Sláine

Origin

As Slaine's tale begins, Slaine is forced to leave the tribe after sleeping with the chief's fiance, Niamh. Slaine and Niamh would marry and have a child named Kai. Slaine wanders and explores the land of the young in the company of a dwarf named Ukko. early on in his adventures Slaine saves a Drune priestess named Medb from being sacrificed to the Drune God Crom Cruach. this marked him as an enemy by all the Drunes including their leader and Medb's mentor, The Lord Weird Slough Feg and Medb herself who wanted to be sacrificed in order to become a goddess.

Creation

Slaine was Created by Pat Mills. Mostly based on Cu Chulainn of Irish mythology he also is influenced by Conan the Barbarian and other comic book heroes.

Character Evolution

At the start of Slaine's story he is a wander who lost his honor, home and purpose. things seem to get worse as he makes all of the Drunes his enemy. After this point on he rises up into a seat of power and although there are troubling times after this he is an obvious hero by the end and worthy of Ukko's tale.

Story Arcs

Warrior's Dawn

Slaine as a child struggled to understand the violent, Pagan rituals and the belief-system of his people. In his youth, Slaine fought for the attention of his tribe’s King and his band of warriors, the Red Branch. Slaine, a prospect early on, showed great potential and skills. Through his young-adulthood he made allies and enemies among the people of his own tribe. This is when an interesting event happened, a childhood bully caused Slaine's power called warp spasm to come forth. As more time passes Slaine was inducted into the Red Branch and He strengthened his relationship with his tribesmen. He also met Danu, the Earth Goddess which refreshed his beliefs in his gods and his tribe.

At age sixteen Slaine fell in love with the kings chosen one and had sex with her, as a result he was exiled from his tribe, called the Sessair. He set out exploring The Land of the Young, the surrounding area. Slaine tried to fight for his life and escape the Red Branch, who were hunting him for his act of treason. He was finally captured and thrown into a cell with a dwarf called Ukko. An unlikely partnership ensues and the two build a friendship. After they escape they fight monsters and mercenaries on various adventures.

Slaine, now a grown man, and Ukko, after many adventures, end up inside a giant wickerman that was to be ritually set on fire and burned for the honor of Crom-Cruach. Slaine broke out and also freed a Drune priestess named Medb from being sacrificed as 'The Bride of Crom' to Crom Cruach. This action made him an enemy of all the Drunes including their leader and Medb's mentor, The Lord Weird Slough Feg and Medb herself who wanted to be sacrificed in order to become a goddess. The Drunes are opposite the Sessair in that they want to suck the energy from the earth for their dark Gods. Slaine and Ukko were in the Sourlands, far from the realm of Danu. Together, they discover a plot to attack Sláine's homeland. So despite his exile and threat of execution Slaine returns to his tribe.

Moloch

Slaine and Ukko are traveling in Albion, when a bunch of Formorians try to pick a fight, and eventually Slaine decides to give it to them. As he takes them on, we flash back to Ireland, one year before.

Balor and the Formorians are up against the Irish in a great battle. Slaine is chained up, as he is too important to his people for them to let him enter the battle, although his wife Niamh is deep in the fray. The battle is going poorly and Balor’s second in command Moloch, 'demon with many swords' arrives to ensure that battle worsens. Balor uses his third eye to burn the human army and even the great magical weapons of the goddess cannot turn the tide. Ukko keeps telling Slaine how the battle is nearly lost, until Slaine can take no more, and goes into warp spasm. The battle continues. A demon tries to attack a child, before he is killed by the berserker Slaine, who saves the boy. Meanwhile, another batch of demons have finished attacking and raping a woman, and turn on her husband. Slaine kills them.

Elsewhere, Balor and Moloch believe they have crushed the rebellion, and blame Slaine for the uprising. Then Slaine, still warping, attacks the pair. Slaine comes face to face with Balor, and after ripping out his eye, kills the demon, by ripping out his heart. The humans begin to rout the Formorians, and the battle is a success. They burn the demons' carcasses, as Niamh and Slaine head for a swim. Slaine says that the only thing preventing him from becoming a wanderer is his wife. Then they meet Moloch, sucking out the souls of the dying Formorians and he and Slaine prepare to battle. Moloch fights Slaine. Slaine wins and is about to strike Moloch down, but Moloch pleads for his life, promising to keep the land free of Formorians. Slaine doesn't want to listen, but the council steps in and stops him killing Moloch. After talking among themselves they eventually order Slaine to let him go, despite Slaine's warnings that Moloch won't keep his word. But as Moloch sinks back into the sea, Niamh has a bad feeling about him.

Slaine, Niamh and Ukko visit a seer to learn of the future. After some trouble, the seer describes a world that sounds suspiciously like ours: 'men without axes, forests without trees, seas without fish'. Niamh goes for a walk, says a prayer and thanks the goddess for their victory. She is confronted by Moloch, who wants a 'tryst'. Niamh resists, and a fight starts. Niamh outmatches his sword skills, but Moloch pins her down and skewers her with his sword. Moloch then begins to violently rape Niamh. Slaine arrives just as Moloch escapes, and finds Niamh and two swords, which is a symbol, meaning a double cross. Slaine tries to keep Niamh calm and save her life, she later dies in his arms. Slaine gives Niamh a funeral and mourns for her. Afterwards, Slaine abdicates as High King and heads to Albion to find Moloch, telling his son, Kai, to wait behind. When Slaine is next seen Ukko uses the tears from some thieves that Slaine killed to learn about Moloch's whereabouts, at the Swarming. They arrive at the location of the Swarming, and Slaine and Ukko part company, Slaine tells Ukko he is sorry for how he tried him and says 'Goodbye, my friend'. Every demon imaginable is at the swarming, where they plan to terrify and slaughter children, using their terror to summon a 'great old one' from Sirius. Moloch presides over this, surrounded by a pit of fire. Slaine bursts in, and frees the children, heading for Moloch. Moloch taints Slaine further, warning the other demons not to attack, as Moloch wants him for himself. But Slaine fights on, pushing Moloch closer to the edge of the pit. Sláine says he knows that Moloch is a coward from their previous battle, whereas Sláine wants to die to join Niamh. He charges at Moloch, and they both plunge into the fiery pit.

Golamh

After Slaine jumps into a pit of fire after Moloch, they both come face to face with the Cyth Terror, who attacks them. Moloch fights, taunts and hypnotizes Slaine, but Slaine breaks free and mortally wounds Moloch. Before dying, Moloch tells Slaine that his land is to be invaded by a new enemy from the realm of the dead, the 'dread of Europe' in search of 'the land at the end of the sunset'. Slaine responds by throwing Moloch into the waiting Cyth demon, which promptly kills him. While the Cyth Terror is distracted, Slaine fights his way out.

Back on Earth, the 'dread of Europe' tries to head toward Ireland, but is forced back by a Druidic storm. Amergin invokes the spirit of the land to halt the storm, as their ancestors were there long before the tribes of the Earth Goddess. The Leader, Gael, meets with Princess Meritaten, who rebuffs his advances saying 'I need more time'. Amergin reminds Gael that they are to share the land with the tribes, as they begin their landing. They unleash 'forbidden weapons' against the tribes as Gael's men attack. We learn that he and his knights were attacked by Sea Demons and are now their hosts. Gael is the host of Lord Odacon, who has promised to free Gael after the invasion. The battle is over, and the invaders have won. The high king Sethor has arrived to discuss peace terms, but Gael wants their surrender. One of the other symbiotes, Musaris, needs a host, as its current one can take no more, so the princess is the one chosen. Gael pleads against this, but to no good, as Odacon forces him to accept, torturing him and forcing his mouth into a smile of approval. Musarus prepares to take the princess when Slaine appears. Slaine throws his axe, killing Musaris. Odacon taunts Slaine, and although the princess tries to stop him, telling him they want to share the land, Slaine prepares for a fight. Princess Scota stands between Slaine and Gael. As she does, Odacon tells Gael to attack, but Gael refuses as Slaine had saved Scota from his own fate. Odacon orders the guards to attack, but they are no match for Slaine who defeats them with ease. Slaine recognizes the Atlantean forbidden weapons, and realizes that Moloch was right in his predictions. The high king Sethor orders Slaine to stop, who refuses, and says the last time he listened to the council Niamh died. Sethor tries to argue and says he has already agreed to give Odacon half of Ireland in return for 'knowledge and wisdom'. But Slaine still sees it as a trick, and continues to attack the guards, until Sethor tells him he must lay down his arms for his son's sake. Slaine demands to know where Kai is, and is told he stowed away on a boat to Albion to look for Slaine. Later the council meets without Slaine, Sethor says he'll get his chance to speak later. The others say they owe everything to Slaine, and that Niamh was killed because of their misguided attempts to make peace. But Sethor says that an alliance with the Fomorians would bring great knowledge of science and 'civilization' to the land.

Elsewhere, Slaine watches the invading fleet and notes that a black pyramid on one ship seems important. Princess Meritaten comes to see him, and tells how her father the Pharaoh worshiped a demon and 'used the serpents to enforce his will'. The people rose up and forced him out, with Gael and Meritaten joining the resistance. But in a secret chamber the high caste demons, including Odacon made their plans for revenge, targeting the princess as their means of doing so. The princess tells Slaine how she and Gael left Egypt after the rebellion and were swimming off the coast of Africa when Odacon struck. He went for the princess, but Gael got in the way and became Odacon's Golamh instead, with other Atlanteans falling to Odacon's brethren. Odacon then made an agreement with Gael to return him to his lost homeland in return for obedience. She had to agree as Gael was her husband, but Slaine tells her that 'that thing isn't him anymore'.

Slaine is summoned to the council where Sethor tells him of the civilization that Odacon promises, but Slaine says that the civilization will destroy them and they have to fight. Sethor tells Slaine that they tried to fight them back with sky chariots but Odacon used flaming artillery and then the power of the black pyramid to open a gateway to another dimension which sucked all the chariots in. The council says they have no hope, but Slaine shows them Moloch's eye, proving that the sea demons can be defeated. The council is impressed, and agrees. Sláine's forces prepare to do battle with the Atlanteans. However, he fears that even if he wins this battle the Fomorians will keep coming and he needs to do something to stop them forever. The Princess prepares her troops as Gael comes to her and asks to spend the night as Odacon is asleep, allowing them privacy. Gael tells her that being a Golamh has its advantages, as he has seen lost cities in the depths of the sea and witnessed races of humans that have adapted to live there. Gael and the Princess make love one last time but unknown to her, Odacon is actually awake.

Dawn comes and the battle begins. Slaine throws his enchanted spear into the battlefield and orders it to continue killing until no invader is left standing. Both armies claim to fight for the Goddess as carnage ensues. Sethor wields the silver sword of the moon, taken from Niamh's grave. Slaine is shocked, but Sethor says it is necessary to win the battle. A group of Golamhs see Slaine, and after talking of a failsafe plan if the battle goes badly, they attack Slaine.

Tara

Slaine, Gael and their army head for Tara, fighting Shoggy Beasts on the way. Gael tells Slaine how he first met Scota, at the home of the Pharaoh of Egypt. He was with Princess Fais, but that didn't stop Scota from flirting with him. Fais told Gael that if he really wanted to go to Scota, she won't stand in his way. Gael jumped at the chance, but it was only a test, and Gael failed miserably.

As Slaine's army arrives at Tara, the see the city is already under seige. Inside, Lady Leora prepares her priestesses to run into battle to help Slaine defeat the Formorians. On the battlefield, Fais, who is now a Golamh for a Formorian, tries to convince Gael to get back together with her, while Slaine starts killing the sea demons. Slaine and his army battle through the Formorians as they head into Tara. Slaine tries to kill Sethor, now a Golamh, but is stopped by the priestesses who tell him he must seek safety in the city. Meanwhile, Gael escapes from an ever more desperate Fais who still believes that she can win him back.

Slaine decides that he should visit the earth goddess for information on what to do next. He plunges into the cauldron of blood and finds Mongan waiting. Mongan tells Slaine that he has to hunt the goddess herself in order to get his answers. Slaine and Mongan are chased by the Earth Goddess, who berates Slaine for his poor kingship, when in fact what she means is the opposite of what she says. Mongan explains to Slaine that Danu is playing a game in which nothing makes sense, and he must humor her. This is a matriarchal realm, in which everything is inverted. Mongan appears to anger the Goddess by explaining that a woman is ‘a man outside in’, and she attacks them in the form of a fire-breathing dragon. Slaine and Mongan leap aboard one of his tribe’s sky chariots, where he is told that death is survivable in this Otherworld, but the dead are sometimes reborn still bearing the injuries they died of. The Goddess causes the sky chariot to crash, and on the ground Slaine and his companions are trapped between the dragon on one side and Morholt’s El Riders on the other. Morholt is the brother of Elfric, and cuts off the heads of his foes with a great pair of shears. Morholt kills Mongan with his enormous shears. Slaine knocks another El Rider from his horse and rides after Morholt. Morholt taunts Slaine about wanting to take Slaine’s place as the Goddess’s champion. Slaine fires crossbow bolts at Morholt and Morholt vanishes to undergo reanimation following his defeat. Slaine wonders if his tribe is not better off in the land of the living.

Meanwhile, Fais boils a scared hare alive and performs an incantation that, when she kills the goddess's hare creates a poisonous mist that heads towards Tara killing everything in its path. In Tara Amergin tries a counter spell, creating a magic wind that blows the mist away. But it comes too late, as the Formorians are now through the outer defenses.

Slaine meets some El Women. Each of them has a different aspect, but all of them agree that they don't like Slaine. One thinks he doesn't match up to Morholt, one appears to enjoy the company of other women, and one has amazing battle skills and accuses Slaine of not having a sense of humor. They don't want to tell him where the goddess is, so he starts a fight. He starts killing them all, trying to get an answer, eventually leaving only one alive, who agrees to tell him where Danu is. Slaine meets the Goddess again in a clearing where other warriors have been turned to stone by the gaze of Morholt’s basilisk. Danu and Morholt taunt Slaine with jibes about his time being over and his kingdom passing on to the Atlantean invaders. The Goddess sets the basilisk onto Slaine and praises Morholt’s qualities in front of him. Slaine realises that Morholt’s helmet protects him from the monster’s transfixing gaze and wrests it away from him. Pushed in front of the basilisk, Morholt is turned to stone. Slaine puts on the helmet and shoots at the monster with a crossbow pistol. While Slaine fights or his life, Mongan reanimates, and tells Slaine to do as he does and agree with whatever the Goddess says. Slaine chops off the basilisk’s head with Morholt’s sheers, and the Goddess threatens Slaine with her own crossbow. Slaine levels his at her in turn, but the Goddess tells him his weapon is empty.

Back in Tara, the Fomorian forces have broken through the fortress’s defenses. Leora’s daughter Amber runs to her mother but is killed by Sethor with the Sword of the Moon on the orders of Odacon. Leora attacks Sethor in a rage but she too is killed. The human forces make their last stand protecting the Star Stone.

Back in the Otherworld, Slaine confronts the goddess. She taunts Slaine, but he's wise enough not to respond. Slaine takes her abuse with grace, but lets the goddess know that no one could ever replace Niamh in his heart. This seems to satisfy the goddess; she gives him a kiss and tells him he has won the wild hunt. The goddess agrees to let Slaine use Otherworld as a safe haven, so he returns to Tara. But the city has already fallen.

Lord Odacon

Slaine returns from Otherworld, reinvigorated by the Goddess’s Earth energy, just as human reinforcements arrive for the defense of Tara. With the Goddess behind him, Slaine’s Warp Spasm is amplified by channelling the power of the Earth through himself. He uses a leyser cannon from his previous adventures to drive back the Fomorian beastmen and the Great Golamh. Slaine and his warriors press home their advantage, driving back the Fomorian devils. Lord Odacon forces his wounded golamh, Sethor, to run faster as they flee, vowing to return with reinforcements of his own.

After the battle ends Slaine tells his people that they can go to otherworld. Some decide that the otherworld isn't for them and decide to head towards Brazil instead. Others, including Amergin, decide to head to the otherworld anyway, as they will feel safer there. The spell is cast by Amergin, and they all disappear, although Amergin stays for the moment. Gael takes the dying Fais, who was bitten by a Formorian, to Amergin to ask if there's anything he can do for her. Amergin tries to help, but Fais warns him that there is a new danger The Brood, The Spawns of Odacon, who like Odacon have the power to infect villages and turn them into slaves.

The winter after Slaine had driven the Fomorian sea-demon invaders from Ireland. Slaine is seen traveling from village to village exterminating the contamination of sea-demon possession among his people, killing peasants who are host to the creatures and burning the bodies. He uses a captive demon to sniff out infestation by the Spawn of Odacon. In the village of Rury Slaine see a lot of suspicious activity especially by the youngest villagers. Slaine questions a child and his suspicions are confirmed, that the villagers are infested with the Spawn of Odacon. Suddenly, the possessed villagers surround Slaine and his men, and the Spawn reveals what they are. Slaine’s men stand with their flame lances at the ready, and he orders the village condemned.

Slaine searches around the village he condemned and he goes by the lake. Slaine finds four of the possessed and finishes them off as well. In the confusion Cullen, one of Slaine’s men becomes infested by the creatures and is killed by Slaine.

Slaine then uses one of the captive demons to investigate the lake. After nightfall the demon’s boots rise to the water’s surface along with a fair bit of blood. These boots are discovered to have magical properties which allow the wearer to “walk and talk underwater as if it were air”. Slaine and Gael go beneath the surface of the lake, where they encounter the Fomorian queen, who is having sex with Odacon.

Slaine observes that Fomorian mating is so violent that, the male and female demon might destroy each other and save him the trouble. He also sees the possessed Sethor standing guard nearby, anchored by an umbilicus. Slaine slices his throat, depriving Sethor of oxygen. Slaine heads for the female’s throat, while Sethor warns his master of the danger. Odacon is Sethor’s only chance of avoiding drowning, and Odacon must unite with Sethor symbiotically to fight Slaine.

The Fomorian queen attempts to swallow Slaine, and refuses to believe he can harm her, but Slaine wounds the creature grievously. The wounded female heads to the surface of the lake, where Fais and Slaine’s men burn her with flame lances. Down below, Odacon moves in to attack Slaine, but Slaine whirls round and slices off Sethor’s legs, making him useless to Odacon. Odacon bites off Sethor’s head and spits it at Slaine, knocking Slaine unconscious. Odacon envelops Slaine, and starts to take Slaine as his new Golamh, but Slaine resists, cutting back on Odacon’s tendrils. Slaine tells him that his people are safe in the otherworld, but Odacon says that nowhere is safe from them. He begins to absorb Slaine again, but Gael appears, cutting Slaine free.

Odacon makes a break for the surface, and jumps on a horse, taking it as his new Golamh. He also chastises the demon slave that the humans have caught, who breaks loose and kills Fergus, but is soon killed himself by Slaine. Odacon meets a fellow Fomorian and passes on the news that Magenta Chill is dead. He orders the other Fomorian to hold Slaine off while he escapes to the sea where he can plan his revenge. The humans catch up, but are only held back briefly by the Fomorian, which is quickly killed by Fais. They continue the chase after Odacon.

Slaine and his company of demon hunters pursue the Fomorian Odacon on horseback through the forest. Odacon uses his magic to put illusions in Slaine’s path to slow him down. At the edge of the forest, Slaine catches up with Odacon at last. Slaine strikes the demon first with the Sword of the Moon, and then with Brainbiter. Wounded, Odacon throws Slaine off, and gallops his horse over a cliff into the sea to escape. However, the tide is out, and Odacon and his horse lie broken on the rocks at the base of the cliff. Odacon pleads with Slaine, his final request is to be allowed to die in the sea. Odacon begs for water, and Slaine urinates over him. Odacon curses Slaine as a filthy animal, and Slaine slices off Odacons head with his axe.

Days later, Gael is crowned the High King of Ireland, and becomes the founder of the Gaelic race. Slaine visits the barrow where his lost love Niamh is entombed. The affection between Amergin and Fais deepens. Slaine departs to search for his son, Kai, asking those who remain behind in Tara to always remember the Tribes of the Earth Goddess Danu.

Carnival

After his father's absence, Kai left the tribe and joined a carnival run by Ukko. There he met and fell in love with Estella the sleepless beauty. Kai also investigated the death of Wardo. Ukko was selling fake fragments of Slaine’s magic axe, Brainbiter, when Slaine sneaked up behind him and discovered what he was doing.

Slaine confronted Ukko who called for Anger Management to join them. Anger Management said that he did not want to fight, but had to defend his boss and asked Slaine to step away from the carnival so they can fight without disturbing the punters. After an almost civil fight, Anger Management said that he is Slaine’s biggest fan and the two go out for beers. After Slaine returns mostly untouched, Ukko tries to make amends by offering Slaine a role in the carnival, which Slaine refuses. Kai then meets with his father and tells him what he has been doing. Kai also takes his father to see Estella.

The next day, Kai told his father Slaine why Estella could not sleep. Father and Son stopped and watched Crom Dubh and his pet Cath Palus practicing for the night’s show. Suddenly Cath Palus escaped and headed towards Slaine and Kai. Slaine and Cath Palus have a quick skirmish, in which Slaine without effort beheaded the beast. Crom Dubh is angry that his act has been destroyed and demands retribution, but Slaine laughs at his demands.

Slaine and Kai then questioned the Shoggy family to find more information about Crom Dubh. Sepha revealed Crom Dubh’s fear of gold. Slaine asks Skathan directly if she murdered her father. Kai was angry at his father’s directness and lack of trust in Kai’s methods. The pair then met Estella as she goes for a walk to clear her head. Again she refused to let Kai examine her dreams.

Estella was confronted by Black Crom Dubh. He suggested that he knows who tried to kill her with Dragon's Breath when she was young and pursued her through the forest. He knocks her unconscious, but is met by Slaine. A fight ensued and even though Slaine cuts Crom in pieces he appears to do no harm to him. Crom then knocked Slaine to the ground, taking Brainbiter from him. As he prepared to deal a killing blow, Slaine throws out gold. Crom called out his name and retreated on his horse.

Estella later said she doesn't remember who tried to kill her, this made Slaine start to think that Crom wasn't acting alone. Slaine suggested they get her away from the carnival, as soon as Kai has done his work for the night. As Slaine and Kai decide to leave the tent, Hinky Punk’s corpse candles fly in as if under someone‘s deliberate control, and set light to the fur of Skathan. Slaine smothers the flames with his cloak. The Bog Mummy, who has never left her coffin before, dramatically comes over and points an accusing finger at Sepha, repeatedly saying 'you are not a mother!' Sepha tries to attack the bog mummy to shut her up, and Slaine realizes that Sepha was her husband’s killer all along, and he quickly kills her.

The pair then discovered that maybe Estella is Skathan’s daughter. In the woods, Skathan and Estella find shelter from the rain in a cave, and it turns out that she is indeed Skathan’s daughter. Skathan had been trying to kill her to prevent her from turning into a lycanthrope and that’s why she keeps her awake too. Skathan waits for night to fall so that she can turn into a Shoggy and kill Estella. She almost succeeds before Slaine arrives and throws her to the side. He is about to kill her, but pauses and knocks her out instead. Skathan awakes tied to a stake while the others ponder her fate. Skathan sneers at them, saying that they have secrets of their own and none of them has the right to take her life. The Bog Mummy then steps up and strangles her.

Slaine decides that it's time to leave the carnival and says goodbye to Ukko, who is cheating his staff. Kai and Estellla also decide to leave after Estella slept the night and discovered she did not have the lycanthrope curse. They go their separate ways as Slaine leaves to track down Crom Dubh.

Powers Abilities

• Slaine is able to adjust to the situation and use any thing as a weapon effectively, but he prefers to use his axe Brainbiter.
• Slaine has the ability warp spasm which warps his body and grants him superhuman strength, speed, stamina and tolerance for pain. in this form he has to control his rage or he will attack both enemies and friends.
• Slaine is a great leader and and can change the tide of war.
• Slaine as both a warrior from birth and then The earth goddess's champion he has Peak human agility, strength, reflexes, and stamina.