Barûm, the Dragon God King. Image by fearydistress
Barûm ( ? - 2220 a.a.H.)
Barûm was a giant dragon who became a god king of Brûm. Perhaps taking his name from the country as he became identified as the god of the country?
He would be remembered as the archetype of a dragon lord, and would serve the Demonic Dark Legion as one of the Seven Demon Princes, as if he were a Bazrrod demon himself. The only known non-demon and non-Bazrrod to have held that rank. He would become a Dragon Emperor and rule an immense territory at his height of power, and would come to a similar, and more final, end as the Bazrrods he allied himself with.
Attributes[]
- Immense Size
- Great Intellect
- Wingless
- Towering Pride
- Genocidal Cruelty
- Capable Ruler
- Apparent Loyalty
Barûm was one of the Black dragons of Brûm, a giant dragon of a subspecies of giant wingless dragons. He might have held the ability to cast spells as well?
Biography[]
Early[]
Nothing is currently known of the specifics of Barûm's formative years. As a dragon, his race works against him in that information of the origins and early development of dragons tend to be unrecorded or undefined. Additionally, as the ruler of the Black Dragons and of the nation of Brûm, he might have suppressed any knowledge of his past. Especially when he came to be worshipped as a god, when he wouldn't want to be thought of even as a dragon but as an always divine being.
Speculation: Barûm might have been inspired by the Demon Princes during the Kanovhook wars? He had achieved power at that time and already ruled the dustlands and adapted his rule to match the demons?
God King[]
This immense dragon, Barûm, reputed by some to be the largest dragon who ever lived, came to be ruler of the Black dragons of Brûm, probably by virtue of size and power. However, he had great intellect as much of the evolving society was to his designs; and his actions would reduce his fellow black dragons to being subjects of the State, with himself as a despot over the State. In this way, he largely neutralized threats of other powerful dragons through state-craft and a developing religion of his supposed divinity.
He would not be just the biggest dragon in the lives of those humanoids under him, or their political leader, but their Dragongod as well. In all likelihood, Barûm probably ruled for a long time before he came to be actively worshiped. In part, because no living humanoid, at least non-elves, could recall a time he didn't live. In any case, local sylvan elves refused to submit to him as a Dragongod.
It is believed that Barûm came to be the dragon king of Brûm by 1600 a.a.H.
Speculation: That elves might remember a time before Barûm ruled the land might have been a key for why the immense dragon wanted them eliminated? By exterminating elves or driving them out, he could eliminate the memory of his nascent beginnings, and the early relationships between dragons and orcs and humans?
He would ultimately take the nation to bloody directions.
Dark Legion[]
There was a time during the early Kanovhook wars where the rising country of Brûm and the expanding might of the Dark Legion were seen to be on an inevitable collision course. Or, certainly some Kanov people opposed to one or both of the factions of Brûm and the Dark Legion would wish that were the case. The demons themselves respected the power and organization of the black dragons and their kingdom, and sent a Bazrrod demon in dragon form later known as Draco the Reluctant to treat with the great dragon king in 1748 a.a.H.
Barûm would listen to these entreaties and chose to join the Dark Legion of Demons, also known as the Confederation of Free Peoples. It is not likely that Barûm was overly concerned about freedom. Either inspired by, or at the behest of the Dark Legion, he would send his orc armies to smash other nations about the dustlands, subjugate the humans and any Kanovs within his territory, and almost drive the local Sylvan elfs to extinction.
Empire[]
Barûm operated as one of the Seven Demon Princes, or at least the Demon Princes led him to believe that he held such a status. It is also possible that Barûm saw himself as more than an equal for any one of the Bazrrods of the Dark Legion of Demons.
Be that as it may, as a sub-empire under the Dark Legion of Demons, Brûm expanded far beyond its normal boundaries as the 'dustlands' to most other regions of western Polforia. At its height in the First War of the Power, lands ruled by Brûm (at least under the Dark Legion) would include the southwest crook of the Dargoina Mountains, portions of El Yermo, Erenian and Degoland, in addition to most of western Polforia.
One might argue that Barûm was entrusted as the overlord, caretaker and guardian of much of the core of the Dark Legion lands, and their early conquests? He would seem to have loyally served the idea of the Dark Legion as he had opportunity and means to have betrayed them, particularly in their decline and defeats in the First War of the Power. He likely saw them as truly symbiotic with his rule, and irreplaceable allies? In any case, he seemed to have kept his word and remained committed to the Confederation of Free Peoples than betraying the demon lords in their time of troubles.
Fall and Demise[]
It is not known how well that Barûm and his Brûmer Orc soldiers held their captured lands, but with the continuing defeats of the Dark Legion, the armies of the allies converged on the northwest and Polforia after years of battle. During the campaign known as the Battle of Polforia, the armies of Brûm would be defeated and Black Dragons would fall. Barûm would find the army of the Emperor of the High elves' Empire of Whide Axis marching to his stronghold. Incensed by being challenged in his home territory, the great dragon and his black dragon retinue would bravely, or arrogantly, go into battle intending to kill the elven leader; but an equally brave knight with an enchanted sword would sacrifice himself to fell the dragon tyrant.
Most of the Black Dragon aristocracy, and much of the black dragon population itself would ultimately fall with Barûm by the time the campaign was over.
Legacy[]
Peoples[]
Many peoples suffered under the Black Dragons in the land of Brûm and surrounding lands in Polforia and beyond. Elves especially seemed to be particularly hated by Barûm and his policies. On the other hand, the conquered humans of the dustlands while originally banned from close association with the Brûmer Orcs, and forced to serfdom would, generations later, often live side by side in a dual cultural, dual racial society.
Culture[]
Over time, the State of Brûm would become one of the most advanced orc dominated societies on Aiers. This was due to the stability that Barûm afforded the society as well as his direction, or perhaps despite his directions. The armies of Brûm would be looked upon as some of the most disciplined and well trained soldiers of Polforia and the Dark Legion. They would also prove to be good administrators when put in charge of captured territory.
Aftermath of the First War of the Power[]
Unfortunately, the losses of war were terrible to Brûm, and the loss of Barûm was the loss of their god figure which was just as devastating. The remaining Black Dragons would fight each other, further reducing their numbers, and the surviving Brûmer Orc officers turned warlords would also cause an ongoing civil war for many years between orcs and humans, and between factions within each group.
The country would fall under the control of the dark, cultish Necromancers of Brûm.
Succeeding Religions[]
The memory of Barûm would be used to overthrow the Necromancers and to end the fighting, as humanoid survivors and successors reestablished order and rule by the claim of being new, humanoid avatars of the dragon-god. Indeed, the Necromancers themselves, and every governing authority following Barûm would claim some mystical connection to the fallen great dragon god-king, and would present themselves in religious terms to the succeeding generations of the country's populace.
So while the country of Brûm would be noted for being technically advanced as a Polforian nation, with disciplined armies, it would also be seen as a land of spooky religions and beliefs.
Creator[]
The character of Barûm, the concepts of the nation of Brûm and Brûmer Orcs are the ideas of fearydistress http://fearydistress.deviantart.com/