Skaven longevity?

[Lord Zarkov]

It was a Nehekharan thing, only in the Nagash novels. I've no idea why it was thought to be a good idea to introduce.

IMO it kind of makes sense, the Nehekharans did have the whole quest for immortality thing and, while only the Liche Priests managed to 'live' indefinitely, magically extending their lives by a certain amount makes some sense when it's the entire focus of their culture - especially in the first book when they still have the direct blessings of their gods.

Anyone got the 6th Ed TK book to hand (I don't atm unfortunately)? How long were the kings listed in there as reigning for? IIRC it's quite a while.

[Arnizipal]

The older background had the Liche Priests extending their lives at the cost of turning into a dried out husk.

[Lord Zarkov]

The older background had the Liche Priests extending their lives at the cost of turning into a dried out husk.

But they eventually cracked the secret to eternal 'life' - it's not unreasonable to think that by this point they might have found ways to extend by a small amount the lives of the kings while holding off the huskness for longer. Even when they were just founded they managed to extend Settra's life by a little bit, one would think they would have improved over the centuries, just the non-husk extension would be much shorter than the husk one.

So perhaps when they could gain 50 years they could give the kings 20; when they could get 100, 50; when 500, 100; etc, etc?
Eventually they become liches and perhaps they can give a hundred or two extra years?

[stazba]

But they eventually cracked the secret to eternal 'life' -

Did they? I always thought the background was that
1. Mortuary priests constantly worked to extend life, but they never found it nor really extended life that much (ie long life came from the gods blessings)
2. Nagash found the secret to eternal 'life'
3. Nagash caused the new 'undeath' rebirth + eternal 'life' in Nehekhara

would love more info on older background though if it was different or a correction of my current understanding if it is wrong

[Lord Zarkov]

Did they? I always thought the background was that
1. Mortuary priests constantly worked to extend life, but they never found it nor really extended life that much (ie long life came from the gods blessings)
2. Nagash found the secret to eternal 'life'
3. Nagash caused the new 'undeath' rebirth + eternal 'life' in Nekrahara

would love more info on older background though if it was different or a correction of my current understanding if it is wrong

According to Liber Necris, the Liche Priests found a way to prevent death from natural causes, but the consequence was they became dried up husks - looking the same as they do now - and they were still able to be killed by someone hacking them apart (if anything it became easier as they became slow and brittle). In fact Nagash was able to murder his predecessor as Grand Heirophant of Khemri.

Nagash then developed his elixir by blending Druchii sorcery with Morturary Cult lore. This made the drinkers into sort of 'proto vampires' who not only did not die of natural causes, but did not age; had preternatural speed, strength, and resilience; had enhanced magical powers; and could be revived from grievous injury with more elixir. However they could still be put down with determined enough effort, and required frequent draughts of the elixir to maintain its effects.

When he was driven out of Khemri Nagash died for the first time in the desert, but his spirit remained and he possessed his now rotting corpse. Eventually he found his way to the sour sea, drank the warpstone infected water, and became the first true Liche. At some point he also invented Necromancy, but GW keep on changing their minds when that was.

Later Neferata tried to copy Nagash's work from his books (in some accounts with W'Soran's help), but made some changes (either accidentally, or with Nagash's help from afar), and instead became a Master Vampire - with all of the benefits of the original Elixir (enhanced even), but permanent, and able to be spread through her blood. The downside being that, as the process removed her soul from the Aether and bound it within every part of her body, she no longer had access to a natural flow of Sekhem (magic), and had to get it from other means (i.e. drinking blood, although simply drawing in the winds of magic is another (less healthy) option).

[Arnizipal]

But they eventually cracked the secret to eternal 'life' - it's not unreasonable to think that by this point they might have found ways to extend by a small amount the lives of the kings while holding off the huskness for longer. Even when they were just founded they managed to extend Settra's life by a little bit, one would think they would have improved over the centuries, just the non-husk extension would be much shorter than the husk one.

So perhaps when they could gain 50 years they could give the kings 20; when they could get 100, 50; when 500, 100; etc, etc?
Eventually they become liches and perhaps they can give a hundred or two extra years?

This does sound familiar...
I do seem to recall that Settra lived an unnaturally long life before dying in the end (cursing his priest for their failure to make him immortal).

How wide-spread is the long-livedness in the Nagash trilogy?

[Lord Zarkov]

I don't have my books to hand since they're currently in another county, but IIRC ages were over 200 years and approaching 300. For example the twin kings of Zandri I think it was were installed as boys shortly after Nagash's rise to power, but were still ruling when he fell some 200 years later.
One of the kings of Lahmia also came to power about the same time as Nagash (but as a full, if youngish, adult), and was and old man when murdered by his son a day or two before Nagash fell.
I think a few of the other kings also spanned most to all of Nagash's reign, but I can't remember the specifics.

I do wish I had the old TK book to hand though - it had the dates for which all the kings of Khemri reigned which would be a useful comparison.

[redshylock]

I do wish I had the old TK book to hand though - it had the dates for which all the kings of Khemri reigned which would be a useful comparison.

I would love if someone would post it.

It bothered me for so long ever since I read the Nagash book that if the kings live for hundreds of years and there are only 7 main city states then there should only be handful of tomb king around between the time of Settra to nagash's great spell.

[Lord Zarkov]

I would love if someone would post it.

It bothered me for so long ever since I read the Nagash book that if the kings live for hundreds of years and there are only 7 main city states then there should only be handful of tomb king around between the time of Settra to nagash's great spell.

It might be that the average life expectancy for a Tomb King is brought down by them killing each other (as happened to Nagash's own father), there did seem to be a lot of infighting between the city states. During Nagash's reign this infighting would have been prevented by uniting against a common enemy/being under Nagash's iron rule and thus they live for longer.