The Flayed King

The Flayed King is a malevolent, telepathic entity thought to be the last emperor of the Juren Dynasty in Tien Hyad. Acting as the physical avatar of the Old God K'wnthe on Azeroth, this dreaded being manifests itself in the mortal shell of the Emperor at the end of each dynasty, at which point he lays waste to his subjects and is forced to be put down by the next dynasty, continuing the cycle.

Appearance
Each incarnation of the Flayed King differs greatly, as the individuals affected are seemingly chosen at whim by Kaiwan. Often, royal families may begin to suffer from "symptoms," subtle or otherwise, of latent manifestation with increasing frequency and severity through generations. Mosty are mental such as mania or paranoia, while more noticeable signs are physical. Individuals who are physically affected develop mutations, which may give them animal-like appearances or worse. Often, ritualistic self-mutilation may occur as manifestation grows truly imminent.

At the point of a manifestation, an Emperor is truly monstrous in appearance, and further mutations can occur rapidly and at whim.

The original appearance of the Flayed King is unknown, although he was cited as being old at the time of his first death. Some speculate that, like many Juren preceded him, he was exceptionally tall and bearded, due to their heavy Vrykul heritage.

Personality
Much like the its appearance, the personality of the Flayed King varies greatly depending on the affected individual. Manifestations are defined by their gaping void of empathy and constant desire to corrupt, destroy and commit unimaginable atrocities on the living.

Nothing is known for certain on the original personality of the Flayed King, but many believe that even in life he would have had to have been at a level of evil far beyond normal human comprehension.

Towards the end of each cycle, individuals are visited in dreams by the Flayed King, driving many to violence and insanity. Those who remain to tell the tale speak of the dark being communicating to them feelings of horrific pain and unfathomable anguish, as if he is constantly screaming at brainsplitting volume without any audible voice. Whether this is the truth or a ploy to convert more into its brutal thralls is unknown, but it is consistently referenced in local legend.