The son of the God-Emperor in Warhammer Fantasy

Kemmler's Tomb Guard Legion outnumbered this Chaos warband by more than tenfold, surrounding them completely.

Under siege from all sides, the Chaos Champion Hargroth the Butcher bellowed orders for his barbarian marauders to respond swiftly. About eight hundred marauders abandoned the excavation site, wielding their battle axes as they charged at the undead army under the Chaos Champion's command.

The barbarian soldiers' combat prowess and individual strength far exceeded Kemmler's Tomb Guard Legion. Each barbarian required at least five skeletal warriors to contend with. Under the gaze of their dark gods, the barbarians unleashed immense fighting power, chanting the names of their deities as they joined the fray wave after wave.

This Chaos warband had traveled from the Brass Keep within the Empire's borders through the Drakwald Forest to reach here. It was the will of the dark gods that they obey. As Hargroth the Butcher roared the name of Khorne and joined the battle, all the marauders felt the blood god's crimson power.

The skeletons' spears were shattered before them, and the crude swords and shields of the skeleton warriors broke and splintered. Initially, the marauders penetrated deep into the Tomb Guard Legion, almost reaching Kemmler.

The necromancer showed no reaction, remaining seated in the center, silent and unflinching.

The blood-red tide's fierce assault gradually faltered. As Hargroth the Butcher drew closer to Kemmler, a heavily armored unit with long halberds appeared, finally halting the warband's advance.

It was Kemmler's Grave Guard Legion!

Faced with the heavily armored Grave Guard, the Chaos warband struggled to make headway. Conversely, the undead tide, like a flood, gradually overwhelmed the warband. Each barbarian marauder found themselves facing at least six undead. The crude swords and rusted spears attacked from all directions. The fallen marauders were resurrected by Kemmler's spells, becoming new Grave Guards and skeleton warriors.

The undead grew more numerous as they fought. Hargroth the Butcher realized his army was being submerged. However, he could not defy Khorne's will. Swinging his battle axe with broad strokes, Hargroth felled several Grave Guards. Yet, those he struck down did not remain dead; they merely lost control temporarily. As Kemmler resumed casting spells, the undead quickly recovered and rejoined the fight.

Hargroth roared in frustration, pressing towards Kemmler. Behind him, the marauders gradually fell. Ghouls and Crypt Horrors charged into the marauders' ranks, wreaking havoc, throwing them into the air, or crushing them into pulp.

Unnoticed, the Chaos warband soon dwindled to just Hargroth. The undead could not breach his sturdy Chaos armor, but Kemmler commanded them to slaughter the marauders, which they did.

"Coward! Face me if you dare!" The Chaos Champion raised his battle axe amidst the army, pointing it directly at the necromancer.

Kemmler's response was cold and despairing. He raised his staff. "Nagash's Gaze!"

Purple-red light shot from the necromancer's eyes, piercing through the undead army and striking the Chaos Champion. Hargroth staggered back, a gaping hole burned through his chest.

Worse still, the Cairn Wraiths and Wight Kings joined the battle. The cursed wraiths' scythes finally tore through Hargroth's Chaos armor. Blood streamed from the broken gaps in his armor, freezing in the icy lake of the Grey Mountains.

Several scythes pierced the Chaos Champion's body, extracting a filthy heart, which the Wight Kings presented to the ever-silent Heinrich Kemmler.

Kemmler did not even glance at the heart. To the necromancer, it was a trivial victory in his long life. He signaled the undead to move aside and continued towards the ice lake.

The cold wind howled over the Grey Mountains' eternal snow, across the frozen surface of the lake, over the bodies of the marauders, and through the tomb beneath the ice.

It was the tomb Kemmler had been seeking—Ghyr's tomb.

Who was Ghyr?

He was once a king of the northern barbarian tribes, chosen by all four Chaos gods. Before Charlemagne was born and founded the Empire, Ghyr had already led the Norscan tribes in a semblance of unity, establishing a powerful barbarian empire and becoming its king. He was Khorne's chosen, leading the tribes that worshipped the blood god, with the other three gods receiving their due respect from him.

He was similar to Egil Steelbjorn, the "Red-Eye" Ryan had killed.

The northern barbarian empire soon invaded the southern dwarf kingdoms at the dark gods' behest. During those dark years, the dwarven kingdoms suffered heavy losses and faced attacks from earthquakes, greenskins, and Skaven. Ghyr allied with the greenskins, capturing two dwarf fortresses and slaughtering thousands of dwarves. His name was inscribed multiple times in the dwarves' Book of Grudges.

However, while attacking the dwarf kingdom of Karak Kadrin, this barbarian king was defeated and killed on the battlefield by the dwarf hero Grimmbor Ironhelm.

Ghyr's followers frantically retrieved his body and buried him on the spot.

Fifteen hundred years passed. Humanity rose, and under Charlemagne's leadership, founded the Empire. During this time, Nagash, the lord of the undead, awoke. When Nagash came to the Old World seeking his Crown of Sorcery, he inadvertently discovered Ghyr's tomb. Overjoyed, the undead lord used his powerful necromancy to resurrect the Chaos Champion, making him his servant. Ghyr led half of Nagash's army, facing the Empire and the dwarf alliance.

This was the Battle of the River Reik.

In the end, Nagash was unfortunately slain in close combat by Charlemagne. Despite his power, Nagash was not adept at melee combat and was struck down by Charlemagne's hammer, scattering the undead army to dust.

However, a small contingent of Ghyr's undead forces survived and broke through. Charlemagne, poisoned by Nagash, was forced to abandon the pursuit.

This proved to be a grave mistake. Ghyr's undead army destroyed every town and castle in its path, leaving countless terrifying legends.

Eventually, a recovered Charlemagne tracked Ghyr to his hideout in the Grey Mountains and, in the Battle of the Ice Lake, forced him into a final stand. The undead Chaos Champion was defeated again. The tribal wizards constructed a new tomb to seal the terrifying warrior.

But time passed. Two thousand years after the Empire's founding, it had forgotten the location of Ghyr's tomb. Scrolls detailing these ancient tales had long turned to ash or been lost in wars. Even in the Royal Library of Altdorf or the catacombs of the Great Cathedral of Sigmar, records of the Battle of the River Reik were scarce.

Now, Ghyr's tomb was before him. Heinrich Kemmler stood at the entrance, recognizing the black Chaos-marked tomb and feeling the overwhelming power of Chaos within.

Nothing could withstand the ravages of time. The seals Charlemagne's wizards placed had weakened, the necromantic and Chaos forces within escaping through cracks in the tomb.

This was what Kemmler needed. After his disastrous defeat by François, the necromancer learned his lesson. To face François again, he needed a powerful warrior to withstand the duke's assault, giving him a chance to win.

If he wanted to attack La Maisonnette Abbey and obtain the Nagash Staff sealed within, he would face François again. Their duel was inevitable.

Kemmler began chanting spells at the tomb door. After two thousand years, the weakened seals shattered under the necromancer's assault.

Ghyr's remains were before him. The tomb door opened, releasing a greater wave of Chaos energy. Kemmler felt uneasy.

The dark gods were watching. The terrifying power of Chaos gnawed at the necromancer's fragile mind. He saw visions of a world ablaze, lava flowing, volcanoes erupting, and Chaos demons breaking free of the Warp, descending upon the world. Amid endless destruction and madness, a three-eyed king stood before a Chaos altar, beneath which were tens of thousands of barbarians and demons, chanting his name, urging him to lead them south to destroy the world.

His name... his name was?

"Archaon." Kemmler muttered. The vision faded. The necromancer found himself in a deep tomb, filled with skulls and the bodies of over twenty Chaos champions.

The remains of the Chaos Champion Ghyr lay before him. Even after two thousand years, the Barroth Chaos armor on the dead champion's body remained shiny, the power of Chaos surrounding him. His black battle axe still held the power to rend any mortal. Chaos seemed to tell mortals that darkness was eternal, and their victories could only grant them brief respite.

"Yes! Yes! This is what I need. Ghyr, rise! Fight for me!" Kemmler trembled with excitement, stumbling to Ghyr's remains and chanting necromantic spells to revive the Chaos Champion.

"Mortal." A sudden voice halted Kemmler's spellcasting. It was so terrifying that the necromancer saw, in his mind's eye, an unparalleled entity sitting on a brass throne. "Who goes there?!"

"Mortal, you are unworthy to command Ghyr. Your feeble power and lowly stance, and your scarred body mark you as a failure, doomed to defeat by the Bretonnian knight." The voice, filled with madness and bloodlust, continued.

"Indeed! Yes! In a hundred outcomes I've foreseen,

 you fail in all of them, all!" Another voice, full of cunning and deceit, added.

"Ooh, failure, a loser, let me embrace you, poor necromancer, come to daddy."

"Failure is an art. It's an interesting experience—of course, in moderation."

The four supreme wills tore at the necromancer's mind. He clutched his head, screaming in agony. The wound left by François still bled. Kemmler dropped his staff and bone sword, rolling on the ground, screaming.

Cobwebs, remains, and dust filled the tomb, clinging to Kemmler's dirty robes and hood. The four supreme wills watched his struggle with interest, as if amused by his pain.

"You are fortunate, mortal. Your actions and desire for slaughter have piqued our interest. We will give you a chance to redeem yourself and command Ghyr." The dark gods' whispers restored Kemmler's sanity. As the necromancer rose, he saw a parchment made of skin, written in blood, appearing before him.

"This is?!" Kemmler read the writing on the parchment, soon drenched in sweat.

"We will allow you to command Ghyr. We can heal your wounds, restore your power, if you sign this contract and swear allegiance to us." The dark gods' whispers surrounded him, offering their terms and waiting for the necromancer's response.

Kemmler's face grew solemn. He quickly realized that signing this contract meant betraying the entire undead faction, kneeling to Chaos, becoming their lackey.

But was that so bad? Being a lackey meant he had value!

He wanted revenge! He wanted power! He wanted to obtain Nagash's Staff and utterly destroy François and his duchy!

Without hesitation, Kemmler knelt and signed his name in blood on the parchment. He swore allegiance to the dark gods, promising to repay and please them with slaughter and destruction in exchange for their rewards.

"Then, the contract is sealed." Black flames erupted from the parchment, burning it to ash. The power of Chaos surged into Kemmler, infusing him with the dark gods' strength. The necromancer's wounds healed, and his power surpassed its former peak.

After a long while, Kemmler rose from the tomb, feeling the oceanic depth of power within him. "The time for revenge has come."

Behind him, the Chaos Champion Ghyr rose again under Kemmler's will. The over-two-meter-tall skeleton donned the Barroth Chaos armor, wielding a black great axe.

Ghyr had returned.

The corpses of the fallen Chaos champions in the tomb also revived, forming an undead Chaos champion unit. Led by Ghyr, they assembled before Kemmler, awaiting orders.

"Ghyr, you and my warriors will heed your command, my lord. Give us your orders."

"The time has come," Kemmler said with hatred. "The time for hiding is over!"

"Now, it is time for my revenge, Heinrich Kemmler's revenge!"

Updated! Please vote!

_________________________

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!] [[email protected]/INNIT]