Blackhold Oh Blackhold. The conquerors now brought low, brought humble, brought anew by balefires cleansing flames. What remains is a wasteland with but a few fauna, not all still adapted for the wastes. Rain comes down at every hour, the winds howl with fury, and lightning thunders with dogmatic drums. Once home to one of the tallest mountains on Sertha, now a crater gored into scarred land. Punishment divine for attempted omnicide.
Black Crusade
Blackhold used to be a grand castle situated on Mt.Blackthraw. The old Shivuhound became of some superiority complex, its origins still not entirely known. With this complex did the Shivuhound hordes bide their time as they bred into its lines soldiers. Soldiers with one clear goal: Conquer, Rape, Pillage. And so they did under order of the Supreme Jagheuler did they march out upon the world. Razing, enslaving, and conquering without mercy. Omnicide was the end goal, and so did they come so very close to their goal. Suppressing and enslaving Dobers and Syrus, Genociding the Islanmere, Deserta, Gorehounds, Dreadhounds, Albred, Dalakin, and even managing to infiltrate the Conferous and bring ruin to the Horefrist and Sakin. And in the end, they were bombed back to the stone age the moment the majority of the forces retreated back into Blackhold for an unknown reason. Megaspells, Balefire, Nukes, Anything and everything was lobbed at them. They took one of the tallest mountains and reduced it to a smoking crater.
Fall of Blackhold
The only ones who survived were deep in Blackholds bunkers. And even they almost died out, in the blink of an eye; karma
struck and fate decided it was to be an eye for an eye. The decimated hoard was given an ultimatum after so much begging
and groveling. Fix your civilization, or be annihilated. And the remaining civilians for they executed all the
conquerors, chose to fix the problem the only way their society knew how: eugenics. It was slow and rough going,
but eventually the kill kill kill conquer conquer conquer was mostly bred out of the Shivuhound. Leaving a
new generation to pick up the pieces of their fallen empire and build something new. This new generation seeing the
hate of the world pointed at them, seeing the world hold technology that they had lost through the bombings, seeing
the evience of their forefathers sin. Got it into their minds that they had to serve eternally to apologize, to become
the new keepers of peace, that through balefire, they could purify themselves and thus the world of supremacy and
discord. But of course, only most of their conquering instincts were removed. And now, the remains are focused on
doing good, but doing good their way. Through holy war and supervision do they seek to rid the world of bigotry.
Declaring war on and crushing imperialists (for the most part), monitoring their race so closely as to avoid repeats
of supremecist thinking, and to guard and educate those around them. Through this dictum, they forged the Cult of
Balefire Redemption.
Balefire as a force is necromantic radioactive fire. Its origins date back to the Day of Wyrmwood. It when
burning something alive strives clean their body of flesh, only to regrow it anew. A cycle that the burning endures
until it's said that their soul burns away. It is no wonder the Shivuhound saw balefire and decided to model their
new civilization after it. They view balefire as the most pure force upon Sertha, the most extreme of their kind may
try to survive the burning. A rite called Final Judgement. If they survive, they are seen to be promoted to high
ranking military positions, as Blackhold never demilitarized; how else would they cut the throats of supremacists?
Self-flagellation is common in Blackhold as are prayers and rites of penitence.
Modern day Blackhold is headed by Wybren, The New Supreme Jagheuler. As he leads Blackhold, he has become the
figurehead of the Cult of Balefire Redemption. He has enacted several holy wars against rising imperialist factions.
Though his legions are not strong enough to take on every enemy, Wybren makes sure they are still subverted. The
Highbinder wants his head as he stands in her way. Wybren makes her life difficult and deprives Arkhan of much of
its best fighters. He never leaves Blackhold due to this. His head would be on a pike in a moments notice should he
cross the Exclusion Zone. Those having completed their Final Judgement enact his will on his behalf. Often
are they utilized as special opps and flown around by various factions, minorities, and regions to help control
bigotry. But others are cautious when enlisting Blackholds help, it is called the Cult of Balefire
Redemption afterall.
The Cult is filled with maniacal warriors, soldiers, and officers. Whilst they do not perpetuate supremacy,
they are still madmen. Blackholds tendency to call Holy Wars is enough proof. They still crusade,
just with different goals. Instead of conquering and pillaging, they free those in chains and give what they
can to those in need. Instead of attempting omnicide, they wish to force everyone to be friends and get along.
They deem themselves correct and are right in many ways, just, intense and willing to go to extremes
to achieve their goals.
The environment of Blackhold is decimated. Very few things still live there, though life is returning slowly to
Blackhold. The grounds that surround the Crater of Blackhold are mostly rocky with a few halfplants and trueplants
around. Three notable animals live there, everything else is of non-essential insects and a few wandering groups.
Despite this, as the effects of the Balefire finally start to lessen, as they finally start to recede. Does life
slowly return, other animals on the border of the exclusion zone start to pop in and out of Blackhold. Staying
longer each time as they prepare to diversify and start to evolve to live there.
Mahken has gone wild due to the Balefire. Because of this now do the recently modernized Shivuhound have to rely
on more industrial architecture. They cannot use Wyr Lights as they tear up the land and react wildly. Often ending
in discord and death. The shivuhound are denied the comfort and utility of Mahken, leaving their technology to rely
solely upon steel and gear, wire and copper, bio- engineering and flesh. Much of their machines rely upon a steel
chassis and fleshy insides. With the lack of Mahken, they are advancing this technology faster than most. And have
some of the most complex bio-engineered tools. Such as fully flesh and blood trains supported only by metal bones.
This is to hope something they make, may escape and go wild, may repopulate the landscape. Just like how the Sables
of old did it.
