Kao

Overview

Kao was one of the original Blessed Gods, and held dominion over War. He drew strength from battle and bloodshed. During the Elari-Fae Wars he made a deal with the Black Dragon Goddess, Sudreth: in exchange for freeing her from captivity by the Elari and providing her with a safe place to hide in Shan Karn, her children would fight alongside his own children. Sudreth also offered him the secret to accessing the sorcerous powers of Pandemonium and the domain of Chaos, which he now wields to great effect.

Titles: God of Chaos, He Who Walks in Blood

Domains: Chaos Domain, Fear Domain, War Domain, Strength Domain

Symbol: A black star with eight points, rimmed in red.

Herald:

History

The First God War had left plenty of bad blood between Kao and his siblings; he felt that Alkaizer and the other Children of the Mother would always hate the children of the Void and that further conflict was inevitable, so he prepared by creating the Trolls - a race of preternaturally strong warriors who would later become footsoldiers in the battle and the first Dragon Riders in Lorithandar.

The Troll Empire that formed expanded rapidly, eventually conquering most of what would later be known as Karn. They destroyed temples to the other Blessed Gods and replaced them with ziggurats in Kao’s name as they went. The other Blessed Gods eventually caught on that it wasn’t simply his children misbehaving and confronted Kao, insisting that he stop them. Kao refused, revealing that he had been building an army and calling upon his previously-thought-dead sister, Irrilandrilla to aid him in the conflict.

With Irrilandrilla’s assistance and the help of the black dragons, they put forth a mighty effort and nearly won. However Alkaizer rallied the rest of the Blessed Gods against them. During the final battle, Kao found himself desperate and used his axe, the Edge of Chaos, to unleash the full power of Pandemonium into Lorithandar, severing the main continent of Lorithandar in two (Karn and Trevas) and nearly shattering reality. In the ensuing chaos, Kao slipped away into Pandemonium - leaving his axe behind - and spent thousands of years trapped there, weakened.

In the meanwhile, he was cast from the Blessed Gods’ pantheon, and his worship among the inhabitants was nearly universally discouraged. In some places, worship of Kao was even punishable by death. Despite this there were some who continued, especially amongst the trolls.

Eventually Kao found a new Herald, who he guided to recover his weapon and open a portal that allowed him to return. In exchange for his assistance, the Herald gained his favor and was able to create a Troll Kingdom. In contrast to the Empire of the past, this new kingdom offered amnesty and friendship to any trolls that wanted to come live there, gathering them once again into a prosperous nation and this time actively working to garner goodwill from the other races.

Currently Kao is trying to bury the hatchet with the other gods to band together against the Void and reclaim Shan Karn. He’s been re-inducted into the pantheon as the God of Chaos, and has been working to convince his siblings that the influence of the Void has reached Lorithandar and is influencing Sudreth the Black Dragon goddess, sequestered in Shan Karn - implying that Sorcery itself has been tainted and altered by the Void.

Relationships

Kao and Alkaizer have historically been bitter enemies and there is a great lack of trust between the two. Kao places the blame for his removal from the pantheon squarely on Alkaizer's shoulders, and that of his Herald. He does not blame or resent Septimus for having taken up the title of God of War. Kao considers himself closest to the other Children of the Void and doesn't care much for those Blessed Gods who are not. Kravnos holds a deep and enduring resentment for Kao due to his breaking of the world.

Religion

“The strong will feed upon the weak. It is the way of the world, without end.”