Tartyron

Tartyron, also titled the Lord of Chaos, was the name adopted by a ruler and member of the Circle of Order in the ancient past of the Utter East.

History
He was once a member of the Circle of Order, a group of lords who arose to govern the early nations of the Utter East, those east of the Great Sea. He was a peer of the Lord of Lands, who ruled the Realm of Lands; the Lady of Tides, who ruled the Realm of Tides; and the Lord of Flame, who ruled the Realm of Fire; they believed order brought progress. However, he came to believe that chaos brought challenge, change, and strength and thus engaged in chaotic plots. So the others of the Circle cast him out and bound him in a subterranean kingdom beneath the Realm of Fire, with the Lord of Flame as his warden.

In his imprisonment, he adopted the name "Tartyron" and was called the Lord of Chaos. Loathing this place, Tartyron constantly struggled against the wards, his rage bolstering his strength and spent on those who happened into his deep realm. He waited, knowing those of the Realms would grow comfortable, lazy, and weak, and then he would escape to spread chaos once again.

Finally, during the time of the Bloodforge Wars (648–657 DR), the wards failed and Tartyron broke free of his subterranean prison and into the world above, free to spread chaos through the Realms of Lands, Tides, and Fire, in an event known as Tartyron Unbound.


 * Lord of Chaos
 * Tartyron escaped into the underground Realm of Fire, using bloodforges to assault the bloodforged forces of the Lord of Flame. However, he met little opposition and won handily.


 * Disgusted, Tartyron vowed to strike out at all his rivals and stir them from their complacency. He invaded the Realm of Lands next with his bloodforged armies, and evicted the Lord of Lands from the shelter of the Mines of Mystery. His victory spread his desired chaos around the Utter East.


 * However, Tartyron's ambitions were yet contained by geography; the Great Sea was the only avenue to the rest of the world, but this was controlled by the Lady of Tides. Therefore, he launched an invasion of the Realm of Tides via bloodforges. He also liberated minions of chaos, humans who'd been kept prisoner by the forces of order, by breaking the banishing stones that topped their prisoner pits within the undersea tombs among the isles.


 * With his victory, Tartyron reclaimed his place as a lord of the Realms. Although he caused chaos, this instigated change and bred strength in subsequent generations.


 * Circle of Order
 * After he escaped, Tartyron went swiftly to the Realm of Tides, intending to seize power on the sea and spread his influence. The Circle of Order assembled to investigate his break out and made pursuit, confronting him on the isles in a bloodforge battle and driving him off.


 * Tartyron retreated back to shore and the Realm of Lands, taking refuge in the stronghold of High Cradle Keep. However, the Lord of Lands knew of a secret route through the Mines of Mystery to the stronghold. After a bloodforge battle, High Cradle Keep fell, but Tartyron disappeared in the aftermath.


 * Following a hidden tunnel of his own, Tartyron absconded to the subterranean Realm of Fire. The Circle of Order tracked Tartyron underground, and the Lord of Flame recognized the tunnel, and they gave pursuit. Here, the forces of order made their last stand against those of chaos, and were victorious.


 * Captive again, Tartyron was put back in his prison, with fresh wards installed to seal it. However, the Circle of Order understood that, because of balance in everything, peace could not last forever and his brand of chaos would return in a future era.

Description
Tartyron habitually wore a suit of black full plate armor, with a ragged black cloak and a helm with a fanged skull-like face and horns.

Personality
Tartyron believed in the power of chaos, arguing that it created challenges and trials that strengthened people and brought worthwhile change.

Prison
Tartyron's prison realm lay underground, somewhere in the Utter East and close to the Realm of Flame. A portcullis barred entry to the tunnel out. It was accessed from the surface via tunnel sealed with a slab of stone amidst ancient runes, not far from a stone henge. It was once warded by inscribed sigils; if Tartyron was reinterred, these would be replaced with runes, but if not, it would be left in rubble.

Background
Tartyron is of course named for Tartarus, the underworld prison and place of torment of Greek mythology.