Korangar, the God-Slayer

"You may be an Immortal, but I will show you what it means to experience death!"

Overview

Korangar, famously known as the God-Slayer, is a revered and formidable figure in mythological lore. He stands at an impressive 6'5" with a muscular build, flowing white hair, and piercing blue eyes. He is most famous for his quest to slay the gods, a journey that transformed him from a village hunter into an extraordinarily powerful Enhanced human. Combined with his incredible resolve, Enhancement enabled him to accomplish many feats which would've once been seen as impossible for a mortal.
He has become the subject of numerous legends and tales.

Those that knew him compared his majesty to that of a lion. Those that did not, a god.

Early Life and Tragedy

Korangar's life was marked by traumatic losses. When he was young, he lived with his father, brother, sister, and mother on the border between countries at war. For his first 17 years, he lived a life of relative peace. But living on the border of warring nations soon extracted its cost. One day, Korangar and others from his village went for a hunt. While they were out, a platoon of cultist soldiers sacked his vallage, ravaging his home and brutally murdering or abducting everyone within.
The hunting party returned home to find their village aflame. Each of them rushed to their houses to discover the bodies of their loved ones. Korangar's brother was a corpse laying in a pool of blood on the floor, while his father was peeled apart and pinned to the wall, somehow still alive. He begged his son to end his suffering and save his mother and sister. Korangar tearfully obliged, stabbing his father through the heart.
But then from outside came the screams of the others in the hunting party. Rushing from his house, he found that the corpses of the villages had risen from the ground and were attacking his friends. He charged the crowd, cutting down the Arisen and trying to reach his friends. While most of them fell, he was able to save some. A corpse bit into his shoulder from behind, and Korangar stabbed it through the heart. When he turned, he realized it was his own brother. And though he knew his brother to already be dead, this memory would haunt his nightmares for years to come.

The First Revenge

The hunting party decided to track down the men who did this and kill them. They tailed the cultists through a blazed trail of gore and ritualistic camp sites. At each new camp, bodies were skinned and pinned to posts. The party lost more and more hope, finally catching up to the monsters they sought. But when at last they found them, the cultists were fleeing. The hunting party managed to kill a few coming their way, but their true vengeance had been stolen by a battalion of the opposing country. The remaining villagers had been reduced to piles of blood and flesh; the soldiers apologized that they had been unable to save them.
Korangar was convinced by the leader of the battalion to join the army, to prevent anything like this from ever happening again– to protect those that could not protect themselves. Some of the other members of the hunting party joined, but most had become so discouraged by their experiences that they returned home to offer a tribute to those who were lost.
In the military, Korangar, being a tall man, was assigned to be a spearman and buried his trauma with the excuse of soldiering and protecting others. He gained his impressive physique as his commanding officer whipped the party into shape. This is also when he gained the skills to handle the weapon, and it became his preference. He would pray to Yarnel, God of Combat during his service, asking for protection and the strength to do what he needed to.

Visions of the Past

During his service, Korangar was plagued by nightmares of his deceased family. In his dreams, his father begged him to save them all while Korangar relived killing his brother. Every night, he would hear the screams of his mother and sister, watching as they turned to mush.

Korangar was woken during one of these nightmares by Ralasi, a woman from his village and hunting party who had been the best of friends with his sister. She had joined the military as a scout and archer, but they had been separated for quite some time. Ralasi sympathized with Korangar, reliving memories of his people with him and telling tales of the good times. The two found solace in each other's presence.

Hope Reignited

While in the military, Korangar learned that the cultist platoon hadn’t been alone, and they hadn’t been completely wiped out. Reports were coming in of the enemy experimenting on innocent victims once more, and so he led a group to hunt them down, despite his commanding officer's initial reluctance.
While scouting the encampment, Korangar discovered his mother and sister were still alive. They were intended to be sacrificed during the cultist rituals. As the last of his family was led to stand over marked sigils on the ground, he rallied his troop, cutting down every last member of the cult. Sadly, it was too late, and Korangar watched in horror as the last of his family melted, screaming, in front of him.
After this experience, Korangar retired from the military, deciding to lay his family to rest and eventually build a new one with the woman he’d fallen for, now that his monsters had been slain.

The Godkin's Prophecy

Despite his initial attempts to live a serene life with his new family after retiring from the military, Korangar could not escape his poor fortune. While farming one day, he was approached by the Godkin. This individual claimed to bear a prophecy for him, one that could prevent a terrible future. But it required that he abandon his peace and seek out The Mountain of Living Winds.
Korangar refused to "listen to the words of

prophets and madmen", citing them as precisely the source of his everlong grief.

"I've learned... if you focus on tales of doom, what may be, you'll never live to appreciate what is."

Soon after, while he was delivering produce to the nearby town, Korangar's farm was attacked by an unknown monster. Ralasi managed to get their son to safety, but was murdered by what the locals believed to be a god.

Rejection

After this event, Korangar was seen as cursed by the divines. Everyone closed their doors to him and his child. He was forced to take his son with him on a journey to find his old platoon. But at each house he visited, his old friends refused to help him take revenge once they'd been told his tale, suggesting instead that he merely live a quiet life with what he had left. They feared the wrath of a god.
Korangar was furious at his old comrades, though he would later forgive them. For one reason or another, they'd rejected him. He left his son in the care of his retired commanding officer, a cripple who lived on the enduring loyalty of his men, and embarked on his mission to locate the Godkin.

Enhancement

Korangar found his mark through rumor and careful description. The Godkin was sad to hear the prophecy had come true.

"I suppose I wasn't entirely correct. My glimpse of the future showed the threat to be the gods, not an Ancient."

After the Godkin led him to the mountain, Korangar needed to climb. To reach the summit of the mountain, however, he needed to sneak past Shi'Att, the Forgotten, an unsightly Vizier that had made the lower peaks its territory. The Godkin warned Korangar that at the summit of the mountain, he would encounter old magic. This magic would empower him if he was found worthy, but would kill him if he was not.

At the summit, Korangar met the spirit of a stranger. After hearing his tale, the dead man told him of Andromeda, and offered a fragment of her power, enough to attain the revenge he sought.
But this power came with a caveat. To receive the Blessing of the World, seekers must sell their eternal spirit to the mountain, serving as Judges of those who complete the climb in the future. Judges who determine their right to receive the same blessing. Korangar agreed, striking the deal under the condition that once his thirst for revenge was sated, he would retire to the mountain in death.

Korangar's Enhancement

by DALL-E

The Judges put him through a series of tests, and by refusing to breathe despite their words, the trials, and his body's natural instincts, he passed their assessment, being granted the Blessing of the World and becoming an Enhanced human. The process turned his hair white.

The Second Revenge

With power gained from the Mountain of Living Winds, and knowledge granted to him by the Godkin during their travels, Korangar located the Ancient known as Nol.
The two clashed in an epic battle that lasted two days. As the second day passed into night, a Blood Moon rose into the sky. Unable to kill the beast, Korangar took advantage of the warped magic granted by the moon, opting to seal her away.
But the fires of his vengeance refused to cool. Korangar intended to spend every last day he lived with his son while seeking out a way to finally extinguish Nol's life.

Gods at Play

Following his fight with the Ancient, Korangar traveled to retrieve his son. He was accompanied by the Godkin, who felt as if something in the prophecy wasn't quite complete. But arriving at the village where his son should've been, Korangar was met with a smoking crater filled with fresh ruins. For days, he searched the remains, finding the body of his commanding officer, but never his son.
Enraged and seeking retribution, Korangar embarked on a quest to gain the power to challenge the gods. He entered The Aethanaeum, learning of Immortal Contracts and natural laws that bound the gods. Then, after months of preparation, he began his hunt.

Becoming the God-Slayer

Korangar's campaign against the gods was marked by strategic brilliance and ruthless efficiency. He tricked and defeated several deities in their own domains.

1. Korangar killed the God of Invention by having an Immortal Contract dictate a random problem. Whichever of the two had the more efficient way of solving the problem would be declared the winner. Korangar then waited until the god presented his idea, then used the idea, thus being more efficient. The Contract then killed the god.
2. Knowing that the God of Forges had once created Yarnel's sword, Korangar challenged the godto create the most powerful weapon he'd ever made. Once Korangar assessed it to prove its power and make, he would offer the God of Forges the opportunity to strike him down with it. Once the two were bound by Immortal Contract, the god created the Spear of Korangar. Korangar then skewered the God of Forges with the godforged weapon, which he kept. After the god was dead, Korangar did as the Immortal Contract demanded, offering the immortal's corpse the opportunity to strike him down. This offer was never accepted.
3. Korangar killed several other gods using the spear, including Irava, Goddess of Corruption.

Each victory enhanced his reputation, gathering likeminded men around him. These men, The Unmakers, aimed to rid the world of the divine, to return to the Age of Man, and to live without fear of godly wrath.

Divine Love

The Goddess of Love, Araya, fell for the God-Slayer because of his deeds. His incredible willpower and quick wit had enabled him to become powerful enough to challenge those that should be far above him. In addition, his reasoning for doing it all tugged at her heartstrings.
She first appeared to the God-Slayer in the form of his wife, but this only enraged the man.

After seeing his reaction, she apologized, showing him his wife's soul in Shi'Krah and allowing the two to have a conversation. Korangar learned here that his son was still alive, captured by the Immortal Council.
Because of this kindness, Ralasi convinced Korangar to spare Araya, though she urged him to continue to punish those that had taken their son.
Before leaving him, Araya warned the God-Slayer of his toughest foe, Yarnel, Shield of the Council, telling him that not even his spear would be capable of killing him as it was. And as Yarnel would never agree to a Contract that didn't involve a fight to the death, she could not provide a method through which he might be victorious.

Preparing for Combat

For a time, Korangar trained the Unmakers. A talented smith joined them, equipping the warriors with magically empowered weapons and armor, customized to address the weaknesses of each member.
The group saved settlements from Moonbeasts, slaying them, but discovering their true natures. When deciding to spare Salviron, he said:

"A man can easily become a monster. This, I know. But a monster, with great effort, might still regain his humanity. This, I hope."

During this time, Korangar sought out the Aethanaeum, but its doors would not appear to him. Instead, he encountered a traveler who promised him the knowledge he sought.

The Unmaker Flag

by DALL-E

The influence of the Unmakers continued to spread as more and more flocked to the side of the God-Slayer, hoping to rid the world of its oppressors.
Hearing the tales of their leader, they created the Flag of Korangar, which also served as their own. Its design included the Mountain of Living Winds and a broken chain representing freedom.

"I am a nameless pilgrim without faith, a worthless vagabond of the world."

This traveler informed Korangar that he need only retrieve a vial of Whisperdeath from Irava, Goddess of Corruption, and enchant his spear, allowing it to burn through Yarnel's divinity and incredible armor.
When the God-Slayer informed the traveler of the Goddess' passing, he mentioned that it might be possible to obtain a vial from her lover, the God of Games.
Korangar killed Vervictus, God of Games by having an Immortal Contract dictate that the loser of a predetermined game would die, and outwitted the god with a loophole the god was too egotistical to see.
After this victory, Korangar encountered the traveler again, who walked him through the process of empowering his spear and sent him to a place he promised Yarnel would be found.

"How do you know these things, pilgrim?"
"I've long since lost faith in the gods, soldier. My faith in man guides me to answers I do not need, for I am not he who asks the questions, nor he who can use the knowledge. I am the one who carries it. I am the one who waits. I await you."

Something about the traveler causes suspicion to burn in Korangar's mind, so after enchanting his spear, he swings it at the man, who fades into mist with a laugh and a last remark.

"Clever God-Slayer, to uncover my farce. True, I am the God of Identities, Kekrinash. But it is also true that I have lost my faith in the others. And after you slay Yarnel, we shall meet again."

The Battle in the Lilies

"I see no path in which a dealer in death does not soon see his ware returned to him. The light of my hope has been consumed by the fires of vengeance, and it is unlikely the war within me will ever end. Peace is not a soldier's strength. I fear I shall never find it."

Korangar's Armor

by DALL-E

Korangar's most famous battle, known as the Battle in the Lilies and told to the ambitious as a warning, was against the God of Combat, Yarnel. Just before the fight, Korangar confided in his closest allies.
The combat began with the Unmakers fighting the servants of the gods, those that remained loyal and viciously defended their ideals. When Yarnel appeared in the field, the mortals around him turned to ash.

His voice alone wiped out regiments of the Unmakers, and his footsteps churned up storms. Korangar, seeing this calamity, cast a spell, teleporting the rest of his soldiers away to safety. Because of the Blessing of the World, only he could stand against the power radiating from the divine being.
However, despite the immense power he'd accumulated, his unbent resolve, and the newly empowered Spear, Korangar was ultimately defeated. His final message, warning of the potential of man to rise against the gods, left a lasting impact on both mortal and divine realms.

Korangar's Final Message

"My failure is not the failure of Man, Yarnel. In a world possessed of arrogant deities, there will always be another Korangar born to cleanse it. And though my tale ends here, you will grow to fear the potential of Man."

Legacy

Korangar's legacy is complex. Within certain circles, he is viewed as a tragic hero who stood against divine tyranny, a cautionary tale of vengeance consuming a person, and a symbol of human potential and resistance. His actions reshaped the balance between mortals and the divine, leaving an indelible mark on history. His name is spoken with a mix of reverence and fear. But those that remain truly faithful to the gods spit on the same name, smearing his legacy. Still, he stands as a symbol to the oppressed, proof that priests– and even gods– must answer to something.

Relationships

Korangar, the God-Slayer

Brother

Towards Serrengar

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Serrengar

Brother

Towards Korangar, the God-Slayer

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Korangar, the God-Slayer

Brother

Towards Valena

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Valena

Sister

Towards Korangar, the God-Slayer

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Korangar, the God-Slayer

husband

Towards Ralasi

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Ralasi

wife

Towards Korangar, the God-Slayer

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Species

Human

Conditions

• Enhanced

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Spearman
Lord of the Unmakers
The God-Slayer

Age

39

Circumstances of Death

Fighting Yarnel, God of Combat

Parents

Enamar

Garana

Spouses

Ralasi (wife)

Siblings

Children

• Lendoral

Sex

Male

Eyes

Piercing cobalt

Hair

Long, flowing, white

Height

6'5 or 1.96m

Weight

270 lbs or 122.47 kg

Quotes & Catchphrases

"For life, for love, for my family."

Aligned Organization

The Unmakers

Related Historical Events

• 350
  Korangar dies in battle
• 317
  Korangar is born