War God/History

Reveal

According to Azarax, the avatar of War God did not participate in the great battle in the Hell of Ariel because that avatar was too young and not ready for the horror of their battle. Azarax explained that there had been a former avatar before him—the former one, called Dragon, was the founder of the War Empire. This Dragon founded the War Empire, which later ruled for a thousand years. Azarax also revealed that he himself was not a champion of War God, insisting that he had never bowed to any god and that many realms bowed to him instead. However, he stated that his own empire was eventually destroyed by a champion of War God, after which the War Empire was built upon the ruins of his empire and in its image, ruled by an avatar of War. The empire prospered for a thousand years until Eurys killed the avatar of War God and sealed the empire's fate; consequently, when the Doom War began, an avatar of War God was nowhere to be seen.^[1]

Reveal

According to Azarax, the War God's covenant persisted even after the original avatar had long vanished. This covenant empowered a group known as the War Maidens, an ancient order of warrior priestesses, who defended a city against Azarax's conquering horde. The War Maiden who resisted Azarax's forces became the pivotal figure that led to the destruction of his army and empire, demonstrating the enduring power of War God's influence. While the War God himself did not directly intervene, his divine authority remained active through the War Maiden, maintaining a protective covenant that ultimately shaped the course of Azarax's conquest.^[2]

Reveal

The conversation between War and White Abyss began when War encountered the nephilim ruling the first human kingdom. After White Abyss sat across from her by the fire, War asked about Kanakht, the First Human and first human to become Supreme, whom White Abyss had defeated and burned. The discussion then turned to the difficulties of ruling humans and the plight of the gods.^[3]

War revealed that the gods had gradually fallen into the same predicament as White Abyss: the more they tried to help humans, the more they harmed them. Humans were strange creatures born from the sparks of the Flame, and even the most stubborn gods had eventually grown tired of hurting them, being hurt by them, and suffocating the sparks of the Flame within them. According to War, this was the reason the Age of Gods was ending and the Age of Humans would replace it.^[3]

War's own experience began when she pitied the first humans struggling desperately to survive and stave off hunger. She gave one human a spear to help him hunt, but he used it to kill another human and take his food and woman. She gave humans fire, but they used it to burn each other's homes. She taught them how to work metals, hoping they would create farming tools, but they instead forged weapons and tools of torture.^[3]

Since giving that first human a spear, War had remained their companion. She walked among humans, living a life no different from theirs and watching them grow. The spear became a bow, the bow became a cannon, and the cannon became cluster bombs and mustard gas. Eventually, War witnessed nuclear mushrooms rising above civilian cities and meticulously engineered bioweapons cleansing entire continents of all life.^[3]

War's history with humanity demonstrated the recurring failure of the gods' attempts to help them. What began with giving humans tools for survival ultimately developed into increasingly destructive weapons. When White Abyss questioned how War could know of events that occurred long after her death, War answered simply: "What is time to a god?"^[3]

White Abyss was rattled when War revealed that she knew of events that occurred long after her death. War explained that the real War was dead and only her phantom remained.^[4]

White Abyss questioned whether War had known all along about the war, the daemons, Weaver, and her eventual death. She also asked whether War had feared the Forgotten God. War denied this, explaining that the gods were of the Void and did not fear Corruption. To them, Corruption was simply change. Death was also a form of change; even if their consciousness was destroyed and their spirits dissipated, they would remain in another form. The Void did not destroy—it changed things forever, though change could also bring ruin.^[4]

War stated that the gods protected the world not because they feared destruction, but because they were fond of the world they had created and cared about its inhabitants. Their desire to preserve it came from their attachment to it.^[4]

Although the gods had a different relationship with time, War clarified that they were neither omniscient nor omnipotent. After sharing their Flame and becoming diminished, they were even less powerful. They could perceive possible paths but remained bound by fate. Some paths were obscured, particularly those involving Weaver. The gods therefore knew much of what was to come but not everything.^[4]

Despite knowing that they would eventually end, the gods continued to fight because they were children of the Flame and burned with the desire to remain alive. War described death as nothing more than change, though she admitted that she despised it.^[4]

When White Abyss questioned why the gods had failed to defeat the daemons, War explained that the daemons were too strong to suppress and could not be killed. Their inability to destroy them was not solely because the daemons would return to their source. The true reason was that the gods loved them. The daemons were all that remained of their dearest sibling.^[4]

Before leaving, War examined White Abyss's sword, the Blessing, and praised its craftsmanship. She then left her flint spear as a gift, hoping White Abyss would use it well. When asked whether she was still wary of giving spears to mortals, War admitted to some trepidation.^[4] War then identified oblivion as the saving grace of existence for the gods. She warned White Abyss that the next time they met, she would be different and might not remember their conversation. She would then kill White Abyss.^[4]

After War departed, White Abyss picked up the spear and, with a grim emotion in her radiant eyes, said, "Then let us never meet again, War.."