Ire Ra'hin

Author's Note: Ire is an NPC for the D&D campaign I am running. He is the brother of a player's character, who's name is Forlorn. Ire will be a major antagonist/boss fight down the line, but with the intention of him being able to be converted to the side of 'good'. If all goes as planned, Ire will be defeated mentally. He will surrender, and Forlorn, being the sap he is, will likely have mercy and convert his brother to his side. I really want to give these boys a happy end after all the shit they've gone through. :(

TL;DR: Ire is born on the evil side of two warring clans. He has a brother that he learns to care about and hopes to win the war with. His brother later on betrays him because the brother can't muster the intent to kill- thus angering the people on the evil side. His brother is miraculously saved temporarily because the brother defects to the other team. Ire is relieved for a moment, until he realizes he will still have to kill his brother later down the like. He's upset that they're not side by side like he wanted, and represses his anguish with anger, and is resigned to his fate.

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The situation of the Ra'hin family is a tragic one. To understand it, one must go to the very beginning.

Once upon a time, there existed two lesser gods- Anh and Arch. Anh, the silver dragon, was the god of free will, expression, and chaos. Arch, the white dragon, was the god of law, order, duty, and power. These two sister gods found that they were bored- and as such- a game was suggested. It would be a contest- which one of their ideals was superior? Anh saw the opportunity for fun, while Arch saw a chance to prove her superiority. A game was a greed upon, and the two gods chose two mortals- humans- and blessed them each with their powers. It would turn out that the game would last generations- and no one side would truly win.

Several generations later, in the clan of Arch- Ire (at the time known as One)- would be born. After decades of warring, new systems had been put in place, like new laws that prevented the immediate murder of enemy children. Instead, the war happened in generations- once one generation of chosen children grew too old to fight, they would retire and give birth to the next. Upon the coming of the new generation, there would be no fighting until the children came of age and skill to be called chosen. In the clan of Arch, Ire would be the first child marked by Arch to be born. As such- his name was One. If he survived long enough to become a true paladin of his god, he would receive a name beyond his designation.

One was a ruthless disciple. He had no mercy- he was everything his tutors wanted him to be. Efficient. Focused. Skilled. In time, it became clear that none of the other Chosen candidates could really stand up to him- except for a tiefling named Eight. As it turned out, Eight was One's brother- and a worthy rival. One didn't think much of Eight at first- he was merely someone he sought to best, though admittedly it frustrated him to find that his pace was being matched. There was something infuriating about Eight he couldn't quite lay a finger on. Was it the fact that Eight was One's brother? Was it the calm focus Eight had? For the first time One found himself feeling... anger. It only made him angrier that he didn't understand where it was coming from. Obviously, it was Eight's doing.

And so, One confronted Eight. What he didn't expect to see was the young tiefling sitting on an outcrop of snow, quietly watching the flakes drift down. It was confusing to One. For what reason did Eight have to be there? What was he doing? The question was asked, and after a slight pause, Eight answered. "It's soothing." Unable to comprehend the answer, One felt anger again. He didn't understand. He didn't like it when he didn't understand. He was about to yell until he was invited to sit, too. Him, sit? Despite the denial in his head, he found himself sitting next to his brother, and... Well, he did feel a little calmer. Of course, this revelation only served to make him angry- which resulted in a particularly nasty sparring session for Eight the following day.

That one moment would then become a catalyst for the tragedy to unfold. One couldn't quite lay a finger on it, but Eight made him feel... Something he didn't understand. Caring. Concern. It made him angry that he couldn't comprehend his feelings, but all the same he found himself helping out Eight in more ways than he'd like to admit. One helped Eight find places to sit without getting discovered by the elders. One gave training advice. Conversation was silent and angry at first- until Eight started to talk. He asked questions, One answered. He found himself... Growing fond, and weakening his guard. One was used to being guarded. It was his fate to maybe face off against other trainees and potentially kill them. He didn't allow himself to get close in case he'd have to slay them, but Eight had to be an exception. After all, they were both incredibly talented- they'd both make it out of the initiation trial alive. They'd work together. They'd win the war. Although One never dared to smile, he did dare tell Eight his thoughts. He wanted to win the war. He wanted to end it once and for all. If he could get strong- if he could win- then things could finally change and people wouldn't have to die anymore. They'd be able to lead different lives. They could do it together. Hearing this, Eight promised that he'd help his older brother, not knowing the costs that would lay ahead of him.

Later on would come the process of initiation. Those who succeeded would continue on their road to being a chosen paladin, and those who failed would be disposed of. It was a battle royale of sorts between all the potentials. One was confident in his abilities, and was performing with flying colors. He had prepared for this all his life, but he wasn't prepared for what his brother would ultimately decide to do. Despite his promise that he'd win with One at any cost, Eight found himself afraid, and unable to kill a candidate- their younger sister- that he was meant to take out. Tearfully, he looked at his older brother, begging that there had to be some other way. There was no way he had to kill his own family. One could feel the world shatter at that moment. The instant Eight lost his resolve angered Arch- and if Eight didn't die by their god's wrath, he would have to die by One's hand. Eight doomed himself and the sister he refused to kill to death by their older brother's hands. One felt regret. He shouldn't have let himself trust. He shouldn't have put ideas into Eight's head. Had he not spoken to him, perhaps he wouldn't feel the utter anguish that made his hands shake. One didn't want to kill his brother, but he felt the eyes of his elders watching. If he didn't do it- they'd all die, and if he died, then he wouldn't be able to change things. He HAD to change things, so that something like the situation he was in.... couldn't happen again.

Fate would have it that right as One tried to land the finishing blow, Anh emerged out of nowhere and marked Eight as her own. As per the rules of the games, One could not attack someone of the opposite belief until they were fully trained. Eight was taken away, and for a moment, One felt relief. He didn't have to kill his brother. For now. Relief turned to sorrow, and sorrow to rage- the only emotion he really understood. His brother betrayed his trust- betrayed his promise- and doomed them both to kill each other. The pain he felt in his heart could only be dulled by cold anger, which earned him his namesake- Ire.

Presently, he is older. Stronger. Terrifying. He is one of Arch's most powerful (if not THE best) followers, and is responsible for the defeat of many paladins on Anh's side. As Anh's numbers dwindle, his destiny to fight his brother draws ever closer. Ire tells himself that it's what has to be done to fix everything, but deep in his heart is the tiniest voice that wishes things could be different. Though he has long sinced buried it, it will likely arise when the brothers cross paths again.