Zaras Hezroukan

 "I will not quote history to you. I will WRITE it" - Zaras Hezroukhan's thirst for violence knew no bounds.

At a Glance
Zaras Hezroukan was the last Tiefling King of Umbraforge before he died leaving no heir, resulting in Umbraforge's shift to a ruling plutocracy. A violent ruler, Zaras' was fueled by his desire to achieve complete obedience from his subjects. Murdering his younger brother to ensure his ascent to the throne, Zaras became the absolute monarch of Umbraforge where he ruled with an iron fist, burning and hanging anyone who opposed him.

History
Born to Umbraforge King Estermaz Hezroukan and his wife Calaxxis Liracyz, the older brother of Cannaxis Hezroukan, Zaras Hezroukan was a serious, stubborn child. Inflexible in his sense of rules and pushishment, he was a narcassistic youth who grew into adulthood priding himself on his appearance and strength. After the death of Estermaz and Calaxxis to an outbreak of blood-plague, Zaras cursed the gods with the exception of Avandra (the end of the blood-plague came from the cures brought by wandering artificers). Whereas his brother Cannaxis rose to the challenge of ruling through respect, Zaras opted to rule through fear. The two brothers would become the polarizing faces of the Throne and their disputes became commonplace conversation for the townfolk of Umbraforge.

After Cannaxis Hezroukan was bethrothed to Florex Ruthanas, Zaras feared that his days of ruling would soon come to an end (as he had not provided a suitable heir). When Cannaxis' and Florex's child Apex was born feeble, Zaras was at first relieved, but as time went on the child's health began to improve.

When conflict broke out between the Duergar of Thunderhall and the Tieflings of Umbraforge, Zaras summoned the city's kinsmen and marched on their fortress beneath Flametop. Unable to break through the gate into the subterranean city, Zaras was infuriated and held back by the Duergar for 447 days. Finally coming to Zaras' aid out of courtesy, Cannaxis Hezroukan appealed to his brother's bloodthirst. Returning home, the pair shared a long, silent ride back to the Throne Hall. After hours of riding through the rain and darkness, Cannaxis broke the silence with a scoff directed at Zaras' stubborness to remain silent. Thrown into a fury, Zaras turned and dismounted his horse, walking to Cannaxis and pulling him from his steed. As the two fumbled amongst the mud, Zaras reached his gauntlets around Cannaxis' throat and dug the rusted spikes of their steel into his neck. Strangling the life from his brother, Zaras' eyes flamed with raged and after a bloated moment of kicks and gurgling, Cannaxis was dead.

Regicide
Ordering the death of Cannaxis' kinsmen, Zaras' soldiers killed their brothers-in-arms as Zaras returned home to Florex and Apex. Asking about the whereabouts of her husband, Florex became the second victim of Zaras' bloody greaves. With her life extinguished, Zaras approached Apex and took the underdeveloped child in his bloody-steel hands. Cupping the child in his gloves, he began to squeeze -- ever so slowly driving the air from his hands and suffocating the child.

The new ruler of Umbraforge, Zaras took his seat upon the Throne and, still wearing his gauntlets, scratched their fingers across the arms of the seat.

Trustworthy
Zaras made a brief appearance when a group of adventurers stole into his vast vault of riches to deposit the magic relic Spellplague. Able to hide the item amidst the unending caverns of plunder, Zaras was unaware that the adventurers had hidden the dangerous artifact right under his nose, and with his attention diverted to seeking it elsewhere, it remained safely hidden in the bowels of Umbraforge.

End
Zaras' end was anticlimactic. He died of a stroke in the heart of his citadel, leaving Umbraforge with no heir.