The return of the Great Necromancer

For centuries that came the Vampires ruled like gods over the ordinary people, which were nothing more than cattle for them. On the other hand there was at least order in the kingdom. Laws were upheld and bandits were kept in check. Officials were so afraid of their immortal masters that corruption and bribery became virtually unknown in Lhamia. In the other kingdoms of Nekhekara the fear of the Vampires increased more and more, but the Priest Kings feared the power of Neferata and her followers. Then the rumours started that Nagash, the great Necromancer had returned from death to revenge his defeat centuries ago. The Priest Kings of Nekehkara called up a council how to deal with the new treat. Neferata was also asked to join the alliance against the Great Necromancer and she pretended that she accepted the invitation. But unknown to the other Priest Kings, the Vampires of Lhamia already had struck a deal with Nagash. When the other Priest-kings learned of Neferatas betrayal they united against the foul alliance and swore to drive the undead out of the lands of Nekekhara.

The fall of Lahmia

Under the command of the Priest King Alicazaar the countless armies of mankind marched over the Worlds Edge Mountains and thus war came over Lhamia once again. Abhorash, who had risen General of the armies of Queen Neferata tried to stop the human invasion but the vast number of enemies forced him back. Finally the gates of Lahmia itself were broken and the ancient tombs, pyramids and even the great Library where destroyed by the upset human armies. Street by street, building by building the grim soldiers of Khemri fought their way to the very heart of Lahmia, where Neferata hid in her Temple of Blood.

Here Abhorash led the bodyguard of the Queen in a last, hopeless defence but finally he was forced to retreat. Thus the Vampires were driven out of their once so mighty city. Many of them where killed by the ravaging humans but some of them managed to escape into exile. Of the originally twelve Vampire ancestors only seven escaped the cleansing flames of the Priest Kings.

The dark Scholars

With the fall of Lahmia the kindom of the Vampires came to an end. During the ages of their reign, the scholars of the Vampires under the command of the great Wsoran had collected wisdom and knowledge and stored it in the Great Library of Lhamia. Among the Vampiric ancestors Wsoran was the only one who remainded loyal to his dark Master, Nagash. While the others fled from the ravaging hordes of the priest kings, he stood beside the Necromancer and commanded his armies against the intruders. But Wsorans loyalty was not selfless: he hoped that Nagash would reward his services and reveal his darkest secrets. Under his command the armies of the dead fought back the troops of Alcadizaar. Nagash was very pleased when he saw the victory of his servant. He allowed him to study his dark books and Wsoran absorbed all the forbidden knowledge. During the short time he was able to study under the great Necromancer, Wsoran learnt much about Necromancy and the nature of Death. But Alcadizaar returned with a new army and this time he challenged Nagash and killed the dark Master in a duell.

All the accumulated knowledge of the ancient Nehekhara was destroyed when the ravaging hordes of the Priest Kings burned down this place of wisdom. Together with a handful of confidents Wsoran fled and survived the pursuit of the armies of the kings of Numas and Zandri. They took books, scrolls and other fragments of the dark lore Nagash had created with them and scattered all over the world, hiding themselves and waiting patiently for the death of their enemies. They built tall towers in remote areas where they could study the stars and continue their dark experiments. To the scholars of the old World this undead Necromancers are known as Necrarchs.

Over the centuries, Wsoran continued his dark studies until he was killed by his most potent students, Melchior. Nobody knows why Melchior did this act of treachery, but it is said that one of the books of Nagash, which belonged to Wsoran, spoke to the young vampire and forced him to kill his master.

It is said that the hand of the Great Necromancer himself stands behind the corrupting work of the Necrarchs. The desire of Nagash is to turn the whole world into a kingdom of the dead in which no living creature exists. And it seems that the Necrarch try to follow this dark ways of Nagash. The Necrarch very rarely march to war but when they do they are more horrible than their undead cousins. The folk of Estalia still shudder when they remember the pain and terror Nourgul brought over their land.

The Dragonlord

When Abhorash realized that Lahmia would fall, he escaped with his companions the pursoit of the vengeful Khemrians. But he did not join the other immortal aristrocrats in their exile as he blamed them for their arrogance which had brought the armies of Khemri to the gates of Lhamia.

Together with his disciples he headed north seeking for a sign which would give his damned existence a new purpose. According to legends he came after years of searching to a great mountain. The pinnacle of the mountain was wreathed in fire. Magically drawn to this lonely mountaintop he decided to scale its face. Reaching the summit, a red dragon of immense size emerged from a crater at the mountains top and attacked the Vampire Lord. Abhorash drew his sword and the both fought the entire night until finally the Dragon was slain. The vampire seized its fangs into the throat of the dying dragon and drank its blood. And so the power of the ancient creature filled the veins of the undead creature. Now, the Vampire Lord no longer craved the lifeblood of men. He had found an escape from the curse of Undead and had become the perfect warrior: a man which had the strength and powers of a Vampire but withouth the need to hunt for blood.

He bid his minions to go forth and improve their marital skills until their prowess would equal his own and they could also be able to escape the curse of vampirism. Since those days the sons of Abhorash have called themselves Blood Dragons in memory of the great dragon.

Many of the Blood Dragons became infamous in the kingdoms of men. Walach, of the house of Harkon, Abhorash favourite minion, travelled north to the Empire and killed an entire order of Templars in single combat. To those he found worthy, he gave a protion of his blood to join him in his immortality. For centuries he reigned over the Undead Knights called the "Drachentempler" until the Blutburg (Bloodkeep) was razed by the Imperial Inquisition.

Although the Drachentemplers are by far the most famous of the Blood Dragons, they are by no means the only sons of Abhorash. Everywhere over the whole old world there are legends of Vampire Knights who challenge their enemies in knightly combat. The most infamous was the legendary Red Duke, the scourge of Aquitaine. This mighty Vampire lord was once a virtueful Bretonnian Knigth until he was corrupted and became a vampire during the crusades against the troops of the Sultan of Jaffar. He reigned cruel over his league until he was defeated by Bretonnian forces at the bloody Battle of Ceren Fields. Though his army was destroyed, the Red Duke escaped and many believe that he still lurks in the mountains or forests of Bretonnia. Rumours even tell that he has been seen in the ruins of Moussillon…