Lucrestus The Deceiver

An ancient legend telling of how the First Empire and the reign of dragons came to an end.

Summary

Lucrestus the Deciever is thought to have once been a human lord serving the Ancient Dragon King.
One day, he prayed to the goddess, asking for a blessing with which he might be able to craft a gift worthy of his leige. The goddess answered his prayers and blessed him with the purest gemstone to fashion his gift with.
However, the 'gift' was not what Lucrestus promised it to be. Instead of crafting something to show his gratitude and loyalty to his king, he took the goddess's blessing to the Dwarves. Embittered by draconic rule, the dwarves used the crysatl to smith the first Dragon-Slaying Arm.
Lucrestus then used the armament to slay his king, announcing his rebellion against dragons and their tyranny. With the aid of dwarves as well as his own followers, the king slayer shattered the empire with his crusade against the dragon people.
Lucrestus eventually fell in battle, but his soul is said to know no rest. For as punishment for betraying his king and decieving the goddess, he was barred eternally from the afterlife, cursed to forever haunt the lands of Vestria.
It is said that he spends eternity trying to tempt others into falling to their greed just as he had.

Cultural Reception

Lucrestus is remembered as a great deceiver and liar, a manipulator drunk on his own delusional pride and lust for power. His name is commonly used to deride one for their misplaced ambitions or a lesson to children to warn them against the dangers of greed and pride.
Some have taken a curiously generous read of Lucrestus's tale in recent years, going so far to call him a hero fighting against the dragons' tyranny. Such perceptions have become rather popular amongst members of the Movement of Reform who use his tale as a call for those who wish to do away with power and prestige placed on those with magic and the abuses heaped on those without.