Prince Ulcanov of the Shattered Waters

born 2087, slain 2278, ruled 2119 to 2278. Truly the most infamous Chaos Ruler of the Middle Ages, Prince Ulcanov exercised a natural gift for chaos magic with an instinctual insight into spellcasting. Capricious, cruel, and darkly imaginative, Ulcanov became lord of Corundy and Throvy, ruling out of his bale palace, the Gourd of Summons, that fed on the blood of children, crawling over land and sea. He insisted upon many styles, most notably, "Tyrant of Irresistible Chaos, Duke Chaotic of Fair Corundy, King of Aurice, Nephew of Chaos Immanent, Lord of the Nine and Ninety Sounds."

Bizarre Self-Preservation

Ulcanov through his wicked concourse with gods of Chaos, placed his various bodily members and organs in different containers when he slept through the night, his soul voyaging through alien realms beyond our own. In the morning at the conclusion of his travels, the boxes would open and his members reassembled into his corporeal form. Each box holding an organ or member was thoroughly enchanted to prevent tampering or removal by any would-be assassin or usurper. Several attempts brought about the gruesome deaths of their perpetrators. The heart box, for example was guarded by a rare female Aio (a race of Chaos) who sang in multiple dimensions and drove the listener permanently mad.

Scarab of Night-Turned-Day

Main article: Scarab of Night-Turned Day

Wielding the already ancient Scarab-of-Night-Turned-Day, Ulcanov destroyed the noble warriors who revolted against his evil reign and forced the survivors to give birth to throe-children through the navel, to form a new army to serve him. This obscenity, causing one gender unnaturally and with excruciating pain to perform the behavior of the other alone has fouled Ulcanov's already hateful memory through the ages.

Construction of Colossus to God Lygdamion

See also: Lygdamion

Prince Ulcanov enslaved throes, magical beasts of chaos, to construct a great statue rising out of the sea south of Aurice to commemorate the Anarchs, the most powerful gods of Chaos. It is generally accepted that the image is of the Chaos God Lygdamion whom Ulcanov worshiped. The monument reached nearly 57m (187 feet) high. Years after Ulcanov's rule, the colossus was reshaped into the likeness of the Isxinthion god, Amrulon, since it was impractical to have it destroyed.

Wars against the Uhlaks

His summoned army of throes and human minions warred continuously against the uhlak tribes of the Great Khan to the east. During these wars, the Witchlands or Throe Wastes arose east of Throvy through the use of baneful chaos magic, due in no small part to Ulcanov's wizardry.

Epithet "Of the Shattered Waters"

He is called "of the Shattered Waters" for his peculiar use of the Scarab-of-Night-Turned-Day to affect the waters in which the city of Aurice rests. His powerful magics caused the waters to behave completely alien to natural water, generating holes, cracks, and fissures in the sea. Thus the waters were said to be shattered.

Gourd of Summons

Main article: Gourd of Summons

The Gourd of Summons, as Prince Ulcanov called it, was the beetling, monstrous palace in which he resided. Legend says that the palace devoured some of the islands of Aurice and created new rivens, although this is now considered apocryphal by most scholars. The Gourd of Summons moved slowly but steadily and could cover both land and water and on some occasions flew under Prince Ulcanov's influence. The gourd's architecture was alien, beautiful, and thoroughly enchanted. The faces of the palace bore the likenesses of the victims and favorites of Prince Ulcanov, animate and posing, as if trapped in glass.

Treatment of Juffa Pretenders

See also: Airdred the Wily

During the reign of Prince Ulcanov of the Shattered Waters, there were many who presented themselves to the Prince as Juffas. The Prince both rejected and slew them until no such candidates visited his court any longer. In turn, the Prince sought out potential Juffas and slew them. This is one reason that some believe Airdred the Wily avoided the court of Ulcanov, though in fact Airdred never made any pretense to the role of Juffa. Some say that Prince Ulcanov was an unsuccessful Juffa and thus detested those who would achieve what he failed to accomplish.

Demise

Prince Ulcanov was slain in the Fifth Isbajath, 2278 AI, by Saint Gidhoniel Kab S'ephah, a powerful Shenimite warrior and older brother to then Incarnandina, Eseleth Kath Besheth. Gidhoniel slew Prince Ulcanov by means of the Sword Wanewake in personal combat. According to legend, Gidhoniel said calmly, 'I release you,' when he plunged the sword Wanewake into Ulcanov's heart.

Servants

Lord Khavost Olima was a loyal servant to Ulcanov whose more famous daughter, St. Olmima Olima, converted to Incarnandism and founded a monastic order. Amnwbis of Medibgö slew Khavost Olima in combat.

Depictions in Music and Literature

The Bathtimes of Lord Ulcanov, written in the twenty seventh century, is an Aurician opera set in the palace of Lord Ulcanov.

See Also

• Chaos Magic
• Fifth Isbajath
• List of Greater Chaos Rulers of the Middle Ages
• Gidhoniel kab S'ephah
• Gourd of Summons