The creepiest, scariest, deepest, and most sinister being to walk the Red World...
Nastar the Great
Seriously though, this demon out does all the rest in cunning. His sheer might frightens all mortal beings, including his servants. He arose like the phoenix out of the ashes of the former demon lord... but I grow ahead of myself.

The origins of Nastar are ambiguous. It is for certain that he was fashioned by The Black Cross not long after the Cross overthrew Aerykun and chased him into Gor Xander Burld, but it is possible that Nastar predates this creation.

When Aerykun made his last exit from the Red World, several of his most loyal and most deadly servants followed him. Along the way they each were captured as they helped their leader escape to safety, save for one. This last one took on the guise of Aerykun himself, appearing in all ways like him, and went off in another direction, away from the path of his master. The forces in pursuit followed the impostor. His trail led up and into the mountains that surround all the Shadow Realm, the under world sunk into the surface of the earth.

They caught up to the impostor at a cliff-face of the highest of these mountains, a pinnacle of rock that no mortal has ever climbed. The impostor demon had gone very far up, but before the pursuit even began to climb after him they saw his silhouette dive into the Fires. The flames instantly changed color, burning black and blue with tinges of yellow and green, and so they continued to burn for almost a decade.

Then the Black Cross perceived the need of a lieutenant. Not trusting any of the captured demon lords, though they had been reinstated, he saught to make a new demon, greater even than they. He traveled to the same pinnacle mountain at the border of the world, and mixing the fashionings of Fire and Darkness, Nastar was birthed into the world.

Some, though, theorize that this was not the first appearance of Nastar. They say that the impostor demon which leapt into the Fires was the same that the Black Cross made, and that Nastar was not truly fashioned at this time but only drawn out of the Fires. None may ever know, but the implications are staggering it is true.

Firstly, this would make Nastar the most unique being to ever live, if he successfully reincarnated himself. The ability to transcend the normal laws of death might indicate other mutations or abilities which we don't understand. Secondly, it would mean that he is actually older than the Black Cross, and with age comes strength.

After the Black Cross fashioned, or freed, Nastar, he disappeared from major history for a while. He was in a long maturation period, as all demons go through after fashioning. Unlike most though, his took somewhere around one hundred years, thousands of times longer than the demons that make up most armies, and many times longer than even the greatest demon lords.

Once he had finally finished maturing, he became the Black Cross's greatest commander, but ultimately his demise. Nastar led a demon host out into the Green World, and there he established a large domain over broken lands, a long term investment. However, the Black Cross wanted results fast, and so ordered Nastar to head an attack into the territory of the Red World men.

His success was great, just not great enough. Smashing through the initial defenses, he laid siege to the city of Okthin, the capital of the great Southern Empire. After staying outside for three days, allowing his rear-guard to catch up, Nastar bodily attacked the gates. He himself went out in the forefront of his troops and blew the wall to pieces by his dark arts, magic, craft and power all twisted together hideously.

Men though, were not so weak as Nastar had thought. They would not surrender, even as he pulled building after building and tower after barricade down with his own power, and his troops stormed the streets, some resisted. Two in particular must be noted, the Xannast lord, whose name is unknown, and one of his lowest underlings.

The Xannast lord faced Nastar singly, and seeing one willing to do this all the other demons fled his face. As Nastar took a breath, trying to evaluate his opponent, he sensed a secret menace. His thoughts were about two seconds too late, as the underling's arrow drove through Nastar's neck.

As Nastar turned in that direction, the Xannast lord flicked a knife from his belt into Nastar's heart. That wound was too much for Nastar, and bellowing loudly he disappeared in a wreath of flame.

With Nastar gone the troops fell into disorder, and within the rest of that campaign season they were driven from the South.

For a year the Southern Empire moibilized its troops, building the largest human army ever seen. They forged alliances with the dragons of the coastlands and of the East, for those had not yet dissappeared. Thus the summer ended, and the Black Cross rested, figuring the attack would come in the next year with the warming of the earth.

It was not so to be. Bravely through the snows and wind the men marched. Likewise the dragons were compelled to walk, for they would freeze if they flew. They overturned the great wall that had been built to protect the Black Cross's kingdom in the North of the Red World, and liberated their brothers there.

Even as spring began their march did not tire, and led by the Seven Kings and the wizards, with Kion flying over them, they descended into the Deep Fog. In those days the lore of men was greater, and they had learned the ways through the great cavern, and thus the whole army went down into the Shadow Realm.

Only a day after emerging in the Shadow Realm a force led by three of the Black Cross' commanders met the men and beasts, but Nastar was not among those in the onslaught. Fighting bravely and claiming what advantage there was in terrain the men fought off the demon attack, but their morale was breaking from the days of cave travel and then fighting.

The kings met together, and made a grave mistake. Against the counsel of Kion, they decided to not tarry and destroy every demon lordship in the Shadow Realm, but to move straight for the capital and the castle of the Black Cross, hoping by those victories to retrieve the morale of the men.

This decision served only to enrage the dragons, who would never have quit. It had taken much persuasion and assurances of perseverance before they had been prevailed upon to join the men. But obey the decision they did, knowing that they could not fight alone.

Sorties were sent out against the advancing horde of angry men and dragons, but their frequency slackened as they approached the great capital. Its walls were fifty feet tall, all around the city, and the spires thereof seemed as though mountains had been carved thin.

Then the dragons proved their worth, and storming the walls and towers they opened the gates for the men... and the street fighting began. But still Nastar was nowhere to be seen.

It took days to clear the city, and then for three days the men camped 'roundabout the moat of the castle, too afraid to challenge the Black Cross itself. Then at last the third son of the king of the Southern Empire stepped forward, and claiming the sword of his younger brother, who had been slain, he went into the castle alone, for none would follow him.

A day passed with only silence. Then night fell, but no stars appeared, and the night would not fall off when morning came. What went on during that time is mystery yet to this day, but it is known that at the time which out to have been noon, a great light appeared in the sky, like a star that was traveling. It flew until it was straight over the castle, and then its light fell like rain upon the castle. At this time Kion flew into the upper balcony, and found that the Black Cross lay in pieces, but so also did the body of the prince that had went in.

The events of the past week having been so spooky, the kings of men made a drastic decision. They would leave the Shadow Realm immediately. Destroying the Black Cross and many of his lords they hoped would be damage enough that they would not be bothered by demonic interference any longer. Besides, morale was nearly gone. The dragons could do almost nothing by themselves, and so were forced to retreat with the men.

It is said that ever there was one sitting among the council that made that decision who was not recognized. Words were heard spoken by no one, but each man supposed that it was another who had said them.

And so the lords of men retreated, returning with much smaller numbers than they had come, yet still victorious... in their own minds. They each carried a few pieces of the Black Cross, fearing that by some dark art it might be put together again. And thus the pieces were scattered throughout the Red World, and they passed from time and mind.

When they returned to their cities they found each of them had experience terrible fires, burning in the spite of water. It had taken days for the few wizards who had remained home to put them out. But after this disturbance peace reigned, and men advanced in culture and ideas, learning many mysteries.
*to be continued*