Archaon, Lord of the End Times
Archaon is a male literary character who features in Warhammer Fantasy.
Contents |
Biography
Warhammer Fantasy
Archaon was a male human born one day to a small village called Hargendorf which was located on the coast of Nordland. It was known that his mother had been raped by a Chaos Marauder during a Norse raid of the Empire's northern settlements. On 2391 IC, the child's birth killed his mother Viktoria and her husband Roald could not bear the sight of the offspring. The midwife attending the birth reluctantly took the child on the road with her where she left him at the steps of the Church of Sigmar before abandoning him. It was said that the child was nearly savaged by wolves but a local priest named Hieronymous Dagobert appeared to drive the animals off.
With the death of his mother, and the hatred of his step-father for his bastard origins, the rape-spawned child would later go on to be adopted by a local Sigmarite Priest and become a Knight-Templar of the Order of the Twin-Tailed Orb, fighting valorously and faithfully in the service of the God-King Sigmar. But once his true heritage and destiny were revealed to him, Diederick Kastner despaired and looked for salvation, travelling many miles towards the heart of his faith. Upon the massive Holy Temple of Sigmar in Altdorf, the cursed Templar knelt before the Golden Statue of Sigmar and begged for a sign, to ask for his help from the darkness that had come to consume him. But the golden statue stood silent, and with its unspoken words, the Templar knew that it was hopeless. He renounced the gods of the south but still affirmed his hatred for the dark gods of his father, accepting the cruel destiny engineered for him as a final means to repay the Fates for the evil they had done upon him. Thus, Diederick came to be the Three-Eyed King known as Archaon the Everchosen, the greatest of all the Champions of Chaos. His deeds legend and his armies vast, innumerable foes of dauntless might lie bleeding in his calamitous stride. But deep inside, he wholly resents the Chaos Gods and the misery they have brought upon him. Thus the half-Norscan warlord stood ready to fulfil his destiny and to usher at the end of all things, and in the very end, he faced the very god of his people that he had once called lord, and of all Mankind.
Archaon next journeyed into the Chaos Wastes for nearly 100 years, searching for the legendary artefacts that would exalt him and reveal his true destiny as the next Everchosen. The first treasure he sought was a unique Mark of Chaos, that bore the blessings of all four Ruinous Powers in unison. It combined all of the advantages of the individual Marks of Chaos, blessing the bearer with all their power. The first part of Archaon's dark quest was to go to the Altar of Ultimate Darkness in Naggaroth and offer himself to the Chaos Gods to gain their favour and recognition. He gathered a small band of Chaos Warriors he called the Swords of Chaos and battled his way to a citadel so tall it appeared to pierce Morrslieb itself. Inside the citadel, it was said to be blacker than even the heart of a Dark Elf soul, for when one of Archaon's followers attempted to light a torch, it was snuffed out instead by the all-consuming darkness. Archaon was unafraid and marched off alone with his steed into the darkness. As he continued to march, an untold number of creatures had thrown themselves upon the potential Everchosen. In this dire moment, his loyal steed was consumed by these monsters and realising the death of a loyal friend he had known since his early years as a squire spurred Archaon into a killing frenzy. Within a matter of hours, he was able to slay hundreds of the misshapen monsters that had infested the mighty citadel, until finally his sword-arm turned numb and the ground grew slippery with the blood and gore of the fallen. Rising up from the filth, Archaon reconsecrated the altar to the Gods of Chaos, offering up the hearts of the creatures that had crawled in and defiled it. When he emerged, he bore the eternally burning Mark of Chaos on his forehead.
The next artifact he sought was the Armour of Morkar, the armour worn by the very first Everchosen. It made the wearer invulnerable to all but the most powerful of attacks, making the wearer nigh-unstoppable in the heat of combat. After leaving Naggaroth on a stolen ship made of black metal and pulled by a massive sea-drake, Archaon took leadership of a seafaring war band along the way to his destination. They sailed to a mysterious land populated with savage half-humans. Neither sun nor moon had ever touched their pallid skin and after six days and six nights of battle, the city of these creatures had been reduced to rubble. Archaon delved deep into their necropolis until he found the Tomb of Morkar and the armour he sought. However, as Archaon reached out to take it, the spirit of Morkar animated the armour and attacked him. The vengeful spirit laid down a relentless flurry of blows until Archaon cursed it in the language of the Unberogen tribe. The attack ceased for a moment, and Archaon smashed him aside, banishing the spirit of Morkar and allowing him to claim the armour as his own. Then there was the Eye of Sheerian, which was named after the Tzeentchian Sorcerer who discovered it. Although on its own it grants the bearer prophetic powers, when placed in the Crown of Domination it allows the bearer to predict and avoid the attacks of the enemy. After claiming the Armour of Morkar, Archaon set out to retrieve the Eye of Sheerian. At that time it lay in the lair of the Chaos Dragon Flamefang, who valued the Eye above all of its other treasures. Archaon placed his claim for the Eye by smashing his axe into Flamefang's head. Long did man and monster battle at the base of the Cliff of Beasts. Flamefang breathed fire and even swallowed Archaon whole, but the Armour of Morkar protected him from its acidic stomach. Archaon hacked his way out of the dragon's gullet with the ferocity of a Flesh Hound, until Flamefang's throat was hacked to shreds and it died of exhaustion and blood loss. Archaon plucked the Eye of Sheerian from its place on the belly of the dragon and hung it around his neck as his rightful reward.
The next treasure to be won was the dreaded demonic mount of Agrammon. Alternatively known as "Dorghar," "Ghurshy'ish'phak," "Yrontalie," or the "Steed of the Apocalypse", this daemonic beast was stolen from the menagerie of the Daemon Prince Agrammon in the Realm of Chaos. Archaon battled his way past the Daemons guarding Agrammon's palace and sneaked inside, hiding beneath a beast that was part man, part mammoth and part insect. Inside was every beast imaginable, and some that are not. Archaon tracked Dorghar through the menagerie by its sulfurous stench. When he found it he vaulted on to its back. The Steed of the Apocalypse changed shape and burst into flames, but Archaon was able to break it like a wayward stallion and escape from the Realm of Chaos. Eventually, he sought a legendary Chaos Blade, known by many as the Slayer of Kings which was the sacred blade of Vangel, the second Everchosen. He bound the Greater Daemon U'zuhl into the blade, and the millennia of imprisonment have sent it insane with rage and fury. It was said to rest at the top of Chimera Plateau, located near the roof of the world, where Archaon and his steed Dorghar has journeyed. The warriors battling around the plateau saw the determination and destiny of Archaon, and he quickly gathered a huge horde of followers to wage war against the Chimera's. They swiftly defeated the Chimera hordes guarding the higher passes where Archaon and his three companions climbed to the top of the plateau. From the top, Archaon looked down on the world, swearing that he would one day rule over all of it. Suddenly, what he had taken for a mountain behind him turned over in its sleep, causing a series of earthquakes in the lands below. Archaon soon realised that the mountain was actually the father of the Dragon Ogre race, Krakanrok the Black. Even he could not defeat such a foe, so instead, he and his companions sneaked past the titanic monster, only to find that the Slayer of Kings was clasped into its chest. Prince Ograx the Great, the strongest of Archaon's companions, was able to lift up one of Krakanrok's talons high enough for Archaon to retrieve the Daemonsword. However, the Daemon bound inside began to shriek with deafening volume. As Krakanrok began to stir, Archaon thought fast and plunged the Slayer of Kings into Prince Ograx's chest. With the blade's thirst quenched with royal blood, Archaon was able to sheath it and return from the plateau to the cheers of his followers, carrying his blade with him throughout all his battles.
Age of Sigmar
Overview
Personality and attributes
He came to be known as the Everchosen and held the title of the Exalted Grand Marshal of the Apocalypse. He was also known as the Three-Eyed King, the World Razor, and as the Thirsting Predator.
Powers and abilities
On his forehead was the blasphemous sigil of the Star of Chaos that showed the bearer to be the chosen Chaos Champion of all four major Chaos Gods in the form of Chaos Undivided and grants them potent arcane powers derived from the combined favour of the Ruinous Powers.
He was known to wield the legendary daemon sword known as the Slayer of Kings. It was one of the Six Treasures of Chaos and had been the sacred blade of Vangel, the second Everchosen. Within it was bound the Greater Daemon U'zuhl where the millennia of imprisonment have sent it insane with rage and fury. Archaon had taken it from the hands of the Chaos Champion Krakanrok the Black.
Archaon was equipped with the Armour of Morkar that featured numerous Chaos markings and were inscribed with runes of warding and malice. It was another of the Six Treasures of Chaos that originally belonged to the first Everchosen Morkar. It made its wearer invulnerable to all but the most powerful of attacks. Archaon came to recover it after journeying into a necropolis where he came upon the Tomb of Morkar.
It was shown that he rode a terrifying massive daemonic horse called Dorgha who served as his mount. Another of the Six Treasures of Chaos, the Steed of the Apocalypse was a daemonic beast stolen from the menagerie of the Daemon Prince Agrammon in the Realm of Chaos. Archaon claimed Dorgha at the Gates of Chaos after stealing it from the Daemon Lord Agrammon.
The knights of his original warband that survived came to form the Swords of Chaos that were each a great warrior and veteran of countless battles.
Notes
- Archaon was created by Games Workshop where he featured in the setting of the Warhammer Fantasy universe.
Alternate Versions
- In Warhammer: The Storms of Chaos, an alternate version of Archaeon was depicted in a different timeline of events.
In other media
Video games
- In Total War: Warhammer, Archaon appeared as the main antagonist and playable lord in the setting of the real-time strategy video game
- In Total War: Warhammer II, Archaon appeared as the main antagonist and playable lord in the setting of the real-time strategy video game
Appearances
- Warhammer Fantasy:
External Links
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