Bloody Hand

The Bloody Hand himself is a figure of legend in his own time. No one alive knows the origins of the warlord and conqueror now called the Bloody Hand, nor even what his name was before adopting the fell moniker by which he is now known. Few have seen him in person and lived, but those who have say that the Bloody Hand is always clad in black armor that seems to devour light rather than reflect it. It is said that he is strong enough to wield a claymore with a single hand and to cut men in twain while doing so. It is said that even the most stalwart of men go in fear of him when he lets himself be seen, which is as rare as a falling star. It is known that he rules from his citadel in Steyis, and that he never leaves it, conveying his wishes and decrees through Tark Bloodbane, his High Warlock.
There is a prophecy concerning him: "The bloody hand shall reach up and unmask the emperor's face, and so bring an empire fully into his grasp." Doomsayers say that there will be a moment when the Hand will take the field and reveal himself to the world, thus beginning his reign in truth.