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Name
Caolm Sentinus - The Sentinel of Progress
Race
Invicus
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The Invicus are an ancient race, the first of whom date back millennia, to the very start of intelligent life. The method of their creation is unknown, although the elders of their race hypothesize that some form of super-intelligent, omnipotent creature must have constructed their race from nothing. They could not have evolved through conventional means, due to their unique abilities and incredibly long lives. They were created for a single reason: protection of their homeland, against the swarms of primal creatures that once dotted the land. Since then, they have branched out in their duties, some being high-paid bodyguards, while others have become magic hunters. Still others have become scholars, leaders, and trainers. They are not known for their race, but rather their accomplishments. Each well-known Invicus is well-known for a different reason. One might have slain a dragon terrorizing a peaceful village, while another might have struck down a black mage preying on a city. Regardless of their accomplishments, each and every Invicus is hard-wired from birth to be moral, just, and fair. Some might not call them ‘good’, per se, but they come as close as one might be able to attain.
Each Invicus is born with four special traits. The first is demi-mortality, or rather, an incredibly long lifespan. None know why this is so, but Invicus live almost unbelievably long lives, with the oldest being around six-thousand years old. An Invicus attains adulthood at thirty years old, and remains that way for most of their life. Around the last few centuries, they age into the senior portion of their life, before dying peacefully. Of course, this is assuming an Invicus lives long enough to die that way, what with all the combat, travel, and assaults they are the subject of. They are mortal in that sense, and a blade, poison, arrow, or claw may slay them as easily as any other mortal race.
The second trait is the Invicus’s most active ability. Something about their being twists space into such a way that all magical energy is dulled, diluted, and generally weakened. In this sense, a mage would need to expend twice as much energy, concentration, and time to create the same effect. This is in no means a complete drain, but it is sufficient to make an Invicus fight on equal terms with a magic user. The field, which the Invicus call Mana-drain, is only visible at night, and even then, it is only visible by a colored glow of one eye. This ability is one of the main reasons the Invicus are such accomplished warriors. The Mana-drain works by absorbing the magical energy of a spell or power, and dissipating it into the surrounding area. In this sense, if one were to use a spell on an Invicus in a wooded area, the trees would receive a dose of magic, and would become stronger, healthier, and tougher. It is thus thought that the Mana-drain only applies to sentient creatures, as most of nature is not affected by it. ((Of course, most of nature doesn’t actively use magic, so that might be another reason.))
This field has a weakness, as do most mortal abilities: if enough energy is fed to it, the Mana-drain will effectively collapse under its own power, knocking the Invicus unconscious, and defenseless, while the large amount of excess magical energy is dissipated. Besides that, the only way to cancel the field’s effects is to make a special deal with the Invicus, a life-long, unbreakable ‘Pact’, which results in the Pact-maker’s immunity to that specific Invicus Mana-drain. If the Pact-maker were to meet any other Invicus, the Pact would not apply, and therefore, the Pact-maker would still be affected. These two methods are the only ways to cancel out an Invicus Mana-drain. That being said, if someone manages to form a Pact with an Invicus, which is not an easy thing to do, and then proceeded to fight along-side said Invicus, the Pact-maker would be constantly imbued with the energy that the Invicus absorbs and dissipates.
The third Invicus ability is enhanced strength and reflexes. Because their power does not extend to physical skills, and most magical creatures and non-magical creatures were extremely fast/strong/intelligent, the Invicus evolved as such. Their mental capacity increased, their muscle reaction speeds increased, and their strength grew as well. At peak condition, an Invicus is roughly twice as strong, smart, and fast as an average human (meaning that they are only about 1.5 times as strong/fast/smart as a peak condition human, someone like Dean.) This ability allows them to hold their own against warriors and creatures that don’t use magic.
The final special, Invicus trait is a mysterious one, which manifests at around fifteen years of age. This skill is different for each Invicus, and ninety-five percent of the time, it is non-magical, as magical skills are directly influenced by the Invicus Mana-drain. This skill is most commonly a physical one, such as a sudden mastery of a specific weapon, or an incredible, superhuman endurance. Other noted skills are things like lightening reflexes, hawk-like vision, extreme jumping abilities, and other skills a body is capable of doing without any form of magic. In the rare case the ability is magical, which is about four-percent of the time, it is generally muted, and less effective than the other abilities.
In the last one percent of the time, an Invicus is born with a special type of Mana-drain. All of the usual effects still apply, but said Invicus now has a Mana-drain which completely nullifies a specific type of magic, such as Fire magic, Earth magic, or other categories. ‘Fire’ magic is anything that creates, manipulates, or attacks with fire. Earth magic is any magic that controls or uses rocks, dirt, gems, or other substances of the soil. In this manner, the Mana-drain effectively renders one form of magic completely useless in said Invicus’s presence. Of course, these percentages are mostly relative, as only a scant hundred thousand Invicus have ever existed. In that sense, only a thousand in all of time have possessed this ability.
As stated above, the Invicus appear to have been created to combat and protect. This involves the body, the mind, and the ‘life-force’. In every sense, an Invicus is meant to change history for the better.
Age
368 (Relatively young by Invicus standards.)
Appearance
Close enough.
Abilities and Skills
As stated above, Caolm has the natural Invicus abilities, such as improved reflexes and strength, heightened mental agility, and demi-immortality.
However, Caolm is one of the few Invicus with a specific magic-cancelling Mana-drain. His is specially attuned to instantly lethal magic (such as Lorn’s specialty). This does not refer to all offensive, lethal magic. For example, fire magic, while certainly deadly, incinerates the target, and in that loose sense, does not qualify as instantly lethal. His specific Mana-drain, although not used often, has saved his life many times during his short life, stopping magic designed to kill off a creature as soon as it touches, or as soon as the gesture or spell is completed.
Caolm also was raised and taught by one of the master Elders, who imparted a mastery of swordplay and incredible mental prowess on Caolm upon the Elder’s inevitable death. A useful skill, his sword mastery allows him to fight and win against some of the best of warriors.
Lastly, Caolm has hypersensitive senses, which give him his enhanced reflexes and improve his overall abilities, allowing him to hear better, see farther, etc. However, if a loud noise or bright light occurs without ANY warning in an area where he can see it or hear it, it incapacitates him for about as two or three minutes (or whatever amount of time the GMs think is fitting.)
Personality
Caolm is like most Invicus: calm, fairly methodical, and cool, externally. If one were to delve deep into Caolm’s psych, however, they would discover a whirlwind of ideas, thoughts, feelings, impressions, and many other things he or she would not be able to discern from an outside view. In battle, he acts the same way: composed, swift, and at times, bored. This being said, he is not quite as passive as some of his elders, tempered with ages as they are, and is still considered fiery and impulsive among his kind. To all of the other races, he comes across as stoic, near silent, and extremely dangerous.
History
Caolm’s childhood was different from many Invicus: he was born, raised by his parents until he was seven, and then selected by an elder, who raised and trained him until he reached adulthood. Unlike most Invicus, who had family tendencies similar to humans, Caolm had a special case. The elder taught Caolm everything; chemistry, swordplay, history, logic. The elder was a teacher, parent, and friend, all in one. It was one of the best ways to be raised. As there was no one else to rely on, Caol grew close to his mentor, and at the same time learned to rely on himself, and himself only. The elder always said, ‘allies are a bonus, not a requirement. Rely on yourself first, and then others. After all, our duty is to protect others, not send them into danger.’ To this day, Caolm is willing to work with others, but prefers to keep them out of harm’s way, no matter how powerful they acted or were.
When he reached adulthood, he went out into the world for a self-imposed, Invicus warrior test. Each Invicus raised by an elder was expected to do something with their long lives, and Caolm decided to prove that he would. If he succeeded, his mentor promised a welcome to the Invicus island with true immortality-having his name and deeds etched into a statue made in his likeness, to be then placed somewhere on the island. Only four or five of these statues exist, and they were all from great leaders or scholars. If he should fail, his mentor promised a hero’s welcome, and a family’s love. It’s a poor substitute to Caolm, as he would feel as though they have let his mentor down, regardless.
With only a hundred and sixty-two years left, Caolm started to get slightly nervous. Nothing he had accomplished felt worthy enough. He could do better. He
had to do better, for his people’s sake. For the world’s sake. He had recently visited Ishtar, and had joined a city guard there for a short time, and the rumors of Sterthorpe had reached his ears steadily. It was something that would not blow over with time. A queen snuffing out lives? Because of twisted ideals? This injustice couldn’t stand. He paced his things, resigned quietly, and left for Sterthope, helping and aiding others along the way, as was his hardwired nature. Along the way, he heard whispers of a man, a ‘Queen’s Hand’ of sorts, who killed people faster than they could think it. Caolm mulled this over in his mind. Perhaps his particular talents could be of use in this scenario.
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Originally Posted by Bladewind
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