s time passed the vampiric aristocracy discovered more of their powers. The sun hurt them bitterly, but the dust of the deserts was theirs to command and could be summoned to shroud them during daylight hours. They had the strength of a dozen men and no disease, blade nor accident could harm them. Their bodies changed, growing fangs so that they might better feast on the lifeblood of their unwilling victims. Soon they found that the gift of eternity could be passed with their own blood – the creation of a lesser Vampire called the Blood Kiss.

Each Vampire in turn created more of their kind and the temple of Lahmia became refuge to a whole host of such creatures. They commanded that the people worship them and would feed off these unfortunate souls.

One dark night, as she hunted the streets, one of the King's former guards, who went by the name of Abhorash, discovered Neferata drinking from a victim. He fled in terror at the unrecognisable creature he found, body awash with blood, fangs and claws bared for the kill. The following evening she summoned him to her temple and bade him drink from a chalice which, unknown to him, was filled with her blood. He was a loyal captain and drank without question, thus his fate was sealed.

Abhorash was horrified by Neferata's trickery but was helpless against the thirst that overcame him. For many days he tried to fight his desire for blood but one dark night he could not help his craving and slaughtered many of his own people.

Realising the futility of denying his fate, Abhorash had little option but to join Neferata in her terrible court. He was still loyal to his people and decreed a set of laws for the Vampires of Lahmia to follow. They would hide their presence and only feed off those worthy of death. Although Abhorash abided by his own code of honour, the other Vampires thought themselves above such laws and carried on as they had before. The people were too fearful to stand against them and so they continued a reign of terror.

For many decades the Vampires ruled over the people of Lahmia in this manner but rumour spread that Nagash had been seen walking the lands again. The other Priest Kings called a council to unite against the threat, but the nobility of Lahmia sought to welcome him back. They allied themselves to his cause and in doing so incurred the wrath of the other Priest Kings. King Alcadizaar united the Priest Kings and roused the downtrodden people of Lahmia against their rulers, bringing a great army to assault the Vampires' temple.

Abhorash led the defence of the temple, and none could stand against the unliving warrior. He had been Lahmia's greatest fighter in life, and in undeath he was nigh unstoppable. The high steps to the temple poured with the blood of his foes, their bodies heaped at the bottom in a great mound of death. In his anger, Abhorash fed wildly, and his strength grew even more.

At W'soran's word, the slain rose once more, Undead things bound to his will, and assailed their still-living friends and comrades. Many legends say that Nagash used his vast magical powers to aid the defence of his allies. Myths speak of a mighty storm that gathered above Abhorash, lightning crackling around the Vampire as he fought, striking down those who opposed him. Abhorash's blade felled a foe with every blow, and neither the strongest armour nor the most skilled parry could defend against him. Khemrians brought forth machineries of war and, though battered by rocks, burned by alchemical fire and transfixed with bolts, he was impossible to destroy. The High Priests of Zandri invoked ancient magics to curse the unliving warrior, and yet he fought on.

For a full week the Vampire general and his host of dead fought against the bronze-clad army of the Priest Kings, tenaciously defending the temple and launching devastating counter-attacks mounted on a nightmarish steed. But for all his ferocity and skill, and the death of thousands of his foes, Abhorash was unable to stop the Nehekharans storming the court of his Queen.

The temple of Lahmia was put to the torch and many Vampires died in the flames. Those who managed to flee most were hunted down and killed by the vengeful Nehekharans. Only the strongest and oldest Vampires escaped, amongst them Neferata, Abhorash, Ushoran and W'soran.

Abhorash was grief-stricken and vowed vengeance upon all of humankind for what they had done. His once proud realm, which used to be scattered with oases and desert gardens, was now a torched, barren land. Nothing living stirred in Lahmia, though to this day the dead do not rest in their graves, such was the strength of the magic unleashed during the titanic battle.

The former commander of Lahmia's army went northwards with four companions, slaying all who crossed their path, and fed like wild animals, gorging themselves after years of denial and restraint. To this day, the Orc Shamans of the Badlands regale their Greenskin cousins with myths of the Throatrippers who slew five whole tribes. The Dwarfs greatly feared Abhorash, for often they would send supplies to an isolated stronghold or mine only to find that all the inhabitants had been butchered by the merciless killer.

The others fled to Nagash who was pleased with his new allies and bade each of them fight at the fore of his Undead horde. The Great Necromancer had become mighty indeed, and the Vampires of Lahmia were his most deadly warriors. They learnt much of the Necromantic arts from their creator, and in turn became able to raise a host of the dead with their own magic.

Nagash had spent many decades gathering together an Undead horde the likes of which has never walked the earth since. With the Priest Kings ignorant to his presence he had raided the necropolises and his army of darkness was set to march south. He had sworn vengeance on the Priest Kings and was set to exact a terrible toll.

An army of chariots and skeletal regiments descended upon Nehekhara but the brave people of that desert land were not about to give up. They had been roused by the defeat of the Lahmian Vampire temple and were prepared to fight. Under the leadership of Alcadizaar they fought valiantly and Nagash was forced to retreat. As Nagash fled back to the north the first seeds of discontent had been sown. Already the Vampires blamed each other for the defeat. Ushoran wanted to rise against Nagash and take control of what little remained of his army, Neferata saw wisdom in allying with Nagash and returning to found a new city of Lahmia. W'soran argued against both these courses of action, and sought to go into hiding once more with their dark lord, in order that together they could take control of the world through magic.

Nagash ignored the petty rivalry amongst his most trusted servants, and spread a plague across the land. He raised those who died from the terrible disease to create another vast army, but on the eve of the great battle the Vampires' divisions turned to conflict. The six trueborn Vampires who had survived the burning of their temple fought with one another. The fight was savage, no single Vampire able to better the next. For the whole night they battled but, as the sun rose, the Vampires fled from each other, hiding for fear that they should be destroyed by their enemies' minions as they slept. So it was that the Vampires were split apart. There is little doubt that together they could have conquered the world but, because of their arrogance and vanity they were destined to become bitter enemies for the rest of eternity. Each now vies for power, creating their own army of Vampire thralls which became known as the bloodlines.

Neferata went northwards, and now the Eternal Queen and the Deathless Court hold counsel at the Silver Pinnacle. Here the Lahmian traditions are upheld to this day, an army of Undead warriors stands ready to guard against attack. Neferata's descendants can be found all across the Old World, as companions to dukes and barons, consorts and advisors to rich merchants and military leaders. Thus Neferata's web extends and grows, unfolding to some distant and mysterious plan that only she knows.

Elsewhere is told the tale of how Abhorash slew a great dragon in single combat and rid himself of the curse by drinking its blood. His greatest disciple, Walach Harkon, founded the Blood Dragons, who roam far and wide from their home in Blood Keep, honing their skills in battle so that one day they may emulate their master.

Next: Part III
Previous: Part I