The General of the Undefeated Void
Divine Warrior
(a.k.a Divine Warrior)
HISTORY AND ORIGIN
The Divine Warrior arose from the deepest pit of the Greylands, from among the largest and most prized slaves toiling in the mines for the Greylords. When The Vermillion Lady spoke of rebellion, he was one of the first to lend himself to the cause. Not only was he a juggernaut in battle, but his attitude proved an inspiration to many.
In his travels to raise and coordinate the Ma'ab rebels, he came upon a stranger from Miurag, the Deathless . Though their chance meeting may have been embellished, the result is that the two formed a mutual respect and bond. The Divine Warrior brought this powerful soul to the Ma'ab cause and, in turn, allowed their escape into Miurag.
Alongside the Deathless, the Warrior formed a fighting force that would be viewed as the predecessors to the Hellhounds. They were the Unrelenting Void, and the strongest unit of fighters the Ma'ab had. This unit held the defensive line as the Ma'ab began their exodus out of the Greylands, holding off forces magnitudes far larger for several days, with no hope of retreat or victory, before being cut down. Each proudly sacrificed themselves to see the others escape. Only the Divine Warrior lives on, and the General took the title of Undefeated Void to honor the memory of his men.
Among the Ascended, the Divine Warrior is an oddity, as he possesses no magical talent whatsoever. Many would think assume in such a case he would be forgotten as he aged, another eventually rising to take his place. However, it was not just his tactical genius and strength of arm but his loyalty to fight unto death and beyond that saw The Prime , The Physician, and The Enslaver work in concert to uplift him into his unique form of lichdom, preserving this legendary warrior and his eternal loyalty in undeath.
ROLE AND EQUIPMENT
In many ways, the Divine Warrior is a lich without any spellcasting ability, a well-preserved corpse that refuses to stay dead. The Physician has even been heard once to say that it was his will which keeps him moving, not magic.
As a symbol of Ma'ab military might, the General is rarely seen without his famous Rictus Armor; rarely, he removes it for meditation or general maintenance in his private chambers. The armor he wears is actually a new version crafted on Miurag by The Stone Dwarves working alongside Ma'ab mages. It is a strange hybrid of the two cultures, featuring many unusual Dwarven advancements also bearing Ma'ab necromantic adornments. It is said to have been built of flesh and bone raised in cauldrons, with oil and grease running through a system of veins beneath the heavy iron plates.
The armor's enchantments link with the various charms implanted into his scarred hide that grant him eternal unlife. When donned, the armor resonates with his aura and increases his physical abilities dramatically, though he should not be underestimated as a threat even without his armor. His panoply grants him bursts of speed and agility seemingly impossible for his size and weight, and his massive hands each contain enough strength to crush an enemy's steel helm and the skull within with contemptuous ease.
Furthermore, the Rictus Armor serves as a conduit through which the General may draw sustenance to repair his undead body. This can be as simple as being bathed in the vital energies of the living in the midst of battlefield slaughter or from the insertion of specially-crafted soul reservoirs into concealed slots in his armor.
The General wields a massive warhammer called Finality, crafted of an unknown Greylands metal laced with pneuma flint. The weapon has absorbed traces of those it has slain over countless battles, eventually gaining a crude intelligence. Now it whispers horrors to his enemies in combat, crushing their spirits along with their bodies. The weapon has no apparent influence on the General, who considers it to be merely a useful tool.
Shortly after the Ma'ab settled on Miurag, the General began a long, slow withdrawal from active command of Ma'ab military forces. Over time, the loss of the entire force of his Unrelenting Void troops proved to be a psychological tipping point for him. Finding the Ma'ab on Miurag too far changed from his mortal days, he was unable to form the same close bonds with the newer generations of warriors.
The decline of his active involvement began with his decision to remain in the capital to focus on grand strategy and the defense of the Ma'ab heartland while leaving the actual execution of the Ma'ab's wars of expansion to his subordinates in the field. Over time, his input became less and less until the mortal generals gained full day-to-day command of the Ma'ab military.
POLITICS
The General is eternally devoted to the Prime. Some would call it love, but if it is so, neither has acted upon such feelings.
The General cares little for the Physician, noting her arrogance and her willingness to sacrifice Ma'ab lives for some fancy, a tendency which has only grown with time and her undeath.
The Enslaver is formidable in strength of body and mind, much like the Prime, but has tied herself forever with forces beyond her control or complete comprehension. Still, she has worked well with the General before as an opposition to the Physician.
The Artisan he sees as little more than an uplifted noble and, despite her support of the Enslaver, her current path mirrors the Physician's in its self-aggrandizing and wasteful nature.
Alternatively, the Mother of Entrails entertains many strange ideas but perhaps she sees a different road to which the other Ascended have grown blind? Though perhaps still, she has already become too consumed by the pursuit of those goals.
The General has found himself questioning the Divine Assassin's motives on more than one occasion, despite being the only other male Ascended. While the General has his misgivings, until such a time that he can present evidence of the Opener's betrayal he has chosen to hold his tongue. If the Opener were ever to be proven a traitor, the General would seek nothing less than his complete destruction.
Part of this tolerance comes from the early days of the Ma'ab Empire, when the original Hellhounds were taught and trained by both the Warrior and Assassin. While the General may dislike the Opener, he cannot fault the other's grasp of tactics and war.
