The Strife Emperor

God of War and Conquest

Blood-drenched armies of brutal warriors oft crush their foes in the name of the Strife Emperor, the patron of warfare and conquest. To serve his will is to accept the call to conflict, seeking lesser people to break and subjugate. Warmongers worship the Strife Emperor as they strike out at the world to bend it beneath them.
The Strife Emperor twists all living things to his iron will, even forcing nature itself to bow to his whims. During the Calamity, he grew his armies not by rallying demons, but by corrupting noble creatures into monsters and by destroying the wilds to fuel his engines of war.
The Emperor plots his conquest of the planes from within the bastion of Banehold, towering among the blood-soaked battlefields of Acheron.

Depiction

The Strife Emperor is often depicted as a brutish, ogre-like man clad from head to toe in jagged black armor. Heads dangle from his belt, and the shadows that obscure his helmeted face do not hide his unblinking yellow eyes.
Those who long for conquest often see their own people as superior to all others. Thus, somewhat appropriately, depictions of the Strife Emperor are contentious and myriad: he is usually portrayed as a member of whatever race currently bears his banner. In the Republic of Tal’Dorei, his face most often has a human cast, for King Drassig’s bloodline paid him tribute long ago.

Divine Domains

Many of the Strife Emperor’s clerics are granted powers of the Forge, Order, or War.

Enemies

The Strife Emperor’s greatest enemy is The Wildmother, who defeated him in Rifenmist during the Calamity. In turn, he is also despised by her beloved, The Lawbearer, for perverting the benevolent rule of law into the manacles of authoritarianism. The Strife Emperor and the Wildmother clashed many times during the war before his final defeat at Beynsfal Plateau. His massive iron armor is still scattered across Beynsfal, and his gigantic helmet has become the seat of a ruthless empire.

Commandments of the Strife Emperor

Fear is your ally. Conquer your fear, and inspire it in your foes.

Disorder and rebellion are to be punished severely.

To kill is life's greatest pleasure, and perfecting the art of slaughter is life's greatest pursuit.