The Simurgh

"I am The Simurgh, and I am known for mine brilliance in battle."

- The Simurgh to Dukamu

"The Simurgh", otherwise known as Klak, is the version of Klak from the Dark Universe.

History
Little is known about Klak's life, save that he was once a powerful warrior who founded a faction named the Claws of the Phoenix for an unknown purpose. The organization eventually grew into an army. He appointed Strike Destiny, a trusted ally with whom he fought side-by-side in battle, as his second-in-command. This group fought in many of the wars that plagued its universe, including conflicts in worlds such as Sakat and Judoonia, in systems like Sojourn, and even in part of the Ova-Daq dwarf galaxy. One of these battles was witnessed by Mazkertis in a vision he had when he was imprisoned in his interdimensional nether cell.

Many years later, when the armies of Tahar'ok attacked the Claws, Klak fought their leader one-on-one in a violent skirmish that seemingly resulted in the deaths of them both. However, this was a façade, as he reconstructed himself and took upon the name of the Simurgh to maintain the common belief that Klak was dead. The purpose for his pseudonym is unknown.

Sometime later, he ventured into the Original Universe to meet his alternate self. He began to train his counterpart in various techniques, including the renowned Teng'rashi method of sword fighting, all in the hopes of turning this Klak into a strong and cunning warrior who would survive in his own universe. He even counseled OU Klak on what he believed to be the best way to handle emotions like fear, characterizing it as a tool if used properly. The Simurgh then revealed the two beings he feared most: a hateful presence he felt watching him years ago (Mazkertis), and Dukamu.

Less than a year later, both Klaks fought against the Original Universe versions of Photinus, P'moq, and K'tt on Malchior IV (OU), as they were members of an intergalactic criminal group. Photinus attacked his enemies with plasma, and The Simurgh seemed to have been mortally wounded. With his supposed dying breath, The Simurgh told Klak to find someone to finish his training and help him fulfill his destiny. Klak defeated the remaining enemies and buried The Simurgh's corpse. Once again, however, The Simurgh was merely pretending to have died for a larger, unknown purpose. Klak then went on many adventures with new friends, eventually deciding to continue his search for a master. The latter journey eventually led him to seek the tutelage of Caiaphus.

In the RPG
In 150,084 CMT, the Simurgh appeared to Dukamu in one of his dimensional realms and bowed before him. He introduced himself as one known for brilliance in battle, who had come to lend his services to Dukamu, a man who he saw as the destined ruler of reality. Dukamu enquired as to the Simurgh's army, to which the Simurgh replied that his army consisted of just himself. Their conversation was interrupted by Monarch, who notified Dukamu of the discovery of Jopulon energy in the Original Universe. The Simurgh asked Dukamu what Jopulon energy was, so Dukamu recited the legend of Jopulon and his supposed discovery of Jopulon energy, and divulged that he and his men were also investigating the theoretical power. Dukamu then led the Simurgh into another room that contained a Void Ship and asked what he thought of it. The Simurgh correctly guessed that it was a vessel of some sort.

The Mazkertis Paradox
During his rampage in the Original Universe, Mazkertis placed the Klak of the Original Universe under a spell on Datrio. This spell made Klak fall into a deep sleep, thus jettisoning his mind into a Dreamscape realm; Klak's dreams blended with the illusions of Mazkertis's spell. Some members of the Claws of the Phoenix (OU) and their allies entered into Klak's mind in an attempt to free him from these psychic restraints. It was here that they came across a representation of Klak's surviving subconscious that called itself The Last Ember. This creature looked exactly like The Simurgh and spoke like him as well. When the group was exposed to some of Klak's memories, they were able to witness his training sessions with The Simurgh.

It is unknown what The Simurgh's status is after Dukamu and the Church of the Ascendants had been sent into the future.

Trivia

 * The Simurgh's pseudonym is based on the Iranian mythical bird of the same name. The bird is often compared to another mythical bird: the Phoenix. This is a reference to The Simurgh former status as leader of the Dark Universe's version of the Claws of the Phoenix.
 * Klak's subconscious manifestation of The Simurgh in the Dreamscape referred to itself as The Last Ember to denote its status as one of the last remaining parts of Klak's subconscious that hadn't fallen to Mazkertis's spell. The name itself is a reference to a song of the same name by Audiomachine.
 * In most of his appearances (save for those set in OU Klak's past), The Simurgh has spoken in Shakespearan English. The in-universe reason for this is that he's attempting to mask his voice and origins. However, in real life, this was inspired by Pan's Labyrinth, a film directed by Guillermo Del Toro. User:Klak was under the impression that the titular mysterious faun had been speaking an older form of Spanish more contemporary to Shakespeare, and thus he wrote the Simurgh's speech to sound just as archaic and ominous.
 * The Simurgh's current appearance is based on concept art of Star Wars: Episode VII, while his appearance in Mazkertis's "war vision" was inspired by Grand Admiral Thrawn, also from the Star Wars universe.
 * It is implied in The Mazkertis Paradox that D-Klak knows, or has at least heard of The Simurgh.