The Harvesters

The Harvesters, formerly known as the Council of Tyl, are a group of five individuals who wear long, black robes with pointed hoods and wield scythes. They are identical in appearance except for one - who has subtle, intricate patterns embroidered along the seams of his cloak and wields a skull-headed staff in place of a scythe. Although nameless, he is thought to be their leader.

The Harvesters are dark magicians with incredible strength combined. They once protected over the Sanctum of Stars, a gateway to the realm of the void, but were tempted by it's infinite powers and fell to corruption. Originally, the Council of Tyl were six, only one escaped the madness the was bestowed upon the others; Logan Talvus.

As a dark shadow grew within the Council, Talvus retreated into the kingdom of Tyl to warn of their betrayal. Talvus was banished from the city for letting such a thing happen, threatened with execution if he was to return. By this time, half of the kingdom of Tyl had already been swallowed by a dark shadow that the Council released from the portal in the Sanctum.

The Council's betrayal cost Tyl greatly, as the human kingdom fell to death and despair. The Council raised the corpses of the townsfolk into undead, harvesting their souls. Because of this, they became known as the Harvesters. Eventually, the dead were cut down and pushed back into the dead woods that was once lush farmland and Tyl was rebuilt. Talvus returned to the deadwood to live as a hermit and keep watch over the remains of the Sanctum and the wandering, aimless undead.

With their newfound power, The Harvesters returned to their roots - the Kingdom City of Nordon, where they released their wrathful vengeance upon the king, as it was he that banished the council and the other lower-class citizens into the forests of Amazar years ago where they would eventually settle and build their new home of "Tyl", nordic for "Risen".

## Shadow of the Harvest

At the end of Age of Iron, you are sent on one final quest to stop the Harvesters from obtaining the fourth and final Apocalyse Stone from the Tiranian Vaults, but fail. They are not heard of again until the start of the expansion which begins with the Shadowspire, erected in the ruins of Nordon in north-western Gondana, erupting a powerful shockwave that sweeps across all of Amon'Amarth, claiming the lives of thousands and raising them into undead. An event known as the Harvest. The same thing occured on a much smaller scale years ago when the Harvesters razes the city of Nordon. This time, with the power of the Apocalyse Stones, the result was far more devastating.

The Harvesters plan to use the Shadowspire to punch a hole in the void, letting lose the great shadow upon all of Gondana.

In an act of betrayal, Malthazar kills the leader of the Harvesters and reclaims his skull inside the Terrormaw. The remaining four escape, and are later recruited by Arcaius to become the new Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

## Malthazar's Skull

The leader of the Harvesters, known only as The Fifth, wields a staff with the skull of Malthazar mounted upon it, taken from the corpse of Commander Malthazar after his decapitation during the original Harvest event in the Kingdom of Nordos.

It is used as a vessel that absorbs souls killed by the blade Dallrenesh, wielded by the undead form of Malthazar. The souls convert into 'soul-power', which charges the skull up. This soul-power can then be dispensed in the form of dark magic, as a weapon. It can also power the Shadowspire alone if it contains enough souls.

After Malthazar's defeat in the Terrormaw, the warlock Zul'thurux takes the skull and escapes. When Zul is finally killed on Xenus, the skull is claimed by Abaddon.