Valderon

"Evil is a thorned tendril. How many innocent minds have been poisoned by a mere prick?" -From a sermon of High Archpriest Lightlocke Even before the Tides of Darkness spread like a shadow across Tya, malevolent forces threatened the land. In this time before the great factions had been formed, brave heroes fought the forces of evil. One such hero was a paladin named Valderon whose hope served as a beacon in the dark. Hailing from all corners of Tya, the Collective were warriors dedicated to the battle against evil. But with each year, the forces of evil grew while the Collective lost more and more good men and women. As his hair greyed and his beard grew long, Valderon found hope more and more elusive. Darkness, he feared, would swallow all he fought for. His hope would have guttered out entirely were it not for the ballad of a mysterious bard. One night, Valderon heard tale of a divine sword locked in a tomb. This sword, the bard claimed, could only be wielded by one with a pure heart. Though the song seemed absurd, Valderon was entranced. He paid the bard enough gold to procure the location of the tomb. But what he found was not a shrine to heroes, but a demonic temple carved from volcanic glass. A shadow beckoned him to follow it to his prize. His every instinct screaming at him to flee, Valderon pressed on. Surely if this evil sword was real, it would be best to confiscate it and keep it from falling into the wrong hands. But as soon as he laid his eyes upon the weapon, any thought of sealing it away vanished. Even from across the room, the unholy sword seemed alive. Its very presence mesmerized Valderon. This sword was no doubt evil. But perhaps it was capable of great good if placed in the right hands. Valderon wondered how many lives might be saved if he were to bend to his will the same dark power that strengthened his foes. He was a just man. Surely he could overcome the sword's evil will and use it for good. His mind made, Valderon approached the plinth housing the blade and reached for the sword. For a time, the god that was once Valderon used its great, dark power to fight against the forces of evil. But over the course of years, the paladin Valderon ultimately succumbed to the darkness he wielded, and was reborn a great dark god.