Krell was a mighty Chaos champion long before the birth of the Empire. At this time there were only a few scattered tribes of men who were nothing more than barbarians with few skills and little learning. Krell was the ruler of one such tribe that was corrupted by the Chaos god, Khorne. Krell quickly carved out an empire amongst the barbarian tribes of the north and then turned against the Dwarfs to the south. This was during the period the Dwarfs call the Time of Woes, when their empire had been riven by earthquakes and volcanic explosions, then assaulted by massed tribes of Orcs, Goblins, Skaven and other evil creatures. Krell allied with the Night Goblins who stormed the Dwarf Strongholds of Karak Ungor and Karak Varn and his name is recorded many times in the Great Book of Grudges. He was finally slain by the Dwarf Hero Grimbul Ironhelm during the assault on Karak Kadrin. Krell's followers carried away his body and buried it in a crudely wrought tomb on the edge of the area now known as the Chaos Wastes. Nearly 1,500 years later Nagash came upon this tomb whilst he was searching for his lost Crown of Sorcery. Nagash had heard much of Krell and his brief but bloody reign, so he raised the mighty warrior from the dead. Krell was placed in command of one of Nagash's Undead legions when he fought against Sigmar at the Battle of the River Reik.