| Aedale Redfist From her early studies on, her teachers had said that Aedale had the potential to become the most powerful spellcaster of the Empire. At the same time however, they feared that her desparate desire to prove herself both to others and herself might lead her down a dark path. Against the wishes of her father, Duke Volarian Redfist himself, she joined the Imperial Army and participated in the Second Voidwar on the continent of Arkain. There she came into contact with demonic artifacts - and absorbed their power for herself. Soon after she made a pact with the exiled and imprisoned demoness Lisara, merging with her to become even more powerful. This had dire consequences for Aedale and her family - she ended up burning her own father alive. Terrified by this, she managed to regain control of herself and turned the tables by being the one to control Lisara instead, enslaving her consciousness. She also vowed to put an end to the machinations of Lisara's former master, the Dark One Tregakh. Given her deeds however, she had to do so far from the eyes of the public... |
| Grand Duke Birram Before Gardon Bloodclaw's ascension to a general of the Empire, Birram was a widely unknown scholar who was more interested in knowledge that others would consider either too dark to be tampered with or too mythical to be true. While it is not known when he joined Bloodclaw's cause, he had already been with him before the latter was made a general. It is presumed that the two met when Gardon was still a lower ranking officer. Birram played a vital role in his general's alliance with the black dragons and has served as his fiercely loyal advisor on all magical matters from the very beginning. Following the betrayal of the Empire and the end of the war, the long-time councilor's loyalty had been rewarded by Gadon, now ruler of multiple kingdoms, with becoming the grand duke of the former Kingdom of Isalmur. Founding his own academy there and serving as its head, Birram continues to serve as Bloodclaw's highest ranking advisor on all things magical |
| Lord Brian the Fallen A long, long time ago, Lord Brian had been a high-ranking member of the Empire's court. One day, he and his family disappeared without any trace of their whereabouts after having gone on one of his expeditions. While the rest of his family never returned, Brian did - a lot of time had passed, rulers of the Empire had changed and Brian too looked different. He had inadvertently merged with the remains of Bhaarizel, a fallen member of the Four who had ruled over the world of Arkain a long time ago, becoming a new being. He stayed out of Imperial affairs and instead kept mostly to himself - with one exception being becoming the tutor of the young Gardon Bloodclaw, future general of the Empire, much to the ire of other nobles and political figures. Eventually, Brian disappeared again, coming back during the Second Voidwar to aid his former apprentice and now general, playing a vital role in his ascendance. Despite this, when Brian revealed that he had been responsible for the death of someone who had been family to Gardon, Gardon pushed Brian away and the regretful lord disappeared once more, remaining in the shadows ever since... |
| Calere A bardess who loves telling stories but keeps her silence about her own. Calere is a very friendly and open-minded person who always has a smile on her lips.. A singer of great talent who uses her songs and lute not only to earn coins but also to inspire those around her - or put fear into the hearts of those who would harm her friends. When it comes to the latter, the tones played by her lute and the words coming from her mouth become... darker. Different. Whenever it comes to her past or family, she shrouds herself in mystery, not wishing to disclose more than that she ran away and the past was in the past for her. Something that no longer mattered and did not influence who she, as a person, was. |
| Cora Redfist Following her father's wishes reluctantly, the promising student Cora Redfist had joined the Imperial Army instead of staying in the Imperial Academy. Eventually she ended up becoming the leader of a regiment of the Golden Guard and working with General Gardon Bloodclaw. When the general was betrayed by the Empire and Cora was ordered to turn on him, she chose to stay with Bloodclaw, seeing him as the only one trying to save the continent while the Empire was about to abandon it. When Bloodclaw became the king of Pyrru, she was the first to pledge her loyalty to him, swearing her fealty. During her time with Bloodclaw however, she had started to hear whispers, promising to help free her sister Aedale from the demonic influence and telling her of secret arcane knowledge. While resisting it at first, eventually she started to listen and used this knowledge. At the end of the war, she disappeared and joined the Undead - the whispers in her mind had come from there. However, by the time she arrived at the Dead Mountain, the Undead leadership was scattered, leaving her to freely study the archives of the Zirr Nexus - coming across knowledge that had never been in the hands of mere mortals before... |
| Darkan Hammerfall Darkan is a dwarven exile who left his people a long time ago with the exact details being known to only a small selection of people. It is very clear however that he disagrees with several decisions made by the Dwarves, believing that they only harmed his race. As a member of the Hammerfalls, he holds honor and honesty in great esteem - as does he the importance of family which makes it obvious how difficult it still is for him to be so far from his people. Being a Dwarf in the lands of the Humans who were fighting his people in the Second Voidwar, has resulted in Darkan being shown a lot of hostility. Being a bit of a hothead, this almost caused him to be murdered by an angry mob once. It was Boranel Aspurex, later revealed to be Praxeus Braelon, who saved his life. Ever since then, the two have been close friends and the Hammerfall Dwarf has gladly joined the mission of his paladin friend. Deep inside Darkan still hopes that one day he can return to his people and see them reconsider some of their choices. |
| Commander Daric The mercenary commander Daric spent many years in service of the Empire, putting down revolts and uprisings in many regions both in the Empire and the Kingdoms. For his service and his ingenious tactics and strategies, he had been rewarded with lands between the Kingdoms of Salria and Rengar. However, Daric refused to take any noble title and instead had decided to continue using his title as a mercenary commander, focusing on taking down the enemies of the Empire. During the Second Voidwar, he had served as the right hand man of Sir Lerrig Goldheart, making up for the latter's rather lacking strategic skills. After Lerrig's death he had been sent to hunt down the Orcs - which ended in failure due to the greenskins having built an alliance of many races to conquer a kingdom of their own and to withstand their enemies. With his employers dead, his mercenaries decimated and no way to return to the Empire, Daric and his mercenaries chose to remain in Rengar, serving as military advisor and defenders of the borders to Salria - the new home of the Orcs and their allies, the "Tribal Dominion". |
| King Dorten of Kerrel The King of Kerrel was already the oldest king when the Second Voidwar began. Dorten had fought the Demons as a young prince, suceeding his father as king before the Empire had arrived. When the Empire offered protection in return for loyalty, he and the other rulers reluctantly bent the knee. While the Empire failed in eradicating the demon threat, they pushed them back and liberated the Kingdoms - but for Dorten they had just exchanged one conqueror for another. He became a bitter old man in the years after. In the Second Voidwar, he joined the betrayed General Bloodclaw in his battle against both the Demons and the Empire, liberating his kingdom of Imperial influence - he was shocked however when he realized that Bloodclaw not only sought to establish the lost kingdoms under his own banner but also bring the hated nation of Zyainor back to life - marrying the last heir of that nation rather than Dorten's daughter, as the monarch had hoped. Even worse, Dorten's son was lost in the land of the Demons when the Ironfist attempted to invade it. Now, in his late 90s, Dorten's life comes to an end but he refuses to yield. Fighting a futile cold war against Zyainor, he has managed to preservere against all odds, though he had to make radical decisions such as reestablishing the controversial Inquisition to fight the ever increasing power of Zyainor. Rumors have it that he is simply too stubborn to die or to give up the throne in favor of his daughter. Others believe that he has been magically reinvigorated so that he may continue to be the symbol of Kerrel's freedom. |
| Princess Ferina of Kerrel Ferina is the young daughter of King Dorten and his second wife. Being quite a bit younger than her brother Toraes, she was not involved in the Second Voidwar herself, staying at the royal academy during that time instead of participating in the political events. This changed when her brother Toraes, then-heir, disappeared on the other side of the void and she became the heir apparent. From that point onwards, her father and his advisors made sure that she would be trained to be prepared for her future role as queen - and for the war that was sure to come as marrying the then-sixteen-year-old Ferina to Gardon did not come into fruition and instead the hated nation of Zyainor reappeared. Ferina had only learned of this attempted marriage years later, being not too happy about the whole affair. She has vowed to fight for the independence of Kerrel. Though she is nowhere near as hateful towards Zyainor and Gardon as her father, she sees them as a threat to Kerrel's independence. While she has her own ideas for the realm, she is an obedient daughter who will let her father rule and serve his will until his last breath. Many in Zyainor speculate that a Queen Ferina would be much better to work with than the old relic Dorten. There are also some whispers that it might be best for both realms if Gardon's oldest son Garan and Ferina got married and united the realms peacefully. |
| Fiona van Durce The youngest child of Renald van Durce, Fiona was the last of her family to join the Golden Guard, despite her father's initial protest against it. Fiona was also by far the youngest member of the Golden Guard. Due to this she was not in a leading role but instead assisted her brothers and her sister Valerie. Fiona was the most quippy and least serious of her family, which many believed to be due to her age, but the older members of the Golden Guard grew to like the youngest van Durce. She was shocked when her brother Edward was slain and protested strongly against being evacuated by Richard when the Golden Guard lost ground against the Ironfist, struggling against her brother Richard as he forced her to come with him. When her father's corpse was delivered by Lord Marin, she stared at it in silence before withdrawing to her tent. It was then when she started to distance herself from others. Ever since then, her relationship with her brother has worsened as she saw him being devoured by sorrow and unable to act as the leader he was meant to be. When Marin started his experiments on her sister Valerie and Richard led him continue, it reached an all time low. Fiona's attempts to put an end to Marin's unethical work have been futile due to her brother Richard and the soldiers of the Golden Guard being unwilling to act against it as even her sister Valerie had agreed to being experimented on. Fiona did not accept any of this. One fateful night, she left the keep in anger. It was then when she started to listen the whispers she heard in the fire itself, embracing it fully. Some would call her mad, but what is madness in a world devoured by darkness and evil? Weren't those who accepted such a world the ones who were truly mad? Didn't such a world need the tender touch of the flames to be purified? |
| Ca'laer Gardon Bloodclaw Formerly a general of the Empire and known for his ruthlessness and willingness to do whatever he had to to gain victory, Gardon Bloodclaw was betrayed by his own half-brother, the Emperor Theodor the Second himself, and branded a traitor despite having been a driving force defending the continent of Arkain against the Demons. Allying himself with outcasts, necromancers, black dragons, his former tutor and even the Undead, Gardon crowned himself the king of both Toran and Pyrru and built an army to defeat both the Empire and the Demons even if his attempt to invade the lands of the latter had been foiled by the treachery of the Undead. He won those conflicts but paid a high price for it. He had to kill his own kin who had also been betrayed by the Emperor as well as fight someone he had once considered his best friend to end hostilities. Furthermore his tutor had killed the last family member he had been close to once. Having lost so much, Gardon started indulging himself in alcohol. Following the end of the war, Gardon rebuilt the Kingdoms of Lor and Isalmur and integrated them into the nation of Zyainor that he had rebuilt by marrying its last heir, Vail. Fathering several children, Gardon has spent much time increasing Zyainor's power and influence, preparing for the next war. One that would end the way he wants it to. |
| Ca'ler Garan Bloodclaw Garan has been expected to one day ascend the throne and step into his parents' footsteps from his very birth. It was his destiny to rule one day and he had been prepared for that role for all of his life. Tutored by his father's right-hand Thanok and General Herdon of the Ironfist, Garan quickly showed to be a born strategist. He also showed a great interest in history and culture from an early age - not just for use on the field of battle in his later years or during his training but also outside of that. Cunning and patient, Garan carefully considers his moves before acting but is also able to act on the fly if the situation requires it, often using a chessboard his father had gifted him when he was still a child, to consider his moves. He likes to win a battle before it even begins and prefers to outsmart others rather than fight them directly if possible - though he does not shy away from that either. On the battlefield, Garan has proven to be cold, calculating and ruthless but successful. In court he shows courtesy and wit while following etiquette. His loyalty to his parents and nation can only be described as limitless. Despite being the next in line and sometimes disagreeing with decisions made by his father, Garan has no interest in trying to get the throne any quicker than he needs to. Like his father, Garan considers power a tool that must be used responsibly, not a price to be gained. Besides his strategic abilities, Garan has also proven to be a skilled fighter and was also capable of using magic. Garan's enemies believe that the Ca'ler will be just another Gardon when he comes into power, being just as dangerous and capable - or perhaps even more so. And they are probably right. |
| Grandmaster Harmos the Guardian of the Flame Harmos had been given to the Order of the Flame when he was still but a child, showing great understanding and control of fire from an early age. On his thirty-third birthday, he summoned the great elemental of fire and completed the trials of the flame, making him the new Guardian of the Flame, a sacred position within the order - as it was with the other elemental magic orders. During the Second Voidwar, the grandmaster of the order was murdered by traitors and Demons and Harmos became the new grandmaster of the order after putting down the traitors. He didn't really want to lead the order, but he was the only suitable candidate left and, for the good of the order, he accepted this new role. Following the end of the war, he developed a great dislike for Bloodclaw and his nation of Zyainor. |
| Horgar Whitebeard Horgar Whitebeard is the current ruler of the Lorekeeper Dwarves and the order of runepriests, being one of the oldest of their kind. While technically the "king" of the Lorekeeper Dwarves, like those who came before him, Horgar does not wear this title. After all, Horgar, was a true traditionalist and never considered himself a "king" by any means, he was the advisor and supporter of the other kings - and the high king of course, Horgar being the one who crowned Zarin like he crowned the two who had come before him. Horgar had been a friend of humankind up until they allied themselves with the black dragons - the ancient enemies of dwarvenkind. After the end of the Second Voidwar, Horgar remained by his high king's side as a trusted and reliable ally and councilor. |
| Ca'ler Hotar Bloodclaw Unlike his brother Garan, the young Hotar was never meant to rule - and he never wanted to either. A joyful child with his heart in the right place, Hotar was fascinated with the Ca'rach, the dragon knights of Zyainor, from an early age and wanted to join them. To do so, he trained under the watchful eyes of none other than Thanok, the former drill sergeant of the Ironfist - and the dragon in human disguise did not go easy on the young Ca'ler. At first, Hotar hated the merciless dragon duke. As he grew older, he came to see Thanok not as a vile taskmaster but an ambitious teacher instead. Hotar was also someone who found it easy to get along with others, effortlessly and cheerfully befriending soldiers and servants. He was not as unpredictable as his sister or as cold as his brother, he was kind-hearted and enjoyed spending his time with others. And the people of Zyainor liked that, growing very fond of their rulers' youngest son. As he trained to become a soldier, Hotar also met General Tormin of the Ironfist and trained with the veteran duelist whenever the latter's time allowed it. During this time he also met Laura Greendale whose mother had served in the Ironfist during the war. The two quickly became fond of each other and became a couple, though it was not publically known affair even though Hotar eventually told his brother, sister and mother about it as time progressed while the soldiers and Thanok were quite aware of the two sharing a tent. Now both of them came to join the Ca'rach, though neither of them was a full dragon knight just yet. First they had to finish their training - and Hotar was still just as interested in that as he had been as a child. |
| Kenos Harron Before the end of the Second Voidwar, the mysterious Kenos Harron had been the general of the Phoenix Regiment of the Empire. Always wearing his mask and being fully clothed, there were rumors that Kenos had been burned alive by his own magic and therefore remained clothed this way. Other rumors claim that Kenos was in fact the original founder of the Phoenix Regiment who had found a way to cheat death. While the truth is known only to the former general himself, he has proven capable to return from death on several occasions during the Second Voidwar, much to the frustration of the Orcs he hunted in the later half of the war. Eventually he was believed to have been slain by the warlock Zairmak who had also been able to destroy some powerful Undead permanently before. After this incident, he had not been seen again... But the phoenix, so it seemed, would rise once again. |
| Queen Larine A former exile of the elven race, Larine left the court of her then-queen out of ever increasing disagreements with her former friend. She did so shortly after the mysterious death of her then-lover and was exiled afterwards. She journeyed to the court of King Dorten of Kerrel and began to work for him. During the war, she joined the forces of General Gardon Bloodclaw whom she found herself quite attracted to. After the Empire's betrayal, Gardon invaded the elven kingdom, who had aligned themselves with the Empire and were preparing to leave the continent, and made Larine their new queen. Larine and the Elves have been loyal allies of Bloodclaw ever since. Following the war, Larine has focussed on changing the ways of her formerly too passive people into a force that was worthy of being allied to Gardon's Zyainor. She has two daughters though nobody knows who the father is. There are some rumors of course, just as there are about hostilities between her and Ca'lea Vail of Zyainor. Larine has spent much time centralizing the power in her realm and decreasing the influence of the ancient noble families. She plans to continue doing so and further increasing the power of the Elven Kingdom itself. Her ambitions are grand yet only few know what exactly they entail. One can only wonder what goals she has other than making the Elves a force that can stand against all kinds of enemy invaders... |
| Laura Greendale Laura was born as the daughter of Claire Greendale, an officier of the Ironfist during the war who had been elevated into nobility for her service to the crown. Laura wanted to be a soldier early on, becoming a recruit as soon as she was able to, proving her skills. Her sharp tongue also came to the attention of her superiors who considered it possible for her to become somewhat of a troublemaker, but one that had skills and potential that should not go to waste. Therefore had her transferred to a unit of none other than Thanok whose officers henceforth oversaw her training. While they made her a good fighter and put her to discipline, they didn't do much about her sharp tongue and snappy comments. Laura learned however when to make such comments and when holding back was more appropriate. She was liked by her peers, she was very open and honest but, despite being quick with her tongue, not vicious. During this time she also met Hotar, the second son of the rulers of Zyainor who was just a few years younger than she was. At first she was surprised that he was such a down-to-earth person with kindness and humor despite being the son of the most powerful humans on the continent. It appealed to her. The two got close - very close - as time progressed, becoming a couple. When Hotar joined the Ca'rach, Laura suspected they wouldn't see each other regularly anymore but she was happy for him. Thanok, the boy's teacher, approached her and made her an offer to join the Ca'rach as well - in return he asked her to remember what weight the word of the one close to a son of the rulers held when in public. Laura wondered if Thanok had some ulterior motives or if he just actually cared. She decided that it did not matter and agreed. Just like Hotar, she wanted to prove herself capable. For ruler and nation - and to not get on Thanok's bad side. |
| Lord Marin Hailing from a wealthy noble family, Lord Marin is, without a doubt, the most renowned and skilled engineer of the Empire. Being the inventor of many amazing weapons used by the Empire, including the famous Destructors, even the Dwarves are impressed by his genius and understanding of mechanical weaponry. He was a close friend and ally of High Lord Inquisitor Renald van Durce, causing him to join the Golden Guard despite otherwise not having much in common with the Golden Guard (apart from his arrogance and skill). It was him who had designed the weapon that would end the demonic invasion of the human realms, but none of his weapons could prevent the death of his friend Renald at the hands of Gardon Bloodclaw. He was allowed to take Renald's body with him, preventing the Undead from take it for themselves and preventing Brian from getting his hands on it. Marin and Renald's son Richard had led the Golden Guard to a keep in Rengar where Marin has been working on experiments ever since though only few know what he plans. There is one thing there is no doubt about: After Renald's death, there is no one left to ensure that Marin's experiments remain ethical. |
| Orie Redfist Orie is the youngest of the Redfist siblings. Rumor has it that she was her parents' favorite daughter to the point of developing a rather spoilt personality and therefore facing the ire of her siblings. Like her sisters Aedale and Cora, she began to study magic though she was allegedly not forced to do anything. Like her sisters, she showed great magical potential. It comes to little surprise that her father's favorite ended up joining his private army, the Redfist. While not hating the Orcs, unlike the rest of the Redfist, she served her father dutifully - up until his death at the hands of Aedale. Leaning over his body in grief, she was approached by the demoness Ebira who offered to help her take revenge on those responsible. Orie agreed - but thought to herself that she could not let th demoness control her like Aedale had been controlled. Ever since then she has been in the lands of the Demons, serving and learning from Ebira, waiting for the right moment... |
| Princess Parlea Parlea, one of Larine's twin daughter, has spent the first years of her life in her mother's palace in the capital. Unlike her sister who was more outgoing and open, she had always been more shy and the more silent of the two though she was a kind soul at heart, putting the well-being of others above her own. This was also why she was more understanding of her father Gardon Bloodclaw, who was not "publically known" to be her father, than her more brash sister Velina. At the same time, like her twin-sister, she did not like her father's wife Vail for the same reasons Velina did. Early in her life, Parlea's aptitude for magic was shown and she was sent away from her mother and sister to Isalmur, to be tutored by none other than Birram, the headmaster of the academy there. Larine wanted her daughter to receive the best training possible, even if it meant sending her far away. For Parlea's own safety, her identity as the daughter of the elven queen was kept a secret. At the academy, things... did not go to well. Parlea was an outstanding and intelligent student but being tutored directly by the headmaster along with her rather introvert behavior made her the target of a group of other students who made her life miserable for a long time. It continued and became ever more difficult for Parlea until Birram himself intervened, forcing one of her tormentors, Tojaz, to become her protector. Parlea never learned about what Birram had done but she was no longer a target and had instead gained a protector and friend. Later however, cracks began to show. The physical and mental pain Parlea had suffered through had left its marks. It started with using magic to tear off the limbs of insects, then it was rats and ever larger animals. It was like an "urge" had awakened within her that made her cause pain to other beings while still being a kind person otherwise. She did not really understand it herself and it was kept absolutely secret but often, the urge called for Parlea to... indulge herself. And despite her innate kindness, she could not resist its call... |
| Sir Praxeus "The Holy Bastion" Braelon Only few know the origins of Praxeus Braelon, the Holy Bastion. When he joined the Golden Guard, he had already been a skilled paladin of the Empire. Being a massive figure, tall and strong, and wearing an armor, so heavy that no one else could wear it, forged by himself, Praxeus was intimidating yet it was made clear very soon that he was a good man with a pure heart. He stood in the first line of every encounter and shielded his comrades with his armor and spells alike. During the battle between the Golden Guard and the Ironfist, facing Gardon Bloodclaw in single combat, he was swept away by the water magic of Cora Redfist and thought dead. It seemed a miracle that he had survived but by the time he returned to consciousness, the war was over and the Golden Guard defeated. Praxeus had been convinced by the disguised Nysara that his fight was over and that he should focus his attention elsewhere - finding the grail, an artifact held by the High Lord of the Golden Guard and now lost. He spent the next years travelling through the realms, looking for the artifact and doing good along the way. Now it seems, after many years, his long search might finally be over... but the question remains: What comes next? |
| King Ragnar Bloodstone When Ragnar became king of the Bloodstones, relationships with the other dwarven clans were at an all time low. When the Demons invaded the dwarven realms, Ragnar went all in and offered the then-high king of the clans the full support of the basically outcast Bloodstones. He and his Dwarves proved the effectiveness of their controversial methods and weapons by playing a key role in throwing the Demons out of the realms. Ragnar himself had led the charge against the Demons, slaying many of them himself. When the war was over and Zarin became high king, the Bloodstones were no longer outcasts and welcomed back among their people, even if many were still skeptical of the radical Bloodstones. While the Bloodstones were drastically different from the other Dwarves, they were just as outraged when the Humans allied themselves to the black dragons. Ragnar was even more enraged than many others, taking any and all insults to dwarvenkind and its high king as a personal insult for they had finally been reunited with the majority of their people mere decades before the selfish Humans broke all ties. Unfortunately, many of the Bloodstones were busy in Salria and could not join the conflict against the human traitors. When the war was over, Ragnar swore an oath that next time the Bloodstones would be standing in the first line when the cursed dragon worshippers would get what they deserve. And despite their differences compared to other Dwarves, the Bloodstones too take their oaths very seriously. |
| Richard van Durce The third son of Renald van Durce and surviving heir of his father, Richard had a rather colorful past. In contrast to the rest of his family, he 'd rather spend time with the noble and not-so-noble women than with learning or training. This behavior brought him into conflict with his older brother Flavius who felt such things were below a van Durce. This changed when their oldest brother died. Upon seeing his beloved brother dead, Richard became a different man, reconciling with his brother Flavius and joining the Golden Guard as a worthy fighter and leader of one of its battalions. He was distrustful of the Angelics when they took his sister Valerie away and remained so after her return. Richard fought in the armies of his father against the Ironfist but, as the tide of the battle turned against them, he was sent away by his father to bring his sisters Valerie and Fiona into safety. With a heavy heart he followed his father's wishes, promising to return. But by the time Richard had made his way back, he met with the survivors of the Golden Guard who told him of the death of his father. Filled with remorse and regret at having left his father at this hour of need, Richard refused to take upon himself the title of High Lord of the Golden Guard despite becoming its new leader after both his father and his brother Flavius had died. His sorrow limited him however, leading to a power vacuum which caused many to look for Lord Marin for leadership instead with a small group even going as far as to think that a man like Richard was not worthy to be his father's successor. Such talk remained behind closed doors however while Richard found himself unable to put an end to Marin's experiments and searched in vain for his sister Fiona who had left the keep out of protest. |
| Salana Woodhunter Salana Woodhunter was once a general of the elven armies. Having lost her parents to the Demons, she had long been in favor of approaching a more active role in the war. For a long time, her attempts to reform elven society were unsuccessful - until the queen was betrothed to the emperor or the Empire and began the first reforms while Salana began to actively work with the general Gardon Bloodclaw. Unfortunately, not long after, the Imperials fought each other and the Elves were thrown into the thick of it. Salana found herself becoming a victim of Bloodclaw's machinations and was nearly butchered by the very soldiers who were meant to protect her but lured her into a trap instead. Almost beaten to death by the brutal Sir Ferdal, Salana's life was saved only thanks to the interference of the undead Saphira and the family heirloom - an amulet - that she wore. While the Ironfist believed her to be dead, Saphira brought her into safety. Salana had survived but fallen into a coma. She had not been there to fight for her people when the Ironfist invaded. She had not been there to protect her queen. But she would be back one day. And she would remember every wrong that had been committed. |
| Grand Duke Thanok Before becoming the grand duke of Lor, Thanok had served as a sergeant of the Ironfist, having entered the service of Gardon Bloodclaw's when the human made a pact with the black dragon queen. In the guise of a human, Thanok became a driving force to form any new recruits into ever more skilled soldiers, the drill sergeant had a reputation to allegedly keep his forces alive through their fear of him, even when close to death. He had served General Bloodclaw throughout the entirety of the war and played a vital role both in executing the general's and later king's plans and in solidifying the alliance between the Humans and the black dragons. After the war, Thanok continued to be a loyal and resourceful servant of Bloodclaw as well as being the de facto ruler of the black dragons in Zyainor on behalf of Queen Kasraazs. Eventually Thanok was elevated to rule the Grand Duchy of Lor. It is said that the black dragon's loyalty to Bloodclaw, who restored the nation of Zyainor and the alliance between Zyainor and the black dragons, is above question - as is his disgust for all who dare stand in their way to rule the entire continent once more. |
| Ca'lea Vail As a descendant of the Ca'laer and Ca'lea of Zyainor, the then-rulers of the fallen nation, Vail and her family had been doomed to live as outcasts just like their ancestors had been after the fall of the Zyaise. Vail had lost her parents at an early age and was left to live her isolated life alone in the wilds. Her fate changed one fateful day when she saved the life of Prince Toraes of Kerrel who made her his personal guard, ignoring her heritage. The rest of the court heavily disliked her for the very blood that ran in her veins and their treatment made Vail bitter towards them. In light of this, it comes to little surprise that when she was offered a chance to revive the nation of Zyainor by marrying Gardon Bloodclaw, she took it. It is said that what started as a political marriage had turned into more as time progressed and as the two sired their children. Vail has taken the backseat when it came to the political and economical affairs of Zyainor though it is believed that she and Gardon still discuss matters from time to time. Lately however she has even withdrawn far from the seat of power. Whether or not this is related to tensions between her and her husband or the elven queen Larine or if there is any other reason for this remains to be seen... |
| Valerie van Durce Valerie was the most magically gifted daughter of Renald van Durce and went to one of the Imperial academies. Only mere months later however, an accident occured that left Valerie close to death and heavily crippled. At her father's behest, the Angelics of the Golden Guard, its most skilled priestesses, took a look at her wounds. After long talks behind closed doors, the Angelics and Renald van Durce let Valerie drink from the grail - she was still just a child, so far only experienced priestesses of the Golden Guard had been allowed to drink from this holy relic. Valerie became an angelic and was sent to the rest of the winged beings to be trained by them, hardly seen by the rest of her family, much to the anger of her brother Richard. When she reached adulthood, Valerie was a full member of the Golden Guard and her siblings saw her again. The lively and somewhat careless girl had become an extremely calm and thoughtful woman. She was the first to suspect that there was more behind the whole matter when the Ironfist and the Golden Guard took up arms against one another. She did not protest when her father sent her away. She did not openly show her sorrow when she heard of the deaths of her brother Flavius and her father, though mourning their demises in her own way. She did not protest when Marin asked to begin his experiments on her, no matter what they entailed. Valerie was more of a martyr than the daughter of a noble by now. She was an angelic after all. It was her duty. It was her destiny. |
| Princess Velina As one of Larine's twin daughters, Velina has spent the first years of her life in her mother's palace in the capital. Her father is not known to the people of the kingdom but she was quite aware of his identity: Gardon Bloodclaw, the ruler of Zyainor. On occasion he came and visited them but to Velina, those visits were few and far between. As she grew up, she developed a disdain for Gardon's wife Vail and, to a lesser extent, Gardon's human children who had the privilege of not only being "officially" his children but also, in her eyes, getting more of his attention. Taking the complicated relationship between her mother Larine and Vail into account, Larine, through her own opinion, might also have had a hand in this. Velina has been trained to be a skilled hunter as she grew up, enjoying the serene silence of the forest while on the hunt. She also showed a certain level of magic talent - though not as strongly as her sister. This came to the attention of Lord Varan who offered to train her in the arts of necromancy. Velina agreed and left her home to be taught in both the arts of war and necromancy. Velina found herself quite liking it at the order's keep, finding many friends who did not treat her like a princess which she had never been too fond of. Recently, after a rare talk with her father, she made the decision to agree becoming Varan's personal student, sacrificing her spare time to train even more and harder than before, showing strong determination and the ambition to one day become the best Grave Warden of them all. |
| Veln the Nameless Nothing is known of the past of this stoic mercenary - he doesn't remember it himself, even his name is lost to him. His friend Darkan Hammerfall gave him the name "Velnagor", claiming it to mean "The Nameless One" in an ancient dwarven tongue. All that is known about him is that he was found heavily wounded in Kerrel by Praxeus and his companions, some years after the end of the Second Voidwar. There they discovered that whoever he was, he had lost his memory. Ever since they healed him, he has been a part of their group and fought alongside them, not knowing what else to do with himself and turning out to be a skilled warrior. Praxeus believes that drinking from the grail may restore Veln's memory, but he also developed a new personality over the last two decades... |
| High King Zarin Hammerfall Zarin had been elected to become the new high king of the Dwarves following the end of the First Voidwar, leading his people ever since. An honest and skillful ruler and honorable warrior, Zarin won the hearts of his people. While disliking the Humans of the Kingdoms due to them being more interested in their own station and finding them to be cowards, the high king came to respect the Imperials whom he considered honest, honorable and courageous. During the Second Voidwar he and General Salana Woodhunter of the Elves became close allies and friends. When his friend "disappeared" as the Ironfist invaded the Elven Kingdom to put, as Zarin saw it, a puppet on its throne, Zarin joined forces with the Golden Guard rather than siding with Bloodclaw who had not only presumably killed his elven friend but also allied himself with unholy powers such as the Undead or the black dragons, an ancient enemy of dwarvenkind. At the end of the war, Zarin withdrew all dwarven presence from the Kingdoms and isolated his people, considering all nations around them to be their enemies. Ever since he has fortified his defenses to fend off any would-be invaders while continuously being forced to fight other foes underground. All this time neither the Dwarves nor their high king forgot what had occured during the Second Voidwar and who wronged them in the past. |
| General Zoia Blackwolf Until the end of the Second Voidwar, General Blackwolf had been an officer of the Empire who preferred to use unconventional tactics. Brutal and ruthless but effective she led the Wolf Regiment's bloodthirsty werewolves against the Empire's enemies, like her father had before her. Ambitious and skillful, Blackwolf was sent to Salria to hunt down the Orcs but that hunt ended in failure. Injured and with her armies scattered, Zoia was forced to flee Salria and came to join the combined kingdoms of Pyrru and Toran at the end of the war. Serving as a general along with people she had had good relationships with before the conflict between the Ironfist and the Golden Guard, Zoia rebuilt her lost forces, longing for an enemy to invade - such as the remaining Kingdoms in the west or the Tribal Dominion in the south. While she still considers the Demons a threat, she does not believe that an invasion of their lands would have any chance of success after what had happened last time. Unless of course some sort of powerful weapon were to fall into the hands of a certain ambitious, ruthless general... |
| Grand Admiral Zora Seawolf For a long time only little was known of the past of Zora, the self-proclaimed pirate queen of Arkain. There were only rumors that her mother was a pirate just like she was. Unbeknownst to many, her father was Admiral Merlon Seabright of the Imperial Navy, who fell during the Second Voidwar. She had no love for the man who left her mother and whom she never met however. The young Zora and her crew had been raiding settlements and merchant ships for a couple of years already when the Second Voidwar began. At first, they ignored the war and just kept doing what they had been doing before, mostly focussing their raids on Toran and Pyrru, using the absence of the Orcs and the unrest in the two kingdoms to their advantage. Eventually Zora was hired to fight the Orcs in Salria - which did not go well and so the pirate queen took her pay and left to rebuild her strength. After the war, things became complicated. All other nations started to escort their ships with more vessels while also increasing their coastal defenses - especially Zyainor was basically unraidable for the pirates. As if that wasn't enough, Zyainor's rebirth drastically reduced the amount of lawless people who might join the pirates - either by killing them or by recruiting them. Zora too was made an offer to join Zyainor pretty early on - but as she loved her freedom above anything else, she declined. However, not too long ago she accepted the renewed offer. Rather than taking the name of her father, the pirate-turned-admiral made up her own surname and was elevated into the nobility of Zyainor, though she was still quite clearly being a pirate by heart even if she was more decently dressed. There are rumors about an enmity between her and General Zoia Blackwolf. These rumors go from mundane things like their names being so similar all the way to their characters being too different or the ambitious Zoia being displeased that a lowlife thug like Zora became a grand admiral within a day while Zoia is still waiting for a chance to rise the ranks. It is questionable however how true these rumors are given that the two rarely interact with each other. |
| Ca'la Zurae Bloodclaw The second child of the rulers of Zyainor has shown her great arcane power from an early age - to be specific, as a baby, when she turned her entire room upside down. As she grew older, she was taught by the best tutors that could be found within Zyainor, Her magic was chaotic but potent; and it tended to incinerate objects around her, such as the hats of her tutors. In spite of this, Zurae was a lovely child who smiled and laughed a lot. While her father was often busy with work, she would sneak into his room and silently watch him work - unbeknownst to her brothers. She just sat there and watched her beloved father as he dealt with the matters of the state. While her parents were mostly spared, she did enjoy playing pranks on others every now and then. Whereas her brother was more silent and orderly, Zurae was more outgoing and chaotic. Zurae had a chance to show her magic power when she, as a child, accompanied her father to teleport inside a rebel camp and destroyed it from the inside, burning it and everyone in it to ashes. As she grew older, she became less chaotic and more capable of controlling her magic. Zurae turned into a beautiful woman, smart and social, with great power and a strong sense for her family, putting its well-being above anything else - even though she still enjoyed teasing her brothers every now and then, especially her younger brother Hotar who is more responsive than the somewhat humorless Garan. Zurae still enjoys teasing others in general. She also regularly visits her mother Vail who no longer lives in the capital. |
| Amari The daughter of Rangul, the one who united the Orc clans, was once an exile of her people. She became a student of Lord Brian the Fallen and led her own clan of outcasts. Using both brain and brawn, Amari has built an alliance of races, including the race that had once exiled her, and successfully led the invasion of the human Kingdom of Salria. The exile became the leader and Supreme Shadessia, the highest theological rank within the new Shadocracy religion that was established to unite the many different races, of the Tribal Dominion. Under her leadership the many races of the Dominion, including the conquered Humans of Salria, have rebuilt the southern realm. Amari has left many decisions of the Tribal Dominion to her advisors and most trusted followers, though it is doubtful that she doesn't involve herself as many decisions in the end still seem to have her hand writing. Many expected her to marry and create her own bloodline by now but up to this point there has been no sign of such a thing. There have been rumors about her having a lover or two but those rumors might also just be the result of her not being married. There have also been rumors about Amari surrounding herself with shadows recently - moreso than usual. As time went on, Amari has shunned more and more of the old orc traditions to reform her people and lead them into a new age. An age of unity and peace. An age of enlightenment and prosperity. A golden age. HER age. |
| Flammedus Trained by the elders of his people, Flammedus was raised to become the leader of the Centaurs. Learning the mastery over fire and using its rage without falling into a fiery frenzy himself, Flammedus became a wise and respected leader, yet he remained humble for his trials during his training taught him that pride could lead to the downfall of not only himself but his entire race. After the First Voidwar, he and his people, living as nomads in Salria, were forced into a war with the Salrians whose nobles wanted the horsemen gone from their lands. The conflict lasted until the end of the Second Voidwar during which the Centaurs joined forces with Amari and her alliance of races. Together they defeated the Salrians and conquered Salria though Flammedus did not enjoy fighting the Salrians as many of the non-nobility had been friendly towards his people before the war. After the end of the war, Flammedus and his people no longer lived as nomads but instead settled in various areas all over Salria. Flammedus has become a vocal supporter of the Humans living in the Dominion and an ally of Vanessa who leads and represents them. He is on friendly terms with all other members of the Dominion and the Shadocracy but mostly does not involve himself in any internal discussions or debates unless absolutely neccessary. Flammedus spends much time meditating and watching his people and their allies prosper - for that is all he ever wanted: A life of peace. |
| Gorthog the Beastlord Before becoming what he is now, Gorthog was an Orc and the chieftain of the Skullblade Clan. The most skilled beast tamer of his kind, he had led his clan into an age of prosperity, being the only clan able to sustain itself without being forced to go on raids. It was also said that he had the ability to "evolve" animals into stronger creatures. In the Second Voidwar, the ambitious chieftain joined forces with Rangul and invaded the human lands alongside him. This invasion ended with Gorthog's death at the hands of an Imperial general. However, a mad Mogthar warlock found the dead Gorthog and used a long forgotten ritual to bring him back to life - as a Mogthar, a race that considered itself superior to the Orcs. In truth they had once been Orcs themselves whose ancestors had accidentally freed the Dark One Tregakh who warped them into what they were now, beings that are hated by the rest of Orckind. Gorthog too hated this new existence and, since the mad warlock had not been able to control Gorthog, killed the warlock, effectively preventing anyone else from being brougt back in such a twisted way. Gorthog then took control of the Mogthar like he would of an army of wild animals and killed their former leader. Suspicious of Amari and Inara, he kept his distance from his people - also thinking that he would no longer be welcome among them. Ever since then he has instead been working in the shadows, watching his former people while hunting down any remaining servants of Tregakh. |
| King Gran Gorehowl Ever since the fall of Zyainor, the Gnolls of Gnoll Island had been ruled by a noble King of the Gorehowl family. Refusing to bow to the human kings of Salria that claimed ownership of their wealthy island time and again, the Gorehowl kings always had to defend their borders from foreign threats. Gran's rule was no different, being threatened both by Salrian nobles and pirates. Eventually Gnoll Island was successfully invaded by the vengeful Redfist and the Gnolls were forced to ally with the Orcs to liberate their home - and their king who had been captured. Reluctant, Gran joined forces with Amari, who had freed him. His suspicions of her only grew during their times of cooperation and he kept seeing signs of her having more sinister goals than she let her allies believe. His ever increasing mistrust alienated him from the other members of the alliance until Gran and Amari agreed on terms for continuing their alliance though Gran and the Gnolls remained politically somewhat isolated. While cooperating fully with the other races of the Dominion on the mainland, Gran has increased his military expenditures ever since the Second Voidwar, fortifying Gnoll Island and preparing a large force. While it seems unlikely that things between the Gnolls and the Dominion will escalate, Gran is clearly preparing his people for a new conflict. There are also rumors that there are... differences between him and Inara. Unbeknownst to all but his loyal Gnolls, Gran has also worked with Gorthog ever since the end of the war, trying to understand the bigger picture behind everything and slowly having put it together over the years... |
| Grella the Bonesplitter The once tribal chieftain of the Blackaxe Clan is now one of the high-ranking Shadessias in the Shadocracy. Having been elected to be the leader of all Dark Trolls, Grella had allied herself to Amari during the Second Voidwar, ready to leave the peaceful ways of her people behind to lead her people into a bright future after their homes were slowly burned down in the war between the other races of Arkain. The war took its tolls on both Grella and her people however, to the point where they saw themselves forced to embrace their races' bloodlust that they had sealed away deep inside for generations. Secretly, unbeknownst to most, Grella had taken an amulet from Amari that allowed Amari to control her, to prevent the bloodlust from gaining too much power over Grella's actions. Ever since then, Grella had become Amari's most vocal supporter and the first of the races' leaders to join the Shadocracy, urging many of her people to join it as well. Under Grella's guidance, most dark trolls have come to become devout members of the Shadocracy. |
| Grofzag Born as a strong and respected member of the Deathbreeze Clan, Grofzag was a close friend to the human Vanessa as well as to Rangul's deceased son Sasrogarn. Proving himself on several occasions, he eventually ended up becoming the chieftain of the Deathbreeze Clan after the war - the Deathbreeze and Ravaging Fire clans being the last orc clans that still remain somewhat intact despite it being obvious that the new age of the Orcs would eventually disband their clans just as it had the others. Grofzag had been elected to represent the Orc clans - and, due to Inara not objecting as she had another position of power, to represent the entirety of the Orc race. Effectively, Grofzag represents the old clans more than he does the Orcs that are under Inara's wing but she has not moved to sabotage any of his ideas and the two have actually worked together quite well. Grofzag and Vanessa have also become even closer since the end of the war, the two working together to bridge the differences between the Orcs and the Humans. |
| Hortnog Once Hortnog had been just another member of the business-minded Goldaxe Clan who worked his way up all the way to becoming the right hand of the chieftain. He was there when Rangul, the future chieftain of the Deathbreeze Clan, found Vanessa and while he argued against taking her with them, he grew quite fond of the girl. Hortnog was part of all the conquests of the Orcs during the Second Voidwar though he was not always fighting on the frontlines but focussing on making deals and finding agreements instead. It was his gift that saved Vanessa from the bloodthirsty Redfist and he also played a major role in other events such as making peace with the defeated Salrians. After the war, he continued to work for his chieftain and remained his right hand both in the Goldaxe Clan and the Blackthorn, a mercenary organisation that would accept members of all races of the Dominion. Hortnog has contacts all over the continent (and probably beyond as well) and is very much focussed on profit before anything else. Some Orcs joke that he probably even has friends among the Demons in the east. One thing can be said very clearly: Hortnog may appear as little more than a jovial mercenary but he should never be underestimated. |
| Inara Until the Second Voidwar, Inara had been just an ordinary member of the Darkmind Clan. She was imprisoned and tortured by the Imperials, forever twisted and changed. Cruel and pragmatic, she eventually rose to become the leader of both the Darkmind and the Ironthunder Clans through underhanded means, managing to merge the two clans into one and leading them to join Amari and her allies. Amari saw Inara's potential and made her a vital key figure in dismantling the various differences between the Orc clans after the war and uniting them properly by slowly dismantling the clans themselves. It is not exactly known how Inara does this, she has only hinted that she can make others do what she wants one way or another. There are all kinds of rumors as to what this could mean, reaching from seduction all the way to "re-education". In either case, Amari has given her ever more rewards - almost too many some would say, very few would dare to say that Inara has been "showered" in rewards even. Inara not only has Amari's ear as her closest advisor and unofficial second-in-command, she also controls most of the western half of Salria, a land said to be infested with various monsters - and, allegedly, since Inara rose to power there, a nest of spiders, Inara's favored pets, who are rumored to drive out other animals of the area. The lands remain dangerous - whether or not this is reason for Inara's presence or its consequence is a question best not asked out loud. Spiders are common all over Salria... |
| Okri Okri was born to the wife of the chieftain of the Bloodhand Clan - as it turned out in her teens however, she was the result of an Imperial raping her mother, not her supposed father's child, making her "only" a half-orc. This reveal led to her family's death and her exile. Being at death's door several times, Okri managed to survive, using her anger and sheer willpower, even taming a young felhound. Years later she joined Amari and her Cliffhunter Clan and the two became friends. Together they led the clan to build a network of alliances and rejoining their peoples who had just failed to invade the Human Kingdoms, convincing them to join their alliance and invade Salria. During this time, Okri's trust in her friend Amari was put to the test due to Amari taking some drastic measures to ensure their success. Okri's faith did not waver however, even as it seemed that Amari was starting to make Inara her most trusted ally over Okri, especially once the war was over. When Amari became Supreme Shadessia of Salria, Okri became the chieftain of the Cliffhunter Clan in her stead - lately however it has become clear that the clan might not exist for much longer, with many of its members already having joined either the Shadocracy or Inara's new faction. Okri, not having joined the Shadocracy, has been rumored to have been somewhat side-lined after the war, a warrior like her not being needed in an age of peace. There are some who believe that she would rather join the Blackthorn than becoming a servant of Inara or joining the Shadocracy. Others think that she will continue to serve at Amari's side and that her faith in Amari and her age remains strong. |
| Oneeye The old Oneeye is the oldest blademaster of the Deathbreeze Clan and, possibly, the second oldest Orc after Zairmak - though Zairmak is presumably much, MUCH older than Oneeye. Having once been a very active and successful raider, Oneeye had lost his eye on one such raid when he was still very young. In his arrogance and recklessness, he had underestimated the Humans which led him into a trap. He lost not only his eye but also all of his warriors that day, having been forever humbled by this failure, remaining behind to protect the homes of his people instead of going on raids. When the Orc Islands were put to the torch, Oneeye was forced to return to the frontlines and fought for the future of his people while not involving himself much in the decisions made by the higher-ranked members of the alliance. After the war, Oneeye continued to offer his advice but remained mostly neutral on all political matters. While Oneeye has stated that he will always consider himself a Deathbreeze, no matter what, he has not made any attempt to fight or even criticize the slow removal of the Orc clan structure over the years, keeping his opinions to himself in that regard. Oneeye has revealed that he blames himself for Rangul's death, as the protector of the clan he should have been there to protect his chieftain after already having failed to protect the clan's home. Rather than culture and politics, Oneeye concerns himself with the safety of the Tribal Dominion - and on the threat posed by its neighbours, expecting both Zyainor and the Dwarves to become an issue sooner or later. |
| Pechan the Mechanic Starting his career as a mere tinker, Pechan ended up becoming the leader of the Goblin Federation using his technological skills, innovative ideas and sense of business. When he met Amari while selling zeppelins to the highest bidders, Pechan quickly came to realize the potential of a long-term business relationship with the future Supreme Shadessia of Salria and the two began a partnership. Pechan and the Federation provided tons of equipment and resources to the allied forces of the future Tribal Dominion. It was a massive investment but it proved to be fruitful when the enemies of the Dominion fell one by one. The investment started paying back in dividends, the Goblins became a vital part in rebuilding Salria, setting up their industry all over the country, becoming an economic powerhouse. Caring little for the Shadocracy and its religious doctrines or the political events, the Goblins completely focus on the economical aspects of running a nation while Pechan spends most of his time tinkering on his machines. There is no doubt about his loyalty to his business partner Amari, however. It was their partnership that made all of this possible after all. |
| Vanessa Vanessa was born as the only daughter of Duke Redfist's first wife. When she was still but a child, however, the family mansion was raided by the Deathbreeze Clan during the absence of her father. Her mother died and Vanessa was taken by the Orcs whom she was not terrified by somehow. Their leader Rangul adopted her rather than killing or ransoming her, despite the Goldaxe Clan Orc Hortnog trying to convince him to ransom her instead. Vanessa grew up as Rangul's daughter and, thanks to her father, was even accepted by many in the clan. She also grew close to Hortnog. During the war, she had to face difficult odds as members of other clans and even some within the Deathbreeze had doubts about her loyalty. She proved herself however and even defied her "real" father during the war. After the war, she eventually came to be asked to represent the Humans of Salria. To give her a formal position that the Humans would accept, Amari granted Vanessa the title of Archduchess of Salria - whether or not that was also a "jab" at Vanessa's deceased father who had been "just" a duke and had been considered the greatest enemy of the Orcs in the war is unknown. |
| Zairmak Little is known about the past of Zairmak, the chieftain of the Ravaging Fire Clan. He is without a doubt the oldest and most powerful Orc warlock who is still alive, his exact age unknown to even the Supreme Shadessia of Salria. It is very clear however that he knows secrets both of the arcane and the history of the Orc race that no other Orc is aware of. He had lived for a long time as a hermit before taking over the Ravaging Fire Clan. During the war, he was among the first to join Rangul in his conquest and remained a steadfast ally of the Deathbreeze Clan. While originally opposing the idea that the Orcs as a race should change, he eventually came to understand that he and many of his views had been clouded by his hatred of the Humans, reconsidering many things. It is still speculated that he is skeptical both of the Shadocracy and some of Amari's ideas, being the first to remind her not to move things too fast. It is a fact however that he remains a powerful asset of the Dominion. |
| Aridon the Watcher Few know of the being known as Aridon the Watcher. While Aridon appeared to be the most powerful Undead, he was much more than that. He was one of the Four. The Four who were born out of the essences of the gods during their war, the Four who killed the remaining gods and ruled Arkain afterwards. Back then Aridon was known as the Avatar of Death rather than the Watcher of Arkain. When the Four fell, Aridon remained, despite having been brought to the brink of death and losing most of his memories. He decided to become Arkain's unseen watcher and only interfere in mortal affairs from afar if necessary, to keep a so-called "balance" of the world. As time went on however, Aridon found himself intervening more and more rather than just watching from afar, believing that the actions of the living would harm the very essence of the world itself, using his power to foresee events and manipulate them before they came to pass. This went on for countless generations - until the Second Voidwar. Events there caused Aridon to reconsider his stance, ask questions about what the "balance" he kept really was. Aridon came to realize that he had apparently been... different in the past than he had believed. Rather than someone who cared for the balance of the world, he had wanted to rule it by himself, orchestrating the events that would lead to the downfall of the Four. Even the balance he had fought for ever since the fall of the Four had been a lie - his own lie that he had believed in after losing his memory. But did that mean that all of his actions as Watcher had been forfeit? Or had the loss of his memory caused him to make the right choices? What even was the right choice in a world that he had scarred forever? What good was his power of foresight when it lied to him? In order to find the answers to those questions as well as to many others that plagued him, Aridon left the Undead and sealed himself deep below the Dead Mountain. One day, Aridon will return. The question is what choice he will make. And what consequences that choice will have. |
| Sir Edoarus the Executioner Even before his death, Sir Edoarus was known to be merciless. Serving as the executioner of the Kingdom of Pyrru gave him a sense of fulfillment that was so strong that he even declined knighthood. He cared little for the crime that had been committed, he considered death the only just punishment for any misdeeds. Eventually this attitude led to his own execution after he had executed a prince of Pyrru for raping a woman. Nobody believed that it had happened. Before he could be executed however, he punched the king who ordered his execution to death with his bare hands. When Aridon rose the executioner to serve once more, Edoarus put his talents to use against the other races who dared to oppose the will of the Watcher. As an undead, there were no traitors within their own ranks to take care of. However, it allowed him to keep an eye on all other races from afar. Edoarus used the blood of those he had slain to write a list with the names of those who were to be slain either for committing a crime or for opposing the will of Aridon - which he also considered a crime. While he does not kill them instantly, he remembers all their names and misdeeds and sooner or later, they all find themselves face to face with their executioner. And this list never ran out of entries. Following the events of the Second Voidwar, Sir Edoarus wrote down the name of every single member of the Tribal Dominion onto his list, leader and low-ranking warrior alike. He left the Dead Mountain not long after the war without telling anyone where he went. Many think that he left to strike some names from his list. This is however only half of the truth. In the plaguelands of Rengar, he is building an army. An army he would use to remove many entries from his list. Perhaps even all of them. |
| Galareth the Great The scholar Galareth had lived an ordinary and boring life in a university in Kerrel until he decided to change it. Instead of enduring the boredom, he decided to play around with the dark arts of necromancy – and it turned out that he was quite good at it, learning quickly to raise zombies in the local graveyard in secret. He grew very skilled very soon without any outside help. Eventually, he was approached by a member of a secret group of necromancers, inviting him to join them – he declined, convinced that they merely wanted to leech his knowledge from him. They gave him a week to reconsider but he never did. On the eighth day, the scholar Galareth disappeared without a trace of his whereabouts. The Rohir Nexus had taken him in. However, rather than killing and raising him, they traded him to the Ardoz Nexus instead. The Ardoz Nexus did what they do best: Cause pain and agony. They slowly drove him insane, causing unthinkable mental and physical pain to him – but also making sure that he stayed alive. Eventually they decided to try something new. They did not just kill him, they tore his spirit out of his body and bound it to the body of another prisoner: An ogre magi who had been part of the Ogre Legion until he had fallen before the might of Sir Edoarus the Executioner. The body of the ogre now contained two souls that fought for control. But the Ardoz went further, they magically combined the two spirits into one. Galareth and Gart the Great became one – and it drove them insane, even in death. The Ardoz Nexus watched their undead ogre with the mind of both a human an ogre for several weeks as the creature did nothing but speak words that made no sense. Eventually, the creature calmed down. It now identified himself as Galareth the Great. Galareth had retained his magic skills, but he still felt the consequences of his unnatural creation from time to time. He completely embraced the way of the Ardoz Nexus and became its leader. The experiment turned into a researcher, experimenting on the living to "improve" them – through pain and the abhorrent thing that the Ardoz Nexus called "science". Even other Undead find Galareth and his mad ravings.... questionable. |
| Haran'tel-kazor Like the entirety of his race, Haran'tel-kazor was born as a slave of the Undead, a slave of the Ejara Nexus, serving their will and doing labor for his dead masters. As all Nerubians, he too was destined to be turned into an undead creature one day. However, Haran, as his friends called him, was not willing to accept his fate and launched an uprising against the Ejara slavers. He and his followers were forced to use desparate measures and make use of dark magic to bolster their ranks but they were successful in freeing themselves - or so they thought. It turned out that it had all been a ruse, one of Aridon's plans to increase the nerubian egg production. When the Second Voidwar broke out, Haran and his followers found themselves struck down by Aridon's followers and raised as undead creatures - the fate that had been assigned to them from birth was inevitable after all. Haran served his master in the Ejara Nexus and Aridon made Haran its leader. The one who had fought for his races' freedom ended up being the one in charge of its slavers, the one who was to further increase the amount of slaves and breeding grounds. And he did, whether he wanted to do it or not, it was now his duty. During the Second Voidwar, Haran became a friend of the undead dreadlord Ornasion - as far as Undead were able to be friends in their service. After the war, Haran oversaw the operations of the Ejara Nexus and left the Dead Mountain shortly after the disappearance of Ornasion, heading to the new seat of the Ejara which was far from the mountain. Haran wanted nothing to do with the political games and intrigues that the nexus were playing - even his own. Instead he focused on his duties as leader of the Ejara: The expansion of the breeding grounds and the wars that were fought far beneath the surface. |
| Kazardius A powerful Ca'rach and general of Zyainor in life, Kazardius served the ancient nation of Zyainor during its final days. His leadership brought his troops many victories and their loyalty in their valiant leader was without question for he treated them well and rewarded those who had proven themselves to him. It is said that when the black dragons left and Zyainor broke apart, he and his forces stood their ground as the stalwart defenders of the capital city, protecting what was left of the ruling family during the final days. Cunning and disciplined, Kazardius managed to defend the city for many weeks despite being severely outnumbered. No foe from the outside would defeat him and his forces. However, it was the citizens of the very city Kazardius and his men defended that turned on them. It is unclear what happened, but in the morning, the civilians had let the enemy inside the city and Kazardius and his forces were gone, no corpses, not even bones remained. Only their armors and weapons – and those disappeared in the chaos that followed. In time, they had found their way to the Dead Mountain. Kazardius and his followers returned, their spirits possessing the very armors they had possessed in life. Ever since Kazardius led his bodyless forces as well as undead warriors into battle. A great tactician as he had been in life, yes, but also hateful towards the descendants of those who had turned on him. Kazardius and his forces feel nothing but hate towards the Kingdoms and would gladly see them all destroyed. The return of Zyainor and the revelation that he and his men had been lied to previously by their master has heavily damaged the loyalty of Kazardius and his soldiers while also giving them hope that the new age would bring upon a new, stronger Zyainor. After Aridon's disappearance, Kazardius and his men watched Zyainor from afar - being doomed to be unable to properly rejoin it due to the actions of the Watcher, further feeding their hatred of their master. If they weren't bound to Aridon's will, their master would find Kazardius and his men to be... most displeased with him. |
| Queen Keera In life, Keera was the queen of the Elves and lover of the King of Rengar. The Elves had often been attacked by the Demons and had been unable to organize a real defense due to their lacking military. Instead, Keera asked the man she loved, the then-king of Rengar, to help her people - in fact, she wanted to use his love to make him send his men. She felt guilty for abusing his love - and for making him cheat on his wife - for her own goals, but she saw no other way to protect her people. When the King sent his most loyal servant, Rahandir Drakeskull, to his death, she knew of his plans and tried to persuade him otherwise, telling him that Rahandir, a good friend and ally of her people, wouldn't try to betray him at all and that he would lose his most powerful ally - yet he didn't listen to her. Keera could not stop him and she did not warn Rahandir of this treachery, fearing that it might lead her lover to remove his forces from her kingdom. When Rahandir came back from the dead, she died along with her lover. Eventually she was raised by the Undead to serve Aridon, lamenting how she failed not only as queen but also as mother. When half of her kingdom was revealed to be under the sway of the Demons, Keera led an army of the Undead there, utterly crushing the demons and their slaves. With Aridon's blessing, she then set up her own nexus there, vowing to protect her land from any threats. While this meant that the Elven Kingdom lost a large portion of its lands, these lands were believed to be corrupted by Demons. No elf knows what really lurks in the Dead Forest and apart from those who attempt to recolonise it, no elf dares go there. It is said that within the forest, up to this day, one can hear the lamentations of the fallen queen of the Elves whose guilt and regret haunts her to this day. |
| Krom the Immortal Krom, once the Arkainian high priest of the God of Death, was among the first beings to be raised into servitude by Aridon after his death. Serving as his master's merciless hunter and executioner, he killed whomever Aridon wanted to see dead, always looking for a challenging fight - which became increasingly difficult over his long unlife as Krom was the best archer on Arkain with no living or dead creature being able to outmatch his skills. He cared little for his targets or the fates of any living races, seeing them as little more than prey to be hunted. Still, Krom was no brainless brute but a cunning huntsman who used whatever method was the best to accomplish his goals. As an Undead, Krom stayed out of any conflicts between the nexus, not caring for politics, only caring for the thrill of the hunt though he found that killing powerful enemies became ever less satisfying. Especially during the Second Voidwar, Krom found that no target he was assigned to was powerful enough to be a challenge, frustrating him ever more as he started to wonder what was left to him when even the hunt no longer gave him any entertainment or thrill. Then, Aridon disappeared and, for the first time in his unlife, Krom was left without a purpose, without a directive. For the first time, he realized how empty everything felt, how old he felt, how alone he was. Refusing to fall into some sort of depression over this, Krom left the Dead Mountain, searching for a new purpose - and he found it. In the most unexpected place possible. |
| Lady Meya According to herself, Meya was (and still is) the most beautiful woman of mankind. Indeed, in life she was a countess of Toran with countless suitors who enjoyed watching them all trying to gain her favor. Selfish, vain and arrogant, Meya cared for little other than her looks. As she grew older, she sought to preserve her beauty - and was approached by the Demons who offered her eternal youth - for a price. Meya was tempted but declined the offer in the end, not trusting the Demons or their cultists. Instead she became quite involved with outcast necromancers, first funding their researches, then joining their cult and eventually becoming their leader, trying to find a way to gain immortality. As the cult became more and more powerful however, it got the attention of the Undead. Meya and her cult were assassinated - and raised in service to the Watcher. Meya laughed upon seeing her undead self, having attained both immortal life and immortal beauty. As an agent of Aridon and the Rohir Nexus, Meya would continue leading her necromantic cult, but now in the service of Aridon. She would lure young, beautiful men and women into her service, turning them undead, and make them infiltrate necromancer cults to both keep an eye on them and influence them. Over the years, Meya became the one who was, either directly or indirectly, manipulating all existing necromancer cults. Eventually she rose to become the leader of the Rohir Nexus. Still as vain as she had been in life, she spent more time looking at herself in the mirror than on the battlefield. Regardless of this, she proved to be a great leader of the espionage experts, increasing the power of the Rohir Nexus - especially after the end of the Second Voidwar and, gleefully, at the expense of the flesh-hating Scarec Nexus, the arch enemy of the Rohir. Meya plans to see the Rohir Nexus rise above all other nexus one day - even above the master's most loyal Splecir Nexus. For who but the most intelligent, most intrigant and, naturally, most beautiful of them all was worthy of being the second most powerful Undead after Aridon? |
| Mordin Hammerfall Mordin Hammerfall was the younger brother of Zarin Hammerfall, high king of all Dwarves, and his most trusted kin. While he lived in the shadow of his brother, Mordin was the only one who really knew how heavy the crown really laid on Zarin's head and did his part by cheering his brother up whenever the latter was lost in thoughts. His brother was a good king to his people and had the skills he needed for such a position but Mordin made sure that the responsibilites wouldn't wear his brother down. Until his death. While helping the Elves to uncover lost artifacts, a rather easy task with no apparent dangers, Mordin and his soldiers were surprised and defeated by Orc raiders of the Deathbreeze Clan. Mordin was slain by the leader of the attack. His corpse would later be found by none other than his brother Zarin who mourned the death of his beloved brother for many days before he and his men took the corpse back to their home in the Golden Tunnels. Mordin was buried next to his ancestors – and Zarin vowed that he would one day find the greenskin who had killed his brother and bring the creature to justice so that his brother might find peace in death. However Mordin's spirit was not ready to pass on. His brother needed him, his people needed him! And so the restless spirit screamed for a second chance, but his kin could not hear him. Only in their dreams they were haunted by Mordin without him knowing that his hopeless despair caused nightmares. Eventually someone heard his call. Rahandir Drakeskull raised the dead dwarf and brought him into his service. While he served Rahandir, Mordin became a part of the Rohir Nexus where some others of his kind were to be found. He was the only servant of Rahandir to remain on the Dead Mountain to keep an eye on the warring undead factions - and to try and prevent the Ejara Nexus' expansion into the dwarven realms. |
| Ornasion the Destroyer Ornasion had always been somewhat of an outcast among his kind as he prefered brute force over manipulations, mind games or intrigues. He was considered to be "simple-minded" by others of his kind, a savage brute worth little more than some pitlord. They even went so far to call him "Pit Dreadlord" and did not see him as a threat to be taken seriously. They underestimated him and it was the last time a dreadlord would underestimate any other dreadlord. Ornasion had been able to focus on what he did best: Warfare. He became a great tactician and strategist of the Blooddrinker Legion, leading its forces in many successful campaigns against its enemies. One day, long before the First Voidwar, Ornasion challenged all high-ranking dreadlords of the Blooddrinker Legion at once - and tore them apart with little effort. He was a brute, but believing him to be a fool with no ambition had been a grave mistake. Under his leadership, the Blooddrinker Legion rose above all others, absorbing several other legions and becoming ever more numerous. He had also grown to be close to Lisara, a succubus of the Blooddrinker Legion and his right hand. Their relationship became something that was... unusual for Demons. They became lovers rather than political allies. She played a vital role in maintaining his position of power. However, Lisara was outplayed by a demoness of the Souldrinker Legion and Ornasion, despite having prevented it for a long time, eventually had little choice but to push her away. This was the beginning of his own downfall. During the Second Voidwar, he personally led the charge against the Humans and was betrayed by the Souleater Legion, leading to his imprisonment by Aridon. The Watcher of Arkain turned him into the first undead dreadlord and gave him a nexus to create an army of undead Demons. Ornasion was all too happy to unleash his wrath on the Souleater dogs that had betrayed him, slaying two of its high-ranking members during the war who had played a part in his betrayal though Ebira, the one he hated more than anyone else had been able to escape him. While he was at first happy with being just another servant, far from the intrigues of his kind, Ornasion became furious when he met the Dark Elves, the creations of Aridon, who turned out to be just as intrigant as his own kind, hating their kind from the moment he met them. If it hadn't been for Haran and the master, he would have committed genocide against their kind rather than letting them leave their halls. He became disillusioned with his unlife when he learned of the political games of the nexus, seeing even more intrigues and games when all he wanted was to bash some heads. He spent much time increasing the power of his nexus after the war before he and they just disappeared. No one knows where they went |
| Mistress Pentiss Like many other members of the Sisterhood, Pentiss was born as the daughter of one of its priestesses. She was raised along with all the others who were destined to become priestesses of the Sisterhood. Like her sisters, Pentiss was taught that loyalty towards the Sisterhood and the Goddess was all that mattered - and that males were... disposable. All that mattered was the Sisterhood and the will of their goddess. Pentiss rose quickly through the ranks of the Sisterhood and became one of its high priestesses shortly after Quiraness was appointed mistress. She only ever disapproved of the lowborn Quiraness however. While she was a loyal servant of the Sisterhood, Pentiss took pride in her position and thought that Quiraness was a threat both to the Sisterhood and the prophecy. When the gates were opened and the servants of the Watcher arrived to return the Dark Elves to their god and creator Aridon, Pentiss was quick to join them and start an uprising against Quiraness, using black lotus to turn the former mistress into a gibbering husk of her former self and becoming mistress herself. She then joined the armies of the Watcher and was rewarded with her own nexus - though first she had to comprehend that the image of a "goddess" that the Dark Elves had was wrong. She served Aridon faithfully though she also sought ways to increase her own power and came into conflict with Ornasion the Destroyer who despised the dark elves. After the war, she returned into the depths below the Dead Mountain, securing her power among her people and strengthening her nexus both below and above ground while also enjoying her black lotus. She seems to have enjoyed Aridon's long absence as it allowed her to do as she pleased. One might think that she has become decadent, arrogant and selfish - but she has definitely been both arrogant and selfish before. |
| Quiraness The former mistress of the Sisterhood was a "lowborn" - a priestess born outside of the Sisterhood. A daughter of a family that had lost the favor of the Sisterhood and were all sacrificed to appease the goddess - all but Quiraness. Quiraness worked her way up the Sisterhood, having to fight for every bit of acknowledgement and appreciation, much more than most others did. When she became a high priestess, many "forgot" that she was a "lowborn". Through her rise, many other lowborn were given a similar chance, becoming fiercely loyal to her. Quiraness' ambitious and desire for power drove her until she managed to gain enough influence to become the new mistress of the Sisterhood. While she feigned zealousness, she secretly cared little for the religous aspects of her position and more for the power, wealth, independence and control that she had fought for all her life. Many more religious members of the Sisterhood took note of this however and this came to lead to Quiraness' downfall when the Undead, the servants of the Divine One or "goddess" whom the Dark Elves revered, arrived. Quiraness was pushed from her throne and replaced by the high priestess Pentiss who used the addictive and hallucinogenic black lotus to turn Quiraness into a shadow of her former self, throwing her into the slave pits. As she had never taken this drug before, unlike many other members of her race, Quiraness was not prepared for its effects and could not fight it. Ever since then, Quiraness has been a slave, drugged with black lotus, ever since then, hardly capable of forming a coherent thought. She is not kept alive out of love but as a symbol, showing what fate would befall those who would dare to move against Pentiss. Death would be a mercy in comparison. |
| Rahandir Drakeskull Many centuries ago, Rahandir Drakeskull was a living legend in the Kingdoms of Arkain. A dragon slayer and demon hunter, a master of cold magic whose powers could even rival that of the mighty demon dreadlords. A friend of both Dwarves and Elves, most famously of the Woodhunters, the great-grandparents of Salana Woodhunter, who had travelled at his side for many years. Rahandir personally led the armies of Rengar against the Demons, leading them to great victories. This all changed however when the King of Rengar, once a close friend of Rahandir but then mad with paranoia, sent his friend into certain death. Rahandir and his men were slaughtered to the last man but Rahandir brought himself back to life as a lich, decimating both the Demons and slaying the king who had betrayed him, before willingly becoming a servant of the Watcher of Arkain. Rahandir remained as intelligent as he had been in life but the unexpected treason had left its marks on his humanity. He became cold and cynical, a faithful believer of the Watcher's goals despite not being a mindless slave. During the Second Voidwar, his frozen heart softened a bit and he began to see the cracks of the facade that Aridon had spun around himself. He and his followers, while remaining loyal to the Watcher, made the decision to act against Aridon's plan which might have led to the early downfall of Zyainor - not out of love for Zyainor or its rulers but because they believed that following Aridon's plan would have devastating consequences for not just mankind but all races of Arkain. After the war, Rahandir and most of his followers left the Dead Mountain. Rahandir wondered if the world of Arkain needed someone to watch over it, to protect it. There was a fine line between protection and control. He was not sure if Aridon was going to be able to walk that line - or if anyone could for that matter. |
| Saphira Whisperwind Saphira used to be a loyal servant of the Elven Kingdom and a friend of Salana Woodhunter, the right hand of Queen Renova. Whereas Salana had been the better diplomat, Saphira was the better ranger of the two. When she was sent on a mission to acquire an artifact for the queen however, she and her allies were defeated by the Orcs of the Deathbreeze Clan. Saphira fled but was caught and killed by Rahandir Drakeskull who raised her as his servant. Saphira blamed her death not on the Orcs but on the queen who had sent her to die in her eyes. During the Second Voidwar she would get her revenge and kill Renova. Saphira also saw firsthand how brutal and ruthless the Ironfist was when they brutally mutilated Salana. She managed to save Salana and brought her into safety, promising that the Ironfist would suffer terribly for this - she shot a poisonous arrow at the soldier who had almost beaten Salana to death. It was not just the Ironfist but also the Undead themselves that Saphira had become disillusioned with during the war however - with Aridon to be specific, seeing the flaws of the Watcher even before her master Rahandir did. After the war she has stayed far from the Dead Mountain, tending to the comatose Salana as well as the children of Renova who had been saved from the Ironfist by her master Rahandir. |
| Rogthil Once, there had been three Bonelords: Rogthil, Sha'thar and Kasresh. They, along with Krom, were the last remaining undead Arkainians - the flawed race created by the gods themselves. They had once been high priests of some of those gods. They were the leaders of the Scarec Nexus, capable of raising massive armies of bones and leading them against the living when needed. During the Second Voidwar they were unleashed against the allied races led by Amari, a student of Ardion's "sibling" Bhaarizel. Unfortunately for them, despite all their armies and all their power, they lost that battle. When they reincarnated, Amari used a ritual to bind the three of them into a single entity: Rogthil. Doing so freed Rogthil of Aridon's control but also made him go insane and flee. Aridon tried to capture the crazed Bonelord but, after confronting his master with past misdeeds, Rogthil fled and has not been seen since. No Undead other than Aridon has ever learned of the fact that the Bonelords were even merged in the first place, not even Krom. Most believe they are dead. But Rogthil is still out there. He just has not been seen on Arkain for the last twenty years... |
| Valdeer the Grim In life, Valdeer was a female paladin of the Kingdoms, fighting to protect the weak and help those in need. Believing that evil was a force that needed to be fought at any occasion, she was an idealist and someone who saw humanity as the shining beacon of hope surrounded by the darkness of other creatures. As time went on however, she became ever more disillusioned as she saw the damage done by those around her and how even those who seemed to be pure-hearted turned out to be a victim of their selfish desires. She became cynical and focused more on fighting evil than protecting those who might become villains themselves one day. It was then when she started to hear the whispers of the Watcher, telling her of a way to fight for the world of Arkain itself rather than its rotten inhabitants. After a while, she heeded the whispers and travelled to the Dead Mountain where she met the Watcher and willingly joined his service, allowing herself to be turned into an undead. For many decades she has served the Splecir Nexus without question and fervently fought in the name of her new master as a somewhat low-ranking officer of the Splecir. After the Second Voidwar, she became a more prominent figure of the Splecir Nexus as its other leaders left the Dead Mountain, one by one, being chosen to oversee the disputes between the other nexus and keeping the peace on the Dead Mountain - an ever more challenging task that she has succeeded in patiently if somewhat passively, preventing larger military conflicts while also not interfering much in the power struggles. There is one thing however, that the patient Valdeer would not permit on the Dead Mountain: Opposing the authority of the Watcher of Arkain. |
| Ebira A masterful temptress of the Souleater Legion, Ebira has served as the right hand of Kersidar, its leader, for many centuries. Among all succubi, Ebira is considered to be not only the most powerful but also the most seductive, having seduced and corrupted the hearts and minds of countless mortals, turning them into willing slaves. She did not limit her actions to mortals however, strengthening the Souleater Legion by seducing Demons of other legions to her side. This also resulted in her gaining many enemies, most prominently Lisara, the second-in-command of the Blooddrinker Legion. The resulting conflict ended with Ebira making Lisara appear as a traitor to her own kind, imprisoning her and weakening her to the point where Lisara could not leave on her own even if someone was to free her. Ebira also played a vital role in Kersidar's betrayal of Ornasion during the Second Voidwar, covertly sabotaging several operations of the Blooddrinker Legion. She had no interest in the invasion, she and Kersidar had other plans - at least that was what she thought. When Kersidar took charge of the invasion, he seemed to lose sight of what was important from her point of view. Unhappy with him wanting to focus on the mortals rather than going along with the original plan, Ebira started to work against him - she did so discreetly but in the end, when Kersidar faced his final battle, it was quite obvious that he no longer held her loyalty. Ebira then made Gardon Bloodclaw an offer that he had refused not long before and then disappeared back in her homelands. Ever since then she has worked on solidifying her own position - not as leader of the Souleater Legion but as leader of her own organisation that had one goal and one goal only: Bring back the golden age of Demonkind. By any means necessary. |
| Erganoth The leader of the Darkblade Legion, Erganoth, is the nightmare of his political enemies. While some Demons hire assassins to get rid of their enemies - allowing some of those enemies to offer the assassins a better deal - Erganoth himself was the only assassin he ever needed. His rise to power in the Darkblade Legion was rapid, not only by Demon standards, but also by mortal standards. Only within a few weeks, when the Second Voidwar had just begun, he rose from an ordinary dreadlord to the leader of his legion, while never having shown any interest in being a leader at any time before. Being quite young by dreadlord standards, Erganoth still had to deal with several struggles within his legion. He found that the most efficient way to get rid of his most dangerous rivals, was to send them to the frontlines with the Blooddrinker and Souleater Legions, providing only token reinforcements whenever he wanted to be rid of a couple of Demons. Only a small number of Demons who were sent westwards were actual loyalists to Erganoth. Originally, Ornasion had wanted to use Erganoth's skills to dispose of the human leadership. However, Erganoth had never shown any interest in the invasion. Not only did he lack faith in its success, he also was busy dealing with the enemies within the Darkblade Legion. In the end, Erganoth had been right with his doubts of the invasion though even he had not expected the Humans to attempt to conquer Fort Ashrazyl, the border fortress that protected the only path that allowed one to traverse the Void. While he refused to lend any aid to the Souleater Legion and their allies whose failure was the sole reason why the Humans had even come this far, he had moved a large number of forces to the nearby Carnâzoth, both to prevent the Humans from getting any further and to recapture the fort. It was his forces that the royal knights led by Prince Toraes charged into as the Ironfist was forced to abandon them though Erganoth himself was not present, not believing that the situation required his personal attention. After the war, he and his legion took advantage of the weakened Souleater Legion by taking some of their lands from them. Erganoth's Darkblade Legion is now also the sole legion controlling Ashrazyl - and with the Blooddrinker Legion effectively destroyed and the Souleater Legion crippled, the Darkblade Legion might have become the new most powerful legion within the lands of the Demons - though not as strong as its forebearers. |
| Lisara Lisara was once a high-ranking member of the bloodthirsty Blooddrinker Legion. Being physically weaker compared to the other Demons and even other succubi, she had to trick and outsmart her enemies within the legion to make a name for herself. One of those she tried to outplay however turned the tables and tricked her instead: Ornasion the Destroyer, a dreadlord believed to be just a simple brute. Lisara made the same mistake as all others and underestimated him. Rather than killing her for trying to trick him, Ornasion made Lisara an offer to work for him instead. Being impressed by the dreadlord whom she had considered nothing but a brute in the past, she accepted. Even before Ornasion became the leader of the Blooddrinker Legion, the two got closer and had feelings for each other that were... unusual for Demons. They became lovers. When Ornasion became the leader of the Blooddrinker Legion, Lisara became his second-in-command and supported him in all his deeds while also making sure that none were fooling enough to stab him in the back. However, when Lisara opposed Ebira of the Souleater Legion, she had found her match. Ebira's machinations made it look as if Lisara had betrayed her own race. It was Ornasion alone who protected her from consequences - until eventually he had no other choice but to allow that Lisara was banished. Lisara felt betrayed and alone after this. The one she had loved more than any Demon should love anything had betrayed her. In her prison, Lisara screamed, letting out all of her hatred and rage, longing for nothing more but her revenge. Eventually, when her sanity was already dwindling, she was approached by Tregakh the Dark One who made her an offer: Her freedom for her service. If he had approached her earlier, she would have sent the traitor of her races' creator away. In the state she was in, however, she accepted with no hesitation. Together the two plotted the corruption of an Imperial girl named Aedale Redfist - Lisara would merge with the girl and gain her freedom. For a while it worked, manipulating Aedale had proven to be easy, her lack of confidence made it easy for Lisara. In the end however, Aedale realized that she had made a terrible mistake and upon learning that she could not rid herself of Lisara she instead used the very power provided by Lisara to enslave the demoness who was still within her body and mind. Ever since then, a broken Lisara has willingly given Aedale any and all information she wanted. |
| Nysara In the lands of the Demons, the name Nysara is widely unknown. Whether or not she used a different name before or has been a silent agent acting unseen behind the scenes is not known either. In the politically complex world of the Demons both are possible. Those few who know her name know that she works for Ebira but none may say how long she has done so - or how old she even is. Those few also had not seen her for more than half a century. It is presumed that she has been active far away from her homeland for this time though none but Ebira herself know what she had been doing all this time. One thing is for certain however: She looks different when put next to other succubi, though that might also be the result of illusion magic, a favored tool of succubi. And if she wasn't both loyal and capable, Ebira wouldn't have allowed her to be away for so long without calling her back every now and then. She has also proven to have a golden tongue and knowledgeable in the arcane arts. Interestingly, despite not being well known, she seems to have some powerful friends in legions outside of the Souleater Legion... |
| Vermon No mortal, be they slave or not, has ever seen Vermon, Master of Spies, Count of the Mindslayer Legion. Only Demons are allowed to see him, the few mortals whom he deems worthy being in his presence, are blinded. Considering the fact that it is the Mindslayer Legion that has enslaved more mortals than any other Legion, this is considered quite ironic by the rest of the Legions. Over the millenia of existence of the demonic race, the other Legions started to think that the name "Vermon" was some kind of nickname, given to whomever usurps the place of the leader of the Mindslayer Legion. Only few outside the Mindslayer Legion believe that Vermon actually managed to stay alive longer than any other known Dreadlord, having mastered immortality even more than the other high-ranking dreadlords. The members of the Mindslayer Legion refuse to talk with anyone outside their Legion about their leader in a way that could suggest anything. They call him Master of Spies for him being the leader of the Mindslayer Legion, the Legion that doesn't send any forces to the battlefields but instead destroys their enemies from within, using infiltration, seduction, bribery and murder to achieve its goals. Why he calls himself "Count" of his Legion while other leaders refer to themselves as "Lord", "Lady" or "Master" is a mystery known to no one but himself and his close allies. |
| Maronogin Very little is known about Maronogin, the former leader of the Souleater Legion, apart from the fact that he is one of the oldest living Demons (maybe even the oldest of his kind), but many give him credit for the current power of the Souleater Legion as it were his intrigues, wars and conquests that made it as powerful as it is now. However, despite his immense power, he began to withdraw from all political and other affairs and instead spent his time alone in his private chambers. His absence created a power vacuum in the Souleater Legion which threw it into conflict with itself. In the end, the dreadlord Kersidar tried to usurp Maronogin's position with his intrigues and manipulations. Rather than opposing the upstart or simply crushing him with his enormous power, Maronogin and his most trusted soldiers left the lands of the Demons and were never seen again and were presumed dead as centuries passed without any sign of them. Some Demons who still remember Maronogin like Kersidar believed that he fell at the hands of Aridon the Watcher and therefore no longer was any threat. Unbeknownst to Demons and mortals alike however, Maronogin never perished. Instead he hid his presence by not using his powers and focused on building a network dedicated to nothing but profit in the lands of the mortals, apparently having become completely disillusioned from the goals of the legions though it is not known how this occurred - it probably already began when he was still the leader of the Souleater Legion. In secret, Maronogin even became the chieftain of the Goldaxe Clan. It is difficult to guess how large his network has grown over the centuries and only very few even know that Maronogin is still around. He uses neither this power nor influence to get involved in geopolitical affairs, seemingly only interested in his profit margins nowadays. However, despite his eccentric demeanour and appearance, one would be a fool to underestimate a dreadlord who was as old as him - especially with his network and mercenary army. |
