- "They may count God on their side, but we count many Gods. It begins and ends in this system."
- —Baylock the Brutal addressing his commanders during the conflict with the Carthodox
Baylock the Brutal was the fourth Lord Marshal of the Necromonger Empire. He was the last of the Necromongers to have been born to Necroism, as soon after his birth, conversion became the primary method of reproduction for Necromongers. After his death, his visage adorned the conquest icons on many murdered worlds. He was succeeded by Kryll.
History[]
The Fourth Regime: Baylock the Brutal[]
Baylock was the last Lord Marshal born to Necroism, and the first of the modern lord marshals. During his regime, planetary subjugation became the norm. The plan that had served him well on Boroneau V was applied to new worlds on a grand scale. Baylock also taught that it was not enough to gain converts. Those who refused conversion should be ground to dust. Once again he relied for justification of his actions on the words of Covu, who said to the last of the Austeres, "Convert, or fall forever." By all accounts, Baylock's regime would have met with unparalleled success had he not encountered the dreaded Carthodox. This was another militarized faith, monotheistic and procreative but potent nonetheless. The Carthodox, too, were seeking converts in the planetary system Neibaum, and when paths crossed, the worlds of Neibaum became a holy battlefield. An interesting though probably irrelevant footnote to the history of this particular conflict: there are suggestions (oral history only) that the Elemental race was advising the Carthodox in the course of this war. But many doubt this, citing the traditional neutrality of all Elementals.
The Carthodox had strange new weaponry, some of it superior to the corresponding Necromonger armament. Losses among the supporters of the Faith grew catastrophic. Officers complained that communications were not sufficiently secure, allowing the Carthodox to know their moves in advance. Baylock's commanders advised retreat from the Neibaum system. If they could only swell the ranks by converting worlds beyond, they could return to fight the Carthodox anew, refreshed and strengthened. But Baylock the Brutal would have none of it, "They may count God on their side, but we count many Gods," Baylock is said to have bellowed. "It begins and ends in this system."
Kryll was a technical officer in charge of an emerging order within the Necromonger movement. He called it the Order of the Quasi-Dead. The "Quasies" (as they are now known) began as monk-like ascetics who voluntarily deprived themselves of virtually all nourishment. Their goal was to slow down bodily function to the point where their existence walked the cusp between life and death. They are fragile yet powerful beings, as all bodily resources are devoted to mental pursuits. After years of overseeing the growth of this order, Kryll came forward to offer Baylock and the military the use of Quasi-Deads as telepathic conduits. Once the advantages promised by such a system were recognized, the offer was quickly accepted. A network of Quasi-Deads was hastened into service, with at least one installed on every command ship, a practice followed to this day. The Quasis enjoyed quick success. At last, here was the incorruptible line of communication the military had been seeking. The impact of the Quasis began to be felt on the battlefield, as their point-to-point communications could not be intercepted by the Carthodox, who had no equivalent resource. They were helping to turn the tide of war when something extraordinary occurred.
Baylock died in a landing accident on Neibaum Prime. Questions outnumbered answers. Who was now in charge? Would the commanders appoint a lord marshal from among their own ranks? Or would they fall to fighting one another even as they did battle with the Carthodox? The corpse of Baylock was dispatched to the Threshold. There, the Guardian floated the corpse in an open ark and sailed it into the Underverse. As the corpse vanished, the Guardian, as he later swore before a congress of commanders, heard Baylock stir and speak. And with his final words, Baylock named a successor - Kryll.
| Preceded by Naphemil |
Lord Marshal of the Necromongers | Succeeded by Kryll |
Behind The Scenes[]
- David Twohy has identified the statues as such.
Sources[]
- The Chronicles of Riddick (Novel) by Alan Dean Foster, pp. 165-166