Qui'lon
| NPC | Trivia |
| “ | If this is the end, come at me! I will bring the end to you! To all of us... To myself! If this land will not permit myself to lay down my weapon, then I can only continue to fight, until the end of time itself! | ” |
| —Qui'lon's last words |
Qui'lon the Errant Overlord is a background NPC in Arknights. He is first mentioned in Episode 08 and his legacy plays a key role in the history of Kazdel.
Background
According to Kazdelian mythos, Qui'lon was the fourth "Lord of Fiends" in history, and the first crossbreed Sarkaz to inherit the Civilight Eterna's powers. As a figure surrounded by mysticism and legends, it's said that he was powerful enough to force his foes into fleeing by a strong mental pressure from his mere presence alone. Furthermore, his most distinguishable feat was the black longsword he wielded, named Wrathful Cerulean Flame after the azure fire that surrounded it while being held by Qui'lon himself, which bore an ancient Sarkaz inscription saying "here the fighting stops" on it. For some people, Qui'lon was seen as a merciful despot, as he would spare the lives of those strong enough to retreat. For others, he was a ruthless, violent monarch.[1]
Before becoming a king, Qui'lon was once an adventurer who lived around 9000-6000 BCE, during the "Age of Exile", born from the Sarkaz exiles that were absorbed by the Diablos' Punishment Clan after having survived the Aliens' invasion. Despite not hailing from a distinguished bloodline or royalty, Qui'lon's swordsmanship skills were unmatched, and he rarely used his Originium Arts in combat. He was also fascinated with stories about larger-than-life heroes, no matter which side they were on, and dreamed about becoming one.[2]
Qui'lon was also friends of Gul'dul, a Gargoyle fortress builder apprentice, and Balor'sača, a Diablo Caster who was the son of the lord of the Punishment Clan at the time. The three became friends after Qui'lon and the Punishment Clan helped the Gargoyles years ago, when the armies of a powerful Elder overlord attacked Gul'dul's home fortress. As the surviving Gargoyles were integrated into the Punishment Clan, the three young sarkaz would become close-knit friends. However, things would change when Gul'dul became the new Sarkaz King, and a new Kazdel would be built over what's currently the Columbian wastes. Qui'lon on the other hand continued his life as an adventurer, now serving as Gul'dul's Royal Messenger.[2]
Meanwhile, Balor'sača felt anger and disappointment towards Gul'dul's actions as a monarch. Having inherited his father's title and radical point of view, he thought that a war against the "Invaders" shouldn't kept being delayed. Thus, he led the Diablos on a coup d'etat against the newly-built Kazdel. Upon receiving the emergency report, Qui'lon returned as soon as possible to Kazdel, only to fin himself in front of a burning hellscape. After learning that Balor'sača amputated Gul'dul's arms and drowned him, thus forcefully obtaining the Black Crown, Qui'lon had no option but to put an end to this conflict, even if he had to kill who once considered his sworn brother.[2][3]
Legends said that the arduous battle between Qui'lon and Balor'sača occurred close to Kazdel's original location in the Bleached Wasteland, as the later attempted to retake the zone and bring back the Teekaz' lost glory. During their fight, the Wrathful Cerulean Flame was broken into pieces, but Qui'lon managed to strike on Balor'sača's throat and kill him. Soon enough, not long after ignoring the Diablo King's curse, the Black Crown began hovering over his head. All of the Sarkaz present at that moment, including the surviving Diablos, gathered around and put aside their weapons. The Sarkaz clan leaders who once sworn loyalty to the Diablo King, knell in front of Qui'lon, as he rightfully became the new Lord of Fiends.[3]
Qui'lon brought peace to Kazdel during his 300-years reign, devoting himself to heal the wounds left by the Diablos' coup. He restricted the Age of Exile's Sarkaz clans' strength in order to prevent another rebellion, and divided their hierarchy by canonizing their overlords based on bloodline status, especially within clans composed by multiple tribes. Thereby, he established the basis for the Royal Court of Kazdel with the aid of the Gargoyles and other allied clans.[4] On top of that, he banished the Punishment Clan and forbid them to enter the city ever again, but still let them retrieve Balor'sača's body
At some point during his later years, the Elders would attack Kazdel once again, but Qui'lon decided not to follow Balor'sača's path. While on his last breath, Qui'lon felt that things in the western Terran hemisphere were unfavorable for his people, so he went on a journey to the east along with some Sarkaz tribes, some of which being the Anasa and Oni's ancestors, hoping to coexist with those Elders who didn't show hostility towards the Sarkaz, after which he disappeared from historical records.[1][4] However, Amiya's memory revealed that Qui'lon and his followers were betrayed by those who initially welcomed his retinue, massacring the civilians, upon which Qui'lon unleashed his boundless wrath, killing all the traitors before taking his own life.[5]
Legacy
In the following 6000 years since Qui'lon's death, Kazdel would shatter itself once again, many different Sarkaz Kings came and went. Qui'lon's legacy, while important to the Sarkaz people, has been shrouded in mere rumors and legends, often contradicting with each other. On the other hand, his story also served as inspiration for various fiction works even outside Kazdel. For example, a Leithanian playwright once adapted the legend into the revenge story of a Kurfürst's son, including a gentle emotional context to the protagonist, and a thoughtful inner monologue. A Columbian TV series adaptation of the play is supposedly on the works.[3]
Amiya's Ying Xiao bears some resemblances to the original Wrathful Cerulean Flame due to being partially based on Qui'lon's memories. Although the sword itself was supposedly destroyed, some ancient texts suggest that he wielded a fragile Arts replica as a replacement, but such claims are inconsistent with Qui'lon's performance in subsequent Sarkaz conflicts.[1]
References
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