Selysze are humanoid creatures that typically range from around 4 feet in height to 8 feet, and are often very lithe with sinewy musculature. Selysze are typically brightly coloured, favouring the cooler colours such as purple and blue, and almost always with their soul core in the centre of their forehead or directly in the centre of their chest. This, ultimately, is where the generic racial similarities between the various types of Selysze end - as their physiology is uniquely adapted to serve the concept that embodies them.

Like their brethren, Selysze undertake various Trial and Growth stages - but these are much more than the expansion of abilities or the alteration of form. To a Selysze, the trial and growth stages they undertake are personal, spiritual journeys - they are the discovery of self and what it means to be the concept that they embody. They are the product of past experiences, and the insight gained from new experiences - and to a Selysze, they are both sacred and plentiful. Many Selysze undergo a great deal more Trial and Growth stages than their brethren, doing so to further refine the Will and intent that encompasses their being. Just as there are many facets to a single jewel, there are many ways in which a concept can be embodied. Justice is both the executioner's axe and the judge's mercy, and it is this continual process of change that allows a Selysze to hone what they are. As a result, their physiology and magical ability is wont to change readily, as is the inherent geas that they produce.

Selysze lack an on-demand shapeshifting ability, but are able to change their physiology in one of their many growth stages - but these occur frequently enough that if one were to meet a Selysze and encounter them a month later, they would most likely have changed their body or their magic in some small but noticeable away. As time goes on, each Selysze focuses further and further into specific aspects of the concept that they embody, and as they change, so too does the geas that they naturally produce. As the geas is also what drives the Selysze, it is subtly changed as their experiences grow - and those under its compulsion steadily take on little tics reminiscent of the Selysze at the time of the geas' creation within them.

In order to reproduce, a Selysze splits its soul core in half and inserts this into the anima of another being, placing them under more powerful but far less compelling geas, as the additional power allows the geas to infuse with the target's will rather than compete with it. The soul core then gestates within its host, drawing from their experiences and adapting to what they are by sapping the vis infused with their intent. Eventually, the new core emerges from its host painlessly and largely without causing injury, though the host is noticeably sapped of vis and often never fully shakes the lingering effects of the geas. The gestation period is usually between two to three years, which allows the host to have a variety of experiences that will shape the nature of the new Selysze.



The Selysze are both born of and entirely beholden to the Will, the fundamental force of order that suffuses all of reality. It is through the Will that intent is poured into Vis, and so the Selysze are uniquely adapted to infuse their own vis, as well as the vis of others, with intent - with different implications for both. The Selysze are, by and large, completely beholden to a single idea or emotion that is poured into everything they do. Some are beacons of compassion, others a living incarnation of destruction - though all, through either chaos or order, advance the agenda of all Licentia and the Will as a whole as per the inscrutable vicissitudes of fate.
Magically speaking, the Selysze are adept at whatever it is their concept lends itself to. Selysze with the concept of Truth are analytical, capable of impelling others to be forthright and honest. Selysze with the concept of Compassion are kind to the extreme, able to deliver succour beyond compare to those who are suffering. Whatever they may require to fulfil their purpose is what they are able to do, no more and no less. As the Selysze are sensitive to the Will and are by nature narrowly focused, they lose sense of all else when they become aware of something that the intent roiling within them would have them address, and once the task at hand ceases to align with their intent, they lose all interest and all power over it. The innate compulsion of a Selysze results in a largely nomadic lifestyle, as they are driven to seek out and correct perceived imbalances in the Will that conflict with their concept. Their scope of power lies solely in the ministration of this concept, and once their task is complete or when the task no longer aligns with their concept, they lose all interest in it and are powerless to interact with it until it becomes relevant to them once more. Put simply, a Selysze only learns magic that is connected to the fulfilment of their fundamental purpose – they may learn any magic that does so, and are unable to learn any magic that does not. If magic that has been learned ceases to aid them in the fulfilment of their purpose, they become unable to use it, and if a type of magic previously inaccessible to them becomes relevant to them, they are able to learn it.

Each Selysze boasts a unique variant of their racial power, the geas. Due to the sheer strength of intent that a Selysze's vis contains, and their connection to the Will, they are able to manifest in others a compulsion of their intent, albeit far less powerful than the pull that the Selysze themselves feels. A geas of Truth would impel those under it to speak the truth, a geas of Compassion would impel those under it to offer aid and succour to the needy, a geas of Death would impel those under it to kill. The geas is manifested in a small field, two feet in radius, around the Selysze at all times - though this can be controlled by sufficiently experienced Selysze. Each Selysze is also capable of using a shard of their soul core, inserted into the anima of another being, to infuse them with a sliver of the Selysze's Geas - this gives the being a lesser compulsion according to the concept that the Selysze embodies, and varies in strength depending on the power of the Selysze imparting the Geas and the willpower or mental fortitude of the recipient. For most, the compulsion is strong enough to alter their way of thinking enough that they take on certain aspects of the concept in the day-to-day life, but little beyond that. The compulsion of the natural geas is far more powerful, however, due to the proximity of the Selysze - but this also results in the immediate cancellation of the effects of the geas should the target leave the field.
As with any geas, the compulsion can be resisted - but if the target does not act in accordance with the geas placed upon them, the infusion of foreign intent overwhelms them and temporarily leaves them unable to infuse vis with their own will - this prevents most traditional spellcasting, but does not prevent the use of abilities that only shape vis.



The Selysze are distant ancestors of the Ahldreian, taking from them their unique connection to the Will. In so doing, the core tenets of Selysze culture were formed: Become one with the Will, and enact it howsoever you are able to. The earliest Selysze were not as intensely driven as their modern brethren, and their unique senses were not so clearly formed - they were essentially handymen, going around Torqueo and finding situations that were the antithesis of the concept that they embodied in order to remedy them. As the purpose of the Licentia as a whole shifted, so too did the purpose of the Selysze - though they were always beholden to the Will and as a result less prone to the zeitgeist that the ever-changing Licentia often found themselves in.

The Selysze only really appear in the histories of other races, as their culture is so often ingrained with that of the other Licentia. Additionally, Selysze are not enormously common, and while they are common enough to be by and large known by Licentia as a whole, they are not so common as to be mentioned frequently or be common in any history except that of the other races, where they are occasionally mentioned due to some interaction.

The Selysze very quickly became the manifestations of concept that they are today in part due to the tumultuous nature of the Licentia and in part due to the time frame. Their culture revolved around the celebration of individuality and the ways in which they could enact what they perceived to be the Will's demands, but this very quickly fell to the wayside as the inherent geas within the Selysze became stronger and stronger as time went on. The loosely held together culture of the Selysze crumbled as quickly as it was made, with the Selysze so ensorcelled by their own geas that they very rarely interacted with one another.

Many Selysze are constantly on the move, using their unique senses to find disturbances in the Will that relate to their concept and righting them. Many do this tirelessly, spurred on by the conviction of intent that defines them - and their senses are strong enough and their problems plentiful enough that they never run out of things of to do. Some, however, are able to rest for periods of time - either due to the nature of their compulsion, or due to being unable to sense disturbances nearby that their compulsions demand they correct. When resting, Selysze still embody their concept, but are generally very understanding and open, and keen to aid those in need and offer their services wherever possible. They yearn for adventure, as each experience they undertake furthers their understanding of the Will and enables them to better serve it. While most races have their fair share of deviants who rebel against the ideals of the race, Selysze are inherently bound to the Will. They are unable to separate themselves from it, and as it is a key to the fundamental geas that makes up their being, they are equally unable to resist it.

Selysze do not take names of their parents’ choosing or their own choosing, instead being referred to by the concept that they embody. This leads to much confusion among the other races if multiple Selysze embodying the same concept are encountered simultaneously, but the Selysze can inherently sense when someone is referring to them rather than their brethren.

Name – Truth
Nicknames – N/A
Gender – N/A
Sexuality – N/A
Alias – The Arbiter
Age – 3053
Apparent Age – N/A
Race – Licentia
Sub-Race/Lineage or Nationality/Specialty: Selysze / Eximius

Truth is, as most of their race are, first and foremost the very incarnation of the concept that they embody - even more so due to their status as an Eximius. Truth is almost completely amoral in the traditional sense, being unable to even fathom of the concept of judging someone against a societally approved set of rules and laws. Their only loyalty is to the truth and the Will, and they perceive disturbances in the Will where lies are obfuscating information that should be known; this is the only metric which they are capable of extending to others. Truth comes across as cold and logical, preferring to avoid personal connections in favour of objective and binary relationships. To some they act as an interrogator, and to others they act as a form of conscience - Truth themselves see no distinction between the two, recognising only that their concealment is a disturbance that demands correction. Truth both shows and feels very little emotion, driven only to correct the imbalances that grate against its senses wherever they arise - and as a result often does not form any sort of long lasting relationship with others. This fundamental disconnect results in them often being perceived as brusque and short in conversation, though they do not necessarily intend for this to be the case.

While not warm and personable by any stretch of the imagination, Truth is not unapproachable. Many are compelled by their extraordinarily powerful geas to confess deep-seated secrets and lies, and while these little things are not what Truth is driven to seek out and correct they feel relieved to help any release the burden of a lie - and in this sense, can be considered somewhat friendly. Truth detests those who scheme and plot from the shadows, preferring an honest and open discourse in any situation possible - though this should certainly not be confused with contempt for the context of the actions, however, only for the act of dishonesty in and of itself. As Truth is naturally driven to seek out these perceived imbalances, they learned during their younger years to try to hide the more uncomfortable aspects of their personality behind the auspices of a higher power - mortals especially are prone to belief in deities or powers higher than themselves, and Truth often takes on the mantle of such in order to undertake its compulsive behaviour.

Many creatures gain wisdom with age, but Selysze that grow old are only more driven by their compulsions. Truth is no exception to this, and though they have managed to shift their scope away from little imbalances to the larger sort they are fundamentally unable to stop themselves from working. As Truth requires very little in the way of rest, they are usually constantly analysing situations to determine the extent of any damage that lies have caused or are gathering information from those involved. Truth investigates such things with a tireless and objective eye, and is dogged in their pursuit - once locked on to a disturbance, nothing short of death can shake them of their task. It cannot be said that Truth lacks a sense of danger per se, more that despite any conventional wisdom stating otherwise the compulsion that forms the core of their being overrides any and all attempts by Truth to ignore it. As is the case with many of their kind, Truth once felt frustration and anger at this part of themselves - but age has, in this case, mellowed them enough for them to at least coexist with their compulsion rather than allow it to take over every aspect of their life.

That is not to say that Truth does much other than uncover the truth, however. Truth simply spends its spare time honing its skills in the service of its compulsion when it cannot sense a disturbance great enough to rouse it to action. Truth enjoys activities such as logic puzzles and cryptography, which it tends to avidly complete when not focusing on doing much else. Though the compulsion it bears is extremely strong, Truth is able to reconcile this with taking time to ensure that it is capable of ousting lies when it spots them. In the same vein, Truth is a veritable storehouse of information relating to all things factual and legal purely in service to its need to spread fact and dispel fiction - while it does not personally follow any such codes, those it is impelled to assist do follow such creeds and its knowing them is vital to ensure their success. As a particularly old Selysze, Truth is well aware that objective truth is extraordinarily rare to find. Many disturbances are caused by a subjective belief in what the truth is and how much of it should be revealed, and so Truth is compelled primarily to force people to tell the truth only in the context of their own moral code. This often results in an outcome that does not necessarily satisfy Truth on a personal level, but does satisfy their compulsion - and once the compulsion has been quelled, Truth is free to give its own opinion on the matter.

All-in-all, Truth is as simple as honest as their namesake. They wish only to free others from the burden of lies, as it is only through a complete knowledge of truth that a truly wise decision can be made and the Will can be satisfied.

Truth has been a leader among the Selysze for many years, though their origins and ascension to Eximius are largely shrouded in mystery and hearsay. Truth prefers not to linger on what has been done, but on what is yet to be done - and is in Ominar because they sense an enormous disturbance in the Will leaking into the city. Not one to allow this to go uncorrected, Truth plans to pledge themselves to the service of Medius and unravel the mysteries they sense looming on the horizon.

- Immune to mind-altering effects, including mind control and the geas of other Selysze.
- Permanently affected by a geas that compels them to tell the truth and bring truth to light where it has been willfully hidden.
- Vast and extensive knowledge of many subjects and topics relating to law, history, and culture.
- Exceptional puzzle-solving skills and knowledge of ciphers, as well as many other linguistic and written methods of concealing the truth.
- Eidetic and limitless memory; perfect recall.
- Uniquely attuned to the Will, able to sense disturbances in it relating to its specific geas.



- Physically weak.
- Unimpressive stamina.
- Average reflexes.
- Potent vis sense, extending to the identification of individuals and vast insight into most forms of vis manipulation.
- Little to no physical combat experience.



- Geas Mastery

Truth has achieved such mastery over their fundamental geas that they are able to utilise it in many more ways than the average Selysze. The area that their inherent geas covers is ten feet in radius, and its effect is so strong that only those with legendary mental resistance or equivalent/greater power levels can hope to fully resist it. If Truth manages to insert a fragment of its soul core into an individual, the geas is so overwhelmingly powerful that it can only be resisted in exceptional circumstances, or by those vastly more powerful than Truth. Truth is able to mould vis into a rune that conveys the geas at 50% of its normal potency to those touching it. Additionally, if Truth has inserted a fragment of their soul core into someone and is manifesting their geas in that way, the geas is able to force them to comply to Truth's definition of honesty, rather than their own definition of honesty - which is typically far more objective and brutal.

- Illusion Mastery

Similar in vein to the power of the Ahldreian, though vastly weaker by comparison, Truth is able to use its connection to the Will to produce exceptionally convincing illusions, realistic to the point that even with the ability to sense vis the illusions are challenging to dispel. This is most commonly used personally, in order to better blend in with the environment and raise less suspicion. Though loathe to do so, Truth is capable of using their illusory magic for the purposes of deception if - and only if - it will allow them to uncover a deeper deception or it will allow them to remain undetected. Truth commonly uses their illusory magic to display information to specific individuals without the notice of others, as well as to visualise challenging concepts or puzzles either to aid in their own mental workings or to share these insights with others.

- Spell Theory Mastery

Though not inherently suited to combat magic, Truth's knowledge of the workings of magic combined with their attunement to the Will produces a uniquely specific affinity for the mechanics of magic. Truth is able to dissect the mechanics behind most forms of vis manipulation or spellcraft by being able to sense the intent within the vis, being able to sense the vis being used, and combining this with their expansive knowledge - Truth will know the purpose of practically any spell they come across, and is often able to deduce a suitable counter to this magic if the situation calls for it - though they are typically not able to manipulate their vis in a sufficient manner to utilise this knowledge in a practical manner unless it corresponds to a field of magic they are familiar in, they are capable of sharing this knowledge with allies that do have the capability to enact it. If Truth extends their vis to another individual while they perform any form of vis manipulation, they are able to gain a fundamental understanding of the ability used by the target.

- Telepathy

Truth has exceptionally powerful telepathy, able to communicate with and monitor people over extremely vast distances due to its connection with the Will. Truth can maintain up to as many as ten links to vis-infused objects or people within the same realm, and if a fragment of their soul core is embedded within a being or object, they are able to maintain a telepathic link to them across the realms, though this does not extend into Pylae. At a short distance, Truth can telepathically communicate with any number of beings, and due to their natural ability to sense intent via vis, are able to essentially link their minds with a single individual within a short distance of them provided that the target is either willing or is under the effect of Truth's geas. This connection allows Truth to read the target's mind and vice versa.

- Teleportation

Truth is fairly skilled at teleportation magic, though they are only able to transport themselves. With the proper preparation and time, Truth is able to teleport between Torqueo and Medius, though is unable (and unwilling) to breach Pylae or Priscus.

- Combat Magic

Truth is largely unskilled in combat magic as their natural compulsion does not require them to engage in combat.

Name: Fandaniel si Louviere
Nicknames: Dani
Gender: Female
Sexuality: married to her duty but lowkey into chicks
Alias: The Protector; Scion of Light
Age: 427
Apparent Age: Early thirties
Race: Human
Sub-Race/Lineage or Nationality/Specialty: Precursor Descendant

Appearance: Fandaniel literally always wears her armour. To everything. Fashion is a construct created by people who die easily.

Personality: Revealed IC

History: When Albria Sumalt was excommunicated from the shared household, they took their family and moved to distant France, wanting to be as far away not only from the family that turned against them, but from Graivour who prophesied the events. With no further influence from their kin, Albria changed the family name from Sumalt to Louviere, to blend in better with their new environment and to remove any association they may have had with those left behind. Expanding on their belief of The Many, Albria believed that it the patron of War was both a single entity and a multitude - a great warrior, destined to fight the Enemy in the final battle, but comprised in this mortal coil of thirteen individual Scions of Light - holy warriors whose souls would grace the most powerful in a generation. Those born precursors had their anima searched by the elders of the family, and within the very recesses of their soul the Elders would find a name of one of the thirteen Scions. They believed so strongly in preparing for war against the Enemy that each Scion was trained by the very best, learning to master a single style of combat within their lifetime that they might prepare the anima within them just a little more for the inevitable great war.

Due to their holy conviction, the Louvieres became famed heroes and patrons of war - the Scions burned brilliantly in battle and craved a glorious death, that their Scion might return to the aether and find a new host to learn a new style of warfare. Over the years, many of the Thirteen were brought into the world - some many times, others only a few - but some Scions had never been named. Zodiark, the Keeper of Precepts, was yet to be ushered into the world, as was Fandaniel the Protector. Many believed that Fandaniel was an omen of the Great War, as until it was time for the battle to commence, what need did the mighty Louviere family have of a protector? Though they lost many of the number in each war, they knew it was in service to a greater task - that with each death, the resultant Scion would be more and more powerful, eventually able to form the great Patron of War with their brethren to serve The One and defeat The Enemy.

Though to be a Scion was a great blessing and the highest honour, there were rules to be followed clearly outlined in the holy scripture. Scions were devoted - wholly - to war. Their schooling was on strategy and tactics, not culture and art. Their physical regime was purely in the service of killing, not in providing succour. It was a great ask, but the Scions always shouldered their burdens with honour and poise, for The Enemy would surely not offer them any clemency, and nor could they afford to ask it of themselves. It was considered strictly forbidden for two Scions to mate - the resultant offspring could surely not carry the Anima of two Scions, and would be of no use to the family. Still, it happened far more often than most liked to admit, as the coupling of two precursors was far more likely to result in a precursor child than any alternative. The Scions themselves simply believed that their coupling would usher those Scions yet to grace the world with their presence, or those recently departed - and to a degree, they were correct.

Fandaniel si Louviere was ushered in to the world by the coupling of Pashtarot vi Louviere and Mitron su Louviere, two scions that had been reborn several times already - and was the focus of the entire Louviere family. Being born to two precursors, each with many imprinted talents, resulted in Fandaniel being born with a mastery of warfare that many could not achieve in multiple precursor lifetimes. Her knowledge of tactics was transcendent, her mastery of weaponry sublime, and her desire to kill nonexistent. She was Fandaniel the Protector, and though she was raised by her family to be an instrument of death, she was sworn by the very essence inside of her to protect. Though her birth was cause for great joy - as she was the first Fandaniel to surface - it was also an omen of the end times. She was the penultimate Scion to surface, and a large number of the Louvieres believed that the Great War was coming as a result of her birth. There were equally many who disagreed with this, however - Zodiark was not born, and so the Great War could not possibly start. Still, the family navigated carefully around her birth, several hundred years prior.

Fandaniel the Protector earned her namesake many times over the course of her military career. She was an integral part of the Louviere army in the great war - virtually unassailable in melee, and with a mind for tactics that rendered most mundane war strategies utterly devoid. Along with her fellow Scions, she slowly but surely swung the war in her family's favour. That said, the highlight of the Louviere family's victories was short-lived. Though immensely powerful, even among her fellow Scions, she was still only a single person. She had never been bested in honest one-on-one combat, but war was neither honest nor a duel. Her fellow Scions gladly threw themselves to their deaths, burning out in a brilliant blaze that they might pass their mastery on to the next Scion to be reborn - but Fandaniel the Protector simply could not let herself go. She still had purpose - she was to protect, and she had not learned enough to pass on to her next incarnation. It was custom that the Scions bore as many children as possible, but Fandaniel refused to breed with anyone that could not best her in combat. Many tried, and many failed - the elders of the family quickly grew contemptuous of her refusal to let go and allow Fandaniel's anima to be born into the world.

Though they would never set her up to fail, the Louvieres begrudged Fandaniel her solemn charge to protect. They placed her in riskier and riskier situations, begun to stop heeding her tactics and her advice, all ostensibly to allow her to achieve a flaming climax and pass on the soul of the Scion as all of her brethren had done before her - but she knew that she could not. Eventually, after one too many brushes with danger, Fandaniel relented and bore a son with Loghrif, the Transcendent. He was not born a precursor, and so he was taken away from his parents that they might try again, to bolster the dying populus of the precursors. Her next child, a girl, was born a precursor and named Ultima, the High Seraph - and though she wished for nothing but to teach her daughter the ways of war, she knew that all of that knowledge would come to her in time and the holy crusade called to her.

Fandaniel had always sought to protect as many as possible, but in the pursuit of martial perfection she had killed many she could, in another world, have called friends - and motherhood had left her emotionally raw, and physically drained. She began to lose faith in the teachings, began to doubt that the study of warfare was something she needed to do. This doubt ate away at her over the years to come, and after a particularly brutal campaign against her brethren in which she was the only survivor, she decided that she needed to flee. Fandaniel faked her own death, being declared missing and presumed dead, and fled the country. With great sorrow she left her children behind, knowing that to take them away from the family was to endanger them all, and made her way to Ominar to seek out the descendants of Graivour who bore the surname Taeryn.

Though warfare had been her life, she begun to realise that no matter the truth of the holy crusade she had given herself to, she could not watch her dying race fall before her and know that she had forsaken the one value she embodied most - Protection. Though she did not agree with the principles of the Taeryn family, she knew in her heart that they were (at least, on some level) right and only by uniting those who had seen enough loss would her people live for long enough to fulfil their ultimate purpose.

And so it was that Fandaniel si Louviere made her way to Ominar.

Belongings/Equipment


Capabilities



Relationships / Friendships:

Fandaniel's Weaponry

Fandaniel really loves her weapons. Especially her shield (but don't tell her other weapons).

There are two major components to Ithuriel's personality - the fragments of himself that he managed to keep before being imbued with the God-King's power, and the influence of the God-King that he cannot contain.

Ithuriel himself is a fairly demure, preferring the only contact with people that he partakes in to be through his art or through the occasional hunt he takes at the IHO. Since the fracturing of his mind took much of him from himself, it is only his latent pride in his family, his love for his art and one Vistaeria Rhys'alamot, and his intense masochism that really remain. Many of these factors are difficult for him to manifest on their own, so they instead temper the brutal and misogynistic nature of the God-King.

The part of Ithuriel that is the God-King is no longer the feral beast it was at the time of its creation. Thousands of years have rendered it a malign and foul being, clever and cunning, and with an unending well of hatred and vitriol to draw from. The God-King detests all women, seeing them as weak and unnecessary - its misogyny extends to every facet of its being, constantly attempting to degrade (if not outright ignore) most women in favour of dealing with men. Clever and cunning though it is, the God-King is certifiably insane on a very fundamental level, and has such a severe case of psychosis that it hardly recognises what is real and what is imagined - instead relying on Ithuriel to put things into social context. The God-King will frequently and readily resort to extreme prejudice and violence in the case of a woman speaking or acting out of what he believes is their role – which is essentially existing to serve men.

These two aspects mix constantly in different ratios. Ithuriel is sometimes simply a quiet artist who wishes only to create the greatest masterpieces, a lonely soul whose only solace is in pain and culture. Conversely, he is sometimes a flurry of anger and seething hatred - a frenzied brute that wishes to crush all those deemed unworthy beneath his heel. How much of any particular being manifests at any one time is congruent with the amount of pain Ithuriel is able to keep himself in - so at a basic level, most of the duo manifests as Ithuriel. When the God-King is angered, however, more and more of his chauvinistic influence seeps through unless Ithuriel can bring himself sufficient clarity with pain.

There is only one thing that both Ithuriel and the God-King agree on – that Licentia are generally evil. The God-King believes that they are all evil, foul creatures that deserve only death, but Ithuriel is more understanding that the sins of the father are not the sins of the son, and treats them only with mistrust and apprehension.

For every society that has ever been, there have been consistent elements that are necessary for the governance of a people to be effective. One such element is the secret society, a group of influential individuals surrounding themselves in mystery and arcanery that they might influence the weave of history in a manner they believe is befitting of the interests they represent. Examples of these societies can be found in every corner of the world where the light of progress and prosperity shines - but the grand dichotomy of the world dictates that as the light grows, so too must the shadow. In the distant and storied past of the Prae, many such societies have come and gone - some to maintain what is, and some to ensure that what has passed is never brought to light again. The Sanguine Verdict firmly belong to the latter half. Following a particularly tumultuous and catastrophic incident in Priscus-that-was, some of those that remained banded together to inure their broken people against the ghastly memory of the event. Though the event would later be stricken from the annals, the Sanguine Verdict did not forget - and they tried to ensure that it could never happen again.

The Sanguine Verdict operated on the belief that Prae society was fundamentally flawed. The God-Queen was exalted above all else, the lynchpin of their society, and they believed that a woman was - in this case, demonstrably - unfit to rule. They believed that the only way for their society to progress was for a man to take up the mantle of God, and for the ruin wrought by their predecessors to remain within the weak-willed women unable to handle the power given to them. Given the period of time in which they were formed and in which they operated, the Sanguine Verdict's recruitment efforts were not quite as grandiose as they would have liked - but they were very much a product of their time and their membership was not small. At the peak of their activity, some hundred or so men called themselves members.

Though many of the order's machinations were understandably obfuscated, their primary goal - the creation of a God-King - was fairly well recorded at the time. Though the circumstances around which their attempt was made are not clear, it is known that the completion of their project was forcibly hastened - and that it ended disastrously. Every member of the Sanguine Verdict willingly imbued the leader with their Anima - and though not nearly enough souls were conjoined to form a being on the level of a God-Queen, the result was comparable to that of an Exeo. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the souls that combined, the resultant God-King was far less stable than the Sanguine Verdict would have liked. The strength of the God-Queen was not just in the massive amount of vis she possessed, but in the singular unity of purpose of those offering up their vital essence. Those that gave themselves to the God-King were superficially united, but their only true common ground was mistrust, fear, and avarice - and the intent contained within the vis of the God-King was pulled so strongly in so many different directions that their mind snapped immediately.

With their God-King reduced to an almost feral creature and the ranks of the Sanguine Verdict consumed by the process of creating the God-King, the ill-fated group faded into obscurity as quickly as they had risen up. Though the order no longer existed, their legacy did not end there. While no longer possessed of any strong intellect, the God-King was still an extremely formidable creature. Once their allotted time had passed, they inadvertently imbued a random Prae that they had encountered with an enormous chunk of their power. The sudden influx of power, as well as its naturally maddening influence, continued to infect a random member of the existing Prae once the previous recipient died.

While the influence of the God-King as an individual is long gone, once every generation a random male Prae is infected by his lingering malign influence.

Ithuriel val-Atiran began life as many modern Prae do - schooled rigorously, found to have an aptitude for combat, and enlisted in the military. Much of his early days were simple and honest, surrounded by a caring and nurturing family that wished only for him to excel and be happy. As such, there is very little to say about Ithuriel's earliest days, save that his current form is a powerful example of just how far someone can fall when the cruel vicissitudes of fate intervene.

At the tender age of eighteen, Ithuriel completed the majority of his training and joined the army proper - and though he was by all accounts a fairly average (if not verging on competent) combatant, his true passion was for the arts. Were he born into a different culture, this divide between his duty and his desire might have caused conflict, but in Priscus those trained to serve were encouraged to learn culture as well. Many integrated this into their combat, becoming warrior-artists of a sort that used their military duty as a creative outlet, taking inspiration or material from the savage nature of combat against the monsters that constantly attacked their cities. Ithuriel in particular was fascinated with blood, believing it to be the very essence of life and death - and quite regularly painted with vis-infused blood.

Though unexceptional at combat, Ithuriel was a phenomenal artist. Ithuriel received from his family a particularly special weapon upon his graduation - a sword comprised of thousands of tiny, fibrous needles through which vis could be channelled to allow them to soak up the blood of slain enemies, and stored within a compartment within the haft of the blade. Sharp, clever manipulation of vis within the blade allowed it to also be used as a paintbrush, and Ithuriel practiced his swordcraft as an art all of its own, using his vis to suspend the viscera he collected midair in various shapes and patterns. Several years of serving in the military brought pride and honour to the val-Atiran name, and Ithuriel was soon a favourite to be promoted. Though he did not enjoy the idea of having less time to work on his art, Ithuriel accepted the idea of the accolades as was his duty and obligation. All for my people, and all for my family' he reasoned, choosing social demands over his own happiness - though when the time came for his promotion, his superior officer handed it to a female member of his squad who was far more martially adept than he was. On some fundamental level, Ithuriel was relieved - guilty at the idea of putting his own desires first, but relieved. In order to save face, however, he felt that he had to pretend to be outraged - his family deserved these accolades by virtue of his service, and he would not be denied.

Ithuriel very publicly confronted his commanding officer, Vistaeria Rhys'alamot, and unleashed a veritable tirade of misogynistic, hateful vitriol at her - how women were given a free pass due to the fact they shared a sex with the God-Queen, about how females were more likely to succeed in the military due to the fact almost all Exeo were female, and even when a male Exeo was made they were forced to imbue a female with their power. He even added in a comment about the God-Queen being utterly useless, and that they'd have been better served by a God-King who could truly guide their people. Ithuriel drew upon his deepest reserves of anger and resentment, and though he didn't mean any of what he said the front he presented was extraordinarily convincing. After he finished, panting and gasping with the exertion and spittle drooling down his chin, Vi let loose a carefully held breath and punched Ithuriel in the face with such force that she broke his jaw in seven separate places. The beating that Ithuriel proceeded to get was legendary to the point that tales of it are still told in the academy, and when Vi finally stopped Ithuriel was a hair's breadth from death.

It was in that moment that Ithuriel learned how intoxicating pain could be. Though bloodied and broken, Ithuriel was filled with ecstasy of the most phenomenal kind - his inspiration for art kindled in a way that he had never known before. Though consciousness soon escaped him and he did not recover for months, the flame that Vi lit inside him refused to be extinguished. Though she would never know it and would likely despise him for as long as they both lived, Ithuriel was secretly thankful to her, almost exalting her as a God-Queen in his own delirious way.

As he lay on the ground, Ithuriel felt a foreign surge of vis enter him violently. As his power swelled, he was filled with the voice of a being that called itself the God-King, and said that his speech had roused it so much that it had decided to imbue him with power. Before he could protest, the sudden force of will of the God-King forced its way into his mind and what little coherence he had left in that moment shattered into thousands of fragments. It took all of Ithuriel's willpower to hold on to the few aspects of his personality that survived the infusion, and all he managed to retain was his love for art, his newfound masochism, and his immense respect for Vi. Everything else was swept away, and as he finally let go of his tenuous hold on consciousness the nefarious influence of the God-King seeped into his mind and infused his broken body with immense power.

Ithuriel awoke months later, his mind utterly and irrevocably broken. While he lay in dark and dreaming slumber, the ghastly essence of the God-King had all but taken over his mind - and it filled him with a rage both foreign and inexplicably his own. He lashed out violently, escaping the facility in which he'd been recovering and seeking out the nearest Bridge with an unholy fervor. Upon arrival, he slaughtered the entire security team with his newfound power and the element of surprise and crossed over into Medius, where he slaughtered the security team on that side also. Though impelled by the dark urges of the God-King, Ithuriel managed to largely keep to himself through a strict regiment of self-inflicted pain. Soon, he built up both an unnatural resistance and a mental tolerance to the ecstacy it provided him with, and the windows of clarity amidst the haze of the foreign will invading his own grew shorter and shorter. In order to keep his focus, Ithuriel joined the International Hunter's Organization, and with the power of the God-King found himself quite adept at slaying basically whatever they put in front of him. Though he by no means lived a life of means, Ithuriel quickly earned enough money to get established in Medius and crafted himself a new weapon: a flail, with spikes of vis-infused platinum, to both enhance his own pain and to effectively annihilate enemies. He became well known for his brutal style of combat, finding an acceptable middle ground between himself and the God-King in the haze of pain he kept himself in constantly.

Nowadays, Ithuriel tries to hang on to himself through his art. While he still takes somewhat regular contracts from IHO, he spends most of his time creating masterpieces to focus his will and desperately prevent the metaphorical beast inside him from taking over permanently. Somehow, Ithuriel has found a certain clarity within the madness that rages inside of him, and uses that as an anchor. His latest work of art is an enormous mural of a female soldier in battle, clearly Prae, cleaving through the ranks of what look to be feral Licentia of some description, and is displayed proudly on the side of a disused building in the entertainment district of Ominar. The work is titled "A Woman Scorned", and has only the letters VI at the bottom - whether this means six or Vistaeria is something only Ithuriel knows.

Great Suffering

Ithuriel wields an enormous flail, approximately six feet tall, with three heads that are each approximately three feet long. The chains that connect the heads to the base of the flail are spiked and serrated, intended to cause as much pain and draw as much blood as possible, and are heavily imbued with Ithuriel's vis. Years of self-flagellation has left the vis-infused platinum that comprises the weapon a dark reddish brown in colour naturally, though the flail is almost always dripping with fresh blood. The heads of the flail are metallic rings, each of which has seven extremely sharp hooks dangling from it. These are all made of vis-infused platinum, and though do little in the way of blunt impact damage (save that naturally occurring from the strength with which the flail is swung), the hooks are sharp enough to pierce through even the toughest flesh.

The shaft of the flail is made of vis-infused tempered steel, and has many grooves running through it that allow Ithuriel's blood to flow freely. The steel is the same blood-soaked colour as the platinum chains and head, and has hollow tubes within that contain Ithuriel's blood to allow him to extend his telekinetic abilities to the flail. While the flail is largely too unwieldy to manipulate as if through true telekinesis, Ithuriel is able to generate absurd amounts of force with it, and can telekinetically control the hooks with a great deal of precision provided he is not focusing on anything else.

- Monstrously strong
- Unbelievable Tolerance to Pain
- Extreme resistance to damage
- Martially Adept
- Enormous reserve of stamina



- Fragile mental state
- Difficulty in resisting compulsion or mind-altering effects
- Talented Artist/Sculptor
- Extreme Masochism



Vis-infused Blood

Unlike most beings, Ithuriel has an extraordinary amount of vis flowing through his blood. A minimal amount runs through his ostium, limiting his ability to use traditional spellcraft, but vastly enhancing his Haemokinesis. Additionally, Ithuriel is able to produce an extraordinary amount of blood by expending his vis - and when he goes below the amount of blood necessary to function, his vis is automatically converted into blood until he regains functionality. Due to the influence of the God-King, Ithuriel only needs to expend small amounts of vis to create a very significant amount of blood. By virtue of this, Ithuriel is immune to any form of disease, infection, poison, or other metabolically active compound that he knows about.

Vis Sense

Ithuriel's vis sense is fairly accurate, though he still suffers the same limitations as most normal Prae do when it comes to the detection of hybrids. His vis sense is particularly accurate at close ranges, and combined with his martial experience provides him with a strong insight into the flow of battle.

Blood Sense

Due to the influence of the God-King and Ithuriel's natural predilection towards blood, Ithuriel has developed the ability to sense the blood running through a being's veins (or any other vital fluid movement through them, such as water in plants). This sense is independent of each of his other senses, though it can be used in combination with his vis sense in order for him to keep track of any blood shed during a fight. This sense extends to the heartbeat of those around him, though he can only accurately track the heartbeat of up to three individuals at a time.

Haemokinesis

Ithuriel's natural telekinesis is restricted almost entirely to blood, though his command over it is almost peerless. Ithuriel has complete control over his own blood, and is able to augment it with varying efficacy dependent upon the amount of vis contained within it. Ithuriel is able to alter his blood between solid and liquid, and is able to crystallise the blood if he wishes. If Ithuriel's blood is within an object, his control extends to that object for as long as his blood is within it. If Ithuriel is able to mix his blood with another being's (or add it to whatever fluid flows through their body), he is able to gradually wrest control of their blood. While his blood is within a being he loses the ability to manipulate its state of matter, and can only control it while it is within 25 feet of him. If Ithuriel can replace 51% of somebody's blood with his own, he is able to completely control their physical actions (does not extend to anything requiring vis), but is unable to control any other blood for the duration.

Additionally, Ithuriel may infuse his blood into other liquids, allowing him to wrest control of them provided they contain no vis currently controlled by another sentient being.

Vis Dolens

Literally 'painful vis', Ithuriel is able to convert his vis into a unique toxin that causes absolutely excruciating pain in anyone exposed to it. The toxin lingers in the bloodstream and in any wounds that it is introduced to, enhancing any pain felt by the target five-fold (and himself tenfold) and creating an anticoagulating effect that prevents the blood of the target from clotting. Ithuriel's blood runs rampant with this toxin, and those that come into contact with it are infected through their skin. The more the toxin accumulates, the stronger the effect.