Valtyv

Emperor (a.k.a. The Saviour of Aladathia, The Ruthless Tyrant)

The figure of Emperor Valtyv is a controversial one in Helstav's history, as it is in the history of all of Southern Aladathia. There were many facets of the same man, and depending on who was asked, Emperor Valtyv could either be a benevolent saviour who united Southern Aladathia into an empire the size and power of which was never seen either before or after, a despotic oppressor who delighted in killing his opponents in the most brutal of fashions, an eccentric man of inexhaustible power and almost limitless potential, or anything in between.

Physical Description

Body Features

Valtyv's race was a point of dispute. Some argued that he was an Elf, due to his ethereal features, while others claimed that his innate charm meant that he was of another plane entirely, and yet others claimed that he was the literal hellspawn disguised as a humanoid, sent to lead the people of Aladathia to its doom. In the end, his birth wasn't documented by any sources other than what Valtyv himself told scholars, and the matter of the race of this figure of almost unlimited power was never settled.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Not much is known of Emperor Valtyv's origins. One day, Valtyv received a premonition of a klurichir demon from his father. He discovered that the powerful demon was coming, and he had to do something to stop it. Sensing this threat, he decided to unite the regions into a single strong empire in order to prepare the defenses for a demon invasion. He stared to amass the support of Helstav's less content army and populace. It was as if he simply emerged from the crowds one day, espousing a need for greater defenses while secretly stoking the fires of restlessness of the populace and a army. He was persuasive and charming, and his presence was addictive. His speeches could inspire people with confidence they did not believe they had. It is worth noting that Valtyv's enterprise wasn't supported by either Brian Blessed 34th or Araleth Calen. He had approached Brian Blessed 34th about his premonitions. After his conversation with the leader of Helstav's Council, Valtyv's feeling of urgency grew, and his recruitment grew in urgency. He made a deal with the young Araleth Calen, who realized that his popularity meant that his cause was not easily snuffed out, even by Valtyv's death. In return for leaving Helstav in relative peace so that the terrible evil underneath the city was not disturbed, as well as letting Brian Blessed 34th and his Council rule Helstav mostly undisturbed as Valtyv's vassals, Helstav's elite would not put up resistance, and he would be able to use Helstav's army for his crusade. Once Valtyv amassed enough support, he exited through the Emperor's Pass (then known as the Desert Trail, which was renamed after Mazteca had been officially conquered) and began his conquest of all of Southern Aladathia. Region after region fell before him, and this single most powerful mortal eventually created the empire, one which would last for more than two centuries. Valtyv's empire came crashing down when Ardatia's various regions banded together and waged a war to end the reign of Valtyv, because Valtyv has been starting to expand north and Ardatia came to a decision that it only stood a chance against Valtyv as a united force. Ardatia first started with insurgent guerilla warfare, hitting Valtyv's resources and most remote outposts. Eventually, a united Ardatian army was formed, and attacked the empire itself, making its way to Valtyv's seat of power. Valtyv himself fell at the hands of the five original Primal Dawn members: the Aasimar Avalon Steelnote, the human Felinor Deladren, the Dragonborn Trongar, the Half-Elf Zaaliah, and the human Sterling Jarvy who later went on to found the Primal Dawn guild in the Tarka Desert in Mazteca. The limits of Valtyv's abilities were never tested to their fullness. What was known about the man was that he had the power to grant others great power in turn. There was a group of elite guards called Valtyv's Augmented, who got their powers from Valtyv's might. He could command entire armies with but a few words, and their speeches seemed to give his followers strength even when that should have failed them. In battle, he was a formidable foe, easily able to stand against almost insurmountable odds that would have made lesser men quake in fear.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Whether the good of Emperor Valtyv's empire outweighted the bad is a point of contention among historians. Some believe that the cities greatly benefited from the Empire's reign, which imposed free trade and created a united Southern continent, while others argue that his tyrannical rule and a lack of tolerance for people expressing opposing opinions meant that the Empire could never truly flourish and contained the seed of its own destruction. Regardless of which side people are on, one thing is known: Emperor Valtyv's legacy will not soon be forgotten. As far as the history books say, the demon was never seen during Emperor Valtyv's reign. Some historians put it down to the inaccuracy of premonitions, others accused Emperor Valtyv of weaving the threat of a powerful demon into his web of lies by which he lured supporters to his side, and still others believed that the demon hadn't awoken yet.