Metrion

### Notable Features

Tall, lanky humanoid, obscured in partial darkness, dark fray cloak, Reaper's Scythe. Alternately, floating skull wreathed in blue flame

## Common Knowledge

Veterans of Darkfell or the Battle of Binturia, or studies of runes or undeath, may have heard about Metrion, the Reaper of Undeath.

## Further Description

Metrion is one of the three Greatest Reapers created by Death. Unlike his siblings Azarath and Zinthos, Metrion is the only Reaper of Undeath in existence. Though originally made to catalogue the ways in which lower beings defy or cheat their deaths, Metrion long ago defied his parent and embraced undeath in all its forms as a universal good which must be spread to everyone and everything.

As undeath is his domain, Metrion has knowledge of all forms of undeath, all possible permutations and capabilities that undead might be able to use. In addition to total mastery over souls and their manipulation, Metrion wields a great deal of magical power in all schools and a mastery over runes. He is also, by the definitions of the term, a fully-fledged god, with all the powers that that entails. As if that weren’t enough, Metrion also often carries a Reaper’s Scythe, which can fell any mortal foe in a single swipe.

He takes pride in those who defy the cycle of life and death, either through resurrection or undeath, but only from a distance. He considers all life beneath him, and any interactions with it on his part are a nuisance at best and an insult at worst. Living beings, and especially mortals, are merely tools for him to entertain himself with. Examples of this include teaching the first Rune Knights, powering the largest undead army ever seen during Darkfell, and releasing the second largest undead army ever seen into the Material Plane during the Battle of Binturia.

He has a deep personal vendetta against Death, which has only worsened with his imprisonment by Death. He can also seem extremely petty.

## Early Life

Metrion was created by Death at the same time as Azarath, the Greatest Life Reaper, and Zinthos, the Greatest Death Reaper. Metrion was to be the Greatest Undeath Reaper, tasked with tracking all possible ways that those skilled in magic and essence might violate the order of life and death imposed by Death himself. He quickly tired of his role and positioned himself as the sole advocate for undeath, by any means necessary.

Metrion may have had countless plans to spread the good word of undeath and necromancy throughout Temporis and beyond, which have thus far been mostly stymied.

## Time with the Binturian Party

### Darkfell (10,014 A.B.)

In his latest bid for undead dominion, Metrion made a pact with a powerful mortal named Vierfrynn. Through their alliance Metrion would have a paradise of free-willed undead and end the stigma against them and necromancy once and for all, and if those undead happened to also be dark elves who worshipped Maelstrom and their Orelisian Empress Vierfrynn then what would be the problem?

In 10,014 A.B., the two put their plan into motion. Vierfrynn killed and stole the void powers of Tesseroth the Lesser (likely with aid from Metrion), and Metrion travelled to Binturia to raise a truly gargantuan army. Despite the intervention of the Binturian Party, Metrion’s ritual succeeded. By his command the swarm of rot and decay marched south through Gobble-De-Gook and Galkador, flooding its streets with carnage.

The army continued northwards, first through Aiur and Talios, then Adirondicka, then doubling back to strike the Amrali Provinces. During the final confrontation at Amerale, the Binturians confronted Vierfrynn and Metrion and defeated both (though outright killing Metrion was out of the question). As punishment for his gross violation of his true role, Death imprisoned Metrion in the Soul Plane in the Iron Fortress, where he would remain until 10,016 A.B..

### Rune Knights (10,014 A.B.?)

Just before being imprisoned, Metrion was somehow able to communicate the secrets of combat runes to a handful of mortals. These warriors, called at various times Death Knights and Rune Knights, would go on to spread the knowledge throughout Orelisle. Though certainly not the first mortals to use them, these select few started a new wave of interest in runic studies throughout the continent. The original Rune Knights were expected to act on Metrion’s behalf and advance his ideologies, and some still do, but most simply carry the principles which Metrion valued: independence, and refusal to be bound by any oath.

### Fel Invasion (10,016 A.B.)

During the Fel Invasion, Metrion was somehow able to escape from his prison in the Soul Plane and aligned himself with the Binturians to end the takeover of the Fel. This may have been out of a sense of responsibility, as it was his former ally who now threatened all of reality, but he would certainly never admit as such.

Shortly after the crisis was averted, he was re-imprisoned by Death.

### Deathless Days (10,019 A.B.)

When Death grew weak and weary from breaking the planar barriers, and people could no longer die, the Binturian Party needed a great being with influence over soul magic to participate in a ritual to restore balance. The most likely candidate, Death, was out of commission and the primary entity of Life must never, ever, *ever* be disturbed. The only option, then, was to combine the powers of all three of the Greatest Reapers to act as a surrogate power. Azarath and Zinthos, the Greatest of Life and Death respectively, agreed with no trouble, but with Death’s absence the Binturians ventured into the Soul Plane itself to speak with Metrion.

Upon the Binturians’ arrival in the Soul Plane, they found a huge army of souls standing ready for marching orders from the “Iron Emperor”. Maneuvering through their ranks the Binturians eventually came upon the Iron Fortress, titular home of the Iron Emperor Metrion. Metrion agreed to assist in the coming ritual, but in exchange wanted to be permanently released from captivity.

Once released, Metrion cleared a path back through the army without issue, and when the time came joined his siblings in powering their part of the ritual. As part of the ritual, rifts to the other planes began to open above Binturia en masse. At this point, Metrion revealed his treachery and led his amassed army onto Binturia to exact vengeance on the Binturians for his imprisonment for five years.

Once Death’s power was restored, Metrion was immediately re-imprisoned.

## Current Life

Metrion is once again imprisoned in the Iron Fortress, a hundred-foot thick shell of warded blades, all pointed towards Metrion at all times. This prison resides in the Soul Plane, created by Death himself for the express purpose of containing Metrion. Communication out of the shell is presumably not possible.

## Further Information

* Darkfell
* Death
* Deathless Days
* Greatest Reapers
* Reaper
* Runes
* Soul
* Soul Plane