The Father of Fathers, The Father of All That Is Evil, The Master of Control, these and a thousand other epithets describe Barak, The Father of Darkness by those fortunate enough to have met him and survived the telling. For Barak is the polar opposite of Siberlee and her so-called “Goodness.” He is the solid anchor and the control which always has, and always will stop Mernac from going into chaos.  

Taller than the tallest Manta Tree, he towers over all around him. With raven hair and eyes of obsidian, his muscular form is chiseled as if from the mountains themselves. When not in his human form, his horns are crafted twin spirals with each etch, notch, or blemish a testament to his age and power. 

His ivory skin is the perfect contrast to his dark eyes and hair, just as he is the contrast to Siberlee – so where she is weak, he is certainly strong. Where she is the light he is the dark. When he assumes his original form, his chest is smooth and almost hairless, but his face, when not shaven is covered with thick but supple black hair. However, when in his true form, his entire body is covered, save his chest, with a wiry tangle of cilia more akin to that of a beast than a man.  

It is said by the scribes and sages who know of such things, that with his mastery of the magical arts of Kayz, fire dances across his skin at his slightest whim or desire. It is also said that ice will cool his brow if hot, or his skin will weep moisture if he is dry. These and many other incantations are just the beginning of his unlimited powers.

Barak ruled Mernac in the beginning, side by side with Siberlee, who many believed was his lover, for they were never seen without each other. He allowed her this honor for he thought that she was loyal to his greatness. Loyalty! – something she later betrayed – just as she betrayed him.

But before her betrayal, for millennia they ruled over the gods until the creation of Man tore them apart. The other Fathers hint it may have begun before this, but when she had her child, the Race of Man, the goddess who pretended to be good, betrayed him and shifted her loyalty to the thing called ‘Man.’

Her complaints of not having a child drove all the Gods to distraction and Barak was sure it was just a plan to sap their loyalty, as well. The Gods each gave up a part of themselves to create Man. The final sacrifice, the one true offering to make Man complete, came from Barak himself. Despite his suspicion of her waning loyalty, his love for Siberlee was strong and he was determined to do whatever he could to keep in her good graces. So, Barak sacrificed his soul.

The Ultimate Sacrifice. 

Her love for him began to wane. He was sure that was so. With Siberlee’s new love for Man, and the inattention she now showed him, Barak quickly fell into darkness. Without a soul, he could not store his love and goodness, and pity and jealousy quickly took over. 

The jealousy spread to the other Gods, and The One and The Other quickly decided that it must stop. To stop this strife, and the beginning of jealousy toward Siberlee for having her own race, The One and The Other decided to allow each of the Gods to have a race of their own. Each of these races tended to have some, or many, of the traits of the Gods themselves.

Barak followed the mindset of The Other’s belief that the creatures on Mernac needed control. To him, as with The Other, without control, there is only chaos, and chaos should not rule Mernac. Siberlee and The One believed in a ridiculous idea called ‘free choice.’ Barak, of course, was wiser and  knew where that would lead. 

And so began the endless strife between the Fathers and Mothers. Barak recruited his disciples and all who believed in the order of darkness, and the need for control. This group eventually became known as The Fathers. Those who followed Siberlee and The One became known as The Mothers.

 

Becoming a God

 

Barak was not always a god. He and Siberlee were gifted this distinction when still mortal by The One and The Other, for their deeds on another world, Chandralee. As a reward, Mernac was to be their world to create, nurture, and rule. 

Unlike many of the Mothers and Fathers, Barak’s past is known to him and him alone. Many believe it is the reason he is determined to gain control and avoid chaos. In his other world, he had seen chaos and what chaos caused. He was determined not to let free choice rule the creatures on Mernac. He knew that free choice led to misery and more chaos. 

It would be different on Mernac, he would rule his world in a better way.

 

It is written by the scribes and sages who know of such things that when The One and The Other placed Barak and Siberlee on Mernac they commanded each of them to do one thing. The One in her idiocy told Siberlee to do Good and Siberlee foolishly let any and all know of this. Barak was far wiser and told none but the Fathers what he was commanded to do. What The Other has told him to accomplish rang true to Barak’s core.

 

Control – Control all of Mernac.

 

Barak knew Siberlee well, back on Chandralee. In fact, they were in love, but they always put their duty before their desires and needs. Though close, there were parts of Siberlee’s past Barak did not know. Secrets with which he was sure he could ‘control’ her if he could only have them. But what he wanted to know, he could not find out. For Siberlee had forgotten most of her past.

Only Kalos knew of Siberlee’s past by interpreting her dreams. It is rumored that Barak tried to convince the Dragon Kalos to tell him of Siberlee’s past, and the Dragon’s refusal angered Barak. This began his long and well-documented distrust and hatred for all Dragons. He could, however, do nothing to Kalos, for harming the Dragon meant hurting Siberlee, and back in those times, he could never bring himself to do that. 

 

Appearance

 

Barak rarely appears in the world, often having his bidding done through his disciples or the Undead, his patron race. When he does grace the world of Mernac, he appears as a panther or a raven, except when called by a Stint, a group of thirteen, of his followers.

In these times he appears in his true form, vaguely human, but closer to that of a wild beast. He stands one and a half to two times the height of a man, usually bare-chested and well-muscled. His skin is often brightly colored a deep red hue similar to the coals in a blacksmith’s forge. His hands are massive and his fingernails are yellowish, thick, and curved into what can only be described as ripping claws.

Down his backbone, rigid scales protrude through crimson skin at each vertebra. Black leathery wings adorn his back. When spread, these wings span three to four paces in width. On the side of his head are two spiral horns protruding at temple level. His teeth are elongated with the eyeteeth being vicious fangs meant for nothing but ripping and tearing. Only his face has the resemblance of a man, but even that resemblance is marred by unnatural obsidian eyes. 

Few common folk have laid eyes on Barak in his true form – the one from when he was still mortal on Chandralee. However, many of his disciples have been seduced by his human form, often appearing as a tall man with dark, mesmerizing eyes and such gentlemanly ways that he could charm any creature. Even through his well-tailored clothes, one can see the chiseled muscles underneath, rippling as he moves his body with a grace that contradicts his large build. His beard, as black as his eyes, is well-kempt and never hides the smile he chooses to give those he seduces. His hair falls over his shoulders in waves that seem to absorb all the light around him. Those who have seen his human form cannot explain how there can be so much darkness, yet so much love and desire in a single being. His words are smooth, and logic stems in every syllable he utters. He woos all with pure charismatic charm and there has been none who could resist his powers. Save Siberlee, and then, only on some occasions. 

Attraction to his forms can be attributed to the enchantment he and Siberlee had placed on each other as documented in Siberlee’s Good, before the time of man and the other races. The enchantment was so that they would appear beautiful to all. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Barak is beauty to all eyes of all beholders. This is true no matter in what form he chooses to appear. 

Powers and Magic

Barak is often cited by many as the most powerful being in Mernac. Although many argue that Siberlee’s powers equal those of Barak, those who have seen the destruction Barak can bring have argued strongly against this. Both Siberlee and Barak share the ability to learn to use the Magic of the other Fathers and Mothers, but Barak has rarely needed to do such a thing. For his is the power of Kayz, a highly destructive form of magic. Many of the most powerful of these are called the “Dark Incantations” which the Lord of Darkness himself has created and perfected.

The Chronicles of Oscillis have pages upon pages dedicated to the various spells Barak has created, and what each spell could do, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Many of these spells could only be used by the Gods, so he scattered the secrets of how to use them throughout Mernac, knowing that the most ambitious and intelligent mortals would find them and learn how mortals could use the powers. Though his intent was that it would be the Races of the Dark that would find these, some were, in fact, discovered by those who pursue the ideals of good.

The first and most famous of three Dark Incantations include:

 

• Squortz’ Fire – Destructive spirals of flame shoot out from the caster’s fingertips. Discovered and mastered by Albion Squortz. 
• Vala’s Breath – The caster can breathe ice onto an opponent, instantly freezing them. Discovered and mastered by Vala the Vile. 
• Algonin’s Grip – The caster’s hand becomes iron, leaves their body and appears gripping the neck of a target, hundreds, sometimes thousands of leagues away. Discovered and mastered by Avarice Algonin. 

. 

The Lord of Darkness is also patron to the Mortem class, a class known for its ability to magically control the dead. It is said by the scribes and mages who know of such things, that it was the magic of the Mortem that aided Eelrebis and her followers during the final stages of the Battle Of Gorg when the Undead were able to bring about the destruction of the Kingdom of Hute. It is also known that the throne of King Lasader of Hute was melted down by Eelrebis to fashion the Gorgian Bracelets, worn by Eelrebis’s top commanders.

Barak is also skilled with his sword, Blue Chaos, and his dagger, The Blade of Volition, though he hardly uses either now he is an immortal god. The exception is when it pleases him to see an enemy bleed and die slowly. Both the reputation or the sword, a gift from The Mother Witriss who crafted it from Barak’s account of the weapon he left on Chandralee, and dagger, the sole item he was allowed to bring from Chandralee, precede them. None dare question the power of either – or the skill with which Barak can wield them.

It was the Blade of Volition that Barak gifted to his mortal son, Kragle Iros, and that led to the Sap Wars. Many wonder where the blade came from, and it is from the Chronicles of Oscillis where we receive the only true account of this.

Excerpt from the Chronicles of Oscillis:

“On a night when Our Lord had bestowed his blessing on me, singeing me with the fires of the Underworld and cleansing my body before healing me again. I dared to ask about the sources of The Blade of Volition. Our Lord was in a jovial mood, and shared with me how he had fought a great battle for a queen on Chandralee, Eliana, and that she had gifted him the blade just before she took her last breath and ascended to the heavens. He explained how it had been her husband who had crafted the blade in the ceremony of their love, and how it had consumed the king and eventually brought about his downfall. When I asked how the Imp Shyla came to be imprisoned in the hilt of the blade our Lord became dark again and singed me with fire so intense I almost could not be healed. I knew that it would be wise to never ask again.” 

 

Chandralee 

Few know of the world of Chandralee, as only Barak and Siberlee have ever been there, and what is known has only been told by them. As Siberlee’s past is yet unknown to any except Kalos, and Barak’s past is a well-kept secret. Only Oscillis The Blind knows of it and has written some of it from the fragments Barak has shared with her.

Excerpt from the Chronicles of Oscillis:

“It has been told to me that his full name was Barak Jahannan, a descendent of the mighty Night Warriors on Chandralee, Protectors of the Innocent, and Vanquishers of the Dark. It is said that these warriors wield their swords or daggers like an extension of their own limbs, with grace, precision, and deadly intent for any who dared to destroy what was good on Chandralee. 

“Barak first had led hundreds, then thousands against the darkness, and had defeated all. He truly was a Champion on his world, and his sword, Blue Chaos, and his dagger The Blade of Volition are the subject of songs and lore both on Chandralee and Mernac.

 “But Barak’s past was not always one of victory and success. Raised as an only child after his father’s death, his mother turned to the taverns and the arms of men for comfort and money. It was one of these men who sought solace in more than just a woman’s arms, who took Barak in ways a child should not be taken. 

“This has always hung heavy over our Lord’s head, and to this day, he views the abuse of a child as an offense worthy of more than just death, but eternal punishment at his hands alone. 

“His plight and dedication to stop such atrocities from happening to anyone were what made him the mighty warrior, the Champion of Chandralee, and ultimately a God on Mernac as a reward.”

Disciples and Trauncha

Although all Fathers were cast out of the heavens in the season of 666 and punished for their dissension by only being allowed to have 10 disciples, Barak already had 20. As with all Gods, his Disciples came with a Trauncha, or consequences that were two-fold. 

When The One and The Other decided to allow the God Children to have disciples they had some reservations with Barak. Fearing that Barak was slowly becoming resentful towards the female gender, it was decided that all his disciples had to be female. Angered by this, and not limited to a lack of physical touch as Siberlee’s Trauncha dictated her, Barak would often bed his Disciples and treat them in the most demeaning and abusive ways. 

However, his Disciples, with their unconditional love for their master did not see it this way.

Excerpt from the Chronicles of Oscillis

There has often been much spoken about the Disciples of our Lord. There have been those foolish enough to believe that we were treated with disrespect, with dishonor, as trinkets he would bend and break as he saw fit. This cannot be further from the truth. For Our Lord is good to his disciples and seeks to strengthen them, to show them the harshness of the world to make us stronger for it. Through him, we become resilient, capable of enduring more than any mortal or immortal, strong enough to do his bidding and carry out his demands. It is in Our Lord’s devastating embrace where we find the love that pushes us on.

For reasons of his own, every disciple chosen by Barak bears one aspect that resembles Siberlee in appearance or in personality. Some say it is an unconscious decision to piece his lost love, Siberlee, together as best as he could. 

The second part of the trauncha affects only the disciples. One could only be a disciple of Barak if they chose to be so of their own free will. However, once they embrace the darkness, Barak finds great pleasure in having them turned to Undead. The races of the Fathers are allowed to keep their pure forms since Barak regarded their loyalty worthy of reward. With the races of Light, the Lord of Darkness relished in their turning into the Undead and their form taking a much darker and horrific form, seeing this as an insult to the Mothers. 

Since it is the disciple’s ‘choice,’ their love for Barak is unconditional, no matter what he does or says. Pleasing him is all they seek, determined to have him love them as they do him. They would live forever in a constant state of misery, where their only happiness would come from doing his bidding and spreading death and destruction and… control. All in hopes of winning his heart. 

Barak, try as he may, can never come to love any of them.

 

Eelrebis, the First Disciple 

To truly have control, Barak knew that having a stronghold on every continent was key. Whether it was the Kingdom of Kezia on Cathall, or the Draken Druids of Malroo, or the Jungles of Arden, his reach is far and wide.

Before that far reach though, there was one Kingdom dearest to him. And no one is closer to him than his first disciple, Eelrebis of Kar. 

The island of Kar, off the continent of Tolberna, was once home to a peaceful kingdom of Man. Known for their love of life and their spreading of peace and good, it was a kingdom most had come to envy. Kar, an important trading post along the Black Strait between the continents of Tolberna and Garren, the Kingdom of Kar grew and became a beacon of hope for all. 

In 220 AM, the King of Kar, Albus, Second of his name, had but one daughter, Eelrebis. With charcoal hair and the bluest eyes, she was the envy of all, and the ultimate prize for any unmarried nobility. Eelrebis was wise beyond her years, not afraid of risks and adventures, and trained as a warrior equal to any. She was to be the perfect successor to her father … and she was good and followed the ways of Siberlee. 

With eyes that reminded Barak of Siberlee, he quickly knew that she would be one of the many ways for him to gain control, as well as show Siberlee that her favorite race could be corrupted. 

On Eelrebis’ 20th birthday with the help of Father Werk, he brought a disease to plague the kingdom. He knew there were many ways to gain control – the suffering that disease brought was just one of them. 

The plague affected many, including King Albus. Eelrebis prayed to both The Mothers and The Fathers to save her people, and Barak was quick to answer her. He offered her and her people immortality and power to rule supreme, to control everything including death itself. He whispered promises to her and corrupted her soul. When she agreed to follow him – to be his – he created the race of the Undead from her, and it is she who gruesomely came to change the remainder of her people. 

Patron Religion

Though there are many sects that bow to the Father of Darkness, Barak’s patron religion is Muraqaba. Muraqaba is a religion of control. A religion that preaches a cleansing of the world as everyone knows it, complete destruction in order to rebuild and recreate a world that is controlled.

The religion is headed by 13 of Barak’s most reverent followers, and they form the religion’s highest-ranking Stint: The Stint of Muraqaba – which in several languages translates to meaning “The 13 in control.” 

Each member resides in a strategically located area in Mernac so they can easily spread their beliefs. They meet annually with Barak in a sinkhole in the jungles of Arden. It is named Barak’s Navel and is known to be the lowest point in Mernac and one of the entryways to the underworld.

Each member of The Stint of Muraqaba is the leader of their own Stint and each member of that stint is the leader of their own local stint. It is thought that in some of the most evil areas of Mernac, this network extends 13 levels deep.

All Stints, regardless of their position in the network, have the ability to bring Barak forth to the world. This can only be accomplished by convincing an “innocent” to freely call for Barak’s assistance and sacrificing a loved one during the ritual of calling Barak

Higher-level Stints travel the world of Mernac to recruit followers who would do the bidding of Barak. Wherever they go, darkness, death, and disease follow. They are also the eyes and ears of the disciples, both Barak’s and the other Fathers. It is also not uncommon for one or more to join a disciple in their efforts to create havoc.

 

God Stats

God of: Darkness

Home World: Chandralee

Home World Item: The Blade of Volition

Gift to Create Man: Soul

Patron Religion: Muraqaba

Patron Race: Undead

Patron Faction: League of Darkness

Patron Guild: Draken (druids of dark magic and death)

Patron Title: Wizard

Patron Classes: Mortem, Kayz

Patron Places: The Darkwoods, Kezla on Cathall, Obsidian Caverns, Island of Kar

Patron Creatures: Panther, Raven, Bats, Ratsnake

Trauncha: “Mentioned above”

One Desire: To control all races on Mernac and to rule with an iron fist alongside Siberlee.

1st half of One Book Page: To find acceptance for what he had given up.

 

List of Disciples

–          Eelrebis – The first Undead from the race of Man, Barak’s way of darkening Siberlee’s beloved race.

–          Oscillis: She is a blind disciple to Barak the Father of Darkness and his master Scribe. She is responsible for recording history from Barak’s perspective throughout history. As Scribes cannot knowingly lie when writing their scrolls Barak blinded her so she could not see actual events, and relies on recording history as it is told by Barak and the other Fathers.

–          Histell