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The Golden Warlord

The Golden Warlord first came to the attention of the Hundred Kingdoms, even the Scavenger Lands, some seven months ago when word spread throughout the land that the City of Mar`asalon had fallen to the hands of a mighty warrior and his horrible host of merciless warriors. For weeks, rumors ran rampant as news slowly trickled out of the Southern-most reaches of the Hundred Kingdoms. The Golden Warlord was a mighty god exiled from the Heavens in one village, and a Exiled General from the Realm with access to some powerful First Age relic that made him invincible in another. One rumor that was particularly wide-spread and persistent, however, was that the Warlord who had conquered the ancient city was one of the Forsaken.

The City-State of Mar`asalon was one of the oldest in the regions, its formation dating back to the chaotic period right after the Laris and Velen Districts began to break apart hundreds of years ago. A strong walled fortress-town in the North Expanses of the Hundred Kingdoms, conquered by a mercenary company out of Nexus some 500 years ago, starting the Bloodrivers Dynasty that had continued to this very day. One of the strongest states in the region, with a large army and extensive holdings, most considered the City to be a match for any other state in the region individually. Yet it had fallen so quickly that the first news any had was that Prince Ameneth Bloodrivers was dead and the city in the hands of "the Golden Warlord".

Eventually, more and more reliable news of the cities fall spread throughout the East. A peasant insurrection that had managed to avoid being snuffed out for years, yet showed no real signs of danger, until the day that a mighty warrior encased in glowing golden armor (who, rumor says, positively radiated fear and awe and drove many who faced him screaming from the field) approached the gates of Mar`asalon with a small band of peasant-warriors who fought like lions. Within a few hours, the force had reached the Palace and the 500-year reign of the Bloodrivers had come to an abrupt and violent end.

Since the conquest of Mar`asalon, the Golden Warlord has not been idle. He grows his domain; seizing control of the rebellious army that scattered in the wake of his victory and securing his hold on the various holdings that were under his control. These tasks are not yet complete, but already his "neighbors" can feel his attentions upon them, and hope that Lookshy has heard their cries for help.

Related Rumors

• While the Golden Warlord slew Ameneth Bloodrivers, his uncle Jorrain Bloodrivers and numerous other members of the royal family that fought back, it is commonly repeated that he spared Ameneth's wife and children and several other members of the royal family. Some say that he has married Naria Bloodrivers, the Kings daughter, and that Partiel Bloodrivers, the Kings youngest son, has escaped into the Hundred Kingdoms and plots revenge.
• The Great Golden Armor of the Golden Warlord is the subject of much conjecture, with many saying that it is constructed not of gold but of Demon Gold, and that while wearing it he is invincible -- mortal blows bouncing off him, even the essence-enhanced strikes of the Dragon-Blooded! Many refugees claim that the armor is etched with ornate words in an arcane tongue, which glow brightly when the Forsaken uses his demon charms.
• Though the Golden Warlord has managed to tame most of the scattered Armies of Mar`asalon and bring them under his banner he has not gained control over all of them. As many as two groups of battle hardened troops lurk in the countryside of Mar`asalon, waiting for a chance to strike out and avenge their fallen king. One of these is even said to be under the command of Jaida, a Dragon-Blooded Outcaste whose family has served the Bloodrivers since the founding of the Kingdom centuries ago.
• The Kingdoms nearest to Mar`asalon have sent word repeatedly to Lookshy, but to date, the Seventh Legion has taken no interest in the Kingdom the Forsaken have gathered to himself. This has led some to suppose that Lookshy is in league with the Demon Prince, seeking to cement their control over the region -- a view opposed by those who note that Lookshy would hardly need one of the Anathema to help them control the region.