Anatolios was born the first son of Adam and Alkmene Halkias, a wealthy merchant couple in Phoenix. The birth of Anatolios and his twin sister, also named Alkmene, was long and difficult. Alkmene gave birth to her son first, at high noon, and then, 12 hours later, gave birth to her daughter under the full moon’s light. The priests of Leto saw this as an omen and insisted that the children be sent to the temples of Apollo and Artemis when they were barely able to walk. The priests gave Anatolios and Alkmene each a magical amulet to focus their fated powers.
Anatolios grew strong in the ways of magic under the tutelage of the priests of Apollo, but he hated the constant demands they made of him. He did not want to spend his life in a monastery but instead wished to fight dragons and monsters like his hero, Amalgami. One day Anatolios failed in one of his assigned duties at the temple and was given a rough beating in return. That night he stole a horse and the temple treasury and ran away from Phoenix. Unfortunately, Anatolios forgot his amulet in his haste.
Anatolios took on a new name for his adventuring persona. Loving the stories of Amalgami from the myths, he chose that name and introduced himself to all the world as Amalgami, chosen of Apollo. He joined up with a band of adventurers led by Terroc and after the old wizard’s retirement, rose to lead the group. When Amalgami was approached by Princess Tarigananata for help against the Xorians, he saw a hope to accomplish tasks equal to those of his namesake. Amalgami promised to aid the Princess in whatever way he could.
Amalgami and his adventuring group worked up a loose alliance among the eastern city-states of Cimmeria as well as orchestrating rebellions within the Xorian Kingdom. He solicited mercenary aid from the Spartans and the Persians. Amalgami paid for all these endeavors by returning to Phoenix and reclaiming his family fortune from his uncle who had inherited it in Amalgami’s absence. While organizing the alliance military force, Amalgami and his friends, Atreides, Salzar, and Greyski, were relentlessly hunted by the Seven Rages that served Jevaninada the First. They defeated all that came against them.
With the alliance organized, battle was joined to control Danar’s River, west of Gazeara. Thousands of soldiers died, while the Rages, royalty, and adventurers fought over the battlefield. In the end, the Alliance proved victorious, and King Jevaninada was slain. However, within a week the Xorians had regrouped to fight again. The pregnant Queen Anajakaze now ruled as regent for her unborn son. She ordered the necromancer Rage, Grave, to send monstrous undead legions to attack the Alliance camp. The deaths drove Amalgami to despair. Feeling that there was no hope, he turned from Apollo to a dark god, the Dahak.
The Dahak gave Amalgami the Pitchfork of Doom and instructed him to get close to Zeus in the coming battles and plunge the Pitchfock into Zeus’ belly. If he did so, everlasting wealth, life, and power would be his. However, Amalgami’s mind came under too great a strain with the Pitchfork, the dagger Korm, the war, and his own internal conflict on which divinity to swear fealty to. He snapped and Eris, goddess of strife, took him. Amalgami betrayed the First Alliance by killing key leaders among it and turning their heads over to the Xorians in exchange for amnesty. He fled into Persia, killing Persian noblemen and assuming their positions until his subterfuge was detected.
Eventually Amalgami completed the dark ritual that would grant him lichdom. After this he journeyed to Greece to undo the Peace of Nicias. He took on the guise of an Athenian gentleman, Alcibiades. Sowing discord wherever he went, eventually his past caught up to him in Athens. His son, fathered in a brothel in Phoenix and forgotten, and his grandson both showed up looking for answers on where their father had gone. Amalgami killed his son, Amalganus, and took his grandson, Amalius, captive. He tortured his grandson and trained him as well while influencing events in the Aegean.
After many years Amalius escaped Amalgami’s clutches. Amalgami continued to subtly influence Amalius’s actions during the Second Alliance War to increase chaos within Cimmeria. His plan proved successful. Every authority figure of note in Xoria was dead. Mars’ Oasis came out of isolation, ready to expand its power on the world stage. King Ballard‘s assassination threatened great instability in Aractrash. Greshendale, Bradel Fields, and Phoenix were destroyed, and thousands of refugees wandered Cimmeria. Amalgami served Eris well and he remained untouched at the end of the Second Alliance War, ready to spread strife in the next generation as well.
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