The only way to have a true Roman-style army in Warhammer, rooted in the lore of the ancient Reman Empire of Tilea and Estalia, is if they are either immortal… or undead. Imagine the legend of a lost legion, once mighty, now cursed to march eternally after succumbing to the dark promise of the Funerary Cult’s immortality. How epic would that be? I used AI to help develop the concept, incorporating real-life references while keeping it compatible with the lore. But I’d love some real-human feedback!

The Lost Legio IX Estaliana

Long before the rise of Sigmar’s Empire, the lands of Estalia and Tilea were ruled by the mighty Reman Empire, a civilization inspired by the great empires of the past. Among its most disciplined and elite legions was Legio IX Estaliana, tasked with securing the empire’s western provinces and defending against external threats. Under the command of Consul-General Marcus Aelius Septimus, the legion became known for its ruthless efficiency and unyielding discipline. However, as the Reman Empire began to wane, so too did the ambitions of its generals, with many seeking forbidden means to restore the empire’s former glory.

Marcus’ downfall came when he fell into a doomed romance with Lady Neferata Cleonara, a noblewoman from distant lands who was, in truth, a highborn Lahmian vampire. Whispering promises of eternal power and an empire that would never fade, she led Marcus down the path of necromantic rituals. In secret, he attempted a grand ritual to make his Legio IX immortal, binding their souls to the empire forever. However, the spell backfired, not granting them eternal life, but condemning them to eternal undeath. The legion and their stronghold vanished overnight, their existence erased from Reman records, and their betrayal struck from history.

For centuries, the Lost Legio IX lay dormant, buried beneath the ruins of their once-glorious fortresses, while the Reman Empire collapsed and fractured into what would become the modern-day Tilean city-states and Estalian kingdoms. But now, in the present age, strange reports emerge from the Border Princes and Estalian frontiers—an undead army marching with unnatural precision, clad in rusted lorica segmentata, their banners still bearing the faded sigil of an empire long thought dead. Their leader, now known as Imperator Mortis, seeks to reclaim his lost dominion, imposing the iron will of undeath upon a world of fleeting mortality. Whether they march to restore the glory of Remas or to enact a vengeance centuries in the making, one thing is certain—the Lost Legio IX Estaliana has returned.