Who Is Master Mahan?
Master Mahan is the most feared name in the history of the Chronicles of a Hero world.
Known as the Lord of Darkness, Master of Lies, and The Betrayer, he stands at the center of nearly every great act of corruption recorded in the ancient archives.
Some say he is a fallen creator.
Others believe he was once mortal.
Two dark subjects are always tied to his name:
• The Unembodied
• The Book of Dark Bindings
All agree on one thing:
Where Mahan walks, kingdoms fall.
Archive Warning
This is a dangerous subject.
More than once I have returned to my notes to find the words themselves altered—as if something unseen were attempting to erase the truth.
Entire passages have shifted. Evidence has scrambled itself into nonsense.
I do not understand what magic is responsible.
To protect the integrity of this record, I have written a small program that compares photographs of the original documents with the text you are reading now. Every five hours the system scans the materials and restores any changes it detects.
So far, the photographs remain untouched.
I hope this record survives.
The Ancient Origins of Mahan
Some of the oldest records…dating back tens of thousands of years…speak of a whisper of anger spreading through the hearts of mankind.
A shadow claiming dominion over the world.
Those records name that shadow Mahan.
Certain ancient archives claim Mahan existed even before humanity, once standing among the jumälät, the beings who helped shape the world itself.
But he refused to bow to Pääjumä, the Father of All.
Three times he was given the chance to submit.
Three times he refused.
Instead, Mahan gathered followers and attempted to seize the throne of creation.
The war that followed shattered worlds.
When the rebellion failed, Mahan and his followers were cast down—stripped of their immortal bodies and bound to the mortal world.
Mahan Among Mortals
In later centuries, the records begin describing Mahan not as a myth—but as a man.
A warlord of terrible power.
Armies followed him across the world: vallen, therrin, and dark servants known as Täuku, who drew power from the dead.
Cities that resisted him were annihilated.
Those who surrendered were enslaved.
Even the greatest heroes of mankind could not defeat him alone.
The Defeat of the Dark Lord
In the end, the combined forces of humans, evolu, kutollum, and nocturi isolated Mahan from his armies.
He was forced into battle with the Hero of the Gem.
The Dark Lord was defeated and brought to Castle Andilain.
But no mortal weapon could end his life.
What happened next is recorded in Demoni Vankil.
“Two Kutollum take the other irons from the fire and we follow the man in red up the stairs and to the devils side. He examines the iron in his hands and then leans down to the devil’s ear and I am forced to follow.
“‘For this moment I have sacrificed all I have ever had to give.’ And without a moments hesitation, he thrust the burning iron into the devils forehead, chanting words I cannot recall or identify.
“The hysterical laughter turns to screams as the man in red leans in hard. A scream which rends the very fabric of nature. I can smell the stench of burning flesh.
“Trees within the courtyard split in twain and the ground rocks and trembles. The Gnolaum calls out to the man in red but he is unmoving. I question if this is really necessary. He only smiles as he pulls the iron from the wound, casts it aside and holds out an open hand to the Kutollum. I am stunned to see the flesh completely burned away and the marks seared into bone.
“The Dark Lord’s screams grow with each touch until I fear the world will rip asunder. Three times is the devil branded thus, but as the third mark penetrates the devils flesh, silence falls upon us. The ground is still and though evil thrashes, eyes wide in pain and terror, he cannot scream.
“The Gnolaum speaks the words and the Prime Gate is opened. Through the portal I can see only darkness. The devils body rises from the alter, an invisible force pulling him violently into the void, but still being restrained by chains.
“The man in red whispers so only the devil and I can hear: ‘From darkness you came, to darkness you will return.’
“With a snap of his fingers the chains of the alter release their captive. The contorted body of Mahan is cast into the darkness, his eyes wide with a terror I cannot even imagine.
“The Gnolaum closes the gate and all is silent. There are no cheers, no laughter, not a sound of nature.”
The Secret Only Chuck Knows
There is one living witness to Mahan’s earliest days.
And according to Chuck, the truth is far worse than legend.
Mahan was not always a monster.
He was once mortal.
And once…
He was Chuck’s friend.
There are things which are unlawful to utter, but this I can tell you: Mahan was once mortal, just as you and I are mortal. He was flesh and bone, muscle and sinew, with hopes, dreams, and passions as any among us.
I know this because he was my friend.
From a good family, a good people, who knew better than to allow such a rebellious soul to remain among them.
Branded Mustäti (moo-STAH-tee) or ‘black star’ for his crime of fostering discord among his brethren, he was cast out to wander the world alone. Bitter and filled with rage, he sought revenge for a just sentence…and I was foolish enough to think I could save such a hard-hearted soul.
How he got his hands upon the Book of Dark Binding, I don’t know. But the essence of the true Mahan was within the folds of those pages, and they spoke to a darkness already residing in Mustäti’s heart.
When I pled with him to relinquish the book, he turned upon me, a mägo many years his senior. Enhancing his military training with his newfound control over the elements, we fought.
Nature screamed in agony that day…but I defeated Mustäti in the end, and he fled from me.
Only to take revenge in bloodshed.
So I will stand with dear Wendell for as long as it takes to find Mahan…and destroy him, once and for all.
Not defeat him. Not kill him, for you cannot kill one guilty of death.
I live to destroy him, body and soul.
~ Morphiophelius Smith
