The Headless Horseman

Class
 Level
 Affiliation
The Harvesters,
 Position
 Location
 Relative(s)

The Headless Horseman, also known as the 'Necromancer', 'Champion of the Dead', 'Lord of the Harvest' or simply 'The Horseman', is an undead male NPC who plays the role of lead antagonist and presumed final boss of the third expansion titled "Shadow of the Harvest". His real name is Malthazar.

The Horseman serves the Harvesters and commands the legions of undead on Gondana. The Horseman's Skull is an artifact wielded by the Harvesters and is used as a vessel to absorb and contain the many souls slain by the necromancers as well as drain souls stored in the Shadowspire. It is mounted atop a stave, held by the presumed "leader" of the Harvesters, the only one to wield a staff instead of a scythe. This weapon is known as *Fel'Tharun, pillar of the damned.*

The Horseman often wears a helmet to hide a ghastly visage in place of where his head used to be. This visage is made of a faint, bluey green, foggy aura that emanates from his severed neck. It is able to rotate a full 360 degrees unlike a normal head and can disappear. It cannot be struck as it does not truly exist. When the Horseman speaks, the jaw of the skull does not move.

If the Horseman, Malthazar, were to be reunited with his skull, it is possible the he could fully absorb the hundreds of thousands of souls contained within it, granting him devastating power.

The Horseman rides atop his undead steed "Ruin", who has the ability to gallop through in the air, as if flying. Ruin died alongside Malthazar in life and thus was resurrected with him, they have always been partners. Ruin was named "Valiant" in life. Ruin is suspected to be an obtainable mount from the Horseman when he becomes killable.

## In Life and through Death

In life, The Horseman was a lieutenant in the Nordon Militia who went by the name Malthazar. He was the most prized soldier of the kingdom and fought valiantly in my battles. He was an incredibly skilled combatant who specialty was longswords. Malthazar would lead armies into battle, striking down opponents from atop his steed, Valiant.

Despite being such a successful warrior, Malthazar was all but honorable. He served alongside the now Marshal Mathews as grunts. Their superior, Captain Garrick, died in the battle of Highpeak against the Marin'gor Ogres when Malthazar decided to save himself rather than risk his life to recover his injured Captain. Once he returned to Nordas, Malthazar blamed Mathews for the death of Garrick, having him banished from Nordas. Malthazar was hailed a hero and promoted to Captain. Mathews joined Tyl, the lower city, and established a new militia.

When the Harvestors first came to Amon'Amarth, after the Battle of Tyl and the ruination of the Sanctum of Stars in Deadwood, they tricked King Mides (Mae-dees) into constructing the Shadowspire, claiming it was a defense system to help repel the undead that they raised prior as a motive of persuasion. Soon after, they detonated the Spire, killing and raising almost a third of Nordon's population into undead.

As the heroes of Nordon fell, the dead grew in numbers. Nordon was overrun by undead and the kingdom fell to ruin. Malthazar, having killed thousands of undead, was one of the last to fall. He died atop his steed when one of the Harvesters decapitated with their scyth. The horse, Valiant, was killed in the crossfire. Malthazar and his steed were risen in undead and left to command the undead of Nordas.

In time, the undead were pushed back into the ruins of Nordas by the Dwarves and the entire region was sealed off, leaving the dead the wander aimlessly. The dwarves of Bael'Donas sealed the mountain off to the outside world. Malthazar remained in the ruins of Nordas and laid himself to rest until he was called upon again.

## Malthazar's Skull

The Skull acts as a conduit of power that charges up as the number of souls it holds increases. The Skull can then be used to perform various magical abilities and used like a weapon. It can be plugged into the Shadowspire and drain the souls from within it, becoming a pandora's box for the tormented undead and providing the Harvesters with infinite power.

## Class, Skills & Abilities

Warrior - Soldier - Necromancer - Warlock

Malthazar is a skilled swordsman and prefers mounted combat to ground combat. He strikes with fast, swift movements and incapacitates foes before beheading them, just as it was done to him.

Malthazar also uses shadow and death magic. The same school of magic associated with warlocks, necromancers and sentient undead being. He can raise and control undead just like the Harvesters. His soul is tethered to his true skull, wielded by the Harvesters and therefor can never truly be killed unless the Skull is destroyed or his body is entombed so his soul cannot return to it.

Anyone slain by the blade of the Horseman has their soul transferred to Malthazar's Skull, kept by the Harvesters. They are also immediately risen in undeath.

Malthazar also has an ability known as the 'Gaze of the Horseman' in where anyone who gazes into the eyes of his ghastly skull allow The Horseman to penetrate their mind and control their actions. The Horseman can control only one vessel at a time as well as his own body which works similarly to a hive mind but on a scale of only 2 individuals, allowing him to use any intellectual mortal as a puppet. The controlled subject can stray from the Horseman as far as they want, but cannot leave the landmass that they were possessed on. This is because, for some unknown reason, subjects controlled by Malthazar are "vulnerable" to water. If they were to be drenched in water, the spell will be broken and their will freed.

Malthazar used this abilitiy on Logan Talvus to trick Marshal Mathews into taking him to the Elven King of Tel-Ranis to reveal the secrets of the Tiranian Vaults to the Harvesters so they could secure the final Apocalyse Stone. This is unknown to players at the time, however, who assume Talvus betrayed them. This is reveleaed later in the expansion when Talvus is freed of Malthazar's grasp.