Lord Vorendal, the Queen of the Dead's right hand, is a man shrouded in mystery.
Rumors abound in the Court of Whispers about Lord Stevas Vorendal, the Dreadheart. He has been “alive” since the Age of Strife, serving the Legion in one way or another. Some say he’s the embodiment of the Legion’s goals, one who has defeated death; others see in him a threat, one of the Fallen, daring to command the living. All this speculation is answered by Vorendal with a sinister grin.
About the Seeker
History
Legacy
Known for his dangerous charm, words sharp as knives, and by his skill and ruthlessness on the battlefield, Vorendal’s presence is difficult to ignore. Alluring even, in the most dangerous way. Rumors abound, but he is careful to confirm or deny nothing, preferring to cultivate an aura of mystery and danger.
Lord Stevas Vorendal first achieved the renown he now enjoys two hundred years ago, during the infamous Luminous Crusade. Tensions rose when the Order initiated a religious purge, marching on the Sovereign City-States of the continent, trying to force them to ban any faith that contradicted the Word of Valcaris. When they laid siege to the trade city of Veloma, the Legion refused to vacate. They stood their ground for the sake of principle, but also to garner trust with the free powers.
Few thought victory could be achieved, but Vorendal was above the myopic beliefs of the fold. Presenting himself directly to the Queen of the Dead, he promised to end the battle with infallible haste, for he needed naught but the royal endorsement. The Queen shivered at the proclamation; not for fear of the man himself, but rather, of what his words and demeanor implied. She had always known what terrible price would have to be paid to defeat the armies of the enemy, the atrocities that would have to be committed, and before her stood one who would pay that price with a smile. Her blessing was given, and Vorendal was set loose upon the world.
Using the Legacy that resides within his chest, the Heartlock, he raised an army from the corpses of Order loyalists, commonfolk, and soldiers alike. With each kill, his army grew, for the risen dead welcomed their kindred with no prejudice. Soon, he broke the siege at the city-state of Veloma, a wave of death tearing through the Order’s forces in such heartless fashion that few remained of the attackers to be given rites by the Valcarist Priests. By the end of a single day, the Order was forced to retreat, never again overreaching in the same manner.
This exceptional achievement elevated Vorendal to the position of right hand to the Queen, but the Dreadheart wouldn’t accept being second best. While in court, he plotted patiently for the day he would be finally crowned as the King of the Dead, only to be scorned by the Amatrix and the spirit of Ptan-Ravalum. Vorendal’s rage could not be measured, but he refused to accept defeat. In the Malediction, he seeks the power to bend the Amatrix to his will, for if the Vestige won’t accept him freely, then it will be conquered.
The Heartlock
Lord Vorendal’s striking presence is partly due to the Legacy embedded in his chest, the Dreadheart, emanating the dark energy that sustains both the Fallen knight and the corpses he raises. However, long before he was by the Queen’s side, during the beginning of the Age of Legacy, Vorendal was already a feared and powerful warlord, with a different name, now lost to time. Feeling the weight of the years creeping up on him, he searched Selejia for the means of overcoming death. He had too much yet to achieve to allow the failure of his mortal body to get in his way.
His search led him to a nomadic clan of erisyr. These mages had witnessed the Fall and sworn to prevent dangerous magical knowledge and powerful artifacts of old from falling into the wrong hands. These Keepers protected a number of Legacies, whose names and deeds should be erased from history. Lacking the power to destroy them, the Keepers maintained watch over the Legacies. Among these people, Vorendal met Akriphista, a young erisyr with a talent for combining different magical traditions. With a young soul and unlimited curiosity, she fell for his charms. Without even realizing her error, her knowledge fell into his hands, and Vorendal learned the secret of the Heartlock, a Legacy that could extend one’s life.
A ritual was performed, and Vorendal cast away his heart of flesh for one of cold stone and metal. It consumed what was left of his humanity, becoming a malignant source of power. Crafted from a soul who once paved the path to victory with blood and pain, the Heartlock had found the perfect host in the warlord. As long as Vorendal walks forward, leaving a path of death and destruction behind him, the Heartlock will keep his body from the rot that awaits beyond the veil. The Legacy’s energy allows Vorendal to deny death not only for himself, but for the pawns he enlists to help him carve his own path to glory.
