Anstaus

“Behold, we supplicate in shadows. O Master of Hidden Knowledge, Sovereign of Frost and Abyssal Night! We lift our hands, we incline our faces skyward, that we might adore Thee in trembling awe. Permit us to serve Thee, O Great Lord of Cold, whose breath silences flame and whose gaze sees through the veil of secrets. Let us partake, if only in part, of the infernal ichor that flows from Thy being. Our souls, our lives, all that we are, we lay upon Thy altar, desiring naught but Thee, desiring no end save devotion.” – From the Texts of the Starved Flame, as transcribed by High Curator Malphasius

Concerning the Lord of Khudas Ur

And lo, Anstaus, the Archdevil of the Frozen Flame, doth sit upon the eighth throne of the Nine, below only one, Spytherion, God of Onzandas, the First and the Flame-Bound.

As with all beings of infernal craft, Anstaus was not born, but written, his name scribed into the foundations of the Cosmology by the Hands of the Creators, that balance might be wrought between Fire and Ice, Light and the Endless Night.

Unlike the lesser fiends, who did claw and rend their way from pit to power, Anstaus was shaped in word and law. Of the devils, only he and Spytherion are known to have felt the gaze of the Creators and heard their Voice. Thus, Anstaus is often known as the younger kin, though he bears that name in silent fury and dark resentment.

Though Spytherion is crowned in flame, law, and rules by might and divine sanction, Anstaus weaves his dominion in shadow, master not only of frost and silence, but of secrets deep and forbidden, of magicks lost to time and tongues never spoken by mortals.

The faithful of Sixir, God of Prime Magic, claim that all knowledge and arcane truth flows from their Lord, yet in the hidden places, many whisper that Anstaus guards the Second Flame, that which burns cold, and keeps the secrets that even Sixir dare not speak.

And it is written: the Lord Anstaus, whose dominion stretches through frost-wreathed halls and forgotten gulfs, hath taken many to his side. Consorts of dread beauty and fell power, bound to him in flame and silence.

Foremost among them is Lysice, the Beloved Above All, she whose voice stills storms and whose touch brought forth Mavrius, Firstborn and Heir, wrought in might and cold fire.

From Stoiste, the Gloam-Warden, came Valcria and Nethlia, daughters fierce and veiled, loyal blades to their father.

Zentanos, Third of His Consorts, bore unto Anstaus the youngest, Marlia and Erdos, twins born under a pair of eclipsed moons, one of shadowed grace, the other of spectral flame.

Yet in hidden tomes and hushed tongues another is named: Salrius, child of mortal blood, born of a faithful servant of flesh. The only one of Anstaus’s seed to bear the mark of man. In Salrius, the infernal and the human born. Gifted beyond measure in the arcane, his prowess stirred even the cold heart of the Archdevil.

However, the frailty of blood betrayed him. The mortal in his veins kindled doubt, and so he turned from his father’s throne and fled, vanishing into the darkness of ink. Though centuries have passed, his name is neither forgotten nor forgiven, for what escapes the lord is seldom lost forever.

While the other devils fight below him, Anstaus is respected as the ruler of his domain. No one dares challenge the Cold Lord. It is well respected that Spytherion rules over the hells, and it is believed Anstaus advises him on all matters. Yet the truth is anything but. Spytherion trusts Anstaus the least of his pantheon, and Anstaus despises the archfiend with a frozen passion. Though they do not war, Anstaus is aware of his place. Spytherion has demonstrated his power again and again.

When it comes to fighting, Anstaus wields a blade of Frost known as Etharil, the Ice Heart. His holy symbols wield an eye as a mockery to the worship of Sixir, though some of his iconography shows books and arcane runes, demonstrating his power over magic and the arcane.

And as the legions of devils wage their endless wars in the lower dominions, beneath fire and chain, Anstaus, the Lord of Cold, reigns unchallenged within his frigid realm. None dare raise hand or blade against him, for his gaze alone can silence rebellion, and his breath still the boldest flame.

Among the infernal host, it is oft whispered that Spytherion, Flame-Crowned and God of Onzandas, he who binds the Hells in unbreakable law, does counsel with Anstaus in matters of great weight. Yet such tales are veiled in falsehood.

For though they share the blood-script of the Creators, Spytherion trusts Anstaus least of all his pantheon, and Anstaus loathes the Archfiend with unspoken fury. There is not open war between them, not for eras since the pact was formed, the Cold Lord is aware of his station. Spytherion’s wrath hath been made manifest more than once, a power Anstaus neither forgets nor forgives.

In battle, the Lord of Frost bears Etharil, the Ice-Heart, a blade forged in the Rime-Scar Crucible, an ancient forge where warmth cannot dwell. Its touch is death unhurried, a chill that claims the soul before the flesh.

His sacred sigils are usually marked with a single unblinking eye, a blasphemous jest aimed at the faithful of Sixir, the Prime Mage. Yet among his emblems also lie tomes, runes, and forbidden glyphs, bearing witness to his dominion over that which is hidden, the forbidden arcana, the secrets not meant for mortal minds.

History

Ancient Alpa

Poeran Colonisation

The Growth of Dustan

Ikk Rebellion

The Emergence of Nesilla Graymoon

The Freedom Uprising (Battle of 140IlE)

The Dark Year and the Rise of Rebel Silla

10‑Year War

Creation of States

Geography

Climate

Celestial Phenomena

Fauna

Regions

Thalvethar - The Northern Territory

Anireth - The Open Expanse

Selothar - The Southern Territory