"And when we finally kill the gods neither hell nor heaven will be waiting for them, because they created those to imprison US."
Khaz Draxal is one of the most famous people to have ever lived, as he was the emperor of the Temporal Empire during the first era, and started a hundred year apocalyptic war against the gods known as the Omniborn Crisis. The planet Draxaria in Voidspace is named after him.
He became the origin of Draxalism, and is reputation is vilified in the modern day. That being said, almost every ruler tries to legitimize themselves as his true successor, some even taking on his title of Khaz. (It's said that in Abmarah, the titles King, Kaiser, and Khan are all derived from Khaz.)
Draxal was one of the favored sons of Elder Mekalus himself, as one of the first Omniborn to be created alongside his consort Zaenak. The two received the blessing of immortality from their creator, selected to lead their race forevermore. They saw all the ages of the world, going from using stone tools to hunt and farm to the grandeur of an interstellar empire. By all measures, they were like minor gods themselves, and the Omniborn surely saw them as such.
The first era of Abmarah is known as the Era of Mortals. The world was ruled by races created by the gods, and the race that defined this era was known as the Omniborn, a people with four arms, multiple eyes, and red leather-like skin. The first era was dominated by these four races, the Omniborn, the Elves, the Dwarves, and the Tritons.
These races created the first true large empires to grace Abmarah. The surviving Imperium Alvanum Aeternum, The Holy Dwarven Rhosian Empire, the Holy Triton Sigmosi Empire, and most importantly, the Holy Omniborn Temporal Empire. The Temporal Empire would go on to become the largest single nation-state in the history of Abmarah, and its capital city of Icarius was well known as the greatest city to be, not rivalled again until possibly modern day Sombus.
The legendary founder and immortal-emperor of the empire was Khaz Draxal, alongside his consort Khaz Zaenak. These two immortal Omniborn led the nation as champions appointed by the gods. The empire stretched for nearly the entire length of the once-great continent of Aurial, only sharing it with the dwarven empire to the north and and the drow kingdoms in the Underdark. The sheer dominance of the Omniborn gave them a fearsome reputation, as they slowly came to see themselves as the rightful rulers of the cosmos itself. The Temporal Empire came to be seen as the progenitor of civilization itself, and every empire to come would try to prove themselves a rightful successor. The Khaz shared some power with elected generals and senators in the government, and the bureaucracy of the empire is legendary to this day.
With Omniborn leading the world technologically with their shield and spears as well as their magical spellsmithing, they took the world to heights never seen before. It was a period of prosperity and advances in culture and technology, even spacefaring magic- Spelljammers were innovated, and mortals began to colonize Voidspace and other planets. At the height of the age, the Omniborn had a permanent cities on the moons of Abmarah, and their lights were visible on their surface from Abmarah.
Khaz Draxal ruled the Temporal Empire alongside his empress, Khaz Zaenak. The two were immortals, having lived for thousands of years already. By all measures, the world was at the apex of a golden age. Thousands of gods walked openly amidst mortals, and the empires stretched across the various planets and stars above in this age of arcana. In 1E750, during the Tournament of Champions, Draxal served as Mekalus' champion in the tournament and came in fifth place. The tournament further exposed him to the bickering and immature nature of the gods.
There are two interpretations of Khaz Draxal in the modern day. The more popular one is that he was a man with aspirations of becoming a true god-emperor, and that his hubris led to his downfall. The other one is more sympathetic, saying that Draxal saw the poison of the gods' decadence starting to rot the cosmos. He is one of the most talked about men in history and philosophy, as his actions have defined the course of the planet's history more so than any others. Modern rulers still style themselves as 'Khaz' to try and legitimize themselves as would-be successors to his legacy.
In some ways, Draxal was not wrong. The gods were numerous and enjoyed free luxury amidst mortals. In his eyes, far more gods than needed to exist. Even if some gods were necessary to the cosmos, thousands of minor gods of every creek and concept needed to be culled in his eyes. Many saints since have claimed that Draxal grew mentally ill, and that this psychopathic view of the arguably idyllic age around him was a symptom of his infinite age. Many philosophers have used Draxal's example as proof against seeking immortality or lichdom.
As much as he is vilified and defamed, he was not alone in his views, and slowly an unspoken philosophy of Draxalism started to spread amidst the population. This philosophy rejected all gods and instead revered only three forces: The Omniborn Law, the Omniborn Royalty, and the Omniborn Will. While this movement died out alongside the Omniborn in the Cometfall, traces of its philosophy remained in many places across the world, eventually forming the basis of Triadism in the modern day. Of course, Draxal would have hated this.
In the end, Draxal's views were simple. Gods had died before, thus they can be killed. A mortal was ascended to divinity, thus mortals could become gods. And in his eyes, that meant that gods having reign and status for simply existing was tyranny, and that all gods must be destroyed and cast down from their thrones, replaced by mortals to serve their roles like all the other jobs and bureaucratic positions within the empire. And only major roles need to be filled, and there need not be a god for every forest and every concept.
"Never again shall a farmer have to give tribute to the minor god of the hill he chose to live on. The gods deserve no taxes nor offering, for they don't promise any improvements nor security. They just promise to exist... And that is why they ought not to." - Draxalite Philosophy, Volume II
His relationship with his wife is up to debate. Most legends emphasize that there was no true love between the two immortals, and that they acted against each other all the time. (Some argue that this confuses the dynamic of the Omniborn gods Krakus and Saenus with those of the two Khaz.) They famously had no children together, despite their thousands of years of life. Some have interpreted them more so as platonic life partners than husband and wife as they are considered in a modern light. Regardless, she is known to have supported Draxal in his decision to rebel against the gods, although many myths claim that she regretted this.
Regardless of the circumstances of why they rebelled, it must have been severely important in their eyes having seen more than any mortal now could comprehend. They chose to actively end the world's age of peace and decadence and plunge themselves into a war that they would not see the end of. Sentiment amidst the population of being against the gods would've been high, else the population would not have supported the two's decision as readily as they did.
Famously, the war began on the first day of the new year 875. A banquet was held in the capital city of Icarius, a glorious event attended by many of the leaders of the world including the Pontiff Aeternum of the time, Caelor III. The chief guest of this particular event was the goddess Alphus, who was universally loved and considered to be among the most important goddesses of the time.
That is, until Draxal murdered her while giving his toast. It's said that he toasted to the health of everyone in the room, to the world leaders that were in attendance, and when he looked to Alphus, he had a regretful look upon his face. He apologized to her, much to her own puzzlement. He said that she deserved this possibly the least, but she was to be the one whose example would set the world aflame.
Some sources say that Alphus understood, and silently mouthed forgiveness to Draxal, although there is no proof of this other than literary dramatism. What there is a lot of proof for is the method of her death. Draxal cast a soul bind on her the likes of which had never been seen before, and destroyed the goddess within six seconds.
The leaders reacted with shock and awe, and Pontiff Caelor III immediately fired a spell at Draxal, causing a lasting scar on his horn attested in most sources. Some swore against him immediately in the war to come, while some such as the tritons vowed neutrality. Sol Sultana famously was present at this banquet, and is said to have laughed in shock when Alphus died.
Draxal immediately called the entire empire to war against all gods, decreeing them fallible like anyone else. Many minor gods already died on this first day as rebellion and chaos broke out across the world.
This war came to an abrupt end in the year 1E977, when the periodic comet ‘Zaenak’s Light’ inexplicably crashed into the golden city of Icarius, the capital of the Temporal Empire. Many myths state that Khaz Zaenak, who the comet is named after, called it to herself in penance for her sins.
This impact shattered the southern half of the continent of Aurial, and caused severe destruction across Abmarah as a whole. Magic shields and the work of many gods helped to prevent a near complete destruction of all life on the planet, limiting the brunt of the cataclysm to southern Aurial.
As the shattered continent fell, the ocean rushed in to create the Blood Sea and new islands arose from the pieces of crust and volcanic activity. Many comets and meteorites have fallen on Abmarah, but this was a cataclysm the likes of which the world had never seen. The proudest city in the world was gone in an instant, becoming the epicenter of the new Cometfall Sea. It's said that the comet fell directly on the palace of Khaz Draxal, taking him out before any other Omniborn.