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Xiphos

Xiphos the Barbarian King was born 20 years before the foundation of Hiltshire. He lived in the Badlands, a barren waste lying between Hiltshire and the Worselands. At a young age, Kargob's Fang, the Godsword forged by the God of Darkness Kargob, fell from the sky and became the property of Xiphos.

Unknown to anyone, Kargob's Fang was genuinely powerful. Over time, it helped Xiphos win influence and rise to the rank of leader among his tribe. Ultimately though, it was Xiphos' passionate faith that gave him the charisma to lead others.

In his teenage years, Xiphos was married. Xiphos' first wife disappeared, never to return. Xiphos' second wife, Kopis, bore him a daughter - Harpe.

Although Xiphos was deeply in love with Kopis, mounting pressure grew from the tribe's shaman to make more political marriages and unite the remaining Barbarian tribes together under Xiphos' command. Xiphos' third marriage was to his man-wife, Culter. Xiphos' fourth marriage was to Cula. Xiphos' fifth marriage was to a talking sword, Cultello. And finally, Xiphos' sixth and youngest wife was Nova, who he rescued from being sacrificed to a wyvern.

In the Hiltshire year of XXV, when Xiphos was 45 years old, he lead the united army of Barbarians in the War of Eyes - an attack on the Kingdom of Hiltshire to assert their religious belief that Kargob has 6 eyes, and not 8 like the residents of Hiltshire claim. Xiphos had become aware that King Hilton was carrying a magic sword that could rival his own. That intel referred to Bograk's Hook, the Godsword of the God of Light Bograk, which was being carried by Hilton's daughter Joyeuse; rather than the Godsword Hilton actually had possession of - Baltad's Blade, broken in to two pieces.

After the War of Eyes ended with the Barbarian forces retreating, Xiphos entered the XXVth Annual Swor'nament, under the spur-of-the-moment disguise of "Xiphos, the Bartender". In the first round of the XXVth Swor'nament, Xiphos violently exploded Prince Sheath of Paladium with his sword.

The night after the first round of the Swor'nament ended, Xiphos snuck in to the throne room with Smith the Blacksmith to battle King Hilton and separate him from his Godsword. At the same time, one of the Demon Swords, The Demon Sword of Boundless Hunger, was infiltrating the throne room in the body of a goblin. The two clashed and Xiphos was killed.

After the battle, Xiphos died in Smith the Blacksmiths arms, insisting that he inform Xiphos' six wives about his buried treasure. Smith took his helmet and godsword and fled the city, aided by Xiphos' right hand servant, Xyele.

Xiphos' body was recovered from the throne room by Kris the Necromancer, who separated Xiphos' soul from his body, creating a zombie servant and a soulsword. Kris the Necromancer immediately put the zombified Xiphos back in to the Swor'nament, gambling on the Barbarian King's success to make some money. He gave the soulsword to the zombie body, so that Xiphos was, for a time, possessing his own body.

In the second round of the XXVth Swor'nament, Xiphos the Zombie Barbarian King fought Mere and Chad, who had teamed up to progress in the competition. After plunging Chad inside the zombies body, Xiphos' soul became magnetized to Chad and briefly possessed him.

In the final match of the second round, Joyeuse and Ōdachi challenged the Demon King to combat. After reducing him to his sword form, Mere stabbed the Demon Sword with the Xiphos'-Possessed-Body-Of-Chad and Xiphos' soul hopped again, this time in to the Demon Sword.

The Demon Sword of Boundless Hunger then lured the zombie Xiphos body, which had no soul, in to eating him and became the Demon King proper.

After battling with the Swor'nament contestants and attacking Hiltshire with an army of demons, the Demon King escaped, pursuing Smith the Blacksmith back to the Badlands.

Xiphos' soul is currently trapped inside the Demon King's body (which is his original body but worse), watching the ultimate battle take place.

See also:

kargob kopis harpe culter cula cultello nova xyele the barbarian smith the blacksmith demon of boundless hunger aka the demon king giant lizard

Xiphos appears on 38 Pages:

III - Kargob Guides My Blade 07 Mar 2018 V - Share Swords 09 Mar 2018 XIV - I Left My Blade... 18 Mar 2018 XXVI - Let the Swor'nament Begin! 03 Apr 2018 L - Holy War 30 Apr 2018 LIV - Welcome to the Swor'nament! 05 May 2018 LXXVII - I'm Your Host, Sharp Sharply 19 Jun 2018 LXXVIII - Kargob's Champion 20 Jun 2018 LXXXII - The King Has Taken Your Blade 27 Jun 2018 LXXXVI - Final Competitors 30 Jun 2018 C - Round One 04 Aug 2018 CIX - Ki...Wi... 25 Aug 2018 CXV - Rescue Party? 08 Sep 2018 CXXVIII - Here for My Sword 14 Oct 2018 CXXIX - Dying Wishes 14 Oct 2018 CXXX - Good Boy 14 Oct 2018 CXXXIV - Out of hit points 21 Oct 2018 CXLII - Hail to the King 04 Nov 2018 CXLIV - Heavens Not Enough 06 Nov 2018 CL - Round Two 22 Nov 2018 CLXII - You're a sword, aren't you? 18 Dec 2018 CLXXV - Crossing of Destinies 07 Jan 2019 CLXXXI - Ahead of the game 22 Jan 2019 CLXXXVII - Favouritest 03 Feb 2019 CXC - Demon King Origins 09 Feb 2019 CCXXXIX - Long Range Sword 06 Jun 2019 CCCXLIX - In The Belly Of The Broadsword 24 Dec 2019 CCCLI - Chilling with the Maker 26 Dec 2019 CCCLII - Gods and Kings and Demons and Knights 27 Dec 2019 CDLXXXII - The Sword Who Would Be King 23 Jan 2021 CDXCI - The Heart Of The Problem 22 Feb 2021 CDXCIX - Three Eyes Shut 30 Apr 2021 DC - The Dividing Cut 12 May 2022 DCCLXXIII ~ The Demon Sword Chronicles ~ III 07 Oct 2023 DCCLXXVIII ~ The Beginning Of Time ~ Part One 16 Nov 2023 DCCLXXVIII ~ The Beginning Of Time ~ Part Two 17 Nov 2023 DCCLXXVIII ~ The Beginning Of Time ~ Part Three 23 Nov 2023 DCCCXXXIII ~ Barbarian Mathematics 26 Apr 2024