Hel’Fire Drake,the Elder of Corruption

Character, Story, and Artwork by me, anbumsw

A vial and toxic beast, the infamous Hel’Fire is the most feared Elder Dragon among the inhabitants of Dragthrn. He’s known as the Void Reaper, a vampiric-like creature that feeds upon the life force and energy of all living things.

Hel’Fire is built very similar to Nova, but bulkier. His body is cladded with Dragon bones of his fallen brethren from the First Dragon Wars of the Wastelands. He has a large skull outlining his serpent like head, and cat-like eyes that glow a sickly pale purple surrounded by blacken eye whites. His bat-like wings are in tatters, and his scales are a vial mix of oil black and blood red colors. The tip of his spiny tail has a sharp scythe sickle. Every breath he takes releases a oozing fog, a warning of his presence.

His eyes emit a constant aura of fear, causing any unfortunate souls to catch his gaze to be riddled with terror. Worst of all, his body is surrounded by a cloak of shadows that lashes out at anything that comes near it, sapping away energy. He literally leaves a trail of decay wherever he steps from this living cloak. Whatever energy he absorbs, he can release as destructive forces (explosions, shockwaves, even create energy claws that tear things a part).

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Hel’Fire was once a Lesser Dragon named Grim’Meir, a Mortal Dragon that lacked any elemental powers. In his homeland, Lessers and Humans were at constant war over resources and land, both sides losing many lives, including most of Grim’Meir’s family. Seeking to end the war, Grim’Meir sought to become an Immortal Elder, to intervene and put the Humans in check. However, it is forbidden for Elders to intervene with Mortals. They merely keep the balance between Immortals and Mortals. To aid in a fight would be to abuse their powers, thus they denied him.

Enraged, Grim’Meir sought out his half-brother, Froz’Meir, who was recently dubbed an Elder of Frost for his wisdom and intellect. He demanded that his brother intervene with the war, but Froz’Meir too denied him fearing he’d lose his Elderhood. However, Grim’Meir discovered his brother’s practices with the taboo of Arcane Magic, and demanded that Froz’Meir use his spells to make him Immortal or he would expose his practices.  Fearful of the Elders finding out, Froz’Meir agreed. He used a ritual from an ancient grimoire entitled, “the Undying Void,” to give his brother Immortality.

It was a success, but it came with a cost. Grim’Meir had absorbed the pure malice and corruption of the Void, and it was slowly taking his mind. He didn’t end the war, but instead pressed it further, the Void altering his mind to lust for domination. He lost himself completely, even forgetting his name, replacing it with what he claims the Void wanted, Hel’Fire. He led his army of Dragons to take over various Human settlements, spreading the word that, “the age of Mortals is no more! All must bow to the might of the Immortal Dragons!”

Though he was Immortal, his body wasn’t. It decayed and rotted from the pure corruption. He was a walking corpse still able to feel pain. His body craved energy, demanding him to siphon it from other living creatures, like a blood thirsty vampire. No matter how many lives he took, his body would return to rotting again. The Void wanted more and more. It demanded the constant sacrifice.

He would later challenge the Elders for supremacy,which trigger the world altering event, the Fall of the Immortals. In their battle, the Elders used the Dragon’Heart to strip him of his bestial form, and his brother crystallized him, imprisoning him to the deepest depths of the Frozen Abyss.

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Character, Story, and Artwork by me, anbumsw

Check out the previous Elders Here: Nova, Thundar, Aqua, Mantle, and Froz’Meir

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