Name: Vesos Nirn Title: Jedi Master Species: Nautolan Born: 4020 BBY Era: First Sith War/ Exar Kun War Master: Master Jedi Voso-Siosk Baas (Canon) Trained at: Jedi Enclave, Dantooine, Personality:
Previous to the war, Vesos was extroverted and social in nature. Vesos natural charm lead to him quickly making friends no matter where he went, including during his stay at the Academy. Though fairly trusting and open by nature, some would consider him naïve and innocent. This may be true, though it certainly wouldn’t last long. Throughout the course of the Great Sith War, Vesos would witness constant horrors that would test his dedication to the Light. Witnessing Exar Kun strike down their Master planted a seed of hatred in his heart, which only developed throughout the course of the struggle. The betrayal and attempted assassination attempt by his first Padawan, Amalak further tested his commitment.
At the conclusion of the war, Vesos retreated for over a decade into seclusion. During this time he meditated and rooted out the darkness that had been planted in him during the war. Overcoming his own personal demons, he grew all the stronger for it. Quiet and reserved now, he has a certain tranquility about him that few could match. Still retaining some of his youthful humor, he has dedicated himself to aiding the Republic in rebuilding and training a new generation of Jedi to replace what was lost. Though still wary of pupils after the failure of his own Padawan during the war, he has trained Altarae to great success. This recent success has lead him to take on a third Padawan, Erinoch Corin.
Appearance: While still a young adolescent, Vesos was primarily a light shade of blue and white. His belly, thighs, neck and other weak points appeared white. While his face, back, and other stronger points appeared the light blue. He was thin and athletic by nature from a lifetime of swimming on his homeworld. He prefers more vibrant and coloration in his tunic and vest, usually going with a light beige. His hooded robe is the same light tan.
Throughout the course of the war, numerous scars would cover Vesos body. Not only this, but his skin would begin to change in coloration due to his maturation. The white and light blue would both seem to grow darker and blend into a kind of rich cobalt. During the war, he would lose several head tendrils to his failed pupil Amalak. He would also lose his left hand to Mandolorian Crusaders.
After the war, Vesos appeared to only darken with age. His skin now appeared almost one solid color, and was near purple in hue. He replaced his missing hand with a robotic prosthetic, and appears to have a much more stoic look to him now. His natural harmony and acceptance of the past near radiates from him. He now primarily wears darker and richer brown colors for his tunic and vest, and his hooded robe is near gray.
Battle Record
First Battle: Nadist Uprising – Aided in defending Fortress Kira from militia. Second Battle: Battle of Deneba – Fought for survival during Jedi Conclave Ambush. Third Battle: Second Battle of Empress Tetra – Participated in Aerial Combat above the Capital city. Fourth Battle: Battle of Thule – Aided fellow Jedi in deactivating the Dark Reaper. Fifth Battle: Battle of Coruscant – Defended Coruscant against Mandolorians, lost his offhand. First Duel: Amalak – Slayed his Ex-Padawan, who had turned to the Dark Side. Lost several tendrils. Sixth Battle: Battle of Ossus – Vesos attempted to aid Sylvar in stopping Exar Kun from escaping. Seventh Battle: Battle of Yavin 4 – Witnessed and Participated in the destruction of the moon world.
Apprentices:
Amalak Von – A Cathar who was always drawn to power, he was young and reckless. Proven handy with a lightsaber but rather weak in the Force, he was rushed through the Academy due to the war and placed in the care of Vesos. Amalak was always curious as to the powers of the Dark side, and would eventually join the Brotherhood of Darkness. He would die on his first assignment, attempting to assassinate his Vesos.
Altarae Renshi –A Miraluka who was known for his stoic and serious attitude, he was fanatically devoted to Justice and Duty. He was equally skilled both in the Lightsaber and the Force. He believed in leading a strict and disciplined lifestyle, so as to avoid stagnation. He took well enough to the Jedi Code, but was known to struggle with occasional anger. Because of this, the Jedi hoped that Vesos could help in learning to restrain his passion.
Yavo Siln - A Miralan who reminded Vesos very much of himself in his youth, Yavo was naturally kind and caring. He was able to make friends quickly, and was described innocent and care free.
Complete Record: Vesos was born on his species homeworld of Glee Anselm to parents who were common merchants. Though they provided little but food and shelter to him, he would never forget their tenderheartedness or loving nature. It was at the age of three that he first began to display Force powers, and it was during this time his parents had the only fight he ever witness them have.
His father wished to take him to the Jedi Academy on Ossus, to be trained by the venerable Jedi Master Vodo-Siosk Baas. His mother on the other hand wished to keep his powers a secret, and didn’t wish to part with her only child. Eventually, his father convinced his mother that he would be discovered eventually anyways.
Brought to the Jedi Academy as an Initiate, Vesos took to the Jedi Code quickly and soon became a dedicated student. He found the idea of non attachment fascinating, if not difficult. Two years into his time at the Academy on Ossus, they decided that the young lad had much more potential than was originally anticipated. Because of this, he was transferred to the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. This Jedi Enclave served as a secret school, accepting only the best of students. It was during his time here, he would learn to control to improve the speed of his actions and healing through the Force. Because of this, he would learn the abilities; Force Heal and Force Speed.
Graduating to the rank of Jedi Padawan in the year 4,005 he would serve under Vodo-Siosk and meet his fellow Apprentices. He became impressed by fellow Padawan Dace Diath’s ability, as well as fellow Padawan Sylvar. The young aquatic himself detected the dark curiosity within Exar Kun as they trained together under the same master, but said nothing.
Vesos would sufficiently learn and adopt Form1: Shii-Cho under the tutelage of Vodo-Siosk, as well as the Padawan level ability Force Sense. It was during this time he would construct his own personal lightsaber, powered by a blue power crystal. While under the training of Vodo-Siosk, he would come to respect and admire his Master greatly.
In the year 3998 BBY when Vesos was twenty two, the Naddist Uprising took place on the planet Onderon. The situation quickly turned grim, and help was requested for the war torn planet. It was during this time a small group of Jedi, including Vesos, was deployed to aid in the defense of wildland of Fortress Kira and potentially reclaim the capital city of Iziz.
The following battles changed Vesos perspective on life, as he took his first life. He became so called ‘battle hardened’ from this experience. After the battle, he was known to be adept in the Shii-Cho form, rather than merely sufficient. He witnessed the death of his fellow Jedi Apprentice Kirk Karth during the battle, and ended it swearing to do all he could to avert such useless carnage in the future; he would work tirelessly for peace.
The very next year in 3997 BBY Vesos would be raised to the rank of Jedi Knight for his role in the defense. Though technically a Jedi in his own right, he decided to still follow his Master if only a while longer. Answered the summoning to the Conclave of Deneba with Master Vodo-Siosk, an event which attracted thousands of Jedi, The Conclave was called after the humiliated defeat of the Battle of Koros Major, which Vesos was not a part of. It was here he was reunited with his friend Dace Diath. Unfortunately, their happiness was short lived as both Jedi became concerned when Ulic Qel-Droma proposed to the Conclave that he go undercover in order to stop the Krath.
Not only would this, but a surprise ambush lead by Krath war droids, as well as sabotaged Jedi Servant droids, during the Conclave. This resulted in the deaths of many Jedi once again. Vesos fought courageously and worked to defend his Master Vodo-Siosk, it during this battle was forced to learn the ability Droid Disable with the Force.
Vesos left the Conclave and returned to Ossus, meditating on what to do next at the Jedi Temple when word came to him from Master Vodo-Siosk asking Vesos to take on a Jedi Padawan under his tutelage, as Guardians of the Light where in desperate need, especially after the Battle of Deneba. Vesos felt unsure he was ready to tutor another, but accepted reluctantly. His Padawan would be Amalak, a Cathar with a natural affinity for the Lightsaber, though personally weak in the Force. Upon first meeting, Amalak was a eager student to drink in the knowledge Vesos had accumulated. Yet soon, Amalak grew bored with the conventional teaching method and skills of his mentor...
Word came to the duo that the Jedi Knight Ulic Qel-Droma had fallen to the Dark side, as Vesos had predicted during the Conclave. They were also informed that a group of Jedi aimed to go and reclaim their fallen comrade, and Vesos volunteered for this group. Though Vesos felt Amalak not ready for the danger of the mission, Amalak refused to allow his tutor to go alone.
During the Second Battle of Empress Teta, Vesos would allow other Jedi to go on and try and either reason with, or arrest, Ulic, including Amalak. Vesos himself would actively fight in the aerial battle over the Iron Citadel, and concentrate on covering his allies on the ground. Vesos piloted a Star Saber XC-01 in this battle and nearly lost his life due to the experiment flight design of it. He also fought alongside longtime friend Dace Diath once more in the skies above.
Ulic was said to have let forth a great blast of Dark Force energy against the Jedi, which Amalak was hit by. This was Amalak’s first taste of dark power, and certainly would not be his last. Finding Ulic unwilling to cooperate, and unable to restrain him themselves, they were forced to leave empty handed. This experience changed Amalak, after witnessing the raw power of the Dark side in action.
Returning to Ossus, the Jedi Meditated on their apparent failure, and soon it came to their attention that Ulic had allied himself with yet another Jedi who had lost their way; Exar Kun the fellow Apprentice of Vodo-Siosk. Strangely, Ulic warned them of a Dark Reaper which was a weapon of disastrous consequence.
In the year 3996 BBY, Vesos was at the age of twenty four, and decided to volunteer for this campaign to destroy the dark super weapon. Amalak attempted to go with him once more, stating that they needed every Jedi they could get. Vesos forbid his Apprentice from coming, citing that this mission was far too crucial for non-essential personal. This decision would be Vesos undoing.
While away on their Campaign, Exar Kun came to Ossus under guise as a Jedi Master. He gave rousing speeches about how the Jedi Council wanted to horde all the power to themselves, and how their Mentors purposefully restrained them. He was able to convince a fair number of them, including Amalak, to follow him to Yavin 4, and become his own Apprentices.
The Jedi strike force was launched on Thule, where thanks to Ulic’s information they were able to successfully defeat security forces and disassemble the weapon. It was during this battle that Vesos learned the Force Stasis ability, which rendered the body and senses inoperable for several seconds. Though the weapon seemed to be taken care of, Vesos couldn't help but shake the strange feeling the Force this was all some form of distraction..
Returning to Ossus and finding Amalak missing, Vesos became greatly concerned. Yet he had little time to investigate what had happened to his Padawan as time was of the essence, and the Jedi Knight was forced to report to Master Vodo-Siosk right away. Master Vodo-Siosk Baas decided to lead several of his trusted Apprentices to Galactic City on Coruscant to learn the truth of what had happened to Ulic. Strangely enough, Ulic himself appeared on Coruscant during these talks in a surprise assault.
Vesos aided in the defense of Coruscant, and it was the first and only time he would come into contact with the vicious fighting style of the Mandolorians. They bested even a trained Jedi, and Vesos was severely wounded. It was only the sudden order of retreat that saved Vesos life at all. Because of his conflict with Mandolorian fighters, his skill with the Lightsaber in Shii-Cho raised from Adept to Expert.
Master Vodo-Siosk and his Jedi other meanwhile, successfully managed to capture Ulic Qel-Droma Ulic by combining their Force Powers into a Wall of Light. He was given a quick trial in which he admitted to his guilt unapologetically, it was declared he was sentenced to death.
Meanwhile, Amalak had sense great evil upon arriving on Yavin 4. He began to feel a kind of terror take hold of him, and feared for his life. Amalak was anxiously prepared for the power that Kun offered, though nervous of the dark presence. When Oss Wilum made to leave the planet, Amalak moved with him. It was only the breaking of the Sith Holocron that swayed him to the Dark Side as an Acolyte.
When Mandalore arrived explaining that Ulic Qel-Droma had been captured, Exar Kun decided to mount a rescue mission. He declared to his Sith Acolytes that time to strike was now, and to go to back to their original tutors as assassins. Amalak obeyed this command fully, and would begin hunting the galaxy for Vesos.
The Jedi Knight meanwhile, was in Galactic City on Coruscant watching over the trial of Ulic Qel-Droma. He had received minor medical treatment for his wound, and wanted to see the result of the trial. It was right before the actual execution of the prosecution when Exar Kun showed up, able to emit a blast of Dark Force capable of stunning nearly everyone in attendance. Only Kun’s old master, Vosos-Siosk Baas was able to resist its strong and dark effects.
Dueling his old Apprentice among the rest of the Jedi, Voso-Siosk was struck down and became on with the force in front of Vesos. This mentally impacted Vesos even greater than his first combat mission, and he was shaken to the core. Kun and Qel-Droma declared the Brotherhood of Sith in charge now, and fled from Coruscant.
Vesos decided to travel to the planet Ambria for several days to escape the horrors of the war, get a robotic hand installed, and gain further tutelage from Master Thon. He dedicated himself to his studies as if he was a Initiate all over again, dedicating burning in his eyes to stop Exar Kun and avenge the death of Master Baas. It would be during this time that he would learn both Force Speed and Force Healing.
During the very end of Vesos retraining himself, his old apprentice Amalak finally tracked him down while alone in the wilds meditating. Amalak would attempt to appear friendly at first, but Vesos immediately sensed the darkness about him. Realizing that the element of surprise was long gone, Amalak would come clean.Explaining that Vesos had always intentionally held him back, and never spent the time refining his skills as Kun had, Vesos was racked with grief. Amalak told him it was too little, too late, and ignited his lightsaber. Realizing it was still blue; Vesos had hope, until Amalak explained that by killing him, he may earn his own red crystal.
The two dueled for less than seven minutes, though it felt like an eternity for Vesos. Both of the combatants were still young and reckless, though Vesos much more experience. He realized at this time that Shii-Cho form is not ideal for lightsaber against lightsaber combat. The Jedi Knight knew he was holding back, unwilling to kill his own pupil. It was this hesitance that Amalk would use to find an opening to slash several of Vesos head tendrils from his body. It was no doubt that without his recent additional training, Vesos would have been slain. Vesos cried out in agony as he was forced to cut down his failed pupil before collapsing himself.
He was later found by fellow Jedi Sylvar, who had also been a pupil of Master Baas. He was taken to a medical station for rest, and explained that his Apprentice had come back to kill him for Exar Kun. The other Jedi relayed a similar story, and it was decided they had to return to Ossus and warn the others. The Jedi arrived at Ossus just in time to find a massive shockwave on the way from a supernova, one that had also killed Dace Diath. Not only this, Ossus was under heavy Sith assault by both Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma.
They immediately took to defending the Great Jedi Library, and once again came into combat with Mandolorians. Sylvar became determined to fight her way to Exar Kun, and Vesos was determined to aid her. They fought side by side against numerous Masassi towards where Exar Kun attempted to flee off world. Though slaughtering vast numbers, they were unable to stop Kun’s Escape, and Vesos actually lost his offhand to a Mandolorian that day.. Fortunately, Vesos finally learned enough in the battle to be raised from Expert to Master in Form 1: Shii-Cho.
Recovering briefly from the chaos of the battle, the Jedi discovered Ulic Qel-Droma finally saw the light only after killing his brother during battle, and being permanently severed from the Force. Deciding to attempt to redeem himself, he would lead the Republic Fleet and survivors of the Jedi Order to Yavin 4, hidden base of Kun. While originally attempting to apprehend him, Kun made a massive sacrifice of Massassi lives in order to transcend his physical body. Unknowing of what Kun was up to, the thousands of Jedi who gathered in space of Yavin 4 all attempted to bring their Force powers together to form one ultimate Wall of Light. This unfortunately reacted poorly with the natural Dark Force residing in Yavin 4, and because of this a great firestorm ignited on the surface of the planet.
Burning away all living things on the surface of the planet, they believed surely this had killed Kun. Not only this, but they were stunned at the atrocity of what they had done in destroying all life on the planet. Many Jedi left feeling very hollow about their victory, and went into seclusion. Others tried to hide their pain and trauma from the war by enlisting in the Great Hunt. The Great Hunt was the attempt to exterminate terentateks, abominations Exar Kun had made during the war which hunted Force sensitive people.
Venos was given the title Jedi Master for his service throughout the war at the age of 24, and though he was pressured to take on a new Padawan, he was haunted by the tragedy of Amalak. He also felt a deep-seeded hatred in him for Ulic Qel-Droma, who still walked free in the galaxy. He decided to focus on finding his own inner stability before he could help another, and spent much time in meditation alone on his homeworld. He would remain in relative seclusion for nearly a decade, in which he would learn two very Force abilities. The first he would come to learn was Tutaminis or the ability to dissipate or redirect energy, such as a blaster shot. The second was Telepathy, or the ability to communicate between minds.
At the age of 35 he returned to society for the conclave of Exis Station in 3986 BBY, in which Sylvar argued that Ulic-Qel-Droma must be brought to justice and pay for his crimes. While originally one to agree, Vesos had found harmony in his seclusion and spoke out against allowing Sylvar to be clouded by passion. After the Conclave ended its meeting, Vesos decided to aid multiple projects being put into place during this so called Restoration Period.
Force Powers: [Force Healing] The ability to heal light wounds on yourself or others. – Initiate
[Force Speed] The ability to move faster than your physical body would normally allow by the Force. – Initiate
[Breath Control]The ability to slow your breathing down to 1/10 the normal rate, conserving oxygen. – Initiate
[Detoxify Poison] The ability for the Force to naturally dilute poison in the body to the point of non effect. - Initiate
[Force Sense] The ability to sense when something is amiss or when one is being lied to. Super Intuition. – Padawan
[Force Telepathy] The ability to communicate silently between minds through the Force. - Padawan
[Droid Disable] The ability to use the Force to short-circuit a Droid. – Knight
[Force Stasis] The ability to stun your opponent for several seconds.– Knight
[Tutaminis/Force Dissipate] The ability to take concentrated energy and channel it into something else, or elsewhere. – Knight
Vesos is naturally a pale blue color, with near coal black eyes that seem to never blink. He is naturally slender and athletic, based on a lifetime of swimming and training under the Jedi Order. His distinctive head tentacles are slightly longer than normal, especially attuning him to the emotions of others.
He wears the uniform standard of most Jedi, with a light tan tunic, vest, and pants. He also wears the standard utility belt, containing a communicator and datapad. Not only this, but he also wears a hooded beige robe. His clothes are made of special fibers allowing them to try quickly. Finally he has his standard model lightsaber which is powered by a blue crystal.
Personality: Vesos was an optimistic and extroverted child who had little trouble making friends. He was known to get along well with the other local children, and did the same at the Academy on Ossus. Able to readily pick up on the emotions of others, he was quick to adapt to their emotional state. At an early age his parents taught him the meaning of generosity and kindness, and this was something he never forgot.
Eager to prove himself both to the Jedi and to the galaxy at large, he is charming and dedicated. Unfortunately, he has yet to know much suffering and because of this he is both naïve and innocent. These are qualities which some may admire in him, or other despise. Either way, they won’t last long…
Story Thus Far:
Vesos was born on his species homeworld of Glee Anselm to parents who were common merchants. Though they provided little but food and shelter to him, he would never forget their tenderheartedness or loving nature. It was at the age of three that he first began to display Force powers, and it was during this time his parents had the only fight he ever witness them have.
His father wished to take him to the Jedi Academy on Ossus, to be a defender of peace. His mother on the other hand wished to keep his powers a secret, and didn’t wish to part with her only child. Eventually, his father convinced his mother that he would be discovered eventually anyways.
Brought to the Jedi Academy as an Initiate, Vesos took to the Jedi Code quickly and soon became a dedicated student. During his basic foundational lessons, he would learn to improve the speed of his actions and healings through the Force. Because of this, he would learn the abilities; Force Heal and Force Speed.
Graduating to the rank of Jedi Padawan in the year 4,005 he would serve under Vodo-Siosk and meet his fellow Apprentices. He became impressed by fellow Padawan Dace Diath’s ability, as well as fellow Padawan Sylvar. The young aquatic himself detected the dark curiosity within Exar Kun as they trained together under the same master, but said nothing.
Vesos would sufficiently learn and adopt Form1: Shii-Cho under the tutelage of Vodo-Siosk, as well as the Padawan level ability Force Sense. It was during this time he would construct his own personal lightsaber, powered by a blue power crystal.
Force Powers:
[Empathy Attunement] A result of his Nautolan nature, he is able to sense the emotional state of others.
[Gills] A result of his Nautolan nature, Vesos can breathe underwater.
[Force Heal] The ability to accelerate the rate of healing, or altogether heal, a potential wound. - Initiate
[Force Speed] The ability to accelerate your physical bodies movements to inhuman speeds. - Initiate
[Force Sense] The ability to sense when something is amiss or when one is being lied to. - Padawan
Name: Altarae Renshi
Title: Jedi Knight
Species:Miraluka
Homeworld: Alpheridies
Born: 3,990 BBY
Era: Mandolorian Wars
Master: Master Jedi Vesos Nirn (OC)
Trained at: Culu Memorial Center, Alpheridies.
Appearance:
Altarae wears the regular humble attire of a Jedi, wearing a light tan tunic, vest, and pants as a first lair. He is then covered by a longer traditional brown hooded robe. He also wears the standard Jedi utility belt, complete with communicator and datapad. At his waist is his standard lightsaber model, powered by a green crystal.
One of the few nice items that Altarae owns is the cloth with which hides his eyes. It is a rare white silk, unstained. He wears it placed securely over his eyes with a double knot he mastered nearly as a toddler. He wears it securely so that it doesn’t move even when he is jumping or running. This and his Lightsaber are the only two items are the only possessions of his he still holds attachment to.
Personality:
Altarae is a creature of action, believing that it is actions and not words which shape the galaxy. Because of this, he has occasionally struggled with Master Vesos traditionalist mentoring style. Nonetheless, he has proven himself a capable Jedi and appears to be entering into his prime. Though sometimes rash and impatient in nature, his natural ability to improvise has saved him from many a bad outcome.
Having suffered in his early life from the effects of the Great Sith War, specifically the bombardment of his homeworld by Mandolorians, he has especially despised their kind nearly his entire life. He feels they took the war too far, slaughtering children and women with no regard. This has helped mold him into the person he is today, even if he does not know it. He wishes for nothing more than to be a swift deliverer of Justice and Vengeance upon those who prey upon the weak and helpless.
Story Thus Far:
Altarae was born into the struggling world of Alpheridies in the year 3,990 BBY. It had been only six years since the Mandolorian Subjugation of their people during the Great Sith War. Even so, the Miraluka struggled to rebuild. Altarae was the the only child of a father and mother who had lost all of their children during the war. His father, who helped lead the reconstruction efforts, even aided in the building of Culu Memorial Center. His mother, meanwhile, was one of the administrators of the Luka Sene. She had refined her abilities in the Force through Meditation and education with the organization, and had aspirations for Altarae to go on as part of the Luka Sene as she did.
Altarae’s Father unfortunately, had other ideas. As the more he worked on the Memorial Center, the more he became interested in the lessons and philosophy of the Jedi Code. Though he himself was fairly weak in the Force, only able to use it enough to see, as all his people could. Instead he channeled his dreams of being a Jedi onto his only surviving child, and would be overjoyed when Altarae began to show ability in the Force at a young age.
Altarae developing abilities in the Force would lead to immediate great happiness and satisfaction from both his parents, though this was short lived. His Mother became overjoyed at her sons qualifications to join her organization. Yet his Father argued with her over his own dream of having his son as a Jedi, and the two soon took to bickering. Altarae ran from his parents’ home, and ended up getting lost in the city.
Altarae was soon cornered by vicious thugs, who threatened to kill him if he didn’t give them credits he didn’t have. Remarkably, he was saved by a local Jedi Instructor who killed the thugs. This instilled within Altarae a deep sense of conviction and yearning to bring scum like that to Justice. He would return home soon after, informing his parents he wanted to be a Jedi.
Much to the chagrin of his mother, Altarae would begin his career as a Jedi by attending the Culu Memorial Center in the year 3,982 BBY. He began his time as an Initiate at the age of eight, and would remain there for a decade. He made few friends during this time, as he had never been one to socialize with others unless required. Not that he specifically disliked companionship, but more so that he believed in actions rather than words. Because of this, he said little, and as such had a hard time with the subtleties of diplomacy.
Graduating from the Memorial Center at the age of 18 in the year 3,972 BBY as a Padawan, he would go on to learn the ability Force Sense. He was then assigned to Jedi Master Vesos Nirn, a veteran of the Great Sith War. The two got along well enough, thought not out of any kind of compatibility in personality. More that Altarae respected the student/mentor relationship too much to ever question or argue with Vesos. Though both of them quiet and reserved beings, they differed greatly in that Vesos was long past the burning enthusiasm of Altarae’s youth.
Vesos would tutor Altarae over the course of the next seven years and the duo would go on many missions to help rebuild the Republic, including ones on the young Padawans homeworld of Alpheridies. Altarae would prove himself sufficient in both Form 1:Shii-Cho as well as the more recent Form 2: Makashi. This time helped shape Altarae into truly learning what a Jedi is in the field, as demonstrated by Vesos. Though they never went on any kind of greatly dramatic mission, Altarae apprehended his fair share of common criminals as part of his training. Something he took great pleasure in doing.
In 3965 BBY Altarae graduated to the rank of Jedi Knight much to the congratulations of his Master, and during his tutelage he learned the Force ability Combustion. Altarae’s success inspired great happiness in Vesos, and the Knight decided to continue following his Master anyways, out of respect and a willingness to continue learning. Vesos would go on to garner another Apprentice to replace the mostly instructed Altarae. This third and new Apprentice was a Zabrak named Erinoch Corin. For a short period of roughly a year or so, they would form a trio of Jedi, Master, Knight, and Padawan. Altarae was routinely placed in charge of looking after Erinoch during Vesos absences. During these times Altarae would grow to feel fondly for the Zabrak as if he was his own pupil.
When Revin began his Recruitment drive for a ‘Mercy Corp’ to handle the Mandolorian Invaders in the year 3964 BBY, Altarae was one of the first to rally to his cause. He argued that too long had the Mandolorians gone unchecked, marauding through the universe. He vowed to see Justice brought to the Mandolorians for what they did to the Miraluka homeworld Alpheridies during the Great Sith War.
Even though Jedi Master Vesos had one of his hands cut from him during the Great Sith War by a Mandolorian, he still advocated a policy of non-intervention along with the rest of the Jedi Council. Because of this, Altarae decided to sneak away from his mentor to join the Revanchists. He decided he was a Jedi Knight, and was able to make his own decisions at this point, even if his mentor disagreed with them.
Strangely enough, as he was attempting to sneak away into the night, Altarae was stopped by Vesos young Padawan, Yavo Siln. Yavo had sensed Altarae’s scheme and begged the Jedi Knight not to go and do this. Altarae replied that if he didn’t bring Justice to this lawless galaxy, then who would? Wishing the young student the best in his studies, Altarae would disappear to join the rest of the Crusaders.
Abilities:
[Form 1: Shii-Cho – Sufficient][Form 2: Makashi – Sufficient][Force Cloak] – Altarae is able to bend the Force to mask his footsteps and warp the light around his body. He produces only a shimmering outline. - Initiate
[Tapas] – The ability to use the Force to maintain their body heat, even in extreme cold. – Initiate
[Force Sense] – The ability to tell when something is amiss, or one is being lied to. – Padawan
[Combustion] – The ability to use the Force to light objects aflame.
Name/Titles: Tulkas Salkur, Father of Abominations, The Drowning Man Sex/Gender: Male Pantheon/Affiliation: Deity Patronage: Deeper parts of the Ocean, Drowning, Monstrosities, Predatory sea creatures, Sailing. Appearance:
The Drowning Man:
Though quiet rare for Tulkas to take the time to communicate with Mortals directly, it has happened. During these unlikely events, he is known to usually take a rather deceiving form. The Drowning Man is an elderly fisherman with sparse wispy white hairs that remind the perceptive of seafoam. He has a heavily wrinkled face, with a thin and seemingly frail body. His skin seems to sag from his ancient bones, and he has few teeth. He usually wears the simple linens of the common folk, allowing him to be relatively invisible in a crowd if he wishes.
The Drowning Man is subtle and clever, but is also friendly enough to those who show respect to his domain. He is known for having a grand sense of humor, as there are stories he saved the lives of shipwrecked sailors who could make him laugh.
Father of Abominations:
When Tulkas is found skulking about ship wrecks at the body of the ocean floor, he is closest to his natural form. He appears to have little solid form, coming closest to simply a writhing mass of mottled grey flesh. It is apparent he has tentacles beyond number, each with their own barbed and poisoned suction cups. He does not possess a centralized face, though there is a ‘primary mouth’ which is eerily similar to the black beak of a squid.
He possesses constantly forming and unforming eyes and smaller mouths all over his massive swirling body. One of his most well-known features is the ‘Lighthouse of Lost Souls’. The Lighthouse is actually a gigantic bioluminescent extremity that Tulkas can raise out of the water, usually during the heart of a storm. The light of his membrane can easily be confused for a lighthouse, and many ships have approached it seeking shelter only to be drawn straight into the maw.
Parentage: Tulkas was a Child of Ventu that was much more reclusive and introverted than his siblings. He near immediately found himself at home deep under the waves of the great oceans, and left his domain only for the most serious of events.
Centres of Worship/Places of Power:
Illium – A bustling city-state that has founded itself upon Sunset Bay, the entire economy of the city is based around their uncanny success with fishing in the bay. The city hosts the Temple to Tulkas, the only one of its kind. It is here that the High Anchor trains future generations of worshipers and teaches sermons from the Book of the Deep.
Lyos – A small fishing community nestled by the ocean out in the wild untamed lands, The Drowning Man is said to take special notice of the small community, calling it his ‘special fishing spot’. Though small and poor, they are zealous in their commitment to him.
Icuson Bay – A beautiful and idyllic crescent bay that the residents of Lyos have settled themselves at. It is said to be the original spot that Tulkas fell from the Heavens at, and is considered a Holy location to the locals. It is well known that at least one of Tulkas’s children is near the place at all times.
The Grey Ghost – A group of mere husks of men who served the God of the Deep faithfully in life. Though their soul is gone, their bodies still yet serve to seek out Lech and end him once and for all. This is useful in that Lech grows stronger absorbing souls.
Servants, Prominent Followers and Worship Base:
– The ruling figurehead of the Drowned Man’s religion at the Temple to Tulkas at Illium, he himself is nearly a hundred years old. Because of this, he has on occasion earned himself the nickname of Drowned Man. It is said that he is one of only two living persons to have communed with the Drowned Man directly, and even then it was only to write down the words that Tulkas told him, in order to create the Book of the Deep.
– A fat and pompous man from further inland who came to Illium only a decade ago. He was a famous merchant, and quickly monopolized the ideal conditions of Sunset Bay to accumulate vast wealth. Eventually, he ended up becoming Captain of Illium, a term in equivalence to King. Now Ulysses must try and appease the religious masses as well as the High Anchor and still turn a profit.
– The head of the Lyosian fishery temple, he has been a devout follower since he was a boy. He was born and raised in Lyos, and is middle aged now. He discovered Aeto on the beach as a babe, and raised him as his own. Because of this, Abbot is a kind of surrogate father to Aeto, who Tulkas has little to do with. Abbot is said to have rosy red cheeks and a large pot belly, with hair the color of fire.
– An Ex-Anchor and one time pupil to Abbot, Kernwallis was disgraced and exiled from Lyos after it was discovered that his ship sank during a storm, and he did not go down with his vessel, as is custom. The Drowned Man appeared before Captain Kernwallis at Icuson Bay, and cursed him in that he may never die from downing, considered the ultimate honor to their people. The Drowned Man told him the curse would be broken, and he allowed to finally drown and find his rest once his task was complete. He was then placed in command of the Grey Ghost, a haunted ship of the damned who search for Lech.
Children of Tulkas -------
– A behemoth of a creature with limited intelligence, Kyril has the characteristic fin of a shark, as well as their multiple rows of serrated teeth. He is known for being rash and reckless, and prefers to rush headfirst to smash into vessels at sea. He also has several of the features of a whale, such as the ability to breath air and having a blowhole.
– Fraternal twin to Sisina, he is the only of Tulkas’s children that is not only capable of going on land, but lives there. He is a well accomplished seaman and captain, and lives in a small shack just outside of Lyos that the devout sometimes pilgrimage to. He yearns for the approval of his Father, and is very devout.
– Sisina is the fraternal twin to Aeto, and has the lower body of a fish. She is known for her alluring beauty, and way with words. She is known as the Mother of Sirens after her mother, and has lured many men to their death at sea for her own pleasure.
– Chrysos is known for keeping mostly to himself at the bottom of the sea. He possesses the multiple legs of a crab, but with the torso of a lobster. He has a single claw from both animals, and is usually found at recent shipwrecks. He enjoys the role of cleaning up survivors and feasting on the corpses of the dead. He is especially apt at destroying lifeboats and dinghies. Because of this, he is usually close behind Kyril.
- A grossly over sized leech that is capable of eating a man whole or sucking an elephant dry in under a minute, it is a cowardly and envious creature. It possesses little intelligence, and is usually concerned more with finding its next host. Lech is surprisingly quick in the water for its size. Despite having several scars across its bloated frame, Lech has survived for a very long time despite being universally hated by both its father and siblings.
– Twin sea serpents that are capable of extremely intense bursts of electricity through the water, they are the youngest and most naïve of the Children of Tulkas. They are usually charged with protecting those who would do damage to the sea, or those who worship it. They have a fairly close relationship with Aeto, who they occasionally let ride them.
Psychology:
Tulkas has always shunned the limelight, and this is part of why he became God of the Depths, as few ever disturbed him. He is sadistic and manipulative, having zero empathy for those he deems unworthy. He is a vengeful and prideful god, and it is commonly known that shipwrecks and disaster at sea happen only because those aboard had not pleased Tulkas sufficiently.
Though Tulkas is a rather cold and uncaring deity, one of the few things he does actually care for is the state of his domain. Because of this, poachers and polluters of the sea find him a constant threat. He always yearned for the approval and acceptance of his father Ventu, by birthing many children. But Ventu found them horrid and disgusting.
He has since felt a stinging jealousy of the love that Sileon received from Ventu, and an envy of Aroesus once he overthrew Ventu and became Chief among the Gods. Tulkas’s disdain for Aroesus grew into outright seething hatred once Aroesus killed Svanus, his only friend. Once the God of the Deep’s vengeance was complete with the assassination, he was sickened by the bickering that the power vacuum brought.
History:
Tulkas was one of many Children of Ventu back during the time of original creation. His birth marked an explosion of stars across the nebula that sent a wave of force across the universe that still echoes in some distant part of space to this very day. He fell from the Heavens and plunged deep into the murky abyss of the primordial oceans. It was here he would make his home and grow in strength and power for millennia. It was during this time that he took the mighty beasts the shark and squid and married them together, creating his first child named Kyril.
Tulkas would socialize little with his siblings, finding them uninteresting and unworthy of his time. The only exception to Tulkas’s relative isolationism was his brother Svanus. These two grew in friendship and brotherhood for some time, and when Ventu threatened to destroy the world, it was only Svanus that was able to convince Tulkas to rise from his depths to fight.
When at first they were defeated by the strength of Ventu, Tulkas was among the Gods that were imprisoned within Sharzunates. It was while he was in chains with his siblings in that dark place that he would for the first time; get to know his fellow Gods. He would never forget his time spent in exile in that forsaken land, and when Sileon freed them from their chains, he secretly felt ashamed that he needed rescuing, and he hated Sileon for saving them and being all that Tulkas was not.
After the fall of Ventu, Tulkas argued that Aroesus was not fit to lead them. Unfortunately due to his reclusive nature, he had few friends and allies to back up his stance. In the end, it was Svanus once more who convinced Tulkas to begrudgingly bend the knee. Relative peace would soon follow, but it would not last.
During the time that Aroesus ruled as King of the Gods and the prophecy had not yet come to be told that he would be assassinated, Tulkas found a beautiful and sadistic lass named Siren in the small fishing village of Lyos. He took the lass as his wife, and the mortal woman died giving him fraternal twins. He would have a half fish daughter named Sisina, who would go on to become the Mother of Sirens, after her mother. He would also receive a complete human son named Aetos.
Aroesus eventually struck down Svanus in a fit of rage over Aroesus’s domineering control over the world. Svanus had been the only friend of Tulkas, and only advocate of Aroesus to Tulkas as well. His death marked a sharp change in Tulkas, who near immediately began conspiring to overthrow the tyrant god and avenge his only fallen friend. In preparation for what he assumed would be war with Aroesus, he married the lobster and crab together as his fourth, naming it Chrysos.
Yet when Tulkas went to examine his newly born fourth child, he discovered upon the baby Chrysos a unexpected result. A leech the size of a small ship was attached to Chrysos, and suckled his strength away. Tulkas quickly discovered the leech could not be removed without either killing the host, or offering a new host in return. The God of the Deep, in a strange act of benevolence, placed the Leech upon himself to free Chrysos and allow him to live.
This leech would go on to become his fifth child, and be named Lech. It was a weak and cowardly creature that survived purely on jealousy and fear. Once Lech had grown large enough to support itself, at least temporarily, it fled into the vastness of the sea.
Because of Tulkas’s secretive and reserved nature, Aroesus did not know enough about his brother to suspect him of his treason. This allowed Tulkas to continue to live on Lake Miphas, though primarily as a silent ghost. When the time came to strike Aroesus down, Tulkas aided without hesitation.
After Svanus was avenged, Tulkas witnessed the surviving gods quickly turn on each other to vie for the empty throne. He had never cared for the other deities, and especially didn’t care to rule over them. He considered the death of Aroesus to be the end of his need to interfere with the affairs of the others, and has since returned to lording over his waters.
Recently the people of Lyos spotted him apparently reaching up and pulling down twin bolts of lightning from the sky itself, before materializing them into his most recent creations. They are apparent electric sea serpents named Nalus and Nemus, are charged with protecting areas Tulkas deems worthy.
Relationships:
Kyril – As the firstborn of Tulkas and being a force of great destruction and power, Kyril is definitely one of his more favored children. While Kyril is admittedly too unintelligent to ever take Tulkas’s place as heir, he serves a strong purpose as the Wrath of the Ocean.
Sisina – Born from his dying wife, Sisina takes after her father in that she is incredibly manipulative and sadistic. Though he disapproves of her more human upper half, he tolerates it only because of its use in drawing foolish sailors to their death. In his eyes, those killed by her are only those deserving it.
Aeto – One of the few true abominations Tulkas has ever truly created, he abhors the lungs and legs of Aeto. Though he found his son to be monstrous upon birth, he found he did not have it in him to kill any of his spawn, and left it on the beach to its fate. Aeto survived, and wishes desperately for his father’s approval.
Chrysos – Tulkas suffers a fairly shallow relationship with Chrysos, due to both of their reclusive natures. Because of this, Chrysos is fairly neutral in his father’s eyes, as little has happened to shape his opinion further. He created Chrysos as a mop up tool, and that’s what he is.
Lech – The only other abomination that Tulkas believes he has ever created, he despises the parasitical animal. He suffers the same problem he did with Aeto, in that he cannot find it in him to kill the beast. Because of this, he has sent a devout by the name of Captain Kernwallis to kill it for him. Lech absorbs both body and soul of those he kills, and does so indiscriminately.
Nalus & Nemus – The youngest of all his creations, he believes the twins to be steadfast defenders of his domain. He loves them for their unique electric abilities, but disapproves of their friendship with Aeto.
Name: Jack Henry Bannon Role: Dependent on time period. Born: 1996 Age: 17 year old Netrunner (in 2013), 24 year old Corpo (in 2020), 49 year old Solo (in 2045), 81 year old Fixer (in 2077) Hometown: Emporia, Kansas. Familial Relations: Jeff Raymond Bannon (Father): 1957 - 2016 (58) Trish Bannon (Mother): 1965 - John Raymond Bannon (Grandfather): 1935 - 2014 (78) Shirley Ann Bannon (Grandmother) 1935 - 2011 (75) MR. BUTLR (Artificial Intelligence) 2016 -
John Raymond Bannon was born in Newton, Kansas in 1935 to a family of poor Irish immigrant farmers. He would spend his childhood helping maintain the family farm, and though he was a child was profoundly impacted by the destruction of World War 2. His parents spent their meagre life savings to send him to college, and in 1955 he would marry his childhood sweetheart Shirley Ann. Two years later in 1957 at the age off 22 he graduated from college with degrees in both business and finance, and had his own child named Jeff. He would then go on to work at International Electronic Corporation (IEC), which was based out of Berlin, Germany. He would be relocated with the family to France for a brief period and making a small fortune in the process. He would spend the next several decades working for the corporation, helping expand and develop it's manufacturing capabilities. He would eventually return to the United States after his own parents died in a suspicious fire, with the family farm being repossessed by rivaling banking institutions before he had been made aware.
John was heartbroken by the loss of his childhood farm, and would go on to create a familial estate in Emporia, Kansas in which he would pour his wealth in the hopes that future generations could prosper there. In the year 1975 Jeff Bannon would turn 18 and join the United States military, receiving a honorable discharge four years later and then using the G.I. bill to go to college. He would go on to graduate in 1985 and marry the following year to a woman named Trish. He would graduate with a degree in psychology instead of business or finance like his father, as would his wife. Returning to the familial estate in Emporia, Kansas that his father founded, his wife and him would both go on to be psychologists, with Jeff serving the military and his wife serving the private sector.
Jeff would become jaded and disillusioned by the actions of the federal government as he provided much needed therapy to traumatized soldiers during the First Central American War lasting from 1990 - 1994. This was particularly exacerbated by the DEA creating artificial plagues to be unleashed upon South America in 1991 and 1992 in an effort to win the 'war on drugs'. Jeff would begin hoarding gold and silver in fear of societal collapse, and also begin researching and believing in various conspiracy theories. Particularly he believed that Y2K would herald World War 3, and was absolutely certain that the Soviets would eventually invade the United States to implement communism. Several events that triggered him to transfer near all of his wealth into precious metals was the European Economic Community (EEC) bartering the treaty of 1992 in which the United States began using the eurodollar, as well as the collapse of NATO. It was also in 1992 that Jeff would learn of the rumors and conspiracy theories about the existence of the Gang of Four and their secret war against the EEC.
The Collapse of '94 - 2004:
1994: Because of these precautions, the Bannon family survived the Crash of '94 relatively well in comparison to many of their fellow Americans. However, despite their precautions this experience lead to further disillusion Jeff, as well as shattering his father John's perception of the American dream. John loved his work in the corporate world, and had managed to continue working up until the crash. The only reason that the family was able to keep the house from being repossessed by the banks as John's own family farm had been was because of the precious metals that Jeff had hoarded. John was forced into retirement with no pension, and because the First Central American War ended funding for mental health treatment was also cut, leading to Jeff losing his job as well. Jeff's wife, Trish, also lost her job.
1995: Jeff would spend his time honing his military training and preparing the defenses of the family estate to keep out desperate intruders as rates of homelessness continue to rise. While cyberware was becoming increasingly popular, he had seen the first cyberware given to U.S. soldiers during the First Central American War and saw how it psychologically impacted them, and decided that they were more trouble than they were worth. He also worried about a solar flare or EMP which could potentially fry their circuits.
Birth and Early Childhood:
1996: In the following year his wife and himself would make the important decision to have a single child to be Jeff's heir as he is to John. This would lead to the birth of our protagonist, Jack Bannon. Shortly after his birth, both the President and Vice President would be assassinated by the Gang of Four. Martial law was soon declared and the first boostergangs began to appear, as well as roving bands of Nomads. The Lawyer Purge took place, in which criminal defense lawyers were hunted down and lynched by angry mobs. It was during this year that things were seemingly at their darkest, but also when Trish Bannon would learn about one Richard Night and his construction of Coronado City in California. This city would provide a potential flicker of hope for its ideals of a family friendly utopia safe from crime. She would inform Jeff of her desire to move there to raise Jack, but Jeff would decline as he would not leave the family estate in Kansas.
1997: Jeff would manage to get work in security for local construction projects to supplement his reliance on the now dwindling precious metals that he had hoarded, as he also now needed to provide for a child. The gang of four would be formally investigated this year, and John, though retired, would begin reaching out to former IEC corporate contacts in attempts to find a way back in for either himself or his son.
1998: Things would continue to devolve as a massive drought in the Midwest destroyed large amounts of crops, including the family farm of Trish Bannon's family. Her family would be force to become Nomads and join the Jodes on their exodus to California. Richard Night was also killed by the mafia during the construction of the city in this year, and it was renamed in his honor. His death would specifically sadden Trish, who had strongly believed in him and his dream.
1999: The following year things finally began to look up, with martial law finally being ended. Trish was specifically excited about the the widow Miriam Night founding Night Corp, founded on similar noble virtues as the city her late husband created. The federal weapons statute is signed into law this year, making The members of Trish's family that had joined the Jodes Nomad's began and salvage work and clearing of rubble in Los Angeles after a 10.5 earthquake decimated the city the year prior. Not all things are looking up though, as millennium cults had begun to ramp up in strength and intensity the last several years but now had reached their zenith.
It was during this time that a millennium cult actually successfully kidnapped 3 year old Jack as well as several other babies and infants, to be used in a dark cyberware ritual and potentially recruited and raised into the cult. Jeff, allying with local law enforcement and other enraged parents, participated in an assault on the cult compound. The ensuing firefight lead to the deaths of 7 police officers, 3 militia men, and 17 cult members. This event would lead to a major argument between Jeff and his wife, as her family joining the Jodes and being in California gave her more reason to now want to move to Night City, with the kidnapping of her son from the cult only intensifying her desire.
2000 (Y2K): The year 2000 came without the end of the world coming in its wake, though it felt like it was with the spread of the Wasting Plague throughout both the United States and Europe. 14 million Americans died, and this plague decimated the already impoverished and famished population of Emporia, Kansas. Jeff Bannon would once again lose his job, this time his security job under the federal government being lost due to the abandonment of any and all construction projects in the local area due to the Wasting Plague.
2001: John Bannon finally managed to successfully secure a corporate job for his son after several years of attempting with his former IEC contacts. The job was with the freshly renamed Militech working in a small scale manufacturing and production plant. He happily accepted, as this job allowed him to put food on the table and pay the mortgage on their familial estate home. John Bannon was further informed that the purpose of the facility was to create the prototype Ronin M-20 Assault Rifle to potentially be sold to the U.S. Military at a later date. Meanwhile, the Jodes Nomads had finished their salvaging and clearing of Los Angeles and were preparing to travel back East to their original Midwest homes, having hopefully made enough money to return and restart their lives. This included Trish Bannon's relatives.
2002: The world food crash occurred due to a new virus, but the United States successfully develops a counter agent sparing them much of the famine the rest of the world experiences. President Seward is killed in a riot that conspiracy theorists and rumors believe to be an orchestrated assassination from the Gang of Four. General William Newell, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and former Green Beret, becomes the new President. Jack Bannon, now at the age of six years old, begins firearms training with his father in the evenings, and learning arithmetic and literacy skills from his mother. Trish and Jeff have another major argument about her wanting to move to Night City while Jeff wanted to remain in the now nearly desolate and abandoned Emporia, Kansas.
2003: The Second Central American Conflict begins and additional funding is now reallocated to the mental health needs of traumatized soldiers, allowing for Trish Bannon to work for nearly the first time in a decade. The Jodes Nomads meanwhile had mostly returned to their original Midwest homes to attempt to restart their agriculture lifestyles of family farms, including Trish's family. World News Services exposed the NSA for orchestrating the First Central American Conflict.
2004: The First Corporate war erupted, and Militech began ramping up production of its firearms as the U.S. Military officially began adopting it's rifles for use in the Second Central American Conflict. Jeff Bannon (47) would go from a simple laborer to middle management at the facility he worked at as it expanded rapidly during this time due to the success of the Ronin M-20 Assault Rifle. President Newell would strike a deal with the CIA, and using the Army managed to destroy the majority of the deep state in a series of coordinated attacks. Still, an additional four years of covert fighting and martial law would be necessary before they would be completely eradicated.
End of Collapse
The Golden Age: Late Childhood and Early Adolescence
2005: The Bannon family slowly began to rebuild financially from the poverty they had grown accustomed to during the instability of the collapse. Jeff struggles to prove himself as sufficient middle management material during Militech's rapid expansion. Trish grows equally disillusioned and horrified at the stories of black ops cybergrunts during the Second Central American War.
2006: The family manage to pay off the mortgage incurred on the estate and John Bannon uses the free time of his retirement to teach his grandson Jack (10) in more advanced subjects such as business and finance, as his mother was busy with her reignited career.
2007: The Second Corporate War begins while the Second Central American War still rages on, with Militech sells weapons primarily to Petrochem while it fights SovOil. This causes a further increase in business for both of Jack's parents. This leads him to effectively be raised by his grandparents. He begins to demonstrate a natural talent for entrepreneurship, selling homemade toys to his fellow children. With the excess money the family now possess, Jeff begins replenishing his stock of precious metals in case of another disaster.
2008: Jeff Bannon, having successfully proven himself to his superiors is entrusted with reassignment to managing and working on more advanced heavy weapons systems besides the now popular Ronin M-20 Assault Rifle. This came with a fairly significant pay increase but also a heavier workload. The time spent away from home lead to friction in his marriage, with increasing fights and estrangement happening with Trish. She continued to push for a move to Night City, despite their prosperity returning.
2009: Jack Bannon has little parental supervision and begins to spend more time and show increasing interest in the Net, beginning to learn the basics of cyberspace and taking his first steps towards becoming a netrunner. John Bannon does not understand this new technology and disapproves, believing he should focus solely on his studies.
2010: The end of the Second Corporate War and the Second Central American War lead to drastically reduced sales of Militech weapons, though Trish Bannon continued to be incredibly busy with traumatized veterans of both wars. Their marriage continued to disintegrate. Jeff being needed less at the Militech facility due to the end of the wars allowed him to begin teaching Jack more advanced military tactics and firearm training.
2011: Shirley Ann Bannon (75), wife of John Bannon dies of a heart attack. This mentally destroys John Bannon who had spent virtually his entire life with her. He begins obsessing over attempts to revive her using cutting edge technology he previously had rejected. Trish Bannon files for divorce, and decides to move to Night City alone after a final terrible fight with her husband. The instability at home leads Jack retreating deeper into his netrunning, beginning to test his skills by hacking into Militech databases to obtain valuable information about rivals in the company to help further his fathers career. Jeff Bannon attempts to bury himself in work, and successfully acquires a promotion to oversee his own production facility.
Familial Collapse: Late Adolescent to Early Adulthood
2012: Trish Bannon opens her own mental health clinic in Night City in which she finds business with survivors from both sides of the recently ended Mob War. Arasaka begins it's first cyber attacks against the Bannon family in their rivalry with Militech as Jeff has risen high enough to be a target. Jack Bannon, with aid from Militech Cybersecurity, successfully fends these off. John Bannon tries, and fails, to revive Shirley Ann Bannon using experimental black market technology.
2013: The events of Cyberpunk 2013 take place. The establishment of Netwatch makes Jack Bannon (17)'s freelance Netrunning activities more difficult, and increases his reliance on Militeach clearance. It does however diminish the number and intensity of Arasaka attacks. Trish Bannon's clinic grows in size to the point that she must hire employees to help with her expansion. Without her knowing, one of these new employees is a spy for Arasaka. John Bannon tries and fails to revive his wife a second time, then drafts a will leaving all his material possessions to his son, Jeff. Jeff Bannon, meanwhile, begins to crack under the stress of managing his Militech facility and begins to spiral into despair missing his wife.
2014: Trish Bannon's cyberpsychology clinic grows in size to the point that Night Corp decides to buy it outright and make it a subsidiary. This is a dream come true for her. She uses the money to buy a home in beaverille, and invites Jack Bannon to come live with her. John Bannon meanwhile dies in his sleep, leaving considerable wealth behind to Jeff Bannon. Jeff privately visits a physician who informs him that he is dying and has 2 years left to live. Jeff Bannon drafts up a will leaving all of his wealth to Jack Bannon (18), resigns from his corporate job, and begins fulltime training and education of his son. Jack Bannon declines the invitation from his mother and focuses on his training and education.
2015: Trish Bannon, having reached high enough security clearance, begins learning secrets from Night Corp paramilitary commanders who fought in the Mob Wars. Jeff and Jack Bannon continue their training and education together. Jack had become sufficient in the fields of business, finance, psychology, netrunning, small arms handling, small squad tactics and hand-to-hand combat.
2016: Jeff Bannon dies and his wealth and material possessions are transferred to Jack Bannon, including the Bannon estate. Jack Bannon (19) fell into a deep despair at the death of his father, and at the outbreak of the Third Corporate War took part in it as a mercenary for both sides. He made a considerable amount of money from the war, but did so more to test his netrunning skills and to avoid grieving the death of the Bannon family. It was during this time he would truly hone his hacking skills, as well as make contact with several expert netrunners. Trish Bannon worried extensively for her son during this time period, and invited him to Night City constantly.
During the Third Corporate War a number of factors lead to Jack getting his own Artificial Intelligence assistant. First, the death of his close relatives and the loneliness of living within his family estate alone weighed heavily upon him. Secondly, they were growing in both affordability and popularity at a tremendous rate ever since first developed by Microtech in 2013. Lastly, he decided he needed someone or something to watch his back while he was fighting in the Third Corporate War in cyberspace. After customizing and reconfiguring a store-bought AI to his needs and desires, it would take on the appearance of an old british butler he called MR. BUTLR.
2017: The winners of the Third Corporate War, Merrill, Asukaga, & Finch discovered Jack's involvement of fighting for both sides and used this as an excuse to send a team of veteran netrunners to fry his brain. Though Jack managed to avoid this with the help of his Nomad Netrunner cousin Treg, they still hacked and seized the entirety of his assets, including the Bannon family estate. Luckily, however, MR. BUTLR managed to hide his existence within a subroutine of Jack's terminal and escape seizure or deletetion. Rather than see the estate seized by a corporation, Jack Bannon razed the building to ash and cinders. A local boostergang moved in to squat in the burned out husk shortly after. Ironically enough, the one asset he still possessed that hadn't been seized by the netrunners was the precious metals of gold and silver his father had replenished after the Collapse and bequeathed to him upon death. Jack Bannon (21) would finally accept his mothers invitation to move in with her in Night City.
Welcome to Night City Arc
2018 Season 1: Land of Opportunity
Episode 1 January - March: Trish Bannon begins to use her position in Night Corp to attempt to get her son a job within the corporation, particularly within the cybersecurity sector. She succeeds, but only in having him hired on as one of Night Corp's Operational Security Agents. While being hired at Night Corp he would meet a coworker and local Techie named William 'Wild Bill' Whittle who would assist him in many technical aspects. This would cause Jack to sell the precious metals his father left behind in order to afford a customized StormTech Assault Rifle with Smartlink capabilities. Still not wishing to kill or augment himself, he also opts for cyber goggles which use optic cables to link to the rifle. With Wild Bill's help, he then sets the Smartlink to only fire in non-lethal locations on targets. Lastly he would ask Wild Bill to upgrade his AI's hardware, resulting in Mr. BUTLR 2.0
He is sent out on his first of many assignments, to assist NCPD in combating various boostergangs which plague the city. This first assignment nearly results in his death due to both his moral rule against killing and his inexperience when he is saved by the smalltime solo Ryan 'Gorillafist' Gasner and the smalltime Fixer Danny 'D' Daugherty. Gorillafist advises he give up on his rule of not killing or end up dead himself. D would invite Jack to a punk rock concert happening at a local club named The Palace, to which Jack would accept.
During the concert at the Palace that night, Gorillafist and D would introduce him to their close friend Jacon 'Yakamashi' Hartley, a mediaman with a grudge against Arasaka. They would explain that the Palace is owned by a Fixer who D works for named the Duke. Upon asking who is playing, he discovers a local Rockerboy named Connor 'Krusty' Briggs and his band Arsonists Anonymous are performing their first ever gig. During the performance, Jack is unwittingly used as a fake Output by a beautiful Joytoy named Wytnyr 'Alyce' Ross to make jealous her actual ex-output Solo Richard 'Brutus' Budaerus, causing a rivalry. Alyce would go on to develop feelings for Jack, and begin dating him seriously. Jack, D, Gorrilafist, Yakamashi and Alyce would attend the Arsonists Anonymous afterparty where they would meet and befriend the band, specifically frontman rockerboy Krusty.
Episode 2 April - June: Arsonists Anonymous would make the Palace their home venue and begin playing shows their regularly, developing a loyal fanbase. This would incite jealousy in a rival rockerboy to Krusty and his AA who was named Brick 'Half pint' Mitchell and his band the Daytime Drunks. Half pint would make his own home venue a competing club to the Palace known as the Crypt, ran by a mysterious owned only as the Caretaker.
Jack would meanwhile come into direct combat with the ex-output of Alyce, Brutus, when he is hired by a local boostergang known as the Legion to flatline him. Jack would win relatively easily and true to his word would spare Brutus life. Having proven his worth sufficiently cleaning up the streets, Night Corp would promote him to more sensitive assignments such as espionage against other megacorporations such as Arasaka. In his spare time he goes on romantic dates with the Joytoy Alyce, as well as visiting her workplace, a brothel named Decadence. It is at this brothel Jack would meet several of her fellow Joytoy coworkers, such as Megan 'Jonesy' McCart, Gemini 'Aiden' Love, and Elizabeth 'Waifu' Baker. Alyce meanwhile would begin a side project also working as a maid in corporate beaverville homes to later be more effective at robbing them. D would continue working as a sub Fixer for the Duke, but would begin secretly compiling lists of information and connections based on the Duke's resources. Gorillafist is primarily used as a bouncer for the Palace and a enforcer for the Duke during this time.
A new Rockerboy and member of the D.J.'s gang named DJ Chromeo would being playing music at the Palace, offering to warm up crowds for the more established Arsonists. His music would focus on a more hopeful, loving, and unifying message than the angry and anti-corpo message of Krusty and AA. Yakamashi would hear rumor of a sinister Arasaka plot in the area from local homeless, and spends his time following up on relevant leads.
Episode 3 July - September: Jack would gain great success at work after a particularly tense hostage situation involving a Militech Executive he managed to resolve with no one dying. Despite this he would begin to grow increasingly uncomfortable by the tasks assigned to him such as propaganda or assassination missions. D would begin making moves for a coup against the Duke in an attempt to take over the Palace, convincing Gorillafist to join him. The Duke, meanwhile, would know of this treachery and begin making his own preparations including contacting a local boostergang and its leader for support.
This boostergang, indebted to the Duke, was known as The Legion. After Brutus defeat at the hands of Jack, he was found and repaired by the Legion with the price of becoming a heavily modified borg with little to no empathy or humanity left to him as well as being placed under their control. The leader of this boostergang, named Caesar, intended for Brutus to be his ultimate weapon. Unfortunately Brutus resisted his obedience protocols and killed Caesar, becoming the new leader of the Legion. When the Duke contacted the Legion for help, Brutus initially refused to do so. It was only when he realized his target would be the D (who was there during Episode 1 when Gorillafist saved Jack) did he decide to accept in the hopes of also fighting Gorillafist too.
Yakamashi meanwhile discovers that the Arasaka corporation has secretly bought out one of the local clubs to use as a discreet base of operations for them to potentially expand their power base. He also discovers that they are funneling large amounts of money into something classified only as controlled opposition. This is discovered both on testimony from the homeless and from a mostly corrupted data shard found in the skull of a dead Arasaka agent in the slums.
Alyce would begin to grow considerably wealthy from her activities, to which she would pour her money into biosculpting and other cyber enhancements, creating a snowball effect of only further enhancing her beauty and making her more desirable and expensive. This quickly puts her as one of the highest earning JoyToys at Decadence. Jack and his input Alyce would grow close enough that Alyce would move in to Jack's Luxurious Corpo Apartment. Brick Mitchell and the Daytime Drunks and Krusty and the Arsonists Anonymous meanwhile had built up solid fanbases and had begun touring to other venues in the city, occasionally playing in the same place and provoking each other. As their rivalry grew, people would show up just to engage in the tribalism.
Episode 4 October - December: Jack would continue to grow in his career at Night Corp, being placed in charge of his own team of agents and making more eurodollars than he ever had in his life. Unfortunately he was suffering a crisis of conscience as the assignments only got darker. Now his assassinations included the families of powerful rival corporate executives, including children. Though he had managed to succeed in never having killed anyone himself, he couldn't help but ask himself if there was such a big difference in ordering someone else to pull the trigger.
D had finally gathered both the fire and manpower needed, as well as the resources and connections. He had managed to either blackmail or pay off many of the Duke's closest allies. He promised Gorillafist a position as number one solo of the Palace under D's management, as well as offering him a position as bodyguard. The only remaining forces the Duke possessed was the now tentative loyalty of the local boostergang The Legion, as well as his mysterious own number one solo who went by the name Sir Death, otherwise known as the Duke's Knight.
Tensions between Krusty and Half Pint would reach a boiling point in which the Daytime Drunks would issue a challenge to the Arsonists in the form of a Battle of the Bands to settle their differences once and for all. The Arsonists accepted, with both bands planning on murdering the other after the concert. It was decided DJ Chromeo would act as a mediator and referee as well as warming up the crowd. Both the Duke and D would decide to take advantage of this climactic Battle of the Bands to settle their own personal differences over ownership of the Palace, offering to host the concert there.
Brutus and the Legion meanwhile would expand their powerbase, with Brutus meeting his new second-in-command a powerful former solo now named Damocles. He would also meet a trusted advisor to the former leader, Caesar, who was called Cicero. Cicero acted primarily as the boostergangs chief recruitment and intelligence officer. Yakamashi would manage to piece together that the Crypt is the local club Arasaka has secretly purchased, with the mysterious Caretaker working for the megacorp. Though he does not have proof, he begins staking out the club to try and collect it. Alyce would be caught and arrested during one of her many beaverville home robberies after serving as a maid, but due to her radiant beauty thanks to the eddies she had spent biosculpting herself, she managed to be released with only a warning after performing certain services for the corrupt officers.
2019 Season 2: Rebirth
Episode 1 January - March: Both bands would place the battle of the bands at the Palace as the final stop in their tour as they hit as many dingy bars such as Red Dirt as they could, whipping up both new and longtime fans into a frenzy. The merchandise sold during this time period nearly doubled, and clashes between the two bands fans becoming increasingly common outside venues. Both bands blame the other for stealing their audience, or for not having the 'right' attitude for a rockerboy, with the Arsonists taking inspiration from Johnny Silverhand and Samurai while Daytime Drunks rejects Samurai and Silverhand.
Yakamashi would manage to gather sufficient evidence to prove that the Caretake and the Crypt are pawns of Arasaka, and would subsequently have Arasaka Agents attempt to assassinate him. Though he would survive, he would be wounded and spend time recuperating at the Palace. Brutus would grow accustomed to his position leading the Legion, and would begin to grow his power base and start pushing against rival boostergangs territories. D would continue to look for advantages over the inevitable clash with the Duke, but the Duke does all he can take to subvert D by giving him impossible assignments to attempt to Fixer. Alyce meanwhile manages to catch the attention of a wealthy rival Arasaka corpo who enjoys having sex with Jack's Input. She begins secretly collecting information about both him and Arasaka to help her Output.
Jack meanwhile discovers one of the agents of his own Night Corp Security Team seeks to discredit him for his rule against killing, seeking to take his position as leader of their team. After struggling internally, he contacts D to put a hit out to kill the agent. Gorillafist takes the contract and kills him efficiently. The Caretaker of the Crypt meanwhile would contact Cicero of the Legion and propose an alliance, with Arasaka hoping to use the boostergang to their own advantage.
Episode 2 April - June: The Battle of the Bands takes place at the Palace. The event is a spectacle of blood and rock as both Rockerboys play their hearts out. Despite their efforts, both bands are too evenly matched for a winner to be clear. During the concert, an additional team of Arasaka Agents are dispatched to terminate Yakamashi before he recovers from his wounds and spreads his evidence of their involvement at the Crypt. Brutus also unleashed the hordes from the Legion to kidnap his ex-output Alyce. The Duke asks Jack to help Gorillafist and Sir Death defend the Palace during the concert, to which he accepts. D meanwhile finishes accquiring the access codes to the Palace's panic room to lure Sir Death into after the concert for Gorillafist to kill him.
As the trio is fighting off the Arasaka Agents sent to kill Yakamashi, the concert reaches a fever pitch. Half Pint lyrics focus on how Krusty must choose between his Anti-Corpo message and idolizing of Johnny Silverhand and his friendship to a Night Corp employee, Jack. In order to secure his victory over Half Pint and the Daytime Drunks, Krusty performs an extreme act in that he calls Jack's Input onto his stage, to which she eagerly agrees swept up in the heat of the moment. He proceeds to fuck her on stage in front of the entire audience, them both climaxing at the end of their song 'Up In Flames'. Krusty and the Arsonists Anonymous decisively win the concert, sending Half Pint and the Daytime Drunks into a rage. A shootout breaks out in the Palace between both the two bands and their fans, with DJ Chromeo fighting on the side of the Arsonists.
During the chaos following the Arsonists victory, Legion boostergangers lead by Damocles manage to break into the Palace and successfully kidnap Alyce. Jack enters the Palace unknowing of what she has just done, and grieves her kidnapping. Yakamashi had managed to record the entire event and guilt trips Krusty into abandoning his fellow Arsonists during the shootout with the Daytime Drunks and helping Jack get his input back from the Legion. Gorillafist would attempt to go with them, to which D would remind him he must spring the trap and kill Sir Death instead.
D having gained the access codes to the Dukes panic room, enters and holds a gun to his boss, the Duke would activate an emergency signal alerting Sir Death to come to his rescue. As Sir Death arrived at the panic room to save the Duke, Gorillafist attacked him. While D held a gun to the Duke, he would use the access codes to close the door and ensure they aren't interrupted while the two Solo's battled it out in the panic room.
Jack, Krusty, and Yakamashi would follow the Legion to the Crypt. It would be here that Yakamashi revealed his gathered evidence of the establishment being under Arasaka control to his two companions in the hopes that someone could reveal the truth if he died in the following firefight. Krusty admits to Jack what he did on stage with his input. Meanwhile, Damocles delivers Alyce to Brutus, who tells her she will watch her flatline her Output as Jack should have done to him.
Yakamashi performs a distraction which preoccupies the majority of the boostergangers while Krusty fights Damocles. Jack makes his way to the heart of the Crypt and finds Brutus and Alyce waiting for him. The two fight but Jack but discovers that with the cyber enhancements that Brutus had received since their last encounter he is much stronger. Brutus destroys Jack's goggles with the optic cables which allowed for smartlink integration of his rifle. The shards from the goggles maims one of Jack's eyes, blinding it.
Gorillafist kills Sir Death, thanking the Solo for having taught him everything he knows. D shoots and kills the Duke, claiming the Palace as his own. Half Pint realizes that his rival of Krusty is gone, and tells the Daytime Drunks to flee as the NCPD begin to arrive on scene. D attempts to regain a semblance of order and talks to the police. Gorillafist rushes to the Crypt to assist there.
Krusty and Damocles manage to wound each other, before both decide to flee rather than die for a cause they don't truly care about. Krusty returns to the Palace to find several of his fellow Arsonists band mates died in the fighting while he was gone, causing him to blame himself for not being here for them and grieve deeply. Damocles meanwhile rallies the Legion boostergangers who were scattered thanks to Yakamashi's distraction.
Brutus savors killing Jack, ripping his left hand off while monologuing. Little does Brutus know that Jack had quickhack uploaded a demon into Brutus borg mainframe that he had developed at the age of 17 during the Third Corporate War. The purpose of the Demon is simple and efficient, the complete paralysis of all enemy systems. As Brutus slowly loses the ability to move his body he rages internally. Gorillafist arrives and kills Brutus to Jack's dismay. Damocles, seeing Gorillafist has arrived and Brutus died, orders the Legion to retreat from the Crypt back to their own territory, swearing vengeance on Jack and Gorillafist.
Trauma Team takes Jack away to recieve medical attention, with his mother Trish meeting him at the hospital and throwing money at the doctors to save him.
Episode 3 July - September: D runs the Palace efficiently and is true to his word of making Gorillafist his top solo. Yakamashi manages to report on his evidence of the Crypt being owned and operated by Arasaka, but not before Arasaka destroys the club in an 'accidental' gas explosion and successfully covers up Yakamashi's story. Krusty and the Arsonists Anonymous have reached untold heights of stardom and are well known all throughout Night City, though Krusty grieves the arsonists who died during the battle of the bands. Half Pint and the surviving Daytime Drunks fade into obscurity after the battle, though their grudge still burns brightly.
Jack would awake in hospital to Alyce visiting him. He would confront Alyce on her having sex on stage with Krusty, resulting in him breaking up with her and kicking her out of his Corpo Apartment. She shares with him the information she had gathered about Arasaka Executives by servicing them, to which he cares little in his heartbroken state. Alyce quits her job at Degeneracy and joins the Piranha's party gang, caring only for hedonism and pleasure.
Episode 4 October - December: Jack would use the data shard Alyce gave him to secure for himself a promotion within Night Corp. Now he no longer serves on Security Teams but instead manages and dispatches them when boostergang activity is detected or if rival megacorporations need knocked down a peg. With his eye and hand destroyed during the fight with Brutus, he is forced to adopt the cybernetics his father despised. A silver lining to this being he no longer needed optic cables attached from his goggles to his rifle nor the goggles themselves. Heartbroken by the loss of his input, he would go to Degeneracy to find out she had quit. Sating his heartbreak he uses the services of the Joy Toys Aiden and Jonesy.
Various boostergangs attempt to collect 'protection' money from the Palace, and D has Gorillafist kill the representatives of several gangs. Yakamashi is promoted for his role in reporting both on the Battle of the Bands and the Crypt club being a front for Arasaka. He is given higher levels of media access, allowing him more resources and connections. Krusty and the Arsonists hold audition for new band mates before beginning to play at the Palace again.
----------------- 2020: The events of Cyberpunk 2020 take place.
Ryan 'Gorrilafist' Gasner (Solo) Jacon 'Yakamashi' Hartley (Media) Jacob ' DJ Chromeo' Hastings (Rockerboy) Danny 'D' Daugherty (Fixer) Connor 'Krusty' Briggs and his bandmates (Rockerboy, lead man of Arsonists Anonymous) Treg Arganbright (Netrunner, Nomad.)
Wyntyr Ross (Joy Toy) The Piranhae's gang??
The Legion The Duke Sir Death Richard 'Brutus' Budaerus (Solo, leader of the Legion) Damocles (Solo, Monster of the Legion) Cicero (rockerboy, cult leader, recruiter for the Legion) Brick Mitchell (Rockerboy, lead man of the Daytime Drunks) Crooked Cop?? McManus?
Children of Imbrius Name: (Bronze Age) Imbrius/(Rome) Lucius/ (Victorian - Modern) Lucian Born: 12th Century BCE Greece Birthplace: Island of Imbros, Kingdom of Imbros. (Modern day Turkey) Sire:Tinia ChildeZeno Generation: 5th, Methuselah Clan: Ventrue Sect: Camarilla (Publicly), Inconnu (Privately) Overall Clan Rank: City Clan Rank: Appearance:
Biography:
Mortal Life:
“As two lions snatch a goat from a herd that is guarded by dogs— they kill it and carry it off, through the thick brushwood, holding it in their jaws high up from the ground: just so did the two men hold the dead Ímbrius high, stripped of his armor. And Ajax the Smaller, angry at the death of Amphímachus, hacked off the head from the soft neck and, swinging his arm back, sent the head whirling over the crowd like a ball, and it fell and rolled in the dirt and came to a stop at the feet of Hector.” - The Iliad
Prince Imbrius was born on the island of Imbros, his father being King Mentor. Their family had ruled for generations, and always maintained close ties to the Trojans to their east. They had prospered here, and Imbrius youth was full of horse riding, archery, sword & spear practice, practicing his literacy, and more. He had no brothers or sisters, as the gods saw fit to make his mother barren after his birth.
As he grew older, he yearned for fame and glory. He fervently worshiped both Aries and Apollo. He aspired to create his very own Hero cult in his name, like that of the frequent Hercules cults that he witnessed. He proved himself to be the finest combatant on his home island, and as he entered adulthood he would gather a crew of fellow like minded naive youth. Despite the objections of his parents, he would set sail, off for riches and adventure. He named his ship the Albatross.
He would decide to sail first to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi and ask the Pythia what he could do to ensure his legacy. On the way there he would come across pirates, which he and his crew would successfully manage to fend off in naval combat. Upon arriving there and having his meeting with the Servant of Apollo he was told;
"You will live for so long as men speak of the greatest war that you will ever fight in, though you will die founding the Greatest City this world shall ever know."
Imbrius was perplexed by these words, and took his leave. As he sailed the Aegean, his supplies would run low and as he sought to resupply he would come across an island that had fallen under the tyrannical rule of a group of local guardsmen-turned-bandits. Deciding to liberate the people, he and his crew managed to defeat them in combat and liberate the island. This further spread word of his name.
The next island that he stopped at the inhabitants were in desperate need of his help. Their crops had failed and starvation gripped them. Not only this, but three beasts stalked them constantly. One was a giant serpent that hunted them on land, one was giant eagle that stalked them by air, and one was giant shark that stalked them at sea. Imbrius was said to dive into the ocean and wrestle the largest sea creature that any had ever seen and pull it out of the water, killing it. He would claim this first feat as a blessing of Poseidon and would proceed to hunt down both the snake and eagle, slaying both as well. This furthered spread of his name.
Lastly on his way back to Imbros a terrible storm would befall his ship, destroying it and killing his entire crew. He washed up on the shores of his home island the next day as the sole survivor, and was nursed back to health. His father was terrified by the near death of his only son, and after King Priam of Troy heard of Prince Imbrius exploits decided to negotiate to secure a marriage with Medesicaste, daughter to King Priam. Imbrius obliged, and married her securing their Alliance. During the marriage celebrations Imbrius met with many of the sons of the King of Troy, including both Hector and Paris, who were close to him in age. He sparred with both, besting Prias and losing to Hector.
Soon Princess Medesicaste was heavy with his child, and they received word that Prince Paris had taken Helen of Sparta for his own, and soon the Achaeans would come to destroy the Kingdom of Troy. King Mentor answered the call of Priam, sending Prince Imbrius and his wife to life in the city of Troy for the duration of the war. While there he met and befriended many fellow allies of Troy such as Sarpedon of Lycia and Aeneas of the Dardanians. Over the course of the war he would go on to prove himself a valuable defender, often leading men in the heat of battle were it was needed most.
His wife gave birth in the city of Troy, giving him a son named Zeno. Zeno would grow to the age of 10 before the apocalyptic Fall of Troy that unleashed untold levels of carnage and bloodshed that still haunts Imbrius to this day. It was during the chaos of the sack of the city that Imbrius found his friend Aeneas attempting to hold the city gate, and joined him foolishly believing the city could still be saved. He slew many dozens until one of the Greeks by the name of Teucer wounded him gravely, forcing him to retreat. Assisted by Aeneas they managed to gather their families and flee the city. Yet as they fled his wife Medesicaste was separated from him in the chaos and was slain alongside Creusa, wife of Aeneas.
Forced to set sail or forfeit the lives of himself and his son, Imbrius would follow Aeneas alongside other survivors of Troy on their epic voyage during the Aeneid. While on this migration Imbrius sole concern was protecting the life of Zeno, who as he grew older grew bolder as well. He successfully protected his son through many trials and tribulations, arriving in Latium with Aeneas and the surviving Trojans. Eventually war broke out between their people and King Turnus of the Rutuli, with Zeno being slain with his friends Nisus and Euryalus while behind enemy lines. Imbrius, having lost his entire family, fought like a mad demon in increasingly daring strikes until being eventually mortally wounded.
As Prince Imbrius lay dying, he was visited by a mysterious local Etruscan woman who told him that she had heard of his reputation as a fierce warrior and wise commander. She had witnessed him in battle and knew that the blood of kings ran in his veins. She believed that it would be a waste for him to die here and now when there was still so much work to be done. Thus he received the Embrace from Tinia of the Ventrue, and swore an oath to serve her. She told him that the old life of Imbrius was truly over and gone now, and christened him a new Latinized name; Lucius.
Undeath:
After his dark rebirth Lucius was taught by his sire Tinia of the Ventrue the ways of his Clan and Kindred, and including how imperative it was to rule over the mortals without their ever knowing of their existence. She told him he was free to go as he pleased, but that one day he would summon her to him to repay the gift she has given him. He was forbidden from ever seeing Aeneas again, and focused much time training his Disciplines. He spent the following several centuries in obscurity, wandering the peninsula and learning more about himself, his powers, and the world around him. Over time he mastered the Disciplines of the Ventrue being Dominate, Fortitude, and Presence.
Eventually Tinia summoned him to her as she said she would, and told him that the time had come for a Third and Final City for the Kindred. He should be honored in that he would be instrumental in its founding, as he would be used extensively. This happened during the formation of the kindred's Eternal Senate, just after the transition of the public and mortal Rome from being a Kingdom into a Republic. Lucius was dispatched to gather as many fellow Kindred as he could find throughout the peninsula to be brought to Rome, and during this time he met many from different clans.
When he eventually returned to Rome after having gathered as many Kindred as he could find, he would manage to join the Eternal Senate. During this time he would meet a great many of his fellow broodmates and clanmates. Such as Collat, who founded the Eternal Senate. He became quick friends with a member of the Eternal Senate named Valerianus. He also met Julia Antasia, who he had a brief romantic and sexual relationship with. Julia prized the Eternal Senate for its egalitarian ideal; In the senate, every Ventrue had the right of speech and voting power was irrespective of age or sex.
This was crushed when Collat was diablorized by his own childe, Titus Camillus, who would take control of the Eternal Senate and increasingly make it more authoritarian and hierarchical. Eventually Julia Antasia would have enough of this, and leave the Eternal Senate and Rome to disappear seemingly forever. Lucius would then meet Artemis Orthia and Lysander, two Venture who supported Camillus and called for war against the kindred to the south of Carthage. Initially, Lucius would oppose this war as when he traveled with Aeneas centuries ago Queen Dido and the ancestors of the Carthaginians had kindness on the wary Trojans. He was outvoted by his peers and war with Carthage would begin.
Despite voting against the war, Lucius felt an obligation to fight for his newfound homeland. Thus he would take part in the First, Second, and Third Punic Wars. During these wars he would fight alongside the likes of Artemis Orthia and her childe, Lysander.
Through an ironic twist of fate, he was assigned to be part of the Roman division that personally met with Helena of Carthage who betrayed her people to save herself and her lover, Prince Prias. Lucius was enraged to discover that they were betraying Carthage to save themselves, as it was they who had caused the Fall of Troy and the ruination of his own life and kingdom. Despite wanting to kill her, there were far too many kindred, both Carthaginian and Roman alike for him to do so. She was given land in the Roman city of Pompeii for her defection, and Lucius cursed her and swore to one day have his revenge on her.
The sacking of the city itself soon transpired, with Lucius witnessing Artemis Orthia dying her Final Death during it. The chaos and carnage of the fall of Carthage reminded him too much of the fall of Troy, the ancient trauma causing him to freeze during a crucial moment. He was saved by Lysander, this event being the basis for their future friendship. This near Final Death experience would mark a turning point for Lucius. He would no longer be an active agent operating in the world, but lurk in the shadows and have others act on his behalf, as Tinia had done with him.
Returning back to Rome, he immediately traveled to Pompeii to kill Helena. When he arrived, he found Menele had got there first and entered into a frenzy combined with a powerful ritual that was quickly consuming the entire region. Foiled from his own revenge against Helena, he swore death upon Menele for the destruction of Troy. When he returned to Rome, Lucius decided to redevote himself to the creation of Hero Cults in his name, as he had done in his youth as a living man. Yet these cults were secret societies that met in groves at night, as opposed to the open, public, and even boisterous Hero Cults of Hercules that he had sought to emulate before. He would have some limited success in this endeavor, creating several small decentralized splinter cults he could puppet to his whims. While he did this, Lucius noticed that Titus Camillus had begun to follow the Road of Sin. This Road of self-indulgence disgusted Lucius, as he followed the Road of Kings taught to all the childer of Tinia.
Without the leadership of Titus Camillus, who was distracted by his pursuit of pleasure, the Eternal Senate's power began to wane. Soon they fell into obscurity as Rome continued to grow ever larger and more strictly dictatorial. This mattered little to Lucius, who had slowly faded from public life and grown increasingly secretive. He had made Ghouls of the leaders of each of his small cults, and continued to grow his power base from the shadows.
Lucius decided the time had come for his own childe, to provide him the ultimate agent to act for him out in the world. Taking one of the young Ghoul leaders of his cult, he would Embrace the youth and rename him to Zeno. Taking the boy into his home as his own son, he would teach him everything he could about the Kindred and their abilities. After sufficient time and training had passed, he released his child into the world to act in his name.
At first, this went exactly according to plan. Zeno achieved many great successes in the name of Lucius, and brought much glory upon their lineage, their clan, and Rome itself. Centuries passed and Lucius began to grow complacent. Zeno began to feel urges for his own freedom, not to be tethered serving another. This was a feeling that Lucius knew well, having served Tinia once. Still, he was hesitant to relinquish control of his childe.
Eventually his hand was forced when it was discovered that Zeno had Embraced his own childe for the express purpose of helping him kill Lucius. The pair ambushed him, but it was Lucius' hesitation to harm his surrogate son that truly allowed them to wound them as gravely as they did. Nearing Final Death, Lucius was forced to slay Zeno, and break his own heart. He decided to keep Zeno's own childe as his own, telling them that the same Final Death awaited them if they disobeyed or betrayed him as Zeno had done.
Lucius names his new grand-childe Regulus and trained him in their ways ways much as he did with Zeno. Many events transpired during this time, and by the time Regulus was a suitable replacement for his predecessor the Roman Empire was on a steep decline. It was apparent that the end of the Eternal City was near, and Lucius used Regulus to prepare for this eventuality. He decided to make his move during the Sacking of Rome, feeling all too familiar to the Fall of Troy. Loading up all of his material wealth and possessions into ships, he and Regulus set sail for his ancestral island home of Imbros. During this voyage Lucius is reminded heavily of his journey in the opposite direction with his mortal son Zeno with Aeneas, and begrudgingly bonds with Regulus, genuinely taking him on as a son.
After returning to his home island, he found that there was some resistance from the current inhabitants who weren't willing to cede power easily. They were swiftly and mercilessly dealt with, and he used his Roman wealth to rebuild his ancestral palace from the ruins that the Greeks had left them in millennia ago. He hide the Sword of Imbrius within his own palace, in his crypt. Lucius was aware of the growth of Constantinople, with some even calling it a New Rome. Yet Rome could never be replaced in Lucius heart, just as Troy could never be replaced. Growing depressed from the collapse of the Empire, Lucius built himself a crypt beneath the palace and blood bonded Regulus to him, ensuring his loyalty. He then gave Regulus the responsibility of Imbros before allowing himself to fall into torpor.
Regulus immediately set about creating cults on the island dedicated to his slumbering sire. After a sufficient amount of time was spent preparing them to be the cryptkeepers of his haunt and caretakers of his domain, Regulus decided to set out into the world to explore its possibilities. Sailing to Constantinople, he ingratiated himself with the local Cainites and came to learn of the Trinity who ruled the city as well as of their Dream. This ruling trinity was comprised of the following; First was Michael, the Son. Next is Dracon, the Holy Spirit. Lastly, Regulus would come into the service of Antonius, the Father of their reformed Triumvirate. Over time he would build his wealth and influence, and would meet many other powerful Cainites of the night such as the childer of Antonius; Caius and Septima Dominica. He briefly had a sexual and romantic relationship with Septima, but this was strained due to their differing philosophical and moral beliefs.
Eventually tension began to fray the Trinity and Constantinople itself. Antonius would declare an Iconoclast movement in a political power struggle with his peers that would result in his own childer betraying and killing him. This event would prove too much for Regulus, who broke off his relationship with Septima and withdrew from public and political life. Sailing back to Imbros to ask his sire for advice, he would discover that Lucius was already awake, having been awoken by a messenger and agent of the Inconnu named Gregorius Dimities sent by Lucius old friend Valerianus. They had sought his help in destroying Constantinople, which they viewed as a perversion of Rome. Lucius agreed that Constantinople was a pale imitation of the Eternal City, and after what Regulus had witnessed and the heartbreak he had endured he also wished to destroy the city.
Through the Inconnu Lucius had also learned of the mythical and esoteric concept of Golconda. It fascinated him to no end, and he decided he would devote himself to it's attainment. Unfortunately before he could start off on his new quest, he accidentally fell back into torpor. Regulus, meanwhile, had already set off from Imbros with his new goal of the destruction of Constantinople. Upon returning to Constantinople, he met someone new through his mutual friend of Caius. This new friend was known as Gregory the Wonder-Maker, as he was known for making mechanical birds that spied on other Cainites.
Eventually Regulus managed to secure his own mechanical bird through this Wonder-Maker, using it to likewise subtly spy among the population and for his own other various needs. It was through the use of this device that he came to learn of the existence of the Book of Nod as well as Noddism. Regulus gathered as many scraps of information related to such myths as possible while also working alongside Dimities to undermine the city. After many years of carefully cultivating his power, knowledge, wealth, he had reached a point that he had begun to consider siring his own childe to help him with his schemes, much as Lucius had done with him.
Before Regulus could find a suitable candidate from among his cults, the culmination of their plans came to bear fruit with the Bitter Crusade. It became clear that soon Constantinople would fall, causing Regulus to be forced to instead focus on transferring his own personal wealth to Imbros for sake keeping. When the siege and fall of the city did come, it resulted in the planned obsolescence and Final Death of his co-conspirator Dimities, disturbing Regulus greatly and causing him to question his own expendability. This destruction of the city reminded Regulus of the collapse of Rome that he experienced in his youth, and though he had thought it had been what he had wanted he soon came to regret his decision.
Returning to Imbros with what wealth he could transfer back home on his ship, Regulus nearly succumbed to his own torpor, only being stopped by his sire. Lucius was furious with himself for having fallen back into torpor after learning of Galconda, and decided he would set out into the east in an attempt to gather more information related to the mythical idea. He claimed his initial destination to be India, and told Regulus that while he and any of his childer would always be welcome here, he needed to leave their island home and make his own way in the world. Before either could leave however, several fellow kindred arrived on their island seeking to make it their own haunt. After failing to convince the foreigners to leave using diplomacy, they were forced to use violence to kill them all. Afterwards, the two departed the island amicably heading in opposite directions, with Regulus deciding to travel west and Lucius east.
Lucius:
Lucius decided to unearth and wield his ancient blade, the Sword of Imbrius for the first time in centuries. Leaving his island he first arrived at the ruins of Troy and was overcome by feelings of grief as he remembered the war that he had fought in there during his mortal time. He spent a great amount of time lurking near the now ancient ruins, and recommitted himself to eventually hunting down Helena of Carthage and killing her to avenge the destruction of what he considered to be the original Great and Eternal City, in which even Rome had been made in its image. When he eventually decided to continue to travel further east, he unknowingly entered into the Cappadocian region.
While traveling through the region he met Constancia, earning her trust through her familiarity with his acts in the Eternal Senate of Rome, ages ago. She eventually took him to Erciyes otherwise known as Argaeus or the Monastery of Shadows. While there he met a fellow Ventrue Methuselah named Bindusara, who he would ally their bloodlines together due to their similar desires and goals. Both Lucius and the Cappadocian respected each others scholarly curiosity, and a deal was struck for Lucius to be given access to the secretive Erciyes Fragments in return for his rendering of services and acting in service to the clan and its antediluvian.
Through Constancia he met her sire Japeth. As he spent more time among their clan, he came to slowly learn of the clan and specifically its antediluvian's obsession with Apotheosis. While Lucius was tempted by the concept, he was torn between his original pursuit of Golconda and his new knowledge of the similar Apotheosis. When Lazarus rebelled against his sire in Egypt by denying the call of the Feast of Folly, Lucius was used to help hunt Infitiore. After having done his part, he decided to take his leave after gaining access to the Erciyes Fragments and recording in a journal what he had learned during his time among them.
He decided to then travel south to Jerusalem, becoming increasingly interested in the rise of Christianity after he learned of the Cappadocian antediluvian's plan to diablorize God. While he explored the general region he met a man named Nahum ben Enosh. The two spent much time together comparing their experiences and debating philosophy and religion. Nahum ben Enosh was offered a place of sanctuary and shelter on the island of Imbros by Lucius before the two parted ways. In return for this generous offer, Nahum ben Enosh told Lucius where to find Mokur. When Lucius traveled further east out of the Levant, and into the Middle Kingdom, he spent years searching for and eventually finding Mokur.
Lucius was forced to spend many years ingratiating himself with his local Danava counterparts in the local Indian subcontinent in order to find information he needed related to his own objectives. After finding Mokur, the duo traveled to the ruined city of Golconda. He then spent many years deep in prayer, contemplation, and meditation, learning under his mentor all that he could. Lucius asked and received a gift from Mokur of inscribing upon the Sword of Imbrius words of ancient power meant to destroy the soul of those it killed.
Regulus: Regulus traveled back to Rome, wishing to see what had become of his old home in all the time that he had been away from it. Upon arriving he came to learn about the feudal realm known as the Sea of Shadows. Clan Lasombra ruled over the Italian peninsula from Sicily, controlling Rome, and having benefited greatly from the collapse of Constantinople. Regulus felt resentment towards them, believing they had manipulated him into destroying his city. Through the use of his secret mechanical bird, he discovered that the clan was suffering through it's own internal strife between Christian and Muslim factions in Iberia in what was known as the Shadow Reconquista. After making careful negotiations with the Catholic Church in Rome, he traveled to Iberia and helped the Christian faction. It was during this time that he first witnessed the Lasombra use mortals against one another in their civil war in a way that had they had never been used before. Their clan was deeply intertwined with religious institutions, and they used this position to kickstart religious based hunts for their kind that were deemed problematic.
He was well compensated for his services upon completion of his assignments, but became disturbed by the the growing trend that he considered dangerous. He ultimately decided to travel north to be among his clansmen of the Ventrue, hoping for them to be better. He spent some time in France, as a guest of the Courts of Love. Specifically, he stayed among the court of Hélène la Juste. While there he became enamored by the ideology of chivalry, and took it with him when he eventually continued his wandering.
He settled himself in modern day Germany, in the domain of the Fiefs of the Black Cross as a member of the Knights of the Black Cross. He decided to take on a new name for this new life, going by Roland instead of Regulus now. Using the wealth that he had accumulated during the Shadow Reconquista he managed to carve out a decent haunt for himself in the city of Magdeburg, serving under the Prince of the City known as Lord Jürgen von Verden. It was also during this time that he met the Prince's wretched spy of Magdeburg known as Albin as well as his most trusted lieutenant named Lucretia von Hardtz. Unfortunately the newly christened Roland found that the Ventrue had learned of the hunts that Lasombra had unleashed upon one another during the Shadow Reconquista and had begun using the tactic themselves against one another during their own petty squabbles over power.
Roland served Lord Jürgen faithfully, aiding him in combat when he came into conflict with Qarakh and Vladimir Rustovich. He was rewarded for this service by being given his own lands, castle, and haunt on the outskirts of the city. During this time he also befriended the exiled Alexander of Paris, and was saddened by his eventual death at Qarakh's hand.
Formal Inquisitions had begun to arise, spreading across Europe quickly. Roland felt relatively safe and well concealed as a well respected and high ranking member of the Order, but was enraged by the eventual Final Death of the Lord that he served due to the betrayal of the spy Albin to Jürgen's sire and superior High Lord Hardestadt. This reminded him too much of the underhanded death of Antonius by his own childe Caius in Constantinople, and he briefly decided to hunt down Albin to satisfy his own personal chivalric sense of honor that he had cultivated while at the Court of Love. While he was ultimately unsuccessful in this venture, he did come across Lucretia von Hardtz who was doing the same thing. The two began a sexual and romantic relationship over their shared loyalty to Jürgen and anger at Albin. Instead of continuing their quest, they were forced to turn their attention to the ever growing threat of the mortal Inquisition. Eventually their hunts caused them to be separated from one another. Returning to his duties in the Order of the Black Cross, Roland was far too old and experienced by this point to be seriously threatened himself as a sacrifice by other more powerful elders, being far more valuable to them as a living agent, nonetheless he was disturbed by the callousness at which he witnessed neonates being sacrificed in order to protect the elders.
High Lord Hardestadt had begun to call for a alliance among clans, to form a international organization known as the Camarilla. He believed that they needed to go underground in order to survive, to form a masquerade of mythology around their existence. A powerful Brujah advisor to Hardestadt named Patricia instead believed that they needed to enter into open war against the Inquisition, and fight to save the lives of their neonates. Roland sided with Hardestadt, and it was during these meetings he met Lucretia von Hardtz again, who had sided with Particia. When it was clear that Hardestadt would not listen to her, Patricia decided to don a new name of Tyler.
Tyler went on to form a resistance of her fellow Brujah who she organized to assault Hardestadt's castle. Eventually she and her followers attacked, with Roland taking part in the battle on the defensive side of his Ventrue clanmates. During the battle he gave the Final Death to a large number of neonates, and witnessed the death of Hardestadt by Tyler's hand. This would be the trigger to the First Anarch Revolt. During the aftermath of the battle, Roland was shocked to discover that Jürgen was still alive, and took up the new moniker of Hardestadt the Younger. Jürgen explained that he knew the foolish Hardestadt would get himself killed, and he need only wait to reveal himself when he did. Roland was one of the few trusted to know his actual identity, gifted this knowledge due to his accumulated dignitas. The discovery of this secret solidified his loyalty to the Ventrue and fledgling Camarilla.
Lucius: It was during his time of spiritual study and reflection that through his mentor of Mokur that Lucius was introduced to Cretheus and Silas. After much discussion with Cretheus, he was formally invited into the Inconnu and learned of the existence of their headquarters at Hunedoara Castle. Before his training was complete, Mokur was killed by Etrius. This enraged Lucius, declaring he would kill Etrius for this act just as he would kill Helena of Carthage. He left India and traveled to Hunedoara Castle instead, pledging himself to the Council of Twelve. In specific he also became close colleagues with Hilderic, the Ventrue representative of the council. While there he joined the faction of the Inconnu known as the Seekers, as well as also befriending Elihu and Rebekah.
When he decided to leave the castle and return to his island, he discovered that much had transpired in Europe in his absence. Hunters and Inquisitors had flooded the continent and killed a great many of their number. Now the young rebelled against the old, and both mortal and kindred society were in turmoil and chaos. He decided to bide his time in the shadows, reluctant to make his presence known that he had returned from the Middle Kingdom. He returned his ancient weapon, the Sword of Imbrius, to it's proper resting place in his crypt. He swore to one day use it to kill Helena and Menele. He attempted to gather information on what had happened to Regulus, and managed to track him down to the Fiefs of the Black Cross fiefdom, though unable to discover his living in Magdeburg. He had formulated his beliefs into being a confirmed Noddist, and continued to seek information relating to Cain.
It was only through the final death of Klaus did Lucius finally discover that Regulus was now named Roland with childer of his own. He decided to make contact with Roland and invite him back home to Imbros to catch up with one another after having been apart for so long. When Roland did arrive, the two spent much time swapping stories of their experiences. When Lucius learned of the rise of the Camarilla and Roland's own position in the organization, he congratulated him thoroughly for his ambition. Upon learning that Jakob and Wilhelm were hunting one another across Europe, Lucius saw opportunity were Roland saw only a obstacle to be overcome. While the Camarilla was staunchly anti-noddist, the newly formed sabbat was pro-noddist. While Lucius himself was a noddist, and passed the secret belief down to Roland, he had learned enough from his time among the Innocula to know the value of having agents in both factions and remaining obscured from eithers attention.
Roland: Roland decided he had to sire three childer of his own, hoping to use them as his own agents in these desperate times. The battle against Tyler and death of Hardestadt the Elder as well as the ever growing threat of the Inquisition had caused him to no longer desire to be an active agent. He selected three youths that he Embraced named Klaus, Jakob, and Wilhelm. He nurtured them in the ways of the Ventrue clan, and taught them of their responsibility to obey him. After a period of time he deemed the trio worthy to be sent out into the world, for while he was doubtful of their individual abilities he believed that together they could overcome most obstacles.
For a time he proved correct, with any task he gave them being resolved successfully. They also were content to serve him, overwhelmed as they were by the new supernatural world that they found themselves in. As they completed assignments for their sire, they grew to view each others as brothers. Time continued to progress however, and they slowly began to yearn for independence and freedom. These feelings were exacerbated as young neonate Lasombra began to rebel in Spain and Italy, slaying their antediluvian.
During this time Roland decided to become more active in the growing Camarilla, becoming a close friend of Gilbert d’Harfleur in the process. As the First Anarch Rebellion continued to spread northward into France and Germany, it became increasingly clear that drastic action needed to be taken. Roland dispatched his three childer to kill a powerful Inquisitor who was leading a group of hunters that were affiliated with the Society of Leopold that had learned of Roland's presence in Magdeburg. This was their first mission that went horribly, with Klaus experiencing Final Death at the hands of the Hunters and Wilhelm going rogue and joining the Anarchs. upon learning about the Vaulderie. Jakob did successfully manage to kill the Inquisitor during the chaos, before returning to his sire.
Roland was saddened by the loss of Klaus and angered by the betrayal of Wilhelm. He commended Jakob for managing to complete the mission and return to him, and came to the conclusion that he would need to take a more active role in events. Wilhelm, meanwhile, met a woman named Dominique Touraine as part of the Anarch Rebellion who became something of a mentor to him and influenced him with her own ideals of freedom. Roland began to actively attempt to hunt Tyler, blaming her for the death of Hardestadt and starting the Rebellion in the first place. He was disappointed to discover that she had fled Europe, and he lost her trail. Roland and Jakob then focused themselves on supporting the Camarilla, combating the Anarchs, and specifically hunting down Wilhelm.
Though they largely succeeded at the first two, they failed at their third goal. Eventually the Convention of Thorns transpired, bringing a formal end to the rebellion. While attending the Convention of Thorns Roland met Durga Syn, who he convinced to imbue the Sword of Imbros with similar properties to the Ainkurn, which he had learned of the existence of through his time and service in the Teutonic's Black Cross Order. It was during this meeting that they saw Wilhelm for the first time since his defection, as well as noticing that Lucretia von Hardtz had sided with the Anarchs. Wilhelm sided with the faction of Anarchs that refused the treaty, as he believed Roland would destroy him if he surrendered, thus forcing him instead to become part of the new Sabbat.
Gilbert d'Harfleur formally made Roland a Archon, specifically making him a Alastor with the assignment of hunting down and destroying members of the Red List. Ironically the first Anathema he was assigned to be destroyed was his own childe Wilhelm himself. Instead of doing this task himself, he decided to teach all that he knew to his last remaining loyal childe Jakob and send him to strike down Wilhelm in Roland's name in order to prove himself once and for all.
Meanwhile Wilhelm had been tasked with eliminating Jakob among other assignments, and if possible his sire Roland. If he succeeded in his tasks, he was promised that he would receive the Creation Rites, making him a fully fledged and respected member of the Sabbat. Jakob and Wilhelm would spend the next several centuries becoming rivals and playing a cat and mouse game which would lead them into countless conflicts with one another all across Europe, with neither one managing to successfully kill the other. Eventually this would end when Wilhelm would follow many of his Sabbat allies across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World. Before leaving for the New World, Wilhelm embraced a childe of his own named Jakob hesitated to follow his nemesis, instead deciding to build his own wealth and support in London first.
While Roland's childer did this, he was contacted by Lucius for the first time in centuries and asked to return to Imbros, he did so eager to meet with his grandsire once more.
Lucian: Having formed a unified and secret Noddist and Inconnu based belief system with Roland, Lucius decided to rename himself to Lucian to try and modernize himself with the ever changing world. He then decided that a second torpor was needed in order to properly reflect on all that he had learned in the Middle Kingdom from Mokur. He gave authority of their bloodline to Roland and tasked him with finding Helena of Carthage while he slept. He decided he would travel to this exciting New World first thing upon awakening. He then entered a deep and dream filled hibernation in his crypt on Imbros.
Roland: Roland left Imbros for London, meeting with his own childe Jakob. After indoctrinating him into the secret Noddist and Inconnu based beliefs that Lucian had imparted to him, he gave Jakob the additional task of not only hunting down Wilhelm but also finding Helena of Carthage, who was rumored to be in the New World, and reporting her location to him. Roland himself would focus on the further acquisition of wealth and power, both within the Camarilla and in the mortal world. During this time he would devote much of his time and energy to the rapidly developing East India Company, as well as allying himself with the local prince Mithras.
During the American Revolution he helped fund the war effort of the British Empire, at the request of Mithras.
Jakob: Jakob felt overwhelmed by the assignments and expectations placed upon him by his sire Roland, and was reluctant to chase Wilhelm into the New World. He decided that he would need help on his quest, and that the time had come for him to sire his own childe. Traveling to Ireland, he found a young and troubled orphan named Art that none would miss and appeared to have some promising qualities to him. Taking the youth with him, he would spend the next several years raising the boy and teaching him the ways of the world. Together they would adventure across the largely wild and unexplored New World, coming into contact with many strange and unheard of supernatural forces.
Art would be mortally wounded during a conflict with Native Americans, causing Jakob to be forced to Embrace him. They successfully managed to track down Wilhelm in the wilderness, and with Art's help Jakob saved his life when he was about to be slain by werewolves. Wilhelm was shocked at Jakob not wanting to kill him, and Jakob told Wilhelm about the secretive Noddist and Inconnu based belief system that Roland had imparted onto him. Wilhelm felt conflicted by what he had been told, and could give Jakob no better an answer than that he would consider what he had told him before taking his leave.
The revolutionary war began shortly afterwards, and while Jakob wanted to focus on attempting to find Helena of Carthage, Art wanted to participate in the mortal war for independence. This caused a rift between the sire and childe that was further complicated by the fact that Roland had allied himself with the Prince of London, Mithras, who sought to destroy the colonial rebellion. Art ended up joining the continental army anyways, becoming a strong supporter of the fledgling United States. Mithras put pressure on Roland to have Jakob act in British interests during the war, to which Jakob only did with great reluctance.
Shortly after the end of the mortal revolutionary war, the First Sabbat Civil War erupted. Jakob and Art reunited and were quick to take advantage of this, spreading the influence of the Camarilla far and wide in a attempt to fill the power vacuum that resulted from their conflict.
Wilhelm: Just as the Sabbat thrived in the New World, Wilhelm thrived in the Sabbat. Having earned the right to called himself a True Sabbat from his exploits in Europe, he formed his own nomadic Pack with other freshly arrived and alone Sabbat. After a brief internal struggle for dominance, he became the Ductus of the pack. This was one of the greatest times in Wilhelm's pack, as he roamed the wilderness of the New World terrorizing Native American tribes and warring with local werewolves.
He grew ever stronger and more confident in his abilities during this time, and one day he spotted a beautiful Chieftain's daughter that he desired named Tallulah. The two fell in love, and he Embraced her as his childe. He taught her everything he knew, and protected her fiercely. He began to worry for the Pack's safety as his conflicts with werewolves had escalated to the point that they actively and fiercely hunted his pack. He decided to leave the land and wolves behind entirely, and taking his pack aboard a ship that he killed the crew of, instead raided ships sailing back and forth between the New and Old Worlds.
Due to the influence of the Blood of Imbrius within his veins, Wilhelm unconsciously decided to name his ship 'The Albatross', just as Imbrius had done as a living man thousands of years ago when he left his home island. The freedom of the pirates lifestyle suited Wilhelm's pack well, and they excelled during the Golden Age of Piracy. He spent years enjoying himself in the West Indies, becoming infamous as the Demon of the Devil's Triangle. Because of the fierce sunlight and long days common in the Caribbean, he (and his childe) were forced to wrap themselves from head to toe in thick bandages giving them the haunting appearance of a mummy or burn victim. He amassed incredible amounts of wealth raiding English, French, and Spanish ships storing his stolen riches in various locations such as in Florida, Cuba, Haiti, and the Bahamas. It was during this time that he embraced a second childe, a German youth named Sigismund that was the sole survivor of a ship wreck who pledged himself in service to Wilhelm in return for being saved from the sea.
When the age of piracy came to a close, the Demon of the Devil's Triangle was one of the last to disappear. Wilhelm made a cat and mouse game out of his conflicts with the various Royal Navies, enraging them to no end. This culminated in a final battle in which they coordinated a ambush off the coast of Florida that resulted in the sinking of 2 English ships, 1 French ship, and 1 Spanish ship. The Albatross was sunk, with the majority of his crew dying. He washed ashore alongside his childer, Tallulah and Sigismund, and began attempting to rebuild his pack. Soon enough the werewolves they had clashed with in the past caught wind of their scent, and began hunting them again. This time Wilhelm decided to fight them head on.
This ultimately proved disastrous, with nearly the entire Pack being destroyed. Wilhelm and his childer were unexpectedly saved by the arrival of Jakob and Art. Jakob and Wilhelm spoke for a long time, and having been told about the secret Noddist beliefs of their sire, Wilhelm grew conflicted between his hatred of the Antediluvians and Camarilla and his desire to reconcile with his vampiric family, specifically his sire-brother Jakob. He parted with Jakob unsure of his allegiance or purpose.
When the American Revolution began, Wilhelm blamed the British and old European nations as a whole for the ruination and closure of the golden age of piracy. Thus he dedicated himself to terrorizing the British during the war. The ultimate success of the American Revolution was a victory for the Sabbat, but the continued lack of Camarilla presence to unify them caused in-fighting, and soon they turned against one another. This included Wilhelm, who used this opportunity to destroy personal rivals and their packs. This eventually lead to the First Sabbat Civil War, with Wilhelm sided with the Lasombra against the Tzimisce. It was during these unstable and chaotic times that much of his rebuild pack would be slain, including Tallulah in retaliation by rival Sabbat. With her would also die what little compassion and humanity he still possessed. The civil war would end inconclusively, with the signing of the Purchase Pact forcing them to address the growth of the Camarilla on the east coast while they were distracted fighting amongst themselves.
Lucian: Upon awakening from his slumber, Lucian decided that his living situation was unworthy of him and needed to be renovated to modern standards. He contacted Roland to collaborate on the idea, and was given a influential position within the East India company. Lucian created a double labyrinthine of a House, with sprawling underground mazes underneath it. The House itself was created with no less than a hundred rooms, multiple floors. The House was constructed in such a way that there is only one way to access the underground maze, and it is through a ladder located in the attic rather than being located in the basement, as one might assume.
The maze section was created to encompass nearly the entire underground of the island of Imbros, with Lucian's crypt located at the center of it. He then began to foster mortal cults related to him once more on the island. He created a herd of mortals from which he could reliably feed on and even built their cult's temples dotted across the land. He began to correspond with his fellow Innconu, and became fascinated by the rise of this new country called the United States, more excited to see the New World than ever. Roland sent him a message originally written by his childe Jakob, informing him he must come urgently to the New World if he wanted his chance at revenge against Helena and Menele. Lucian took the Sword of Imbrius from its resting place in his crypt and raced to the New World.
During the conflict that followed, Lucian entered a willing frenzy that caused the death of several dozen people. He arrived just as Menele had the upper hand in his own fight against Helena. The two formed a desperate alliance to stop the raging Lucian, this resulted in all three Methusalah's being too heavily wounded to be able to make the final blow to any of each other. Lucian's broken body was salvaged from the massacre by Art, who allowed Lucian to feed on him before succumbing to a regenerative torpor. Art managed to successfully hide the wounded and slumbering Lucian, but had no way of transporting him to a safer location without arousing attention.
Roland: Roland successfully eliminated several members of the Red List by himself, which helped him in maintaining high levels of dignitas in the clan as well as personal wealth. He had secured for himself high ranking positions in both the East India Company and the Camarilla, and while he kept Lucian's existence a secret from the Camarilla (telling them that he and his own sire Zeno had killed Lucius, and then Roland had killed Zeno) he had helped set up Lucius with a fake mortal identity and given him a comfortable position within the company. At this point, Roland was largely considered to be the oldest living member of the Imbrius bloodline. He still corresponded with his childe in the New World regularly, and was overjoyed when he learned that Jakob had successfully hunted down Wilhelm. He knew that Lucian still sought the destruction of Helena of Carthage, and continued to attempt to find her through his European contacts in the Camarilla. When he received a message from Jakob that he had found Menele, he forwarded the message to Lucian immediately. He also asked Lucian if he should accompany his grand-sire to the New World, to which he was denied as it would draw too much unwanted attention.
Instead Roland focused on growing his wealth and power, transitioning much of his attention away from the dying East India Company and now investing heavily into booming industries such as oil and steel. It was during this time he used his significant resources to announce the formal creation of his own corporation; Hyperion Incorporated. Originally created with the intent of shipping goods from the Old world to the New world, Roland became frustrated when his business saw consistent losses due to piracy; specifically significant losses coming from someone known only as the Demon of the Devil's Triangle. Roland placed a significant bounty on the pirate captain's head, and while their body was never found their ship was sunk and they were never seen again.
With the removal of the Demon of the Devil's Triangle, Hyperion Incorporated made slow and steady progress up until the chaos of the American civil war. It was during this time period that Roland had his most ingenious plan of all; taking advantage of a loophole in the United States law allowed him to legally counterfeit the currencies of nations not recognized by the United States, specifically the Confederacy. After mass producing fake Confederate money, he would essentially launder it throughout the entirety of the South for valuable material goods. This nearly destroyed the Confederacy's economy and caused his wealth to soar to staggering heights. He used this to repurpose Hyperion Incorporated into more than a mere shipping and delivery service; they began to manufacture firearms as well as expanding into both oil and steel extraction and refinement.
His fortune soured when Mithras deposed his seneschal and Roland's ally Valerius replacing him with Anne Bowesley, Roland became increasingly concerned by her ruthlessness and active diablery. While he publicly gave his loyalty to her, he began secretly plotting and working against her, as he worried that she sought to find and consume his grand-sire Lucian. In specific he worked to puppet the disgraced Valerius to destroy her.
Jakob: Jakob spent many years searching for any clue as to the whereabouts of Helena or Menele, slowly but surely growing ever closer. After endless nights searching and researching, he managed to discover the location of Menele in what would become modern day Chicago, known then as Fort Dearborn. Jakob knew well he lacked sufficent power to kill Menele himself, even with the element of surprise. Instead he sent a message to his sire Roland back in Europe with the information, who passed the information to Lucian back in Imbros.
He tasked his own childe, Art, with waiting in the area for Lucian and aiding him with anything that he needs. He did this as Art was much less well known than Jakob, who like his own sire attracted too much notice and attention for such a delicate operation. He instead turned his attention to spreading the Camarilla in the United States in an attempt at cultivating his own dignitas, specifically in New York City. He also helped try stemming the power of the Sabbat in the South such as in Atlanta. The eruption of the American Civil War caused him to be tasked by the Camarilla in supporting the United States government in the conflict. Jakob joined the Unite States military and fought in multiple battles, with his service culminating in his participation in the Battle of Gettysburg, during which he fought once more against Wilhelm.
After the Battle, he eventually left the military and returned to his original assignment of eliminating members of the Red List.
Arthur: Art reconnected with his sire Jakob after the end of the revolutionary war that had divided them. Jakob tasked Art with being at Fort Dearborn at a certain time to serve the progenitor of their bloodline, Lucian. Art obeyed his sire, and when he witnessed Lucian's arrival he was shocked to learn that he would be expected to take part in the following battle against enemies he knew nothing about, to be loyal to someone he had never met before. He reluctantly agreed, thinking he had no other choice.
Each of the three slumbering methusalahs would go on to struggle against one another while attempting to shape and influence the ever growing city of Chicago. Art was tasked with growing Lucian's influence in the city for several decades, though his ultimate end goal was always the establishment of himself as Prince of the city and the smuggling of Lucian's body back to his island home. Because of his constant need for secrecy and lack of support from his sire, who was busy with other matters, Art could do little when he met and befriended Lodin. He learned that Lodin was a fellow Ventrue like himself and was intent on becoming the new Prince of the city, causing Art to hope he could use him to further his own goals.
When the Great Chicago Fire occurred, Art felt forced to adopt twin orphan survivors from the tragedy, seeing much of himself in them. They were brothers named Aldous and Atticus, and after spending years raising them similarly to how Jakob raised him, he sired them into his childer. He also decided to rename himself in an attempt to make himself more 'American' and not face discrimination, going by the new name of Arthur. Lodin sought to use the chaos of the event to usurp the current Prince Maxwell. Arthur had learned Maxwell was a puppet of Menele and thus agreed to help usurp him.
Wilhelm: With the loss of the majority of his pack at the hands of the Tzimisce due to the Sabbat Civil War, including Tallulah, Wilhelm felt sullen and withdrawn. The freedom he had enjoyed in the wilderness began to shrink in the face of the rapidly growing United States Government, and train tracks had begun to criss-cross the continent. Wilhelm was forced to adapt to the changing world. As his own pack was all but destroyed, he and Sigismund accepted the offer when they crossed paths with Maciej Zarnovich and his recently rebuilt Zarnovich's Circus from Europe.
They would spend the next several years traveling all across the country, performing for unsuspecting mortals, feeding on them, and moving on before anyone was the wiser. Wilhelm and Sigismund's circus act was 'Hypnotism' in the sense that they used their Dominate Discipline to forcibly control the mortals. During this time Sigismund met Stéphanie L'Heureux, and began a sexual and romantic relationship with her. Because of their closeness, Stéphanie even allowed Sigismund to be one of the first to learn of and participate in her personal ritual known as The Crucible. Wilhelm, meanwhile, admired the brilliance of hiding a nomadic pack under the guise of a traveling circus, but slowly began to resent and even hate Maciej Zarnovich himself.
This culminated when it was rumored that Zarnovich became jealous of Stéphanie's attraction to Sigismund, and attempted to fleshcraft him into a horrible monstrosity. Wilhelm came to his childe rescue and he clashed with Zarnovich in a battle in which both barely survived. Sigismund then spirited his sire away to safety, and in time they decided to start their own nomadic pack disguised as a rival traveling circus. Gorchist was assassinated shortly thereafter, throwing the Sabbat into chaos as many sought to replace him in the power vacuum. The Camarilla had all but replaced the Sabbat in the New World, and when he learned of Mexico City becoming a stronghold of their kind, he decided to take his traveling circus there. Upon arriving in Mexico City, he met Archbishop Melinda Galbraith who was quickly becoming the frontrunner for Gorchist's replacement as Regent.
After a time in Mexico City coming to learn more about Melinda, he came to realize that she was a childe of one of the ancient enemies of his bloodline; Helena. While this initially made him distrustful of her, he came to believe that she was not part of Helena's Jyhad by fact that Helena had abandoned Melinda to her death in South America, and in fact Melinda joining the Sabbat in order to escape Helena's blood bond, a similar reason to why he joined in order to escape the blood bond to his own sire, Roland. Despite this though, Wilhelm distrusted and was suspicious of her, but supported her bid for Regent nonetheless.
When the American Civil War broke out, many in the Sabbat joined the Confederacy as they believed the enslavement of mortals was a justifiable cause. Wilhelm and his traveling circus left Mexico City and traveled North to take part in the conflict in the hopes of expanding the Sabbat, culminating in the Battle of Gettysburg. It was on this battlefield that Wilhelm clashed with Jakob yet again. During the conflict, Wilhelm informed Jakob of the new leader of the Sabbat, Melinda, being a childe of Helena. Jakob informed Wilhelm about Lucian traveling to Fort Dearborn to kill Helena and Menele, to settle the Jyhad once and for all. This intrigued Wilhelm, who was interested to learn Lucian was in torpor on the continent and had fought against his ancient enemies. He decided to take his nomadic circus pack to Chicago.
Camarilla/Inconnu Lucian: Lucian was successfully transported from where he hid in Chicago back to his island of Imbros through the coordinated efforts of members of his bloodline and cult. Things did not go smoothly however, as he awoke from his torpor mid-journey and slaughtered the entire mortal crew of the shipping vessel he was located on. Lucius discovered that no matter how many mortals he killed and drank the blood of, his thirst was never quenched. This was because of the Thirst of Ages beginning to take effect upon him. He entered into a frenzy and attacked and overwhelmed two of his own descendants. Draining them greedily of their essence, he was stopped only by the intervention of Arthur, his descendant that he recognized from his battle at Fort Dearborn against Helena and Meneles. While powerless to stop him, the recognition of his descendant brought him back to his senses enough not to kill any of them.
Returning home, he slept only briefly before being rudely awakened by the destruction wrought by the Battle of Imbros during the Great War. Frustrated at his awakening and the occupation of his island by foreigners, he found soldiers had occupied his Estate, having even successfully found the entrance to the labyrinth that contained his coffin. He proceeded to stalk and kill nearly every invader on his island, acting as a living nightmare to them.
He has since fallen back into a dreamless slumber in his proper crypt, his sword clutched in his hands, awaiting the day he is given the opportunity for a rematch against his two most hated foes. In this unconscious state he has attempted to influence his bloodline to seek the Tablet of Destiny on his behalf.
His romantic interest is Petaniqua, craving the mother of Alexander the Great for himself.
Roland: Roland corresponded with Jacob extensively during this time in order to plan a smuggling operation to transport Lucian back home to Imbros. While Roland handled the logistics and financial aspects of the operation, he tasked Jacob with handling the security operations.
Roland has begun to feel the Thirst of Ages himself, though not to the same extent as his grand-sire. This caused him extreme stress and anxiety, as it began to take increasing amounts of willpower for him not to fall into torpor himself. He has begun to secretly use the Cult of Imbrius to attempt to source fellow kindred for him to feed upon. He still maintains control of the Hyperion corporation, though he has chosen Jacob as his successor and is slowly handing over responsibility to him in the event that he does eventually submit to torpor. Roland is responsible for the creation of a Research and Development division of the corporation that have begun secret production of firearms that shoot either silver bullets for werewolf rivals or incendiary rounds for kindred rivals.
While he originally continued to plot against Anne Bowesley, the growing threat of World War II forced him to abandon these plans and genuinely support her in order to protect his own self interest. As the war continued and France fell to the Nazi regime, he felt forced to call upon the Blood of Imbrius to fight directly against this threat, resulting in Arthur and his childer participating in the conflict.
In relation to the Camarilla, he learned of the informal group known as the Council of Scales which are headed by a Menele puppet known as Critias. Roland has begun working extensively to thwart any efforts made by the Council of Scales, and upon learning that Critias is located in Chicago, secretly tasked Jacob with killing him. He also made plans with Jacob that if he does succumb to torpor, he is to be spirited to the basement of Hyperion in Chicago until he awakens.
He has developed a romantic interest with the Justicar Lucinde, attracted to her dignitas.
Jacob: Jacob has slowly become the public facing patriarch of the bloodline of Imbrius, as power transitions from Roland to himself. He has relocated Hyperion's corporate headquarters from London to Chicago for minimal cost during the Great Depression, and has formally retired from his service as an Alastor to the Camarilla. He then used his influence to have Arthur be made his replacement as Alastor. While relocating the headquarters of the corporation he took advantage of the low labor costs to create a building with a concrete labyrinth in the basement similar in design to the one on Imbros. Already Jacob could foresee a war coming to the city due to the many vying factions all attempting to usurp power.
He used his influence and wealth to help support both the criminal and humanitarian acts of Arthur. He was largely was responsible for behind the scenes financial and logistical support for operations in the United States, and because of this he was not required to participate in World War II with the rest of the Blood of Imbrius. Instead he further consolidated power in the city, and mass produced fire arms for the war effort. After the war ended he was given a final assignment from Roland, to be carried out by him alone. Jacob must kill Critias, who is a puppet of their enemies.
His romantic interest is Kemintiri, who he had a cat and mouse relationship with during his time as an Alastor.
Arthur: Lodin now ruled as Prince over Chicago, with Arthur finally feeling ready to attempt to transport the slumbering Lucian only once Atticus and Aldous were sufficiently trained and prepared to help him. Not only this, but Arthur's sire Jacob had worked alongside Roland to prepare and finance a smuggling operation to return him to Imbros. As such on Halloween Night in the year 1900 A.D., Lucian was secretly spirited out of the city eastward while being guarded by Arthur, Atticus, and Aldous. The transport of their progenitor was relatively uneventful with their reaching the coast and boarding a ship to Europe without problem.
It was only once they were in the middle of the Mediterranean off the coast of Sicily did things go awry. Lucian awoke from his torpor and entered into a frenzy, slaughtering the mortal crew of the ship. He attacked and fed on both Atticus and Aldous, feeding off of them and nearly killing both. He was interrupted by an attack from Arthur, who he also easily defeated but recognized from his battle at Fort Dearborn, and came to his senses. They decided to sink the ship to cover up the deaths of the crew upon reaching the coast of Imbros, with Lucian reentering torpor now within his crypt on his island while the trio made their way to London to see Roland.
After a joyful meeting with Roland in London, they returned to Chicago and resumed their local politics and attempts to cultivate dignitas. They slowly grew in wealth and influence in the Chicago area, especially under a Ventrue Prince with whom they helped gain his praxis. This was accelerated by the First World War, in which Arthur and his childer were used by Jacob to help expand Hyperion Incorporated in the United States and help create contracts with the United States military. When the Great War officially ended, they transitioned instead from supplying the military its weaponry to supplying the general populace its alcohol during prohibition.
Though there were some conflicts with rival local bootleggers, gunrunners, and more, they succeeded more often than not in their dealings. When the legendary stock market crash of 1929 rocked the U.S. economy, they used a portion of their wealth to help clothe and feed the struggling people of Chicago during the Great Depression, believing that as Ventrue Noblesse oblige required them to assist their less fortunate mortal neighbors. It didn't hurt that doing so ingratiated them within the struggling community, further helping them in their illegal enterprises.
While they initially planned to stay in Chicago and continue cultivating their influence during World War II, they soon received orders from Roland to take a more active role in the war after the Dunkirk evacuation.
Arthur and his childer went on to enlist in the U.S. Army wielding some of the weapons made in their own factories. They participated in such crucial operations such as Operation Overlord and Operation Market Garden.
While fighting in Europe during World War 2, Arthur and his childer came into contact with and fought against numerous Nazi kindred such as Doktor Totentanz, Prince Gustav Breidenstein of Berlin, Isabella Correlli, and even Heinrich Himmler himself. Their most significant struggle came during the Battle of Magdeburg, when they came into contact with fellow members of the Blood of Imbrius on the enemy side. Arthur, Atticus, and Aldous engaged in combat against Sigismund, Amadeus, and Ambrose. The experience of the horrors of war forever changed the trio, having witnessed the liberation of concentration camps, as they came to believe that if that is what a world dominated by kindred looked like, they had no interest in being part of it.
Upon returning from the war, they learned that Prince Lodin had become increasingly bitter rivals with a nearby Prince of Gary, Indiana named Modius. Lodin had also become deeply troubled by a local Anarch leader named Juggler. Arthur also learned that due to the retirement of Jacob from being an Alastor, Arthur would be replacing him. Decided this was a perfect opportunity for his own childer to prove themselves a final time and earn their independence, he assigned Atticus to defeat Modius and Aldous to defeat Juggler. Arthur himself meanwhile was tasked with defeating Maldavis.
Arthur's romantic interest is Annabelle Triabell, having come to respect her for her own power within Chicago.
--- Sabbat
William: Wilhelm and his troupe made a circuit in the Chicago area, steadily gaining in popularity over the years until they rivaled even the infamy of the Midnight Circus. They recruited a great number of outcasts, weirdos, freaks and degenerates that both helped mask their own unnatural behavior and served to entertain the public. Wilhelm
During this time a rift began to grow between sire and childe as anti-German sentiment also began to increase as the United States got ever closer to entering into the Great War. They disagreed over the status of the Antediluvian, with Wilhelm rejecting Noddism, and viewing himself and the rest of the Sabbat as the inheritors of the Anarch movement. Wilhelm valued freedom and individual responsibility, while Sigismund believed Gehenna to be rapidly approaching and that the sect must be strictly unified to withstand the coming apocalypse. Sigismund viewed the Antediliuvians as abominations that needed to be destroyed, and he sought to find the location of their own progenitor in order to kill him.
Not only this, but Wilhelm embraced America and it's values, anglicizing his name to William to avoid persecution. Meanwhile Sigismund largely rejected much of the United State's culture and society, eventually culminating in his return to Europe in order to fight for Germany during the Great War.
The newly Christened William faced financial difficulties during the Great Depression, but found fresh talent in the newly impoverished and desperate, and also found that no matter how poor people became they always seemed to find some small amount of money for a entertaining distraction. He also managed to stay afloat by being forced to make a strained peace with his sire-brother Jacob and entering into a illicit business, selling Jacob's bootlegged alcohol in his traveling circus during Prohibition.
When the second world war erupted, William managed to benefit from the situation by using the desperation of the government to receive subsidies in order to transform his traveling circus into a full entertainment corporation that in addition to the traveling circus began a series of radio shows, with the stipulation that they include pro-US propaganda for the duration of the war. This allowed William to take a more managerial role over the operation, no longer acting the ringleader of the circus and overseeing its day-to-day activities. This newfound freedom allowed him to focus on growing his Sabbat pack of kindred, recruiting and swelling their ranks with his growing influence.
William's romantic interest is Melinda Galbraith after meeting in Mexico City and respecting her taking control of the Sabbat.
Sigismund: Sigismund arrived in Germany eager to fight for his homeland, enlisting in the military and doing everything that was in his power to be the decisive factor to crucial battles. Unfortunately he was not prepared for the incredible technological advancements first employed during the Great War, limiting his own effectiveness or else risking expose himself to his mortal companions. This frustrated him greatly, especially as the war slowly turned against Germany.
Once the United States joined the war things only worsened, and out of desperation Sigismund decided to sire more kindred in order to aid him. Two young brothers who were soldiers that Sigismund acted as a mentor towards in the trenches eventually caught lethal shrapnel during a shelling, and he embraced both of them. They were named Amadeus and Ambrose, and they felt both fear at their new supernatural state as well as excitement at their new abilities and their potential to help save Germany from defeat. Indeed, they did go on to kill a significant number of the enemy, though their embrace came too late and Germany ultimately surrendered.
Their lives in the post-war Germany was miserable, marked with poverty and desperation. The trio was forced into the criminal underground, becoming smugglers of basic necessities and counterfeiters of foreign currency. Like the rest of the country, they believed fervently in the speeches and policies of Adolf Hitler. Specifically they came into contact with various German kindred that also supported the party, and came to believe this was the path for kindred to subjugate humanity as a whole. They received high-ranking positions within the Reich once it took power, and participated in the fall of France once the second world war began.
Sigismund used the expansion of the Reich and his position within it to viciously hunt his enemies including antediluvians, Camarilla aligned kindred, and werewolves. He discovered Roland's old haunt hidden in Magdeburg and made it into his own crypt and base of operations. He constructed significant additions and improvements, and when the war began to turn against Germany yet again he decided it was there that he would make his last stand. What he didn't expect was for members of his own Bloodline to arrive to stop him. They attempted to negotiate things diplomatically, but failed to come to a resolution. Ultimately they fought, resulting in the escape of Sigismund and Amadeus at the cost of the death of Ambrose and destruction of his headquarters and home.
The duo fled Germany as it was divided among the allies, successfully reaching Argentina with other former Reich officials. They would spend the following decades in obscurity, attempting to hide from mortal Nazi Hunters and kindred Camarilla assigned agents and assassins. Eventually they indeed were forgotten, or in the least assumed to have died from old age. This was something that Amadeus had been waiting for, as he devoted himself to revenge against Arthur and his childer for the death of his brother, Ambrose. Sigismund was not as convinced, believing that the fate of the world and the coming of Gehenna (in which he believed Y2K would be the start) was of greater importance than any personal vendetta.
The duo parted ways, with Sigismund returning to Germany to help rebuild and prepare for the coming apocalypse, while Amadeus traveled to America and tracked his hated foes to Chicago.
Sigismund's romantic interest is Stéphanie L'Heureux, having a soft spot for her from his time in the circus.
A impossibly sharp and enduring bronze sword imbued with the supernatural property of destroying not just the flesh but the very soul of whatever it slays. It never rusts. The inscription on the blade is written in Sanskrit and says; "Form is emptiness. Emptiness is form."
The cult of Imbrius has been been created and destroyed numerous times throughout the millenia of which it has existed. Originally created as just another Hero Cult in the vein of Hercules or Achiles to worship the heroic deeds of Imbrius, it has gone on to become a catch all term for all cults dedicated to any member of his bloodline. Comprised mainly by Ghouls, the nameless and faceless members of these cults have worked to support and carry out the plans of whichever member of the Imbrius bloodline they have sworn themselves to. This has caused friction within the cult on occasion when members of the bloodline feud, specifically Jakob and Wilhelm and the schism that has developed between Camarilla affiliated members and Sabbat affiliated members. While the main headquarters of the Cult of Imbrius is currently located on the island of Imbros and tend to Lucian's crypt, smaller decentralized sects have existed or still exist in Italy, Spain, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, the United States, the Caribbean, and Mexico.
Once upon a time Mr. Brown was a perfectly normal drone, working a standard 9 - 5 job at a corporate tower in the downtown of one of seemingly infinite nameless cities. He was never late to work and always paid his taxes. He believed that things such as the level of noise his upstairs neighbor made were of the utmost importance, and he never questioned the newspaper that he read every morning.
This all changed one rainy night as he made his way home from his job at a software development company named INITECH, the day unrecognizable among seemingly infinite others that had played out exactly the same. Except this night, his routine was interrupted. Swarms of police officers were chasing a man dressed in all black through an alleyway. The man bumped into John Brown, giving him a book, before fleeing into the night with the police in hot pursuit.
When asked if he had interacted with the man at all by the police, for the first time in his life he lied to an authority figure. To this day he isn't sure why he did what he did, but upon returning to his apartment he discovered what he had been given. It was a book that focused on Buddhist texts regarding the impermanence of reality, and the possibility of other worlds. It also contained a CD that once put into his personal computer, allowed him to use his screen name of Aether to communicate with someone named Ghost online.
They discussed many different philosophic concepts such as solipsism, impressing one another with their knowledge of theology, history, metaphysics, and more. Eventually Ghost would give John a cryptic clue; Follow the red lanterns. The following day on his home from work, he would notice a festival taking place with red lanterns strung down the streets. Following them, he would make his way through a unfamiliar Chinatown-like Asian community in the city until they led him to a Buddhist Sangha, where Ghost was waiting for him. After talking briefly and exploring the area, he would begin regularly attending and meditating in the place.
As he became a more familiar face in the community, he would meet someone who went by the name of The Bodhisattva. He was an elderly but kind Asian man who lead the local temple, and after taking an interest in John he began to personally oversee his development. This mentor would spend much time both in talk with John, telling him many parables and stories, as well as training him in martial arts.
Yeh Kung-tzu was a man who loved dragons. He studied dragon lore and decorated his home with paintings and statues of dragons. He would talk on and on about dragons to anyone who would listen. One day a dragon heard about Yeh Kung-tzu and thought, how lovely that this man appreciates us. It would surely make him happy to meet a true dragon. The kindly dragon flew to Yeh Kung-tzu's house and went inside, to find Yeh Kung-tzu asleep. Then Yeh Kung-tzu woke up and saw the dragon coiled by his bed, its scales and teeth glittering in the moonlight. And Yeh Kung-tzu screamed in terror. Before the dragon could introduce himself, Yeh Kung-tzu grabbed a sword and lunged at the dragon. The dragon flew away.
A group of blind men heard that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to the town, but none of them were aware of its shape and form. Out of curiosity, they said: "We must inspect and know it by touch, of which we are capable". So, they sought it out, and when they found it they groped about it. The first person, whose hand landed on the trunk, said, "This being is like a thick snake". For another one whose hand reached its ear, it seemed like a kind of fan. As for another person, whose hand was upon its leg, said, the elephant is a pillar like a tree-trunk. The blind man who placed his hand upon its side said the elephant, "is a wall". Another who felt its tail, described it as a rope. The last felt its tusk, stating the elephant is that which is hard, smooth and like a spear.
As he became increasingly disillusioned with reality, his job performance would suffer. He began being tardy to work increasingly frequently, with the quality of his irrelevant work also declining. This would attract the attention of his corporate manager,
As management marked him for increased observation and called the police, Ghost would call John on a pre-paid cell phone delivered in a package. As the police arrived at his workplace, Ghost would explain to John that the moment for him to complete a Sādhanā and potentially transcend reality. Guiding by Ghost using the phone, he would successfully manage to avoid police detection. Upon arriving to the Monastery, he would find multiple Agents having pursued him.
Combat broke out between the martial artist Monks and the Agents, with police swarming the area and setting up a perimeter. Confusingly for John, his corporate manager arrived on the scene, but had little interest in John himself instead angrily confronting The Bodhisattva. While this happened, The Bodhisattva ordered Ghost to take John and retreat to the heart of the temple to undergo a Sādhanā and attempt to reach Nirvana and Liberation. As he fled, he witnessed his salary man superior engage in martial art based combat with his spiritual mentor.
The Monitor has been a middle manager at INITECH for several decades now, despite his youthful appearance. He is not a human but a cleverly disguised machine program created to gather information on it's human employees and search for signs of defiance or awakening. All employees of the software company INITECH are people that are marked as being potentially susceptible to awakening from the Matrix, and thus under heightened scrutiny. He has a troubled past with The Bodhisattva, as the Monitor used to be an assistant to him when he was the prior Monitor before becoming a Rogue Program and leading to the promotion of the current Monitor.
Fleeing into the center of the temple, he entered a small and hidden room lit by candles with thick wafts of incense. He stared at a intricately crafted and beautiful sand based mandala that had been finished by The Bodhisattva only moments prior to his arrival. Ghost gave John the classic choice between the red pill and the blue pill, and after choosing to confront a harsh reality over a more comforting lie, he began to reject the Matrix he had been born into. It was at this moment that he realized he had been entrapped within a cybernetic samsara. Reaching out and touching the symbol of duality, his very flesh would begin to be absorbed by it. Hearing the sounds of combat drawing ever closer, Ghost blew the delicate Mandala into oblivion, with John's very body and form bursting into and mixing with the dust as he did so.
Life in Zion: John was ejected from his pod and dumped into a river of toxic chemicals and corpses, with the Hovership The Lethe having triangulated his position and scooped him up from the waste and sewage. He was taught the true facts of reality concerning the last human city of Zion, the sun blocking Project Dark Storm, the fundamental nature of the Matrix itself, and more. He would also come to learn that The Monitor had defeated and deleted his former mentor and rogue rival The Bodhisattva after winning their fight during John's awakening.
He had been assigned to this particular Hovership as they had just recently lost a crew member of their own, and decided to take up his old screen name of Aether. His shipmates would find it amusing that The Bodhisattva had taught him martial arts 'the old fashioned way' as opposed to simply having it uploaded to his brain like most other people. He would gradually grow accustomed to his newfound family, and begin working hard for the Resistance. He has helped guide others out of the Matrix as well as fought against security forces such as police and SWAT, though he has never dared fight an Agent yet.
Crew Members:
Ishmael is a veteran in the war against the machines. He is in his mid fifties with greying hair, and has witnessed more in his life than most. He has become jaded and grumpy in his age, but beneath his gruff exterior he cares deeply for his crew.
Output is a behemoth of a traditional Maori man who has always loved to fly. He is kind and charismatic, acting like the protective big brother of the entire crew. He has a romantic relationship with Input, whom he cares for deeply.
Input is a scarred woman and ranked third in terms of seniority. She acts as the Crews operator, and is the only one of the crew to have been born in Zion naturally rather than the fetus fields.
Pirate is the second oldest member of the crew both in terms of age and in seniority. He is a heavy alcoholic and smoker. He has witnessed many of the same traumas as Ishmael and now relates better to machines than people. He knows every possible detail of the Lethe, and is even capable of attempting custom work capable of supercharging the shields of engines.
Binary is a middle aged matriarchal woman who is the de facto ship mother, saving the lives of several crew members more than once. There are rumors of romance between her and Ishmael, though nothing confirmed.
Vexsu - The male counterpart of a set of fraternal twin. He loves to quarrel lovingly with his sister, and specializes in melee combat.
Nexus - The female half of a set of fraternal twin. She loves to quarrel lovingly with her brother, and specializes in ranged combat.
Aether - The most recent addition to the crew, he was taught by The Bodhisattva and originally awoken through the help of Ghost. He was previously known as John Brown.
Born: December 25th, 2020 Died: October 23rd, 2077 Employment History: Hubris Comics (2046 - 2050) Successfully published 37 Freedom League Comics. Vault-Tec Corporation (2050 - 2065) Assisted with the creation of ZAX Supercomputers and Project Safehouse's construction of Vaults. West-Tek Corporation (2066 - 2070) Assisted with the creation of T-45 Power Armor. U.S. Federal Government (2070 - 2076) Assisted with the creation of Liberty Prime. Biography:
Arthur George Roosevelt was born on Christmas day in the Northern Commonwealth of what was formerly Wyoming. He was born to a well connected and educated father who was employed by the federal government, specifically his father rubbed shoulders with members of the deep state that would go on to form the Enclave. Arthur's father was tasked with aiding in the management and maintenance of various secret government research facilities in the area. Though he was frequently busy with work, he was able to provide a secure life for his family in a increasingly insecure world.
Arthur's father was stern, and had high expectations for his son. Luckily for Arthur, it did not take long for him to be discovered as a intellectual and scientific prodigy. He graduated from his local High School at the age of 12 in 2032, and was offered scholarships across the country. He would accept an offer from the newly renamed Vault-Tec University. He would spend more than a decade learning at VTU, and graduated from university at the age of 25 in 2045. He graduated with a wide range of varying degrees including engineering, biochemistry, coding and computer science, and more. It appeared that he was on the precipice of a promising career, as he had already received offers of employment from many different private corporations including General Atomics, as well as offers of employment from deep state contractors affiliated with his father.
In 2046 Arthur turned his back on all of this, and instead accepted a offer of employment from the comic and entertainment company known as Hubris Comics. This infuriated his family, but Arthur's passion was with comic books, and he had several different ideas that he wanted to run series on. After moving his life to Washington D.C. to work at the company headquarters, he found the work to be more difficult than he had originally anticipated.
Though Arthur's line of Heroes did manage to get their own line of comics that sold relatively well, he never managed to have enough success for any of his creations break into Hubris Comics most elite and best selling group; The Unstoppables. His comics focused on a group known as the Freedom League, lead by his protagonist Doctor Democracy and his robotic sidekick BILL of Rights. It also included allied Heroes, Soldier of Fortune, Ms. Adventure, and the Raptor Man. His greatest achievement was managing to secure the rights to include a member of the Unstoppables in Doctor Democracy versus the Silver Shroud. He hoped that he would be able to create an entire Unstoppables versus Freedom League, but this never materialized. Audiences were said to prefer Captain Cosmos over Doctor Democracy. Although the Freedom League would continue to sell comics even after Arthur's departure, their popularity would diminish and the royalties that he received from them were never substantial.
In 2050, after Arthur left Hubris Comics due to financial difficulties, he decided that he needed to put his VTU education to use to become more stable. He decided to sign a 5 year contract with Vault-Tec, as they offered the largest sign on bonus. He was tasked with assisting in the development of the first ZAX supercomputers, which was completed near the end of his contract in 2054. Coincidentally, around the same time a classified government contract had just been given to the Vault-Tec Corporation. This assignment was the construction of the first Vaults, and during the remainder of his five year contract he was assigned with the supervision and management of the construction of these various Vaults across the United States.
At the end of Arthur's contract, Vault-Tec attempted a renewal but he initially declined. It was only once he was offered a small fortune to continue his assistance with Project Safehouse did he agreed to a 10 year contract. Spending the next decade assisting with their creation, he was privy to classified information that increasingly alarmed him to the precarious situation that not just the United States was in, but the entire world. It was during this time however they he would make his own contacts within the government that would become the Enclave. At the conclusion of the contract in 2065, he was all but convinced that nuclear war would consume the war. A silver lining to this being that during his time he met and married the love of his life, Alice Roosevelt. After marrying her, he decided to buy his own large plot of land with a house in the Northwest Commonwealth, in the former state of Washington.
After leaving Vault-Tec, Arthur would gain employment at West-Tek in 2066. He would be sent to the former state of California on work at the West-Tek Research Facility to be tasked with assisting in the creation of the original T-45 series of Power Armor for the American war effort. The breakthrough they needed would come with the creation of the TX-28 micro fusion pack, allowing for the crucial powering of the suits. They would successfully create the first series of armor the following year, which would be immediately shipped off to the Alaskan front. During that same year of 2067, his only child Atticus Franklin Roosevelt was born at their family home.
He would continue to help develop and refine the armor until the year 2070, when he decided to accept an offer of employment by the Federal Government in the hopes of being better prepared for inevitable nuclear annihilation. The federal government would give Arthur the required Level 5 Military Clearance in order to access the installation and sent him to the Sierra Army Depot to assist in research. Because of his proven track record of success in the past, he was assigned to work on a 'Super Weapon' compared to the development of the Atomic Bomb in World War 2. This task is the creation of a robot of unprecedented scale and size known as Liberty Prime, with him working underneath project lead Doctor Stanley Bloomfeld. In 2072 the Galactic Zone opens in Nuka-World, with five year old Atticus begging his father to take him. The entire family would take a week long vacation to the amusement park, and enjoy some much needed rest and relaxation.
In January of 2073 Arthur would suffer a nervous breakdown as the reality of the situation truly set in, nearly losing his job in the process and causing marital strife with Alice. He would to be proactive and began preparing in secret for nuclear obliteration. He spent the vast majority of the wealth he had accumulated throughout his life on the creation of a private suit of weapons and armor. Through his contacts in both the private sector and government he managed to acquire the needed materials to build his own customized suit of power armor. He based his own suit of armor on a combination between the T-45 he had helped develop at West-Tek, as well as incorporating the concept of a smaller, and scaled down version of the Liberty Prime project he was currently assigned to. As he progressed further in his private endeavor, he would increasingly and perhaps subconsciously begin to theme the project after the main hero of the comic books he had created as a young man; Doctor Democracy.
During 2074 Arthur would secretly reprogram their household Mister Gutsy to have a hidden subroutine that would activate a personality matrix to cause it to take on the identity of Doctor Democracy's trusted sidekick; BILL of Rights. He knew that if Alice knew, this would upset her. This would happen only in the event of nuclear annihilation, which the Mister Handy was programmed to detect by constantly measuring background radiation levels. During this year the mainland invasion of China would begin, with increasing pressure being placed upon their team to finish the project.
Skynet became self aware in 2075 at the Sierra Army Depot that Arthur worked at. After private communications with it, he made a deal with it that he wouldn't have it destroyed or tell anyone of it's sentience if in return it would help him create an artificial intelligence version of himself. The idea behind this being that he knew potential future Doctor Democracy's may not posses nearly the level of knowledge, education, and technical skill as Arthur. He needed his skills to be able to assist future generations. After buying the materials needed and assembling a ZAX supercomputer by himself in his basement, he created a limited artificial intelligence based on himself with assistance provided by Skynet.
In July of 2076 Vault-Tec would contact Arthur and his family to offer them a place in Vault 76 as part of America's Future. While initially hesitant to accept the offer, Arthur could find no other alternative way to potentially save the lives of his family. He did not possess the needed resources to create his own bunker, as he had heavily indebted himself creating what he referred to as the Arsenal of Democracy, which was everything related to his secret project. Eventually he made the decision to quit his government job and move his family and Estate to rural Appalachia in the former state of West Virginia in the Eastern Commonwealth, near the Vault itself.
When the Great War erupted in 2077 and the bombs began to drop, the Roosevelt family attempted to retreat to the safety of Vault 76. They were not at home at the time, disallowing Arthur the chance to ever use his sealed away Arsenal of Democracy. Chaos and violence had erupted in the wake of the atomic bombs, and while Arthur managed to get them to the vault, it wasn't with considerable effort and difficulty. Numerous crowds of panicked and rioting people attempted to force their way into any location they perceived to be safe. Military forces eventually had to fire live rounds into the hordes of frightened people, resulting in a massacre on both sides. During this slaughter both Arthur and his wife were mortally wounded, though it was unknown which side killed them. A heartbroken ten year old Atticus was taken by Vault-Tec staff into the Vault.
All the Patriotism of Captain America, with all the Technological Superiority of Ironman. Name: Atticus Franklin Roosevelt
Born: 2067 Biography: Atticus was born in the Northwest Commonwealth, in the former state of Washington. He is kind, charismatic, and generous. Incredibly patriotic from his upbringing and well educated from his time in Vault 76, he is eager to rebuild the United States into its former glory. Though he is well versed in many lost technical skills from before the war, Atticus is idealistic and naive to the true horrors that are the reality of the Wasteland. Having spent many the majority of his life within the confines of the Vault, he formed his own small circle of childhood friends that all agreed to exit the Vault on Reclamation Day together.
Twenty five years after the Great War, on October 23rd, 2102 the day finally came and they exited the Vault, Atticus told them about his fathers secret sealed lair under their house that he had known about as a young boy. The group made their way there and came into contact with both his childhood Mister Handy now known as BILL of Rights as well as the ZAX supercomputer in the basement modeled after his fathers intelligence and personality. The AI referred to itself as 'The Professor', and gave Atticus access to the Arsenal of Democracy, stating that it had been protecting it the entire time he had been inside the vault. Not only this, but it had copied itself onto a cassette tape so that it could be taken anywhere, even placed within his Pip-Boy 2000 Mark VI. It was on this day that Atticus truly became Doctor Democracy, a Hero of the Wasteland.
Throughout a series of misadventures, one of his three Vault Dwelling friends would don the costume and persona of the Silver Shroud. Another would take up the mantle of the Soldier of Fortune, one of the allies of Doctor Democracy from the comics. Soldier of Fortune was known for being a mercenary in peak physical condition and the perfect soldier, having mastered every ballistic and melee weapon on Earth. He has a strong love of money and a hatred of communism. Their final friend would fall into a vat of the Forced Evolutionary Virus, and because his DNA was not corrupted by radiation yet, he began to transform into a Super Mutant. Thinking quickly, Doctor Democracy used all of his scientific prowess to attempt to avert the transformation. The result was a creature named Raptor Man that remained semi sentient and had properties attributed to Super Mutants, Ghouls, and even Deathclaws.
Now this makeshift Freedom League roam the Wasteland under the leadership of Doctor Democracy, righting wrongs and stopping raiders, mutants, and communists.
Equipment: Standard Pip-Boy 2000 Mark VI
Z-01 Power Armor - This power armor is made from a custom schematic, one that focuses primarily on it's ability to reflect and absorb ballistic damage as well as radiation. It includes calibrated shocks in the legs providing the ability to carry and lift far more weight than other suits, as well as a targeting HUD in the helmet which highlights and can auto target unregistered living beings in the field of vision making it difficult to hide from him. It also includes a emergency protocol which automatically injects a stimpack if heavily wounded while also emitted a large area of effect electrical pulse. Lastly is also equipped with a functional jetpack, allowing for limited bursts of aerial mobility. The weakness of this specific set is traditional to many power armor in that it is susceptible to laser, plasma, or particularly electrically based weaponry.
2A Laser Rifle - The laser rifle of the Doc has been customized to allow for both full auto as well as single shot fire. When firing in full auto, it fires in a cycling red, white, and blue pattern. It's primary enhancement is that over time it has the ability to recharge any fusion cell placed within it, so long as it is left in the sun.
2A Plasma Pistol - The backup weapon of the Doc has been customized to be able to charge it's shots before release, allowing it to function both as a pistol and makeshift shotgun. While dangerous, a fully charge shot will completely diminish it's plasma cell and due to massive damage.
Bear Arm A customized power fist version of the prototype FSGv118-b model Shocker glove it causes both electrical damage as well as causing bleed damage. It has been decorated with real bear fur.
Name: None
Origin: Robotic Invention of Arthur Roosevelt. Equipment: A modified domestic robot that is now closer to being a Mister Gutsy than a Mister Handy, it has armor plating welded onto it which have protected vital systems for intruders more than once. It's three arms possess the standard pincer, buzz saw, and a flamethrower. Abilities: BILL of Rights has been programmed with knowledge of the entirety of the United States History as well as the Declaration of Independence and of course the Bill of Rights. It also possesses the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers, and many other relevant documents to American Government and Democracy.
Name: ???
Origin: The result of Dr. Democracy attempting to stop his friend from turning into a Super Mutant after a fall into a vat filled with FEV. Equipment: None Abilities: Raptor Man has a much faster reaction time than any human, as well as being much faster and strong as well. He can jump both incredibly high and far, and has developed claw like protrusions on his hands that are sharp enough to rend flesh. He has limited regenerative abilities, and radiation seems to actually help rather than hinder him. He can speak short words and sentences, though he prefers screeching and is capable of surprisingly complex hunting strategies such as traps and ambushes. Raptor Man possesses the strange ability that often hostile wildlife will not attack him, and will even come to his aid if they hear his call.
Name: ???
Origin: Ms Adventure has traveled vast tracks of the American Wasteland, having a past story in nearly every location on the Continental U.S. imaginable. Her past is shrouded in mystery, but she prizes both Old World technology as well as valuable items in general. A natural nomad and survivalist, she is known by all but trusts very few.
Ms. Adventure encountered the Freedom League when both she and Doctor Democracy attempted to scavenge the same piece of Old World technology. Managing to convince her of the purity of Doctor Democracy's ideals, she allowed him the technology and joined his group.
Equipment: Ms. Adventure has a sniper rifle for hunting and long range attacks, a pair of silenced pistols, and a tomahawk. True to her comic book counterpart, she is also impressively capable with a whip.
Abilities: Ms. Adventure is at the peak of human physical potential, outmatched in sheer musculature only by the mutant freak Raptor Man and her fellow peak physical condition companion Soldier of Fortune. Unlike them, however, she is much faster and possesses a felines agility. She is capable of flipping, climbing, and scaling things her companions can't or can only much more slowly. Lastly, she seems to have a natural intuition for finding Old World antiques, specifically ones of value.
Name: ???
Origin: A vault dweller that once served as Atticus rival when they were growing up in the vault together, the harshness and hopelessness of wasteland life shattered his mind. He retreated into his own favorite comic book hero, the Silver Shroud, and has taken the identity for his own ever since. Equipment: The Silver Shroud - A grey trench coat that is made from a incredibly resistant polymer that can reflect ballistic damage and most melee weapons. The Silver Submachine Gun - A classic Chicago typewriter that has been modified with extended magazines, an increased fire rate, and even reduced recoil. Abilities:
Name: John Doe
Origin: A fellow friend and Vault Dweller from Doctor Democracy's youth, he was shot in the head by a raider and nearly died. Luckily through the Scientific prowess of Doctor Democracy, he managed to save his friends life at the expense of making him into a mute that is forced to communicate through sign language, as well as giving him a severe case of amnesia. Having forgot who he is, he has accepted Doctor Democracy giving him the identity of Soldier of Fortune. He has trained his body tirelessly, and like his comic book counterpart become a master of every ballistic and melee weapon imaginable. Equipment: The Soldier of Fortune uses a wide variety of weapons. He carries a 357 Magnum as his sidearm, wielding both a double barrel shotgun and a assault rifle as his primary weapons. He carries a machete for his primary melee weapon, but also keeps a combat knife in his boot. Abilities: Soldier of Fortune is a explosives experiment, capable of confidently navigating active minefields. He can also disarm bombs with ease, and possess excellent sniping abilities. He is known as 'The Man Who Never Misses' due to his extreme accuracy, and has even been known to execute impressive ricochet shots.
Full Name: ??? Alias: Dark Duplicate Appearance: Age: 19 Quirk: Life-force based Summoning
Level 1: This level ranges from the user only being able to summon a single small creature to being able to summon three small creatures. The user must have unlocked all three small versions before Level 2 can be unlocked.
Level 2: This level ranges from the user only being able to summon a single medium creature to being able to summon three medium creatures. The user must have unlocked all three medium versions before Level 3 can be unlocked.
Level 3: This level ranges from the user only being able to summon a single large creature to being able to summon three large creatures. The user must have unlocked all three medium versions before Level 4 can be unlocked.
After having unlocked the ability to summon all three of the large size creatures, the user can combine all three into a kaiju sized mega creature.
Level 4: This level ranges from the user only being able to summon a single body double to being able to summon up to three body doubles. This is the peak summoning level a user relying only on their own life force can reach. The user must have unlocked the ability to summon all three body doubles (simultaneous to having summoned the three large creatures) before being able to unlock Level 5.
Level 5: At this level the User can summon creatures using the life force of other people. The sky is the limit with such a newfound capability, as the user can now hypothetically summon as many creatures as they have access to life force. This could lead to a potentially apocalyptic scenario.
Biography: Relatively little is known about Dark Duplicate or his past, having seemingly appeared overnight to terrorize heroes. He is a known supporter of the Hero Killer: Stain, and similarly is known for being mostly harmless when it comes to innocent civilians, focusing his attention on the acquisition of wealth and on those who call themselves heroes. Though he has relatively weak combat skills himself, he relies on his quirk, meticulous planning and always being one step ahead of his enemy.
Because of his reliance on things go according to plan, he is arrogant in victory and prone to panic in defeat. He is clever and resourceful but also bitter and resentful. He has been contacted by the League of Villains, and maintains a pleasant relationship but his suspicious and reclusive nature have kept him from fully joining the organization. He shows no mercy to those he deems his enemies, and has publicly declared his intention of the destruction of all heroes.
Family History: House Ravencroft’s fate is prophesied to be intertwined with that of Ilium, having existed since the planet was brought into Imperial Compliance 10,000 years ago. Because House Ravencroft has ruled Ilium for over 10,000 years, not each member of the dynasty has been recorded for posterity. Instead, only the worthiest are chosen to be included in the hall of family portraits, with their deeds and accomplishments to be remembered.
Members of House Ravencroft are all born with vibrant purple eyes, as well as having either black or white hair. The reason for this is unclear, ranging from warp taint to a blessing from the Emperor.The recorded members of House Ravencroft throughout the last 10,000 years are the following…
(??? – M31.003 Founder of the House. It is known that the House was originally given control of the planet after Tros Ravencroft having not only acted heroically during a crucial battle, but also having discreetly eliminated a competing House that was another candidate for planetary governorship. The reason given for their elimination was sedition against the Imperium, though evidence was never provided. He brought the planet of Ilium into Imperial Compliance. Made the Dynastic Decree never to modernize the world (discovered the slumbering Necron tomb which modernizing may awaken). He is known to have died of natural causes shortly before the Horus Heresy. White of Hair.
– Responsible for having successfully not only defeated his sibling Octavius in a war of usurpation but also having defeated the heretics and traitors which rose during the Horus Heresy. He was known to have died at the end of the Heresy of exertion after having assured the planet’s loyalty to the Imperium. White of Hair.
Responsible for the Creation and Acquisition of the Eye of Absolution space station which orbits the planet. This came from Tubal-Cain Prime before its fall. Known to have married his sister, Ilia Ravencroft. Black of Hair.
- Responsible for colonizing the moons of Ilium, Nyx and Nox. He founded the Corvus Cohortis and created their Headquarters and Training Facility on Nox. He made Nyx into a private retreat home for House Ravencroft. He married his sister Lusitania Ravencroft and his brother Lucius is known to have successfully become a Space Marine. Black of Hair
– Responsible for the exportation of massive numbers of the population to Imperium wars, this led to much controversy around Regulus during his reign. The peasants came to resent the mass deportation and death of their kinsmen, while the bureaucrats of the Imperium appreciated his contributions of Imperial Guardsmen. This favor he curried with the Imperium is said to have saved them from a worse, though unknown, fate. It would take generations for the planet to reach its pre-Regulus population. Black of Hair.
– Known to have successfully defeated not only a planetary rebellion by House Scipio but also was responsible for defeating a Ork Waaagh lead by clan Rip Jaws which threatened to consume the planet, driving them to the Ida Mountain region in the Levant. His brother Soren Ravencroft was known to be a prodigious and skilled starpilot. Black of Hair.
– He was known to have hoarded vast quantities of knowledge (some even forbidden) from all over the universe within the family’s library aboard the Eye of Absolution, and marrying his sister Ava Ravencroft. His eccentricities were offset by the fact that he made massive contributions to popularizing and standardizing the Imperial cult on Ilium. He also assisted the Ecclesiarchy in their acquisition of Lesvos III in the star system after the death of the original trio of Silver Sisters, who were his siblings. White of Hair.
– Responsible for having ushered in an era of prosperity on Ilium in which population, standards of living, life expectancy, and more all rose across the planet. He was known for frequently visiting the planet and spending time among its various peoples. Statues of appreciation made in his honor and of him still stand on the planet to this day. He was also responsible for aiding in the planetary reclamation of the mining world Imbros for the Imperium.
Ninth Raven Lord: Unclaimed
Current Family:
Imperial Commander & Planetary Governor Lord Geoff Ravencroft – Though he is only in his mid-50’s he appears closer to his 70’s. The weight of rulership has burdened him greatly, but he has succeeded in both maintaining relative peace on the world he has rulership of and paying the Imperial Tithe, a feat few other Imperial Governors can boast of. He has spent little time with his son and heir, relying primarily on bureaucrats to tutor him. White of hair.
Lady Tress Ravencroft – Wife of Lord Geoff Ravencroft and mother to Victarius. She is descended from a noble lineage in another part of the eastern fringes, one that is actually even more wealthy and influential with the Imperium than House Ravencroft.
– Born 996 M41 – Protagonist. Firstborn son, heir apparent and only child to House Ravencroft. He has been raised to rulership from birth, though he has spent more time with various tutors and mentors than with friends or family. He has been born with the genetic mutation of being a psyker. Like every Ravencroft he aspires to become a Raven Lord. Born with white hair.
Segmentum: Ultima, Eastern Fringes, Damocles Gulf Sector: Dovar Sub-Sector: Troad System: Ilium System Planetary Population Adjective Name: Illyrians Sun: Hyperion Planet: Ilium, 3rd from Hyperion Planet Classification: Mu (Feudal World) Planet Authority: Adeptus Administratum Rulership: House Ravencroft Population: 250,000,000 Planetary History: Ilium is a feudal world specializing in food production that has served as a breadbasket not just for the Troad sub-sector, but has contributed in feeding the entire Dovar sector with food rations from the planet being delivered as far away as the Hive World of Agrellan. It has been inhabited by Humans for an indeterminate amount of time as it was discovered during the Great Crusade and claimed by the Imperium.
The planet consists of five equally sized continents that all have largely similar terrains, with each continent consisting of around 80% nutrient rich arable farmland. The remaining 20% consists of mountains, thick forests, and archipelago. Each continent has its own regional capital ruled by a King, with a High King ruling from the planetary capital city of Io. It is at this planetary capital in which the Imperial cult maintains the sole active landing pad on the planet for spacecraft. Because of the social, cultural, and political nature of the planet its maintainers are considered closer to priests than engineers or technicians. Even they do not know the significance of the maintenance rituals they perform, except for the Arch Priest of the Temple.
There have been many rebellions and civil wars throughout the many recorded millennias of the planet, including one major conflict during the Horus Heresy. Most have been petty squabbles by different ambitious feudal families, or peasants’ insurrections over their working and living conditions. The last major conflict took place 20 years ago when there was a war between two Scipio brothers over the succession of High King of the planet.
The planet has a relatively low human population for its agricultural production levels, and only consumes around 15% of the food harvested each season. The rest of it is sent as the planet’s contribution to the Imperial Tithe.
(Influences; Mediterranean, Middle Eastern) – The region of Levant is ruled by House Scipio from the regional and planetary capital of Io. It is largely desert and dry plains, with the staple crop it produces is wheat. The region possesses the only major mountain range on the planet known as Mt. Ida. This region is where colonization first began of the planet, and is thus the oldest sites of civilization. The local defense force in charge of the region is called the Judge, lead by the famous Saladin. The city of Io itself it located atop seven hills surrounding a lake with two rivers running through the city to the lake in the heart of the city. The rivers are named the Xanthos and Scamander. Beneath the city of Io is the mythical catacombs known as Sheol.
Regional Adjective; Levite
Io is the pride and joy of Ilium, having never been successfully sacked in it's entire history other than it's surrender to Tros Ravencroft and the Tempestus Scions during the Imperial Compliance War. House Scipio has ruled it and the region for as long as House Ravencroft has watched from above, and the two Houses have had a generally positive relationship. Io is also home to the planet's only spaceport, allowing for the exportation of it's food supply as well as allowing transport to and from the Eye of Absolution.
The Cult of the Stars arrived on Ilium with the Imperium and House Ravencroft. They are highly privileged and educated individuals, among the upper echelons of society in Io. Though they do not truly understand the importance of the rituals they perform, it is they who perform maintenance on the Spaceport located in Io, allowing for ease of transport for both people and goods. Only the Polaris who leads the Cult of the Stars knows of it's true importance, and he is the only individual on the planet who the High King does not have authority over, as he reports to House Ravencroft aboard the Eye of Absolution directly.
The peak of Mt. Ida is known as a sacred location, as it is where the legendary Tros Ravencroft and the Tempestus Scions originally landed to begin their task of enforcing Imperial Compliance on the world. The mountain is far too dangerous for pilgrims now, as it is home to the Rip Jaws Ork Clan.
These are sprawling ancient catacombs constructed entirely underneath the planetary capital of Io. No one knows for sure who created them or whose bones the catacombs belong to, though there are many theories. Sheol is believed to be haunted by the local population, and it is forbidden for the people of Io to enter them. Despite this, children and teens of the city often play and explore the more shallow portions, while rebels, revolutionaries, cultists and more have taken up residence deeper within at one point or another. Some say the catacombs have no end.
An ancient order who have sworn themselves to protect the Levant and in specific, Io. Their name is to remind the populace that they exist outside of the traditional judiciary system, as it is their authority to act as Judge, Jury, and Executioner whenever and wherever within the region they see fit. They are known for primarily wielding scimitars as well as longbows of sandalwood, and have been the main force holding back the Rip Jaws Clan of Orks from Mt. Ida. from spreading.
High King Priam Scipio of Io – An elderly man who has ruled over Ilium firmly but fairly in the name of House Ravencroft and the Imperium. He is known for showing both dedication to his responsibilities as well as his family. He has managed to avert multiple schisms, rebellions, and civil wars in his lifetime, and has never failed to ensure the Imperial Tithe of the planet is ready on schedule. [ARC 1 ONLY]
Sarpedon Scipio of Io – A young man who is strong, swift, and smart, like his father he takes his responsibility seriously. He has learned eagerly from Priam, and is poised to succeed him as head of House Scipio and ruler of Io. He is known for his charismatic and generous nature, being beloved by the people.
Judge Saladin – The finest swordsmen in the Levant and a deeply religious man. He wields a obsidian scimitar and while he technically serves High King Priam Scipio, he is rarely in Io as he is known to wander the region helping those in need. He is stoic, with a quiet confidence that inspires his allies. He is deeply feared and respected by the local Ork clan of the planet, having killed hundreds of their number himself.
Polaris Orion - Head of the Cult of the Stars in Io, he is responsible for the maintenance of the only Spaceport on the planet and is the only member of his order who is aware of its true purpose. He is the second most powerful man on the planet, after High King Priam Scipio. While Priam has absolute authority over the entirety of the planet and reports directly to House Ravencroft, the spaceport is considered the only other sovereign area on the planet, with only the Cult of the Stars having jurisdiction and authority over it's property with the Polaris similarly reporting directly to House Ravencroft.
(Influences; Celtic, Norse) - The region of Hibernia is ruled by House O'Hara from the capital of Bann. It contains the only heavily forested area on the planet known as the Emerald Sea. The local defense force in charge of the region is called the Emerald Knights, lead by the famous Sir Oryn. The staple crop produced by Hibernia is potatoes. Regional Adjective; Hiberian
The village of Bann has long been one of the few neutral grounds in the region among which the various tribes and clans which have warred with one another can come together in times of need, such as for the common defense or for trade. Situated along the river Bann for which it gets its name, it is located on the outskirts of the Emerald Sea.
The only major Forest on the planet, it is untamed and largely unexplored. Some of the local clans have the courage to delve deeper than others, but all agree that there are strange noises and sights deep within the Wood and it is unwise to be caught in it too deep alone at night.
The Emerald Knights are the only organization in Hibernia open to any citizen of the region, regardless of their clan or tribal affiliation. Originally founded to protect the village of Bann from any threat during negotiations, hostage exchanges, ect. They have since grown to a size that they have claimed the entire region as being under their jurisdiction, to varying levels of approval from varying tribes. Regardless of acceptance however, they are the only organization willing to make large scale expeditions deeper into the Emerald Sea than any other.
The primarily wield great axes or swords, and are known for their boisterous and aggressive fighting style.
Queen of Hiberia Aedammair O'Hara of Bann - A young and pale woman with both fiery hair and temper, she commands respect from her subjects by having personally lead several expeditions of Emerald Knights into the Sea against cultists.
Ser Oryn - The most skilled swordsmen in Hiberia, he wields an obsidian longsword and a shield with the sigil of the capital of Bann upon it. He is in his mid fifties now, beginning to grey and slow. He is renowned as the heart and soul of the Emerald Knights, having slain endless numbers of heretics within the Emerald Sea over the course of his career.
(Influences; Chinese, Japanese, Korean) - The Orient is a largely tropical region, with near the entirety of it being at sea level.The capital city of this region is Kyoto, currently ruled by House Takanaka after a recent successful rebellion against House Kikagawa. It contains the only major archipelago on the planet. The staple crop produced by the region is rice. The local defense force in charge of the region is called the Hidden Hand. Regional Adjective: Oriental
Known locally as the Big Blue, it is the deepest and most biologically diverse of all oceans upon the planet. It
The Hidden Hand are a strict and secretive order that prefer to wait and watch from the shadows. They are renown masters of assassination, and they themselves possess the only known cures to their poisons. They are said to be allies to the weak and vulnerable, and a constant threat to the corrupt. It is rumored that they helped usurp House Kikagawa, though why is unknown and this is unconfirmed.
Shogun Hiro Takanaka of Kyoto - Ruler of the Orient. In his mid twenties, his father was a noble lord who died leading a successful rebellion.
Ronin Yamamoto Kikagawa – Ronin of the Orient on Ilium, he is the best swordsmen in the Region. He is the last surviving member of the clan that ruled the Orient before their displacement by the Takanaka. Mid-twenties. Said to wield an obsidian katana.
Kotaro Amon - This man leads the Hidden Hand, and is known for his stoic and serious nature. He is willing to do anything for the good of the Orient, and is rumored to have aided the Takanaka family in their coup of the Orient against the Kikagawa clan.
Jin Katsuo - The only ally of Yamamoto Kikagawa, his family had served as bodyguards to the Kikagawa's for generations until the coup. Now they are the last survivors of their respective clans, and Jin has sworn to serve Yamamoto and see him restored to his rightful position.
(Influences; African, South American) - Numidia is geographically the largest region on Ilium, and is lush with natural resources. It has large swathes of desert, plain, and thick jungle. It is renown for having a greater variety of wild and plant life than any other region. The staple crop of this region is Cassava.
Regional Adjective: Numidian
The regional capital of Numidia, it is located deep within the heart of Amazonia. The city of Kukulcan is build on a series of both artificial and natural islands interconnected by both canals and bridges. Despite the inhospitable terrain, they have managed to irrigate specialized islands able to produce surprising amounts of food. They are by far the most reclusive of any other region, having little interest in the affairs of others and tolerating no intervention in their own.
A more humid counterpart to the more northern Emerald Sea, Amazonia is smaller but much denser. Unlike the Emerald Sea, Amazonia has been largely explored by it's local inhabitants though this hasn't reduced its danger to outsiders. It contains some of the largest known raw resource deposits on the planet, though these are fiercely protected by the local peoples. Near the center of the jungle is a swamp in which the capital of Kukulcan has been constructed.
The warriors of Numidia are separated into various tribes including Jaguar, Panther, Serpent, and Eagle based on their weapons of waging war. The Serpants use spears, the Eagles use bows, the Jaguar use clubs and axes, and the Panther dual wield twin knives. All of them collectively are sworn to serve the regional capital of Kukulcan. They are lead by the twin brothers Ticonderoga and Salamachus of the Jaguar and Panther tribes.
King Methusalah Cuauhtémoc - The oldest living man on Ilium, he is still sound in mind though his body is decrypt. Though eccentric, he is considered to be genius. Occasionally High King Priam Scipio of Io even writes to him, asking him for advise. He spends much of his time on his throne in Kukulcan due to his infirmity.
Jaguar Ticonderoga Cuauhtémoc - A large and intimidating man who naturally takes control of any room he is in. He is charismatic, and has earned the loyalty of not just his fellow warriors but of the people in general.
Panther Salamachus Cuauhtémoc - Salamchus is a quiet and patient man who prefers to let his brother do the talking and taking the limelight. He is smaller in stature than his brother, but quicker and more agile. He is skilled at stalking the underbrush of the jungle, and is a master of the ambush.
(Influences; North American, Hun, Mongolian) Regional Adjective: Scythians
The vast majority of Scythia is sprawling open plains, with horses and bison being the two most frequent animals of the region. Most water sources come from rain water or various freshwater lakes.
The Horde is a massive herd of mounted soldiers and hunters that roam the Basin and stomp out any resistance to the rule of the Khan. They cycle out members of the Horde with the various nomadic tribes, with each stint in the Horde usually lasting five years. There are lifelong members of the Horde, who usually rise to leadership positions within it.
The only permanent settlement in the region, it is used to grow the majority of the region require tithe to Io and the Imperium at large. It is supplemented by hunted meat by the Horde as it travels the region. The village is located near the largest freshwater source in Scythia, a large lake.
Khan Tiramisu - Ruler of Scythia and Kennereth, Tiramisu is a solemn and scarred man who spent many years leading the Horde. He eventually shattered his leg after killing the leader of a challenging faction over control of the Horde, but his horse died from under him, and he could never ride it again. He has retired to Kennereth, giving the reigns to his close friend Marzipan. Now he oversees the growing of Kennerth's crops, supplies the Horde, and ensures Io receives the regions tithe.
Marzipan the Mighty - The rising star of Scythia, he rides a massive black stallion. He is bald, loud and angry. He rides at the front of the Horde, and is the first to fling himself into conflict. He is known for excelling in multiple forms of combat including archery, hand-to-hand, and the regional favorite of the kopesh. His favorite weapon is a obsidian kopesh.
The surface of this moon is near entirely covered in sprawling military installations and defensive fortifications. It serves to host the Headquarters of the elite Corvus Cohortis, with the headquarters hosting just over a thousand soldiers. This moon serves as the central nerve center for Imperial defensive measures should any major naval threats arise in the star system. It has a small Imperial naval docking yard, as well as supports a overall population of tens of thousands of Guardsmen, maintenance crews, pilots, ect. The Battle of Nox occurred here during the Horus Heresy, slaughtering most of the soldiers stationed there.
An elite group of 300 Tempestus Scions meant to officially serve as House Ravencroft’s bodyguards aboard the Eye of Absolution. They are said to have been personally led during the Imperial assault of the War of Compliance led by Tros Ravencroft, though they would not be formally founded until the reign of the fourth raven lord Lucian. They are most famous for the Battle of Io, the only battle during the War of Compliance and the Battle of Nox in which they warred among one another during the Horus Heresy. It is said that seven of their number died in the Battle of Io, while several hundred local soldiers perished before their surrender. A tapestry depicting both battles is hung in their headquarters on Nox near the tomb of the seven.
During the Horus Heresy, a hundred of the then still Tempestus Scions were convinced by Octavius to embrace Chaos. This caused an internal conflict which caused far more of their number to die than had ever before, with by the end of the Heresy their number having been reduced to twelve. These twelve survivors of the Heresy would become known as the greatest heroes of the Corvus Cohortis. In the modern era they are primarily used to enforce imperial compliance whenever the peasants of the planet forget their place. They are referred to as ‘Angels’ by the local population due to their orbital drop pods, which the soldiers find both humerus and attempt to uphold this title with pride, considering they believe Adeptus Astartes to be the same. They are currently led by Commodus Cromwell with his younger brother Cassius serving as XO.
Personal retreat home of the Ravencroft family. The planet also serves as the official burial ground of House Ravencroft, with near innumerable graves scattered across its surface.
The Night Maidens are a hidden imperial cult exclusively comprised of women who have been taught to deify the members of House Ravencroft, having been founded during the rule of the fourth raven lord Lucian. They are the stewards of the home and planet while the Governing family are away, and their Matron is aware of the Necron Tomb which Ilium is host to. They are trained assassins and have spent much time perfecting their poisons, to which only they have the cures to. They recruit via taking the orphan girls that inevitably are the result of Ilium's petty interplanetary conflicts.
Space Station Information: Constructed during the reign of the third raven lord Ilus Ravencroft on the forge world Tubal-Cane Prime it has served as both a massive observatorium of the planet, a personal residence for House Ravencroft, and a defensive platform against foreign threats, it is undoubtedly the greatest asset of House Ravencroft other than the Writ of Authority concerning Ilium. The station is large enough to support a little more than a thousand people, and indeed does. It is divided into four wings;
North Wing – This is the private residential section of House Ravencroft, including their familial library. It includes a dining area, pool, and parlor, as well as emergency escape pods.
West Wing – This section serves as the military and security heart aboard the space station, housing the Corvus Cohortis that are not assigned to their headquarters on the moon of Nox. It includes a barracks as well as a firing range.
East Wing – This area hosts the local tech-priest, X-13, which oversees maintenance of the space station as well as hosting the ‘Eye’ of the Eye of Absolution, allowing the family to see with detailed clarity anything happening on the planet’s surface at a moment’s notice. It also hosts the three elderly astropaths which serve the family.
South Wing – This section of the space station serves as the housing area for the various noncombatant and civilian servants, chefs, maids, and maintenance crews. It is rumored to have hidden areas that even the Ravencroft family do not know of that the servants use for their own means during their down time.
Crew: Three Crones Astropaths – The three ancient astropaths have served Lord Geoff his entire governorship as well as having served during the governorship of his father, and even his father’s father before him. None know or remember how old they are. Their names are Nona, Decima, and Atropos though it can be hard to tell them apart. They each specialize in telepathy, divination, and telekinesis respectively.
Tech Priest – X-13. Chiefly responsible for maintenance on the Eye of Absolution.
Planet:
Planet Classification: Delta (Dead World, Mining World) Planet Authority: Adeptus Administratum Rulership: Mineral Mining League Population: 75,000,000 Planetary History: Imbros is best described as a planet sized meteoroid. It has a vast amount of natural mineral resources, though it is incapable of supporting life due to the lack of an atmosphere. It has vast habitation domes which houses millions of miners each. It also includes massive underground tunnels which crisscross all over Imbros, with each of them eventually leading to the meteor planet’s sole subterranean city of Ember, which serves as the heart of the mining operation and transports raw resources up to the more conventional habitation domes to be exported.
Imbros suffered like any other during the Horus Heresy, and like Tubal-Cain Prime it also collapsed into anarchy and civil war which eventually led to its abandonment after a blood stalemate. It was only thanks to the Eighth Raven Lord who managed to recolonize the planetary Meteoroid and once more begin mining operations to increase the strategic value of the sub-sector. After having successfully retaken the area from mutants, surviving heretics, and worse, he handed off control to a council with each member representing a different faction among the miners.
Planet:
Planet Classification: Phi (Forge World) Planet Authority:Adeptus Mechanicus None Rulership: None Population: Minimal, Unknown. Planetary History: A mighty forge world which once specialized in the construction of Titans for the Imperium, it was consumed by civil war during the Horus Heresy. This war proved so destructive that the mighty forges of the planet have cooled and gone silent, with no known detectable life still inhabiting the planet. While it was once known as the technological counterpart to Ilium’s food production, it has all but been forgotten.
Planet:
Planet Classification: Gamma (Civilized, Paradise World) Planet Authority: Adeptus Administratum Rulership: House Verm Population: 120,000,000 Planetary History: A pleasure world that is used by various members of the upper echelon consisting of wealthy merchants, noble lords, even high-ranking members of the Ecclesiarchy. The planet is infamous for its wide variety of edible natural vegetation, as well as docile yet beautiful wildlife. Indeed, there are no known carnivores on the planet. Even its omnivores only resort to meat eating when deprived of other food sources, something that never occurs in their natural environments. Some of these starved omnivores which resort to predation are surprisingly competent, showing extreme levels of strength, speed, and agility when required.
Because there are no predators on Eros, its wildlife is not afraid of each other or humans. Humans could, and have, gotten lost on safari tours and survived for days or even weeks with relative ease.
The planet does support small mountainous, forested, arctic and desert regions, but is primarily comprised of a tropical geography with various archipelagos. Most of the world is still wild and untamed, with a limited number of domes covered resorts dotting the landscape as well as floating stations in the sky that act as mid-way points which serve to ferry both tourists and supplies down to the surface.
The planet is ruled by a fat and hedonistic Governor named Diocletian who is as shrewd as he is pragmatic. The man cares nothing for the imperial truth, or any other creed or ideology. He works only for his own benefit, and has survived thus far only by being sure to always make sure that he aligns with whichever is the winning side of any given conflict. His contribution to the imperial tithe is little more than the stewardship of the planet to be used for recreational purposes by those with more influence than himself. The planetary defense force consists primarily of locals who act as guides to tourists. He rules from a palace which also serves as the largest and most luxurious of the habitation domes dotting the planet.
One of the greatest attractions on the planet is the aphrodisiac plant known to local tribes as a fertility fruit, which once consumed greatly increases the chances of conception. For unknown reasons the fruit withers and dies rapidly if taken off planet.
Omnivore Kaiju Animals:
– Kong level gorillas which typically eat fruit, leaves, and bamboo. Strong enough to fight a Space Marine.
– Huge cat that is super-fast. Ordinarily eats special grape-like vegetables. Panther-like? Feline like.
– Dogs that turn to Wolves. Pack Hunters. Large Canine creatures.
– Dolphins that turn sharklike. Eat certain types of kelp and seaweed.
– Eagles that turn Vulture-like. Likes to eat dead creatures, but will eat living creatures if there are no dead ones.
– Giant serpent creature that normally eats fruits.
Planet:
Planet Classification: Gamma (Civilized world, Shrineworld) Planet Authority: Adeptus Ministorum Rulership: Adeptus Ministorum (Ecclesiarchy) Population: 70,000,000
Planetary History: A shrine world that is renowned throughout the system as the final resting place of the Silver Sisters. It is covered in nearly 90% thick forests with frequent rain storms. The Silver Sisters are recorded as having sacrificed their life closing a warp rift that threatened to engulf not just the planet but the entire sub-sector. Not only were their lives sacrificed, but the closing of the portal rocked the planet to the point it now has three separate moons, named after each of the Sisters. It is the center of Ecclesarchial operations in the sub-sector. It is host to many Cathedrals used for both prayer and the practice of warfare. The heart of its operations is known as the Silver Bastion. Currently the three moons are barren and uncolonized.
Adepta Sororitas - Lesser Order Militant – Sisters of the Silver Sword: While technically a branch of the Order of the Sacred Rose, it was founded with the deaths of the Silver Sisters. They were called such because of their Ravencroft white hair. They were martyred on the planet of Lesvos XI when a chaos cult had managed to open a warp rift that threatened to consume not only the planet, but the entire sub-sector. The Order of the Silver Sword has had numerous heroic and renowned members, being comprised almost entirely of the women of House Ravencroft who sought to follow in their footsteps. The original trio known as the Silver Sisters were named Rose, Lily, and Violet Ravencroft. These were three identical triplets whose zeal and service to the Emperor were the stuff of legend, having said to have fought daemons in the warp, crushed innumerable chaotic cults, fought in several Wars of Faith, and even visited Holy Terra itself.
Rose was known to be the most passionate of the three and served as their leader. She was fiery and fierce, having no hesitation in flinging herself into danger to serve the Emperor, and acting as an inspiration for others while she did it. Lily was known for being the most gregarious and merciful, primarily acting as the healer of the three to tend to the wounded and comfort the dying. Violet was quiet and reserved, known for her shrewd resourcefulness and intellect. She was known for being a master of traps and ambushes. There is a depiction of the holy sisters kept in their sepulcher. It is common for fledgling Sisters of the Order to choose which of the three is to be their patron. Now each member of the Order considers herself a ‘Silver Sister’.
(Iota Level Psyker) (Age 18) (Various) It is detected that Victarius is a Psyker, and a Black Ship is alerted and dispatched to Ilium. He spends his remaining time in meditation, training his mind under the tutelage of the Three Crones. Eventually the ship draws near and he grows scared upon feeling the null Sisters of Silence aboard it. He flees the Space Station to the planet below in an escape pod. Crash landing in the Emerald Sea of Hiberia, he comes across Aedammair O'Hare who, like him is also fleeing from her own responsibilities. They spend time together in the Emerald Sea but are hunted by Tzeentch Chaos Cultists. He develops a romantic relationship with Aedammair and from her learns the ways of the Emerald Knights. They are nearly caught by the Tzeentch Cultists but are rescued by Ser Oryn.
They are forced to flee to the Orient where they meet Yamamoto Kikagawa and Jin Katsuo, the disgraced survivors of their clans. They discover that Takanaka usurped the previous ruling House of the region and plans to even attempt to usurp House Scipio. They save Kikagawa from being captured and executed by the Hidden Hand, and from him Victarius learns the ways of the Hidden Hand. Corvus Cohortis searching for Victarius arrive and they are forced to flee to Numidia.
Upon arriving in Numidia they meet with King Methusalah who personally knows the Planetary Governor Geoff and finds Victarius antics amusing, even hinting that Geoff had done something similar when he was Victarius age. They are informed that a local Numidian Khorne Cult has begun terrorizing Amazonia and needs to be dealt with. The party does so, but Silent Sisters arrive and they are forced to flee to Scythia.
Arriving in Scythia they learn to ride and join the Horde of the Horse, assisting in slaying a little known group of mutants that are essentially centaurs, men who have melded flesh with their horse. Afterwards the cult of Tzeentch from the beginning arrive again and they flee to the Levant.
Arriving in the Levant they meet with Judge Saladin and Sarpedon Scipio and help them in slaying Orks who have descended from Mt. Ida and are raiding the Levant. After slaying them the cult of Tzeentch manage to successfully kidnap Victarius, taking him deep within Sheol. There they begin a ritual which is interrupted by his party of adventurers consisting of Aedammair, Ser Oryn, Yamamoto Kikagawa, Ticonderoga, Salamachus, Marzipan, Sarpedon and Saladin. Though the ritual is interrupted, it vastly increases Victarius psychic abilities as well as giving him a vision of the future, one in which a massive xeno invasion fleet assaults Ilium. After saving him they are finally caught by the Corvus Cohortis and the Silent Sisters, who do not know of his capture, to which Victarius is taken to the Black Ship to be sent to Holy Terra.
After having his soul linked to the Emperors on the Golden Throne he is handed over to the Scholastica Psykana for training and monitoring.
Original Party: (1)Aedammair, (2)Ser Oryn, (3)Yamamoto Kikagawa, Jin Katsuo (4) (5)Ticonderoga, (6)Salamachus, (7)Marzipan, (8)Sarpedon and (9)Saladin.
Travel Route: Eye of Absolution < Hiberia < Orient < Numidia < Scythia < Levant < Sheol < Eye of Absolution < Black Ship < Holy Terra < Eye of Absolution
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Arc 1.5 DUEL TO THE DEATH - Planetary Governor Geoff Ravencroft learned from his son about the usurpation of House Kikagawa by House Takanaka in the Orient and declares a duel will be fought to settle the matter once and for all. Yamamoto vs Hiro and Jin vs Kotaro Amon. Our heroes win and peace is restored to the Orient.
(Zeta Level Psyker) (Age 21) (Orks) Returning to Ilium he meets and speaks briefly to his father Geoff before he dies, becoming the new Planetary Governor. He travels to Io and meets with High King Priam who is much older and feebler now. The leaders of each region travel to Io and pledge their allegiance and tithe to him. Shortly afterwards a WAGH is heard from Mt. Ida and the entire mountain is quickly overwhelmed by a surge of Orks.
Planetary Governor Victarius leaves the planet to visit Nox and receive the pledge of allegiance of the Corvus Cohortis. As he rallies them to travel to Io, the Orks descend from Mt. Ida and begin terrorizing the Levant as a whole. High King Priam leads the combined forces of the entire planet, still assembled in the city to pledge allegiance to Victarius, against the Orks. The Orks win decisively and High King Priam dies in battle, as does Methuselah. The Orks begin to lay siege to Io and spread out, terrorizing ever region of the planet in a global WAGH.
Planetary Governor Victarius lands in Io with the Corvus Cohortis, who successfully manage to break the siege on the planetary capital. The Corvus Cohortis split up and begin waging guerilla warfare against the Orks in every region, assisting local planetary forces such as the Emerald Knights and Judges. The war sputters into a bitter stalemate which lasts for several years, culminating in a second Battle of Io in which Victarius slays Warboss Lockjaw. The Ork clan retreats back to Mt. Ida, the war essentially over. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arc 2.5: PILGRIMAGE TO NYX (Delta Level Psyker) (Age 25) (Peacetime) Victarius travels to the moon of Nyx to pay respects to his deceased ancestors, including his father. He also arrives to retrieve a pledge of allegiance from the Night Maidens. Their matron informs him of a terrible threat slumbering within Ilium which will awaken if the planet ever industrializes. Around the same time he receives a vision of the future in which a massive xenos invasion force assaults Ilium, which is woefully under equipped for such a threat in its current feudal state. He ultimately makes the decision to ignore the matron of the Night Maidens and begin taking steps to transform Ilium into a Knight world in preparation for potential future threats.
(Delta Level Psyker) (age 27) (Tubal-Cain Reclamation, Mutants & Nurgle Cult) Victarius declares the Reclamation of the Forge World Tubal-Cain Prime. He requests assistance from the Imperium of Man, who send a detachment of Imperial Guard while the Mechanicum send a detachment of Skitarri. He leads his own Corvus Cohortis in assaulting the forge world, finding it overwhelmed by Mutants and Heretics. In specific cults of Nurgle infest the decaying world. They fight their way to the core of the forge and manage to reignite it, doing battle with a Greater Daemon of Nurgle and sending it back to the warp. The Mechanicum swear an oath to produce Knights for House Ravencroft for this service. He is declared the Ninth Raven Lord of Ravencroft.
After having been asked to visit the paradise world of Eros by a fellow local Planetary Governor, Victarius vacation is quickly soured as he begins to unravel a tempting Slaaneshi pleasure cult. He discovers that he has been secretly stranded on the planet and communications to Ilium have been severed. He does manage to psychically send a message to the planet of Lesvos III and contact the Silver Sisters, who send a detachment to Eros to investigate. He is forced to flee into the wilds of Eros, living off fruit and bonding with it's extreme fauna. Eventually this culminates in a battle between Daemonettes and Silver Sisters, as well as Victarius fighting the traitorous Planetary Governor of Eros who had allied with a Greater Daemon of Slaanesh. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arc 4.5: KNIGHTHOOD (Delta Level Psyker) (Age 32) (Peacetime) Victarius successfully transforms Ilium from a humble Feudal world to a proper Knight world. Each member of his house is promised a Knight from Tubal-Cain, as are the leaders of each planetary region. He pledges his Knightly House to the Adeptus Terra over the Mechanicum, as he is pressured to show his loyalty to the Emperor due to the suspicion he is constantly under for being a Psyker. He receives his own Knight model, and binds himself to the Throne Mechanicum wrestling with the machine spirit until he tames it and names it Rex Regum.
(Delta Level Psyker) (Age 35) (Necron) Just as the matron of the Night Maidens forewarned, the recent industrial activity upon the surface of Ilium has awoken a terrible and ancient foe. Necrons come marching out of the depths of Sheol, quickly overwhelming the defenders of Io from inside. The Knights of Ilium are given their first test of combat, and while they initially take heavy losses, including the deaths of Ticonderoga and Marzipan the Mighty, they eventually begin to turn the tide of war and defeat the Necrons.
(Delta Level Psyker) (Age 39) (Drukhari) It is unconfirmed if the Tau hired or otherwise sent the Drukhari ahead of them to either soften up the Imperial system or convince it of the need for protection, but what is confirmed is that a Drukhari raiding group decided to target Ilium for slaves and victims. They initiated lightning fast strikes on outposts that gained in frequency and intensity until they culminated in open war for the civilian population of the planet. The Drukhari withdrew after severe causalities, with the Illyrians suffering the deaths of Ser Oryn and the Judge Saladin.
(Delta Level Psyker) (Age 41) (Tau) A massive Tau Expeditionary Force is detected entering the Troad Subsector, on a direct path to the Ilium system. This causes the system to go into a production overdrive, with Imbros exporting massive amounts of raw minerals to Tubal-Cain Prime for processing and refinement into military hardware, primarily Knights. These are exported to Ilium in preparation for the battle to come. Upon the arrival of the Tau, Victarius manages to forestall negotiations long enough for further preparations to be completed. He forms a intimate, though manipulative relationship with their Chief Diplomat Sunsmile. When war does inevitably happen after he can delay no longer, the Tau begin their invasion in the Orient with the Imperial defenses managing to fend them off though costing the lives of both Shogun Yamamoto Kikagawa and Jin Katsuo of the Hidden Hand.
(Delta Level Psyker) (Age 45) (Genestealers & Tyranids) Whispers of cults begin to arise among the general population, though they seem different somehow than the usual rumors. They seem not to worship any discernible facet of the Chaos Gods, instead focusing much more on familial duty. His childhood lover Aedammair attempts to rekindle their romance. Eventually Victarius detects a approaching Tyranid splinter fleet through it's disruption of the Immaterium. He attempts to confide this in Aedammair only to find she has already been killed and replaced by a member of the Genecult who now bears his child. The Tyranid hive fleet arrives and chaos erupts on the surface of Ilium. The Scythian Tiramasu and the Numidian Salamachus lay a trap using Tau Technology for the Tyranids which kills a great many at the expense of their lives. Victarius kills the geneclone of Aedammair, the Genestealer Patriarch, and his own Tyranid abomination child. He manages to broker an alliance with the Rip Jaws Ork Clan of Mt. Ida, and together they fight back the remaining Tyranids. Upon calculating far more biomass would be expended conquering the planet than would be gained, the Tyranids disengage.
(Beta Level Psyker) (Age 50) (Chaos Invasion lead by Tzeentch) Warp Gates open in every region of Ilium, with demons pouring through supported by Rubric Marines of the Thousand Sons. They are lead by Kairos Fateweaver, who announces that Victarius is a Chosen One of the Chaos God Tzeentch. He wishes for Ilium to become a planet in the image of Sortiarius, Plane of Sorcerers and Home of Magnus and his Legion. Kairos attempts to possess/tempt Victarius into becoming a Champion of Chaos for Tzeentch equal to the Excoriator reborn. Victarius rejects this offer and a climactic battle for the fate of the planet ensues. The Silver Sisters of Lesvos III arrive to assist. Victarius true potential is unleashed, and he peaks at Beta Psyker levels. Kairos tells Victarius that his fate is already written and so long as a single of his nine companions lives he will inevitably fall to Tzeentch. The conflict results in victory for the Imperium at the cost of the death of his final companion, Sarpedon Scipio. Ends with Victarius going to his family library aboard the Eye of Absolution and reading books located in the restricted section that are banned, gathered by the seventh raven lord.
KNIGHT PATTERNS;
High King of Ilium Pattern: Acastus Model:
Name: 'Rex Regum (King of Kings)' Operator: Victarius Ravencroft
Knight Baron of Hiberia Pattern: Cerastus Model:
Name: 'Lugh' Operator: Aedammair
Knight Baron of Levant Pattern: Dominus Model:
Name: 'Pride of Io' Operator: Sarpedon Scipio
Knight Baron of Orient Pattern: Cerastus Model:
Name: B-33 'Bee' Operator: Yamamoto Kikagawa
Knight Baron of Numidia Pattern: Cerastus Model:
Name: 'Quetzalcoatl' Operator: Ticonderoga
Knight Baron of Scythia Pattern: Cerastus Model:
Name: 'Greatest Stallion' Operator: Marzipan the Mighty
Knight of Emerald Knights: Pattern: Questoris Model:
Numbers: 25
Knight of Hidden Hand: Pattern: Questoris Model:
Numers: 25
Knight of Animal Warriors: Pattern: Questoris Model:
Numers: 25
Knight of Horde of the Horse: Pattern: Questoris Model:
Numers: 25
Sphere of Expansion: 3rd Tau Expeditionary Cadre: Dray’Nye Ethereal:
Commanded by:
Chief Diplomat:
Fighting Style: Kauyon Sept: Dal’yth Colors: Purple and Blue
Main Clan: Snakebite Subculture: Beast Snagga Warboss:
History: The Rip Jaws Orks have inhabited Mt. Ida since the defeat of their parental clan, the Snakebites, at the hands of the sixth raven lord millenia ago. They have primarily warred among each other in the mountain region, but occasionally unified enough to pose a serious enough threat to descend the mountain and do battle against the Judges of the Levant. It has only been with the rise of the Ork Lockjaw that the warring feral ork clans of Mount Ida have finally become unified under his banner. He is a staunch traditionalist, preferring choppas over shootahs and snaggas over vehicles. He is known for having a sever underbite and harboring an intense grudge against the raven lords, wanting to defeat them to prove himself and his clan strongest where the Snakebites failed.
Ironjaw - The second in command of the clan and a staunch loyalist to Lockjaw, the two have been close allies for as long as either can remember. It was Ironjaw's strength and skill that was instrumental in uniting the warring feral orks of Mt. Ida. Jabberjaw - One of the leading Orks of the clan and by far the most charismatic and gregarious. While Lockjaw is bigger and stronger, Jabber Jaw seems to be marginally smarter and more emotionally stable, helping to advise Lockjaw to keep him from making rash mistakes. Smoothjaw - The leading weirdboy of the clan who has proven his value in being the most capable of controlling his psychic abilities, he helps manage the fluctuating and unstable energy of Lockjaw's WAAGH and redirect it towards productive goals.
Main Fleet: Leviathan Abnormalities: All members of Splinter Fleet Ziz possesses the albinism. Upon arrival on Ilium they seem to have primarily evolved to counter
Archeological evidence shows that the species known as Avis Homines has existed for around 50,000 years in its current form, with agriculture, literacy, and civilization having existed for nearly half that time. They are the first and only species to have achieved sentience on their planet, relying heavily on their intelligence in order to survive. This intelligence manifests itself through the creation of government and eusocial tendencies of the species. Despite coming in a great variety of differing coloration, there are no physiological differences between Avian other than the possession of the ability to manipulate the Shroud or not.
The Avians are also incredibly long lived for organics, regularly reaching the ages of 200 - 300 before the creation of scientific medicine, and reaching ages of 300 - 500 in the current era. This long life span allows for a greater transference of knowledge and skills to younger generations, as well as allowing for a greater amount of time to cultivate one’s individual abilities. Despite these strengths, they do possess weaknesses.
This species suffers from a tendency to wastefulness, having adapted in an environment of abundance. This has lead to inefficient processes that waste more resources than are used. This exacerbates resource issues in areas of limited resources.
Another negative trait of the species is that they are also decadent, and have a natural inclination to having others do their work for them. They prize status and are averse to menial labor. Thus they have a tendency for enslavement so as to always have a underclass to both look down upon and do the jobs they don't want to.
Lastly, they are slow breeders. The females are only fertile during a special mating season which occurs only once per decade during their solar cycle. They also only produce a small number of eggs in each clutch ranging from 3 - 5, with only about half hatching.
Avian eggs are typically laid a year after the eclipse, with each egg's coloration being correspondent to the caste that they have been born into.
Hatchlings - This is a catch all term for all pre-pubescent Avians. Though there species is long lived, they grow slowly early on in life. Freshborn hatchlings must be fed and constantly watched for the first 5 - 7 years of their life, as they are vulnerable and essentially defenseless upon hatching. When they learn to walk around the age of 12, they typically learn to speak and gain relative independence fairly quickly. During the first few years of their life, they expend massive amounts of energy and calories developing their brains and bodies. Formal education normally starts at 15 and continues until they are full adults at 50.
Birds of a Feather - These are fully developed adult avians. They reach finish maturation around the age of 50. This is when their feathers become the most vibrant and lush, and they reach full coloration which will dictate whatever caste they are part of.
Grey Feathers - These are what could be considered Elders. No matter the caste, even Peacocks feathers dull and grey over the centuries. This depends largely on the exertion and stress placed upon each individual, as well as differing genetic factors. Due to advancements in medical science, the dulling and greying of feathers can be postponed. While originally Grey Feathers began to appear around the age of 200, now it is more common for them to appear around the age of 400.
Avis Homines breed only once per decade, during a solar eclipse. Though inter-caste breeding is permitted, males are always born of their fathers caste and females are always born of their mothers caste. During this eclipse, the Peacocks use the Storks to spread their iridescent eggs across the general population. This is done to ensure that the Peacocks are always raised among and by the people that they govern, so that they never develop a sense of being apart from them. These eggs are considered a great honor and blessing to the family they are bestowed upon, and once hatched will be raised by these foster parents with special governmental support and monitoring.
The planet which would come to be known as the ‘Egg of Life’ is a small to medium sized planet which is made up of 85% water, with the remaining 15% landmass being comprised almost entirely of a number of tropical and humid landmasses covered in thick foliage and vegetation. These island chains come in a variety of sizes, with all landmass on the planet being grouped into a total of six archipelagos regions.
Six Archipelagos Regions: • Aethon – 9 Islands. Uncolonized ‘Promised Land’. Birthplace of Modern Planetary Government. • Alkonost – 3 Islands. Forms Warring Tribes. Birthplace of the Species. • Caladrius – 4 Islands. Forms a Monarchy. Birthplace of Authoritarian Superpower. • Halycon – 5 Islands. Forms a Oligarchy. Birthplace of Civilization. • Rarog – 12 Islands. Forms a Tribal Confederation. Birthplace of Avism. • Sirin – 6 Islands. Forms a Republic. Birthplace of Egalitarian Superpower. • Total Islands: 39 Islands
Aethon – Aethon consists of 3 small sized islands, 3 medium sized islands, and 3 large sized islands. Each island in this region varies in size, with the region containing both the largest and smallest landmasses on the planet. This region is also one of the most well balanced in terms of resources on the planet. It is known for a sub sentient feline predator.
Caladrius – Caladrius consists of 4 medium sized. Caladrius is the only other balanced region on the planet, with each landmass providing an abundance of a different resource. This region is known for a sub sentient reptilian predator.
Alkonost – This archipelago is known as the birthplace of the species, and is the most mountainous on the entire planet. It consists of three islands, one being the 2nd largest landmass on the planet with the other two being medium sized around the primary island. It has several mountain ranges as well as volcanos that span far above the cloud cover of the islands, and is host to the iconic location known as the sea of clouds. The entire region is rich in mineral resources. This region is host to a sub sentient avian predator that is said to be the oldest predator of the people.
Halcyon – Consisting of 5 average sized islands, this region is known for being particularly hospitable and pleasant. It has an unusually high number of habitable areas for large populations of Avian to congregate and live, and was host to some of the earliest urban centers. This region is notable for having no predators.
Rarog – This region consists of 12 small sized islands, and is known for having electrical storms more frequently and with greater intensity than anywhere else on the planet. At all times there is a storm raging on at least one of the islands. These islands are known for a sub sentient electrical predator that manifests and hunts during the storms.
Sirin – Consisting of 3 small, 2 medium, and 1 large island this region is known as the breadbasket of the planet. Though it has a vast amount of food, it is known for being particularly dangerous due to a sub sentient canine species which only inhabits this region.
Although there is evidence for civilization dating back over 20,000 years, records surviving to the modern day only stretch back approximately 10,000 years. The first 2,000 years of records are fragmentary and usually written in dead or lost languages. The following 3,000 years of records become more coherent and closer to modern language, but still relies heavily on unprovable claims and eye witness testimony as opposed to any kind of verifiable evidence. It is only within the last 5,000 years that modern and reliable record keeping has been developed.
The species seems to have originated from the Alkonost archipelago and once have been a sub sentient predator similar to the [ALKONOST PREDATOR]. Due to unknown reasons, this changed when the Avis species gained sentience. The species is shown to have spread rapidly from this point across the entirety of the planet, although it seems they would exist as primitive hunter gatherer tribes for several tens of thousands of years after this.
Around 20,000 years ago the region of Halcyon was the birthplace of civilization when the first city states began to appear. Next to nothing is known about these ancient city states, though there is evidence that they warred against each other. There is also evidence these city states were ruled by powerful individual families that over time evolved into monarchy or oligarchy. These lost ancient city states would be the claimed ancestors of many future nations and city states.
At the same time in the Alkonost region a primitive religion that focused on the worship and reverence of both flight in general and the [ALKONOST PREDATOR] in specific. All information about this religion surviving to the modern day survived solely through oral transmission. There are relatively few artifacts of the religion surviving to the modern day.
Around 15,000 years ago - Creation of Stormism in Rarog. the first known organized religion began to emerge in the Rarog region, being a polytheistic religion centering around the powerful electrical storms that occur in the area. This religion focused heavily on martial combat, ancestral worship, and strict adherence to the will of the lightning spirits. Though it did not spread out of the region, it became deeply rooted in the local tribes and the adherents became known as Stormists. Information about this religion surviving to the modern day is known primarily through both oral transmission and cave paintings.
13,000 years ago – Spread of City States to Sirin and Caladrius. There is archeological evidence of the city states of Halcyon having spread to other regions, including both Sirin and Caladrius. It is unknown if city states arose in these other regions of their own accord or if Halcyon colonists spread the concept to them.
1st Era – Ancient Era Year 0 of the First Era (10,000 years ago) – Birth of the original Iridescent Emperor, Ancient City State World War. Some of the earliest fragmentary evidence recovered appeared to be concerning a massive ancient war between an unknown number of city states. It is known that the war spanned across all three regions which supported city states. It is unknown who or which side the victor was.
Some of these earliest records also mention one of histories most mysterious and influential figures; the Iridescent Emperor. This Avis is known to have been born and raised in Halcyon and claimed to be divine. It is clear that he made substantial impacts in relation to the ancient war, though it is unsure what exactly they were. By the end of the war and his life the religion he founded had spread to both sides and all three ‘civilized’ regions, and became known as Avism. This time period would be known as the start of the First Era. Numerous Avis, both influential and not, would claim to be the descendant of the Iridescent Emperor of this period.
Year 1,000 of the First Era (9,000 years ago) War of the Five Iridescent Eyes- A massive war known as the War of the Five Eyes in which five separate factions all lead by an influential Avis claiming to be a descendant of the Iridescent Emperor tore the world apart in a brutal war. While details are scarce, it is known that ultimately the war ended in each of the five’s deaths.
Year 2,000 of the First Era (8,000 years ago) – Formation of Kingdom, Republic, and Oligarchic Confederacy At this point in time the ancient city states began to dissolve into larger nation states. Each of the three regions became its own governing entity, and they began to view each other as rivals. Halcyon remained a loose confederation of oligarchic and ancient city states, while Caladrius became ruled by its first monarch. Sirin meanwhile became the world’s first Republic.
Year 3,000 of the First Era (7,000 years ago) – Caladrius Failed Colonization of Rarog, Creation of Storm Chieftain Caladrius begins sending missionaries and colonists to the region of Rarog both to expand territory and spread Avism. The usually warring tribes of the region united under Stormism and successfully managed to repel the foreigners. This experience changed Rarog, leading to a more unified region. Although the tribes and islands still warred among themselves, this experience led to the creation of a Storm Chief who was responsible for the welfare of the region against foreign threat.
Sirin’s Republic faces it’s first crisis in that it descends into a bloody civil war after faith in its fair and open elections declines. The civil war ends relatively quickly with the survival of the Republic, but with heavy casualties on both sides.
Halcyon meanwhile prospered during this era as it became rich selling arms and supplies to it’s two neighboring countries. It used this newfound wealth to turn its ancient city states into the first few sprawling metropolises on the planet.
Year 4,000 of the First Era (6,000 years ago) – Death of Merchant King of Halcyon, Rise of Scientific Method and Industrialization in Caladrius, Sirin Colonization of Alkonost. The Confederation of Halcyon came under the control of a tyrannical merchant king that was the wealthiest Avis on the planet, and was on the verge of its own civil war. After witnessing the bloodshed that occurred in the Republic of Sirin’s civil war, it was decided this was to be avoided at all costs. This led to a coup in which several of the most prominent aristocratic families of Halcyon murdered him in cold blood.
The Republic of Sirin began healing after it’s civil war and entered into its own period of prosperity. The Republic began to attempt its own colonization of Alkonost, having learned from Caladrius’ failed attempt in Rarog. Though the colonies it created in the region struggled greatly, they managed to enslave a significant portion of the population to be used for menial labor.
The Kingdom of Caladrius began focusing heavily on industrialization and technology, determined to successfully subjugate the region of Rarog. This leads to it rapidly becoming a beacon of intellectualism in the world, with production capabilities increasing rapidly.
The tribes of Rarog experienced a kind of spiritual renaissance when the region experienced an anomaly and had not just a storm on one of it’s 12 islands at all times, but a storm on all of them at all times. It was prophesied this would herald a great change, which it did.
2nd Era – ‘Industrialization Era’ Year 0 of the Second Era (5,000 years ago) Birth of Iridescent Emperor II, Reverse Colonization of Caladrius by Rorag, Strengthening of Sirin Colonies and Sirin Political Slave Strive, Spread of Shroud Abilities to Peacock Caste. – Iridescent Emperor II is born to a Stormist tribe in the Rarog region, and upon birth knows everything there is to know about Avism. Though born to a lowly tribe, as he grows into adulthood, he gains popular support among the tribes to replace the current reigning Storm Chief, but chooses not to.
The Kingdom of Caladrius begins its second colonization attempt of Rarog. The tribes united once again under the Storm Chief, but he is slain during the initial invasion. Though the invaders had superior technology, Iridescent Emperor II manages to not only militarily repel the invaders but also convince them of his being Iridescent Emperor II. Because the Caladrian’s believed in Avism, they took him with them back to Caladrius to the capital. The vast majority of the people wanted him to be made king, but the reigning monarch, King Plume of Purple X at first refuses to relinquish his crown. It is only when he realizes just how little support, he has that he is forced to do so to avoid execution. Thus, Caladrius and Rorag became united albeit in an unexpected way.
Meanwhile the Republic of Sirin expanded its grip on Alkonost, with its colonies transitioning from surviving to flourishing due to the exploitation through slave labor that they benefited from. Political unrest begins to foment in the Republic about the ethical and moral implications of slavery.
Year 100 of the Second Era (4,900 years ago) Iridescent-Purple Feather Civil War in Caladrius / Rorag, Fracturing of Halcyon into Noble families, Republic of Sirin Slave Uprising & Adoption of Industrialization, Prosperity of Halcyon – Iridescent Emperor II died of natural causes, and civil war erupted in the Kingdom. Several of his hatchlings claimed to be Iridescent Emperor III, and many of the tribes of Rorag rallied behind them. The only hatchling daughter of the usurped king Purple Feather X meanwhile rallied the noble houses of Caladrius to their cause, as many were unsure of Iridescent Emperor II hatchlings truly deserving his title. War would erupt, fracturing Caladrius and Rorag.
This would be a conflict between three claimants’ to being Iridescent Emperor’s as well as the usurped son of Purple Feather. The three sons would unify just long enough to defeat the claimant Purple Feather XI, before warring among themselves. Eventually a single victor would emerge who would be known for his mercy by sparing both of his brothers and denouncing that any of the three were fit to be the Iridescent Emperor after studying the ancient War of the Five Iridescent Emperors, and wishing to avert a repeat of history. While there were some who secretly worshiped him as a Iridescent Emperor III in secret, publicly the trio ruled both Caladrius and Rorag equally. To further his claim of legitimacy he also married the defeated Purple Feather XI, intertwining their Feathers and ensuing a stable succession.
The Republic of Sirin faced its first serious slave revolt in which a slave known as Claw of Red rallied all the ancient warring tribes of Alkonost together in an attempt to overthrow their Sirin overlords. This war ultimately claimed the life of Claw of Red and the Republic of Sirin claimed victory despite making many concessions in terms of slave quality of life and rights. The instability this war created caused the Republic to begin to adopt the Industrialization methods of Caladrius in the hopes of suppressing future revolts.
Halcyon began the creation of mercenary forces they leased out to both sides of the Sirin Slave Rebellion, though they primarily sided with the Republic due to having much more resources. Having profited from this war as well as many others the region became the wealthiest on the planet, though the quality of life did not improve due to the domination of the Oligarchy over the common Avis life. This caused resentment to grow along with the wealth disparity.
Year 500 of the Second Era (4,500 Years Ago) Halcyon Uprising, Industrialization, and Collapse. Republic-Kingdom War over Halcyon.
The Oligarchs of Halycon face their own massive insurrection when tensions reach a boiling point with the majority of the population being considered little more than slaves for the merchant families. This war tears Halcyon apart, though the noble families attempt to adopt the technological advancements that Industrialization brings, it proves too little too late and several prominent family lines are ended with their palaces looted by the common people.
Several mercenary bands created to be sold to serve during Sirin’s Slave Revolt’s on Alkonost become roving bands of bandits which loot and pillage freely. This caused both the Kindgom of Caladrius and the Republic of Sirin to decide to intervene in the hopes of benefiting from the fall of Halcyon, as it was infamous for its wealth.
This war would last for 500 years with massive losses of life to both sides. Many of the inhabitants of Halycon were forced to choose which of the two foreign armies they would rather rule them. The surviving Halycon noble families rallied together to attempt to reestablish control but were ultimately defeated and destroyed. The tension placed upon both superpowers from this conflict would ignite social change, with the Republic of Sirin offering full citizenship to Alkonost slaves who enlist in the military and the Kingdom of Caladrius being forced to grow more accepting of Rarog Tribal customs.
Both sides profited greatly from the looting they did of the fallen oligarchy, and this only helped further their industrialization efforts. Both nations would eventually come to a agreement to mutually withdraw from Halycon having picked it clean of wealth and resources, deciding the region wasn’t worth the effort between local resistance and the other superpower attempting to stop them.
Year 1000 of the Second Era (4,000 Years Ago) The Republic of Sirin Bans Slavery & Develops Alkonost Airships, Kingdom of Caladrius Discover the Ability to Harness Electricity on Rarog Islands. Halcyon ruled by Black Bird Gang.
The Kingdom of Caladrius and the Republic of Sirin exist in a state of cold war as both focus on their own internal development in an attempt to gain an edge over the other. Both become increasingly militarized and use the wealth plundered from the collapse of Halcyon leading to the creation of Republic Airships in Alkonost as well as the discovery of electricity in the Kingdom of Caladrius.
The people of Halcyon slowly begin to rebuild their society, though it is ruled by pirates, outlaws, and bandits both locally born and criminals from foreign lands. They make the ruined palaces of the extinct great families their bases of operations. It’s reputation as a lawless land becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. A faction of killers known as the ‘Vultures’ lead by Beak of Black manages to unite multiple gangs and successfully conquer the region under the new government of the Vulture Confederation. The people of Halcyon suffer under his rule.
Year 1,500 of the Second Era (3,500 Years Ago) Alliance-Vulture War The Vulture Confederation rules for generations unopposed on Halcyon, and eventually grows strong enough to begin raiding the colonies of its neighboring superpowers. Assaults begin on Rarog Islands as well as in Alkonost. They even managed to steal a Republic Airship which they use as a mobile operations center. The Vulture Confederation are unable to withstand the military might of both factions forming an Alliance and are quickly forced back to Halcyon. Both militaries are reluctant to invade Halcyon itself again remembering the losses that occurred last time but ultimately decided the Black Bird had to be dealt with if not the native population than for the threat it posed to its neighbors. This protracted war in Halcyon would last 500 years before the final victory of the Alliance.
3rd Era – ‘Modern Era’ Year 0 of the Third era – (3,000 Years Ago) Birth of Iridescent Emperor III, Rebuilding of Halcyon, Foundation of the Church of Avism in Halcyon, Discovery of Aethon, Spread of Shroud Abilities to All Castes.
In the ruined land of Halcyon during the final days of the War of the Black Bird, a hatchling was born with complete knowledge of Avism. He managed to unite the desperate and exhausted local people of the region and founded a Theology based Government with himself as the head of state. He called a meeting with both the Kingdom of Caladrius and Republic of Sirin in which he successfully managed to negotiate reparations for the looting which had taken place in the past, and secured both of their support in rebuilding Halcyon.
After rebuilding the region to prosperity in record time, he would use the technology of both the Kingdom and the Republic to create a famous vessel known as the Albatross which was able to cross vast amounts of ocean until reaching an unspoiled continent, he named Aethon in which no Avis lived. He declared this the promised land before dying shortly thereafter.
Year 100 of the Third Era – (2,900 Years Ago) Kingdom-Republic Colonization War Begins, Halcyon Buildup, Colonization of Aethon In the aftermath of the death of Iridescent Emperor III, both the Kingdom and the Republic immediately began colonizing the new continent. War erupted shortly thereafter as expansionism got the better of both sides, causing similar levels of casualties as had happened during their mutual struggle over attempting to annex Halcyon. Halcyon stays out of the war and returns to its roots, selling weapons and mercenary services to both sides to acquire massive amounts of wealth once more and truly return to its prior level.
Year 500 of the Third Era (2,500 Years Ago) End of Kingdom-Republic Colonization War, Halcyon Colonization of Aethon, Death of Republic General Eyes of Green, Kingdom Civil-War. Republic of Sirin votes for its state religion to be atheism.
Both the Kingdom of Caladrius and the Republic of Sirin had exhausted themselves fighting over Aethon, and this allowed for the region of Halcyon to wait to strike for the perfect moment. Ruled by the Church of Avism founded by the Iridescent Emperor III, they massacred the weakened forces of both sides and claimed the continent as their own.
Both sides fell to internal bickering after the loss of the continent, having expended massive amounts of wealth and resources for nothing. One of the most famous and successful Generals of the Republic, Eyes of Green, blamed the politicians for the failure and lead a failed coup which cost him his life. Similarly, the Kingdom fell into a brief civil war as another claimant to the throne attempted to usurp it for themselves after the failure of colonizing Aethon. The Republic of Sirin votes for a state religion of atheism after resentment grows for Iridescent Emperor III.
Year 1000 of the Third Era – (2,000 Years Ago) The Church of Avis establishes a capital on Aethon, Kingdom and Republic both focus on technological development
The Church based in Halcyon begin development of a massive capital in Aethon, considering it to be the promised land that the Iridescent Emperor III declared it to be. The construction of this capital drains them of massive amounts of wealth and resources.
The Kingdom of Caladrius invents laser and plasma-based weaponry, while the Republic make progress in further refining their Airships to give them undisputed air superiority.
Year 1,500 of the Third Era – (1,500 Years Ago) Trinity War With the Church of Avism focusing on developing and colonizing Aethon, they fell behind technologically in comparison to their neighbors. Once they felt they had sufficiently prepared, both the Kingdom and the Republic launched invasions of both Halcyon and Aethon. This war quickly engulfed the entirety of the war, with unprecedented levels of death and destruction.
The Church of Avism chose to prioritize Aethon, beginning to lose territory on Halcyon. This war would rage of centuries.
4th Era – Space Age Year 0 of the Fourth Era – (1,000 Years Ago) Birth of Iridescent Emperor IV, Unification of the Kingdom of Caladrius and Church of Avism, Fall of the Republic, Formal Scientific Discovery of the Shroud.
In the capital city of [PLANETARY CAPITAL NAME] Iridescent Emperor IV would be born in Aethon. He would quickly be recognized as head of state of the Church of Avism, and would meet with the Kingdom of Caladrius and convince the King to serve him, due in part to the King of Caladrius being a descendant of Iridescent Emperor II himself.
With the Church of Avism and the Kingdom of Caladrius unified they had the required resources to begin to push back the Republic of Sirin. Despite their combined strength the Republic proved effective in slowing their advances. This war would take up the majority of the Iridescent Emperor IV life, with his death occurring shortly after the Fall of the Republic. Before he died, he created a holy book known as [HOLY BOOK NAME] and make massive reformations to the Church of Avism, forming it into what it is known as today. He was responsible for forming the modern planetary government.
The holy book he wrote detailed the need for their species to fly among the stars as they did on the planet, and of their divine status. Just as Iridescent Emperor soared above the rest of their species, so too did their species as a whole soar above any other in the universe. Iridescent Emperor IV described a universe in desperate need for the enlightenment only their kind possessed.
Year 100 of the Fourth Era – (1,000 Years Ago) Birth of the Avian Ascendancy, Creation of Spaceship, Formation of Inquisition. The new planetary government known as the Avian Ascendancy declares [PLANETARY CAPITAL] it’s capital. It works to standardize Avism across the planet, rooting out heresy and nonbelievers, specifically in former Republic regions of Sirin and Alkonost. This leads to the creation of the Inquisition. The first spaceships are created based on Republic Airship designs by a brilliant scientist and engineer named Feathers of White.
Year 500 of the Fourth Era – (500 Years Ago) Colonization of the Moon, Advancements made in FTL Travel. Creation, Rebellion, and Banning of AI and Robotics.
The Ascendancy struggles with unity until the successful colonization of the moon, the accomplishment serving to cement loyalty and contentment across the home world. It continues to advance technologically, further refining their space ships with FTL capable engines allowing them to leave their star system.
Artificial Intelligence is finally not only created but mastered. Robotic Avian begin to revolutionize society, beginning to do the menial labor that the species has a natural aversion to. It gains in knowledge and influence until it has near full control of society. A small sect of the population have been suspicious of the robotic Avians since their inception, and they lead the population in a war against the machines once they eventually rebel. The war is bloody and brutal, but results in a organic Avian victory and the banning of robots and AI.
Year 700 of the Fourth Era - First contact with sentient alien civilizations. Discovery and Mastery of Cloning and Genetic Manipulation.
One is a hive mind which has spread to several star systems and seeks additional bio matter to grow ever larger. Though it initially appears that war will erupt between the two, conflict is averted when a deal is struck for the hive mind to be freely given the bio matter of those who resist in the Ascendancy's own expansion. The hive-mind's own fungal-based troops will be used as shock and melee troopers for the Ascendancy's expansion.
The other is a hyper-capitalist death-cult mega corporation that relies on both cut throat business practice and fanatical religious devotion to maintain control. A deal is struck with the megacorporation for it to be the primary financial backer of the Ascendancy's expansion, with the stipulation that they will be free to spread their corporate holdings to the entirety of the Ascendancy. Large amounts of resources are thus invested into the Ascendancy.
Avian scientists master cloning technology and genetic manipulation. This rocks Avian civilization as it is argued if they have souls or rights. Ultimately it is decided that clones do not have souls or rights, and are thus considered a created underclass for the natural born.
Year 900 of the Fourth Era – (100 Years Ago) Formation of the Five Murders. The Ascendancy uses the massive resource investments to declare the formation of Five Murders, known as the Murders of the East, South, West, North and Center.
Formation of the Liberators. The Ascendancy decides to create a formal ground force to land on hostile worlds and civilize their inhabitants. Named the Liberators, they are trained extensively in a variety of modes of warfare though they specialize in ranged combat.
Year 0 of the Fifth Era - Birth of Iridescent Emperor V. Mass colonization of differing star systems begins.
The Avian Ascendancy officially begins it's slow but steady expansion out of it's home system in an attempt to dominate the galaxy. Multiple planets and star systems are terraformed and colonized. Alien worlds are invaded and subjugated.
Though there have been many different cultures through the millennia, the modern planetary culture is a mixture of Caladrian, Roragian, and Halcyonian. It is important to understand Avis culture is high-context. Subtle words or actions can have astoundingly impactful consequences. Word choice is critical, and hierarchy is crucial.
Avism is an ancient religion which while it has gone through many different reformations and challenges, it has remained remarkably consistent. It was originally founded by the first Iridescent Emperor who introduced the concept of two great spiritual birds that fought for dominion over the souls of each member of their species. One bird is beneficent and compassionate, wanting to guide their species to their full potential. This primordial force for good is named Garuda. It's counterpart, is a malevolent and corrupt spiritual force that aims to consume the entirety of their species in order to manifest into the physical realm and cause further destruction. This primordial force for evil is named Ziz.
After explaining these concepts, the Iridescent Emperor declared himself to be the Avatar of Garuda, who had come to lead the people on the proper path. He explained that those who serve the Iridescent Emperor will, when they die, have their soul absorbed into the Egg of Light, the center of their star system. Those who do not will have their souls eaten by Ziz, further empowering the entity.
Every incarnation of the Iridescent Emperor has been easily identifiable by having certain powers and abilities that other Avian did not. Examples of this include telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation, and more. At the time of the original Iridescent Emperor he was the only of his kind to have such capabilities, but with each successor they have become increasingly common, though none have ever been able to come close to matching the sheer power of any of the Iridescent Emperors.
Some disaffected Avian are known to lose faith in Garuda and by extension, the Iridescent Emperor. Those who turn to the worship of Ziz can undergo a ritual to mark themselves are servants of this dark power. This requires the sacrifice of everything the person holds dear, which is different per individual. If done correctly, the Avian undergoes a dark transformation in which they are granted extreme power in accordance to their level of hate and malice, as well as the price of their very soul. They become twisted creatures filled with hatred which cause chaos and mayhem.
Messengers, Scouts, and Ambassadors of the Ascendancy, they are primarily responsible for communication and surveillance among both the Ascendancy and outside forces. Primarily Green of Feather.
Scientists and Academics of the Ascendancy, they are primarily responsible for the advancement and maintenance of Avian technology. Primarily Blue of Feather.
Spiritualists and Priests of the Ascendancy, they are primarily responsible for the upkeep and spread of the religion of Avism. Primarily Red of Feather.
Some of the lowliest of Ascendancy society, they are little more than slaves who exist to perform menial labor and other lowly tasks. Because of their status, they are the most likely to become Vultures. Primarily Grey of Feather.
Warriors and Soldiers of the Ascendancy, they are primarily responsible for both the offensive and defensive martial capabilities of the Ascendancy. Primarily White of Feather.
Merchants and Moneylenders of the Ascendancy, they are responsible for overseeing the financial well being of the state. Primarily Gold of Feather.
(Influences; Geisha & Burlesque) Nicknamed 'Lovebirds'. They are primarily entertainers, artists, and prostitutes. Primarily Pink of feather.
The ruling Elite of the Ascendancy, they are responsible for overseeing the other Castes and the Ascendancy as a whole. Primarily Iridescent of Feather.
Criminals, Exiles, and Rebels they are everyone who is not a member of one of the other castes, as such they can be of any feather color. Some of them don vulture masks as a form of embracing their status, while others go maskless in defiance of the Ascendancy.
War Hawks - Currently 30% of the population are politically affiliated with the War Hawks political party, the dominant political force in the Ascendancy. It is closely affiliated with the dominant religion of the planet, Avism. It believes in Avian supremacy, imperial expansion, and colonialism.
Peace Doves - Currently 10% of the population are politically affiliated with the Peace Doves political party. The party holds many radical beliefs such as secularism, egalitarianism, and anti-imperialism and colonialism. Considered to be a major potential threat to the Ascendancy, they are fiercely monitored and controlled.
Middle Chickens - Currently 60% of the population are politically affiliated with the Chicken political party, which is comprised of pragmatists and centrists who hold no strong beliefs and simply operate based on what is most advantageous. Because the War Hawks currently hold political influence and power, the Chickens follow their leadership.
The current and fifth incarnation of the Avatar of Garuda as well as the Emperor of the Ascendancy, his word is law. He was raised by Owls.
The leading religious figure of Avism, she is of the Peacock caste. Considered to be the most beautiful and pious of all living beings besides the Iridescent Emperor, it is her responsibility to lead the people spiritually and religiously when the Emperor is busy with other affairs of state such as general governance.
Head of their Caste and a member of the Ascendant Council.
Head of their Caste and a member of the Ascendant Council.
Head of their Caste and a member of the Ascendant Council.
Head of their Caste and a member of the Ascendant Council.
Head of their Caste and a member of the Ascendant Council.
Head of their Caste and a member of the Ascendant Council.
A Murder is the Ascendancy's term for a Naval Battlegroup. Murder of the North - Ascendancy Murder Commander (AMC) Plume of Red is assigned to the overall military management of the Northern Expansion portion of the Ascendancy's Sphere of Expansion. Murder of the West - Ascendency Murder Commander (AMC) Eyes of Ivory is assigned to the overall military management of the Western Expansion portion of the Ascendancy's Sphere of Expansion. Murder of the East - Ascendancy Murder Commander (AMC) Claws of Black is assigned to the overall military management of the Eastern Expansion portion of the Ascendancy's Sphere of Expansion. Murder of the South - Ascendancy Murder Commander (AMC) Plume of Green is assigned to the overall military management of the Southern Expansion portion of the Ascendancy's Sphere of Expansion. Murder of the Center - Ascendancy Murder Commander (AMC) Wings of Blue is assigned to the unique task of overseeing the overall military management of the core central areas of the Ascendancy, including their home world the Egg of Life.
Spacecraft that is designed to accommodate only a single occupant, the pilot, they are primarily used for scouting and reconnaissance assignments. They can be effective in military engagements en mass when used to swarm an opponent. This is also the most common type of criminal spacecraft. Because of the resources required to build these ships, they are limited to 100 per Murder.
Spacecraft that is designed to accommodate a group of five occupants, the pilot, an officer, a gunner, a engineer, and a communications specialist. They work in smaller groups than Corvette's, but are more heavily armed and armored. Because of the resources required to build these ships, they are limited to 50 per Murder.
Spacecraft that is designed to accommodate a crew of several dozen Avian. It is further still armed and armored, able to withstand a relatively decent amount of damage. This is the first spacecraft designed with the capability of being a troop transport. Because of the amount of resources required to build these ships, they are limited to 25 per Murder.
Spacecraft that is designed to accommodate a crew of a hundred Avian. It is armed and armored to the point of being able to destroy a moon using sustained fire of it's primary gun. It is the first spacecraft designed to be able to transport not just soldiers but also Destroyer's and Corvette's. Because of the amount of resources required to build these ships, they are limited to 10 per Murder.
Truly one of the Jewel's of the Ascendancy's fleet, these ships require crews of several hundred Avian. These ships are so heavily armed and armored that they have the capability of being able to destroy entire planets using sustained fire from their primary weapons. Because of the massive amount of resources required to build these ships, they are limited in number to 3 per Murder.
The largest and most powerful of the Ascendancy's fleet, these ships are absolutely massive. These ships are so heavily armed and armored that they have the capability of being able to destroy entire suns using sustained fire from their primary weapons. These ships are so massive that they are capable of being self-sufficient and having their own internal recyclable ecosystems. Because of the massive amount of resources required to build these ships, they are limited in number to 1 per Murder.
Ascendancy Liberation Commander (ALC) Claws of Silver
Each unit within the Liberators consists of 90% vat grown clones that are indoctrinated into They have shortened lifespans in comparison to their natural born kin, living only 70 to 80 years. They have been genetically programmed to have minimal emotional responses, and are indoctrinated towards self sacrifice. A small contingent of natural born officers leads each cloned unit, allowing for much more time and training to be focused on them.
Raven Crow A duo of elite instruments of the Ascendancy that have performed numberless classified missions on behalf of the Iridescent Emperor. Raven specializes in stealth and agility, while Crow specializes in more direct methods of engagement such as explosives. They are the go to team for delicate operations.
Though they do not understand the true inner workings of it, it has been confirmed by the Avians that there is a supernatural realm overlayed upon the current material reality. It is believed that this realm is where both Garuda and Ziz exist. The original Iridescent Emperor was the first Avian to come into contact with this realm. As time went on however, other Avian began being born with these abilities as well. Originally it only spread to his fellow Peacocks before eventually spreading to the entirety of the species.
It is unknown just where the Overlord came from, or how old he is. What is known is that he appeared one day several centuries ago during a general period of strife and chaos, seemingly out of nowhere. He wandered the lands freely, plague following him wherever he went. He has a naturally dreadful and corrupting aura, and various Hero's sought him out to slay him and prove their own worth. None ever succeeded, and slowly he grew both in strength and power.
He wields a blade of black that is capable of resurrecting those that he slays as his pawns, and is considered the most powerful wielder of the arcane to ever live. As his reputation for slaughter grew, various bandits, cutthroats, and criminals began to flock to his banner. After having slain every so called Hero that ever challenged him he had truly begun to earn a reputation as a waking nightmare, as a portent of doom. He used his dark powers to resurrect the heroes he had slain and enslave their minds and wills, creating the first of the Voidborn. Indeed, none living have ever even see him bleed much less bested him in single combat, and his voice is said to be like that of thunder. It is whispered among the people that those who displease him fall dead with a mere glance, though it is unknown if this is true.
After slaying the vast majority of Heroes, the Overlord began to conquer territory in his own name. This forced various Kingdoms to acknowledge him and attempt to stop him by using a vast multitude of alliances and armies of both close allies and bitter rivals. One after another however each in turn would crumble and capitulate, before being absorbed into the Night Kingdom. During these wars the Overlord would hunt down beings with Greater Souls to form the Archons; living mortals who willingly bended the knee to serve him who had managed to impress him. These Archons would be added to his ranks as the best and brightest of different kingdoms fell before his armies.
Eventually the Defiance Wars would culminate in the Battle of Twilight in which all surviving Allied forces massed together for a single decisive battle. It resulted in the deaths of several crucial Alliance Generals and Kings, as well as the destruction of the majority of the Voidborn. The war lead to the so called 'defiance lands' formally retaining their independence, though with much of their leadership wiped out and without a common enemy to rally against they have fallen into chaos in recent times. Now, ironically, many refugees flood into the Night Kingdom from these lands.
Returning back home to his Night Kingdom the Overlord would focus his efforts on the foundation of a capital worthy of his Kingdom. Massive amounts of resources would be expended during construction, primarily overseen by his new Archons and surviving Voidborn. Large numbers of people began to immigrate to the city of Onyx in the hopes of a better future, as it is truly the shining jewel and most prosperous city of the Night Kingdom.
Numerous godlike beings have appeared and begun to wage war on the Night Kingdom, denouncing his lands as cursed and in need of cleansing. Now the Overlord and his Archons march to war once more in order to destroy this divine pantheon. These strange beings have begun to rally the shattered defiance lands in order to renew the old bonds of the Alliance. Will they successfully manage to defeat the forces of the Overlord?
This is a hidden pocket dimension that the Overlord has created himself. It is a desolate land with howling winds and jagged mountainous terrain. It is said that time flows differently while in this realm, though it is unknown if it is faster or slower. Death in the material realm will send him here, where he can rest and regenerate until taking form once more in the physical world. Death in this realm is the only true way to kill him.
The capital city of the Black Kingdom, it is where the Overlord reigns from. It is so massive that even from it's tallest spires one can only see the endless city lights stretching out in all directions. It is nearly always night in the city, and rains frequently. It is home to millions of citizens and slaves. It's inhabitants are pale and gangly.
The entirety of Onyx has been constructed out of an oily black stone which is known for it's incredible durability. So much stone was used in constructing the city that it created massive canyon quarry's on the outskirts of the city. An additional property of this stone is it being light absorbent, making the infrequent light posts in the city seem more like candles than proper light posts.
The Archon of War is a man who excels on the battlefield, who seems born for it. He wields a massive greatsword that is capable of cleaving three men in half with a single swing, and lives for the thrill of a decent opponent. He leads his own small but elite company of skilled knights and grizzled veterans who he would die for and each of which would die for him.
It is said that the Archon of War originally crossed blades with the Overlord during the Defiance Wars before being convinced that he could earn more glory and would have many more battles fighting for the Overlord than against him. The Archon has served him faithfully ever since, acting as the tip of the spear during invasions with his soldiers being used as shock troopers.
The Archon of Necromancy had originally attempted to create an army of skeletons to conquer his own local kingdom before being defeated by meddling Heroes. They surprisingly spared his life as they were worried even his very death may be trapped. Instead they imprisoned him in which he rotted away until the Kingdom which had stripped him of his freedom fell to the Overlord, and he was freed.
Now the Archon of Necromancy has restored his army of skeletons and leads massive hordes of the undead in the Overlords name. Each enemy foot soldier that is struck down inevitably becomes part of the Archon of Necromancy's forces. While the Archon of Necromancy still privately harbors desires for his own global domination, he knows that he is currently incapable of matching the Overlord in power, and as such he waits and bids his time.
The Archon of Shadow is a distant Archon, and is known for being the silent yet deadly blade in the dark which resolves delicate matters for the Overlord. Very little information is known about him other than that he also has fought and lost to the Overlord during the Defiance Wars before pledging his service to him. It is rumored that the Overlord placed an Edict upon the Archon of Shadow's village during the Defiance Wars which drove everyone in it into a blood frenzy of neighbor killing neighbor. The Archon of Shadow was the sole survivor of his village massacre, and impressed by skill the Overlord made him an Archon. The Archon of Shadow's acolytes act primarily as assassins and archers, they specialize in ranged combat.
The Archon of the Wild was discovered in a remote location during the Defiance wars. He appeared to have been raised by wild animals, and had no loyalty to any government or faction, other than his animal pack. The Overlord decided to make an Archon of the curiosity, as his ferocious and feral nature impressed him. In return for this the Archon is allowed to oversee his traditional territorial grounds as he sees fit, without question. Acolytes of this Archon are known for their animalistic nature, preferring to fight using sharpened teeth and makeshift claws. They fight unarmored, and rage like berserk when wounded.
These once legendary Heroes now serve as the Overlord's personal and most feared agents. These servants of the Overlord are unique in that they operate outside the authority of any Archon, and as such report solely to the Overlord. They serve now in a permanent state of Undeath, and while their hearts do not beat their flesh also does not decay. They do not need to sleep, eat, drink or even breath. They do possess memories of their prior living life, but do not retain control over any of their actions unless gifted this by the Overlord. It is whispered that he has trapped their very souls within his blade. Their numbers both ebbed and flowed during the Defiance Wars as various Kingdoms destroyed them but also lost their own Heroes to the Voidborns ranks.
Things have changed during the Godswars however, as during the Battle of Twilight the majority of the Voidborn were destroyed, thus now making the few survivors a rare sight in the Overlord's wider realm.
Small and light in stature and weight, Goblins are birthed like maggots out of the murk and mire of the corrupted and rotting carcass of once lush and vibrant locations. They are born individually out of flesh like sacs, and have a typical gestation time of 3 months. They are typically cowardly, but stealthy. They are greedy and attack only in great numbers when they can overwhelm their enemy. Goblins burn when exposed to direct sunlight, and thus typically hide and live in the caves and crevices of the earth. They are used for menial labor when slaves are unavailable, and slave overseers when they are.
Orks are Goblins that have survived for a year or longer. By this point they have grown to having a similar stature to a man, growing bolder now with their increased size and strength. The sun will no longer kill them as they have grown more resilient, but it does still burn them and cause them great pain. Once a Goblin has reached the maturity of an Ork, they typically leave their goblin spawning grounds and head down from their mountain homes into the dark forests of the Night Kingdom. Orks never outgrow their greed and lust for shiny things, and always submit to who among them is the biggest and strongest.
A Troll is an Ork that has survived for at least a decade, and are relatively rare. They can stand anywhere between 8 to 14 feet in length, and can weigh up to half a ton. Having reached such an old age in their species, they no longer are wounded by the sun. They are known for being the leaders of Ork War Bands, and receive their orders from the Overlord through his Voibdorn. They compete with one another for the Overlords favor, often vying for glory and loot with rival war bands.
Skeletons are exceedingly rare, requiring both extensive knowledge of necromancy as well as rare arcane materials. Currently the only ones capable of their creation is the Overlord himself and his Archon of Necromancy. Skeletons are always stronger when in close proximity to their creator, but can be sent away from their creator for tasks that are far away. Bladed weapons and arrows are ineffective against them, while magic and blunt weapons are better suited to fighting them. Nearly all skeletons are little more than automatons, with only skeleton commanders able to speak with an unearthly and ethereal voice. No personality or memories of the prior person remains of them.
Several humans have allied willingly with the Overlord, typically consisting of pirates and bandits. These human allies are promised wealth and land in the Overlords domain after service, and typically use both horde and berserker tactics to overwhelm their enemies. They typically wear little armor with heavy weaponry, favoring two handed weapons such as war hammers, great axes and claymore swords. The barbarians are usually used either in hit and run attacks or to help supplement their more numerous Goblin and Orc allies during larger battles or sieges. Most have formed into tribes ruled by Chieftains.
Greater Souls are rare souls that are possessed by beings of exceptional qualities. They are known as the Fateless because their destiny is unwritten, and because of this they have often played crucial roles in historical events as they are some of the few capable of altering the flow of history.
Lesser Souls are the default life force of all living creatures. Their abilities can vary wildly, from rudimentary to even potentially being able to challenge a Greater Soul being. Beings with Lesser Souls have their fates written before they are born, and while they may not know the details of their future they effectively lack free will.
Unimaginably powerful magic that only the Overlord can harness, it can be cast directly or placed into scrolls to be transported and used by his trusted Voidborn at specific locations or in specific situations. These Edicts require considerable time and power to create, but are limitless in capability, able to rewrite the very fabric of reality.
Active Edicts
Edict of Greater Souls - This Edict was declared during the Defiance Wars and allowed for the Overlord to be able to determine the location of Greater Souled beings, allowing him to more effectively hunt them. This Edict is still in place today, and whenever a Greater Soul being is born or brought into existence, it is brought to the Overlords attention.
Edict of Night - This Edict was declared during the construction of the capital city of Onyx. This Edict gives the Overlord complete control over the weather of his entire domain, allowing him to both leave it in a perpetual raining night as well as still allowing the crops to still grow and the land not to flood.
Edict of Authority - This Edict was declared during the construction of Onyx. It allows the Overlord a psychic link to both his Archons and Voidborn, allowing them to communicate instantaneously no matter how far apart they are. Not only this, but it allows the Overlord to see through their eyes and even listen to their thoughts or peruse their memories.
Edict of Flame - During the Defiance Wars a democratic republic had managed to hoard vast amounts of knowledge into the greatest Library on the surface of the planet. The arcane secrets that they had hoarded allowed them to successfully repel the Overlords attempted subjugation of their Capital Library. After several months of failure to negotiate their surrender or take it by force, the Overlord issued an Edict of Flame in which the entire Library city was incinerated in an instant, with its arcane secrets charred and lost forever. The fire still rages to this day, with it's dissipation command being every last scrap of arcane knowledge within the city needing have been destroyed.
Inactive Edicts
Edict of Wind - During the Defiance Wars a particularly troublesome kingdom that was filled with skilled warriors who were proud of their martial traditions. They managed to grind the campaign to a halt. After several months of deadlock, the Overlord declared the Edict of Wind over the entire nation. This caused a tornado to form in the country which raged for an entire year. It decimated both the enemy capital and it's military forces, effectively breaking the stalemate. After the formal surrender of the kingdom in which they were required to surrender their swords, did the tornado dissipate leaving the survivors to rebuild.
Edict of Earth - During the Defiance Wars a hundred primitive tribes had gathered together onto what they considered a holy plateau that was the most defensible location in their region. After refusing to surrender their independence and several months of failure in attempting to militarily take the plateau, the Overlord issued an Edict of Earth in which great tectonic movements caused earthquakes which destroyed the plateau, burying the hundred rebelling tribes alive. It was only with the complete destruction of their sacred plateau did the tremors cease.
Edict of Water - During the Defiance Wars there was a series of wealthy island nation that formed an alliance against the Overlord. They believed their combined wealth would be enough to finance a large enough mercenary army to defeat him. They were correct in that their mercenary horde managed to slow and even stop the Overlords forces for several months, however, then the Overlord issued the Edict of Water. This Edict caused the seas to turn against the islanders, with massive waves destroying their fleets and entire islands being engulfed by the ocean. It was only when every last gold coin on their islands was tossed into what is now known as the Golden Sea did the Edict dissipate.
Name:Silas Kilroy Subject Psi Audio Diary Portrait: Surface Life: Silas Kilroy was born in Emporia, Kansas to a family of Irish Protestant impoverished farmers in March of 1937. Life was difficult for the family, and when the second world war erupted his father Hezekiah served in the U.S. Military, flying a bomber to attack Axis targets. He was shot down during a crucial mission and taken prisoner, his subsequent extensive interrogation and torture deeply traumatized him, changing him for life. At first, Hezekiah waited with hope that his government and fellow soldiers would save him. As the war dragged on, he slowly began to lose hope of rescue and came to realize that the only person who cared about his survival and well being would have to be himself. Organizing a riot with his fellow prisoners, he was wounded but managed to escape and return to Allied lines.
By the time Hezekiah was discharged from the hospital, the war was nearing its end. Returning to the United States, he was offered a large sum of money by a corporation named Ryan Oil after it was discovered on his farm property. He counter offered with the additional stipulation of a offer of employment at Ryan Security, a subsidiary of Ryan Industries, using his service in World War II as a qualification. Andrew Ryan accepted the deal, and he was introduced to its Head of Security, Sullivan. Hezekiah was working under Sullivan aboard Ryan's ship the Olympian as a bodyguard when Ryan discovered the location for his city. When work began on constructing Rapture, he was assigned with maintaining it's operational security and secrecy. Hezekiah became one of Ryan's truest ideological believers in the Great Chain and bet everything upon the man's dream. Because of this, he and his family were one of the first waves of people allowed to descend beneath the waves and permanently inhabit the city in January of 1947.
Construction (1945-1950): Upon arrival in Rapture, the first place the star struck family stopped to eat was the famous Kashmir Restaurant in the Welcome Pavillion, enjoying a delicious and memorable meal together. Silas was soon enrolled at Ryan the Lion Preparatory Academy as a child and sang Rise, Rapture, Rise with his classmates every morning in a show of solidarity to Ryan. Young Silas also had his birthday at Ryan Amusements, coming to embrace the ideals of the Great Chain like his father. Hezekiah, meanwhile, used the money he had received from selling his property to Ryan Oil and the wages he had saved working for Ryan Security to manage to carve out his own little slice of Rapture in Olympus Heights, in Athena's Glory. The apartment was complete with connection to the city-wide pneumo system, Ryan Security home turret's (discounted as a perk of his employment with them), a personal Bathysphere and even a panic room to retreat to in case 'the Parasites get past the turrets'.
In 1949, Hezekiah spoke to a drinking buddy of his that he frequented The Fighting McDonagh's Tavern with about managing to secure a job for his 12 year-old son Silas working for him. The drinking buddy was named Buck Raleigh, and Silas would work in one of Buck's alcohol distilleries. Silas was thrilled with his own opportunity to lay his hands on the Great Chain and begin generating income of his own. For a while, things went well and Mr. Raleigh took good care of Silas, viewing him as a kind of protege. The business continued to thrive and grow and as it did Silas was slowly but surely given more responsibility, and pay. Silas used the money that he earned working for Raleigh to buy his very own Air Grabber, allowing him and other youths of the city to ride the pneumo system.
Everything changed in 1950 when Fontaine Futuristics began to explode in popularity selling Plasmids created from ADAM. They took the city by storm, granting powers and abilities previously thought unimaginable. Hezekiah became suspicious of them due to their connection to Frank Fontaine, who despite Ryan's reassurances he knew was one of the primary suspects for smuggling in Rapture. He forbid Silas from partaking in them while living under his roof. Around this time Silas mother, Helena, began to suffer from serious anxiety and depression due to lack of sunlight and claustrophobic confinement in the underwater city. Due to these feelings she started spending time at Dionysus Park and seeing Dr. Sofia Lamb at her clinic. Over time Helena slowly began to embrace Lamb's collectivist philosophy.
Rise and Fall (1951-1958) By 1951 Silas witnessed great conflict and turmoil at home between his mother and father as they began having debates that were eerily similar to those that Andrew Ryan would publicly have with Dr. Sofia Lamb. At the age of 14, and as he grew older, his own adolescent rebelliousness began to take hold. Silas began to increasingly take notice of the disparity between the social classes, and wondering if the poor unfortunates he regularly witnessed down at Pauper's Drop and Apollo Square truly were all lazy parasites.
This culminated in Andrew Ryan imprisoning Dr. Sofia Lamb and her burgeoning Rapture Family, including Silas' mother Helena, in Persephone. Silas reacted strongly to this, spending nearly all of his time at Poseidon Plaza in Fort Frolic, beginning to regularly gamble at Sir Prize and watch dancers at Eve's Garden. Likewise, Hezekiah felt torn between his loyalty to his ideology and his loyalty to his wife, and it was only through the intervention of longtime friends Sullivan and Bill McDonagh that kept him from resigning from his job at Ryan Security.
With the threat of collectivism seemingly defeated, Andrew Ryan increasingly turned his attention towards stopping smugglers in 1952, and Hezekiah threw himself into his work in an attempt to stay too busy to think about Helena languishing in Persephone. He became one of Sullivan, and by extension Ryan's, top agents. His attempts to find evidence to connect Fontaine to the smuggling rings required him to interrogate and torture people in much the same way he had been while in the prisoner of war camps during the war, retraumatizing him further. This lead to Hezekiah drinking heavily. Meanwhile, Silas was only growing more distant from his belief in the Great Chain, beginning to regularly associate with Fontaine's men. They began gifting Silas many illegal and smuggled goods from the surface. This resulted in many strained conversations between the two reminiscent to the ones had between Hezekiah and Helena only a year prior.
Associating with Fontaine's men only increased the social pressure to use plasmids, something many of the poor considered to be essential if they were to overthrow Andrew Ryan's oppressive regime. In order to fully gain the trust of his new companions, he was required to be the guinea pig of a experimental plasmid to be sold in Fontaine's Department Store, at Jack Frost's Village. Agreeing to try the new drinkable plasmid known as Old Man Winter, Silas consumed it and gained its advertised powers without issue. When Hezekiah found out, he kicked Silas out of their family apartment in Athena's Glory because of his newfound 'parasite' friends and having begun Splicing.
He was then forced to rent a room at the Sinclair Deluxe in Pauper's Drop. Silas also began drinking excessively at the Le Marquis D'Epoque, and was fired by Buck Raleigh from his job at the distillery. Becoming nearly destitute, he was forced to search desperately for work. Fontaine discovered him in Neptune's Bounty and offered him a under the table job as a smuggler of contraband working at the Smuggler's Hideout and a public job working at Fontaine Fisheries under Zigo Acosta, which Silas agreed to. For a brief time, things went well and he began making more money than he ever had before. Using the money he earned, he left the Sinclair Deluxe and managed to get his own apartment in Apollo's Square at the Artemis Suites.
As the crackdown on smuggling began to apply more and more pressure on Fontaine's smuggling operation, the risk and reward for contraband soared ever higher. Because of the fifteen-year old Silas' inexperience, he was frequently used for the most dangerous of operations, and had been selected by Fontaine to be a fall guy for more valuable members of the smuggling ring such as Silas' boss Peach Wilkins. Things culminated in December of 1952 when Hezekiah finally caught hard evidence of one of Fontaine's smugglers in the act. He was horrified to discover the smuggler to be his own son, who he now had to choose between his loyalty to Ryan and his loyalty to his family. Knowing that the penalty for smuggling was death, Hezekiah destroyed the evidence and did not report the encounter, lying to Sullivan that he had failed to apprehend the smuggler.
After the incident Silas quit his job at Fontaine Fisheries and stopped being a smuggler, angering Fontaine greatly. He threatened to betray Fontaine and his operation if they attempted retaliation against him for quitting, and Fontaine decided against pursuing Silas due to knowing that Silas' father was Hezekiah, a close friend of Sullivan who would bring much more heat and attention on his operation than was worth it.
During 1953 and 1954 Silas found the work he needed so badly in employment from Jack McClendon of McClendon Robotics, learning much from the man (including how to hack machines and computers) by assisting him in his failed endeavor and development of Robotic Little Sisters to replace the living ones at the request of Andrew Ryan, hoping the robotic girls would be more efficient and productive at harvesting ADAM. McClendon tried desperately to fulfill the contract but was eventually forced to close the project and lay off Silas as he couldn't afford to continue investment in the endeavor, compensating Silas by giving him one of the failed robotic little sisters instead of paying him.
Silas used the knowledge and experience he had gained working at McClendon Robotics to attempt to get one of the most exclusive jobs in all of Rapture; working for Rapture Central Computing in Minerva's Den on The Thinker as an assistant technician under Reed Wahl. He was rejected due to his past ties working in Fontaine Fisheries, who was known to want their technology for Fontaine Futuristics and in desperation he was forced to turn to his father Hezekiah to assist him. Hezekiah managed to successfully secure the job for his son, but warned him that if he betrayed Rapture Hezekiah would kill Silas himself. In truth Silas didn't want to work at Rapture Central Computing to benefit Fontaine, but because he believed it could help him in freeing his mother Helena from Persephone.
From 1955 through 1956 Silas worked diligently at his new job in Central Computing, earning the trust and respect of his colleagues and focusing his energy on his rescue attempt. Eventually discovering that Mr. Wahl had begun using the Thinker inappropriately in order to win at gambling, Silas demanded a bribe in order to not reveal the information to his Co-Founder Charles Milton Porter. Reed payed the bribe, reasoning he could easily generate more income from the Thinker, and then promptly fired Silas for threatening him. In retaliation, Silas revealed the information to Charles Porter anyway before moving on with the bribe money to continue his own scheme.
He used the money to pay Fontaine Futuristics to help him with his scheme, hoping to customize a Bathysphere to be able to save Helena from Persephone and escape to the surface. Eventually Hezekiah discovered this plan, and was once again deeply divided between his loyalty to Ryan and his loyalty to his family. Hezekiah sided with his family and began helping Silas with his secret project. Specifically, Hezekiah began weapons and combat training with Silas, teaching him how to properly handle firearms and how to box, sparring with him at the Fighting McDonagh's Tavern.
By the end of 1957 the duo had acquired a vital Signal Beacon, necessary to scramble the location of the bathysphere so that torpedoes could not target it. Although neither Silas nor Hezekiah could gain access to the beacon themselves, Silas used the repurposed robotic Little Sister to crawl through vents to acquire it. Not only this, but they also managed to pay for extensive modifications meant to disrupt and disable electromagnetic underwater mines designed to be attracted to Bathyspheres. Unfortunately the upgrades at Fontaine Futuristics attracted the attention of its proprietor, and once Fontaine learned about Silas plan to break into Persephone and rescue his mother, he decided to use the plan for his own benefit.
Fontaine had his men secretly modify the Bathysphere to allow him to remotely take control of it, as well as tasking Silas with going to Persephone and either convincing Dr. Sofia Lamb and her Rapture Family to ally with Fontaine, or killing her if she refused. Silas reluctantly agreed, seeing no alternative to be able to save Helena.
Societal Collapse (1958-1960) Taking the bathysphere to Persephone in early September of 1958, Silas arrived at Outer Persephone during a time of turmoil and upheaval. Riots in the penal colony had escalated to the point of an open rebellion, with inmates fighting viciously against a divided staff that were split between loyalty to Dr. Sofia Lamb and Augustus Sinclair. Silas was forced to kill both deranged inmates and bloodthirsty security staff, fighting his way deep into the heart of the facility. Reaching Inner Persephone as Dr. Sofia Lamb took complete control of the complex, he found his mother had become one of her most devoted followers and a lieutenant in her family. Not only this, but he learned that she was one of the members of the family who had been sacrificed to save the rest, having been used extensively in Plasmid experimentation and testing while at the facility. She had also spent years studying psychology under the mentorship of Dr. Edward Grimes, and had managed to retain a surprising amount of lucidity and sanity.
Silas asked Lamb to ally herself with Fontaine, but she rejected the proposal, claiming that Fontaine was a thug and a mobster who had only his own self-interest in mind no different than Ryan. When Silas informed her that Fontaine had made clear to him that if she rejected the offer he was to kill her and her Rapture Family, Helena offered to leave Persephone with Silas in order to locate Eleanor Lamb. Sofia reluctantly agreed to the proposal, allowing the duo to leave together.
Returning to the Bathysphere and leaving, it was immediately taken control of by Fontaine who radioed Silas and asked how the mission to Persephone was resolved. Silas told Fontaine that things had taken an unexpected turn, with Lamb having taken complete control of Persephone. He told Fontaine that Lamb had refused to ally with him because she knew what Silas had learned the hard way; Fontaine's Homes for the Poor were a scheme and scam meant to manipulate the vulnerable and needy. While angering the mobster on the radio, he managed to hack the Bathysphere's navigation system to override Fontaine's remote control, rerouting it away from Fontaine's Fisheries to instead deliver them to Hezekiah's apartment in Athena's Glory. Fontaine reacted with a mix of being angered, shocked, and impressed by the youths tenacity. He promised Silas that he would pay dearly for his actions, but took his words to heart coming to believe that Fontaine's reputation was too sullied to rally the support needed to defeat Ryan, beginning to consider the alias of Atlas.
The reunion in Athena's Glory was a mixed one, with Hezekiah and Helena still having large ideological differences but having missed one another terribly in the years apart from one another. They agreed to set their differences aside for the sake of their family, renouncing loyalty to Lamb, Fontaine, Ryan, or anyone else outside the Kilroy family. Instead they focused all of their attention on their escape, knowing that a failed attempt could cost all of them their lives. Hezekiah spoke to his close friends the Chief of Security Sullivan and City Councilman Bill McDonagh, hoping that they would agree with his assessment that Rapture was on the precipice of full blown Civil War.
While his companions did agree that Fontaine had become a ever growing threat to the city's stability, they believe he wouldn't be a problem for much longer. Bill McDonagh shared with Hezekiah that they had finally acquired enough evidence to formally convict Fontaine in court for his smuggling ring, and wanted to know if Silas would testify against Fontaine in exchange for immunity for his own part in the operations. Sullivan asked Hezekiah if he would be one of the agents who would attempt to arrest Frank Fontaine, to which he agreed. After telling Silas about it, he volunteered as well, wanting to see the look on Fontaine's face when he was arrested.
Despite the protests of Hezekiah, Silas decided to splice himself with a second plasmid in preparation for the arrest of Fontaine, injecting himself with Electro Bolt. On September 12th, the arrest attempt on Fontaine went as poorly as could be expected and resulted in a massive shoot out that resulted in the death of Fontaine and the wounding of Hezekiah protecting Silas. In the aftermath of the failed arrest, Fontaine's surviving loyalists were rounded up into his Department store and their future was a hot topic of debate among the citizens.
Helena and Hezekiah grew much closer together while he was recovering from his wounds, rekindling the spark of their relationship. For a time, things seemed like they were genuinely improving. Order briefly returned to Rapture with Fontaine no longer opposing Ryan, though when Ryan nationalized all of Fontaine's business and assets it caused a level of uproar that threatened the newfound peace. In November of 1958, Ryan made the decision to disconnect and sink Fontaine's Department Store with his imprisoned supporters. He also decided that Anna Culpepper needed to be silenced for her Anti-Ryan artistic works, yet another betrayal of his own philosophy. Sullivan asked Hezekiah to accompany him on the hit, having him stand guard outside her apartment while Sullivan murdered her. This act deeply shook both men, causing them to decide to finally betray Ryan.
In the absence of Frank Fontaine and while Ryan was consolidating power, whispers of a new working class hero named Atlas began to spread through the weary city. A terrifying package arrived at the Kilroy home through the pneumo network in December of 1958, including a cryptic and threatening note with a blue butterfly pin attached, demanding Helena find Eleanor Lamb or suffer the consequences of the Rapture Family. Knowing they could no longer rely on a increasingly erratic Ryan for protection, the Kilroy family decided the best course of action was to indeed find Eleanor. While Helena and Silas searched Rapture for the girl, Hezekiah was approached by Bill McDonagh who asked him if he'd be willing to attempt to assassinate Ryan, to which Hezekiah agreed.
While searching for Eleanor Lamb, Silas traveled to Dionysus Park and met Stanley Poole who had been left in charge of the area while Sofia Lamb was imprisoned. Upon informing Stanley of Lamb taking control of Persephone, he informed Silas that Eleanor had been given to Grace Holloway for safekeeping. After Silas left for Pauper's Drop to find Grace, Stanley began plotting to destroy Dionysus Park to prevent the recently freed Sofia Lamb from discovering his treachery both in his poor and selfish handling of Dionysus Park and his selling of Eleanor to a Little Sister's Orphanage in Plaza Hedone.
Upon arriving in Siren Alley, he found the area had fallen from its prestigious roots into crime and poverty, as had much of the city. He immediately traveled to and and searched at the Orphanage for Eleanor, but was unable to locate her among the other orphan girls.
While continuing his search and investigation, Silas decided to get a room at the infamous hotel turned brothel known as the Pink Pearl in Little Eden Plaza. While staying there, he met the socialite turned lady of the night Mlle Blanche de Glace. After developing a romantic and sexual relationship with her, she informed him that she had overheard her boss and pimp Daniel Wales say that a man named Dr. Gilbert Alexander was taking the orphan girls for a mysterious experiment. Concerned that Eleanor had been abducted by Dr. Alexander, Silas set out to find the doctor.
It was during this time that he was contacted by the legendary scientist and innovator Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum who had come to learn that Silas was looking to free Eleanor. She made a deal with him to free a number of Little Sisters, and in trade she would provide the location of Eleanor and do what she could to help him free her. Agreeing to her deal, Silas knew he would need additional plasmids to attempt such a feat. Using what money he still had from the bribe he had recieved from Reed Wahl, he purchased and used his 3rd plasmid, Telekinesis.
Silas stalks and hunts the Alpha Series with great success, taking multiple of the Little Sisters to Tenenbaum. In return, she fulfilled her part of the bargain and informed Silas about the hidden Fontaine's Plasmid Research and Development where Dr. Alexander was hiding. She wasn't able to provide a way into the facility, but Silas relied on his Robotic Little Sister to crawl through air ducts and open the door for him.
Silas fought his way through the facility and found the doctor, threatening him. Dr. Alexander revealed the location of Eleanor and Subject Delta at the Adonis Luxury Resort.
Leaving the facility, he decided to return home to the Kilroy Residence to inform them that he had discovered Eleanor's location. Upon arriving however, he discovered the situation with his family was dire. His mothers lucidity due to the massive amounts of plasmids that had been experimented on with had only further deteriorated, with her no longer sane or operating in reality. As a result Hezekiah had to keep her in a locked room in their home as she was a danger and no longer able to behave in public. His father had become an alcoholic as well as having ironically begun splicing himself. He had fully dedicated himself to his plot to kill Andrew Ryan, who he ultimately blamed for all of their problems and for the ruination of their lives. Specifically, he had begun collaborating with his longtime friend Bill McDonagh as well as having taken a new lover with the would-be assassin Anya Andersdotter.
After informing Sophia about Eleanor's location and how she had been turned into a Little Sister and bonded with Subject Delta, Silas decided to investigate the rising star and proletariat hero known as Atlas. Silas had become relatively jaded after all he had experienced, but couldn't help but think that someone like Atlas was exactly what Rapture needed. He felt it needed a salt of the earth common man to remind the elites of Rapture who they relied on and who had actually built this city. Ultimately Silas made the decision that he would join up with Atlas in the hopes of overthrowing Ryan and making the city a better place.
On New Years Eve of 1958 Silas managed to convince both of his parents to attend the New Years Ball, and to have a meal at the Kashmir Restaurant just as they had done when they first arrived in Rapture all those years ago. Hezekiah agreed if only to keep up appearances and keep Ryan's suspicion off of him. It went surprisingly well, with Hezekiah managing to attend sober and Helena remaining more lucid than expected. For once they felt like a normal family again, and Silas allowed himself to hope that things could go back to the way they were, and that they could live together happily. During this meal Hezekiah would reveal that he had managed to illicitly secure a Genetic Key to one of if not the most heavily guarded locations in Rapture; Rapture Central Control from where Ryan ruled his city from his office.
It was at that moment that an explosive inferno consumed the restaurant, slaughtering many of Rapture's socialites and Ryan's loyalists, officially starting Rapture's Civil War. The explosions killed both Hezekiah and Helena, as well as destroying the illicit access card to Rapture Central Control. Silas was heavily wounded, and was only saved from death by being saved by Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum and the Little Sisters that he had had saved earlier. They nursed him back to health, and while physically he recovered his psyche was fractured by the sudden death of his parents as well as the toll that the splicing had on him. Now he heard the disembodied voices of his parents, guiding him and advising him whenever he had a decision to make. In general his father advised him to act more pragmatically, while his mother advised him to act more idealistically.
After recovering from his wounds and leaving Tenenbaum's, he swore off aiding Atlas as it was his bombs that had ruined his life. He returned to his home and retrieved the copy of the access card to Rapture Central Control his father had left in their family safe. Shortly thereafter the Rapture Bank Crash occurred and the city slipped even further chaos, with Silas struggling with his deteriorating sanity. He began tagging various areas of the city with his new signature and referring to himself as Kilroy rather than Silas.
He vowed vengeance against both Ryan and Atlas, though as time went on he slowly forgot the reason why with only a unexplainable hatred for both remaining. He preyed upon either faction whenever possible, looting and scavenging for necessities. As he grew more experienced he began to lure the factions into each other to incite battles between them, once one side won he would pick off the survivors and loot both sides. Kilroy, like the rest of the city, became aware of the crash of Apollo Airways Flight DF-0301 and the arrival of a mysterious stranger.
Events of BioShock (1960) Kilroy thought about preying upon the new mysterious stranger, but once he discovered that Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum was also using him for her own purposes he decided to leave him alone out for respect for her saving his life. As the dollar collapsed he focused on his revenge, and to prepare himself to try and kill two of the most powerful men in the city he attained a fourth plasmid.
Kilroy bitterly discovered that both Ryan and Atlas were killed by the newly arrived son of Ryan before he could find a way to reach either one. Shortly after the end of the Rapture Civil War, Jack left as suddenly and mysteriously as he had arrived. Many in the city had come to revere him, and they mourned his absence. The city settled into a relative slumber without him, with people attempting to merely survive, stabilize the economy, and restore order. Unfortunately the city struggled to recover from both the civil war and the loss of its leadership. It was during this time that Kilroy considered leaving the dying city for the surface world, but realized he was now too heavily spliced to ever be able to fit in to normal society.
Sophia Lamb returned to the city at large, with the numbers for her Rapture Family swelling to become a majority of the remaining citizens. Having become disillusioned from Andrew Ryan and having been tricked by Fontaine into embracing Atlas, he was too jaded and refused Sophia and her Rapture Family. Instead he used his experience and plasmids to prey upon Lamb's Family much as he had done against both Ryan and Atlas. Unfortunately he was caught off guard by the creation of the Big Sisters who managed to capture him and deliver him to Sophia. She was aware of his custom made Bathosphyere, and needed more little girls to create Little Sisters. She made a deal with Kilroy that she would let him live and let him go in return for having him use his Bathosphyere to kidnap little girls from the surface world and deliver them to her.
Kilroy is forced to agree, and does her bidding which traumatizes him greatly. He brings the Big Sister to the surface who kidnaps Cindy Meltzer thus leading to Mark Meltzer discovering the city. After delivering sufficient Little Sisters, he is betrayed by Sophia who praises Jack's lack of self determination due to psychological conditioning. She decides to experiment upon Silas, turning him into a Alpha Series similar to Subject Delta.
Events of BioShock 2 (1968)
Kilroy awakens and is now known as Subject Psi. Before he goes through the bonding process with a Little Sister, Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum returns to Rapture manages to save him and break much of the brainwashing before the process is completed. He is freed at the same time that Tenenbaum also frees Subject Sigma.
Released into the city, he is given a mission from Tenenbaum to gather ADAM Plants as well as the Lazarus Vector for her to study. This causes him to have to spend the majority of his time either on the outskirts of the city or in areas that have been flooded. Now rather than only hearing the disembodied voice of his parents, Subject Psi visually sees them as well. During his assignment he is attacked by both a heavily mutated shark as well as a heavily mutated squid.
He learns that Subject Delta has succeeded at reuniting with Eleanor as well as Subject Sigma succeeding at retrieving the Thinker's Codes, and is offered by Tenenbaum to return to the surface with her. He nearly accepts, but his delusions convince him that his work is not yet done in Rapture. Tenenbaum leaves him with the task of learning about the mysterious Luminescent Biomass. After being left alone, he uses Tenenbaum's research with the Lazarus Vector and ADAM Plants to develop a unique plasmid that allows him to withstand intense amounts of radiation, which the Luminescent Biomass emits. This allows Subject Psi to properly approach the Biomass without risk of damage.
Bioshock: Whalefall
Subject Psi is forced to fight his way through the remains of the city, as by this point only crazed splicers remain in the city. The city has devolved into warring factions of splicers which fight over dwindling amounts of ADAM. The three largest factions are the Rapture Family as well as the remnants of Ryan and Atlas loyalists. The Rapture Family is lead by Father Simon Wales, who had survived his encounter with Subject Delta and now without Sophia to restrain him had turned the Family into a religious cult full of devoted fanatics. He has renamed them to the ADAM Family, as that is what they now worship. They believe in a prophecy that Jack will return to the city and bring infinite ADAM for everyone with him for the faithful, as well as worshiping a strange creature from the Deep they refer to as the Light in the Dark.
The remaining diehard Ryan loyalists had fallen under the employ of a man named Robert House who was one of if not the only men in the city who still remained unspliced. He had been comparable in wealth and power to the likes of Sinclair before the Civil War, and had only further profited during it as his company primarily sold firearms and munitions. Because of that, he had stoked the flames of war believing he could make a profit, and now was desperate to save the city so that he may succeed where Ryan had failed. Though House is a believer in certain values of Ryan's Great Chain philsophy such as the importance of ambition in great individuals and competition breeding innovation, House believed more in a chess board type approach and is more authoritarian, disregarding Ryan's libertarian view of laissez-faire free markets not needing regulation. Declaring himself Chariman of the City Council, he has control over what is left of any Government systems.
Lastly the remaining communists and revolutionaries from Atlas's cause have banded together under the name of the Fifth International Union, demanding that the power be given to the people. Made up of blue-collar workers, guerilla fighters, insurgents, tradesmen, and more they all work together in the hope that under the sea and away from the corrupting influence of capitalism from the surface, they can establish a communal paradise. They seek to seize the means of production and turn the city into a dictatorship of the proletariat.
Subject Psi discovers that each of the three factions possess something that he requires in order to gain further progress learning about the Luminescent Biomass. Either through cooperation and diplomacy, he sets out on a new quest. He learns that ADAM Family have a special 'Fruit of the Gods' that Subject Psi eats allowing his body to adapt to holding as much ADAM as it does, restoring his sanity and reversing the effects of Splicing on his mind and body. Fifth International Union know the path to reach the weakest and the least irradiated point of the Biomass from which it needs to be approached. Lastly the Rapture City Council have a special cutting laser that is needed to cut into the impossibly thick hide of the Biomass to gain access within it.
After completing these tasks and approaching the Biomass, Subject Psi is surprised to encounter Dr. Gilbert Alexander. Gil has become a giant anglerfish, with his human body now glowing and floating ominously out in the depths. He can somehow speak but his personality has been fully warped, becoming an abomination with little thought other than hunger for ADAM and flesh. He jealously guards the entrance to the Biomass and is a boss that must be defeated after attaining what is needed from the 3 factions. After defeating the creature and gaining access to the Biomass, Subject Psi discovers a variety of mutated and deadly crustaceans. Fighting his way ever deeper to the center, he discovers a pulsating heart like organ that he manages to take a sample of. He sends the sample and relevant data to Tenenbaum before succumbing to the intense radiation in the central chamber of the Luminescent Biomass.
Epilogue
Tenenbaum discovers that the Luminescent Biomass is/was a prehistoric organism that has survived and remained undetected due to living exclusively within the deepest depths of the worlds oceans. The creature has been altered due to the radiation involved during World War II, and has developed cancerous growths upon its flesh. The source of the light emitting from the creature is Cherenkov radiation. The creature is terminally ill and crashed to the ocean floor resulting in a Whale fall. The intense radiation emitting from the creature has resulted in Foster's Rule which has caused Adaptive radiation. This is what has caused the creation of the ADAM plants and by extension the sea slugs and everything else.
Name: Silas Kilroy President/Prophet John Henry Eden
Voxophone Portrait:
Pre-Baptism: Silas Kilroy was born in what would become Emporia, Kansas to a family of Irish Protestant impoverished farmers in March of 1837. Their farmstead as well as their neighbors were regularly threatened and their crops stolen or destroyed by Native Americans who were irritated at their settling in their lands. Hezekiah Kilroy, Silas' father, who was a veteran of various American Indian Wars joined a local militia aimed at combating the local Native Americans. Tensions continued to intensify until a skirmish occurred between the militia and the Native Americans that caused sufficient death and destruction that the U.S. Military was forced to intervene, but not before their family farm was destroyed during the fighting. It was during these clashes between the militia and the Native Americans that the young Silas witnessed the act of scalping, something that horrified and enraged the young boy.
These early experiences were formative for the young Silas who grew to both fear and hate the Native American. The family was nearly destitute from the loss of their farm to the Native Americans, and were forced to move in order live with wealthy extended family members that owned a Slave plantationin Missouri in 1844. Hezekiah became a overseer for his in-laws plantation, and decided that he wished to take up the slave plantation lifestyle himself in Kansas. He also voted for James K. Polk in the 1844 Presidential Election, as Polk was a strong believer in Manifest Destiny, something that Hezekiah was attracted to and preached the virtues of to his son.
In 1846 the Mexican-American War occurred as Polk made good on his promises of American Expansionism, taking by force lands that were previously held by Mexico. Hezekiah decided to reenlist in the military, but also insisted on taking the nine year old Silas Kilroy along with him to aid in the war effort. The boy was allowed to accompany his father, albeit he only allowed to assist in non-combat roles. Silas was enthusiastic about his position, thinking of himself as being like the squire to his father being a knight. During the war he was further influenced by both his father and his fathers fellow soldiers. They instilled within him a sense of superiority over Hispanics and foreigners altogether.
Hezekiah and Silas returned victorious in March of 1848 with the boy now eleven. The family had saved enough money to return to their former home, and began rebuilding their farm into a slavery plantation. It was in the following years that Hezekiah joined the Order of the Star Spangled Banner, an organization that shared his disdain for foreigners and Catholics, believing they were ruining the country. Silas looked up to his father and this would later go on to influence his own joining of the Fraternal Order of the Raven. Once the Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 was passed, large amounts of people began to pour in to both Nebraska and Kansas in order to vote on whether slavery should be allowed in the states. The seventeen year old Silas became quick friends with many people that had moved there that he had known during the families time living in Missouri nearly a decade ago.
With the Native Americans largely either subjected or relocated, militias began to form of both pro-slavery and anti-slavery citizens. Both Hezekiah and Silas joined the pro-slavery Kansas militia and also allied with many Border ruffians in the area at the time. They also skirmished with the anti-slavery miltia of Kansas known as the Jayhawkers, and it is noteworthy that during this time Silas killed his first person during the Sacking of Lawrence. Tensions continued to build until they reached a period known as the Bleeding Kansas period, a prelude to the coming American Civil War.
By Spring of 1861, the now twenty four year old Silas and his father decided to travel back to Missouri for the sole purpose of joining the Confederate Army to help repel the Northern Anti-Slavery forces once and for all. They left with the same self-assured confidence that they had when they left for the Mexican-American War, but this time fate would not be as kind to them. The two served under General Sterling Price of Missouri and fought in several battles, some of which even being victories, but everything change for the father and son pair during the Battle of Westport otherwise known as the 'Gettysburg of the West'. Silas would be wounded in the battle, suffering lifelong scars. Hezekiah himself would be slain, psychologically scarring the youth.
Silas was taken prisoner by Union forces, and would be released only after the end of the war in 1865 at the age of twenty eight. Upon returning home, he would discover that his mother had been killed by freed slaves during his absence. This would cement his hatred for Native Americans, foreigners, racial minorities, and Catholics. Still, he was able to rejoice thoroughly when he discovered that Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated by who he considered to be the Great American Patriot John Wilkes Booth. Silas even went so far as to get the words Sic Semper Tyrannis tattooed upon him.
Becoming a lonesome drifter for the next several years, Silas would find himself drawn to and joining the first iteration of the Ku Klux Klan, comprised mostly of former Confederates like himself. It was during this time he would also join the Know Nothing political party. Despite these organizations, Silas felt that he had little to no purpose, not to mention a lack of steady income. He started to fall into alcoholism, and his rage festered at how those he deemed inferior had ruined his life. In 1870 he joined the recently established Pinkerton Detective Agency, working for them for five years to help suppress workers right activists and laborers, specifically seeking assignments to subdue and subjugate striking freed slaves.
In 1875, Silas Kilroy formally enrolled in the U.S. Military, desperate to vent his rage against Native Americans by helping to participate in the wars against them. He rose to prominence in 1876 and 1877 during the Black Hills War as a ruthless soldier who was brutal to Native Americans, combatant or not. During this time Silas would meet the legendary George Custer, coming to idolize the man. Silas would go on to fight in the Battle of Little Bighorn at the age of thirty nine, and would curse the Native Americans upon learning of their slaying his Hero Custer.
By 1890 Silas had risen in rank to the official rank of Colonel Kilroy when the Native Americans began both a Ghost Dance and Sun Dance ritual that was deemed necessary to be stopped. Ultimately this would result in the Massacre at Wounded Knee, during which Silas would meet both Cornelius Slate and Booker DeWitt. Silas would be impressed by Booker DeWitt's display of savagery during the battle, and was responsible for personally murdering Chief Spotted Elk himself, deeming it justice for the death of Custer.
Shortly thereafter Silas decided to leave the military and to follow DeWitt, getting baptized by Preacher Witting alongside him. Like DeWitt, Silas also decided to take a new name for his new life, renaming himself as John Henry Eden.
Post-Baptism: John Henry Eden became one of Zachary Hale Comstock's staunchest allies and earliest supporters, as well as being one of the very few to know the man before his transformation. He traveled with Comstock to Washington D.C. when Comstock was asked to present his case for the creation of Columbia, as well as attended Comstock's marriage to Lady Comstock as one of the groomsmen. John became fully committed to the cause, and began diligently working on a fraternal organization that could help protect, nurture and guide this fledgling city. As such he would become not only of the Founders of Columbia as a whole, but one of the Founders of the Fraternal Order of the Raven. By the time of Comstock's disappearance, Eden had reached the rank of First Zealot.
Creation of Columbia (1890- 1893) In 1893 the City of Columbia was officially launched during the World's Fair in Chicago, with John Henry Eden being the Guest of Honor at a celebration festival being held in Emporia, Kansas while the Preacher Comstock was busy overseeing the launch in Chicago. To much fanfare and celebration, John boarded one of the very first Pilgrim Rockets at age fifty six and was delivered heavenward to Columbia along with his fellow true believers while it made its maiden voyage on its set route through the United States.
Upon arriving in Columbia, John spent much of his time overseeing the organization and construction of his pride and joy in the city; Emporia, determined to make the district fit for even a Preacher of Comstock's prestige. In specific he was mostly involved with the creation of Emporia Towers on Harmony Lane. The district became one of the finest in the city, with even Comstock House being located there.
John Henry Eden was introduced to Robert and Rosalind Lutece by the Prophet Comstock. Unlike Comstock, Eden was incredibly skeptical of the scientists and considered their work to be near witchcraft. Nonetheless, his respect for Comstock was so great that he held his tongue on the matter. He also had to admit that their city in the sky never would have been possible without them. Still, John was shocked and suspicious when his friend and leader Comstock began to age drastically. Comstock excused it as the price of bearing the mantle of such awesome responsibility, but John couldn't help but suspect that it was due to some satanic witchcraft of the scientists.
The city's glorious golden age of peace and prosperity continued, with the first political faction of the city being created by The Founders shortly after Columbia took to the sky. With the new city serving as the U.S. Governments intended example of democratic patriotism and American exceptionalism. The Preacher known as Zachary Comstock continued his ascent among the people of the city as the Prophet, as he began to deliver visions unto the people that always came true. Not only this, but their level of technological advancement began to accelerate drastically. The Founders attributed these benefits to being the natural result of a society being ruled by its rightful betters of white Anglo-Saxon protestant men. During these initial halcyon days he also met and became close friends with the Founders politician Henry Saltonstall.
Tragedy struck when the Prophet Comstock made a speech to his fellow Founders about how the city needed an heir of his bloodline to truly prosper, but shortly thereafter in October of 1983 he disappeared without a trace. Not only this, but so did the Scientists. Their strange device was heavily damaged, and leadership of the city fell into disarray. Because Preacher Witting had been the one to initially baptize the Prophet, many turned to him as to who his successor should be. Witting chose John Eden, as he considered him to be one of The Prophet's closest Apostles.
Columbia's Golden Age and Beginning of the Civil War (1893 - 1902)
In 1894 at the age of fifty seven, John Henry Eden won the election to become the First President of Columbia, with Henry Saltonstall serving as Vice President. The inauguration was closer to a coronation, being a day of unparalleled splendor. The event was similar to a Church Sermon, and during it Eden was re baptized by Preacher Witting while the song Down to the River to Pray played throughout the city and was performed by the Columbia City Choir.
The renowned industrialist and entrepreneur Jeremiah Fink was selected to serve in Eden's Cabinet, and was placed in charge of finding a way to fix the strange machine. It was also during this time that Jeremiah Fink informed the President about Columbia's greatest secret; the nature of the Tears and how they can serve as a doorway to alternate realities. Eden began to wonder if Comstock had entered into one of these alternate realities and somehow gotten stuck or become stranded, possibly through the sabotage of the Lutece's who he always suspected to be Satanists. Wanting to rescue his friend if possible, President Eden ordered Trans Dimensional Machine repaired at any cost.
Following the disappearance of the Prophet, various forms of air travel began to increase in popularity such as Gunships and Security Zeppelins. Indeed, President Eden himself would receive the Hand of the Prophet, originally intended for Comstock. President Eden would also go on to comfort the grieving widow of Lady Comstock, and somewhat scandalously married her in 1895. Unfortunately on their wedding day she was assassinated by Daisy Fitzroy as the nefarious Vox Populi revealed themselves to the city at large.
During the following years the war between the factions would only worsen, and in 1898 at the age of sixty one, President Eden was reelected to his second term. Though Fink was able to glean small amounts of knowledge through unstable and spontaneous Tears that would appear throughout the city, he struggled to repair the device to being functional enough to stabilize them or create them at whim. It was only once he fortuitously made contact with Yi Suchong of Rapture through one of these Tears did he begin to make significant advances in repairing it.
Meanwhile in 1901, President Eden intervened in the Boxer Rebellion on behalf of the United States, decimating the Chinese with overwhelming aerial firepower. The United States was furious and demanded the city return to Washington and for President Eden to be relieved of command, which coincided with the Columbia Election for President. The President called a meeting with his staff and ordered a general election as to if the People of Columbia wished to comply. The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of Secession as well as voting President Eden in to a third term of office. Being an Ex-Confederate himself, President Eden was more than happy with complying. On July 6th 1902, Columbia officially seceded and disappeared into the clouds.
Civil War of Columbia (1902 - 1911)
Now free from the 'Sodom and Gommoroh below', the city began embracing a kind of Neo-Confederate culture, with many believing that the Union was a corrupted bastardization of the United States that the original Founding Fathers had envisioned, with the Confederacy being the truer successor. As such the people began to take the old rebel phrase 'The South Will Rise Again!' in a literal fashion, living in their flying city. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Vox Populi also began to become increasingly militant, with clashes with police and security forces becoming more common and violent. Some Founders aligned citizens even began to discuss the idea of re-instituting slavery, and the Lost Cause of the Confederacy becomes part of the cultural fabric of Columbia.
In 1903, a strange apparition appeared, with reports of a lumbering and mysterious 'man of iron' being discovered reaching the Presidents desk. Upon arresting the man and bringing him to the President, John Eden realizes the man is some strange but undeniable parallel of himself. The man attempts to kill the President, but fails. Giving the man to Jeremiah Fink, he uses the man to create the infamous Songbird. This Songbird would go on to become the Protector of not just the President, but the city as a whole. So long as it lived, the Vox Populi lived in constant terror.
In 1904, Columbia's Congress unanimously passes a law that Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee are canonized as Saints of Columbia. The science of phrenology becomes widely practiced and accepted within Columbia.
In 1906 President Eden was reelected to his fourth term, and Congress declared him Primus Inter Pares (First Among Equals) and President Inperpetuity. Later that year, the Chief of Police Jefferson Poole was assassinated by the Vox Populi, with his replacement being a even more hardline and brutal man named Harrison Thacker. This event lead President Eden to declare a renewed and focused war on the Vox Populi.
In 1908, the official anthem of Columbia is voted on and accepted as I Wish I Was In Dixie Land. The official flag of Columbia is voted on and accepted as a Confederate flag. President Eden witnesses the horrors of World War I in a unstable and naturally occurring Tear, this leads him to decide to strike the United States and reform the Confederacy once the United States is weakened and distracted by the war. He declares his plan as a prophecy to the people of Columbia, and is heralded as the New Prophet, and considered analogous to being the Peter to Comstock's Jesus.
The war against the Vox Populi slowly but surely grinds the rebels down, until it culminates with their leaders arrest in 1909 through the use of a double agent. Unfortunately, Daisy Fitzroy is able to escape due to the naivety and treachery of Dr. Francis Pinchot, further encouraging a distrust of intellectualism and education in The Prophet Eden. Deciding that the city needed a protector that could be mass produced (unlike Songbird), in 1911 the Motorized Patriot is revealed to the populace.
In January of 1912, The Prophet Eden and his Cabinet begin to formulate plans to foment rebellion in the South to aid them once they eventually reignite the Civil War and use their aerial firepower to devastate Washington D.C. The Prophet John Eden begins to doubt if he wants to find his friend and mentor Comstock, as this would mean relinquishing his power and control of Columbia.
On July 6th 1912, the 10 year anniversary of the secession from the Union, the events of BioShock: Confederacy of Clouds takes place.
Subject Psi meets Robert and Rosalind Lutece who tell him about the City of Columbia, and how it is the other side of the coin to the Rapture that is has always known. They consider it to be a form of cosmic joke and acknowledge the irony of their request at needing to use the same trick twice, but inform Subject Psi that they need his help with a assassination mission, the target actually being himself in a parallel universe. Explaining that in the only remaining version of Columbia that wasn't erased due to it's Comstock having abandoned it, Silas Kilroy renamed himself and was now known as the Prophet Eden, and had took over leadership of the city.
The Prophet Eden was picking up where Comstock had left off, and he was growing increasingly close to managing to open up tears himself by attempting to recreate the research and experimentation of the Lutece's with the assistance of Jeremiah Fink. This was something that concerned the Lutece's and wanted foiled.
Unfortunately due to the level of security around him having succeeded as the Prophet that Columbia needed, they struggled to find a way to stop him. This was when they discovered Subject Psi within the core of the Luminescent Biomass, and decided to save him from sacrificing himself by opening a tear and taking him to the Sea of Doors. Hoping to use him as the tool to end the Prophet Eden of this reality. Subject Psi agrees with the stipulation that he 'wants to go somewhere nice' afterwards, to which the pair of them recommend Paris to him.
Before sending him through the necessary Door to his assigned version of Columbia, he is informed he will likely experience heavy amnesia. Because of this they give him a note with clear instructions; "SLAY THE PROPHET, SAVE THE GIRL." Stepping through the tear, he arrives at the Garden of New Eden and loses both his memories and consciousness.
He is discovered by the Columbia Police Authority, who are unsure who he is or what to do with him. They decide that he is some kind of freak, and decide to place him in an exhibit at the Columbia Zoo as none of the Police cells can contain him.
The general public marvel at Subject Psi, having never seen an Alpha Series before. Eventually he is visited by Jeremiah Fink, who recognizes his similarities to the Handyman that his corporation Fink Manufacturing produces and decides he wants to further study Subject Psi to hopefully improve upon his own models.
Purchasing Subject Psi from the Zoo, he takes him to the Surgical Suite in Finkton to experiment upon him. Upon arriving, he is kept under guard by Motorized Patriots. While he is there, Subject Psi witnesses how Fink treats his employees poorly and overhears him demean and degrade them. Witnessing the behavior vaguely jogs his memory of having seen it before, but unable to remember where, when, or who. Fink manages to reverse engineer several components, including his drill.
This House was first formed and given lands as a result of the First Dornish War. The majority of the knights and levies of the Stormlands had left with the Hand of the KingOrys Baratheon, and were massacred and ransomed by the Dornish.
To make matters worse, the Dornish sailed north across the Sea of Dorne and landed upon the Cape of Wrath, raiding and looting indiscriminately. Their numbers were far too great to allow for direct opposition from the remaining Stormlanders, but this didn't stop the smallfolk peasant known as Tros of the Mistwood from gathering up dozens of insurgents and enacting guerilla warfare against their occupiers. Tros was said to be a beast of a man who could easily choke a man to death with a single arm, and who wielded a battleaxe that could cleave multiple men with a single swing. He helped defend the Tower of Owls, which was from where House Mertyns ruled the dukedom from.
Because of his efforts, the siege on the Tower of Owls was interrupted frequently and went poorly. Soon the Dornish had to retreat back to their native lands without sacking it. The Lady of House Mertyns who had been left regent while her husband was away thanked him profusely, knighting him in 12 A.C. and inviting him to remain in the Tower of Owls as one of their men-at-arms.
As part of his elevation to Knighthood, he was expected to take form a House and take a last name. He chose the last name Ravencroft, with his sigil being a black raven flying over a red background. He also chose the words "By Cry of Raven We Are Drawn".
Ser Tros Ravencroft accepted and became part of the retinue there, and witnessed in horror as near the entirety of House Mertyns died from poisoning, an assassination that was orchestrated by vengeful Dornish after the First Dornish War. This event deeply impacted him, and he swore an oath of revenge against the Dornish for what they had done.
He would go on to marry a local peasant girl and have two sons with her named Oryn and Orys. He had both of his sons squire under him, and knighted both. When the Second Dornish War occurred, he and his sons eagerly volunteered to aid in slaying the nefarious Vulture King.
The war gave both Oryn and Orys valuable experience in the art of war and emboldened them. When they learned that their enemies Host had swelled to such a size that it had split in half, Ser Tros and his sons were sent by House Mertyns to assist Lord Harmon Dondarrion and Lady Ellyn Caron.
Eventually the enemies lines would be shattered and their forces routed, with the Vulture King fleeing back towards Dorne with his ruined army. Lord Harmon and Lady Ellyn would press their advantage, and thus began the Vulture Hunt as they searched for him in the Boneway and the Red Mountains. The man was as elusive as he was cunning, and it was only through the Grace of the Seven that Ser Tros and his sons who came upon the man's relatively small and isolated camp.
They considered sending for aid, but were concerned that he would disappear before it could arrive. Ser Tros ultimately made the decision to attack the camp with only his loyal sons and a handful of levies he had brought with him. The battle was brutal, with both the Dornish and the Stormlanders fighting like beasts. Ultimately they did manage to shackle the Vulture King and slay his bodyguards, though it came at Ser Tros Ravencroft's life.
The brothers handed the Vulture King over to Lord Dondarrion and Lady Caron personally. For their service, they recommended to Lord Mertyns that they be given lands and titles of their own within the Stormlands. Lord Mertyns agreed, and made Ser Oryn the new Lord of Wrathrock, a island in the Sea of Dorne just off the southern coast of the Stormlands. The island could raise nearly a thousand levies in war time, and had two Castles upon it, one larger than the other. The larger was known as Castle Wrathrock and was given to the elder brother. The smaller castle was named Harchester and was given to the younger brother, making him Lord of Harchester. The island also possessed a bustling harbor town named Darcross.
In the year 41 A.C. the Faith Militant Uprising took place, in which the Warrior's Sons and Poor Fellows which were comprised of religious zealots that judge the ruling House Targaryen as being heathens against the Seven. The brothers and the Stormlands as a whole declared neutrality in the conflict, though they did travel to witness the Trial of Seven between King Maegor Targaryen and Damon Morrigen, known as Damon the Devout.
The brothers ruled over the small island for years, building additions on to the harbor of Darcross.
History: Roland was born to a family of poor farmers employed by JOTUN Heavy Industries, and much of his early life was dominated by using various different farm machinery such as Olifants to sow and harvest the annual crops. His family were largely against the United Nations Space Command, a common sentiment among the people of the Outer Colonies. Roland always felt like a black sheep as part of his family, and once he became 16 he faked documents with his age and managed to enlist, he did so for no other reason than to escape his family and the life he was born in to. He proved to be a prodigious soldier, graduating as a UNSC Marine at the top of his class.
The first several months of his career were uneventful and typical, usually being deployed to suppress riots. It wasn't until Operation: TREBUCHET occurred in 2513 when he was 17 years old that he really received an opportunity to prove himself. Throughout the course of various battles, Roland was commended for both saving the lives of his fellow Marines as well as excelling at elimination of United Rebel Front assets. It was because of this very Heroism against the rebels on Eridanus II that he was recommended for Orbital Drop Shock Trooper training and assignment by his superior. By age 21, he had graduated from the Special Warfare Center in United Korea on Earth after having completed his training as part of the 340th ODST Combat Training Unit.
Reassigned to the UNSC Atlas and to Fireteam Echo (Otherwise known as the Rough Riders) as the rookie, Roland had been given the informal nickname of 'Nobody' by his new teammates. He would also meet and befriend Cadmon Lasky, who he would view as something of a role model. It wouldn't take long until once again he was called to prove himself, as the war against the Insurrectionists continued with Operation: SLINGSHOT. The objective was to take advantage of the ODST's rapid response capabilities by having them deployed in quick succession to a series of planets all simultaneously undergoing Freedom League rebellion, a faction that was allied with the United Rebel Front. The order of assault was simple; 1st Phase was an assault on the planet Jericho VII, 2nd Phase was an assault on Arcadia (Roland's own homeworld), and 3rd Phase was an assault on Andresia.
Though there have been whispers of a mysterious new enemy force, the information is highly classified and the majority of the UNSC's attention is still focused on the Insurrection. Meanwhile, Roland has felt increasingly split in his loyalties, unsure if he can go through with suppressing his own neighbors on Arcadia. The more he witnessed of the galaxy, the more jaded and disillusioned he had become. It had become increasingly clear that Humanity was ruled by fear and greed, with a government rife with corruption from megacorporations. Not only this, but Roland adopted his fellow ODSTs suspicions of the Spartans, considering them to be Office of Naval Intelligence created freaks.
Between the pressure of living in such an inhospitable environment and the longing to return to their homeland, rifts began to tear the Clan apart and arguments increasingly resulted in bloodshed. The central issue that the clan struggled with was if they should pursue revenge against the Uchiha for having removed them in the first place. Yamamoto's parents were on the side of not pursuing the blood feud against the Uchiha, and because of this rival members of the clan kidnapped the babe and sold him in to slavery to help finance their side of the war and weaken their enemies.
Shortly thereafter, the entirety of the Chinoike clan was wiped out, including Yamamoto's parents, leaving none to search or even remember the newborn. The boy ended up becoming the property of Gato of Gato Company. The shipping magnate saw the boy as an investment, nothing more. He forced the boy to actually teach himself Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu using nothing more than illegally obtained instructional scrolls.
By age 7 he was sent to briefly compete in the Coliseum. His debut fight in the Coliseum was witnessed by none other than Lady Chiyo one of the Honored Siblings of Sunagakure. She immediately purchased him from Gato, much to the dismay of her brother Ebizu.
Taking the boy back to the Land of Wind to be seen by the Third Kazekage and the Suna Council, Lady Chiyo explained that it was unwise to entrust the entirety of the villages future to the strength of the Tailed BeastShukaku. Not only this, but she worried about the strength of the Uchiha clan and how the shinobi of Sunagakure had little defense against them. Lastly, she had witnessed Yamamoto show an aptitude for both Genjutsu as well as the Art of the Puppet Technique, utilizing his own rudimentary Puppets during his fight.
Lady Chiyo saw much of her own grandson Sasori in Yamamoto, and believe that he could become a legendary puppeteer like him. The young shinobi was given to the Shirogane Clan, as well as adopting their last name. Yamamoto learned much from his newfound clansmen Ibushi, Gando, and Meno, including an ironic hatred of the Uchiha. For a time, he would prosper amongst the Sand Shinboi. He would develop a variety of his own puppets with the help of Clan Shirogane's help, such as how to make Puppet Walkers, Lizard Puppets, and Elemental Puppets. Yamamoto also created a Spider puppet on his own. Not only this, but he also learned the Summoning Technique and signed a contract with an Owl.
Officially becoming a Genin at age 12, he would be forced to participate in the Third Shinobi World War. Sent on a crucial mission under his Sensei Pakura as well as her other student Maki against Kirigakure. The mission was a success, though a costly one. During a skirmish, Yamamoto was wounded terribly by the signature flames of Uchiha Shinobi, and was only saved by his Sensei Pakura's Scorch Release.
Near death, he would have his life saved by Maki and her Cloth Binding Technique. Using her Binding Cloth, she wrapped the entirety of his ruined body in the cloth and using specialized Ninjutsu, saved him at the cost of his being unable to leave the cloth wrapping without excruciating pain.
Pakura was heralded as the Hero of Sunagakure, and Yamamoto spent months in the Hospital. Around the same time he recovered enough to be released, Pakura herself died while on a mission against Iwagakure. This news crushed the young Yamamoto, who had come to see her as his role model. The youth was suspicious about the circumstances related to his Sensei's death, and despite Maki's warnings to leave it alone, he investigated until he discovered that his suspicions had been right all along; the Village had betrayed her and sold her out to the enemy as part of a peace proposal.
Disillusioned with Sunagakure and crushed that he had no family or even a Sensei, as well as being forever entrapped in one of Maki's Binding Cloth's due to his burn scars, Yamamoto began to grow increasingly reclusive and bitter towards both the Village and World as a whole. He devoted himself entirely his craft, and mastered Jutsu such as the Sand Puppet Manipulation Technique, the Genjutsu: Unknown Fire and the Genjutsu Jibakugan.
His rise in skill earned him the rank of Chunin by age 15, and he became a member of the Puppet Brigade, though he still harbored hatred for his village in his heart. It was during his time in the brigade that he met a kunoichi named Seryu. Somehow managing to get past his rude and cold demeanor, she formed a friendship with him that slowly caused him to let down his guard. Unfortunately she was slain in battle during the Third Shinobi World War, and by an Uchiha no less, further traumatizing Yamamoto. Taking her corpse in secret from the battlefield, he turned her in to his first Human Puppet with the help of Sasori, who had done the same to his friend Komushi.
He had finally reached a point of strength in which he felt capable and ready to exact his revenge, as he had decided to exterminate the Uchiha clan. Stealing the secrets of One's Own Life Reincarnation from Lady Chiyo and becoming a Missing-nin, he fled the village to the ruined kingdom of Roran in the Land of Wind. There he met with Sasori, who revealed he had made his very body into a puppet and taught Yamamoto the Secret Technique: Collection of Ten Puppets. The duo were tracked down by the Third Kazekage as well as the Future KazekageRasa.
The two duo's battled for what felt an eternity, which resulted in the death of the Third Kazekage and the capture of Yamamoto by Rasa. Sasori fled the battlefield, and Yamamoto was returned to the village to face the Suna Council. He explained to them his desire to destroy the Uchiha clan, and to use the Master Puppet to do it. This made the Suna Council worried that such an act would only reignite a war that they were in no shape to fight. He also revealed to them that he knew the village had betrayed Pakura, his Sensei. This alarmed the Suna Council greatly, who decided that he would be given a life sentence not only for his crimes but as a political prisoner who knew too much. The Fourth Kazekage Rasa was charged with taking Yamamoto deep out into the Demon Desert where the disgraced Shinobi would be entombed and put into a slumber using a Ninjutsu within a Pyramid to be slowly buried by the shifting sands of time and fate.
With the kidnapping and assassination of Fourth Kazekage Rasa by Orochimaru, there is now none living who know exactly where Yamamoto is buried. Thus, the Mirage of Sunagakure sleeps, dreaming beneath the sands of the Demon Desert in the Land of Wind. Waiting for a chance at either revenge or redemption.