Nerull

Nerull was a human wizard that had become renowned by the eladrin for his skill as both a mage and as a strategic mastermind. He was the first non-elf chosen as a general for Corellon Larethian during the Dawn War and even though he led numerous successful charges and battles he became incessantly focused on the loss of lives on his side. It made him furious that his subordinates would die and be of no further use to the war when the primordials could largely patch themselves back up and reconstruct their armies. He created a plan but it was missing a crucial component that would ensure its success, and he conducted countless hours of research perfecting his work. One night he had the inspiration he needed and he feverishly drew up new arcane sigils and symbols that would fulfill his desires. In that night he invented the school of Necromancy. Proud of his work he showed it to another of the Gods, the current Reaper of Souls for Hades known as Aurom. Aurom was disgusted by this disregard for what he considered to be the natural order of things and when Nerull brought his findings to the Gods in a large committee none spoke in Nerull's favor, siding instead with Aurom and deciding that Nerull would serve as a general for the Reaper to ensure that he would never use his research on the battlefield. The very next day Aurom led them into a battle against a new creation of the hideous Obyrith, the Tanari'i, and among the Tanari'i Aurom noticed a familiar face: it was that of Horkus, the brother of Thanatos the first reaper and the one responsible for the reaper's destruction. Horkus, now a powerful demon known as Orcus proved to be a more than formidable foe, and the army of the gods found itself decimated and Aurom became gravely wounded. Nerull became pinned against a mountain wall, clutching his staff dumbly and looking at the sea of dead before him, his new general at his side clinging to life. He made an executive decision. He fired a powerful blast of energy at the base of Aurom's skull and took the Scythe of the Reaper for himself, rose it over his head and rose his army once again to destroy the demonic horde and push back Orcus. The corpse of Aurom rose and slew as many as it could before Orcus grabbed hold of the shambling undead god and ripped his spine from his body. This combination of powerful god-like flesh and necromantic energy would become the most prized artifact of the demon lord, the Wand of Orcus.

Nerull and Orcus met now, face to face. Nerull was intelligent but Orcus saw his weaknesses in an instant. Playing into the necromancer's sense of pride, he surrendered, for he could not hope to destroy a master of death such as Nerull! He talked of how, if not for the fact that he would soon die, he would forever tell the tale of his defeat at the hands of Nerull and how it was a pity that beings above and below would never know the story of his victory. Nerull hesitated and Orcus had the opening he needed.

The demon lord fled the scene and Nerull was victorious, but more than that he had achieved a power he formerly could have only dreamed of. He had become a god. When he returned to his former masters he was forced to divide Aurom's portfolio among the others, keeping death for himself as the only part of the cycle he was concerned with. It was then that Hades came and explained to him the terms of his new power, a catch that Nerull had not foreseen. In order to maintain his strength he was bound to be the Reaper of Souls and would serve Hades from the Reaper's palace in Pluton.

The perspective of Nerull changed hereon and he became known as the Grim Reaper. He resented the other gods for their clutching to power and after the Dawn War he made it his goal to show them exactly how futile it was to give power to mortals as long as they rejected undeath and allowed mortals to perish. He brought dark eras upon the mortal races in the form of plagues and blights, collecting the dead where they fell and fulfilling his pact with Hades. He took it upon himself to destroy the legacy of Aurom, going as far as to collect every tome that spoke of his great splendor and destroy it, or store it in his own personal vivliotek within his palace. He would rule in solidarity until an event occurred that broke his resolve.

It came to be that one of his plagues had brought him a soul he hadn't expected. His legions of the undead, his cold black palace, his dominion over death had not afforded him the sight of anything so beautiful. She was like a dream, a half-remembered companion from a life he had left behind so long ago. He remembered her for an instant, her bright eyes as they looked upon their master Corellon, how her lips furled themselves and her brows furrowed as she sat in intense study. He had the spirit brought to his palace and had her as his guest. He had to have her. To possess her. He called his new guest Nera and told her she was to be his wife, then he showered her with gifts. With the endless riches of the underworld at her feet she did not react. She continued to stare forward as though she did not see him. She showed no emotion at all to the Reaper. He devoted himself to making her happy, to forcing her to love him. He remembered in short glimpses visions of Nera as she had been, she had smiled, she had shared joy and sorrow with him. Yet here she showed him nothing. He had run out of options in his mind and in a fit of desperation he clasped her hand and pulled her to his balcony, proclaiming to the sea of the dead that he had found his queen and that she was to be in charge of the palace in his absence when he was collecting souls. She stared at him, blank faced. She said nothing. After he returned from an especially long voyage he saw that she was fading. She refused to eat the food and drink the waters of the Underworld and for this she had turned like so many other souls into a faded remnant. An incorporeal reminder of what she used to be. Nerull, giving her no choice in the matter, forced the power of the souls he had collected into Nera, returning her to strength and when she had recovered he showed her the secret of his power, and instructed her to use the souls as he did, devouring them for strength. She seemed to follow what he said, amassing her own power and becoming more present in the Reaper's lands in Pluton, finding lost souls and quickly adding them to her collection. It was everything Nerull had hoped for and he was pleased. She had taken an interest as well in the giant ravens Nerull had acquired from Niflheim, two undead beasts named Huginn and Muninn, pets fit for a god that had come into his possession at the ragnarok. After a long period Nerull continued to try to get close to Nera, to finally connect with her, but even as his queen she showed him no emotion. No affection. She recoiled at his touch but no longer looked away from his skeletal visage. This was progress on its own and so he allowed her, his captive, to continue as she was.

Early in the spring, when the deaths of the world are much less than normal, Nerull heard a call from his Nera. It was the first time she had called his name and he was overjoyed. He rushed to meet her in the great vivliotek of his palace and he found her, standing there, she had regained the glow he remembered from her in life. She invited him out onto the same balcony where he had announced his conquest of her soul, and where he had made her his. and she outstretched her arms before him and took a step backwards. She fell from the balcony and landed gracefully in the courtyard on her feet. Nerull followed and did the same. She outstretched her arms once again and Nerull went to embrace his queen, only to find himself unable to move. Thousands of spirits revealed themselves to Nerull, countless hands clutched at his body, and he was bound completely. For the first time he saw Nera smile. No, not Nera, that name was never her's. She proved to Nerull that she would never belong to him nor anyone else. She could not be possessed. She emboldened the spirits and they tore him to pieces, leaving him as food for the ravens. She compelled the spirits to return to Niflheim where they would be protected, and she laid the undead back to rest. The only remaining members of her kingdom were the ravens, still picking at the bones of Nerull, and those spirits that refused to leave her side. The names of her past now all meant nothing. For now she was the Raven Queen.