Knighthaunts of Necronnia Gallery and Lore! (Patreon)

Every month BattleYak Miniatures will release a new Battle Pack, featuring 3D printable miniature files! The February Battle Pack is the Knighthaunts of Necronnia, an army of noble phantom knights! This pack includes modular weapons, tons of customization options, bonus figures, and more!

Become a Patron now and gain access to the Knighthaunts of Necronnia here!

Enjoy this gallery of the Knighthaunts of Necronnia miniatures and a glimpse into the story behind the faction!

___________________________________

Other kingdoms lesser love'd,

Weeping, fall to endless night,

Tho steel may shed our mortal blood,

Our souls undying ever fight,

Heed now the call of bells that toll,

And raise us spritely from our grave,

The dread to unblest foreign foe,

The kingdom true we rise to save,

Necronnia! O, Necronnia! Our love for thee shall never die!

O, Necronnia! Our love for thee shall never die!

-Except from the national anthem "Necronnia Eternal"

The blessed kingdom of Nostalia has known ages of plenty, its people making their homes in countless hamlets and cities and thriving on the bounty of the land for generations. When the threat of invaders from other nations or monstrous foes birthed by dark powers darken the lives of the good people of Nostalia, armies of noble warrior knights rally to their defense. But when the armies of Nostalia are outmatched and overwhelmed, then the great secret of the kingdom is revealed - Nostalia enjoys the protection of a secret twin kingdom, a hidden kingdom, with armies of its own beyond the means of mortals to defeat. Necronnia, the eternal kingdom.

With righteous fury and noble purpose that even death itself cannot contain, the Knighthaunts of Necronnia sally forth to meet the forces of evil in glorious battle. With sword and lance they cleave through the ranks of the foe, reaping a deadly toll while the enemy's return strikes have all the effectiveness of flailing at fog. Clad in immaculate plate armor and riding atop magnificent steeds, the Knighthaunts are a glorious sight to behold. Only in their final moments, as their broken bodies bleed out their last, do the enemy come to grasp the true nature of their killers. Their dying eyes glimpse the leering, wasted skulls hidden just beneath the translucent, spectral armor, and understanding comes; they never had a hope at defeating the Knighthaunts of Necronnia, for there is no killing that which is already long dead.

Marching to war in heavy plate and armed with deadly weapons of peerless quality, the Phantasmal Footknights form the infantry of the Knighthaunts armies. Never seeming to tire, footknights can wade into the thickest combat, the blows of the enemy ringing off their armored forms or turned aside by shield and sword, while dealing death with every strike they make in return. So sharp are their blades and swung with such force that they appear to pass through the enemy completely without slowing down, no matter what defense is attempted. When the battle is won and the Knighthaunts march off to other conquests, they leave behind the fallen bodies of the foe, their faces are contorted in horrible ways, as if they had died of fright.

Phantasmal Questing-Knights are warriors born from the noble houses of Nostalia, greatly respected both for the station of their birth and their valorous deeds on the field of battle, each having earned their place among the armies of the Knighthaunts many times over. When called to ride to war, each one takes a vow that they will not stop until the enemy has been utterly destroyed, taking no food or drink or even sleep, sustained only by the righteousness of their oath.

Every Questing-Knight is a warrior of unparalleled skill, having experienced countless battles atop their mighty warhorse steeds. Skilled with all manner of weapons, they can take the head from a foe with a single sweep of a sword, or run them through with a fierce lance strike. The charge of a battalion of Questing-Knights can shatter entire enemy armies, leaving only ruin in their wake. Such is the speed of a mass cavalry charge that their steeds seem to fly over the battlefield without actually touching the ground.

Amongst the ranks of the Knighthaunts are sometimes glimpsed maidens of indescribable beauty, dressed in fine gowns and moving with unearthly grace. Their hair and garments are stirred as if by a gentle breeze, whether the wind is still or stormy, and their expressions are calm, downcast, and quietly sad. As the armored clad warriors of the Knighthaunts charge into battle, the voices of these damsels are raised in song, mournful dirges that are equally sorrowful and beautiful. Upon hearing the singing of the maidens, the enemy is struck with an unbearable melancholy, and even the hardiest and most brutal of warriors will let their weapons drop and fall to their knees, captivated by the sorrowful beauty of the mist-wreathed sun or the gentle swaying of wildflowers. Easy prey for the blades and lances of the Knighthaunts.

The citizens of Nostalia who glimpse them call them the 'grey maidens' or the 'sad ladies' and other names, some only whispered in hushed tones, names from ancient myths born in darker times. Not for nothing is the cry of the Banshee said to be a portent of death...

The number of heroes that have been laid to rest in the sprawling grave-glades of Nostalia are beyond counting, each of them having given their lives in battle to defend their kingdom and its people. In life they were called to take up sword and shield in a time of desperation, and in making their ultimate sacrifice they have earned their entry into the hidden kingdom of Necronnia.

In Necronnia, the spirits of the dead know nothing but peace and happiness. All mortal cares and regrets fade away, all pains and wounds vanish like mist in the sun, all loved ones are reunited and all grudges are reconciled. The dead are granted a new existence in Necronnia as if they were alive again and enjoy endless celebration. Every soul is treated like a king or queen, feasting at grand tables whose fares never seem to dwindle, singing songs with voices that never falter, or stealing off to richly furnished chambers with beautiful admirers who seem inexhaustible. 

But however deep in celebration they may fall, no soul hesitates for an instant when the sound of great tolling bells ring out across the endless manors and thoroughfares of Necronnia. From innumerable steeples and towers the massive bells ring, and the hosts of Necronnia answer, for it is the call to wage war once again in the realm of the living. Souls in uncountable multitudes march from their places of rest and reward, losing the definition they once possessed and become a roiling mass of grey-green mist, rising up above the never-ending city to blot out the shining sun overhead. Marching through routes impossible for mortals to understand, the Knighthaunts of Necronnia soon find themselves treading the ground of the living realm, armored for war and arrayed in ordered ranks.

The reason of how Nostalia came to enjoy the protection of this army of the noble dead is a mystery lost to the dust of history. Few of the living in Nostalia question this good fortune or seek to uncover the truth, and any scholar or wise-man who makes his quest for knowledge too openly known often vanishes suddenly. Some in nations abroad who have learned of the Knighthaunts speculate that some great power lies hidden beneath the kingdom of Nostalia, while others look to ancient records or lost relics of races that may have dwelled in its lands long ago and left behind some remnant of their lost glory that fuels the existence of Necronnia. Some whisper that dark bargains with unknown entities were struck in the realm's infancy when it faced destruction against some dire foe, and that a terrible price will one day be paid for the power that the Knighthaunts possess to defy the grave.

But perhaps the truth is more noble. Perhaps such is their love and devotion to their beloved kingdom that even death cannot keep the Knighthaunts of Necronnia from marching to war in its defense. Perhaps the source of their undying might is not so dark.

Perhaps.

___________________________________

Enjoy the latest release from Battle Yak Miniatures! Check out the Battle Yak Miniatures online store for all previous Battle Pack releases, and become a Patron for new miniature releases every month!