being by piercing magical protection and also binding the soul directly to the body, ensuring there would be no side trip to the afterlife he could return from. After his death the loyal subjects begged to be buried with him, and in recognition of his former greatness he was granted all the same ceremony and riches in his burial chamber. He was the first true Tomb King given he awoke with his mind intact when the then-living Nagash first cast a spell to resurrect the dead while he sat falsely on the throne of Khemri. But he found he was unable to leave his tomb. Returning to his sarcophagus and ignoring the decayed state of his body, he focused his magic on extending his will beyond the walls of his tomb. He manipulated events throughout the history of the Badlands, Nehekhara, and beyond from this state of unmoving concentration. First killing all the descendants of those who had conspired against him before allowing his mind to fade into rest. Awakened by Nagash's spell that resurrected the rest of the Tomb Kings, he sat up and extended his consciousness again to find that everything had changed; the descendants of the barbarians had left then returned, finding nothing left from the time of the Death Scarab with new cities of the Border Princes built on his former territory. Despite the city itself being gone and having a small population of undead at his command, he has many living followers as he sends visions, thoughts, and dreams to the living as his agents spread throughout the world.

The only remaining part of Death Scarab is the tomb of Death Scarab himself, not a proper pyramid but instead a temple built into the mountains. His minions and the local monsters keep the riff raff away, and he lures adventurers to plunder the tomb in hopes they will unseal him. On the inside of the tomb are the runes and images that empowered the dagger which killed him, keeping him contained in his burial chamber although his undead servants could travel beyond it. Later on Border Prince rules had additional runes placed around his tomb, keeping all undead inside. He strongly resents the Border Prince interlopers into his lands, and as with most beings HATES the greenskins, but his actual ire towards the rulers differs; two of them he's somewhat fond of, so they likely have a future as skeletal servants ahead of them. The actual citizens he sees as his own subjects that he is eager to return to. There is a Chaos cult on the former site of his city that is thriving, which he most seeks to eradicate but is also the most careful about. Long ago a looter entered his tomb and died there, leaving two Chaos-tainted objects. He's keen to ditch them, and ensure nothing similar happens again.

Regions and Areas of the Warhammer World
Areas of The Old World:	The Empire of Man - Bretonnia - Albion - Estalia - Tilea - Kislev - Norsca - Border Princes - Worlds Edge Mountains - Karak Eight-Peaks
Areas of The New World:	Naggaroth - Lustria
Areas of The Eastern Lands:	Cathay - Nippon - Ogre Kingdoms - Dark Lands - Kingdoms of Ind - Khuresh - Eastern Steppes
Areas of The Southlands:	Nehekhara - Araby - Badlands - Marshes of Madness
Other Areas of the world:	Ulthuan - Athel Loren - Chaos Wastes - Skavenblight - Lost Isles of Elithis
Main bodies of Water:	The Great Ocean - The Far Sea - The Sea of Dread - Inner Sea of Ulthuan