From the stop-motion wizardry of Ray Harryhausen, to the high-fantasy of Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons, to the cursed buccaneers of Pirates of the Caribbean and beyond – the undead have long been a staple in tales of fantasy. As such, it was an obvious choice to include skeletal warriors in the Mythic Legions line. In fact, those skeletons were part of the line from the very beginning, making appearances in both our Toypocalypse event in 2014 and in the Kickstarter campaign that started it all back in 2015!
The Ruling Family
Most of the skeletons of Mythoss belong to a single faction – the Congregation of Necronominus. Named after the dark god who these undead soldiers follow, this faction is led by the children of Necronominus, and each of these terrible beings serves a key purpose in leading the undead armies in their quest to bring Necronominus back from wherever he has been banished. It should be noted that while the Congregation of Necronominus is comprised mostly of skeletons, other members of the undead do also serve in the ranks of this terrible army.
Available as part of the “Advent of Decay” line, the daughter of Necronominus, Morgolyth, is the high-priestess and leader of this faction. She rules with “a resigned coldness reflected in her faction’s deadly efficiency” and with the “ability to see through the eyes of her dead soldiers” which “keeps her perpetually aware of her armies’ actions.” Morgolyth’s bio goes on to state that she “truly believes that the moment has arrived for her father Necronominus’ return, and is readying her faction for a new era of evil.”
Malleus was the first of the ruling family of Necronominus to be made available in Mythic Legions. He was part of that aforementioned first Kickstarter wave. Malleus is “the ears of Necronominus until his master’s return. He serves as judge, jury, and executioner to any who pose a threat to his father’s teachings. A deeply devout follower of his father’s word and scripture, Malleus quickly dispatches those who diverge from the path that has been chosen for his congregation.”
The final member of Necronominus’ children, who joined the line along with his sister in the “Advent of Decay” wave, is the terrifying Brother Mandibulus. He is “the most vocal and visible of Necronominus’ three remaining children. Often springing into action on his sister Morgolyth’s behalf, his aggressive ruthlessness is terrifying to behold.”
Mandibulus’ bio goes on to further detail the interactions and roles that the children of Necronominus play in the governance of the faction that bears their father’s name – “While Malleus is obsessed with the preservation of their father’s teachings and Morgolyth is focused on leading their faction, Mandibulus’ sights are set on the complete slaughter of all who oppose his family and their disciples.”
As if these three undead terrors leading this faction were not terrible enough, the Congregation of Necronominus also boasts an army of who are “highly ordered and single minded”, creating “an effective and deadly force.” Let’s look at some of those undead soldiers next!
Loyal Soldiers
“One of the most ancient living skeletons roaming the earth, Tibius commands many of the deadlier battalions in Necromominus’ army.” We’ve done a feature on this figure before, who is “single-minded to a fault” and is “consumed with recruiting soldiers and bolstering his ranks. A master fighter in his own right, Tibius is renowned for the savage skill he displays while wielding his twin swords on the battlefield.”
One of the Congregation’s “most savage fighters”, Illgar was once “one of the most notorious and brutal warriors in the northern kingdom of Vikenfell.” This undead warrior “was not to be stopped even by death itself. Thanks to a deal struck with Necronominus’ son Malleus, he was reborn as a shambling skeletal semblance of his former self.”
Standing out in any display is the red-boned Clavian. “Unlike other skeleton soldiers raised from the dead, Clavian and his crimson-hued brethren are reborn of magic steeped in blood. The foul sorcery used to regenerate these scarlet demons also grants them augmented strength and the ability to remove and brandish their own bones as weapons, only to regrow them again and again. The magic running through Clavian’s bones renders even his slightest touch lethally poisonous.”
Furthering the concept of undead warriors raised from the dead by powerful magic is Scaphoid, whose bio reads: “When truly gifted magic users are killed and reborn by Necronominus’ hand, their power seeps into their bones staining them with spiritual remnants of their past life. Brimming with foul magic, these cursed skeletons have little control over their power, making them unpredictable time bombs of magical energy. Often thrown into a fight just to lay waste to all who surround them, some learn to master their unstable talents. The most accomplished of these mystical masters is Scaphoid. Chosen to represent Necrominus at The Covenant of Shadow, Scaphoid has been tasked with unleashing his dark power on all present if the proceedings go awry.”
The Nameless Army of the Dead
In addition to the undead royal family and their loyal soldiers, the army of Necronominus is also comprised of countless warriors whose names are unknown, but whose sheer numbers are enough to horrify and overwhelm nearly any opposing force. This army includes the standard and Gold Skeleton Legion Builders, as well as the Skeleton Solder from “Advent of Decay” and the Deluxe Skeleton Legion Builder (this last one is not pictured below). These "builder" figures allow fans of the undead to really amass a truly terrifying force of undead warriors for displays, photograph, and more.
Traitors and Outcasts
While the overwhelming majority of the skeletons of Mythoss are aligned with the Congregation of Necronominus, there are a handful of undead outcasts who have decided to place their allegiance elsewhere. These traitors have generally decided to seek out their fortunes by aligning with the Sons of the Red Star, a faction led by one of their own – Skapular the Cryptbreaker.
“Born into the Congregation of Necronominus, Skapular the Cryptbreaker is anything but loyal to his Order. Living an opulent life of greed and depravity has driven Skapular to sell his deadly services to the highest bidder. As an assassin with a mastery of every weapon imaginable, Skapular is a powerful warrior, but his wealth and influence prove even more formidable. Together with group of killers he has assembled known as the Sons of the Red Star, Skapular's dangerous methods possess the capability to change the outcome of many a battle.” You can read more about this character and figure in the “Figure in Focus” spotlight we did on him.
Joining Skapular in the Sons of the Red Star is the former gladiator, Keltuss. His bio states that “once he escaped the coliseum, Keltuss' fame opened many opportunities. The promise of fortune and renown ultimately lured Keltuss to join Skapular and the Sons of the Red Star.” So instead of lending his magical talents to those the Congregation, this one-time coliseum fighter instead allowed the lure of “fortune and renown” to drive him to Skapular’s band of cutthroats.
The fallen Mercurian warrior known as Pixxus is another undead member of the Sons, but he did not turn away from Necronominus solely because of greed. Instead, this warrior has turned his back on the Congregation out of anger at his being risen from the dead. His bio tells this story: “Once resurrected by the same Necronomian sorcery that drained his life, he is now consumed with hatred for all that live. His resentment toward the very power that tore him away from death led to his rejection of The Congregation of Necronominus. Pixxus has finally found his home with The Sons of The Red Star, where he can spread his hatred freely while lining his coffers with gold.”
The red-boned Pelvicus, from the LegionsCon 2022 "Furious Four" set is another skeleton who has left the Congregation, this time expelled from that order. He has found a new home amongst the Fury Clan and their alliegence to the God of War, Arethyr!
The final “skeletal” character we will look at in this article (at least for now) is one that is technically part of the Congregation of Necronominus, albeit unwillingly – the ghostly Hagnon. This is another character which we’ve focused on in a previous article. “Once a proud soldier in The Order of Eathyron, Hagnon led a legendary campaign that led to one of The Congregation of Necronominus’ greatest defeats. Later hunted and captured by the treacherous Brother Mandibulus, he was brought to the unforgiving Morgolyth for his final reckoning. In a chilling act of revenge, Morgolyth ended Hagnon’s life and resurrected him as one of her own. Eternally chained and shackled for his crimes, he has become the menacing and forever-conflicted ghostly agent of Necronominus.” Will this “forever-conflicted” warrior fight for the Congregation, or will he be one who help destroy the undead armies from within, recalling his days as a solder of Eathyron? Only time will tell as the story of the skeletons of Mythoss, and the other armies and faction of the Realm, unfold through the tales of Mythic Legions.
Necronominus Returns
With the announcement that the wave revealed at Gcon 2022 will be named "Necronominus", there are clearly dark days ahead for the Realm. The fourth and final Horseman is returning, and an army of death follows in his wake. The ranks of the Congregation of Necronominus shall certainly swell, and more skeletons shall make their way into Mythoss. Look for a sizable update to this article in the future!
First published on 10.02.20
Published on 10.21.22