A Profile In Shadows - Heinrich Kemmler
Heinrich Kemmler, the self-styled Lichemaster, is a great, powerful, and immensely infamous Necromancer who burns with the need to gather more power and arcane knowledge in the Dark Arts of Necromancy. Having recognised the limits that mortality placed upon him in his early years, Kemmler made it his life's work to escape his mortal shackles and began to travel throughout the length and breadth of the Old World in hopes of achieving such goals. He plunged into the world of Necromancy as a young man, and by the time he had reached his fortieth year, he was able to raise entire graveyards of corpses to do his bidding.
Beneath Kemmler's robes, his body is covered with scars, cuts and abrasions from his years of madness. He is shrouded in a large dark cloak that can carry its wearer across the veil between worlds. Over the years of his travels, Heinrich had acquired or plundered many great artifacts of power that had granted him the power he craves. Such artifacts he wields into battle includes the ancient Chaos Tomb Blade, an evil weapon that not only fills its wielder with unholy energy but also entraps the souls of those it cleaves, binding their fleshless remains in servitude to the Lichemaster.
He also wears a magical shroud that covers much of his body, and wields in his left hand the Skull Staff, a potent magical artifact that chatters and gibbers constantly, whispering warnings to Heinrich of any potential wizards that would dare to convey a spell against him. With these magical artifacts and the knowledge that he has gathered throughout his journey, Heinrich has made it his life's purpose to evade the clutches of mortality and ascend himself into immortality. Alongside him stands a mighty warrior that Heinrich had raised from a long-ago tomb. Under the Lichemaster's command, the fell-warrior known only as Krell, Lord of Undeath, has served towards Heinrich's goal of immortality, never truly realising that both he and Krell are simple pawns in the schemes of Nagash, the one true Lord of the Undeath.
"The dead answer my call. When you are dead, you will answer too!" —The Lichemaster.
During his unnaturally prolonged lifespan, Heinrich has assembled a dark library, the greatest trove of necromantic lore, second only to the ancient magical lore that lies within the Fortress of Nagashizzar and those libraries buried within the sands of ancient Nehekhara. Heinrich had been advisor and counsellor to kings and princes across the Old World, and he had fought against conclaves of other Necromancers during his lifetime of travel. In the hills beyond Quenelles in Bretonnia, his army had smashed the zombie legions of the Council of Nine, an alliance of nine powerful Necromancers. In the dark woods beyond the town of Bogenhafen in the western Empire, he had overcome the three Vampire Wizards of Blutwald and all of their combined armies of the walking dead.
In the crypts beneath Castle Vermisace he had overcome the ancient Liche Lord and all his acolytes, which would later earn him the legendary title of the Lichemaster. But his ambitious rivals eventually succeeded in defeating the Lichemaster, driving him to the edge of death. His body was broken and his mind left in tatters. He fled and wandered the Grey Mountains and the Border Princes for many long years afterwards as a half-sane beggar. He eventually fled into the mountainous region known as the Vaults where he sought a weapon of great power rumoured to be hidden in the multiple tombs dotting the mountain slopes. Some of these tombs were dated during the time before the Dwarfs and the Elves had walked those lands. Some quirk of fate eventually led him to the tomb of the long-dead Krell. Krell in life was a great and mighty Chaos Lord, slain many millennia ago. When Nagash came north to find the Crown of Sorcery and went to war against Emperor Sigmar, he raised this great warlord and made him one of the Nine Lords of Nagash, his favoured generals, acolytes and lieutenants. When Nagash was defeated by Sigmar and his armies thrown back, Krell took his legion and continued to plague the land for many years afterwards before finally being defeated and entombed. It is rumoured that Kemmler was guided by the hands of Nagash to raise Krell and join forces with him. From here, Kemmler had since struck a secret pact with the Chaos Gods who restored him to his former power and in return, he swore to sow destruction in their name.
In the year 2503 IC, Duke Tancred II managed to hunt down and personally slay Krell, granting him yet another death. The news of Tancred's feat reached as far as the Empire and beyond, while earning the respect of the Dwarfs, who had long held a grudge against the former Chaos Champion. Greater still, however, was the news that Kemmler had also fallen to the Grail Knight's holy wrath, though some feared that his demise was an uncertain thing...