[hider=Lugal Zulmash]
[b]Identity:[/b] 
Zulmash was his name by birth, and many are the other names that have been bestowed upon him since: He Who Felled the First Tree, Humbaba's Bane, Lord and Bringer of Civilization, Breaker of Stones, Master of the Ploughlands and Rivers, King of Akk-ila. He is best known throughout his homeland and the barbarian reaches beyond as Lugal, a title of his own construction. It means many things: 'great' and 'giant' and 'strong' and 'king,' but his role could be summarized as 'God-King'. More accurately, he claims himself to be not quite a god. He can command beasts and men, but not nature itself, so by his own reckoning that makes him two parts divine and one part man. Still, he is Lugal.

He commands a great deal of fear and respect, but for all that he has done for his people he is not beloved. That is no matter, for he cares little for finery or the excessive praise of his name, though he does certainly hold himself in high esteem. If one were ignorant of his past acts and great exploits, he could be observed for a day and it might be easy to dismiss him as a petty warlord, but in truth his grandeur and might is far more than meets the eye and so the people know that he is indeed Lugal, not some mere warlord.

[b]Potency:[/b] 
Lugal possesses fortitude of both body and mind as well as an unwavering ambition, fueled by a confidence that is tempered just enough by reality that it has not given way to empty arrogance. Though a peerless warrior by mortal standards, in combat he remains no more than a warrior--he does not hurl lightning nor conjures flames. If he finds himself in battle, he relies upon such mundane weapons as his own hands, or his favored weapon of the axe. What makes him formidable is that he does not fight alone, and is wont to march with an army of Akkylonian men at his back and great hordes of beasts as his vanguard and heralds.

A charismatic figure that leads naturally and by example, Lugal’s aura is such that men and even animals find it difficult to resist his will. That is his true power--commanding and dominating all around him, that they may fall in line and take their places in the order that he envisions. Rebellion against his righteous rule is a rare thing, and the few acts of defiance against his will that do happen are of course answered with violence and force from his part, for he is a pragmatic ruler and can wield cruelty and brutality just as deftly as mercy. He appreciates gratitude and of course prefers to be loved rather than hated, as is only natural for a man, but in the end he knows that those things are not so necessary and cares foremost about maintaining his image of might and authority. More than their adoration or thanks, the Lugal demands that his people display proper obedience and respect, or failing that, fear.

To be clear, his magical powers take the form of four Auras listed in order of increasing importance:
He has an Aura of Splendor, that gives him his grand ambitions and glorious image,
an Aura of Might, that has slowed his aging and bestowed him a robust and youthful body,
an Aura of Tenacity, that gives him his stubbornness and mental grit,
and an Aura of Authority, that grants him the power to impose his will upon men and beast alike.

[b]Ambition:[/b] 
Lugal values order; that is why he has created civilization and brought laws, hierarchy, and purpose to his people. He views the conquest and eventual destruction of nature as his sacred and ultimate charge. The forests and hills are evil and full of mystery and horrors, so they must be tamed and made into fertile farmlands. The monsters and beasts must be broken and made to heel, that they may be tamed and put to work towards useful purposes as the gods surely intended. This worldview and realization of order leaves no place for nomadic or wild peoples of the sort that Zulmash and his kind once were; those that do not till the land or work in cities of their own volition do themselves a disservice and are like animals milling about aimlessly, failing to achieve their potential and realize their purpose. Upon encountering such wild peoples, the Lugal and his followers enslave them that they may be exploited both for their own good and for the benefit of his kingdom as a whole.

Another of Lugal's aspirations is to build the greatest ziggurat that is or ever shall be. Aside from the prestige and glory of seeing a mountain of brick raised by his will and to honor his name, he believes that if he could build a temple high enough to brush the skies, he could climb its stair and wrest power over heaven just as he has already claimed dominion over the land of Akk-ilon below and the animals and men that dwell upon it. In doing so, he would achieve theosis and ascend to fully realize his potential as a god. Then he would be able to finally command heaven and conquer nature. He would raze the forests and flatten the hills, and he would bend and warp the rivers to his will just as potters shape wet clay, and finally the tyranny of the Chaos would finally end and the people could bathe in his benevolence and mercy rather than the uncaring and pitiless whims of nature.

[b]Life:[/b] 
In his youth, Zulmash and one of his companions dared to do what no others would--they crept into the dreaded Cedar Forest, where monsters lurk and gods once lived, if the legends are to believed. They followed their noses, for there was a certain scent reminiscent of honey, only more intoxicating by far, that clung to the breeze. As they ventured into the forest, they grew lost and were eventually ambushed by the Humbaba, a monstrous being that guarded it zealously, and Zulmash's companion was mortally wounded. Nonetheless, the two managed to defeat the Humbaba and Gilgamesh forced the monster to guide him through the forest. At the end was a great bush that bore golden berries, and Zulmash gained his magical powers through the consumption of those berries. He kept the Humbaba and all its sons as laythings and slaves thereafter, forcing them to harvest the trees of their own domain to offer as tribute. For this feat of greatness and for the magical might that this brought him, Zulmash was recognized as Lugal.

Lugal would now be considered an elder by most folk's accounting, as it has been some time since the passage of his fiftieth year. Even so, his mind and body remain sharp and his great powers have granted him a youthful vigor that is not so easily dispelled. He has the look of one who is more like half his age, even if he is not quite still in his peak. As Zulmash brought civilization to the lands and built up the very cities and institutions that have elevated his people to greatness, and so he sees it as only right that he takes his just due. He has wealth beyond measure; little in the form of gold or trinkets, but he personally lays claim to many great tracts of the land in his kingdom and all the slaves that work those regions, and he similarly owns vast herds of thousands of goats, sheep, swine, and cattle.[/hider]