Bakal, the King of Dragons

Bakal, the King of Dragons
Age	Unknown
Sex	Male
Race	Dragon
Affiliation	N/A
Occupation	Former Ninth Apostle
Alias	N/A
Location	Castle of Bakal
Foreign Name(s)	N/A
Likeability	N/A

“

Do you truly believe you can defeat me? Is it possible? So be it... If you truly wish to tempt the fates and destroy the future, I accept your challenge. Perhaps this is our shared fate...

”

Bakal, the King of Dragons also known as the Dragon Tyrant is the former Ninth Apostle of Pandemonium, The One Who Breathes Fire. He is responsible for the Dragon War, the Magical Prohibition, and the 500 year long Age of Darkness in Empyrean as well as the presence of the three dragons in Arad: Berserk Dragon Hismar, Death Dragon Spirazzi, and Ice Dragon Skasa.

History

Bakal's Plan to Train the Races of the Arad Planet

Bakal knew that he could not avoid his inevitable demise as shown in Luke's prophecy and was aware that Hilder had set him up in the beginning; causing him to enact the Dragon War, flee to Arad, and conquer Empyrean. He had to find a way to interfere and alter Hilder's plan.

Being benevolent was not an option, as Hilder would go to any means to have him killed. Only through the trials of hardship and suffering could the races of Arad be strong enough to defeat the Apostles; in particular, Cain and Hilder.

So, Bakal decided to play along with Hilder's plot, appearing to be seemingly unaware of her intentions. He became the dragon tyrant, but with one alternate goal in mind. Bakal planned to make the races stronger than what Hilder expected, allowing them to be capable of killing not only the Apostles she planned on sending to Arad in the future, but also herself and Cain. As a result, Bakal brought upon the world a suffering that the races of Arad had never experienced before. But in actuality, instead of being the ruthless tyrant that the races had believed, he was taking on the role as the savior who would prepare the continent for its imminent destruction.

However, there was a problem with his plan. Bakal knew, although magic was a powerful tool, it would prove ineffective against master of magic like Hilder. The races of Arad needed to find alternative ways to challenge the Apostles. So, he decided to isolate the two sections of the planet, Empyrean and the Arad Continent, to lessen their dependence on magic and discover new sources of power. For the Arad Continent, he planned to periodically unleash his dragon children, Hismar, Spirazzi, and Skasa. Each dragon had its own set of attributes and as well as affinities and resistances to magic which would enable the races to develop and diversify their own fighting techniques. For Empyrean, in particular, which had been a heavily-influenced magical society, they would have had no chance in opposing Hilder. Bakal needed to halt their dependence on magic completely, and oversee this process himself.

Bakal's Plan for Empyrean

In Arad Year 14 BAC, Bakal initiated his plan for the races of Empyrean. He became the tyrannical dragon king of heavenly realm, ushering the 500 year period known as Empyrean's Age of Darkness. During his reign, he issued a Magical Prohibition, banning all magic and destroying all records of its practice or use. Bakal did this primarily for two reasons. Firstly, he knew magic would prove useless against Hilder and Cain, and he wanted the Empyreans to rely on another source of power. Secondly, it allowed Bakal to easily detect and track any magical beings, particularly Hilder, that entered into the heavenly realm who intended to interfere with his plan.

In Arad Year 1, Bakal blocked off access to the two towers that were connected to Empyrean, the Castle of the Dead and the Sky Tower. For the Sky Tower in particular, he blocked the tower off with an impassable magic pentacle. Although it allowed beings to pass through it from above, it prevented them from entering from below; thus blocking all communication of magical knowledge from the Arad Continent to Empyrean.

Under the threat of Bakal's tyranny and unable to use magic, the people of Empyrean created a new power, "science", to oppose him. Through their technological innovations, they were able to oppose Bakal's Dragonoid Army. The scientists united to form the secret Anti-Bakal Organization known as the 'Eternal Flame' in Arad Year 256. Out of them, seven of their greatest machinists took charge, and came to be known as the Seven Meisters. With their leadership, the secret weapon, the 'Gaebolg' Project, went under construction.

However, unknown to them, Bakal had been completely aware of their actions. As he witnessed the mechanical civilization develop, he detected Hilder as she secretly attempted to hasten its development with the use of magic and Terran science. Upon Hilder's initial attempt, around Arad Year 200, Bakal approached the scientists with a proposition, revealing Hilder's plan of the Reconstruction of Terra and the destruction of their planet. However, they turned him down, and Bakal destroyed them and their research without a trace. Once again, Bakal, waited through the years for another group of scientists to arise from the ashes to oppose him.

In Arad Year 303, another such group did arise known as the Seven Meisters. As the 'Gaebolg' Project neared completion, Bakal approached the group's leader, Teneb, who had been distraught by his discoveries of his fellow colleague Eldir using magic, to stop the project. Through their conversation, Bakal revealed his plan, Eldir's true identity, the existence of Pandemonium, the Terran origins of the 'Gaebolg' Project, and Hilder's plot to destroy the Arad Planet. Bakal stated that if the project were completed on-time, he might die, but he would have done so in vain. In order to prevent the end of the world, the Empyreans needed to become stronger and defeat Bakal with their own creations, through the means of passing their research down to future generations. However, to accomplish this goal, a great sacrifice and tragedy was necessary. The 'Gaebolg' Project needed to be destroyed and the Seven Meisters had to die heroically fighting Bakal's armies to inspire future generations to challenge him and future Apostles without fear. After much consideration, Teneb agreed to Bakal's request, but did so under two conditions: if Bakal let his soon-to-be born daughter survive and allowed his colleague Curio to escape and pass on their research; to which Bakal agreed.

Three days later, Teneb sabotaged the near-completed 'Gaebolg' Project to ensure Bakal's success, and 'mistakenly' left evidence of his betrayal. Bakal's Army attacked, destroying the 'Gaebolg' Project and allowed Meister Curio to escape, enabling him to transfer the blueprints and remains of the 'Gaebolg' to another dimensions for future generations to research and develop.

As the years passed, the legends of the heroics and tragic deaths of the Seven Meisters inspired the people of Empyrean. Eventually, the scientists discovered Curio's blueprints and inherited their will, once again opposing Bakal. In Arad Year 526, the machinists united together to launch a full scale attack on Bakal's Dragonoid Army, ushering the beginning of the Mechanical Revolution.

As Bakal watched from above as the city below his palace engulfed in flames, he was visited a final time by his long time rival Hilder. Knowing that the Empyrean's machines would not guarantee Bakal's demise, Hilder grew desperate, not knowing what would happen if Bakal continued to interfere with her plans. Instead, she chose an alternative method; she boastfully tells Bakal of her plan to bring in warriors from the future to fight him. Bakal, scoffing at the idea, transformed into a dragon, and left to fight against the Empyrean army.

After a lengthy struggle, a weakened Bakal returned to his castle, filled with seas of flame, knowing his death was near. He witnessed as individuals walked out of an Interdimensional Rift. Upon questioning the warriors, he learned of their origins, of them being from 500 years in the future, and revealed to them the true history of his inevitable demise. As Bakal looked at every adventurer in turn, his heart filled with pride. Although, Bakal was saddened, being unable to test their true potential due to having been greatly weakened, he prepared for the ensuing fight, looking forward to his long-awaited death and to experience firsthand his century long efforts.

Upon his defeat and death, Bakal fell from the Empyrean skies, unleashing a loud roar. As he crashed into the continent, he unleashed a massive energy that separated the land into four pieces which later came to be known as the Capital Island, Etten Industrial Zone, Northpiece, and Wespiece. Afterward, Bakal's army disbanded and his abandoned castle drifted away into the skies, becoming known as the Floating Castle.

With the Empyrean people's victory, they rebuilt upon the remains of Bakal's palace and constructed the Ghent Imperial Palace. From then on, in Arad Year 530, the Seventh Empire of Empyrean was established.

Although Bakal's plan was cut short, he succeeded in making the Empyreans unite together and create a new form of power to defeat the Apostles. It wouldn't be until centuries later, after the establishment of the Seven Shards in Arad Year 533 and the Empyrean Civil War in Arad Year 992, that the Empyreans could successfully fight another Apostle known as Flame Eater Anton.

Alternatively, if Bakal had survived his encounter with the time-traveling adventurers, thus avoiding Luke's prophecy, he claimed he would have personally gone down to the Arad Continent. If this scenario had occurred, then it most likely would have followed the same events as the alternate dimensional plane, Dragonia.

Bakal's Plan For Arad Continent

In Arad Year 1, Bakal initiated his plan. He sealed off the link between the Arad Continent and Empyrean known as Sky Tower with an impassable magic pentacle. The tower was then filled with a Dragonoid Army led by the magical being Light Castellan Sieghart and was renamed Castle Nebulous. Only when Sieghart and the three dragons were defeated, could the magic pentacle be removed; once again allowing access and communication between the two worlds.

In Arad Year 100, a hooded individual named Iris appeared in Bakal's palace and told him of a prophecy relating to his three dragons. Bakal, having detected Iris as a puppet of Hilder due to his Magical Prohibition, didn't care about the divination, but was instead heavily intrigued with her powers of the Interdimensional Rift. So, Bakal decided to follow through with the prophecy, as it followed the agenda of his own. He then after used Iris's powers as a means to send his dragons to strengthen and unite the races of the Arad Continent.

In the same year, Bakal sent down the first of his three dragons, Berserk Dragon Hismar to attack the humans of the Pelos Empire. For 52 long years, the dragon raised hell upon the land, only to be finally defeated by the heroes Ozma and Kazan.

Two hundred years later, in Arad Year 300, Bakal sent the Death Dragon Spirazzi to attack the Dark Elves of the Fennes Kingdom. There, the Dark Elves allied with their rivals, the Dwarves to defeat a common enemy. In Arad Year 310, they succeeded in subjugating the dragon, but were unable to kill it, only to be sealed away.

In Arad Year 500, Bakal sent the last of his dragons, the Ice Dragon Skasa. Upon Bakal's death in Arad Year 526, Skasa began going through hibernation cycles during the years, 526-831, 835-967 and 969-996. It would not be until centuries later in Arad Year 996, when Skasa reawakened again, the dragon finally met its demise by the hands of the united armies of Adventurers, the Bantu, the Principality of Bel Myre, and the De Los Empire.

Although Bakal had long since died, his plan had succeeded. Under the threat of the dragons, the races of the Arad Continent had united together to fight a common foe, and thus became stronger than he possibly imagined.

---

Alternate Dimension - Dragonia

In the parallel dimension, Dragonia, Bakal and his three dragons survive. After conquering Empyrean, he went down to the Arad Continent, easily conquering its inhabitants. Upon bringing all the living creatures to submission through pain and suffering, the first year of his rule began, Bakal Year 1.

Ironically, under Bakal's rule, it marked the beginning of the most prosperous and peaceful century in Arad's history. During this time, Bakal's secret soldiers named Dragon Knights assassinated Hilder and the world of Arad was saved, stopping the Devolution. The Dragon used their magics to reinforce the Great Pentacle and used fear to keep monsters away from the populace.

As time passed, Bakal grew unsatisfied with his victory, and turned his attention toward harnessing the powers of the Interdimensional Rift. He believed he could use this new power to look through other dimensions to find clues to locate the sacred World Tree that Hilder had stolen from Arad. He trained his Dragon Knights and planned to send them to scour the multiverse to find the information.

Bakal learned to open the Interdimensional Rift from the Dark Elves, but he was betrayed. Having become soft from the period of peace, Bakal was oblivious of the hatred that was directed toward him. During his conquering of Arad a century prior, there were races that still held a grudge toward the Dragon King; the Dark Elves were no exception. They had misinformed Bakal of the coordinates he wanted, causing him to open a dimensional rift into a realm of dangerous alien forces.

Bakal and his Dragon Army were unable to withstand the powers of the otherworldy enemies that charged into their dimension. With most of Bakal's army decimated in the aftermath, he lost significant power. Other rival races who held a grudge toward the Dragon King took this opportunity to fight him as well, erupting civil wars across the continent.

The Dragon Knights who had survived the encounter with the alien forces felt betrayed. They believed that Bakal had used them as pawns, and purposefully sent them into danger to die. The knights abandoned their master and traveled through the multiverse on their own accord.

Quotes

• "Savage creatures! I shall bring upon you a suffering that you have never imagined before. So grow strong and show me! If you have potential and pride, then it may just be possible. Only when your strength exceeds Hilder's expectations, can we create variables in her grand scheme. I will believe in you more than she does! I shall sacrifice myself for this pursuit and look forward to the day you kill Cain and Hilder! However, you cannot defeat them by relying solely on a force like magic. Another more essential power is needed. You must find this power on your own...!!!"

Dialogue

Request Chat

• I'm tired of weak Humans. Pandemonium is full of challenges. There I couldn't have enough fun popping heads like watermelons.

• If I could travel through time, I'd like to go back to the first time I met Hilder. I want to cut that sweet-talking tongue of hers. Hah hah ha!

• Do you know a star named Drakwald? It's a red morning star visible only during early summer. The humans believe Drakwald is ominous and evil. They're not completely wrong; Drakwald is where I'm from.

As an Enemy

Bakal, the King of Dragons

Type

Family

Dragon

Appearances

• Cruel King of Dragons' Main Hall (Boss)
• Castle of Bakal (Boss)

Drops

Priest weapons

•  Tainted Dimensional Scythe: Monk in Castle of Bakal (Normal, Expert, Master)
•  Tainted Dimensional Scythe: Exorcist in Castle of Bakal (Normal, Expert, Master)
•  Tainted Dimensional Scythe - Avenger in Castle of Bakal (Normal, Expert, Master)
•  Silent Doppelganger Scythe - Monk in Castle of Bakal (Expert, Master)
•  Seething Thorn Scythe - Avenger in Castle of Bakal (Expert, Master)