"Long, greasy locks of dark hair fell to his shoulders and often found their way into his face, covering his eyes like the grasses that conceal a tiger waiting to pounce upon its prey... Long years of fighting and sailing on the seas had hardened his features and given him a savage look that made him appear almost inhuman, like a demon come from the Depths..." - The Plight of Steel, Chapter 3
Dymon the Black was a warlord featured in The Plight of Steel. He appeared in the third chapter as an old, obese wreck of his former self, as well as in the Velerin flashback sub-plot, younger and more powerful.
Biography[]
Much of his childhood and young adult life are never revealed, as they are unknown. The earliest knowledge of him comes from stories about his conquests of many smaller kingdoms in the Farlands. He is human, possibly from a small hamlet in Shemerith, where he likely grew up. From where his vast armies came is unknown, as his reign of terror began in the early part of the Third Age, seemingly from out of nowhere.
Sigil of the Armies of the Black - Dymon's men.
He began by taking numerous towns and duchies along the route to Velerin, and upon reaching the kingdom, he tricked his way through the gates. He requested an audience with Cyran Sharpe, the ruler of Velerin at the time, and brought some of his men with him into the keep. After fooling the king into believing that he had Cyran's cousin, Amyliana Valinor, captive, the king agreed to provide safe harbor to Dymon and his men in return for the release of Amyliana. Dymon then displayed openly that the king was colluding with him, and staged numerous incidents of poor leadership, such as allowing brigands into the city, all of which he blamed on Cyran. The people of Velerin began to turn against the king, allowing Dymon to take the throne from the weakened Cyran and his family. He allowed them to remain in the keep as his prisoners, and made it common knowledge that he had bested the great king of Velerin.
The events detailed in The Plight of Steel are immediately following this. After the death of Elyssia and Dymon's triumphant victory over his assailants, a long space of time passes between it and the second chapter of the book, where Castin murders Dymon. Over the course of this time period, Dymon held Castian and Kelyssa as his personal servants, and fell victim to the wound Cyran had inflicted on his shoulder. He became lazy and overweight, making it simple for the young boy-king to finally best the man reputed to be undefeated in armed combat. Dymon was beheaded sixteen years after the end of the Velerin flashback sub-plot, allowing Kelyssa, who was a baby at that point, to grow into a teenager.
Appearance[]
Dymon is described as tall and muscular with long, slick black hair. His face is beaten and scarred, and he has immense strength beyond that of normal men. He is typically seen wearing an all black cloak of fur, as well as black tunics and trousers. His appearance is incredibly intimidating, and has been known to strike enough fear into enemies of his that they surrender without a fight.
Name Origin[]
The name Dymon is his proper name, given at birth. His suffix title was adopted from descriptions of him written down in various annals. Because of his dark clothing, hair, and overall appearance, as well as the wickedness of his actions, he was described as black, or evil. When he learned of this nickname, he took a liking to it, and began using it to refer to both himself, and his armies.