Lord Malkor stood in the Temple of Parianthus, an immense structure with tall stone columns and a black marble floor. The ceiling was shrouded in shadows, high above his head, and small torches burned in their sconces, set at intervals along the walls. The temple smelt of dust, death and burning pitch, just as it should do.
Climbing the wide stone stairs in front of him, he approached the masterpiece of the temple's back wall. Stretching from floor to ceiling, and as wide as the temple itself, jet black rock had been carved with a thousand tiny sculptures, each more glorious than the last. The scenes were vivid and disturbing, showing War Lord Parianthus with his twin spears held aloft, decapitating his enemies, skewering them, or hacking them down like dogs. Parianthus was the original war lord, seen by many as a god.
Malkor smiled as he reached out and traced the gruesome scenes with the fingers of his left hand. The figures moved as he touched them, writhing in torment and agony. Their pain had been captured by the master sculptures, their souls embedded in the structure itself.
The Iridium Wars were just a part of Malkor's homage to the War God. Now he would take it a step further, becoming a god himself.
He had conquered the people, destroying their cities and enslaving them wherever he found them. He had decimated the minotaurs, driving what was left of them underground, and he had thrown down the lords who dared to stand against him. Only the domed city had escaped his grasp so far. Soon that would belong to him too. Lord Hades had fallen. There was no one to protect his chosen people now. The sky lord had revealed herself and Malkor intended to collect her head.