Asthenios the Persecutor
King of the Madeci Asthenios Orneaus (a.k.a. The Persecutor)
Asthenios Orneaus, known as "The Persecutor", was the leprous Aasimar King of the Madeci in the year 1A 2003. He was subservient to the Emperor of Tallia. He was known for his rampant persecution that led to the dissolution to the Cult of Vanu-Am.
History
Asthenios Orneaus was born in 1A 1967 to his father Phileas Orneaus and his mother Sotera. To their surprise, he turned out to be Aasimar, being gifted to them by the gods after Sotera's years of barrenness. He grew up under his mother's watchful eyes in the city of Potea. Many would say that he was raised quite well, and was educated at the Temple of Amagus in the city. However, with his father Phileas joining the Emperor of Tallia, Galerius Deosa, in the conquest of Chunc, Asthenios grew up without a proper father figure. Asthenios thus determined to make a name for himself, becoming an accomplished statesman in his father's absence, and immensely devout.Rule and Apostasy
However, by the year 1993, King Phileas was reported to be slain in battle. Overcome with the grief, Asthenios turned to the priests of Amagus for knowledge on how to overcome death. Yet philosophy and wisdom did nothing for him. At his coronation he refused to be crowned by the priests of Amagus, opting for Tallian statesmen to do it instead. Before the public, he committed apostasy against Amagus and Morganine, believing they could not conquer death and in fact encouraged it. Much controversy stirred in his court. Then, one day in 1996, a priest from Tamay named Ameni approached Asthenios' court. Ameni was an accomplished healer and cleric of the grave, one who worshipped Vanu-Am. However, as Ameni tried to comfort the young king on the prospect of his father's death, Asthenios grew insulted. Asthenios denounced the cleric and cursed all the gods for his own hubris. Because of his further apostasy, he was cursed before the court by the gods, being stricken with a divine disease that no healers could cure.The Persecution
In a rage, King Asthenios demanded the priest Ameni to be arrested and beheaded for "harming" him, the sovereign king. Thus began the persecution of the Cult of Vanu-Am. Throughout the Kingdom of Potea, the Madecian military hunted and arrested clerics of the dwarven goddess. King Asthenios executed every single one of them, without trial. Then, the bitter and vile young king turned to Tamay, chasing many of the clerics of the land and capturing them. This angered the King of Tamay, but King Asthenios invoked the Holy Crusade clause of Tallian law, accusing the followers of Vanu-Am of high treason against a Tallian sovereign. Then one fateful day in 1A 2001, the king of Tamay was suddenly poisoned and died. With a crisis overcoming the Kingdom of Tamay (as the King of Tamay had no heir), King Asthenios suddenly invaded with Tallian backing and laid siege to the city of Tamay. Asthenios personally burned the Temple of Vanu-Am and had his troops capture any dissenters. Because of his conquest, Tamay became territory of the Potean vassalage under the Empire of Tallia. As for the clerics of Vanu-Am, they were forced to go underground, many of them fleeing the land for their lives. Along with them went King Asthenios' vizier, Rashida of Tamay, who converted to their religion. King Asthenios continued the persecution, tearing down any images or books related to the figure, hoping to erase the Lady of Fate from history.Events of An Odyssey in Dragoncrest
By the year 1A 2003, Asthenio believed his persecution of the followers of Vanu-Am complete. Eventually, Asthenios was given a vision by the Oracle of Egona that he would fall at the hands of Rashida and her cohorts, learning the followers of Vanu-Am still lived. He began a quest to then find his old vizier, Rashida, who had gone missing for ages. His spies reported seeing her leaving from Tamay's coast that year. Thus, King Asthenios tracked her down, only to find her on trial in Myrna. Once she was released from the trial, he offered to come back into his court as vizier, as he needed help ruling Tamay. Yet she left his court to instead deal with a grave evil happening on the island of Demetria. So the king tried to orchestrate her to be killed by the Medusa, who was working with him as well as Loxelel, while he acquired the blade Malumferak, the sword of god slaying, from the Grey Dwarves. He travelled to Lontitano to kill the Emperor of Tallia and take his throne, and then attack the gods. He nearly succeeded in his plan, killing the Emperor and gravely wounded Vanu-Am, making her lose much of her divine power. However, he was intercepted by the Champions of Vanu-Am. Rashida, Creetens, Theeden, and Ascus attacked Asthenios. In the attack, Ascus was slain by Malumferak, but the champions eventually prevailed. Theeden sent an arrow into Asthenios' forehead, slaying him instantly. Thus was the end of his reign, and his plot was foiled. After his death, Potea lost their kings, returning to a democratic system. They feared the treachery of Asthenios ever returning. Thus, in his legacy he was remembered as a tragic villain by the bards of the future, but an evil man nonetheless.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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