Aldaren

Lord Aldaren
Age	≤ 300
Race	Human-elf Lich
Gender	Male
Aliases	Arcarius Riveus Cartherion Red
Status	Alive; rumored deceased
Allegiance	The Amaranth Black Order

Aldaren Amaranth is a nefarious dark wizard, necromancer, and leader of the Black Order. As a devoted scion of the Amaranth and half-elven lineage, his long history is filled with ambitious endeavors, obscure whereabouts, and arcane adventures.

Description

Aldaren has been regarded as handsome throughout his life. During his time spent roaming as a lich, he went as far as to use magic to sustain his youthful appearance. As a hybrid human and elf, his lifespan has surpassed many humans and his physical features resemble just as much. His ears are average size for a human though the tips are pointed to indicate his elvish heritage. This is hardly noticeable when his hair length conceals them. His dark red hair is his most notable feature which earned him the moniker of Red in his early life. Like his ancestors, Aldaren has emerald green eyes that resemble an Iorwerth kinsman of Tiranwnn.

Aldaren's body exemplifies the torment and abuse he's received over the years. Faded scars sprawl near his left eye, neck, and scattered throughout his torso and legs. Sometimes he may be found shirtless with luminous runic markings painted on his torso. His wardrobe collection has varied throughout his life. In recent years, he has preferred robes and wearing little to no armor.

Equipment

In addition to many blades and runes, Aldaren has collected thousands of magic items. He was known to distribute cursed artifacts as gifts to prominent people and even some that would benefit them.

Traitor

Aldaren's athame has often been his most favored weapon, crafted during his service to the Caedo. The dagger has no crossguard and is almost entirely made from obsidian save the black metal runic designs crafted along the sliver of the blade and the hilt. The hilt itself is wrapped in mummified linen. Once he joined the Sicarius, this blade became the weapon that signified his ascension to Legendaire rank, having used it at great length to discipline the lower ranking family.

His athame still contains some enchantments and lingering energies from his time in the Amaranth and Sicarius.

Rifter

This corrupted battlestaff was wrought by himself and attuned with elemental altars during the Fifth Age alongside his brother Alexander. The two travelled to each of the four primary elemental altars and imbued the staff at their location. However, upon becoming a necromancer, Aldaren corrupted the staff to cast ancient curses and magic associated with the Amaranth spell tomes. The tip of the staff contains a clawed opening for the placement of his orb and when in use, the orb siphoning the souls of the dead for the Dreadshard.

As of the Sixth Age, Rifter has been crafted down to a wand.

Personality

Aldaren has crafted many aliases throughout his life for nefarious purposes and these various characteristics made interacting with him harder due to the obscurity of his ambitions. He’s best remembered by his closest allies as an opportunist who seizes the nearest chance to prove himself or to the gain the upper hand. He was not incapable of decency and was regarded as honorable even for many short lengths of time.

His legacy as a necromancer was built after an Ashen ritual which resurrected him and most allies at this time either feared or despised his actions. His friends distanced themselves from this newfound obsession with death and even Aldaren questioned his own motives though he was unable to sate his desire for power. He became obsessed with imbuing himself with enough energy to master necromancy and achieve immortality, though many mistakes along this journey led to his downfall.

Since his defeat at the hands of wizards belonging to the Wizard's Tower, Aldaren appears to have regained purpose in recent years. After founding the Black Order, Aldaren takes pride in passing on arcane mysteries to apprentices and occasionally involving himself in various political affairs and magical adventures. Despite his unwavering loyalty to the Amaranth and past leadership of the covenant, he's regarded with disgust by the other council members for being an 'inferior' race to their Dream origins and a high-ranking member of the Sicarius. His reckless pursuit of power caused him to be casted out of the Amaranth's citadel though he was restored to the covenant by his beloved former master.

His leadership of the Black Order now keeps him safely away from the Amaranth's internal affairs as he tries to regain influence over the coven.

Abilities

“	You're an opportunist, Red. Seize every chance you get.	”
	— Rai Sicarius

Arcane knowledge: Under the mentorship of Lorelei Amaranth, Aldaren delved into the mysteries of anima as the source of magic. The corrupting influence of his affiliations made him a formidable combative wizard and he obsessively pursued magical scholarship under the Amaranth. His long life has given him insight into the inner-workings of the magical community such as the Wizard's Tower and the Zamorakian Magical Institute. Many dark sorcerers of renown have served as his mentors and he considers himself continuity for passing on their secrets to committed practitioners. He's become an expert practitioner of standard spells and studied the ancient and lunar spellbooks. As a student to various dark wizards and witches in the past, he's delved into archaic lore involving cursed enchanting, alchemy, and the bestiaries of slayer creatures. Adventures into different planes and worlds has helped him see the vast universe as a cache of endless opportunity.

Necromancy: After Aldaren was submitted to the dark rituals of the Ashen Covenant and encouraged by Lorelei, he pursued necromancy as a means of achieving immortality and pushing the boundaries of life and death. The journey into becoming an unchallenged necromancer caused him to take many lives and suffer as a result of his manipulation of the soul. Although he primarily focused on reanimation and could amass small armies of undead thralls, he also experimented with retrieving souls from the afterlife in order to restore deceased allies. He has maintained a phylactery in secrecy and stored it somewhere in the Amaranth's citadel, Markejjik. The deterioration of his own appearance and soul has caused him to use illusory magic to maintain a younger body for his interactions with the world.

Divination: Aldaren became an accomplished seer in the Fifth Age, utilizing various scrying methods and inducing premonitions that would guide him mysteriously towards fulfilling his ambitions. After the assassination of Guthix and the dawn of the Sixth Age, Aldaren began investigating divine energy and applying himself on his own path to becoming a diviner. At one point, he sought to fuse necrotic practices with divinity and seized the memories of recently departed souls, experimenting with bringing the deceased back to life or assisting their spirits in the afterlife with closure.

Activities

Aldaren has penned a number of journals and spell tomes over the years. Some of them are listed below.

Spells and magical items

Aldaren's reanimated dinner - During Novtumber dinners with family at his brother Alexander's manor, Aldaren reanimated the turkey dinner every single year. He continues to do this when invited to pompous dinners.

Aldaren's enchanted amulet - an amulet gifted to the Vekon in Kandarin which submitted Tyrek Vekon to madness and bloodlust. The amulet is presumably stored in a safe within the Ardougne Castle library.

Works

Aldaren has many different writings distributed and gifted to many practicioners.

The Necromantic - a tome of necromancy written by Aldaren during his early years as a necromancer. The book has been lost since he was defeated during the War of the Magi but is rumored to be stored safely in the Wizard's Tower or in the possession of Janus Delmoran.

Relationships

Family

Father - William Cipya†

Mother - Patronella Aerendyl†

Half-brother - Alexander Aerendyl††††††††

Half-brother - Infada Aerendyl†

Cousin - Aevan Aerendyl-Sicarius

Wife - Althea Sicarius

Daughter - Morgan Concendo

Son - Aeveredir Amaranth†

Son - Alaerik Amaranth

Son - Vaako Amaranth-Sicarius

Affiliations

Mentor and Amaranth matriarch - Lorelei Amaranth

Adoptive brother - Zaox Le'Gaunt

Numerous Sicarius and Amaranth

Apprentice - Daisy Lavelle

History

Early Life

Born to the noble house of Cipya as the result of an affair with an elven noble of the Aerendyl, Aldaren began his life in proper education and soldiering. Fearing consequence from her family, Petronella Aerendyl sent her newborn son to his father, William Cipya. His family was later sworn to the court of Emperor Russia in Kandarin and were very prominent among the upper echelons of Ardougnan society. As expected, the young human-elf would find himself studying the art of war with his fellow noble youth overseen by his father. Aside from learning swordplay and practical combative magic, he was known to frequent the tavern's and local brothels. It wasn't until he was nearing his knighthood that his father put an end to his lively affairs.

Knighted by the Emperor, Aldaren was assigned to protecting him at all costs. His name resurfaces in records of the various campaigns fought in the east to extend the Empire's influence and most notably was in command of forces during the campaign against remnant battalions of Khazard troops and later ordered to assassinate Queen Kanna of Southern Misthalin, failing in doing so. It's indicated by old obituaries and court records that William Cipya had been assassinated in Asgarnia, placing Aldaren closer to the Emperor. Despite being head of the near-extinct Cipya family, Aldaren was adopted into the Imperial household and began learning ancient magic from the Emperor himself.

His servitude was cut short when Alexander Aerendyl led an uprising in Ardougne against the Empire. Unbeknownst to Aldaren, it would later be discovered that Alexander was his half-brother. As Alexander and his forces stormed the halls of Ardougne Castle, Aldaren fended off a few attackers before joining the rest of the Imperial courtiers in teleporting out of the city.

Exiled and Empowered

Hearing rumors of the Emperor's imminent return to power,he opted not to join the cause. Instead he sought to find a seat for himself outside of Kandarin where he had yet to make a name for himself. Brewing resistance in the city of Falador, he made the White City his target. After assassinating the chancellor James Veltora, he stormed the castle gates and installed himself as ruler. He filled the ranks of the city guard with his exiled brigands and allowed the Ryder family control over the military. To counteract the potential of future Saradominist leaders, he installed the right of the denizens to revolt which was later added to the Asgarnian Accord of 169. Finding that his power waned and the capital was in firm control of the Ryder's, Aldaren abdicated in favor of Oliver Ryder.

Once Alex Aerendyl informed Aldaren that they were maternal siblings, he returned to Kandarin where Alexander ruled as King of Camelot. With a princely title restored, Aldaren chose to take up command of the soldiers there where he then seized the ranging guild and renamed it the Direfort within his first few weeks. This would be the only contribution to the kingdom before his half-brother was assassinated by the Sicarius and his kingdom fallen.

The Caedo Brotherhood

With resentment growing for the political elite, Aldaren moved his activities to Misthalin where he would become acquainted with Acedia "Sin" Evermore, an assassin employed and adopted by House Cross. Using the alias of Cartherion and only revealing his true name to a select few, Aldaren lived a quiet life in the slums of Varrock. Sin became a close friend and the two were nearly always together as he became her accomplice in her endeavors. She became a teacher to him as his growing infatuation with the dark arts grew. Taking him on as an apprentice, she later revealed her name to be Lorelei and their friendship became a very important aspect of his life.

With friendship came trust and with trust came his initiation into the Caedo Brotherhood. Known to only its members by that name which was still left unspoken, the Caedo were a guild of assassins with a global influence. With Vicente Di'Angelo as their leader and Sin as his companion, the group became unstoppable as they trained and fought around Gielinor. Aldaren became known as Red, a term of endearment from the Caedo as each of its members were given nicknames to further mask their identities and activities. Although they possessed a hidden influence throughout the realm of Gielinor, many of the their activities took place in Varrock.

From assassinating key individuals under contracts to battling upon vertically tipped planes within cosmic dimensions, the Caedo became more than a guild but a close knit circle of companions that would always be remembered fondly by Aldaren. His association with Vicente and Sin would last a lifetime and even after his own death and revival later.

The story accepted by the Caedo as the end of its time has often been considered their raid on Ardougne during the reign of Queen Sylvari. With Red now serving as a Lord for the group, he gathered his three co-leaders as they attempted to plunder the city and make a last stand for themselves as the brotherhood had been dwindling in its final days. Teleporting to the city square, they fought off many soldiers and guardsmen, making it as far to the castle itself before retiring from the field. The raid would officially end when Red defeated the pregnant Queen in a duel. As he kicked her down a flight of stairs, the children she had carried in her stomach met a grim end. Alone and outnumbered at this point, Red would be teleported away by the brief appearance of a wounded Vicente.

After the Caedo slowly came to an end, Aldaren would be adopted and branded into the Amaranth family by Lorelei, making his ascendancy to become a lifelong practitioner of black magic. In addition to joining the Amaranth, Lorelei taught Aldaren how to craft his own phylactery which he foolishly hid in Varrock Slums where it was wrought.

Delving Darkness

While serving in the court of King Ehrick as a royal guard and using an alias, Aldaren spent his spare time under the tutelage of Lorelei, becoming one of her few apprentices. Though there were many moments in his training where the practice of rune-less magic was confusing and that raising of the dead brought a daunting new experience, Aldaren still found himself becoming immersed in the concept of her teachings. The underlying purpose of an obsession with death would later reveal a more sinister understanding as to how spiritual corruption and the stockpiling of souls provided the Amaranth with the prospect of immortality. He learned the history, culture, hierarchy, and plight of the Amaranth's past, and would later become one of the first lesser races to ascend to their council.

Since Vicente had departed Gielinor during this time, leaving Lorelei without her beloved, Aldaren began experiencing an infatuation with her. Finding himself distracted from her lessons, he eventually succumbed to revealing his feelings. After a brief emotional encounter with her in Varrock, Lorelei would halt her tutelage and depart Gielinor, later returning and becoming the wife of Xandres Zarco. For a short while, Aldaren blamed himself for her departure, though his affection was reversed through forgiveness and he never again mentioned such conflicted feelings.

The Sicarius

With the return of Vicente and the departure of Lorelei, Aldaren followed his old comrade in joining the Sicarius Coven. His own feelings of the family were skeptical as he was formerly their enemy during his service to the Empire, however, no one in the Sicarius earned his hatred more than Kel, the Father. Unknown to many, Kel had once assaulted Lorelei, marking himself and his cohorts and enemy of the Amaranth. With this in mind, Aldaren put his skills of resiliency and manipulation to good use by joining the Sicarius, intent to kill Kel himself for what he had done to Lorelei.

His first encounter of the Father was in Varrock where he helped Kel and other Sicarius members escape imprisonment. Shortly after this occasion, Aldaren was blooded and inducted into the family by Vicente, now revealed to be Rai Sicarius. This process began early in the Sicarius lore and involved placing what was known as the Mark onto blooded members of the family, giving them abilities to communicate with other Marked members and access to Sicarii powers. Imbedded in their ranking system, the Mark was mostly used to punish lower ranking members for mistakes and defiance. This practice was used each day and if pursued to its greatest intention, could kill any individual in the lowest tier of the family.

Without ever serving the coven prior, he entered their ranks as a Blade and quickly rose to the position of Legendaire within no time. In his time as Legendaire, Aldaren kept a strict disciplinary demeanor and enforced his will on the servants and lower ranking Sicarius relatives. For the sake of appearing dedicated, he regrettably inducted servants into the family, organized raids, and regularly sought to instill fear in the grunts. When entering the citadel, he'd casually stroll down the aisle between the seats and look for any discrepancies from the other members and servants.

As the Sicarius grew and their fortress in the Wilderness became a target for enemies such as the Daedalus, Aldaren sought to find them a new home. Even more, he found them a kingdom.

Queen Joanna of Misthalin was seen as weak-willed and indecisive. Her kingdom only held together by her web of half-hearted alliances, she would be inevitably replaced at some point and Aldaren found this ample opportunity to be deserving of the Sicarius. Not only this, but the opportunity to seize Varrock would cement his authority in the Coven and make it so that none of his activities would raise suspicion from Kel, who now trusted him.

With alarming ease, the Legendaire travelled to Varrock alone and demanded from Joanna that the city be surrendered to him lest it would be assaulted by the Sicarius and she would be mercilessly murdered. She conceded, and the Sicarius soon moved into the city. Countless raids were conducted to wipe out the prominent noble families and new allies were made within the city from those who were not purged. Most notably, the Delmoran family remained deeply indebted to Aldaren for an occasion where their lord was saved from being slain. In keeping an iron fist over the city, Aldaren took on Thea Sicarius as Queen. The two would later continue to be together into marriage long after Varrock was abandoned.

Eventually, the city would prove to be too large for the coven to maintain and was auctioned off to the highest bidder in a controversial event. In truth, Aldaren was scrying and suspected an invasion of Varrock from the north, which later became the Worshipper Occupation. A quarter of the profit from the auction was placed into a crypt beneath the Sinclair estate and only accessible by the Amaranth who bear the brand.

Thea Sicarius & Death

Aldaren's relationship with Thea continued after Varrock and throughout his remainder of time in the Sicarius. They were later known to be very open about their life together but never once displayed their true feelings among other Sicarius. Instead, they resorted to fits of anger towards one another as Aldaren became increasingly hostile towards the coven.

Despite displaying an outward appearance of hatred, they managed to sire a child named Aetheria Morgan Aerendyl, their only legitimate offspring. Due to their growing animosity, Thea would constantly come to the decision that the child should not be raised by them and instead by a foster family. This conflict led Aldaren to leave the Sicarius and go to war beneath Asgarnia's banner. He swore an oath of allegiance to Varis Grey and accompanied his army on its northern campaigns. Whilst the Battle of Ice Mountain raged on, Thea confronted Aldaren over his disappearance and neglect, escalating into a fierce duel. They fought through a series of misguided teleports, resulting in Thea killing Aldaren and his own naivety and attraction to her contributing to his death. On the top of Ardougne Castle, Aldaren was slain by his wife.

After his body had been recovered and placed into a tomb, Thea went home to their daughter, Morgan, and held the infant close with his blood still on her hands. Morgan would then be taken to live in the care of House Concendo, having never met Aldaren in her lifetime.

Resurrection

A small death cult affiliated with Aldaren began a search for his body. Carrying his original phylactery of an amulet, the Ashen Covenant eventually found his corpse within the Aerendyl crypt it had been placed. Creating a magical circle and performing a ritual of revival, his soul was carried from the phylactery and returned to his reconstructed body, bringing him slowly back to life.

Upon his return to life, Aldaren murdered all seven of the Ashen cultists which had resurrected him. The life force accumulated in the room upon their demise was siphoned by him until his body had properly rejuvenated, but the weak, corrupted energy of the cultists would not sustain him for long. His adjustment to living an undead existence proved difficult though he managed to return to the Amaranth in Markejjik, reuniting with Lorelei and studying ways to sustain himself. Additionally, the corruption bred by the Ashen Covenant took a toll on his being and forced Aldaren to abandon his morality.

Upon Lorelei's instruction, he opted to killing in order to siphon energy for himself.

Reclamation

Seizing the ancient Amaranthine outpost of Brynmor, Aldaren sought to become a master of necromancy by amassing an undead force of his own surrounding the small fort. From skeletons to wight's and wraith's, Aldaren labored at raising the dead to serve him but often times failed to bind them to his will. In addition to this, he meddled in worldly affairs and exacted revenge on several old enemies or their families.

When Dominion Tower was occupied as a tourney ground, Aldaren met a disguised Kel Sicarius during one such match, taunting him to duel outside. After an intense bout of hurling melee attacks and curses between one another, Aldaren finally inflicted mortal wounds on Kel, causing his death. Retrieving his victim's dagger, Aldaren later discovered the dagger was the vessel of Kel's soul and gifted it to Lorelei who destroyed it.

Rumors had arisen in the southern kingdoms that the undead crept across the north and over the Wilderness border on several occasions. King Varian of Asgarnia answered these mysteries with setting up a force of wardens, charged with protecting Asgarnia at the Wilderness border, and venturing into the north if need be. Aldaren's scouts began picking off these individuals until the group of wardens disbanded.

During the reign of King Tyrek Vekon of Kandarin, Aldaren gifted the King an accursed amulet that caused Tyrek to descend into fits of madness which orchestrated the King's downfall and the ascension of a descendant of Aldaren to the throne very briefly.

Reign of Terror

As he finally began to exact his revenge on the realm and build an army for himself, Aldaren returned to the forefront of an armed conflict within the magical community. Approaching the leader of the Ordo Magi, a magi-supremacist organization, Aldaren agreed to lead the Ordo's forces in the Kharidian Desert to search for several artifacts that would imbue him with necromantic abilities far beyond his understanding.

• Traveling to Pollnivneach from Brynmor, Aldaren approaches Urie Jakkan, conversing with him in an attempt to regain him as an ally. Though Urie is reluctant, he agrees to join Aldaren and travels to Brynmor.

• Aldaren uses the body of Daeron Sicarius to resurrect his own son, Vaako.
• Taking Urie and Vaako, the trio travel to the tomb of General Meredith Petraeus, resurrecting her. Without a powerful life force to fully restore her, she remains weakened. Aldaren plans to find a suitable vessel for her.
• Aldaren contacts Kharon the Ashbringer, leader of the Ordo Magi, and offers to lead Ordo forces in the Kharidian Desert in search of the Crown of Rakaph and the Heart of Xerus.
• After hiring a band of Menaphite thugs, Aldaren has them capture Octavian Dae and teleport him to a tomb in Menaphos. Octavian is subjected to a bloodletting spell, revealing that he believes the Crown of Rakaph is somewhere between Uzer and Nardah.
• While investigating Uzer's dungeon, Aldaren reunites with Thea, stating he has no ill will against her after all these years. She decides to join him in Kharidia.
• Aldaren returns to Markejjik to speak with Lorelei, humbly asking her to join him. She agrees to help him.
• The Sicarius returned to Gielinor, making the Citharede Abbey their base of operations out of Al Kharid. Aldaren travels to the Abbey in disguise as a monk, meeting one of his grandchildren who has joined the family. In addition to this, he reunited with Rai, who became Abbas, and took his place as Legendaire once more. His plans for Kharidia were put aside while helping Rai restore the Sicarius.
• Plans to search for artifacts in Kharidia were placed on hold as Aldaren and the Sicarius abandoned the desert for Falador, Asgarnia. After gaining notoriety in East Falador and burning a nobleman's home, Aldaren orders the Sicarius to evacuate Falador for Varrock where they once again move for better prospects. Basing themselves out of the Slums, the family begin engaging with local gangs.
• Using Riveus as an alias in Varrock, Aldaren befriends a young bard named Caro. The two begin investigating lost bloodlines and ancient lore. Unbeknownst to Caro, he intends to use what they learn to track down artifacts.
• Shifting his focus to the Wizards Tower in his quest for artifacts, Aldaren gathered a group of dark magi and attacked the town of Draynor. After slaying members of the farming Bobandy family and burning several buildings, the group falls back to Draynor Manor where they then establish themselves as the new tenants. During the skirmish, Octavian Dae delivers a black prism to Aldaren as he requested.
• Concerned with his former allies helping track his whereabouts or investigate his history, Aldaren travels to West Ardougne where he murders the remaining members of the Cipya family in their manor. He scorched the bookshelves of the family library to avoid the authorities finding anything of worth.
• Returning to Varrock, Aldaren murders the Delmoran household as Serana Delmoran refuses to repay a debt owed to him by her father. Only her brother Janus remains alive. He learns that Janus once possessed a black prism and begins seeking out the mage.
• Although Draynor is liberated from Ordo control, Aldaren suggests that the Ordo maintain the Manor so the Tower remain distracted.
• He takes up his first apprentice and a servant of the Sicarius, Amon.
• Aldaren travels to Varrock where he tracked Janus Delmoran. He falsely accuses the Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild, Ishmael Kushmir, with the murder of the Delmoran household, but not before requiring that Janus give him the black prism he was searching for. Aldaren receives the artifact and leaves Janus, now possessing two of these items.
• While planning an assassination of the Tower's Archmage, she attacks Draynor Manor where the Ordo have gathered. After an intense duel between Archmage Ishara and three Ordo members, Aldaren finally seizes Ishara and orders Amon to deliver the killing blow.
• Seeing that the Manor was compromised, Aldaren orders most Ordo members to abandon Draynor Manor, leaving behind their reanimations.
• Amon and Aldaren travel to Ardougne directly after the murder of the Archmage and attack the market. He beseeched Kandarin to repeal their Edicts of Extermination before quickly departing for Brynmor.
• Aldaren holds out in Brynmor as the hunt for him by Janus Delmoran comes to fruition. Once Janus and his group of Kandar arcanists assault the fortress and destroy most of the necromancer's reanimations, Aldaren was eventually killed by the arcanists. As his body returned to Markejjik, Aldaren's soul was restored to his body. After recovering at the Amaranth fortress, it became clear that Aldaren had renounced lichdom.

Recent Events

After recovering at Markejjik from his defeat by the Wizard's Tower, Aldaren agrees with the Amaranth council to abandon his relentless pursuit of power. After founding the Black Order, a name that mocks the colored order system of the Wizard's Tower, he trains dark wizards and instructs them in carrying out various tasks. One can find him occupying Draynor Manor or wandering the realm seeking new adventures.

He's taken on Daisy Lavelle as an apprentice.

Trivia

• Aldaren has nearly twelve illegitimate sons and three daughters, Morgan (the daughter) being the only legitimate child of his. Her mother is Thea Sicarius. His grandchildren and potentially great-grandchildren are unaccounted for but numerous.
• Aldaren is a character that is more than a decade old in real time, having been Valiesin's second character created on World 42.
• Having altered his alias several times throughout his life, Aldaren has been adopted or blooded into numerous families, including but not limited to, Cipya (paternal surname), Aerendyl (maternal surname), Sicarius, Amaranth, Le'Gaunt, Vekon, Caelum, Ignis, and Blood.