The Chimera

The Chimera is a Hero, simply put. Prophesied and promised, to meet Morgonth in the final battle of each age. Sometimes these battles have been one on one, others he has led all of the free peoples against their enemy. Only the end of the last age is remembered now, and it is mostly regarded as a fable, a myth so long forgotten that most think the story is just an attempt by their ancestors to explain an event they didnt understand, The Breaking of the World.

He is the Hero of Heroes, and this particular designation more than anything else, is responsible for the rise of "False Chimeras". Men or women, who through delusion or madness, or other reasons, come to think they are the prophesied one. Naturally, the peoples of the free nations are not thrilled to hear someone try to claim the title of The Chimera, for many reasons. One being that if it is really The Prophesied one, the end of the age is near. Another is that The false ones usually expect all the nations to follow them, into battle... not something their rulers are very keen on.

The Chimera of the previous age was Cairilon al' Ressik, a Wizard of some considerable might, of his own right. Little is knows about him now, other than he was The First, of the Order of Silver Knights, he was married to a beautiful woman named Mirena and fathered a son named Rondaelus. He was driven mad by the seductive power of Siralya, and murdered them both, then in a rage he flew to the final conflict with Morgonth. The final battle was premature and the free peoples were not prepared. With no support and no help, he ruined the world and gained what can only be termed a draw.

The world has paid a price for his madness, it is impossible to estimate how many died during the breaking, and the years immediately following. The free peoples have been unable to achieve the feats that were commonplace before the breaking, and the world seems stagnant at best, in decline at worst.