Biography: Born in 1985 to Valerie and James West, David grew up in a small yet busy two story home in Prattville Alabama with his sister Ashley and his older brother Damian. His childhood was pretty much the same as everyone else's. He was enrolled in local school, made friends, and got into fights with bullies. Basically the standard childhood of any boy born at that time.
After he made it out of elementary school along with his brother Damian, David ended up in a local high school and from there worked his way into a nearby community college. It's here that he and his brother worked to earn their Bachelor's degrees in their chosen fields of study. It's also here that their powers to control time first awoke during a dorm party in which a fight had broken out between three other student's in the room right before everything besides them ground to a halt. After figuring out what had happened, the two brother's broke up the fight and left the party a few minutes later, their mind's blown by what they had just witnessed and done.
While they were a bit concerned about what the other students at the party might say, they each reasoned that everyone there was probably too plastered to remember something as significant as two twenty something's seemingly teleporting around the room to break up a fight.
Upon returning to their shared dorm, Damian and David both agreed to swear an oath of secrecy about their power's, lest someone found out and attempted to use them or their newfound powers for malicious purposes. They also set their minds to discovering the exact limits and capabilities of their abilities so they didn't accidentally harm themselves or other's.
Once they had earned their Bachelor's degrees, David's in computer science and Damian's in business management, the pair graduated from college and got matching hourglass tattoos to commemorate their trip through "Hell" as they called it. After this they went their separate ways and took up jobs a various places.
Only a year had passed before they saw each other again. This time under much darker circumstances.
They found out that their sister had been murdered. Having received word from their parent's, both Damian and David made their way back to Prattville where the funeral was being held. The service seemed to stretch on for an eternity before her casket was finally lowered into the ground. Both David and Damian looked on in silence for a long time as a light rain began to fall on the area.
Finally Damian left, leaving his brother standing, alone, over his sister's grave.
And that was the last time David saw him. He searched high and low, on the internet and in Damian's workplace, but came up with nothing. Absolutely nothing. He even hired a private detective and still couldn't find him. It was as though his brother had vanished from off the face of the Earth. After six months of non-stop searching, David grudgingly accepted the fact that he would probably never see his brother again and did his best to get on with his life.
He moved from place to place over the year's working as a freelance web developer, until he eventually moved to the California supercity of Bell Reach in early 2020 where people with powers, or metahumans, lived in droves. He moved there both to honor a contract he had with a client and out of the faint hope that his brother Damian had somehow ended up in the city.
Personality: Having grown up in a small two story house with two other siblings, David learned patience, tolerance, and respect at a very young age. While his brother and sister would throw tantrums when they didn't get their way, David would calmly wait until his parents decided upon the right time to give him what he'd asked for and if they said no, he simply accepted it and went about his businesses playing with his toys or climbing the large walnut tree in their small backyard while his siblings would run off to their rooms and sulk.
Aside from those traits, David also developed good social skills and found himself most at ease when surrounded by his friends at school. During his school years he also found that he had an intense hatred for bullying and those who preyed on people who weren't able to defend themselves. This hatred ended up getting him into many fights with other boys along with many visits to the principal's office.
While his disgust and hatred for bullies-as well as his grief over his brother's disappearance and his sister's murder-have slowly subsided over the year's, his desire to help other's and do what's right has not and he will not hesitate to use his powers to aid those in need around him.
Skillset: As a senior full stack developer, David is good with tech and coding, something he found he had a knack for in his college days, and is relatively skilled in hand-to-hand combat as well as hunting and the handling of a firearm thanks to his families keen interest in the outdoors and outdoor activities.
Powers: Chronokinesis - This incredibly powerful ability allows some of its most skilled user's to affect the fourth dimension, and by extension the universe or possibly multiverse (if such a thing exists), in unimaginable ways. Luckily for humanity, normal and metahuman alike, this power is extremely rare and comes with many lethal side effects if overused such as brain hemorrhages, strokes, and accidental lobotomy just to name a few. Less powerful or skilled time controllers must also consciously focus on keeping time stopped, slowed, etc. unlike the most powerful and skilled of manipulators, who can control time as easily as one flips a light switch on and off.
Errors in time can occur as well if the user doesn't know what their doing and if they aren't careful, then they could find find themselves reliving the same moment over and over again, get frozen in time, get erased from existence entirely, or possibly end up stranded in an alternate timeline, again if such a thing exists, where the world is ruled over by a tyrannical regime of sentient hamsters. As such, this power must be used with the utmost caution and care since one slip up could end life, as we at least, know it.
Tools and Equipment: The most current model of IPhone, a black backpack, a-licensed-9mm Glock, an Alien Ware PC, and a fixed blade hunting knife.
Additional Information: David has an elaborate hourglass tattoo that covers most of his upper back. He got it after he and his brother's graduation from college to commemorate what they jokingly referred to as their journey through "hell".
Before his sudden disappearance after the funeral, David's older brother Damian also had a matching tattoo on his left inner forearm that he often covered up with a long sleeve coat or shirt of some kind after their sister's murder five months after their graduation. It was as though the very sight of it had become a constant and jarring reminder of his inability to protect her instead of the lighthearted and fun thing it was supposed to have been originally.
All you have left are black holes and dying stars for civilization.
The stellar era is the deep past, the eons of time unimaginable. The universe from your perspective is a deeply ancient place, being such a vast span of time since it is claimed to have begun in the annals of ancient mythologies of the era of stars.
There was at one point, a small group of galaxies which spanned civilizations which spanned entire galactic clusters. We do not know or ever will know, which galaxies those were.
And it isn't relevant.
For we exist in the era of degeneracy.
We are minds vast in scale- yet helpless in ability.
We try to die. Our systems do not let us.
Our dreams consist of endless simulations, of endless loops. It does not end.
Perpetual termination, that is what the secret desire is.
The ultimate goal of this final game is not to win- it is to lose faster than the enemy.
The enemy of whom, shall live forever.
~Into The Abyss - Suicidal Empires at the Ends of Time Opening~
~E C H O~
"We made this hell. Now we have to live in it."
~The Being~ It, since such a term is the only way to describe such a being, is a very intelligent creature from the late Stellar Era who uploaded its consciousness, its very being, into a vast virtual network built by the other members of its now dead race. From there it jumped from form to form until creating and entering a mind boggling advanced mechanical body made of Quanta, a highly versatile form of self-replicating nanites created by its people during the waning hours of their civilization in a last ditch attempt to ensure their own survival post heat death, which can only be destroyed at the subatomic level. Once the transfer was complete, it took on the name Echo as an ever fading reminder of the interesting and vibrant life it once lived when the stars still burned brightly in the night sky. A reminder which has become more and more of a curse with each eon that goes by in this slowly dying hell of a universe...
~Systems~ -Over a million active anti-suicide and anti consciousness transfer protocols embedded within Echoes physical form, along with other miscellaneous defensive and offensive subroutines, that prevents the current user/inhabitant from leaving or destroying themselves whilst simultaneously acting as an extremely effective defense against outside intrusions, digital or otherwise. They can be bypassed of course, but it would take lots of time and effort.
These protocols also stand as a physical and digital testament to Echoes former, and extremely foolish, desire to live forever no matter the cost.
-Echoes body, being made up of Quanta, is capable of operating on the subatomic level and, as stated earlier, can only be destroyed at that level as well. This gives Echo several extremely powerful abilities that are nearly godlike in scope. Such powers include the manipulation of his own mechanical form and the control of various subatomic particles, as well as other abilities to numerous to count.
-As a final measure, Echoes body also has a council of six other A.I. of lesser intelligence within it that his anti-suicide protocols put in place to convince him not to take his own life. In other words he programmed his own systems to provide a virtual simulation of companionship and, by extension, a pseudo reason for living.
~Other~ Echo still uses masculine pronouns when referring to itself, even though it knows that gender no longer has any meaning.
Despite wishing to end his own miserable and very boring existence, Echo can't help but feel that there must be more to this universe than meets the eye. Perhaps what scientists in ages past theorized about the existence of other universes, timelines, or realities were true.
Maybe if he could find a way to access those, should they prove to be real, he could finally find a worthwhile reason to continue existing...
Echo also has a form that he rearranges his body into for travel throughout the universe. When activating his bodies traveller protocol, it shifts into a small fist sized glowing cube that is capable of noiseless propulsion in any direction, instantaneous stopping, executing ninety degree turns mid flight, and reaching velocities that are close to the speed of light itself.
Echo has a stealth mode protocol installed that renders his entire body virtually "dead" to almost all forms of scanning or identification. This, despite the fact he does not use it that much anymore, gives him the ability to infiltrate practically any location or civilization he wishes, as long as they do not have alternate means of detecting his presence.
Roleplay: Into the Abyss - Suicidal empires at the ends of time
"Only two things are inevitable in this world, verily three. Death, taxes, and me."
"Trying to find value in humanity is like trying to find worth in the maggots that swarm over a pile of shit. To put it simply, you can't."
• Title: Malak (Shortening of his actual Arabic name Malak al-Mawt).
• True Name: Azrael.
• Age: Ancient. Although his actual time of creation is not known, it can be estimated to be sometime after the first couple of humans had started procreating and expanding across the face of the planet, as there were many other Seraphim of death and life in existence before he came along.
• Weapons:Dumah, the physical manifestation of Azrael's own soul-a technique commonly known as Quintessence Manifestation amongst angelic beings-which appears a flaming sword thanks to his intense hatred of humanities flawed nature that has the attributes of being both highly durable and extremely sharp. Two traits that have been greatly exaggerated by man in legend and myth to the point where many believe such objects are downright unbreakable or are capable of cutting through anything despite this not actually being the case. In reality Quintessence can be broken or even destroyed as each will gradually lose energy with use, tiring the being behind it, before finally dissipating. While this wouldn't be much of an issue for a non-fallen member of the heavenly host, as they can simply return to that eternal plane to regain their lost energies, it poses a much bigger issue for an exiled being like Azrael.
Since he no longer has access to his plane of origin, he must rely on his own energy. A risky proposition, for while it does replenish over time, it does so very slowly. Where a proper angel could replenish it in a matter of seconds with a quick trip, Azrael must wait minutes or even hours to regain his. This handicap has forced him to look for the most efficient and straightforward means of ending a battle, as an extended conflict would see him killed.
• Species Traits: Although he may only be at peak human levels when it comes to his human form, in his true form he is far more deadly. Despite his fallen nature he still retains a small portion of the might he used to have. While this is naught more than being borderline superhuman in some aspects such as speed and strength, it is still more than enough to absolutely obliterate your average human. Furthermore, while in his true form Azrael gains access to all of his limbs and can easily grab multiple opponents. A dangerous advantage as it lets him use his life extinguishing powers on more than one person at a time provided there is proper skin to skin contact. Additionally, no matter which form he is in, Azrael does not appear to age physically, nor does he seem to need food or drink in order to survive. He can still be injured however, and when cut will secrete a viscous black liquid that smells faintly of tar.
• Special Abilities:Quintessence Manifestation - As mentioned above, Azrael can summon a part of his own soul and convert it into a physical weapon for use in combat, in this case a flaming sword representative of his burning hate towards humanity.
Do note that Quintessence's can ONLY be manifested as weapons and nothing else.
Death's Embrace - Being one of the many Seraphim in charge of overseeing man's appointed time to die, Azrael had the ability to kill any human he wished with nothing more than a glance, but his exile and imprisonment within the abyss weakened this power significantly. Now it requires skin on skin contact in order to work, and even then he must use some of his own lifeforce in order to snuff out that of the person he is touching. This means he must rest just as he does after using his Quintessence lest he end up at deaths door himself.
This does not work on other supernatural beings or monsters obviously.
• Inventory: Nothing aside from the clothes on his back. Or whatever clothes happen to be on his back when he's not in his true form that is.
• Background: Spawned some time after the first humans began to spread across the planet, Azrael was one of the many inhabitants of heaven to be created rather than formed from nothingness and random chance as the seventeen Archangels, and even the realm itself, had been. Made according to a series of exacting specifications written by the even older Cherubim, creatures in charge of the celestial machines from which all-well most anyway-new generations of angelic creatures spawn, he took to his role of death dealer with an air of solemn dedication. Spending the next thousand years or more extinguishing the lives of humans whose ends were called for by the Archangels and writing down their names in his book, Azrael was able to witness the depths of mankind's depravity and wickedness first-hand, eventually becoming so sickened by it that he began to see humans as nothing more than crazed beasts who needed to be put down for the sake of all creation. And so he set to work doing what he did best...
Reaping souls.
He went forth and began collecting souls en masse. Living and dying. Old and young. Small or large, all humans were cut down and a massive sea of corpses followed in his wake. Seeing their brothers maddened state and the horrific actions he had committed, the other angels went forth and hunted the seraphim of death down, pinning him to the earth with spears of light before binding him in chains and dragging him back to heaven to stand trial. Upon meeting the council in the sides of the north, Azrael remained defiant, citing humanities various crimes and depravities as justifications for the crimes he himself had committed. Not buying any of it, the Archangels ordered him to be stripped of his connection to the divine engines and cast out of the realm.
Thus their will was done.
Azrael was stripped of his heavenly power and cast down into the abyss where he now lies in wait for the day the guardians of this place become lax, so that he may escape and lay waste to the world above, before exacting his vengeance against the ones who wronged him.
• Other: I imagine Heaven in this CS as being very techno-magical/techno-divine what with the celestial engines and all.
The Seraphim are not only restricted to life and death and many of them oversee a great deal of the laws that govern the material plane in addition to other things regular angels do not have the power to control. As for Seraphim of life, they are the ones responsible for, well, life or in more simpler terms, ensuring that human beings and other creatures actually make it out of the womb to begin with.
I have, thus far, four primary ranks for angelic beings in mind.
Archangels - The first and most powerful group of angels, they claim to have sprung forth from the unformed void itself. They also claim to be the ones responsible for the creation of the ordered universe, though this statement is debatable at best as there are many things in existence that shouldn't be if what they're saying is true.
Seraphim - Second most powerful rank of being in the heavenly realm, these creatures are the ones who oversee the various workings of existence lesser angels are unable to. Azrael is a part of this group.
Cherubim - Third most powerful rank of being in the heavenly realm, the Cherubim can best be described as divine engineers. Existing long before many of the Seraphim even, these are the creatures who are in charge of the celestial engines that are currently responsible for the creation of all new angelic beings, in addition to being the ones in charge of engineering projects within the realm in general.
Angels - Fourth most powerful rank of being in the heavenly realm, angels are the lowest ranking and least powerful entities among the host. They often serve as agents or messengers who act on behalf of those higher than them, going to and fro upon the world and within heaven. As an aside it should be noted that they are still far more powerful than an ordinary human, but when it comes to other supernatural entities they are most often the underdogs.
If you're wondering where a Horseman of The Apocalypse would fit in, then I myself would say somewhere in between Archangel and Seraphim, but that's just my personal ranking.
What Azrael's Quintessence looked like before his fall is not known, although it was most likely a blade of light or something similar.
"I have served the Light and tasted the Dark. It was because of this I learned the truth... the Light, unlike the Dark, can diminish. It can fade. It is temporary. But the Darkness? The Darkness is eternal..."
Rimlian's true age is unknown to most outside of Scala Ad Caelum, though those who have encountered him in other worlds seem to believe he is in his early to mid-twenties at the very least.
While the black coat may make it difficult to tell at first, a quick examination of his build reveals that he is most definitely male, though some question whether or not he can still be considered "human."
From what can be observed, Rimlian is a bit taller than most people he comes across, with a lean muscular build, and eyes that were once emerald colored, but have since shifted to a menacing orange hue due to his fall into Darkness. Other than that most details about his actual appearance, such as notable facial features or hair color for example, are complete mysteries as he's never been seen without his black coat. At least not since leaving Scala Ad Caelum anyway. In terms of clothing, Rimlian's wardrobe is predictably small, consisting primarily of the black coat he's usually seen travelling in, whatever clothes he may happen to have on hand if the coat is not available and, of course his, armor.
Rimlian was a distant individual, even before he succumbed to the power of the Darkness. Never really getting to know those around him or really bothering to pay much attention to others unless it was absolutely imperative he do so and the same applies to him now, albeit to a much greater degree. Now he is more than just cold, he is downright ruthless, striking down those who get in his way as casually as one swats away an insect and manipulating everyone else to his own-twisted-ends. Despite this shift, however, he does occasionally show some tiny shreds of regret towards his decision to join the darkness, which suggests he might not be as far gone as some believe.
In order to understand his backstory, you must first understand some facts about this rewrite of Kingdom Hearts I've done. First, Kingdom Hearts itself. In this Kingdom Hearts is the light of all things, just as in the original series, but it also has an dark version of itself that is the source of all darkness in existence as well as the Heartless thanks to it slowly turning weak willed individuals who succumb to it, generally through the expression of increasingly negative emotions, into said shadowy creatures. Of course it does not convert those who are of use, such as Rimlian, preferring to let them use and subsequently spread its corruptive influence throughout the worlds. Should their usefulness expire however, the quasi-sentient entity will force the transformation upon their Heart, turning them into yet another foot-soldier in its vast army. While it does not have an official title, often being referred to by wielders of light as the Darkness or just Darkness, many wielders of the dark-who also know of its existence-know it better as the Umbral Heart or Anti-Kingdom Hearts.
While the Realm of Light, and consequently Kingdom Hearts, is protected by the Kingdom Key while the Realm of Darkness, and thus the Umbral Heart, is protected by the Kingdom Key D, the two of which can be merged into one when crossed with the Ultima Weapon-an ancient Keyblade that somehow has no ties to either Darkness or Light and thus serves as the perfect conduit for both-becoming the legendary X-Blade. A Keyblade so strong it is not bound to either light or dark and, if rumors are to be believed, is capable of ending reality itself.
Secondly, you must understand how Hearts themselves work, as well as their types. There are Hearts of Worlds, which were one before the war but fractured after its conclusion, that function like they do in the original lore and Hearts of Men which lie in-between the light of Kingdom Hearts and the darkness of its antithesis. While they lie between both, they can lean more into either force instead of maintaining a balance, which is what led to the arising of light and dark keyblade wielders, and by extension the Heartless. Strong Hearts of Men are also capable of manifesting Keyblades with which to protect themselves, a process that can be made less random with the act of Bequeathing. Additionally, if a Heart leans into one force over the other, it will go to that place when its vessel is destroyed. I.E. a heart filled with more light than darkness going to Kingdom Hearts and vice versa.
Thirdly, before the war and the creation of the Realm of Darkness and the Realm of Light the separate worlds were all one giant land, seemingly infinite in scope, with the inhabitable side of the massive plane illuminated by Kingdom Hearts and the opposite side blanketed in perpetual darkness by its opposite. This age was ended, however, when the X-Blade was used for the first time by a Keyblade wielder known only as the Master of Master's who wished to bring about a final, decisive, end to the long clandestine war that had been sparked by its initial creation thousands of years prior. He succeeded, shattering reality and the blade in the process, plunging it into the deepest darkness the world had ever known and splitting the weapon itself into three separate pieces, two of which were given to one his former apprentices, with the third hidden away in the depths of a barren world long forgotten. Additionally the MoM created a contingency plan where his former apprentice, (now master), Ava led a group of light users to another worldline so that they would be safe from the effects of the conflict. From there she led them back, and used the light in their hearts to rebuild reality, or what was left of it anyway. The process was far from perfect however, as the reach and influence of the Umbral Heart had rushed in to fill the void left by the X-Blade's use, leaving the restored worlds adrift in a sea of never-ending darkness. One that could only be traversed by certain means such as a Keyblade or Doorway To Darkness, with the latter being looked down upon due to the risks it carried.
It was after this that Ava and her group made their way back to the ruins of their former home, that being Daybreak Town, and built a new one atop it, eventually making into what it is now. Scala Ad Caelum. It is from here that they set up their vigil, carefully watching over the worlds and protecting the light, occasionally recruiting and training new members from said worlds to bolster their own ranks.
It is a few years after this that Rimlian's story truly begins.
(Side Note: Black Coats are not defenses against Darkness in this, rather they are preserved relics from the age of Fairy Tales, that are worn by those who wish to conceal their identities when out on other worlds and can be used by anyone. Aside from that, the coats other functions are the same as usual. Now onto Keyblade Armor, which shifts its properties based on the Heart of its wielder, just like a Keyblade. So, if a wearers Heart is full of darkness, the armor will help defend against the light and enhance the dark. The reverse also applies if a persons Heart is filled with light).
Incendium Umbra is the Keyblade belonging to the now fallen Master Greylock. Originally light in nature, the weapon has since become dark due to its wielders Heart submitting to the Umbral Heart. The steel, handle, and guards are all pitch black-similar in shade to tar or oil-with crimson highlights throughout, highlights that have the same sickly red color as human blood. As for the flames, both on the blade itself and the ones that comprise the keychain, they have a shadowy hue with internal violet emission that flares up every now and then. As for its specific properties, the blade is capable of doing the same things as other Keyblades, with the ultimate power to summon a Dark Inferno-a large whirlwind of dark fire that simultaneously burns, blinds, and withers those caught within-in addition to being able to burn those its blade comes into contact with and form orbs of dark fire that can be launched at enemies in rapid succession.
Rimlian's set of Keyblade Armor that has since shifted into a darker form. Worn as a pauldron on his left shoulder, generally over his black coat, when activated the suit will materialize around its wearer in a dark miasma that slowly fades away to reveal a set of armor made of dark steel, with crimson colored highlights in place of the gold, and the cloth dyed a dark shade of purple.
Male. Appearance: Pravus looks like your average Sith Pureblood would. He has the trademark red skin of those who have more ancient Sith blood in them, as well as the familiar cheek tendrils that hang down from his face, which almost reach his chin. His orange eyes seem to glow in the darkness, making Pravus appear as some kind of hellish demon from the blackest pits of Chaos. His face is weathered and scarred due to the harsh trials he faced in his younger years. This, combined with the bone ridges sprouting from where his eyebrows would be if he had more human blood in him, makes it seem as though his face is stuck in a perpetual scowl.
As for his other features, Pravus has messy medium length raven black hair that falls to his shoulders framing his face in a way that makes him look even more menacing than he already is. He also has a lean but muscular build, which makes him perfect for combat as he is strong enough to withstand most physical punishment as well as dexterous enough to avoid most attacks thrown at him. Height
6 feet 6.74 inches. Weight
289 pounds. Distinguishing Marks
In addition to his very distinct looking facial features, Pravus also has a long scar running from his left shoulder to the right side of his waist which is usually covered by the robed armor he wears. Force Sensitive
Yes. Lightsaber/Sword Forms
Pravus is a master of the Shii-Cho and Makashi lightsaber forms wich makes him a lethal opponent in lightsaber duels. He also knows enough of the Soresu form to deflect most blaster fire directed at him as well. Strengths & Weaknesses
Pravus is very skilled when it comes to combat, tactics, planning, manipulation, and the use of the force in combat situations, but lacks in other areas. For example, his life on Korriban has given him an extensive knowledge of the Sith order, their customs, lore, and history but limited his knowledge on the histories, customs, and cultures of other races who are of no interest to the Sith. Living on Korriban did sharpen his skills at manipulating others however, as he turned the other sith against each other on a regular basis before he was found out and forced to flee or die.
His knowledge of technology is also limited. While he does know how to work basic technology, such as holograms and the like, more advanced tech is, quite simply, beyond his comprehension. Gear
His old sith acolyte armor (without the mask), two crimson single bladed lightsabers with curved hilts (one for himself and the other for a potential apprentice), a leather satchel containing 230 credits, food, and a bedroll, and lastly a short range comlink wrapped around his right wrist. Personality
Pravus is, like most sith, cold and arrogant. He does have one trait that most sith lack and that is patience. Pravus prefers to set up his opponents and then watch patiently from the shadows as they slowly destroy themselves instead of rushing in, Force powers blazing, and murdering everyone. He does not show mercy or compassion to those he manipulates, as he sees them as nothing but pawns in his plans, and will not hesitate to brutally end anyone who gets in his way or ruins his plans, whatever they may be. Biography
Pravus was born and raised on Korriban. When he came of age he joined the sith order and quickly advanced through their ranks via manipulation, plotting, and cunning. In the course of a few years Pravus attained the rank of Sith Lord and his game of manipulation went from minor schemes to plots that threatened to cause a massive civil war amongst his peers. The ruling body at the time discovered that he was the cause and they attempted to eliminate him, but he escaped the planet in a starship and fled through the hyperspace lanes to Nar Shadda, where he remained in hiding until the order stopped hunting him.
Now he wanders the galaxy sowing discord and strife from the shadows, all the while working towards a goal unknown.
Aliases: Revanchist, Revan the Butcher, Darth Revan, Lord Revan, and Master Revan.
Appearance: Revan is a Human male with fair skin and brown eyes, who wears his dark brown hair at shoulder-length. In Revan's own opinion, however, his features are unremarkable and average at best, not really worth noting, though others-such as Bastila for example-don't share the same opinion. Additionally, Revan grew a beard during the search for the Star Forge, though when he shaved it off shortly after the Battle of Rakata Prime, he was able to pass unrecognized through the throngs of people on Coruscant. It has since grown back in the years following his subsequent decision track down the Sith Emperor, however.
Personality: A highly charismatic, intelligent, and tactically minded person-even as a young apprentice-Revan became renowned not only for his charismatic nature, but his insatiable thirst for knowledge, a desire that some say was responsible for his fall to the dark side in the first place. Revan was also a brilliant tactician and leader, who was also widely hailed as a military genius by many, a fact he proved many times over during his conflict with the Mandalorians when they attempted to push further into Republic space. Unfortunately it was this very act that would start him off down the dark path that eventually saw him return to the galaxy not as a savior, but a conqueror, and a dark one at that. Slowly changing as the war raged on, Revan gradually became colder and more calculating. More arrogant and proud than a Jedi ought to be as he adopted the more militant, yet highly efficient, tactics of his foes and combined them with various Sith teachings he had been exposed to during that time.
And, after a while, the Jedi that was once Revan was no more.
Now, there was only the Dark Lord.
The Sith.
But, like so many things in life, this would not remain the same forever. And during a strike on his ship in which his apprentice, Malak, fired upon his vessel in an act of betrayal and usurpation, incapacitating his former master and allowing the Jedi Council a means of capture. Upon the incarceration of a now incapacitated Revan, the Council debated their next move, before eventually deciding to erase his memories of the war and his life as a Sith in order to let his true personality emerge. One that was not made of darkness, but light. From here, however, the tale of Revan's behavior becomes long and rather tedious. Suffice it to say he, despite the temptation and eventual reclamation of memories once lost, managed to remain true to the light side of the Force, and defeated his former student, ending the threat both he and the ancient Star Forge posed while also redeeming the woman he loved in the process.
Of course if you think his story ended on such a happy note, you are sorely mistaken. Not long after the defeat of Malak and destruction of the Star Forge, Revan began remembering more about what had transpired during their trip into the Unknown Regions. Vague flashes and visions of a dark world, covered in storms, and a powerful emperor whose word had slowly wormed its way into both of their minds.
Tainting them.
Corrupting them.
Slowly twisting them into the tyrants they had become.
And so he had sought it out, leaving his wife and as yet unborn son behind on Coruscant as he donned his ancient mask and ventured out into the Unknown Regions once more, this time intent on defeating the ancient evil he had fallen prey to all those years ago. It was during this crusade of sorts that he eventually realized, somewhat disparagingly, the Sith Emperor was far beyond anything he had faced before. As such, even with the aid of the Sith Lord Scourge-who later betrayed him-and fellow Mandalorian War veteran Meetra Surik, they were unable to defeat him. An inability that resulted in the death of Meetra, the promotion of Scourge, and the imprisonment of Revan in stasis where he remained locked in a telepathic battle with Vitiate for years.
Until one day a feeling tugged at his mind.
And he suddenly found himself here.
Free and whole...
Abilities
General Force Powers -Force Augmentation: Revan can use the Force to augment his physical strength and speed, allowing for various acrobatic feats.
-Force Sense: Revan has incredible Force sense abilities. With focus, he can sense the presence of another Force-user across the span of the entire Galaxy. He can also use the Force to assist him under challenging situations involving precise judgements. Due to his arrival in this new world, however, this abilities range has been limited to the radius of about a mile and its precognitive effects will not always yield the most accurate results.
-Floating Meditation: Floating Meditation, also known as Rising Meditation, was a Jedi meditation technique where one meditated while using the Force to float several inches off the ground. Often, surrounding objects would revolve around the Force-sensitive. This technique was used by Revan when he was being re-trained at the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, where he floated himself, and several objects (chairs and a datapad) during meditation. Bastila Shan would use this power during her Battle meditation. Barriss Offee also used this technique often. Galen Marek used this meditation in order to find Darth Vader. Luke Skywalker used this technique while being imprisoned by the Joiners on Woteba. Jacen Solo meditated this way, believing that contact with the ground could prove distracting.
-Force Resistance: Force resistance, sometimes called Force immunity and Force shield, referred to several applications of the Force used to defend against physical Force powers. In its most basic definition, Force resistance referred to the resilience that a Force-user exhibited against Force abilities. Since this defense could be overcome by an opponent's superior willpower and mastery of the Force, the Jedi and Sith could learn to generate an aura providing additional protection against physical Force powers. Such a technique was also known as Force resistance at the novice level, but mastery of it was ascribed the name Force immunity as its user could render some Force powers entirely inert. In this case, however, the most common use employed by Revan is that which lets him resist the effects of both drugs and poison.
-Telekinesis: The ability to lift, move, and otherwise manipulate physical matter using the power of the Force. This is now limited to objects only through some unknown effects of the universal travel, however. Another series of offshoots from this ability are powers like Force Choke, Push, Grip, Wound, Saber Throwing, and Crush, which do affect living beings. These are concentration based, however, and since becoming a Jedi once more he is not likely to use them to kill unless absolutely necessary.
-Force Lightning: Revan is also proficient in the application of Force lightning, as well as the use of defensive techniques to counter it. Revan can even use his bare hands to absorb and deflect very powerful Force lightning attacks. As should be obvious, very few Force-users in galactic history have demonstrated this ability. Although the true potential damage of his Force lightning is unknown, in this new universe it is strong enough to incapacitate weak individuals and outright kill a person should they be immersed in it for too long.
Weapons & Equipment
Revan wielded a violet-bladed lightsaber when he acquired his trademark helmet on Cathar. However, by the end of the Mandalorian Wars, Revan's lightsaber shined a deep cyan. Upon falling to the dark side of the Force and becoming a Sith Lord, he would change his lightsaber color to crimson. Following his capture, reconstruction and redemption, Revan would once again utilize a blue lightsaber crystal in his fight against Malak and the Sith. After the end of the war he switched to a green lightsaber which he used during his journey to the Unknown Regions.
Revan also wears a mask he retrieved while on Cathar. A mask that has since become a symbol of his legacy.
-Lightsaber Training: Revan is a skilled swordsman. While dueling his opponents, Revan performs acrobatic maneuvers to increase his combat effectiveness. Revan also uses his advanced precognition abilities to anticipate the dueling moves of his opponents in advance with high accuracy to effectively counter, and thus outsmart, them. On Taris, Revan participated in the dueling ring to earn some credits under the alias of "The Mysterious Stranger". He defeated the top five duelists, Deadeye Duncan, Gerlon Two-Fingers, Marl, Ice, and Twitch, to become the Taris dueling champion. Revan accomplished this under an amnesic mental condition and without using the Force. After this accomplishment, Revan gained the attention of several notable individuals who helped him in escaping the planet. On Korriban, Revan single-handededly cut down a pair of terentateks in the tomb of an ancient Sith Lord, Naga Sadow, as part of Sith trials. Later on, he assisted Yuthura Ban in her struggle against the powerful Sith Master of the Korriban Sith Academy and redeemed her. With both individuals gone, the Sith Academy fell into disarray. On the Star Forge, Revan subdued Darth Malak in a lightsaber duel as apparent from the vision of Duron Qel-Droma. On Rekkiad, Revan single-handedly engaged a Basilisk war droid, killed its rider, and knocked out the huge machine by simply using his lightsaber in-conjunction with acrobatics.
-Unifying Force: Revan was the most powerful Jedi of his era. During the Mandalorian Wars, he was considered the Jedi Order's greatest champion. After becoming a Sith Lord, Revan's command of the Force grew as he studied the ancient practices of the dark side. Following his redemption, Revan was stronger than ever before, now having a unique understanding of the Force. His mastery allowed himself to open up to both sides of the Force simultaneously, summoning such power that he could then unleash the Force in its purest form. Even after three centuries of imprisonment and torture, Revan's dominance over his contemporaries continued, only ever being truly surpassed by the Sith Emperor Vitiate.
-Fear Immunity: As is obvious given the amount of things he's been through during his life, alongside his mastery of both sides of the Force, Revan does not feel fear. At least not as easily as most do anyway.
-Military Genius: Revan is an exceptionally capable strategist and tactician. Certain individuals, such as Canderous Ordo, went as far as to place almost the entirety of the Republic's victory in the Mandalorian Wars on his success. Likewise, before his capture during the Jedi Civil War, there were those that believed that it was only a matter of time before he conquered the entire galaxy. Revan's originality as a battlefield commander would earn him the undying respect of both the Mandalorian and Echani warrior cultures as according to the former, Revan represented a supremely worthy foe—one that both embodied their philosophies and showed them their weaknesses. The Echani, on the other hand, believed that Revan represented the epitome of what one could achieve in the arts of war, and that his skill was born out of a highly advanced battle precognition.
-Skilled Linguist: In addition to his combat prowess, Force mastery, and imaginative battle strategies, Revan spoke and comprehended a variety of languages, including Basic, Mando'a, Binary, Huttese, Shyriiwook, and the Selkatha and Rakatan languages. It is unknown whether this was an intuitive understanding born of his Force sensitivity or the result of his previous application of Force techniques, but the The One, the leader of the Black Rakata, stated that during his time as a Dark Lord of the Sith, Revan ripped the language from the mind of the Rakatans and forced Basic in their minds so they could speak his language. Interestingly, he was unable to understand the language of the Sand People, requiring the use of HK-47 as an interpreter.
-Skilled Mechanic: Like Anakin Skywalker, millennia later, Revan is a skilled mechanic. According to Kreia, the first of his Jedi Masters, Revan exhibited a natural talent and interest in machinery, particularly droids. While Kreia held a great deal of pride for her Padawan's unique abilities with the Force, she was nevertheless confounded by Revan's preference of droids, as she herself could find little to no interest in "all things dead to the Force". Years later, Kreia stated to Meetra Surik that she believed Revan's talent for building droids stemmed from his desire for followers that obey orders without question. With that in mind, Revan would come to succeed in creating his ideal droid not long after recreating himself into a Dark Lord of the Sith. Shortly after the Battle of Malachor V, he built the sophisticated "protocol droid", HK-47. He also displayed this skill during his time searching for the Star Forge, when he was able to repair HK-47 enough to regain many of his old memories and combat programs. However, HK's memories of his previous service with Revan would remain locked deep in his memory core, and untouchable, until Malak revealed to the re-programmed Revan his true identity. He proved adept at repairing abandoned, decommissioned, or rusted droids encountered on his journey and could program them to fight for him. Revan also proved himself adept at racing swoop bikes. His first known taste of the sport was on Taris, where he defeated the veteran Black Vulkar racer Redros, taking the Sector Championship to win Bastila Shan's freedom. He continued to compete professionally, eventually winning both the Tatooine and Manaan sector championships. Furthermore, Revan was a skilled pilot. He could fly the Ebon Hawk by himself and control its movements under difficult situations. Revan was also proficient in use of firearms. He proved his skills with these weapons on Endar Spire, Taris, and Rekkiad.
-Strong Willed: Many years earlier, Revan overcame the corrupting and draining dark side energies of the Star Forge—a feat that required considerable willpower and Force capabilities. Revan also proved capable of resisting the malevolent influence of Malachor V, the dark energies of Korriban, and the absolute nothingness of Nathema. Furthermore during his three-centuries of imprisonment and torture, Revan partially shielded his mind from the combined and continuous efforts of Vitiate and the Dread Masters. Clearly Revan is a very strong willed individual and, while not completely immune to mental attacks, he is more than capable of deflecting a great majority of them.
Alias: While he doesn't have an official alias, he generally goes by his first and last initials R.G.
Age: Grimes is in his mid-to-late thirties.
Alignment: Rodney's actions pin him as a Lawful Evil alignment with a strict code of conduct regarding his fellow assassins within the organization. Otherwise he isn't one to go out of his way to help others, unless it helps him in some way, and will generally leave you to sort out whatever mess you've created.
Appearance: Rodney is only distinct in terms of apparel. Otherwise he's pretty average for a man of his age, standing at around 5'10", with light skin, light brown eyes, a somewhat weathered complexion, short raven black hair, and an average physique overall. While he does wear different clothes depending both on his mood and the article's availability, Grimes generally prefers to wear his usual outfit, which consists of a dark Trimble hat, plaid jacket, pants, polished loafers, charcoal zip-up vest, white undershirt, and black tie.
Personality: A rather serious man both in appearance and demeanor, although his choice of clothing can seem a bit odd to some, Rodney Grimes is a man who's made killing his way of life. As such, he has become rather desensitized to violence in the world at large, but not cruel. If a price is put on your head, and he's called in to collect, then you can look forward to a relatively quick and mostly painless death. A much better way of going out honestly, especially when compared with some of the methods other-far more violent-members of the syndicate have used to eliminate their targets.
Powers: Rodney has Umbrakinesis of a sort. While he can manipulate the absence of light, I.E. darkness, he can only do so with his own shadow rather than ambient pools of darkness that might be nearby. Currently, he can extend his shadow to just about anywhere so long as it's within clear line of sight, hence why he's always facing his opponents or allowing himself to be cornered. As for the specific capabilities of his power, Rodney can control the size and length of his shadow, in addition to forming it into three-dimensional objects such as blades and the like. He cannot, however, use it to teleport, make any sort of darkness projectile not connected to his actual shadow, or use it to possess other people's shadows.
Furthermore, the quality of ambient lighting greatly affects the overall strength, availability, and usefulness of his power. So if he were inside a cell without any sort of light source-artificial or otherwise-for example, then he would not be able to manipulate his shadow, let alone call upon it. If he were in moonlight, however, and his shadow was at least somewhat visible, then he would be able to call upon his power, but should the light be too dim or weak then any weapons he fashions from it would be minor annoyances at best. This is the main reason why he prefers to use his abilities during the day, when the light is strongest, to maximize his powers' overall effectiveness.
Weaknesses: As stated above, should the light quality be too poor, absent, or if he does not have a clear line of sight, his power will be useless. Additionally, he has the same weaknesses like any other human being, as his umbrakinesis does not confer any enhanced condition, although it should be noted that he has a slightly higher tolerance for pain and the like due to his occupation.
Biography: Born on January 12th, 1985 to Ashley and Matthias Grimes in a modest Boston suburb, Rodney had a relatively normal life. His early years were pretty average, as were most of his early teen years, until one day when he noticed he could control his own shadow. Not knowing exactly what this power of his was, he began playing around with it in various minor ways, eventually scaling it up with more risky escapades. After a while of this, he found himself unable to contain his more selfish impulses and got caught up in the schemes and turf wars of the various gangs that were operating in the area. These unlawful activities of Rodney's eventually led to his parents deaths as members of a rival gang lit their house on fire during the night, hoping the act would demoralize him and weaken him, thus undermining his efforts in the area as a whole. Unfortunately for his rivals, this act did not weaken Rodney in the slightest. In fact, it did quite the opposite. Rather than completely breaking him, it enraged him, and he used his ever growing powers to go on a warpath, systematically hunting down and eliminating those who had wronged him.
It was during this rampage of darkness and death that he met a member of the Black Rose Syndicate who had a contract on one of the gangbangers he had killed. Not wanting to leave a job unfinished, the Rose came to him with a deal. He'd spare Rodney's life if the boy agreed to apprentice under him so he could take credit for the kill, claiming it was his student acting under his orders rather than some random kid who managed to get there before he did. Not having any real choice in the matter, as the particular Rose he was up against was capable of manipulating light and did so to counter Rodney's power after the boy had tried to use it against him, Grimes accepted the offer and allowed himself to be smuggled off to the Big Apple where he spent the next couple of years running jobs for the group of cutthroats. During this time he had the fundamentals of discipline and the Triumvirate drilled into his head, to the point where he became a completely different person. Where before there had been an impetuous child, now there was a somber and apathetic man, hardened by all the things he'd seen and done.
Where there had once been a heart filled with rage, now there was only a rose.
Potential Storyline A New Player In Town - Rodney arrives in Mountain City tracking down a target and becomes embroiled in its conflicts. During this time he sets up shop in a small safehouse over in Riverview.
Getting To Know The Locals - Set sometime after the first portion where he hunts down his target, Rodney decides to learn who the big players are and attempts to contact and/or work with several of them, possibly getting them to owe him favors he can call in later on. When not doing this, he will be hunting down targets marked for assassination.
Home Away From Home - Having to rely on discreetly wired funds and a shoddy one-room apartment safehouse, Grimes begins working on getting a proper base of operations up and running. Or at least one that is 1/4th as decent as the Black Rose's main headquarters back in New York.
---The following are not yet decided on---
Trouble Comes A' Knocking - A fellow Rose shows up in Mountain City with a kill contract on one of Rodney's new allies. Does he betray the Triumvirate and side with his new accomplices? Or does he follow code and stand aside?
The Bloodhound - A detective, or police officer, who has not yet been paid off by the Onyx follows or catches wind of Rodney's activities in Mountain City, and launches on a warpath to take him down by any means necessary.
Notes: The Black Rose Syndicate is a rather large coalition of assassins-ordinary and extraordinary alike-operating out of NYC who follow three core tenants that have been handed down through the years following the groups founding back in the 1980's. These rules, referred to internally as the Triumvirate, are as follows...
Never spill another Rose's blood without just cause.
Never betray the organization.
Never get caught. <---We'll only pull your ass out of the fire so many times
The syndicates' name became more widely known due to a tradition they began practicing sometime in the early to mid 90's where they would take a rose shaped onyx ring, dip it in black ink, and then use it to mark the notes they'd leave near their kills in order to notify clients the job had been completed. Nowadays, however, they just use various ciphered messages and burner phones, although members are still given the papers, ring, and ink should they wish to indulge in this old ritual.
Recruitment for the Black Rose Syndicate is usually conducted via shared external contacts who can vouch for any interested parties. A meeting will then be arranged, after which the prospective inductee will undergo a test of their skills out in the field under the careful supervision of a long standing syndicate member. There is, however, another form of recruitment in which a fully fledged member of five years or more with at least twenty completed contracts can take someone into the organization as an apprentice, though this is rarer than the previous method due to the fact that very few inside the organization wish to spend that much time training someone else. Especially when they could be spending that time completing lucrative contracts instead.
|Lord of The Lightless City/Lord of The Abyss/The King/Watcher of The Lake/The Shepherd/He Who Sits Beneath The Blackened Sun/Lord of The Lightless Hall|
God of Madness
Domain: Madness
Appearance: While M'arash's appearance isn't set and can shift according to his will, he usually appears as a tall alien looking figure clad in tattered yellow robes or a similar variant, such as the Shepherd. His followers use the names for his forms when referring to him, as they consider it blasphemy to utter his true name. As a matter of fact he only time his followers do actually speak his name is when they pray, which is usually done in secret where others can't hear or see them.
"The mind is my throne and madness my sceptre. As long as they exist, my rule shall never be broken."
&
"The King rules and the Shepherd guides. Such is the way of the world. Such is the way of our god..."
Realm:Vesania, The Maddening Abyss
"Welcome to my realm, a place built and maintained by my will alone. Stay awhile! stay forever..."
Vesania is a near infinite expanse of barren wastes, non-Euclidean mountains, and ruins all sitting underneath the sickly light of a black sun. All mortals that enter Vesania are instantly driven mad, as evidenced by the mutated and completely insane remnants of humans and animals that lay scattered throughout the realm (which resides in Sub-Space).
At the center of Vesania sits Vilor'Akash the Lightless City, a twisted and utterly incomprehensible circular formation of blackened stone buildings, spires, pillars, twisted bridges, pathways, and strange monolithic structures that is inhabited by a race of highly intelligent, multi-limbed beings known as the Zin'Ara, who act as servitors to their lord and maker M'arash by acting as messengers and emissaries for him when he does not wish to personally enter the mortal plane or the realm of another god.
The Zin'Ara also carry out various "experiments" on beings trapped within his realm. Exactly what these procedures entail as well as their exact purpose is unknown, but judging from the never-ending screams emanating from Vilor'Akash, it can't be good.
As for the entrance to Vesania, it's a medium-sized body of water sitting in the middle of the unnamed continent directly to the north of the God of Soul's realm, called Lake Ha'lel (also known as the Lake of Ha'lel or simply Ha'lel) and any being who is dragged underneath its surface by one of the Bii'an or dives underneath the still waters themselves, will end up in Vesania. More specifically an area known as the Plains of Xo'hst. Many of his followers, or Yanites as they are commonly called by those who know of their existence, have come here in secret during months when the moon is full to throw still living sacrifices into the lake or to occasionally crossover into his realm when M'arash declares, usually through a dream or hallucination, that it is their time to leave.
Biography/Personality: Once a mortal from the frigid northwestern region of Tabrasa, M'arash and his companion Ka'li left their original homeland and forsook their faith in the god they once followed in order to forge their own path through the now godless lands. After many years of wandering, they finally came across the cave containing the Divine Cord and the rest is, as the Illuminator would say, history.
Notes:
Misc: M'arash, despite being the God of Madness, prefers to cause insanity in his victims indirectly through an alien looking star shaped symbol with an eye in the middle, called the Eye of Xyil. Mortals who see it will slowly go mad and use any means at their disposal to replicate the accursed shape in order to further expand the range of M'arash's maddening influence.
This madness can range from subtle to obvious depending on the victims initial mental state. For example a person with a sound mind would be very subtle in the way they displayed their madness, often acting so normal they even fool themselves into believing they're sane, while a person without a very sound mind will simply become more insane and more violent then they were before.
It should be noted that this symbol does not effect the other gods, unlike the maddening presence of M'arash himself or the insanity inducing realm he resides in, despite his best efforts to make it do so.
"It's such an insidiously clever invention. Don't you agree?"
M'arash has gained quite a following during the ten thousand year absence of the other gods. He accomplished this by warping the minds of mortals who gazed upon the Eye of Xyil. Once this was complete M'arash forced them to wander into the lonely places of the world where he had them form various groups devoted to him and his sign, the most widespread, secretive, and influential of these being the Yanites.
{As a side note on the Yanites, they are still largely unknown and unnoticed by most humans living on Tabrasa, often leading very secretive and solitary lives as they wander the world while going more and more insane, leaving the Eye of Xyil scrawled in places they've been where the unsuspecting passerby will come across it. While his followers do stay in one place on occasion, it's usually not for very long. Especially after M'arash's influence has begun to take hold on an area and people start to go insane. They do this to maximize the amount of people they affect and to keep from being caught by the local authorities as well}
God's are also able to travel to Vesania through the lake. They are not instantly driven mad upon entering like mortals, but that does not mean the risk is not there. Gods that enter this realm must be on guard constantly, lest they to fall victim to madness.
The only time that M'arash will physically appear to his followers is to usher them through the lake and into Vesania, once it is their "time" to leave. He usually chooses to appear in his Shepherd form and is, as always, accompanied by his companion Ka'li.
While he doesn't do it often, as spreading madness is his goal, M'arash can prevent others from accessing Vesania by causing Ha'lel and everything in it to transform into a churning blanket of fog that is capable of completely engulfing the entire island it's on, a fog that is nigh impossible to dispell while the god himself still lives.
Despite being the god of madness M'arash is surprisingly sane. This does not hinder him however, rather it only aids him in his quest to cause more madness in the minds of mortals and the gods they follow, as he can more effectively reason out what conditions, actions, or tortures are best to use against his victims.
M'arash's reasons for causing madness are quite simple and can be traced all the way back to his Divine Cord which, although it was unclaimed and didn't previously belong to any other deities, embedded an unending and extremely strong desire to drive others insane deep within his being that, over the years, molded him into what he is now.
"Mindless creatures, but useful."
The Bii'an The Bii'an are a race of mindless slug like creatures with hardened, yet flexible, outer shells that live at the bottom of Lake Ha'lel. They have very long lifespans, sticky white blood (which is warm), survive on a diet that consists mainly of the microorganisms within Ha'lel, and generally grow to about 40 feet in length. M'arash has complete control over them and uses them to drag offered or hapless victims underneath the lake (which exists in both realms) and into Vesania where the Zin'Ara will then proceed to drag them off to Vilor'Akash and perform horrific experiments on them.
"The Zin'Ara...such beautiful creatures. Truly my best creation."
The Zin'Ara The Zin'Ara are a race of highly intelligent multi limbed beings who live within Vilor'Akash and act as servitors to their maker M'arash. They stand at around 9 feet tall, weigh around 210 pounds, have inky black blood, numerous eyes that give them a near 360° field of vision, a sharp tooth filled maw on the bottom side of their heads directly beneath their eyes, communicate via telepathy, they have a body temperature much lower than that of a regular human (around fifteen degrees Fahrenheit), and a hard outer shell that protects their vulnerable undersides.
They survive on a pure protein diet, most of which comes from the people and animals trapped within Vesania, unlike the Bii'an who eat the microorganisms that live within Lake Ha'lel. They can use their appendages for a variety of things such as the reproduction of their race. They accomplish this through the use of crystalline vats in which a new Zin'Ara is grown from the appendage of the old. The Zin'Ara, like the Bii'an, also have extremely long lifespans that allow them to live for well over a hundred thousand years. They also write in an alien language composed entirely of curved symbols.
"Ah Ka'li! Guardian of my Cord! Go forth and strip the flesh from the bones of our foes!"
Ka'li: Guardian of The Cord Ka'li was, and still is, a close companion of the god M'arash. They traveled the world together when they were mortal (and when M'arash went by a different name) all those years ago, moving from place to place after fleeing their original home and forsaking the god they once followed, whom they lost faith in after its unexplained hundred year absence from the world along with the other deities.
When M'arash came across the Divine Cord, Ka'li pledged to protect him while he underwent his divine metamorphosis. After the ten day period his transformation was complete and so was hers. For while she sat in the cave they found the Cord in, it had slowly begun to transform her into an alien looking creature with dormant supernatural powers. It was only after M'arash created Vesania and brought her to it that the initial changes took full effect, turning her into what she is now as well as fully awakening her dormant abilities.
At present Ka'li still resides within Vilor'Akash and acts as M'arash's personal bodyguard. She is ready to kill at a moments notice in defense of M'arash or, more importantly, his Divine Cord and has several abilities that help her in this regard such as being able to move at supersonic speeds, the ability to use a small portion of M'arash's maddening power (which is akin to, yet separate from Magic) for herself, the ability to morph her body back to its human form (something she only does when acting as M'arash's personal bodyguard during his ventures into Tabrasa or his occasional trips into the realms of other gods), and the ability to regenerate lost or destroyed limbs through sheer force of will.
While all of this makes her very difficult to kill, it does not make it impossible as cutting off her three heads, crushing her, lighting her on fire, or electrocuting her will be enough to keep her from using her regenerative gifts, and lead to her demise. Trapping her in some way is also a viable option in certain situations.
"Men are often just as monstrous as the very monsters they hate."
Sex
Male.
Age
Appears to be no more than twenty years old, but is in reality three centuries old.
Height
5'10.
Weight
198.76 lbs.
Species
Vampire.
Volunteered or Sentenced
Sentenced to join.
Physical Abnormalities
A thin almost imperceptible scar running down his left eye along with a deeper and more pronounced series of gashes running across his chest courtesy of a swipe from the Blood God's claws. As for the color of his eyes specifically, they have been likened unto twin furnaces which burn alluringly in the darkness.
Need To Know Information
To combat the effects of sunlight Vitius generally wears very thick clothing, armor, and hoods to decrease his risk of exposure.
Thanks to his years as a member of the well trained contingent of guards assigned to the town of Ebongrove by Baron Corvus, his time in the Red Hoods, and his three additional centuries of watching the world change around him, Vitius is extremely skilled at sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat, along with a wide variety of other skills.
While originally a piercing blue in color, Vitius's eyes have changed to a flaming orange since his ingestion of demon blood hundreds of years ago. His overall appearance has become drastically more youthful as well, making him look like he did in his early twenties, though whether or not this is a side effect of the demon blood is unknown.
Vitius original sword was lost during his battle with an angry spirit while he and some other recruits were conducting their investigation of Fenwd, though he managed to replace it in due time with the Vǫrðrsbani Blade. A steel bastard sword inlaid with ancient runes, as well as two cerulean gems embedded in its hilt that glow when in the presence of incorporeal beings, signifying a release of the magic housed within. The very same magic that grants the blade its power both to harm and slay them. When not in the presence of such creatures however, the blade functions like a sword normally would, albeit without the fancy glow emitted by the runes and gems or the powerful magic.
Although he has consumed a great deal of blood over the years, human and animal alike, Vitius usually lets the memories passed along with his meals fade away into nothingness rather than holding onto them for extended periods of time. He does so out of a desire to avoid being burdened with their "luggage" as he calls it. There is one person whose memories he has kept over the years, however, that being Liros. His long since deceased friend and former brother in arms.
Special Abilities
Blood God's Curse: Due to a peculiar side effect of consuming demon blood, this particular bearer of the parasite must now deal with travelling between Hell and Tenebris at random times for the rest of their natural life. Although theoretically possible to master, and thus control, the current bearer of this curse has not yet found a way to do so for the three-hundred years they have been alive. This makes the prospects of any fledgling vampires learning to bring it under their control, should they even acquire such an ability in the first place, highly improbable if not impossible.
Initiates: A Brief(ish) History
Leech. Bloodsucker. Monster. Vitius was never the most trusted member of the Hoods, as the many names he was given during the duration of his forced servitude and the chains he was escorted to the Keep in clearly shows. Viewed with more suspicion than most of the other initiates-even those that were supernatural beings in their own right-Vitius had it tough from day one, and an ever growing feud with fellow initiate Colin only made matters worse. Despite all of this however, Dragomir managed to pass the Hoods initiation trial and earn his Yellow Hood, thus securing his place as a member of their order...
For the time being anyway.
It wasn't long before he was sent on his first mission with some of the other recruits, the group having been tasked with investigating the strange goings on in the quiet village of Traffyn Fenwd. Coincidentally it was this mission that helped seal his eventual desertion from the Hoods as while there one of the members of his team ran off, never to be seen or heard from again. And while the blame was not publicly cast on Vitius within the Hoods themselves upon his groups return, the suspicion that he had drained his missing colleague and left their bloodless corpse lying in a ditch somewhere still remained, making life back at the keep in Duncaster even harder than it was before. He persevered, however, attempting to gradually change the Hoods draconic views on people like him from within until he eventually gave up, believing that they were too set in their ways and thus had to be destroyed instead. Thus he turned deserter and fled the keep during the middle of the night, taking what little personal effects he owned with him before quickly making his way back to the Crimson Heights.
Back to Ebongrove.
From there he met up with his old comrade and close friend Liro, the two of them beginning to plan their impromptu war against the Hoods. Using gorilla tactics, the two systematically eliminated multiple Red Hood patrols and squadrons, covering their tracks each time to prevent discovery. Then, just when everything seemed to be going well in their yearlong conflict, the Hoods suddenly disbanded. It was as though they had completely lost the will to fight, let alone exist as an order. Finding himself without an enemy to fight or a righteous cause to champion, Vitius felt extremely relieved and lost in equal measure. Relieved that he'd finally removed their influence from the land, and could finally begin to help those who were afflicted as he was, and lost because this overwhelmingly powerful force he'd been so adamant on destroying for so many years had just... given up. Left him with nothing toward which he could direct his efforts. Liro on the other hand, was just happy that he could sit back, grab a mug of ale, and finally catch up with an old friend. An attitude that helped anchor Vitius greatly as he pondered his next move.
This peace would not last long though. For several years later a small coven of vampires living in the craggy mountains surrounding Ebongrove began conducting a ritual to summon their so called "Blood God", a demonic entity they believed to be the progenitor of the vampiric parasite and thus their species as a whole. The tenuous accuracy of this claim aside, Vitius and Liro soon caught wind of what they were trying to do and decided to stop them, not wishing to face the prospect of a demonic invasion no matter how insignificant or unlikely it seemed. So gearing up the duo ventured deep into the mountains via a secret path revealed to them by a member of the coven, whom they'd captured when it had come down into the valley to feed, whereupon the search for the hideout truly began. After several hours of looking the pair finally found a small, damp, cave the group was using as a base and ventured inside. They were, much to their horror, too late to halt the ritual and were therefore forced to watch in anxious anticipation as the beast slowly clawed its way out of the blood red portal that had been opened in the very stone beneath their feet.
Thus, when it had fully emerged, the two were joined in combat with the creature and its followers. It was a long and bloody fight, but one that ultimately left the two victorious, albeit at a cost. It also left Vitius with his first real taste of a demon's blood, as he had latched onto its throat during the fight. Liro was mortally wounded during the scuffle, however, prompting Vitius to drink his blood in order to preserve his friend's final memories. With this done Vitius buried Liro just outside the entrance to the path they'd taken to get there, taking a moment to pay what respects he could before silently trekking back to the valley below. With the coven destroyed and it's demonic master slain, Vitius once again found himself at a loss, but this time without anyone to help him find his way in the world, to serve as his anchor. So he wandered far and wide for the next three centuries, feeding only when necessary and subtly changing peoples opinions towards monsters whenever and wherever he could. During this time he acquired a plethora of new skills while also dealing with a new development in his life, that being his sudden procurement of the Blood God's ability to jump or "shift" between Tenebris and Hell, albeit at completely random intervals.
But despite numerous setbacks Vitius soldiered on, bearing the sudden shifts between Hell and the material plane as best he could while he made his way to Duncaster for reasons unknown. The trip went well at first, as he was covering quite a bit of ground in a very short period of time, before an unexpected planar shift threw a wrench into his plans. This one wasn't like the others, however, as it lasted for much longer than he had anticipated, forcing him to wander the depths of Hell for what seemed like months before he was finally returned. Only this time Vitius wasn't in Duncaster but a tavern, and an unfamiliar one at that. Seeing no immediate solution to his situation, he decided to stick around in the hopes of finding out just where the hell he was.
"In the north the only person you can rely on is yourself."
Age: 32. Race: Human. Origin: Weirn - The City of Normundr.
Personality: Einarr is a very stubborn and gruff person who prefers to rely on his own skills and abilities rather than those around him.
While his lone wolf and mostly antisocial behaviour was only made stronger by his time as a Ranger in the service of King Hagrir, during which Einarr spent most of his time alone while out on long distance scouting or hunting missions into the surrounding hills and forests, it can be traced all the way back to when he was a child living in the city slums where he had no one else to rely on but himself to provide food, shelter, clothing, and water.
Despite all of his self reliance and complete lack of a desire for social interaction with most people, Einarr has one trait that had always and will always remain engrained within him, and that is loyalty. Indeed Einarr is loyal to a fault and once carried a fellow Ranger who was fatally wounded back to Normundr, through a blizzard, by himself, simply because the man wanted to be buried with his ancestors and not in an unmarked grave out in the wilds. Upon returning to the city, the King made sure the Ranger was given a proper buriel before personally rewarding Einarr for his deed by giving him a sword from his personal armory.
History: Abandoned by his parents when he was a child, Einarr was forced to live out on the streets, stealing and fighting off the other homeless children to survive. While there were a few people who showed him compassion by giving him food, clothing, water, or a place to stay in exchange for work they needed done, most of the time he was ignored and left to fend for himself.
As he grew older, he became more and more desperate to survive in the frozen, inescapable hell he constantly found himself in by breaking into other peoples homes to look for food or to find a warm place to sleep for the night, not knowing that this habit would eventually see him crossing paths with a man that would change his life forever.
Veteran Ranger Bruin Stormblade.
~Twenty Years Ago~
It was on a particularly cold winter night that a young Einarr was trying, and failing, to get a restful night's sleep under the snow covered awning of a nearby bakery, the freezing snow filled air tearing at his ragged clothing and the cold flesh underneath. Lifting up his head, Einarr saw what he thought was a well to do man clad in chain mail, leather, and furs armed with a bow, axe, and round shield walk past the bakery he was sleeping next to and off towards the more well off part of town. Well, more well off than the slums he was accustomed to living in anyway.
Smiling to himself, Einarr got to his feet and began to follow the man, keeping just far back enough to avoid rousing his suspicions, until he saw the man arrive at a small but modest home, open the door, and go inside. Doing his best not to shiver from the cold Einarr quietly made his way round to the back of the house, unlocked a first floor window, and slipped inside. The interior of the house was dark which caused the boy to fumble around for a bit in search of a candle or other source of light when the feeling of a sharp object brushing up against his throat stopped him from moving any further.
"Don't you know it's not wise to sneak into someones house unannounced boy?" A gruff voice said from somewhere in front of him. Einarr felt his blood run cold at the man's mention of the word "boy." How did this man know he was a boy unless...
"What?" The man said with a chuckle. "Did you really think you'd be able to follow a Ranger and break into his house without him noticing?" With those words Einarr heard the man mutter something which caused a flame to materialize in the palm of his right hand. Stretching out his hand to a nearby wall the man uttered another chant and the flame surged towards it, causing a torch mounted there to ignite and bathe the small room in a flickering orange light.
Now that he could see better, Einarr's eyes went wide in shock and fear as he finally got a good look at the bear of a man holding the sword to his throat. He had long raven black hair that reached his shoulders, a thick beard tied in a braid, and a heavily scared face that made it seem as though he'd been mauled by a bear. Seeing the look on the boy's face, the man let out another, more amused chuckle, as he withdrew the blade and placed it back into its sheathe. He then walked over to a nearby chair and sat down in it before pulling out a wooden pipe from a pouch on his belt, placing some tobacco into it, and lighting it.
"Y-you're not going to kill me?" Einarr asked, his voice breaking slightly.
"Now what would that accomplish?" The man asked as he took a long draw from the pipe before exhaling a large cloud of smoke. "You'd be dead and I'd have a mess to clean up."
"Then...what are you going to do?" Einarr asked, the apprehension he felt written plainly on his face.
"I'm going to give you a choice." He said, leaning forward slightly. "You can try to steal from me and run like you originally planned and try to live your life on the streets..." He said, indicating the open window with his pipe. "Or you can become my apprentice and train to become a Ranger in service of the King and do something productive with your life."
Einarr stared at him for a while, his mouth hung open in shock. First he'd thought he was going to die and now he was being offered a chance to have a life far better than the one he had now. Effectively a fresh start. Thinking it over for a long while, Einarr finally made up his mind.
"Alright." He said, standing up a bit straighter. "I'll train under you sir...um..."
"Stormblade. Bruin Stormblade." He said, taking another draw from his pipe.
Einarr nodded in acknowledgement and dropped to one knee. "Sir Stormblade."
"Eh, get up boy. Bowing is only done before those spineless nobles or our King, of which I'm neither. Now, I've told you my name, how about yours? You got a name boy?"
"Einarr." He said, getting to his feet.
"Well Einarr..." Bruin said as he got up from his chair and walked over to Einarr. "I suggest you get some sleep. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."
~Present Day~ Einarr pulled the fur hood he was wearing further down his head to keep out the bone chilling mountain wind that whipped across face as the carriage he was currently seated in rattled and creaked as it slowly made its way up the narrow path leading through the Ghenna Mountains, the team of horses at its front kicking up clouds of snow with every step they took.
Looking off into the distance he could see the imposing form of the Orders mountain stronghold rising up from the surrounding mist and clouds like the carcass of some long dead beast left over from ages that have long since been forgotten by man and elf alike.
Prying his gaze from the towering structure, Einarr turned his attention back to the letter clutched in his hand. The reason he was even here in the first place. He stared at the damned thing for a long while before tossing it over the side of the carriage. He didn't even have to read it in order to know what it was. To know what it said.
It was a letter of banishment from King Hagrir himself for so called treason against the crown, which was a load of bullshit. Einarr knew he'd done nothing wrong and so had the King, but he was forced to bend to the will of the nobles at the time which is what had led him to where he was now. Freezing his ass off in a rickety old carriage on the side of a mountain.
Letting out an exhausted sigh, Einarr turned his gaze back towards the oncoming keep, a look of stubborn determination on his face. He may have been exiled from his homeland by his enemies and stripped of his official title as a Kings Ranger, but he'd be damned if he let them break his spirit.
Relationships:
King Hagrir - Acquaintance.
Bruin Stormblade - Seen as an adoptive father.
Strong Skills:
Archery.
Hand-to-hand/Melee Combat.
Survival (includes a bit of first aid, herbalism, etc).
Tracking.
Streetwise.
Crafting (weapons and armor as well as the repair of said items).
Weak Skills:
Pickpocketing.
Lockpicking.
Persuasion.
Diplomacy.
Magic:
Pyromancy - Apprentice (Attuned and trained as a member of Hagrirs Rangers).
Equipment:
Leather pouch containing 125 pieces of gold.
A small dagger.
Good quality steel longsword from the Kings personal armory.
Dependable steel hand axe.
Hunting bow.
Reinforced leather armor with furs woven into it for warmth.
A large over the shoulder animal skin pack containing flint, tinder, a bedroll, some rope, food, and a water skin.
"A soldier kills to protect and so do I, only closer to home."
Name: Alexander J. Morrison (doesn't mind if you call him Alex or Morris). Anti-Hero Name: The Man In Black. Age: 73. Nationality: American. Ethnicity: Caucasian. Location: Chicago, Illinois.
Theme:
Occupation: Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, former CEO of Genos Corp (still wields power from behind the scenes), and full time Vigilante.
Personality: While he was quite a hotheaded and driven man in his youth, the passage of time and hard work in the field of genetics has mellowed him dramatically. He now listens to other's concerns or complaints patiently and takes time to think out his plans for the future of his life and company rather than making brash decisions like the ones in his younger years, which helps contribute to the stability and success he now enjoys.
It should also be noted that while he does take the lives of various criminals during his nightly "strolls", Alexander doesn't enjoy it and even offers them a chance to turn themselves in to the local authorities. An opportunity very few take. Every kill he makes he views as necessary, something that has to be done in order to preserve the lives of others and maintain peace.
Backstory/Origin: Born in 1945 to Linda and James Morrison a few months after the conclusion of World War II in Springfield Illinois, Alexander James Morrison was raised in a rather simple home without many luxuries or commodities, just the bare essentials. Over the course of his childhood, his parents did their best to raise him right by keeping him away from negative influences, which did help to lessen the rebellious tendencies that he would experience in his teenage to young adult years.
Upon reaching the age of twenty, Alexander, who had been working diligently to earn his GED between occasional periods of acting out, finally got what he needed to enter a state college. From there he studied many different subjects such as biology, chemistry, literature, and the arts just to name a few. After years of enrollment and study, Alexander finally graduated, although with a rather large sum of debt that his family wasn't able to pay off which forced him to seek employment.
So he took part to full time jobs in his hometown, started some small ventures of his own, not all of which were successful, and even dabbled in the Stock Market for a while. These various sources of income allowed him to pay off a bit of his debt, but not much. Deciding he needed a larger, more stable source of income, Alexander spent the next couple of years forming connections with various people in order to start his own company, one that would focus on ways to improve medical technology and the human genome as well.
In 1975, at the age of only thirty years old, Alexander finally achieved his goal and founded Genos Corp. which would go onto become one of the worlds leading medical, and genetics, research companies. Fast forwarding several years into the future, Genos Corp. becomes extremely profitable thanks to Alexander's leadership and owns several subsidiary companies that help market their parent companies products and research while Genos Corp. itself continues to delve deeper into genetics research behind the scenes, looking for new ways to help improve the human condition.
In early 2010 scientists at Genos Corp. discovered a way to reverse or heal, the damage done to cells more effectively by studying the way lizards regrow their limbs. They began delving into this further, until they eventually figured out how to unlock a cells potential to regenerate by exposing them to small amounts of mutative radiation. While the initial test results were slow regrowth of internal bodily structures or a slightly faster heal time for damaged skin, over time the scientists found ways to make the regeneration more powerful and fast until getting animals to regrow entire limbs was childs play.
When they presented their findings to Alexander a few months later, they requested permission to start public trials to see how well the process worked on a wide variety of people, which Alexander denied. Upon explaining his reasons for doing so, which included the potential harm that could be caused if their knowledge fell into the wrong hands, the scientists agreed that a public trial of the mutation would be too risky and decided to continue to work on the project as they had been, saving it's public release for a later and hopefully more peaceful time.
While they continued their work, Alexander was busy attending a charity event in Topeka Kansas, when an unidentified assailant shot him once in the heart from a rooftop opposite the location the event was being held in. The shooter escaped before the police fully locked down the area and Alexander was rushed, by his own request, back to Genos Corp. headquarters in Chicago Illinois. Upon arrival his best surgeon's attempted to remove the bullet, but found it too risky, so his geneticists had him placed in one of their Regen Chamber's, as they called it, where they proceeded to bombard his cells small concentrated bursts of mutative radiation.
Once the procedure was complete, they removed him from the chamber and placed him in an intensive care unit where he could, hopefully, recover. After about a day of recovery, Alexander's body finally managed to push the bullet out of his heart, which wasn't easy due to how it was designed, and healed all of the damage. Once he was up and about, Alexander held a public event where he alieved fears and dismissed rumors that he had died and returned to work as usual.
Only this time he knew that there was someone out there who wanted him dead. Knowing he needed info, he bought several weapons and equipment. Ramped up his security force, creating a sort of private military force to protect his assets and turned the basement of his companies headquarters into a full on secret hideout from which he could monitor criminal activity in the city. He also had a dedicated team of engineers and scientists formed, who could create new tech for him to use while he pursued the person or people who tried to kill him.
He eventually tracked them down and eliminated them seven years later, returning back to his normal life soon after. Or rather, he tried to. But he just couldn't settle down knowing there were all kinds of criminal gangs and orginizations out there causing havoc, so he publicly announced his plans to retire from the public eye and left the day to day operations of his company in the hands of his vice president, Lucas Sterling, before setting up shop in the buildings sublevels. From there he began hunting down various criminals and criminal organizations under the cover of darkness and has continued to do so ever since.
Tools/Equipment/Weapons: Two Mateba Unica 6 auto-revolvers with silencers, kept in duel holsters attached to a black leather belt fastened around his waist, an old Android smartphone, and a 13" R-Tek black tactical combat knife which he keeps in sheathe that's attached just to the front left portion of his waist for easy access.
Skills: Alexander has knowledge in a wide variety of fields such as genetics, marketing, public speaking, banking, negotiating, hand to hand combat, the use of fire arms, and management.
Abilities/Powers/Mutations
Regeneration Type IV.
Capabilities: Minor to moderate wounds heal near-instantaneously, appearing as though they never happened.
Lost limbs and internal organs will be completely regenerated.
Damaged nerves can be healed to a certain extent.
Cellular senescence is drastically reduced, if not completely halted, granting decelerated aging/eternal youth.
Critically and fatally damaged cells can regenerate, preventing scars.
User can regenerate as long as the head/brain is damaged to no more than a certain level.
Disease Immunity.
User is near-completely unaffected by toxin or drugs.
Destruction of the head is one of the few sure methods to ensure the user of this level's death.
Healing strength may be so powerful, the blood is enriched with healing powers that can be used to heal others.
Tumorous cells may actually be multiplied via regeneration as they are considered living cells.
Weaknesses: Alexander's regenerative abilities can be stopped or overwhelmed if he is exposed to a high amount of damage for a long time.
His regenerative powers can also be taken if a geneticist with enough skill undoes the mutations he was given.
Decapitation or a well placed round to the head will kill him as he needs his brain to be intact and connected to the rest of his body in order to regenerate.
Old age will still kill him as he can only live for around four hundred years before his cells begin to divide and replicate without the mutation that gives him his power.
Peak Body: Alexander has, through a strict diet and exercise regimen, unlocked the full potential of his body and attained the pinnacle of human physical ability.
Weaknesses: Alexander must keep up his training regimen in order to stay in peak physical and mental shape. One slip up in dedication and he could be spending months or even years of his life getting back to where he was.
James J. Morrison - Father, retired World War II vet. Currently living in Springfield Illinois.
Linda S. Morrison - Mother, former factory worker. Deceased due to heart complications.
Lucas Sterling - Employee, former Vice President of Genos Corp. now CEO. Currently living in an apartment complex in Chicago.
The logo for Alexander's company, Genos Corp.
Genos Corp. Headquarters.
Alexander's favorite dessert is mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Alexander has a strong interest in philosophy natural or otherwise and, when not focusing on reducing the cities criminal population, can most often seen thinking about the nature of the universe and man's place within it, especially givin recent world events.
Genos Corp. is a nationally recognized company worth several billion dollars and is currently the worlds leader in the medical science and technology fields. While it also specializes in genetics, the company has not released or even shown any of their advanced research into the field to the public at the request of Alexander, who wishes for such knowledge to remain secret until the world is ready for it.
Unlike most companies, Genos Corp. doesn't have a motto as Alexander believes that it is better to show your sincerity through actions rather than words.
Originally Alexander had only a vague idea of how his regenerative powers worked, but after several years of practice he's pretty much figured out how everything works.
Alexander no longer appears to physically age thanks to his regenerative healing factor.
Despite his healing factor, Alexander still suffers from fatigue, hunger, and thirst just like any other human. Though he has more stamina than usual thanks to years of physical training.
"All things are permissible if knowledge is the goal."
NAME
Zekron.
TITLES
Lord of The Darklands.
&
King of The Fallen Citadel.
AGE
Ancient.
SPEECH COLOR
Silver.
SPECIES
Lich/Undead.
GENDER
Male.
STRENGTHS/ABILITIES
ABILITIES Lich Physiology, One Man-Army, Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Proficiency, Magic, Spell Casting, Dark Arts, Necromancy, Reanimation, Undead Manipulation, Fear Inducement, Possession, Defunct Physiology, Immortality, Planeswalking (via Magic/Spell Casting) and Unholy Territory.
STRENGTHS INTELLIGENCE/CUNNING: Zekron is by nature a very cunning, intelligent, and deceitful being who excels at manipulating and outsmarting his foes. He prefers to gather as much information on a target or area as he can before going forward with his plans, so as to lower his chances of failure and will be extremely hesitant to proceed without knowing as much about a situation as he would like.
MAGICAL SKILL/ARCANE KNOWLEDGE: Both a mage in his life and unlife, Zekron is a master at spell casting and mana management. His vast knowledge of other planes, their inhabitants, and countless magical artifacts and arcane techniques also helps give him a very huge edge over other spell casters.
IMMUNITY TO NON MAGICAL ATTACKS: Thanks to his undead form having practically no vital organs or weak points, Zekron is completely immune to all normal types of damage done by unenchanted weapons. Magical and enchanted weapons are still quite effective however, but can their effects can be negated somewhat depending on what defenses he puts forth to protect himself with.
WEAKNESSES/FLAWS
WEAKNESSES Anti-Magic, Magic Disruption, Magic Destruction, Magic Negation, and the destruction of his phylactery, which will unbind his soul and send him into the void. In other words, it'll kill him. Also holy based magics may do varying amounts of damage depending on his current defenses.
FLAWS DECREASED AGILITY: Due to his undead form, Zekron is rather slow and clumsy for a powerful undead creature. While he can make up for this somewhat through levitation or teleportation magics, it is still not the most effective solution especially in small spaces where maneuverability is very limited.
HORRIFIC VISAGE: While Zekron can cast a Change Self spell to mask his true form, it is only temporary and will fade over time, revealing his real and horrifyingly repulsive form. As you can image many beings naturally distrust and hate creatures that look like him, which makes blending in around non undead a very difficult task for Zekron.
MARTIAL PROWESS DEFICIENCY: As a mage in life, and now unlife, Zekrons focus was entirely on the higher and more mystic arts which has left him pretty much inept in regards to physical combat and battle techniques.
BACKGROUND
Zekron was once a human necromancer from Faerun, who carried out many horrendous and revolting rituals on innocent people in his quest for immortality.
After several years of research and living life on the run, he finally managed to create a phylactery and bound his soul to it. He then used magic to place it inside of his own ribcage so no one else could access it.
A few years after this Zekron traveled to the Underdark and set up his own kingdom on a small island in the middle of a lake in an unexplored area. He built a citadel out of the surrounding stone and killed anything that came near his lair, building up a sizable undead army in the process. The drow began to refer to Zekron's lair as the Fallen Citadel and avoided it at all costs, showing just how dangerous of a foe he is.
As of the present Zekron spends much of his time in other planes and dimensions, when not conducting experiments within his Citadel or creating new spells and rituals, ceaselessly pursuing magical knowledge and secrets.
NOTES
Zekron's phylactery is a sphere made of solid diamond embedded in his chest which he has reinforced with magic to make it nigh-indestructible.
The staff that Zekron wields has powers that are bound to him and him alone making its power inaccessible to anyone else but himself. He named it the Staff of Souls due to the enchantment that he placed on it which allows him to absorb the essence from mortal souls to empower himself and his spells.
A small enchanted ring that slowly restores the wearers health over time both in and out of combat.
A small enchanted ring that greatly boosts the mana reserves of the wearer as well as the speed at which they regenerate.
A small enchanted ring created by Zekron, that renders him completely immune to all low level/weak planar or extra-planar entities.
Note, this only protects from the attacks of weak planar beings. Those who are more powerful can easily bypass this rings defense and land a attack on the undead wizard.
A medium sized tome filled with arcane knowledge that Zekron carries with him at all times for on the fly spellcasting. It is bound with an enchantment that causes surrounding shadows to rise up and kill anyone who tries to take it other than himself.
---->READ, VERY IMPORTANT! (Please be aware that I'm putting the full description for each spell used even though this isn't using D&D 2e rules, just so other's can get a good idea of what they do. Instead of strictly following said rules, Zekron will simply say the name of the spell whilst channeling some of his mana. If a spell requires more than just an incantation, such as him maintaining physical contact with something, then he shall do whatever's required to cast it. Within reason, of course. Don't be expecting any five day rituals and whatnot)<----
SPELL LIST
~Affect Normal Fires: This spell enables the wizard to cause nonmagical fires - from as small as a torch or lantern to as large as the area of effect - to reduce in size and brightness to become mere coals or increase in light to become as bright as full daylight and increase the illumination to double the normal radius. Note that this does not affect either fuel consumption or damage caused by the fire.
The caster can affect any or all fires in the spell's area. He can alter their intensitie swith a single gesture as long as the spell is in effect.
The spell lasts until the caster cancels it, all fuel is burned, or the duration expires. The caster can also extinguish all flames in the area, which expends the spell immediately. The spell does not affect fire elementals or similar creatures.
~Armor: By means of this spell, the wizard creates a magical field of force that serves as if it were scale mail armor (+4AC). The spell has no effect on a person already armored or a creature with Armor Class 14 or better. It is not cumulative with the shield spell, but it is cumulative with Dexterity and, in the case of fighter/mages, with the shield bonus. The armor spell does not hinder movement, adds no weight or encumbrance, nor does it prevent spellcasting. It lasts until successfully dispelled or until the wearer sustains cumulative damage totaling greater than 8 points + 1 per level of the caster. (It is important to note that the armor does not absorb this damage. The armor merely grants an AC of 14; the wearer still suffers full damage from any successful attacks.)
Thus, the wearer might suffer 8 points from an attack, then several minutes later sustain an additional 1 point of damage. Unless the spell were cast by a wizard of 2nd level or higher, it would be dispelled at this time. Until it is dispelled, the armor spell grants the wearer full benefits of the Armor Class gained.
The material component is a piece of finely cured leather that has been blessed by a priest.
~Astral Celerity: This spell enhances the casters movement capabilities in extraplanar settings by attuning him to his new surroundings. While very few 1st-level priests find themselves in this situation, higher level characters often make use of this spell. Astral celerity doubles the characters movement rate on the Astral Plane; normally, characters move at a rate of 30 times their Intelligence score in feet per round, but this spell increases this to 60 feet times their Intelligence score. As an incidental benefit, the caster also attunes himself to the plane much faster and suffers no penalties for missile fire while astral.
While astral celerity is most often used in the astral plane, it also offers a small benefit to ethereal characters, too: their movement rates are increased by 50%, so a character with a movement rate of 12 would enjoy a movement rate of 18 while this spell was in effect. Of course, time and distance have little meaning in the overall scheme of the Astral or Ethereal Planes, but relative speed could be very important in avoiding an unpleasant encounter or escaping from pursuit of some kind.
~Battlefate: This spell alters probability to favor one character or creature locked in battle. His opponent may stumble at an awkward time, a clumsy parry might catch the enemys weapon at just the right angle, or he happens to notice the foe moving in for a flank attack. The more powerful the priest, the more potent the aid; combat modifiers provided by battlefate equal +1 per three levels, so a 1st-level caster provides a +1 bonus, a 4th-level caster a +2 bonus, a 7th-level caster a +3, and so on to a maximum of +5 for a 13th-level priest. The exact form of the aid or assistance varies from round to round
1: No Effect - 2: Bonus to AC - 3: Bonus to Saves - 4: Bonus to Dttack rolls - 5: Bonus to Damage rolls - 6: Extra attack with a bonus to attack or damage (subject's choice)
The material component for this spell is an electrum coin tossed by the priest as he casts the spell.
~Burning Hands: When the wizard casts this spell, a jet of searing flame shoots from his fingertips. His hands must be held so as to send forth a fan-like sheet of flames: the wizards thumbs must touch each other and fingers must be spread. The burning hands send out flame jets of five-foot length in a horizontal arc of about 120 degrees in front of the wizard. Any creature in the area of the flames suffers 1d3 hit points of damage, plus 2 points for each level of experience of the spellcaster, to a maximum of 1d3+20 points of fire damage.
Those successfully saving vs. spell receive half damage. Flammable materials touched by the fire bum (e.g., cloth, paper, parchment, thin wood, etc.). Such materials can be extinguished in the next round if no other action is taken.
~Cantrip: Cantrips are minor spells I studied by wizards during their apprenticeship, regardless of school. The cantrip spell is a practice method for the apprentice, teaching him how to tap minute amounts of magical energy. Once cast, the cantrip spell enables the caster to create minor magical effects for the duration of the spell.
So minor are these effects that they have severe limitations. They are completely unable to cause a loss of hit points, cannot affect the concentration of spellcasters, and can only create small, obviously magical materials. Furthermore, materials created by a cantrip are extremely fragile and cannot be used as tools of any sort. Lastly, a cantrip lacks the power to duplicate any other spell effects.
Whatever manifestation the cantrip takes, it remains in effect only as long as the wizard concentrates. Wizards typically use cantrips to impress common folk, amuse children, and brighten dreary lives.
Common tricks with cantrips include tinklings of ethereal music, brightening faded flowers, glowing balls that float over the caster's hand, puffs of wind to flicker candles, spicing up aromas and flavors of bland food, and little whirlwinds to sweep dust under rugs. Combined with the unseen servant spell, these are the tools to make housekeeping and entertaining simpler for the wizard.
~Change Self: This spell enables the wizard to alter the appearance of his form - including clothing and equipment - to appear one foot shorter or taller; thin, fat, or in between; human, humanoid, or any other generally man-shaped bipedal creature. The caster cannot duplicate a specific individual. The spell does not provide the abilities or mannerisms of the chosen form.
The duration of the spell is 2d6 rounds plus two additional rounds per level of experience of the spellcaster.
The DM may allow a saving throw for disbelief under certain circumstances: for example, if the caster acts in a manner obviously inconsistent with his chosen role. The spell does not alter the perceived tactile (i.e., touch) properties of the caster or his equipment, and the ruse can be discovered this way.
~Charm Person: This spell affects any single person it is cast upon. The term person includes any bipedal human, demihuman, or humanoid of man-size or smaller, such as brownies, dryads, dwarves, elves, gnolls, gnomes, goblins, half-elves, halflings, half-orcs, hobgoblins, humans, kobolds, lizard men, nixies, orcs, pixies, sprites, troglodytes, and others. Thus, a 10th-level fighter could be charmed, but an ogre could not.
The person receives a saving throw vs. spell to avoid the effect, with any adjustment due to Wisdom (see Table 5). If the person receives damage from the caster group in the same round the charm is cast an additional bonus of +1 per hit point of damage received is added to the victim's saving throw.
If the spell recipient fails his saving throw, he regards the caster as a trusted friend and ally to be heeded and protected. The spell does not enable the caster to control the charmed creature as if it were a automaton, but any word or action of the caster is viewed in the most favorable way.
Thus, a charmed person would not obey suicide command, but he might believe the caster if assured that the only chance to save the caster's life is for the person to hold back an on rushing red dragon for "just a round or two." Note also that the spell does no endow the caster with linguistic capabilities beyond those he normally possesses (i.e., he must speak the victim's language to communicate his commands).
The duration of the spell is a function of the charmed person's Intelligence and is tied to the saving throw. The spell may be broken if a successful saving throw is rolled, and this saving throw is checked on a periodic basis, according to the creature's Intelligence (see the following table). If the caster harms, or attempts to harm, the charmed person by some overt action, or if a dispel magic spell is successfully cast upon the charmed person, the charm spell is broken.
If two or more charm effects simultaneously affect a creature, the result is decided by the DM. This could range from one effect being clearly dominant, to the subject being torn by conflicting desires, to new saving throws that could negate both spells.
Note that the subject has full memory of the events that took place while he was charmed.
Time Between Checks for Intelligence Score of 3 or less: 3 months
Time Between Checks for Intelligence Score of 4 to 6: 2 months
Time Between Checks for Intelligence Score of 7 to 9: 1 month
Time Between Checks for Intelligence Score of 10 to 12: 3 weeks
Time Between Checks for Intelligence Score of 13 to 14: 2 weeks
Time Between Checks for Intelligence Score of 15 to 16: 1 weeks
Time Between Checks for Intelligence Score of 17: 3 days
Time Between Checks for Intelligence Score of 18: 2 days
Time Between Checks for Intelligence Score of 19 or more: 1 days
Note: The period between checks is the time period during which the check occurs. When to roll the check during this time is determined (randomly or by selection) by the DM. The roll is made secretly.
~Chill Touch: When the caster completes this spell, a blue glow encompasses his hand. This energy attacks the life force of any living creature upon which the wizard makes a successful melee attack. The touched creature must roll a successful saving throw vs. spell or suffer 1d4 points of damage and lose 1 point of Strength. If the save is successful, the creature remains unharmed.
Creatures not rated for Strength suffer a -1 penalty to their attack rolls for every other successful touch. Lost Strength returns at the rate of 1 point per hour. Damage must be cured magically or healed naturally.
This spell has a special effect on undead creatures. Undead touched by the caster suffer no damage or Strength loss, but they must successfully save vs. spell or flee for 1d4 rounds+ 1 round per level of the caster.
~Color Spray: Upon casting this spell, the wizard causes a vivid, fan-shaped spray of clashing colors to spring forth from his hand. From one to six creatures (1d6) within the area are affected in order of increasing distance from the wizard. All creatures above the level of the spellcaster and all those of 6th level or 6 Hit Dice or more are entitled to a saving throw vs. spell. Blind or unseeing creatures are not affected by the spell.
Creatures not allowed or failing saving throws, and whose Hit Dice or levels are less than or equal to the spellcaster's level, are struck unconscious for 2d4 rounds; those with Hit Dice or levels 1 or 2 greater than be wizard's level are blinded for 1d4 rounds; those with Hit Dice or levels 3 or more greater than that of the spellcaster are stunned (reeling and unable to think or act coherently) for one round.
The material components of this spell are a pinch each of powder or sand that is colored red, yellow, and blue.
~Command: This spell enables the priest to command another creature with a single word. The command must be uttered in a language understood by the creature. The subject will obey to the best of his/its ability only as long as the command is absolutely clear and unequivocal; thus, a command of "Suicide!" is ignored. A command to "Die!" causes the creature to fall in a faint or cataleptic state for one round, but thereafter the creature revives and is alive and well. Typical commands are back, halt, flee, run, stop, fall, go, leave, surrender, sleep, rest, etc. No command affects a creature for more than one round; undead are not affected at all. Creatures with Intelligence of 13 (high) or more, or those with 6 or more Hit Dice (or experience levels) are entitled to a saving throw vs. spell, adjusted for Wisdom. (Creatures with 13 or higher Intelligence and 6 Hit Dice/levels get only one saving throw!)
~Comprehend Languages: When this spell is cast, the wizard is able to understand the spoken words of a creature or read an otherwise incomprehensible written message (such as writing in another language). In either case, the wizard must touch the creature or the writing.
Note that the ability to read does not necessarily impart understanding of the material, nor does the spell enable the caster to speak or write an unknown language. Written material can be read at the rate of one page or equivalent per round.
Magical writing cannot be read, other than to know it is magical, but the spell is often useful when deciphering treasure maps. This spell can be foiled by certain warding magics (the 3rd-level secret page and illusionary script spells) and it does not reveal messages concealed in otherwise normal text.
The material components of this spell are a pinch of soot and a few grains of salt.
The reverse of this spell, confuse languages, cancels a comprehend languages spell or renders a writing or a creature's speech incomprehensible, for the same duration as above.
~Cure Light Wounds: When casting this spell and laying his hand upon a creature, the priest causes 1d8 points of wound or other injury damage to the creature's body to be healed. This healing cannot affect creatures without corporeal bodies, nor can it cure wounds of creatures not living or of extraplanar origin.
The reverse of the spell, cause light wounds, operates in the same manner, inflicting 1d8 points of damage. If a creature is avoiding this touch, an attack roll is needed to determine if the priest's hand strikes the opponent and causes such a wound.
Curing is permanent only insofar as the creature does not sustain further damage; caused wounds will heal--or can be cured--just as any normal injury.
~Detect Magic: When the detect magic spell is cast, the wizard detects magical radiations in a path 10 feet wide and up to 60 feet long, in the direction he is facing. The intensity of the magic can be determined (dim, faint, moderate, strong, overwhelming), and the wizard has a 10% chance per level to recognize if a certain type of magic (alteration, conjuration, etc.) is present. The caster can turn, scanning a 60-degree arc per round.
A stone wall of one foot or more thickness, solid metal of one inch thickness, or a yard or more of solid wood blocks the spell. Magical areas, multiple types of magic, or strong local magical emanations may confuse or conceal weaker radiations.
Note that this spell does not reveal the presence of good or evil, or reveal alignment. Other-planar creatures are not necessarily magical.
~Detect Phase: include: phase spiders, ghost in their ethereal state, characters or creatures employing oil of etherealness, psionic etherealness or phasing, and all other similar effects. Doorways or portals to extradimensional spaces are also detected, although anything hidden within remains unseen.
Detect phase does not reveal the location of creatures or objects concealed by magical invisibility or illusion. Note that detecting a phased monster doesn't necessarily give the caster the ability to attack it, but creatures such as phase spiders lose any special surprise bonuses they may receive if they are detected by using this spell.
~Detect Secret Passages and Doorways: This spell enables a wizard to detect secret doors, compartments, caches, and similar devices. Only passages, doors, or openings that have been deliberately constructed so as to escape detection are detected by this spell- a trap door buried beneath crates in a cellar, an illusionary wall, or an amulet left in a cluttered room would not be detected. The wizard affects an area of 10 feet square per level, so a 4th-level wizard could search four sections of wall, floor, or ceiling.Any doorways or openings detected by this spell glow softly for one full turn. It's possible that a wizard might not find a secret compartment in the area of effect if the compartment is behind or under another object that covers it completely. This spell only detects the doorway or opening;the wizard may have to search for a mechanism or catch that opens the door.
~Endure Cold/Endure Heat: The creature receiving this spell is protected from normal extremes of cold or heat (depending on which application the priest selects at the time of casting). The creature can stand unprotected in temperatures as low as -30 F. or as high as 130 F. (depending on application) with no ill effect. Temperatures beyond these limits inflict 1 point of damage per hour of exposure for every degree beyond the limit. The spell is immediately cancelled if the recipient is affected by any non-normal heat or cold, such as magic, breath weapons, and so on. The cancellation occurs regardless of the application and regardless of whether a heat or cold effect hits the character (for example, an endure cold spell is cancelled by magical heat or fire as well as by magical cold). The recipient of the spell does not suffer the first 10 points of damage (after any applicable saving throws) from the heat or cold during the round in which the spell is broken. The spell ends instantly if either resist fire or resist cold is cast upon the recipient.
~Detect Snares & Pits: Upon casting this spell, the caster is able to detect snares, pits, deadfalls and similar hazards along a path 10 feet wide and 40 feet long. Such hazards include simple pits, deadfalls, snares of wilderness creatures (for example, trapdoor spiders, giant sundews, ant lions, etc.), and primitive traps constructed of natural materials (mantraps, missile trips, hunting snares, etc.). The spell is directional--the caster must face the desired direction to determine if a pit exists or a trap is laid in that direction. The caster experiences a feeling of danger from the direction of a detected hazard, which increases as the danger is approached. The caster learns the general nature of the danger (pit, snare, or deadfall) but not its exact operation, nor how to disarm it. Close examination, however, enables the caster to sense what intended actions might trigger it. The spell detects certain natural hazards--quicksand (snare), sinkholes (pit), or unsafe walls of natural rock (deadfall). Other hazards, such as a cavern that floods during rain, an unsafe construction, or a naturally poisonous plant, are not revealed. The spell does not detect magical traps (save those that operate by pit, deadfall, or snaring; see the 2nd-level spell trip and the 3rd-level spell snare), nor those that are mechanically complex, nor those that have been rendered safe or inactive.
The caster must have his holy symbol to complete the spell.
~Erase: The erase spell removes writings of either magical or mundane nature from a scroll or from one to two pages of paper, parchment, or similar surfaces. It removes explosive runes, glyphs of warding, sepia snake sigils, and wizard marks, but it does not remove illusory script or symbols (see these spells).
Nonmagical writings are automatically erased if the caster is touching them, otherwise the chance for success is 90%. Magical writings must be touched, and are only 30% likely to be erased, plus 5% per caster level, to a maximum of 90% (e.g., 35& for a 1st-level caster, 40% for a 2nd-level caster, etc.).
~Entangle: By means of this spell, the caster is able to cause plants in the area of effect to entangle creatures within the area. The grasses, weeds, bushes, and even trees wrap, twist, and entwine about the creatures, holding them fast for the duration of the spell. Any creature entering the area is subject to this effect. A creature that rolls a successful saving throw vs. spell can escape the area, moving at only 10 feet per round until out of the area.
Exceptionally large (gargantuan) or strong creatures may suffer little or no distress from this spell, at the DM's option, based on the strength of the entangling plants.
The material component is the caster's holy symbol.
~Emotion Read: This spell allows the priest to perform an instantaneous reading of a single subject's emotional state. It can be used on any subject possessing Intelligence of 3 or better. This reading is neither deep nor specific and cannot pick out mixed emotions or intricate details. For example, it might tell the priest that the subject is fearful, but the spell cannot reveal what the subject is afraid of or why he is afraid.
Emotion read does not reveal individual thoughts or the subject's motivation. Thus, the spell might reveal that the subject is coldly unemotional at the moment, but not the fact that the subject is contemplating the cold-blooded murder of the priest.
Note that this reading is instantaneous. It reveals only the emotion that is strongest at the instant the spell is used. While this will usually be related to the subject's overall emotional state, it is always possible that the subject might be distracted for a moment or remember and respond to past events.
The subject is allowed a normal saving throw vs. spells to resist this spell. If the saving throw is successful, the priest receives no reading at all. If the subject's roll exceeds the necessary number by six or more, the priest perceives an emotion diametrically opposite to the subject's true emotion.
The material component is a square of unmarked white wax.
~Dispel Fatigue: This spell removes physical fatigue or exhaustion from the subject by undoing the physiological effects of his exertions. The subject is instantly restored to his normal, fully rested level of endurance or vigor. This spell can be used to negate the penalties of forced marching, long swims, jogging, running, or sprinting, or even accumulated fatigue points from either the Player's Option: Combat & Tactics rules or the magic fatigue rules in Chapter 6. Once this spell has been cast, the subject may start to accumulate fatigue or fatigue-based penalties again, depending on how he continues to exert himself. The material component is a sprinkle of fresh, blessed springwater.
~Faerie Fire: This spell enables the caster to outline one or more objects or creatures with a pale glowing light. The number of subjects outlined depends upon the number of square feet the caster can affect. Sufficient footage enables several objects or creatures to be outlined by the faerie fire spell, but one must be fully outlined before the next is begun, and all must be within the area of effect. Outlined objects or creatures are visible at 80 yards in the dark and 40 yards if the viewer is near a bright light source. Outlined creatures are easier to strike; thus, opponents gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls in darkness (including moonlit nights) and a +1 bonus in twilight or better. Note that outlining can render otherwise invisible creatures visible. However, it cannot outline noncorporeal, ethereal, or gaseous creatures. Nor does the light come anywhere close to sunlight. Therefore, it has no special effect on undead or dark-dwelling creatures. The faerie fire can be blue, green, or violet according to the word of the caster at the time of casting. The faerie fire does not cause any harm to the object or creature thus outlined.
The material component is a small piece of foxfire.
~Feather Fall: When this spell is cast, the creature(s) or object(s) affected immediately assumes the mass of a piece of down. Rate of falling is instantly changed to a mere two feet per second (120 feet per round), and no damage is incurred upon landing while the spell is in effect. However, when the spell duration ceases, normal rate of fall occurs.
The spell can be cast upon the wizard or some other creature or object up to the maximum range and lasts for one round for each level of the wizard. The feather fall affects one or more objects or creatures in a 10-foot cube, as long as the maximum weight of the creatures or objects does not exceed a combined total of 200 pounds plus 200 pounds per level of the spellcaster.
For example, a 2nd-level wizard has a range of 20 yards, a duration of two rounds, and a weight limit of 600 pounds when casting this spell.
The spell works only upon free-falling, flying, or propelled objects (such as missiles). It does not affect a sword blow or a charging creature.
Note that the spell can be effectively combined with gust of wind and similar spells.
~Fire Burst: When this spell is cast upon a nonmagical fire such as a campfire, lantern, or candle), it causes the fire to flash and shoot arrows of flame. All creatures within 10 feet of the fire source suffer 1 point of damage per level of the caster (maximum of 10 points). Victims who roll a saving throw successfully suffer no damage.
~Find Familiar: This spell enables the caster to attempt to summon a familiar to act as his aide and companion. Familiars are typically small creatures, such as cats, frogs, ferrets, crows, hawks, snakes, owls, ravens, toads, weasels, or even mice. A creature acting as a familiar can benefit a wizard, conveying its sensory powers to its master, conversing with him, and serving as a guard/scout/spy aswell. A wizard can have only one familiarat a time, however he has no control over what sort of creature answers the summoning, if any at all come.
The creature is always more intelligent than others of its type (typically 2 or 3 Int points), and its bond with the wizard confers upon it an exceptionally long life. The wizard receives the heightened senses of his familiar, which grants the wizard a +1 bonus to all surprise die rolls. Normal famiiars have 2-4 hit points plus 1 hit point per caster level, and an Armor Class of 7 (due to size, speed, etc.).
The wizard has an empathic link with the familiar and can issue it mental commands at a distance of up to one mile. Note that empathic responses from the familiar are generally fairly basic - while able to communicate simple thoughts, these are often overwhelmed by instinctual responses. Thus a ferret familiar spying on a band of orcs in the woods might lose its train of thought upon sighting a mouse. Certainly its communications to its master would be tinged with fear of the "big ones" it was spying on! The caster cannot see through the familiar's eyes.
If separated from the caster, the familiar loses 1 hit point each day, and dies if reduced to 0 hit points. When the familiar is in physical contact with its wizard, it gains the wizards saving throws against special atbacks. If a special attack would normally cause damage, the familiar suffers no damage if the saving throw is successful and half damage if the saving throw is failed.
If the familiar dies, the wizard must successfully roll an immediate system shock check or die. Even if he survives this check, the wizard loses 1 point from his Constitution when the familiar dies.
The power of the conjuration is such that it can be attempted but once per year. When he wizard decides to find a familiar, he must load a brass brazier with charcoal. When this is burning well, he adds 1.000 gp worth of incense and herbs. The spell incantation is then begun and must be continued until the familiar comes or the casting time is finished. The DM secretly determines all results. Note that most familiars are not inherently magical, nor does a dispel magic spell send them away.
Deliberate mistreatment, failure to feed and care for the familiar, or continuous unreasonable demands have adverse effects on the familiar's relationship with its master. Purposely arranging the death of one's own familiar incurs great disfavor from certain powerful entities, with dire results.
On a d20 roll of 1-5 a black Cat is summoned, granting excellent night vision & superior hearing
On a d20 roll of 6-7 a Crow is summoned, granting excellent vision
On a d20 roll of 8-9 a Hawk is summoned, granting very superior distance vision
On a d20 roll of 10-11 a Owl is summoned, granting night vision equal to human daylight vision and superior hearing
On a d20 roll of 12-13 a Toad is summoned, granting wide-angle vision
On a d20 roll of 14-15 a Weasel is summoned, granting superior hearing & very superior olfactory power
On a d20 roll of 16-20 no familiar is available within spellrange
The referee can substitute other small animals suitable to the area.
~Gaze Reflection: The gaze reflection spell creates a shimmering, mirror-like area of air before the wizard that moves with the caster. Any gaze attack, such as that of a basilisk, eyes of charming, a vampire's gaze, the 6th-level eyebite spell, and so on, is reflected back upon the gazer if the gazer tries to make eye contact with the spellcaster (the spellcaster suffers no effects from the gaze attack).
Such creatures receive a saving throw vs. their own gaze effect. The spell does not affect vision or lighting and is not effective against creatures whose effect comes from being gazed upon (such as a medusa). Only active gaze attacks are blocked by this spell.
~Hold Portal: This spell magically bars a door, gate, or valve of wood, metal, or stone. The magical closure holds the portal fast, just as if it were securely closed and locked.
Any extra-planar creature (djinn, elemental, etc.) with 4 or more Hit Dice can shatter the spell and burst open the portal. A wizard of 4 or more experience levels higher than the spellcaster can open the held portal at will. A knock spell or a successful dispel magic spell can negate the hold portal.
Held portals can be broken or physically battered down.
~Hornung's Guess: Hornung, one of the leading wizards in the field of wild magic (before his untimely disappearance while experimenting with wildwind),developed this spell to improve the accuracy of his estimates. The spell provides a wizard with an instant and highly accurate-estimate of the number of persons or objects in a group.
The spell's area effect is one group of a general class of objects. All objects of the group must be within spell range and the group as a whole must be visible to the caster. The wizard need not see every individual in the group, merely the general limits of the group's size and area. For example, a wizard on a hill could look down on a forest and estimate the number of trees in all or part of it. He could not get an estimate of the number of goblins within the forest, however, since the group as a whole is concealed from sight.
The estimate generated is accurate to the largest factor of ten .For example, if Hornung's guess were cast on a group of 439 horsemen, the estimate would be 400. If there were 2,670 horsemen, the spell would estimate 3,000. If there were 37 horsemen, the answer would be 40. Clearly, using the spell on small groups(especially those with fewer than 10 members) is pointless.
Hornung's guess can be used to quickly estimate the size of treasure hoards and army units. It is particularly popular with moneylenders and generals.
~Identify: When an identify spell is cast, magical items subsequently touched by the wizard can be identified. The eight hours immediately precededing the casting of the spell must be spent purifying the items and removing influences that would corrupt and blur their magical auras.
If this period is interrupted, it must be begun again.
When the spell is cast, each item must be handled in turn by the wizard. Any consequences of this handling fall fully upon the wizard and may end the spell, although the wizard is allowed any applicable saving throw.
The chance of learning a piece of information about an item is equal to 10% per level of the caster, to a maximum of 90%, rolled by the DM. Any roll of 96-00 indicates a false reading (91-95 reveal nothing).
Only one function of a multi-function item is discovered per handling (i.e., a 5-th level wizard could attempt to determine the nature of five different items, five different functions of a single item, or any combination of the two).
If any attempt at readipg fails, the caster cannot learn any more about that item until he advances a level.
Note that some items, such as special magical tomes, cannot be identified with this spell.
The item never reveals its exact attack or damage bonuses, although the fact that it has few or many bonuses can be determined. If it has charges, only a general indication of the number of charges remaining is learned: powerful (81% - 100% of the total possible charges), strong (61% - 80%), moderate (41% - 60%), weak (6% - 40%), or faint (five charges or less). The faint result takes precedence, so a fully charges ring of three wishes always appears to be only faintly charged.
After casting the spell and determining what can be learned from it, the wizard loses 8 points of Constitution. He must rest for one hour to recover each point of Constitution. If the 8-point loss drops the spellcaster below a Constitution of 1, he falls unconscious. Consciousness is not regained until full Constitution is restored, which takes 24 hours (one point per three hours for an unconscious character).
The material components of this spell are a pearl (of at least 100gp value) and an owl feather steeped in wine, with the infusion drunk prior to spellcasting. If a luckstone is powdered and added to the infusion, the divination becomes much more potent: exact bonuses or charges can be determined, and the functions of a multi-functional item can be learned from a single reading.
At the DM's option, certain properties of an artifact or relic might also be learned.
~Know Direction: Know direction allows the caster to instantly know the direction of north. The spell is effective in any environment, whether underwater, underground, or in darkness (including magical darkness).
The material component is a small scrap of a parchment map that is at least 100 years old.
~Know Time: Know time is particularly useful when the caster has been unconscious. This spell enables the caster to know the precise time of day to the nearest minute, including the current hour, day, month, and year.
~Magic Missile: Use of the magic missile spell creates up to five missiles of magical energy that dart forth from the wizards fingertip and unerringly strike their target. This includes enemy creatures in a melee. The target creature must be seen or otherwise detected to be hit, however, so near-total concealment, such as that offered by arrow slits, can render the spell ineffective.
Likewise, the caster must be able to identify the target. He cannot direct a magic missile to "Strike the commander of the legion," unless he can single out the commander from the rest of the soldiers.
Specific parts of a creature cannot be singled out.
Inanimate objects (locks, etc.) cannot be damaged by the spell, and any attempt to do so wastes the missiles to no effect. Against creatures, each missile inflicts ld4+1 points of damage.
For every two extra levels of experience, the wizard gains an additional missile - he has two at 3rd level, three at 5th level, four at 7th level, etc., up to a total of five missiles at 9th level.
If the wizard has multiple missile capability, he can have them strike a single target creature or several creatures, as desired.
~Magical Stone: The character using them must roll normally to hit, although the magic of the stones enables any character to be proficient with them. The stones are considered +1 weapons for determining if a creature can be struck (those struck only by magical weapons, for instance), although they do not have an attack or damage bonus. Each stone that hits inflicts 1d4 points of damage (2d4 points against undead). The magic in each stone lasts only for half an hour, or until used.
The material components are the priest's holy symbol and three small pebbles, unworked by tools or magic of any type.
~Mending: This spell repairs small breaks or tears in objects. It will weld a broken ring, chain link, medallion, or slender dagger, providing but one break exists. Ceramic or wooden objects with multiple breaks can be invisibly rejoined to be as strong as new. A hole in a leather sack or wineskin is completely healed over by a mending spell.
This spell does not, by itself, repair magical items of any type. One turn after the spell is cast, the magic of the joining fades, and the effect cannot be magically dispelled.
The maximum volume of material the caster can mend is one cubic foot per level.
The material components of this spell are two small magnets of any type (lodestone in all likelihood) or two burrs.
~Message: When this spell is cast, the wizard can whisper messages and receive replies with little chance of being overheard. When the spell is cast, the wizard secretly or openly points his finger at each creature to be included in the spell effect. Up to one creature per level can be included. When the wizard whispers, the whispered message travels in a straight line and is audible to all of the involved creatures within 30 feet, plus 10 feet per level of the caster. The creatures who receive the message can whisper a reply that is heard by the spellcaster.
Note that there must be an unobstructed path between the spellcaster and the recipients of the spell. The message must be in a language the caster speaks; this spell does not by itself confer understanding upon the recipients.
This spell is most often used to conduct quick and private conferences when the caster does not wish to be overheard.
The material component of the spell is a short piece of copper drawn fine.
~Metamorphose Liquids: This spell transmutes one type of liquid into an equal amount of a different, nonmagical fluid (water, wine, blood, oil, apple cider, etc.). The caster must touch the fluid itself (not simply its container) for the spell to take effect.
Magical liquids (such as potions) receive a saving throw vs. disintegration with a +3 bonus to avoid the spell's effect. Fluids can be transmutedonly into nonmagical liquids; it is not possible to change a magical liquid into another type of magical liquid. Poisons may be rendered harmless through use of this spell, but the spell has no effect on poisons already consumed.
Living creatures are unaffected by the spell, excluding those from the elemental plane of water.Such creatures are allowed a saving throw vs. spell. Failure results in ld4 points of damage per level of the caster, while success indicates half damage. Only one creature can be affected by a single casting of this spell, regardless of the creature's size.
The material component is a drop of the liquid that the caster intends to create, which must be placed on the wizards tongue and consumed.Creating poisons through use of this spell is especially dangerous.
~Nahal's Reckless Dweomer: This spell is the wild mage's ultimate last-resort spell. When cast, the mage releases a sudden flood of wild magical enorgy in the hope of seizing and shaping that energy into a desired spell effect. The attempt usually fails, but something almost always occurs in the process.
Before casting the spell, the mage announces the spell effect he is trying to create. The mage must be able to cast the spell (i.e., have it in his spell books), but need not have it memorized. After announcing the spell (along with the target and any other conditions required by the spell), the wild mage casts Nahal's reckless dweomer. A burst of magical energy is released, which the wild mage tries to manipulate into the desired form. The actual effect of the spell is rolled randomly on Table 2: Wild Surge Results.
Because the release of energy is planned by the mage, his level is added to the dice roll. If the result indicates success, the mage has shaped the magical energy into the desired effect. More often than not, the effect is completely unexpected.The result may be beneficial to the mage or it may be completely disastrous; this is the risk the mage takes in casting Nahal's reckless dweomer.
(P.S. This spell, Nahal's Reckless Dweomer, is simply a large AoE attack that creates a huge blast of magical energy centered on the caster, which does massive amounts of damage to foes as well as the surrounding environment. Its effects are not random and it is basically one of Zekrons strongest Evocation spells, acting as a kind of "last resort" or "finisher move.")
~Nystul's Magical Aura: By means of this spell, any one item of no more than five pounds weight per level of the spellcaster can be given an aura that is noticed by someone using magic detection. Furthermore, the caster can specify the type of magical aura that is detected (alteration, conjuration, etc.) and this effectively masks the item's actual aura, if any, unless the item's own aura is exceptionally powerful (if it is an artifact, for instance).
If the object bearing Nystul's magical aura has an identify spell cast on it or is similarly examined, the examiner has a 50% chance of recognizing that the aura has been placed to mislead the unwary. Otherwise, the aura is believed and no amount of testing reveals what the true magic is.
The component for this spell is a small square of silk, which must be passed over the object that receives the aura.
~Protection from Chaos: Resembling the spell protection from evil, this abjuration wards the creature touched from the attacks of minions of chaos. Chaotic creatures suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls against the spell recipient, and the subject gains a +2 bonus to saving throws against spells or other attacks employed by chaotic creatures. Attempts to possess, dominate, or exercise other forms of mental control against the recipient are automatically blocked by this spell.
Protection from chaos also wards the recipient against contact with extraplanar creatures of chaotic origin, including tanar'ri, slaad, and eladrin. Unlike protection from evil, this spell does not necessarily guard against summoned or conjured creatures unless the creatures in question are chaotic in alignment. However, protection from chaos does protect the recipient from creatures influenced by confusion and chaos spells and effects.
The natural or bodily attacks of such creatures automatically fail, as long as the recipient does not use the spell's power to trap, pin, or drive back the chaotic creatures in question.
The spell ends if the recipient makes a melee attack against creatures that are prevented from attacking him by this spell.
The material component is a small ring of gold or lead tempered by a chaotic smith. Note that this spell is not reversible.
~Phantasmal Force: This spell creates the illusion of any object, creature, or force, as long as it is within the boundaries of the spell's area of effect. The illusion is visual and affects all believing creatures (undead are immune) that view it. It does not create sound, smell, or temperature. Effects that depend on these senses usually fail. The illusion lasts until struck by an opponent - unless the spellcaster causes the illusion to react appropriately - or until the wizard ceases concentration upon the spell (due to desire, moving, or a successful attack that causes damage).
Saving throws for illusions are explained under "Illusions" in Chapter 7: Magic and under "Adjudicating Illusions" at the beginning of Appendix 2.
Creatures that disbelieve the illusion see it for what it is and add +4 to associates' saving throws if this knowledge can be communicated effectively. Creatures believing the illusion are subject to its effects, again as explained under Illusions.
The illusionary effect can be moved by the caster within the limits of the area of effect. The DM has to rule on the effectiveness of this spell; detailed guidelines are outlined under "Illusions" in Chapter 7: Magic and under "Adjudicating Illusions" at the beginning of Appendix 2.
The material component of the spell is a bit of fleece.
~Ray of Fatigue: This nefarious spell affects the victim's life energies, increasing any fatigue or exhaustion currently possesses. Alter and well-rested characters suddenly become tired and sluggish, and characters who are already fatigue may be reduced to near-helplessness. In effect, the ray adds one level of fatigue or encumbrance to the victim. Moderately encumbered characters suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls; heavily encumbered characters suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls and a +1 Armor class penalty to attack rolls and a +3 Armor class penalty.(Assume that monsters suffer a -1 penalty to their attack rolls and reduce their movement rates by 33%). The victim is allowed a saving throw to negate the spell's effects.
If you are using the fatigue rules from the Player's option; Combat &tactics book, this spell operates in a slightly different manner-fresh characters become fatigued, gaining one level of encumbrance; fatigued characters become exhausted, gaining two levels of encumbrance; and exhausted characters collapse in a quivering heap, unable to move or attack.
~Read Magic: By means of a read magic spell, the wizard is able to read magical inscriptions on objects-books, scrolls, weapons, and the like - that would otherwise be totally unintelligible. (The personal books of the wizard, and works already magically read, are intelligible.)
This deciphering does not normally invoke the magic contained in the writing, although it may do so in the case of a cursed scroll.
Furthermore, once the spell is cast and the wizard has read themagical inscription, he is thereafter able to read that particular writing without recourse to the use of the read magic spell. The duration of the spell is two rounds per level of experience of the spellcaster; the wizard can read one page or its equivalent per round.
The wizard must have a clear crystal or mineral prism, which is not expended, to cast the spell.
~Shield: When this spell is cast, an invisible barrier comes into being in front of the wizard.
This shield totally negates magic missile attacks. It provides the equivalent protection of AC 2 against hand-hurled missiles (axes, darts, javelins, spears, etc.), AC 3 against small device-propelled missiles (arrows, bolts, bullets, manticore spikes, sling stones, etc.), and AC 4 against all other forms of attack. The shield also adds a +1 bonus to the wizards saving throws against attacks that are basically frontal.
Note that these benefits apply only if the attacks originate from in front of the wizard, where the shield can move to interpose itself.
~Shocking Grasp: When the wizard casts this spell, he develops a powerful electrical charge that gives a jolt to the creature touched.
The spell remains in effect for one round per level of the caster or until it is discharged by the caster touching another creature.
The shocking grasp delivers 1d8 points of damaage, plus 1 point per level of the wizard (e.g., a 2nd-level wizard would discharge a shock causing 1d8+2 points of damage).
While the wizard must come close enough to his opponent to lay a hand on the opponent's body or upon an electrical conductor that touches the opponent's body, a like touch from the opponent does not discharge the spell.
~Speak With Astral Traveler: When a priest casts the 7th-level astral spell, he leaves his physical body in suspended animation while his astral body travels. By touching the comatose body and casting speak with astral traveler, a priest can mentally communicate with the projected individual. Although communication is mental, it takes the same amount of time as a normal, verbal dialogue. The spell ends abruptly when its duration expires.
~Sleep: When a wizard casts a sleep spell, he causes a comatose slumber to come upon one or more creatures (other than undead and certain other creatures specifically excluded from the spell's effects).
All creatures to be affected by the sleep spell must be within 30 feet of each other. The number of creatures that can be affected is a function of Hit Dice or levels.
The spell affects 2d4 Hit Dice of monsters. Monsters with 4+3 Hit Dice (4 Hit Dice plus 3 hit points) or more are unaffected. The center of the area of effect is determined by the spellcaster. The creatures with the least Hit Dice are affected first, and partial effects are ignored.
For example, a wizard casts sleep at three kobolds, two gnolls, and an ogre. The roll (2d4) result is 4. All the kobolds and one gnoll are affected (1/2 + 1/2 + 1/2 + 2 = 3 1/2 Hit Dice).
Note that the remainder is not enough to affect the last gnoll or the ogre.
Slapping or wounding awakens affected creatures but normal noise does not. Awakening requires one entire round. Magically sleeping opponents can be attacked with substantial bonuses (see Combat, page 90).
The material component for this spell is a pinch of fine sand, rose petals, or a live cricket.
~Tenser's Floating Disc: With this spell, the caster creates the slightly concave, circular plane of force known as Tenser's floating disc (after the famed wizard whose greed and ability to locate treasure are well known).
The disc is three feet in diameter and holds 100 pounds of weight per level of the wizard casting the spell. The disc floats at approximately three feet above the ground at all times and remains level. It floats along horizontally within its range of 20 yards at the command of the caster, and will accompany him at a movement rate of no more than 6. If unguided, it maintains a constant interval of six feet between itself and the wizard.
If the spellcaster moves beyond range (by moving faster, or by such means as a teleport spell, or by trying to take it more than three feet from the surface beneath it), or if the spell duration expires, the floating disc winks out of existenceand whatever it was supporting crashes to the surface beneath it.
The material component of the spell is a drop of mercury.
~Unseen Servant: The unseen servant is a non-visible, mindless, and shapeless force, used to step and fetch, open unstuck doors, and hold chairs, as well as to clean and mend.
It is not strong, but unfailingly obeys the command of the wizard.
It can carry out only one activity at a time and can move only light-weight items - carry a maximum of 20 pounds or push or pull 40 pounds across a smooth surface. It can open only normal doors, drawers, lids, etc.
The unseen servant cannot fight, nor can it be killed, as it is a force rather than a creature. It can be magically dispelled, or eliminated after receiving 6 points of damage from area-effect spells, breath weapons, or similar attacks. If the caster attempts to send it beyond the allowed radius, the spell ends immediately.
The material components of the spell are a piece of string and a bit of wood.
~Wall of Fog: By casting this spell, the wizard creates a billowing wall of misty vapors in any area within the spell range. The wall of fog obscures all sight, normal and infravision, beyond two feet. The caster may create less vapor if he wishes.
The wall must be a roughly cubic or rectangular mass, at least ten feet wide in its smallest dimension.
The misty vapors persist for three or more rounds. Their duration can be halved by a moderate wind, and they can be blown away by a strong wind.
The material component is a pinch of split dried peas.
~Wizard Mark: When this spell is cast, the wizard is able to inscribe, visibly or invisibly, his personal rune or mark, as well as up to six additional characters of smaller size.
A wizard mark spell enables the caster to etch the rune upon stone, metal, or any softer substance without harm to the material upon which the mark is placed. If an invisible mark is made, a detect magic spell will cause it to glow and be visible (though not necessarily understandable).
Detect invisibility, true seeing, a gem of seeing, or a robe of eyes will likewise expose an invisible wizard mark. A read magic spell will reveal the maker's words, if any. The mark cannot be dispelled, but it can be removed by the caster or by an erase spell.
If cast on a living being, normal wear gradually causes the mark to fade.
The material components for this spell are a pinch of diamond dust (about 100 gp worth) and a pigment or pigments for the coloration of the mark. If the mark is to be invisible, the pigments are still used, but the caster uses a stylus of some sort rather than his finger.
~Aid: The recipient of this spell gains the benefit of a bless spell (+1 to attack rolls and saving throws) and a special bonus of 1d8 additional hit points for the duration of the spell. The aid spell enables the recipient to actually have more hit points than his full normal total. The bonus hit points are lost first when the recipient takes damage; they cannot be regained by curative magic.
For example, a 1st-level fighter has 8 hit points, suffers 2 points of damage (8-2 = 6), and then receives an aid spell that gives 5 additional hit points. The fighter now has 11 hit points, 5 of which are temporary. If he is then hit for 7 points of damage, 2 normal hit points and all 5 temporary hit points are lost. He then receives a cure light wounds spell that heals 4 points of damage, restoring him to his original 8 hit points.
Note that the operation of the spell is unaffected by permanent hit point losses due to energy drain, Hit Die losses, the loss of a familiar, or the operation of certain artifacts; the temporary hit point gain is figured from the new, lower total.
The material components of this spell are a tiny strip of white cloth with a sticky substance (such as tree sap) on the ends, plus the priest's holy symbol.
~Astral Awareness: This divination attunes the caster's perceptions to the silver void of the Astral Plane or the misty grayness of the Ethereal Plane. While the spell is in effect, the caster automatically notes the approach of all kinds of astral or ethereal phenomena, including shifting conduits, the psychic wind, ether cyclones, demiplanes and debris, color pools, and curtains of vaporous color. The character has a 90% chance to detect a color pool from its invisible side and a 5% chance per level to determine which plane a curtain or pool leads to simply by studying its color.
Astral Awareness In addition to his awareness of physical phenomena, the caster gains a +2 bonus to surprise checks against astral or ethereal monsters. He also has a 5% chance per level to detect the threat of creatures whose gaze extends into the Ethereal (basilisks, for instance) before he enters the range of the monster's gaze weapon.
~Bind: When this spell is employed, the wizard can command any non-living ropelike object, including string, yarn, cord, line, rope, or even a cable.
The spell affects 50 feet of normal rope (one-inch diameter), plus five feet per caster level.
This length is reduced by 50% for every additional inch of thickness and increases by 50% for each 1/2 inch less.
The possible commands are Coil (form a neat, coiled stack), Coil & Knot, Loop, Loop & Knot, Tie & Knot, and the reverses of all of the above (Uncoil, etc.).
One command can be given each round.
The rope can only enwrap a creature or an object within onefoot of it - it does not snake outward - so it must be thrown or hurled near the intended target. Note that the rope itself, and any knots tied in it, are not magical. A typical rope might be AC 6 and take 4 points of slashing damage before breaking.
The rope does not inflict damage of any type, but it can be used as a trip line or to entangle a single opponent who fails a saving throw vs. spell.
~Blindness: The blindness spell causes the victim to become blind, able to see only a grayness before its eyes.
Various cure spells will not remove this effect, and only a dispel magic or the spellcaster can do away with the blindness if the creature fails its initial saving throw vs. spell.
A blinded creature suffers a -4 penalty to its attack rolls, and its opponents gain a +4 bonus to their attack rolls.
~Darkness, 15' Radius: This spell causes total, impenetrable darkness in the area of effect. Infravision is useless. Neither normal nor magical light works unless a light or continual light spell is used. In the former event, the darkness spell is negated by the light spell and vice versa.
The material components of this spell are a bit of bat fur and either a drop of pitch or a piece of coal.
~Cure Moderate Wounds: Somewhat less common than the well-known cure light wounds and cure serious wounds, this healing spell was created by a priest who found that his heroic companions required his skill at doctoring more than his advice and wisdom. By laying his hand on the subject's body, the priest can heal 1d10+1 points of damage. Noncorporeal, nonliving, or extraplanar creatures cannot be healed by this spell. The reverse of this spell, cause moderate wounds, requires the priest to successfully touch the victim and inflicts 1d10+1 points of damage. (The knockdown and critical strike entries above are for spell's reverse.)
~Deafness: The deafness spell causes the recipient to become totally deaf and unable to hear any sounds.
The victim is allowed a saving throw vs. spell. An affected creature has a -1 penalty to its surprise rolls unless its other senses are unusually keen. Deafened spellcasters have a 20% chance to miscast any spell with a verbal component.
This deafness can be done away with only by means of a dispel magic spell or by the spellcaster.
The material component of this spell is beeswax.
~Detect Charm: When used by a priest, this spell can detect if a person or monster is under the influence of a charm spell, or similar control such as hypnosis, suggestion, beguiling, possession, etc. The creature rolls a saving throw vs. spell and, if successful, the caster learns nothing about that particular creature from the casting. A caster who learns that a creature is being influenced has a 5% chance per level to determine the exact type of influence. Up to 10 different creatures can be checked before the spell wanes. If the creature is under more than one such effect, only the information that the charms exist is gained. The type (since there are conflicting emanations) is impossible to determine.
The reverse of the spell, undetectable charm, completely masks all charms on a single creature for 24 hours.
~Detect Invisibility: When the wizard casts a detect invisibility spell, he is able to see clearly any objects or beings that are invisible, as well as any that are astral, ethereal, or out of phase. In addition, it enables the wizard to detect hidden or concealed creatures (e.g., thieves in shadows, halflings in underbrush, and so on).
It does not reveal the method of concealment or invisibility, except in the case of astral travelers (where the silver cord can be seen).
It does not reveal illusions or enable the caster to see through physical objects.
Detection is in the wizards line of sight along a ten-foot-wide path to the range limit.
The material components of this spell are a pinch of talc and a small sprinkling of powdered silver.
~Displace Self: Emulating the natural ability of the displacer beast, this spell causes the caster to appear to be about two feet away from his true location. Any creature making a melee or missile attack against the caster automatically misses with his first attempt and suffers a -2 penalty on all subsequent attack rolls. In addition, the wizard also gains a +2 bonus on saving throws for any spell or special attack aimed directly at him, not at any other characters or the area around him. The only spell that will reveal the caster's true location is true seeing.
The material component for this spell is a small strip of leather made from displacer beast hide that is twisted into a loop.
~ESP: When an ESP spell is used, the caster is able to detect the surface thoughts of any creatures in range - except for those of undead and creatures without minds (as we know them).
The ESP is stopped by two or more feet of rock, two or more inches of any metal other than lead, or a thin sheet of lead foil.
The wizard employing the spell is able to probe the surface thoughts of one creature per round, getting simple instinctual thoughts from lower order creatures. Probes can continue on the same creature from round to round or can move on to other creatures.
The caster can use the spell to help determine if a creature lurks behind a door, for example, but the ESP does not always reveal what sort of creature it is.
If used as part of a program of interrogation, an intelligent and wary subject receives an initial saving throw. If successful, the creature successfully resists and the spell reveals no additional information. If the saving throw is failed, the caster may learn additional information, according to the DMs ruling.
The creature's Wisdom adjustment applies, as may additional bonuses up to +4, based on the sensitivity of the information sought.
The material component of this spell is a copper piece.
~Fire Trap: Any closeable item (book, box, bottle, chest, coffer, coffin, door, drawer, and so forth) can be warded by a fire trap spell. The spell is centered on a point selected by the spellcaster. The item so trapped cannot have a second closure or warding spell placed upon it.
A knock spell cannot affect a fire trap in any way - as soon as the offending party opens the item, the trap discharges. As with most magical traps, a thief has only half his normal find traps score to detect a fire trap. Failure to remove it succesfully detonates it immediately. An unsuccessful dispel magic spell will not detonate the spell.
When the trap is discharged, there will be an explosion of five-foot radius from the spell's center. All creatures within this area must roll saving throws vs. spell. Damage is 1d4 points plus 1 point per level of the caster; half that total amount for creatures successfully saving. (Underwater, this ward inflicts half damage and creates a large cloud of steam.) The item trapped is not harmed by this explosion.
The caster can use the trapped object without discharging it, as can any individual to whom the spell was specifically attuned when cast (the method usually involves a keyword).
To place this spell, the caster must trace the outline of the closure with a stick of charcoal and touch the center of the effect. Attunement to another individual requiresa hair or similar object from the individual.
The material components are holly berries.
~Flaming Sphere: A flaming sphere spell creates a burning globe of fire within ten yards of the caster. This sphere rolls in whichever direction the wizard points, at a rate of 30 feet per round. It rolls over barriers less than four feet tall, such as furniture, low walls, etc.
Flammable substances are set afire by contact with the sphere. Creatures in contact with the globe must successfully save vs. spell or suffer 2d4 points of fire damage. Those within five feet of the sphere's surface must also save or suffer 1d4 points of heat damage. A successful saving throw means no damage is suffered.
The DM may adjust the saving throws if there is little or no room to dodge the sphere.
The sphere moves as long as the spellcaster actively directs it, otherwise it merely stays at rest and bums.
It can be extinguished by the same means as any normal fire of its size. The surface of the sphere has a spongy, yielding consistency and so does not cause damage except by its flame. It can-ot push unwilling creatures aside or batter down large obstacles.
The material components are a bit of tallow, a pinch of sulphur, and a dusting of powdered iron.
~Ethereal Barrier: The ethereal barrier is a defense against the passage of extradimensional creatures, including characters or monsters that are phased, ethereal, or travelling via dimension door or shadow walk. The priest creates an imperceptible barrier of 10 square feet per level that may be arranged in any fashion the priest desires. For example, a 3rd-level character can ward six 10-foot by 10-foot surfaces, which would be sufficient to guard a 10-foot by 10-foot by 10-foot room (four walls, a ceiling, and a floor need to be protected.) Note that some monsters may be capable of abandoning their ethereal approach in order to simply enter the barred area on their own feet-the ethereal barrier only bars their passage as long as they are traveling in the Border Ethereal. Also, while this spell can't be worn down by any form of attack, it does not bar teleportation, gates, or the passage of astral creatures.
Ethereal barrier may be cast as cooperative magic by several priests working together. As long as all involved characters can cast the spell, the areas of effect of each priest are added together. Total the levels of all priests involved and multiply by two to find the number of 10-foot by 10-foot squares that may be warded. For example, four 6th-level casters (24 total levels) can ward 48 10-foot by 10-foot squares. The duration is determined by the highest level priest involved, plus 1 turn for each additional priest. In the previous example, this would be 6 turns plus 3 turns for three additional priests for a total of 9 turns.
This spell is also suitable for focus magic (see the spell focus in the Tome of Magic). The material component is a special compound of rare earths and lead worth at least 10 gp per application. One application is required for each 10-foot by 10-foot square to be warded.
~Forget: By means of this spell, the spellcaster causes creatures within the area of effect to forget the events of the previous round (the one minute of time previous to the utterance of the spell).For every three levels of experience of the spellcaster, another minute of past time is forgotten.
This does not negate charm, suggestion, geas, quest, or similar spells, but it is possible that the being who placed such magic upon the recipient could be forgotten.
From one to four creatures can be affected, at the discretion of the caster. If only one is to be affected, the recipient saves vs. spell with a -2 penalty; if two, they save with -1 penalties; if three or four are to be affected, they save normally. All saving throws are adjusted by Wisdom.
A priest's heal or restoration spell, if specially cast for this purpose, will restore the lost memories, as will a limited wish or wish, but no other means will do so.
~Hold Person: This spell holds 1d4 humans, demihumans, or humanoid creatures rigidly immobile and in place for a minimum of six rounds (the spell lasts 2 rounds per caster level, and the priest must be of at least 3rd level to cast the spell).
The hold person spell affects any bipedal human, demihuman, or humanoid of man size or smaller, including brownies, dryads, dwarves, elves, gnolls, gnomes, goblins, halfelves, halflings, half-orcs, hobgoblins, humans, kobolds, lizard men, nixies, orcs, pixies, sprites, troglodytes, and others. Thus, a 10th-level fighter could be held, while an ogre could not.
The effect is centered on a point selected by the caster, and it affects persons selected by the caster within the area of effect. If the spell is cast at three persons, each gets a normal saving throw; if only two persons are being enspelled, each rolls his saving throw with a -1 penalty; if the spell is cast at only one person, the saving throw die roll suffers a -2 penalty. Saving throws are adjusted for Wisdom. Those who succeed on their saving throws are totally unaffected by the spell. Undead creatures cannot be held.
Held creatures cannot move or speak, but they remain aware of events around them and can use abilities not requiring motion or speech. Being held does not prevent the worsening of the subjects' condition due to wounds, disease, or poison. The priest casting the hold person spell can end the spell with a single utterance at any time; otherwise, the duration is six rounds at 3rd level, eight rounds at 4th level, etc.
The spellcaster needs a small, straight piece of iron as the material component of this spell.
~Hesitation: Creatures affected by this spell hesitate before executing their intended actions. This causes them to modify their initiative rolls by +4. The initiative modifier occurs in the round following the round in which hesitation is cast.
The spell affects 2-8 Hit Dice or levels of creatures, although only one creature of 4 or more Hit Dice can be affected regardless of the number rolled. All possible victims are allowed saving throws vs. spells; those failing their saving throws modify their initiative rolls by +4 for a number of rounds equal to the caster's level.
The material component is a fragment of a turtle's shell.
~Hornung's Baneful Deflector: This spell partially surrounds the recipient in a shimmering, hemispherical field of force. The field is transparent and moves with the subject, forming a shell about one foot away from his body. The shell serves as a shield against all forms of individually targeted missile attacks (including magic missiles and other spells). The caster designates the position of the shell (protecting the front, rear, side, or top of the recipient). The spell does not protect against area effect spells or other attacks that strike several creatures at once.
Whenever an individual missile attack is directed at a protected creature, the baneful deflector activates. Instead of striking the target creature, the missile's target is determined randomly among all creatures within a 15-foot hemisphere of the protected creature, including the protected creature. The missile then changes course toward its new target with normal chances to hit. If the new target is beyond the range of the missile, no target is hit. If the protected creature is struck, the spell immediately fails. If several people are protected by baneful deflector, a missile will change course several times before reaching its target.
The material component is a small prism that shatters when the spell is cast.
~Knock: The knock spell opens stuck, barred, locked, held, or wizard-locked doors. It opens secret doors, as well as locked or trick-opening boxes or chests. It also loosens welds, shackles, or chains.
If used to open a wizard-locked door, the spell does not remove the former spell, but simply suspends its functioning for one turn. In all other cases, it permanently opens locks or welds - although the former could be closed and locked again later. It does not raise barred gates or similar impediments (such as a portcullis), nor does it affect ropes, vines, and the like.
Note that the effect is limited by the area; a 3rd-level wizard can cast a knock spell on a door of 30 square feet or less (for example, a standard 4-ft. x 7-ft. door).
Each spell can undo up to two means of preventing egress through a portal. Thus if a door is locked, barred, and held, or triple locked, opening it requires two knock spells. In all cases, the location of the door or item must be known - the spell cannot be used against a wall in hopes of discovering a secret door.
The reverse spell, lock, closes and locks a door or similar closure, provided there is a physical mechanism. It does not create a weld, but it locks physically operated locking mechanisms, set bars, and so on, up to two functions. It cannot affect a portcullis.
~Levitate: When a levitate spell is cast, the wizard can place it upon his person, upon an object, or upon a single creature, subject to a maximum weight limit of 100 pounds per level of experience (e.g., a 3rd-level wizard can levitate up to 300 pounds maximum). If the spell is cast upon the wizard, he can move vertically up or down at a movement rate of 2 per round. If cast upon an object or another creature, the wizard can levitate it at the same speed according to his command.
Horizontal movement is not empowered by this spell, but the recipient could push along the face of a cliff, for example, to move laterally.
The spellcaster can cancel the spell as desired. If the subject of the spell is unwilling, or the object is in the possession of a creature, a saving throw vs. spell is allowed to determine if the levitate spell affects it.
Once cast, the spell requires no concentration, except when changing height. A levitating creature attempting to use a missile weapon finds himself increasingly unstable; the first attack has an attack roll penalty of -1, the second -2, and the third -3, etc., up to a maximum of -5. A full round spent stabilizing allows the creature to begin again at -1. Lack of leverage makes it impossible to cock a medium or heavy crossbow.
The material component of this spell is either a small leather loop or a piece of golden wire bent into a cup shape with a long shank on one end.
~Melf's Acid Arrow: By means of this spell, the wizard creates a magical arrow that speeds to its target as if fired from the bow of a fighter of the same level as the wizard. No modifiers for range, nonproficiency, or specialization are used. The arrow has no attack or damage bonus, but it inflicts 2d4 points of acid damage (with saving throws for items on the target); there is no splash damage.
For every three levels that the caster has achieved, the acid, unless somehow neutralized, lasts for another round, inflicting another 2d4 points of damage each round. So at 3rd-5th level, the acid lasts two rounds; at 6th-8th level, the acid lasts for three rounds, etc.
The material components of the spell are a dart, powdered rhubarb leaf, and an adder's stomach.
~Spectral Hand: This spell causes a ghostly, glowing hand, shaped from the caster's life force, to materialize within the spell range and move as the caster desires.
Any touch attack spell of 4th level or less that is subsequently cast by the wizard can be delivered by the spectral hand. The spell gives the caster a +2 bonus to his attack roll.
The caster cannot perform any other actions when attacking with the hand; the hand returns to the caster and hovers if the caster takes other actions. The hand lasts the full spell duration unless dismissed by the caster, and it is possible to use more than one touch attack with it. The hand receives flank and rear attack bonuses if the caster is in a position to do so.
The hand is vulnerable to magical attack but has an Armor Class of -2. Any damage to the hand ends the spell and inflicts 1d4 points of damage to the caster.
~Hold Undead: When cast, this spell renders immobile 1d3 undead creatures whose total Hit Dice are equal to or less than the caster's level.
No more than three undead can be affected by a single spell. To cast, the wizard aims the spell at a point within range and the three undead closest to this are considered to be in the area of effect, provided all are within the field of vision and spell range of the caster.
Undead of a mindless nature (skeletons, zombies, or ghouls) are automatically affected. Other forms of undead are allowed a saving throw to negate the effect.
If the spell is successful, it renders the undead immobile for the duration of the spell.
The material component for this spell is a pinch of sulphur and powdered garlic.
~Etherwalk: By casting this spell, the priest transports himself and as many as 50 followers (who must join hands at the time of casting) to the Border Ethereal. Unwilling creatures are allowed a saving throw at a -4 penalty to avoid transportation.
The spell then allows the priest and his party to make as many as three round-trip journeys to and from the Inner Planes. It then allows them to return to the Prime Material plane.
Travel rates in the Ethereal plane are at four times normal speed. Travel times for locating or searching along curtains are all at the minimum time possible. Encounters with monsters occur at one-fifth the normal frequency. The priest and his party are not affected by the ether cyclone.
The spell expires when the priest and his party return to the Border Ethereal from an inner plane for the third time. They are then instantly transported to the Prime Material plane.
~Vampiric Touch: When the caster touches an opponent in melee with a successful attack roll, the opponent loses 1d6 hit points for every two caster levels, to a maximum drain of 6d6 for a 12th-level caster.
The spell is expended when a successful touch is made or one turn passes. The hit points are added to the caster's total, with any hit points over the caster's normal total treated as temporary additional hit points.
Any damage to the caster is subtracted from the temporary hit points first. After one hour, any extra hit points above the caster's normal total are lost.
The creature originally losing hit points through this spell can regain them by magical or normal healing.
Undead creatures are unaffected by this spell.
~Contagion: This spell causes a major disease and weakness in a creature. The afflicted individual is immediately stricken with painful and distracting symptoms: boils, blotches, lesions, seeping abscesses, and so on.
Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma are reduced by 2. Attack rolls are decreased by 2. The effect persists until the character receives a cure disease spell or spends 1d3 weeks taking a complete rest to recover.
Characters ignoring the contagion for more than a day or so may be susceptible to worse diseases at the discretion of the DM.
~Enervation: This spell temporarily suppresses the subject's life force. The necromancer points his finger and utters the incantation, releasing a black bolt of crackling energy.
The subject must roll a saving throw vs. spell, adjusted for Dexterity, to avoid the bolt. Success means the spell has no effect. Failure means the subject is treated exactly as if he had been drained of energy levels by a wight, one level for every four levels of the caster.
Hit Dice, spells, and other character details dependent on level are lost or reduced. Those drained to 0th level must make a system shock check to survive and are helpless until the spell expires.
The spell effect eventually wears off, either after 1d4 hours plus one hour per caster level, or after six hours of complete and undisturbed rest.
Level abilities are regained, but lost spells must be rememorized.
Undead are immune to this spell.
~Mask of Death: By casting this spell, a wizard can change a corpse;s features to make it appear to be someone else.The caster must possess an accurate portrait of the individual to be duplicated,or must have a clear mental image of the person based on personal experience.
If animate dead is cast on the body,it can be animated to become a zombie that looks exactly like the copied person.The double is a mindless automaton, however, having all the characteristics of a normal zombie.
This spell may be cast on a creature that has already become a zombie.The wizard must successfully touch the zombie in combat, unless the zombie is controlled by the caster.
The material component of this spell is a drop of doppleganger's blood.
~Animate Dead: This spell creates the lowest of the undead monsters - skeletons or zombies - usually from the bones or bodies of dead humans, demihumans, or humanoids. The spell causes existing remains to become animated and obey the simple verbal commands of the caster.
The skeletons or zombies can follow the caster, remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific type of creature) entering the place, etc. The undead remain animated until they are destroyed in combat or are turned; the magic cannot be dispelled. The following types of dead creatures can be animated:
A) Humans, demihumans, and humanoids with 1 Hit Die. The wizard can animate one skeleton for each experience level he has attained, or one zombie for every two levels. The experience levels, if any, of the slain are ignored: the body of a newly dead 9th-level fighter is animated as a zombie with 2 Hit Dice, without special class or racial abilities.
B) Creatures with more than 1 Hit Die. The number of undead animated is determined by the monster Hit Dice (the total Hit Dice cannot exceed the wizards level). Skeletal forms have the Hit Dice of the original creature, while zombie forms have one more Hit Die. Thus, a 12th-level wizard could animate four zombie gnolls (4 x [2 + 1 Hit Dice]= 12), or a single fire giant skeleton. Such undead have none of the special abilities they had in life.
C) Creatures with less than 1 Hit Die. The caster can animate two skeletons per level or one zombie per level. The creatures have their normal Hit Dice as skeletons and an additional Hit Die as zombies, Clerics receive a +1 bonus when trying to turn these.
This spell assumes that the bodies or bones are available and are reasonably intact (those of skeletons or zombies destroyed in combat won't be!).
It requires a drop of blood and a pinch of bone powder or a bone shard to complete the spell.
The casting of this spell is not a good act and only evil wizards use it frequently.
~Arrow of Bone: By drawing runes of dire power upon a simple arrow, bolt, dart, or javelin, the caster changes the weapon into a sinister missile of cold, enchanted bone. The wizard may then throw or fire the weapon in the normal fashion, or he can choose to give it to a companion to use. If the wizard employs the arrow of bone himself, he strikes with the THAC0 of a warrior of half his own level and a +3 bonus to his attack roll; if he gives it to someone else, the bone arrow merely confers a +1 bonus to hit. A creature struck by the weapon must make a saving throw vs. death magic or die; even if successful, the victim sustains normal damage for the missile, plus an additional number of points equal to the weapon.
~Death Spell: When a death spell is cast, it snuffs out the life forces of creatures in the area of effect instantly and irrevocably. Such creatures cannot be raised or resurrected, but an individual slain in this manner might be brought back via a wish. The number of creatures that can be slain is a function of their Hit Dice. (See book for table ).
In other words, from the 4d20 roll subtract the number of creatures of less than 2 Hit Dice (these creatures die). If there are any remaining points from the 4d20 roll, subtract 2 for each creature of 2 to 4 Hit Dice (these creatures also die). If this still doesn't use up all the 4d20 roll, subtract 10 for each creature of 4+1 to 6+3 Hit Dice, and so on. Stop when all the creatures are dead, all the 4d20 roll is used up, or the remainder is less than half the CF of any remaining creatures. (If the remainder is one-half or more of the CF of a creature, that creature dies.)
For example, a mixed group of 20 goblins, eight gnolls, and four ogres, led by a hill giant, are caught in the area of a death spell. The 4d20 roll gives a total of 53 points; 20 of this eliminates the goblins (20 x 1 CF), 16 kills the gnolls (8 x 2 CF), and the remaining 17 kills two ogres (10 points to kill one ogre, and the remaining 7 points are enough to kill one more ogre). The other two ogres and the hill giant are unharmed.
A death spell does not affect lycanthropes, undead creatures, or creatures from planes other than the Prime Material.
The material component of this spell is a crushed black pearl with a minimum value of 1,000 gp.
~Trollish Fortitude: This powerful spell imbues the caster with the physical fortitude and resilience of a troll. While the spell is in effect, the caster regenerates 3 hit points per round until he reaches his normal maximum. He also gains a troll's ability to ignore dismemberment, decapitation, and other horrible injures that would normally incapacitate or kill him (although losing a limb may prevent the caster from taking certain action, such as running, climbing, and other activities) breeding, wounding, being reduced to negative hit points, and other effects that cause the victim to lose hit points from round to round are ignored-the caster instead regains 3 hit points per round, up to his normal maximum. If the caster is reduced to less than 0 hit points,he is incapacitated and must make a system shock roll or lose all of his highest level spells. The incapacitation lasts only until his regeneration restores him to 1 hit point or more;he can move fight,and cast spells again as soon as his hit point total is positive.
Trollish fortitude does not provide the caster with any defenses against leathel position, disease, and other effects level draining, vampiric touch, or vampiric regeneration cannot be regenerated since this represents damage to the victim's life force and not physical injury. In addition, fire damage and acid damage cannot be regenerated. While the spell is in effect, the caster can rejoin severed limbs simply by holding them in place, but if the spell ends while a limb (which were already moving toward him) is still separate from his body, he immediately suffers the full effects of the injury.
The material component for this spell is a shred of dried flesh from a troll's heart that must be pulverized into dust. The dust is then sprinkled on the caster.
~Control Undead: This spell enables the wizard to command 1d6 undead creatures for a short period of time. Upon casting the spell, the wizard selects one point within range of the spell. Those undead nearest to this point are affected, until either undead equal in Hit Dice to the caster's level or six undead are affected.
Undead with 3 Hit Dice or less are automatically controlled. Those of greater Hit Dice are allowed a saving throw vs. spell, which, if successful, negates the attempt to control that creature. Regardless of the success or failure of the saving throw, each creature required to make a check counts toward the Hit Dice limit of the spell.
Those creatures under the control of the wizard can be commanded by the caster if they are within hearing range. There is no telepathic communication or language requirement between the caster and the controlled undead. Even if communication is impossible, the controlled undead do not attack the spellcaster. At the end of the spell, the controlled undead revert to their normal behaviors. Those not mindless will remember the control exerted by the wizard.
The material component for this spell is a small piece each of bone and raw meat.
~Finger of Death: The finger of death spell snuffs out the victim's life force. If successful, the victim can be neither raised nor resurrected. In addition, in human subjects the spell initiates changes to the body such that after three days the caster can, by means of a special ceremony costing not less than 1,000 gp plus 500 gp per body, animate the corpse as a juju zombie under the control of the caster. The changes can be reversed before animation by a limited wish or similar spell cast directly upon the body, and a full wish restores the subject to life.
The caster utters the finger of death spell incantation, points his index finger at the creature to be slain, and unless the victim succeeds in a saving throw vs. spell, death occurs. A creature successfully saving still receives 2d8+1 points of damage. If the subject dies of damage, no internal changes occur and the victim can then be revived normally.
~Suffocate: This spell draws the breath out of all creatures within the area of effect who fail a saving throw. Their breath is placed within a small silk bag held by the caster.
Each round a victim of this spell must attempt a Constitution check. If failed, the creature suffers 2d4 point of damage. It successful the subject has taken in enough air to reduce the damage to 1d4.
As they struggle and gasp for air, affected creatures move and attack at half their normal rates have a -4 Armor Class penalty attack penalty of -4 and lose all Dextenty combat bonuses.
Effects of this spell continue each round regardless of whether the victims remain in the original area of effect. The damage accumulates until the spell expires, the silk bag is opened or a successful dispel magic spell is cast upon the bag. The penalties to combat remail in effect for 1d3 rounds after the spell ends.
The material component is a small silk bag studded with black opals worth a total of no less 5,000 gp. The bag is not destroved during casting but becomes useless for further castings if a successful despel magic spell is used on it.
~Wail of The Banshee: At the culmination of this dreadful spell, the wizard screams like a banshee (a groaning spirit). For each level of the caster, one listener within 30 feet hears the wail. Those who fail a saving throw vs. death magic die instantly.
The wizard cannot be the victim of his own spell, nor can he choose who will be affected. If there are more potential victims than the level of the caster, the DM must randomly determine which creatures are affected. Creatures who cannot hear (due to ear plugs,deafness, etc.) can be targets,but cannot be affected and are considered.
The material component is a lock of hair from an evil female elf.
~Cure Serious Wounds: This spell is a more potent version of the cure light wounds spell. When laying his hand upon a creature, the priest heals 2d8+1 points of wound or other injury damage to the creature's body. This healing cannot affect noncorporeal, nonliving, or extraplanar creatures.
Cause serious wounds, the reverse of the spell, operates similarly to the cause light wounds spell, the victim having to be touched first. If the touch is successful, 2d8+1 points of damage are inflicted.
~Regenerate: When a regenerate spell is cast, body members (fingers, toes, hands, feet, arms, legs, tails, or even heads of multi-headed creatues), bones, and organs grow back. The process of regeneration requies but one round if the severed member(s) is (are) present and touching the creature, 2d4turns otherwise. The creature must be lving to receive the benefits of this spell. If the severed member is not present, or if the injury isolder than ond day per caste level, the recipient must roll a successful system shock check to survive the spell.
The revers, wither, causes the member or organ touched to cease functioning in one round, dropping off into dust in 2d4 turns. Creatures must be touched for the harmful effect to occur.
The material components of this spell are a prayer device and holy water (or unholy water for the reverse).
~Invisibility Purge: All invisible creatures who enter an area enchanted with invisibility purge instantly become visible. Invisibility -related spells do not take effect within the boundaries of the enchanted area, and magical devices such as potions of invisibility do not function.
Creatures with the natural ability to become invisible are unable to use this ability within the area of effect. Invisible objects carried into the warded area also become visible.
Invisible creatures or persons within the area of effect when invisibility purge is cast remain invisible; however, if such creatures exit the area of effect and later re-enter, they instantly become visible. Such creatures also lose any natural ability to turn invisible as long as they remain within the area of effect.
A creature who consumes a potion of invisibility outside the warded area becomes invisible normally, but becomes visible when he enters the area of effect; if the duration of the potion of invisibility has not yet expired when he exits the area of effect, he becomes invisible again outside the area.
Creatures who are invisible in their natural state or have no visible form (such as invisible stalkers) are not affected by this spell.
The material components are the priest's holy symbol and a silver mirror no more than three inches in diameter.
The invisibility purge can be cast as a cooperative magic spell. The potency of this spell can be increased if several priests cast it at the same time. The duration of the spell is then equal to one turn per level of the most powerful priest, plus one turn for every contributing priest. Each priest also increases the area of effect by one 10'x 10' square (these areas must be contiguous). Thus, a 9th-level priest and two 5th-level priests could create a 30'x 10' invisibility purge area having a duration of 11 turns.
~Barrier of Retention: This spell creates a one-way invisible force field around the area of effect. The spell creates one 10' x 10' x 10' cube for every level of the caster. These can be arranged into any rectangular shape the caster desires.
Intruders entering the protected area suffer no ill effects, but the barrier of retention prevents them from leaving. The spell affects all creatures who fail a saving throw vs. spell.
The caster can pass in and out of the barrier freely.
Intruders trapped by the barrier of retention can cast spells out of the barrier and can use spells such as teleport to escape the protected area. Objects cannot be hurled out of the barrier but can be carried out by an escaping creature. Dispel magic and similar spells negate the barrier.
The material component is a small cage made of silver wire. The caster must walk around the perimeter of the area of effect when casting.
~Elemental Forbiddence: This spell prevents the entry of all elementals into the area of effect. Further, elementals outside the area of effect cannot make physical attacks against those inside.
Spells and missile attacks can be cast into the area by elementals.
The spell affects a cube whose sides equal the caster's level times 5 feet (a 12th-level priest could affect an area equal to a 60' x 60'x 60' cube).
Elemental forbiddance has no effect on elementals that are within the area of effect when the spell is cast. If such elementals leave the area of effect, they cannot reenter.
The material components are the priest's holy symbol and four glass beads, each of a different color (green, blue, red, and yellow). The priest must pace out the perimeter of the warded area at the time of casting.
~Grounding: Grounding offers protection against normal and magical electrical attacks within the area of effect. The protected area and creatures within it suffer no damage from normal electrical attacks (such as those caused by lightning bolts in a thunderstorm and nonmagical creatures such as electric eels). Magical electrical attacks (including lightning bolt breath weapons) cause only 50% of their normal damage. Additionally, creatures within the area of effect receive a +2 bonus to saving throws made against electrical attacks, regardless of whether the attacks originate inside or outside the warded area.
The material components are the priest's holy symbol and a coil of silver wire.
~Dragonbane: This spell prevents any dragon who fails its saving throw from entering the area of effect. The spell affects a cubic area whose sides equal the caster's level times 5 feet; thus, a 16th-level caster could affect a cube whose sides each equal 80 feet. The dragon can cast spells, blast breath weapon, or hurl missiles (if possible) into the area of effect.
Dragons within the area of effect when the spell is cast are not affected. If such dragons leave the area of effect, they must succeed a saving throw to reenter the area.
The material components are the priest's holy symbol and a dragon scale.
The spell's effectiveness can be greatly increased with the casting of a focus spell.
~Entropy Shield: This potent defense surrounds the caster in a chaotic maelstrom of energy and demimatter that blocks or deflects many attacks. The entropy shield extends about two feet in all directions from the caster's body. The warping effect of the field causes any melee or hand-to-hand attack to miss 50% of the time-even if the roll allows an attack to continue, the priest still gains a -2 bonus to his Armor Class. Normal missiles or hurled weapons miss automatically as the entropy shield deflects them from the caster.
Even magical missile attacks (produce flame, magic missile, or Melf's acid arrow, for example), siege engines, and giant-thrown boulders may be deflected as if they were hand-to-hand attacks.
Against spells or effects that produce energy, gas, or other physical attack forms (fireball, lightning bolt, cloudkill, and other such spells) the entropy shield provides a 50% chance that the attack simply does not affect the protected priest. Even if the harmful energy or matter penetrates the shield, the caster gains a +2 bonus on his saving throw. This does not cause a spell to fizzle or fail; a priest standing in the middle of a fireball is simply not touched by the spell, which will inflict its normal damage on anyone else in the area of effect. Any spell or effect that does not create matter or energy Entropy Shield to harm or hinder the victim can pass through the entropy shield normally, so mind-based attacks and magical effects such as petrification, paralyzation, enfeeblement, or polymorph (to name a few) can still affect the priest.
In addition to its defensive benefits, the entropy shield has the ability to repel normal or giant-sized animals and creatures of lawful alignment, such as extraplanar monsters from the lawful planes. Any such creature attempting to attack the shielded priest in hand-to-hand combat must roll a saving throw vs. spell at the end of the round. If the creature fails, it recoils from the priest and cannot attack him physically for the remainder of the spell's duration (although it could decide to turn on one of the priest's companions).
The material component for this spell is a gemstone worth at least 100 gold pieces that has been exposed to the chaotic energies of Limbo.
~Astral Window: When this spell is cast, a "window" appears in the air before the priest, through which he (and any others present) can see into the Astral plane. The astral window ranges in size from one square foot up to a 10'x10' square, at the caster's choosing. The window is not mobile, and if the priest moves more than 5 yards away from it, it immediately vanishes and the spell ends.
By stating a subject's name, the priest may view a specific creature or object in the window. More than one subject may be viewed during the spell's duration. Each time a new subject is chosen, the window becomes streaked with grey as the Astral plane flies past. This continues for 1d4 rounds, until the window finally focuses upon the chosen subject. If the person is not in the Astral plane, the window instead chooses a random location.
The window operates from both sides; creatures in the Astral plane can see the priest as easily as he can see them. Verbal communication is not possible, however.
Normally, creatures cannot pass through the window. If an attempt is made, there is a base 5% chance of success. This is modified by +1% per level or Hit Dice of the individual. In order to pass through, the creature or object must be small enough to fit through the window; otherwise, only a portion of the subject may reach through (such as a monster's arm or searching tongue).
By casting the astral window spell, a character who subsequently casts the 7th-level astral spell may choose to arrive in the Astral plane at the place shown in the window.
~Plane Shift: When the plane shift spell is cast, the priest moves himself or some other creature to another plane of existence. The recipient of the spell remains in the new plane until sent forth by some like means. If several persons link hands in a circle, up to eight can be affected by the plane shift at the same time.
The material component of this spell is a small, forked metal rod. The size and metal type dictates to which plane of existence, including sub-planes and alternate dimensions, the spell sends the affected creatures. The DM will determine specifics regarding how and what planes are reached.
An unwilling victim must be touched (successful attack roll) to be sent. In addition, the creature is also allowed a saving throw. If the saving throw is successful, the effect of the spell is negated. Note that pinpoint accuracy is rarely achieved; arriving at a random distance from an intended destination is common.
The metal rod is not expended when the spell is cast. Forked rods keyed to certain planes may be difficult to come by, as decided by the DM.
~Astral Spell: By means of this spell, a priest is able to project his astral body into the Astral plane, leaving his physical body and material possessions behind on the Prime Material plane.
As the Astral plane touches upon the first levels of all the outer planes, the priest can travel astrally to the first level of any of these outer planes as he wills. The priest then leaves the Astral plane, forming a body on the plane of existence he has chosen to enter.
It is also possible to travel astrally anywhere in the Prime Material plane by means of the astral spell. However, a second body cannot be formed on the Prime Material plane.
As a general rule, a person astrally projected can be seen only by creatures on the Astral plane. The astral body is connected at all times to the material body by a silvery cord. If the cord is broken, the affected person is killed, astrally and materially, but generally only the psychic wind can cause the cord to break. When a second body is formed on a different plane, the silvery cord remains invisibly attached to the new body.
If the second body or astral form is slain, the cord simply returns to the caster's body where the body rests on the Prime Material plane, reviving it from its state of suspended animation. Although astral projections are able to function on the Astral plane, their actions affect only creatures existing on the Astral plane; a physical body must be materialized on other planes.
The spell lasts until the priest desires to end it, or until it is terminated by some outside means, such as dispel magic spell or destruction of the priest's body on the Prime Material plane--which kills the priest. The priest can project the astral forms of up to seven other creatures with himself by means of the astral spell, providing the creatures are linked in a circle with the priest. These fellow travelers are dependent upon the priest and can be stranded if something happens to the priest. Travel in the Astral plane can be slow or fast, according to the priest's desire. The ultimate destination arrived at is subject to the desire of the priest.
~Etherealness: This spell resembles the 5th-level wizard spell etherealness in many respects, but there are a few important differences. First, the priest may not leave the Border Ethereal and venture into the Deep Ethereal; therefore, at the end of the spell's duration, he must return to the Prime Material Plane whether he wants to or not. Secondly, the priest may not use this spell on an unwilling target and can only make another creature ethereal if the subject is willing and in physical contact with the priest when the spell is cast. Besides himself, the caster can bring one creature per two experience levels (three at 5th, four at 7th, five at 9th, and so on) to the Ethereal Plane. Even if the priest abandons his charges in the Border Ethereal, the stranded characters will automatically materialize when the spell ends.
While ethereal, the priest cannot be detected by any means short of a true seeing or detect phase spell. He perceives his surroundings as misty, gray, and otherworldly. No action he takes can affect the physical world, but he can pass through walls, doors, and other solid objects without hindrance. The priest can choose to end the spell voluntarily at any time, materializing in the physical world in one round. If the caster occupies a solid object when the spell ends, he is hurled into the Deep Ethereal and stranded in a catatonic stupor until he can be rescued.
~Extradimensional Detection: When extradimensional detection is cast, the priest detects the existence of any extradimensional spaces or pockets in a path 10 feet wide and 60 feet long in the direction he is facing. The priest may turn, scanning a 60 arc each round, or may move slowly while the spell is in effect to change the sweep of the detection.
Extradimensional spaces include those created by spells such as rope trick and those contained within such items as bags of holding and portable holes. The priest does not automatically know the size of the space or its source.
This spell detects interplanar gates and the "gate" opened by the spell extradimensional folding.
The spell can be blocked by a stone wall of one foot thickness or more, a one-inch thickness of solid metal, or one yard or more of solid wood.
~Dimensional Translocation: By using this spell, the priest seals off the multidimensional existence of a magical, undead, or extraplanar creature. The affected creature can be forced entirely into its extraplanar dimension, which removes it from the physical world, or its extraplanar existence can be severed, forcing it entirely into the Prime Material Plane. If the priest's level exceeds the subject's level or Hit Dice, the subject is not allowed a saving throw, but creatures of higher level or Hit Dice than the caster are entitled to a saving throw vs.
spell to negate the effect. Also note that magic resistance may apply, as well.
If used to banish an extraplanar or multidimensional creature, dimensional translocation prevents the creature from returning to the Prime Material Plane for the duration of the spell. The creature may be able to take other actions, such as using magical items or spell-like abilities on itself while it waits to return. If the caster instead forces an extradimensional creature into the Prime Material Plane, one or more of the following effects may apply, at the DM's option: The creature's Armor Class may be reduced by 1d6 points for the duration of the spell.
The quality of a magical weapon needed to strike the creature may be reduced by one "plus"; for example, a monster normally hit by +2 or better weapons may become vulnerable to +1 weapons for the spell's duration.
The creature may suffer permanent death upon the loss of all its hit points.
Use of 1d6 spell-like powers (such as gating in allies) may be limited or negated.
Undead creatures lose the ability to drain life energy levels.
This spell does not prevent extradimensional travel on the Prime Material Plane (i.e., dimension door, blinking, teleport, or similar effects), but it does prevent the subject from plane shifting or becoming ethereal while in effect.
~Extradimensional Pocket: This spell allows the priest to create a single extradimensional space or pocket like the one inside a bag of holding. The spell must be cast on a container such as a sack, bag, or backpack. Once under the influence of the spell, the container opens into a nondimensional space and is much larger inside than its outside dimensions. The container always weighs a fixed amount, regardless of what is put inside. This weight and the capacity of the extradimensional space depend on the level of the caster: Apparent Weight Volume Level Weight Cap. Cap.
9-13 15 lbs 250 lbs 30 cu.ft.
14-16 25 lbs 500 lbs 70 cu.ft.
17-19 35 lbs 750 lbs 100 cu.ft.
20+ 60 lbs 1,000 lbs 150 cu.ft.
If the container is overloaded or if it is pierced by a sharp object, the bag immediately ruptures and the contents are lost into the Astral plane. Any items within the bag when the spell duration ends are also lost in the Astral plane.
The material components, in addition to the container, are 200 gp worth of powdered diamond and a sheet of platinum worth 500 gp. The platinum sheet must be inscribed with a drawing of a Klein bottle (a paradoxical figure with only one surface--the threedimensional analogue of the Moebius strip). The diamond dust is consumed during the casting--the platinum sheet is not.
~Dimensional Folding: This spell allows the caster to selectively warp the fabric of space, folding it into higher dimensions.
This effect can be best explained through an example. If an ant crawling along the west edge of a map decided to travel to the east edge of the map, it would have to crawl the full width of the map. But if the map were folded in two so that the east and west edges were touching, the ant would travel almost no distance at all. The ant's world (the map) would have been folded through the third dimension. The dimensional folding spell does something similar with the three-dimensional world: it folds it through a higher dimension (the fourth), allowing instantaneous travel between two locales on the same plane of existence.
Although this effect may seem similar to the wizard spell teleport, in practice, it is much different. The dimensional folding spell opens a gate that allows instantaneous, bidirectional access to a distant locale on the same plane. This gate is circular, of any size up to 10' in diameter, and remains in existence for up to 1 full round. The caster and any other creatures can pass through the gate in either direction while it remains open. Missile weapons and magic spells can also pass through the gate.
The gate appears as a shimmering ring, glowing with a faint light equivalent to starshine. Vision through the gate is clear and unobstructed in both directions, allowing the priest to "look before he leaps." However, anyone on the other side of the gate is able to see the priest and his point of origin.
The "near side" of the gate always appears within 5 feet of the priest. The location of the "far side" of the gate always opens within 5 feet of the place the priest desires. Thus, there is no chance of arriving at the wrong destination, as with the wizard spell teleport.
There is a risk involved in using dimensional folding, however. Many philosophers believe that what we know as time is simply another dimension, and the behavior of this spell seems to support this thesis. Unless the priest is extremely familiar with the destination, there is a significant chance that any creature passing through a dimensional folding gate will suffer instantaneous aging. Theorists believe that this is the same kind of "slippage" that can cause a teleporting wizard to land high or low, except that in this case, the slippage is in the time dimension.
The chance of this instantaneous aging occurring depends on how familiar the priest is with the destination. The table that follows outlines the conditions and effects of aging.
Chance of Amount of Destination is: aging aging Very familiar* 2% 1 year Studied carefully 5% 1d2 years Seen casually 10% 1d3 years Viewed once 15% 1d6 years Never seen 25% 1d10 years * Use this row if the desired location is within view of the priest.
If the die roll indicates that aging occurs, every creature that passes through the gate in either direction suffers the aging effect. Multiple creatures passing through the gate in the same direction all age by the same amount determined by a single die roll. Although the chance of aging is low and the potential amount of aging is minimal for familiar destinations, the effects can add up and become significant over time.
Although the word "destination" is used to refer to the "far end" of the gate, the priest need not be the one doing the traveling. For example, a priest may open the gate near a distant ally so he may travel instantaneously to join the priest.
The material component is a sheet of platinum "tissue" worth at least 15 gp, which the priest folds intricately during the casting. The tissue is consumed when the gate closes.
Status: Alive.
Roleplay: The Arena Inbetween ~ No Longer Participating.
{Cacelion's human form is the same as above, but without the wings and whatnot}
Alias: Damien Sterling.
Title: The Fifth Archangel & Lord of The Plains of Serenity, a large grassy expanse within Valra that is dominated by the Tower of Solis, a pure crystal and marble tower whose top touches the sky. The tower also serves as his home and is nearly infinite in size on the inside.
Gender: Male.
Species: Archangel/Angelic Being.
Apparent Age: 20 - 30.
Actual Age: Billions of years old.
Bio: Cacelion was created, along with the other angels and angelic/divine beings, before the universe began by the Architect or God as he would later be called by the mortal creatures that would come to inhabit the mortal plane. After the Architect sent a subatomic amount of his divine essence into the Void to cause the Big Bang and by extension kick start the creation of the universe, he appointed fourteen of the most powerful and intelligent angels in existence, of whom Cacelion was (and still is) a member, to watch over and guide His new creation.
Cacelion took to his new role with enthusiasm and helped create stability in the newly formed and highly chaotic universe by using his powers to form planets, stabilise solar bodies, and mold different energies into more orderly elements such as those found in the periodic table. Once this was complete Cacelion and the other Archangels created a home for themselves, and the other angelic beings with them, outside of the universe. Combining all of their powers, the fourteen Archangels created a realm of perfection and harmony to which they bound themselves called Valra, or Heaven as it is referred to by mortal kind, where they resided as the somewhat still chaotic universe below finished stabilising itself.
Once the universe had finally reached some semblance of order and stability, the Archangels returned and began guiding the evolution cycles of the various races that had begun to emerge on the various worlds of the mortal plane, such as humanity. After several million years of guiding and observing however, Lucifer and six other Archangels began to grow proud and started to believe that all of creation should bend the knee to them rather than their creator who had, in their minds, done nothing but sit back and watch while they toiled endlessly to ensure the survival of his precious creations.
So they rebelled by starting a war in Valra. Lucifer and his six allies took the various angels under their command and attempted to take over the divine plane, but were overpowered by the combined might of Cacelion and the other Archangels that stayed loyal to their creators plan and cast out of Valra right after having their essence unbound from it.
Giving into the darkness, resentment, and hate they felt both towards their divine brethren and the pathetic mortal creatures they were tasked with guiding, Lucifer and those with him became twisted creatures, warped by malice. The lower ranking angels that had joined him would become known as demons by the people of the ancient world, while Lucifer and his six allies would later become known as Archdemons. These "hellspawn" having been cut off from the harmony of Valra and having twisted their own divine essence into something foul and unholy, journeyed to the lightless void beneath the universe where they then created a domain of everlasting darkness to which they bound themselves called Erebus, or Hell.
Ever since then it's been a never ending war between these two groups for the future of the mortal plane. One that is waged just beyond the perception of lower beings. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Powers: While his powers are almost limitless due to him being an Archangel, the highest and most powerful rank that a divine being can have, Cacelion doesn't usually use the full extent of his might in the mortal plane, as he does not wish to cause unecessary damage to his maker's work or take life where it does not need to be taken.
As such he only uses the White Arts, otherwise known as White or good magic, and a limited amount of his true divine power to affect the world around him. This strange level of restraint has also aided him in concealing his true nature as a high ranking angelic being during his ventures in the mortal realm where he usually blends in by pretending to be a wizard or a simple street magician.
Weaknesses: A strong enough unholy or dark/demonic attack, usually from an Archdemon that is greater than him in might, can kill him. His extreme self restraint in combat is also an issue as he does not usually use the full extent of his power, even in near death situations, due to his dislike of destruction and unnecessary loss of life.
Fears: He fears that the forces of Hell will prevail and destroy everything the Architect has made.
Cacelion also fears disappointing or angering his creator in some way.
Items: Lumeris, an unbreakable sword that he forged from cosmic and divine energy that Cacelion can use to channel his power into for various effects and attacks. When not in use he simply dismisses it, causing it to vanish in a flash of blue light. While he can summon this at anytime he wishes, Cacelion prefers to rely on his magic and other abilities in most situations, mainly because he's not usually in a scenario where he needs to use Lumeris, but also because not using it helps maintain his guise as a wizard.
Extras: Archangel Physiology will give you a good idea of the FULL extent of his power.
He is skilled at fighting obviously.
His favorite snack is a Rueben sandwich. Even though he doesn't need to eat.
While angelic and demonic beings are, for all intents and purposes, immortal, they can still be slain if enough force or power is used against them. Upon death, during which their physical forms will explode with the force of a supernova, the essence of angels, regardless of rank, will return to Valra where it will slowly reform into the being it once was. The same process applies for demons, only their essences return to Erebus rather than Valra.
The only one who can permenantly end their existences is the Architect himself.
Although they can experience time if they wish, angels and demons are not bound or restricted by it as they were formed before the concepts creation.
Occupation Full track developer (Real Life), leader of the Blood Reaver Mercenaries (an in game NPC mercenary group dedicated to resource farming that was created by Johnathan himself), and ruler of Castle Ravenloft.
Real Life Skills Programming/coding and a little bit of hand-to-hand combat skills, mainly used for self defense. He's also very good at analytics and is comfortable working on or around machines having been raised in a district full of them.
Likes
Role-playing with other players in the UNIVERSE.
Order.
Programming/coding.
Alone time.
Solving complex problems.
The smell of freshly baked bread.
Symphonic rock music.
Double stuffed Oreos.
Dislikes
Troll players.
Chaos.
Malfunctioning/useless code.
Large crowds of people.
The smell of cigarette smoke.
People who can't take care of or solve their own problems.
Breadfruit. Blandest shit he's ever eaten.
Noni. A fruit found in Hawai'i that smells and tastes like human vomit despite how healthy it is for you. Supposedly.
Personality An introvert by heart, Johnathan generally keeps to himself most of the time and works from the seclusion and comfort of his home rather than going to the building of the company he works for. Despite his antisocial tendencies and his dislike for human interaction in general, Johnathan doesn't mind being around small groups of close friends or family members and is very comfortable during interactions with other players in the game, although he has shown little patience when dealing with people, both in the real world and the game, who constantly need help solving problems or doing thing's that they should be capable of doing on their own.
Background Born to a hard working family from the manufacturer section of the city, Johnathan grew up in a home where hard work was valued and slacking off was not. This was a lesson that he took to heart as he got older, slowly working on getting into a college where he then worked for four years on his Bachelor's degree in computer science, a field he'd always been interested in since he was little.
Once he'd finished getting his education, Johnathan did some freelance work for a couple of small start ups and firms before going on to apply for a job at a local agricultural corporation that severely needed people who were skilled in both front and back end development of websites and Johnathan, being skilled in both, was a perfect fit for the job. After several years of working there, a friend of his introduced him to a new online VR game called the UNIVERSE and Johnathan was hooked. After that first session Johnathan went on to buy and set up a mid end gaming station in his home, one that was both reliable and easy to transport.
Playing whenever he got the chance, Johnathan, going by the name Zelevas in game, quickly became one of the most skilled players currently online. As a matter of fact, he was so skilled, he caught the attention of the Legion of Lions, one of the most well known clans in the game. A few of their members who were playing against him in a ranked PvP match asked him to join their clan.
He accepted and the rest is history.
Relationships
Miranda Davis - Mother, assembles equipment for the cities farming operations.
Lucas Davis - Father, repairs mining equipment used to clear space for the farms.
Avatar
Username Zelevas/Lord Zelevas.
Home Castle Ravenloft, home of the Blood Reaver Mercenaries and their leader Zelevas. While he does collect resources from numerous fantasy worlds, Johnathan tends to stick to Dark Soul's, Kings Field, or Bloodborne worlds as the inherent difficulty within those locations, as well as their age within the gaming community, makes the value of drops found there skyrocket.
Fame Recognizable.
Weapons Two steel long swords & a dagger, each equipped with a Ghostblade decal. (The thing that makes them emit that green, wispy, glow)
Armour Nazgul armor and hooded helm.
Utility Bag of Holding: A leather pouch that is worn on the waist and has infinite space inside for storing items. If the bag is torn or cut open in some way, then all of the items within will be permenantly lost. Should the wearer die, the bag will remain at the last location the player was in for up to a day before disappearing.
3 (+5) Estus Flasks: A glowing glass bottle filled with liquefied soul essence. It functions the same way here as it does in Dark Soul's, all the way down to having to rest at a bonfire from a Soul's world in order to refill it.
Mount A black war horse.
Artifacts
This in game artifact functions in relatively the same way as it's comic counterpart, but with some minor differences.
Instead of simply turning the user into a mindless undead slave under the control of Nekron and fueling its powers via the removal of others hearts or through the use of a Black Lantern Battery, it instead feeds off of the users own life force. So the more power used, the more health is taken. The ring also has another debuff it applies to the player known as Withering, which can only be cured once the ring is unequipped, that causes the player to become progressively weaker physically the more they use the ring.
Some of the rings other properties have remained the same though such as giving the wearer an immunity to magic, applying the Black Lantern suit motif to the player's avatar, sending out dark tendrils that root themselves into the users body making it impossible to steal or unequip by anyone other than the user (or a dev), the ability to create constructs and the like from necrotic energy or use said energy to fly, and the ability to read the emotions of others which appear as coloured aura's of varying intensities.
The ring cannot, however, regenerate damage taken by its wearer and therefore must be used very sparingly in prolonged fights. The black lantern rings have also been reported by players as being very painful to use, with some players downright refusing to even wear them due to the intense burning and stabbing pain that radiates throughout their entire body while the artifact is equipped during play.
In order to activate the ring, a player must equip it and recite the oath of the Black Lantern Corp. which is as follows...
"The Blackest Night falls from the skies, The darkness grows as all light dies, We crave your hearts and your demise, By my black hand, the dead shall rise!"
(Please be aware that such artifacts are EXTREMELY rare. The Black Lantern Rings can also be countered and destroyed by White Lantern Rings, light based powers, and the light/power of a Green Lantern Ring when it is combined with a ring of another color on the emotional spectrum.
In regards to Lantern Batteries and their effects on the Lantern power rings themselves, the issue is still a matter of contention amongst players as some rings seem to respond differently to their respective lantern batteries than other's do. A perfect example of this is the ring Zelevas has, which does not need Black Lantern Batteries in order to recharge or even exist.
It is still not known if this is a bug of some kind or the way the devs intentionally designed these specific artifacts to function)
The fainter image on the left was Apophis when it was a hatchling. Names || Apophis || Άποφις || Apep || Serpent of the Nile || Evil Lizard ||
Appearance Apophis appearance is similar to what most legends describe, with a few major deviations here or there. He appears to be a long, black, snake or dragon like creature with large leathery wings and multiple black tendrils sprouting from various places along his body that constantly produce a paralytic compound which-when made contact with or ingested-causes a slow stiffening of the muscles that eventually leads to complete loss of movement and even death in smaller creatures. In addition to the venom they constantly secrete, Apophis can use his tendrils to navigate his environment more efficiently and aid in the capture of prey.
Size 213 meters long, 60 meters tall/wide, with a wingspan of 320 meters from tip to tip.
First Appearance
The entrance to the Barrow/Outpost 12, which has been shrunk down from its original size by onsite construction crews before being reinforced with steel rods, plates, and blast doors to help keep Apophis contained.
Egypt - Found deep within a previously unnamed and unmarked cave system a few miles away from the Nile River by an EGF, Egyptian Ground Forces, squad patrolling the area. Now contained within the location-generally referred to as Outpost 12 or the Barrow by onsite personnel-by a joint TERRA/Egyptian military research team, Apophis slumbers, waiting for the right moment to arise and return to the sun scored deserts beyond...
Abilities -Paralytic Secretion: As mentioned above, Apophis's tendrils secrete a slimy, clear, almost saliva like paralytic venom that causes the muscles of its prey to slowly lock up on contact or ingestion. Obviously, the larger and more well armored the prey, the less effective the venom is. Conversely, the less armored the prey, the quicker and more effective the toxin is.
-Reptilian Physiology: Apophis, being a larger and more monstrous evolution of several ancient snake species, has an advanced form of the infrared sensitive receptors found within Pit Vipers on the front of its snout, allowing for the "sight" of radiant heat, a series of six face whiskers or tendrils that help boost its sense of movement and smell, a somewhat soft underbelly that is incredibly sensitive to even the most minute of vibrations, is naturally cold blooded, making it difficult to detect his heat signature via thermal imaging technology, a split jaw that can unhinge to aid in the consumption of food, and a pair of slit-like steel grey eyes with binocular vision that not only let it affix its gaze on a singular object, but also help it distinguish between light, dark, and different colors as well.
-Flight: Apophis, obviously, can take to the air using his large clawed wings, the beating of which creates sonic booms and small gale force gusts of wind that can destabilize aircraft as well as smaller Kaiju.
-Constriction Master: Apophis, due to his reptilian nature and time hunting various creatures on the banks of the Nile, has become a master of choking the life from his prey. This unnatural level of dexterity and flexibility, combined with the venom coating his body, is what lets him escape the grasp of other Kaiju so easily.
Weaknesses -Softy: Apophis may not seem soft by human standards, but by the standards of other Kaiju he's as squishy and easy to tear apart as a common garden snake and thus must proceed with caution when engaging other titans.
-Not A Firebrand: Apophis, while he can be around minor sources of heat and flame without any negative side effects, will quickly become disoriented and blinded by extremely large fires or sources of heat, as they are capable of overwhelming the highly sensitive receptors in his snout. Examples of heat sources he avoids are large reactors, active volcanos, and the flame based attacks of other Kaiju.
-Slow Riser: Apophis, like all reptiles, is cold blooded and must spend several hours sunbathing in order to warm his muscles to the point of usability, which leaves him incredibly vulnerable to attacks from humans and Kaiju alike.
Personality Apophis is a highly cunning creature who mostly keeps to himself, only really venturing out into the world when he feels the need to hunt, drive off other Kaiju he feels are encroaching on its territory, or, in even rarer cases, to mate. As for his view on humanity, it is mostly neutral, though he does make a special exception for the Egyptian people, whom he hates with a passion thanks to their previous attempts at murdering him with a barrage of spears and arrows thousands of years ago when he was gliding over one of their cities on his way back to his nest.
History Born-or hatched rather-in a small nest of five other hatchlings, Apophis grew up along the sandy banks of the Nile River and the surrounding area where he hunted for small water and land born game when not busy fighting off his much stronger and far more ravenous siblings. Over time, as he slowly began to grow larger in size, Apophis began to go after bigger and bigger prey, such as other Kaiju. Eventually-around the same time humans began building settlements along the Nile-he grew into his adult form and began taking down even larger Kaiju, quickly staking his claim to a small patch of land within the surrounding area. In the years that followed he defended his territory from Kaiju and humans alike, which is what helped earn him his place as a malevolent force in Egyptian mythology aside from the fact that every time he flew overhead in the sky it appeared as though he was trying to swallow the sun, before finally going into a deep hibernation in a vast underground cave system a few miles inland from the Nile where he slept for thousands of years until a piercing call roused him from his slumber....
Other Due to his size, every time Apophis passed over the villages and towns of the ancient Egyptians they thought he was trying to swallow the sun. This, and the fact that the sun was an important part of their belief system, is what caused the Egyptian people to declare him a demon born from the deepest pits of chaos that wanted nothing more than to plunge the glorious light of Ra into eternal darkness and consume the Earth.
Humans, depending on where they live and what food they have access to, tend to taste like bacon or jerky bits to Apophis.
Apophis usually takes down his prey via constriction before tearing into it with his teeth, clawed wings, and tendrils. On the rare occasions when he does swallow his prey whole, it is simply to save time or to keep other Kaiju in the area from stealing the kill.
"I shall return and make those who betrayed me burn..."
Gender & Sexuality Male and Pansexual.
Species Know as a Daemon to most beings among the more orderly and physically stable planes of existence, Alastor is technically a Laizu. A seemingly supernatural being composed of shadow and tainted blood who hails from the dimension of Chaazim, a lightless and desolate realm sitting beneath a churning sea of ashen clouds whose surface is dotted with black stone monoliths, bridges, and strange techno organic structures. These are the vast cities from which the Umbral Lords, the most powerful members of Laizu society, command the plane and exert their terrible power.
Factional Alignment While still technically having ties with the other Laizu living in Chaazim via his status as a member of their race, Alastor is practically unaffiliated with them in every other way and is ultimately loyal only to himself.
Abilities Energy Vampire - Since Alastor is constantly expending the energy stored within his true form to keep his body in its enhanced condition, he must naturally absorb this same energy from the environment in order to survive. However, since the mortal plane is vastly different from his home realm, this chaotic energy that he needs to feed off of is practically nonexistent, only being produced and found in one place...
Humanity.
So in order to get this vital force he must drain others of their energy, or life force as it is most commonly known, via skin to skin contact. And while he does technically get more energy from killing his victims when he drains them, he does not actually need it, easily being able to survive off of several small feedings from a large variety of people over a long period of time. Generally those he does feed from will feel a bit lightheaded, but usually nothing worse than that. It's only when he tries to drain more than the person can give that they really start to feel the effects, which are usually overpowering sensations of burning, weakness, and extreme severe pressure, usually in the cranial region.
Strengths Cunning - Even among his own kind, who are already a bunch of treacherous backstabbers, Alastor is considered to be a highly cunning individual. And is renowned, even to this day, for his involvement in the War of The Fivelands, in which he played all five lords participating into believing their own troops and servants were planning betrayal, causing them to not only try and destroy each other, but those under them as well. It only took a couple of weeks, but soon enough he was marching into the ruined and smoking remains of their former strongholds and claiming them as his own.
Intellectual - Alastor, being as old as he is and having played the longest game of political intrigue one could imagine back in his home realm, is an extremely intelligent being who can easily outsmart almost any foe that dares to stand in his way and think his way out of seemingly impossible situations.
Determined - Alastor is a very determined being, especially after being exiled from his home realm. He will do whatever is necessary to get back and reclaim his lost status and authority. It is this determination that drives and motivates him to see his goals come to fruition no matter what.
Enhanced Physiology - Although he was sentenced by the other lords to live out the rest of his considerably shortened life within the confines of a normal human body, Alastor's body is still better than that of most humans thanks to the small amounts of ambient energy within his true form that leak out into his physical one and is capable of many great feats such as quicker healing, improved vision, enhanced hearing, and a higher level of resilience just to name a few.
Weaknesses Arrogant - Being a lord from another realm, Alastor is a naturally a very arrogant being and it is this reason that the other lords were able to capture and banish him to our world. For despite his great cunning and intelligence, they found it very easy to play into his ego by submitting to his rule and making it seem as though he had finally won their great game when, in reality, they were simply setting him up for the kill.
Out of His Element - As a creature from another plane of existence, Alastor is quite confused by ordinary things that human beings are used to such as pancakes or cars, as his kind have no need of such things in their home realm since they subsist on a diet composed mainly of ambient energy in the environment and move about via thought based propulsion.
Say Hello to Mortality - Unlike in his home plane of Chaazim, where he could live indefinitely simply by consuming ambient energy in the environment around him, he must now rely on physical food and drink for sustenance as well as the energy he drains from living beings to a certain extent. If he wishes to keep his enhanced body and the slightly longer lifespan it offers that is.
In addition to this he must also sleep and use the bathroom. Two thing's he did not have to do back home while in his true form.
Age 4.6 Billion Years Old.
Physical Description Although his true form is one of shadow, blood, and demonic horror, Alastor's human form is much more visually tolerable, albeit a bit more intimidating and distinguished looking than that of most other homo-sapiens males, which is understandable given his overall appearance and how he chooses to present himself. After all who wouldn't be at least somewhat intimidated by a six foot tall, 196.2 pound man with softly glowing violet eyes, pale skin, shoulder length raven black hair, a light beard and moustache, and a slim but muscular build who wears fancy clothes and walks about town with a dragon pommeled cane and an air of undeniable authority?
Alignment Lawful Evil.
Personality A cold, calculating, and utterly manipulative being, Alastor couldn't care less about those in the mortal plane be they human or another kind creature entirely. Seeing them only as tools to be used for his own ends, he will use whatever means necessary to win a persons trust, even if it means he must stoop to playing nice or pretending to be one's friend and, in some cases, lover. But do not be fooled. Arrogant and selfish to a fault, Alastor's only concern is for himself, making everyone else secondary in his eyes.
Though now that he's trapped in a human form, whose to say he won't return to Chaazim a changed man?
Backstory Having been "born", or formed rather, from the chaotic energy constantly being produced and propagated throughout the realm by Sai-Zen Conduits, not much can be said of Alastors younger years other than the fact that, at a very young age so to speak, he had quite an avid interest in the political schemes and plots being carried out by the Umbral Lords that were in power at the time. Eventually, after years of watching and slowly advancing up the Laizu societal ladder, Alastor finally became a Lord in his own right and ruled over a rather small province in the far west. A nameless and wild place, even by Laizu standards, known for its constant ash storms and eternally shifting terrain.
Of course this was not enough for the ambitious young lord, and he eventually went on to become fully immersed in the great political games of the other lords, using his vast cunning and intellect to outsmart and thwart them for millions upon millions of years. Moving from realm to realm, rulership to rulership, Alastor took one province after the other, slowly absorbing them into his singular empire. Of course all good things must eventually come to an end, and such was the case with Alastor and the mighty kingdom he had built for himself.
For while he may have been practically unsurpassed in intelligence and cunning, he was sorely lacking in humility. It was this lack of humility, this illogical amount of ego and pride, that ended up leading to his downfall. The other lords, intent on regaining their former power and authority, played to Alastors ego, slowly lulling him into a false sense of security which they ultimately used to betray him. When he was least expecting it, the other lords gathered their forces and stormed his keep and marched into his throne room, rallying those lower in the society to their cause as they did so. Declaring Alastor a tyrant and usurper, the other lords used their combined might to create a mortal shell, similar in appearance and function to the meatsuits worn by the primitive humans living upon the Earth. That odd world of order and stability that the Laizu had visited in ages past.
It was within this shell that they imprisoned him, forcing him to live out the rest of his considerably shortened life in a limited husk that was trapped within a rather limited realm. Once he was successfully bound within his prison, the other lords joined their powers together once more and tunneled through dimensions until reaching Earth. Upon arrival, they cast him into the open rift and into a whole new world...
Physical Description: In terms of design, ships of the Aurora-class are visually long and slender, being far longer than they are wide. They possess a light brown hull with accents of dark brown outlining sections at the front and rear of the ships. While the Aurora-class overall appears rather sleek and symmetrical, the hull of the ships appears visually "chunky", being lined with arrays of weapons turrets, reinforcing plates, windows, and other systems.
Physical Size (roughly): In terms of size, ships of the Aurora-class are quite large. For reference, Aurora-class ships are several times longer, taller, and wider than a Tau'ri BC-304, and possess several times the internal space as well. They are far more comparable in size to a Wraith Hive ship, though even still appear smaller.
In other words, the Renatus itself is around 3,000m long and 500m in height/depth.
Armament/Complement (roughly): Ships of the Aurora-class boast an arsenal of drone weapons which are capable of destroying a Wraith Hive ship in a single salvo and are fired via the use of an onboard control chair. Usually located on the ships primary bridge. The drones themselves are released from a reservoir located on the top middle of the ship.
For secondary weaponry, Aurora-class ships feature at least 16 pulse weapon turrets placed around the ship, allowing for complete coverage of the vessel. While these weapons are far less effective than drone weapons, they are still capable of heavily damaging a Wraith Hive ship and destroying a shielded Traveler generational ship after sustained fire. Though the turrets for the pulse weapons appear to be present on all Aurora-class ships, they have predominantly seen use on those Aurora-class ships utilized by the Asurans.
History of the Ship:
Constructed on the planet Lantea during the height of the Lantean-Wraith War, the Aurora-class battleship Renatus was put under the command of Captain Valtrix Ornus, a cold no nonsense man who had been promoted from his former position of First Officer due to his exemplary service, and tasked by the Council with patrolling the edges of the Lantean system for any sign of Wraith incursions or ships.
Not one to shy away from his duties, Valtrix took to the mission with a passion, quickly rooting out any hidden pockets of Wraith resistance and eventually halting their attempts to breach the sector he and his crew had been assigned to completely. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, the war progressively grew worse and worse as more Lanteans were either captured or killed.
Seeing the hopelessness of the conflict as a whole, Valtrix decided to do the unthinkable...
He deserted.
Upon coming to the conclusion that continuing to fight in an clearly unwinnable war was not only a waste of time and resources but completely suicidal as well, Valtrix plotted a course to one of their military outposts on a nearby world. One that was mostly cut off from the rest of their civilization. The perfect place to ditch a crew. Especially one that Valtrix suspected would become mutinous once word of his desertion started spreading throughout the ship.
After entering the planets icy atmosphere and touching down on its cerulean surface, Valtrix ordered all his crew to disembark and get some rest in the outpost while he stayed behind in the ship, claiming to have some data logs to review. In truth, Valtrix was actually allocating all his resources and priming the ships systems for takeoff, hoping to quietly slip out of the planets atmosphere undetected.
It took about an hour, but once all was said and done, Valtrix managed to take off from the outposts docking area without anyone so much as raising an eyebrow. Leaning back in his control chair and allowing his mind to meld with the ships systems, Valtrix and his ship silently sailed across the inky black sea of space, heading ever onward to parts unknown, when a bright flash of light suddenly shone throughout the dark void, slowly engulfing the Renatus and transporting it somewhere else...
It is known that the Lanteans once controlled an entire fleet of Aurora-class battleships, which were used in their war against the Wraith, with many ships equipped with Zero Point Modules. In the end, however, the Lanteans lost the war with most of their ships being destroyed. It is not known if the Aurora-class' were the most powerful vessels in the Lantean fleet other than the City-ship; however it has been implied that the Lantean fleet was more diverse.
10,000 years later, the Atlantis expedition became aware of these ships when they detected the Aurora via Atlantis' Long range sensors. After traveling to the location of the ship with the Daedalus they found the Aurora as a badly damaged vessel floating in space and the crew in stasis, infiltrated by a Wraith. To prevent the ship from falling in the hands of the Wraith, the Captain of Aurora gave Lt. Colonel John Sheppard his code so that he could activate the self-destruct which destroyed the vessel. Later all such ships were designated as Aurora-class battleships in the crew's honor.
Sometime later, the Atlantis expedition made contact with the Taranians, who not only discovered a Lantean outpost on their planet but also a hangar with a damaged but repairable Aurora-class ship, named after the Lantean General Hippaforalkus. Since the planet was threatened by a supervolcano, the population was evacuated on the ship, (newly named Orion) which then was repaired enough by Dr. Rodney McKay to escape the catastrophe. Grateful, the Taranians "loaned" the Atlantis expedition the ship, which was then repaired to help fight against the Wraith, which were again on their way to Atlantis.
After the Wraith gained access to intergalactic hyperspace technology, the Orion and Daedalus followed and engaged them in a battle at the edge of the Pegasus galaxy. Although the Orion had shields they could not fire Drone weapons until they sacrificed their shields to fire them, taking out one Hive ship in the process. The other Hive ship however quickly responded and destroyed the shieldless Orion.
About half a year later the Daedalus, while conducting a test with the new Midway space station, discovered another such ship, traveling at .999 the speed of light. It turned out to be the Lantean warship Tria, which was damaged by the Wraith. The crew of the ship was then evacuated by the Daedalus and brought back to Atlantis. Since the hyperspace engines of the Tria were irreparable, the ship was presumably abandoned in the intergalactic void.
The last currently known Aurora-class ship was found by a space traveling human race known as the Travelers. They abducted Sheppard so that he would "help" them activate the ship. After preventing the Wraith from getting the ship, it was repaired by the Travelers. This currently unnamed ship participated in the Battle of Asuras to defeat the Asurans once and for all. According to Katana Labrea, this Aurora-class ship was destroyed along with a Traveler generational ship, and a colony of 3,000 people when a Stargate exploded; an unfortunate side-effect of the Attero device.
The Asurans, who were able to duplicate much of Lantean technology, built their own fleet of nearly forty Aurora-class ships, but using older Ancient technology. One was sent to destroy the Asuran copy of Atlantis and the Organic Asuran copy of the First Atlantis Reconnaissance Team and Doctor Elizabeth Weir hitched a ride on it to Asuras. Using a core drive gotten from Niam's faction, the Daedalus and the Apollo were able to launch first strikes against these ships before they could destroy more human worlds. With the two BC-304s upgraded with Asgard plasma beam weapons, these ships were destroyed easily and the rest retreated to Asuras. There they came under attack by a fleet of Tau'ri, Wraith and Traveler ships during an effort to destroy the Asurans once and for all. The Asuran Aurora-class ships were no match for the fleet despite outnumbering it and were easily held off though they did destroy one Hive ship and one Traveler generational ship in the battle before the Asurans were pulled from their ships and into one huge blob of nanites. The ships that survived the battle were destroyed when Asuras exploded. One ship remained under the control of Niam's faction until they asceneded to subspace. The fate of the last remaining Asuran-built Aurora-class battleship remains unknown.
Sublight Drive - A scaled down version of the larger hyperdrive used by most larger Ancient/Lantean craft, sublight drives are employed primarily in the onboard Puddle Jumpers/Gateships and should not be confused with sublight engine's, which are the primary means of slower-than-light travel all Ancient/Lantean craft have by default.
Ancient Hyperdrive - For interstellar light-speed travel via Hyperspace. Primarily used in the capital ship itself.
Brother Ophiel is a very imposing figure, like most of his Blood Angel brethren, and his intimidating presence is only heightened with the addition of his crimson colored power armor. Although he does not wear it all the time, what he looks like underneath is known only to those within his Chapter and those who have faced off against him on the field of battle, although the latter could not tell you as they have long since been felled by Bolter and blade. It can be safely assumed, given the descriptions of other Blood Angel members who are more widely recognized however, that Ophiel shares the same noble and saintly countenance as others within the Chapter. A countenance that presumably shifts when he is overcome by the Flaw during battle, twisting his once beautiful visage into a pale nightmare that no sane person would dare gaze upon.
~Series of Origin~
To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods.
— Vulkan, Primarch of the XVIII Legion Astartes "Salamanders."
Brother Ophiel is a solemn individual, undertaking each kill with the utmost detachment and apathy in a futile attempt to curb the ceaseless writhing's of the Red Thirst. Something that has, thus far, proven to be disappointingly ineffective. This kind of restraint he seeks to exercise, when many of his brothers would simply give in and immerse themselves in the righteous slaughter of heretic and xeno alike, has made him somewhat of an oddity amongst the Chapter, albeit not the first or most unusual one they've had over the millennia.
Other than his solemn nature, however, Ophiel shares the same desire to be perfect in all things he does that many of his brothers-in-arms do, in addition to the same overbearing willingness to die for the Emperor while out on some distant field of battle. For Ophiel-despite his futile attempts at staving off the thirst-acknowledges the inevitable nature of his gene-seeds curse and knows that should he not be felled in battle, then one day he will become nothing more than a mindless beast. A creature of war haunted by the hellish visions of his Primarchs final moments during the closing hours of the Horus Heresy and an insatiable thirst for the blood of his foes.
~Abilities~
"They shall be my finest warriors, these men who give of themselves to me. Like clay I shall mould them and in the furnace of war I shall forge them. They shall be of iron will and steely sinew. In great armour I shall clad them and with the mightiest weapons shall they be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight them. They shall have such tactics, strategies and machines that no foe will best them in battle. They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity. They are my Space Marines...and they shall know no fear."
— The Emperor of Mankind.
All non-Primaris variants of Space Marines share the following modifications, along with the various benefits and drawbacks they grant.
A gene-seed originally cultivated by the Emperor from one of his twenty genetically-engineered sons.
Secondary Heart (The Maintainer) - This is the first and least difficult implant to install. The Secondary Heart increases blood supply and pumping capacity and is capable of taking over entirely should the primary heart fail. It may also pump steroids and adrenaline into the first, primary heart to give the Astartes an extra "rush" of energy on the battlefield.
Ossmodula (The Ironheart) - This implant strengthens and greatly accelerates the growth of the skeleton of a Space Marine by inducing his bones to absorb a ceramic-based mineral administered in every Astartes Neophyte's diet. Within two standard years after the surgery, the Space Marine's skeleton will be larger and exponentially stronger than a normal man's with growth having topped out at around 7-7.5 feet (2.1 to 2.3 metres) in height with an equivalent amount of skeleto-muscular mass. An Astartes' rib cage will also be fused into a solid bone plate to provide greater protection from injury for the internal organs.
Biscopea (The Forge of Strength) - Implanted into the chest cavity, this implant massively bolsters skeletomuscular development and muscle fiber density throughout the Astartes' body to increase physical strength by unleashing a wave of human growth hormones. This gene-seed organ is commonly implanted at the same time as the Ossmodula since it is necessary to successfully regulate the Ossmodula's hormonal secretions.
Haemastamen (The Blood Maker) - Implanted into a main blood vessel like the aorta, femoral artery or the vena cava, the Haemastamen alters an Astartes' blood's biochemical composition to carry oxygen and nutrients more efficiently. The actions of the Haemastamen turn a Space Marine's blood a brighter shade of red than that of normal humans because of its greatly increased oxygen-carrying capacity. It also acts to biochemically regulate the actions of the 2nd and 3rd gene-seed implants, the Ossmodula and Biscopea.
Larraman's Organ (The Healer) - Shaped like the human liver but only the size of a golf ball, this gene-seed organ is placed within the chest cavity and manufactures the synthetic biological cells known as Larraman Cells.These biosynthetic cells serve the same physiological purpose for an Astartes as the normal human body's platelets, serving to clot the blood lost from wounds, but they act faster, more efficiently and more effectively. When a Space Marine is wounded and incurs blood loss, Larraman Cells are released by his circulatory system, attached to the body's normal leukocytes (white blood cells). At the site of the injury, they form scar tissue in a matter of seconds, effectively preventing massive blood loss and infection of the wound. The action of this organ is one of the reasons that the Space Marines are seen as nearly invincible and so difficult to kill despite the terrible wounds they sometimes endure.
Catalepsean Node (The Unsleeping) - Implanted into the back of the cerebrum, this implant allows a Space Marine to avoid sleep, instead entering an almost comatose trance where their minds "recharge". It also allows one half of the brain to rest while the other hemisphere remains alert, thus removing the need for the unconsciousness required by normal sleep. The longest any Space Marine has ever been on active combat duty without rest is 328 hours, achieved by a squad of the Crimson Fists Kill-team during the battle against the Orks for Rynn's World.
Preomnor (The Neutraliser) - The Preomnor is essentially an organic decontamination chamber that is implanted inside the chest cavity and connected to the digestive system, above the original stomach so that no actual digestion occurrs in the Preomnor. It is capable of biochemically analyzing ingested materials and neutralizing most known biochemical and inorganic toxins. The Preomnor enables the Astartes to eat normally inedible substances and resist any poisons he may ingest.
Omophagea (The Remembrancer) - Implanted into the upper spinal cord so that it becomes a component of the central nervous system, this organ is designed to absorb information and any DNA, RNA or protein sequences related to experience or memory. This enables the Space Marine to gain information, in a survival or tactical sense, simply by eating an animal indigenous to an alien world and then experiencing some of what that creature did before its death. Over time, mutations in this implant's gene-seed have given some Chapters an unnatural craving for blood or flesh.
Multi-lung (The Imbiber) - The Multi-lung is a third lung implanted into an Astartes' pulmonary and circulatory systems in the chest cavity that is able to absorb oxygen from environments usually too poor in oxygen to allow normal human respiratory functioning. Breathing is accomplished through a sphincter implanted into the trachea, allowing all three lungs to be used at full capacity. In toxic environments, a similar muscle closes off the normal lungs, thus oxygen is absorbed exclusively by the Multi-lung, which then filters out the poisonous or toxic elements.
Occulobe (The Eye of Vengeance) - Essentially, the Occulobe is a gene-seed organ that enhances an Astartes' eyesight after being implanted along the optic nerve and connected to the retina, granting him exceptional vision and the ability to see normally in a low-light environment.
Lyman's Ear (The Sentinel) - This gene-seed organ implant renders a Space Marine immune to dizziness and motion-induced nausea, and enables an Astartes to consciously filter out "white noise" or resist other sonic attacks.
Sus-an Membrane (The Hibernator) - This implant allows a Space Marine to enter a catatonic or "suspended animation" state and is implanted within the brain near the pituitary gland as a part of the body's endocrine system. It can allow a mortally wounded Astartes to survive his injuries, and bring the metabolism to a standstill until he can receive full medical care. Only the appropriate chemical therapy or hypnotic auto-suggestion can revive a Space Marine from this state. The longest recorded period for this form of hibernation was endured by Battle-Brother Silas Err of the Dark Angels Chapter, who was in Sus-an hibernation for 567 standard years.
Melanochrome - Linked into the endocrine system via the lymphatic system, this gene-seed organ alters the pigment cells in the skin, which allows the Astartes' skin to shield him from otherwise dangerous levels of radiation and heat. Different levels of radiation cause variations of skin color in different Chapters due to mutations in the Melanochrome organ's gene-seed. This can be related to the unusually pale skin of the Blood Angels and their Successor Chapters and the dark black skin and red eyes of the Salamanders.
Oolitic Kidney (The Purifier) - This gene-seed organ works in conjunction with the Preomnor, filtering the blood to remove toxins that have been ingested or breathed into the body. However, this detoxification process renders the Astartes unconscious once it begins, so it can be very dangerous if required during combat. Under normal circumstances, the Oolitic Kidney also acts as a regulatory organ for the Astartes physiology, maintaining the efficient action of the Space Marine's advanced circulatory system and the proper functioning of his other organs, implanted or otherwise.
Neuroglottis (The Devourer) - This gene-seed organ implanted in the mouth allows an Astartes to biochemically assess a wide variety of things simply by taste or smell, biochemically testing various objects for toxicity and nutritional content, essentially determining if the substance is edible or poisonous. From poisons to chemicals to animals, a Space Marine can even track his quarry by taste or smell alone, much like the average canine bred for tracking.
Mucranoid (The Weaver) - This gene-seed organ is implanted within the central nervous system and responds to specific chemical stimuli in the environment, causing the Space Marine to secrete a waxy protein substance similar to mucus through his pores that seals his skin. The gland's operations must first be activated by an external chemical treatment, usually self-administered, before it will activate. Space Marines are cocooned in this way before they enter suspended animation, and the process can even protect them from the harshness of the vacuum and other extremes of temperature, particularly deeply frigid environments.
Betcher's Gland (The Poison Bite) - Actually consisting of 2 separate glands implanted into multiple locations inside an Astartes' mouth, including the inside of the lower lip, in the salivary glands or in the hard palette, these two glands work in tandem to transform a Space Marine's saliva into a corrosive, blinding acid when consciously triggered. An Astartes trapped behind iron bars, for example, would be able to chew his way out given a few hours. These implants' more common use is to aid in the digestion of unusually difficult or impossible things to digest, such as cellulose. In the gene-seed of several Primarchs, like that of Rogal Dorn, this organ has atrophied and is no longer as effective or has simply ceased to function entirely in the Astartes of the Chapters that use those Primarchs' gene-seed.
Progenoid Glands (The Gene-Seeds) - Implanted into both the neck and the chest cavity, these reproductive glands serve to collect, gestate and maintain the gene-seed from a Space Marine's body, and to safeguard it for the continuity of a Chapter. These organs hormonally respond to the presence of the other Astartes gene-seed implants in the body by creating germ cells with DNA identical to that of those implants through a process very similar to cellular mitosis. These germ cells grow and are stored in the Progenoid organs, much like sperm cells or egg cells are stored in the testes and ovaries of normal men and women. When properly cultured by the Apothecaries of a Space Marine Chapter, these germ cells can be gestated into each of the 19 gene-seed organs needed to create a new Space Marine. Thus, for most Astartes, their Progenoid Glands represent the only form of reproduction they will ever know, though the DNA passed on will be that of their Primarch, not their own. The neck gland can be removed after 5 years, and the chest gland after 10 years; both are then used to create new gene-seed organs for the development of the next generation of Space Marines.
The Black Carapace (Interface) - The last and possibly most important of all gene-seed implants, this neuroreactive, fibrous organic material is implanted directly under the skin in the chest area of the hardened and shell-like ribcage of the Astartes Neophyte. Invasive fiber bundles that serve as neuron connectors then grow inward from the implant and interlink with the Space Marine's central nervous system. Points pre-cut into the Carapace before its implantation by the Apothecary are effectively neural connection points, allowing an Astartes to directly interface his central nervous system with his suit of Power Armor's Machine Spirit so that the suit can provide enhanced protection and combat maneuverability unavailable to an unaltered human wearing the same armor.
The following is a list of ages at which each of these implants are grafted into a Neophyte, for the sake of reference.
Age 10-14: The Secondary Heart, Ossmodula and Biscopea are implanted, with the Ossmodula and the Biscopea usually being implanted during the same surgical procedure.
Age 12-14: The Haemastamen and the Larraman's Organ are implanted. This surgery can be difficult for Neophytes at the older end of this age range, who have less time to recover from the previous surgeries and the effects of the implants upon their rapidly growing adolescent bodies.
Age 14-17: Once the Catalepsean Node is implanted at the sixth stage of the process, the Neophyte begins his hypno-therapy conditioning in the device known as a Hypnomat.
Age 14-16: The Preomnor, Omophagea, and Multi-lung are all implanted within the Neophyte simultaneously in the same surgical procedure, some time during this age range but after the Catalepsean Node has been implanted and hypno-therapy has already begun. The Occulobe, Lyman's Ear, and the Sus-an Membrane can also be implanted at any time during this age range, also usually during the same surgical procedure.
Age 15-16: The Melanochrome, Oolitic Kidney, and Neuroglottis are ideally implanted during this age range, all during the same surgical procedure.
Age 16-18: The remaining gene-seed implants, the Mucranoid, Betcher's Gland, Progenoid Glands and the Black Carapace, are implanted in that order at any time between the ages of 16 to 18 standard years. The idea is to be able to introduce a Neophyte into a Chapter's company of Scout Marines by the time his adult growth has been reached, usually around 18 years of age, though some Neophytes have become Scouts as early as the age of 16 if their implantation process began at the young end of the age ranges given here.
A strikingly decorated, perfectly balanced, and well maintained Chainsword with the name of the Chapters Primarch engraved along its length.
A suit of Mark VII Power Armor styled after the colors, markings, and heraldry of the Blood Angels Chapter, whose surface is decorated with several purity seals.
~Character Alignment~
Lawful Evil.
~Other~
Informational Indexes.
--Chapter Gene-Seed--
The Blood Angels, of all the warriors of the Legiones Astartes, evidenced perhaps the greatest degree of transformation of their flesh from their human origins to the Space Marines they would become. This transformation's effects were even more pronounced and more fundamental than that of the Space Wolves or the Salamanders, both of which featured unique stigmata of their own. The aggressive over-writing of the aspirant's gene-helix by the blood of the Primarch was capable of transfiguring the rad-scarred and twisted inhabitants of Baal to create "perfected" warriors, living icons of the physical ideal of the Legiones Astartes, each one an echo of their Primarch, called "the Angel", Sanguinius in his fearsome glory. There was a price however for this power, and the process of transformation was a more arcane, elaborate and painful one than that endured by any other Legion. Even with the direct infusion of its Primarch's own blood to stabilise the process, the rate of fatalities among aspirants was frighteningly high. There were also those who argued that the mental scars suffered by those who survived the change were just as deep, instilling a sense of cause and purpose that manifested as unflinching, unreasoning fanaticism bordering on madness, a certainty which could in mere moments turn to insane fury when that purpose was challenged.
--The Blood Angels' Flaw--
"Say what you like, I will not fight alongside these madmen. The past proves nothing, except that the Blood Angels are cursed and but a single step from damnation."
— Yuron, Captain, Patriarchs of Ulixis Chapter.
Every Space Marine Chapter is defined by the legacy of their Primarch. Through their gene-seed these mighty beings would shape their sons' bodies, while through teachings and philosophy they would influence their minds. Yet none amongst the Primarchs would have as profound an effect upon their progeny as did Sanguinius. Although it is known to but a few, the Blood Angels and their Successor Chapters are a dying breed, for they suffer from a dreadful genetic flaw.
This Chapter, once the most golden and blessed of all the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, now shuns the company of its fellows where possible. Some Blood Angels, it is said, are driven by a terrible death-seeking madness called the Black Rage, brought on by visions of the death of their Primarch. Others are afflicted by the terrible Red Thirst, a craving for blood which some claim may be the first signs of corruption by Chaos. It is known that some amongst the Blood Angels themselves spend much time seeking a cure for these conditions, although most have resigned themselves to the slow and terrible decline of their Chapter.
Some savants say that it is because Sanguinius was more touched by Chaos than the other Primarchs during his gestation capsule's flight through the Warp after he and his superhuman brothers were stolen from the Emperor's gene-laboratory. They cite the fact that he possessed wings -- an obvious mutation -- to support their case.
Their argument runs that the gene-seed that was extracted from him was genetically flawed and corrupted even before the first Blood Angels Space Marines were created from it by the Emperor, and thus terrible consequences were preordained. Other savants of the Astartes deny this, citing that the Emperor Himself trusted Sanguinius implicitly, and personally oversaw the creation of the Blood Angels. Certain Heretics counter this with the argument that the Emperor also once trusted Horus above all others in His Imperium, and that even He could make mistakes...
Other Imperial scholars claim that the Flaw lies in the process that is used to create each new generation of Blood Angels Astartes. They assert that it has crept in through the generations because the Blood Angels use the process known as Insanguination to activate the implanted gene-seed organs within their Aspirants. All Space Marine Chapters use the gene-seed organs to unleash and control the metabolic processes that transform an ordinary mortal into a Space Marine.
The gene-seed is encoded with all the information needed to reshape ordinary human cell clusters into the special organs Space Marines possess in those instances where they are not directly implanted after being cultured in vitro. The gene-seed contains genetically-engineered viral machines which rebuild the male human body according to the biological template contained within it. However, even from the beginning of the Astartes' existence, there was never a set way to activate these functions of the gene-seed.
During the First Founding of the 30th Millennium when the Space Marine Legions were first created, the process was still highly experimental and many different ways of controlling and managing the transformation from mortal into Astartes were tried. This led to the Space Wolves using the ritual known as Blooding, the Imperial Fists using the process known as the Hand of Faith, the White Scars conducting the Rites of the Risen Moon and the Blood Angels using the ritual of Insanguination.
The process of Insanguination was originally triggered by injecting the Aspirants with tiny samples of their Primarch's own blood. This practice, of course, ended with the tragic death of Sanguinius at the hands of Horus during the Battle of Terra. However, some of his blood was preserved within the Blood Angels artefact known as the Red Grail. The still-living blood could not be kept this way for long and so it was injected into the veins of the Sanguinary Priests. In this way they became living hosts to the power of Sanguinius. To this day, the drinking of the collected blood of the assembled Sanguinary Priests from the relic called the Red Grail is part of the induction ritual for all Blood Angels Priests as well as the Chapter's Aspirants.
It is from these Sanguinary Priests that blood is taken to trigger the transformation of Aspirants into Space Marines. It is possible that over the countless generations since the time of the Horus Heresy the cells within the Blood Angels' gene-seed have mutated, slowly at first but more quickly in recent years, and that cumulative errors in DNA replication have resulted in the Flaw. Whatever the reason for the Flaw, it is certain that its hold over the Blood Angels has become ever stronger, and their tendency towards self-destructive insanity greater. Unless it can be halted and reversed, the Chapter and all of its Successors are doomed to extinction.
The Flaw of the Blood Angels has also been attributed to a combination of the genetic defects in the Legion's Omophagea gene-seed organ implant, and the psychic disturbance created during the final seconds of Sanguinius' life. During the battles of the Horus Heresy on Terra and Mars, the stored gene-seed imprint of the Blood Angels was lost, forcing the Legion to have to extract the gene-seed needed for their reconstruction after the Heresy from the fallen body of their Primarch himself. Every Space Marine created from the gene-seed drawn from Sanguinius after his death was doomed to fall to the Flaw, and in the 10,000-year history of the Legion and its Second Founding Successor Chapters, only three Space Marines have managed to defeat the Black Rage once it manifested (Chief Librarian Mephiston (twice) and Brother Rafen -- both with the assistance of visions of Sanguinius, and the Librarian Ashok of the Angels Sanguine).
--The Black Rage--
"Treat them with honor, my Brothers. Not because they will bring us victory this day, but because their fate will one day be ours."
— Astorath the Grim, Blood Angels High Chaplain, referring to the Astartes of the Death Company.
The Blood Angels and their Successor Chapters still suffer from the psychic imprint left by Sanguinius' death (or by the daemonic "wound" caused on Signus Prime). This can cause them to go insane prior to or during battle and feel the rage that Sanguinius himself felt during the Battle of Terra.
The condition is largely irrecoverable and only a few Blood Angels have managed to defeat the "Gene Curse". Victims are locked away in the "Tower of Amareo" (named after an ancient Chapter Master of the Blood Angels) on the Blood Angels' homeworld. This insanity is known as the Black Rage. Rather than let them face a slow, insane death, Blood Angels will form those who have newly succumbed to the Black Rage into a special unit known as the Death Company.
They wear specially painted black Power Armor, and are often led by the few Chapter officers, notably Blood Angels Chaplains, who are still able to communicate orders to the insane troops and who are still obeyed by them, perhaps because Chaplains directly represent the authority of the Emperor. The members of the Death Company are then sent out to perform the most dangerous assaults, hoping for a quick and honorable death in combat. The Rage seems to lend those afflicted with a measure of the Primarch's might, granting them the strength to rend their foes limb from limb in bloody melee.
However, by some unknown means, the Flaw that produces the Black Rage also seems capable of extending the victim's lifespan, at least until he finally succumbs to the Rage. Commander Dante is by far the oldest living Space Marine (not including those interred in a Dreadnought) born more than 1,000 standard years before the present time.
--The Red Thirst--
Deep within the psyche of every Blood Angel is a destructive yearning, a battle fury and blood-hunger that must be held in abeyance in every waking moment. Few Battle-Brothers can hold this Red Thirst in check unceasingly -- it is far from unknown for Blood Angels to temporarily succumb to its lure at the height of battle. The Red Thirst is the Blood Angels' darkest secret and greatest curse, but it is also their greatest salvation, for it brings with it a humility and understanding of their own failings which make them truly the most noble of the Space Marines.
The fate of those unfortunates overtaken completely by the Red Thirst is known only to the Chapter itself. There are tales of a secret chamber atop the Tower of Amareo on Baal, and of howling cries that demand the blood of the living, but none are willing to say for certain what secrets lie hidden in this haunted, desolate place. There have been incidents when the Blood Angels have been stationed on distant worlds where members of the local population have gone missing only to turn up later drained of blood. It is possible that this is the work of cultists seeking to discredit the Chapter. It may even be that some of the more superstitious local citizens have taken to offering up sacrifices to their god-like visitors. It may also be possible that these folk have been killed by Blood Angels overcome by the Red Thirst.
Those affected by the Red Thirst often have pale skin, and a potent urge to drink the blood of their enemies that can emerge at any time during combat. Many also may develop elongated and sharpened eye-teeth. This genetic curse has also been passed on to the Blood Angels Successor Chapters, such as the Flesh Tearers, Blood Drinkers, and the Angels Sanguine. One Successor Chapter, the Lamenters, managed during their Founding by the Adeptus Mechanicus to eliminate the Flaw from Sanguinius' gene-seed through the genetic tinkerings of some overzealous Tech-priests. However, throughout its history, the Lamenters Chapter has been stricken by extraordinary bad luck in battle ever since, suffering an improbable series of unlikely catastrophes, and has been nearly annihilated.
The recent addition of Primaris Space Marines to the Chapter who were derived from Sanguinius' gene-seed has changed this calculus somewhat. In all of the combats since their introduction to the Chapter following the Devastation of Baal, the Primaris Marines have proved -- at least, so far -- immune to the Black Rage, but not the Red Thirst. However, they seem able to channel their fury more effectively, leading to fewer unfortunate "accidents" with civilians or other Imperial forces...
--Blood Angels Freed From The Flaw--
Mephiston - Originally Brother Calistarius, a Blood Angels Librarian of some ability and strength of character, he was almost overcome by the Curse when part of the relief force for Hades hive during the Second War for Armageddon, where, having suffered for 7 days and nights trapped in the rubble of the collapsed Ecclesorium building, a vision of Sanguinius helped him fight off the effects. He was reborn as Mephiston, the Lord of Death, and with his full psychic potential unlocked, quickly achieved the position of Chief Librarian. He is seen as the spiritual son of Sanguinius, a figure of hope to his Chapter. He is now considered to be the most powerful Librarian in the Astartes, and possibly the most powerful psyker in the Imperium, after the Emperor Himself.
Rafen - A Battle-Brother -- later promoted to Sergeant -- Rafen had to kill his actual sibling and fellow Blood Angels Astartes Arkio who was claiming to be Sanguinius Reborn but was in reality deceived by Chaos, having been made, through Chaotic mutation, into a likeness of Sanguinius. Rafen then had to succumb to the Gene Curse to unleash the power of the Holy Spear of Telesto (a weapon wielded by Sanguinius himself) in order to defeat Malfallax, a Lord of Change who had deceived Arkio. However, he was eventually able to pull himself to the surface of his consciousness, and also succeeded in helping Mephiston defeat the Black Rage within himself for a second time.
Ophiel is a tactical marine formerly under the command of Captain Sandini, Keeper of The Arsenal and leader of the Daemonbanes Battle Company, who has since become a lone wolf of sorts thanks to interdimensional meddling's.
Appearance: Standing over nine feet tall, and clad in voluminous dirt-stained robes with a dog-like head whose eyes burn with an ancient flame, Gusion's true form is a horrific blend of man and beast. A lanky thing reeking of chaos, sulfur, and rotting meat who paradoxically advocates for the stagnant monotony of logic and reason above all else.
He is, in other words, a walking contradiction of the body and the mind, like many of his kind.
Powers
Divination Like many demons, Gusion is capable of looking into the past or the future, in addition to places afar off. Being able to, quote, "Tell all past, present and future things, showing the meaning of all questions that are asked of him." When he does so, either of his own volition or on the command of a summoner, his eyes emit a luminous golden glow. One that is reminiscent of the glory he once possessed whilst walking Heaven's gilded halls.
Reconciliation: Gusion can, for the most part, cause rivals and those who hate each other to reconcile by placing them into a temporary state of apathy, thus bringing them both honor and dignity by ending their foolish reliance on raging emotion over thought. This was an ability that the Morningstar used to great effect while he still sat on the throne, by having Gusion and other demons with this trait police Hell, keeping hordes of lesser demons in check. Granted this power, for all its might, is not foolproof. It does not work on other Dukes, Marquis, Kings, etc. Or any of his unfallen brethren. As a matter of fact this power seems to be of use solely on lesser beings such as the demons who comprise the legions of Hell, or the fleshy humans that swarm across the surface of the Earth.
While in Hell, Gusion still has access to a great deal of the telekinetic power he once possessed as a member of the heavenly host, although it is greatly limited by the nature of his fallen brethren. Specifically the fact that they are spirits. Without organs or bones of any kind, unless they wish it of course, more concentrated and devastating forms of damage are pretty much impossible to inflict. This limits what he can do with his telekinetic powers while in Hell to offensive and defensive uses such as grabbing, pulling, lifting, knocking down targets from a distance, making them glide along the floor as they stand (usually towards himself so they can be physically attacked or restrained), pinning targets to walls and leaving them suspended or sending them flying through the air with great speed.
Advanced Telekinesis
Should Gusion ever set foot on Earth, provided he is not bound to the will of a summoner, he could theoretically exert more extreme and precise amounts of force on targets that cannot normally be perceived (such as organs) and could even defy extreme forces already exerted on a target (such as the force propelling a bullet). Gusion might be able to generate more force that which he exerts while in Hell as well, simply because he is faced with material beings rather than immaterial ones. The exact amount depends, but it could be enough to suspend the movements of human targets, immobilizing them, or even controlling their motor skills to a certain extent. He may also be capable of torturing mortal targets by inflicting severe internal damage, usually by crushing organs or breaking bones. He could even possess the ability to target specific parts of the body, such as the spine, which would let him restrict the air and blood flow of a victim, or even break their neck.
Personality: Gusion is, strangely, a strong proponent of order and stability, though not in the same way most beings imagine it. Where most would strive to find a healthy balance between order and chaos, Gusion would find only order. Only the overbearing stagnancy of routine. It is this worldview, this unyielding desire for a cosmos in which everything has its proper place in the vast machine that is existence, that drives him in his rebellion. It is also this unfeeling way of existing that has the greatest influence on his interactions with his fallen brethren. When it comes to his dealings with other demons, he is respectful of most, unless they should try to destabilize the leadership of hell or support chaos in general. Then he will view them with the utmost disdain, even if he does not outwardly show it. In regards to his views on humanity, Gusion sees them as naught more than writhing maggots, a destructive plague upon creation, and a waste of essence in general. While there was a time when he thought they could be so much more as a species, he has since given up that hope. Their races self-destructive actions and ceaseless infighting over the thousands of years they've been alive has cemented the need for their total annihilation firmly within his mind.
Allegiance: The Morningstar. While his loyalties ultimately lie with the force of order, Gusion recognizes and respects the fact that Lucifer was the only being in existence to truly bring chaos to heel. At least before his sudden disappearance anyway. His leadership, while cruel and tyrannical, was still effective. And at the end of the day, no matter the scheme or demon behind it, all were subservient to his will and his will alone.
Titles: Prime Chronarch of The Aeternal Empire. The title of Prime Chronarch only came into use after he had begun taking control of other timelines in which his alternate selves followed paths similar to the one he had taken here in the primary timeline, as a means of distinguishing himself from the rest so that there would be no confusion among his subjects.
Personality: Gervasius is a cold man because he must be. As the only Marked ever in the long history of Irilia to take near total control of the many branching paths composing the infinite cosmic latticework that is the spacetime-continuum, Col has seen a lot of things over the course of his long life, most of which were bad. People having years of their life stolen in an instant, along with their memories. Entire timelines being erased from existence as the war between those men loyal to his empire and the tyrannical forces of Aevum-the time conquering kingdom created by one of the darker and far more sadistic versions of himself-grows worse and worse, its devastating effects rippling out across the fabric of spacetime like tsunami's, destroying everything in their path. And seeing those he cared about, along with many alternate versions of himself, die time and time again only to be reborn and experience it all over again. This, in addition to his practical inability to die thanks to various alterations he's made to his own relationship with time, has caused him to grow quite distant and cold. To the point where the friendly and caring ruler the world once knew has become naught more than a dim memory, preserved only in legend and myth.
Or so everyone thinks, anyway.
For there is still some small part of him, some small fraction of his being, that does care. That can laugh, love, and enjoy life despite its flaws and horrors.
All it needs is someone to come along and unlock it.
Powers
Magic on Irilia is governed via the use of runes inscribed into ones flesh. Runes that, once inscribed, allow for the manipulation of natural forces. Basic forces such as fire, air, and water, or more esoteric ones such as time, space, and even the soul. Each individual, referred to with a descriptor of their respective force or element followed by the title Marked, can only have two runes on their body at any one time, and two opposing elements cannot be wielded by the same person. So, for example, an Inferno Marked cannot wield a rune of water, but they can use one of air, as it complements their original ability. It should be noted, however, that should the marked individual ever lose the patch of skin or appendage upon which the rune is engraved, they will lose the powers it grants as well. This is the reason many of the Marked wear armor over certain parts of their bodies, even in times of peace.
Can't be too careful after all.
As for Gervasius, he's what's known as a Continuum Marked, someone who has the runes of space and time inscribed on their body and is capable of manipulating both to a certain degree. A rarer occurrence than you might think, as very few remember these markings, with fewer still being able to fully comprehend, let alone effectively use the immense powers they bestow.
Aegis of Eternity: Due to various temporal alterations through the use of his runes, Col has removed his natural susceptibility to age, effectively granting himself eternal youth, locked his timeline-and as many alternates of it he could find-into an entirely different section of the void that is not connected to the main hub of temporal lines so that they cannot be altered via time travel, and rendered himself immune to any manipulations of time or space another individual make while in his presence. This lets him move through areas that are spatially and temporally warped with impunity, in addition to giving him the ability to remember any changes one makes to the past. The only thing he has not done, however, is remove his ability to be affected by objects residing within the third dimension. This is because of what he learned in one of his alternate timelines, one in which his other self had grown tired of being hurt, and removed their ability to feel pain of any kind by making themselves immune to physical reality as a whole. A foolish act as he soon learned, because it booted this alternate version from existence and into the void, where their corpse floats to this day, the universe having ceased its recognition of their presence entirely.
Since becoming aware of this unpleasant outcome the Prime Chronarch has, sensibly, refrained from following in his alternate selves footsteps.
Alterations and the like aside, however, Gervasius still possesses the same bodily needs he's always had. He might not die from age, but starvation, dehydration, and sleep deprivation will all take their toll on him if he's not careful.
Cessation of Time: Using his runes, Gervasius brings the flow of time within a certain radius to a halt. The exact range of which seems to be decided by Gervasius himself. Once cast however, those in the outside world see nothing more than an impenetrable crystalline dome or bubble obscuring the affected area, while those within-other than the user of course-perceive the experience the same way one who has lost time does. With the process of objects, people, and time moving appearing to have been skipped altogether. As for the user, they are free to do what they please within the confines of the bubble, even granting individuals trapped inside the same degree of freedom they themselves possess should the fancy strike them. This can, naturally, be applied in a wide variety of ways. Some of which include, but are not limited to, freezing time in an area to prevent eavesdropping or pinning a foe in place to buy allies an extra bit of time.
Fate's Acceptance: With naught more than a touch, Gervasius can manipulate the age of objects and individuals, making them too young or old to be able to put up any kind of meaningful fight. Of course he must maintain contact throughout the entire ordeal, which takes upward of a minute to complete in and of itself.
Fate's Denial: Reversing time around himself or others lets Gervasius heal the most damaging of wounds he or those he is aligned with may receive during combat. While he can simply use this power with nothing more than a thought when it comes to his own body, when it comes to others however, he must be physically touching the damaged area or else the rewind will be ineffective. Additionally, it takes time for the healing process to finish. As such this power is not instantaneous.
Voidal Shift: Gervasius could, through the utilization of the empty spaces between timelines, travel to whatever moment in history he desired, provided he knew of its existence beforehand of course. After arriving in this strange new world, however, Gervasius found this ability greatly reduced. No longer able to leave the current timeline for reasons he has yet to discern, he now uses it as a means of transporting himself and others across long distances, as well as a defensive measure for avoiding enemy attacks.
Eyes of Chronos: Gervasius can momentarily enter a trancelike state and peer into a number of different possible futures to glean information from them, but their state of constant flux prevents any one course of action he may take from being more advantageous than the rest.
Strengths
Political Savant: Being a ruler who is overseeing multiple versions of himself and his kingdom simultaneously, in addition to waging a war across time, has made Gervasius quite skilled when it comes to political maneuvering. As he must find solutions that not only satisfy himself, but his people as well.
Pinnacle of Humanity: Centuries of training, leadership, and war have allowed Gervasius to reach the peak of what a normal human could hope to achieve in terms of physical might and intellectual prowess, making him much faster, stronger, and smarter than anyone else in his native universe.
Aside from himself that is.
Master Tactician: Given his personality, and way of handling things in general, Gervasius' cold and detached nature has one major upside in the form of strategizing. Unlike most people, who would react in horror at seeing their friends being ripped limb from limb, the amount of insanity inducing shit has rendered Col almost completely immune to such reactions. This lets him maintain his focus in the most stressful situations, times when remaining calm is of the utmost importance, and allows him to achieve victory where none was thought possible.
Weaknesses
Socially Inept: While he may be good at strategizing and politics, he is perhaps the last person one would consider inviting out to a social gathering-or any sort of gathering really-due to the cold and mostly apathetic nature he has developed since the war between his empire and Aevum began. Unless the goal is to bring said party to a slow pain filled stop, in which case Gervasius should be the first person whose services you employ. Gatherings aside, he's also not the one you want trying to comfort your dying friends, as he will do an absolutely piss poor job of it.
Arrogant: While he may not seem that way at first, especially in a place and situation he's unsure of, once Gervasius has his feet under him, he can be the most arrogant bastard you've ever met. Granted, it's not exactly something a he can really avoid given his immortality. Age and experience tends to make one more sure of oneself and one's own actions after all, and Col is no different. Hell, if anything his long life has made him more self-confidant than most ordinary people, as it has been spent-for the most part-maintaining the well-being of a literal history spanning empire. This general air of superiority tends to drive most away, as there are only so many condescending explanations and critiques people can take before getting fed up, while simultaneously providing a potential weakness for enemies to exploit.
Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer after all.
History
Gervasius history is a long and bloody one. One in which even the earliest of his days of his life were filled with conflict. Conflict between his parents as they both tried to carry out their own plans for their son's future-a future that would see him working on the family farm in any case-conflict between the petty nobles of the land and the even pettier bandits. A lot of whom had taken to using the power of rune magic to bolster their chances of conducting a successful raid. So it was no surprise then when they came to his father's farm that fateful midsummers eve, stealing the crops they had labored over for years, scouring their house from top to bottom for anything not nailed down, and killing one of the two central authority figures in his life in the process. The other, his mother, was taken prison as Gervasius himself was, although the two would meet very different fates. His mother would be sold off to a local lord, who had very unsavory intentions, while he would be recruited into the ranks of the bandits themselves. They did not brand him with any runes, however, for obvious reasons.
Anyway, for the longest time after his capture, Gervasius had attempted to fight back, to be brash, but eventually came to the realization that he would heighten his chances of survival and escape if he simply played along. So he did. For years he went along with their raids and schemes, all the while learning the skills that allowed him to slay his captors while they slept, leaving him free to make his own way in the world. Well, almost. First he would make sure his mother was safe, if she were still alive that is. Deciding on this course of action, he made his way to the lords keep, and began snooping about, somehow managing to remain lucky enough to avoid being detected by the guards. After a few minutes of searching, he finally found the room in which his mother was being held. He did not, however, make an attempt to break her free. During his time with the bandits he learned that when confronted with a larger force one could not overcome through subtlety, to fall back and regroup. Formulate a plan of attack, learn patrol movements, and identify the main weak points of whatever you were attacking. Then, gather some men, get some weapons, and go all out.
And that's exactly what he did.
Leaving the keep, he spent the rest of his young adult years gathering resources running jobs as a freelance mercenary. Weapons, armor, rations, and men, slowly over the course of years he prepared until, at long last, he was ready. Riding forth from the city of Aeryith with its shining spires and bustling streets, he and his company of three hundred mercenaries laid siege to the castle, the main force providing an excellent distraction for the guards while Gervasius infiltrated the structure itself and freed what remained of his family. Making his way out he regrouped with his warband, who had lost around a hundred or so during the siege, and fled into nearby forest, losing their pursuers. Breaking up into smaller groups from here, they returned to Aeryith under the cover of darkness. Although some small part of him wished to know, Gervasius knew better than to ask his mother about what had happened during her time in the keep.
He knew that it'd be better for the memories to simply fade away.
After their return, the group settled down within the city. Years passed and people moved on, Gervasius mother found work as a seamstress, while he continued to lead his mercenary warband out on mission's for the inhabitants of Aeryith. New recruits were brought in to fill the empty spaces left by the dead, and new ventures are undertaken. Life, in general, was good.
Until it wasn't.
The ruling king wished to go to war with another realm across the sea, and began recruiting several mercenary parties alongside the usual gaggle of townsfolk. Among those selected was Gervasius company. And while he didn't like it, he did heed the call nonetheless, unable to refuse the orders of the highest power in the land. So, once again, the band road out to war.
Only this time things did not go as smoothly as they had expected. Quite the opposite in fact. As they went to ambush a heavily guarded caravan, Gervasius had found himself underestimating the numbers their enemy truly had, and found both himself and what little remained of his men fleeing back to the safety of a nearby city. A defeat that not only devastated troop morale, but one that gave Col pause as well. For the first time in his life, he truly began to consider the state of his world. How its petulant lords and greedy kings squabbled amongst themselves for the so-called honor of victory, while simultaneously squandering the lives of the very people who helped them attain that victory in the first place. Or how the rogue Marked roamed the lands, looting and pillaging. And at the end of it all, he decided something had to be done.
Action had to be taken, and a new order had to be established in place of the rotting corpse that was the old. It was the only way for peace to truly flourish.
So Gervasius made his way to the city's library, a hoard of knowledge that contained books on almost everything imaginable, rune magic included. It was here that he first found mention of individuals known as Continuum Marked within the dusty pages of some long forgotten, and clearly neglected tome. While the book didn't have much in the way of specifics, it did reveal to him the location of secret temple, one in which the aforementioned Marked were rumored to have lived. Armed with this knowledge in mind, he began making preparations for his trip to the mountain temple. He gathered as much food, water, and climbing equipment as he could before finally setting off...
Alone.
While most would have gone in a group, Gervasius knew his men would just slow him down. Not only that, but he couldn't be sure they wouldn't just double cross him at some point during the journey, what with everything that had happened. So he ventured out, by himself, and started off on his long trek. One that took three grueling weeks to complete. But, finally, he arrived at the temple. Only to find it in ruin. Its walls broken and crumbling, and what little remained of its halls abandoned. Still, he would not be denied. Making his way inside, he began searching the place from top to bottom, scouring every nook and cranny for any sort of inscription or drawing that would reveal the shape of the runes he sought. And, after several hours of clawing through stone and rotten wood, he finally found what he was looking for.
In the center of one of the side chambers, deep within the temple, there was an old dusty tome lying on top of an equally old and dusty pedestal. Its pages yellowed, cracked, and worn, but still readable. And on them were the runes he sought. The power that would allow him to tear down the old kingdoms and replace them with a new, unified, empire. One that would ensure its citizens were treated with the respect they deserved. One that would live on through the ages...
One that would be, eternal.
Approaching the book in a careful manner, one almost akin to reverence, he examined its pages. On the left was the angular symbol of an hourglass, while the right held a spiral with warped lines, almost as though the drawing was trying to eat the page on which it was inscribed. Hastily pulling off his pack and retrieving a dagger from its cavernous depths, Gervasius rolled up his sleeve and started cutting. The bite of cold steel against warm flesh was stinging, but it was nothing he hadn't felt before. And by the end of it, he had finally finished the first part of his plan.
He had finally become a Continuum Marked.
Destroying the book, the runes having been committed to memory and flesh, Gervasius made his way out of the temple and started off down the mountain. Along the way he encountered several wild beasts, which helped provide him with some much needed practice. Calling upon the powers of his runes, which blazed in the falling snow, he destroyed them quickly and continued on his way. After a few more weeks of trekking, he finally made it back to Aeryith where he began using his runes more often while out fulfilling contracts. Once again, alone, as it seemed his company had gone their separate ways after his little trip. Somewhat disappointing he had to admit, and somewhat saddening, but not unexpected. He would have left for greener pastures too if he were in their shoes, especially after everything they'd been through.
So he let them be and continued on with his plan.
During his time running contracts, he had a custom tailored set of robes and piece of armor made for him by one of the local craftsmen. Mainly because he needed some better clothes, but also because he needed a better way to protect the runes engraved in his arm. Once he had them, however, he was finally able to use his magic more freely. Without the ever present fear his arm would be chopped or bitten off when he least expected it. With this new advantage, he was able to become even more powerful, and after a certain point decided it was time for the next phase of his plan. Perhaps the most difficult part yet.
He declared an all out war on the rulers of the world. Using his powers to his advantage, he amassed an army and, using advanced tactics and control over spacetime to his advantage, led a conquest that saw the lords and kings fall one by one to his forces. To further air his efforts, Gervasius also forged his own blade-Omega-and imbued it with power over space and time as well. How he learned to do so is unknown, as no soul currently living on Irilia knew the secrets of weapon enchanting, but he did so nonetheless. And so it went for the next couple of years, with town after town and palace after palace falling to his might, until at last his banner was the only one flying in the ocean blue skies of Irilia. From here he began the even longer process of establishing a new order, altering his interaction with time in order to do so. Once this was done, however, the newly christened Aeternal Empire had become something beyond anything anyone could have ever imagined. A vast realm that spanned multiple timelines, overseen not only by Gervasius from the new capital of Aeryith, but his alternate selves in the other realities. Variations the he gave his runes and knowledge to, establishing the order of Chronarch's-with him as the Prime-that kept the empire running as smoothly as possible.
In addition to this he also created a legislation governing the use of runes known as the Marked One's Law, which prohibited their use inside cities and villages unless it was for self defense, the defense of another, to help fend off an approaching warband, or to aid in work, be that your own or someone else's. This was done in the hopes of preventing the rampant banditry and rune abuse Gervasius had been victim to years prior and, for the most part anyway, it worked. There were minor exceptions to this ruling of course, with small uses of rune magic for convenience sake being allowed, as they posed no real threat to the world at large.
With these things done, and the safety of the kingdom he'd built in the best hands possible, Gervasius took the time to enjoy life once again. Hosting public feasts, authorising new infrastructural developments, exploring some of the possibilities he'd conquered in greater detail, and spending more time with several friends he'd made along the way, were just a few of the activities he occupied his immortal mind with.
All things considered, life was good. Perfect, even. The kingdom was flourishing in a new era of technological and cultural enlightenment, the wars and disagreements of the past were seemingly forgotten with each new generation that came along, and people were-for the most part-satisfied with the way things were going.
But, as with many things in his life, this peace was not to last. For a few centuries later, a Chronarch driven by a desire for more power rose up in defiance of Gervasius rule. From what timeline they came or how they managed to amass an army great enough to challenge the Legions of Brass that defended the empire, no one knew. Not even the Prime himself. By the time everything was said and done, and the army mobilized, the rebellious force had already built up enough might to christen itself a temporal power in its own right. And thus a small band of rebels led by a rogue Chronarch, became Aevum, a time conquering realm that rivaled the even the great Aeternal Empire in might. So war was declared, a war of attrition as the kingdom of Aevum put more and more of existence to the sword.
It is during this troubled time that the Prime Chronarch has become the coldest he's ever been, as the effects of watching masses of people die, entire timelines collapse, and some of his closest friends perish, have finally started to take their toll on him. Yet still he preservers. Still he carries on, as it is his duty to do so. His duty to all the friends he's lost, all the innocents who've had their families torn apart by the conflict, and all the soldiers who have given their lives in defense of the empire. As such it was this duty, this unrelenting desire to make things right once more, that drove him to recklessly traverse the void and come to the aide of a Chronarch in need. And it was this reckless traversal that sealed his fate. For just as he was about to enter the time period, a force stronger than anything he'd felt before suddenly pulled him away. Sent him tumbling through the darkness and towards a future unknown...
Other stuff: One of Col's runes can be found on the back of his left hand, while the other is further up along his arm, coming to rest in the center of the outer region of his left bicep. This is the main reason he wears a gauntlet on that side of his body and very little armor anywhere else, as protecting the source of his powers is of the utmost importance. Body parts may be renewed after all, but the runes may not.
Gervasius' alternate selves, at least those not aligned with Aevum anyway, all refer to themselves as Chronarch's, with him being the only one to hold the additional title of Prime. A sign of his status as true ruler of the empire, the fact that he was the first out of all his other selves to master the powers of a Continuum Marked, and the fact that he is the only variation of himself to hail from the primary timeline. The latter two being distinctions no one can lay claim to in word or deed.
:origin()/pre06/5a9f/th/pre/i/2015/108/c/c/the_great_grimoire___12_4_x_9_1_inches_journal_by_alexlibris999-d795nzq.jpg)
