The birth of humanity heralded great change for Avendar, epitomizing adaptability and growth. With their Father, Jolinn, immersed in His long slumber, other deific forces focused their efforts on the young race. One of which was Dolgrael, the forger of souls. The elder aelin discovered metal artifacts amidst the ruins of the fallen alatharya, and from it, discerned the rudiments of metalcraft. Humans, on the other hand, were introduced to the art directly by the Forgemaster. With their natural ingenuity, humanity developed a myriad of uses for iron, eclipsing the aelin bronze age. One of these uses, of course, was weapons and armor, about which Dolgrael offered special insight. With these new tools, human lust for expansion and battle knew few limits. They warred amongst themselves, and established settlements and kingdoms throughout the wilderness.
As Sythrak’s warlords emerged from the marshes, they encountered the warlike and well-armed humans of the Earendam river valley. The srryn possessed limited power over the magics of Fire, but it was an imperfect weapon. It quickly became apparent that humanity would be no trivial foe. This led to a tenuous alliance between Sythtys’ templar-generals and expansionist humans. The srryn learned first hand about the keen power of properly forged weapons, and in turn, created forges of their own. Humans, on the other hand, learned of the Flame, and honed it into power an order of magnitude greater than what any srryn could. Dolgrael was pleased, as this conflict would ensure that mortalkind had the possibility to test itself in the greatest forge. Great warriors arose from many races, but the Forgemaster was particularly impressed by an embattled aelin swordsman named Marlax. It would be he who would become Dolgrael’s first chosen, and known the world over as the Falcon King.
The rousing of Jolinn and the rise of the magics of Water ended the War of Fire, and while beleaguered mortals breathed a sigh of relief, Dolgrael grew bored. Peace was tiresome, and the God of War focused His attention on His forge and the contests of demons and demigods, such as the Challenge of Ashurru. He empowered Marlax to serve as His agent on the Prime, and left him to perpetuate the ideals of honor. Meanwhile, Hammer-bearers refined their use of the forge to develop steel, as well as deeply influenced the development of the modern earth templar creed. With the emergence of the shuddeni from their subterranean world, Dolgrael’s interest in Avendar was again renewed. As the War of Night shrouded the world in darkness, Marlax’s white falcon would become a legendary symbol on the battlefield. The Forgemaster Himself took great pride in all those who proved their mettle, particularly during the Battle of Aramril.
With the sudden arrival of the ch’taren and their goddess, Rystaia Lightbringer, Dolgrael’s anemic following suffered a heavy blow. Humanity’s fickle interest grew beyond the now well-known art of the forge, seeking new territory with the magics of Spirit. Although Rystaia’s religion claimed many of the best and brightest of the age, Dolgrael’s greatest threat was much closer. Marlax’s vast renown had led to his elevation in the eyes of mortal warriors, and he now acted as their god. He founded the Lords of Conquest, who while powerful, frequently lacked the true mettle demanded by Dolgrael. As their actions grew increasingly more honorless, Dolgrael decided that the age of the Falcon had ended. He heralded His return with a meteorite, and destroyed His first chosen. Claiming the Lords of Conquest for Himself, Dolgrael transformed the worthy among them into a legion of elite combatants known as the Invincibles. With the completion of Dolgrael’s temple in the modern era, He is venerated throughout Avendar as the only true god of War.