Malgathar, the Destroyer

Greater Deity

Domains: War, Forge
Cultural Names: Kal'Zurath in Nurathar, Xíngluò in Shen-Su, Varkuun among the Orzhun, Xal'Zorath among the Xal'Tarothi

Malgathar is the god of war, conquest, tyranny, and rule through force. He was the first of the Triad to fully emerge from the divine aftermath of Lyrael's death.

His influence has driven rulers and nations toward war throughout Eldareth's history. He offers strength to those willing to seize power and teaches that authority must be enforced if it is to endure.

Symbol

Malgathar's symbol is a three-pronged crown bound by a heavy chain.

The crown represents authority won through conquest, while the chain represents obedience and subjugation. A dark red gem is commonly set at its center.

Black, iron, and deep red are the colors most often associated with his faith.

Depictions

Malgathar is usually depicted as an immense horned figure with red skin and a heavily built frame. Blackened armor covers his shoulders, arms, and parts of his lower body, while his chest and much of his torso are commonly left exposed. Chains often hang from his armor or weapons, and his eyes burn red or orange.

Depictions made after his exile frequently give him great wings and show fire or ember-like light burning across his body or through gaps in his armor. His horns vary in number and shape between traditions, though they remain one of his most recognizable features.

Earlier images are less consistent, suggesting that the familiar infernal form associated with Malgathar became established after his conquest of Baator.

Divine Realm

Malgathar rules from Hellfire Keep, a vast fortress complex built across and into a volcanic plateau in Avernus. Its oldest sections date to the early years following his exile, when Malgathar was still establishing his dominion over Baator. The fortress expanded alongside the Nine Hells and became the principal seat of his power within the plane.

Hellfire Keep is built for war. Massive walls, bastions, barracks, armories, siege yards, command halls, foundries, and fortified roads spread across the plateau and continue deep beneath it. Its workshops produce weapons, armor, siege equipment, and specialized military machinery for the infernal armies, while the innermost halls are reserved for Malgathar and those summoned before him.

Zariel governs Avernus as its High Marshal and commands much of Baator's military strength, but Hellfire Keep remains directly under Malgathar's authority. Archdevils, generals, and senior servants may be called there when he chooses to intervene personally in the affairs of the Hells.

Malgathar is not confined to Hellfire Keep. His exile binds him to Baator as a whole, allowing him to move freely throughout the Nine Hells while preventing his return to Eldareth in his full divine form.

Origins and the Rise of the Triad

Malgathar was not created as part of the Celestial Accord.

After Lyrael's death, some of the divinity left in her wake remained without a fixed identity. As warfare spread across Eldareth, part of that power gathered around conquest, vengeance, and the desire to rule through strength.

Malgathar's growing presence made existing conflicts worse. Rulers became quicker to answer defiance with violence, old grievances returned as reasons for war, and commanders dreamed of victories still to come.

Followers gathered around him before his nature was fully understood. By the time Malgathar emerged openly as a deity, rulers, warriors, and cults were already acting in his name.

His influence continued to spread as the Triad moved toward open conflict with the Celestial Accord. Malgathar deliberately encouraged hatred between mortal nations, turning rivalries and disputes into larger wars.

When the Triad was finally defeated, he was cast into the prison prepared for him by Ao.

Worship and Practice

Across most of Eldareth, worship of Malgathar is forbidden or practiced in secret. His followers gather in hidden shrines, private chambers, or places where their allegiance can remain concealed.

Open worship survives where a state or culture accepts his teachings. The Orzhun and Xal'Tarothi are the most prominent examples.

Rites dedicated to Malgathar accompany military oaths, preparations for war, the forging of weapons, and the submission of defeated enemies. His priests encourage rulers to answer challenges quickly and treat obedience as necessary to maintaining power.

In Nurathar, Kal'Zurath is remembered largely through histories of conquest and subjugation. In Shen-Su, Xíngluò appears in traditions surrounding warfare and rule enforced through military power.

The Orzhun

Among the Orzhun of the Kharzai Steppes, Malgathar is known as Varkuun.

The Orzhun were created through experiments conducted by ogre-kin who intended them to serve as soldiers and laborers. They eventually revolted against their creators, and during the uprising Malgathar reached them with promises of strength and dominion. Many pledged themselves to him.

The forge became an important part of Orzhun traditions surrounding Varkuun. Hardship is compared to the heat used to temper metal, while broken chains recall their rebellion against the masters who created them.

As Orzhun power grew, those ideas changed with it. The faith that had accompanied their struggle for freedom later provided justification for the conquests of the Iron Horde and the authority imposed upon defeated peoples.

The Xal'Tarothi

Among the Xal'Tarothi, Malgathar is known as Xal'Zorath.

His worship holds an established place within their pantheon and can be practiced openly. As the Xal'Tarothi Empire expanded across southern Zalthyx, Xal'Zorath became one of its most prominent divine figures.

His rites are closely tied to warfare, punishment, conquest, and the enforcement of religious authority. Military power has long played an important part in maintaining the theocratic order of the empire.

The Nine Hells

After taking control of Baator, Malgathar divided the plane into nine descending circles and established the hierarchy that governs devil society.

He forged the Archdevils to rule beneath him, creating each for a particular place within that system. Asmodeus was his first and greatest creation and remains the highest authority beneath Malgathar himself.

Rank determines a devil's authority and obligations. Those who prove useful may rise and be reforged into stronger forms, while failure can bring demotion and the loss of power.

Souls claimed by Baator also sustain the Hells. They may be put to labor, consumed by infernal industry, or prepared for entry into the devil hierarchy. Infernal law requires a recognized claim before a mortal soul can be taken into this system.

Through Baator, Malgathar turned the prison created to contain him into an empire of his own.

Tenets

• Prepare for war before your enemies are ready.

• Answer defiance before it grows into rebellion.

• Secure a victory before pursuing the next.

• Demand obedience from those under your rule.

• Punish betrayal that threatens your authority.

• Hold what you claim for as long as you have the strength to defend it.