King Aresius

Even among minotaurs, Aresius stands out as particularly large and strong, towering over many of his kind. Despite the fact that he has been trapped underground for more than a year, he remains relatively healthy as a result of his curse.

Aresius currently wears little more than a few scraps of armor. When he finally succumbed to the curse and went mad, he was dressed in kingly garb, but these clothes have mostly been destroyed while he's been trapped underground, leaving only the sturdier attire remaining.

Aresius was born as the second son of the Metaran King Rengur. Since his brother Parzan was to be king, Aresius was raised as a warrior, so that he might serve his brother as a general. He proved at a young age to be a ferocious fighter, wielding a sword and axe in combat and participating in multiple battles before coming of age. As they were both being brought up for different roles, Aresius and Parzan did not see each other frequently, but Aresius held respect for his brother, knowing that his duties as the future king were likely challenging in their own way.

Parzan ascended to the throne when King Rengur became too old and sick to rule, which occurred at the same time that Metaros was attacked by a group of nomadic raiders. Aresius spent three years on campaign patrolling the outskirts of Metaros's territory and hunting down these raiders until they were driven off. He had kept in contact with Parzan while at war, of course, and when he realized that his brother had no substantial plans to reward him or his men for protecting the city, he was outraged. He returned home as quickly as he could to speak with him, which is when he realized that Parzan did not hold the same respect for him as he did for Parzan, and didn't seem to recognize that his skills as a general or warrior were anything of note.

Insulted, Aresius returned to his army and marched on Metaros itself. Knowing that his men were more loyal to him than to Parzan, he intended to cow his brother into giving him the reward he deserved. Upon returning, however, he realized that Parzan was incompetent as a ruler and many of the townspeople supported his actions. This incited Aresius to move on the palace itself and depose his brother as king. He demanded that Parzan publicly recant his beliefs about Aresius and swear fealty to him, and when Parzan refused, he had him executed.

Unfortunately for Aresius, this happened mere days before his father's passing. Rengur was appalled by Aresius's actions, and even more appalled by the readiness which with the people of Metaros accepted their new ruler, because until that point the highest taboo in Metaran society had been killing a family member. When Rengur died, he returned as a ghost, and, as punishment both for Aresius and the Metarans, cursed his son to go mad.

Aresius had a strong will, though, and the curse took time to take hold of him. In that time, he proved himself to be a stronger king than his brother, though by no means perfect. He took a military approach to ruling a city, with rigid laws and harsh punishments, but the order he brought was welcome to many who had suffered under Parzan's negligent rule. Because of that, when Aresius did eventually go mad and began attacking his own subjects, they tried to save him. When they realized they couldn't, they instead trapped him in the maze-like network of caverns that lie beneath Metaros, hoping to come up with a cure later.

Before he went mad, Aresius worshiped Askiriq, the ratfolk rage god, in his capacity as a deity of war. Due to his upbringing, he viewed war as a tool for solving problems, especially if diplomacy failed, and had no particular qualms about killing those who presented problems for Metaros. The way he most followed the god's teachings was through his utilitarian mindset. He cared little about breaking tattoos as long as it was for the good of the nation, which is what eventually led him to offend his father's spirit.

While an accomplished warrior and a charismatic general, Aresius had little education in the finer matters of statecraft, and tended to leave such matters to his advisors or, at least, consult them heavily before making a decision. He always brought a representative with him when engaging in diplomacy, as he was liable to get far too hostile and aggressive when directly involved.

Aresius only ruled for a few years before he went mad, during which he was a strict but effective ruler, but he is technically still the king. As of the moment, authority has passed by default to his niece Perada, who has so far proved a better ruler than her father Parzan, but should his mind ever return to him, the throne will as well.

Rengur's ghost still haunts Metaros, as he remains unsatisfied that Aresius has not been properly punished for his crime. By driving his son mad, he hoped that he would cause the townsfolk to resort to killing their king. He will not pass on until Aresius either dies or is put on trial for killing Parzan.