VERUXAM

Veruxam was the only child born of two red dragon parents, who were both notorious plunderers and sackers of human cities. Unfortunately his mother was killed by dragon hunters shortly after he was born, leaving his father to raise him alone. When his father tired of the responsibility, he was quick to abandon the young Veruxam, but before taking off her took the time to teach Veruxam about the proud heritage of red dragons and the reality of the world that they lived in. 

Left to fend for himself and still extremely young and small, Veruxam mostly laid low, using his flames and claws to bully weaker creatures out of their food and possessions and occasionally tormenting any stray humanoid that crossed his path. One such encounter he misjudged harshly and suddenly the young wyrmling found himself facing off against a wizard much more powerful than himself - however, recognizing the opportunity presented before him, the wizard offered Veruxam a place at his stronghold, to guard over his treasures and intimidate the wizards enemies. Veruxam, in a moment of rashness, agreed. 

Both the wizard and dragon were of the belief that they were the ones in charge in this arrangement - the wizard and the dragon both had similar dispositions and surprisingly, found themselves at ease with each other and their situation. Veruxam was very happy to help deal with any adventurers bold enough to try and claim (his) treasure for themselves and the wizard appreciated the extra security that allowed him to undertake his work in peace. The wizard was somewhat of an outcast amongst his peers for practicing more problematic magic and Veruxam relished what he could teach, the both of them exploring the capabilities of Veru’s innate magical abilities, with Veruxam eventually figuring out how to alter his form and take on a humanoid appearance. However, eventually the wizard grew old and the dragon chafed at the now restrictive arrangement they had come to - he had taken all the knowledge that the wizard could offer and now longed to explore the world. Unwilling to wait for the wizard to pass of his own accord, Veruxam went out of his way to strike the wizard down when the next opportunity presented itself and immediately set about making his claim on the territory. 

He flew to the nearest village closest to the tower and declared himself their new leader, promising protection in return for their service and tribute to him. This was a successful venture for some time, the young red dragon turning the wizards tower into a proper lair and intimidating other nearby villages and towns into also serving his needs. Eventually, his reach extended far enough that it drew the attention of some important people in the Capital who swiftly put out a bounty out for his death. This drew all sorts of intrepid adventurers to the area, but as Veruxam aged, he in turn grew more powerful and many people accepting the bounty met their deaths at his claws. His long string of successful wins against his foes led him to grow arrogant and boastful and the young dragon was convinced that none could possibly strike him down. His displays of power and public battles with adventurers raised his notoriety and he actually attracted some genuine admirers - he began to amass a small collection of loyal followers who he didn't hesitate in using to his advantage, relying on them to enforce his rule and bring his small collection of towns and villages into line when he was absent. During this period, there were a few draconic challengers who sought to wrest his territory from him, but in most instances he had little trouble overpowering them. However, eventually his luck ran out and a extremely powerful party of adventurers showed up and attempted to kill him. They nearly succeeded and, badly wounded and humiliated he fled, abandoning the small empire he had created for himself . 

It took him a while to recover from the wounds he had been dealt, but during that time he deeply considered his next moves and plotted to enact his revenge on the people that had driven him from his home. However, this would require that he amass allies, wealth and increase his own power, which would take time. The lifespan of a dragon is a long one and Veruxam could be patient when it suited him. Once healed, Veruxam flew to the nearest mountain range in the Red Plains, intending to make one of them his home, but surprisingly, intruded on the territory of his father - the two dragons immediately clashed, and while his father as an ancient dragon was more powerful - Veruxam was more agile and the younger dragon successfully managed to deal a mortal blow. Veruxam's father fled back to his lair and Veruxam followed, finishing him off and claiming his fathers significant and well-established hoard for his own. 

Veruxam then spent most of his early adulthood re-positioning himself into a seat of power - as conflict with humans and monsterfolk increased, many fled outside the influence of the human realms and found themselves under Veruxam's dominion. Eventually, Veruxam was responsible for a large swathe of territory, presiding over the area and killing anyone who disagreed with his rule or tried to extend their reach into his borders. Eventually it became necessary to claim more land and Veruxam established his own city known as The Abbey, creating a safe haven where those persecuted by the human empires could be free to do as they please. The knowledge of this new city gained traction in the realm and soon Veruxam was being contacted and propositioned by all manner of creature wanting to ally themselves with him and gain a foothold in his empire. With his newfound influence and secure position, he began establishing a large alliance of powerful like-minded monsters and set out to swell his ranks, delighted at the respect and wealth that his new position offered him. It was during one of these forays that he first met Vor'aal, and recognising her talents for manipulation and the power she wielded, immediately wanted her on-side. He marvelled at the fact that she had managed to do all that she had while remaining largely unknown. Veruxam continued to follow her exploits closely and visited her often - he had taken a number of lovers throughout the years, but until now had no interest in having a long-term mate. His interest in her intensified when she helped to track down the adventurers who had chased him out of his first territory - most of them were dead, but those that were survived by family members met an agonising and brutal end at the hands of the two dragons. While Vor'aal was cold at first, she eventually warmed to his advances and the two formally combined forces to expand their hold over Ward'en. 

As the centuries passed and a war between monsters and mankind drew ever closer, Veruxam created an alliance of Chromatic Dragons, bringing together the most powerful and influential members of each category. Veruxam was made leader of this alliance, and under his direction, each dragon brought their own resources, minions and abilities to the alliance, and Veruxam appointed promising blue dragon by the name of Grirhyn as his second-in-command. It took a while for the war to break out in earnest, with many smaller conflicts and skirmishes holding the attention of the red dragon and he quickly proved himself to be an adept commander on the field of battle. When the continent dissolved into chaos, Veruxam took charge of his alliance and led them into battle, ensuring multiple decisive victories and making sure that their side emerged victorious at the conclusion of the war. 

The territories were divided up between the leaders of the monster forces, Veruxam and Vor'aal were awarded most of the western side of the continent, with Veruxam maintaining control of the Red Plains and the Northern part of the continent. Flying in the direction of his newly claimed territory, Veruxam was looking forward to expanding his empire and ushering in a new era for monster-kind, with him at the helm, when he was suddenly attacked by both Vor'aal and Grirhyn. The two dragons used their combined strength to overpower him, but not before her managed to deal terrible blows to both of them - Vor'aal dealt the killing blow and  tore out his throat, watching as he plummeted from the sky. Veruxam crashed into the ground, shattering most of his bones and on his dying breath, he swore his revenge on the two that had conspired to betray him and ruin everything that he had worked hard to achieve. 

While his body was crumpled and ruined beyond repair, his spirit lingered on, full of rage and fuelled by the desire for revenge. Scavengers picked over his bones and some opportunists made use of the resources his body had left behind, one of them eventually forging a weapon that trapped his spirit inside, where he has lain alone since the war's conclusion. The circumstances of his death and his long time in isolation have left his thoughts muddled and he no longer remembers exactly who he is, however much of his personality and ambition have been retained post-death. He was convinced that he would be trapped in a tomb of his own skeleton for eternity, until a minotaur warrior named Hasdrust released him and gave him the ability wreak havoc on Ward'en once more.