Personally I think the Brithini make the Mostali and the "Bad Emperor" look like fine, fun loving, chaps. I suppose they all originate in the way-way back, and are all examples of the absolute rules that could be enforced before worlds came together.
Zzabur and his compatriots do have one redeeming feature from an outside perspective, however. They have served as a bulwark against the Vadelli, and from what little I understand the Vadelli are pretty close to pure evil. Life under Zzabur might be unrelieved grey, but I think life under the Vadelli would be more like Black's darkest nightmares, with the only saving grace being that they'd probably destroy the world in reasonably short order.
Of course, what is the point in being evil if it doesn't have certain advantages, like short cuts to power? I wonder how that could be represented in HQ? I suppose grimoires with a particularly effective array of spells, but that doesn't sound all that exciting. Maybe through rituals? They have some particularly effective rituals, giving them big bonusses at key moments, but of course the rituals involve the slaughter of babies, torture of the innocent, and similar loveliness? Perhaps added bonus for particularly vile despoilement of people or things particularly pure and good?
(the same sort of question applies to a couple of other cultures possibly, and certainly on a smaller scale to individual villains).
--Bryan
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