The Gorgon began life as Raesene, the oldest child of his father, the Lord of the First House of the Andu. From an early age, it seemed clear that he would help to shape the future of Cerilia. However, as a bastard child, he was barred from the throne of Anuire; that glory would belong to Roele. All their father's affection and attention went to his two legitimate half-brothers, Haelyn and Roele. Though his outward demeanor never betrayed him, Raesene envied them this attention and coveted it.

Nonetheless, Raesene shared his experience of what he knew of swordplay and horsemanship, and his tutoring gave them an excellent grasp of the fundamentals of warfare – fundamentals that would prepare them well and earn them praise. Raesene did not remain their teacher for long; as a young man several years Roele's senior, he hungered to see the world. On his sixteenth birthday he left home to explore Cerilia.

When he returned, battle-hardened and scarred, his father gave him the title "the Black Prince" to reflect the bleakness inside Raesene. Still, Raesene served his father nobly, and when the Lord of the Andu passed, he served his brother Roele; none suspected what lay in his heart.

Then Azrai came to Cerilia. He studied Raesene and saw the kind of heart that beat within Raesene's chest, a black heart that his lieutenant would need; they made a pact. While Haelyn and Roele gathered the armies of the Andu to battle the encroaching darkness of the dark god, Raesene began his betrayal, drawing aside conspirators to aid him in his plan. As the Andu retreated to Deismaar, Raesene sprang his betrayal. His loyal followers slaughtered thousands of the Andu and their allies then they joined the forces of Azrai. The rest, as they say, is history.

Raesene was in the height of the battle with Roele when the gods destroyed themselves atop Deismaar. Raesene absorbed much of Azrai's essence – nearly as much as the Vos Kriesha and Belinik did, but unlike the Vos warriors, Raesene did not achieve god-hood. However, he was imbued with great power. Raesene was the first to discover bloodtheft, and later the first of the awnsheghlien to discover that abominations could grow more powerful through the rule of land.

Not long after Deismaar, he established his kingdom north-east of Anuire and began his generational harvest of the new bloodlines. He had spent many of the years since Deismaar cultivating and then destroying bloodlines, as well as raising an army to sweep across Anuire. No one could know Raesene's mind, and those who have tried to learn have been destroyed, as are those who try to challenge him.

Though it has been said that the Gorgon (as he came to be called) stole the bloodline of Roele when he slew Michael Roele, the last emperor of Anuire for 556 years, this is not known as a fact. Some regents of Anuire have whispered that Michael somehow managed to ward his bloodline from the Gorgon, and perhaps even weakened the Gorgon's bloodline, thus preventing the Gorgon from dominating Anuire.

It is said that the Gorgon appears as a stony skinned humanoid with horns atop his massive head. Hooves and goat-like legs adorn his lower half, and giant-like strength allows him to carry his heavy frame. Little trace of humanity is revealed in his features; he has become almost entirely a creature of evil.

One of the last people to see Raesene was Caliedhe Dosiere (now the Imperial Chamberlain), who had met with Raesene some forty years ago during a trade discussion that met with disaster. The last person to meet with the Gorgon was the author of the work "Blood Enemies".