Baal Varad
Cannibal King
| Music | Clan Varad |
| Title(s) | Alor, Cannibal King |
| Birth | Manda'yaim |
| Age | 29 |
| Rank(s) | Alor |
| Faction(s) | Clan Varad |
| Species | Gurlanin |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 6'4 |
| Weight | 110kg |
"I wear black to mourn my parentage,
a father whose shield I'll never carry,
a mother whose song I'll never know.
I wear gold to honor Manda'yaim,
for she was there when no other was."
-Clan Varad Parable
H I S T O R Y
"Clan Varad fought at the front of every major Manda'yaim engagement, and were present at every major event. They survived Ra. They resisted the Hellwolf. They kept the Graug at bay. It seems the only time anyone tamed them was the brilliant Warmaster Verd, and he had to give them an Empire to do it.
Where a Varad walked, history followed.
-Alor Vereen, "A Codex Of Post-Gulag Mandalore"
Baal Varad's journey began in the shadow of the Black Gate, an obsidian monolith standing sentinel at the entrance to Sundari, the capital city and the jewel of western Mandalore. His first cries echoed against the dark stone, a harbinger of the turbulent path that lay ahead. Abandoned by his parents, Baal was orphaned and lay in wait in a woven basket with no marking nor insignia to his name. Discovered by the warriors of Clan Varad, a fierce and traditional tribe known for their barbaric resilience and unyielding adherence to ancient Mandalorian ways, Baal was rescued by a this troupe and immediately taken north to Manda'yaims ancient fortresses for his upbringing in his new Clan. In Clan Varad, orphans were not given a designated surrogate family, but were instead turned over to matronesses and caregivers for upbringing until the age of 13, when they were sent on their ritualistic Ephor'a where they would prove their worth to the Clan by surviving alone in the wild.
Clan Varad, inhabiting the rugged and unforgiving northern territories of Mandalore, took the infant Baal into their fold. Life in Clan Varad was a brutal daily fight for survival. The clan's existence was a constant struggle for survival amidst the constant wars, nuclear devastation, and eventual conquest and enslavement by the brutal Graug, followed by periods of long famines. Raised in this harsh environment, Baal was forced to quickly adapt or succumb to Akaan'a, or what the Varad believed was their afterlife where the One Eyed Demon Mythosaur roamed and feasted. Quickly, though, Baal showed signs of early leadership, strength, and other qualities that caused the Alor'a to notice a spark about the boy that set him apart from the others.
As Baal grew, he faced trials that would break most beings. At the age of five, he survived a Graug raid that decimated and totally enslaved a neighboring village. By ten, he had already partaken in his first battle, defending the clan's territory against raiders and marauders. These experiences hardened him, forging his body and mind into weapons of unparalleled strength. Baal's adolescence was marked by rigorous training under the clan's most seasoned warriors. He mastered the use of traditional Mandalorian weapons, such as the beskad and the jetpack, while also excelling in unarmed combat. His strategic mind became evident during mock battles, where he often outmaneuvered opponents much older than himself. The clan's shaman recognized Baal's potential and began instructing him in the ancient rituals and lore of Mandalore, deepening his connection to their warrior heritage. Clan Varad was indisputably Baal's home now; and his rise to fame within was with such unstoppable momentum that many Alor'a began prophesizing his rise to the rank of Alor'ad, perhaps even Alor, or perhaps the Manda would welcome him as the first Varad to truly take up the Mantle and claim the title Mand'alor.
However, significant challenges would await Baal. Famine had gripped tight its hold on Manda'yaim, nuclear winters had torn asunder even the most fertile fields, and the threat of the Graug only increased in threat to all of Manda society.
L E A D E R S H I P
"May our bellies never be full,
our thirst never be quenched,
our hands never be still.
May we never know peace,
peace is Akaan'a,
deathbringer,
foewielder,
the One Eyed Demon King.
If you see him, pick up a sword and continue the fight."
-Ancient Varad Saying
By his late teens, Baal had become a respected and feared member of Clan Varad. His prowess in battle and his tactical genius earned him the respect of the clan and the ire of their enemies. At eighteen, he had already surpassed most of those his own age and lead a battalion of his own. Without marshal training or field exercises, he immediately took his young commanding position and led his troupe across the northern desert to the stronghold of Tao'bahm, an ancient temple of the long dead Taung that had been overtaken by Graug slavers. Liberating the slaves and winning the battle decisively, Baal claimed his first victory and clamored home to the cheers of his people. Emboldened, Baal spared no time to continue his campaign asserting Varad dominance against their foes in the North. At twenty-three, Baal faced even greater challenges, specifically one of note that began what became known as the Monolith campaign. A coalition of rival clans and groups of raiders, threatened by Clan Varad's growing power in the North, launched a coordinated attack during one harsh Mandalorian winter. Baal's leadership of his battalion was put to the ultimate test during the Battle of Monolith, the largest desert glacier in the North's tundra. Monolith was significant at the time due to it's drastic rate in melting due to radiation, and it was significant because several trade routes passed over top it's flattened plains. Using the environment of Monolith to his advantage, Baal orchestrated a series of ambushes and traps that claimed a struggled victory over the the enemy forces. The victory solidified his position as one of the de facto leaders of Clan Varad, with the clan elders formally recognizing him as Alor'ad upon arrival.
As newly promoted Alor'ad of Clan Varad, Baal faced a growing threat from within Clan Varad - one that was twofold in nature. Firstly, Baal did not care for politics - and his two brothers in the Clan that stood as Captains of the Clan, or Alor'ad, were very shrewd and conniving in demeanor. Warriors in their own right, they did not command the same victorious rise to power in youth that Baal had, and sought to impose their control over who they viewed as a much younger and much more naive Baal Varad. Baal saw this as a weakness, both in them and himself - and his anger started to show as quickly as his brutality. Both Alor'ad captains were soon found dead after what was claimed to be a Tal'kyr'am, or "blood duel", a ritualistic killing. Baal claimed their murders as his responsibility, and was attributed the monniker "the Cannibal" after it was discussed that one of the Alor'ad Captain's face was found partially eaten. To this day, Baal never acknowledged the truth of this claim nor denied it.
Not long after, the Alor the Clan Varad fell ill in his old age - a death sentence in the harsh environment of the Mandalorian North. With his dying breath, he gave the Varadian Council his blessing to anoint Baal Varad the new Alor and his successor, making Baal the youngest known person to attain the position of Alor in Clan Varad at the age of 24. For the next five years, he would continue his trend of military victories while campaigning to free the North of Graug and raider control as stronghold after stronghold fell to the ever growing and once more prosperous Clan Varad.
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