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The Fourth Age: The Age of War
With the decimation of the priesthood and the departure of the Four the stability of Beuath was shattered. Even the efforts
of the High Priests were unsuccessful in restoring order, and those who took power in the void of authority did so by sword
and spell.
The Rise and Fall of Bafeyn Deilos, Master of War
The first true warlord was Bafeyn Deilos. A barbarian of Arki's deserts, Bafeyn was slight in stature compared to the others
in his clan, but he possessed a mind that was keen and shrewd. Though his clan held nothing but disdain for the lives of
the civilized peoples, Bafeyn was quick to recognize the merits of other cultures, and he left his clan to learn more.
In less than a decade Bafeyn had gathered an army, earned his reputation as a brilliant tactician, and conquered everything
from Arki's northern deserts to the southernmost peaks of the Eupan mountains atop which the Dragons of Ice nested. However,
though he was still in his prime Bafeyn was keenly aware of the trap that age was even then laying in front of him, and he
sought ruthlessly for a way to stave off time itself.
It was an Archdevil named Gorvail that provided Bafeyn with a solution. Gorvail would grant Bafeyn unending youth and
health in return for one thousand years of service from Bafeyn, due upon the mortal's eventual death. Bafeyn agreed, fooled
by his own sense of invincibility as the wording of the contract meant that he was free from the grip of time and disease
and would live forever.
Unbound by caution, Bafeyn's rule spread like wildfire, and in less than five years he had conquered Arki and controlled
more than half of both Eupa and Sora. But his reign was cut short thanks to his love of battle. A stray arrow caught him
in the throat, killing him instantly. Without his iron will, his budding empire collapsed in upon itself even faster than
it had grown.
Though Bafeyn had never been able to enjoy his half of the bargain, Gorvail was quick to force his partner to complete
the terms of the deal. Transforming the newly deceased soul of Bafeyn into a powerful devil, Gorvail set Bafeyn as his lieutenant
in the raging Blood War waged between the lawful devils and the chaotic demons. Bafeyn proved every bit as capable in the
war between planes as he was in his campaigns as a mortal, and soon he had gained a sizable amount of power and prestige for
his master. When one of Bafeyn's strategies led to the capture of none other than a powerful Demon Prince, Gorvail personally
arrived on the battlefield to gloat.
However, the Archfiend claime all the credit for such a victory, though it had all been due to Bafeyn's planning. The
outrage brought the realization of a loophole to Bafeyn's mind, and he struck down both his unsuspecting master and the captive
Demon Prince. Taking their power for his own and seizing the title as the Fiend of War, Bafeyn was tansformed into Baf'N'Del,
Lord of War.
The Forging of Jarroc, The Soul Taker
The Age of War gave rise to many weapon makers who sought wealth through their craft. Many found their fortune
in the service of the warlords, an just as many met their ends at the hand of customers who didn't want their enemies to have
weapons of the same quality as their own. One such weaponsmith rose to power as a warlord himself.
Though his name was lost to history, this smith forged many weapons for varios warlords. The pinnacle of his craft,
however, was a hand and a half sword, single edged and curved slightly as was he Arkian style. It is said that he forged
a piece of his very soul into this sword, and once completed the sword awoke with a dire malevolence.
The sword desired nothing more than to defeat all who would oppose it, and the smith became obsessed with battle, consumed
by the desires of the blade. Many great enchantmnts lay on the blade thanks to the smith's skill, and because of its
power it desired a name. Reluctant to scar the blade, the smith's mind was broken by the sword's will, and the name
Jarroc was engraved upon the blade. Infusing the maddened smith with his will, Jarroc dragged the man into battle after
battle, gathering followers all the while. None suspcted that it was Jarroc that ruled and not the empty shell that
carried him.
Jarroc's army, though zealous and fearless, did not command the power and authority of many other warlords. Because
of Jarroc's desire only for subjugation of other beings, it cared little for those it had beaten after the fact, This
carelessness is what eventually led to the downfall of the original army. A cunnng warlord had surrendered rather
than be killed, and insinuated himself ino Jarroc's corps of field commanders. From there, a coup was initiated, and
the smith was killed. The traitor was quick to realize the true power behind the army, and struck a deal with Jarroc
rather than constantly battle the sword for dominance.
The deal struck, Jarroc cut across Beuath like an axe hewing through a tree, crushing all opposition. Such slaughter
was initiated that the dragons, the most ancient of the Four's creations, abandned their policy of noninvolvement with the
lesser races and came out from their lairs to enforce their own rule on the barbarism around them. Jarroc's wielder
was slain, and the sword taken to a dragon's hoard. Powerful though his will was, Jarroc was no match for the willpower
of a dragon, and their he remaned until stolen centuries later, only to be lost to history.
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