Voldrun
"I do not want your wrath or your revenge, only your submission"
The Chainmaker
Voldrun is the Ventara whose domains are conquest, enslavement, and domination. His true desire is to harvest the souls of all mortals, bringing them under his control by sowing strife across the mortal realm. His ever growing desire has led to pieces of Iskara being torn from the mortal realm into his own plane and as he continues to consume souls his hunger for them only grows.
Voldrun values patience, guile, and strength. He is known to deceive those he deals with and over power those who would betray or antagonize him. He also takes great pleasure in the suffering of mortals, often torturing them for his own amusement. Those that fall under his control are damned to an eternity of brutal servitude and ceaseless labor.
Many describe Voldrun as arrogant, calculating, and disregarding of mortal welfare. To Voldrun pacifism is a great weakness, one to be immediately exploited. It is said he is fond ostentatious displays of power and strength, holding elaborate celebrations and ceremonies all to embolden his unending ego.
Religion and Culture
Given his burning desire to dominate the mortal realm, Voldrun is no stranger among the peoples of Iskara. While each culture may have slight differences in their interpretations of Voldrun one thing is shared among all, Voldrun is to be feared.
While some of the Ventara are painted in a more benevolent light among the Madurans, Voldrun is mot certainly not. He is considered one of the primary threats in the Clan of Dusk, the term used for the Ventara the Madurans view as irredeemable and wholly evil. Luckily for the Madurans Voldrun has rarely interfered with their lives but when he has he has done so with great fury.
Given Voldrun's rivalry with Saren, he has made it a priority to terrorize and weaken the Sareni people. As one might expect, the Sareni have a deep hatred for Voldrun and make a great effort to limit any worship of him.
To the peoples of the Vithari Dominion, Voldrun is the main antagonist in the Ballad of Chains, the tale of his origins and the pains he has inflicted against their peoples. While Voldrun primarily attacks the Sareni, he is known to assault the southern Vithar peoples taking great pleasure in damaging the their more egocentric natures.
The Felvithar have few tales regarding Voldrun but have suffered under his power due to their proximity to the Sareni to the south.
The Arikiri have close ties to the Sareni and as such have indirectly become a target of Voldrun's ire. To them he is referred to as the "Chain Maker" and it is expected of all Arikiri to never speak his name, or any Ventara's name. To the Arikiri speaking the name of a Ventara is believed to give them power or to ask for their unwanted attention.
To the Avar, Voldrun is less influential in their culture and history as few tales or records still persist to this day. Some of these tales even suggest that the Avar warriors were so powerful and brutal that even Voldrun deemed them worthy to be left alone.
To the peoples of Ankar, Voldrun, similar to that of the Avar, is more of a figure of legend as Voldrun has directed his focus towards the Sareni and the inhabitants of Teldara.
Worship
The cults of Voldrun often preform live, unwilling sacrifices to appease their god and his appetite. These cults typically believe that the weak must be culled and punished by the strong, a tenant of Voldrun himself. The aforementioned cults use abyssal magics to further their goals. Cunning, deception and subterfuge are just as valued by the Ventara as brutality is. Thus, bribery, blackmail and extortion are common tools among the various cults.
Artifacts
Voldrun's Warhammer
Voldrun's Warhammer, also known as the Will Breaker, is the primary artifact attributed to the Ventara. The enchantments of the hammer drain the stamina, life, and mana from its victim and transfer it to the wielder. It is also said that the artifact can drain the strength of the enemy, enhancing the wielders own strength, and trap the victim's soul.
The origins of the hammer are shrouded in mystery but many believe Voldrun claimed the soul of a talented smith; forcing him to craft the formidable weapon.
Given Voldrun's proclivity to interfere in mortal affairs, he grants the hammer to those he deems worthy though he grants the weapon rather freely, wishing to sow as much destruction and death as possible.
The Tyrant's Will
One of the more unique artifacts, the Tyrant's Will is a powerful spell devised by Voldrun. The spell can be used by any individual Voldrun deems worthy of knowing such a potent skill. The spell allows the user to manipulate the will's of those effected. This allows the user near complete control over the victim's actions. The most heinous aspect of the spell is the fact that the victim is completely aware and conscious even while under the spells effect.
Realm
The Ruins of Cinder
The Ruins of Cinder is the realm created and ruled by Voldrun, the Ventara of Domination. As befits his spheres of influence, Voldrun's realm is a desolate, apocalyptic image of Iskara, which is achieved by both mocking imitation and the theft of pieces of the mortal realm. It is inhabited by powerful Isventyr and the forever damned husks of mortals called Soul Stricken. Mortals who made deals with Voldrun are said to live in the more "hospitable" regions of the plane. The Ruins have been described as a manifestation of oppression and exploitation. Descriptions of the plane vary widely depending on the region, but all accounts agree that the Ruins are a dismal, smoldering, and largely lifeless realm.
The Ruins are said to hold an innumerable amount of facilities, all constructed to further Voldrun's nefarious schemes and plots. One such facilities is the Charred Library, an elaborate rouse with the sole purpose of serving as a trap for would be scholars; the library is filled with propaganda celebrating its illustrious creator.
The realm possesses several wards and facilities to serve as countermeasures. Mages and adventurers who attempt to enter the Ruins by the way of portals will find themselves in an unintended location. Arcane constructs known as Eyes of Cinder are used by Voldrun to guide his vision in Coldharbour. These beings enhance Voldrun's perception of his realm and facilties ensuring nothing gets past his gaze.
The Ruins mostly consists of prisons and labor camps, but other facilities focus on research, torture, soul harvesting, and military training. Voldrun has a deep fascination with souls and often has a mystical research project in the works to develop new and more efficient methods of stealing and imprisoning mortal souls.
Servants
Voldrun maintains the strongest Isventyr military among all Ventara, a feat he is certainly proud of. He demands complete and utter loyalty from his servants, and does not tolerate even the slightest hint of weakness among his ranks. Isventyr most commonly seen in his service include Venmora, Venvilai, Venkyn, Urators, Ventyr Behemoths, Venraths, Ogrin, Dregkin, and Cinder-Flame Archaics. The Volkyn are a Isventyr race that are exclusively loyal to Voldrun, and serve as his personal guard. They behave much like their ruler; they constantly scheme against one another and they obsess over the collection of souls.
Within the Isventyr ranks there are two clans vying for Voldrun's favor, the Synkar, the Soul Reavers, and the Xevrel, also known as the Dark Ravagers. During times of "peace" these clans perpetuate a constant war of attrition to gain prominence among Voldrun's ranks but either side rarely gains the upper hand. Voldrun allows for such conflict believing it to weed out the weak ensure only the strongest among his forces are bestow the honor of existing.
Divine Domains
Conquest, Domination, and Enslavement
Holy Books & Codes
The Three-Hundred-and-One Edicts are the primary principles and mandatory laws Voldrun's servants must adhere to. If any such edict is broken the offender is given a "fair" trial before facing their excruciating punishment. In turn Voldrun's cultists have taken these edicts to heart and use them as the guiding principles of their organizations.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Voldrun's emblem is that of his own skull with blood dripping through his fanged teeth.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
Voldrun's ultimate goal is to consume and dominate all mortal souls and to drag Iskara into his own plane.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Glory Age
The first known encounter with Voldrun was at the very beginning of the Incursion. Near the end of the Glory Age a series of rampant wars, disease, and corruption greatly weakened the provinces of Iskara and even with the aid of the Divines turmoil continued. This chaos provided the perfect moment tot strike. Voldrun and several other Ventara sensed this great weakness and thus their invasion began. It is said that Voldrun himself was the first to cut his way through the Veil that separated the Void from the mortal realm. Following in his example and to capitalize on the increasing chaos fellow Ventara followed suit reaping destruction across Iskara.
Records cite Voldrun focusing his attention on the heartlands of Teldara, the homeland of the Sareni. Voldrun and his forces cut through Sareni defenses with relative ease, only facing real resistance months into the invasion. It is even said that Voldrun and Saren battled over the corpse of Syn, a close ally of Saren, who was slain just moments before. Through the efforts of the Divines, the Ascendant, and mortal forces the Ventara and their hordes were driven back to the Void but at an immense cost.
Ruinous Age
While Voldrun himself did not manifest onto the mortal plane, he constantly sent out his Isventyr to harass and brutalize the mortals of Iskara. Several towns along the northern reaches of what would be Valaren were wiped out and their citizens abducted, taken to the Ruins of Cinder.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Many speculate if there is a deeper purpose to Voldrun's desires whether it be to amass an even greater army to surpass his fellow Ventara or even conquer them. Some such scholars also refrain from delving to deep into their query, wishing to avoid imagining what he would be capable of with more innate power.
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