Balberith

A daemon commander from the ancient world, Balberith existed before the continent of Aurelica was formed and will likely persist after its destruction. A cunning Emissary of Chaos, Balberith is a far more dangerous opponent than virtually any other known creature. His two scimitars are enchanted with demonic energy to strike fear into weak-kneed opponents and his wings of bone are themselves dangerous blades, although few could survive an encounter with Balberith to inform others of this fact.

Little is known about Balberith except that at some point he was defeated during the War in Heaven, and cast down into Aurelica, where he worked tirelessly to grant the Dark One unfettered access to our plane of existence. Balberith soon gathered numerous Dark-aligned species into an unholy legion, which he flung against the dwarves of the Mountain Kingdom and their “impregnable” fortresses surrounding the Rift.

While Darklings threw themselves against the battlements, Balberith soared to the ramparts and made a cruel slaughter of its defenders and their mechanisms. The dwarves looked on in horror as Balberith’s army leveled the so-called “key” to the Mountain Kingdom, the Bastion Gate, exposing the Rift and the dwarven cities to the Hand of Chaos.

Yet the dwarves did not fight alone that day. For the first time in many millennia, the Titan of Iron personally intervened in the affairs of mortals. The Titan cast Balberith into the Rift after extracting the daemon’s heart, which was to be kept safe by the ruling Molten Clan. The Titan then strictly charged his servants with the safeguarding of both the Rift and now “Heart of Fire”, warning the dwarves that neither the Dark One nor Balberith must ever be allowed to set foot once again in Aurelica without dire consequences.