Bakhos
Bakhos was Master of the Joyous Revelry and a Chaos Lord of Slaanesh who in the Age of Sigmar had watched over Caddow and its Realmgate for a century. [1]
He rode a black mutated warhorse, Ucepha, its coat as much metal as flesh. [1b]
Appearance
He was clad in finely crafted plate, created by the daemon-smiths of the Bale-Furnace which with his Shyishan Leopard furs covered much of his flesh. His skin was adorned with purple tattoos and he had retained the scars the leopards had given him on his hands and arms. When worn, his magnificent helm covered his head, face and neck, except for a t-shaped slit for his mouth and eyes. Its crest was made from the quills of daemons and they still writhed and twitched, changing colour at his touch. His favoured blade is made from fyresteel and may have been a gift from Archaon himself. [1a]
History
He was born in Semele and became a famed warrior-king, leading that lands iron phalanxes to war. [1a]
As a youth he had watched the art of divination by arrows, with accredited seers and sages predicting the future by the patterns of their falling. Trying to replicate this later with the Revelry and target slaves was amusing if ineffective. His people had worshipped a number of gods and when the wine harvest was gathered, they had orgies and dancing to please Slaanesh.[1c]
Bakhos entered Shyish in search of the soul of his wife, defeating many legions of the undead. [1d]
He entered the service of Archaon who tasked him with guarding the ruins of Caddow and its Realmgate and watching in case the dead of that city rose again in the service of Nagash. His army fought and defeated Beastmen, Orruks and the Undead but after many decades, the novelty was lacking. Bakhos was fond of seers, witches and sages - which allowed Vlad to enter his service, quickly rising to become chief adviser, with seemingly only the Daemonettes at court knowing who he truly was. [1a] As well as rampaging through the region for slaves, he also had vineyards planted in the hills to provide him with wine. [1d]
Bakhos created a beautiful map of the are he claimed, using several hundred beastmen hides and ink created from daemon blood. [1c]
When the albino Beastlord Ghosteater came to him with a Stormcast Eternal captive, Bakhos was intrigued by this new enemy and tortured him even as the realmgate to Azyr opened. Vlad persuaded him that he had not failed, and to attack the invaders - beheading the Stormcast he enjoyed the lightning storm that errupted from the body. [1a] He led an undulating horde of the Revelty into battle in the ruins, crashing into the shield wall of the Stormcast, where although he danced through their wall and slew several, delighting in the lightning of their demise, his vanguard were defeated and he had to retreat. [1b]
He directed a number of attacks on the Stormcast and other forces of Order occupying Caddow but when he discovered that a small force had left the city and were heading across the Sea of Dust in search of Nagash he declared to his assembled chieftains that it was his duty to pursue them. To much surprise he announced that Ghosteater would rule in his absence declaring that Lemerus would travel with him and Etax was tasked with supporting the Beastlord. [1f]
Only two dozen lords and warriors rode on fast steeds with him, guided by furies and with Daemonettes on Steeds of Slaanesh surrounding them, laughing and singing. In the ensuing running battle, he discovered the true identity of Vlad before the riders crashed into a corpse reef allowing the dust-barque to escape. [1g] Finally catching up with the small force, he fought and defeated Mannfred in single combat before challenging Nagash himself. Rather than deigning to fight him, the Lord of the Dead killed him with a word, then animated his corpse. [1h]
Titles
He was known by many names: the Maiden's Son, Walker-On-Shields, Spear-King, Slaymaster, Master of the Joyous Revelry, the Leopard in Summer, the Lord of the Lash, the Leopard of Semele, the Hero of Thyrsus. [1a][1e]
Sources