Deep Dive -The Lichemaster Had A Dalek
In 1986, Games Workshop released an adventure pack that may have been the wildest ride that has ever been published. That scenario was Vengeance of the Lichemaster published within the hallowed pages of the Citadel Journal, and was a wonderful experience throughout, It contained mad monks, the Ark of the Covenant, kung-fu, spectral horsemen, the first appearance of the Skaven in print, and solidified the Old World for the future. It also contained two truly amazing moments.
Allow me to share them with you.
The Vengeance Of The Lichmaster was the follow to the well-received three-battle campaign The Terror Of The Lichemaster
released for Warhammer Fantasy Battle 2nd Ed. It details the one final battle the Lichemaster Heinrich Kemler embarks on his trailblazing carnage tour, though unlike it’s predecessor, a one on one between the Kemler and those in his way in Frugelhorn Valley, This final part is a three-way fight. Kemler’s horde face off against a power hungry abbot* and his magical kung-fu monks, whilst a Skaven force descends on both with madness in mind.
We begin under the concept that Kemler has successfully overcome his enemies from Terror… and now threatens to swamp the Frugelhorn Valley with an Undead force much expanded by the victories from the previous battles. To continue his bloody path, he next must overtake La Maisontaal, a Monastery dedicated to Taal, a nature god. The Abbot of the Monastery is on Bagrin, a former fellow master of the dark arts that turned his back on Kemler when the Lichemaster was found out, branded as a heretic and chased across the Old World. As one may imagine, Kemler is very happy to have La Maisontaal in his sights.
Alas, vengeance is not to be as upon arriving at the site, he discovers it to be aflame and under attack from the Skaven, clawing their way into the Monastery for their own brand of revenge, as Bagrian had managed to sneak into Skavenblight and steal The Black Ark Of The Covenant. The Grey Seer Gnawdoom has set his forces to regaining the Ark, at any and all cost.
Bagrian, rather than a simple monk, turns out to be a horrendous nightmare of a man, half his body held together with metal plating and a silver hand, and of course, spends his time dabbling in bringing the dead back to life in a manner most reminiscent of a certain Viktor Frankenstein***. The latest creation is a “Mechanical Warrior” that was only be brought to life with the Black Ark, being as it is a massive block of warpstone held in a locked magical chest. A chest that only has one key, that is currently held by Gnawdoom, and if he succeeds, the Ark will destroy all but the Skaven. If the Mechanical Warrior awakens, doom will come for Gnawdoom.
Allow me to introduce you to the Mechanical Warrior on the pages of this scenario:
That sir, Is a goddamn Dalek. No ifs, and no buts. That “Mechanical Warrior” is a Dalek, and that means the Lichemaster, The Skaven and a wannabe Frankenstein are battling over waking up a Dalek. I would be remiss however to say that is the wierdest part, for if we turn our attention back to Kemler, we can see his forces are some new additions. Let us take a closer look at one of the shambling members of his horde. And let us quote the book verbatim.
"By [the Lichemaster] hung the stench of decay, the rotting zombie legions and their Lieutenant, Mikeal Jacsen. In death, Jacsen was a great dark skeleton, long and thin, and with a skull that burned with an unnatural light, and from in between his huge dead teeth there issued a foul, thin shriek that few could listen to without sickening.”
Some history is needed. In 1984, the pop singer Micheal Jackson had a serious accident that combined hair spray and pyrotechnics. This engulfing blaze caused Jackson’s hair to set aflame, requiring hospital admission. The year before, Jackson had released the “Thriller” video using a lot of the classic George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” style of zombie. In either an amazing moment for the design team or the true eptiomy of black humour, this resulted in the Lord of The Zombies, Mikeal Jacsen. A truly incredible moment to come across in an older book, and one I am more than glad to share with you.
**IT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM!
***It’s pronounced FRANK EN STEEEN