Narangheer

The archdemon **Narangheer** (*nahr-awn-geer*) is a powerful lich who has served the Sorjachani as Grand Warlock for generations.

## Hosts

### The Hydra of Maitha

In Sitaram the **Hydra of Maitha** reigned over a sizable constituency of devotees and thralls in the city of Maitha. The Hydra was a cadre of high priests each possessed by an aspect of a powerful lich, espousing the virtues of their chosen god.

* Narangheer, the Head of Harmony
* Ununda, the Head of Prudence
* Maurayad, the Head of Wisdom
* Juhojo, the Head of Love
* Nasabha, the Head of Temperance

### Abranata

At the time of the Orc Wars, the Head of Harmony was an Amerani ascetic named Abra Nather, better known as **Abranata** , who was very much celebrated in his home country as a curer of ailments and dispenser of high counsel. Narangheer-Abranata was much hailed and dwelt in an alcove devoted to him in the Temple of Maitha, where his followers brought him alms.

### Arukain

Abranata made an expedition to Liashan with the intent to study Agriagas and to make his soul immortal like the elves. The Sitaran lord was disappointed to discover the conceptual limits to their spirituality, but found a kindred soul in the studious and resourceful Arukain do Gibrin, lord of the Gibrin Song. Together, as the atrocities of the Orc Wars compounded with the Sacking of Camun, Abranata aspired with Arukain to refine the elves' animus (uniquely networked between thousands of elves in the region) and to acquit the elven race of a natural death.

After the Metamorphosis, the Narangheer lichling was simultaneously exorcised from Arukain's body, which was now incompatible for animic binding. Ostracized from its host, the fugitive lichling was forced to rely on a Weldfan courier to sustain itself. Arukain, having already been incorporated into the Narangheer Lich lineage, retained the demon's memories and the distortions to his personality that came from the union.

### Nadal

After appealing to the leaderless Okaramog, the fugitive Lich convinced **Nadal** to become his next avatar. The coupling went awry, debilitating Nadal, and thus the Lich switched to the *vereskar* warrior Ryugal.

Nadal remained sickly from then on, until his execution by Ryugal, who seized command from the fallen sage.

### Ryugal

After the evacuation of Nadal, the Narangheer entity fused with the Janican champion **Ryugal**, chieftain of the Atapow tribe, to prolong its domination campaign of the splintered Okaramog. Narangheer-Ryugal organized the remnant tribes to protect this sacred rite, summoning the far-flung warriors of the plains to his aid.

Ryugal inherited the lichling of Narangheer close to its expiration, and sacrificed himself to serve as its cradle. The orc's incredible fortitude and the Lich's medical acuity remarkably enabled Ryugal to survive, with the qurits being surgically extracted from his torso.

#### Chosen Ones

At Ryugal's command, the ten exalted sons and daughters of Ban'Sangra the Immortal were selected as the Narangheer Lich's next hosts, intending to groom them into vessels for the Lich's multiplication. He expressed his charity in adopting the Okar's orphans, giving them a father worth hundreds of generations.

Learning of the plot, Liashan and Modean forces attempted to rescue the ten children and foil Narangheer's reincarnations. Of the ten orcs, one was exorcised of possession and two were killed during their rescues. The first, Cora, was mistakenly killed when beginning the reincarnation ritual when Ryugal was cornered and slain. The second, Loak, was fused prematurely with the lich when Ryugal's demise was learned of, forcing the Coalition forces to put the developing lich to death on-site.

1. Ghor
2. Reth Hama
3. Ban'Timur
4. Agratarm
5. Sotal
6. Ikki Rakko
7. Gherim
8. Vetrusta
9. *Cora†*
10. *Loak†*

The surviving Chosen Ones were transported to Drayden where they lived lives of comfort and austerity. Some grew to be spokespeople for their people, like Vetrusta, who advocated against the pacification camps of the Continental Congress. The influence of the eight Chosen Ones (and the loss of the two) deeply affected the reformation of the Birtukid orcs in Drayden, spawning the Janican Revival Movement, otherwise called the Rodham Renaissance.

### Some random orc

With annihilation close at hand, one of the surviving Narangheer lichlings abandoned its plan of union with the Chosen One Vetrusta and possessed instead the orc thrall serving as its courier, fleeing north from Janica thereafter to evade capture where he was rumored to have found a Lugarian man to possess.

The Arais Emodun claims Narangheer died with its nameless Janican courier, and all traces of the former Head of Harmony were purged from the South.

### Valkerscheif

At some point, Narangheer was forced to evacuate the orc thrall and found another temporary host, a human eremite from Austen named **Elgin Valkerscheif**. The eremite's sudden undertaking of sorcery attracted the attention of the quaestor Sigmund Stahldarom, who tracked down and slew the renegade mage.

The Arais Emodun was unaware of his lichhood, kept secret by the possessed Stahldarom.

### Recently

Until recently, the trail of the Narangheer Lich has gone cold after Janica, with the evidence of his association with Valkerscheif kept confidential. His whereabouts, if there are any, remain unknown.

## Involvement

In Amadi Cais, Girsten attends a lecture in one of the auditorium halls and sits on a discussion examining the Lich and some identified liches, the at-large Narangheer being one of the liches mentioned as listed in the Book of Names.

When Jeseride is delivered to Amadi Cais, Proconsul Meine reveals his true identity as the current incarnation of the Narangheer Lich and his responsibility in a past life in creating the cambion Jeseride to serve as his next intended host.

Narangheer meets his final end when Jeseride rejects their coupling, incinerating the lichling in a flame of corruption.

## Behind the scenes

While in Salavia, the Narangheer lich in the form of Valkerscheif conspired with the succubus Iriskyiss to create his next intended host and lay the groundwork for her fated vision of domination.

//When Stahldarom confronted the possessed Valkerscheif, he was actually defeated and constrained by the Lich, who was nearing the next stage in its cycle. After sacrificing Valkerscheif to birth its new progeny, Narangheer forcibly fused with Stahldarom and created a new Lich with the legate's lifespan, returning to New Column to report his triumph over the dark wizard.

There remain two other incarnations of the Narangheer Lich, Samuel Toth and Celea Hangue. Stahldarom had returned from Lugaria a changed man, having carried on the moribund Narangheer back to New Column under his armor and skin. After declaring Valkerscheif dead, Stahldarom hand-picked apprentices to train magic under him, three including Arthor, Samuel, and Lambsher.

//Stahldarom's body served as the cradle of rebirth for the lichling to spawn, and the three qurits that manifested fused with the ex-legate's pupils. Lambsher was rejected by the coupling and died, but his wife, Celea, proved a suitable host and became an invaluable asset to the 'Trinity.'

During the crisis of the Valpriot War, this association had evolved...