History of Malachive

Sir Rassilon Shiroken, Captain of the Shield Guardians, hosted a history lesson on how Malachive came to be. In attendance were Lord Gwaine d'Aggravaine, Lady Kiery Elistar, Lady Khamisin Shiroken, Sir Azheri Deza'th, Page Amparo Garat, and Yazuo Shiroken, as well as myself: Lorekeeper Datai d'Aggravaine. We met at the private Shrine to Austinian that Sir Rassilon tends.

Sir Rassilon started the lecture:

Today we learn the subject of Malachive, the Chaos God and many other titles besides. We study his history, to learn where he came from and what choices... both his own, and ours... led to shaping the world into what it is now. Make no mistake, whatever else he may claim to be or others proclaim: Malachive is a God, as surely as Fatale... or Raije... or Taliena. His birth was, however, an unforeseen event in the history of our world.

After the chaotic times that followed the beginning of the world, we had three Houses. Each with six members. That is still how the divine pantheons are recognized to this day. Balanced against one another. Then came the birth of Malachive, kept in secret, the fifth and final child of Necrucifer and Drakkara. Destined, even before his birth, to tip the balance of the world... the Darkness hoped in their favor. But their secret plot was uncovered. Both Light and Twilight learned of the birth and, when Drakkara lay weakened from such... they sent agents to steal Malachive away.

It was agreed a new child would indeed upset all they had worked towards. And to this end, the Twilight argued in favor of death to the child. A newborn, in divine terms. I pause my lecture now to question whom might perhaps agree with them. Knowing what has come to pass.

Yasuo stepped forward with a question for his uncle, 'Why would they consider killing a child, even one of the Divine, it is still just a child?'

Sir Rassilon replied, 'For the Balance. It was simple math to them. Six gods of Light, seven gods of Darkness. Child or no, Malachive was an un-balancing'

Lord Gwaine also noted: ' Righting the balance - it has a peculiar morality of its own, one lent to maintaining the status quo. I suppose this is why as a philosophy it is markedly different from that of Goodness. '

Some of this was lost in translation to Page Amparo, for whom Common is not his first language. Lord Gwaine attempted to clarify further: 'To summarise - the Evil gods wanted to gain the advantage through a secret birth.'

'And failed.' Yasuo injected.

Lord Gwaine continued on with his explanation: 'When the Balance, that is the Neutral Gods, and the Light, that is the Good Gods heard of this, they wanted to take action to prevent this.'

And here I explained the quandary: 'But we are left with the question of what to do with the extra god.'

Lord Gwaine said, 'The Balance wanted to kill him to restore the .. Balance.'

Sir Rassilon explained his use of terms, and continued his lesson: 'This is why I generally refer to the Gods not aligned with Darkness or Light as Twilight. So Twilight argued in favor of simple death. Slay the child, end the problem. In any case, the decision may have been made, but the servants of the Gods of Light instead spared the child's life. They took him in secret to a place few would suspect a God would be found'

'Always Tropica.' The Lord Knight jokingly remarked.

Sir Rassilon paused to ask the group, 'To clarify this matter, I ask whom is familiar with what becomes of a God when they step foot on Algoron?'

Yasuo queried, 'Demon? or Angel?'

Lady Khamisin answered for Yasuo and the group's benefit: 'They become mortal.'

'Quite correct.' Sir Rassilon noted, and continued: A God on Algoron can die. That is why their visits are so infrequent, why they work through angelic and demonic messengers... if they come here, they can die. Their essence scattered into the void, lost forever. So Malachive was brought here to be killed... and instead was saved.

He was placed in the care of a family of carpenters... his godly powers sealed until he grew older... and he was raised without knowledge of his true heritage. As I understand it, the Neutral Gods were led to believe he had been killed, the Gods of Light were told of his fate but found it agreeable, and the Dark Gods... well... were decidedly furious but, given what they had done, could not be so direct in showing it.

Yasuo asked, 'Uncle, can a god, in his case, be taught the Light, choose to follow it?'

Sir Rassilon replied, 'Difficult to say. But that is part of why we are examining Malachive's history'

And I noted: 'I reckon the Gods of Good hoped it was possible. Because that was what they tried to do for Malachive.'

Sir Rassilon then said, 'It may have been if not for what came next'

Yasuo followed up his question, 'so, if a god, in this realm could be raised differantly, why then can't a dragon? Say a brown or black be taught to follow the Light?'

Sir Rassilon noted, 'I've never seen... nor heard... of such a thing occuring. But there is a factor that may prevent such'

Amparo said to Yasuo, 'I think their nature not give that.'

Though I hate to be a downer, I felt compelled to note that the Son of Evil, well, turned out evil: 'Well, it may not be the case as it turned out, as Malachive didn't turn out good either in spite of all he was given.'

Here Sir Rassilon decided to divert the lecture back to the lesson at hand:

I think that's a question for another day... else we'll never finish this anytime soon, and I do not wish to keep you all here.

Malachive did grow to adolescence and then young adulthood fully unaware of his divine heritage and, from what we understand... a decent life. Nothing exceptionally good or evil that history says. But then his mother finally found him. Well aware directly contacting him might mean alerting other divine eyes to his existence, she instead spoke to him through dreams. Revealing to him what he was. Who he was. And one vision most prominently: A meteor falling from the heavens, destroying an entire city.

This he followed to Icewall, where he first met Necrucifer, who then brought the vision to reality, and destroyed the nation of Dae'tok... in an instant. And Malachive had his choice. And it is said he looked upon the devastation, the chaos... and laughed.

Sir Azheri quietly observed, 'And grew hungry for more power, I would assume.'

Sir Rassilon continued, 'Whether he meant it directly or not, accepting his new mantle of power did indeed through the entire heavens into chaos. Twilight was outraged by his re-emergence, having assumed him long dead. Light was saddened their plan had failed... as well as worried. Darkness... was growing stronger'

Lord Gwaine murmured, ' Literally one upped. '

Sir Rassilon noted: Mmmm. But if he drove Malachive to accept his madness and ambition as power and strength, in this, Necrucifer made a critical error. For a while later, he [Malachive] broke free of the Darkness entirely. Now he will settle for no less than everything, just like his father.

I remarked, 'Apple didn't fall far from the tree, I reckon.'

Sir Rassilon agreed, and continued: 'So it seems. And now his rhetoric of freedom has touched others and they form Chaos, enemies to all. Who plan to annihilate the Gods and wipe out all resistance in this world.'

Yasuo spoke out, 'Uncle, their plan is flawed, even without the Gods, men's hearts won't change, there will still be Light.'

Rassilon replied: We know that... But Malachive's followers are blinded by his rhetoric and ideals. They can be very alluring to the weak of faith and will.

Now, history records Malachive was defeated recently in an attempt to slay others... but I think there is yet more of his story to unfold. And if so, he may be a threat unparallel in our history.

I pondered aloud here, 'If he's not dead, I wonder where he is, or what sort of state he's in and what he did to get out of being dead.'

Sir Rassilon noted, 'And if he is... how is it Chaos is still able to call on their powers. A very disturbing notion.'

I said to Sir Rassilon, 'Well, there are still many questions and angles to consider, Suh. But that was a good overview of how Malachive came to be.'

Rassilon concluded: 'But the main lesson I wished to convey from this historical lesson is choice. Malachive made his, despite all attempts of both sides to guide him. We must be equally sure of our choices... and of how we guide others to make their own choices.'

A History and discussion of the Religion of Malachive can be found in the Theology of Algoron.

More on Malachive and the Godswar can be found on this scroll.

Malachive was defeated by Rajie in the conclusion of the evil and chaos that followed Necrucifier's Week of Hell.

Scribed 8-26-11 old dates.