Editing Lance (section)

=Flaws=
==Throwback 5==

''"Gentlemen, I like war."''

At the end of the Primordial War, many Solars were less than thrilled to see the Crown of Thunders placed on Queen Merela’s brow. Despite her own Charm-backed future propaganda, she was far from the undisputed greatest on the First Age battlefields. Many Celestial generals rivaled her for skill, tactics or simple ferocity, and some held higher titles during the War itself at various points. There was vigorous debate and dispute during the Ochre Fountain Era over why the Unconquered Sun had personally bequeathed the Mandate of Heaven to Merela and not to say, Aofe. Aofe, after all, single-handedly engaged an army of 50,000 demons in order to leave open a gap for his Dragon-Blooded troops to escape from an ambush. Or why not the Sun Dragon, who personally carried the Unconquered Sun’s sword of authority into battle? Crystal Hybrid would have made a good choice. She composed a letter informing She Who Lives in Her Name of the first Primordial casualty of the War and fired it into the Principle of Hierarchy’s camp attached to an arrow. (So sorrowful was the structure of the message that the Pyrian Queen fell into despair and abstained from fighting for fully half a century.)

At any rate, not all of the Solars were content to fall into debate or simmer with resentment. At least one Dawn Caste warrior despaired of the end of the War. The time of peace, reconstruction and consolidation of Solar dominance over Creation would be an empty and unsatisfying retirement for a man who had been hailed by at least one directional war god as “the mightiest being who ever hefted a daiklave.” He threw himself into the conquest of Creation with excessive zeal, but it failed to satisfy. In the end, he vanished shortly after the Solar capital was removed to Meru.

That Solar soon appeared on the streets of Malfeas, bereft of the protections of Eclipse diplomatic immunity. He wanted no such safeguards in any case—he was spoiling for a fight, and a fight he got. Against all odds, not only did the rogue Solar survive late into the High First Age, but he amassed a great army of demons who followed him as he rampaged happily across the vast layers of Hell. His infernal allies kept an eye and an ear open when they were summoned to Creation, and the Warlord of Hell occasionally returned to Creation to throw his weight in behind some important bit of legislation that seemed germane to his preferred mode of retirement. But for the most part, he lived for battle, for his never-ending and unlimited war. The Solar Deliberative issued an official condemnation of his crusade at one point, essentially declaring that he was owed no help by the governments of Creation. If the Yozis saw fit to dispose of the Solar plaguing them, and were capable of doing so, they were welcome to it. Even at the height of their power and hubris, it seemed clear to the Lawgivers that to throw in behind their renegade comrade would be to declare war on Malfeas, to the advantage of no one.

Finally, in the end, the Warlord of Hell’s luck ran out. Probably. He disappeared during the latter half of the High First Age. No body was ever found. Nine demons claim to have personally taken his head, but none have ever offered conclusive proof. The Solar’s infernal followers dispersed, each hurrying to hide and to disavow any association with the golden warrior. Many were caught and subjected to excruciation and death, but most escaped. What demon with a position of real authority takes notice of individual serfs, after all?

But a myth began circulating through the bordellos and back alleys of the Demon City shortly thereafter, stating that at the time of the Warlord’s disappearance, Sacheverell had turned over in his sleep and mumbled, “He will return.” Lucien denies that the slumbering Yozi ever talks in his sleep and asserts that the legend is ridiculous on account of Sacheverell only ever seeing the present in his dreams besides, but the tale endures... 

The Warlord of Hell is a proud, selfish bravo, though he never actually gets around to bullying the weak (they're "not worth his time"). He has the Motivation of "Enjoy life to the maximum by conquest, rulership and hedonism." His Intimacies include: Demonic Hordes (paternal pride), beautiful women (desire), fine food and drink (gluttony), might makes right (staunch belief), good performances (appreciation), battle (joy), conquest (exhilaration), idealists (scorn), and several others. He is not deliberately malicious, but he is used to getting his own way - and he is a firm believer in might makes right...