The Marked Warrior

The Marked Warrior, (also known as **Bellum**, **The God of War**, **The Ascended Mortal**, **The God Slayer**) is responsible for the domains of **Combat**, **Rage**, **Soldiers**, **Strength**, **Vengeance** and **War**.

### The Prophecy

**The Marked Warrior** was a prophecy foretelling the end of The Pantheon as it was known, not at the hands of the gods themselves, but at those of a mortal with a distinctive mark on his body. Chronos was so obsessed with the idea that one day he would be killed by his own child, just as he killed his own father, that he continuously consumed his own divine born children, by consuming them.

This obsession did not fade, as such he sought the truth of his fate from Dhivtai and the Icosahedron of Prophecy. When he heard her prophecy that a demigod son of his, a **marked warrior** wielding **Gauntlets of a Primordial Titan** would be the one to rise up and defeat him, he personally descended upon the world of Vari in the hopes of capturing Mazrek, a boy suspected of being the **Marked Warrior** because of his strange birthmarks. Rather than swallow him whole, he bit into Mazrek and cast him into the abyss in anger. Mazrek survived, but his pain echoed through the planes, twisted and changed by the abyss, he became the first demon.

Recognising his error, **Chronos**, now coined He Who Spawned the Furies, who at the time was Pantheon Dominus, pursued Mazrek into the Abyss to kill him to prevent him from rising up against him. The hostile environment of the Abyss was too much for **Chronos**, who retreated to formulate a new plan. Some believe what came next was actually his doing, others say it was the true prophecy coming to pass.

### Bellum

**Bellum** is a destructive, ruthless, violent, fierce, and brutal warrior who was at first focused mainly on his own goals, and turning what guilt he had into anger. Whenever he was wronged, he became obsessed with revenge and would destroy who or whatever he has to so as to get his vengeance. It is for this reason the Iron Herd hold him in such high regard.

After Mazrek was captured, his brother **Bellum**, who failed to rescue him, vowed never to falter again. In honour of Mazrek, He adorned a tattoo on his body, made in the exact image of Mazrek's birthmark.

He later set out upon a quest to find a relic powerful enough to kill a god. After singlehandedly slaying a mighty ancient red dragon, he took the legendary maul **God Breaker** from its horde. He then battled with one of the forgotten primordial titans deep within the bowels of the world, collecting its furious spirit and rage as he defeated it, from which he crafted the **Titan's Gauntlets**.

Armed with his two new legendary relics, **Bellum** went to Mount Celestia, crushing several lesser gods and anyone else who tried to stand in his way. Finally he challenged Chronos to single combat. The Pantheon came together to witness this moment, but did not intervene. After a gruelling fight that lasted days, Chronos was defeated and Bellum held him by his throat. The Marked Warrior had risen just as prophecy foretold.

After he defeated Chronos, Vari the Life Mother appeared to **Bellum** and pleaded with the Marked Warrior to spare his life. She showed him what his brother Mazrek had become, that Chronos was trying to undo his mistake and that if he did not stop him, Mazrek would grow beyond any of them in power.

Heartbroken, **Bellum** wounded Chronos but did not kill him. Instead, from his wound he absorbed much of his strength into the **Titan's Gauntlets**, and was gifted Vari's strength for heeding her words. He then demanded that Chronos be stripped of his Dominus role, to which the whole pantheon agreed. The Arbiter became Pantheon Dominus. **The Marked Warrior** then turned to the Abyss and searched for his brother.

Infused by the combined might of **Chronos** in his left hand and **Vari** in his right and his own unstoppable fury, he commanded an army of Angels, Devils and Mortals to his brothers Doorstep in the Abyss. All followed him into the battle to decide the fate of Vari, and in that moment **The God of War** was born.

The war was long, the battles were many, but in the end **The Marked Warrior** crushed and defeated his own brother, but he could not bring himself to kill him, instead he sealed Mazrek in a **Soulstone,** significantly reducing his influence over Vari and intending to seal him for all eternity. For doing this, the pantheon, including Bellum's father and former enemy Chronos, came together to officially recognise Bellum's divinity, granting him the title of **God of War**.

His holy symbol is that of a clenched gauntlet, grasping and crushing divine light.

**Suggested Class:** Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger