The Ingnars were an ancient and feared race of humanoid fiends, born from the cursed fires of Mophedus.

Description

With jet-black, leathery skin resembling hardened charcoal and flames that burned where their hair should have grown, they were a striking and terrifying sight. Their chests glowed with an ominous fiery red, as though a molten heart beat within their core, fueling their existence. Their eyes burned a vibrant orange, the flames in their centers constantly swaying as if alive. Atop their heads, a crown of stone-like bone gave rise to their living fire, which they often sculpted into intricate, flame-wreathed headdresses, a testament to their artistry and power.

Origins

The Ingnars’ origin was said to be entwined with the corruption of the Shadowfield during Epoch I Origins. When Mophedus formed as a shadowed mirror of Eos, its volatile energy twisted the natural order, giving rise to the Ingnars. Unlike other creatures, the Ingnars were not merely shaped by the corruption—they thrived in it. Their very essence was fire, an eternal flame fueled by the chaos and darkness of Mophedus.

Legends within the Ex Arcanotis described the Ingnars as the first children of Mophedus, created not by the Idarion Pantheon but by a rogue celestial being, Tyvorrin, the Flamebreaker. Banished to Mophedus for his rebellion against the celestial order, Tyvorrin poured his hatred into the creation of the Ingnars, imbuing them with his defiance and fiery rage. As a result, the Ingnars were among the most intelligent of Mophedus’ inhabitants, possessing not only physical strength but a cunning and ruthless intellect.

They dwelled in the deepest caverns of Mophedus, carving vast cities of obsidian and basalt beneath the world’s surface. Their homes were illuminated by rivers of molten lava that they controlled with their fiery magic. Volcanic eruptions on the surface of Eos were often attributed to the machinations of the Ingnars, who sought to expand their dominion by sending tremors and fire to weaken the barriers between Mophedus and the mortal realm.

The Ingnars’ society was hierarchical, ruled by Flame-Kings and Flame-Queens, whose headdresses were the most elaborate of all. These leaders were said to commune with Tyvorrin himself, drawing strength and guidance from the rogue god’s fiery essence. Ingnar warriors adorned their headdresses with runes of fire, marking their rank and deeds in battle. The headdresses were so sacred that to damage or defile another Ingnar’s crown was an unpardonable offense, punishable by a fiery death.

Their culture revolved around fire as both a symbol of life and a weapon of destruction. The Ingnars were masters of pyromancy, capable of summoning firestorms and crafting weapons that burned with eternal flames. Their smiths forged obsidian blades and firesteel armor, which were nearly indestructible and glowed with an infernal heat.

Though they rarely ventured to the surface, when they did, it was to spread chaos. Entire civilizations recorded in the Ex Arcanotis fell to Ingnar warbands that emerged from volcanoes, razing everything in their path. The Ingnars viewed the surface dwellers as weaklings unworthy of the gifts of the Idarion Pantheon, and they sought to remake Eos into a reflection of Mophedus—a world of fire and shadow.

Despite their savagery, the Ingnars had their own code of honor. They valued strength, resilience, and loyalty above all else. Betrayal within their ranks was rare but met with brutal retribution. They also revered their dead, believing that the flames within them returned to Tyvorrin’s forge, where their essence would be reshaped into new warriors.

The Ingnars’ hatred for the surface dwellers and their celestial creators fueled countless wars throughout the epochs. Yet, it was said that their greatest weakness was their reliance on the fires of Mophedus. When separated from their volcanic homes for too long, their flames would weaken, their skin would crack, and their once-mighty forms would crumble into ash.

As the Dark Age approached its zenith, whispers grew that the Ingnars were amassing their forces deep beneath the ground, preparing for a final war to breach the barriers between Mophedus and Eos. Their Flame-Kings sought to honor Tyvorrin’s legacy by setting the mortal realm ablaze, leaving only ash and molten rock in their wake.