Many have a fixed perception of the Badlands, believing it to be dominated by Greenskins with a smattering of dwarves. Those more knowledgeable may also know of occasional appearances by Tomb Kings and undead, but few are aware of the great empire that once existed there.
This story begins with Nagash, the Lord of the Undead. More than a millennium before Emperor Charlemagne rose to power in the Old World, Nagash led his undead legions in a final battle against the last Tomb King, Arkhan the Black. Defeated, Nagash fled, but soon wiped out all living beings in Nehekhara with a plague (which did not affect the dead). Nagash then captured Arkhan alive, not killing or converting him, but keeping him prisoner so that he could witness the destruction of the mortal world.
Nagash planned a massive ritual to awaken all the dead across the mortal realm and crown himself the King of the Dead. However, the Skaven, fearing their own annihilation, decided to stop him. They freed Arkhan and gifted him a warpstone dagger. Using his last bit of strength, Arkhan stabbed Nagash in the back, shattering the Lord of Undeath into pieces. Arkhan took the Crown of Sorcery and fled to the Badlands, where he died from exhaustion.
Incidentally, while the Skaven's motivation was self-serving, they did indeed save the world in some way (Skaven savior theory confirmed!).
So how did the Strigoi Undead Empire come to be?
Around 1,200 years before Charlemagne established his empire—over 3,000 years ago—Canton, a human shaman from an ancient tribe in the Badlands near the Blind River, discovered Arkhan's corpse and the Crown of Sorcery. Canton, fascinated by the crown, placed it on his head. Nagash's mind immediately infiltrated and controlled his soul. On the spot where Arkhan's body lay, Canton founded a city and named it Mourkain. Under the power of the Crown of Sorcery, nearly all the shamans of his tribe turned into necromancers, and the tribe grew powerful, conquering other tribes.
After a century of expansion, Canton's city had grown into a formidable city-state empire.
The Strigoi bloodline, one of the five great vampire families, was drawn to the power of the Crown of Sorcery. The ancient blood ancestor, Ushoran, slew Canton, seizing control of Mourkain alongside a group of vampires and necromancers. Thus, the famous Strigoi Undead Empire was born, and its people became known as the Strigany.
To be fair, it was a glorious and prosperous empire. Ushoran, both skilled in warfare and adept in governance, became a renowned ruler. The Strigoi bloodline was worshipped as divine beings, and the common people revered Ushoran and his midnight aristocracy as gods. Under Ushoran's rule, all Strigany underwent a "blood ritual," a supreme reward that transformed them into noble bloodlines. The empire flourished, and its people took great pride in being Strigany.
At its height, the Strigoi Undead Empire stretched from the Border Princes in the north to the Marshes of Madness in the south, from the World's Edge Mountains in the east to Blackwater Bay in the west. Ushoran and his Strigoi bloodline ruled the Badlands for centuries.
Ushoran was not only a warrior but also a diplomat. He allied with the dwarven kingdoms of the World's Edge Mountains, knowing that dwarves were honorable and less susceptible to undead magic. Furthermore, Ushoran forbade vampires from feeding on their own people, instead obtaining blood from prisoners, slaves, and criminals. As a result, the Strigany never feared their vampire rulers. In fact, they willingly accepted Ushoran's rule, as the midnight nobles and necromancers imposed light taxes and labor demands (money meant little to vampires, and they had an endless supply of undead servants to provide free labor).
"The Strigoi Undead Empire thus had a very stable structure," Belgar said, gulping down a mouthful of dwarf beer. "And according to the Book of Grudges, Ushoran was surprisingly trustworthy."
Ryan was unfazed by Belgar's tale, but Calard, Fedmond, Juan Carlos Sunwatcher, and other knights were visibly uneasy. Many knightly nobles couldn't help but reflect: Did these undead rulers govern better than we do?
How could that be?
Was the undead race truly destined to rule the world?
"Then why did this undead empire eventually collapse?" Calard asked, clearly intrigued. "From your description, King Belgar, it was powerful and well-loved by its people…"
"Because of blood," Ryan said with a frown, the Knight King speaking coldly. "Vampires need blood to survive. Since they couldn't feed on the people of the undead empire, they had to wage constant wars and expand to satisfy the hunger of the growing midnight nobility. But the expansion and conquest of an empire have limits."
"Ryan's right," Belgar nodded. "The Strigoi had to keep conquering to feed their aristocracy. But as the empire's borders grew larger, so did the strain on its army. Over time, it became harder and harder to expand, and the empire's forces were stretched thin. The constant skirmishes with Greenskin tribes and human tribes along the borders wore down the Strigoi army, and their numbers dwindled."
"Then disaster struck," Belgar continued, "when Ushoran led his army north to fight against human wizards. A Greenskin warlord named Doc Red-Eye launched a massive Waaagh! His Greenskin horde overwhelmed the few border troops and penetrated deep into the heart of the Strigoi Empire, laying siege to Mourkain."
"When Ushoran received word of the attack, he immediately marched his exhausted army back to defend the capital. The Greenskins, however, gave the Strigoi no respite. The two sides fought an epic battle that lasted for days on the Dust Plains."
"In the end, Ushoran and his army could not withstand the endless Greenskin hordes. They were defeated, and the remnants of the army were forced to retreat to the gates of Mourkain. Doc Red-Eye, the cunning warlord, saw that the gates were open to allow Ushoran's army in and ordered an all-out assault."
"Ushoran made a last stand, defending the gates alone. He faced off against a dozen Greenskin warlords and shamans. The duel was legendary. Ushoran fought valiantly, but in the end, he fell. Mourkain was overrun, and the Greenskins slaughtered everything in their path. The once-glorious Strigoi Empire was reduced to ruins, its fall marked by the mocking laughter of the Greenskins and the bitter cries of the defeated vampires."
"At that time, Charlemagne's empire had yet to be established for another 200 years," Belgar concluded with a heavy sigh. "A few survivors from the empire managed to escape—these were the Strigany. They became a nomadic people, wandering the world with their caravans. Their legends and myths tell of a golden age when their empire was ruled by the 'Immortal King,' and they believe that Ushoran will one day return to reclaim their homeland and restore its glory."
"I know the Strigany," Anthelm said with a smile. "A group of them once arrived in Wainford. Their leader, who claimed to be a master of the occult, tried to impress my cousin with his magical abilities. My cousin's response was swift: he ordered them all arrested. Those with magical abilities were executed, and the rest were driven out."
"That's normal," Ryan nodded. "No one wants a bunch of wanderers preaching about vampire kings and spreading dangerous myths in their lands. They refuse to settle down because they still hope to see their vampire king return one day, don't they?"
"I've heard that Mourkain is still inhabited by a group of Strigoi vampires who have completely devolved into beasts," Belgar added. "These feral and insane vampires continue to dwell in the ruins of Mourkain, trapped in their delusions of past glory. They mimic the ancient courts of Strigoi, calling themselves something like the Flesh-Eater Courts. No one dares approach the place."
Flesh-Eater Courts? Strigoi? Mourkain? Ryan thought for a moment, lost in deep contemplation.
He had already obtained some of the Strigoi Empire's wealth. The ancient vampire lord Abhorash had once served Ushoran's empire, and much of the wealth Abhorash gifted to Ryan came from the Strigoi Empire. Abhorash had not been in Mourkain when it fell and was forced into exile afterward.
"Perhaps, in the eyes of those Strigany and the undead, we are the twisted, evil creatures. But in their eyes, they are the noble and refined aristocracy," Veronica remarked with a mischievous grin. "Their perception has become completely distorted."
"An empire follows a cycle: birth, growth, prosperity, peak, decline, and eventual collapse," Ryan said softly, holding the reins of his horse, Grape. "If we wish to avoid this cycle and prevent our kingdom from falling into ruin, both from within and without, then we must reform. We must innovate, and that is what I've been striving to do. My lords, if we do not want Bretonnia to face the same fate as the Strigoi Undead Empire, we must strengthen ourselves and continue these reforms."
The Grail Knights surrounding the King nodded solemnly, many deep in thought.
"We've all witnessed your contributions to the kingdom, my King," Calard began earnestly,
intending to express his respect for Ryan, but Belgar couldn't help but laugh. The King of Eight Peaks burst into hearty laughter and called out, "Brother Ryan, my knightly friends, have you heard the latest rumor from the Gate of Haimen? By Valaya's braids, it's the funniest joke I've ever heard!"
Many knights' faces darkened upon hearing this.
Most of them had already heard the rumor.
"Bretonnian knights can only win battles under the leadership of a dwarf, a woman, or a foreigner."
—Imperial Court Joke
"Alright," Ryan sighed, shaking his head. "Ignore those rumors. You all know how many people across the Old World are waiting to hear about our army's defeat. Winning this war is all that matters."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
---
The expeditionary army continued its march along the Poison River, advancing toward Steelrock, located at the foot of the World's Edge Mountains.
Steelrock was not on the direct route to Eight Peaks. In fact, looking at the map, Steelrock formed a straight line with Garon's Fortress and the Gate of Haimen, while Eight Peaks lay to the southeast. The army had indeed taken a significant detour.
As the expedition pushed deeper into the Badlands, conditions became increasingly difficult. With fewer Greenskin strongholds to raid, supply lines were harassed by Goblin Wolf Riders and scattered Greenskin tribes. Food supplies became standardized, merchants and peddlers began to leave, sensing danger, and some soldiers, unable to bear the harsh environment, fell ill or deserted.
Of the original 40,000 troops, the army now had about 35,000, after splitting forces for garrison duty and suffering some losses. Some knights, seeing no immediate benefits, began grumbling, suggesting that Ryan should head directly for Eight Peaks instead of detouring to Steelrock. Rumors began to spread within the army, such as, "King Ryan walks the bow but not the string" and "This detour will wear out the troops."
Ryan sternly rejected these complaints. The King explained that before attacking Eight Peaks, Steelrock must be captured. If the Greenskin tribes from Steelrock launched an attack from behind during the assault on Eight Peaks or cut off supply lines, the expedition would be doomed. This was the Badlands, not a human kingdom.
Additionally, while the Badlands were harsh, the foot of the World's Edge Mountains was home to vast deciduous forests, ideal for human encampments.
Ryan also motivated the troops by promising that Steelrock held great wealth. Beneath the Greenskin stronghold lay a massive magma lake rich in obsidian, a precious material worth a fortune—all waiting for the expeditionary army to seize.
Encouraged by Ryan's speech, the army continued its march. By April, they reached a vast deciduous forest, just 20 kilometers from Steelrock. After a brief skirmish, they drove out the small bands of Goblins and Greenskins that inhabited the forest and set up camp.
Their opponent, the master of Steelrock, was none other than the leader of the Ironclaw tribe, one of the greatest Greenskin warlords—Gorbad Ironclaw.
Thousands of Greenskin boys, Big 'Unz, and squigs were eagerly waiting for these humies and tin cans to come to their deaths!
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