Hiram Von Todtstein

Way back in the old days this ancient king was the last descendant of one of the oldest noble families that called the Empire their home. He was a mighty warrior and a wise king, accompanied by a trusted retinue of men who never faltered in the face of peril. As a ruler, he displayed awe-inspiring fearlessness and his warriors followed him unflinchingly in battle. His black, pronged crown was a gift from a mighty wizard from the eastern lands – a far region that Hiram once defended against the beastmen in one of his countless campaigns. The crown was made of a very rare, unknown material and was imbued with powerful magical incantations. This artifact gave him even greater power in battle, more control over his troops and caused great terror to his enemies. It was said that he couldn't be defeated by any means while wearing the sinister black crown. But there was a trick to it too, a dark side of the coin. Anyone looking at the king while having bad intentions towards him would became cursed by the crown and slowly but surely wither under the foul influence of the mysterious artifact. With time, or at least some sages claimed so, the crown took a life of its own. The king was possessed by it completely, his willpower eventually shriveling to nothingness. Eventually, the king went raving mad and became a soulless puppet controlled by the crown. On his last known campaign against the rising threat from the east, it is said he just rode off during a moonless night into peculiar mists that appeared out of nowhere. He was not seen again. Apparently, this mist led him to another world, one yet unknown to mortals. There, he was lost for ages – until today. He was last spotted near the Sylvanian border, leading a vast contingent of skeleton warriors, their standard bearer displaying the flag of the New Night Order. Another mystery surrounding Hiram? Another threat to the old world? Time will tell.

Although I am a huge fan of the classic, Games Workshop, metal Wight models sculpted by Gary Morley in the early 90s, I also really like the current plastic Wight King model. The sculpt is really awesome and the pose is very dynamic. The King is standing with one leg on a tombstone and his robe is flaunting on wind. I used a cotton ball to create the effect of fog spreading around him. I'm pretty pleased how it turned out.