"Hercules"

The man known in the domain of Olympus as "Hercules" once sought (and perhaps still seeks) to champion the cause of the common people against their oppressors. However, his own treachery in the pursuit of his causes have earned him the cursed title of darklord and the scorn of most of the people he once sought to champion.

Background

Hercules was born in a world where the people worshiped the Olympian Pantheon but nonetheless a world where the true deities had seemingly turned their back to the world. Their priests were not true divine spellcasters but were merely charlatans who used their power and authority to abuse those beneath them. The most powerful of these priests were the Seven Voices of the Gods, whom claimed to be the very mouthpieces of the deities they represented. The highpriest of Zeus, as the administrator of the Seven, was (at least hypothetically) the most powerful of these most powerful of priests. It is especially ironic that his son would think to champion the cause against their abuses. So resonant were his righteous words and actions with the common people that he became nicknamed "Hercules", after the mythical son of Zeus.

However, as time went on, "Hercules" saw his criticisms and concerns go unheeded by those in power. He grew frustrated and bitter at the seeming impossibility for change. Hercules decided he must resort to the same dirty tricks they used to put them in their places. He starting working machinations behind the scenes, ranging from extortion to seduction and even bullying. He even started a secret resistance movement against the government.

However, as Hercules was launching a conspiracy, the Seven were hatching some of their own. The high priest of Zeus gave Hercules a a pair of cursed bracers that would make Hercules go berserk in combat and hopefully turn on his allies. The high priestess of Aphrodite placed one of her maids, a woman named Dejanira into the hands of bandits in order for her to be rescued by him. It was hoped that the slave girl would seduce him and goad him into defiling the Temple of Zeus. This would turn the masses against him. Meanwhile, the Seven would summon a powerful entity from beyond and command it to destroy the rebel army. Hercules fell for the captured slave girl routine hook, line, and sinker.

The one thing that the Seven hadn't prepared for was the ability for Dejanira to love. As Hercules fell in love with Dejanira, so Dejanira fell in love with him. She confessed to Hercules everything about the conspiracy against him and her role in it. Although the confession was an act of extreme devotion to Hercules, he could only see the betrayal. Hercules feigned forgiveness and said they should use feign a tryst to strike at the Seven as they commenced the fiend summoning ritual. The Seven fell for it, and after Hercules led his rebels covertly into the Temple of Zeus, slaughtering the ambushers that had expected only a lone man.

The bloodshed of both temple guard and rebel flowed into the ritual chamber as Hercules made his way forward, pulling a shocked Dejanira with him. Despite her pleas for mercy, he ran her through with his sword and threw her dying body at the Seven, interrupting the ritual with profound cosmic effects. Hercules then charged his helpless father and cut him down as well. The magical backlash infused the Seven and Hercules with fiendish power from the entity that was to be summoned, transforming six of the Seven into Living Gods and Hercules into a fiendishly empowered outsider as well.

Hercules and the six surviving high priests were cast into separate regions of a newly formed Island of Terror called Olympus. Each high priest now bore the likeness of the god he or she formerly served, and they crowned themselves as incarnations of those gods made flesh.

Current Sketch

Hercules has been fiendishly empowered with improved power and strength, but he enjoys none of the spells or other supernatural abilities of the Living Gods. He remains an atheist and still leads a (doomed) crusade against the Living Gods. He is also haunted by Dejanira's geist, whom can only be warded away with the presence of other people. However, Hercules' Charisma suffers from extended contact with other people, and he has received a reputation for violent outbursts thanks to his cursed bracers.

Signature Possessions

magical Lion Hide, Bracers of Berserking Fury, +1 longsword and composite longbow

Game Statistics

aristocrat 1/fighter 12; Neutral Evil