Name: Helvana

Alias: Mother of Crows; Corvian Witch; Corvian Outcast; Bird Brains (use it at your own peril).

Gender: Female.

Domain (Portfolio): Darkness (Hexes)

Domain (Portfolio) Description: Darkness, contrary to what is commonly believed, is not simple absence of light, but rather its opposite, much like the other side of a coin. Darkness in its purest state can take form and attain consistency, be it soft and malleable or hard. On its own, however, the forms it can take are limited and rely on other Domains to assume other forms. While light can be measured in intensity, pure darkness is measured in thickness and can only be dispersed by light of greater intensity.

There's no better way than to cause misfortune without being noticed than by influencing fate through curses and hexes, and thus Helvana makes this her main method of operations. She specializes in influences that bring strong and imediate effects since she won't afford to wait and see some villager lose half of his crops over the course of weeks, but she'll stick around to see him trip and break something.

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral.

Personality: Helvana is a trickster, pure and simple and enjoys causing trouble and watching as things develop. She's smug, sadistic, proud and impossible to break, even if she was about to die she'd still display a grin to the very end. Causing misfortune isn't all that she does, however, and if she were to meet someone in need, she wouldn't even think about harming them and would instead take pity on them, but she'll never admit to being a good person. She goes out of her way when she helps others, so if someone were to harm those she care for she'd be very personal about her revenge.

Helvana's also disrespectful, or indifferent, towards anyone and couldn't give a damn whether she's talking to a great hero or a god. The one thing she treats with care are her pet crows and doesn't associate with others due to that, but if she were to find someone or something that pikes her interest, then she'll also treat them with care.

She covers her body with garbs and a mask she fashioned after her cute pets as she thinks little of mortals and would only deign to show her face to one if they're worthy of her respect. She's indifferent to showing her face to other gods or demi-gods, though.

In truth, she feels devoid of a purpose and tries to find something to live for. She doesn't know why she even takes pity on some people even if they're nothing but lowly creatures in her eyes, but she feels oddly joyous about it. Despite this the idea that she can be truly good is ludicrous to her since she recognizes how twisted she is.

Appearance:



She also takes the form of a crow whenever she flies or when she spies of unsuspecting people. Although she knows it won't affect those with great power, she'll almost always be surrounded by her murder of crows, so unless they can tell which of the crows is Helvana, she already has an edge over them. She can still speak in this form.


Musical Theme:
youtube.com/watch?v=YezAykyFIZ0

youtube.com/watch?v=ikWGbtXIBr4 - if you actually manage to make her mad.

Description: Somewhat of a walking paradox, one wouldn't know if they should fear or admire Helvana. In one hand she could ruin someone's life in a heartbeat, but on the other she could save someone just as fast. Consider yourself blessed if she cares for you, but if you anger the Corvian Witch, beware the black feathers.

Concealment Level: 1.
Detection Level: 1.

Name: Thacel

Alias: N/A

Gender: Male

Domain (Portfolio): War (Strategy)

Domain (Portfolio) Description: When there is free will there is war. Ideologies clash and battles ensue, it is the one constant in a universe with chaos and choice flowing through it. It is this aspect that Thacel is the demigod of. With this domain beneath him he is able to grant the insight of war, the pure theoretical concept and knowledge, to other beings rather than strength, agility, etc.

While there are those who focus on the brute force aspects of War, Thacel is not among their number. Instead he relies upon the strategies and tactics that allow a weaker force to outmaneuver those of greater number or power. Unfortunately this only truly benefits him when he has a number beneath him, he is a tactician rather than a warrior and would have a difficult time in a one on one duel with another demigod.

Vigilance: A Jian sword created for him by Toun, carries it on his left hip outside of his robe.

Alignment: Neutral

Personality: He is neither bloodthirsty nor is he benevolent, though he has been described as both from his actions. The amount of dead on either side doesn’t matter the slightest to him as he views the conflict as a means to judge the effectiveness of various formations, strategies, etc on various terrains and against other strategies. Due to his domain and portfolio the side he is aiding often seems him as kind and just since his actions cause a decrease in death rates within their army while the other side feels the exact opposite. And while he is pleased when his side suffered fewer losses this is not due to any sense of bond or care for life, but because it shows that the tactics used that day were successful in their execution.

While one may expect him to show up in as many wars and battles as he can this is not the case. After the end of each battle he takes his leave in order to create time in which he can go over his analysis of the data collected so far. During this time he will hide away from the world, spending as much time as is needed to edit, remove, or add notes to what he had developed thus far. Any interruptions to his seclusion are highly unwelcomed, though there are a few beings that he makes exception to.

Despite his interests in the methods of war, and more importantly the art of winning them, he does take downtime so he can travel the land. This is partially out of necessity, if he were to stay in one location for too long his instincts and intellect would stall as he wouldn’t be adding anything new, and partially to relax for a while. He knows that if he were constantly at war he would inevitably burn out. He would get caught in a rut and this would lead to a stalling of his growth to the same degree as staying in one location. So he travels, wandering until he happens upon a new war brewing. He dislikes joining in the middle of one, coming in at the start he has time to observe passively before taking action a luxury that is not afforded if he came in the middle.

When interacting with mortal beings he retains much of his personality from battle, remaining cold and calculating. He knows that he would be without purpose without the existence of them but he cannot bring himself to view them as more than pawns, no matter the titles they may hold within their societies. It is clear to him that this viewpoint is caused by his own pride but that is not a good enough reason for him to alter his behavior.

On the other hand when he is in the presence of other demigods or the gods themselves he has a much more relaxed demeanor. With some he even reaches the point of friendly warmth. He feels at home among the other divine entities, though this doesn’t protect all of them from being at the receiving end of his annoyance if they were to interrupt him during his analysis phase.

During his wandering periods he makes sure to visit various gods and demigods, catching up on the latest events not pertaining to war, for the same purpose that he travels in the first place. It gives him time to decompress and give his mind a brief rest before joining the next battle.

Appearance:


Description: Anyone who sees Thacel upon the battlefield would notice the cold fire burning within his gaze, it is clear that he would not care what happened to the beings on either side. It would be evident that he was not there for the blood, he wasn’t there for glory, he was there to ensure a complete and overwhelming victory at any cost. He has taken it upon himself to act as the mind of any army he stands with. Despite this even in defeat the fire doesn’t go out because he is already breaking down the battle to find what went wrong and fix it so it didn’t happen again. He is a tactician through and through when he stands with a commander who heeds his word.

Musical Theme:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujVNKQrYSuk

Concealment Level: 1.
Detection Level: 1.

DOMAIN & PORTFOLIO


GENDER


ALIGNMENT


PERSONALITY


APPEARANCE


DESCRIPTION


MUSIC THEME


CONCEALMENT & DETECTION LEVEL

Gender: Absent. Referred to as "it".

Domain and Portfolio: Purity (Void).

Description of Domain:

Though often viewed as a trait in its own right, purity is, at its core, a negation. Indeed, one would struggle to even describe it in terms of assertion. Purity is freedom from taint and corruption, or, more broadly, anything extraneous to a being. It is the absence of alteration. One who achieves its ideal is, strictly speaking, not so much pure as devoid of impurity, a condition paradoxically (purity must, after all, normally be attributed to something, as it cannot exist independently) more difficult to define than the concept itself. It is often unclear where purity ends and mutilation begins. Transformations and modifications can affect something to such an extent that they cease to be external influences and become part of it, and a victim of extensive corruption or mutation may, at some point, become an altogether different being, for whom they are not as abnormal. Furthermore, the question presents itself whether change and new creation, perhaps the greatest aberration of all, are to be considered impure; and therefore of whether purity is something barren and sterile, born only of suppression and destruction.

These and other uncertainties plague something which appears at first glance unsoiled by ambiguity and confusion. The duty of the Hollow Absolute includes finding answers to them, just as it does enforcing purity upon the world. Within itself, Osveril carries an archetype of the concept, which constantly shifts and evolves as the demigod observes the universe and reaches new conclusions about how it should be. The Absolute has the power to measure all that it perceives against this internal value, determining how close it is to the ideal of purity, and transforming objects, living beings and even environments to reflect it. Changes affecting especially vast or enduring subjects may manifest as a gradual twisting and withering rather than an instantaneous transfiguration.

The greatest tool at the Hollow Absolute's disposal, as well as the most stable and basic constant it can rely upon, is complete emptiness. Nothing is as pure as the void, which is an absence not only of change and corruption, but of potential for them as well, and, indeed, nothing other than the void is absolutely pure. Interestingly, in its lack of everything, the void embodies that very barrenness that seems to shackle the concept of purity, binding the quest for the true ideal in place. However, Osveril sees in it not a forced stasis, but a path to be followed to achieve flawlessness in all its possible and impossible forms.

Alignment: Lawful Evil. Though not actively malicious or ill-intentioned, Osveril's incapability to compromise and disregard of anything beyond its goals place it at odds with all that does not conform to its ever-changing standards or, worse yet, disagrees with its vision.

Personality:

As incongruous as its domain, Osveril is mainly defined by its unwavering, dogmatic devotion to a fickle and inconstant principle. Thorough and systematic in all things, the Absolute balances correcting and guiding the transformations of its internal standards and mercilessly judging everything it encounters. It does not think of itself as an individual, but as a force existing with the sole aim of bringing about a cosmic restoration of sorts. Osveril is almost physically incapable of considering the universe and its inhabitants as anything else than a chaos of impurities and imperfections which must be purged and healed, and devotes itself with utmost zeal to what it is convinced is its sacred duty before its own existence. Purity is both its own authority and its own reward; and any obstacle in its way is, by definition, corrupt.

As it could be expected, such a mindset tends to bring about frequent conflicts with those who would rather not submit to Osveril's cleansing. The Absolute does not even regard their opposition as misguided or malicious, as it does not consider the thoughts and actions of other entities to be on a level comparable to its own. Rather, those are mere flaws of the mind, which can and must be removed as expeditely as those of the body. Nonetheless, when dealing with beings capable of rational thought, Osveril prefers not to resort to violence unless it is inevitable. It attempts instead to persuade them of the mistaken nature of their views, as it finds the notion of an intelligence, however inferior, accepting purity by its own choice supremely intriguing. In such interactions, the Absolute's ineptitude in reasoning in conventional terms becomes clear. It appears obtuse and arrogant, refusing to consider even for a moment that its position might not be the only acceptable one in spite of any argument against it. Should these attempts fail, as they are wont to do, it has no qualms about forcefully distorting unwilling subjects into its own image of perfection.

For all its blind adherence to its self-imposed calling, Osveril is remarkably creative as concerns purity itself. Fully conscious that any image it has of it as yet is incomplete and flawed, it delights in experimenting with physical and abstract objects and entities, warping or contaminating them with partial non-existence. While it rationalises this as progress towards discovering the true ideal, it secretly relishes in satisfying its creative urges - perhaps an unconscious reaction to the stigma of sterility, perhaps the only aspect of its being not subordinate to all-assimilating obligation.

Appearance:

Osveril's physical form is reminiscent of those of most humanoid beings, having two arms, an equal number of legs and a head protruding from a central body, but that is where similarities with many of them end. Standing taller than most humans and perfectly symmetrical in all of its parts, it appears as though formed out of angular, three-dimensional geometric forms. Its torso and abdomen are many-faceted polyhedrons, one larger than the other; its limbs rectangular cuboids joined by segmented articulations; its feet truncates pyramids; its hands prisms in the shape of long, sharp claws. The Absolute's head takes the form of a trapezoidal prism, on whose front, despite its featurelessness, there seems to be a triangular mask flanked by two rows of small, circular holes on its two sides.

The whole is fashioned out of a dull grey material, which, despite visually resembling metal, seems strangely organic and skin-like to the touch. All its surfaces are smooth and flawless, and even adhesive substances cannot cling to it. It is unclear whether this is Osveril's true body or a suit of armour, but the Absolute is never seen in any other guise, lending credence to the former.

Description:

Osveril is a strange being, seeking to bring purity to the world despite being fully aware of it own imperfect nature. For all its internal contradictions, however, it is a rather substantial danger to most things it sets its eyeless sight upon. Its cleansing quest is for most the brutal imposition of an alien will upon their reality; despite its sincere desire for improvement, or perhaps because of it, only desolation and sinister anomalies remain in its wake. While it is not entirely impossible to reason with it, inducing the Absolute to reconsider anything is incredibly difficult. All things considered, it is not vicious or cruel. It is not hostile towards beings mortal or divine, even when they interfere with its work - after all, any mind can be tainted, and its task is to heal, not to destroy. And yet, it remains oblivious to the pain and horror it may cause, reasoning that any who find issue with its doing must be imperfect. The Void That Is is a perilous presence, for, like its namesake, it has no regard or respect for anything, and threatens to consume all in is unthinking progress.

Musical Theme:



Concealment and Detection:

Concealment Level: 1

Detection Level: 1

Dust Crawlers: Species (animal, vegetal, semi-sentient).

Lifespan: 7-10 years on average.

Description: As the first of Osveril’s major creations, the Dust Crawlers perfectly embody the principle of utility driving its every action. Everything in them, from the minutest part of their bodies to the unnatural energies that give them life, is directed towards a clear and simple purpose, and no variety or deviation is allowed to interfere with that mandate.

The Crawlers’ function is both straightforward and monumental at once. They must rid the surface of Galbar of all material irregularities, including but not limited to geological formations, bodies of liquid and redundant inhabitants, so that their maker may build its vision of an ideal world over the resulting desolation. While the execution of this task could, in principle, be construed as simple enough not to require overly complex instruments, the amount of sheer force necessary is immense, and all the greater in proportion with the tools’ simplicity. Osveril saw life as the best way to achieving its end, being a relatively familiar, primitive element with the potential to increase in strength exponentially, and this vision it embodied in its servants: crude, unrefined beings of raw power that grow as they unmake in a flawless cycle.

Though it drew upon already existing creatures in creating them, the Hollow One only selected the traits it found useful to its purpose from among them, leading to entities that only distantly resemble Galbaric life. While most of their genetic code is derived from invertebrate animals of various sorts, which in itself leads to such oddities as vaguely mollusk-like beings having an exoskeleton and motory limbs, the addition of some vegetal traits improving features such as structural integrity and growth potential renders Crawlers impossible to define in terms of either realm of life. At the same time, this hybridization, while caused by a Jvanic artifact, is itself not strictly magical in nature, and the Crawlers’ organisms are perfectly functional in their own right.

However, Osveril did not consider this sufficient, and further empowered the creatures with its ruinous boons. Thanks to its touch, all Dust Crawlers are born and live in strange mutilation. While the interior of their bodies is otherwise complete with all necessary organs, they lack a digestive tract beyond their mouths and an internally armoured channel leading to where their stomach would be. In its stead, they have a void, made unstable by being defined in size, mobility and, to a certain extent, shape. Thus, while they are able to ingest physical objects, they cannot process them by means other than exposing them to the peripheral zone of the emptiness. This process does not fully annihilate matter, but distorts it to the extent that, whichever shape it might have had, it is reduced to a thin, almost fluid grey dust, whose aberrant atomic structure appears, if examined, to bear traces of Gap-like binding energies. The dust is then expelled by the means of an excretory system joined to the Crawlers’ breathing apparatus, which directs exhaled air and waste into “vent” openings on their backs.

Since a construct incapable of sustaining itself like this one would not have been optimal for its intended function, Osveril imbued its creations with the more dynamic force of Hunger. Besides giving them a monstrous, insatiable appetite for anything they can perceive that does not bear the Hollow’s mark, this infusion altered their metabolic capabilities to a surreal extent. The mere act of eating something causes Crawler bodies to spontaneously generate energy, propagating from what seem to be specialised neural clusters. It is unclear what exactly are the conditions for this process to occur, but it appears that perception of the object being ingested is necessary, though the ingestion itself may not be directly caused by the Crawler’s actions. The energy obtained can be readily converted into matter, allowing the Crawler body to sustain itself and directing any excess into proliferation.

Dust Crawlers reproduce asexually, writing their own genetic code, which thus remains identical in all individuals, onto cells of flexible design in a curious form of self-impregnation. Once these ovules develop into eggs, they are carried externally, typically on the parent’s hind legs, though they still rely on their host for nutrition. The eggs hatch after slightly over a week, at which point the larval Crawlers that emerge from them begin to feed their developing voids on the easily processed dust that is exhaled by their host. The final stage of their growth, following between two and three weeks after the larval one, is more similar to the development of crustacean zoea, with the growing creatures shedding their membranous skin to reveal the shell underneath. There are no further occurrences of molting in a Crawler’s life cycle, with their carapaces stratifying as they grow and the lower layers being consumed by the expanding void until they reach their adult size. At that point, they will not undergo further transformations until their vital systems give way at the end of their lifespan. Both this and critically damaging the fleshy membranes underneath a Crawler’s exoskeleton will cause its void to briefly pulse outwards and collapse, killing it if it was still alive.

While Crawlers possess a rudimentary form of partial sentience, insofar as they are capable of perceiving external stimuli and adjusting their behaviour in response, they have no true consciousness to speak of, and operate on a crude, though fairly complex, system of physiological feedback. They are capable of limited communication among themselves, using the motions of their tentacles and pheromone signals to alert each other of threats and obstacles. This allows for a surprising degree of coordination in their actions, allowing vast swarms to converge on dangerous prey or adapt their movement speed and paths as the terrain requires; however, the fact remains that Dust Crawlers are no more than mindless biological machines of destruction that cannot be stopped by anything short of their death.

Appearance: With their replicated genetic code and overall small possible variation in development, Dust Crawlers are virtually identical to one another in even the most minute details. Like all things touched by Osveril, they share a uniform grey hue and an entirely angular form, with only the most elastic parts of their anatomy having anything resembling a smooth, recurve shape.

Fully grown Crawlers have swollen, ponderous-looking bodies about twice as large as a violet slug, shaped like truncated octagonal prisms. They are covered by a segmented chitinous exoskeleton formed by interlocking grey plates. Their shapes are such that ridges and lines of a faceted, symmetrical geometric design appear to run smoothly from one to the other, though, on closer inspection, there are visible gaps for dust ejection between their edges. Unless an adult Crawler has been injured, there will never be either more or less than twelve segments in their carapace, not counting the head. Their shells are tough and rigid, and their consistency is more similar to that of tree bark hardened with chitin than normal insect or crustacean exoskeletons. The underside is smooth and more thinly armoured. While it protects the drooping, fluid mass inside the carapace from sharp objects, it is flexible enough to sag down and drag along the ground under its weight.

In their overall body structure, Crawlers are highly abnormal among arthropod-like beings, as they lack a recognisable thorax and most of their body appears to be formed by an oversized abdomen. They move on six thick, evenly spaced segmented legs, which, like their bodies, have angular prismoid shapes, and taper to sharp, yet balanced tips. An eighth, bulkier pair of limbs, located directly under the head plate, ends instead in powerful angled pincers, capable of crushing rock and bone alike.

What passes for a Crawler’s head is little more than a flat surface. Two bulging black eyes are partly lodged in small cavities in it, flanking an ample mouth-cavity surrounded by two circles of inwards-facing mandibles, the inner one smaller than the outer. While they each resemble those of an ant, they are much larger, being proportionate to the Crawlers’ size, and are used as much for propelling prey into their mouth as for crushing it. Near the four corners of the plate, the exoskeleton is interrupted by an equal number of short, but stocky tentacular limbs, one in each point, emerging from under it. These tentacles, having oddly rectangular sides despite their flexibility, end in long barbed stingers, lined with small horizontal slits near their base.

Often, a Crawler’s hindmost limbs will be covered in the small prisms of eggs clutching to it, or its shell will be covered in slug-like larvae clustered around the dust vents.

Name: Legio

Alias: Legio uses the name 'Ine' when among others, much to Spitfire's chagrin.

Gender: Physically female, mentally, both.

Domain (Portfolio): Fire (Lava)

Domain (Portfolio) Description: Legio controls fire, and flames as the two survivors of the Great Fight were those who preferred the use of fire over all other things. Her Portfolio is Lava, stemming from Ine, the self-styled 'Mistress Of Magma'. Ine prefers more 'creative' uses of her Lava, but has no issue using it in it's natural form is such is required.

Alignment: Neutral Good.

Personality: Legio has Three Personalities, as she has three people inside her head. Most where condensed into a single being, but a few were to powerful to be subdued, and so they share. Sharing with two is easier than sharing with two hundred, after all.

Spitfire, the self-proclaimed 'King of Fire' is a very proud, slightly narracistic man who loves to show off his powers, is generally extremely high-key, and loves attetion. He is slightly embarrased about the form of his host however, and so he doesn't speak often, since his glorious, powerful voice does not carry right in the womanly vocal cords. He helps people, when he believes they need help, but does not dominat another person, only helping when he believes the person's life is at risk, and instead allowing them to work out their own problems, to build character.

The other inhabitant, Ine, who calls herself the 'Mistress of Magma' is a lot more subdued, but speaks outwardly more often, feeling naturally at home within the female form. She is more active in her desires to help people, which can sometimes sometimes cause her and Spitfire to argue, while the host stands there and stares off into nothing. While possessing a firey temper and ability to be quite destructive, she prefers to use her Magma's more creative and interesting applications.

Both, however, agree that the world is beautiful, and interesting, and are equally eager to see all it has to offer, and lend their hand to make it flourish, and grow. An interesting mindset for a pair of flaming people, but most often forget the nurturing, loving side of fire.

The third, and least seen of the personalities, is the actual woman who is the host of the two. She mostly appears when Spitfire and Ine are arguing too much to take proper control of the host. She is the most human of the three, and this leads her to be the most confused. She was not expecting the whole ritual to turn out like this, only volunteered for the reward offered to her family. And now she's a flaming Demi-God. She is kind of scared of the whole thing and is extremely overwhelmed by the new abilities she has. She will learn in time, and by her nature is more approachable than the other two. But for right now, she is more antelope in headlights.

Appearance:


Legio uses a hood most of the time to cover her intense crimson eyes, but occasionally throws it back when she wants to show off, or shock people into listening to her. In time of great concentration, or great distraction, her clothes seem to flicker like a flame would, betraying their nature and origin.
Musical Theme: youtube.com/watch?v=cRmwFBK0cyk

Description: A mortal attempt to touch the divine, Ine is a result of several hundred Druids enacting a grand occultic ritual, combining their essence into one, a girl who had volunteered to be the host for her family's sake. There was a lot of wheeling and dealing with Djinn to get everything they needed for this, the most important of which was claiming the Relic Of Perfectus. Near the ritual's end, the shard of divinity was thrust into her chest, and then the Druids all killed themselves inside the binding circle. The power of the ritual, and the shard of divinity, drew every druid inside the girl, some with Djinns hosted inside them, others simply touched by the Djinn through years of contact with them. They all arrived in the mindscape, a mental construct made to house all the Druids mentalities. Here, their powers manifested, both from external projection of what they could do, and the piece of the Divine granting that actualisation.

Unfortunately, they quickly realised that they where all still in control. Hundreds of people trying to drive a single host did not go well, and what started with bickering and squabbling became a fight for control. Time, as a concept, was distorted in the Mindscape, but it seemed to last a life time. With every death, the remaining denizens got stronger, and more devastating in their battle. Eventually most were laid low, and it ended in a stalemate between Spitfire, and Ine. The two tried to clash with each other, but realised they were far to equally matched, being the last survivors, and thus the inheritors of the full might of all the druids, and the divinity as well. So begrudgingly stood together, not total domination as was expected, but much more than sharing with several hundred others.

Concealment Level: 1
Detection Level: 1