A demigod, Inokk serves Torgash, the god of War as the avatar of Strength. Giants and ogres all pay worship to Inokk, but his most favored children are the minotaur.
Legend says Inokk, who appears to minotaur worshippers as a massive minotaur with night black skin that twinkles with stars, was a minotaur slave. He rose to fame in the Crimson Arena, becoming undefeated Grand Champion. From there he chose to continue fighting, eventually challenging and defeating the various chieftains of the then divided minotaur race. He united them all under his banner, making Maelthas an empire of minotaurs. Under the blessing of the god of war, he succeeded in destroying or subjugating every other race that lived there.
Not satisfied, he constantly sought ways to improve not only his physical power, but that of his empire as well. His battles with the sea elves and the Shokan were legendary. He conquered all the nearby continents, the minotaur empire growing with every day. Torgash offered Inokk a chance to serve him, not as a mortal, but as a god. To do so he needed to defeat Maldor, the demigod of strength and patron of giants. Maldor was noble, and served on the side of light, and Torgash wanted to consolidate his power base by adding that portfolio to his own. Inokk readily agreed.
In a special ritual where every minotaur on Maelthas swore eternal fealty to Inokk Torgash invested a fraction of his power into Inokk, elevating him to demigod status. Inokk immediate challenged Maldor, now that they were on equal footing. The battle was spectacular, though only the gods were witness to it. Maldor as the god of strength had started to gain momentum in the battle. However, Torgash’s power had allowed Inokk to access the powers of the contested portfolio. It was more than enough for the proud Inokk to defeat and then kill Maldor, absorbing his power into his own.
Torgash then tried to kill weary Inokk, betraying his champion, and planning to take all of Maldor’s power for himself. Inokk however grew enraged at the turn of events, and instinctively tapped into his powers as the new god of strength. To the war god’s surprise, Inokk used his powers to keep the power Torgash had gifted him.
Torgash taken by surprise, threatened to destroy Maelthas if Inokk didn’t surrender to him. Inokk refused and Torgash hurled a mountain at Maelthas. Inokk, truly loved his people, and intercepted the mountain. He tried to destroy it by striking it. Pieces broke off and slammed into Maelthas, breaking the land. The biggest piece continued on to the heart of Maelthas, site of the Imperial capital. Inokk grabbed the mountain and tried to stop it. That was Torgash played his final hand.
Eight mystical chains, one blessed from each school of magic, erupted from the mountain and enveloped Inokk. The rest of the mountain fell on the god of strength and buried him. To his surprise, Inokk survived. Worse, through sheer anger and force of will, still refused to let go the power that Torgash had infused him with.
Inokk now sits buried deep within Maelthas. The chains keep him from moving himself, or the mountain that pins him. The earthquakes that Maelthas suffers periodically is believed to occur because Inokk is trying to free himself.
Inokk is worshipped by minotaurs everywhere, and giants worship him as the god Maldor. Ogres if they worship tend to pray to Inokk. His priests are among the strongest specimens of their particular race. They enjoy contests of strength and can often be found at carnivals. Inokk continues to watch over and protect the minotaurs. Every once in a while a brave minotaur enters the Mountain of Tears where it is believed, that if the chains that bind Inokk are broken, the god of strength will be free to exact vengeance. Thus far two chains have been broken, and both within the last century.
Torgash has given up trying to get his power back. Instead he is focusing on the inevitable battle between the two. If Inokk is freed, the intensity of his worshippers, is likely to elevate Inokk to intermediate status if not lesser god, and equal of Torgash.
For the record, I broke the enchantment chain. The evocation is the other chain broken, but know one knows who broke that one.
Always take time to enjoy some music.
– Chord, The Ivory Bard
A Darkness Rising 