Bartherious

A former Steltian who lead the Skull Legion, and a member of the Apex Dozen.

History
Bartherious was once a prominent Steltian warchief who watched over many of the aspiring shamans. He mastered the dark magic of his tribal people, and specialised in death magic, whether it be giving it or removing it. He rose to lead his people in a war for independence against the Toa Confederacy and they were grudgingly afforded it. However, Bartherious had only had a brief taste of power at the head of the Steltian armies, and hungered for more. He began to subjugate other systems using teleportation magic, and soon the Steltian Khanate was formed. When Teridax began his conquest of the Toa Confederacy, he understood the need for allies, and amongst the first major factions he enlisted was Bartherious' people. At first, Bartherious was reluctant to embroil his people in a war they had little investment in, but Teridax convinced him to give allegiance with the promise that, should he succeed, he would give a portion of the Confederacy to the Khanate.

Teridax began exclusive training with Bartherious to learn more dark magic techniques, and via his immense knowledge and power, gave Bartherious the ability of necromancy, and with his newfound abilities, he formed the Skull Legion, a tens of thousands strong army led by the newly crowned Skull Dominator. His Tryna was modified by Teridax to take the shape of a skull and gain vastly increased abilities to supplement his magical powers. With these assets, he waged open warfare on the worlds of the Toa Confederacy, with few armies being able to stand for long against the onslaught of the undead. With each victory, his numbers were bolstered, until they numbered a million strong at the Battle of Midnight Ridge. It is here that Bartherious saw the downfall of his legion, as Kratindikur proved too formidable for even their surplus numbers, and is thought to have eradicated three thousand skull legionnaires alone. Teridax was defeated by a fatal blow from Tahu (Spherus Imperus) and his Avohkii (Spherus Imperus), and Bartherious just barely escaped the confrontation.

Bartherious captured Teridax's essence in one of his potion bottles and used it to reanimate his spirit, saving Teridax. Teridax rewarded Bartherious by granting him immortality and told him to return to his people and await more word. Bartherious made a mental note of the three Legionnaires he saw had gained independence (Zinnia, Feiz, and Skarthion), and returned as ordered. He prepared the Steltians for a possible counter attack by the Toa Confederacy, although to his fortune, none came. Teridax ordered him to return after some time, and acted out his induction into the Apex Dozen. He kept a close eye on the actions of Skarthion, Zinnia, and Feiz, and later suggested Skarthion to become an Apex Dozen when the ex-Legionnaire had risen to prominence. He has since attempted to track down the remaining two, with the intent of making Zinnia his queen, and Feiz his heir.

Tools and Abilities
Bartherious was known to be a capable sorcerer, being a master of dark magic. He could inflict death and misfortune on those he targeted, and is thought to have drawn much of his energy from the favour of Karzahni by superstitious Steltians. A combination of the Tryna and his natural magical talent allowed him to raise the dead and make them do his bidding, making it very easy for him to raise immense armies very quickly.

He carried the Dominator Staff, which he used as a focus for controlling his minions. It also allowed him to exhibit some limited mental control over weak individuals such as young Matoran.

Personality
Bartherious had a fierce loyalty to his own people and, as a tribal chieftain, was totally devoted to the growth of his clan and his family line. He was also loyal to Teridax for seemingly holding true to his promise to look after the Steltian people and further their influence in the universe. Besides that, he was a conqueror through and through who believed that only through struggle would society evolve.