Malekar

Childhood and Early Life#

Malekar’s origins are shrouded in obscurity, a fitting beginning for one whose legacy is bound to the darkened depths of the Nightscar Vale. Born to a forgotten tribe in the shadowed fringes of Illyriad’s eastern wilds, Malekar displayed from an early age an uncanny affinity for shadow magic and the forbidden arts. His formative years were marked by an unnatural isolation, as tales grew in nearby settlements of a spectral child, shrouded in gloom and able to twist the small creatures of the wilds to his will.

Though his tribe attempted to purge the shadow from his essence, their rites served only to deepen his connection to the world of darkness. Exiled before reaching adolescence, Malekar wandered into the Vale, already a place avoided by all but the most desperate. Here, in the chasm that would become his dominion, he uncovered ancient texts and relics left by long-dead sorcerers, fueling his burgeoning power and laying the foundation for the atrocities to come.

Adventures and Encounters#

Malekar’s mastery over the arcane grew as he delved into the ruined halls beneath one of the wizard Houergerrt’s terrible creations, the Nightscar Vale. Driven by a vision to reshape the world in the image of his nightmares, he undertook a series of forbidden rituals, drawing upon the very essence of shadow and hate. Under his guidance, the chasm itself seemed to writhe and hunger, its utter darkness teeming with nascent monstrosities — creatures that would make up the first of the Houergerrt phantasms and undead ghouls.

His explorations were not limited to the Vale. On rare occasions, Malekar ventured forth, veiled in darker-than-night robes, seeking lost tomes, sacrificial victims, and relics. He was rumoured to have stolen into Magranon’s Holdings to claim the Obsidian Phylactery, and to have laid waste to an entire garrison of the Circle of Five’s minions who opposed him as he sought out the Black Codex of Vuurtenk. Each venture increased his power but also drew the attention and ire of Illyriad’s major factions.

Notable Encounters with Factions#

The Circle of Five, themselves suspects of rogue sorcery, dispatched several expeditions into Nightscar Vale to quell Malekar’s growing influence. None returned whole. Survivors, fevered and broken, spoke of a monstrous figure wreathed in living shadow, whose very presence warped flesh and sanity. The tales of their failure spread, cementing Malekar’s legend across the realm.

Though openly hostile engagements dominated his interactions with the alliance of Elgean and Broken Lands dwarves known as The Iron Council, it was through subtler means that Malekar most stymied his enemies. Agents and dreams corrupted by his touch found their way into trade posts far from the Vale, sowing discord and madness. The House of Quessis, in particular, marked Malekar as a threat to the world’s balance, their emissaries offering rich bounties for any sign of his defeat or destruction.

Later Years#

As centuries passed, Malekar’s essence became ever more bound to the chasm of Nightscar Vale. No longer content to merely summon monstrosities, he delved further into lichdom, anchoring his spirit within the Vale’s deepest blackness and interfacing with the eternal evil of Houergerrt. Rare are those who claim to have seen him in recent years; more often, heroes and adventurers perish to the endless hordes of the Houergerrt rather than confronting their ancient master.

Despite occasional rumors that Malekar has been destroyed by bold adventurers or powerful artifacts, the Nightscar Vale continues to teem with unnatural life. Even as his physical form fades into myth, his will endures in the monstrous creations and cursed land he has wrought, marking the outpost as a place where hope dares not tread.

Legacy#

Malekar’s legacy is the ongoing terror of Nightscar Vale and the perpetual flow of Houergerrt from its shadowed core. The region’s name is invoked across Illyriad as a curse or warning, marking Malekar as both a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked power and a symbol of persistent, consuming darkness. Historians speculate that countless families across Illyriad can trace misfortune and madness to whispers that began in the chasm he created.

The presence of Nightscar Vale as a Faction Outpost ensures that Malekar’s shadow lingers long after any hope for his redemption has vanished. Scholars and adventurers continue to vie for knowledge of his rituals, while the superstitious avoid even uttering his name. Among the Houergerrt, he remains a godlike figure, the eternal master of the darkness.

Rare Items Associated With Them#

Among the most coveted relics attributed to Malekar is the Veil of Torments, a burial shroud said to inflict nightmares upon whoever dare dons it, driving lesser minds to madness and offering insight to those knowledgeable in shadow lore. Other artifacts, such as the Ebony Scepter of Houergerrt, are sought after by cultists wishing to control or harness the monstrous forces spawned in his chasm.

The Black Codex of Vuurtenk, retrieved briefly by Malekar during his rise, is rumored to still lie hidden within the ruined sanctuaries of Nightscar Vale. Adventurers seeking these items must contend not only with the all-consuming darkness and the Houergerrt but with the lingering spirit of Malekar himself, forever entwined with the cursed heart of his domain.