The Fallen - The Infernals of the Crimson Pits

The first of the Fallen came to be when Ulhaeron arose as the Shadow God, and begun to spread his dominion anew. In that moment, many were those who were lured by his promises of power and dominion.

The Shadow God came bearing gifts, granting seemingly endless power to those who followed him. Only his might was above them, but in all other things he gave them so much more than what they already had, that the sudden rush of power drove them into madness. Of course he had merely given them ways to tap deeper into their own potential, but he delved even deeper than they did, robbing them of their gift of destiny, feeding their subservient spirits to the black flame in his command.

Bonded to the Black Flame, the Fallen had already begun the process of their ultimate corruption at their very core, and most of them had not even realized it. Few had the wisdom and courage to resist, and those were either enslaved, destroyed, or fled to shelter together with the Aldoren, or their allies.

Thus the power of the Fallen swelled, and soon they became able to build vast armies of their own. Driven by nothing but ambition and the will to dominate, the Fallen soon became aware of their impending doom: They had been bonded to the Black Flame which was devouring their spirits, and thus their own power to control their fate. Soon their souls would be gone, and they would become hollowed husks that would be refilled according to the Shadow God's whims. To avoid this terrible fate, many of them became more terrible than their own predicament, inflicting all possible forms of pain, suffering and misery to others. Very few attempted to find salvation or redemption, and even fewer, or perhaps none managed to do so without paying a dear price. Thus, most of the Fallen learned to feast on the anguish they inflicted, like parasites, inevitably not only surpassing the Black Flame, but also gaining additional power, in this way.

This newfound force engulfed the realms that the Fallen had dominated, casting upon them a hellish crimson glow which emanated from the immeasurable pain and suffering that so many innocent spirits had suffered. Balefire came easy to the command of the Fallen, and they and those who came with them soon became known by another name: The Infernals, forever to stand opposite the Celestials in the cosmological taxonomy of the Unfolding Dream. Fittingly, their realms became known as the Crimson Pits, where they became masters of the countless souls they had enslaved to escape their terrible predicament.

With their powers, the mightiest lords of the Crimson pits fashioned Hell from within their realms, creating echoes of the perpetual pain and suffering that they had caused. In such a way they were able, at last, to postpone their doom inevitably. In this manner, the hold that the Shadow God had upon them loosened. But even as it did, the cunning God approached the mightiest among them and made them a new, even greater offer. He promised more power and freedom from the doom of the Black Flame, if they agreed to follow orders from him directly, and indeed, keeping true to his promise, the Shadow God ensured the fanatical loyalty of the mightiest among the Infernals. In his name, these lords quelled most opposition, and built mighty armies with the power of which Ulhaeron conquered much of the rest of the Dream. In return, their bond to the Black Flame was severed, but Ulhaeron branded them with his own mark, ensuring that they would never disobey his commands.

Ultimately, the Infernals were divided between the multitudes of rebel factions and races, and the ones who swore loyalty to Ulhaeron.

By no means an extensive list, what follows is a short summary of some of the major Infernal Lords and the factions or races that they represent.

- Balkor the Subjugator: A mighty warrior, clad in crimson armor, that is soaked with blood and riveted with rusted spikes, Balkor is the conqueror of Hell. He stands as a leading figure among the loyalists of the Shadow God, and rules a vast number of worlds and realms of the Crimson Pits with an iron fist. His closest followers, known as the Oppressors are mighty, and well rewarded. They are adepts in crushing not only the skulls of those who would oppose them, but also the wills of those who would defy them. Next to them, follow the legions of the Crimson Warhost, possibly the largest army in the entire Dream. Clad in armor, spikes and chains, they are called to enslave the innocent.

- Sarguul the Tormentor: Originally one of the first Ashar who had followed Ulhaeron under a different name, Sarguul eventually became the leader of the rebel Infernals after the fall of the God King. He is a fearsome creature, a master at inflicting pain, even among his own kind, Sarguul is feared across the Crimson Pits and beyond, perhaps even more than the Shadow God himself. Following him, are his Tormentor lieutenants, and the entire race of the Erinai who were spawned from the red fires of the crimson pits, as  a result of the massive torture of countless of innocent souls.

- Torgaron the Breaker: Torgaron was a Khorgon in the service of the God King. He destroyed countless worlds, and dominated countless others in the name of his master. In form, Torgaron was a huge warrior, like most Khorgons he had a form resembling a minotaur, but was also capable of shifting form into a giant bull-headed beast when he grew berserk. Like all Khorgons, his entire being had been crafted, but his spirit had been instilled with a desire for devastation, and a deep loyalty to Ulhaeron. Yet when Ulhaeron lost before the Aldoren, the God-King's power faded, and Torgaron lost his faith in the God King. He led his host of Khorgons in a rampage across the Unfolding Dream. In the meantime, other renegades from the armies of Ulhaeron joined them. In the end, through their deeds of carnage and devastation, they found their way into the Crimson Pits. Slowly Torgaron's form altered, becoming twisted and demonic, and so did those who followed him. They believed themselves to be free of the Shadow God's hold. And yet, Torgaron frequently shifts sides in the ongoing war of the Crimson Pits, as it apparently suits his interests. Thus sometimes he sides with Balkor and the loyalists, whilst other times he sides with Sarguul and the renegades.

- Kalyris the Heartless: Once a bitter enemy of the God-King, Kalyris was charmed by Ulhaeron, who cruelly manipulated her and twisted her completely into servitude as one of his mightiest lieutenants.Since that time, she became perhaps the cruelest creature in the Cosmos, and led her elite warriors to subduing worlds in the name of her new master, by combining coercion, manipulation, psychological warfare, targeted assassinations and rapid, strategic attacks. In time she became one of the most respected lieutenants of the God-King, because of her combined charm and ability. When the God-King fell, Kalyris seized the opportunity and built her own small empire, by using the same tactics she had once used to subdue the God-King's enemies in his name. But when Ulhaeron returned as the Shadow God, he used their former bond in order to bond her to the Black Flame. Once again coerced in his service, Kalyris became an exemplar of cruelty, evil and wickedness, and carved a vast domain in the Crimson pits for herself and their followers. When the Shadow God presented with the opportunity to follow him, to escape the doom of the black flame, she accepted instantly. She still serves his cause, apparently as one of the most loyal Infernals. But the truth is that not even the Shadow God may have seen deep into the heart of Kalyris, and she may still, somehow, be playing towards her own agenda. Many Infernals have followed the Heartless One, but most well-known and most populous among the followers are the ones that she and her lieutenants have molded, by capturing them entirely innocent and twisting their emotions with torture and pain. Throughout this excruciating ordeal, the transformation is completed in both psychic and physical aspect. From the brink of death, these creatures are either killed, if they miraculously endure the ordeal, or are reborn as the Y'enai, infernal embodiments of cruelty, deception and wickedness.