[center]The Tomb-Empires of the Harri'Kan [img]http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammerfb/images/7/71/240px-Tomb_Kings_symbol.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100820071637[/img] [i][u]"To have died once...is enough." [/u][/i] [hider=Overview] [u][b]Overview[/b] [/u] The ancient dead of a once proud desert empire stir from their aeons-long slumbering. Composed of the long-dead remnants of the ancient Rimal-Mutaharrika, the nation owes it's fealty to it's skeletal overlord and his cabals of Dark Hierophants. They may not be masters of anything in particular, but the dead do not dawdle like the living do... [u][b]Geography[/b][/u] Rimal-Mutaharrika, the ancient homeland of the Harri'Kan people, is a land of scorching heat and relentless sunlight. It is comprised of rolling desert dunes and of sandy mountains stretching high into the air, rivalled only by the imposing stone monolith-cities of the Harri'Kan, as their millennia-old gold artwork glitters in the harsh sun. Little grows within these wastelands, as all the plant life simply can not sustain itself without the vitalising waters of a coastline or the rain, and no real fauna other the most heinously horrific would dwell within a place so harsh... [/hider] [hider=Annals of History] [b][u]History[/u][/b] Ancient beyond belief, perhaps even the oldest of all human civilisations in the Old World, the hallowed history of the Harri'Kan goes back nearly several millennia. In their heyday they were a behemoth of an empire, stretching from coastline to coastline, incorporating numerous different races under the iron fist of their Maliks. Entire cities made almost entirely from shimmering gold with the titanic Tombs of long-dead monarchs casting dark shadows over the land. The Empire was first founded by the Malik, Sottrom The Flawless in the dawn of humanity in that region of the world. Sottrom was, as his name suggests, counted amongst the holiest of all Harri'Kan gods – a tradition that has since held true. His rule was one of warfare and of conquest. He saw a bedraggled mess of tribal desert-savages and transformed them into a mighty nation easily rivalling even the most dastardly of foes. Their imperial rule over these lands lasted for millennia...until fate decided otherwise... All was not merry forever, however, as civil wars and upstarts plunged the nation into a never-ending pit of warfare wit itself as both, insurrectionists from other races and the ever-looming peasant resentment reached it's fever pitch. The old Empire of Harri'Kan died in those years, replaced with a nation that simply wore it's skin like a poorly fitting visage. All hope had been lost for the nation, until a day wherein the Great Malik Tosars III was approached by a man in strange, tribal, robes and festooned with alien trinkets from foreign lands. The mysterious stranger spun a tale of lies so deep it truly did kill the old Empire of Harri'Kan, not in the sense of a nation, but in a far more literal sense. In accepting the man's offers of unlimited power and stability in his lands, the Malik signed away his life – and the lives of all his followers. That night, many thousands died as a once proud nation of skilled humans became something resembling a nightmare, as flesh fell from bones and screeching persisted long into the night. Harri'Kan emerged from that time as a changed land. No longer was it the powerhouse it once was, nor was it normal in any sense of the term. In all his shame and all his grief the newly undead Malik turned himself upon the mysterious strange,r only to find that the stranger was, in fact, far worse than even he could have assumed. The stranger was not the feeble old man, and pedaller of lies that he was assumed to be. A vivified ancient of a human, but something far more than a mere man. Horsophkekh Ekochen Fashke Anos The Glorious Hierpohant and scourge of a thousand souls, a necromancer of such power and terror. The new Tomb-King was swiftly slain, his body soon reanimated into a mindless puppet...his kingdom, his people, his very mortality, all taken from him. Horsophkekh Anos, the Lich-King of the Harri'Kan crowned himself that day, his rule lasting ever since. [/hider] [hider=Government] [u][b]Government[/b][/u] In some sense of the word, the Empire of Harri'Kan is a mixture between an Absolute Monarchy and a Theocracy. A long and lonely ruler sits on the throne now as he did several hundreds of years ago, a dreaded and vile man who rules this nation of the dead and damned with an iron fist. Horsophkekh Ekochen Fashke Anos, first of his name and household sits upon that throne, though he holds no right to do so. All power in the nation flows through him. There is some significance of religion and magic, as the next step down in society is that of the Hierpohant. These, Kahin, fulfil the duel-roles of priests and as necromancers for they keep the masses of Harri'Kan animated and working their jobs. These priests all owe direct fealty to the Lich-King himself. Below these priests are the Alnnubla, or nobles, they serve as the district and small-time rulers of smaller settlements and singular forts. As a cruel trick of irony the Lich-King has made most of these nobles be of the same dynasty that he replaced all those years ago. The nobles are mostly free-willed but they are normally suppressed into a point of being unable to strike a member of their own race, all the better to ensure they can't dawdle around. [/hider] [hider=Race Description] [b][u]Race Description: [/u][/b] In their day, the ancients of Harri'Kan were tall, beautiful Humans with tanned skin and captivating brown eyes. They wore garments of finery, of silks and of precious metals. Their people were a race as rich as could be, with a people as proud as could be. All has since changed. The average citizen of Harri'Kan is now a literal skeleton. An alabaster-boned undead with little sentience aside from doing their job and the basics of protecting themselves. They see all living beings as hostile, though there are very few mortals who prove themselves useful. They bear no real traits, aside from unnatural toughness and strength due to their magical nature, aside from this, they are beings of necromantic origins. Terrible to behold. The nobles of Harri'kan are far greater in nature than the peasantry. Their skin, while dry and cracked from the scorching sun, still retains some level of beauty to it as the necromantic energies propelling them onwards is far grander in scale than anything a normal citizen could hope to have. They are festooned with gold and garments, of silk. The nobles, and really any of the more important people in the society are also far larger and more robust than the citizenry, standing a proud height amongst their hunched skeleton-minions. [/hider] [hider=Culture] [b][u]Culture: [/u][/b] The culture, what remains of it, is heavily suited towards the fulfilment of duty. Be that in the army or in hard labour. The nobles do still practice all their ancient traditions, from grandiose chariot racing events to live gladiatorial combat in huge arenas. The nobles enjoy nothing more than hunting the various game animals they have managed to reanimate into unlife, or perhaps even indulge in the artworks and music of their near-dead empire. Economy/Industry Despite their lack of need for food and drink, the Harri'Kan do make a fortune out of their magical aptitude and use of mortal slaves. They make constant use of their civilian population – the never tiring legions of the undead, to run most of their economy and industry however, as their untiring nature makes them incredibly useful when compared to the fleshy workers of other races. The unthinking populace works 24/7 and then some, mining, and fulfilling all manner of tasks that would be needed of them. Some even say that the Harri'Kan deal with the elusive Vampires, but no mortal has yet to confirm that. [/hider] [hider=Magic] [u][b]Magic:[/b][/u] The Harri'Kan do not use magic in the normal sense of the word, their magic being so weird and personal as to be almost called unique in nature – or so any of their priests would tell you. Their magic is a blending of the undead, necromancy, and death lores of magic, mixing debilitating curses with the ability to reanimate their vast armies and bring them back into fighting shape. These spells, as powerful as they, are doubly terrifying for they reanimate any mortal corpse not protected in some special manner, as the fell powers imbue even enemy corpses with the power to fight back against the former allies in life. [/hider] [hider=Military] [b][u]Military:[/u][/b] The Empire of Harri'Kan has a rather sizeable standing army of rather good quality, each man having been a soldier in life and now also in undeath. The army can be, in times of war, multiple hundreds of thousands as the very dead themselves are conscripted into the vast necromantic ranks of the undead, a tide of lurching bones and rusted old swords that are certain to crush the foe through sheer force of numbers if nothing else. Given that their entire industry is almost always running at full capacity, all their soldiers are well equipped, well-maintained, and highly effective at their job, their nature itself is fear incarnate to most as well. Their lack of mortal pain and terror is a sight to behold, as they do not hold back like a normal man would do, they do not flinch like a normal man does, they are soulless killing machines that only seek to destroy the living. The Harri'Kan war machine is a terrifying thing to even think about, as their number of soldiers can – theoretically – scale to be as large as the number of casualties the conflict has sustained...and nothing gives the priests merit to their arrogance quite like winning a fight and technically suffering zero casualties... Pros: -Stronger and tougher than normal humans. -Extremely high numbers. -Undead: Causes huge amounts of fear, needs no food/water, and takes no attrition. -Powerful mages. -Powerful cavalry/chariots. Cons: -No navy. -Extreme emphasis on the officers. -Crumbles without magical support. -Antiquated tactics. [/hider] [hider=Tier 1, Here Be Meatshields.] [img]http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/warriorsofmyth/images/4/4a/640x747_16373_Skeleton_2d_fantasy_creature_dark_darkness_skeleton_warrior_picture_image_digital_art.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130516203624[/img] Name: Rajil, footmen. Type: Tier 1, Light Infantry. Short Description: The very basic foot soldiers of the Empire, these are literally just skeletons of the dead with little in the way of armour or weapons. Most carry rusted spears alongside shields. [img]https://forums.wesnoth.org/download/file.php?id=26741[/img] Name: Siad, huntsmen. Type: Tier 1, Light Archers. Short Description: The common born who were hunters in life, they are rather inaccurate but make up for it with their recurved bows and immense volleys of fire. [img]https://mgkizzia.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/a-skeleton-guard.jpg[/img] Name: Faris, horsemen. Type: Tier 1, Light Cavalry. Short Description: Poorly armed and armoured men riding upon skeletal steeds, they are rather terrifying against lightly armoured soldiers but mediocre otherwise. [img]https://www.wesnoth.org/units/1.10/pics/core$images$portraits$undead$transparent$archer.png[/img] Name: Miqlae, skirmishers. Type: Tier 1, Skirmishers/Archers. Short Description: Armed with slings and javelins, they wreak havoc amongst the lightly armoured, but little else. They are often used as bait. [img]http://www.honga.net/totalwar/warhammer/images/warhammer/units/infopics/wh_main_vmp_skeleton_warrior_spear.png[/img] Name: Ramah, pikemen. Type: Tier 1, Pikemen. Short Description: Armed with long and heavy spears designed to stop charges, these men are often the bulwark at the front of the armed force, stopping cavalry and charges alike. [/hider] [hider=Tier 2, Professional Army] [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/8f/eb/d0/8febd03232ccde4f9b12fed465cdf3ed.jpg[/img] Name: Asrab, ranged cavalry. Type: Tier 2, Skirmisher Cavalry. Short Description: Thundering skeletal steeds matched with the power of a recurved bow. Name: The Walking Corpses, swarms. Type: Tier 2, Swarm. Short Descrption: The freshly risen dead of all fleshy types with corpreal bodies. [img]http://codyscoop.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/skull_0093.jpg[/img] Name: Hisan, melee cavalry. Type: Tier 2, Medium Cavalry. Short Description: Thundering skeletal steeds matched with the power of a recurved bow. [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/88/9e/cd/889ecdd9dc0bdc9f7549e47beb89fb9c.jpg[/img] Name: Almuharibun, Warriors. Type: Tier 2, Medium Swordsmen. Short Description: Armed and armoured, they are the truly first decent melee unit in the army. Armed with longswords, metal shields, and armour. [img]http://th04.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2011/315/6/2/skeleton_fighter_by_starcat42-d4ft9wq.jpg[/img] Name: Harba, Spearmen. Type: Tier 2, Medium Spearmen. Short Description: Wearing armour and wielding shields alongside their spears. [img]https://cdn3.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/001/522/183/large/night-watchart-924-dx7r-p-lxuxd2a-4829.jpg?1447914186[/img] Name: Tamthal Living Stone Phalanxes Type: Tier 2, Large Infantry. Short Description: Literal living statues, they are armed with huge halberds and rely on their stone-flesh to stay alive. [img]http://pre03.deviantart.net/9565/th/pre/f/2007/307/9/9/fantasy_vulture_by_kasperv.png[/img] Name: Jifa Carrion-Eaters. Type: Tier 2, Large Beasts. Short Description: Flying vultures that have been tamed by the common folk, they are terrifying. [/hider] [hider=Tier 3, Specials] [img]http://images.mmosite.com/photo/2009/04/22/warhammera49_aB0x814pE57.jpg[/img] Name: Shifting Sands Scorpions Type: Tier 3, Large. Short Description: Monstrously huge scorpion statues brought to life through fell magic. [img]http://whfb.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/thumb/2/28/Horsemen1.jpg/300px-Horsemen1.jpg[/img] Name: Shock Cavalry. Type: Tier 3, Heavy Cavalry. Short Description: Armed with immense swords and full plate armour. [img]http://orig04.deviantart.net/22a9/f/2013/127/d/0/skeleton_warrior_by_kingkostas-d64i78k.jpg[/img] Name: Temple Guard Type: Tier 3, Heavy Halberd Infantry. Short Description: Equipped with ornate armour and well-maintained halberds. [img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MrDYvkjpVn0/UDqjPRVPM0I/AAAAAAAAATE/asE9z9Hee4k/s1600/tombkings2-640.jpg[/img] Name: Heavy Chariot Type: Tier 3, Heavy Chariot. Short Description: Single chariot pulled by two skeleton steeds, has a single archer and a single spearman onboard. They are all equipped with knee-high wheel spikes. [img]http://static1.squarespace.com/static/51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de/t/5429786de4b02baafff3a635/1412003951848/medieval-skeleton-warrior-art-by-markus-neidel[/img] Name: Heavy Crossbowmen Type: Tier 3, Heavy Crossbow men. Short Description: Armed with relatively newly designed crossbows stolen from Dwarven settlements near the edge of their lands. [img]http://www.army-box.com/sites/default/files/Tomb_Kings_Video.JPG[/img] Name: Living Warsphinx Type: Tier 3, Large. Short Description: A literal sphinx. Brought into foul unlife through necromancy. [img]https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQfZ7y7-0iStxPasgZugG6bRceayiCeSG4e5GydhJ8cMRLrilUO[/img] Name: Sand Stalkers Type: Tier 3, Large Short Description: Stalkers and assassins resembling grotesque, hunched, snake-like humanoids. [/hider] [hider=Tier 4, Here Be Monsters] [img]http://static1.squarespace.com/static/51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de/t/54297879e4b0b8d209dd574c/1412003964774/medieval-skeleton-warrior-art-by-markus-neidel3?format=750w[/img] Name: Knights of the Black Pit Type: Tier 4, Heavy Infantry. Short Description: The premiere heavy infantry of the Harri'Kan empire, they are terrifying to behold as many of them possess some innate magical abilities to compliment their horrifically potent melee abilities. [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/74/77/d2/7477d2b3baab017f8ac21da9ef5d9907.jpg[/img] Name: Bone Titans Type: Tier 4. Large Short Description: A race of giants now long extinct, they stand two dozen foot tall and can crush formations of less beings underfoot. [img]http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammer-fantasy/images/2/28/TombKingArt1wagon.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20121201131253[/img] Name: Chariots of the Gods Type: Tier 4, Heavy Chariot Short Description: The premiere of the chariots of the Harri'Kan, they pulled by multiple horses and have a sizeable war platform at their backs. [img]http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammerfb/images/c/c0/Khemrian_Warsphinx_Tomb_Kings_8th_Edition_Colour_Illustration.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160430105651[/img] Name: Onyx Warsphinx Type: Tier 4, Large Short Description: An even larger version of the Harb 'abu alhul, designed to slay the largest of the enemy's ranks. [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/f7/87/d1/f787d1fe5c5a163cfcaf8d4e44d152fa.jpg[/img] Name: Phalanx of the Iron Spines Type: Tier 4, Light Infantry, Magical Short Description: These are the awe-inspiring mage priests of the Harri'kan. They are the reason their armies fight on despite horrible casualties, they are the reason why the Harri'kan armies are nigh impossible to kill. [img]http://hl.udogs.net/files/Uploads/%20User%20Uploads/Tomb%20Kings%20Uploads/conscept%20art/Tomb%20Queen.jpg[/img] Name: Assassins of The Guided Pyramids Type: Tier 4, Heavy Short Description: Living relics from a time long passed, these men are the be all and end all when it comes to multi-purpose fighters in the whole of the empire. [/hider] [hider=Heroes and Lords] [b][u]Heroes and Lords:[/u][/b] [img]http://coolvibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Fantasy-Art-Chao-Yuan-Xu-The-Lich.jpg[/img] Name: Horsophkekh Ekochen Fashke Anos Position: Grand Lich-King of the Empire of Harri'Kan Powers: An awesomely powerful sorcerer drawing from Death, Darkness, and Fire. No slouch in close combat either. Has a phylactery somewhere, preventing death from being permanent...until someone destroys the device that is. He carries a scythe, the “Musabbib lilmawt“ - Bringer of death, an immensely powerful artefact. Short Bio/Personality: The great betrayer, the grand vizier of lies, and yet now their overlord. He came to power though his manipulation of the dire situation of the Empire several hundred years ago, betraying the current Malik. He is a manipulative, scheming, horrid person, but he isn't a moron. He knows a potential ally when he sees one, even if they have flesh on their bones... [img]http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammeronline/images/3/30/Tomb_King_concept.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090305050840[/img] Name: Sottom, Al'aqwia' al'asad min alllainihayiy alssahra' The Perfect Position: High General. Powers: Extremely powerful melee combatant and personal right-hand man to the Lich-King. Short Bio/Personality: Sottom the Perfect was the first great Malik of the Harri'Kan people, he was instrumental in making their empire as grand as it once was – seeing this chance for irony and power, the Lich-King brought him back for another go. [img]http://media.moddb.com/images/groups/1/9/8215/Tomb_Kings_3.jpg[/img] Name: Hæssan'sh 'iimbratur rimal mutaharrika Position: Grand Vizier, Ruler of the Priests. Powers: Second most powerful sorcerer in the empire. Short Bio/Personality: Eccentric and erratic, constantly moving and constantly acting. Hæssan'sh is a timeless old man from the old days before the Lich-King. He is perceived well by his peers, but not the Lich-King himself. [img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/ff/92/19/ff92192647969c7acd4e7fbc33bbb9a2.jpg[/img] Name: Omhen, 'innah aldhy yahmil alssulijan Position: Lord of Horses. Powers: N/A. Short Bio/Personality: A valiant and stoic warhero. [img]http://pre05.deviantart.net/451f/th/pre/i/2014/313/0/2/queen_khalida_by_theclockworkpainter-d85sl3j.jpg[/img] Name: Tetmi kabir huk alssamawat Position: Mistress of Enchantment Powers: Charming and supremely manipulative. Half decent sorcerer. Short Bio/Personality: Vivified by her peers for a reckless and covetous nature. She acts as the primary diplomat to the living-world. [img]http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammerfb/images/1/13/Liche_Priest_WAR_Online_Colour_concept_art.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20151216130007[/img] Name: Asotham, almulk alhudad Position: Master of the Watch. Powers: The mourning king – fuelled by the death around himself. Short Bio/Personality: No one is entirely sure about this man, he tok a vow of silence many thousands of years ago...his crimes, forgotten. [/hider] [/center]