Tomb Guard

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"Sentinels at the portal of eternity, mighty ones who stand before the king, valiant heroes whom none shall pass, guardians of the king's tomb."

– Hieroglyphic inscription over the sarcophagi of Settra's Tomb Guard.

Royal bodyguards, and somewhat based off the soldier mummies from the Brendan Fraser Mummy movies. Their job was to protect the royal family. They wielded weapons imbued with killing curses and were chosen from the hardiest and most loyal Nehekharan soldiers.

Overview

In life, Tomb Guard were called Palace Guard, and were the only opportunity for someone of ignoble birth to likely ever see the beauty of the inner Palace and gaze upon the living gods of the kings and queens for themselves. Each was permitted at least a dozen of the King's slaves to tend to his wargear in life so his complete and undivided attention could be on his scared duty-service to his king. Wordly wealth was not the reward which was their primary concern, for their true duty eternal was to come after death: their's or their king's.

The Tomb Kings, ever since before the Time of Settra, have practiced the art of mummification, though it is only after his reign that the intricate rituals have arose that would potentially allow for them to return in life. It's believed these traditions arose from much more ancient times, descending from the traditions of the Lizardmen of the Southlands, particularly in reverence to the Slann and their stalwart and revered Temple Guards. Although the Royalty and Nobles received the best mummification processes money could buy, their best warriors and guards received as close to the best as it was their duty in the afterlife to protect them. Infused into their blades and Halbreds are powerful incantations of cursing, which allow them to cut through organized ranks of other armies with ease, weakening them.

After Nagash decided to fuck everyone over, these guard showed a new purpose: Elite Heavy Infantry of the Tomb Kings. Their lavish shields decorated in veneration of their Gods, ornate armor, and lavish jewels provide far more protection than the comparatively weaker armor of Skeleton Warriors and even the armor of the barbaric tribes from before Sigmar which make up the Grave Guard. Additionally, outside of their kings, they retain the most cognitive ability of all the units which are not Royalty or nobility.

By default, Tomb Guard rest in large stone sarcophagi in the antechamber next to the royal burial chamber. If an invader enters the tomb, they will immediately awaken to intercept-though given their increased ability to reason or discuss, this doesn't necessarily result in violence as if someone enters to warn the king or to do something that's not robbing someone's grave, they may actually give them audience, as was seen when Khatep went to wake up Settra. Additionally, when their kings wake up, they will immediately arise.

Tomb Guard demonstrate a brutal cunning for which very few other enemies can match, having lived for a hundred lifetimes and retaining more of their personalities than others who can claim similar experience. They have slaughtered and been slaughtered by every enemy the Warhammer World can offer, and so have grown stalwart and fearless, only truly dedicated to their king, and animated by the heroic visions of their past, burning scorn for their king's enemies, and unyielding will towards bloody victories, even if to just rise again after being slain and awaking in the cold stone of their sarcophagus.